Archive for October 17, 2014

Some companies like Google and Facebook come to mind when you think of cool office spaces, but more and more companies are adding their own twists to the traditional workplace with cozy kitchens and complete gyms. These amenities help foster a unique company culture that builds close-knit teams and promotes healthy work-life balance no matter what the business does.

Through photos shared by employees on Glassdoor or via the Glassdoor apps, see what these 10 companies have that will make you wish you worked there.

1. Zappos introduced a UFO-shaped conference room in the center of its courtyard that can be booked for meetings. More Zappos photos.

2. HomeAway, an online vacation marketplace headquartered in Austin, TX, built its own miniature roof with a hammock for working and relaxing. More HomeAway photos.

3. Starbucks brings Seattle-based employees together with a homey, full-service cafeteria. More Starbucks photos.

4. Salesforce.com boasts a colorful kitchen with various sitting areas and coffee and food options. More Salesforce.com photos.

5. Hubspot, headquartered in Cambridge, MA, uses modern design to attract its employees to a new lounge. More Hubspot photos.

6. JustFab, a lifestyle fashion company headquartered in Los Angeles, CA, has an in-house photo studio where employees capture images for their online community. More JustFab photos.

7. Ogilvy & Mather, an advertising agency, provides a gym for its employees. More Ogilvy & Mather photos.

8. Oracle promotes healthy living with an in-house basketball and volleyball court. More Oracle photos.

9. Groupon uses themed spaces, such as a Tiki room, to spark creativity. More Groupon photos.

10. Red Door Interactive, a strategic partnering firm, has an open floor plan for employees to work, eat and play. More Red Door Interactive photos.

Want more cool office spaces? Check out Glassdoor’s 2013 list to see which companies made the cut.

What’s your office like? Share a photo or download Glassdoor’s apps to easily share on the go!

These 10 Cool Offices Will Make You Want to Go to Work is a post from: Glassdoor Blog

Every job seeker knows the importance of writing a quality resume.

Quality resumes are error-free, illustrate your accomplishments, and are targeted to the employer. While most job seekers follow these guidelines, there are some mistakes that are easily overlooked when writing a resume.

If you feel like your resume is perfect but you still haven’t received any job interviews, here are six deadly resume mistakes you’re probably making:

1. Wrong tense.

When talking about previous experience, use the past tense. When talking about your current position, use the present tense. Seems easy, right? While this seems like a simple grammar fix, it’s a mistake many job seekers make on their resumes.

As you proofread your resume, pay close attention to the tense of your writing. Read your resume aloud multiple times and think about the verb tense you use for each section. You might be surprised at the mistakes you find.

2. Poor word choice.

Another common mistake is poor word choice. As you proofread your resume, be aware of the words you use to describe your experience and watch out for homophones (words that sound alike but are spelled differently).

For example, be aware of words like “to, two, and two”, “affected and effected”, and “their, there, and they’re.” Checking for this common mistake can prevent your resume from going in the trash.

Also, remember to use specific words on your resume. Avoid using vague words such as “many, varied, or some.” For example, instead of saying “improved company profits,” change it to “increased company profits by X dollars.” As you can tell, by changing “improved” to “increased,” you create more impact with your statement.

3. No links to social media profiles.

If you’re not on LinkedIn or don’t have a digital portfolio, you’re missing out on a huge opportunity to impress employers.

To make your resume stand out, it’s essential to include links to your social media profiles. URLs for your LinkedIn or Twitter accounts can be placed in the header of your resume following your contact information.

4. Putting your skills section last.

Every resume must have a skills section. However, what’s even more important to remember is the placement of your skills section.

The skills section of your resume should be the first thing employers read. When you write your skills section, target your skills towards the qualifications for the position. This will help your resume stand out from other applications.

5. Unnecessary details.

Employers don’t care about every job you’ve had in your entire life. They only care about the experience you have that pertains to the position you’re applying for.

For example, if you’re applying for your first entry-level job after college, don’t include your extra-curricular activities from high school or the babysitting jobs you had in college. Employers only want to learn about the jobs you had that will make you a great fit for the position.

6. Sharing too much information.

Your resume isn’t meant to be your life history. Don’t include information regarding your religion, marital status, hobbies unrelated to your job, or how many children you have. These are details that should stay out of the application and interview process during your job search.

What are some other deadly resume mistakes job seekers should avoid?

Avoid These 7 Deadly Resume Mistakes is a post from: Glassdoor Blog

A fan questioned Mike Rowe of “Dirty Jobs” on why he said that “follow your passion” was the worst advice he’d ever received. A snippet of Rowe’s response follows:

“… I would never advise anyone to ‘follow their passion’ until I understand who they are, what they want, and why they want it. Even then, I’d be cautious. Passion is too important to be without, but too fickle to be guided by. Which is why I’m more inclined to say, ‘Don’t Follow Your Passion, But Always Bring it With You.’”

The distinction between “bringing” versus “following” your passion is striking. Some long-term careerists feel the “passion” ship has sailed. Other early careerists may be unclear how to convert passion into paying their bills. So, following something as nebulous as “passion” can be daunting and perhaps, if followed blindly, even damaging to your career and financial future.

However, conveying passion in whatever job you are doing can be cultivating, at any stage of your career, and even, may lead you to achieve your eventual passion goals.

Following are three things you can start doing today to bring passion with you to work:

1. Impassion your conversations.

Whether connecting with the colleague cubicled next to you, having a tête-à-tête with your supervisor, or dialing up your customer, bring it! Sit up straight, curl up the corners of your lips (even if you have to initially ‘fake it’), take a deep breath and exude a positive tone and energy, including voice inflection and personality!

It is amazing what one energized vibe being transported over the airwaves to another person, whose mood may need the jumpstart, can do to generate a rolling energy burst! And remember the adage, what you give, you get? While you may initially feel disingenuous in your positivity, a sudden shift likely will occur as the energy you pushed out surges back into your sphere, back to you!

2. Go the extra mile.

Whether your options to over-deliver include early-delivering a report to your boss, implementing a solution to a team problem before it is a known issue, or helping a languishing co-worker surmount a hurdle, just do it. Getting lax in your demeanor because you feel uninspired, underappreciated and/or bored, can be a self-fulfilling prophecy.

The less you exude enthusiasm, the less passion exists all around. Do not depend on outside forces—or other people-to inspire you. Be the one to bring passion to the table, to motivate others around you-and you may be surprised at the reverberating results.

3. Show a little leg.

Recognizing that you may do all this and still feel underwhelmed in your current job, here is something you can do to tap into, and convey, your personal passion. Show a little leg from time to time by seeking out and/or recognizing opportunities to demonstrate your passion-imbued talent.

For example, if you are a soft drink salesperson keen to write, offer to contribute to the company blog. If your offer is well received, then vigorously author their next blog, incorporating your voice and flair while keeping true to the company’s content goals and platform.

When you spot and act upon opportunities to display your aptitude in areas that not only help the company achieve their objectives, but also inspire you, you are more likely to accrue a reputation—and resume—that qualifies you to move up and out and follow your dream!

3 Steps To Bring Passion With You to Work is a post from: Glassdoor Blog

Atmosphere Bistro Bar at Parkland Green is a sports bar which also serves a mix of Asian and Western bistro food for dinner. The bistro is open for lunch on weekends. It offers a great view of East Coast Park and the sea beyond.

Atmosphere Bistro has a small air-conditioned lounge. The main area is not walled up on three sides and there is no main entrance. You can just walk into the casual bistro and find your own table. A tablet serves as a digital menu as well as an ordering device. There is a water station where you can help yourself to ice water.

We went there for dinner and ordered a Creamy Mushroom Soup ($4.80), Mini Beef Burgers ($11.80) and Baby Back Ribs ($19.80). The soup was served almost immediately but we had to wait quite a while for the mains to come.

The soup was thick, creamy and very good. The 3 mini burgers with BBQ glazed patties had a nice zesty taste. The glazed Baby Back Ribs came in a generous portion with salad, coleslaw and fries. The ribs were meaty and tender but the Citrus BBQ sauce was not quite to our liking. The sauce did not enhance the flavour of the meat. The fries with sea salt was most enjoyable.

Atmosphere is first and foremost a sports bar. It is well equipped with TV screens and wall projector. It has an extensive drinks list - draught beer, bottled beer, frozen beer, liqueur, wine whiskey, cocktails etc. If you are neither a sports fan nor a closet alcoholic, there should still be enough options on Atmosphere’s menu to allow you to enjoy a visit to the breezy casual bistro by the park.

Rating

Food :3
Service : 2
Value : 3
Atmosphere : 3
Overall Rating : 3 TOPs

Atmosphere Bistro Bar
920 East Coast Parkway #01-25/26/27
Singapore 449875

Tel +65 6440 9705

Opening Hours:
Mon – Thu: 5:00 pm – 12:00 am
Fri: 5:00 pm – 1:00 am
Sat: 10:00 am – 2:00 am
Sun: 10:00 am – 1:00 am

Atmosphere menu

atmosphere-bistro.com.sg

The Ordinary Patrons
Singapore Food Blog by Ordinary People looking for Places to Eat