Thursday, May 28, 2020

New Feature Show associations on the Detail Pages

New Feature Show associations on the Detail Pages So, this is kind of embarrassing to write because I should have been writing this like seven years ago.  But here we are.  There is a feature we released Monday night that is awesome.  It is simple: we are showing you the relationships between a Log Entry (and/or Action Item) and anything you associate it to. For example, in the images below you can see two Log Entries.  They have a title (bold), the comments/body (below the title), and in the blu box it shows the associations: Lets say you go to a panel interview.  You create a Log Entry and associate it to the four people that were on the panel, the one company, and the job you interviewed for.  Just for fun, lets also associate it to the recruiter who you are working with and his firm.  That is: 5 People 2 Companies 1 Job After you create the Action Item and associate it to those eight records, youll see those eight records in the blue area under your Log Entry, on any of those page.  In other words, if you go to Company Detail Page youll see it from there.  If you go to the recruiters Detail Page, youll see the Log Entry and the other associations. I know, I know, its about time. That is the feature.  The benefit to you is that you can easily see how a conversation, communication, event, etc. impacted other people, companies, jobs. Just wait to see what we have NEXT! New Feature Show associations on the Detail Pages So, this is kind of embarrassing to write because I should have been writing this like seven years ago.  But here we are.  There is a feature we released Monday night that is awesome.  It is simple: we are showing you the relationships between a Log Entry (and/or Action Item) and anything you associate it to. For example, in the images below you can see two Log Entries.  They have a title (bold), the comments/body (below the title), and in the blu box it shows the associations: Lets say you go to a panel interview.  You create a Log Entry and associate it to the four people that were on the panel, the one company, and the job you interviewed for.  Just for fun, lets also associate it to the recruiter who you are working with and his firm.  That is: 5 People 2 Companies 1 Job After you create the Action Item and associate it to those eight records, youll see those eight records in the blue area under your Log Entry, on any of those page.  In other words, if you go to Company Detail Page youll see it from there.  If you go to the recruiters Detail Page, youll see the Log Entry and the other associations. I know, I know, its about time. That is the feature.  The benefit to you is that you can easily see how a conversation, communication, event, etc. impacted other people, companies, jobs. Just wait to see what we have NEXT!

Monday, May 25, 2020

5 Career Lessons You Should Know To Get Your Dream Job

5 Career Lessons You Should Know To Get Your Dream Job Dream Job = Love your Job + You get paid. Image courtesy of FreeDigitalPhotos.net In the competitive world of businesses, advancing your career is a difficult phase. Everyone has the desire to step up to the next level of their careers. However, not all of us succeed. To be successful in your chosen field, you have to do a consistently good job in the workplace. But making the next big move is another thing. If you dont want to stay in the same place forever, it is time to take that big leap of faith to greater heights. To get you ahead in your career, here are 5 Career Lessons  you can practice to get your dream job:  1. Move towards your professional future. “The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams.” -Eleanor Roosevelt Working professionals have their own dreams or goals in their respective careers. Some of us try everything to achieve those goals, while others are trying to attract their goals without taking much action. Your career success depends on how youre going to draw your goals closer to you. Whatever your strategies are, your main goal should be moving towards it. To get promoted at work is not easy because there are a lot of roadblocks. But if you are determined to succeed, you have to work hard and put extra energy and effort into that manifestation. To make your dreams come true, you have to remove the distance between where you are and where you want to be.  2. Seek out opportunities where you can serve more. It’s not what you achieve, it’s what you overcome. That’s what defines your career. -Carlton Fisk Volunteering means serving and working towards something that falls outside of your duties in the workplace. In reality, some employees are not active in doing volunteering works. They believe that they are already busy with their workload, so doing other peoples jobs or helping them seems impossible to do. A successful person doesnt think this way. If you are after a promotion or career growth, you must be ready for more responsibilities and you should seek out more opportunities. Never stop learning. If you fail many times, dont hesitate to get up and try it again. It is not what you have accomplished that defines how effective you are in your field, it is the experience that taught you how to improve yourself.  3. Always look for creative solutions. Do not be too timid and squeamish about your actions. All life is an experiment. -Ralph Waldo Emerson Become an innovative leader. In any workplace, only few people are effective in being innovators because only few have the courage to have a vision for change. To get the promotion that you want, you have to possess the leadership skills needed. To implement innovation in your career, you have to learn how to think inside and outside the box. You must know how to follow or when to break the rules in order to become productive at work. In a business environment, leadership and creative problem-solving skills are significant in chasing excellence.  4. Find a mentor “Keep away from people who try to belittle your ambitions. Small people always do that, but the really great make you feel that you too can become great. Mark Twain Having a mentor is definitely a must. Most successful people have their own mentors. Believe it or not, those who guide them throughout their careers are one of the reasons they succeed. You need great sources of information and career guidance in making decisions. And you only learn this from well-experienced and trained mentors in your workplace.  5. Success is a common side effect of a motivated worker. “Desire! That’s the one secret of every man’s career. Not education. Not being born with hidden talents. Desire.” -Johnny Carson Appreciate your job and always try to do your best to succeed. If you have the right work attitude, it guarantees reward. Be positive at all times; even when you dont feel like it, because it will greatly affect your drive to succeed in what you do. Author Bio:  Candace Meyer works for an essay writing website au. She is a blogger, photographer, and traveler. Shes fond of books and writing good articles, stories, and poems. To know more about her, visit her Sweet Candace and follow her on  google+. 25

Thursday, May 21, 2020

How to Leave Your Job with Dignity

How to Leave Your Job with Dignity Throughout your professional life, there will come a time when you have to leave a job. It can be a mix of emotions you may be sad to leave a place youve been for years, or you could be excited for a new experience and opportunity however its always crucial that you leave that position with dignity. You can try and anger everyone youve worked with, and leave with a bad reputation, but that will only go on to damage your future prospects. Whenever leaving a job, try to make the transition as clean and as easy as possible by being a true professional, by following these 5 steps: 1) Give your notice early and professionally: When quitting from a position, handing your notice in can be one of the most nerve-wracking experiences. Your mind  will be filled with all the possible outcomes, and youll feel like youre letting people down. However, if you resign as early as possible, and in an extremely professional and courteous manner, there will be nothing to worry about. Be honest to your boss, and tell them why youre moving on, and give them the time needed to find a person to replace you in your role. Everything will work out perfectly. 2) Be positive: Everyone has ups and downs throughout anything in life, and the same can be said for your work. There are always set backs, and knock-downs, but take some time to sit down and look back at all the positive moments of your job did you get to go an amazing event? Did you learn a new skill? Have you made a bunch of new friends in your team mates? Dont dwell on the negatives, but celebrate the positives! 3) Work your notice period properly: Once youve let everyone know that youre off to pastures new, you may feel inclined to switch off mentally and just see your time out. However, that wont help yourself (as youll become bored), and it certainly wont help your company. Use your notice period to ensure you wrap up any communication with your clients (and to pass all responsibilities onto the new individual), and why not impart wisdom onto your team mates through some brain storm sessions? You may have knowledge which they have been wanting  to gain, and now is the perfect time! 4) Say thank you: Over the years, there will be a large number of people who have helped you get to where you are now and its important to be grateful. Ensure you send thank you messages to any clients youre worked with, and get a thank you card for your employer. Say your thanks clearly, and outline what youve gained from your position. 5) Celebrate in style: In your final days, organise a leaving drinks with your colleagues to celebrate the time youve spent in their company. Why not make an evening of it and talk about your memories? There is nothing wrong with celebrating something positive youve done, and showing that youve enjoyed your position is the best way. Once youre done, leave the office with a smile on your face and a spring in your step ready for your next adventure!

Sunday, May 17, 2020

10 Simple Ways to Welcome a New Recruit in Week 1

10 Simple Ways to Welcome a New Recruit in Week 1 Youve got a new person  joining the company hooray! Securing new talent to any business is no mean feat; good candidates are often spoilt with choice and snapped up quickly. When your new hire  walks through that  door on day one,  its no time to become complacent or rest on your laurels. Just because they have resigned and showed up to work, does not mean theyll stick around for the long haul like youd hoped. If the role, company and environment fails to live up to what was promised to them, theyre at high risk of backing out.  Its the stuff of third party recruiters nightmares, and should be a huge fear for HR / internal talent functions too.  To avoid a situation where the new person feels compelled to leave their brand new role, here are 10 things you must do in their first week: 1. Take them for coffee Its so simple, but so effective. As the new recruits direct line manager, you should definitely take them for a coffee on their first day. Let them be overwhelmed by glaring eyes, new names and login details for the first few hours of the day, then whisk them away to a comfortable coffee shop nearby and give them a proper welcome / introduction. 2. Organise a  team social Help your new recruit slip seamlessly into the team by organising a social event with the team, to help them bond early on in the piece. Making sure existing staff members feel comfortable with the new hire is  important soeveryone feels encouraged to help one another moving forward. 3. Send an introductory email Especially if you work in a large company, its important to alert people to the fact there is a new person, and help put a face to their name. If you send an email welcoming to the company, often it will act as a conversation starter for other people in the business as they bump into the new recruit. 4.  Make physical introductions Identifying key people in the business your new recruit should know of and organising a time for a quick catch up is extremely important. It will make the new person feel more comfortable early on and wont have to waste time trying to figure out who does exactly what. 5.  Give a proper tour of the building Its amazing how some of this general administrative stuff gets postponed to the point of never happening. Make sure you take the time to walk your new recruit around the office and building so they know where the bathrooms are, showers (if you have one), lunch and tea rooms, and social spaces. Dont just assume theyll pick it up. 6.  Give them stationery really Handing them a brand new notepad, packet of pens, calendar, diary and other supplies is a simple way of saying, were ready for you! 7.  Have the team present a market update Get the team to prepare an overview of the current state of things in the market. Having individual team members present on their current focus, pipeline  and goals will help the new recruit have a holistic view of the department they sit / work in. 8. Outline hours of work / immediate expectations Be straight up with your new recruit to let them know whats expected of them in the near future. Outlining and reiterating simple things like work hours, lunch allowances etc (if not stipulated clearly in the contract)will help them feel at ease knowing theyre doing the right thing. Also explaining work-wise what you hope to see form them early on will help them have an idea of what they should be striving for in the early days, and know that they have been given time to settle in before having their performance measured. 9.  Create a target roadmap Further  to explaining more immediate details of the expectations upon them, outlining what the next few months to a year should look like for them will also help them  feel like they have a proper place in the business and will help them visualise their own success in the role, driving them to aim high. 10.  Hold a recap meeting Get together with your new recruit at the end of their first week and have a review.  Letting them know its a safe environment to reveal any initial concerns will allow you to appease them before they head home for the weekend, and end on a good note. Likewise, celebrating small wins and exciting moments of their first week will have them leave the office feeling on top of things and comfortable with their first week in their new job. Dont let the first week overwhelm your new recruit in a negative way.  Doing the above things instead of letting them simply fend for themselves will  give them a stress-free introduction to their new career with your company and hopefully its a long one!

Thursday, May 14, 2020

4 Skills to Develop to be Successful in The Second Half of Your Life - Career Pivot

4 Skills to Develop to be Successful in The Second Half of Your Life - Career Pivot Skills to Develop to be Successful in The Second Half of Your Life Self-improvement, growth, and development should never stop. Regardless of your age, you need to find a way to keep learning, acquiring knowledge, and keeping up the pace with the world that’s changing around you. The second half of your life isn’t supposed to be passive anymore. On the contrary, retiring at 65 is no longer the norm. Whether you do it for financial reasons or personal fulfillment, you will likely work beyond that age. The challenge is that we are in a time of technological revolution. Exciting, world-changing developments are coming at a rapid pace. Remaining marketable means picking up new skills quickly. The question is, which skills in particular? Let’s break it down together and see what skills you need to develop to stay in the game. 1. Social Media Did you know that there are more than 2.8 billion social media users worldwide? Half of the world is actively using social media platforms to communicate, self-advertise, network, gather information, and keep up with the trending topics. Whether you like them or not, you can’t escape them. Basic social media skills include: creating an account setting it up and making it unique following brands you care for communicating via messages creating and publishing posts Also, social media is a way of self-advertising. You can show: who you are what you do what you have to offer Without it, you can’t go very far in the personal or in professional spheres. Keep up with the rest of the world and learn how to use social media for all of the above purposes. Listen to the most recent episode 2. Communication and Collaboration Technologies Everything is changing and that includes the way teams communicate and collaborate. Today, most business communication is done via apps and new technologies like online workspaces. For example, many team use apps such as: Trello Asana Basecamp Skype These are just a few examples. Each of the apps has something special to offer and you can use most of them to: make notes organize schedules collaborate with colleagues keep everything in order By mastering the skills of communication and collaboration, you’re becoming a desirable member of any team. Also, you are increasing your chances of becoming an appreciated member of the business community. Make sure you master a few of these to boost your resume and make your working hours more productive and organized. 3. Google Typing something in the Google search box and reading the first result that pops-up is not considered a great Google research skill. To use Google properly, you need to learn how to find reliable information online. “Nowadays, all the answers can be found on Google. You just need to know how to find them. That’s why it’s so important to master the skill of googling,” says Donald Major, a digital marketing specialist and a writer at Top Writers Review. Here’s what you should know: recognize which sources are reliable and which are not how to fact check claims made by website owners how to use natural language and voice search to get the information you need The only way to improve your Google search skills is to practice. Over time, you’ll learn which sources to trust, and where to look for certain information. These skills will help you stay well-informed and adopt credible information that is worth remembering and sharing. You’ll be able to expand your knowledge and work on your self-improvement simultaneously. 4. Networking Making the right connection is crucial for your success in the second half of your life. You may be thinking you are too old to approach younger and more successful people, or you are afraid you’ll be rejected because of your age. However, networking isn’t about how old are you. It’s about what you have to offer. Therefore, make sure to: create a LinkedIn profile and start connecting go to seminars and workshops volunteer surround yourself with the energy you’re looking for Don’t self-segregate. Volunteering for an election campaign could be a great opportunity to acquire new skills and make new contacts while also being a responsible citizen. You don’t have to wait for the 2020 presidential election. You can join one of the teams during the gubernatorial elections, state legislative elections or numerous citizen initiatives, mayoral races, and a variety of other local elections that will occur this fall. Nothing is stopping you from doing what you strive for and what’s going to make you happy. You can even start a successful business by sharing the experience with young people, as the U.S. personal coaching industry is expected to grow around 5% a year by 2022 (according to a Market Research report). Final Thoughts Just because you’re in the second half of your life doesn’t mean you should stop learning or give up on self-improvement. You’ve still got things to learn and places to be, so go for it. Use the advice above and master the skills we’ve listed. You’ll feel more self-confident and ready to face any challenge that comes your way. This post was written by Sylvia Giltner. Silvia is an HR manager and content writer at Resumes Centre. She helps people to write the perfect resume and land a desirable job. She is also an active guest contributor. Sylvia’s writing has been featured onForbes,Next Avenue,TLNTand more. Like what you just read? Share it with your friends using the buttons above. Like What You Read? 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Sunday, May 10, 2020

Youve Got One Chance to Make a Good First Day Impression

You’ve Got One Chance to Make a Good First Day Impression Millennials are known as job hoppers, and rightfully so. A recent Gallup poll revealed that 60 percent of Millennials are open to new job opportunities, and another report showed that on average, Millennials will change jobs four times by age 32. Certainly, with numbers like this, you might expect Millennials to be pros when it comes to making a great first impression on the new job and slaying their first-day jitters. “Actually that’s not the case,” says Sharon Schweitzer, an Austin, Texas-based business etiquette and cross-cultural trainer and founder of Protocol Etiquette Worldwide. “Some of the most common questions we get are: Is there something I can do to standout on my first day? Should I wear a suit on day one? Should I correct a co-worker or manager if I see a mistake or will I come across as a know-it-all?” Schweitzer says to make a strong first impression and put nerves at ease, there are five things that all new employees need to focus on. 1 Do Your Research and Absorb Company Culture As you would in any new venture, you find out what you’re walking into before you get there. There are certain things you can pick up through the interview process, by asking questions, and through your intuition, but do your own research ahead of time. “Before you start the first day, read and absorb everything you can find about company culture,” Schweitzer says.?“This includes social media postings, websites, employer profiles, any annual reports, and printed material. Study the leadership team and read about your new colleagues and supervisor on LinkedIn. Your purpose is to gain as much insight as possible before you walk through the door. 2 Arrive Early Showing up late for work any day is never a good idea, but it sends a critical message on your first day. Regardless of the circumstances, it conveys poor time management skills and hints that you don’t take the job seriously, even if that’s not the case. “Being on time is especially important on the first day, but arriving a few minutes early sends a clear message that you are motivated and ready to work,” Schweitzer said. “Take this time to familiarize yourself with your new surroundings and get comfortable.” 3 Dress and Groom for Success You may be the smartest and best employee in the building, but if you don’t look the part, nobody is going to take you seriously. Pay extra attention to your clothing and grooming. “Prepare your first-day outfit based on company culture and the job you seek, not the position you were hired to fill,” Schweitzer says. “In addition, have your wardrobe prepared for the entire first week in advance. Polish and repair shoes, and tailor, hem, or repair clothing. Iron, launder, and dry-clean dresses, shirts, and suits. Stock up on missing sundries. This doesn’t require going into thousands of dollars of debt, but a polished first impression will last long after your first day.” In addition, she recommends a hair trim, clean buffed nails, and clean teeth. A shower goes without saying, and skip the cologne. 4 Come Prepared When you were attending school, you showed up to the first day of class with the basics: pens, paper, books, etc. Your first day on the new job is no different. “Depending on company culture, bring both an electronic and traditional paper tablet in professional business cases,” Schweitzer says. “You may be ushered into training or ameeting immediately upon arrival. Avoid appearing hapless on day one with nothing for note taking. Do you want to send the message that theres nothing important the company can share with you?” 5 An Attitude of Gratitude Goes a Long Way You were the chosen one from what was quite possibly a large pool of qualified candidates, so be grateful for the new role and opportunity. “Remember that as the newly-hired employee, you have a lot to learn,” Schweitzer says. “Ask questions, listen closely, and be ready to receive constructive criticism. Don’t take anything personally; instead, respond to all critiques with a gracious, ‘Thank you.’” Speaking of thank you, Schweitzer also advises that you send a quick note of gratitude to those who helped you navigate your first day. It demonstrates that you’re glad to be part of the team. Join Dana Manciagli’s Job Search Master Class ® now and get the most comprehensive job search system available!

Friday, May 8, 2020

My Favorite Things Erins Picks - When I Grow Up

My Favorite Things Erins Picks - When I Grow Up This is a brand-new series I like to call My Favorite Things, based on the popularity of the posts where I list my favorite people and products/platforms. Now Im currently sharing a room with my friend Erin at WDS, but she sent over her favorite things to share with you. As a professional photographer, a co-owner of a social media production company and as Your Blog Doctor, I know shes gonna have a ton of gems up her sleeve. Enjoy! My Favorite Things by From Small Things Im Your Blog Doctor so when I say Ive heard a lot of blogging sob stories, you know its true. Designers who never respond, graphics that wont load. And there you are stuck with a site that only kind of works for your business and your brand. You might be creating epic content everyday, but WordPress is blocking you at every turn. Honey, Im here to help. Below is a list of my not-so top secret ESSENTIAL WordPress plugins that can help you run your blog and business more effectively. These are the ones I recommend to all of my clients. Theyre little things that can have a big impact. Some of them might even make running your website a little fun so dont say I didnt warn you. Backup Buddy / Sucuri I have a confession. Before I was Your Blog Doctor, I ran a  WordPress  website that crashed. I wasnt backing the site up and I had to recreate everything from old files that were missing lots of important stuff. I learned the ultra-hard way that having an easy-to-restore backup is as good as money in the bank. Backup Buddy is a premium plugin and in my mind its the best blog backup solution fullstop. Sucuri is a sort of companion service. For a small fee, they will scan your site as often as you want for malicious code (hackers!) and if they find any they will fix it for you as well! And they do it fast.  WordPress  is a fast-growing target for all sorts of nasty people and with these two plugins in my corner, I dont have to worry. Tweetily Im so glad someone made this plugin because it solves multiple problems at once. You set it up to randomly tweet out old content to drive new traffic to your site. You get fresh new tweets and your audience sees articles that they may have missed the first time around! Automation is amazing. WordPress Ping Optimizer Im going to get technical here, but dont freak out.  WordPress  has this wonderful built-in feature called pinging. Basically every time you update your site it sends out a little beacon to let search engines and indexes know that Hey, something new is here! Used properly it can help boost your search rankings. Unfortunately, its rarely used properly. The default WordPress setting means your site is spamming pinging services every single time you update, schedule or publish a post. This can get you banned from pinging services.  WordPress  Ping Optimizer allows you to change that so you only flag search engines on a schedule you set AND lets you specify tons more services to ping so you rank faster. Digg Digg Social Bar There are tons of social share bars out there, and Ive tried them all. This is my newest favorite by the folks who made the Buffer app (which you should also be using.) Its fully customizable and includes buttons for everything that can be turned on or off. Awesomesauce. Gravity Forms If youre running an online business, dont mess around with free contact forms. Gravity Forms, another premium plugin, is easy-to-use but full-featured as well. They also offer Paypal integration so selling off your site has never been easier. Scribe SEO This is a new, premium plugin that Ive been test driving lately and have really come to depend on. The main problem with SEO is that its a ton of work. Researching keywords doesnt necessarily tell you how to implement them in a way to get your articles noticed. Scribe is SEO that is a part of your writing and editing workflow. Its not a cheap service, but if youre trying to build an audience and links to your content, definitely give it a look. Your Blog Doctor is Erin Wigger. I have been building web sites since the dark ages of the internet. In 1993 you could find me running up my parents’ Compuserve bill and teaching myself HTML on a 386 Pentium computer. I have produced web sites for Microsoft and Expedia.com, among others.  I have designed and built WordPress themes for the past five years for fun and profit. As a  professional photographer, I’m uniquely attuned to the needs of creative clients and their businesses.  You shouldnt have to do it all by your lonesome. If youre stuck on what comes next, try a Triage Session to identify what your brand and business needs content plans, social media strategy, video lessons, usability or SEO and lay out a plan to get you there.  Want to know more?  Get in touch!