Ready for Promotion 10 Steps to Stepping Up

Ready for Promotion 10 Steps to Stepping Up Imagine its  Monday morning. Are you relishing the week or are you seeing it as Day 1 of a new hostage situation? Are you managed by a moron, captive in a role youve out-grown and fearful that the smell in your nostrils is that of your career, stagnating? If so, its time to move up or move on. Youre under-utilised, highly employable and a person of action (right?), but storming into your bosss office, pounding the table and demanding your just rights â€" promotion or youll walk â€" is highly unlikely to deliver what you want.  A deep rooted certainty that you know best, a conviction that everyone else is inadequate and threats amounting to blackmail are no basis for convincing anyone you’re a team player and ready for more responsibility. So what is? Step 1 Imagine yourself attending an interview for that next step-up role. Ask yourself three questions: What role are you applying for? What’s the scope of responsibility? What might you be expected to achieve? If you were applying for a vacant role, then that thinking would have been done already by your potential future boss. In your case, you have a blank canvas on which you can imagine your ideal role or your next logical career step. Step 2 Consider the practicalities. Think about how your imagined role fits within the organisation. Are you focusing on your boss’s job, or a new role entirely? Where does the company have problems? For a new role, how could a new appointment and a change in structure be brought about? What are the benefits of doing so? Step 3 Now work out why someone should appoint you. Why are you suitable? What have you done previously that indicates you can take on extra responsibility? Why are you better than other candidates that might be found? How would you approach starting the job? What would you look to achieve in your new role? Step 4 Make a final decision. If you decide that the step is too great today that’s not a problem, your thinking will help you identify where you’re weak. You can start to bolster that immediately, secure in the knowledge you’re being a proactive career builder, not just a moaning Minnie or a critical Colin. Step 5 Commit. Nail your flag to the mast and set sail before the tide turns by booking an appointment with either your boss or HR. The formality signals they’ll need to pay attention, you’re not just cruising by for a casual drop-in no-worries chat. If you’re asked for a reason, avoid the word promotion and stay non-threatening. “Hey boss? You’ve had your go and I’m thinking you should move on,” will see you facing a well armed wall of negativity before you even get in the room. Step 6 Keep things open. Run the discussion as an enquiry, not a demand. Let your boss know that you believe you’re ready to look at taking on more. State why you think the time is right, but keep it short, sharp and focused â€" this is no time for a rambling discourse on the bleak path of your career-life to date. As a matter of strategy, ask your boss how they see things and what opportunities there could be. You never know what they might surprise you with, plus you don’t risk selling yourself short. Step 7 Be patient and realistic. The ideal result would be a prompt, defined and supportive well-structured plan that could include further training. Congratulations and a glass of something celebratory would be in order. The sub-optimal result would be a load of wooly promises accompanied by, ‘We’re working on it. It will all take time and it’s a bit complicated’. If your boss looks shifty and sounds nervous, it’s a fair bet you’re driving into a blind alley. Step 8 Look grateful. Whatever comes back, or doesn’t, look and sound appreciative. If you’ve now got a new role to look forward to, be thankful for the help and support. If you’re disappointed, gutted even, there’s no benefit in showing it. Step 9 Set a new course. If you haven’t got the result you want, it’s time to look outside. Thankfully, all of your earlier thinking will help you to focus on the type of role to look for and help you draw together a much stronger CV. Step 10 Set a deadline for action. Today. Now. Make it this Friday. This is really hard to do when you feel like you’ve just been kicked in the teeth, but trust me, it’s the best therapy. Aim to find something to apply to by the end of the week. Look for ads, but if you don’t find any, target suitable employers directly. Don’t let the days, weeks and months just slip by in a sea of demotivation. In conclusion, one way or another, you’re moving forward. You made a decision, thought it through and took some actions. If your existing employer won’t recognise your potential it’s their loss, so find a more enlightened one that will. You’ve already proved that you’re capable of taking on more, by having the guts to do what you’ve done already. Too many people just sit and wait for the job fairy to happen by. It’s your life and your career, hit it hard! I wish you well with it, good hunting and always remember â€" no prisoners. About the author: Jon Gregory is an author, editor, blogger trainer on all things job hunting, interview prep career development.

How to get along with difficult co-workers

How to get along with difficult co-workers People with good social skills can get along with almost anyone, and if you want to be successful in your career, you have to make people like you: Figure out what matters to them, what makes them tick, and then speak to that when you interact. The key to being likeable is to be able to adapt yourself to different situations. This does not mean that you have to be someone youre not. Each of us is complicated, adaptable and curious. You need to know yourself well enough to understand a broad range of facets of yourself so that you can call up the right one with the right crowd. The field of psychology that focuses on this particular issue is social psychology. And, fortunately, we have massive amounts of data from clinical research to tell us how thoughts, feelings, and behavior of individuals are influenced by the actual, imagined, or implied presence of others: Use this research to train yourself to be someone everyone wants to work with. Think hard about how you approach a group. Do you hope that the group conforms to you or do you conform to the group? As long as you respect the people in the group, conforming to them enough to form a bond is not a bad idea. No one can be with their soul mate 100% of the day. But you can find pieces of yourself that match up with just about everyone, if you are in-tune with yourself and other people. Social psychologists call people who analyze social situations and try to match their public self to the situation high self-monitors. Self-monitors are very good at gauging what their audience expects in each given situation. And these people are very sensitive to impression management techniques they watch other people use them and then use the techniques themselves. For some people, this skill of monitoring themselves within a group comes naturally they are chameleons who can mirror other peoples moods. Chameleons know what to say when their bosss pet gerbil dies and they know what to say when a co-worker suggests a date. Other people are low self-monitors. These people attempt to alter a situation to match their private self. These people have one way of conducting themselves and have no idea how to change for a given situation. These are the people who make inappropriate jokes at a client meeting or are too stiff and formal at a company picnic. Chameleons generally disgust these low self-monitors, but Ive got news for you: chameleons dont lose opportunities for being difficult to work with. If you can get along with different groups of people, you wont just be liked more at work, youll be more equipped to meet your personal goals. People who are able to develop friendships with a wide range of people are more able to change the way they think about themselves, according to Tracy McLaughlin-Volpe, professor of psychology at University of Vermont. Developing cross-group friendships as opposed to in-group friendships makes your more adept at creating a dynamic image of yourself you are likely to be a person who can make changes to become the person you want to be. You want to be someone who can make changes in yourself when you see the need, because social psychologists have also found that people remember negative traits more than positive traits. So if you tell a new employee your boss is smart, open-minded, kind and disorganized, the new employee will form an opinion of the boss primarily on disorganized. Your bad traits have more sticking power on your reputation than your good traits. If you want to be liked, face up to your weaknesses and compensate for them. Most people who hate office social dynamics think people have to change who they are to succeed. But good social skills at work are really a reflection of empathy for the people around you. Anyone who is being their best self kind, considerate, expressive, interested in others will instinctively do the right thing at the office.

8 Steps to Your Pre-Interview Social Media Clean Up

8 Steps to Your Pre-Interview Social Media Clean Up Its the moment youve spent the past two months waiting for! Finally, following  day after day of scouring job boards, sending out resumes and cover letters, and hearing nothing but radio silence in return, you get an interview. Better yet, you hear back from an employer who might just be ready to offer you your dream job. Youre so excited that it almost feels like youve landed the job already, but you manage to calm yourself down long enough to start thinking about preparation. You really wantâ€"and needâ€"this job. How can you put yourself in a better position to land it? Interview preparation is one obvious step, but anotherâ€"and one that job seekers overlook all too oftenâ€"is social media clean up. With that point in mind, here are 8 steps to follow to help you make sure your social profiles are something youd be okay with a hiring manager seeing. 1. Delete your own questionable posts While you might cut loose on the internet a bit more than you would in real life, hiring managers who look at social media will still view what you post online as a reflection of who you are. If youre frequently rude, profane, or offensive, those attributes can be turn-offs. If you frequently make posts loaded with typos or misspellings, it makes you look less intelligent and less qualified for most jobs. If you go on frequent political rants, you might mark yourself as someone who cant respect the opinions of others. There are many, many ways that you can make yourself look like a less desirable applicant on social media, so go through your recent posts and delete anything that muddies the image you want to present. 2. Delete your questionable photos Cleaning up your Facebook photos should be a pretty easy step in this process. Anything that makes you look professional or respectable is good. Photos with family and friends are great; professional headshots are even better. However, if you still have pictures lingering online from your drunken college escapades, now is the time to scrub them. Photos that depict drinking, drug use, illegal activities, and anything overtly sexual dont play well with employers. 3. Untag yourself in undesirable photos that you didnt post If youre lucky, any racy photos of you will be the ones you posted. If your friend uploaded and tagged you in something less-than-professional, though, you might have a bit more trouble getting rid of it. In a pinch, Facebook will let you untag yourself from any photos you dont want to have popping up on your profile. This action should keep any potential employers from seeing those picturesâ€"though its still not a bad idea to ask your friend to take down any offending images. 4. Choose a professional photo as your profile picture We made mention of professional headshots above. If youve got one, make it your profile picture. This statement applies to any social media account, whether its Facebook, LinkedIn, or even Twitter. The professional picture sends an almost unconscious signal to a prospective employer that you are hirable material. 5. Dont talk about work on social media While you scour your social feeds for profanity or offensive jokes, also look out for any posts where you talked about work. Bringing your professional life into the realm of social media is a sticky situation, whether youre complaining about a boss or talking about a project youre working on. In the first scenario, youre badmouthing an employerâ€"an obvious way to get your resume tossed in the trash, if and when hiring managers see it. In the second scenario, you could be divulging trade secrets or other details that are supposed to remain more or less confidential. In either case, you can expect prospective employers to be a bit wary about hiring someone who talks about work online, so set a rule for yourself to avoid those kinds of discussions. 6. Update your info on Facebook Believe it or not, there is now a possibility that youve had a Facebook for longer than a decade. Because of how long some people go without updating their information, theres a possibility that certain parts of your profileâ€"like your About Me and Favorite Quotes sectionsâ€"may have gone five or six years without an update. Most of the people who know you personally have probably been friends with you on Facebook for long enough that they never look at these inner sanctums of your profile. However, you never know what a prospective employer might look at, so go to your homepage (click your name in the top left corner of the page, right below the Facebook logo) and then click Update Info. You will be able to review your profile, delete anything that is no longer true (or has become downright embarrassing), and present a more accurate compendium of who you are. 7. Update your LinkedIn A lot of employers will look at LinkedIt, but its rarer for most peopleâ€"especially younger professionalsâ€"to spend much time on the network. As a result, its easy to let your LinkedIn profile fall by the wayside: an old, out-of-date photo; an online resume that hasnt been updated in years; a dozen or two of pending connections; etc. Count on your employer checking out your LinkedIn and spend an hour or so getting it as up to date as possible. Even if you dont use LinkedIn much, it can still be your professional face online. 8. Keep your Twitter feed interesting: Facebook and LinkedIn are the top two social networks of interest for most employers. However, if a hiring manager does find and scroll through your Twitter, you want it to look like the feed of an interesting, thoughtful, professional, and ambitious person. Specifically, you can use your Twitter to look like someone who is genuinely interested in the minutia of their field. Post articles associated with your job industry, follow accounts of other professionals and figures in the field, or even post your own articles or thoughts on hot topics that pertain to the career path you want to take. Even if your prospective employer doesnt see your Twitterâ€"and even if you dont get the jobâ€"getting involved in the online conversation about your industry can only help you in the long run. Not all employers are going to look at social media before making a hiring decision. Others will only give cursory views to your accounts. However, there is always the chance that a hiring manager will spend a fair amount of time researching you online, and if that happens, you want to be ready. The eight steps provided above will help you fix up your internet presence to the point where its almost as impressive as your resume. About the author: Michael Klazema has been developing products for pre-employment screening and improving online customer experiences in the background screening industry since 2009. He is the lead author and editor for Backgroundchecks.com.   Image credit: Shutterstock

What Job Seekers Need to Know About ATS

What Job Seekers Need to Know About ATS To increase job search success, all job seekers need to know what ATS is and how it works. ATS stands for Applicant Tracking System. It is estimated that most major companies use these systems to screen incoming resumes. If you apply for a position online it is likely you are applying through an ATS. ATS is challenging because it involves computerized algorithms of chosen keywords and phrases to help find the right match between a submitted resume and an open position. The problem is no two systems are alike and you never know exactly what the system is searching for or how it weighs content. If your resume is not formatted the right way, with the right keywords and phrases, it could rank as a poor match in ATS â€" regardless of your qualifications. This is challenging for most job seekers (hence the reason online applications have such a low success rate). Some advice to help optimize your resume for ATS application includes: 1. Use a version of the resume that is easy to read. It is recommended you use a Word format that is optimized for the system (read more in Overcoming ATS Resume Myths). ATS looks primarily at content, therefore there is a strong likelihood that any graphics will not be ‘seen’, so ensure you translate image/graphic/chart information into the body of the file. It is also best to use traditional headers in clearly defined sections (Work Experience, Education) so the system can locate key details. The length of the resume also does not matter in an ATS. 2. Populate your resume with keywords from the targeted job posting. This means customizing each application to address the readers needs. However, dont just stuff your resume full of keywords the system will be searching for keywords used in proper context. Good content is still very important. Remember, once the resume makes it through the system an actual person will read it and the employer will be searching for clear skill demonstration proof of skill not just fluff. 3. Always follow the instructions of each individual job site when applying for positions. Almost all ATS systems can read .docx Word files and some systems can read PDFs. Others will also allow plain text (.txt) uploads. The system should specify which formats it accepts. An optimized Word file is ‘the best of both worlds’ because when created effectively it can be both ATS-friendly and eye-friendly (once it makes it through the system an actual person will likely review it). If provided with an option to upload a copy of your nicely formatted colour/graphic PDF resume, do so. It will retain format and be more pleasing for the eventual human reader. Want to learn more about this topic? Read The Role of ATS in the Job Search for more tips on how this system works and what you can do to work with it. Read How to Write An ATS-Compliant Resume to learn resume formatting requirements for ATS. Look for my featured tips in this Globe and Mail article: Frustrated by the Modern Job Hunt? Learn How to Beat the Bots.

5 Team Building Activities for Improving Team Morale CareerMetis.com

5 Team Building Activities for Improving Team Morale â€" CareerMetis.com With high demand and even higher targets, it can be easy to forget the importance of maintaining a happy workforce â€" here we look at five brilliant team building activities.A happy team is a productive team where the staff is more likely to stay long-term. Workers enjoy coming to work, thrive in the company of their colleagues and morale is at an all-time high and meeting deadlines is just another task as opposed to a weight-of-the-world-pressure.evalWhen the machine, though, needs a little TLC and morale is running low, team-building exercises are a great way to break down any boundaries between colleagues and help form productive relationships.1) QuizAn office quiz is a simple and inexpensive means of getting the team together and putting work to one side. A quiz doesn’t necessarily have to take place in the workplace, in fact, it might do some good to get out of the office over lunch or organize an evening event.Just the same as any classic pub quiz, divide your team into team s and select one person to be quiz master. Decide on how many questions and categories â€" for an added laugh, include a category on each other or the management.2) Family Fun DaysA corporate team event that includes the family can be an effective means of getting to really know your colleagues, rather than the person you see in-office hours. A company BBQ or day out is a great excuse to get everyone together outside of working time and socialize with each other and all of their families.Inviting the family along can also make it easier for those with children to attend as they won’t have to make arrangements for a babysitter or other forms of childcare. Parents of young children can often feel excluded from team outings outside of work hours for this reason.3) Problem SolvingA team-building activity should be planned with an end goal in mind. New members will not have the same chemistry as those who have been working alongside each other for years, and a great way to break the ic e is to put colleagues in a situation where they must work cohesively.Problem-solving activities, such as locked rooms or puzzles, identify what each member of a team can offer, highlighting everyone’s strengths. All good teams must understand where each individual’s strengths lie, as well as any areas where people may not be as strong.evalAs well as forming a better understanding of each individual, problem-solving activities reinforce the fact that a team is always greater than the sum of its parts.4) Soap Box DerbyThere are few better ideas than a soapbox derby for corporate entertainment and an active day out of the office. Divide everyone into teams with the task to build their own karts and win the race at the end of the day.Not only will this highlight those with a more competitive nature, but it will encourage colleagues who may not usually work directly with one another to come out of their comfort zones and form productive relationships.Hand out a trophy at the end of the day to the winning team and, as long as everyone enjoyed themselves, make it an annual event where the winners can defend their prize!eval5) Guess WhoGuess who is a simple game that can be played by anyone, even teams that work remotely can take part. Ask everyone to take pictures of various household items, rooms (or home offices in the case of remote teams) or pets, etc… and ask everyone to guess who the pictures belong to.As well as good fun among colleagues, this also provides an opportunity for less vocal members of the team to share their interests and what makes them tick.These are just some ideas that you can incorporate to improve your team’s morale or further solidify the feel-good factor among your colleagues. We all work better when we are comfortable in our surroundings, and forming strong relationships that can progress outside of the office is to the benefit of the business as a whole.

The Most Important Interview Minute

The Most Important Interview Minute The Most Important Interview Minute The most important interview minute?   It could be the final closing and asking for the job thats absolutely critical. Nope. Or is it the first minute once the interview starts? Nope. The most important interview minute is BEFORE it starts. This moment in time occurs when you are being transferred from the waiting area into the interview room you have about a minute before things settle down and start to get serious. This is your window of opportunity.Its what you do when you walk in and make a beeline for the chair where you will be sitting. How you handle this short space of time can completely shape the outcome of your interview. It can affect how you feel about yourself during the interview. It can impact how you connect with the interviewers. It can color the atmosphere of the entire conversation. This moment represents a HUGE opportunity for you to add a little personality, get the conversation going, break the ice, and take the stress out of the atmosphere. It also can mean this is the moment that the interviewers begin to like you. And interviewers like to hire people that they, in turn, like. So what do you say in this most important interview minute? It depends. You have to be able to read people and the situation well. Think about icebreakers you can insert that can help warm up the conversation that is yet to come. It can change peoples perceptions of you, and also put you more at ease. I have to tell you, I am so excited to be here. Ive been a big fan of (ABC Company) ever since. Is this the hot seat for the interview? Great. Hope its all warmed up! You know, I was just at a conference this weekend where I learned that. The other day, when I was out for a run I was just talking to (name of person) the other day, and they told me .. about your company. In this most important interview moment, you can combat age discrimination (showing progressive learning and exercise), industry connectedness (networking), being engaged and not intimidated (humor), or show a personal connection to the company (personal story). Think about what you can do in this most important interview minute. It can literally change the course of your career narrative.

Tips For Writing An Objective For General Resume

Tips For Writing An Objective For General ResumeResume writing and objective for general resume is very crucial in presenting your achievements, expertise and proficiency for the role. Since your objective is the first part of your resume, you should do it properly to not only get the attention of potential employers but also make a good impression on them. The objective is also used as the final paragraph in your resume where it summarizes what you have done in the job and describes your current position in that organization.So, what are the things to include in your objective? Here are some tips that will guide you in your objective writing.The first and most important point to include in your objective is the role you played. Make sure you clearly state the specific responsibilities you played in the position you are applying for. You should list down the exact duties you did in each position. Do not leave out any responsibilities or duties, since these are very vital to you.You s hould also give as much factual information as possible about your work experience. It is important that you are able to explain how you obtained the position, your previous responsibilities and the specifics of your performance in that job. You should also try to highlight any awards you may have won, or any other performance awards received. You should include this information so potential employers can understand what skills you have and what qualifications you have acquired to be able to perform the role in question.In addition to this, you should also explain how you gained the experience and skills you are showing in your previous positions. You should give all the details of your work experience including education, certifications, and experience in each position. This includes all the experience you have in management, teaching, and research positions.For your next resume, you should try to include your strengths and talents that have made you qualified for that particular j ob. For example, if you were an expert in finance, try to list down every knowledge you have in this field. If you were an excellent communicator, include this in your resume. Your strengths and talents should be attractive and show your interest in doing work related to that job.Moreover, it is very important to make sure your resume is easy to read, as employers expect a concise and effective piece of paper. For this, you should use bulleted, bold, underlined, or italicized sections. These would help in making your resume more appealing to potential employers. Besides that, you should also make sure that you write your resume in an effective and impressive manner.Lastly, be consistent when writing your resume. Do not start a new objective for your general resume unless you have a good reason why you need to. It is also better to send two resumes instead of just one.