Ponderings on a Tuesday

Ponderings on a Tuesday Ive been surfing social media streams all morning looking for ideas and creative thoughts to share and have come up with very little, OK, nothing. But while I was searching, these thoughts came to mind and Ill share those instead. Collecting LinkedIn Connections I am not sure why people want to connect with me on LinkedIn. Most never provide a reason to connect. They send the generic connect on LinkedIn invite which makes me mad (and is one of my top 10 LinkedIn pet peeves). Sometimes the message says something like, I saw your post or read your work and would like to connect which really isnt much better. Honestly, it would serve them better to subscribe to my blog via this link: Subscribe to Career Sherpa: Guide for Lifetime Career Navigation by Email Lots of job seekers do use a meaningful invitation to connect with me but less than one percent ever communicate directly with me on LinkedIn. PS: I leave my contacts open for all to see in an effort to help facilitate introductions, but alas, this doesnt happen either. When it does happen, it generally is a fail. I facilitate a job seeker group on LinkedIn and belong to many others and mostly see people sharing the same tired posts without a comment or question for discussion. Sharing an article on how to be a better interviewee is not a discussion. Groups, IMO, are for having conversations and learning something from others. Yes, sure, you can share an article of interest, but make a point, take a stand, ask a question or for others opinions. Please consider why and how you use LinkedIn. And realize that everyone has different opinions and purposes for using it as well. There are many LinkedIn conundrums. It is more than your rolodex of connections. More connections are not necessarily better, unless you make them mutually beneficial. Give to get! What Is It You Would Defend? There is a lot wrong with our society and our country. Does anyone else feel this way? Are there issues you are willing to take a stand on or rights you wish to defend? Gun control, mental illness, education, unions, term limits? OK, these are my issues. I could go on for hours about the injustice, wrongs and misuse of these things. At one point, I was going to start a tree hugging stand in to protect the trees in our city district from being chopped down unnecessarily, but I chickened out. Taking a stand takes energy. But what happens when we are all too busy to take a stance or get involved in things that are important? What will we lose? You may say there isnt much I can do or what difference can I make and that, I think, is the problem. We have become passive and as a result, un-involved. Ive posted a question on Facebook today which asks you to vote (or add) the one skill you want to develop or work on this year! (Heres the link)   It will be interesting to see what priorities are important to you and hopefully this will provide me fodder for future posts!

How to Negotiate for a Higher Salary

How to Negotiate for a Higher Salary Thanks to Noel Griffith for his guest blog. A brief bio is below. Amy One of the most effective ways to get an increase in your salary is to negotiate an increase with the person responsible for signing off on it. This may be when you are first offered a position, or in your current job. Most people find it an uncomfortable topic to bring up, and a lot of people never muster up the courage to attempt to negotiate their salary. This is an opportunity missed however, and you have nothing to lose by asking. You’ll never know what the outcome might be if you never ask, will you? Preparation is Key The easy part is arranging some one-on-one time with your manager. This can be done by making an appointment, or in an annual performance review if you have one. The difficult part is going into the interview armed with information to validate your case. But this is the most important part, if you cannot put across a convincing argument you may not get what you want. Your goal is to negotiate the highest possible increase in salary, while being realistic and not losing control of the negotiation. To give yourself the best idea of what the position or role is worth, do some research online to find the average salary for the position you are in. You can also ask some questions of friends and colleagues if you feel they will respect the confidentiality of your situation. But knowing what is possible is not enough on its own. You need to believe you are worth the amount you are asking for, and can convince your manager that you offer that value to the organization. If you believe these points, you are on your way to selling yourself. Tips to Help with A Successful Negotiation Listen carefully. Remember that a negotiation is a two-way communication. It’s normal for you to feel like you have a lot to say, and you will probably be talking faster than normal if you are nervous. But listening may be the key to having a successful negotiation. You will get feedback to the points you raise, and you may be asked some questions on the spot. Answering these to the best of you ability will be a factor in the decision your manager makes. Be patient. Sometimes it is best to wait for your manager to make the first offer. This may not be done on the spot if he/she needs approval from a higher level. So don’t feel the need to rush the discussion, get all of your points across and give your manager the time to digest the information. Be flexible. You wont always get exactly what you wanted, in fact managers often feel like they achieve a small win if they talk you down slightly. This isn’t such a bad thing, if you’re still ending up in a better position than you started with you have made a small win too. Think outside of just monetary increases too, is there an option to buy some shares, receive more holiday days, or maybe earn a better commission rate? Never a bad time but few second chances There are not many instances when initiating a negotiation to increase your salary is a bad idea. But you may often only get one opportunity while you’re in the same job. So you need to maximize your chance of coming away from the negotiations happy. Covering all of the points above will help you be as prepared as you can be, and if you carry yourself confidently you stand a good chance. So if you are preparing to seize the opportunity and approach the topic of salary negotiation for yourself, I wish you the best of luck. Author Bio: Noel Griffith is a webmaster at www.CareersWiki.com and works as a recruitment consultant and career advisor. He focuses on helping people find their ideal career, and giving ongoing advice in regard to finding a progressive career path to match their skill set. With a strong belief in communication and networking, Noels goal is to help connect the right people and the right career.

Can you text in sick at work -

Can you text in sick at work - No matter where you work, knowing how to  communicate  effectively with your boss, colleagues and clients is key to your  continued success. However, with so many different mechanisms to get in touch with people, it isnt always easy to choose the most appropriate tools to communicate. For the traditionalists, in-person communication has always trumped all other methods, including other long-standing options, such as  telephone  and  email. However, what if your boss or team reside in far-flung spots all over the globe â€" or at least all over town? Many people rarely, if ever, see their colleagues in person due to  telecommuting  and team members based in different places. When in-person interaction requires an airplane ride, you need to consider other appropriate methods to get in touch. The tricky thing: its not always obvious  whats appropriate and what is not. Go-to communication in lieu of in-person meetings now can include: phone, email, text, direct messages (via Twitter), Facebook messages, or, in some cases, even Instagram, SnapChat,Whatsapp  or other texting applications. Some people even communicate with their bosses by simply sending an image via text! However, just because you can doesnt mean you should. In an environment where there are so many methods to connect and communicate, its even more important to evaluate the best tools to use when engaging professionally with your boss or co-workers. Consider these scenarios and make a decision about how to communicate based on your circumstances: Calling in sick. This could be a misnomer in the future, if talking on the phone becomes less typical and texting even more accepted. Unless your boss specifically requested you to communicate your sick days via text, its generally expected that a  sick day  requires a phone call. Of course, there are many exceptions. Maybe your boss is in a different time zone or calling isnt practical. Consider other, more permanent options to communicate, such as email, in those cases. Even if you dont text, however, keep an open mind and be aware that texting is becoming more accepted in many work environment. If your boss wants you to text in sick, dont balk. Sharing good news. Its always fun to share good news on the phone or in person, but good news may give the communicator a pass on worrying about appropriate tools. The better the news, the more excited someone will be to learn about it and the less likely the recipient is to analyze whether or not you should have communicated it in a different way. While you should absolutely be attentive to the typical methods of communicating, unless your boss never checks texts, its unlikely anyone will complain if you text a screen shot of your great sales numbers or a photo representing a big win. Consider following it up with a more formal update, such as via email or phone. Asking for a Raise Some things havent shifted with the times. Its unlikely even the most text friendly boss will want to receive a request for  a raise  via text, or even email. Its best to communicate this type of request either in person, if possible, or on the phone if an in-person meeting isnt feasible. Constantly evaluate. The best approach for any professional is to ask in advance about preferred ways to communicate. If you see people are changing how they communicate, re-assess and ask if you have questions about whats expected and acceptable. Even though many bosses would balk at a text to call in sick, its possible your situation is different, or you have a supervisor who doesnt fit a typical mold. As more communication options become available, the onus will always be on the individual to evaluate and make the best choice based on his or her own circumstances. Originally appeared on AOLJobs.com.

The One Thing to Do for Writing Freelance in Resume

The One Thing to Do for Writing Freelance in Resume The New Fuss About Writing Freelance in Resume When you do good work, you will notice that the quantity of referrals you get from happy clients is sufficient to keep you with tons of work (the majority of the moment!) You may probably get by with no more than two or three primary resumes, which you're then adapt further for certain clients. The thing to keep in mind is that sometimes clients hire freelancers since they don't understand how to do what you do. Staying in contact with your clients is among the most important elements to cultivating an active resume-writing enterprise. The Key to Successful Writing Freelance in Resume Don't forget that there's no such thing as the ideal CV. Don't neglect to include things like any award or accolades and should you are in possession of an expert blog, make sure that the recruiter knows about it! Don't forget, there's no correct or wrong approach to initiate a freelance writing career. Be prepared when you visit the interview. The Supreme Strategy for Writing Freelance in Resume If you would like to turn into a Freelance Writer you have to write all of the moment. Freelance work needs to be included as a boost to your resume, and is less valuable if you're doing work that doesn't relate to your field or wouldn't lead to a reference. Written by the VCV Marketing and advertising Team We reside in a world where employed as a freelancer is simpler than ever. You can initiate a freelance writing career with zero experience. Resume writing should be appropriate to your situation need aid with narrative essay do just what you would like it to do. It's better to include published work, but inexperienced writers may incorporate work that's unpublished. You already know that you want to self-edit your work. It's also important to think about the type of work you genuinely are interested in being hired to do. The 5-Minute Rule for Writing Freelance in R esume Freelancing 101 is an occasional series to help the growing number of freelancers in the marketplace. You may concentrate only on resume writing work because we've got secure and quick payment module. Search engine marketing is critical for all kinds of content. When it has to do with resumes for graphic designers, samples are the best method to know just what is expected of you. Active men and women usually become involved in different kinds of freelance work. Sadly, freelancer sometimes includes an unfavorable connotation. What Everybody Dislikes About Writing Freelance in Resume and Why Rather than a client hiring you to create a lot of repetitive articles for a site, a client hires you to concentrate on a single piece of writing and to make it the very best item of work that you've ever produced. Besides traditional writing skills, it's also advisable to understand how to optimize copy for the internet. Writing resumes for individuals extends to you the chance t o help them land work, along with earning money from your writing skills.

Read What an Old Pro is Saying About Dragon Resume Writing Service

Read What an Old Pro is Saying About Dragon Resume Writing Service A Startling Fact about Dragon Resume Writing Service Uncovered In case the quality of content is as superior as feedback online suggests, you might just be looking into the ideal option for your resumes. The net has made it quite simple to acquire competent writers. The service employs an individual approach for writing all kinds of personalized documents, including cover letters and other kinds of employment-related correspondence. Ask to see samples of prior resumes, which can help you get a sense for the caliber of the service's work. Resume writing services reviews can help you select the best one. A high-performance sales resume writing service which shows an actual roi. Contact careerstrides to find out more about my sales resume service. You may discover also some extra services. There are more than a few reasons why you might want to work with professionals on your resume. Your own personal writ er can help you create a modern resume, dependent on your career story and meeting all of the high standards of your industry. A superb technique to make certain your job application is perfect is to enroll the assistance of a specialist resume writer. Don't get rid of hope, however, because it is now feasible to get aid from top resume writing services in Chicago. The Little-Known Secrets to Dragon Resume Writing Service Once you receive a work done from us you will return again if you need assistance with another one of your essays. Whether you are a newcomer to writing resumes and cover letters or your written resume doesn't appear to secure you invited on several interviews, we're right here to assist you. If you are searching for top essay writing companies, try out the mentioned above. The sort of essay you're looking for will be offered to you within the deadline offered to you. The Most Popular Dragon Resume Writing Service If you would like to acquire high high qua lity research and thesis papers punctually and for a sensible price, you should probably attempt using EssaySupply.com. The customer will know the cost of the order till they place it and help it become definite. It's hard for a writing service to make sure you employment since there are a number of factors that may impact the previous selection. As a consequence, you can select among the best services at a price that's realistic to you and get invited to all the interviews you wished to enter. Dragon Resume Writing Service Writing is a present that comes naturally. Thus, for your convenience, you have a superb chance to monitor the development of the assigned writer and make sure an essay will be ready in a timely method. So far as the students are involved, writing a research paper is among the toughest and frustrating undertaking in their opinion. As a consequence, such students start looking for the best essay help to be certain that their project is going to be produced at the maximal level in agreement with all academic standards. The Fundamentals of Dragon Resume Writing Service Revealed Resumes are the absolute most stressful thing. Dragon Resume promises that will help you receive a job by making the very best CV review for you.

How to Create a Resume Packed with Action Words

How to Create a Resume Packed with Action WordsAction. Romance. Intrigue. These arent stimmts youd usually associate with resume-writing, but theyve got your attention, right? When you write anything, you want it to be as interesting to the reader as possible. And thats doubly true for your resumeyou want it to pop so that the recruiter or hiring manager looks at your resume in a field of similar ones and thinks, This person needs to come in for an interview. googletag.cmd.push(function() googletag.display(div-gpt-ad-1467144145037-0) ) And while your resume doesnt need to be written like an action movie to get attention, you could take some of this concept to heart as you get ready to revamp your resume. One of the easiest and fruchtwein effective ways to improve your resume has elendhing to do with the format or bells and whistlesit comes down to good old-fashioned writing. If you choose strong verbs throughout, you can convey a lot of information with a small handful of words, sav ing precious, precious space on your resume and saving the reader some time and energy by getting right to the point.It may have been a while since your last round of grammar lessons, so lets do a quick recap of what you need to know when writing your resume.1.Generic Verbs2. Action Verbs vs. Passive Verbs3.Rewriting with Action WordsGeneric VerbsVerbs are words that convey an action. I came, I saw, I conquered. In a resume, they tell the reader what you currently do and what youve done in your career.If you look at your resume, there are probably a number of perfectly cromulent verbs that describe your career up to this point managed, was responsible for, organized, handled. Theres nothing technically wrong with ansicht words, but there are a couple of reasons why theyre not ideal for your resume 2.0.1. Theyre super-common 95% of the resumes that come through for any given job opening are going to have the same exact words. And you want to stand out from that crowd, dont you?2. The y dont actually say muchGreat, you were responsible for abverkauf reports. What did you do with them? Did you process them? Analyze them? Use them to make paper airplanes? Any information thats left vague will leave the reader with an incomplete picture. Thats a gap that will need to be addressed in the interview, if youre lucky enough to get to that step. More likely, the readers gaze has skipped right over the generic statement about your sales report experience.Active Verbs vs. Passive VerbsWhen thinking about the verbs in your resume, another important point to consider is the voice. Is this an active verb (showing direct action) or a passive verb (showing how action was done to you/someone/something)? Lets try a quick example.I was given the 2015 Employee of the Year award.ORI won the 2015 Employee of the Year award.Now, the difference is subtle, but in the first example, youre a passive participant, like you just happened to catch the award as it passed by. In the second examp le, you went out and won that award because you deserved it, darn itYou want your resume to convey a confident voice, and strong verbs (the ones that show specific, decisive action) are a shortcut to that confidence. This may require a bit of unlearning what you always thought true of resumes. I know that personally, I once thought that formal and complicated language was the way to go on a resume. After all, I wanted them to know I was dignified and articulate, and what better way to do that than revert to a kind of super-formal, fancy-sounding prose? (I will neither confirm nor deny that one of my earliest cover letters included the parole good day, sir or madam.)Its kind of human nature to think that extra words = high-quality. But you dont necessarily need to hold onto that kind of thinking. Now that resumes are read on screens more than on paper, you have less space, and less attention to your words on the page. You want to make the most of that opportunity. Theres no reason to sacrifice direct, accurate information for the sake of a traditional voice.What it comes down to is that the person reading your resume is not the strict 8th grade English teacher of your nightmares. The person is a regular reader, who likely has little time to sit down and read a treatise on what you were responsible for handling and organizing in your previous three jobs. Really, he or she just wants to know what youve done, how you express yourself, and that you can show how qualified you are up front. The more straightforward you can make that process, the more likely you are to catch the right kind of attention.Rewriting with Action WordsBefore you go into your resume with a surgeons scalpel for revisions, take a look at what you already have in the current version of your resume. (Or, if this is your first time creating a resume, look at the list of bullet points you want to import.) Go through carefully, and underline every verb you see. At each one, ask yourself, is this ve rb as specific as it could be? Is it active or passive? Could it be more interesting? Once you have your roadmap of verbs to update, you can start thinking about words that would work better instead.You dont need to replace every single word in your resume. For example, sometimes organized is the best word to describe what you did, but the important part is taking a closer look at every bullet point on your resume and seeing which ones could be better. Its crucial toNow lets walk through some alternatives to common resume verbs.Leadership VerbsThese are words that show how youve led and managed tasks and/or people.Instead ofTry one of theseLedChairedDirectedMotivatedCoachedCultivatedManagedControlledEnabledEnforcedCoordinatedExcutedService VerbsWords that flesh out your experience working with clients or other stakeholders in your previous jobs.Instead ofTry one of theseCommunicated WithArbitratedEnabledDealt WithClarifiedExplainedSupportedConsultedFacilitatedFieldedInformedCommunic ation VerbsWords that show how youve presented information throughout your career.Instead ofTry one of theseCommunicatedAuthoredConveyedRelayedBriefedConvincedSpoke toCampaignedCorrespondedWrote AboutInformedCritiquedAnalysis VerbsWords that convey your ability to parse and process information.Instead of Try one of theseAnalyzedAssessedAuditedInvestigatedQuantifiedDeterminedEvaluatedExploredMappedTestedimprovedIdentifiedInterpretedQualifiedInnovation VerbsWords that show creativity and initiative.Instead of Try one of theseImprovedAssembledConvertedOrganizedCustomizedCreatedWhen youre evaluating your resume to see which word fits the best, make sure that youre using the right word. The last thing you want to do is use words inaccurately. It could give the reader an incorrect impression about your experience, or if its just plain wrong, could give the reader pause about whether you know what youre talking about. If you have doubts about any word, dont feel obligated to include it . A quick search online should tell you if youre using it correctly, if you need backup. This is yet another spot where a resume buddy comes in handtelefon a trusted pair of eyes can help you identify action words that dont seem quite right, or ones that need a little sprucing up.Once youve selected the perfect verb for each bullet point, make sure you go through and present them all the same way (also known as parallel construction). This means that all of your verbs are in the past tense (for previous jobs) or present tense (for your current job), and are presented similarly from section to section in your resume.For exampleWorking with clientsI revised the filing system for the entire Omaha branch office.Was responsible for leading the Social Activities Committee.These are kind of all over the placeyou want them to be consistent. The best way is to lead with the action word. You dont need subjects like I, because the reader already knows youre talking about yourself. Better to cu t to the chase.Revised approachLiaised with clientsRevamped the filing system for the entire Omaha branch office to include digital record managementChaired the Social Activities CommitteeRemember you want your resume to be a lean, mean machine, with the most important information about your career and your readiness for the job clear to the reader. Any reader, which means the paper reader, the busy digital reader, and the no-attention-span reader. Clean, clear, and concise will always get you where you want to be.Happy wordsmithing

After 3 Unsuccessful Rounds of IVF, Heres How Im Approaching Fertility

After 3 Unsuccessful Rounds of IVF, Heres How Im Approaching Fertility Whether youre years away from having kids or youre actively trying to get pregnant, navigating fertility alongside your career can be tricky. Thats why Fairygodboss has teamed up with HallieAge 46Tell us a bit about yourself Where are you from? What are you up to?Im a writer and editor. I grew up in small town Montana and spent my entire adulthood in cities. Now live in a mini city a few hours outside of NYC.Tell us a bit about where you are with building your family and fertility. Are you a long ways out? Curious? Trying? I stopped trying at about 42 after three rounds of unsuccessful IVF and lots of mellower stuff before that. I started trying to get pregnant at 38 but unfortunately it welches already too late for me. No diagnosable problems, just low egg quality and reserves by that time.How are you thinking about your career and your family? I feel great about my career and marriage and have made peace with h aving no children, though I may someday be a foster parent.How does building a family impact your choice of an employer? It was hugely impactful when it came time to try serious fertility interventions. My treatment was about $50,000 and was all covered by my insurancethen provided by my employer. I definitely would bedrngnis have stayed in that job as long as I did had it not provided such excellent benefits.Where have you gotten your information about fertility? Do you talk to your doctor? Your family? Your friends?I did tons of research and I also had a handful of friends who had been through it before me. They were all successful but they were also willing to go through unlimited cycles I think most did 5+ while I was not. I was afraid it would just ruin my life and sanity. So I set a limit.What kind of support do you wish you had more of when it comes to fertility? I wish people were more open and honest with women about how young might already be too old when it comes to fert ility. There is so much magical thinking when it comes to this stuff, and if I were to say to someone you know what, it turns out that 38 was too late for me and it might be for you Id be accused of negative thinking. But its a data based statement, not fear mongering. I mean, trust me, I did all the stuff I went to the magical million dollar acupuncturist and herbalist, I went to the top docs. But there are things that are just out of your control, no matter how much money you throw at it. So I wish open and honest conversations were more possible. Anything else youd like to share? Wed love to hear it )The older women I know who were able to have successful pregnancies all used donor eggs, and they are super happy with their decisions. I wasnt really dying to be pregnant, so once it came to that, I felt Id rather adopt if it wasnt going to be my genetic baby. That sort of stopped the ticking clock, and so that idea is still on the backburner for me. --