Saturday, May 30, 2020

6 Ways to Deal with a Lousy Boss

6 Ways to Deal with a Lousy Boss Throughout your career, chances are that youre going to have to contend with a difficult colleague. Though it can be a bit tiresome working alongside someone at a similar level of seniority as you who rattles your cage a bit, there are usually ways that you can resolve these issues without any significant impact on your position in the company. But what can you do if the person whos grinding your gears is your boss? Bad management is one of the most common reasons that employees become unhappy at work or even leave their job altogether. Also when you may love the role you are working in, the workplace can become a toxic environment if you have a poor relationship with your manager. So how exactly can you go about handling a lousy boss? 1) Put yourself in their shoes Try to put yourself in the mindset of your boss and understand why they do what they do. Think about what their role is in the company and what drives them. Some things to consider are what their  key objectives are, what  are their  most important values and what is expected of them. If there is pressure on them  to drive the team to meet specific targets  or to keep the business running smoothly, this burden may be taken out on you as an employee. Once you can see things from your bosss  perspective, you may be able to adapt the way you do things to accommodate their expectations or to at very least tolerate their  moods! 2) Speak up If something is bothering you to the point that it is affecting your work performance or happiness in your job, its best to get it out in the open. Try to catch your boss in private and discuss the issues politely and professionally. Being open about how you feel is a much better option than just sitting and stewing over things that are winding you up and most of the time your boss will appreciate you being honest. You may then be able to work around your differences and come up with a way to resolve the problem. 3) Dont bad mouth your boss to your co-workers As tempting as it may sometimes be when youre feeling worked up, dont whatever you do have anger fuelled rant to your colleagues about everything you dislike about your boss! You never know what might make its way back to them and any concerns about their management style are much better heard from you than second hand. Risking them getting wind of your negative comments can only make your relationship worse, or even get you in trouble. 4) Support your boss and help where you can If you have a poor relationship with your boss you may feel unwilling to help them out, however, in the long run, it will benefit you much more to help them achieve their goals and look good. You can do this by assisting them where possible. If you have noticed that one of their weaknesses is  a lack of organization, you could offer to do their filing for them or remind them of upcoming events on their calendar. If you help to keep things running  smoothly and bring success to the business, you will, in turn, be considered an asset to the company. 5) Dont let it affect your attitude If you allow your bosss behaviour to have a negative influence on your own, you will  become as bad as them. Its easy to develop a sour attitude towards work when you arent happy with the way things are being run, but if you begin to slack off, or your work performance slips, it will only reflect negatively on you. Keep focusing on achieving your best and maintaining positive relationships with the rest of your colleagues. 6) Take a look in the mirror Before you go and place all the blame on your boss, have a look at your own behaviour. Its possible that  you could be held accountable yourself for your poor relationship with your boss. Are you cooperative? Are you completing your work to a good standard? Are you communicating effectively? If you feel it could be partially or even entirely your fault after all, think about what you could do to improve your behaviour and make the changes. Over time you may find that things improve!

Tuesday, May 26, 2020

3 Ways to Source on LinkedIn by Location

3 Ways to Source on LinkedIn by Location One of the most basic requirements when sourcing candidates is that they are based in an appropriate location for the role we are trying to fill. Recruiters already know that LinkedIn is a very powerful candidate sourcing tool, but do you know all the ways it can help you find candidates that are in the right place? Here are the three strategies that you can use: 1) Advanced Search on LinkedIn This is by far the most obvious technique, and probably the most useful. Using LinkedIn advanced search page, you can give it a postcode and a search radius and it will find you candidates based on their location. If you have a Basic profile you will be limited to seeing 100 results per search and will only be able to view full profiles of your 1st and 2nd degree connections. 2) Custom Filters on LinkedIn Recruiter I’m often asked if it is possible to search for candidates in multiple countries at the same time. You might want to do this if you recruit right across Europe or in a particular region, like the Nordics for example. One of the best ways I have found to do this is using Custom Filters. You will have access to this feature if you have a LinkedIn Recruiter licence. Once you have run your search, select multiple countries from the Location filter on the left hand side of your results page. To add countries that don’t appear in the top 10, just start typing in the box that says “Enter location name”. If you then scroll to the top of the search filters again, under the blue “search” button you will see a link to “Custom Filters” â€" use this to save your filter for later and use it to save time on future searches. 3) Country Specific Sub-domains  used with Google or Bing If you perform site searches (sometime called X-ray searches) of LinkedIn using Google or Bing then you can take advantage of LinkedIn’s country specific  sub-domains  to search for profiles from one particular country. If you just want profiles from the UK for example, search site:uk.linkedIn.com If youre unsure what the two-letter sub-domain is for your target country, Irina Shamaeva has posted a list of all the LinkedIn country  sub-domains  she has identified over on the Boolean Strings blog. If you want to search for LinkedIn profiles from the UK, but  arent  too confident writing your own Boolean Strings, try out this Custom  Search Engine that I made â€" it only finds UK LinkedIn profiles. Do you have any other handy tips and tricks for searching LinkedIn by location? Let us know in the comments below. RELATED: 3 Google Boolean Search Strings for Candidate Sourcing

Saturday, May 23, 2020

Key Elements to Developing a Successful Brand Strategy - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career

Key Elements to Developing a Successful Brand Strategy - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career What do you predict will become crucial to a successful brand strategy in 2018 as new trends emerge and gain ground? These answers are provided by Young Entrepreneur Council (YEC), an invite-only organization comprised of the worlds most promising young entrepreneurs. YEC has also launched BusinessCollective, a free virtual mentorship program that helps millions of entrepreneurs start and grow businesses. 1. Customer Advocacy You can state over and over in marketing materials that your company is the best, but nothing resonates better with audiences than social proof. Focusing on customer satisfaction and letting their stories drive your brand is a sure-fire way of elevating your reputation and moving your audience to take action with your business. Nothing destroys a brand quicker than a few bad reviews on Google. Suneera Madhani, Fattmerchant 2. Transparent Narratives As artificial intelligence and augmented reality will be increasingly commonplace in business development strategies, trust in a brand is crucial. In order to build trust in your brand, in a world of AI, a transparent narrative that communicates on a personal level gives a brand a competitive edge. Additionally, keep your narrative consistent. My brand has diversified, but our narrative has not. Matthew Capala, Alphametic 3. Developing a Clear Identity As consumers face the increasingly difficult challenge of cutting the clutter, it will become more important than ever for brands to develop clear and distinct identities. To resonate in an incredibly noisy marketplace, brands must clearly define and establish their best area on the map and utilize focused and targeted messaging to connect with their ideal audience. Adam Mendler, Beverly Hills Chairs 4. A Visual Content Takeover Brands can no longer sell themselves with words alone. The average attention span is shorter than ever, so given that visual communication is proven to engage peoples attention for longer, brands need to change their strategy. People connect with visuals 60,000 times faster than text, which means theyre more likely to connect to a brand whose marketing materials are visually powerful. Amy Balliett, Killer Infographics 5. Creativity In 2018 it is expected that social media will start penalizing vote baiting, clickbaiting, react baiting and share baiting. This means that many brands will have to look for alternative, more creative ways to engage their audience on social media, and their storytelling skills, tone of voice and overall presence will turn into a critical success factor. David Henzel, davidhenzel.com 6. Immersive and Personalized Customer Experiences Customers are growing to expect their interactions with brands to be more and more tailored to them as individuals. As AI technology becomes more integrated into the customer experience and the rise of the chatbots continues, that expectation will only grow. You need to embrace these technologies or risk being left behind. Erik Bullen, MageMail 7. Micro-Moments and the Ongoing Shift to Mobile Consumers are increasingly attached to smartphones. Searches on mobile exceed those on computers. Google has coined a new term to describe how consumers behave on their mobile devices: micro-moments. These are instants when consumers want to know where, when, what, why and how on the fly. Brands need to anticipate and utilize micro-moments to drive conversions. Be there, be useful and be quick. Thomas Smale,  FE International 8. Short, Engaging Content on Social Media Short, engaging content on Instagram, Facebook and Snapchat will become crucial to any successful brand strategy in 2018. If companies havent started implementing short snippets of engaging content, theyll be missing out on potential growth. For companies already producing short snippets of content on all three platforms, theyll be the ones that keep visitors coming back consistently. Kristin Marquet,Creative Development Agency, LLC 9. Affiliate Programs As more individuals start up their own YouTube channels and blogs, you will need to give them a reason to talk about your brand. The easiest way to do this is to create a financial incentive for them to mention your product by creating an affiliate program. You dont need to know how to code to do this, there are already many websites that you can apply to join such as ShareASale and CJ Affiliate. Syed Balkhi, OptinMonster 10. Authentic Human Touch The reason why live video is becoming popular is because audiences want to see you in person. They dont just want visuals anymore, they want to be able to interact with you. If you arent true to your message people will be able to spot that right away and social media will help ensure it gets around. Sweta Patel, Silicon Valley Startup Marketing 11. Associating With Cutting-Edge Developments Make big moves in emerging technologies and emerging ideas. Brands that are doing it first tend to steal the spotlight in media and in their customers hearts. Even if you dont drink Red Bull, you associate the brand with amazing stunts, adventure and extreme sports. Align your brand with the craziest and most cutting-edge developments or events happening in your industry, and you will grow. Ali Mahvan, Sharebert 12. Avoiding Shiny Object Syndrome With an endless stream of new software and technologies, the urge to sample different strategies has never been stronger. The key to successful branding is, and has always been, consistency. Find a brand strategy with a proven track record that aligns with your unique skill sets and interests, make a content creation calendar and stick to that no matter what. Joe Fairless,  Ashcroft Capital 13. A Return to Human Interaction As advanced as technology has become, automated email sequences and chatbots have become the norm and consumers are feeling more ignored than ever. Society is growing weary of the robots and automations, and in 2018 you will see more brands shift their focus back to building relationships with their consumers through real human interaction. Scott Baxter, PlayYourCourse 14. Enhanced Security Last year, data leaks affected almost everyone â€" particularly Equifaxs egregious leak of hundreds of millions of personal records. The general public is more aware of the importance of security and that many web services are unable or unwilling to put security first. Companies that prioritize customer security and privacy as a practice and a branding strategy will reap benefits in 2018. Justin Blanchard,  ServerMania Inc.

Monday, May 18, 2020

Keep Your Phone Going on the Go

Keep Your Phone Going on the Go The great thing about smartphones is that they can do a lot.   You can surf the net, watch movies, read books and the list goes on.   The bad thing about smartphones is that they can do a lot.   This takes a toll on your battery life.   The old flip-phone could last for about 2 days without having to charge it.   But with the smartphones these days, like the iPhone and the many Android variations, you are lucky if you can get a solid 8 hours of battery life out of it.   Obviously you can plug it in and re-charge but what would you do if  you were on the go and did not have that option? My trick?   If you have a phone where you can actually remove the battery, buy a spare.   You can often get spare batteries for cheap online or on Ebay.  Charge it up and have it in your bag or purse to swap it out on the go.  If you dont have that type of phone where you can remove the battery (like on an iPhone for example), get a portable power pack, like this one.   You basically charge it up beforehand either through an outlet or a port on your computer and when your phone is ready to die, just plug it into your phone and it will start the charge.   This particular model can extend your battery for an extra 5 hours of talk time. What are some of your tricks to keep your phone battery going?

Friday, May 15, 2020

TCS Resume Writing Samples For Beginners

TCS Resume Writing Samples For BeginnersWhile tcs resume writing samples are a great tool for beginners, they can be used by the experts as well. You can take advantage of the resume writing samples to help you write your own resume without having to do it all yourself. You can even use some of these sample resumes to help you choose which specific job you want to apply for and which positions you are looking for in an organization.Many people find that the examples in resume writing samples are easier to read and follow than most professional resume examples. This is because you are able to see how each section is formatted and how many bullets each bullet point is giving you. You are able to see exactly how each section is going to be formatted as well as what the numbers mean and who the author is.Certain corporate jobs may have more in-depth examples of what you should include in your resume and how you should format your resume in order to show the employer that you have not onl y worked hard but have also done the research that they have asked for. Some employers will look for letters of recommendation from professors or friends. You will need to be able to convince the employer that you have accomplished this and that you have done this through hard work and research.By seeing exactly how things are going to be laid out on your resume, you will be able to determine how long you should make your resume. You will be able to determine what types of bullet points and colors you should use and how you should organize your resume. You will also be able to use this information to write a strong cover letter.When looking at resume samples, you will notice that these samples are usually written for people who are about to graduate college. It is rare that you will find examples that have to do with a person who has just recently graduated high school. The reason for this is because the people who are about to graduate from college usually have been at their colleg e for quite some time already.If you are looking to hire someone who has just recently graduated from college, it is important that you look for samples that are written for people in this situation. These sample resumes should have a resume sample that is three to four pages long. The reason for this is because a lot of time in this position will be spent on writing an actual resume that will include any necessary college courses and letters of reference.The last thing that you should consider when looking for sample resumes is how many pages the resume is. This is because you will want to know how much space you have left to fill in before you send your resume off. In this case, you should not go over six to seven pages of the resume.Your cover letter should start off on the same page as the resume and continue on throughout the rest of the document. You should emphasize your current resume in your cover letter and make sure that you ask for a meeting to discuss your resume. You w ill want to take advantage of the resume writing samples in order to get your resume completed and ready for the hiring process.

Tuesday, May 12, 2020

9 Interview Traps to Avoid - CareerAlley

9 Interview Traps to Avoid - CareerAlley We may receive compensation when you click on links to products from our partners. The big interview day has arrived, and youve spent time doing your homework interview questions, company research, etc. But interviewing for a new job is serious business and the stress can sometimes be overwhelming. Not knowing what will happen during the interview (the types of questions, how you will interact with the interviewers, etc.) combined with the pressure of finding a new job can lead to some fatal errors during the process. Read on to identify some interview traps that may keep you from landing your dream job. Suggested Reading:[easyazon_link asin=1500605158 locale=US new_window=default nofollow=default tag=caree07-20 add_to_cart=default cloaking=default localization=default popups=default]What I Wish EVERY Job Candidate Knew: 15 Minutes to a Better Interview[/easyazon_link] Dont fall for the casual is okay trap. You need to dress the part and the way you dress will cause people to perceive you in certain ways, right or wrong. The safest way to go is to dress in business attire (e.g. clean suit). You dont have to worry about being overdressed and, even though some employers may permit you to dress more casually, dont take a chance on your interview. Take a look at Tips to Dress the Part for the Interview. Dont be late (rather basic). If possible, take a trial visit to the interview location so that you know how long it will take to get there (and you know where it is). Once you know how long it takes, add 20 minutes to that so that you have extra time in case of some unknown delay (like slow public transportation) you never know when might need the extra time. Although you may arrive to your location early, dont contact the interviewer until 5-10 minutes before the interview (you dont want to appear too eager). Lack of confidence is a common mistake. There is a delicate balance between having confidence and being arrogant. No one knows your background better than you. Be proud of your accomplishments and dont be shy when telling your story. Your handshake and initial interaction will be the first impression that the hiring manager will have regarding your self-confidence. Believe in yourself. Dont ask about benefits during your first few rounds of interviews. Keep in mind that your earliest questions may be perceived as topics youre most concerned about when considering the job so your early questions should be focused on the company and position. If the interviewer communicates the companys benefits with you, feel free to ask one to two questions about the policies that the interviewer has already discussed. Failing to give examples of how your experience aligns with the job opportunity. Focus on accomplishments and specific experience that demonstrate you are the right person for the job. This, of course, is all part of your homework prior to the interview (see 15 Tips for Improving Your Job Search). Failing to know about the company will likely cost you any hope of an offer. As a follow on the homework comment above, if the interviewer doesnt ask you specific questions about the company, they are likely to ask you why do you want to work here. Let the interviewer know that you studied the company and thoughtfully chose it as a future employer. Take a look at How to Build a Job Search Company Research Revisited. How much are you worth? Not a good time to answer that question if you can avoid it. If, however, the interviewer asks you what youre expected pay is, try something like its not about the salary, its about the job and the opportunity. You can also indicate that if you are the right person for the role, you are sure the compensation will be fair. Dont underestimate the importance telephone interviews. You need to ace your telephone interview to make it to the in-person interview. Telephone interviews are difficult because you (and the interviewer) cant see expressions and other conversational gestures (not to mention eye contact). There are a few things you should think about. First, pick a quiet place where you wont be interrupted. You also have an advantage, you can keep all of the notes you need handy so that you can answer those difficult questions. Take a look at 10 Telephone Interview Mistakes You Dont Want to Make. Forgetting to say Thank You. While some think Thank You notes are no longer necessary, this is not true. Thank you notes are an important part of the interview process. This is your opportunity to let the interviewer know why you are the best person for the job 5 Ways to Ensure Your Thank You Letter is Noticed. If youre serious about landing your dream job, you need to be serious about your interviews. We are always eager to hear from our readers. Please feel free to contact us if you have any questions or suggestions regarding CareerAlley content. Good luck in your search,Joey Google+ what where job title, keywords or company city, state or zip jobs by What's next? Ready to take action? Choose the right tools to help you build your career. Looking for related topics? Find out how to nail the interview and get hired. Subscribe and make meaningful progress on your career. It’s about time you focused on your career. Get Educated Contact Us Advertise Copyright 2020 CareerAlley. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy + Disclosure home popular resources subscribe search

Friday, May 8, 2020

Dont Judge People By Their Covers

Don’t Judge People By Their Covers Don’t Judge People By Their Covers If you’re looking for a new job, you’ll be meeting a lot of new people. You’ll interact with potential bosses, colleagues, and maybe, depending on your level, a staff. Some of them you’ll hit it off with, others not so much. One thing you need to do with all of them is avoid making assumptions. It’s easy to make assumptions about the people you meet based on nothing more than gender, race, age, etc. Often it happens on unconscious level. Like when you steer clear of the female sales associate at the Apple store because a) she’s a woman and b) she looks over 50. I’ve been guilty of that. Or you may dismiss the new admin’s ideas because he’s the same age as your son or maybe your nephew. These are big mistakes. You might think that spiked, pink hair indicates that someone is creative and grey hair means that a person is out-of-date. You would be wrong. On both counts. I’ve met social media savvy 60+-year-olds and 35-year-olds who are afraid to be on LinkedIn. It all depends on the person. Unfortunately, we all have biases. It’s part of our makeup. When our bias is based on someone’s appearance it’s sometimes referred to as the “horns and halo” effect. The “halo” effect is when you like someone immediately because he or she reminds you of someone else you like. The “horns” effect is the opposite, when you take an instant dislike to someone because he or she reminds you of someone you don’t like. Both of these often take place on a subconscious level. We all have biases. I probably won’t take to the woman who resembles my crabby neighbor. You may not like the guy who makes you think of a former boss. The boss you didn’t get along with. One of the best ways to conquer these biases is by recognizing that we have them. The next time you catch yourself making a judgment about someone’s abilities stop and ask yourself what it’s based on. Is there a reason or are you making an assumption? You know what they say about when people ASSUME. You make an ASS out of YOU and Me. ‘Nuff said.