51 Alternatives to a Real Job interview with Jeff Rock

51 Alternatives to a Real Job interview with Jeff Rock Yesterday I spent 30 minutes on an interview with Jeff Rock, a career and personal branding coach.  It is always fun to brag about your own stuff and Jeff was a gracious host. The book is now available in paperback, on the kindle, and on other ereaders. I hope this short interview inspires you I really get jazzed talking about this stuff.  This is the stuff that helped me go from hopeless and depressed in my own job search to hopeful and excited when I expanded my vision from looking for a traditional job to being open to creating other revenue streams. Enjoy the interview!  (click the icon to go to the blogtalkradio page, then push play there or click here to download) 51 Alternatives to a Real Job interview with Jeff Rock Yesterday I spent 30 minutes on an interview with Jeff Rock, a career and personal branding coach.  It is always fun to brag about your own stuff and Jeff was a gracious host. The book is now available in paperback, on the kindle, and on other ereaders. I hope this short interview inspires you I really get jazzed talking about this stuff.  This is the stuff that helped me go from hopeless and depressed in my own job search to hopeful and excited when I expanded my vision from looking for a traditional job to being open to creating other revenue streams. Enjoy the interview!  (click the icon to go to the blogtalkradio page, then push play there or click here to download)

Eyes Wide Shut 5 Screening Boo-Boos to Stop Making

Eyes Wide Shut 5 Screening Boo-Boos to Stop Making Whether you have a newfangled HRIS, an old-fashioned spreadsheet; an ATS with an amazing user interface or simply a desk with two stacks of resumes, screening can be a chore. In fact, its the first part of the job that demands rejection. Therefore, it should be taken seriously. But like any other part of sourcing, recruiting, attracting and engaging, it can fall victim to a host of experience issues. These issues, from simple bias to inefficient mistakes can not only cost candidates jobs for which they may be qualified but create bottlenecks in your own internal processes. Here are 5 Screening mistakes you could be making (without even knowing it) and how to fix them: 1) Desperation (In dating and recruiting, it can land you in the wrong persons bed) This is more likely to be a young recruiters slip up than an older one. Nearly every job Ive had since 2007 came with some sense of urgency, but the truth is, while you probably DO need someone right away, a smart recruiter will take the time to find the right person (quickly of course!) When youre desperate to hire the first person who walks through the door, you spend a lot more money and time than if youd waited for Mr. (or Mrs.) Right. 2)  6 Seconds in Heaven: Remember that study that stated that recruiters only spend an average of 6 seconds on every resume? That study only surveyed about 50 or so recruiters, so I wont link to it here. However, Id wager that six seconds isnt long enough to give anyone a fair shake at anything in fact, it screams bias. Im a speed reader and I checked how much info I could get out of a 10 second review. It was name (can point to ethnicity), school/degree (really only matters in a select few industries), last job and general experience level (keep age out of it folks!). Thats not enough to go on (and YES, I timed it). 3) Getting Chatted Up: I am a people person. Many interviewers are. Honestly, interviewing can be a blast when you screen correctly. You get to learn all about new people, tell them about your company (which you hopefully love!) and do a test run for cultural fit. All this can lead to something that looks more like a coffee clatch than an interview round. Keep it profesh, and if you cant, at least make sure that you eventually get around to asking the right questions in the phone/video screen. 4) Believing What You Read: can lead you down a bad road. While I dont recommend distrusting all your applicants, you do need to take resumes and recommendations with a grain of salt. If you fall hook, line and sinker for every overhyped candidate out there, you may find yourself on the interview trail soon. Its a simple matter of checking (before the interview) who bears looking into a little more closely. 5) Lying About the Job: Okay, you probably arent lying, youre probably exaggerating, or the ad is incomplete, or it hasnt been revised since the Carter era. For whatever reason your job advertisement is not full of what we call truthiness this is the biggest (and often first**) mistake of all. With a solid job ad, you can eliminate a lot of headaches for yourself and for candidates. So remember, TALK to hiring authorities, NAIL down the budget and timeline and TELL your audience exactly what you need (TNT Job Ad formula, coming 2014, patent pending). So what do you think? Are you making these big bad job mistakes? Next time youre getting ready to go through those big (figurative) stacks, keep this article in mind and finish the job faster, better and with your eyes wide open. (**Authors Note: I probably should have put this first, but I wanted to make sure you would read to the bottom. If you didnt, then you missed it. HAHAHAHAHA!)

Are Resume Cover Letters Becoming Obsolete

Are Resume Cover Letters Becoming Obsolete The humble resume cover letter: we all know that we should write one. And yet so many of us skip this simple step. Our reasons for this are many and varied: we kid ourselves that we don’t have the time, that it’s not needed in this day and age, or that the hiring manager won’t read it. Maybe we hope that our impressive LinkedIn profiles and bustling industry-savvy social media accounts will suffice. After all, studies have shown that 35% of employers will view your social media page before even reading your resume. Yet that still leaves a whopping 65% of employers who will decide whether or not to interview you based solely on the contents of your resume and (if you’ve supplied it) your cover letter. So why do we dislike writing that cover letter so much? Maybe it harks back to the days when our mothers forced us to write countless ‘thank you’ letters to relatives for Christmas gifts. There’s just something about the act of sitting there, pen in hand, staring at a blank sheet of paper that makes even the bravest of us balk at this seemingly unnecessary task. Yet a survey by OfficeTeam showed that not receiving a cover letter with a resume was still a huge turn-off to potential employers. Although a large majority of jobs now allow you to apply online, this opens the door to a new ‘scattergun’ approach to job-hunting that was simply not seen in the pre-email days when you had to physically print out your job application package and mail it to a physical address. The last thing a prospective employer wants is to have to hunt through your resume for some clue as to which job you’re applying for, or (worse) to find your contact details. Put simply, including a cover letter with your resume is good manners. Sure, we can get by pretty well in life without manners, yet who among us can fail to be charmed, to smile and say ‘thank you!’ when a stranger opens a door for us? Make sure you open the door for your employer with your cover letter. The key to a great cover letter is as follows: Keep it Short â€" 3 paragraphs max Stick to the point â€" Don’t tell your life story Write a new cover letter for each job The last point is particularly important if you are applying for jobs online. Although there are now hundreds of online job boards, be aware that the same job may be advertised on dozens of different boards. There’s nothing more off-putting to an employer to find six copies of your resume in their INBOX, all with identical cover letters. Unlike a resume, the point of which is to get solid information across, your cover letter is also a place to let your potential employer see a little bit of your personality. Like a really good first date, the best cover letters don’t reveal all, but instead hint at all the good qualities you possess. They serve to intrigue the other party and make them want to find out more. So be courteous but also have a little fun, add a little personal sparkle here and there, and whet the hiring manager’s appetite for the main event â€" meeting you at the interview. In short, the cover letter may seem like a relic from a bygone age, but beware to those who think they can skip this important step in the job application process. It’s human nature to be impatient and want to skip to the main event right away, but a little common courtesy can give you the advantage that so many others lack these days. And like good manners â€" cover letters will never be obsolete.

6 of The Most Common Negative Thoughts and How To Combat Them - Classy Career Girl

6 of The Most Common Negative Thoughts and How To Combat Them It’s official: positive vibes not only feel great but serve an inherent evolutionary function. Following a landmark 2011 study, a team of psychologists concluded the following: “Positive emotions feel good, and feelings like love, joy, and contentment can be valuable in and of themselves… These desirable states built resources that gave our ancestors’ an edge in circumstances that impinged on their survival.” We stand to gain so much from simply being happy, from engaging positively with the world around us. So why, oh why do we beat ourselves up so much with negative thoughts and self-judgment? Behold: six common negative thought patterns, and the ways you can rationalize your way out of them. 6 Of The Most Common Negative Thoughts and How To Combat Them 1.  There Isnt Enough Time “Life moves so fast, I can’t keep up.” “Life is frantic and uncontrollable.” “I have too much to do!” Time. For some of us, there’s too much of it, for others, too little. Both situations have their positives and negatives. It’s important to remember that, if the shoe were on the other foot, you’d probably still be complaining. Being very busy doesn’t need to be a source of stress. So long as you keep things organized and look ahead, it can feel invigorating to be making the most of life. See the positives of a busy week or month: you are pushing yourself, rising to the challenge and striving onward. Sail in for that morning meeting with gusto. Remember that, in 99% of cases, your commitments are yours to command. Cut back or pile it on as you wish. Either way, own your calendar. There’s power to be had in this. 2.  Im Totally Inadequate “I should be more smart/attractive/successful/rich.” “I’m not worthy of my success/position in life.” “I should be more like that person.” In the same way that we inevitably dissect a photo of ourselves more than we would another’s, we also subject ourselves to obscenely high standards. You cannot be the most attractive person in the world, let alone the most attractive, moneyed, smart,  and charismatic. Cut yourself a break already. You are human. You exist on a sliding scale of achievement and personal qualities. You’ll never be the best or the worst, so just concentrate on being. In these days of social media, it’s particularly easy to stalk others online. Because nobody’s going to put up Facebook photos that are unflattering or even honest, this behavior is bound to foster feelings of insecurity. Don’t fall into the trap of envying those you see engaging on the net. In fact, studies show that frequent Facebook users have lower self-esteem and higher levels of neuroticism than those who use it less. So forget about  comparing yourself to others. You never know what keeps other people awake at night â€" their worries and fears and insecurities. For all you know, they’re feeling worse than you. 3.  The World Is An Awful Place “The world is a brutal, uncaring place.” “Everyone is awful except me.” “People are the worst.” It’s easy to catastrophize about the human race when you see an unkind comment online, have a car accident on the way to work, or get rudely shoved aside by pavement-hoggers. Remember that people are rarely good or bad. They just have good days and worse ones, like the rest of us. Try to empathize with the person you’ve taken exception to. At the very least, refrain from letting a negative encounter taint your entire day. Recover, freshen up and move on with a smile. If you do come across somebody you genuinely don’t care for, there is no reason on earth that you should be forced to spend time with them. Even if it’s a colleague you take exception to, quitting or moving desks is probably within your capabilities. You are the captain of your ship. Take responsibility for it. [RELATED: Try These 5 Tips To Reduce Anxiety And Depression] 4.  Im A Humongous Failure “I didn’t achieve x. I’m a failure/loser/pathetic.” “I shouldn’t have done y.” We all get those moments, late at night, lying in bed. The misdeeds of the past come flooding back. We remember in vivid detail that humiliating let-down, that embarrassing comment we made, that outrageous mistake. Sometimes, the inner monologue is so strong that it’s impossible to leave the past where it belongs. If the sum of our past failures constituted our present selves, we would all be in a sorry state. Everyone â€" without exception â€" carries with them a long memory of missing the mark. Here’s the newsflash: for 99% of the embarrassing things you’ve done nobody even cares about. Human memories are long, but only for personal issues. It is very uncommon for people to recall the failures of others, and even less for them to care. Life goes on. Missed that promotion this time? Don’t dwell. Work towards getting it next time. Instead of recalling the bad things you’ve done, try to remember a good one â€" an occasion where you achieved something or made someone happy. You’ll feel better for it. 5.  I Dont Know What Im Doing “Where am I going with my life?” “I feel like I’m getting nowhere. “What’s the point?” Growing up, our lives are centered around achievements: learning to read and write, getting good grades, applying to schools and universities. But adult life â€" real, post-graduation life â€" has no clear end game. It can be disheartening to emerge from the meat grinder of education or a long-term job to discover that you don’t know what to do next week, let alone what you want to be doing in ten years. The key to combatting listlessness is to take things one step at a time. Life is not a 100m race. It’s a marathon. Break it into chunks and deal with them one by one. Thanks to our status as three-dimensional beings moving through both time and space, the big picture will fall into place â€" whether you like it or not. Relax, concentrate on the near future, and let the cosmos do its inexorable work. Things have a tendency of falling into place. 6.  No One Cares About Me “My partner/friend/family member is thoughtless and inconsiderate.” “Nobody cares about me.” “I am so lonely.” Okay, first off, nobody spends all their time thinking about other people. Especially you. You could be the most selfless person in the world and you’d still be putting numero uno first. It’s natural and â€" in most cases â€" essential to the continuation of our great species. If someone forgets to call, don’t hold it against them. They have a life to lead, and it has to come before you. Sure, there are certain things you can expect from a partner or sibling. But you aren’t entitled to people’s time or energy. Its a gift, not a right to be demanded, and should be treated as such. Feel neglected, rejected or otherwise estranged from someone? Seriously consider whether you’re over-reacting. Most of the time, they do care. It’s just that life happens to everyone, and it’s full of stuff to deal with.

9 Ways to Reward Employees Besides Money

9 Ways to Reward Employees Besides Money Photo Credit â€" Pexels.comYou own a business, and you have employees. So you are aware that, eventually, some of them will come to you and ask you for a raise. Or that you will need to be the one offering it to them.Unfortunately, it is not all the time that you can provide financial compensation to them. Sometimes, the company hasn’t grown enough, or it is going through a phase in which you need to be cautious.So how to deal with this situation without losing the valuable talents and contributions you receive from your staff?evalBy offering them alternatives to financial compensations â€" material or immaterial things that they can perceive as a form of appreciation and compensation for not giving them a raise.And here are some of the options that you can try.1. Training Courses evalAny training courses that you can offer to your employees will be seen as a benefit to them, as they can take it with them wherever they go.You can provide them with short or long-term classes, pay fo r participation in workshops and seminars, or for support to improve their writing skills, as long they are aligned to their current duties or tasks. And you will also benefit from it, as you will have a better-qualified staff in your team after it.2. Days offAs you know, most people are feeling overwhelmed by the many daily tasks they have to accomplish in both their personal and professional lives.So providing them with extra days off will be very welcomed. You can negotiate with them to ensure that they won’t all be away at the same time, of course, but let them as free as possible to decide when to take them â€" or it will end up been seeing as an imposition.3. Longer HolidaysSame as with the holidays, you can offer a few more paid holidays to your staff as compensation for not giving them a raise. And if your company is going through some kind of trouble, it might end up being good for you as well, as you can close the doors for a couple of days and save in maintenance â€" co nsidering if you can arrange collective holidays, of course.4. Flexible HoursevalTraffic is bad, and people also have different biological clocks. So if you can offer them the possibility to show up in the office in flexible hours, you will be seeing as a best friend. It is understandable that many businesses can’t offer it, and maybe not to every position in the company.Those who work in Customer Service might find it a bit difficult, for instance, as they have a tight schedule to obey. But many other can do it without any problem, so have a look if you are one of them.eval5. Working from HomeMany employees would never consider leaving your company if they were allowed to work from home. Yes, such as it was mentioned regarding flexible hours, not all companies can do it, but others can. And you should consider that you will be saving money on operational costs and having a much happier and committed staff around you.6. Freebies from PartnershipsDepending on your industry, you mig ht have partners or clients that offer products or services that your employees would love to get for free. So what about giving them a discount or something else in exchange for it?evalIt can be from a beauty salon, gym, clothing shops, schools, bookstores, etc. Just think about what your staff would like and what your partners can provide for them.7. ErgonomicsMany employees would be happy to delay a raise for a while, in exchange for ergonomic conditions. Let’s say that one of the members of your team needs a particular type of chair, or requires special equipment to make their life easy. So go ahead and buy it for them.Just remember that it has to be something that they need as an extra, not something to satisfy a medical condition or to increase your own revenue.8. Extra BenefitsHave a look at which benefits you are offering to your staff and see if you can improve it. Health insurance, transportation reimbursement, childcare or eldercare, retirement plan, and sick, personal or parental leave, are some of the most common benefits, so you should consider to provide them if you aren’t yet.Just remember that they will only be perceived as compensation for not getting a raise when they go beyond from what is mandatory by employment law.9. Profit SharingAnother way to get your staff engaged during hard times is by promising a share of any increase in the company’s profit achieved in that given year. This way, they will feel more interested in going that extra mile to help you to overcome the delicate situation you are going through at the moment.Final Thoughts: Be HonestThere are many ways to compensate an employee for not giving them a raise as you can see from the above examples. But, above all, it is important that you understand one thing: you need to make it clear why you are denying a raise.No matter how hard it can be for you, you need to be transparent about the company’s finances and the challenges; so they can understand that you are not avoi ding a raise just to save more money for yourself.Of course, you don’t need to disclose every single detail. And you will also want to be extra careful with your words, as you don’t want to them to be in a panic, concerned that the company will go bankrupt anytime, and they should start looking for a new job.evalHaving said that, let them participate in the recovery process, explaining how you plan to get the company back on the rails, and how they can help you on it. And how you are willing to compensate them while you can’t give them a proper raise.This way, they will be happy and confident about their future in your company.