Journal of Office Workers
Archive for October 2, 2014
Workplace Wellness
Originally posted on Yogi ~ Foodie:
I wrote this post for my company’s blog back in July. As it applies to so many of us, I thought it would be helpful to share here as well. After all, we do spend the majority of our lives at work. Why not feel good and enjoy it while we’re at it?
Have you ever found yourself reaching for that extra cup of coffee to help you make a deadline or mentally kicking yourself for not getting enough sleep the night before? Although sleep deprivation is commonly known to negatively impact workplace productivity, many people don’t think about the affect of diet and exercise. Recent studies have shown that inadequate nourishment can cut productivity by up to 20%. What we put into our bodies impacts mental clarity, energy and stamina. If you think about it, what would an athlete eat to stay at the top of his game? Most…
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artistry cafe, bugis
Originally posted on andmorefood:
great tiny little cafe just on the edge of the trendy haji lane vicinity – guys, you have no idea how long I’ve wanted to come here. out of the slew of cafes that popped up in the initial mushrooming (now it’s like a never-ending landslide of such spaces), this one caught my eye with all the positive reviews.
but I had to wait until the hype ended (and then some) before I managed to swing by, and it, well, is decent. the food is decent, the portions are decent, and there’s a chocolate peanut butter cake. definitely visit-able.
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Can you buy happiness with money?
Originally posted on Spectra of Life:
Recently, my colleagues and I had a lunch conversation on his latest discovery of an online store that you can buy practically everything. This conversation experienced a change of topic when someone in our group mentioned “You can’t buy everything as you can’t buy happiness.” The person on the other side, however, think that you can indeed buy happiness in getting things that you truly loves and need.
The idea of happiness – a matter of spending on basic needs
In my opinion, spending money on basic needs does give you happiness when they are fulfilled. Needs are things like shelter, food, clothes and other daily necessity that you require. Therefore, money does make a difference in the happiness index for poorer countries. No doubt that without food and shelter, most likely discomfort and stress can be felt. This can be easily explained using Maslow’s hierarchy of needs as shown below:
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What To Do When Your Interview Isn’t Going Well
We all hope for the best when walking into an interview, but that doesn’t always happen.
Related: 5 Ways To Ease Your Nerves Before A Job Interview
It may be something from your end: arriving late, not making the right connection, or blurting out something that was better off left out, or it may be something from the interviewer’s end: the interviewer doing too much talking, asking irrelevant questions, or jumping out of the interview mid-course due to a sudden emergency.
Whatever the case, don’t get down in the dumps. When your interview isn’t going well, keep these tips in mind:
Lateness
Even people who prepare and travel well in advance of an appointment come across unexpected situations. If you’re going to run late, put in a call to the interviewer to apologize and inform them when you are expected to arrive. There’s not much you can do about the situation, but the interviewer will appreciate you taking responsibility by calling to apologize in advance and notifying them of your expected lateness.
Inexperienced Interviewer
Some interviewers don’t have the experience and don’t know what to ask to get the key points out of the job candidate. In this scenario, it may make sense to take control in a non-obvious manner. Think about questions you weren’t asked, but should be asked, and say something like, “Perhaps I can tell you about my background in…” or “Let me share with you a similar scenario I’ve been involved in and how the problem was addressed.”
Another way of redirecting an interview in right direction is asking those relevant questions, like “Can you describe to me the typical day in such a position?” or “What are some of the main challenges to the job?” The responses provided will offer opportunities for you to chime in to share relevant information that further highlights why you are a good fit for the job.
Bad Questions
There may also be times when the interviewer asks oddball questions. Take it for what it is and respond. There may be no right or wrong answer. The interviewer may be testing you, so let the interviewer see and hear your thinking process.
Thank Goodness For The Thank-You Note
Regardless of how an interview turns out, always send a personalized follow-up thank-you note. This is an opportunity to reiterate the important points you want to get across. It’s also a chance to touch on points that you may have missed or may have not responded to in the best fashion.
Keep these tips in mind to turn any interview around for better results. And remember, each interview is a new learning experience to help you improve on the next one.
Related Posts
Interview Tips: Master Your Nonverbal Communication
Using The Correct Body Language During An Interview
5 Things Every Employer Wants To Hear In An Interview
About the author
Don Goodman’s firm was rated as the #1 Resume Writing Service in 2013 & 2014. Don is a triple-certified, nationally recognized Expert Resume Writer, Career Management Coach and Job Search Strategist who has helped thousands of people secure their next job. Check out his Resume Writing Service. Get a Free Resume Evaluation or call him at 800.909.0109 for more information.
Disclosure: This post is sponsored by a CAREEREALISM-approved expert. You can learn more about expert posts here.
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4 Things Your Resume Should Not Say About You
Even though it is not literally a person, your resume speaks. Loudly. It tells people everything they need to know about potentially hiring you.
Related: Why Everyone Needs A Resume – Even YOU
Say one of these four things and the answer is likely to be “no:”
“I’m Boring”
Longtime YII readers will recognize this oft-repeated refrain coming from me. It is the cardinal sin of resumes. No personality, no pizzazz. ZZZZZ… “Next, please!”
“I’m Careless”
One typo can be ignored. A bunch of them says something about the quality of your work. Not formatting your resume so it is pleasing to the eye is also a no-no. Put some TLC into this vital document, people!
“I Don’t Know Where I’m Going”
Regurgitating your entire career history without editing or shaping the document leaves it to the reader to interpret your career path. Don’t make the reader work that hard! If you want to be a Story Editor, write your resume so that it highlights the relevant jobs and relevant duties from those jobs you have had in the past that qualify you for the Story Editor position. Use the job description for the position you want to help you identify what to include from your career history.
“I Don’t Know When To Stop Talking”
Ten bullet points for each position and over-long resumes overall are also no-nos. And don’t think widening the margins all the way to the edges of the page makes it all better. Have the appropriate-length resume for your career length and edit, edit, edit.
In summary, especially in a competitive job market in an always-competitive field, you want to give yourself the best advantage on paper to get you the interview that will get you the job. The last thing you want is a recruiter or hiring executive looking at your resume and deciding to set it aside for later, not to mention dropping it into the “no” pile.
Make it compelling, carefully-crafted, directed, and as short as it can be while still properly promoting you for the position you seek. You want your resume to sing your praises, not stick its foot in its mouth.
This post was originally published at an earlier date.
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How Long Should Your Resume Be?
7 Ways Your Resume Is Boring Just Like Everyone Else’s
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4 Telling Traits Of A Maverick Candidate
When you think of some of the biggest business names around the world, who immediately comes to mind? Sir Richard Branson, the UK’s titan of industry who has had a hand in creating companies in dozens of different sectors, all around the world? Or perhaps the late Steve Jobs, known for his incredible work in helping Apple Inc. and Pixar Studios become the behemoths they are today?
Related:
No matter who comes to mind, it’s quite likely that some of the top people on the list can be considered “mavericks.” But what exactly do I mean when talking about a maverick candidate? The term was coined after the Texas pioneer Samuel A. Maverick (1803-70), who left his calves unbranded and is thus historically associated with a somewhat rebellious person.
Studies indicate that successful business people such as Steve Jobs and Sir Richard Branson are quite often high on the scale of “maverickism,” and can be said to possess a number of key traits. While there is no one definition on what makes a maverick, there seems to be consensus that mavericks are individuals that tend to be independent, innovative, and goal-orientated, among other things.
4 Telling Traits Of A Maverick Candidate
So far so good, but how do you spot a maverick and is it a good idea to have one on your team?
1. More likely to be an extrovert
Research indicates that mavericks often tend to be extroverts. They use their more extroverted skills of persuasion and influence to recruit people to their “cause” or to win others over to their point of view.
2. Broadminded and creative
In order to be a maverick, it seems that people also require the ability to be open-minded and to think big. In order to change industries or organizations, individuals are likely to enjoy new experiences, unconventional methods of work, and the accumulation and fostering of new ideas. Creativity is also a big part of the maverick makeup.
Andrew Brushfield, a director for the Victoria & New Zealand region at the recruitment company Robert Half beliefs that, “Mavericks will often be the employees willing to jump straight into a new industry or career path, if they feel passionate about its potential”.
3. A poor team player and non-conformist
Another trait commonly seen in mavericks is a low level of consensus building, and a consequently poor ability to work well in teams. While mavericks usually communicate well and influence those they speak to, they also tend to engage in disruptive and non-conformist behavior. They can be antagonistic and egocentric, rather than cooperative and “playing well with others,” so to speak. Mavericks usually like unconventional ideas and new ways of doing things and being, so accepting the status quo does not tend to be part of their makeup.
4. A risk-taker
It is particularly common for mavericks to not just be risk-takers, but also to keep going with risky endeavors or behaviors even after receiving negative feedback from colleagues, bosses, friends and family members.
If you’re a business owner or CEO wondering how to go about getting the best out of your existing maverick employees or whether you should hire one, remember to give them room to operate. If you’re keen to have these individuals come up with new ideas and innovate on a regular basis, you need to support them in doing so. Steer clear of micromanaging mavericks and instead make sure they have plenty of support and encouragement.
To quote Robert Half’s Brushfield, “Business owners looking to create change in their organization need to remember, when comparing job candidates, that they’re looking for someone different, not another staff member to fit in and go with the flow. While it might seem a given to search for recruits that are team-oriented, this may not be the best way to actually shake things up.”
So, if your company is ready for change, why not put your cards on a maverick?
Related Posts
5 Ways To Attract (And Keep!) The Best Employees
Empowered Employees Equals Empowered Company
6 Things You Need To Know About Onboarding Millennials
About the author
Tim Windhof is a published and enthusiastic Resume Writer and Career Coach who is fascinated by helping people take their careers to the next level. Tim is a resume expert and educator for the American Writers and Artists, Inc. and their Resume Writer Training program. Tim has written interview-yielding resumes for clients from the US, Canada, India, Australia, Germany, Austria, and the Netherlands.
Disclosure: This post is sponsored by a CAREEREALISM-approved expert. You can learn more about expert posts here.
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How To Build A Dynamic Personal Brand
There’s a common misconception that your company’s brand is bigger and more important than your personal brand. When you’re a top-tier company like Coke, that’s completely true.
Related: How To Avoid A Huge Personal Branding Mistake
But when you’re a small or medium-sized business, your personal brand and corporate brand are basically intertwined. What you do personally will directly affect how your business is perceived.
Here’s what Jason DeMeyers had to say on Forbes:
There’s a common misconception in business that it’s the company’s brand alone that matters. In certain areas, this is true. For example, when considering small ticket items that are consumer goods such as toothbrushes or toilet paper, the vast majority of buyers are not interested in the company’s CEO. But for smaller businesses, service oriented firms, B2B companies, and artisan B2C companies, the owner’s brand is absolutely critical.
You could benefit from a personal brand. Here’s how.
Benefits Of Personal Branding
We could go into countless case studies of times personal branding issues have wrecked a small company’s hopes, but instead, let’s focus on the positive. Here’s what you and your company get from taking charge and crafting your own branding:
- You control the message. When potential clients, employees, or even employers look for you, they’ll be more likely to find information you provided.
- You have a focus/direction. Often, knowing how you want to professionally brand yourself will lead you to naturally pursue opportunities to deepen your branding. Your expertise and authority in your field will subsequently grow.
- Your company will gain loyal customers. Remember how Steve Jobs became synonymous with Apple’s brand? The fascination with Steve led many people to become loyal lifetime customers of Apple. Strong personal branding can bring your company similar loyalty (though realistically not on the same, cultish scale as Apple).
- You won’t be limited by a single business’s goals. As Shanice Cameron writes, “If my vision was to create a huge design agency that I’d eventually sell, a business name would be the best fit. But a huge design agency just isn’t my goal,” so she used her name as her brand.
Taking charge of your personal brand simply makes sense. However, you can’t simply charge into your branding efforts without planning ahead.
Know How You’ll Brand Yourself
A lot of people make the mistake of blindly making their personal brand. The purpose of personal brands isn’t to provide a social overview of every aspect of your life. It’s to establish you as a clearly identifiable leader in your field.
Can’t decide what to focus on? Start with your goals. Make a list and see what stands out. (Jacob Share has a great article that shows how to do this.)
Do Something Worth Talking About
Another way to increase your personal brand is to do something worth talking about. The fact is, we’re hired-wired as human beings to care primarily about ourselves. Great leaders inspire us because we can see some part of ourselves in them, and we believe or hope we can achieve something like them, too.
Being part of something truly worthwhile can inspire the same hope in people learning about your personal brand and make it much more effective.
Take John Noel. His personal brand focuses on two things: being the CEO of My Assist and being a philanthropist.
You don’t get to call yourself a philanthropist without being truly committed to making the world a better place, and that’s exactly what John has done with the Make A Mark Foundation. Founded by John and his wife in 1993, Make A Mark created an entire village in Kenya that houses 1,000 orphans. He is also involved with Trees 4 Children, a cooperative charitable effort between Make A Mark and the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point that utilizes forestry principles and economics in an attempt to apply business solutions to Kenya’s sustainability and substance problems.
By spending so many years working with Make A Mark Foundation, John Noel has earned the right to brand himself a philanthropist.
While your personal brand doesn’t need to be based on decades of charity work, try to do something that’s worth other people in your field talking about. Then become known for doing that thing.
Begin Branding Now
Planning and executing a personal branding strategy takes time and work. Begin setting personal branding goals and developing an action plan today.
This post was originally published at an earlier date.
Related Posts
6 Easy Steps For Building A Defined Personal Brand
First Impressions: You’ve Got 30 Seconds To Make The Right One
10 Ways To Build Your Brand Reputation Online
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