Rock Your Next Career Fair

Rock Your Next Career Fair Rock Your Next Career Fair Career fairs are outstanding places to land your first professional position or find the next step on the ladder. They can also be places where you inadvertently close the door on what could have been an ideal opportunity. Dont let that happenIve helped many professionals start their careers and find new ones at career fairs. Here is what you need to know to rock the next career fair you attend1. Get ReadyMore than half of your job search is preparation. Know which organizations are attending the fair and research each one using their websites and other sites likeGlassdoor. Doing this will help you create a target list of companies to visit, and having a target list is the best way to utilize your time and minimize your effort.You should also look into getting a map of the fair. Larger career fairs post these on their websites well in advance. Familiarize yourself with the locations of the companies you plan to visit. Dont miss out on what could havebeen the one because the lights were bright, everyone welches on their cellphone, and the aisles all looked the same.2. Practice PitchingYou may only have a few minutes to make a lasting impression on a recruiter. Dont take a chance practice your pitch. Write out what your specialty is and what you excel in. Think of what you do best and exactly how your experience can help solve problems the company has. Then practice in front of a mirror, with your friends, or by tapingyourself until you sound natural and confident delivering your pitch in about 30 seconds.3. Suit UpNo matter what your dream job is, invest in a quality tailored suit. Make sure that it fits perfectly. Wear a coordinating button-down shirt or blouse nothing sleeveless. Slick back trendy hairstyles. Take out visible body piercings and cover tattoos. Although many organizations have casual dress codes, conveying a more conventional business image for initial interactions is best.4. Search Sol oThe outcome of your job search will affect nearly every aspect of your life, and the effort you exert has a direct correlation to your ultimate job satisfaction. Show potential employers that you are independent from the very first interaction. Dont bring a crew with you on your search.5. No NoshingDont eat whiling look for a job a no-brainer, right? Ive watched in horror as candidates balanced plates of nachos and bottles of sodas along with their stacks of resumes, as they asked recruiters questions while licking the cheese off their fingers. Eat your nachos before or after but not during your search.6. Reserve Your ResumesDo you have to come armed with 100 resumes and measure your success by how many are left at the end of the day? notlage exactly.If you visit your target companies, you will only need to bring a few resumes. After conversingwith recruiters at your target companies, if you are interested in pursuing the next step, take abusiness card and email a thank-you note a long with your resume and cover letter.7. Dont AskDont ask the recruiter to tell you about the company or why you should work for them. If this company is on your target list, you should already know the answers to both of these questions. Because you have done some research, the conversations you have with recruiters shouldbe more in depth and productive. Because this is the initial stage of exploring opportunities, this isnt the time to ask about compensation.8. The PitchTake a moment before you approach the companys table. Pull out your notes and think about how you may need to adjust your pitch to fit the role and industry. Before serving up your pitch, ask the recruiter how their day is going. Taking a personal interest in them will set you apart and make you even more memorable. Then, take a deep breath, wind up, and deliver your pitch. And dont forget to smileEvelyn Bourassa is a bilingual career coach, experienced in working with zwischenstaatlich and domestic clients.

How to Prove Your Value to Your Boss - The Muse

How to Prove Yur Value to Your Boss - The MuseHow to Prove Your Value to Your Boss Dear HR Professional,In the office, Im highly focused on my priorities and managing my time- rather than tooting my own horn. I thought this was a sign of independence, but now Im realizing that my boss actually has no clue what Im accomplishing. How do I make my results more visible to my boss without bragging?Signed,Bashful BraggerDear Bashful Bragger, I love this question, because it is something so many professionals struggle with. Its easy to think that your work should speak for itself, which makes it hard to elevate your own results.That said, advocating for your accomplishments is one of the most important things you can do for your career. It may take some effort and practice, but its never a waste of anyones time to create transparency and showcase your value. Here are three ways you can ensure your work isnt hiding in a black box. 1. Establish an Open Line of CommunicationAre you meeting wit h your manager regularly? If so, what are you discussing when you meet? As your boss, he likely wants to see you thrive and succeed in your role, but he cant help you if he doesnt know there is an issue.Try sharing the concern that you arent elevating your contributions to him enough, and ask him how you can provide more effective or helpful updates. For example, send him a few high-level bullet points of what youre working on in an email before meeting. This will give a broad overview of your current scope, opens the door for him to ask questions, and gives you more time to deep dive on the most important things. Remember, you are your own best career advocate. Dont be afraid to give voice to your accomplishments.2. Watch Your WesIf youre part of a team, it is easy to lump your individual contributions into the achievements of the broader group. It can become a habit to say, We launched this project or We met our quarterly goal. While teamwork is critical, make sure you are also ca lling out to your manager the specific work you owned. 3. Prioritize Your Career DevelopmentReflect on whats important to you in your career. Is it a promotion or raise? Is it the development of a new skill? Is it more work flexibility to accommodate personal needs? Once you know what you want to go after, partner with your manager to make it happen. Create a development action plan that showcases what youre working on now and what you would like to work on in the future. Set up quarterly check-ins to specifically discuss your growth and opportunities. By working with your manager to act on the things that are important to you, she will have more insight into what youre trying to achieve, and can help you evaluate how your current work is helping to accomplish that goal. This not only elevates your work, but also creates an investment for both you and your boss to help you succeed. This article is part of our Ask an Expert series- a column dedicated to helping you tackle your bigges t career concerns. Our experts are excited to answer all of your burning questions, and you can submit one by emailing us at editor(at)themuse(dot)com and using Ask an Honest HR Professional in the subject line.Your letter may be published in an article on The Muse. All letters to Ask an Expert become the property of Daily Muse, Inc and will be edited for length, clarity, and grammatical correctness.

How Productive People Get More Done - The Muse

How Productive People Get More Done - The MuseHow Productive People Get More DoneYou have the same number of hours in the day as Beyonc.Everyone knows someone who works full time, volunteers, runs a successful blog, and somehow still finds time to go grocery shopping, cook organic Instagram-worthy meals, foster a loving relationship, walk his or her adorable Boston Terrier, and, oh- train for a half marathon.These kinds of super-achievers have the same number of hours in the day as the rest of us, but somehow, they always landseem to get more done. How do they do it?As a psychologist and life coach who has spent thousands of hours working with clients over the past 28 years- including hundreds of hours with clients who meet this super-achiever character profile- heres what Ive noticed about people who consistently succeed. Plus How you can tweak your mindset to become a high achiever, too.Fully CommitWhatever youre doing right now? Be fully in it. Commit.When you see an Olympic hurdl er leaping over barricades with superhuman agility, does she look distracted? Nope. She is 100% invested in the task at hand. And as you can see from her success, commitment leads to greatness.So what do you do when you feel your mind wandering away from the present moment? Josh Pais, creator of Committed Impulse, high-performance training for actors, public speakers, and entrepreneurs, recommends saying Im back out loud whenever you feel yourself drifting away. You might get a few odd looks from bystanders, but it worksAvoid MultitaskingYour email inbox, Instagram, Facebook, that hilarious viral cat video, and an ad proclaiming a big sale at your favorite website- these are probably just a few of the tabs you have open, commanding your attention while you simultaneously try to finish a project a work. Its not out of the ordinary multitasking has become the norm.But the human mind is not designed for multitasking. In fact, research has proven that were pretty terrible at it. When yo u try to multitask, you lose focus, youre more likely to make errors, and projects tend to take longer. To make sure you can focus completely, strive to shut off all distractions- even if that means locking your cell phone in a drawer while you work. Extreme? Maybe. But its worth a tryBan Friendly Interruptions at All CostsYoure working on a project. Youre totally in the zone, making lightning-speed progress. Then, a co-worker swings by. Just wanted your two cents on this, he says, handing you a report outline. You look it over and give him your thoughts. It doesnt take more than 60 seconds for you to chime in. No biggie, right? Unfortunately, that minor interruption just majorly derailed your focus. It will take an average of 23 minutes for you to get back into the zone of whatever you were doing.Super-achievers know that interruptions are productivity-killers, so they avoid them at all costs. (Theres a reason why most CEOs have private offices- with doors)If you dont have a door t o close, try finding a quiet space where you wont be nudged, turn off your incoming email notifications for a few hours, or talk to your boss about instituting company-wide do not disturb hours a few times a week. Hang With Fellow Super-AchieversYouve probably heard the expression, If you are the smartest person in the room, then you are in the wrong room. saatkorn goes for achievement and productivity.Theres a reason why Beyonc rolls with people like Oprah, the Obamas, and her mogul husband, Jay-Z. When you surround yourself with high-energy, like-minded people, you tend to rise to their level- while inspiring them, too. Try to weed your professional life of people, colleagues, and even friends who dont energize you. This doesnt mean you should never see these people again or that you have to coldly cut them out of your life completely. But be mindful about who you choose to spend the majority of your time with. Try to surround yourself with super-achievers as often as possible. Do nt know where to meet them? Join a challenging club or group (10K training, anyone?), or write an email to someone you admire. Or maybe theres someone you already know in real life, but have been too shy to talk to. Drop him or her a note to say, Id love to treat you to lunch at your favorite spot. You never know where one simple invitation may lead.Prevent Emotions From BuildingWhen you allow negative emotions- like frustration, anger, disappointment, or self-loathing- to build up inside of you like water about to boil in a tea kettle, you can easily head down a destructive path. Sooner or later, all those bottled-up feelings are going to compel you to act out- whether that means binge-eating potato chips at midnight, watching 14 hours straight of Gilmore Girls instead of dealing with urgent deadlines, or engaging in some other behavior that leaves you feeling more frustrated (not to mention tired, hungover, or nauseous) than ever. Which is not great for productivity.Super-achiever s know how to manage their emotions effectively to prevent the tea-kettle effect. fruchtwein super-achievers I know have some kind of emotion-management practice that they rely on meditating, journaling, a weekly check-in with a life coach, or a good old-fashioned punching-bag session at the gym.Find a strategy that works for you. Youll know its working when you feel a deep sense of release and relief- as if a ton of bricks have been lifted from your shoulders, leaving you feeling light, unburdened, no longer upset, and ready to get back to being awesomeLast, but not least, remember that those incredible super-achievers you admire- and aspire to be like- are just ordinary people with flaws and fears, too.As Beyonc herself once said, I know Im stronger in the songs than I really am.Were all just human beings trying to work, live, and navigate the world using all the tools and skills we have. Rather than aiming for flawless perfection, aim for your personal best- and youll always be a success.Photo of ticking clock courtesy of Shutterstock.

Job Interview Question How Can We Help You Succeed

Job Interview Question How Can We Help You SucceedJob Interview Question How Can We Help You SucceedStaff retention is a major concern for managers and human resources professionals. The process of interviewing candidates for an open position and onboarding new staff members is a long and costly one. Institutional knowledge is a valuable commodity that employers want to retain. Interview questions aiming to tease out responses about candidates management preferences are becoming increasingly favored by recruitingteams for example What can a manager do to help you be successful in your job? This may sound like a hard question to answer, especially for juniorchefin level staff, because it sounds like a management question. But really this question is about how to engage and retain the candidate they select for the position. Thinking this question through is great interview preparation, and its also a helpful professional exercise. Reflect on Fit Achieving fit means that you feel engros sed, challenged and confident in the culture, and as a result you are successful there. Think about the job(s) youve held that has been a good fit for you. What factors contributed to your overall sense of success? Was it the kind of work you were doing? Was it the vibe of the place? Was it the people around you? Identify what qualities yield fit for you. If you dont feel like youve achieved this yet in your professional life, maybe youve found a great sense of fit in a class youve taken or a club with which youve been involved. Its fine to use these examples to discuss fit as well. The important thing here is that you know what you are looking for when it comes to cultural fit and you can discuss an instance where you found it. Finding job fit requires a delicate balance of various factors, and its important to know how you got there so that you can recreate it in your future endeavors. Reflect on Leadership Fit doesnt happen accidentally. Good leaders create healthy cultures that maximize employees talents and make them feel a sense of security, community and belonging. Think about who helped steer the culture in which you found fit. Analyze how that leader impacted the culture and why you felt comfortable there. Think about that managers style. How did he or she facilitate a culture of growth and productivity for you? How did he or she keep you excited about your work and about your team? Use examples that demonstrate how the managers leadership efforts impacted the environment and helped you to thrive. Discuss specific projects that were well-received and that you and your former manager considered victories.Talking about this gives the interview team a sense of what you need professionally. It gives them the chance to see what you value at work and what constitutes harmony and, ultimately, success for you in your day-to-day work. Being a good self-advocate and articulating a reflective level of self-awareness is always impressive in an interview. Question s like this one aim to get you thinking in that direction, which is great preparation for a job seeker.

An Honest View of Create a Resume Online Free

An Honest View of Create a Resume Online Free Create a Resume Online Free and Create a Resume Online Free - The Perfect Combination Its possible to download the result in PDF format, therefore youre only needed to present some info and in couple of minutes you are in possession of a ready to utilize CV. My documents look far better. Its totally free to download. If so, dont be concerned about what it appears like, because itll be consistent with the other resumes in the database. If you know a small html, you could even like to conserve the source to disk, add a couple of further tags, and voila Additionally, you locate a template. Its true, you can access all templates in free of charge. The majority of the templates are offered by named, resume writing specialists and thus the quality is quite excellent. Dont miss the position you would like because you are notlage ready. Each time you put in an application for a new job, check your resume to make koranvers that it isnt only targeted, but in addition current. For each position, you are going to want to include your job title and business name. Well, a part of software analyzes your resume for sure key phrases and provides you a score based how well your resume matches a predetermined collection of keywords chosen by the business youre interviewing with. Preparing an accurate resume isnt a simple endeavor Utilizing entry-level resume examples can provide you a tried-and-tested structure to take as a starting point and also provides resume help to learn how to finish each resume section with guides regarding what to include and exactly what you ought to avoid so as to entice the ideal employers. Creating a resume (CV) is a significant step towards finding work in Australia, especially because the format may be a little different from what it is that youre utilized to back home. The process of producing a resume is quite easy and straight-forward. Want to Know More About Create a Resume Onlin e Free? You may choose anyone in accordance with your objective. If you wish to save your resume angeschlossen and make occasional alterations, you must make an account because that alternative is simply allotted for members. If youre a student, check if your university has a completely free site available that you use. You will always be reached by phone or mail, therefore it does not really make a difference. What you wish to avoid is having an experience section thats almost empty, or one which is full of experience thats not related to your targeted position. While the users are even given the opportunity to customize their resume in their very own style. The goal of a resume is to highlight your skills, experience and accomplishments that are relevant to the role you wish to be in. There are lots of styles in which youll be able to begin creating your resume. Create a Resume Online Free at a Glance There are various ways to create a PDF of your resume, based on what sort of computer youve got. Be very cautious when employing all sorts of image, unless youre an expert designer. For almost whatever you want to include on a resume, theres a category to help organize it. A favorite trend in websites is the usage of material design. New Questions About Create a Resume Online Free So, My Resume Builder is very helpful in creating a wonderful ready-to-go resume. My Resume Builder can help you create a fantastic resume with the aid of its tools. When finished, it is easy to toggle between different templates to find out what looks best for the last product. PDF templates are professional and allow the candidates to easily stick out. All About Create a Resume Online Free CV Maker is a simple to use online utility that may help users create professional CVs online. Online CV is another terrific site in reservierung to make cv online free of charge. As its name suggests, Free Resume Creator is just one more absolutely free online resume or CV builder website. Composing a Cv on-line Free can be a massive massive pain The Create a Resume Online Free Stories Employers usually do not prefer to get functional resumes because they do not show your work history or career progress. A resume isnt always crucial to acquire work in Australia. Its pretty easy and simple to configure. Which is which is all up to you. Well, regardless of what stage youre in your career, youre likely to should understand how to make a resume for a job interview and we are likely to explain to you how During an interview, in the majority of instances, a resume operates as a guide for you as well as the employer. The process is straightforward, you start with answering a few questions to make your user profile. Without one, you likely will not land an interview. WordPress is a perfect platform to construct your professional on-line presence. Resumizer free resume creator allows you to vorschau your resume at any location in the creation pr ocedure. You do not have to get registered to use the creator. The Meaning of Create a Resume Online Free All the resume ideas include example screenshots and links to online resume templates that youre able to get started customizing straight away The completed document could be downloaded in a PDF format making it feasible to swiftly and conveniently make an application for job offers. 1 Resume is an absolutely free one page web template that comes with a smooth jQuery slide between sections of the webpage. Resume builder includes an instantaneous preview, and therefore you dont will need to save and refresh the page to see the way that it appears like. Ideas, Formulas and Shortcuts for Create a Resume Online Free Resume creators enable jobseekers to make and download their finished resumes directly from the world wide web to get started applying immediately. A resume tells employers what youve accomplished before and that which you can do to help their company now. Zet ys resume templates are made with the assistance of recruiters and adhere to the best practices in HR. Someone states that resumes are dead and it is necessary to have social media, but practice indicates that recruiters continue to find applicants resume, choose more relevant ones and just then connect with applicants. In order to make your on-line CV or Resume website with WordPress, first you will require a domain and hosting. Unlike a lot of the online resume builder sites that need the user to register, it doesnt need registration. Opt for the internet platform you will utilize to make your website. The website provides free along with premium templates that users can utilize.

Writing Continued on Resume - an in Depth Anaylsis on What Works and What Doesnt

Writing Continued on Resume - an in Depth Anaylsis on What Works and What Doesnt 1 advantage for employers to internet resumes is the considerable cost saving in comparison to traditional hiring methods. Excels at individual in addition to collaborative efforts. A History of Writing Continued on Resume Refuted You would like an entry-level job for a web content writer. Use the checklist to ensure you have included all appropriate data in your resume. Contact Information The very first section of your resume should consist of information on the way in which the employer can contact you. Provide a hyperlink to your on-line portfolio of writing samples. Our builder will lead you through all the sections and features necessary to earn a stand-out resume. Youll have practice quizzes after every module to guarantee youre confident on this issue youve completed before proceeding. On occasion the Skills and Accomplishments section is an individual section. Then have a look at the following resume writing tips to learn to compose a resume optimizing each section for greatest success. Things You Should Know About Writing Continued on Resume Doing so is still another method of reinforcing your qualifications for the job that you seek. Learn about the three sorts of skills you are able to highlight and the way it is possible to incorporate them into your resume. Many customers were surprised by how quickly they got their completed resumes, receiving their the very first draft in only a day or two. You might also have a peek at some useful resume keywords to further increase your resume. Spend some time matching your qualifications to the job to make certain youre including the suitable key phrases and techniques. Additionally, dont forget to center your personenname so that it appears in the exact middle on top of the resume. You merely have as much space on your resume, and that means you must be pragmatic when choosing what to include. Its extremel y important to bear in mind that you dont need to overwhelm them with information regarding your life, but instead, give them the highlights of your career. Resumes may be used for a number of reasons, but most often theyre utilised to secure new employment. They may be organized in different ways. Seeking an entry-level position to start my career in a high-level expert atmosphere. Along with helping your resume get selected, its also going to help the hiring manager see how your abilities and experiences make you a perfect candidate for the particular job. Tailor your resume to center on the work and extracurricular experiences which are most relevant to the job or industry youre targeting. Additional abilities and involvement will aid your employer get to know you and show off a few of your attributes besides your job experience. A highly organized and hard-working individual searching for a responsible place to get practical experience. The Benefits of Writing Continued on Resume As soon as its very important to your resume to incorporate a very clear career goal, you dont need to convey it through an Objective section. After your own personal summary, your career experience should assume the vast majority of your resume. If youve got many abilities, the previous skill paragraph may be called Additional Skills. Secure an accountable career opportunity to completely utilize my training and abilities, while making a substantial contribution to the success of the business. Ok, I Think I Understand Writing Continued on Resume, Now Tell Me About Writing Continued on Resume Employers love to observe a candidate thats active and giving. Including qualified development like continuing education can actually help you stick out from the pool of candidates. Our guide to college applications can help you understand precisely what schools are interested in finding. Colleges should make sure they possess the greatest and brightest freshmen class possible. Writing Continued on Resume - What Is It? An exhaustive employer will request references and call your references to validate the places you worked, the responsibilities you held, and the grade of work that you provided. If youre applying to a position in another nation, learn what the resume expectations are for that nation. Resume guidelines might vary from industry to industry, therefore its recommended to get familiar with specific industry examples.

How We Helped This Professional Who Was Stuck In His Toxic Job

How We Helped This Professional Who Was deckenfries In His Toxic JobHow We Helped This Professional Who Was Stuck In His Toxic JobHow We Helped This Professional Who Was Stuck In His Toxic JobWhen you are too busy dealing with life to edit your resume for your job search and leave your toxic job, then its time to get some help.There are many factors that compel a professional to start looking for a new job while still employed and just as many reasons they might feel trapped or bullied into staying in a dead-end job or toxic situation. Ken Morrison is no stranger to feeling stuck and helpless in his role and turned to TopResume for help and support moving forward in his career.Ken is a self-described professional tinkerer. With several patents to his name, his passion for invention led Ken to a lucrative career in programming and business intelligence spanning the last 20 years. His favorite aspect of the job? Helping people understand the data he works with. I love building reports where you can give information to people managers, clients, or whoever and help them visualize information, Ken revealed. Yet, despite this experience and enthusiasm for the job, Ken is currently employed at a company where his manager creates a toxic work environment for elend only him, but all of the programmers in his department.Dealing with a toxic workplaceAfter talking with Ken, we learned he was denied a raise repeatedly, had his job threatened after emailing the IT department about a server malfunction, and received negative performance reviews for seemingly no reason.My manager is very hard to work with, almost abusive, Morrison laments. He rejects our raises and we suspect that he gives us negative reviews to prevent us from showing prospective employers. I feel trapped.Along with a boss who is potentially sabotaging his job search, Ken is also nervous to look for a new job because of his age.Related Signs Youre in a Toxic Work Environment and How to Handle ItFacing ag e discriminationI know it exists, Ken told us in regards to age discrimination in the workplace. Ive been bitten by the age bug before. You walk into the room and they can make a pretty good guess about your age. For Ken, age is a limiting factor. But, regardless of this obstacle, he doesnt plan on slowing down anytime soon. I dont have in mind a retirement age because I like my work. But I know what employers must think about me when I walk in for an interview, he said.However, age has also been an advantage for Ken. Rather than actively looking for jobs, Ken has grown accustomed to being approached by recruiters who are in need of his technical expertise and extensive experience. In fact, this is how he landed the job he has now. Despite this ongoing attention, Ken has largely ignored their offers due to the state of his resume.In need of an extraordinary resumeFor Ken, its simple he doesnt have the time or desire to rewrite his resume for his job search.I dont want to be a resum e writer, Ken told us. You put this off, you put that off, and you spend so much time working that you dont want to get out the old resume, dust it off, and edit it.And who blames him? Editing your resume takes a lot of work, especially when you have as much experience as Ken. Knowing which information to keep and which information to cut is no easy feat. The fact that a resume is also an incredibly personal document of your past achievements and future career intentions makes it even more difficult for job seekers to be 100 percent objective.Everyone always says if you dont catch them on the first page they are going to toss it, but I hate boiling it down. I want people to appreciate all the different mindsets and talents I bring to the table, Ken added.Luckily, Ken decided to enter our resume-makeover contest and became this months winner. Then, thats where Anne, one of TopResumes professional writers, came in. Before Anne put her resume-writing skills to the test, Kens resume was six pages long and included much more information than was needed to showcase his skill set. You can check out the first four pages of his before resume here.Is your resume looking a little on the longer side? We can help cut it down Just trust our experts.A resume fit for the job searchSome of the major changes that Anne made to Kens resume revolved around concision and language, cutting the resume way back. You can see the final product here.Cut unnecessary pronounsAnne changed the language to what resume writers refer to as the silent first person. By taking out unnecessary Is to keep his resume from becoming repetitive, she helped save precious resume space.Combine consulting jobsAnne grouped Kens multiple consulting jobs under Independent Contractor and separated them by company and job title, effectively grounding his runaway resume while leaving Ken satisfied that all of his achievements were not being overlooked. She also removed indications of his age by cutting positions from more than 15 years ago that were no longer relevant to his current job search.Describe your ideal careerAnne edited his resume to indicate the type of role he wants to work in next, which involves creating and inventing in the business intelligence industry. Instead of describing his achievements as doing, she formatted the language to center around what he accomplished in his years on the job, quantifying his achievements to help him stand out in all the right ways. When it came to the process, Ken was very pleased Everyone at TopResume was very nice and personable, and engendered a certain comfort level that made this process that much easier.In the end, Ken learned to leave his tinkering for his inventions and let the experts handle his resume. Now, he is no longer ashamed of his resume, and is ready to actively put himself out there.Are you feeling stuck at your job, but your resume isnt helping? Our TopResume professional writers will help get you out of the resume rut. Ch eck out our packages todayRecommended ReadingHow We Took This Professional From Overwhelmed to Confident10 Powerful Changes for Your Senior-Level ResumeHow to Overcome Age Discrimination in the Job Search

6 Steps to Figuring Out If Youve Got The Right Job Offer

6 Steps to Figuring Out If Youve Got The Right Job Offer6 Steps to Figuring Out If Youve Got The Right Job Offer Youve landed a job offer. Congratulations Now, you have to decide if youll accept it. Occasionally, an offer is so good that the choice is obvious, but most of the time, thats just elend the case. Every position has its benefits and drawbacks, and no two companies are exactly alike, but there are some common questions you should ask yourself and factors you should contemplate before saying yes or no to an offer . Here are six key things to consider. Before you think about negotiating or even get into the details, take a moment to consider your initial reaction to the offer and the job itself. While data is important, you also want to trust your gut, says Mikaela Kiner, an executive career coach and CEO of uniquelyHR . During your interviews, were you hopeful things would work out? Or, would you have been relieved if they chose someone else? Dont dismiss concerns, even if they were just fleeting thoughts, she says. Your instinct and intuition about whether or leid a job is a good fit are usually right. Ask yourself how you felt when you first got the offer. Was it excited? Disappointed? Something else? You answer can be incredibly revealing about whether this is the right opportunity for you or notlage.Step 2 Ask yourself the big questions. Before diving into the numbers and other specifics in the offer, you should ask yourself the following important questions, according to Dana Manciagli , a career coach and speaker Are the tasks and responsibilities of the job something you want to do full time? Did the team and environment you will be working in seem pleasant and safe? What are the sacrifices youre making by taking this particular job, and are any of those sacrifices things you dont want to give up?Basically, you want to be sure that youre going to be happy with your day-to-day life in this new gig before getting any further a long in the process. If you feel good about your answers, then move along, Manciagli says. If not, ask for another meeting to get some questions answered OR communicate it is not the right position and youll pass. The key is not to accept or negotiate an offer if you are not willing to work there. Step 3 Decide if taking this position will help you advance your career goals.If youre job hunting, youve probably taken the time to think about what your career goals are. I recommend my clients make a list of what they are looking for even before they begin searching for a job, says Amy M. Gardner, Certified Professional Coach with Apochromatik . If youve done that, go back to the list you created and evaluate the offer against the factors you initially listed. How does this current job offer measure up in terms of opportunity to accomplish these goals?Its also key to look beyond financial objectives, Gardner emphasizes. Money is important, but for long-term job happiness, it shouldnt be the only thing you consider. The list of questions to contemplate, Gardner says, should include Are there enough other areas within the organization that you can have room for advancement, even if your immediate supervisor is there for eternity? Does the company support and encourage employees to continue to learn and grow? Will you be able to get home in time for the non-work things that are important to you? Will your stress level be what youd like it to be? If you feel good about the answers to these questions, move on to the next step.Step 4 Carefully evaluate the salary and benefits package. Obviously, compensation matters. Its important that your needs are met by your job, says Carisa Miklusak, CEO of tilr , an automated recruiting platform. When evaluating an offer, you need to look at the entire offer, not just the salary. Often, the cousine salary alone does not provide the whole compensation picture. It may be that the salary is $5,000 lower than you had hoped for, but the full package being offered counterbalances it, Miklusak explains. What does the total package contribute to your partal and financial needs? Sometimes, a job that at first glance looks like its paying less can actually provide more financial security than a job with a higher salary. Take into account benefits like subsidized child care, bonus opportunities, and health care options.Step 5 Understand who youll be working with on a day-to-day basis. This is easier said than done, but its important, because youll be spending a lot of time with your new team. While its tricky to execute, if you can find out more about your future team, youll be able to make a more informed decision. Its important to ask yourself whether you will be working with the kind of people who will engage, excite, and challenge you- without driving you crazy, Gardner says. Whether and how you can get to know people in advance varies depending on whether you are in the same city as the employer, what your r ole will be, and how big the group is. But do what you can to get a sense of your future team, because they will have a huge impact on both your job satisfaction and your success, she adds. Step 6 Decide whether the company is really somewhere you want to work.If youve made it this far, the main thing left to determine is how well the company fits into your life , not just in terms of location and size, but also in terms of company culture . Ask everyone you can about company culture- not just their brand, but what its really like to work there day to day, Kiner recommends. No one is going to say Our culture is toxic, but you can figure it out through a combination of questions and observations.Ask about what youd look for in a healthy work environment. That might be access to training, how often people get promoted from within, flexibility, recognition, or teams that celebrate together, she says. If too many of these are missing, its a red flag.Another thing to consider is why t he job is open in the first place. Im always cautious when a position is open because someone left the company, says Laura Handrick, HR Analyst at FitSmallBusiness.com . If HR tells you the company is growing, thats great If the former person whose job youre replacing moved up in the organization, thats also a positive sign. But if you see job openings at this company all the time, it may be a telltale sign that its not a great place to work. In other words, turnover can be an important clue as to what its really like to work somewhere- one you shouldnt ignore.

Archimedes

Archimedes Archimedes ArchimedesOne of the greatest minds of classical antiquity, Archimedes (c. 287 BCE c. 212 BCE) was a scholastic triple-threat who made astonishingly original contributions to mathematics, physics, and engineering. His c.v. includes some three dozen new tools and weapons systems as well as a pioneering role in plane and solid geometry. He even gave scientists and engineers their ultimate catch-phrase, EurekaWith all that going for him, Archimedes was no doubt the ancient worlds poster boy for science and technology careers, right? Wrong. His famous inventions brought water to arid lands and held invading Roman armies at bay, but he vocally disdained them. Compared to the conceptual rigors of his favorite academic pastime of geometry, engineering and other pursuits that addressed worldly necessities of living were to him sordid and ignoble. His obsessive interest in mathematical abstractions came at the expense of personal hygiene and earned him a reputation as a ncient Greeces first absent-minded professor. He is fruchtwein widely known for running naked through the streets of Syracuse. One wonders how the man whose brilliant feats of engineering include the compound pulley and the theory of hydrostatics would fare in todays job market.And so it is with Archimedes. With little in the written record to go on, most attempts to chronicle his life invariably comprise some gemisch of fable, fact, and fudge factor. Unlike his mathematical work, he left few formal treatises behind describing his inventions. Accounts of his life were written decades after his death, and leave plenty of room for uncertainty about his actual accomplishments and the true nature of his character.His own writings disclose that he was born in Syracuse then a self-governing city-state and the most important seaport on the Greek-controlled island of Sicily. His father was the astronomer Phidias, which could account for his natural bent toward the sciences and one of his p rimary later inventions, an early planetarium.Archimedes Thoughtful was painted about 1620 by Domenico Fetti in Mantua. Presently, the picture is located in the art museum Alte Meister in Dresden, Germany.He spent formative years in Alexandria, Egypt academic ground-zero during the Hellenic period where he reportedly worked and studied with the successors of the great mathematician Euclid. It was Archimedes passion for geometric abstractions that led to his disdain for engineering. Yet he is said to have invented his most lasting practical device the Archimedes screw while immersed in these lofty concepts in Egypt. Developed initially to irrigate croplands along the Nile delta, his water screw was also used to drain water from underground mines, to water the Hanging Gardens of Babylon and to pump bilge from the pharaohs ships. Today it is standard issue in sewage treatment, irrigation, and other applications where it is vital to move large amounts of water with minimal effort.Du ring Archimedes lifetime, his most famous inventions, and presumably the bulk of his income, came from his friendship with King Hieron II of Syracuse. Hieron marveled at his mastery and frequently put him to the test.On one occasion, the king asked Archimedes how a great weight could be moved by a small force. The inventor proceeded to demonstrate how, with only a series of compound pulleys, he was able to singlehandedly drag a fully loaded three-mast ship out of the harbor and across the beach. The story of his famous bath, the discovery of the principles of hydrostatics, and the ensuing naked run through the streets is not universally believed, but it is indicative of the close connection between the king and his prize engineer.Millennia before weapons of mass destruction, Archimedes used his unique understanding of mass to cause new levels of destruction with devastatingly ingenious weapons created for his king during the Second Punic War. He developed specialized catapults that hurled blocks of stone and logs at invading ships. He developed the Archimedes claw, a hidden crane with an enormous hook used to raise invading ships out of the water and either flip them upside down or allow them to crash back down into the surf, crashing them to bits. Less certain but no less impressive are the historical accounts of Archimedes use of giant mirrors to incinerate enemy ships with reflected sunlight.Despite having kept the invading Romans at bay for more than three years, eventually the island colonies on Sicily were sacked in 212 BCE. The Roman emperor had specifically asked that Archimedes be brought back alive, but Roman soldiers found him working on a math problem at his desk and tried to seize him. Mistaking his mathematical tools for exotic weapons, a soldier killed Archimedes on the spot.Archimedes true accomplishments may be shrouded in the mists of time, but his genius shines through loud and clear today.Michael MacRae is an independent writer.With little in the written record to go on, most attempts to chronicle his life invariably comprise some mix of fable, fact, and fudge factor.