Candidate, May the Feedback Be With You

Candidate, May the Feedback Be With You Interviewing  for a new job is a stressful process; one that requires multitasking, concentration  and commitment. It is also  like a long and drawn-out battle; competitive and full of causalities. Candidates have to storm past other troopers and directly face off to hiring managers who  put them through their paces, testing their suitability and stamina  over  a number of battle rounds. The weak ones drop off quickly; the strong ones  hang on for as long as they can until one of them finally bags the role of their dreams. It  really boggles my mind when applicants are invited to interview, give it their best shot and then  just never hear back, so have to assume they were unsuccessful.  Given how much time and effort goes into preparation and attendance, candidates shouldnt  have to accept that no news is bad news. Recruiters are very strapped for time, working  long hours to complete a workload which can never, ever be completely done there is always more to  do! Its probably a bit unrealistic to expect recruiters to relay in-depth client feedback to every single applicant whos CV they have sent to a job,  but surely every candidate who is met and mentored  to interview  deserves to know how theyve performed, regardless of whether theyve been invited back. Are you guilty of neglecting unsuccessful interviewees? Heres why you really need to start opening up on the  feedback front: Youll shoot yourself  in the foot if you dont As a recruiter, your candidate network is everything. Its  the product you sell to your clients. If  your candidates have a bad experience with you and feel you have left  them in the dark, they wont want to work with you again. Just because they werent right for  this  role, doesnt mean they arent perfect for your next one, so its best to avoid  burning  bridges in your own backyard. If candidates feel frustrated and are left to wonder where they went wrong, why would they recommend you to their peers?  They wouldnt.  Their colleague could be your next placement, but you wont know because  youll never be referred to them. The flow on effect of this is huge if you dont represent a diverse pool of the best candidates in the market, why would clients choose  your  business? Id rather get negative feedback than nothing allRecruiter say something anything mandi china (@MandisaMpofu) March 9, 2016 Your clients will  take you more seriously Speaking of clients, providing feedback to candidates following an interview forces you to ask more questions of hiring managers  and HR partners.  Your clients will learn that you are thorough and consultative, not just a robot firing CVs into black holes.  Talking to clients about feedback will also give you an opportunity to ask how the whole recruitment process is coming along t00; whether there are many others in the running from other agencies, where they are struggling and whether there have been any vital changes made to the original brief you were given. It goes without saying that you would let candidates  know when they have been successful. Joy! Instead of just taking the good news and delivering it, asking  your clients why they have been successful is important too. Your new star candidate might have areas that need improving before the next round of interviews. #Hiring Managers..be specific with your #Recruiters about feedback after an #interview. Theyre great! doesnt say much. Be specific. East Side Staffing (@EastSideStaff) November 11, 2015 Youre more likely to place with a  client Learning the ins and outs of how your candidate interviewed, where they went wrong and where they were impressive is extremely valuable information for you. The next time you have someone interview with that client, or for that specific role, you will have a wealth of advice to offer them. Finding out that your  unsuccessful candidates ultimate undoing was  failing to answer X properly  will  allow you to give your next candidate the heads up before they go in. Youll also learn what types of personalities and personal attributes a particular client prefers from their interviewees. Youll learn about different interview styles and techniques, too. As a recruiter, you want to equip yourself with as many tools as possible to help your candidates get roles with your clients,  and knowledge is power here! Youll sleep better at night In recruitment, putting someone out of their misery is simply the right thing to do.  Its never fun to be the bearer of bad news, but you should find some comfort in the fact that it wasnt you who rejected the candidate, youre just the messenger (so dont shoot).  As long as you deliver the feedback in a very constructive way, you are benefiting that person by offering them ways to improve and points they can work on moving forward. Frustrated with recruiters lack of moral fibre. If you send someone to an interview you provide feedback, basics. Simon Drury (@Simondrury1) October 7, 2015 Frustrated candidates who are being kept in the dark also tend to chase you constantly by emailing and phoning you at your desk, and can end up turning into a game of hide and seek where you dont want to take their call. Biting the bullet and letting them know they were unsuccessful will save you time in the long run.  To  you they may really just represent a deal that dropped off and killed your chance at making the high achievers trip. However to them, you represented their dream role, their livelihood and their whole career. Candidates, may the feedback be with you. Image: Shutterstock

Work and Office Organization tips How to Unclutter Your Life in One Week

Work and Office Organization tips How to Unclutter Your Life in One Week Yep, you read the title of this post right.   I am attempting it.   This week I am following the advice in the book, Unclutter Your Life in One Week.   In the book, Organization Expert Erin Rooney Doland (who blogs at Unclutterer.com) shows you how to clear the clutter, simplify your surroundings and create the remarkable life you deserve, in just one week.   After 2.5 years of working full time and going to grad school at night, lets just say that this book is very necessary at this point in my life.   I am ready to simplify my life and have a fresh start! Here are the tasks that are outlined for the week.   Wish me luck! Monday: AM: Your Wardrobe At Work: Your Office Evening: Your reception area (the entryway in your home) Tuesday: AM: Your Bathroom At Work: Fixing your Files Evening: Household Chores Wednesday: AM: Your Bedroom and Commute At Work: Communication Processes Evening: Your Kitchen and Dining Room Thursday: AM: Your Living Spaces At Work: Working While at Work Evening: Your Home Office Friday: AM: Scheduling Strategies At Work: Routines and Productivity Evening: Living with Clutterers What do you need to unclutter?

5 Easy Ways to Earn Passive Income

5 Easy Ways to Earn Passive Income They say money doesn’t buy you happiness, but it does afford you the basic necessities and it can also fund your interests and wildest dreams. Though you may have a job that pays the bills, trying to find excess change to do things you enjoy or even to pay for unexpected expenses can prove difficult. With the cost of living continuing to rise across the country, it becomes evident that the most efficient solution is to find ways to earn more income. Passive Income The trouble sometimes with getting a part-time job or taking on a side hustle is that you don’t have the time to commit to it. When you work 8 hours a day and have responsibilities at home, taking on another job or hustle reduces the amount of time you have to enjoy the fruits of your labor. Fortunately, there are ways that you can earn money without having to do much at all. Passive income streams are methods for making money that doesnt require daily activity or regular maintenance. Here are some suggestions on how to make money without investing too much of your time: 1.   Affiliate Marketing Affiliate marketing is the practice of helping companies to advertise their products or services online. While this will initially require you to create a website, set up referral links, and build a following, once you’ve gotten past the groundwork you can set your campaign on autopilot and continue earning money. The idea is that every time a customer either purchases a product or clicks on your referral link, you’ll be paid a commission. You can find resources such as affiliate marketing for dummies to help you find the best methods to draw the most attention to your posts. Signing up for affiliate programs with several companies obviously gives you more passive income each month. 2.   Answer Surveys Your opinion matters. You can get paid to provide your opinion on products, services, and subject matters that are most important to you. By signing up through survey sites, you can answer questions about everything from grocery items to political topics and more. The more surveys you answer the more money you can make each month. Since there is no set schedule to this, you could essentially answer surveys in your spare time and earn a few extra bucks each month. 3.   Create YouTube Videos YouTube is quickly becoming a social media outlet for earning money. Users can create online videos and earn money. Whether you are great with DIY projects, makeup, or you love riding motorcycles, you can make some passive income by recording it and posting it to YouTube. While you won’t earn money for viewers watching your videos, you can attach paid ads to it from Google AdSense. Now, every time one of your followers clicks on the advertisement, you get paid. Add a few popular videos with attractive advertisements and you could be making a considerable amount of money from each source. 4.   Create an Online Course You know all the ways you’ve been making money online? You can actually create a course and teach others how to do it too! What’s great about creating online courses is that you can make money in your sleep. Create a compelling course complete with slideshows, videos, and guides and then price it competitively. Through careful advertisement you can draw audiences to your new course and make money without lifting a finger. 5.   Take Advantage of Cash Back Offers Another easy way to make some passive income is to take advantage of cash back offers. From sites like Ebates that offer you cash back on all of your spending to your credit cards, there are plenty of programs that will give you cash for every dollar that you spend. By participating in this program you could get a lot of your money back without doing anything other than what you do regularly â€" shopping. Part-time jobs and side hustles are great ways to earn extra money, when you have the time. If you’re short on cash and don’t have much more time to dedicate, passive streams of income could be the best solution. While most of these require some initial setup and effort, they all allow you to earn money 24/7 with little to no maintenance.

How To Motivate Yourself To Work Harder

How To Motivate Yourself To Work Harder Hard work is often the route to success. It can help us to achieve faster and more thorough results, which in turn can get us recognised and allow us to progress our career further. Most of us are able to work harder, but many of us choose not to. This is because, generally speaking, hard work is not very fun. Even if the rewards are worth it in the long run, many of us would much rather avoid the short-term added stress. Fortunately, with a few motivational tricks, hard work can be made less daunting. By getting organized, energizing yourself and thinking positive, you can spur yourself to put in that extra graft. Here are just a few motivational tricks to try. Plan out your day Scheduling out your day and creating a to-do list can help to motivate you to work hard by giving you a sense of direction. If you take work as it comes, you could find yourself ignoring all those small mundane but important tasks. Unfortunately, not all jobs can be planned for â€" if you work in a bar or a call answering centre, you may not know what awaits you from day to day. You may however still be able to give yourself challenges for the day such as trying to serve each customer more quickly or trying to come across more enthusiastic. Reduce interruptions and distractions Interruptions and distractions can throw us of schedule and demotivate us.   Where possible, take steps to reduce these interruptions and distractions. If you find yourself getting side-tracked by texts or personal messages on your phone, consider turning off notifications whilst at work or turn off your phone completely. If other colleagues are distracting you, let them know that you need time to concentrate (if your job allows you to choose where you work from, you may find that working from home a day a week allows you to get more done when you need those periods of concentration). Don’t be afraid to be assertive too when customers are wasting your time. If you’ve got a non-important phone call from somebody who wants an in-detail chat, reschedule the phone call for later so that you’re able to get your current task completed before focusing all your energy on them. Take more breaks Although it may sound counter-productive, taking more regular breaks could give you time to re-energise. Most of us aren’t able to work in full throttle for more than thirty minutes â€" after this we naturally slow down. Give yourself a five minute break every thirty minutes and it could allow you the rests you need to keep your energy at a maximum. Even though you’ll be working for shorter periods at a time, you could find yourself getting more done. This may not be possible in all forms of work. Get a good night’s sleep If you haven’t had enough sleep, you may not have the energy to work harder. The recommended amount of sleep is seven to eight hours per night. By feeling well rested, you’ll be able to start the day feeling less stressed and more enthusiastic. This could mean going to bed earlier (as the saying goes ‘early to bed and early to wise, makes a man healthy, wealthy and wise’). If you have trouble getting to sleep, you may also want to consider making healthy changes to your bedtime routine. Eating the right foods before bed, taking time to destress and avoiding bright screens could help you to fall asleep more easily. Cut down on the coffee Many people see coffee as work fuel â€" but coffee could be having a negative impact on your productivity. Whilst the caffeine in coffee does provide an energy boost, it also comes with an energy comedown. This is the biggest cause of the 3pm crash â€" as the caffeine wears off, many people lose motivation and can waste much of the end of their day. Coffee can also elevate stress, as it boosts cortisol levels (the stress hormone). Downing a glass of water could give you a much healthier energy kick. Staying hydrated keeps every part of the body working at its peak condition (coffee can dehydrate you). This could allow you to concentrate for longer or take on physical work for longer periods. Take a stand Sitting down all day isn’t good for our productivity either. Too much physical inactivity causes fatigue to set in. If you’ve got a desk job, taking regular breaks to stand up and be active could help to prevent this fatigue. Intense exercise can have particular work benefits. Exercise releases feelgood endorphins that can help to beat stress and improve positivity. It also gets fresh oxygen flowing to the brain, making us feel more alert and helping us to concentrate. Whilst you may not be able to carry out a HIIT workout at your desk, you may be able to take some time to exercise on your lunch break, as well as doing some exercise at the beginning of the day. You don’t have to take a trip to the gym â€" going for a brisk walk at lunch or cycling into work could be all you need. Listen to music as you work Many people find that music boosts productivity. This is because music can set a rhythm and a pace. It also releases endorphins much like exercise, helping us to destress and think more positive. Different types of music may be better suited to different types of work. If you need to concentrate, you may benefit from slower largely instrumental music. If you’re doing physical or repetitive work, you may prefer something more rhythmic and catchier that can help you set a pace and mentally stimulate you. Seek out motivational advice from other people When it comes to pushing oneself out of one’s comfort zone and building self-confidence, the motivational advice of other people can be important. You should surround yourself with positive people whose advice you trust â€" this could include colleagues, friends or family members. Don’t be afraid to limit ties with negative influences who may demotivate you. There may also be professional motivational advice that you can seek out. This could include attending an event led by a motivational speaker or booking a personal session with a motivational coach. You may even be able to seek out motivation simply by reading self-help books and blog posts, by listening to podcasts and by watching motivational YouTube videos. Set yourself personal goals and rewards You can also encourage yourself to work harder by setting yourself goals and rewards. Try to make these goals tangible such as securing a certain number of sales or learning a new skill relevant to your job. You can then reward yourself if you meet this goal â€" this could include treating yourself to a personal luxury such as a vacation or beauty treatment, or simply booking off a week’s holiday to relax and do nothing. Goals can be long-term or short-term. You can even set yourself multiple goals to strive towards. Make it a habit of reminding yourself of these goals at the beginning of each day.   Try not to move the goalposts once they’re set. Work smarter, not harder Sometimes the key to success isn’t to work harder, but to work smarter. By doing your own personal research, you may be able to learn tricks that allow you to get routine tasks done more efficiently, whilst exerting less energy. For instance, there could be better ways or organising your inbox or small persuasive tricks to encourage sales. You can discover these tricks by taking courses, attending workshops, reading books/blogs and watching videos. Don’t forget to also ask advice from your colleagues and superiors â€" there are more likely to know skills and shortcuts relevant to your specific job.

MYTH OR FACT 6 Resume Practices That Affect The Hiring Process CareerMetis.com

MYTH OR FACT 6 Resume Practices That Affect The Hiring Process In this article, we will review the 6 Myths about resumes that impact your ability to secure an interview.1) Your Entry-Level Resume Should Be More Than One PageevalMYTH or FACT?Myth. As an entry-level candidate, your resume should never exceed the two-page limit. According to research and insights from recruiting firms gathered byEmployment BOOST, a top-rated career services firm, having a two-page resume actually hurts your chances and doesn’t help you come off as a highly qualified candidate.evalOn average, a recruiter will sort through hundreds of resumes when attempting to find a suitable candidate to fulfill an open position. By maintaining a professional resume that only highlights relevant experience, you’re able to keep the reader engaged and give a clear idea of your relevant experience.When creating your entry-level resume, it is important to only highlight the important professional accomplishments and experience you have acquired over the course of your career. A rul e of thumb for the length of your resume should be one page for about 5-10 years of experience and that no more than 20 years of work reflected on the resume. Also, try not to include more than 3-4 bullet points for each job description. You don’t want to bore the hiring manager with too much content!2) There Is No Need for a Professional SummaryMYTH or FACT?Myth. You may remember a time when stating your objective on a resume in two to three sentences known as an objective statement was the way to start a resume. Objective statements are now a thing of the past. The outdated objective statement has now been replaced by the modern day professional summary.A professional summary is a short paragraph consisting of at least three to four sentences located at the beginning of a resume that serves as a summary of a job candidate’s professional background and experiences. The primary function of a professional summary is to give the readers of a resume a quick summarization of the can didate’s professional background and expertise before the reader moves deeper into the resume.Hiring managers typically only spend about 6-7 seconds to look over a resume before moving on to the next candidate. By creating a strong professional summary, you are able to highlight major key points about your experience and provide a brief overview of your most compelling characteristics.Similar to a LinkedIn headline on your profile, summarize your abilities into a three to four sentence paragraph, explaining what you bring to the table. Highlight skills and keywords that are relevant to the job posting to give the hiring manager a glimpse into your professional career.3) You Should Avoid Using a Creative ResumeMYTH or FACT?Fact. In order to stand out amongst competitors, some individuals often find it attractive to design a resume that focuses more effort on aesthetic value rather than the actual content. This often comes in the form of graphics, colors, images, and creative fonts. In all actuality, this can critically damage your chances of landing an interview.evalCreative resumes with graphics, fancy fonts, color, or images have the ability to initiate bias. This is the last thing you want when it comes to your resume. You never know, by including color on your resume, you could potentially be using a color that is disliked by the hiring manager!Aside from personal preference, adding a creative flair to your resume takes away from the valuable space you can use to further detail your professional career and accomplishments. Also, graphics and images tend to interfere with applicant tracking systems Targeted, optimized resumes have a much greater chance of landing an interview than a general one. Although having a resume that is “one size fits all” makes the process of applying to jobs a lot easier, chances are that using a cookie-cutter approach to submit resumes is not only obvious to the hiring manager but can be perceived as lazy or unprofessional.E veryone’s background is different. During your job search, you want to give yourself the best chances to shine and show that you are the best candidate for the role. Be sure to alter each resume to contain the appropriate keywords and adjust your resume to reflect the description or the requirements necessary for the role.eval5) You Should Choose a Chronological Format over FunctionalMYTH or FACT?Fact. For the most part, your resume should be in a chronological format reflecting the trajectory of your career. The chronological format is the easiest for hiring managers to scan, as it lays your work history starting with the most recent or current position at the top and working its way backward.Chronological formats also work great for workers with little to no employment gaps, strong work experience, and have gradually worked their way up to higher-level roles.Now, although the typical hiring manager usually prefers a chronological format, in cases where the candidate is looking t o facilitate a drastic career shift, consolidate similar experiences across multiple positions, or hide employment gaps and a pattern of job-hopping, it would be best to consider a functional format for the resume to take away the attention on time frames and focus more on the candidate’s skills and strengths.6) You Can Skip the Cover Letter If It’s Not RequiredMYTH or FACT?Myth. For many online applications, companies often don’t require applicants to submit a cover letter. However, this should not discourage you from sending one anyways (unless you are explicitly told not to).Creating and submitting a cover letter on an online application not only gives you a chance to show a bit of your personality and answer questions such as why you are interested in the position or why you are a good fit, but it also separates you from the rest of the competition who probably did not submit a cover letter for the role.Take the extra time on the application to create a cover letter and ta ilor it so that it shows your personality and interests. Highlight what skills you are able to bring to the table and how hiring you can be beneficial to the organization. Attach your cover letter to any additional file uploads or combine and submit them with your resume.If the job posting provides an email to the hiring manager, be sure that you send your cover letter with a note stating how you’ve uploaded your resume through their application system. Taking these steps in your job search will surely attract the attention of hiring managers as it shows initiative and a genuine interest in the role.

How mentors and sponsors help women succeed in business

How mentors and sponsors help women succeed in business Christine Lagarde, managing director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), says that “if women were employed at the same rate as men, GDP would increase by 5 percent in the United States, by 9 percent in Japan, and by 27 percent in India.” I spoke with Martine Liautaud, founder of the Women Initiative Foundation(WIF) and author of Breaking Through: Stories and Best Practices From Companies That help Women Succeed, about empowering women in the workplace. I am convinced that mentoring and sponsoring women is key for the promotion of women in business, says Liautaud, and this conviction has been reinforced by female executives around the world.” Mentoring covers a vast range of programs and schemes. To be successful and rewarding, mentoring has to be a personal relationship between the mentor and the mentee. It’s based on mutual respect , total confidentiality, and a shared understanding of how to achieve the mentee’s objectives. Mentors use their own experience to provide advice on company knowledge and politics and career acceleration. For companies, as Gerard Mestrallet, chairman of ENGIE, said, “Studies demonstrate that gender diversity and equality of opportunity can increase our overall performance as a company and we need to recruit a good mix of men and women.” An active policy of mentoring helps companies reach this goal and helps women become stronger and more able to break through the class ceiling. Certain rules of organization need to be established to ensure a mentor program’s success, says Liautaud. These include having the mentor and mentee come from different departments, clearly-defined objectives from the beginning, equal involvement in the relationship, regular meetings, rigorous follow-up of the mentoring by the program team, and problem-solving processes. Make the most of your personal mentor/mentee relationship Before creating or joining a mentoring program, Liautaud contends that it’s important to ask yourself if (a) youre ready to share and confront your strategy and (b) you’re ready to listen to advice. These things arent always easy for an entrepreneur, aspiring manager or executive! You need to build a trusting relationship with your mentor and both mentor and mentee need to enjoy working together. For the mentor, mentoring introduces you to a huge variety of new businesses. It’s a real win-win relationship â€" and, for Martine Liautaud, it’s a rewarding human adventure. Use mentoring to scale up your business Many female entrepreneurs say that they feel isolated and lack networks, and that this limits their business growth. United States entrepreneur Jane Chen, co-founder and CEO of Embrace, says that in setting up a business, there are many tough moments when you just want to quit, and mentoring can help you through them. In a similar vein, United States entrepreneur Clara Shih, CEO of Hearsay Social, thinks that mentors and sponsors are important in helping women to lean in and take risks. Mentoring is also important when developing your pitching skills, identifying the weaknesses in your strategy, and addressing your business needs. If mentoring becomes sponsoring as well, it opens doors to senior contacts that you would never have had and expands your networks. Ensure results through your mentoring program For mentoring and sponsoring to be successful, Liautaud argues that they need to be recognized as key to promoting the companys values, they need to be implemented across the workforce, and must be supported by founders and/or CEOs. In companies, men need to get involved too, she adds, not only to understand the aspirations and obstacles faced by high-potential women, but to act as mentors and recognize mentoring as a way of understanding the company in fast-changing environments. At the Bank of New York Mellon, Karen Peetz, the companys president, is passionate about diversity. Thanks to several measures that include a mentoring program and even reverse mentoring (which connects senior people with junior people for mutual benefit), BNY Mellon has seen a 100-percent increase in the number of women in the workforce, and now says 36 percent of the companys vice-presidents are women, 26 percent of its mid-level managers are women, and 19 percent of its board members are women. Liautaud asserts that mentoring creates a virtuous circle â€" not just for individuals and companies â€" but also for the national economy. Join Dana Manciagli’s Job Search Master Class right now and immediately access the most comprehensive job search system currently available!

What to Look For in Resume Writing Services From Ann Arbor

What to Look For in Resume Writing Services From Ann ArborOne of the many reasons why a good resume writer should be hired is because you need help in terms of creating an impressive professional portfolio that they can actually work with. That's why a resume writing service from Ann Arbor is the best for you, whether you are looking to become a dentist, interior designer, medical doctor, or anything else.This service is also very important when it comes to doing your own job applications. By having professionals write your resume in your name, you will get to use their talents and abilities and therefore be prepared for any situation. They also know how to create high quality resumes in order to improve the chances of success for you.There are certain people who have been fooled by some fake companies out there that promise them a lot of money but end up making them look like fools. If you ever end up getting taken in by such scams, hire the right resume writing service in Ann Arbor in order to avoid any further problems.In order to get better results from these services, they do some research on you so that they can ensure that you won't be tricked by anyone or that they do the right background checks on you. That way, you will have a stronger case when it comes to dealing with a recruiter or prospective employer.Another advantage to having someone write your resume for you is that they have the list of qualifications that you can use, if you are considering a career change. Even if you already have a great job, having the right resume will help you get accepted when applying for other jobs as well.There are a lot of people who are afraid to ask for help because they don't shy away from asking for help. The good thing is that if you call in your resume writer at least once, you will notice that they become more confident and open up and tell you the reason why they are writing your resume in your name in the first place.As long as you are able to meet the req uirements of the job you are applying for, you don't need to worry about anything else. Just make sure that you have everything in order before calling in a resume writer in Ann Arbor.