Tips to Being More Creative at Work - Hallie Crawford

Tips to Being More Creative at Work recently wrote an article for US News about being more creative at work. The key point? Keep your creative juices flowing by regularly taking time to brainstorm new ideas. Many of us can feel like creativity is something we either have or dont have. Its an elusive talent that, if were not blessed with it, we cant have it. In some cases, of course, some people will be naturally better at being creative than others. But whether you feel that you are creative or not also depends on how you define it. Creativity is just connecting things, Apple co-founder Steve Jobs once said in an interview. When you ask creative people how they did something, they feel a little guilty because they didnt really do it, they just saw something. It seemed obvious to them after a while. Thats because they were able to connect experiences theyve had and synthesize new things. This means that even less creative types can apply that principle to their work every day. What if we were able to create the conditions for greater creativity, not just in our workplace, but in our professional lives and our daily routines? While its true that some people naturally have more creative tendencies than others, there are things that we can all do to be more creative at work. Read Hallies  4 simple ways to be more creative at work by clicking here.

Benefits Of Using Resume Templates

Benefits Of Using Resume TemplatesEmployers are increasingly using a variety of resumes template to create a well-written and polished piece of cover letter that catches the eye of a job recruiter. The most effective resume templates for this task are specifically designed to fit into a standard MS Word document.In the simplest terms, a resume template is simply a document that can be adapted to the details of a particular person's resume. Once the job requirements are placed on the resume, the template is then tailored for that job. Resume templates have several advantages over traditional documents because they allow individuals to build resumes quickly and easily, which saves time for employers.There are two types of resumes - short and long. Short resumes provide candidates with less information than long resumes and provide information to only about one or two pertinent elements of the job. A good resume template is able to do this within one or two minutes, saving a lot of time that might otherwise be wasted in writing a longer resume.Since these kinds of resumes are created using templates, it is important that these templates contain a detailed explanation of each element so that potential applicants can properly understand the requirement for the position. This is not usually done, because many people have an emotional attachment to one or two details, but employing templates will ensure that all elements are included, allowing potential applicants to get a better idea of what to expect from the job.Another advantage to using a template to create a resume is that it is a common knowledge in the industry, and employers will know what the template should contain in order to receive the best results. The templates can be customized by the employer to include keywords, dates and title tags in order to make it more visually appealing to an applicant.There are various resume templates available online, but the most successful ones are created using Microsoft Word, especially if the candidate is using MS Office. Employers have many advantages when employing template documents, as it ensures that resumes and cover letters are both simple and easy to use, thus making them more likely to be approved by hiring managers.A good tip for job seekers to remember is to make sure to apply for the same job in different locations. This ensures that the skills and experience needed for the job are going to be applied to all locations. When an individual applies for a job in one city, it is extremely unlikely that the employer will be interested in hiring someone with very different skill set.

The Secret to Succeeding at Work Without Burning Out

The Secret to Succeeding at Work Without Burning Out I’ve met so many people who believe that a tradeoff exists between becoming great at work and achieving a sense of wellbeing in their lives. They forgo life outside of their jobs and put in huge amounts of hard workâ€"long hours and maximum effortâ€"to become top performers. Over time, however, this effort takes a toll, leaving them burned out, unhappy, and stressed. Yet still they soldier on, rationalizing that greatness at work comes at an inevitable price. As my statistical study of 5,000 managers and employees has shown, that thinking is misplaced. In my study, many top performers were able to maintain a healthy work-life balance and not burn out on the job. That’s because they embraced smarter ways of working, practices that allowed them to extract more value out of every hour on the job. They got more done, yet had more time outside of work to rest and recharge. The Mayo Clinic defines job burnout as a “special type of job stressâ€"a state of physical, emotional or mental exhaustion combined with doubts about your competence and the value of your work.” Such job stress is quite common in the workplace. My research team and I asked a large portion of our sampleâ€"2,000 peopleâ€"to rate their level of work-related burnout. Many experienced some level of mental and emotional exhaustion. About 19% strongly or completely agreed that they felt burned out. Another 25% agreed somewhat, with the remaining 56% reporting little or no sense of burnout. So, how do the best performers lower their risk of burning out? Several “work smarter” practices we tested correlated with both better job performance and lower levels of burnout. Each practice entailed being more selective on the job. Whereas many of us take on more tasks, projects, or priorities in an attempt to excel at work, some people choose just a few key priorities and then channel effort into doing exceptional work in those areas. They work less, but then obsess so as to excel. Likewise, whereas many of us accept any opportunity for collaboration that comes our way, some people are more disciplined, taking on just a few partnerships but then taking steps to help them succeed. Both of these practicesâ€"“Do Less, Then Obsess” and “Disciplined Collaboration”â€"can protect people from becoming physically and mentally exhausted at work, because they leave people with fewer tasks to accomplish and keep track of. There is another part of burnoutâ€"emotional exhaustion. As the Mayo Clinic’s definition suggests, burnout can stem from a sense that work is stressful, bristling with interpersonal friction, and lacking in meaning. Another smart-work practiceâ€"matching passion with purposeâ€"regulated this emotional aspect of burnout. Some people love what they do, while others feel a strong sense of purpose in their jobsâ€"they feel their work somehow helps others, whether it’s their colleagues, their organization, or the wider world. A number of people manage to cultivate both passion and a sense of purpose on the job. These managers and employees go to work excited about what they do every day, exerting more effort per hour worked, as opposed to piling on more hours. They’re more energized about their work and less burned out than people who lack passion or purpose, or both. They also perform significantly better. My colleagues and I interviewed a high school principal and his staff who had turned around a formerly struggling school. Whereas their work had once enervated them, now it energized and inspired them, not least because it allowed them to devote more of their time to teaching students, rather than disciplining them and breaking up fights. For hours when we visited, this principal and his staff talked with us about their innovative educational model, what technologies they were excited to try, and most of all, how their model was impacting the students. They felt deep passion and purpose. They were still working hard, but they were accomplishing more and feeling less burned out. If you’re driven to out-perform, but finding yourself overly stressed, strike out on a different path by adopting these work-smart practices. It’s indeed possible to perform great and have a great life, too. Morten T. Hansen is a professor in the school of information at the University of California â€" Berkeley. His latest book, Great at Work: How Top Performers Do Less, Work Better, and Achieve More is out now.

Every Generation Struggles With Social Media - Work It Daily

Every Generation Struggles With Social Media - Work It Daily A very successful executive career placement specialist was telling me about the struggles with social media some of her Baby Boomer clients have in their job search. But, in my experience, I've found all generations experience very little reprieve when it comes to feeling comfortable with social media at first and then successfully using it for their job searching. In fact, from recent grads to the almost-retired, the typical job seeker struggles with social media in a similar six-step emotional cycle: Total denial of the importance of social media. Then… An acceptance that social is somewhat useful. Then… Realization of the complete and utter adoption of social by hiring professionals today, and a fear that they are missing out. Then… Frustration at the total lack of instruction on what to do about it. Then… Anger that their non-strategic and inconsistent use of social is not producing any of the promised results. And, finally… Determination to figure out social media and seek expert advice. My father is 70+ years old. He was the one who initiated my interest in social media. Meanwhile, I’ve spoken with hundreds of recent grads, and entire audiences have expressed fear and trepidation around social media. Here are some of the struggles each generation must face when using social media in their job search. Gen Y Issues With Social Media This generation may be tech-savvy, but they aren’t born social media experts either. From early on, they’ve texted and Facebooked their way through life. And, in many ways, they are way more aware of the real-life consequences of online behavior. After all, what they said on Facebook might get them beaten up or ridiculed at school the next day. And, because their use of technology has been for play, by the time they face college graduation, they fear what those past rumpus messages might do to their employability. Gen Yers must focus on two key areas when adopting social media: 1. Clean Up Any “Digital Dirt” You had your fun in high-school. Now it’s time to brush off the dirt, and put on some nice clothes. Revisit those privacy policies, and delete what you can. 2. Adopt LinkedIn Consequences of your online behavior will now have financial consequences, not just social ones. Learn what a good LinkedIn profile requires. Gen X Issues With Social Media We didn’t get e-mail until our senior year at college or shortly after. When we grew up, we were still mailing our thank you notes to grandma, and hoping we didn’t die in nuclear holocaust. I needed prodding from an ex-girlfriend to even look at Facebook because I had already invested my time in Friendster and didn’t want to fill out another dang profile. Those of us lucky enough to have signed up for the right social networks label ourselves “early adopters” and glean over the 100 other social networks that failed miserably. We approach new technologies with small amounts of weariness. “Oh, another one.” But often, our curiosity gets the better of us and we fill out a new profile. Gen Xers must focus on these areas when adopting social media: 1. Leverage The Proven Networks Yes, you may have spent countless hours filling out profiles on networks that don’t exist any more, but LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter are no joke. These networks have proven themselves to be the largest and highest leverage tools to advancing your career. Take your time and write your profiles with your brand in mind. 2. Understand Facebook Privacy Bear in mind Facebook will probably usurp LinkedIn as a professional network in the next two to three years (my opinion), so don’t wait to understand your privacy settings. Force yourself to spend a half-hour in Facebook’s privacy area. It will pay off. 3. Manage Your Public Message Remember you are publishers when you use social media. The consequences of getting off topic or off brand in your public facing networks could be disastrous. Many Gen Xers were fired for careless Facebook and Twitter posts. Focus on staying on message. Baby Boomer Issues With Social Media Since Boomers often look at the younger generations and assume social media is easy for them, they set themselves up for failure. “Oh, those kids text and play X-box. This stuff is easy for them. But I’m older and don’t get technology.” And, with this thought, every learning curve becomes ten times more frustrating. This is what psychologists call a false schema, also known as a self-fulfilling prophesy. The truth is, every generation has their hurdles when using social media,and there are many advantages to being a Boomer in the social media world. First, you are uniquely qualified to recognize the impact social media has had in the world of hiring. You have seen the rise of many new technologies and you know the power they have in transforming our world. You saw color television emerge, you saw FM change from talk to music, and you saw computers shrink from the size of buildings to the size of fists. Second, you are less likely to screw up with social media than other generations. You approach technologies cautiously because you’ve had computers that would break if you pushed the wrong button. These are some areas of focus for baby boomers when using social media to find work: 1. Use Online Training And Help Don’t be overly cautious, sometimes you need to just bite the bullet, and fill out that Twitter profile, even though you don’t know if you are going to screw it up. Job-Hunt has several articles on using social media for job search you can read. And, plenty of other training and Youtube videos will help you through it. 2. Be Yourself (Within Reason) Don’t be afraid to show a little more personality online then what you are used to. Your job search paradigm is very formal. All of your resumes are written in third person, and you have been trained to be “professional.” Know that, these days, fit and personality may outweigh capability. Let your hair down a little bit when using social media. For you, this will probably feel uncomfortable, but will be seen as refreshing. 3. Leverage Your Knowledge And Experience You understand strategy. You have 20+ years of professional experience and know how to take your time, watch, and make important decisions. Apply some of that strategic thinking to your social media presence. Know who you are targeting in your job search, and then approach them with a plan to add value. You know how to do this! Bottom Line Overall, each generation must face their own unique hurdles when adopting social media. So never fall into the trap of thinking “those other people have an advantage over me.” With social media, the playing field is level, and those millions of Americans winning their jobs with it are the ones willing to go through the stages of adoption and take their time to educate themselves on something new. Related Posts 6 Social Media Mistakes To Avoid While Job Seeking Social Media Guidelines For Young Professionals Why You Should Connect With Co-Workers On Social Media Photo Credit: Shutterstock Have you joined our career growth club?Join Us Today!

5 Job-search Steps to Shorten the Hunt

5 Job-search Steps to Shorten the Hunt 5 Job-search Steps to Shorten the HuntSpeed up your job search.Youd be hard pressed to find anyone who actually enjoys looking and applying for jobs. The process isnt necessarily enjoyable, but at the very least, you can make it as short as possible. Whether youve just started your job search or youve passively been on the hunt for some time now, here are the five most crucial job-search tips to help you take control of the process and make the best use of your time.1. Define what youre looking for in your next roleSpend a few hours combing through online listings and youre guaranteed to find lots of jobs that you could feasibly do. But between tweaking your resume, finding a hiring managers schmelzglas address, writing a cover letter, and sending follow-ups, you could easily spend hours on just one role even one that might not necessarily be a great fit.You wouldnt spend time at work investing in a project with little-to-no ROI, so instead, re invest a few hours of your time asking yourself a few important questions Whats the title I want next? What types of projects do I want to tackle? What are my non-negotiables?Just remember You wont find the right job for you if you dont know what you really want, and you could waste a lot of time in the process if you dont figure it out stat.2. Write your elevator pitchOnce you know what you want, its time to tailor your elevator pitch to emphasize what exactly about your background makes you the right candidate. This should be a few short, digestible sentences preferably no more than three (take into consideration the amount of time youd actually spend on an elevator ride). Use them to highlight your most relevant accomplishments so clearly that even a complete stranger could understand.With your well-rehearsed elevator pitch on hand, youll be well-prepared for both networking events and the first question any recruiter or hiring manager is going to have for you Tell me about your selfRelated5 Tips for Delivering the Perfect Elevator Pitch3. Purchase a professional resume rewriteBefore you even consider applying to a single job, youll need to be armed with an updated resume that accurately and effectively reflects your experience. Of all the job-search tips here, this is the only one that can be easily outsourced to experienced professionals and will make koranvers youre positioned for the dream job scenario you envisioned in Step One.Aside from the fact that writing a resume on your own can come with a lot of costly and time-consuming mistakes, purchasing a professional resume rewrite will allow you to spend your time where it really matters.4. Set achievable goalsIts easy when youre unemployed to believe that every waking moment should be spent on applications, networking, and phone calls. The honest truth is that most of us arent productive even three hours per day, and the job search is not the time to start setting world productivity records. Determine w hat times of day youre most productive and buckle down during those hours. Then create manageable to-do lists for your application-related tasks.Setting unrealistic goals for your job search will only disappoint you and make the process feel a lot longer than it needs to be.5. Get your network togetherStudies have found that up to 85 percent of all jobs are filled via networking. No matter where you are in your career, youve established a circle of people who can be instrumental in helping you find your next job. Updating your LinkedIn profile and adding all of your current and former colleagues is an easy way to expand your reach of opportunities.And dont be afraid to think outside of the box Former clients, neighbors, friends of friends, and local business owners you know can all hold valuable insight and resources. Find connections at companies that interest you (whether or not they are advertising for open roles) and make a plan for who to reach out to where and when.Now that yo uve got an idea of what you want, an elevator pitch for presenting it, and a top-tier resume to showcase your experience, you have everything you need to maximize your outreach and have productive conversations. Youll find success in your job search before you know itClick on the following link for more job-search advice.Take the first step to shortening your job search today. Purchase your professional rewrite here.Recommended ReadingLinkedIn Networking How to Cultivate Meaningful Connections OnlineSigns You Need a Professional Resume Review7 Professional Networking Tips and Tricks for a Successful Job SearchRelated Articles

If You Read Nothing Else Today, Read This Report on Objective Statement on Resume

If You Read Nothing Else Today, Read This Report on Objective Statement on Resume Importance of Resume in Job Search When you are searching for work, youll have to compose an application and send it to the organization. Your resume objective needs to be relevant and targeted to every different job prospect. An appealing job objective will offer decent beginning to your resume. What The Cashier Resume Objective Should Tell Prospective Employers A cashier can perform many diverse jobs in their workplace, meaning the position calls for a wide selection of various skills. What Is So Fascinating About Objective Statement on Resume? Writing objectives for resumes can be challenging. You are able to also Simple Resume Template. What the In-Crowd Wont Tell You About Objective Statement on Resume Make sure the objective anschauung should clearly state the post that you want to submit an application for. You ought to have five objective statements. Your objective statement must e xplain goals that you wish to achieve working in the business. The resume objective statement has to be directed to the work for which youre applying. Objective Statement on Resume and Objective Statement on Resume - The Perfect Combination If youre in a creative position (like graphic design), think about using a nontraditional resume. Resume objectives can be somewhat controversial. Check out the various ways in which they should be put down. Entry-level objectives can be particularly hard to write since you likely dont have loads of work experience, but you do want to solidify how you know the sort of career youre searching for. Focus regarding how you will benefit the organization and bedrngnis on the way that it can help you. My goal is to find the job. Your goal is to receive a job. Career objective is usually the very first section in the resume. If your Objective says youre searching for a full-time job and youre asking for a part-time internship, you will proba bly be disqualified immediately. Writing a winning college student career objective is a rather effortless method to bolster your application for this internship or job youve got in sight. The Downside Risk of Objective Statement on Resume To answer that question, you will need to learn how to compose an objective statement that could sum up all the strongest points of your resume in a few sentences. You might not know where to start in regards to writing a resume objective. Resume objective is the initial section in the resume. The key point as it concerns resume objective is you need to make certain you receive not just information you require, but it must be the most suitable details. If youre unsure how to phrase your skills, or in case you would like examples of objective statements, take a look at some job websites for ideas. A summary statement is among the simplest approaches to custom tailor your resume to fit the requirements of a specific role, without needing t o rewrite all the content. Career objective statement is the initial part in any application after the contact particulars of the applicant.

Choosing Failure Resume

Choosing Failure Resume If you provide a reference letter and supply your volunteers with growth opportunities, it can be simple to recruit folks to aid with your company. The government isnt weak and reforms will be put into place at any price. Based on your government, you could possibly be in a position to access grants for starting college geschftslebenes in the summertime. The leadership company is booming. Attempt to disregard the cliches of the majority of articles saying that you always have to appear self-motivational. Assuming youre fortunate and capture somebodys attention for enough time to really read the resume, the very last thing you would like is them being distracted by formatting. Keep in mind that spell-check doesnt always catch duplicate or substitute words. 1 thing a lot of people dont understand about writing resumes is you have to be certain it has each of the pertinent info to assist you get hired. What the In-Crowd Wont Tell You About Failure Resu me The resume outline you have to understand how to make each section seem great. If you wish to understand how to format a resume, its important to understand several things. Wrong format You need your resume to be as simple as possible to read. Many times theres a unique format required and if you dont refer to resume examples then you may not know that requirement in any way. When you take a look at your previous failures, a pattern will probably begin to emerge. You just purposely picked all of the negative characteristics you could find to produce your point. A resume is your very first step to receive noticed. Since that time, several have commented on the ability of developing a dark-side companion to their resume as a means to overcome adversity and persevere. When you begin a business in college, you havent anything to lose. Have students brainstorm things they have failed at. Its actually best to demonstrate that youve worked as you are a student and gathered r eal world work experiences. Most college students need help landing work in the summer or following graduation. Some resumes are reviewed by many distinct employers and dont give them with the information that they are hunting for. As a CV is really important, you should understand how you are able to write an incredible one that captures the interest of prospective employers. If you get a lousy CV, youre more inclined to be overlooked for jobs that youre qualified for and ready to do. Your CV is how you sell yourself to a prospective employer. You dont need to produce the hiring manager work to work out how your experience is related to the position. The work market has improved but is still quite tight and extremely competitive. With the present competitive market, an individual can easily find frustrated, while searching for employment opportunities. If you opt to begin a business in college, you will have access to mentorship programs. Most Noticeable Failure Resume Odds are, they wont expend the effort. You have to admit most of us make mistakes. In case the job had a good deal of duties, select those which suit the role youre applying for. Today on the job you can learn about business processes that are supposed to spot mistakes and adopt modifications to keep them later on. With some extensive research, diligence, great presentation skills, finding your fantasy employment isnt a challenging task in the slightest. If you opt to begin a business in college, you are going to be surrounded by a number of the brightest minds youve ever met in your life to date. Your Personal Profile After the initial info, you want to produce a personal statement that is also referred to as your private profile. Resume examples will reveal to you just what type of information is necessary and the format it is required in. Now place your name and contact information on top and it is about to go. If you are able to fit all your important and pertinent info on a single page, thats excellent, but dont be concerned if youve got to go on to a second sheet of paper. The Lost Secret of Failure Resume Youre able to connect to yourself very easily as soon as the period of failure stuck. Theres always an intelligent means to take care of any failure you run across in life. Its so easy for all of us to take our failures seriously and consider them with the conclusion of the street. It is crucial to recognize your failures as a means to remember how far youve come. Your lazy attitude is your worst enemy because you cant ever realize your habits are the reason behind failure. The personal diary also aids in developing a failure resume. If youre anything like me, you attempt to set a failure out of your mind as speedily as possible. Getting in the tradition of reframing your failures are going to teach you how you are able to be prosperous later on.