A Little Help from Your Friend (Requests)

A Little Help from Your Friend (Requests)A Little Help from Your Friend (Requests)Steps to begin using social networks in your job search.Once you decide to take the plunge and create a great profile that reflects your personal brand, the real value is in the connections that you make. So, how do you determine with whom to connect, and whats the etiquette for doing so?Here are some tips on a conservative approach to getting started. To get you mora comfortable with personal branding, follow these tips for connecting with others on LinkedIn and Facebook1. Avoid importing your address book.When youre getting started, avoid options to import your entire e-mail address book and invite every one of your contacts.On LinkedIn Send invitations to colleagues that you know, trust and would be comfortable referring to other members of your network (especially considering referrals are the main value of LinkedIn).On Facebook Begin by connecting with your real friends and family. Since Facebook i s more personal and your friends affect your Facebook profile (they can write on your wall, tag you in photos, send you virtual commodities and so on, try it out before connecting with professional colleagues.2. Customize your requests.When you send an invitation to connect, customize the form e-mail unless the recipient will immediately know why you want to connect with her.3. Be selective.Decide from whom youll accept invitations and create standard responses for declining an invitation. If you get a request from someone you dont know at all and they do notlage even bother to customize the message, then its perfectly acceptable to use the Ignore button. Here are a few examples of templates to considerExample A Someone youve met once (or never) sends you a request on LinkedIn.Thanks for sending me an invitation to connect on LinkedIn. Im sure that you can appreciate that my policy is to connect with people that Ive met face-to-face and have known for a while. Im looking forward to working with you and getting to know you better, and Im confident that well connect in the future.Example B Youve decided Facebook is for personal use only, and a colleague sends you a request.I got your invitation on Facebook and wanted to let you know how Im handling my Facebook account and why I wont be accepting your request, even though I do consider you a friend and valued colleague. So that I may communicate without concern and share photos of my family, Ive decided to keep my Facebook network private, small and purely social for the time being. Id be delighted to connect with you on LinkedIn.4. Remove a connection if you have lingering doubts.If you accept an invitation and later regret it, you can always remove the connection without the other party being alerted. (Take care when using the LinkedIn I dont know or Flag as massenmail buttons because this could get the sender in trouble with LinkedIn.)5. Should you connect with your kids?If your high-school or college-aged chi ldren are on a social network such as Facebook, realize that many parents elect not to friend their children. Some take an ignorance is bliss view, some are concerned about the impact that their kids have on their profile, and others are respecting the wishes of their kids.After spending some time experimenting, your comfort level may increase, and then you can re-evaluate your connection criteria against your goals for each social networking tool that you use. Dive in When you adjust your privacy settings, you really have nothing to lose, and you might just find yourself surprised at what you gain.

Applying for Government Jobs

Applying for Government JobsApplying for Government Jobs

Reasons Why Your Employees May Hate You

Reasons Why Your Employees May Hate You Reasons Why Your Employees May Hate You Good bosses can be differentiated from bad bosses by the ways they make employees feel. From feeling unappreciated for work that is being done to feeling unprepared for upcoming challenges, employees can develop genuine animosity for their superiors. While its not the responsibility of employers to be liked by their employees, it is important to set up staff members for success and to support them in their work. Those who repeatedly fail to do this will lose the respect of their employees and might even become disliked as people by their employees. If you sense that your employees hate you, take an honest look at your management practices and see if any bad practices might be contributing to the kinds of negative feelings that lead to hostile work environments and poor production. Do you know what youre doing? Be honest with yourself about this one. If youre unsure of yourself or outright faking it, employees will know, and they wont be willing to look to you for guidance. And the more you try to fool them, the more they will resent you. You demonstrate incompetence when you present information that is wrong or you interpret numbers incorrectly. Staff will see right through this, and they will direct their negative feelings toward you the longer the charade goes on. When you feel like youre in over your head, you can win the respect of your staff by confronting the shortcomings and making them a part of the solution. Seek help from employees who may have knowledge, experience, or insight that you lack. Bring in outside help if necessary. Do you treat employees with respect? If youre asking the question, its possible youre being disrespectful without even realizing it. This leads to more than just hurt feelings. Employees who are repeatedly disrespected can lose confidence, and that impacts their abilities to do their jobs. To repair the damage that might already have been done, ask employees for feedback about what you can do to make their jobs easier. Remember little things like saying please and thank you. While you are the team leader, it also is important that you remember you are part of the team. Do you value your employees roles on the team? Is everything about you, or is everything about the team as a whole? Employees recognize when a boss is just using them to make himself look better or to further his own professional goals. They will be especially resentful if they are blamed for making their boss look bad. Everybody should have a role- and know that role- in meeting goals that are team-oriented. In other words, it should be about the department or the company as a whole meeting a goal. To regain the respect of employees, make sure everyones role is defined and that they all have an opportunity to share in the teams success. Do you over manage good employees? Even earnest managers can make an incorrect assessment of how much managing an employee needs. When you trust your employees and let them figure out how to accomplish their jobs, you call forth their significant contributions. If you micromanage and nitpick their ideas and work, you will never tap into their discretionary energy or the best they have to offer. Sure, new employees, employees in training, and employees who change jobs or acquire new responsibilities need more guidance. But, if your need to guide them does not lessen over time, you are the problem. Micromanaging good employees will drive them to hate you- or run away as far as possible as quickly as they can. Do you know what your employees are doing? Part of being a good leader is understanding what each of your employees is doing so you can guide them and assist them as necessary. Its also important to know what theyre doing so you can recognize when you need to back off and let them take care of their own work. Part of building a good team is finding people who are good at what they do and letting them do it. When employees run into obstacles, though, you are the person theyll be coming to for advice. If you seem lost or unhelpful, theyll learn to not come to you for advice. Do you respect their time? If your employees are scheduled to work from 8 a.m.â€"5 p.m.Mondays through Fridays, its fair to expect their full attention during that time. Do you expect more? If employees have too much to do and feel like they need to work nights and weekends just to keep up, thats a problem that needs to be addressed. Even if youre not specifically requiring employees to work those extra hours, theyll grow to hate you for you for piling on work they cant get done in 40 hours per week. Be willing to work with your staff on setting realistic goals, and you can start to regain their respect. Do you give credit when it is due? If morale is low, it might be because no one feels appreciated for the work they are doing. Are your employees going home day after day wondering whether or not their work and accomplishments are making a difference? If so, thats a problem. While employees dont need pats on the back for every little thing, part of knowing what theyre doing and guiding them through challenges is being able to recognize them for achievements- both big and small. Where managers really can mess up in this area is by taking credit for their employees’ ideas and accomplishments. A mistake that big might be too much for a manager to overcome. Do you have your employees backs? The flip side of taking credit for the work of your employees is throwing them under the bus when a mistake is your own fault as much as- if not more than- anyone elses. The minute an employee learns that you blamed her for a project or timeline that may have failed, it’s all over for you and that employee. Engaging in this behavior repeatedly will backfire in another way as well. Do this enough, and your superiors will figure out that you are the sort of manager who struggles with accountability. Are you a bully? Taking a close look at your behavior. Do you yell at employees to try and motivate them? Do you threaten them with the loss of jobs or with demotions to try and bend them to your will? Belittling employees and chipping away at their self-confidence and self-esteem with criticism, name-calling, and ridicule may seem like its getting results, but its only helping to build a toxic environment that is not sustainable.

The ABCs (and an S) of Managing Gen Z

The ABCs (and an S) of Managing Gen Z The ABCs (and an S) of Managing Gen Z Now that financial executives - and managers in all fields - have had time to adjust to the work strengths, styles and values of Generation Y, they must prepare for another group: Generation Z, the second wave of the millennial cohort.   This emerging group (born between 1990 and 1999) will represent 20 percent of the workforce in just five years. To identify Gen Z’s prevailing career values and objectives, Robert Half and Enactus surveyed more than 770 U.S. and Canadian college and university student-members between the ages of 18 and 25. The goals of the survey were to find out how these individuals - who, through their involvement with Enactus, have already demonstrated an early focus on careers - are preparing for the workplace, and how other generations can prepare to work alongside and manage these up-and-coming professionals. Based on this research, here are the ABCs - plus an S - of what managers need to know to attract and retain these workers. A: Advancement This is a group willing to put in the effort - 77 percent anticipate working harder than the generations before them - but expect to be rewarded for it. Respondents most commonly said they want to be managing employees within five years of graduating from college. They also place the greatest priority on finding a company that can help them grow. These staff members seek regular feedback and training, and managers must deliver both. Conduct thorough career path discussions that go beyond simply talking about what could happen. Map out their professional growth potential and specify the steps they can take along the way to reach it. “From the day you start recruiting them, you should be looking at retention,” says Paul McDonald, senior executive director of Robert Half. “These professionals appreciate stability, but they also want to make their marks, and if they feel like they have hit a roadblock on the learning curve, they’re going to look around for something better.” B: Boss When profiling their ideal managers, survey respondents most commonly said they look for a supervisor who is honest and can serve as a mentor. Providing feedback on their performance is a start, but also help them navigate the unfamiliar office politics they’ll face as they begin their careers. In addition, take a sincere interest in their well-being and make work-life balance attainable. Don’t think they’re the only ones who can learn from the relationship, either. Conversely, consider engaging a Gen Z worker in a reverse-mentoring arrangement, where you can tap into your colleague’s unique perspective and expertise. C: Collaboration Generation Z may wear the “digital natives” label, but the majority prefer to communicate more personally for work. Instead of texts, instant messages or social media, 74 percent of respondents reported they would rather communicate with their colleagues face-to-face. They also enjoy working on teams. When assessing work environments, 81 percent of respondents said they most like collaborating with a group, especially smaller ones, in an office setting. A clear takeaway is to provide them the time and space to partner with their colleagues to develop recommendations and drive innovation. It’s not all sunshine and rainbows, however. Gen Z is confident about working with their millennial counterparts but concerned about meshing well with other generations. Just 27 percent expect smooth working relationships with their baby boomer colleagues. Members of Generation Z think different work ethics, values and expectations will be the greatest challenge of a multigenerational workplace and worry baby boomers won’t take them seriously. Allay their fears by continuing to foster a supportive work environment. Set up team-building activities outside of the office, where employees of all generations can build rapport with each other and see how their colleagues tackle challenges. S: Salary Salary ranks as a top priority for Gen Z as well, trailing only growth opportunities. Companies that fail to offer attractive compensation packages risk missing out on top job candidates. “They’ve grown up in economically turbulent times,” notes McDonald, “and many of their characteristics and motivations reflect that.” If your organization does not have the resources to pay top dollar, not all is lost. Thirty percent of those surveyed by Robert Half and Enactus said they would take a pay cut of 10 percent to 20 percent to work for a company whose mission they cared about. Whether or not your compensation levels top the market, you’ll need to sell your company’s values and strengths, the position, and opportunities for advancement to attract top performers. Even if Gen Z staff like the salary, if your organization doesn’t help them meet their objectives, they’ll find one that does. Managing a multigenerational team Managing a team with diverse experiences is a fact of today’s workplace - and it isn’t going away. Employers won’t be able to resist change brought by emerging workforce groups. On the other hand, embracing their differences and adopting their strengths provide organizations a chance to tap a deeper talent pool and appeal to a broader base of customers. “Gen Z employees bring unique values, expectations and perspectives to their jobs,” says McDonald. “Companies with a solid understanding of this generation’s values and preferences will be well prepared to create work environments that attract a new generation of employees and maximize their potential.” For a comprehensive overview of the Robert Half and Enactus survey findings, download Get Ready for Generation Z. Get Ready for Generation Z from Robert Half

What Happens to Resume Tables and Columns in an ATS See For Yourself

What Happens to Resume Tables and Columns in an ATS See For Yourself What Happens to Resume Tables and Columns in an ATS See For Yourself Your resume undergoes a transformation once uploaded to an applicant tracking system (ATS) as part of your online job application. The ATS converts your document into a format that can be searched, filtered, or transcribed into a uniform digital applicant profile. Unfortunately, most ATS are not particularly good at this. The searching algorithms are rudimentary, parsed text gets garbled, and as a result qualified candidates like you slip right through the cracks. That’s why it’s so important to create a resume optimized for these systems not only by using strategic resume keywords but by employing ATS-friendly formatting. One of the most hotly debated pieces of ATS formatting advice is whether job seekers can use tables and columns on their resume. From a visual perspective, they offer great ways to structure your experience and save space on your resume. But are they ATS compatible? No. Tables and columns often cause critical errors within ATS. What happens to tables and columns in a real ATS? Here is an example resume that uses a table to divide the information into two columns, seen here in the popular ATS Lever. The table allows a lot of key information to be packed into the top half of the first page of the resume. On the left is the work experience. On the right are additional skills, certifications, and education. Not bad. If this was the only way the resume was delivered to the recruiter, there wouldn’t be a problem. Unfortunately, Lever and other ATS parse the resume into a digital applicant profile so that it can be searched and read more easily (at least in theory). Here’s what the ATS did to this table when it tried to parse it out: The ATS recognized the experience section and attempted to rebuild it, however it merged the two sides of the table. The work experience is interspersed with miscellaneous skills and qualifications. Even worse, some lines are completely missing. We know to read the left side of a table and then the right side, but Lever and other ATS aren’t programmed to do that. Instead, most ATS read top-to-bottom, left-to-right, no matter what. This causes problems for tables and columns created in Microsoft Word or Google Docs, or text fields in design software like Adobe InDesign. Other problems caused by tables and columns in ATS When an ATS bulldozes through your table or columns, the good news is that the text will typically still be searchable. That said, if your parsed resume doesnt make any sense, a recruiter might just move on to one of the dozens or hundreds of other applicants rather than try to sort out your garbled resume. Some other issues that can be caused by poorly parsed tables and columns include missing sections or unsearchable resume keywords. For instance, a keyword could get merged with another word ( ex: “engeeringThe”) or a multi-word keyword like “customer service” could get split up. How to use tables in an ATS-friendly way While not advisable, tables can still be useful on an ATS resume. For example, using a table to organize a simple skills section is unlikely to cause major problems as long as you remember how ATS “read” your resume. Putting a different skill into each table field is probably safe because they’ll still be searchable and it doesn’t make a huge difference what order they’re parsed by the ATS. Adding an extra space before and after each skill in your table can also help avoid merging issues (ex. engineeringThe). That said, youre better off avoiding tables or columns altogether if you can. It might make it more difficult to efficiently utilize your space, but an ATS compatible two-page resume is a whole lot better than a resume mangled by an ATS. Check out Jobscan’s free ATS-friendly resume templates.

How to Keep Learning Without Making a Big Effort - The Muse

How to Keep Learning Without Making a Big Effort - The Muse How to Keep Learning Without Making a Big Effort I genuinely enjoy learning, and years ago when I first moved to NYC and intensely believed that there was a serious gap in my education- I’d never taken an art history class!- I signed up for a continuing education course at NYU. Truthfully, though, I can tell you little about what I retained, much as I enjoyed the class at the time. I’m now on the school’s mailing list, but typically emails go unread. This isn’t because I don’t still have a thirst for learning new things though; rather, it’s that I don’t have the energy (or money) to invest in this particular type of learning, which in the end wasn’t so much about upping my intelligence as it was about memorizing artists, periods, and important works. The learning I desire to do now is less specific. I’ve always been drawn to smart people and notice when people use big words when they’re not trying to be ostentatious (see what I did there?). Seriously though, one of the things I love about my husband is his awesome vocabulary, which, full disclosure, is a bit better than mine. Many companies offer professional development courses and understand our desire to stay on our toes and grow outside of the area we’re super specialized in. And while I commend those initiatives, some of those classes still require a significant amount of time, effort, and energy. There may be a period where I’m ready to invest in that, but that time is not now. If you’re like me and have a thirst for getting smarter but either don’t have company-funded courses at your disposal or the drive to devote to them, you can still score IQ points. For all of us who endeavor to keep on learning long after graduating college, there are literally dozens of things you can do- many of them from the comfort of your very own couch. Here are 10 of my personal favorites. 1. Do Crossword Puzzles I’m still a long way from The New York Times Sunday crossword puzzle, but that’s OK because each day the paper has a short puzzle that you can fill out online as you’re timed. 2. Read Outside Your Interests Easier said than done, I realize. One of the sheer joys of reading is pursuing that which we find intriguing based on personal choice. Required reading is so high school. But the thing about exploring subjects outside your comfort zone is that it can help you discover new interests, and once you start going down that new rabbit hole, who knows what other things will open up. 3. Look Up Words You Don’t Know If I’m reading a book or an article and come across a word I don’t know the meaning of, I’ll typically look up its definition- this is obviously super easy when I’m reading something on a screen and have internet access. But, have you ever been in conversation with someone and heard a word you didn’t know and couldn’t figure out through context? Don’t just make a mental note to check it later; follow through and look it up. Bonus points if you find a way to use it in a sentence the following week. 4. Make a Point to Talk to Smart People This one is so obvious, and yet how many of us go out of our way to do it? Seeking out intelligent people and chatting them up can be eye-opening. I’m always drawn to people who are really good at what they do, and if I meet someone involved in something I know nothing about, I’m intrigued and inclined to ask a lot of questions, without fearing that my inquiries are too basic or stupid. Which leads me to my next tip… 5. Ask All the Questions I’m sure I’m far from the first person to tell you that there are no stupid questions, but seriously, how many times have you nodded along and pretended to understand something because you didn’t want to seem unknowledgeable or out of the loop? This is silly. Anyone who makes you feel badly for asking a question for clarity or to gain more insight isn’t someone you want to be talking to for long, anyway. 6. Get Outside Your Comfort Zone Watch a documentary if all you watch are indie films. Try a comedy on Netflix if you only ever watch historical dramas. Go see the latest Marvel comic movie and let your viewing partner explain the history of Marvel and DC Comics to you. Read a book of contemporary short stories if John Grisham novels are your go-to. It doesn’t matter what you do to branch out- it’s the branching out and stretching your mind that matters here. 7. Alter Your Routine Having a dedicated daily plan can be great, but it can also get tedious, and a bored mind isn’t one that’s gaining intelligence, I can tell you that much. Lifehacker writer Eric Ravenscraft supports this idea, explaining that switching things up coaxes “your brain into thinking more creatively about your workflow.” Try a new food, listen to that new artist, and abandon your Sunday errands. You can stick to your preferences, but venturing out and mixing up the order in which you do things and how you do them may have a powerful impact on your brain and, consequently, the way in which you contribute to the conversation. 8. Create Something Breakfast for dinner. A hand-written card. A personal website. A bookshelf (even if it’s just via Ikea instructions). Try something you wouldn’t normally do that falls under the creative spectrum (so many things do, you’d be surprised), and feel accomplished. 9. Listen to a Podcast From nuanced political discussions (Pantsuit Politics), to foodie-focused options (Bon Appetit), to relationship advice platforms (Dear Sugar), there’s a podcast for you no matter what you’re into. Listen on your commute to work, while you’re walking the dog, or washing the dishes and find yourself learning without even trying. 10. Subscribe to Newsletters Want to know the great thing about getting those newsletters delivered straight to your inbox? It takes the work out of finding awesome stuff to read online, of which there is certainly no shortage. Choose sites you’re extremely excited about and ones you’re mildly interested in and then read at your leisure or don’t, depending on what gets your attention. You don’t need to go big or go home when it comes to learning. It’s an ongoing process. Education can show up in a conversation, a TV review, a novel. The key to it, I think, is not to put pressure on yourself. If you wake up and vow to learn three new things today, you might be disappointed in yourself if it doesn’t happen the way you planned. If I start reading a New Yorker article about the Dutch landscape architect who’s reinventing green spaces or parks with the intention of really gaining new knowledge, I’m probably going to dislike the article or feel as though I’m being forced to read it and get something out of it. But if I approach it simply with an open mind- hmm, this isn’t a topic that usually grabs my attention- I’m likely to finish it, feeling like I learned something I didn’t know before. Be open to seemingly small educational opportunities, and watch how much smarter you’ll feel. Photo of woman reading a magazine courtesy of Yagi Studio/Getty Images.

Eiffel Tower Goes Green

Eiffel Tower Goes Green Eiffel Tower Goes Green The Eiffel Tower Goes Green One of the worlds most recognizable historical landmarks now has a visible symbol to signify its decidedly progressive view of the future. As part of a five-year, $38-million renovation that included a goal of reducing its ecological footprint, the Eiffel Tower has installed wind turbines 400 feet above ground to power the commercial areas of the towers first floor. Solar panels, LED lights, high performance heat pumps, and rainwater collection systems are also saving energy, but its the spinning turbines positioned above the second level to capture wind from any direction and maximize energy production that are making a statement for all to see. While the result is clearly 21st century, the actual installation of two vertical axis wind turbines set to produce 10,000 kilowatts hours of electricity per year (enough to power the commercial areas of the towers first floor), was done the old-fashioned way, using ropes, winches, and pulleys. A highly skilled team of rope workers were harnessed up and hoisted each large component one by one. This was one of the unique challenges that UGE International faced as the manufacturer of the turbines. We worked very closely with the general contractor [Bateg, a subsidiary of Vinci Construction France] so that we could adhere to all the laws of the tower, says Jan Gromadzke, UGEs project engineer. That includes no welding, drilling, or using any lifting equipment on the tower. Installing the turbines. Image: Urban Green Energy Gromadzki explains the restrictions are both for aesthetic and structural reasons. For example, cranes or other conventional lifting equipment were not allowed because of their weight and also because there is not much room to maneuver within the four puddled iron arched legs that curve inward. So the rope workers climbed their way through the towers intricate latticework to assemble one turbine component at a time, he says. The largest parts were the fiberglass blades. Although not heavy at under 200 pounds, they are bulky and awkward. Moving the 16-foot blades had to be done carefully because there was not a lot of space to rest them on within the lattice structure and because fiberglass is somewhat fragile. That was a bit tricky to make sure they were tied down in a protected way so that they wouldnt get damaged before they were installed and then just getting them in the air and onto to the turbine was definitely the most difficult aspect of the whole process, Gromadzki says. I was there as the engineer from the manufacturer to show [the installation team] how to put the turbine together, to answer any questions and make sure everything was done correctly. It was very cool to watch and very efficient. Were still using old technologies to [implement] new ones. He says the installation team, whichhas experience working on the tower, had never installed wind turbines before and were excited about learning how. According to UGE, installing a wind turbine is easy and quick, but it becomes a little daunting to someone without experience with them. Some people take extra precautions just because its a wind turbine, but it could just as easily be a conventional HVAC system and can be done by any contractor that has experience working on a lift, Gromadzki says. While UGE has much experience installing or supervising installations on tall buildings, this structure wasnt a conventional building. And while the turbine installation was simple and the turbines themselves were UGEs standard product, the support structure was another story. Typically, we install these on buildings that have a concrete foundation. Here we couldnt use a concrete foundation so the contractor built a steel foundation that had to [absorb] any vibration from the turbines, withstand any resonant frequencies and make sure everything worked well together, Gromadzki says, especially since the turbines were installed just above the renowned Le Jules Verne restaurant, where there was deep concern about noise. But the turbines performed as they should, almost silently. The only customization was painting the turbines the same color as the tower. When they are not spinning, they are hardly visible, but when they are spinning, they can be seen from a distance because they are essentially the only moving parts on the tower. While the turbines, installed in February 2015, will provide only a very small percentage of the total power needed (10,000 kWh out of 6.7 gWh used), they do contribute a small amount and serve to stimulate thinking about renewable energy. The tower itself consumes as much energy as a town of 3,000 people, mostly due to the elevators that take visitors up and down some 15 hours each day, 365 days a year. Its a great start and allows people to think about energy and renewable energy more than they have in the past, says Gromadzki. Learn more about energy solutions for a sustainable future at ASME Power Energy 2015. For Further Discussion “[Moving the blades] was a bit tricky to make sure they were tied down in a protected way so that they wouldn’t get damaged…Getting them in the air and onto to the turbine was definitely the most difficult aspect of the whole process.Jan Gromadzki, project engineer, UGE International