Sunday, December 29, 2019

The Use of Napalm as a Weapon in Combat

The Use of Napalm as a Weapon in CombatThe Use of Napalm as a Weapon in CombatA flammable liquid used in warfare, napalm has been used by the United States military since World War II. The U.S. welches the first country to use napalm in warfare and is one of the few to still use it against enemy targets. Napalm gets its name from two of the main chemicals in its composition naphthenic acid and palmitic acid. It sticks to skin and results in catastrophic burns for its victims, especially when it catches fire. The use of napalm against civilian targets was outlawed by the United Nations Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons in 1980, but the U.S. continues to use it as a weapon against military targets History and Background Harvard University chemist Louis Fieser developed napalm in 1942. It was first used by the U.S. against Japan during World War II to burn buildings and as an anti-personnel weapon (meaning it was used on people). The U.S. continued to use napalm during the Korean and Vietnam wars, to devastating effect. The famous Vietnam War photo Napalm Girl shows a group of screaming children running away from a napalm attack where many of them suffered serious burns.Although made differently than in the past, napalm is still used by the U.S. military in combat operations. New Composition Introduced Modern napalm is known as Napalm B. It is distinctly different than the napalm used inVietnam and World War II. Napalm B is made of different chemicals than the napalm of the past. However, despite its different characteristics, Napalm B is often referred to by military personnel simply as napalm. Napalm B is usually comprised of plastic polystyrene and hydrocarbon benzene. These compounds combine to form jellied gasoline, which is extremely flammable and hot when ignited. Napalm B is much easier to control and manage when ignited than previous forms of napalm, which was so flammable that it often caught on fire when soldiers smoked cigarettes near it. Napalm B is sometimes called Super Napalm as it burns much longer than older versions of the agent. It can burn for as long as 10 minutes, whereas older versions of napalm often burned for less than 30 seconds. Napalm as an Incendiary Weapon Napalm B is known as an incendiary weapon as it can cause fire, explosions, and severe burns. It can also lead to asphyxiation in people who are close to the detonation point, as well as winds that have reached 70 miles per hour. Napalm is unique in that it often sticks to the skin of people and is hard to remove even when it is burning. Napalm B is typically used to destroy enemy positions such as bunkers, foxholes, trenches, and shelters. One discharge of Napalm B from a low-level military plane can destroy an area of 2,500 square yards. And despite the prohibition of its use against civilians, international law does not prevent the use of napalm against military targets.

Wednesday, December 25, 2019

When You Can Take a Vacation at a New Job - The Muse

When You Can Take a Vacation at a New Job - The MuseWhen You Can Take a Vacation at a New Job We all have crazy thoughts when starting a new job Do I have to tell my boss when I go to the bathroom? Will people think my leftovers are too weird of a lunch? Should I wave when people walk by my desk? No, better to just smile. Never mind, smilings creepy, just stare at your computer and dont make eye contact.But some of those questions about new job etiquette are actually valid- things like how to act around the office, what to wear, and when its respectable to take breaks. After all, they can mean the difference between having an awesome reputation and a horrible one.One of the biggest questions I had when I first started was when I could take a vacation. Sure, The Muse has an unlimited vacation policy, and my boss never mentioned I needed to wait six months- but I also know that its common courtesy when it comes to being the newbie. To get a few mora guidelines, I reached out to HR expe rt and Muse career coach Arik Orbach.His response?The general rule of thumb is likely to wait around three to six months. However, it strongly depends on the organization and their culture.He went on to explain that many companies clearly dictate what their vacation policy is. Some have you accrue more and more time-off the longer youre there. Others may have a probationary period for when youre being trained and must be in the office.But the reason he suggests that three-to-six-month timeframe is because at the end of the day, it just doesnt look good to ship off before then. Not to mention, youre more likely to miss key onboarding information.That said, a lot of this depends on your performance from the get-go. If youre not picking things up quickly or still being heavily monitored by your boss, its probably not the best time to ask. But, as Orbach states, An employee who can hit on all tasks and deadlines and is demonstrating great progress is more apt to being granted time off b ecause they trust you to get the job done no matter what, and they want to keep you happy.Of course, there are always exceptions to the rule. For example, if youre getting married three weeks into your new role, your boss is probably not going to decline your request. However, Orbach suggests, its better to get these kinds of things squared away before you accept the job offer This could also apply to any planned vacations where trips have been prepaid already. Of course, you dont always have the luxury of knowing ahead of time if something serious comes up that you need to take time off for. If you have a parent become suddenly ill, for example, your manager would likely be understanding, versus lets say, an impromptu vacation to the Caribbean.So youve read all this and think youre qualified for some RR- how do you make the ask?First, says Orbach, you have to think about the impact your absence will have. Youre not going to make friends with your colleagues if they have to pick up your slack after barely knowing you. So, its best to build a good rapport with your team first before putting in the request.Then, figure out if you can meet all your deadlines before your vacation. If you come to your boss prepared with a timeline for how youll get everything done, theyre more likely to say yes.Finally, consider what youll miss while youre gone. Is this a busy time for your organization? Are there any big meetings happening? If your vacation comes at a tough time for business (and thus leaves your boss and team with a lot of work to do without you), it may be worth putting it off until the slower season. The last thing Ill say is that every new employee needs to put in their time. I fully believe in self-care and taking time off for yourself- so if youre starting to burn out, by all means take a personal day if you can. But itll make you look so much better and gain you so much more respect if you show up every day and kick some butt for a few months straight. I di dnt end up taking a long vacation until I was a year into my role. While I probably couldve left sooner, the trip was that much more rewarding because Id truly earned it (and bonus, because Id built my boss trust, she insisted I completely unplug.)So, long story short, use all your vacation days- its good for your career in the long run- just maybe wait a few months before you start. Trust us, itll be worth it.

Friday, December 20, 2019

4 Things You Need to Go from Marketing Director to Marketing Executive

4 Things You Need to Go from Marketing Director to Marketing Executive4 Things You Need to Go from Marketing Director to Marketing ExecutiveIf youre a Director of Marketing (or in a similar mid-level absatzwirtschaft role) the chances are that youre looking for a way to take the next step in your career and move up to a absatzwirtschaft leadership positionsuch as Vice President of Marketing or Chief Marketing Officer.While hard work and experience will go a long way toward helping you advance in your career, and are necessary ingredients, youll likely have to build upon your current skill set and expand your professional network before youll be considered a absatzwirtschaft executive position.I recently spoke with two of my venture capitalist connections that are well-versed in building marketing teams, and are often asked to help hire the right marketing executive to lead their portfolio companies. Id like to highlight four key traits that any marketing executive needs. While this i snt an exhaustive list of what you need, these are amongst the most important attributes.1. Hone Your Quantitative SkillsToday, every marketing executive needs to be comfortable dealing with marketing metrics and key performance indicators (KPIs). In a conversation with Greg Goldfarb, Managing Director at Summit Partners, Goldfarb told me that he always scans a resume to look at the ratio of numbers to text to get an initial sense of how comfortable a candidate is reporting on marketing metrics. A few metrics he looks for are things like the campaign conversion rates, conversion to lead rate, growth in number of marketing qualified leads, etc. Since, as Amanda Augustine pointed out in her recent post, the average recruiter only spends six seconds reviewing your resume, its important to convey this right up front.Phil Dur, Managing Director at Investor Growth Capital says he wants to see executive-level marketing candidates be able to say, I grew marketing-qualified leads from 2,000 per year to 7,000 per year and reduced the cost per lead from $60 to $35. So in order to be considered for the position, you need to be in tune with these KPIs and have the acumen to report them in a meaningful way.2. Expand Industry ConnectionsOf course, anotlageher critical attribute of a quality marketing executive is that theyre well-connected in their industry. This goes beyond simply being well-connected with individuals in your industry. To be truly valuable as a marketing executive, you need analyst and press connections as well. This means that while youre still at the Director of Marketing level you should be actively seeking to make connections with industry influencers and analyst firms.In my industry, enterprise software, this would mean developing relationships with analysts at firms like Gartner and Forrester and tech publications such as TechCrunch. Look at your industry and decide which are the most important analyst and press publications to seek out. As youre expa nding your network, however, its important to be intentional about who youre connecting with. You should act in your self-interest when networking and ask yourself how building a relationship with that person will further your marketing career. If you cant quickly come up with an answer to that, they might not be the best connection.3. Learn Modern Marketing TechnologiesIn addition to expanding your network, its important to grow your familiarity with the technologies that run modern marketing campaigns and departments. At the director level, youre likely well-acquainted with customer relationship management (CRM) software and some marketing analytics programs such as Google Analytics, Google AdWords as well as email marketing programs.At the executive level, its important to understand these technologies and then some. At the moment, one particularly important technology to familiarize yourself with is marketing automation. Why? As Phil Dur says, experience with marketing automatio n systems signals that a marketer is used to tying marketing investment to a discrete return, which is important for any marketing executive. If youre not familiar with marketing automation, a great place to take courses and become certified in the needed skills is the Marketing Automation Institutewhich holds marketing events and offers tutorials.4. Obtain C-Suite ReferenceTo round out your skills and expanded network, its important to have C-level approval of your work. As a marketing executive, youll like report directly to the CEO so its necessary to have CEOs from your prior companies vouch for your work and your ability to deliver results. Goldfarb says that he wants to hear from CEOs and VPs of Marketing that the candidate has a track record of driving top-line growth or adding business value. unterstellung references are important because these individuals are the best able to judge the candidates contribute to incremental revenue and overall health of the business.Have you made the jump from mid-level marketing employee to marketing executive? Share your tips for success in the comments section below.

Sunday, December 15, 2019

The 10 Commandments for Working Motherhood

The 10 Commandments for Working MotherhoodThe 10 Commandments for Working MotherhoodMotherhood is hard enough before you throw in work. Once youre juggling a job, parenting, daycare,self-care and adult relationships, you start praying for guidance about how to handle working motherhood. Until Moses returns with a couple of stone tablets addressing motherhood, heres my take on the 10 commandments for working motherhood. Thou shalt trust thy gut You know your family best and you also know your employer. Trust your instincts when you feel your kids are acting out because they need your attention. Give them the extra time and nurturing, even if it means you miss a few minutes of work. Motherhood is your fruchtwein important job, and not one to be taken lightly. Similarly, you know in your gut when youre not fulfilling your work responsibilities. Be sure to do your best on the most important projects. If you do need to take time with a sick child or leave early for a school event, tel l your supervisor and colleagues when youll make up the work. When you know your personal and professional values and priorities it makes believing in your instincts easier. Thou shalt not worship money or career success Motherhood fulfills many parts of our souls. But having a job that youre really good at can give you quite a rush too. Its important to keep that feeling in perspective, and only pursue the career that you truly want. Dont thoughtlessly put in for the big promotion or raise. Think through what it would mean for your work-life balance and your children. Would the new duties stretch your skills in a direction you want to go? Or would it merely be a step up the career ladder without any additional satisfaction or challenge? Make sure you are the one defining what success means to you. Its okay if thats simply enjoyable work with flexible hours and no fancy title. Thou shalt not covet thy neighbors schedule If your friend or neighbor has flexible hours or a fami ly-friendly schedule, its easy to get bitter and jealous. Remember that most flexible work arrangements have a trade off, whether its telecommuting or setting up a job share. Rather than assuming your neighbor is lucky, ask her questions about how she established the arrangement and what she likes or dislikes about it. If it totenstill looks good, propose a similar schedule to your supervisor Thou shalt take rests Motherhood teaches us when to say yes or no to our children and set limits. Make sure you use these skills in the office too. Set clear boundaries around work and limit your face time. Better yet, refuse to be pressured into serving face time and leave when your days work is completed both physically and mentally. Thou shalt not feel guilty Once you take ownership of your choice to work, refuse tofeel guiltyabout working. There are plenty of people who want to undermine you as a working mom please ignore those comments thattrigger working moms guilt. Guilt is an e motion that you feel when youve done something wrong. Theres nothing wrong with contributing to the financial support, the stability of your family, and the college fund. This page continues the 10 commandments for combining motherhood and work. Dont miss the first 5 commandments for successful working motherhood Thou shalt not judge others Human beings are often looking over at the next person judging their actions and results. Resist this impulse, please. Or if you must judge, keep it to yourself. Life is long, and you never know when youll be forced to eat your words. Whenever you start to say, I could never ... bite your tongue. Many a diehard working mom has surprised herself by quitting her job once the kids hit grade school or the backfisch years. Thou shalt enjoy family time When you do have time with your family, enjoy it You can have fun doingdaily chores with your childrenif you have a playful attitude. Or it can be as simple as a quick game of cards after dinner and before homework. Dont simply rush your children from waking to breakfast to school and home again to dinner, bath and bed. Cherish the time together, even in everyday activities. Thou shalt nurture adult relationships If mama aint happy, aint nobody happy. So make sure to spend time on your marriage, close family members and friends. Those adult relationships will sustain you when youre stressed or in crisis. Dont forget the most important relationship with yourself. Take time each week (or each day) on activities that nourish your soul. Thou shalt enjoy thy work We all work for different reasons. Whether its for the money, helping others or job satisfaction, identify the reasons that you work and own that choice. Then, take pleasure in the parts of your job that you enjoy, to reinforce the positive aspect of being a working mom. Even if its simply the paycheck hitting your bank account each week Thou shalt prioritize ruthlessly When you became a new working mom, s uddenly you have little time for the lingering water-cooler chats with co-workers. Each morning, write down the top three things you must accomplish that day. Tackle them first, because you never know when a call to pick up a sick child might quash the rest of the days work. Edited by Elizabeth McGrory.

Tuesday, December 10, 2019

Thoughts on Resume Font in Step by Step Order

Thoughts on Resume Font in Step by Step Order Get the Scoop on Resume Font Before Youre Too Late Firstly, you have to pick a wonderful subtle textured background. Keeping your resume up-to-date is 1 thing, but you may struggle to accept the notion of changing it many times in the exact saatkorn bout of job hunting. Fortunately, the challenges around picking a resume font may be managed. DO ensure the remainder of your resume is completely machine readable. Fiddling with fonts and styles is the last stage of resume building, and among the easiest in case you know what things to bear in mind. There are lots of font styles to select from. Sans-serif fonts dont have the lines at the conclusion of each stroke. Adjusting the font just one-tenth of a point can produce the text fill out the remainder of a page or keep it from spilling over into the subsequent one. As soon as youve sorted out the content and the visuals, the last step is to guarantee the amount of your CV is proper . Most professionally-designed resumes utilize color. Picking the proper font, the suitable format, and the right font size is equally as crucial as the set of skills youre going to pitch to your prospective employer. Accordingly, to be able to move forward in the hiring procedure, you always need to use the ideal font size and style for your resume. You may be thinking of decreasing the size of the font from 12 to 8 so as to fit more details. Knowing the most suitable font size and fashion isnt a troublesome procedure. All About Resume Font The content is easily the most important aspect. Enter your details below and you will get the resume font guide in your inbox in a few minutes. Lets talk somewhat more about main particulars and new resume format 2016 trend. At length, create a custom resume for every single job application and raise your work success perspektives. Theres always a chance that the hiring manager will print out a duplicate of your resume after reading i t on the monitor. Failing to consider the font you use, the way that it reads, and how accessible its to the recruiter can have devastating consequences on your chances. The very best font pairs agree with one another. Some resume fonts have to be avoided in any respect costs. If youre looking for an old-style font, you should think about using Garamond for your resume. At the same time that you can pair fonts of exactly the same type a serif with a different serif or two sans serifs you may also pair fonts of two styles. Italics are helpful for supporting text, just enjoy the more compact font size we mentioned before. To some, its regarded as a more modern Serif font in comparison with Garamond. The plan of Gill Sans was meant to give it a modern but traditional appearance. What is Really Going on with Resume Font Only professional resume writing service knows the way to use the ideal font and keywords to raise your probability of succeeding. If youre applying to a posi tion in another nation, learn what the resume expectations are for that nation. Naturally, you ought to still mention distinctive skills which could be applicable together with different qualification that you believe they research for. Resumes dont need complete sentences and you ought to avoid employing the very first partie (I, me, my). The Hidden Truth About Resume Font So you must be positive that so-called character of the font will match the aim of your text. The font is just too much for an expert document. Therefore, if you use non-standard fonts, utilize the PDF format. Though its a skilled and easy font, it isnt excellent for reading on a screen. The clean lines enhance the readability of the whole document. There is a whole lot of cool fonts that you might be tempted to utilize for your resume since they look both appealing and professional, but should you want to guarantee your document will translate well on Windows and Mac PCs, it is recommended to choose one which is available on both operating systems. In most instances, utilizing an easy, professional font is perfect. The font you select for your cover letter ought to be highly readable, professional and clean. What Everybody Dislikes About Resume Font and Why Resume guidelines may change from industry to industry, therefore its recommended to get familiar with specific industry examples. Other times, you might need to rewrite no more than the personal overview to coordinate with the work description. Things have changed dramatically in the work market over the last five years.

Thursday, December 5, 2019

The Good, the Bad and Linkedin Resume Assistant

The Good, the Bad and Linkedin Resume Assistant Also, examine some of the public Indeed resumes. Your location will also earn a difference to whether youre able to access the program. Your change is going to be saved automatically. Begin with these three primary improvements. Linkedin Resume Assistant - Is it a Scam? The LinkedIn Resume Assistant supplies you with example resume snippets from some other folks in your area. LinkedIn is among the most effective career tools for your job search besides your resume. LinkedIn will conserve the past three resumes you uploaded. Over the last few decades, LinkedIn has come to be among the topmost sites for expert networking. Including a URL to a lousy LinkedIn profile will do more damage than good. Your LinkedIn profile data is pretty general so that it lets you make a generic resume only. Folks make common resume and LinkedIn mistakes all of the time heres the way to avoid them. If you are at present unemployed, underemployed, or simply seeking to modify jobs, I urge you to make a LinkedIn profile in case you havent already. Its possible to discover more about availability in your particular region by checking out the Microsoft support website. If youre comfortable making your work search public, this is an excellent way to boost the visibility of your resume, and use your social network to advertise your work search. Sensitive or internal company info, together with overly personal details, should never produce the cut. Or DoYouBuzz, which is an extremely user-friendly website with both free and paid plans, providing you with lots of template options and is an incredibly smooth process too.Some businesses will request a duplicate of your resume via email. You should also make sure that youve got an expert photo and an excellent number of connections. If you didnt incorporate an industry initially, its still possible to enter one at the peak of the results screen. On the website, you can construct your professional network and engage with them. So How About Linkedin Resume Assistant? If you know the companies youre targeting, take a fast look to find out what file types they accept. All you need to do is include a hyperlink or upload a file from your PC. Therefore, if you discover another LinkedIn user whose Experience section appears to be tailor-made for you, you are going to want to use caution in borrowing it, as doing so can result in a plagiarism case. Find out more about this feature here. If youre an employer, you can utilize Resume Assistant to help you write job postings and have them noticed. If you really need to get work, you need to be there. After you spot a job which you like, go right to the work opening on LinkedIn to find out more concerning the gunst der stunde and apply. The most suitable job for you is closer than you might imagine. To make the most of Resume Assistant, you need simply to select your preferred role and industry. So dont forget to bring those manually. To be time-efficient, they will need to observe the candidates qualifications that are necessary for the job accessible. Youre able to search by job title to acquire an awareness of what other men and women in your field include in their resumes. The point is to make you sound amazing on paper, so you have the interview. You may adore the ideas of your favourite candidate, but theres a 50% chance you will interview with somebody who disagrees and backs your politicians opponent. Questions will be job-specific and designed to ascertain the degree of your understanding of the business and your abilities. You want recruiters and hiring managers and HR people to get in touch with you so you may show them you are an actual person that you can ask questions and make a fantastic impression when engaging in human contact. The LinkedIn URL ought to go in the header along with the remainder of your contact details. You arent going to find any names or perso nally identifiable particulars. Individuals sometimes utilize various versions of their resume tailored to distinct jobs. So, here are four crucial differences that you ought to understand before you even consider touching copy-paste. The idea, as stated by the companies, is to help provide more inspiration to individuals that arent sure the the very best approach to spell out their experience and abilities. Obviously, there is not anything wrong with having an excellent resume. Easily the most crucial facet of any work application, your resume deserves as much love and attention as you are able to muster.

Sunday, December 1, 2019

3 Ways to Bring Diverse Candidates Into Your Talent Pipeline And Keep Them There

3 Ways to Bring Diverse Candidates Into Your Talent Pipeline And Keep Them ThereJob seekers are starving. Theyre craving as much information about your company as youll give them. They want to see the companys mission in motion. Theyre looking for how passions turn into productive output, and what youre doing to empower a diverse workforce. They are expecting to see diversity across age, gender, ethnicity, experiences, and thought. A few of companies are focused on giving job seekers exactly what theyre looking for in the diversity department. In fact, 35 percent of hiring professionals, according to a 2017 Glassdoor report, plan on increasing their diversity and inclusion efforts when looking for talent. Some may argue, however, this number still isnt high enough when it comes to bringing diverse candidates into talent pipelines.Even if your kollektiv has already set diversity and inclusion goals, hitting them is a significant challenge if your hiring tactics remain stagnant. Its ti me to find new and hungry job seekers by developing strong, meaningful relationships with diverse candidates. Once you do, your ability to bring top diverse candidates into your talent pipeline, and keep them there, will grow exponentially.Here are three tactics you need to fill up your talent pipeline with diverse candidates1. Uncover holes in your diversityBefore you put on your recruiting boots and go out searching for diverse candidates, you must first determine what font of diversity your company is lacking. Remember, diversity goes far beyond gender and race. You need to uncover what backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives will enhance your company.Believe it or not, hiring pros in the previously mentioned Glassdoor report say candidates demographics are one of the top three metrics for measuring recruiting success. Even more surprising, those same hiring pros agree candidate demographics are more critical to recruiting success than the following measuresHow long it takes t o fill a roleHow long it takes to deliver a job offerThe success a company has in converting job seekers to applicantsThe ratio of applicants to hiresFocus on your companys gaps in diversity by performing a multidimensional demographic survey of employees and candidates. Look at personality types, age, gender, race, and both personal and professional experiences. Use these details to create a target list of demographics you want to see in your talent pipeline. Diversity hiring goes far beyond gender, age, and race.Click To Tweet2. Track a variety of hiring metricsOnce youve narrowed down the types of candidates you want in your talent pipeline, theres no doubt youll eventually find those traits in applicants. This is a positive but only when youre actively maintaining those relationships. You cant adequately hold onto top diverse candidates if you dont understand what aspects of the talent acquisition strategy attracted them. Without the proper hiring metrics, it will take you, or another team member, an inordinate amount of time to understand what makes them tick. Collect data that shows how candidates discovered the company. Was it an employee referral, were they Googling companies like yours, was it a customer referral, or were they on a job board and were matched with a current opening? Also, survey candidates to determine what details attracted them to your company. Find out if it was a specific job opening, your mission, or the way an employee or customer spoke about your product or team. In these details, youll find definitive answers about how diverse candidates are searching for jobs and what you need to do to keep them interested. You cant effectively keep top talent without knowing what attracted them to your company. recruitingClick To Tweet3. Empowering employee ambassadorsA company can pour excessive amounts of money into diversity hiring and inclusion efforts. Some of these costs are necessary, of course, and this isnt a place where you want to tighten the budget. Unfortunately, the Glassdoor report found 10 percent of hiring decision-makers think employees will leave their current job in the next 12 months if there isnt a diversity and inclusion program.However, some diversity hiring efforts dont require significant funds. Some of the most powerful diversity recruiters have been under your nose this whole time your current team. Employees who love their jobs, feel supported by leaders, and whole-heartedly believe in their product, will be more than willing to discuss those details with their network. Show off how your company embraces diversity and inclusion by featuring employee stories on your blog, career site, and social media channels. Invite other employees to share posts with their network of friends, family, former co-workers, and even acquaintances. Using personal stories to inform job seekers that your company recognizes the importance of diversity will draw even more quality candidates into your talent pipeli ne.How do you bring diverse candidates into your talent pipeline and keep them there? Let us know

Tuesday, November 26, 2019

Finding Your Perfect Match

Finding Your Perfect MatchFinding Your Perfect MatchFinding Your Perfect MatchSome people approach a federal job search like they would approach buying a home.Here is my wish list gourmet kitchen, 4 bedrooms, 3 baths, in a good neighborhood with great schools, close commute, and within my ridiculously low budget.Or, they might start surfing on USAJOBS and end up like a child in a candy shop.Oh, wow, look at that job posting I have always wanted to do that And its in Hawaii SweetAnd then there is realitywhere the competition for the 5,000 jobs posted today on USAJOBS is simply fierce. Think of it this way trying to land one of those jobs is, in some ways, mora like taking your driving test than buying a new home.You have to pass the test.Passing means that you are qualified TODAY to do the job that is posted, not sometime in the future after some on-the-job training (with some exceptions such as Pathways postings.)Passing means that you must have the one year specialized experience sp ecified in job announcement, or its a no-go for you.Passing means that you have to score basically 90 or better on your assessment questionnaire.Think its easy to pass this test?I recently helped a woman who had been working at a National Park for many years as an extremely high performing GS-7. They wanted her for the next level position, which was classified at GS-11. Even though she was acting in that new position for several months already, she did elend qualify for the GS-11 position. Luckily for her, they accommodated her and posted the position for GS-9/11. She was able to make the cert for GS-9, but barely Even with all of her qualifications, she just squeaked into the Qualified category.Here is where the fun really begins.After you pass the minimal qualifications test and are deemed Qualified, the rat race starts, and now your odds are more like those of applying for an Ivy League college. Of all candidates who were rated as Qualified, you must rise above the crowd to b e chosen for the select group title Best Qualified. Then you must go through another magical formula to be Referred in order to get your resume forwarded to the hiring supervisor. If you make it that far, you still have to be selected for an interview. Once that is accomplished, you have to make a final sprint to the finish line and beat out the rest of the interviewees for the grand prize of a job offer.Crazy, right?So what does this all mean?It means that finding the perfect match for you is more about looking at your past history than looking at your hopes and dreams for the future.Of course, you absolutely CAN look to the future. If you have goals for your federal career, you will simply need to plan ahead to position yourself for your ideal job somewhere down the line.So the common sense tip for your federal resume is this Be the perfect match for the job opening to increase your chances of getting hired.Tune in for next time Finding your perfect match if you are coming from pr ivate industry or wanting to make a career change within the federal governmentPaulina Chen has a passion for taking the complex and making it simple for people to understand. Paulina has been a graphic designer, developmental editor, and webmaster for The Resume Place for over 10 years. Since receiving her Certified Federal Job Search Trainer certification, she has been eager to show federal applicants that writing your best possible federal resume is within your reach. If you need more writing help with your federal resume, contact us for an absolutely free estimate. If you need expert advice or training, Kathryn Troutman the Federal Resume Guru is your best bet on the planet. Email *Sign up to be notified by email when our newsletters are posted

Thursday, November 21, 2019

To Hire the Best, Companies Need to Move Beyond the Resume

To Hire the Best, Companies Need to Move Beyond the Resume To Hire the Best, Companies Need to Move Beyond the Resume A lot of us know this already, and yet,people are still using resumes largely because nobodys too clear on what should replace them.Social media?Videos?Contests? All of these have been mentioned as substitutes, but theyre all kind of half-baked and only tell a partial story.Instead, I suggest that companies rely more on third-party feedback in essence, the candidates online reputation andfocus on hiring doers, elend tellers.The Problems With ResumesIf your company still relies on resumes to screen people, youre alfruchtwein certainly overlooking some of the best candidates whose resumes, for whatever reason, arent quite right. Maybe they didnt put the right keyword in. Maybe they didnt go to the right college or take the right major, but theyve still got the skills you need.If you rely on resumes, youre also making yourself vulnerable to exploitation by unscrupul ous people who lie on their resumes or simply stretch the truth a bit.Resumes say what a candidatecan do, but saying isnt the same as showing. Furthermore, saying something self-promotional is definitely not the same as having a validated third party someone who knows the candidateswork vouch for the candidates skills. For these reasons, resumes are increasingly unimportant, and the sooner you move beyond them, the better.Instead, you should focus on what really matters What people can actually do and their reputations based on feedback from others who have worked with them, particularly when they are available online and are based on real, paid work.Evaluating Candidate ReputationsHeres a simple example of how online reputations are changing hiring approaches today. If youre looking for a plumber, you probably arent going to request theirC.V. Youre going to look on a site like Angies List, where you can read reviews from actual customers.Similarly, if youre looking to hire a dev eloper, their resume is less important than their work history. You can see a lot of a developers work historyon code repositories like GitHuband Stack Overflow. But sometimes developers do a lot of work for personal projects or open-source projects, filling up their GitHub profiles with large volumes of work that isnt actually vetted (and may not even be used by anyone).Instead, you want to see what kind of work theyve done for paying clients or employers and how well that work was received.Theres another problem with the public repositories like GitHub and StackOverflowThey are incredibly unfair to people who cant afford the luxury of spending a lot of time on unpaid side projects. If you have to work for a living, you may not be able to spend hourscontributing to the Linux kernel or an open-source emoji-sharing platform. Your paid work needs to speak for itself.Just as startups shouldnt spend too much time perfecting business plans or making their websites pretty before theyve ma de extremum viable products and found some people actually willing to pay for them, individuals shouldnt spend too much time gussying up their work histories. Instead, they should identify thetalents and skills they have that employers or clients want and then prove that they have those skills in the marketplace by getting someone to pay for it.For recent college graduates, validated references and portfolios of work can help offset the age-old problem of the resume with nothing on it. In fact, universities could even help their students build portfolios of paid work by offering credit tostudents whoundertake educational but practical projects, get paid for them, and get positive feedback from real clients.Instead of an internship of dubious quality, what if an aspiring software engineer spent 100 hours doing paid coding work and got real, meaningful feedback on it?Recommendations matter, particularly if they come from people you know. Some social networks are able to do this Yelp, for instance, highlights restaurant reviews from people youre connected to, which are way more valuable than reviews from random strangers who, for all you know, never even visited the restaurants theyre reviewing.Similarly, LinkedIns professional skill endorsements carry little weight. Its not very meaningful when someone sees an automated suggestion and clicks a button to endorse a person for a random skill. The fact that a candidate has 57 endorsements on LinkedIn for a particular skill from people you dont know is pretty close to worthless. But a written recommendation on LinkedIn from someone you know and trust is incredibly valuable, because it comes from a legitimate human being who took the trouble to write a few words in favor of a candidate.Interviews Need to Go, TooOnce youve gone past the screening phase, theres another part of the hiring process Id like to phase out The interview. Like resumes, interviews favor candidates who are good at telling their own stories. If yo u ask candidates to describe a challenge they faced and how they solved the problem, youll probably wind up hiring those who tell the best tales. In my experience, that doesnt always correlate with doing good work.Instead, give the most promising people an actual assignment and see how they do when theyre performing real work for an hour, a day, a week, or a month. You can pay them for the test project, especially if it requires any significant amount of time. Theres no better way to find out if someone is a good fit for your organization than by putting them to work and asking them to contribute.In short, its time to stop hiring people based on what they say they can do. You should be hiring doers, not tellers. Moving beyond the resume is a critical first step in doing so.Master the art of closing deals and making placements. Take our Recruiter Certification Program today. Were SHRM certified. Learn at your own pace during this 12-week program. Access over 20 courses. Great for tho se who want to break into recruiting, or recruiters who want to further their career. Like this article? We also offer tons of free eBooks on career and recruiting topics - check out Get a Better Job the Right Way and Why It Matters Who Does Your Recruiting. document.write(Read more ) in Resume

Wednesday, November 20, 2019

Working Solutions Work-At-Home Company

Working Solutions Work-At-Home Company Working Solutions Work-At-Home Company Business processing outsourcer (BPO)  provides inbound technical support, sales, travel and ticketing services, and customer service as well as data entry and editing services. Company Description Based in Plano, TX, Working Solutions bills itself as the first company to utilize an entire workforce of home-based customer sales and service agents. Founded in 1996, the company hires  independent contractor virtual call center agents  to services clients call center needs. Additionally, it also hires contractors for data entry work. Qualifications Applicants must be 18 years old. Working Solutions looks for skilled, educated, and motivated people to fill its ranks. Agents are required to provide their own computer equipment, phone line and Internet service (DSL, fiber optic or cable). Types of Work-at-Home Positions Working Solutions hires independent contractors to work on a project basis in home call centers, as travel consultants, and on data entry. Virtual call center agents handle inbound and outbound customer service, sales, market research and/or technical support. These positions could include enrollments, retail sales, reservations, account support and technical assistance on electronics, websites, software, and telephony. Agents work with customers over the phone, through online chat and email. The company also seeks bilingual agents. The company also hires travel agents with knowledge of Apollo, Amadeus, Galileo, Sabre or WorldSpan and corporate booking experience. In addition to call center agents, Working Solutions hires for data entry jobs, which dont involve phone time. Pay and Benefits Because Working Solutions hires independent contractors there is no guarantee of minimum wage or any number of hours per week. However, the position is likely a part-time call center job. The company says its projects, which all compensate differently, pay anywhere from $9 to $30 an hour. However, they may not necessarily calculate pay on an hourly rate. Agents invoice Working Solutions, based on their projects pay instructions, and are paid every two weeks. Once accepted into Working Solutions, agents must apply to its various programs. When accepted into a program the agent will go through training, which could last days or weeks. If the agent successfully completes the training, he or she will receive a stipend.   Again because it hires independent contractors, the company does not offer benefits of any kind. Agents are able to choose their own hours online. However, the availability of hours can vary making it difficult to earn a full-time living at Working Solutions. Despite their status as independent contractors, agents arent charged any fees by the company. Geographic Restrictions The company hires Agents OnDemand in all U.S. states and from across the world. However the number of projects, particularly call center jobs, for residents outside the U.S. is more limited. Applying to Working Solutions Submit an application online through the companys website (link below). You may paste a resume into the comments field of the application. At the end of the online application, you will be asked to answer a few questions in part one of an assessment. Multiple choice and written-answer questions will test your knowledge of customer service as well as assess your grammar and writing skills. After submitting this, you will be able to complete the second part of the assessment. For this, you will call in and record answers regarding customer service scenarios. After this, your application will be evaluated and you will be notified if your application will be placed in the pending pool, meaning that you will be considered for opportunities that match your qualifications. If there is a match you will be contacted by email. It can take several weeks to months to matched with the first project. Working Solutions Website If this doesnt sound like the call center job for you, you can see a list of more home call center jobs or work-at-home call center company profiles.

Tuesday, November 19, 2019

A Financial Checklist for Your First Year in the Workforce

A Financial Checklist for Your First Year in the Workforce A Financial Checklist for Your First Year in the Workforce Congratulations! You just got your first job - and your first paycheck as a full-time worker is on its way. You’re an adult. You’re independent. “You will be tempted to use up all of your money to purchase things like a new fancy new car or new apartment,” warned Monica Dwyer, a West Chester, Ohio-based financial advisor. Maybe you deserve a little reward after landing a competitive job . But, before you go on a shopping spree, do your future self a favor and check off your new financial obligations first. We made a checklist for you, complete with links to some of the best resources to help you complete the tasks. First up, make sure you pay your taxes, but don’t overpay. The W-4 form is one of the first pieces of paperwork you’ll be asked to complete when you get to your new job . The W-4 tells the employer how much of your paycheck you would like to withhold for income tax. “Failing to withhold enough money for taxes can lead to an unpleasant surprise next tax season,” said Ron Strobel, a CFP at Nampa, Idaho-based Retire Sensibly. “Withholding too much means you will receive a big refund.” While you may like the idea of getting a big sum of money after filing your taxes, consider what you could have done with the money. “The IRS doesn’t pay interest on refunds, so receiving a refund means you missed out on earning interest over the course of the year,” Strobel said, referring to investments you could have made if you hadn’t over-withheld. The “unpleasant surprise” Strobel mentioned is a tax bill from the IRS for unpaid taxes. If you don’t have the funds on hand when you get the bill, you may need to set up a payment plan with the IRS or borrow to cover the tax debt. Either option isn’t ideal. The IRS charges interest on balances not paid by Tax Day, and you’ll also likely have to pay interest on any money you borrow to pay your tax bill. If you find the W-4 confusing, you can use this   withholding allowance calculator  on the IRS website to help you figure out how much you should elect to withhold for income tax. We also have an article on MagnifyMoney that explains   tax withholding changes for 2018. You will generally be asked to return your completed and signed W-4 to your employer’s human resources department as soon as possible to avoid delays with your first paycheck. Another thing you’ll probably be introduced to during the onboarding process for your new job is your employer-sponsored retirement account , if the company offers one. Experts we spoke with recommended you set your retirement contribution to 10 percent of your earnings. But a 10 percent contribution right out of the gate might not be the most useful advice for someone in their early 20s, said Sean Gillespie, a CFP and co-founder of Virginia, Va.-based Redeployment Wealth Strategies. “Don’t get stuck on 10 percent. It’s a nice rule-of-thumb number, but it’s a number that can intimidate a lot of young’uns so they won’t save at all,” said Gillespie. He noted new workers with student loan debt might be on a tight budget, so they may not even be able to save a full 10 percent of their salary and cover their bills. “Let’s figure out how to put something away. If you can’t do six percent because you have to eat, let’s start with three percent, and let’s see if we can bump it up one percent next year,” said Gillespie. He added that getting started is more important than the amount you save at first. “Even if it’s like $50 a month, try to establish the habit.” Our   Ultimate Guide to Maximizing your 401(k)  has some awesome advice you can use to make sure you make the most of your retirement account. The experts we interviewed also provided a few tips: Tip #1: Max Out the Match If your employer offers to match your contributions, you should aim to at least maximize the match, advise the experts. Every penny your employer matches can be described as a 100 percent return on your investment up to the match limit. Or you could think of it another way: “This is part of every penny that you’ve been promised as part of this job. If you don’t contribute, you are giving money back to your employer,” said Gillespie. Tip #2: Take Advantage of a Roth New York City-based CFP Sallie Thompson said she advises young workers to contribute to an employer-sponsored Roth 401(k) or Roth Individual Retirement Account (IRA) if they have the option. Contributions to a Roth account are made using after-tax dollars. As a result, you can take out the contributions and earnings tax-free once you reach the eligible retirement age. You may be in a higher tax bracket when you are older and earn a higher salary , so getting taxed now means you may get to keep more of your money. Tip #3: Max Out the Annual Contribution Limit If it’s within your budget, the experts advised maxing out the contribution limits to your retirement accounts. Employee contributions to a 401(k) are capped at $18,500 in 2018. The limit will rise to $19,000 for 2019. Those 50 and older can still contribute up to an additional $6,000 as catch-up contribution. The limit applies to individuals, not accounts, so if you contribute to more than one 401(k), your overall cap in 2018 is $18,500. The limit does not include the employer match. The IRA contribution limit for individuals in 2018 is $5,500. The limit is $6,000 for 2019. Again, the same limit applies if you have more than one IRA. Employers cannot match contributions to traditional or Roth IRAs. Your employer’s benefits package may include a variety of insurance options, including health insurance, life insurance and disability insurance. Taking advantage of what’s offered, but first, evaluate if the plans suit your needs. Tip #1: Opt for an HSA and High-Deductible Health Plan If you have the option to use a   Health Savings Account  (HSA) in combination with a high-deductible health plan, you should, said John Gugle, a Charlotte, N.C.-based CFP. “While you are young and healthy, a high-deductible health plan can save you money in monthly premiums. An HSA is the only investment vehicle that has a triple tax benefit,” said Gugle. The contributions are tax-deductible, the money you invest grows tax-free and any funds you withdraw to cover qualified future health care expenses can be taken out tax-free. “Let this account grow and use cash flow for health care expenses. The longer this account can grow tax-free, the better,” Gugle advised new workers. Thompson echoes this advice and suggested workers aim to use the funds to cover medical expenses in retirement. Thompson recommended workers invest their HSA contributions into good growth mutual funds for the long term. Tip #2: Get Disability Insurance Your employer will likely offer disability insurance. If they don’t, try and find a policy from a private insurer. The coverage is very important to have, as it protects your largest asset: your future income. Disability insurance ensures you can keep paying your bills and put food on the table in the event you become disabled and are unable to work for an extended period of time. MagnifyMoney has a complete guide to disability insurance   here  to help you weigh your options. Tip #3: Consider Term Life Insurance If you choose to get a life insurance policy, Gugle recommended signing up for term life insurance, as opposed to a whole life insurance policy. In a nutshell, term life insurance policies cover a fixed period of time and are generally more affordable for young workers on a tight budget. Whether or not you need   life insurance  at this stage in your life depends on if you have financial dependents. We explain in more detail the major differences between term and whole life insurance   here. When you are designating beneficiaries on your insurance policies, be sure to designate both a primary and contingent beneficiary. “It’s a great time in your life to start a discovery process about what is important to you and the lifestyle you want to build for yourself,” said Kayse Kress, a Bristol, Conn.-based CFP, referring to the first years in the workforce. “By outlining financial goals, you can create an action plan using your money to accomplish those things.” Your goals and when you intend to reach them may change as you go through life, and that’s fine. You can revisit the list annually or how often you deem necessary. Here are a few questions to help you get started with that list: Full-fledged financial planning likely isn’t necessary at this point in your life, since you may not have much in your asset column. However, if you have assets or merely want some guidance, you may want to meet with a financial planner on a one-time or once-a-year basis to help you set appropriate goals and prepare to reach them. The most suggested tip experts shared for new graduates joining the workforce was to master “cash flow management,” or budgeting. “Budgeting is not as painful as people think and actually allows you to spend your money in meaningful ways, while also helping you make sure to live below your means,” Kress said. To get started with basic budgeting, list your monthly expenses and sort them into larger categories. For example, you might label them savings, fixed expenses, flexible expenses and debt. You can automate your savings by having retirement contributions deducted from your paycheck or setting up recurring transfers from your checking account to a   savings account. “I’m a big fan of automating because it makes life so much easier,” said New York City-based financial planner Samuel Deane. “It really takes the stress out of budgeting.” Your fixed expenses are the nonnegotiables, like your rent or mortgage payment, groceries, your car payment and utility bills. The debt category includes required monthly payments on things like student loans and credit cards. The remainder of your monthly expenses would likely fall into the flexible expenses bucket. Flexible expenses are things that are “wants,” like ordering takeout, your subscription payments and Uber rides. The flexible bucket is the first place to start when you need to cut your spending. Once you create your budget , try to stick to it. Monitor how you’re doing so you can make adjustments. Thompson recommended comparing your actual spending with your budgeted figures on a monthly or quarterly basis. Your top savings priority should be setting aside money for an emergency, like losing your job or urgent car repairs you need so you can continue driving to work. These funds serve as cushion so you don’t have to turn to expensive borrowing options. Experts generally recommend saving three to six months’ worth of expenses in a savings account, where you can quickly access the funds when needed. “It should only be used for emergencies. If it goes below the specific amount, it should be replenished,” said Thompson. “Use a payroll deduction to fund this or set up automatic transfer from checking to savings.” A   recent study  by LendingTree, MagnifyMoney’s parent company, found that millennials in the largest 50 U.S. cities carry an average $23,064 in non-mortgage debt. “To get started on your path to financial independence, it is important to start paying down any debt that you have ASAP,” Kress said Paying money toward interest on debt means it may take you longer to reach other financial goals because you have less money to allocate. If you have debt, do your best to tackle it as quickly as possible after fully funding your emergency fund. Using a strategy like the   debt avalanche  or   debt snowball  may help to organize and speed up your debt payoff. In addition, you may be able to save money by consolidating your debt with a   personal loan  or   balance transfer credit card. If you have student loan debt, your first bill may be coming soon, as first payments are often due about six months after graduation. “Without a student loan payment you will feel rich when that paycheck hits your account, and you’ll likely have to urge to splurge,” said Michael Troxell, an Oakland, Calif.-based CFP. “But you may be filled with some regret down the line when you see your student loan bill.” Start preparing to make the payments as early as possible. If you haven’t already received repayment information from your student loan servicer, you can log into the   Federal Student Aid website  to get more information on making payments. You can read more about dealing with education debt in our   ultimate guide to student loans. Establishing good credit early on is key, as a high credit score can help you qualify for new credit at better terms. This is especially important if you ever want to borrow money to buy a home or car. Using a credit card responsibly will help you build good credit. The simple act of paying off your card each month helps you build positive history in the two areas that contribute to about 65% of your FICO credit scoring calculation: on-time payment history (35%) and credit utilization rate (30%). Your credit utilization rate is the amount you use of your total available credit. Using less of your available credit and making consistent, on-time payments demonstrate to creditors you are a responsible borrower who will pay back a loan on time. The habit should help to build your credit score over time, but it’s not the only thing you can do to help increase your score. MagnifyMoney has a few more   credit building tips here in our credit scoring guide. Gillespie suggests those new to the workforce “build the habit of thrift.” That doesn’t mean to shop exclusively at thrift stores, but in a more broad sense, the habit of thrift relates to keeping both your fixed and flexible expenses low. For example, if you have the opportunity to save money by living with a roommate or living with your parents, do it. “Adopt the mentality of minimalist,” said John Pak, a Los Angeles-based CFP. “Build the habit of spotting lower cost options or alternatives. Consume more of what you need and minimize what you want, at least until you start seeing extra money left over each month.” Deane said 20-somethings often make the mistake of believing money is something they should inherently know how to manage, when it isn’t. “You don’t necessarily know as much as you think you do,” Deane said. “You have to make the effort to go out and seek the information,” Deane told MagnifyMoney. To that end, the information is out there. You can apply some of the tips you learn from the internet, books, other people and financial experts to your lifestyle, and see what works for you. Every budgeting strategy doesn’t work for every personality. Try not to get discouraged if you falter a few times before you get the hang of things. Just try to learn from your past mistakes and make changes for the better. This article was originally published by Magnify Money . Reprinted with permission.

Monday, November 18, 2019

Feel good more often Why you should celebrate small wins

Feel good more often Why you should celebrate small wins Feel good more often Why you should celebrate small wins Have you ever noticed how easy it is for us to feel down on ourselves? We generally don’t have a problem feeling guilty about what we perceive as poor performance. Whether the misstep is big or small, punishing oneself seems to come naturally for many. But when it comes to feeling proud about accomplishing something, it is easy to let the moment slip through our fingertips.This discrepancy is a problem, as it decreases our motivation and makes it that much harder to achieve long-term successes.The importance of celebrating small winsCelebrating small wins is an important way to track incremental achievements and work toward much larger goals. Plus, it makes you feel good more often.In a  study  of how everyday life inside organizations can influence a person’s performance, researchers analyzed nearly 12,000 diary entries from 238 employees across seven companies. They found that capturing small wins every day enhances a worker’s motivation. Simply recording progress in some way helps to boost self-confidence and can be put to use toward future successes.How our brain rewards us for these victoriesThere is science behind this thought process too. When you accomplish something, it activates the reward center of our brains, allowing us to feel a sense of pride. Specifically, the  neurochemical dopamine  is released and energizes us with feel-good emotions. This chemical helps you to experience the feeling of getting rewarded, and can hook you on wanting to achieve even more.These modest  behavior changes  set off a positive chain reaction for even bigger developments later on.Small wins to get you startedTo set off the positive domino effect, start by celebrating small wins each day. Listed below are just a few examples of simple ways you can start to think small.1. Straighten up your bed before you leave the houseWhen you complete this simple task, it incites a nice burst of dopamine first thing in the morning. This sparks the  initial feeling of accomplish ment, which is carried throughout the day. The other positive is that your room will be ready for relaxation when you return in the evening.2. Will it take less than two minutes? Check it off nowWhen you are able to cross  minor to-do’s off your list, do it. This basic act can help build momentum and propel you forward to accomplish much larger tasks later on. The other positive is getting that surge of dopamine each time something is crossed off your list, no matter how minor.3. Take time to daydreamTaking time to reflect internally is linked with your emotional well-being. This can help you come up with creative ideas and consolidate memories. As long as the reflection is constructive, it is a small way to have a positive impact.4. Improve your postureIt only takes a moment, but straightening your posture throughout the day can help you feel present and accomplished, whether you are seated at your desk or on the move.Don’t forget to celebrate!Each time you set a small goal lik e the ones listed above, take the time to pause and celebrate when you actually achieve one. You may want to consider some light bragging to mark the achievement, to help reflect on how far you’ve come from the start of a project.Even if they take just 5 to 10 minutes,  small wins  can stack up over time and become significant markers of progress and happiness.This article first appeared on Talkspace.

Sunday, November 17, 2019

How to Hire a Great Executive Assistant

How to Hire a Great Executive Assistant How to Hire a Great Executive Assistant A top-notch executive assistant helps keep an executive's life running smoothly. Perhaps not surprisingly, executive assistant jobs involve a range of important responsibilities, often including managing the boss's calendar, screening calls, scheduling meetings, preparing financial and data reports, and helping to coordinate projects - and this is just a partial list. Exceptional executive assistants do it all. They̢۪re technical whizzes, masters of time management and extraordinary team players who work well with all levels of internal management and staff. In short, an outstanding executive assistant is indispensable to an organization - which is why hiring an executive assistant is so important. What do you need in this vital role? The first step when recruiting for an executive assistant is knowing which skills and attributes are essential to your particular organization - and to you. Look for candidates who possess strong ?software skills, internet research capabilities and advanced proficiency with Microsoft Word, Excel and Outlook. Ideal candidates also should have a working knowledge of database management software, such as Microsoft Access and FileMaker Pro, or other specialized software used by your firm. Because the person interacts with everyone from clients to vendors, an executive assistant should have excellent verbal and written communication skills. An executive assistant is often the go-to person in their boss's absence, so he or she should have good problem-solving and ?leadership ?skills. Since the assistant is sometimes privy to sensitive information, it's essential that this administrative professional can be relied upon to maintain strict confidentiality.? Keys to hiring an executive assistant Of course, knowing what to look for in an executive assistant is one thing. Knowing the best way to hire one is another. Finding a skilled executive assistant requires more time and expertise than most managers think. Consider using a specialized ?professional staffing agency ?to help you find the right person fast. Recruiters have access to a broader range of candidates for executive assistant jobs, can vet applicants more quickly, and can keep you abreast of the latest administrative hiring and compensation trends. START HIRING NOW! Here are more tips on hiring an executive assistant: 1. Pinpoint their duties Be sure to list all the responsibilities in your ?job description that the executive assistant is expected to handle, and be specific. Do you require your executive assistant to give PowerPoint ?presentations or stand in for you at meetings? Will he or she be in charge of managing and training support staff? The job description should serve as the basis for the job posting, so the more detailed you are in writing it, the more effective it will be in attracting the right candidates. 2. Evaluate the candidate as a whole ?When reviewing resumes, look to see if candidates have all the attributes needed for the position. Just because an applicant is an experienced administrative assistant, don't assume he or she has what it takes to transition to an executive assistant role. Both positions share a basic core skill set, but an executive assistant's role requires more initiative, problem-solving and self-discipline. When evaluating candidates for executive assistant jobs, dig deeper for indications of these and other skills by also considering volunteering activities or involvement in professional organizations. 3. Fine-tune your interview questions You can gauge whether a candidate is self-directed enough for an executive assistant position by assessing the way he or she answers thought-provoking questions during the?interview process. Asking someone how he or she would handle an urgent matter if a senior manager couldn't be reached is a way to determine whether the candidate has the problem-solving skills needed for the job. 4. Know what to pay an executive assistant According to the 2019 OfficeTeam Salary Guide, the midpoint salary for an executive assistant in the United States is $53,250. With increasing levels of responsibility come rising salaries. The midpoint salary for a senior executive assistant is $61,250. The salaries listed in the Salary Guide reflect starting pay only and are based on actual placements throughout the United States, as well as an analysis of the demand for the role, the supply of talent and other market conditions. At the midpoint, candidates have average experience with the necessary skills to meet the job requirements, and the role may be in an industry where competition for talent is moderate. Salaries range from city to city. Use our Salary Calculator to find out what executive assistant salaries are offered in your market. Tags

Saturday, November 16, 2019

These are the cities where youre spending more of your money on dates

These are the cities where you're spending more of your money on dates These are the cities where you're spending more of your money on dates Money may not be able to buy you love but it may lead to love if you shell some out on the first few dates. According to new data from Elite Singles,  a typical American date night costs $117 on average. But that’s just the average.So where are the cities where a lot of your paycheck is going towards drinks and apps at a trendy restaurant to impress a potential significant other?The cost of a date in 21 American cities in the U.S. New York, NY: $144 San Francisco, CA: $140 Boston, MA: $130 Honolulu, HI: $129 Miami, Fl: $129 Washington, DC: $128 Los Angeles, CA: $127 New Orleans, LA: $123 Minneapolis, MN: $122 Seattle, WA: $118 Chicago, IL: $117 Philadelphia, PA: $114 Houston, TX: $109 Omaha, NE: $106 Phoenix, AZ: $106 Atlanta, GA $106 Portland, OR: $105 Kansas City, MO: $105 Denver, CO: $103 Salt Lake City, UT: $102 Indianapolis, IN: $100 Not surprisingly New York is the most expensive followed by San Francisco. But rest assured there are other cities in the world more expensive then these two when it comes to being romantic. If you are looking to watch your finances, do not go on a date in Oslo or London as they came in at $170 and $161.Here is how the rest of the world stacks up when it comes to dates. The cost of a date in 25 major global cities Oslo, Norway:  $170 London, UK: $161 New York, USA: $144 Stockholm, Sweden: $123 Tokyo, Japan: $122 Amsterdam, the Netherlands: $116 Paris, France: $114 Sydney, Australia: $113 Toronto, Canada: $109 Auckland, New Zealand: $105 Hong Kong: $104 Berlin, Germany: $101 Seoul, South Korea: $87 Singapore: $85 Barcelona, Spain: $85 Nairobi, Kenya: $74 Rio de Janerio, Brazil: $70 Taipei, Taiwan (ROC): $68 Shanghai, China (PRC): $67 Moscow, Russia: $61 Cape Town, South Africa: $55 Bogot, Colombia: $52 Mexico City, Mexico: $45 Mumbai, India: $35 Istanbul, Turkey: $31

Friday, November 15, 2019

Tips for Aspiring Wireless Network Engineers

Tips for Aspiring Wireless Network Engineers Tips for Aspiring Wireless Network Engineers There are a variety of reasons why wireless network engineers are in demand: The push toward wireless offices and growth of mobile application development, which requires testing mobile apps in a wireless environment, are just a few. Wireless network engineers need these skills If you're interested in becoming a wireless network engineer, strong analytical and problem-solving skills are essential, and you need to be knowledgeable about all aspects of network technology. Possessing a background in wireless equipment, standards, protocols and WLAN design is considered ideal. Candidates also must be strong communicators in order to collaborate successfully with network technicians, vendors and managers. Employers typically look for a bachelor’s degree in computer science, engineering or a related field (or equivalent work experience), plus five or more years in LAN/WAN engineering and design work, including several years specializing in wireless technologies such as Wi-Fi, WiMax and WAP. Professional certifications such as the Certified Wireless Network Professional (CWNP) also are valuable. Typical duties for a wireless network engineer include: Researching, designing and implementing wireless networks, including all engineering specifications and resource requirements for network hardware and software Making recommendations for wireless network optimization, additions and upgrades to meet business requirements Conducting and documenting radio frequency (RF) coverage and site surveys Documenting network infrastructure and design Check out our Salary Guide for pay ranges for wireless network engineers and a variety of IT jobs. This post has been updated to reflect more current information.  

Wednesday, November 13, 2019

These are the most stressful airports in the country

These are the most stressful airports in the country These are the most stressful airports in the country Flying this holiday season? Get ready for some stress as it is a crazy time of year to fly. According to AAA predictions, a record-setting 112.5 million Americans will  travel  during the December holiday season (which is defined as Thursday, December 20, through Sunday, January 6 by the airlines.) This is up 4.4% from last year.However, how your airport experience goes can vary depending on which airport you fly in and out of as some are way more stressful than others.Researchers at  InsureMyTrip did the hard work and found out which airports in the U.S. may give you a mental breakdown the fastest. Here is what they found: LaGuardia Airport, New York Norfolk International, Virginia Charleston AFB/International, South Carolina Greater Rochester International, New York Philadelphia International, Pennsylvania Newark Liberty International, New Jersey Theodore Francis Green State, Rhode Island Ronald Reagan Washington National, Washington, DC Buffalo Niagara International, New York John F. Kennedy International, New York LaGuardia taking the top slot is not terribly surprising (ask any New Yorker who regularly flies in and out of there and they will write you a short novel on all the things wrong with that airport.)    LGA reports the highest percentage of canceled flights (4.9%) so far this year, which doesn’t help.If you are traveling this holiday season keep in mind that flights scheduled for departure between  4-6 pm  are more susceptible to delays and cancellations. If a flight is canceled, most airlines will rebook travelers on the next available flight at no additional charge. However, airlines are not required to reimburse travelers for losses incurred as a result of a canceled flight.As for the worst days to fly, December 26, is predicted to be the busiest while Christmas Eve and Christmas Day are expected to be the lightest travel days, according to AAA.For the rest of the most stressful airports check out the full list here.

Tuesday, November 12, 2019

Humor Makes Meetings Better - The Muse

Humor Makes Meetings Better - The Muse Humor Makes Meetings Better Imagine a world in which meetings were not soul-sucking time blocks that made you want to prick yourself with a thumbtack just to make sure you were still alive and left you feeling like you just wasted an hour of your life. But rather, they were productive sessions that helped push projects forward, created helpful collaborations among colleagues, and were generally fun. Good news: Science says it’s possible. Tell me more, science. Apparently, humor may be the best medicine and the reason that some meetings are more productive than others. According to a recent study from the Journal of Applied Psychology that was covered in Science of Us (worth the full read), meetings laced with jokes and light banter were often more productive than their dull meeting counterparts. The idea is that if people are laughing and genuinely having fun, they’ll be more open to ideas and collaboration. Or, as the author reports: “This fits with the broaden-and-build model of positive states, where a good mood opens us up to other people and different ideas- all useful in a collaborative context.” Now, before you go getting any odd ideas: We aren’t suggesting you turn your next meeting into an amateur hour stand-up comedy event. That would probably produce more cringe-worthy moments than funny ones anyway. Instead, focus on creating open, casual meetings where people feel naturally happy to be there. The obvious way to do this is by working with people you already really like. But if that’s not the case (and we imagine for most of you it’s not), then try something else. For example, only have a meeting if it’s truly necessary. Nothing puts people in a bad mood more than going to a meeting that they already know will be a waste of time. At The Muse, we have weekly standing meetings. But if there is nothing that needs actual discussion or brainstorming from people in a room together, we cancel it and send updates via email, instead, so everyone gets that time back. Or, try something totally different to start your meetings. At a previous company I worked for, we had a Monday morning meeting in which everyone was grumpy and not in a talking mood. So, we created a new rule. Everyone had to bring one short (less than 60 seconds), funny YouTube video to play for the group. It became a badge of honor to bring the funniest video, but more importantly, it put everyone in a much more positive mood. Regardless of what you do, try to lighten up. Meetings will be more fun and productive if you take them a little less seriously. Photo of Wikimedia Commons.

Monday, November 11, 2019

Top Advice on How Many Jobs Should You Put on Your Resume

Top Advice on How Many Jobs Should You Put on Your Resume Removing your graduation dates from your resume can be a sensible move and give a tiny additional anonymity once it comes to your age. Contact information ought to be set on top of your resume. The advice for LinkedIn is, needless to say, the specific opposite. Everything on your resume needs to be accomplishments-driven. The Upside to How Many Jobs Should You Put on Your Resume A five-page word document is a very good goal, but bear in mind that federal resumes generally request 10-years of employment history. A lot of the advice around federal resumes focuses on the value of vital words. Just make sure, whichever format you pick, which you're targeting it for the job which you're applying to. The Long and Short When deciding how long your resume should be, remember that you will need to practice brevity and just include information which is pertinent to the position to which you're applying. Resumes are written dependent on the exercise evaluations. They are tricky it's sometimes difficult to know exactly what to include. In reality, a well-crafted cover letter may make a big difference in getting you hired. Which format you select will depend, in part, on the sort of work you've performed and whether you will continue in the exact field. There's no silver bullet with resumes but adhering to the above mentioned advice about accomplishment statements is an excellent beginning. Eventually you understand that you can't incorporate every detail of every job that you've ever held. The same holds for recent grads. Your job (while most likely trying to locate a job) is to guarantee you match what they're searching for. Every job on your resume will appear more impressive when you could be ready to add numbers. Sort by relevance If you're asking for a sales job, your prior experience for an automobile mechanic isn't the most relevant. It's crucial that you consider how relevant and important older parts of work experience are to the jobs that you are presently searching for. If you think appropriate abilities and experience are the most essential pieces of a resume, think again. There are the hard, industry-specific abilities, in addition to the soft skills which every job demands. In some instances you might have a gap of a month or two or more between leaving a job and receiving a new job. Over half of the military would love to land a federal position at the place where they can continue to use their DOD abilities and abilities, or where they may continue in public support. Complicating the issue, older workers are also outnumbered at work. Next, as a guideline, you would like to continue to keep your work history to the previous ten decades. Too many people believe that they can boost their odds of being hired by applying to more jobs. There are endless skills that you may include on any resume, and you've got to determine which ones will be the very best. Some individuals have had as many as 90 jobs in the last ten years, therefore it only makes sense they're confused and don't understand how many jobs to grow their resume. Studying resumes of individuals who hold, or have held the kind of job that you're pursuing, is also helpful. Especially in the event the employer is searching for a local candidate. Some employers utilize profile systems to move you get through the hiring process. Problem-Solving No matter what the job is, eventually something will fail and employers wish to know that you're capable of finding a speedy and efficient solution. Lots of people assume the sole method to submit an application for a federal job is with USAJOBS.

Sunday, November 10, 2019

The Leaked Secrets to Resume Presentation Uncovered

The Leaked Secrets to Resume Presentation Uncovered Your resume ought to be focused, concise and emphasize achievements and abilities that fit the job that you're applying for. You understand that your resume must stick out from your competition. Therefore, portfolios can be utilized in school, work or for hobbies. Include examples of particular accomplishments from preceding jobs. Also, bear in mind that there's a high probability you resume will be scanned electronically as a growing number of companies utilize special software to index resumes. Don't believe that you've got to list every exam you've ever taken or every activity you've ever been involved in. Microsoft PowerPoint is a highly effective program which may seem intimidating in the beginning. The format you select will be dependent on various factors, including your work history and degree of experience. Employers complain when resumes aren't named to recognize the applicant. Resumes are made to highlight the best side of an individual. For instance, if you're still in school and are seeking your very first job, you might want to skip the work experience section from your CV and set a great deal of focus on your abilities and education. By then, you'll have used Big Interview to prepare and practice so which you can speak about your reasons in a constructive and professional way. If you don't believe you possess a great deal of that, then maybe you should locate a job that is more relevant to your experience. So if you're looking to receive a job ( not only any job, no matter how the job that you want), be certain to do things correct and learn how to make an outstanding resume. Next, if additional study or job experience looks integral to qualifying for employment or field you may desire to pursue, you can develop an interim plan to receive there. Too many candidates make the error of including a thorough job description rather than emphasizing individual contributions. If public speaking is paramount to a single position, you might set the section directly below your work experience section. At the start of your primary interview, state that you've got a resume portfolio to leave with the employer for more review. Specifically, you must be aware of how to answer questions. The very first question is frequently an ice-breaker. For many individuals, the toughest portion of keeping a job is understanding how to appropriately communicate, socialize, and cope in the job environment. In fact, there's not anything wrong with saying you're enthusiastic about getting the job. When it has to do with your resume, you truly can't be too perfect. Ensure your r esume is well-written. Therefore, be certain to sign up only after you're told to achieve that. Sometimes you need to do what you could to get noticed. Ok, I Think I Understand Resume Presentation, Now Tell Me About Resume Presentation! The plan is still organized and simple to read a terrific instance of balancing creativity with readability. If you're on the lookout for PowerPoint resume templates, Envato Elements ought to be your very first stop. When you own a presentation on career-related theme, you will be sure to require related visuals. In case you have any comments or suggestions please don't hesitate to get in touch with us. Look at never to attempt to obtain a congrats if you're unemployed. Additionally, the unusual layout enables the information to stand out well while still keeping a skilled and organized appearance. Due to its simplicity, it is simple to customize the template to your requirements. The 5-Minute Rule for Resume Presentation In addition, the custom fonts add an extremely nice, original touch to the whole design. So, PowerPoint should become your option. If you're on the lookout for a simple resume, the Banoe template is a significant option. The template also includes over 5000 slides that you are able to use to make an attractive resume. LiveCareer's Resume Builder provides a number of document templates and tools which will help you organize your info in a sleek, professional fashion that adheres to professional small business standards. It's always preferable to make a new email addr ess that's somewhat professional. It is impossible to have a whole CV that hasn't got a personal information section at the very top.

Saturday, November 9, 2019

What You Must Know About Sign up Template

What You Must Know About Sign up Template It's possible to create the sort of sheet which will help you to stay organized and that will permit you to understand just who showed up. Usually a signup sheet is extremely easy and there's nothing much to do about it. It should be very organized. Whether you will supply the signup sheet free of charge or at a cost you will require a good one for your specific need. It is essential that prospective pages understand they are supposed to conduct themselves in an adult fashion and ought to always be on their very best behavior since they are representing their delegates, families, and schools. Sign in sheets are extremely important for practically any gathering in order to keep a watch out for the quantity of participants or count the extra number of folks making an appearance at the occasion. A signup sheet is a sheet where folks sign to allow the organizers or others know they are a part of an event or they're agreeing to participat e in something. Printable sign-up sheets give you a terrific method to bring in interest for something which you're going to plan or organize. You will need to demonstrate that you've taken reasonable actions to fulfill the needs of the new law. No setting up or downloading of software is needed for using such a technique of getting a form. Start by picking the security or sign template you will need. You should think about downloading the ideal sign in template to create the formulation easy. A very helpful way to keep in mind the order in which flats and sharps are added to an important signature is to recognize they're the reverse of one another. Our in depth collection of construction signs is proper for a number of needs. A vital signature is composed of sharps or flats, not a mixture of the two. Our construction signs are created from the best materials around, so you may rest assured knowing your investment will endure for a lengthy time. The psd is high quality a nd you'll be able to alter yo your requirements. There are twelve different sign in sheet templates readily available, so odds are you will be in a position to find one which meets your requirements. Two clever new products are designed to ease the use of cor-plastic for indoor signs. Please Sign In is not difficult to use. Each sign was left blank, so that you may write the message that you would like to say. Know What Kind of Signs that You Want to Make before you get started making them, you wish to get an idea as to what sort of information you desire the sign you're going to make is equipped to convey. In contrast to other sorts of signage, construction signs must be in a position to convey a message instantaneously. Reserved signs are typical signs you will notice in parking areas and restaurants. 4,134 signs and placards that you may download and print. Non normal signs are a specific challenge. The Characteristics of Sign up Template Possessing the agreement in writing will be able to help you avoid issues and help your proxy remember precisely what your stance is on each important matter. If you're utilizing the sign in template for an event, be sure you get the absolute most out of the information that you're gathering. In the event the template isn't in the right format there is not any value of using it. Add a customized logo, title to cover page and also customize the entire template according to your requirements. Creating Sign In Sheet Templates is not anywhere near as difficult as they once utilized to be. The templates are offered in Microsoft Word so that y ou don't have to be worried about the formats. Their template is fast to create with a few easy clicks. Friend class templates have to be defined outside the class template in which they're declared. The eye-catching flat design will increase the whole look of the plan template. Three main kinds of templates are most popularly utilized. There are plenty of templates that could be used for presenting your details. Check out these totally free join sheet templates for personal or company usage.

Friday, November 8, 2019

Top Resume Summary Examples for Customer Service Choices

Top Resume Summary Examples for Customer Service Choices If you're on the lookout for a position in customer assistance, whether it's at a call center or face-to-face, use our absolutely free customer service resume sample that will help you land an interview ASAP. To compose the objection section of a customer service resume, you want to figure out the key tasks to be done at work. A top quality sample customer service resume will incorporate numerous suitable key terms and phrases that could contain phrases like customer satisfaction, customer retention, processes or efficiency, based on the particular job. Providing specific examples may make it possible for a possible employer to relate the applicant's work experience to possible small business needs inside their company,'' Stetson states. Lesson Summary Customer service goals are specific targets and guidelines a provider puts into place to guarantee each customer is pleased with the services the business provides. Customers ought to be kept updated and informed about your services. Feedback from customers is essential to measuring customer service targets. What to Expect From Resume Summary Examples for Customer Service? There are a lot of soft skills you should cultivate if you intend on working in customer support. Since you're going to learn how to create a kickass customer service resume. When a customer arrives to you to resolve an issue, you have to have the issue solving skills essential to effectively handle the issue available, regardless of what it is. Committed to remain constantly mindful of customer should make sure a secure and secure shopping atmosphere. The target of a resume headline is to sum up your abilities and experience into a brief phrase that will stick out and show the possible emp loyer exactly what you've got to offer you. If you can't consider anything whatsoever, it may be advisable to try out a career objective, that is the go-to intro for people joining the workforce. An excellent career summary is basically a glimpse of your skill set and the value it's possible to bring to your possible employer. Finally, it focuses on your ability to offer value to the company. The Lost Secret of Resume Summary Examples for Customer Service You're going to compose a resume summary which gets many more interviews. As stated above, a career summary isn't a career objective. A great career summary is a significant portion of the career summary for the reason that it adds depth and clarity to your resume. Ultimately, you must remember to proofread your career summary like the remainder of your resume. The resume summary section isn't something which you're able to sit down and begin writing. Unfortunately, not all summaries do what they're supposed to do. Whilst you write your summary for your resume, attempt to consider what you want them to discuss with you, and what exactly you desire an opportunity to discuss. Don't forget to customize to the position you're applying for. Due to the immense number of applicants in today's job market, the great majority of companies utilize ATS to scan resumes until they reach a hiring manager. You have to tailor your resume to the work offer. The examples are for different job positions to provide you with a clearer idea of the way to tailor it not only for the work position but in addition the business. 1 tip in earning a questionnaire better is to make it even more engaging to the clients. Resume samples are a beneficial means to direct your own writing. A sample will be able to help you decide what type of content you should incl ude, together with how to format your resume.

Thursday, November 7, 2019

The Importance of Fine Dining Server Resume

The Importance of Fine Dining Server Resume The Honest to Goodness Truth on Fine Dining Server Resume Servers also finish a wide variety of other job duties too. They should also be prepared to accurately answer questions about the menu and restaurant. They need to carry awkward and sometimes heavy loads without spilling. Fine Dining Servers work to supply exceptional levels of consumer satisfaction. Let's look at Server resumes and how you're able to make yours shine! Restaurants can become very busy, very quickly, and a superb server must have the ability to keep up. If you wish to apply as a restaurant server, you can utilize ourA Sample ResumesA and utilize it like a guide in making your own. Some banquets servers might have to take orders for each table, in case there are several meal choices. A Restaurant General Manager works to be sure the success of the company. Restaurant server job description may also consist of many distinctive duties, which might depend on type of restaurant in which they're employed. If you wish to employ a Restaurant Server for your restaurant, you can take a look at the work description given below to get a better idea. To start with, it is contingent on the restaurant you're working in. Our resume builder makes it simple to create an in a few minutes. There're prepared for obtain, if you love and would like to own it, click save badge on the post, and it'll be immediately saved to your house computer. A restaurant server might be a guy or a woman, as it's a gender-neutral term. Use the search box to find precisely what you are seeking. What You Should Do to Find Out About Fine Dining Server Resume Before You're Left Behind Employed as a fine dining server at a fine dining restaurant is not merely a job, it is a career that may lead to competitive wages and advantages. To work in a fine dining establishment, you must be exceedingly knowledgeable regarding the restaurant and all it offers, along with give exceptional support. A restaurant server is somebody who serves food and beverages to the customers that arrive at the restaurant. It is a representative of the brand of the restaurant and needs to make sure that the reputation of the restaurant does not get tainted. The Rise of Fine Dining Server Resume You play an extremely important purpose of ensuring all customers have a good dining experience. Ev en though a basic serving job is fairly simple to find, servers who need to work in nicer restaurants want in order to demonstrate their abilities and experience. You are going to be working with different servers and the cooking staff to make a huge dining experience. Next up is Kenny, that has been working in restaurants for over 12 decades, and would like to revise his resume to take advantage of chances to step up. How did your job duties help or increase the organization's capacity to work. If want to get the job, you're likely to need to deliver. You could still receive the job. You're so ready for your very first job for a phelbotomist! The Truth About Fine Dining Server Resume Without the correct abilities, no restaurant manager is likely to seriously consider you. Proofread the place to make sure that you haven't misspelled anything. To make a productive objective for the server resume is to understand what the employer is searching for in the most suitable perso n for the position. List all abilities and obligations you had at the restaurant, however small they seem. You have to be a fine-dining expert and client relations professional. You ought to know the business from the bottom up. The fine dining sector is just one of the absolute most formal industries one can look for a position in. Each business and profession has specific keyword phrases. Being in the service business is hard, especially if you're required to do tasks at the very same time, which often happens mostly as soon as the restaurant is full and the quantity of servers isn't appropriate with the variety of people they serve. In some instances, you can contain things apart from direct work experience on a server resume. In a fast-paced restaurant, the server may be alternately switching a number of hats during her or his shift. The restaurant server may encounter different types of consumers and have to be capable of handling all situations spontaneously. All regulatory requirements also have to be implemented and followed in any way times. Keep reading to learn which sample applies to you most and why you need to use it as you construct your own resume. OurA Food Service Resume SamplesA can supply you with examples and templates which you could use as a guide in creating the resume that you should pass to your intended restaurant. Under most conditions your request is going to be granted although a fee could be involved.