How to Write a Cover Letter Everything You Need to Know

How to Write a Cover Letter Everything You Need to KnowHow to Write a Cover Letter Everything You Need to Know7theres a definite art to the exercise of writing a great titel letter.Like most aspects of job hunting, understanding how to write a cover letter can be learned, and you can only get better with time and experience. As you grow increasingly comfortable with selling yourself and explaining why youre the best candidate for the job (the reason cover letters exist, of course), you may come to appreciate how to take advantage of cover letter tips to write a letter that makes you shine.Heres what you need to know about how to write a cover letterDO Strategies to consider.Start off strong.Kick off your cover letter with a bang. Some options include making a statement about your enthusiasm for the company, your passion about what you do and your accomplishments, or using keywords in your cover letter to catch the hiring managers attention.Explain why youre the one.Making the case fo r why youre the best candidate for the job can help you preemptively answer the question of why you want to work for a particular company by showcasing your knowledge and qualifications.Research the company.Finding an employer thats a good fit for your flexible career goals is an essential first step in your job search. If youre a member (and hopefully you are), understanding how to research a company in the database can set you on the right path.Study the company culture. Seek to know acompanys cultureand understand its mission and how it works to achieve it. Study the companys website and research outside sources in your research, and reference your knowledge about the company in your cover letter.DONT Mistakes to avoid.A cookie-cutter approach.A job search isnt one size fits all, so to that end, take particular care to ensure that you customize your cover letter not just to the company, but to the particular job at hand. Each cover letter you write should be unique to the job y oure applying for.Being long-winded.Keep your cover letter tightly worded and avoid straying off course by being wordy or bringing up off-topic information. As much as possible, avoid repeating your resume while keeping your language personal in a succinct way.Inappropriate humor.Exhibiting humor thats in poor taste is bad form in pretty much any situation, but it can be particularly harmful in a cover letter. While you dont want to be overly serious or heavy, avoid going to the opposite extreme by being too light or frivolous.Loaded words and phrases. Self-promotion (which is what a cover letter involves) can be tricky, and its easy to step over the line. Certainwords and phrasescan be overkill, such as saying youre THE perfect person for the job, or coming off as too picky or demanding.The Basics of a Cover Letter That ShinesA major goal of writing a standout cover letter, of course, is to set yourself apart from other job candidates. As you compose a letter that helps you shine, dont lose sight of a few basics.Make sure you address the letter to the correct person.Be sure to use the correct title (Mr. or Ms. is usually appropriate) and anthroponym of the contact person. At all costs, avoid using To Whom It May Concern or other generic titles or honorifics, which could be a red flag that you havent done your research.Spell out the specific position youre applying for.No matter how beautifully crafted your cover letter may be, it may all be for nothing if you fail to include the basic information like the title of the job youre trying to land and, particularly, the kind of work flexibility youre seeking.Demonstrate your knowledge of the employer.You can be brief, but a tightly crafted sentence or two that shows off what you know about the employer can make you stand out. Good places to research this information include the About Us and mission statements of a companys website. Researching companies on can help get you ahead.Briefly highlight your soft skills .A cover letter is a great opportunity to highlight any soft skillsyou may have. Unlike so-called hard skills, soft skills encompass interpersonal talents like creativity, interpersonal relationships, communication, and decision-making.A big finish.Make your final paragraph a closer. Summarize why youre the right candidate for the job and dont forget to thank the hiring contact for their time and consideration. If a meeting or interview hasnt been set up or offered, nows a good time to request one as the next step in the hiring process.Looking for some help with your job search or career?SIGN UP FOR CAREER COACHING

Living in a financial desert can be bad for credit score, financial success

Living in a financial desert can be bad for leistungspunkt score, financial successLiving in a financial desert can be bad for leistungspunkt score, financial successYour financial health is partially a result of whether or not you grew up in proximity to banking or other financial institutions, according to a new study from Iowa State University.Those who were exposed to banks at earlier ages have increased financial literacy and trust of the institution. However, people who grew up in financial deserts swaths of neighborhoods without banks hesitate to get credit, resulting in lower credit scores and more delinquent accounts.Follow Ladders on FlipboardFollow Ladders magazines on Flipboard covering Happiness, Productivity, Job Satisfaction, Neuroscience, and moreThe study will be published in the Journal of Financial Economics.The fact that this has a lingering impact is important because people dont have a lot of control over where they grow up, said researcher James Brown, Kingla nd MBA professor, in a release. I remember growing up right across the street from a bank and going with my dad to open my first account. But a lot of people grow up in an environment where banks are not visible and its not as easy to connect to a financial institution at a young age.The researchers obtained their data by studying people on Native American reservations with tribal courts, comparing them to people on Native American reservations with state courts. Reservations with tribal courts had 20% fewer bank branches per capita in the 2000s.FindingsFor those who grew up with fewer financial institutionsThey are 20% less likely to have a credit reportThey have 7 to 10-point lower credit scoreThey have 2 to 4 percent higher delinquency ratesThe effect on their credit scores is similar to the effect of reducing annual income by $6,000Moving to a community with stronger financial markets does improve individuals situations. However, researchers estimated, it still takes about 17 ye ars to get their credit score back on track and 12 years to reduce delinquency rates.Exposure and trust go together, said Brown. If you grow up in an environment with more banks, youre more inclined to trust banks and the financial system. If you grow up in a financial services desert, youre much less likely to trust financial institutions, which may be one reason you dont engage or you dont pay back your credit card bills with the same frequency.Relatedly, The New York Times reported on financial deserts in 2017, writing that the Bronx has fewer bank branches than any borough except for Staten Island.That same year, the Wall Street Journal reported on the closure of black-owned banks across the country. On the South Side of Chicago, a resident told the paper that fewer small banks in her neighborhood meant that it would turn into a financial desert, with only predatory institutions available for banking, like payday lenders and check-cashing joints.You might also enjoyNew neuroscie nce reveals 4 rituals that will make you happyStrangers know your social class in the first seven words you say, study finds10 lessons from Benjamin Franklins daily schedule that will ersatzdarsteller your productivityThe worst mistakes you can make in an interview, according to 12 CEOs10 habits of mentally strong people

Reputation (not skill) more likely to get a crowdsourcing idea funded

Reputation (bedrngnis skill) more likely to get a crowdsourcing idea fundedReputation (not skill) more likely to get a crowdsourcing idea fundedWhen youre buying an unfinished product from someone crowdfunding their idea on the internet, trust matters - even more than actual skill.According to new research from Binghamton University, your reputation as an entrepreneur matters even more than your capability of actually seeing the idea through to a finished product on crowdfunding sites like Kickstarter and Indiegogo.We care more if someone will finish their idea than whether they can execute itIn the absence of using product reviews to weigh their decision, potential funders become much more interested in the ethics of a person. To test this, researchers recruited 300 participants to judge mock crowdfunding campaigns of varying complexity. They ranged from easy ideas like new types of photo albums to ideas requiring higher levels of expertise like a new kind of 3D printer.As the comp lexity of a product increased, the researchers found that concern about the sellers reputation increased, even as concern for the sellers capabilities decreased. Even with highly complex products, people were more concerned about a sellers reputation and opportunistic behaviors than their competence.In other words, people are more concerned whether or not someone will finish their innovative 3D printer idea than whether they can actually build a 3D printer.We found that people worry more about the sellers honesty than whether the seller actually has the ability and knowledge to finish and deliver on the product, Ali Alper Yayla, one of the studys researchers, said. People dont want sellers to just take their money and run.Crowdfunders face the uncertainty of putting money into a project that may never be realizedAs the study notes, The project initiator can be faithful and ethical at the beginning of the project, but later due to the limitation of his/her capability, fails to meet t he expectation, resulting in lower quality products, delivery delay, or even project cancellation.Potential funders want to know that their money is going to an idea that will not just stay an idea. They want to know youre working in good faith.If you want to get your idea crowdfunded, build a reputation as someone who does not let plans fall through.

How to Get a Good Work Reputation - The Muse

How to Get a Good Work Reputation - The MuseHow to Get a Good Work Reputation So much of advancing in your career has to do with making the right impression- with the people on your team, in your network, and inter-departmentally, too. That means, to some degree, performing well at work is all about getting notlageiced.For many people, the way to accomplish that is to work late each day in order to demonstrate just how hardworking and dedicated you really are. As long as youre not rushing out at 5 PM, youll develop the reputation for being a reliable, loyal employeeright?I recently spoke over the phone with Mercedes De Luca, the COO of Basecamp, to get her insight on how people fall into this trap of working longer and longer hours for just that reason. As an employer and manager whos committed to her employees well beings, De Luca especially wanted to explain the value of not working overtime as a company perk in itself. According to her, People do feel that if theyre working long h ours, theyre working hard. But those two are not synonymous. The first thing is breaking that mindset. And there are simple ways to do just that.Long Hours Alone Arent EnoughIf you consider yourself a hard worker, you know what never really clocking out feels like. Youre constantly plugged into your email, or worse, you might even notice that work stuff starts infiltrating your me-time. To be honest, unless you set a hard and fast boundary for yourself, youre the one to blame when it comes to working more than youd like. A lot of it is self-imposed, De Luca explains. Even if you have a boss that says Dont work too late, I think a lot of people still confuse or still equate working long hours, being the last to leave the office, responding to emails at 11 PM, and so on, with being noticeable.I know it might be hard to imagine how you could possibly get the same amount of stuff done in less time, simply because youve settled into a routine that has you believing you cant possibly leav e at 5 or 6 PM. But really challenge yourself to notice when youre staying late as a work necessity, and when youre doing so for face time alone. Part of the problem could be that youve simply adjusted to the work load and work pace involved with regularly staying late- essentially, you space your work out so that accomplishing everything on your to-do list takes you into the night. De Luca says its easier to notice those gaps once you start looking for them. Be aware of whether youre spending your time meaningfully at work (especially around that afternoon slump or during those big meetings). If you think your time and energy could be better distributed, dont be shy about bringing that up to your manager, especially if that will lead to better results for your work or even your company as a whole. Make Clear Definitions for SuccessThis can look like a daily to-do list of actionable goals as well as more solid ones for your particular role by week, month, quarter, and so on. If you have concrete progress to point to, you can start establishing, little by little, a culture of meaningful and guilt-free productivity.We all know what its like to stay late because we feel a certain pressure to. But De Luca makes an extremely important point here Staying late- you cant put that on your resume. Ill let that sink in for a minute.Your long hours- theyre not going to necessarily propel you forward in your career if thats all you have to show for what youve done in your position. Whats going to matter, she says, is your accomplishments and whether or not they help the company go forward. That means defining success clearly for yourself, for your peers, and for your boss. One foolproof way to do that is to really use data and numbers to your advantage. Really understand what constitutes a fine day and a productive one.De Luca says, for example, If your role is to produce X number of articles or get Y number of engagement or drive Z revenue, I think what you want to do is be able to point to that success. You can say, Yeah, I left at 5 PM, but thats because I achieved the goal that I set out to do. Its a powerful and freeing thing to say youve accomplished what you said you would- and if that takes you less time than you thought, youre allowed to own that. One thing to be careful of when it comes to this strategy Dont assume the work will speak for itself. Be your own advocate in building your reputation- otherwise people might assume youre only doing the bare minimum. You may have to share that youre on track and working towards your results and reinforcing them, De Luca says, But if people say, We want you to help grow the X customers we have, and you say to them Today, we got 50 new customers, thats more impressive than answering all your emails and attending all your meetings.Results help you get noticed- not long hours in and of itself. I know, especially in a work culture where people stay late, it can be almost shameful to be the only person c locking out right at early a couple times a week.Its a matter of reinforcing what you know to be valuable to the business, De Luca explains. Be comfortable with being noticed by sharing the progress against the results that you agreed to. And as long as you can point to your progress, theres no point in staying late for appearances. Let yourself call it a day- youve earned it.

Video Resumes in the Job-Search Toolbox

Video Resumes in the Job-Search ToolboxVideo Resumes in the Job-Search ToolboxHeres how one company takes a multimedia approach to personal branding.A few years ago, the idea of posting a video highlighting your professional and academic achievements online was regarded as a novelty. Some job seekers tried it, but they risked public scorn.Aleksey Vayner was perhaps the best-known poster child for video resumes gone wild. Created in 2007, Vayners seven-minute self-promotion for a job at an investment bank featured the Yale student displaying his nimble ballroom footwork and his ability to slice seven bricks with a single karate chop. The video was leaked to YouTube and quickly became an unintentional Internet comedy sensation.Now, many hiring professionals consider the video resume to be a plausible recruiting tool. A search on YouTube for video resume produces nearly 13,000 results. Some are slick and well produced most are clearly homemade efforts with low production value.videoBIO is one company that has capitalized on this corner of personal branding. It develops short, Web-based video biographies that use a script, are shot in a studio and professionally edited. Most of videoBIOs videos are shot for executives and entrepreneurs, but increasingly for job seekers. Usually the people that come to us are professionals, said Catherine Fennell, CEO of videoBIO, based in New York with offices in a number of large cities internationally. They care very much about their professional reputation. They want a slick, clean, professional message to come across as accessible and as personable as possible.Show your colorsWhen a client contacts videoBIO, preparation begins long before the day of shooting. The subject receives a producer, who begins to work on a script, Fennell said. We encourage people to think about what they want to say and to establish a key message framework.Once in the studio, the videoBIO gruppe aims to keep people unfamiliar with being on camera calm , cool and collected. The script is available on a monitor, but it is there only to add comfort, Fennel said. The shoot takes on the feel of an interview with the subject talking to the producer. Eventually, the conversation teases out the information in the script, she said.You need to be authentic, she said. If you are a fan of purple and you love purple suits, then we would really encourage you to wear one. This is really not about trickery. While we are focused on making you look like a superstar, we are also not trying to pull the wool over anyones eyes.videoBIO employs a white background for most videos. The star of the video bio is the person talking, she said. So we try to take the backdrop away and all the business around it. We really like the clean format because it takes out all of those distractions. A variety of different video formats or enhancements, including spliced-in B-roll and on-site interviews, are also available.No attachmentsThinking of sending a video resum e as an attachment with your resume and cover letter? Not a good idea, Fennel said.I am not going to send an attachment file. I am never going to send a disc to a hiring manager that is really old school.Instead the finished product is delivered to the client within a few days as a QuickTime file or as a hosted videoBIO link ( www.videobio.com/your name here ) that can live in an e-mail signature or on a resume. The emphasis is on formats that are easy to share. Clients can also use an embed code to place a YouTube like player in a document, e-mail signature, Web page or LinkedIn profile.Not all recruiters are used to receiving video resumes, but eventually the video resume will be a standard, Fennell said. It is just a matter of how long it takes.

All About Admin Assistant Resume

All About Admin Assistant Resume Admin Assistant Resume Ideas The typical mistake job applicants usually commit is by rambling on about how being in the business can nourish their career rather than vice versa. In two to three sentences narrate your career objectives, the salient qualifications, the parteicular job position youre aiming for, and finally, how you would like to add value to the company which you wish to be part of. Employed as an administrative assistant will be able to help you earn a sufficient amount of money and is believed to be a strong career path for anybody that has a passion of working with numerous files and secretarial work. An attractive Administrative assistant resume summary is an ideal beginning to the interview session. The descriptions given in these modern resume templates are extremely professional and appealing, regarding language and fashion. Studying resume samples is among the absolute fruchtwein helpful techniques to get ready for dev eloping your own winning document. A brief expert history followed by educational qualifications are going to be better for developing a fantastic impression. When its possible, use numbers to spell out your professional achievements, but attempt to keep the full document under one page. The Foolproof Admin Assistant Resume Strategy Your resume should note your particular work experience in managing scheduling problems, preparing travel arrangements, and preparing reports. Your knowledge can address some huge administrative issues. Please review my attached resume for the entire reach of my experience and skill collection. Exceptional record maintenance abilities. Utilize your Hobbies and Interests section to earn your CV distinctive and memorable. Resumes are mandatory when applying for any work post. As soon as you have your objectives, you may now begin making your Administrative Assistant Resumes. Writing objectives for resumes can be hard. The Hidden Treasure of A dmin Assistant Resume Fill the info in Administrative assistant resume skills sample document since it is not hard to understand and covers all facets of the skilled and individual data. Its fast and simple to use. Life After Admin Assistant Resume If you would like your data entry resume to get noticed, make certain your typing speed is simple to see at a fast glance. When it is targeted and well-crafted, the reader want to read the remainder of your resume. You need to have a superior typing speed also. Resume writing can be challenging. Senior administrative assistant resume has professional experience category to supply comprehensive information regarding the job profiles previously. How to describe administrative experience to receive any job you desire. Receptionists play a huge role in keeping an office or company running smoothly. Landing that job in the very first location. If you produce a generic one for convenience and submit it for every sort of administra tive assistant position, its very likely that you wont be regarded as relevant for the job. If you would like to be an administrative assistant, there arent many things you have to know. You have to have an administrative capacity to control your workplace. Outstanding office abilities and understanding of office management procedures. As you tailor your resume to every individual business and position, make sure tore highlighting skills and tasks that youll actually use. Pick your finest abilities which mirror the demands of the work ad. Below you will discover the top skills needed to fulfill an administrative position. The more skills a candidate has, the less they will have to be trained and the faster they will have the ability to donate to the corporation. Prospective employers want to understand that youve got the proper attributes that give rise to your on-the-job success. Professionals should have the essential aptitude and the exact should be reflected in the CV. Candidates want to create new methods of presenting their skill sets. A History of Admin Assistant Resume Refuted You are going to need extensive assistance on what things to do and what not to while developing a resume for a specific post. In the same way, even experienced assistants can submit an application for a senior administrative assistant post working with the above resume samples. There are several sorts of administrative assistant posts. One of the absolute most effective tactics to create your resume is to incorporate a resume objective section at the topmost aspect of your resume. Administrative assistant jobs involve a wide selection of duties and abilities. Administrative skills are required for a selection of jobs, that range from office assistants to secretaries to office managers. Only you should send an ideal administrative assistant resume to recruiters. Administrative assistants are employed in virtually every type of large and established companies whe re the administration function is too large to control. Definitions of Admin Assistant Resume Businessmen and business directors Bring evidence of your position in the business and remuneration. Organizations are increasingly turning to the web to discover new talent and employees. Some specific businesses require a specific experience.

How to Establish a Positive Company Culture - Spark Hire

How to Establish a Positive Company Culture - Spark HireMany different elements can contribute to a negative company culture bad fit, tension between personnel, or poor management.The drawbacks of a negative culture are numerous and obvious. Your company, though, should work elend only to avoid negative company culture, but establish and foster a positive and engaged culture. Maintaining a positive company culture takes a lot of effort, but the benefits of an engaged and happy workforce validates the time and resource investment. Consider these 3 approaches for establishing a positive culture Aligning on core company valuesRecruiting for fitEmphasizing employee engagement By holding managers accountable for employee engagement and building a strong culture with established core values, your company can improve attitude, productivity, and profits.1. Align on Core ValuesYour companys values are the foundation of your culture. They guide your companys thinking, behavior, and decision-ma king. Values also inform how you recruit talent, the structure of your professional development, and the backbone to your company vision. Fostering full alignment around your values organizes your company around shared goals, which are much easier to achieve than disparate objectives. Include your core values in company communications and offer recognition and incentives to employees that demonstrate your values when appropriate. Perfect Search Media, a search agency in Chicago, literally posts their values on their walls to boost awareness and keep their values top of mind. SourceCompany values can encompass a range of objectives and can be as specific or vague as you see fit. Whats important is that they mean something and have direct application to your business. Its up to you to communicate how your values run through your business processes. The more aligned you get your team, the more people perceive their work as demonstrating your values. Company values should evolve as the business grows, so revisit and update them over time.2. Hire Employees That Fit Your Companys CultureNearly 80% of HR professionals find behavioral questions essential to evaluating the potential culture fit of job candidates, according to a study from Ultimate Staffing.Structure your behavioral questions around your values to determine their culture fit and passion. A candidates passion for your business offers valuable insight about whether they are a good fit for your company. Consider some of the following questions to determine fitWhat type of culture best suits you?What values appeal to you?Tell me about a time when you were not a good fit for the companys culture.Based on what youve seen so far, how would you describe our company culture?Hiring employees for your company culture fit is an essential part of creating a positive and engaged work environment.Companies struggling to properly vet culture fit in the hiring process should contact a recruiting agency to better underst and how to maximize the success of every new employee.3. Increase Employee EngagementAn essential component of a positive work environment is a well-developed culture of engagement. Engaged employees are emotionally invested in their jobs and fully committed to the company and its goals. Companies with engaged workforces outperform their peers by 147%.Unfortunately, nearly 90% of employees worldwide are not engaged, and managers are responsible for at least 70% of the problem.Here are several ways companies can improve employee engagement, according to a report by GallupHold managers accountableThe best managers understand their employees strengths and provide them with opportunities to apply those strengths in their current position.Strong performance keeps employees engaged they feel like they are doing good for the company. Companies should coach managers to improve workforce engagement, and hold them accountable to clearly defined engagement goals. Leaders should work with empl oyees to uncover engagement barriers and find opportunities to create positive change.Structured Onboarding for New EmployeesYou need a structured onboarding system that encourages new employees to engage and contribute to your culture from the beginning. Introduce new teammates to at least one member of every team to give them exposure to the full scope of your operations and create a point of contact for any questions they may have. Fostering understanding of your broader business processes and encouraging collaboration with employees fast-tracks their familiarity with your company. Make Employees Feel ValuedEmployees like being valued. The more you recognize your employees, the more engaged they are with their work.Providing incentives to encourage high-level engagement is not a bad idea. For example, sponsor professional development courses or create incentives for completing extra-curricular but professionally-focused tasks. Employees also need to feel safe at work. Work to cre ate a safe environment for employees well-being, self-image, and the ability to take risks without harming their career.Finally, to create an engaged environment, employees need to feel they can put all of their energy into their work and all necessary resources are available to them.Build a Sense of Meaning In the WorkplaceAccording to Fast Company, increasing employees sense of meaningfulness in the workplace is one of the most effective ways to increase engagement. Employees list making the world a better place as a valuable workplace attribute, so consider investing in socially responsible practices. When your companys work achieves a greater sense of purpose, you validate employee engagement by demonstrating that you share their values. Positive Company Culture Fosters Employee EngagementBusinesses that establish and maintain positive cultures effectively attract and retain employees. To achieve a positive culture, create company values that you can base your work around. Value s should drive your hiring decisions and guide management. Your company should also screen candidates for culture fit and work to improve employee engagement through investing in employee and corporate well-being. About the AuthorRiley Panko is a Senior Content Writer for Clutch, a B2B research, ratings, and reviews platform in Washington, D.C. She leads the companys business and HR services research.

10 mood boosters to bring you out of your funk

10 mood boosters to bring you out of your funk10 mood boosters to bring you out of your funkWoke up on the wrong side of the bed? Is your day not going as well as youve planned? Sometimes its hard to release pent-up anger, especially if there are more reasons that keep building up your bad mood. In some cases, all you need to do is wait a few minutes and your bad mood will just dissipate. However, if things start looking dark, there are a few different ways you can try to distract yourself and lift your mood.1. Wired? Try a brain boosterTry a supplement to help improve your brain function. Supplements that contain L-theanine, a mix of vitamin Bs, brahmi and a stimulant such as guarana or coffee help your brain in several ways. You can improve your memory, cognitive function, stabilize your moods, and feel relaxed. The amino acid L-theanine is also found in green tea, and it has natural calming effects on the brain while boosting your serotonin. A heightened amount of serotonin in you r brain helps you feel happy. Expect effects to come into effect within 15-20 minutes after taking the supplement. If you need help finding the best supplement with the best ingredients, you can look at Authority Health to read reviews of different brands.2. Take a napIf youre in a sour mood, there is not much other people can do for you to help you feel better. Instead, rely on yourself and go to sleep for a quick 20-30 minute nap. Sleep deprivation can lead to irritability, so if you find yourself becoming irrationally angry, it may be due to your lack of sleep. According to the National Sleep Foundation, a quick nap no longer than half an hour improves your mood and helps you feel more awake afterwards. If you nap for longer, you may drift into REM sleep, which may affect your sleep/wake cycle and be detrimental to your nighttime sleep. So, set your alarm, and youll be able to wake up feeling rejuvenated.3. Eat chocolateJumping on the pro-chocolate bandwagon, we want to point out that chocolate has shown to improve your mood and push away anxiety and depression. Eating something sweet boosts serotonin in your brain, helping you feel content. Dark chocolate especially showed the highest effects in different studies, along with the benefit of high antioxidant content, which supports healthy cells. Some studies have shown that the flavanols in chocolate are the reason for improving a persons mood. Flavanols are more commonly found in fresh fruit and vegetables, and are used in your body to improve your overall health.4. Take a walk in natureIn general, exercise releases endorphins in your brain, helping you feel energized while lifting your mood. Going for a run, swimming, biking anything that will get you moving will help you feel much better. Light walking also counts as exercise, since you are moving your body and using your muscles. In addition, a study found that people who walk in nature feel more calm than those walking in urban areas. If you feel your mind racing and are unable to defeat the mounting stress, you can immediately relax and feel joy from your peaceful green surroundings.5. Pet a puppyIf youre under a lot of pressure, you are more in tune to movement and your sense of touch. Petting a dog lowers your blood pressure alfruchtwein immediately, dissipating any of your worries. Even people with high blood pressure who adopted dogs showed a healthy decline in their blood pressure after five months. You can learn a lot from your pet playing with an animal raises your serotonin levels as well as dopamine, the perfect combination of happiness and relaxation. If youre feeling alone in the world, having a pet nearby can erase any of those feelings by offering their companionship. The carefree, live-in-the-moment lives they lead are an inspiration to how you should be living yours.6. Turn on the radioListening to music and feeling the beat can lift any bad mood. Creating or listening to music by playing an instrument or singing can release a creative flgel you may have had. Music helps you feel lighter and turns your mind from dark, heavy thoughts to a lighthearted focus.7. Hug a loved oneAlong the same lines of petting an animal, getting a nice embrace from a friend can greatly change your mood. You feel supported and loved hugs can release any tension you may be carrying with you. There was even a study that showed that men who were more affectionate and who hugged other people more often were much happier than men who had less personal contact with others. Also, being around people who you love releases the hormone oxytocin, which also helps improve your mood.8. Go for a runExercise, as we mentioned before, is a great stress reliever and basically makes everything better. You can push negative and destructive thoughts out of your mind and leave them in the dust as you pump your muscles. Any kind of exercise, as long as you elevate your heart rate, can improve your mood. Exercise can also boost your sel f-esteem and assist in weight loss, which is great for your overall health. Feeling good about your body can make you feel great think about how miserable you were the last time you had a bad hair day Just make sure not to go too hard and tire yourself out, because that could drop you back down into a bad mood.9. Plant flowers or create flower arrangementsGetting fresh air isnt just a made-up thing that your mom said to get you out of the house. Being outside around growing things definitely help your mood. Plants purify our air, provide great decorations with their bright colours, and also boost your mood. While looking at flowers may do all this, planting flowers can stimulate your creative vibes. Working with your hands and fulfilling a task can help you feel fulfilled when creating flower arrangements too.10. Break the rulesFinally, the most surprising suggestion we have to help you feel better is to break the rules. A quick way to feel exhilarated is to do something against th e rules, but obviously make sure whatever youre doing isnt life threatening to you or others. Using the same logic as exercise, you can get your heart racing out of anticipation when youre doing something you know you shouldnt. So, explore your limits and then give them a push. Take a break from work. Go skydiving. Do silly pranks on your friends. Dont let fear hold you back, as hesitation and inaction just exacerbate anxiety. A great way to release pent-up feelings is to be a little naughty from time to time too.This article was originally published onYourCoffeeBreak.co.

Preparing for an Interview Use the Job Description

Preparing for an Interview Use the Job Description Preparing for an Interview Use the Job Description The most underutilized tool in preparing for job bewerbungsgesprchs is the jobdescription. As a job seeker, you rely heavily upon the job description in the early stages of the hunt- after all, its the only piece of information you have to help you land an interview. But, once youve landed that interview, the job description gets tossed aside because its no longer relevant.Job descriptions actually contain a secret wealth of knowledge that can aid you in preparing for an interview. Instead of balling up that piece up paper (or closing that browser tab), use these tips to prepare for a smoother, successful interview.1. Talking pointsWhen preparing for an interview, most people will focus on what questions they think the employer is going to ask. While this is a valid approach, it can also be a complete guessing game. Instead of focusing on what the employer might ask, focus on creatin g answers you can use for any number of different questions based on the things included in the job description.A good job description will lay out all the essential skills the employer is seeking. The employer wants to understand how you developed those skills and what youve accomplished using them.Prepare for your interview byBrainstorming a talking point for each technical or hard skill or listed in the job description. Focus on highlighting your accomplishments, milestones, and the goals youve achieved using that specific skill.If they are seeking someone with 2+ years of experience leading a team, make elendes on the key successes that a team has accomplished under your direction in the last few years.The hiring manager who wrote the job description is likely to also be the interviewer, unless its a technical position where they are screening for technical abilities. Demonstrating that you understand the job and its requirements from the job description well enough to structure your answers around their desired qualifications is a good way to build rapport.While not every bullet from the job description will be brought up in the job interview, if youre prepared to explain not only that you possess each skill, but also how you excelled at it, youll have talking points for any skill-related question they throw your way.Identifying stories from your past that will demonstrate you possess the characteristics and soft skills the employer is seeking.Assessing soft skills in an interview is difficult because the employer usually spends less than an hour with you. While theyll be able to get a snapshot of your general personality and interpersonal skills during the interview, you need to paint a complete picture of what youre like in a professional umgebung day-in and day-out.Create a list of stories from your previous jobs, school, and volunteer work that correspond to soft skills in the job description. If they want someone highly communicative and client-centr ic be armed with a story of a specific time you went above and beyond your normal job duties to satisfy a client or kept them abreast of developments in a highly important campaign you headed up.If youre prepared with talking points about both your hard and soft skills, including specific stories and examples to back up your claims, you dont need to stress over what the questions will be- youve already got your answers2.Identify weaknessesDont feel disheartened if you dont meet all of the criteria for a position. In a job description, the employer essentially lays out their unicorn employee. In reality, most candidates will have mastered some skills, but lack others.In preparing for the interview, your weaknesses should become apparent. As you developed your talking points in step one, you probably struggled to come up with stories for some of the desired qualifications. Those are your weak spots, and you need to be prepared to talk about them.To combat your weaknesses before the in terviewBe honest with yourself about your skill levels. If you exaggerate your skills during the interview, and cant perform them upon landing the job, it will reflect poorly upon you- and could even get you fired.Be armed with specific plans about how and where you can learn the skills where you are weak or lack experience. Also share any related skills you already possess that will speed up the learning curve.Start learning as much as you can about the areas in which you are weakest. Even if you only spend a couple hours reading up on the subject, you will at least have enoughknowledge of the topic to understand what the employer is seeking. Plus, theres always the chance you know mora about the subject than you realizedHonesty about what you can and cant do is important during the interview. The employer will appreciate your honesty, especially if its coupled with a sincere desire to learn the skills necessary to perform the job. And by acknowledging your weaknesses ahead of time , you can avoid being stumped by relatedinterview questions.3.Create questionsWhile a job description can give you a ton of useful information on how to prepare for your interview, it does not present a complete picture. Company websites and resources such as Glassdoor can be useful tools to gather furtherinformation, but interviews provide the best access to information- directly from the source.After youve read the job description, you should have a broad sense of what the position entails, what the company values, and how you stack up. Ask yourself what the job description doesnt tell you. Those are the questions you want to ask during the interview.Consider the followingWhat does the job description tell you about company culture?Do you get a clear sense of what the companys ideal candidate would look like?Do you understand how this role fits into their team? Their organization? The company?Use the questions above to guide you and think about what missing information you want to gather in the interview. Most interviewers expect you to have questions prepared, because it demonstrates that youve been researching the company and are serious about the job.The other bonus to crafting questions based on the job description is that you can verify how accurately it portrays the job and the company. If the job description says the company values a good work/life balance, and thats a big selling point for you, dont be afraid to ask, The job description mentioned this company prioritizes work/life balance. Can you tell me about the policies you have in place to promote this?Remember, you are interviewing the company just as much as they are interviewing you. A good employer will be impressed, not put off, by your attention to the details in their job description and your interest in their priorities.The job description is only a starting point, but it can help you assess what you dont know, as well as what you do know about the job. Its up to you to collect the rest. When you land an interview, keep in mind that one of the hardest parts is already over.Your resume beat their applicant track systemand now you have the opportunity to meet with someoneface to face. The company has already shown an interest in you, so showing up to the interview prepared and relaxed will just affirm their decision to select you.More Interview TipsCommunications Coach 3 Things to Do Before an InterviewHow to Answer What Are Your Salary Expectations?How to Look and Sound Professional in a Phone or Video Interview

How to communicate when something goes wrong at work

How to communicate when something goes wrong at work How to communicate when something goes wrong at work Whether you’re a manager telling employees the bad news, or an employee who has to tell your boss what they don’t want to hear - but need to know - there are ways to take the edge off. Here are three ways to do so.Maintain a serious toneThis should be a no-brainer, but a refresher never hurts.Rhett Power, an author and co-founder of Wild Creations, writes on CNBC.com that managers shouldn’t “joke around” at this time.“When delivering bad news, cracking jokes is disrespectful and comes off as rude. It may be difficult for some people to avoid because it’s natural to want to lighten the mood in uncomfortable situations with humor, but you must avoid doing this at all costs to avoid coming off as insensitive,” he writes.Talk to them face-to-faceThis is always a good idea.Jeff Haden, an author, ghostwriter, speaker and contributing editor to Inc., writes about this on the site.“Maybe, ultimately, it was not your decision to cut jobs. Maybe you had no input but are sti ll the person required to enforce a major shift in policy. When you are in charge, you deliver all bad news,” he writes. “And do so in person. If you have bad news to deliver to a group of employees, get the group together. Or if there are individual repercussions resulting from that bad news, talk to each person separately. If you can’t do it in person, do it by video or phone. Never choose a method that makes the communication one way.”Just be honest with your managerDawn Rosenberg McKay, an author and certified Career Development Facilitator, writes in The Balance that you should “present your boss with a plan to correct the error.”“You will need to come up with a plan to rectify your mistake and present it to your boss. Hopefully, you will be able to put something together before you first approach her, but don’t waste time if you can’t. Reassure her that you are working on a solution,” she continues. “Then, once you know what you need to do, present it. Be very clear about what you think you should do and what you expect the results to be.“Tell your boss how long it will take to implement and about any associated costs. Make sure to have a ‘Plan B’ ready, in case your boss shoots down ‘Plan A.’ While making a mistake is never a good thing, don’t miss the opportunity to demonstrate your problem-solving skills.”