Vote Against Talking Politics in the Workplace

Vote Against Talking Politics in the WorkplaceVote Against Talking Politics in the WorkplaceMore often than not, talking politics in the workplace doesnt end with high-fives and likes. Its far mora likely to generate ill will and productivity problems.Sure, you have a right to your own opinion, and free speech is protected by the First Amendment. But if youre interviewing for a new job or working in an office, its not the same as debating political issues with neighbors or sharing your views about a politicians tweet with like-minded friends online.According to a survey by Robert Half, 22 percent of more than 1,000 workers polled said theyd gotten into a heated discussion with a coworker during the 2016 U.S. presidential election. Fifteen percent of respondents even reported that their productivity had suffered as a result of talking politics at work.These discussions can fray relationships with colleagues. In fact, a 2017 survey about work and well-being by the American Psychologica l Association found that 24 percent of workers avoid coworkers because of their political views.Bottom line Dont mix work (or your job search) with button-pushing politics. Following are some tips on how to deal with political talk. First, well address job binnenseekers, then employees.Advice for job seekers on all things politicalIf youre looking for a job in todays polarized climate, be mindful of politics even before your interview. Unless youre applying for a job with a politician or an organization with a political affiliation, theres no need to espouse your viewpoints on candidates, campaigns or current affairs. Consider this adviceConduct a digital search of your name. Type your name into a search engine using quotation marks, such as John Smith. Scroll through at least the first three pages of results. If you find anything online that you wouldnt want a hiring manager to see, including potentially controversial or off-putting political statements youve made, do your best to remove them.Consider going private. Do you ever use social media as a place to vent about political matters? You might consider locking down your accounts. With Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, you can set your profile to private, where only your approved friends can see your posts.Keep your resume and cover letter apolitical. A typo on a resume is a common red flag. Heres another one Providing too much personal information. Many jobs seekers make the mistake of oversharing. Employers dont need to know about your marital status, religion, hobbies, pet peeves - or your political persuasion. Dont list political affiliations on your resume or share political viewpoints in your cover letter, unless it directly relates to a job youve held or the one youre seeking.Maintain a politics-free zone during your interview. If youre preparing for a job interview and planning to bring up current news stories as a good way to break the ice, dont. Hot political issues in the news are a taboo subjec t best avoided. Even if you get the strong sense that youre in line with the hiring managers political persuasions, never play political pundit.SEARCH OUR OPEN JOBSAdvice for employees regarding politicsOnce youre in the workplace, you might find political banter is commonplace. But there are downsides to joining in. The conversations can be emotionally charged and divisive. And they can hinder collaboration.So, what are the best ways to manage political conversations at work? Here are four tipsDont debate or lecture on political topics. Obviously, the safest bet is to refrain from talking politics at all. But if you feel you must engage in some political chatter, because everyone in the room is doing it, try to approach it in a lighthearted manner. Limit yourself to general comments or try to change the subject. That reminds me of an episode of House of Cards, could help you move on to discussing favorite TV shows instead of real-life politics.Stand your ground. Dont feel pressured into offering your views. You can always politely excuse yourself by saying with a smile, Wow, Im staying out of this one If a group discussion becomes confrontational, reiterate your preference to keep political chit-chat to a minimum while at the office. Sorry, talking politics in the workplace just isnt my thing. Lets get back to work-related matters.Stay focused on your work projects. Pay attention to what you need to accomplish. Dont allow yourself to get sidetracked by others who are obsessed with monitoring the latest political news cycle. If a thorny issue irrelevant to the work at hand comes up in the lunch room or at the water cooler, take it as a cue to head back to your desk or put on headphones.Watch whats said after work, too. Remember that what you say to colleagues outside of work may cause them to form opinions of you. Exercise the same judgment of treading lightly around current events if you want to keep happy hour happy. The same advice applies when exchanging e mail and text messages with coworkers.What happens if you do talk about politics in the workplace and discover youve offended someone? The best etiquette is to apologize quickly and sincerely for any off-putting comments that made someone else uncomfortable.Final word? If you find yourself heading down the path to talking politics in the workplace, make a sharp detour and save your energy.Subscribe to the newsletter to get articles and resources to help you land a new job, succeed in your career, and build and manage a winning team - all sent directly to your inbox.

Getting The Job in Tough Times

Getting The Job in Tough TimesGetting The Job in Tough TimesGetting The Job in Tough TimesLets admit it in these tough times, there are mora job applicants than ever before. Today, Im going to share with you four solid tips on how you can stand out from the crowd and win the job away from the competition.To mix it up, Im going in reverse chronological orderFollowing upThe InterviewThe ResumeMaximizing ApplicationsFollowing upTheres a professional applying for a senior-level position here at Ladders right now who has reminded me of the Three Ps of Following Up persistent, polite, and perk up their ears.This candidate drops me an email weekly. She doesnt demand to know when we are making a decision, but just sends an email every week to remind me she is there, and by implication, she is interested. And when she emails me, she always includes a little nugget of information that she has picked up that week something about my industry, or an interesting comparison to aleidher company, or a trend that shes noticed that might impact us.So my recommendations for following up after the interview?Follow up weekly, by phone or by email. But just once per week, and if you dont get a response after five weeks, well, then, the opportunity probably isnt for you.Be polite in your persistence. Theres no need to push for deadlines or decision making. But just let them know youre still interested believe it or not, this will really tischset you apart. A simple voice mail that says, Hi Ms. Johannsen, this is Sharon, and Im just calling to follow up on our meeting of three weeks ago. As you know, I think this is a really great opportunity for me to contribute to your company, and I will look forward to hearing back from youAnd its even better if you drop in a nugget of info that shows you are a good, proactive employee-to-be.My favorite form of job seeking judo is for you to use the fact that youre job hunting to your advantage. Youre job hunting, theyre not. But as I can tell yo u from being the CEO of Ladders, people are very, very interested in the inside scoop on whos hiring and why.So send an email that says Did you know that Competitor X is hiring a new VP focused on direct marketing? I thought that was a pretty interesting indication of where they are headed in this market. Take the fact that youre job hunting and use it to your advantage.The InterviewThe interview is not a chance to go in and have a nice fireside chat with the interviewer over a Diet Coke. Realize it for what it is a sales call. What youre selling is your ability to do the job better than anybody else.So do me a favor. Your next interview, go in, make the polite small talk, and then get right to the point What are the three key things you are hoping to have the person in this position achieve? Even better, ask that question over the phone before you go in for the interview and prepare ahead of time.And then spend your time in the interview showing them that you are the right person t o achieve those three key things. Stay focused, no matter what. If your interviewer keeps veering off into your hobbies, or regaling you with tales of the internal politics on their most recent project, please keep bringing the conversation back to those three key things.This is called staying on message. When you watch politicians or movie stars on TV, have you ever noticed they answer a different question from the one asked? It may be frustrating as a viewer, it may be a different answer than the interviewer was expecting, but theres a reason for doing it it is so darn effective.You need each of your interviewers to walk out of that interview room with a very clear sense of how you, the candidate, are going to make the company better in this rough, rough year. Thinking that you are a nice guy or gal simply isnt enough in this environment you need to make sure they have a solid understanding of how you will contribute.So find out the three key factors of success, and connect your w ork history and accomplishments to them in the interviewers mind.(For extra credit, the very advanced version of this strategy is to admit that you cant do one of the three things, but that your track record is very clear on your ability to hire and manage the people who can do things that you can not. This shows flexibility and growth potential, which every company is implicitly looking for in these very, very turbulent times. So it might sound like While I havent personally led a.NET application team, I have hired and developed programmers in many, many computer languages everything from COBOL to Cold Fusion to C++. I think the important thing youre looking for isnt the ability to lead a team in any particular language, but what you really want is the capability to lead teams in the ever-changing languages that arise in computer science. So while youre granting the point that you cant do one of the three things, youre actually pointing out that you can do something even more comp lex and useful. This is a deadly effective strategy.)The ResumeHey, weve all seen a ton of commercials on the tube, right? So why do we have an advertising department? Why dont we just shoot the TV commercials ourselves? Well, we leave that to the professionals.And what is a resume? A lot of people view it as a chance to list all the true facts about their work history. But that reminds me of the old joke about HPs very straightforward engineering culture if they had invented sushi they would have named it cold, raw dead fish on rice wrapped in seaweed. Now, thats true, but it is hardly appetizing ??Similarly, your resume is advertising copy. A great resume advertises your accomplishments in a way that makes it clear what youve contributed in the past, and by implication, what you are capable of doing in the future.So its not Managed a group of 40 professionals or Responsible for a $77 mm budget. Those lines are kind of reminiscent of the old HP way true, but not particularly appe tizing. (And before all you HPers write in, let me just say I am very happy with both the performance and the marketing of the modern HP organization)The right way is to point out your capabilities Re-organized department, cutting 15 positions and adding 10 new sales staff to increase profitability by $7 mm (17%) or Created successful task force that identified 103 efficiency opportunities and implemented 92% of them within 6 months, saving $13 mm in annual costs.But its not just what you put in, its what you leave out that really makes a resume. As Jerry Garcia said, its not the notes, its the holes between the notes that make the music.Now I would be crazy to suppose I could teach you how to be a great resume writer in just one newsletter. We have a whole staff of advertising copy writers here at Ladders that are specialized in writing resumes for professionals like you. Use them.Maximizing ApplicationsThe best way for you to maximize the effectiveness of your job applications is to minimize the number of applications you make. Or more succinctly apply for the right jobs, and only the right jobs, for you.Cmon, what would you do if that bundle of joy called your teenager came to you and said Mom, Dad, Im going to apply to 100 colleges this fall?You would say, rightly, Honey, youre just spreading yourself too thin. Why dont you focus on six, or a dozen. At absolute most 20. That way youll be able to apply the time and effort you need to making those applications really great.Well, folks, thats how I feel when I hear people tell me they are applying to several hundred jobs per month For example, last week, one of your fellow subscribers clicked on 799 jobs on Ladders Theres just no way you can put your best foot forward and have the energy and time to follow up with that many jobs.Youre just frustrating yourself.So even though I know its tempting and easy, dont waste your time and your attention on applying to hundreds of jobs. Thats a fools errand, and, unfort unately given this economy, what many of the unsophisticated job seekers are doing. Only apply for the jobs that truly make sense for you. That way youll leave yourself the extra time to really do the important work I outlined above doing great follow up, studying in advance for the interview, and crafting an awesome resume.By the way, one of the advantages of our system here at Ladders is its exclusivity. While job postings on the major job boards get literallyhundreds of applications, the typical job posting here at Ladders receives just 21. The screening that we do charging a cover charge, reviewing every single resume, asking people to apply for jobs primarily in their functional Ladder (sales, marketing, operations, technology, HR, law, finance, etc.) really does help cut down on the noise for the recruiter or hiring manager. And that means you have a much, much better chance of standing out.OK, folks, thats what Ive learned about the job hunt in my decade in this business, a nd what I wanted to share with you this Monday morning.Good luck with the search this week, and please make your luck by following these tips to get the most of your scarce job hunting time.I am rooting for you

How to Amplify Your Social Media Branding

How to Amplify Your Social Media BrandingHow to Amplify Your Social Media BrandingFacebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, Snapchat. The list goes on for todays popular social media platforms. For brands, a successful social media strategy takes more than just being present on a channel. You need to establish a social media branding strategy.Developing a plan to successfully deliver campaigns and messages on social media takes a lot of time and effort. You need to create stand-out content, target key audiences, build relationships with potential (and existing) customers and get influencers on board. All that time and effort will be worth it if you do it right. Positive and negative interactions with your organization on social media can change customers attitudes about your brand and, consequently, influence their behavior and buying decisions.So, how do you make your brand a trending topic? Here are four strategies to help amplify your social media branding1. CreateTo best introduce social media users to your brand and interact with existing customers, you need to create content that will stand out. People are more likely to find and engage with content thats unique, emotional or entertaining. So, create campaigns that show off your brands expertise and personality. For example, does your company have a volunteer program? Promote posts that capture your organizations social responsibility efforts and demonstrate how you give back to the community.In addition, tailor your social media posts to each channel, keeping the audience and different platform features in mind. You can post fun, visual content on Twitter and Instagram, taking advantage of hashtags to tie your content into relevant trending topics. LinkedIn is great for more professional posts, so consider publishing articles to initiate conversations and give your brand authority on a topic. Developing a content strategy is crucial to enhancing your social media branding.2. ConnectSocial media channels ar e perfect for building relationships with customers, and a strong emotional connection with your audience is key to social media branding. Remember to be authentic and sincere your engagements with customers should reflect the values and personality of your brand.Your goal is to establish positive interactions with your customers on social media, so focus on two-way communication. Like, comment and respond to posts about your brand. Its a red flag when a company strictly uses their social media channels as blow horns, promoting their products and messages without engaging with others. Plus, you would be surprised how impactful a quick response to a customers tweet can be. Continuously monitor your social media channels and respond accordingly.3. InfluenceYou should connect with more than just customers on social media. A great way to amplify your social media branding efforts is to build relationships with influencers. Influencers are social media users who have a large and loyal f ollowing and credibility in a specific subject area. For instance, there are likely plenty of influencers and bloggers in your industry, or that can champion your brand, located all over the U.S. These influencers have already gained the trust and respect of their audience, and getting a mention from them gives your brand credibility.Find influencers who align well with your brand and inquire if they are willing to partner on a social media campaign. Even just tagging you in an Instagram post or retweeting one of your posts on Twitter could do the trick. Your goal is to gain more exposure and followers for your brand, and authority on a topic, a product or even just for your company overall.4. TargetNot that long ago, the idea of a brand paying for ads on a social network seemed desperate. Now, paid social media is one of the only reliable means of building a targeted and effective audience. Paid social media traffic allows you to target a specific audience and increase your brands reach.When considering which social networks to put money behind, dont just focus on the big three Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn. Instagram remains one of the fastest growing social media networks. Whos engaging with brands on Instagram? Millennials the next generation of big spenders. Determine who your target audience is and which social media platforms they use most. Paid promotion on social media could be key to enhancing your social media branding.Social is no longer just about conversation its now an established channel for building relationships with target audiences and customer acquisition. Do you have a social media professional on your marketing team? If not, it may be time to add one (or more) to strengthen your social media branding.HIRING SOCIAL MEDIA PROFESSIONALS? WE CAN HELP

How to Prepare for an International Job Interview

How to Prepare for an International Job InterviewHow to Prepare for an International Job InterviewThe company you have been vorstellungsgesprching with wants you to come to headquarters.They want to meet you in-person for the final round of job interviews. This is greatThere is one tiny problem with the job interview.You live in the USA and the job interview is in abedrngnisher country.Here are some tips you can use to prepare for that international job interview.Make sure you have your passport before you set a dateIf you know your passport is either expired or you simply never got one, visit this website how you can get a passport fast.Research the similaritiesSure, the job interview is in another country, but that does not mean it will be completely different.To avoid tripping over the basics of the job interview, go over all the basicsCommon interview questionsTell me about yourself.Why do you want to work here?What are your strengths?What are your weaknesses?Mastering these comm only asked job interview questions helps you get your story down before talking to the company.However, the way you answer and what you say may depend on the company and countrys geschftlicher umgang etiquette.Differences in business etiquetteEvery business culture has its own unique traits and unspoken rules.This is the time to do some intensive research. Forget what you know about the US job market.Start researchingWhat does the company consider to be on time for an interview?Will the interview focus more on soft skills or hard skills?The proper ways to show respect when interviews end.Things the company will do that are not considered appropriate in the US.Common greetings and social cues, so you have an idea when something is not right.Examples of behaviors to think aboutThe US emphasizes hard skills and early is on-time, for example. Whereas in other countries, the interview time usually means it will start several minutes later. Additionally, countries like Denmark place a str ong focus on hiring for personality and training for skill.Countries in South America often avoid saying the word, No. It sounds rude to them, so instead, they send social cues that let you know something is wrong.Other countries have been known to conduct interviews in the form of personality tests, ask about religion, or marital status, which may violate every EEOC law in the United States.Research the preferred languageIt is a good idea to know, before applying, what language the company prefers to use for business.Even though the most commonly used language in business is English, other countries may view your lack of ability to speak their language as a sign of arrogance or disrespect.You cannot learn a new language overnight, obviously. But apps like Duolingo can be of great assistance when you are trying to learn a language quickly, or show a company you respect the job enough to start learning.Also, learning their native language will give you some confidence and put you at ease while visiting the country.Watch for the subtle tests of your personalityCompany employees may want to get a sense of how you interact with other staff or the local culture.If you get invited to an impromptu job interview, do not be surprised by requests to drink alcohol or take part in local cultural activities.Whatever you do, just be sure to not overdo it with the idea of impressing everyone. You can only be yourself.Do not try so hard, drink too much, or get yourself into a fix where you end up embarrassing yourself.

Why I quit my dream job (and why you should too)

Why I quit my dream job (and why you should too)Why I quit my dream job (and why you should too)I need to preface this by saying that I am not here to convince everyone to quit their job. Rather, this article is for those who find themselves miserable in careers that they worked hard to obtain. I know there are quite a few of you because the most recent Gallup poll found that 66% of workers are not engaged in their jobs.I also know because I welches one of you. I am the quintessential risk-averse, type-A personality. I decided at the ripe old age of eleven that I wanted to be a lawyer, put my head down, and followed the predictable path to law school, never once questioning what being a lawyer actually meant.I checked all of the boxes, got good grades, and was cheered on by well-meaning friends and family. I was a success. Yet when I finally reached the schliff line, I was miserable. For the first time, I stopped to evaluate what it meant to work as a lawyer. And I didnt like it.Foll ow Ladders on FlipboardFollow Ladders magazines on Flipboard covering Happiness, Productivity, Job Satisfaction, Neuroscience, and moraOf course, there were glaring signs along the way that I wouldnt like a career as a lawyer. I probably shouldnt have ignored the fact that every lawyer I met tried to talk me out of going to law school a discussion I would find myself repeating once I became a lawyer and happened upon an unsuspecting pre-law student. But here is the thing about our dreams, theyre rarely based in reality.Most of us choose a dream job for nebulous reasons Our family or teachers point us in that direction, we excel in certain tasks that are related to that field, the media glamorizes the profession, etc.We jump in without understanding the stresses related to the job. We choose a career based on how we think it will make us feel. The power, admiration, creative freedom All of these characteristics overshadow the reality. Not surprisingly, that dream job often turns out not to be all it was cracked up to be.The reality is that the dream job is just a figment of your imagination. Sure, it may have some of the features that you always envisioned. Maybe you get to help people some of the time, or you have some powerful moments. But the real day-to-day of the job is almost always vastly different.For me, I went to law school to help underserved communities. I always knew the law was a vehicle to help the voiceless. While that is true, there is almost an unbearable amount of stress and drudgery that goes along with helping people in that capacity. I found that I would have to do things I hated 90% of the time in order to get to do the things I love 10% of the time. It wasnt a sustainable model.None of this would be a problem if we lived in a culture that encouraged following our curiosities, taking risks, prioritizing our mental wellbeing, and pursuing fulfillment. One can imagine a world where we are expected to evolve as we age and pivot accordingly. Clearly, thats not how we approach work.Rather, were raised in a society that drills in us that work is not fun but you do it anyway. We look down on the woo-woo hippy culture of following your dreams as something for children (and Instagram influencers). In the real world, we have to work to pay bills and support our family. It is just the way it is. Or so were told.We also dont want to waste all the time, energy, and money we put into getting to this level. The idea of starting over is overwhelming. Add in the fact that so many of us are burdened with debt and that we are technically successful in societys eyes, it is no wonder we genuinely feel stuck.But the hard truth is that we are spending 60-70% of our lives doing something we actually hate because we believe thats what we have to do. Our health suffers, our families suffer, our friendships suffer and, yet, we push on because the fear of the unknown keeps us in the miserable.I get it. I was there too. I nearly flipped over t he table when my husband casually suggested that I should find a job in a different field if I was unhappy. What? The nerve.But he was right. And I did.It didnt happen quickly. It took me almost a year to admit, mostly to myself, that I wanted to walk away from the one thing that I had worked for my whole life. I worried about what people would say, the opportunities I was giving up, and whether Id end up living in a van down by the river. I fretted about it all. Until I realized that working for the next 30-40 years in a profession that was making me miserable in order to have security was insane. So I quit.The most liberating and terrifying thing you can learn is that you have agency. You can leave anytime you want. You choose to stay. And once you accept that, you can either choose to make your career into something that you dont despise every day or you can leave.I interview people weekly (with no shortage of guests in sight) on my podcast whove all had those same concerns but w ere able to figure out a way to quit and start over.Is it hard? Yes. Does it require sacrifice? Sure. But what is more of a sacrifice than giving up 30+ years of your life to a career you hate?Goli Kalkhoran is a lawyer-turned-entrepreneur and the host of theLessons from a Quitter podcast, where she interviews inspiring guests about how they quit lucrative careers to forge their own path and create a life that they love.You might also enjoyNew neuroscience reveals 4 rituals that will make you happyStrangers know your social class in the first seven words you say, study finds10 lessons from Benjamin Franklins daily schedule that will double your productivityThe worst mistakes you can make in an interview, according to 12 CEOs10 habits of mentally strong people

What You Should Do to Find Out About Dental Assistant Resume Objective Before Youre Left Behind

What You Should Do to Find Out About Dental Assistant Resume Objective Before Youre Left Behind There are other means to begin your resume, depending upon your degree of experience you may have a look at our flow chart here. It is possible to explain to employers the way the trip increased your understanding of global issues and helped you perfect language abilities. Our professional course is made so students may get the job done as fast as possible without compromising the standard of the learning experience and degree of expertise. With a careful choice of the proper lessons and demonstration of appropriate dental assisting techniques, your learning experience is intended to improve your future. The dental profession demands knowledge of and capacity to use tools. Below are a few of the skills dental hygienists need. Employed as a hygienist demands technical wisdom and the capacity to work with a diverse patient base. Dental assisting is quite a diverse career. Always sch liff your Career Objective by stating ways to assist the clinic achieve its objectives. Fully being a dental assistant isnt a really conventional career choice. Students in a dental assistant program can decide to study pediatric dental hygiene. How to Choose Dental Assistant Resume Objective A good sample dental assistant resume will place some emphasis on such individuals capacity to create the consumers feel at ease. Dental practices shouldnt be permitted to flatline. The dental business is well known to be one that is rapidly changing. As stated earlier, it is developing rapidly. A dental assistant training regime is necessary to go for a career in dental assisting. Dental assistants have various different working environments to pick from. They are an important part of a dental practice and perform a variety of tasks, from assisting directly in patient care to office work. They can come across some stressful situations. Theres strong demand for dental assistants a cross the nation, but you will need a polished and targeted resume if you would like to stick out from the crowd. It is crucial to make your Dental Assistant resume efficient enough to get the odds of being selected for an interview. As you try to find opportunities, you ought to at least consider everything you happen across even if it isnt precisely what you had envisioned. Although resume objectives are getting more obsolete in favor of career summaries, in some specific conditions, it is logical to incorporate an objective. Whispered Dental Assistant Resume Objective Secrets Any errors or misspellings can easily be spotted and will send the message which you have leid done your research and are not so attentive to detail. Actually, you could always download templates at no cost and use accordingly with no hassle. Your resume format is something which you should give importance aside from every detail in your resume. Fully being a dental assistant can be very helpful for a person who wishes to engage in a career in dentistry. Youve got to resist tooth and nail to have a wonderful job as a dental assistant. Since you may see, the candidate quantified how several new employees he trained and what number of patients he treated daily. Doctors and dentists wouldnt wish to choose the chance on hiring a person that has not yet been certified for the job. On average, they see over 1,000 patients every year, with an average of 63 patients per week. Dental assistants support the part of dentists at dental offices around the nation, ensuring they work efficiently and offer the very best patient care possible. They must maintain a professional appearance and demeanor at all times.

Why Effective Hiring Strategies Include Effective Firing Strategies - Spark Hire

Why Effective Hiring Strategies Include Effective Firing Strategies - Spark HireWhen crafting effective hiring strategies, employers consider cost, resources and the benefits ofusing various resources. HR departments spend countless hours developingcomprehensive onboarding programs to train and develop new employees efficiently andexpediently. The goal attraction, retention and motivation. Yet few companies consider theirfiring, or termination, strategies in this process. But effective and respectful firing strategies playan important role in the hiring process.Effective hiring practices and the resulting engagement take years to develop and perfect butonly seconds to undo if the company does not also engage in effective firing practices. To be anemployer of choice includes treating employees respectfully during the entire employmentcycle, especially termination.By definition, being an employer of choice means talent from far and wide flocks to a firm everyone wants to work for a p articular company. Companies considered to be an employer ofchoice are positioned to successfully woo and hire the best talent the very talent necessary forpromoting and achieving business objectives, creating value and impacting the bottom line.Therefore, to secure the best talent, employers of choice develop effective hiring practices.But what takes years to develop and implement can be undone instantaneously with mismanagedtermination practices. Companies need the transitioning employees the ones leaving to carryonly feelings of goodwill. Without goodwill, employers of choice become employers toavoid. Therefore, effective hiring strategies include effective firing strategies. According to Leeesox Harrisons Separation and Severance Benchmark Practices Study, most companies havereviewed their separation practices in the past year. In other words, companies recognize twocritical factors (1) they still need high performing talent and (2) at some point, when the economyrebounds, th ey will need MORE of it.Comprehensive termination strategies involve the process of conducting the actual terminationprofessionally and honestly, by offering severance and career transition services. Together, thesecomponents comprise respectful treatment. Respectful treatment reinforces1. Company branding and marketplace integrity2. Successful transition into new roles3. Goodwill and future business partnerships with ex-employees4. Continuing high performance of current employeesWhen developing respectful firing strategies, consider the entire process1. CommunicationWhen developing effective firing strategies, focus on open communication rather than closeddoor practices. Previously, companies would conduct the terminations secretly, quietly andwalk out the terminated employee as quickly as possible. No one wants to be treated like apariah. Allow enough time to speak with the individual and address concerns. Then allow theindividual to talk with other employees, gather their belongi ngs and say good-bye. Theindividual needs to grieve as does his/her coworkers. The shock is more painful if the partsdesk is suddenly empty and people start creating answers instead of receiving them.2. Career Transition ServicesEmploy transition services or outplacement firms to successfully re-deploy talent. It is not only asound business practice, but a long-term, best-practice strategy. The terminated employee maybecome a future business partner, revenue generator or referral.3. HonestySpeak with the group or remaining employees regarding the termination. People begin worryingabout when and how they will be fired. Allow employees to ask questions and answer questionshonestly.To maintain employer of choice status, the entire employment life cycle needs to be consideredand treated respectfully. From interviewing, hiring, and onboarding to termination, severanceand career transitions, employees carefully observe how companies handle the process.Promoting engagement and ensuring a h igh performing talent pipeline mandates the firingstrategies be as effective as the hiring strategies.Do you have a respectful firing strategy included in your hiring process? Be sure to let usknowin the comments.IMAGE Courtesy of Flickr bystriaticAbout the AuthorStacey Hawley owns Credo, a career counseling, workforce transition, leadership development and compensation advice firm for companies and businesses. Prior to launching Credo, Stacey was a board-level advisor (Fortune 500 firms, pre-IPO, private, startup and not-for-profits) for the largest HR global consulting firm (Towers Watson) in their premier executive compensation practice. She blogs regularly for workingmom.com, is a blogger and writer for Working Mother Magazine, writes for other outlets such as LearnVest, BusinessInsider and The Glass Hammer, and has numerous article citations. She graduated from Cornell University with a BS in Industrial and Labor Relations and received her MBA from the University of Marylands R obert H. Smith School of Business.

How to retire with a high income A definitive guide

How to retire with a high income A definitive guideHow to retire with a high income A definitive guideIts a common scenario, and one that Im super familiar with Youre in the prime of yur career and earning good money. But, yur job stinks. It provides no satisfaction. Youre paid well, but thats about it. You want out. You want to retire with a high income.I happen to know a little something about this.I did something similar after 14 years of working ininformation technology, I quit the rat race at 35 and now spend my time traveling the country with my wife in our Airstream travel trailer. I love almost every minute of it.And, Im about astransparent as they come in the last year both my wife and I worked full-time jobs, we earned a combined $250k. The year before that, it welches about the same, give or take.My first job out of college in 2005 was worth $55,000 a year to me. Each year, Id get cost-of-living raises and every time Iswitched jobs(a tactic I highly recommend to maximize the growth of your earnings), I enjoyed a nice bump.14 years after I departureed my career, I increased my salary by a factor of three.In other words,I know what its like to earn a bunch of moneyway more than what I needed to provide for the basic needs of life. Way more than I truly ever thought that I would earn.And if youre sitting in your career earning big bucks,Im going to drop some wisdom into your lap that might just transform the way that you think about your salary and your lifestyle.If youre earning a high salary and want to retire early, youre in the right place.3 things to know about high incomesA high income is different than being richIf you are not familiar with the term pseudo-affluence, heres what you need to know. Earning a high salary doesnt necessarily mean youre financially stable. Thepseudo-affluentare people who typically earn high incomes and do certain things to make themselves look rich.But, looking rich doesnt mean that you are rich.The pseudo-affluent ge nerallyEarna high-income, but spend the majority of what they makeWearexpensive suits or carry Louis Vuitton pursesDrivehigh-end luxury or sportscars like BMWs, Porsches, and MercedesGenuinelybelievethat rich peopleact richNaturally, this does not mean thateverybodywho drives a BMW is pseudo-affluent. The world isnt black and white enough to make such a concrete statement. However, those who do spend the vast majority of high incomes DO tend to drive these cars and live in wealthy neighborhoods to schirm their wealth.Many are good people, well-educated and perhaps earning a six-figure income,writesAlexander Green, author of the bookBeyond Wealth The Road Map to a Rich Life. But they arent balance-sheet rich because its almost impossible for most workers even those who are well paid to hyper-spend on consumer goodsandsave a lot of money.moralische verfassung of this story Your high income is worthless if youre spending the majority of it.High-income families still battle with debtY ou might be surprised at how many high-income folks still live paycheck-to-paycheck. And,high-income debtis a thing that a lot of people struggle with.Nearly eight in 10 workers in the United Stateslive paycheck-to-paycheck, and its not just low-income earners that account for those numbers.mora than half of minimum wage workers said they needed to hold down two jobs to make ends meet, while one in 10 workers earning $100,000 or more yearly say they live paycheck to paycheck, wroteU.S. News.And, thats only those who actually admit it.Heres the thing High-income jobs also come with an unwritten expectation to look the part. When were in high-level roles, we arent expected to drive to client meetings in a 2001 Toyota Corolla. Why? Because we look more successful when were rockin the brand new 7-series Bimmer.But,lifestyle inflationhas a way of eating through the hard work that we put into our careers.A couple of the best graphics Ive seen about this fake wealth come fromZack Van Zantw ho mapped theaverage Joessavings level relative to income and perceived needs.There are Average Joes and Extraordinary Joes.To the average Joe, savings rates increase marginally as our lifestyle along with our income, increases substantially.The average Joe is in contrast to the Extraordinary Joes savings level, who resists the temptation to increase perceived needs along with incomeMoral of this story Your lifestyle paints a better picture of your financial freedom than your income. Earning a high salary is a wonderful thing, but if we spend the majority of our earnings, its tough to truly get ahead.Your 5-step guide to retiring early after a high-income careerStep 1 You dont need a budget, but you need to know where your money is goingThough your budget doesnt need to look exactlyas mine did, tracking your spending and controlling where your money is going is equally important in a high salary as it is a lower one.In fact, theres a good argument to be made that its more important with a high income because high incomes enable more spending. Your means are greater, and as a result, more money can be spent on more expensive things that, if not controlled, can systematically squeeze the freedom out of your financial situation.High-income earners needfinancial visibilitycashflow tracking (money in vs. money out)a financial roadmap to help focus spending and investmentsWe usePersonal Capitalto provide the financial visibility that we need. We also track, through the use of spreadsheets, our cash flow and general trajectory toward our money goals even though were no longer earning a consistent income.Personal Capital is one of the easiest financial applications Ive used. Works well. Colorful. Gets the job done.If you are a high-income earner, what are some of the things youre doing to keep yourself honest? High incomes are great, but only when we design a system where we keep the majority of the money that we earn. They can lull us into a false sense of security. Step 2 Establish an emergency fund of at least six monthsAnemergency fundis crucial tohigh-income earnersbecause our lifestyles very often require quite a bit of resource to maintain.Another way to describe your emergency fund is your FU Money. Meaning, if things get bad at work or you find a better option, having enough stashed away means we can easily say, F-U, Im out at work at a moments notice.FU Money means you can effectively put a stop to full-time income immediately and still remain financially independent, at least for a while. It doesnt necessarily mean or imply that you can flat out retire. But, it does give us options, and lots of em FU money is good money.Unfortunately, themajority of peopledont have adequate emergency funds. And, the last thing we want to do is plop unexpected costs onto credit cards.How much emergency fund money should we have?Usually, I like to encourage at least three to six months, but for high-income earners, err on the side of six months. If you cannot last six months without income, then you have a problem.Youre probably spending too much money. Your lifestyle has become overinflated to the point where its putting you into a position of weakness.Step 3 Forget what the experts say and just focus on YOU and your goalsThere isnt justone single wayto get out of debt, build wealth and achieve financial freedom.I dont care what the experts tell you. If they believe theres a one-track path to success (probablytheirway thats available in their book for the low, low price of $9.95), remove yourself from that conversation and never seek their advice again. Why? Its B.S.Im a big fan of the try it and see method, especially if youre a high-income earner.If an expert says that you gotta get up an hour earlier in the morning in order to be successful, then try it if youre properly motivated. If its working for you, then keep doing it. Otherwise, re-gain those 60-minutes of sleep and put your effort toward something else.Check out these point-blank statements that I believe wholeheartedly to be true.There is no one way toget out of debt. Your way is just as valid as mine.There is no one way to invest in the stock market. I prefer datenbankindex fund investing. Others prefer dividend investing. Frankly, I dont care what method you choose. They all work. The point is to do it. Just try. More on this below.There is no one way to live asensiblelifestyle. If you want that 80-inch television, who am I to tell you that its unnecessary (we havent owned a television in years, by the way)? Buy whatever you feel is necessary for you and your family.There is no one way to manage your finances. Some married couples have combined finances (like my wife and me). Others have kept them separate. Some use Ally savings accounts. Others use money market accounts. As long as you arent stashing your wad of cash under your mattress, there are a ton of different ways to manage your finances effectively.There is no one way to budget. Heck, some people dont even use a budget. Many subscribe to the pay yourself first method and forget a budget entirely. Others prefer to keep their budget so they can see exactly where their money is going. If budgeting works for you, keep it upThere is no one way to retire early. My wife and I sold both of our homes and bought anAirstreamthat we live in full-time. While that works for us, it sure as hell wont work for everybody. And, thats okay. Big homes or small, it is up to each and every one of us to decide how to retire early and what well do once we reach that point of sweet no-job ecstasy.Dont blindly focus on what financial or so-called early retirement experts tell you (yes, that includes methough, I dont consider myself an expert). Do what works forYOU.Step 4 Dont just save invest your wealthNo one ever got rich by saving money.It seems to go against the grain, but its also a fact of life. Saving money isnt what gets the majority of us rich.Saving is not the magic sauce to ear ly retirement. There is nothing wrong with it, thoughIt is true that saving money does not lead to wealth. That said, theres nothing wrong with saving some cash by changing up the spending habits you developed over the years that probably resulted inwholesale hemorrhaging of your precious greenbacksfrom your wallet. Dont get me wrong, saving money is great. Its wonderful. It all helps.Its just not the magic sauce to early retirement.Early retirement is enabled throughhousehold wealth. How much money youhave, rather than how much yousave. Thats the delicious gravy that, when smothered over a stack of steaming hot mashed potatoes, makes the meal.Ultimately,wealth is built by investing your earnings. Here, take a look at apretty graphthat puts in chart form what little effect saving money has over your household wealth. I warn you, however, that there are a bunch of sleep-inducing financial buzzwords that permeate that post.You know, things like market revaluation and consumer durable investments.Its not about how much money we have. Wealth is a direct byproduct ofwhat we do with that money. ItsTHISthat enables early retirement.Keep your savings in a Ziplock baggy under your mattress and you dont prepare yourself for anything beyond the apocalypse. And even then, I doubt your local merchant will be around anyway to accept your cash for a loaf of bread because their credit card processing machine was destroyed in the nuclear blast that annihilated most of humanity.Letcompound interestwork for you.Step 5 Plan your strategy by giving your money a purposeAs a high-income earner, your money needs a purpose in life, just like you.A reason for its existence. Youre not just going to work to earn a paycheck. If youre like most of us, youre at work toearn a living. To provide for your family. And, youre doing an awfully good job at it, too. Youre bringing in big bucks.The next step is to give your money purpose. Train yourself to think of your income as a tool. Its a tool that youll use to build your future free of the constraints of full-time work.This happens by giving your money purpose.How to give your money purposeKnow where your money is going You cant begin to un-screw your financial situation until you realize where your money is going. Budgets can help, but frankly, your bank statement is all you really need to determine where your money is going and, importantly, whether your spending is setting you up to meet, or fail, at your financial goals.Show me a mans bank statement, and Ill tell you what he values.For example, those damn automated monthly payments for services that you may no longer use are killers. They were for us. Because you dont have to lift a finger to make those payments, you quickly forget that youre making them. Bank statements help. Just look at em. Can you justify it all?Care about your future More critical than most people realize, you need to care about what happens to your future self. Yes, we all want to be successful , but what does that mean? Do you actively want to retire early, or are you content with working through the traditional lifespan of a typical worker in our society? In 20 years, do you see yourself living in the same house? Working the same job? Driving the same car? What will change?For the record, its okay if you have no interest in retiring early. But, knowing exactly what you want out of life whatever that happens to be will guide your moneys purpose.Invest If your company matches 401k contributions, at least contribute that amount. Remember, 401ks are pre-tax money, which means not only is your company shoveling you cold hard cash, but youre lowering your tax burden by a dollar-for-dollar contribution into your 401k account.Brokerage accounts work, too. We like Targeted Retirement investment accounts and have heavily utilized their automatic diversification strategy so we dont have to worry about all that. Seriously, we just throw money into our brokerage account and literal ly forget it. Theres no secret sauce to getting rich in the market. Besides time. You gotta give it time.Persistence Early retirement is easy, but its not quick. It takes time, just like most goals worth striving toward. Avoid the rookie mistake of expecting 20% capital gains in the first year of investing your dough. It doesnt happen that way, even in todays outrageously lucrative market.Your lifes purpose takes time, just like your moneys. Dont expect miracles with your money. Reality doesnt work that way. Budget and invest. Then, stick with it. I mean stick the hell with it. Keep throwing those greenbacks into your investment accounts. Month after month. Year after year.Step 6 Automate your saving and investing strategyAutomation removes the element of discipline from the equation of saving money. With automation, we dont have to remember to move our money to where it needs to go.Through the magic of automation, we arent manually transferring our cash every single month, which de finitely takes discipline. We dont need to lift a finger after we set up an automated process to save money. Its all done for us, like clockwork.How does automation work?Payroll deductions are often the easiest way to automate your savings. If your company offers a 401k plan, youll probably be able to setup auto-deductions from your paycheck to fund that account for your retirement. An IRA account can work the same way.What are some of the things that can be automated?Company-sponsored 401k contributionsMoney transfers from checking accounts into savingsMonthly bill payments (cable TV, credit cards, etc) to reduce late feesBanks usually provide automation services to make this easy. Companies typically provide automated payroll deductions for 401k and IRA contributions. Credit cards may also support automated payments every month.Automation is key to removing the element of discipline from your financial life.If you dont yet have financial automation in your life, start today.Make a n appointment with your companys HR department to find out about your 401k retirement options. Then, auto-deduct from your paycheck to start funding your retirement account.Or, establish a savings account through a bank (we like Ally, but it could be withany bank) and create a recurring transfer from your checking account into that saving account.Just start with one. Over time, consider other automation as well.Check out theAutomatic Millionaire, by David Bach, for an excellent in-depth look at how automation kicks our finances into high gear.This article originally appeared on ThinkSaveRetire.

Common Cashier Interview Questions and Tips for Answering

Common Cashier Interview Questions and Tips for AnsweringCommon Cashier Interview Questions and Tips for AnsweringWhen you arevorstellungsgesprchingfor a position as a cashier, regardless of industry, you need to highlight your focus on customer tafelgeschirr and accuracy. Companies want to hire cashiers who are good with money and good with people. Your goal is to show that youre both, and to demonstrate that youre a pleasant, reliable person to work with, as well as a positive public face for the company. For many customers, youll be their only point of direct interaction with the organization, so its essential that you show youll make a good impression. By learning some of the most common cashier interview questions and tips for answering each, you can enter your interview feeling confident and prepared. Tips for a Cashier Interview Prepare answers to common interview questions. Before you even get to the interview, be sure to prepare by reviewing common interview questions su ch as What are your strengths? and How would you describe yourself? Make sure you have answers prepared for these interview questions, since you will most likely be asked at least a couple of them. Review the top skills for the job. Before the interview, also be sure to review the job listing to make sure you have a sense of the top skills required for the job. Be prepared to answer questions about those skills. While every job is different, most companies want cashiers who have strong customer service skills, as well as candidates who possessskillslike basic accounting, computer literacy, and familiarity with the companys products. Because cashiers handle money, you might also be asked questions about integrity. Provide specific examples. When answering questions during the interview, be sure to support your answers with specific examples from your past work experience or schooling. Using specific instances in your answers gives your responses more weight and credibility, allowing the employer to see how youd succeed in the role. Dress professionally. Finally, dont forget todress professionally for the interview, even if the job itself will involve wearing a uniform. Choose neat, clean, conservative clothing, andavoid heavy makeup or perfume. Your goal is to impress the hiring manager with your skills and experience, not to grab their attention with your attire. Cashier Interview Questions While mostjob interviewsshare common questions regardless of the type of job, there are some specific questions you will likely face when applying for a role as a cashier 1. What does excellent customer service mean to you?As a cashier, you will be working with the public at all times. It is essential that you provide excellent service, and that your standards of service match your kompetenzprofil employers.In your answer,highlight the importance of good service, identifying solutions, and resolving issues to the customers satisfaction. If possible, offer examples of ti mes when you went the extra mile to provide customer satisfaction. (Reminder its important to be positive. The unvarnished truth might be that the customer was a pain, but it will be more persuasive if you spin the story to focus on your ability to give excellent customer service by resolving their issue.) 2. Do you prefer working alone or as a part of a team?Cashiers typically work independently, but working within a team is a key part of the job you will work closely with stockers, floor managers, and others. As you respond, stress that you can work independently and can thrive on your own, but that you appreciate the support and expertise a team can give you.Emphasize your ability to communicatewith others and support your colleagues. 3. What if a coworker calls out sick and youre on your own?This is a common issue in service industries, so you should expect a question like this. When short-staffed, cashiers can face long lines and frustrated customers. When answering this questi on, its important to highlight the role of politeness and efficiency. However, you should also mention that if, even working at your fastest, the lines keep lengthening, you would consult with your manager about calling in other workers or asking other employees to take over another register. It may be tempting to answer this question by emphasizing your ability to handle ever-increasing volumes of customers, but even the worlds fastest cashier needs help now and then. The hiring manager doesnt want a candidate who insists that he or she can do everything without help thats just not realistic. 4. How are you with handling money?A key part of a cashiers job is handling money, so trustworthiness and integrity are important. In your answer, highlight your experience managing money, your past employers feedback on your honesty, and your accuracy in managing the cash drawer. You might also mention your familiarity with certain technologies often used in retail, such as barcode scanners a nd credit card readers. 5. Tell me about a time you delivered excellent service.For this question, paint a vivid description of the situation so that the hiring manager understands what happened and what actions you took. Also emphasize the positive outcome for the customer. Highlight when you went above and beyond the standard response of a cashier and focused on the customers needs.

How to Land a Job When You Dont Meet All The Requirements Without Lying!

How to Land a Job When You Dont Meet All The Requirements Without LyingHow to Land a Job When You Dont Meet All The Requirements - Without LyingHow to Land a Job When You Dont Meet All The Requirements (Without Lying)So maybe you dont meet all of a jobs requirements thats OK. You leise have a chance.What happens when you find your ideal job, but you dont quite meet all its requirements? Dont immediately give up and move on. If you know what youre doing, you still have a chance to land the gig without fudging the truth.TopResumes career advice expert Amanda Augustine recently shared her tips on how to approach this situation with CNBC Make It. Heres what she suggests1. Even if youre bedrngnis still in school, you can build new skillsIf youre applying to the same type of job over and over, but youre noticing an obvious skill gap, then maybe its time to hit the books again. No, that doesnt mean bury yourself in even more student debt.There are plenty of online platforms that allow y ou to take affordable and sometimes free online courses and certification classes to gain those skills. See what Lynda (now known as LinkedIn Learning), Udemy, and Masterclass have to offer. Then, when the subject comes up in your interview, let the hiring manager know that while youre not necessarily an expert, you have taken specific steps to learn more.For example, if an employer is looking for someone well versed in all things Google Analytics, but you havent worked with it before, you can take some simple courses to learn more about the platform.If you do this, you are miles ahead and will impress an employer, Augustine told CNBC.2. Remember that unpaid experience countsIf youre a recent grad or are looking for an entry-level job, you know how irritating that Must have three to five years of experience line in the job description can be. How can you have experience if youre entry level?But guess what? You just might have the experience even if it wasnt paid. Take out a piece of paper and start thinking about your internships, volunteer experiences, club involvement, and even your class projects.No, you might not have experience managing a large brands Pinterest board, but maybe you spent three months performing a case study on some of the top Pinterest fashion boards for one of your senior-level classes. Maybe you dont have paid experience managing a small team, but you did lead a final class project where you pitched a marketing plan to a national company.Its all about positioning, Augustine said. Your resume is a marketing document, and you want to position it for whatever you are going after. That means play up the things employers are looking for and play down the things they arent.3. Lean on your network and connectionsDid you know youre 10 times more likely to secure a job when you have a relationship with someone at that company? That means, in addition to leveraging your skills and experiences, you should also leverage your network. Stay in tou ch with your professors and internship managers. Use your alumni network, and reach out to family members and friends in your field.Also, rather than asking for a job (trust us, you dont want to do that), simply ask for advice or any recommendations they might have before you submit your application. They might be able to float your name by the hiring manager so your resume has a better chance of being seen.Its OK to reach out to those people and ask for pearls of wisdom, Augustine says. They can maybe help you with bumping your application up at a company and they can help you with figuring out what you should emphasize.Want to read more of Augustines advice? You can read the full CNBC article here.Is your resume highlighting the experience you do have? Make sure with a free resume review todayRecommended ReadingAsk Amanda How Do I Get an Entry-Level Job If They All Require Experience?How to Be a Great Candidate Even If Youre Underqualified for the JobHow to Make a Great Resume Wit h No Work Experience