This is the best day of the week to work remotely

This is the best day of the week to work remotelyThis is the best day of the week to work remotelyWhats the best day to work from home? Every day, some of us would like to answer. Or if thats an impossibility, what about extending our weekend with a Friday or Monday option to work from home, we would like to tell our skeptical superiors.But if you want to successfully negotiate for a remote day of work, listen to Shari Buck, an executive who recently made the case for Wednesday, citing how her company has instituted this midweek remote work policy. Writing for Quartz, Shari Buck, the co-founder and chief product officer atDoximity, said that Wednesday gives employees the flexibility of staying at home along with the accountability of knowing that the work week is not yet done.Wanna WFH? Choose WednesdaysIt breaks up the week nicely two days in the office, one day working remote, and then two mora days back in the office, Buck writes. This leads to a consistent workflow that balances a number of planning meetings early in the week, a productive Wednesday working from home, and two equally productive and collaborative days on the tail end of the week.In other words, picking Wednesday is a win-win for employers and employees. It gives you the reward of a work-from-home day without office distractions while still communicating to your boss that youre engaged with your job.WFH Wednesdays have boosted work-life balance for all of our employees. At the same time, they have kept our business productive and on a path of positive growth for nearly a decade, Buck wrote.She is not alone in advocating for the use of Wednesdays. One employee successfully negotiated for a Wednesday work-from-home day in her employment contract to lessen the pain of a long commute.I have a one-hour commute (45 miles) each way, which is why I negotiated for a work-at-home day when I was hired, Sharon Glazer, an academic medical center employee, said. Wednesdays are good because I like to break up the week. Although I am working, my day is so much more relaxed, not to mention two hours shorter, that its like a mini-weekend.A one-day relief from commuting may not seem like much, but every minute counts when it comes to your job satisfaction. One study found that a 20-minute increase in a workers round-trip commute time felt like a 19% pay cut to employees. Give yourself a midweek pick-me-up and ask for that work-from-home Wednesday.

Is Your Functional Resume Keeping You Unemployed

Is Your Functional Resume Keeping You UnemployedFunctional Resume Keeping You Unemployed?Is Your Functional Resume Keeping You UnemployedRecruiters and headhunters throw them out, employers get frustrated by them, and many job boards wont accept them. So why are some job seekers still using functional resumes? Because for a long time, functional resumes were widely considered the best way to camouflage employment gaps or a lack of experience. These days, it seems theyve become more like a flashing neon sign that screams, Im trying to hide somethingAward-winning resume writer and career strategist Barbara Safani thinks functional resumes should be renamed dysfunctional resumes. She says ... if youve been leaning towards creating a functional resume to position yourself in front of a vermgen employer, you are probably headed in the wrong direction.A purely functional resume emphasizes your skill sets rather than your employment history. When functional resumes became popular, the idea was to impress readers with your skills and strengths before they found out you hadnt worked for 10 years, or that youve never actually worked in the field youre targeting (not that theres anything wrongor unusualwith either scenario.)Unfortunately, for functional resumes to work, employers would actually have to read them. But they dont. Usually, they start off with a 10-second scan to quickly look for things likeObvious typos or errors,Where youre from,Whether you have relevant qualifications,Your past job titles,The level of responsibility youve reached, andWhere and when you acquired your experience.A functional resume hides those details, which forces the reader to hunt for the desired information. But will they? Not according to executive recruiter Brad Remillard, whos conducted more than 50,000 interviews in the past 30 years. He says simply I dont read them. It is obvious when one has a functional resume they are trying to hide something and Im rarely going to take the time to attempt to figure it out.One other problem with functional resumes? Job boards and applicant-tracking systems might not be able to figure out how to store the data, since the usual sections are missing or out of order.Your Best Bet? Chronologicalwith a Functional TwistTo ensure readers can find the information they want on your resume, you need to include a reverse-chronological listing of your past jobs. But first, borrow a little of the functional flair by opening your resume with a Summary of Qualifications that spotlights your most important skills, credentials, and accomplishments. This type of combination, or hybrid, resume is a good idea for most job seekers.Having gaps in your resume is not a deal breaker. But trying to hide those gaps in a functional resume may be. Instead, use a combination resume, write a killer cover letter, and put your network to work for you

How to stay calm during the first few weeks of your new job

How to stay calm during the first few weeks of your new jobHow to stay calm during the first few weeks of your new jobIts completely normal to feel like youve been thrown into a sink or swim situation during your first few weeks in a new position - especially when its super stressful. Its not just about getting through the first day.Heres how to handle whatever emotions come your way.Make sure you know whats expected of youThis way, youll know how you should be spending your time. Instead of aimlessly wondering what your boss thinks or how they expect you to handle your assignments, you can figure out solutions instead.Dont panic. Get clear on your managers expectations by setting up a one-on-one meeting or briefly dropping by their office.Plan it outErin Greenawald, a content strategist, editor, and freelance writer, provides tips in The Muse for when youre feeling overwhelmed at work. One of them is to take action take time to plan, which could definitely work during your first he ctic weeks at a new job.Even just writing down what needs to get done anddeciding what order youre going to tackle it incan be pretty powerful. Why? It takes all the things flying madly around your head and puts them into an actionable list. It makes you stop having to think about how youre going to do your work, and lets you just think about doing it, she writes.So stop panicking for a minute. Breathe. Then pull out a piece of paper and dump every task you have in your mind onto it. And prioritize them,Greenawaldadds. Then, instead of jumping from task to task, youll know exactly what youre focusing on now and what youll focus on next. Its not wasting time - its making the rest of your time more efficient.Dont assume youll remember it all - take notesRobin Reshwan, a professional development coach, Certified Professional Rsum Writer (CPRW) and founder and president of CS Advising and Collegial Services, provides tips for your anfangsbuchstabe weeks at a new position in U.S. News World Report.A new job has lots of new things to think about and do. Each time your manager, mentor or colleague explains a new process, procedure or request, write down the key components, she suggests. Also, make sure you clarify what is being asked and the timeline for completion. It is also helpful to ask what you should do if something does not go as planned.Get centered with your favorite podcast or musicThis is sure to throw you right back into your element - especially when youre stressed.Listening to music that helps you focus, or the sounds of your favorite podcast at your desk, are great ways to decompress when you feel like theres too much on your plate.But you can also listen as you walk.Giving yourself time to focus on yourself and whats going on around you as you walk through the streets can be really freeing.

What the Most Successful People Know About Finding Career Happiness

What the Most Successful People Know About Finding Career Happiness What the Most Successful People Know About Finding Career Happiness You work is going to fill a large part of yur life, and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work. And the only way to do great work is to love what you do. Steve JobsA 2015SHRM report found that, in 2014, 86 percent of U.S. employees were satisfied with their current jobs up from 81 percent in 2013. Of this group, 39 percent of employees said they were very satisfied with their jobs.Do the math that means overall, only 33 percent of people in the entire study are very satisfied with their jobs. Does that number reif a bell? It reminds us of the ever-so-famous 31 percent of people who consider themselves engaged at work, according toGallup. If only one-third of the American workforce is engaged and/or very satisfied with their jobs, then what are we doing wrong?The 5 Keys to Employee EngagementAccording to the SHRM study cited above, the top five contributors to employee job satisfaction in 2014 were as followsRespectful treatment of all employees at all levelsTrust between employees and senior managementEmployee BenefitsCompensationJob securityPerhaps if weplaced more value on intrinsic motivators,rather than extrinsic motivators, more employees would be very satisfied with their jobs.Take a look at the differences between intrinsic motivation and extrinsic motivationOf all those five key factors for job satisfaction, how many cost money? Just compensation and benefits (and thats counting tangible benefits flex hours, vacation time, and work from home hours arent included here.)But what about intrinsic motivation? That comes from finding work you truly love to do, work that gives you a sense of purpose. That sort of thing doesnt cost any money.What should wefocus on in order to bring intrinsic motivation to our work lives?If people placed higher importance on the following things, then more employees would find genuine satisfaction in their jobs1. Opportunities for Peopleto Use Their Skills and Abilities inTheir WorkThis factor came in at No. 7 on SHRMs list of job satisfaction contributors. Not too shabby But if more peoplevalued this, perhaps theyd find happiness in jobs that play to their strengths.The secret of joy in work is contained in one word excellence. To know how to do something well is to enjoy it. Pearl S. Buck,author and activist.Employees who apply their strengths in their rolesevery day develop positive work habits that lead to higher engagement. Using strengths also enables employees to better handle stress and negative emotions in the workplace, according to Gallup.2. The Work ItselfEmployees who find value in the actual work they do will likely be more satisfied in their jobs, even if those jobs are relativelymundane.If it falls your lot to be a street sweeper, go out and sweep streets like Michelangelo painted pictures. Sweep streets like Handel a nd Beethoven composed music. Sweep streets like Shakespeare wrote poetry. Sweep streets so well that all the hosts of heaven and earth will have to pause and say Here lived a great street sweeper who swept his job well. Martin Luther King, Jr.Even the most fulfilling jobs can containadmin tasks that wreak havoc on happiness. Finding joy in small tasks and seeing how those small tasks contribute to the bigger picture can bring satisfaction to employees. Most of the time, these mundane tasks are repetitive, but if they can be associated with positive habits like putting on your favorite song while you do them we can turn around our cynical attitudes toward the work we dont absolutely love to do.3. Autonomy and IndependenceAutonomy and independence are twoof the main intrinsic motivators. The more employees who have these things,the more likelythose job satisfaction ratesare to go upThere comes a time when you ought to start doing what you want. Take a job that you love. You will jum p out of bed in the morning. I think you are out of your mind if you keep taking jobs that you dont like because you think it will look good on your resume. Isnt that a little like saving up sex for your old age? Warren BuffetNailed it The third richest person in the world knows a little something about autonomy and the effects it has on business. Buffets Berkshire Hathaway avoids consultants and approaches business as a partnership, bedrngnis a corporation. According to the New York Times, Berkshires subsidiaries run businesses and adopt approaches that turn traits like reputation and a sense of permanence into constituent satisfaction and managerial flexibility that bolsters financial results.This independence-focused philosophy bolsters economic growth, and we think itcan translate to employee satisfaction, too.Research showsthat, when employees are given freedom, job satisfaction rises.Money Cant Buy HappinessWhile this isnt one of the ranking factors on SHRMs list, it is a key reminder for anyone looking to find career happiness. Take it from the expertsYou can only become truly accomplished at something you love. Dont make money your goal. Instead, pursue the things you love doing and then do them so well that people cant take their eyes off of you. Maya AngelouPaul and I, we never thought that we would make much money out of the thing. We just loved writing software. Bill GatesThe law of work seems unfair, but nothing can change it the more enjoyment you get out of your work, the more money you will make. Mark TwainSo, how can you apply this to your own career? By loving what you do, no matter where you are. Seek out places that can not only give you respect and compensation, but also provide autonomy and impactful work.After all, life is too short to spend it grinding away at a job you dont love. While its imperative for employers and managers to work on getting America more engaged at work, its also up to the workers themselves.

A Day in the Life of a Police Detective

A Day in the Life of a Police DetectiveA Day in the Life of a Police DetectiveA lot of people who chose law enforcement as a career do so with the goal of becoming a detective or criminal investigator, and with good reason. Theres a certain satisfaction that comes from solving a complex case, much like putting together a difficult puzzle. Whether youre considering a career as an investigator or just curious about the job, youll want to know what a day in the life of a ?detective is like.?? Time to Go to Work Its Monday morning and your alarm pulls you from your sleep, which you didnt get a lot of last night. Because you work in the Criminal Investigations Division (CID), you get to work day shift with weekends off, which is great. This past weekend, though, you were the detective on call, and it was a busy one. Youre holding three new cases before the work week has even started. You ease out of bed, shower, shave and put on a shirt and tie. You cant decide if you miss wearing a u niform on the one hand, youll always be a patrol officer at heart. On the other, and especially when its 95 degrees out with 80% humidity, youre thankful youre notlage working besucherzahlen or walking a beat in a dark wool outfit like your police officer buddies in patrol have to. You grab a travel mug of coffee, strap on your sidearm, and head to the office in your unmarked car. At first, you were excited about getting an unmarked car, until you realized that instead of the sleek new Dodge Charger you were expecting you were issued a 5-year-old low-end import to avoid conspicuity. CID, you were told, tries to avoid standard patrol car models so that theyre not as easily pegged as cop cars. Just Another Day at the Office When you get to the office and check your voicemail, you have 5 new messages, all from the family of the victim from the murder scene you worked Saturday night. Theyre understandably hurt, shocked and desperate for answers, and theyre calling with what they bel ieve are more leads and evidence for you to look into. You return the calls and take down the information, which turns out to be promising. You assure them youre going to do everything you can to get answers, and you give them your mobile number so they can get in prise with you more easily. Its a small gesture and an even smaller comfort, but it brings a little more relief to the family and lets them know you really do care about their plight. After you get off the phone, you look through your case files and plan your day. Youve got 5 witnesses you need to interview, as well as the primary suspect from Saturdays murder scene. He lawyered up and has declined to answer questions to date, but his attorney reached out to you and said hes ready to talk. You set up the interview for late afternoon to give you time to talk to the witnesses and get as much extra information as you can to help you look for holes in the suspects story. The Detectives Waiting Game You spend the rest of th e day making notes in your file, reviewing photos and contacting the crime scene unit to follow up on an older case. Youre hoping for some breakthroughs from either the DNA analysts or the fingerprint examiners or, better yet, both. You dont hold out a lot of hope because you know that - despite how TV shows portray CSI cases - it usually takes months, not hours, to get any kind of actionable evidence analysis back from the lab. Interviews, Interviews and More Interviews With no new progress from the evidence techs, you leave the office, grab a quick lunch, and make your way to meet your witnesses. You take recorded interviews with each of them. Most of the information you get confirms what you already knew from the evidence, but a couple of new pieces of the puzzle are falling into place. Progress. A couple of the statements contradict each other, which is a frustrating but common occurrence when dealing with different people who have different perspectives witnesses minds ofte n try to make sense of what they saw after the fact. The challenge is to separate the facts from the speculation.A challenge to be sure, but nothing you havent dealt with a hundred times before. After your last witness interview, you pull into a vacant parking lot to make some notes and go over your facts before you meet with your suspect. You develop a line of questions and devise a game plan and then make your way to the suspects attorneys office for the interview. Your suspects answers are short and somewhat evasive, and its clear hes been coached. He offers an alibi, but youve got some witnesses who contradict that. Youre not ready to play that card just yet, though. You can tell hes lying, but you want to get more proof to back it up before you call him on it. When the interview is over, you play nice with the suspect and the lawyer and assure him youre exhausting all leads. Playing by the Rules With the new information you gathered, youve got some good leads and ideas of w here to look for some key evidence. You head back to the office and draw up a search warrant so you can collect the evidence you expect to find. You send a draft to the district attorneys office for review. Since its not time-sensitive, you know you wont get a thumbs up or thumbs down until at least tomorrow. It Doesnt End at the End of the Day Its been a long day, coming off of a long weekend. As quitting time rolls around, you head out to your car and make the short drive home. When you get home, you pine for a shower and a cold beer to wash away the day. The shower, you can do. The beer is out because youre still on call. After a few hours of reading and watching TV, youre ready to turn in for the night. You rest your head on your pillow and hope for sleep to come. Sometimes, when you close your eyes at night, you see the faces of the victims whose deaths youve investigated. Sleep doesnt always come easily, but fortunately, it does tonight. A Detective Never Sleeps Youre not sure how long youve been asleep when the ringing telephone wrenches you awake. A glance at the clock tells you its 230 AM. The fog of sleep slowly lifts as you answer. Its dispatch. Good morning Detective, the dispatcher says. Weve got a signal 7 for you. Are you ready to copy? You grab the pad and pen you keep by the bed and start to take notes. Its going to be another long day.

The Indisputable Truth About Industrial Design Resume That No One Is Sharing With You

The Indisputable Truth About Industrial konzeption Resume That No One Is Sharing With You Industrial designers work in offices in an assortment of industries. A standard method to develop into an industrial electrician is to finish an apprenticeship. At the conclusion of your internship, youll have relevant experience to assist you decide whether a career in Industrial Engineering is the correct choice for you. Regardless of the sum of work experience you have as an engineer, it is crucial that you produce an eye-grabbing resume. Life After Industrial Design Resume What follows is a wide selection of professional resume samples for jobs in a variety of industries. Whether youre just beginning or a seasoned pro applying to have a better position, your design resume should be first rate for you to stand a possibility of receiving an interview. Youre going to be landing that dream design job in no moment. If you are searching for a new job as an industrial engineer you are abl e to raise your probability of getting hired by writing a professional resume. When youre in work hunt, elendhing can help you more than an impressive resume. Its a fast and straightforward method to be certain youre going into a work search with your most professional foot forward. If you would like to get a nice job, you require a good resume. Its the job of any visual artist to consider from the box, and you will need to be able come up with a resume to demonstrate that to prospective employers without needing to ditch the thought of a resume altogether. Industrial Design Resume Ideas Simple does not need to mean dull. Designers will almost always realize that including the Adobe Create Suite is a fantastic starting point. Taking a start with fundamentals of internet design is a great way to understand a lot of new thing about web design. These templates are excellent for a graphic artist or designer by way of example, but if youre applying to become an accountant, you mig ht want to go for an elegant or traditional design instead.If you are searching for Industrial Engineering Or Medicine youve come to the proper spot. Consider best application for graphic design for a weapon, which you are able to strategically generates to be in a position to target a particular work and to receive the center of the business. To be a thriving industrial designer, you must have an unbelievable passion for each appropriate field of knowledge your product falls into. Usually people dont have a lot of understanding of web design. Using samples and templates of engineering resumes will enable you to gather all your qualifications in a skilled and organized method. When sending the ideal application for graphic design you need to deal with the very best individual responsible for the selection. Therefore, including a diverse assortment of certain skill keywords in your resume is important to grow the chances your application gets the attention it deserves. Specif ic programs and applications are frequently used as keywords in the event of a technical resume. Dont pack your resume with software thats so common that everybody should have the ability to utilize it. Other designer resume samples can be found on the internet and could have useful tips. Your resume is the most essential document in regards to landing a job for a designer in your specialty. Provide ongoing manufacturing support and troubleshooting. Production of goods (such as clothing and shoes) declines while the creation of services (such as fast food and physical fitness coaching) increases. To increase your odds of working within this area, you require professional childcare provider resume templates. Not all businesses find out how to locate an EBITDA. So when the hiring company hasnt provided a salary for work, we look at salary data from related businesses and locations to think of a fair estimate for what you may count on. Top Choices of Industrial Design Resume References are usually optional. Below, you will locate a list of resume examples that may aid you with your work search. Mess this up, and it winds up in the pile of rejects. 1 tip Id like to provide you is that if youre using hard copies of your resume, be certain that the paper is of the best quality and the paper suits your resume design. You want to pick a resume template which will help you make a fantastic first impression, even before people start reading. You also need to think about the legal and cultural part of writing your resume. Youve probably already seen a dizzying amount of online suggestions for how to compose a resume, and arent sure about the way to make sense of it all. Once youve reviewed resumes in your field, peruse resumes across fields to know how to vary using action verbs and receive a feel for what makes an effective accomplishment statement. DO ensure the remainder of your resume is completely machine readable.

The Business Writing Mistake That#8217;s Making You Look Bad

The Business Writing Mistake That8217s Making You Look Bad Theres something you may be doing every day thats making you look old and out of touch and, you probably have no idea what it is. Its not your clothes, or your hairstyle, or the AOL email address (although, those might not be helping either).What youre doing is more subtle than all that. Worst of all, it something that you learned welchescorrectin school. How or why would you someone teach you the wrong way to do something? All I can say is this The times have changed possibly without you.Now, before I get on a high horse, let me say that I learned this lesson the hard way. I want to keep you from learning it the hard way, too. Its very possible nobody else will point it out to you. Theyll just talk about you when youre not around or wonder to themselves about your intelligence.This sounds like a big deal, doesnt it?How I Learned My Less onWhen I first launched my career-coaching practice, Copeland Coaching, I wrote an eBook called Breaking the Rules Getting the Job. I used a recommended, fantastic editor who read over the 100 or so draft pages I wrote. She combed through every page in detail, with great care.When she was finished, I asked for general feedback on my writing style. I had never used a professional editor before and was very interested in learning as much as I could. She said something I never expected to hear The one thing you really need to stop doing is using two spaces after your periods.Wait, what? Nothing about my writing style? Two periods instead of one? But the teachers in school drilled two periods into my headThis must be a minor creative difference, I thought. I left the eBook with double spaces and never looked back.About six months later, I had a meeting with the newspaper for which I write a column. I had been writing the column for a few months, and with professional writers and editor s in the room, I took the opportunity to ask the same question Is there anything I could do to improve my writing style?One of the editors cringed. He said something along the lines of, Your writing style is good, but theres one thing that would be great if you could stop doing. You use two periods at the ends of your sentences. We always delete them.This stopped me in my tracks. My mind began to spin. How in the world was this really a thing? How was it a big deal? How is it a pet peeve of professional writers? Where did I go wrong?From the best that I can gather, using two spaces after periods was taught for years in school. At some point in time, the standard changed, and one space became the norm. Unless you write for a living, you probably werent told about the change.Simply put If youre using two spaces after periods, you are dating yourself. I suspect youre like me and dont even know this.Any time I tell a client about this standard, theyre always surprised that A.) this is a thing and B.)anyone cares. They probably ignore my suggestions in this area just like I ignored my first editor.This week, a friend posted on social media about this pet peeve with a link to a recent article on the website Slate. It inspired me to write this post.Heres how the article begins Can I let you in on a secret? Typing two spaces after a period is totally, completely, utterly, and inarguably wrong. The author goes on to say, What galls me about two-spacers is What Im getting at here is that the one space or two issue is a very controversial one. And were all being judged.If youre out there applying for jobs, take my advice and switch to one space. Dont overthink it. Just do it. After some practice, it will become more natural and it will prevent you from being gossiped about by those who are more up on writing than the average person.After all, theyre tying your knowledge of this fact (or lack thereof) to your intelligence.

Survey 5 things job seekers want to know before applying

Survey 5 things job seekers want to know before applyingSurvey 5 things job seekers want to know before applyingWhen youre an employer that wants to attract top talent, be careful how you tell the story of your company in public, because there are eyes online who are watching your answers very closely.According to a newsurvey from Indeed, job seekers need to know about a companys stability before they submit their application.Top answers job seekers want to know about a company before applyingMore than wanting to know about a companys snazzy vision or their potential manager, job seekers wanted transparency about the companys state of affairs. Is there high turnover? Are numbers in the red? Job seekers wanted to know if the job they were applying for today would still be there in the future. These were the top considerations job seekers had when researching a company they wanted to work forThe stability of the company (47%)Insights around benefits and perks, flexibility, and salary r anges for relevant roles (45%)Information about growth opportunities (41%)Company management (34%)Companys mission and vision (31%)This strong need to know about the companys reputation makes sense. Before you jump ship for a new job, you want to know more about where you will land. You dont want to be surprised by pitfalls that employee reviews and reports in the newspapers could have alerted you to avoid.Indeed found that when companies did not provide enough information about themselves online, job seekers became suspicious and less likely to apply. An absence of available online information caused 70% of job seekers to automatically distrust the company.As Indeeds Paul Wolfe put it, Today, then, its not enough to just post your jobs online. Job seekers are viewing your jobs in context. Providing rich information about the experience of working at your company is essential to building trust and getting applications.

How to Jump-Start Your Career Without Going Back to School

How to Jump-Start Your Career Without Going Back to SchoolHow to Jump-Start Your Career Without Going Back to SchoolMaybe youve hit a wall in your career, and cant quite seem to land that promotion. Or your real-world experience has shown you another career path youd like to pursue, but you dont yet feel qualified to take the leap. For some, sharpening the pencils and heading back to school is the go-to solution, but it shouldnt necessarily be your default. Sometimes your best move can be circumventing school altogether, says Jenny Blake, author of Pivot The Only Move That Matters Is Your Next One. School will always be there if you decide you want to invest in it. But spending a boatload of money and potentially loading yourself up with debt to get to the next level may not be necessary. Heres a game plan to follow instead. Define Your Desired Outcome Outcome-oriented investing is all the rage in the financial world unterstellung days, and youll be in great shape if you can do t he same thing with your career. Instead of looking at what youre lacking, or getting stuck on feeling behind, focus on what you want your success to look like a year from now. If youre not sure what to aim for, think about what youre best at, what you most enjoy, when youre most in the zone, and what people come to you about most often for advice. Use those strengths as clues to propel you toward related learning or research you can do to move towards your outcome. Hone Your Mission Take your personal strengths and set them to paper. Then, make a concrete list of what you need to learn. Focus on the right skills- ones that are worth your time and may help break down any career walls you might be facing. Then conduct a sanity check to be sure the skills on your list are valued by people who would want to hire you. You can do this by asking a native to coffee- someone already doing what youd like to do- and asking about the top strengths required to be successful in their role. Th en, find your own gap, says Pamela Mitchell, founder, and CEO of The Reinvention Institute. And, before you get started on filling in the blanks, take a good look at your background and make sure you havent already done something similar in the past. Mitchell says that as a career coach, she regularly sees people forget about certain qualifications and accomplishments theyve completed in their prior work and other histories. Explore Skill-Building Platforms You can add new skills to your repertoire and round out your existing knowledge at no charge or at low cost in many cases by taking online courses through platforms. Some of these courses offer certificates of completion, which can help you demonstsatz your level of expertise to current or future employers. Some universities also offer classes through extension programs, which are open to all students without needing to be accepted to the university itself, such as U.C Berkeley and Stanford University, among others. Where to Find Career-Building Courses Lynda.com This site offers a wide variety of video courses taught by industry experts working in many different industries and roles, such as software, creative, and business. The company offers a one-month trial of free classes and is a subsidiary of LinkedIn. LinkedIn members receive a certain number of free courses each month as part of their membership.CreativeLive This organization broadcasts free live classes to people all over the world, ranging from topics like How to Write a Blog Post That Drives Traffic to Build an Etsy Storefront That Sells.Khan Academy Take advantage of free courses and practice sessions on everything from engineering and the humanities to computing and finance.General Assembly This entity offers paid skill-building workshops (online or at brick-and-mortar campuses) in areas like design, marketing, coding, and data. The company also offers regular networking events by skill area and location.Coursera This online education-foc used technology company offers free and paid online courses in areas like data science, computer science, business and machine learning from top schools like Stanford, Yale, Duke, and Johns Hopkins- and financial aid is available for those who qualify.Itunes and Audible These two online resources can open the door to audiobooks and podcasts for learning the ins and outs of many new topics. Most podcasts are free, and a subscription to audiobook platform Audible is $14.95 per month after the 30-day free trial. (Membership grants you one audiobook free per month, plus 30 percent off any purchase.) Seal the Deal With Some Experience Theres a reason learn by doing is such a popular piece of advice- it builds your skills and your resume at the same time. Get miles on yousays career and executive coach Maggie Mistal. Once youve gained new skills and put them into practice, you can list them in both the skills and experience sections of your resume.In the beginning, you may need to off er your assistance at a reduced rate or pro bono, so reach out to local startups and offer them this deal. Sites like TaprootFoundation.org, VolunteerMatch.org, and Idealist.org are also great places to start if youd like to gain skills while working with a nonprofit. Itll likely be easier to get your foot in the door and put the skills youve learned to use. Another option is Catchafire.org, a website that matches talented people to causes theyre passionate about. Input a topic you care about, as well as what youre good at, and the site helps you find a project to contribute to that incorporates both. By choosing this route, you can contribute to a good cause- and beef up your resume while youre at it.

How to Hire Employees Who Make a Perfect Fit

How to Hire Employees Who Make a Perfect FitHow to Hire Employees Who Make a Perfect FitIf youve ever spent a month or more recruiting and bewerberinterviewing accounting and finance candidates, you know what a time-consuming process it is. If you want to know how to hire employees who start out strong and stay that way, keep reading.After all, if your new finance manager, business analyst, internal auditor or compliance officer doesnt work out, your time will have been wasted, and youll have to do it all over again.Knowing how to hire employees right the first time is a matchmaking skill that a surprising number of organizations dont have.What are their shortcomings? To find out what hiring managers encounter with hiring failures, Robert Half Finance Accounting recently conducted a survey of CFOs. Their responses revealed four ways companies and new hires might find themselves at odds.See survey details in our Top Reasons for a Failed Hire infographic.1. The skills stumbling blockN early four in 10 CFOs interviewed (38 percent) cite mismatched skill sets as the leading contributor to hiring failures.Every job has its own qualifications, from education and experience to certifications. Theres also a full range of skills requirements, such as data entry and account analysis. And then there are soft skills - must-have abilities with regard to adaptability, leadership, communication, collaboration or technology.The divergence occurs when people are offered - and accept - roles they arent really qualified for.How can you avoid a mismatch in skills and know how to hire employees who fit?Make a list of essential skills required for the position, and clearly define them in your job description and interview.Develop a system for identifying the key skill sets you need in candidates.Conduct detailed reference checks with specific questions about the candidates skills.2. Hazy performance expectationsThe No. 2 reason CFOs in the survey gave for failed hires is that the new employee has unclear performance expectations. This is a communication issue.Its difficult for new hires to meet performance goals when managers havent set clear expectations and regularly checked in with them to make sure they understand what they should be doing. Ideally, employees also need to know what their part is in the companys overall strategy.How can you prevent this cloud of communication?Set specific and measurable standards of performance from Day 1.To the degree possible, tie the job responsibilities with company or departmental priorities. Explain this to candidates during the interview and repeat for the new hire.Touch base with the new hire by the end of the first week to discuss his or her chief responsibilities and the specific outcomes that you expect.Have a process in place for goal setting, feedback and holding employees accountable.Looking for more advice on hiring finance and accounting staff?VISIT OUR HIRING PAGE3. Personality crash-and-burnsOne of the factors that gets overlooked in the hiring process is that personality counts. And while skills and performance can be developed on the job, you cant expect personality or attitudes to change.The ideal is to be able to read a persons character before you make the job offer. Tough to do, yes, but it is possible. Look for candidates whose outlook and passion matches the role and complements your other team members approach to the work. Similar personalities as well as different ones can enhance your teams dynamics. Just remember Diverse personalities are important to creating good teams, but bad chemistry is bad chemistry.How can you hire someone who will be compatible?Conduct a behavioral interview with questions that ask what the candidate would do in certain situations, such as conflicts with coworkers.Ask open-ended questions that prompt creative, thoughtful answers and allow candidates to talk about their motivations and frustrations.Probe for deeper answers that might raise red flags, such as an unwillingness to change, impatience, apathy or negativity.4. Company culture misfitsIn the survey, 15 percent of respondents said a failure to fit in with the company culture was the top reason for a poor hire.The key to putting company culture at the heart of your hiring is to make sure youre selling your company and what its like to work there. You want candidates to know ahead of time what to expect, with no surprises. Is your office more about team or individual efforts? Is management top-down? What defines success? You should be able to communicate those workplace characteristics and find out how they correspond with the person you want to hire.Find out more about organizational culture, the make-or-break factor in hiring and retention.How else can you know how to hire employees who match your company culture?When conducting reference checks, learn about the candidates work styles, strengths, areas for improvement and work ethic.In interviews, be strategic wit h your questions and ask about the type of work environment where a candidate might flourish - or struggle.Ask others on your team to meet with the candidate during the interview process, and consider their opinions.Last piece of advice? Dont rush the process of assessing a candidate. First impressions dont always pan out.Finally, if you want to know how to hire employees who make the perfect fit, tap the extensive networks of a specialized staffing firm, which gives you access to a larger talent pool. A recruiter can also help you evaluate candidates based on the required skills, performance expectations, personality and company culture fit. Kathleen Downs Kathleen Downs, a senior vice president with Robert Half Finance Accounting, started with the company in 2000. Before that, she was CEO of a recreation/retail/education organization in Bonn, Germany. Kathleen is actively involved with a number of professional organizations within the finance and accounting field and sits on several not-for-profit boards.