Saturday, May 30, 2020
10 Ways Older Workers Can Help Their Job Search
10 Ways Older Workers Can Help Their Job Search Before I retired, I had the best seven years of my career and was hired at the ripe old age of 57! My boss did not give my age more than a passing glance; he was thrilled to find someone with all the right qualifications for the job, PLUS maturity and someone he knew wanted stability and wouldnât bolt the following year looking for more money. The day I was hired was incredible: I had just returned to the Midwest from Arizona, because the job market there was horrible. I had been working two jobs six days a week and having a hard time meeting expenses, so I moved back to where I had grown up; Chicago land. I picked up the want ads as this was 1997 and I didnât own a personal computer yet. I saw the ad for an administrative assistant to the Manager of Information Services (MIS) and VP at the headquarters of one of the classiest retail chains in the United States (Crate Barrel). Man, I wanted that job! I borrowed someoneâs fax machine and faxed my resume in the morning; I got a call for an interview within an hour; I had my interview that afternoon with personnel, and only just caught my future boss by minutes before he would have left the building. After I went home to wait, the job offer call came before business hours were over. When itâs the right fit, everything goes smoothly, no matter what age you are. Now, why was it the right fit? Years of experience, thatâs what. One of the best things an applicant over 45 can offer is experience and maturity. There are plenty of companies and business owners who actually prefer employees who have some savvy about life under their belt instead of just fresh from college. Of course, to compete with the brainy college graduates, us older folk need to adhere to a few rules. Here are my 10 tips: 1) Good appearance: Keep up a good appearance. Wear fashionable clothes, current hair cuts and styles and donât stay in a time warp with appearance, no matter how much you loved it. 2) Stay current: The more technical savvy an older applicant is the more impressive. Do you have a Facebook account to keep in contact with your family? 3) Recent jobs: When writing your resume, only list most current jobs so that older dates donât catch the eye. 4) Education on resume: When listing schools and education training on your resume, just list the names with no dates. 5) Great cover letter: Write a great cover letter here is where you can bring in older job experiences and skills without having the dates jump off the page on the resume. READ MORE: How To Start Your Cover Letter With a BANG! 6) Be you: Just be you be proud of your maturity and place in life. Compared to some of the newbies entering the job market, it will be refreshing. 7) Be honest about your plans: Are you hoping this is your last job before retiring? Do you want to get at least 10 years of experience? Would you like to grow with the company as long as possible? READ MORE: How Changing Jobs Can Damage Your Employment Future 8) Stability factor: Make sure the stability factor of you never leaving to get married, have a baby, or succumb to head hunters in the race to the top comes up in the conversation. 9) Age is an asset: Without being phony, make conversation in the interview about the product, company or business in a mature way. Let your age be an asset. 10) Confidence: Above all, appear confident and not needy. YOU have a lot to offer and they will recognize it. Footnote: My prior jobs that allowed me to acquire all the skills that helped me become the CIO and VP of MISâs one and only assistant, were: A bowling center league organizer (age 30) A key puncher and Data Entry Operator A Computer Operator A Programmer-Analyst (age 40) An Entrepreneur running my own retail establishment A Realtor Assistant A Sales Trainer (age 50) An Admin Assistant to Development Managers (2) Author: This post was written by Exertus Jobs the best job site focused on presenting employment opportunities to the over 45s. It was launched in February 2013 and the site covers the whole of the UK.
Tuesday, May 26, 2020
5 Rural Retreats To Boost Your Motivation
5 Rural Retreats To Boost Your Motivation Sometimes when you feel like your productivity and motivation levels are flagging, the best thing to do is not to put extra pressure on yourself, but to take a step back. Weâre all only human, and we all deserve a break now and again. We live increasingly busy lives, and if you arenât dashing to a meeting, youâre checking emails, writing emails, and trying to get through your mound of work. And letâs not even talk about trying to fit in a social life and downtime into the mix! Life can be truly exhausting! So the next time you feel like youâre burning out, then why not consider taking a relaxing break and unplugging from the world for a few days? There are some fantastic rural retreats that will revitalize your soul and soothe your weary musclesâ¦. La Almununia de Valle â" Andalucia A boutique hotel nestled in one of Granadaâs most beautiful provinces, you will certainly feel at one with nature as you take in your breath-taking surroundings. Youâll find yourself engulfed in the natural beauty of high peaks and the river Monachil. A typical country house, this hotel is staggered at different heights on the hill where you take in the most magnificent of views. Just ten minutes away from the city of Granada, this location is just perfect for those that want peace and quiet whilst still being in easy reach of a more bustling area. Enjoy hiking trips, and horse riding along the peaks of Granada. There are plenty of activities nearby to enjoy, or simply kick back and relax. Petra Segreta â" Sardinia The Petra Segreta resort and spa is hidden down a long and bumpy rough dirt track, youâll wonder where it is youâre possibly heading, until you reach this oasis of calm and beauty. The resortâs wellness centre is the jewel of the hotel, lying among a natural granite grotto. Guests can relax and unwind at the spa, but to get there you must pass between two large granite boulders that are said to be charged with a secret ancestral energy. Enjoy a Turkish bath, roman sauna, outdoor heated swimming pool and relaxation area. If you canât resist a few activities, then there is plenty to do in Sardinia! From private boat excursions to golf sessions, surfing and perhaps a trip to the local winery? The Bedford Lodge Hotel Spa â" Suffolk Based in the heart of the British countryside, this retreat is definitely one for those who love a pamper. The hotel itself is a four star establishment with a heavy focus on delicious cuisine. The award winning Squires restaurant makes this retreat a great option for foodies! You can also enjoy the hotelâs more relaxed bar and eatery, or thereâs plenty of authentic country pubs nearby. As well as chic rooms, gourmet food and acres of stunning private gardens, this hotel is also home to an impressive spa and wellness centre. In fact, itâs one of the best in the UK! Relax and enjoy treatments from the spaâs extensive menu, and thereâs always the hydrotherapy pool and rooftop hot tub to enjoy as well⦠Casa Cova Blanca â" Catalonia If youâre after a stay with a bit of âwow factorâ then these underground ecological houses might just tick your boxes, Surrounded by olive groves in the gorgeous foothills of the Caro Boix Mountains, this exclusive retreat can sleep up to four people. Due to the rural location, a car is necessary to navigate the beaten dirt tracks, but this natural beauty is definitely worth the journey. Nearby sandy beaches and picturesque walking trails make this the ideal destination for nature lovers. Energy at the house is supplied through a solar panel system and water is collected from a stone water cistern at the top of the land, no high power appliances can be utilised here â"so leave the hair straighteners at home! For those who are after a truly natural and âunpluggedâ experience, you canât get much better than this. Apokryfi Lofou Apokryfo is actually Greek for âhidden awayâ and âkept secretâ which perfectly sums up the vibes of this guesthouse in Lofou, Cyprus. A stunning hideaway based on the foothills of mount Olympus, this retreat offers traditional old stone houses that have been renovated by its owners and a local architect and his interior designer wife. The rooms are truly stunning, and focus heavily on neutral tones and natural wood, reflecting the surrounding area. There is also an on-site spa where guests can enjoy a range of massage treatments, as well as a traditional hammam and sauna room. The village itself is a charming area, ideal for those seeking out peace and quiet. Rural Retreats Are the Perfect Escape! Sometimes itâs time to put the smartphone down and organise your thoughts, a stay at one of these stunning rural retreats will help you to unwind and detox. Forget the stresses of daily life and enjoy a truly unique experience. Youâll feel refreshed, motivated and more determined than ever to achieve your goals! Now, where to head to firstâ¦?
Saturday, May 23, 2020
How Book Club at School Helped Shape My Leadership Skills
How Book Club at School Helped Shape My Leadership Skills Iâll never forget reading the classic Wuthering Heights at book club. After the first reading I didnât see the fuss, to me it just seemed like another novel with archaic language. However, when it was discussed at book club, I saw the book through a whole new light. After listening to one memberâs interpretation of the novel and how she had enjoyed the wonderful metaphors threaded throughout the book, it took on a whole new meaning for me. In fact, when I read it for the second time, it may as well have been a whole new book. Thatâs the beauty of book club, different perspectives. Then I think to myself those moments at work when weâre struggling to understand one anotherâs perspective, why donât we embrace these differences more? We need to appreciate different interpretations of things. The earlier we can do this, the more impactful we can be as leaders in todayâs workplace. Firstly, itâs important that we realize the value that different perspectives can bring to the table and accept that itâs not something we tend to feel comfortable with. Yes, it requires a whole learning process, but ultimately it leads to better decision making. Believe it or not, book club was this learning process for me. Whatâs more, itâs not only cheap and easy but available to everyone. Hereâs what bookclub taught me about being a great a leader. 1. Forming lifetime connections One of the things about book club I particularly enjoyed and that I realize now, has benefitted me as a leader, is that it provided me with the opportunity to meet with people outside my usual social circle. Something that when youâre young and âcoolâ isnât often the thing to do. Book club gave me the opportunity to realize that it was silly to behave this way, in fact, I was holding myself back from making friends for life. Having a common interest (books) was the perfect excuse to make new friends outside my usual friend group, friends that I shared a genuine interest with, not just a similar class timetable. People with different backgrounds, ideas and opinions enrich us in ways we would have never imagined. When you realize this from a young age, you encourage yourself to always keep making friendships of this sort, pushing yourself away from your comfort zone. 2. Become a public speaking pro Getting the opportunity to voice my opinion out loud to the rest of the members of the club also gave me the chance to practice public speaking. Believe it or not, as a leader, regularly speaking at events and conferences, I still get nervous. Itâs not only about the speech youâre giving but about how you back-up the opinion you hold with what you want to get across. Thereâs no point in being confident in public speaking unless your key message transcends to your audience. In our book club, I remember that unless people backed up their opinions with why they felt a certain book was boring or excellent, nobody would really change their opinion. If my friend at book club hadnât explained why the metaphors in Wuthering Heights made it an excellent book, for example, I would never have read it for the second time. Itâs the exact same with leadership. 3. The freedom to be honest Participating in book club also really instilled in me the importance of having the freedom, to be honest, and value the honesty of others. As a leader, Iâve noticed how important this is as a trait for successful people. Great leaderâs response to honesty is always in a positive light. Even if the honesty they hear isnât always what they were hoping for, they realize that if theyâre honest, people will follow and respect them. This is why at Perkbox one of our core values is âzero fearâ, this means if you have a question, idea or disagree with someone, you shouldnât be afraid to speak up and say it. It doesnât matter if thatâs to your team lead, manager or the CEO. Different perspectives are how the best ideas are sparked and I firmly believe honesty is the best way to let these perspectives be heard! Whilst itâs true that becoming a great leader stems hugely from factors like experience, maturity, and making many mistakes along the way, itâs clear to me also that there are great attributes around leadership that we can proactively teach from a young age. These can be achieved in a fun and interactive way through the medium of activities such as book clubs to ensure tomorrowâs generation of leaders are the most critical thinkers yet About the author: Before co-founding Perkbox, the UKâs fastest-growing employee engagement platform, Chieu Cao established himself as a tech marketing force to be reckoned with, leading initiatives for brands including Microsoft, Amazon and Yahoo. A consultant turned CMO, Chieus repertoire spans both B2C and B2B, from SEO to social strategy.
Monday, May 18, 2020
How To Use Google Alerts for a Live Job Search
How To Use Google Alerts for a Live Job Search Google Alerts is a fine tool provided free by Google for monitoring your online presence. It is very useful for anyone in to Personal Branding as you get alerts sent to you as soon as you are mentioned somewhere on the Internet. Other uses for Google Alerts would be to monitor news about your company, competitors, share prices, weather warnings and so forth. One often overlooked use of this tool is to monitor employers and what new job openings they post, this little article will teach you how to do this. Instead of having to check job boards every day, simply set up an alert for the companies you are interested in and let this tool do the rest for you. You are likely to be one of the first to see the opening and this will give you a head start. Increasingly today, roles will be filled as soon as somebody qualified applies and not when x number of candidates have been screened and taken through a full and proper HR process. Getting started is simple, just click on the Google Alerts page and fill in the blanks. In this case we want to see all PR jobs coming out of IBM. We will choose comprehensive, which means it scours all news, blogs, web, videos and groups known to Google. You can then pick frequency, if you are a web junkie like me you will want as-it-happens. The email length can stay at 50 as IBM is a big business and you are likely to see a good few alerts from your comprehensive search as it includes job boards, social networks, blogs news and so on. The last thing is just to enter your email and let Google Alerts do its magic. You can repeat this and set up as many alerts as you like to monitor a bunch of employers that you have zeroed in on. Consider Google Alerts an ongoing search, it is as if you would sit and run Google searches all day, every day â" just imagine how much time you will save. And yes, any recruiters out there wanting to be the first on the phone to the client can most certainly take advantage of this service as well. If you like Google Alerts, have a look at 140 Employers Tweeting Jobs direct to you as well. Do you use Google Alerts and have you found any job openings through it? Are the alerts annoying?
Friday, May 15, 2020
What is 11201 Resume Writing?
What is 11201 Resume Writing?When you need to turn your resume into a winning one, 11201 resume writing can be your secret to success. This simple step will allow you to speak with ease, be presentable in the application process, and stand out from the crowd.The key to getting that professional skill in a resume is about placing the right information. This includes having the right space for your information, the right type of layout for your cover letter, and being able to make the most of your skills.The format of your resume is the best place to start when looking for that confidence and professionalism that can come from good time management. Take a look at some sample resumes that are available online and see how they include those factors.Make sure you include your name, home address, and other contact information in the cover letter. This lets the hiring manager know that you want to talk to them. Of course, if you do not have that contact information, you should also include the phone number, which can be important.Another factor that the sample resume has is the amount of space that is given to each section. While it may seem like that is excessive, remember that the interview is meant to find out how well you communicate. Not only do you need to show that you are honest and genuine in your answers, but you need to give a reader a good feeling of being understood.It is not uncommon for these sample resumes to include the additional sections. For example, you may be asked to include educational details, if you have worked abroad, and if you have any internships. It is wise to also put the personal information in this space.If you are interviewing for a position that is long-term, it is important to provide what the job requirements are. For example, if the position requires someone to provide an estimate of a project, then you should list the time frame for the project and include the materials that will be used for the estimate. Once you have listed th e materials, explain why you feel it is necessary, and how you came up with the estimate.In conclusion, don't forget that a professional resume is the best place to start when you need to communicate with a hiring manager. Take a look at some sample resumes and see how these can be a secret to success.
Tuesday, May 12, 2020
Tips to Interview Do You Have to Jump Through the Hoops - Hire Imaging
Tips to Interview Do You Have to Jump Through the Hoops - Hire Imaging Whenever possible, you want to interview with a hiring manager and not the Human Resources Department. Human Resources professionals have important roles at their companies, but are generally not hiring managers and decision-makers. There is an option for job seekers. Tips to Interview: What I hear from candidates Working with job seekers on a daily basis, I frequently hear about their frustration with the required processes to get a first face-to-face interview. My client Pat said he spent three hours on personality, math, logic and other skills tests; followed by two phone interviews, a group interview and then ⦠he was told to follow the company on Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebookâ"before taking another assessment. Tips to Interview: Whatâs the status quo? I certainly donât want to offend HR professionals (I am one), but sometimes the policies, procedures and rules can in reality become a bureaucratic series of hoops that while perhaps making the HR process easier, are a nightmare for the candidate. Hereâs what often happens: HR screens résumés and applications based on an explicit group of criteria that has been outlined by the hiring manager. They receive a résumé, match it to the hiring qualifications and, if it matches, forward it to the decision-maker. Some screeners eyeball every submission, while others search for certain keywords among applications and résumés. Various applicant tracking systems (ATS) are frequently used, reducing the candidateâs submissions to database figures. Some screeners consider cover letters in their applications; some do not. Candidates should expect to wait anywhere from a few days to several weeks before receiving a response to an application, if at all. In fact, according to CareerXroads, a human-resources consulting firm in Princeton, New Jersey, a survey of more than 50 companies with at least 500 employees revealed that less than 27% have a formal process to notify decline to external candidates they consider for an opening. With the above scenario, there is no opportunity in the process for individual interpretation; itâs simply a match-up and for the job seeker, a waitâ"often wait, wait, waitâ"ordeal. This is not what you want to happen in your job search. Tips to Interview: What can you do? Your goal is to get your résumé in front of the right decision-maker (e.g., President, VP of Marketing, VP of Operations, Customer Service Director, IT Manager, etc.). These are the people who have the power to make a hiring decision and get you through the HR process. When contacting companies to explore hiring opportunities: If you are responding to a posting that dictates you forwarding your résumé and/or application to the HR Department, do as directed. Donât rest there. Find the name of the hiring manager or decision-maker, and also call and/or send your correspondence to that person. This double-hit method can be very productive! Remember my client, Pat? He started using the above approach. He recently told me that he had applied online (with application, as well as attached resume and letter) for a Sales Manager role for which he was well qualified. After a week, on the very day he received a âNo thanksâ letter from HR, he received a call from the VP of Sales to schedule an interview. Whatâs the reality here? If managers think HR is creating a lot of red tape holding up movement in terms of getting the right people hired, they will happily take a call from a candidate. Decision-makers arenât necessarily all that interested in the hoops. They just want a great fit for the company and its needs. Sometimes it pays to sidestep the hoops. Photo: Kissimmee
Friday, May 8, 2020
How to quit - The Chief Happiness Officer Blog
How to quit - The Chief Happiness Officer Blog Yesterday I passed on a question from Office Lady about how you should go about quitting your job. Some great stories have come in, reflecting the whole spectrum from the measured, reasoned, well-timed resignation to going out in a blaze of glory. Quitting a job is one of lifes great decisions, and its nice to see how its approached in many different ways, but usually with a fair amount of thought. Ive tried quitting in two very different ways. My very first job out of university was as a software developer for BangOlufsen, famous makers of high-end stereos and TVs. I quickly discovered that I didnt fit in. The insanely high quality standards that BO (rightfully) apply to their products and the software inside them meant that the software development process was slow, laborious, measured and very structured. For a person like me who is creative, fast-thinking and unused to bureaucracy, this approach felt like a slow death. When a better job offer came along I took it, and notified BO as soon as I had made the decision i.e. I didnt wait till the last possible day to tell them. That job was fun for a while. I was only employee number four in the company, and had a large degree of freedom to tailor my own job and do my work my way. Unfortunately, the two owners of the company sorely lacked leadership qualities, and as the company grew to around 15 people, this caused a lot of friction and problems. One day in a meeting, one of the two founders accused me (unfairly so) of being unprofessional. I stood up, left the meeting, left work and quit the next day. Without a new job lined up. In both cases, quitting was exactly the right decision, and I ended up in a better situation. Also in both situations, I let the company know of my plans as soon as I had made up my mind. Not because I felt I owed them anything in particular, but more out of common courtesy and to cause them as few problems as possible. Here are some more thoughts from the comments on the previous post. chus3r says: Personally I?m a firm believer in giving your current employer a opportunity to keep you around. I just like to have the offer in hand before I do that sort of thing though. I agree. If theres a chance of improvement, then see if you cant fix your current job. Especially if there are many things you like, and just a few you dont. MyNameIsMatt agrees: I think the ethics behind quitting depend very much on the situation. If there?s no way they?ll keep you around, then it probably isn?t worth anything to make noise before your two week notice. If, though, there is a chance for improvement, then more for yourself then the company, it?s a good idea to speak up and see if you can fix your job. If we as workers continually fear discussion of problems, and prefer to quit quickly and quietly (only giving a two week notice), then how can we really expect anything better? However, theres also a risk in telling the company that youre thinking of quitting. Shel says: However, the culture there turned quickly poisonous. My coworkers were all awesome, but the management turned from friendly to very cold. Suddenly, a job I really liked turned bad, and it helped me realize the true problems and why I was entertaining leaving. And more than that, Ive always been wary of telling a company I want this or I quit. Threatening to quit is sort of the nuclear option in the workplace, and once youve used it, its hard to forget again. Im not saying you should never threaten to quit, but it should, at the very least, be reserved for VERY serious situations. Finally, how you quit it also depends on how the company treats its people. PS says: Hmmm, dunno. It depends. At my place of work a significant proportion of the workforce got ?made redundant??? with about, let me think back, ehm, one hours? notice. Yes, they got a good pay-out, but nevertheless it reinforced my belief that there?s no ethics of quitting other than giving your employer the notice you?re contractually obliged to give, unless you want to signal your displeasure in an attempt to address its causes and stay. Good point. If a company doesnt show its people any courtesy, why should they return the favor? Thanks for visiting my blog. If you're new here, you should check out this list of my 10 most popular articles. And if you want more great tips and ideas you should check out our newsletter about happiness at work. It's great and it's free :-)Share this:LinkedInFacebookTwitterRedditPinterest Related
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