2014 Compensation Trends Focus on Employee Retention

2014 Compensation Trends Focus on Employee Retention2014 Compensation Trends Focus on Employee Retention2014 Compensation Trends Focus on Employee Retention Rodd, PayScaleSurges in growth and hiring have created a growing concern about the retention of top talent, as evidenced in Payscales 2014 Compensation Best Practices Report.The reports findings are based on data collected from more than 4,700 survey respondents, including philanthropisch resources professionals, business line and executive managers who share their thoughts on compensation, talent retention, and recruiting.Why Employees LeaveAs companies of all sizes begin to recover from the recession, the smart ones are looking for new innovative ways to get smart about employee wertmiger zuwachs and compensation structures.In 2013, better compensation was the number one reason employees sought employment elsewhere. As more jobs become available, employees may start to look towards greener pastures, especially if green means mo re money.2013 Industry GrowthInformation, media and telecommunications companies showed the most development, as reported by 63 percent of respondents from these industries.Interestingly enough, only 51 percent of respondents from the finance and insurance industry reported financial growth as 13 percent saw a decrease in size.Respondents from the healthcare and social service industries are the least confident, and 8 percent expect a decrease in financial performance. Across the board, small and medium sized businesses are growing the most in 2014.A Need to Retain TalentMany companies are feeling optimistic about fiscal performance in 2014, but only if top talent sticks around. Of the companies surveyed in the report, nearly 60 percent listed retention as a top concern. Additionally, 54 percent of businesses plan to hire in 2014, while 88% plan to give raises.The Payscale report also states that small and medium-sized companies are the most optimistic about financial performance ma ny reported a need for market-based, real-time salary data 75 percent reported some degree of dissatisfaction with their current data and insights. The job skills gap is also a concern, with half of companies surveyedciting the challenge of filling skilled positions.Industries that experience growth also tend to experience an increased concern in employee retention.Companies are willing to pay more to remain competitive 88 percent of the companies surveyed intend to give raises in 2014. Small companies reported the highest wage increase of 4.9 percent.No matter what your financial outlook, here are some key points to consider as you begin to reevaluate your compensation strategy. If left ignored, you may need to open the doors for new hires.Retention has continued to remain a top concern for many organizations. Even if you arent concerned now, your competitors may be. Additionally, salaries will increase across various industries, so up-to-date data and insights are crucial.While th ere is still some debate regarding The Fair nadir Wage Act, 40 percent of companies surveyed are in favor of a $10.10 minimum wage.The majority of respondents, regardless of company size, chose to either maintain or increase their organization size. Larger companies are the most likely to downsize, especially in industries where wage growth is slow.23 percent of respondents indicated their organization grew by 0-5 percent since January 2012, and another 23 percent report growing 6-10 percent.Many respondents indicated that school reputation is less influential when it comes to hiring decisions 40 percent felt experience is more important, while 31 percent value skill set over pedigree.A Gap in Growth and HiringEven with the projected growth, companies are treading cautiously when it comes to expansion and hiring. Half of respondents agree with the statement There is a lack of qualified applicants for our open job positions, indicating that the skills gap is still a big concern for m any business leaders.Although there may be a greater demand for in-demand positions, the talent is not necessarily available to hire. Large companies seem to really be feeling the pinch, as 50 percent reported having positions open for six months or more, compared to their small and medium counterparts.Social Mediain theWorkplaceBeyond compensation, social media usage in the workplace is another area where companies are beginning to evaluate employee usage, and recruiting potential.Larger companies are most likely to have a formal social media policy in place, while small and medium-sized companies reported a more relaxed attitude in regards to employee social media access. 61 percent of respondents in PayScales report indicated that social media was an important recruiting tool.Regardless of industry or size, it seems that many companies are looking to grow and expand their workforce in the coming years, with the demand for fresh data being vital to maintaining a strong workforce.T ake a look at Payscales 2014 Compensation Best Practices Report to see how your industry performed.

Top Tips and Lessons from Ft. Bragg Resume Writing Class

Top Tips and Lessons from Ft. Bragg Resume Writing ClassTop Tips and Lessons from Ft. Bragg Resume Writing ClassTop Tips and Lessons from Ft. Bragg Resume Writing Class TOP TIPS AND LESSONS LEARNED FROM FEDERAL RESUME WRITING CLASS AT THE HIRING OUR HEROES TRANSITION SUMMIT, FT. BRAGG, APRIL 26, 2017By Kathryn Troutman, President, Resume Place, Inc.Left to Right Daniel Serrano, Ten Steps Trainer Kathryn Troutman andCecelia Wallace, Director, Army Community Services Center, Ft. Bragg, NCI got to the Iron Mike Conference Center early and three people came in. I thought, Oh no, I flew here from Baltimore for ten people? Dreaded speakers thinking The place was pretty empty-looking at 830. Class starting time was 900. This was the ONLY class on Federal Resume Writing. There would be three more Federal Employment classes by OPM later in the day. I brought 50 copies of my latest Jobseekers Guides (8th edition) in case 50 soldiers showed up.Then at 845, they started to come in fast By 900 there were 80 soldiers in the room, standing room only GREATSo, I began Step 6, Writing Your Outline Format Federal ResumeThe BIG Lesson for the 45-minute session was this++++ The Outline Format Federal Resume is the BEST Possible Format for USAJOBS and Federal Human Resources Specialists and Managers ++++The features of this easy-to-read, impressive federal resume format areReverse chronological resume format.Small paragraphs (8 or 10 lines long) for the Duties and Responsibilities section.Use the USAJOBS Resume Builder Job Block for the last 2 or 3 positions 5,000 characters for each jobFour or five pages total length.A few selected ALL-CAP KEYWORDS that match the Required Qualifications section of the job announcement.At least two or three Key Accomplishments that will stand out and grab the attention of the human resources (generalist) specialist, to help him or her understand how good you are at your job. Hopefully these accomplishments can help you get REFERRED to a supe rvisor. These same accomplishments could make the supervisor want to MEET you in a job interview Thats why accomplishments are so critical in the Grand Plan to get a federal job interview.EASY to copy and paste into the USAJOBS BUILDER (The best method for a beginner federal applicant to use is the USAJOBS Resume Builder, not the Upload feature.)OTHER IMPORTANT FEDERAL APPLICATION TIPS COVERED IN THE 45 MINUTE PRESENTATION Use of the USAJOBS BUILDER, rather than the Upload, is recommended. The Upload is downright dangerous, because you might leave out critical information that the builder will be asking for.Give yourself all the credit that you can in the Questionnaire. You should strive for a score of 95% at least.Apply to U.S. Citizen announcements as much as possible, because veterans preference is applied to those types of announcements. The Federal Employee announcements are great also, but veterans preference is applied to U.S. Citizen announcements.Prepare for the federal job interview with five stories about your work within the last five years. Recent is betterTHE JOBSEEKERS GUIDE 8TH EDITIONAND TEN STEPS TO A FEDERAL JOBThe Jobseekers Guide 8th Edition is your guide to a federal job. This is a Ten Steps to a Federal Job book, and it takes you through the steps of landing a federal jobStep 1 Review the Federal Job Process learn what federal job is right for youStep 2 Networking and Non-Competitive Hiring Networking Veterans ProgramsStep 3 Find Jobs on USAJOBSStep 4 Find Your Keywords in the AnnouncementsStep 5 What are your best core competencies?Step 6 Write the Outline Format Federal Resume COVERED IN MY CLASSStep 7 KSAs, Questionnaires and AccomplishmentsStep 8 Apply for Federal Jobs Hot TipsStep 9 How to Track and Follow Up on your ApplicationsStep 10 Interview for a Federal Job this is a TESTTen Steps to a Federal Job is taught bi-monthly at the ACS office at Ft. Bragg. binnensee the schedule and register for classes hereGET HELP WITH YOUR F EDERAL RESUMETARGETED TOWARD THESE TYPES OF POSITIONSGET A FEDERAL RESUME QUOTEGet your own copy of theJobseekers Guide

The Greatest Engineering Adventure Ever Taken

The Greatest Engineering Adventure Ever Taken The Greatest Engineering Adventure Ever Taken When President John F. Kennedy announced in 1961 his goal of sending a man to the moon, the United States had accomplished exactly 15 minutes of human spaceflight. Americas space program had already absorbed several high-profile embarrassments and the Soviet Union welches winning the space race. Many thought that the presidents incredibly challenging deadline of a decade welches setting America up for another humbling loss.Americas political/Cold War fortunes were now in the hands of its top engineers. At the moment of Kennedys announcement, the technology, infrastructure, hardware, and technical workforce needed to achieve this goal did not yet existThe Apollo space program was, of course, a tremendous successthanks to the 400,000 engineers, scientists, and technicians from more than 20,000 companies and universities who worked on the program. They overcame enormous technological challenges w ith creativity, innovation, and persistence. Their decisions and designs were sometimes risky, but always well-conceived and, on occasion, elegantly simple.Footprints left by astronauts Armstrong and Aldrin.The first question NASA managers asked was, How do we get to the moon? What were the steps for launch, landing, and return? A number of ideas were being considered, including the Lunar Orbit Rendezvous (LOR)a single launch vehicle that would send a mother ship and landing craft directly to the moon. NASA, however, believed the concept was too complex and dangerous to pursue.NASA engineer John Houbolt disagreedhe liked the LOR because it would result in a smaller and lighter spacecraft. He went directly to NASAs leaders in Washington, where his stubborn persistence and convincing engineering calculations finally won the day. By the causa of 1962 NASA had adopted the LOR mission architecture.The next step was developing a rocket powerful enough to propel the mother ship and lunar l anding craft to the moon. Tackling the problem was rocket engineer Wernher von Braun at the Marshall Spaceflight Center in Huntsville, Alabama. Over the next five years von Braun and his team designed, manufactured, and tested the Saturn V.Apollo 11 at liftoffThe Saturn V was a technological leap over anything the U.S. had previously designed. Consisting of three stages with more than 3 million parts, the Saturn V towered 363 feet when fully stacked and produced 7.5 million pounds of thrust.The first test flight in 1967 went so smoothly that some testing instrumentation was deemed unnecessary for future tests. However, during the second flight three engines faileda deeply serious problem. Paul Castenholz and his engineering team at Rocketdyne, the engine manufacturer, worked overtime to determine the cause of the problem with no success.With the weight of the entire Apollo program bearing down on them, engineer Marshall McClure then posed a simple question Would it be different in s pace than on the ground?The engineers watched films of their tests and discovered ice built up on the lines carrying super-cooled liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen. The fluid lines were flexible and susceptible to vibrations. Could the ice be protecting the lines during ground tests? Subsequent testing of the components in a vacuum chamber indeed showed the fluid lines failed in space. The engineering solution was easyby stabilizing the lines with steel mesh, the Saturn V was now ready to carry astronauts.A landing craft also had to be developedthis responsibility given to Thomas Kelly and his team of engineers at Grumman Aviation.In initial designs the Lunar Module was simply too heavy. Looking for any place to reduce weight, Kelly focused on the large windows. But these were also critical for giving the astronauts a good field of view as they sat in their seats during the descent. Then somebody asked, What if we get rid of the seats?Kelly called it a brilliant, paradigm-shifting q uestion. Seats were not necessary, given the engine thrusts needed to navigate in the weak gravity of the moon. Having the astronauts stand also meant they could be closer to the windows, which then didnt need to be so large and heavy.Designing the space hardware was only one part of the overall Apollo team. Thousands of engineers were involved in launch processing and monitoring the flights. In an era when computer systems were primitive compared to what we have today, constant communication between the astronauts and an army of engineers in Houston was critical to ensure the incredible success of the Apollo 11 mission.Because of this combination of engineering foresight, fortitude, and teamwork, Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin walked on the moon on July 20, 1969. Not only was it a giant leap for mankind, it also established the U.S. as the worlds fruchtwein technologically advanced country.Adapted from The Most Hazardous and Dangerous and Greatest Adventure on Which Man Has Ever Em barked by Burton Dicht, Managing Director, ASMEs Knowledge and Community Sector, for Mechanical Engineering, July 2009.The first question NASA managers asked was, How do we get to the moon?

Do you have enough saved to retire for 22 years Probably not

Do you have enough saved to retire for 22 years Probably notDo you have enough saved to retire for 22 years Probably notFor many people, retirement seems like the logical end of working life - but its easy to feel like you dont have a handle on getting ready for yur Golden Years.If youre nervous about retiring but havent done much about it yet, youre far from alone.The Employee Benefit Research Institutes 2017 Retirement Confidence Survey released today found that 3 in 10 workers reported that retirement planning makes them feel mentally or emotionally stressed.According to the survey, 61% of workers said that they and/or their spouse have saved for retirement and 56% of workers said that they are currently saving for retirement.Yet this seems optimistic. Last year, the Economic Policy Institute found that half of American families had nothing saved for retirement at all - and the zentralwert savings for the other families were a tiny $5,000, which would not last more than a couple of years for many middle-class families.On the whole, Americans have found it difficult to save, with the majority in the U.S. being unable to meet an emergency expense of even $500.Americans avoid thinking about saving for retirementUnsurprisingly, considering how stressful retirement planning is, not everyone is doing the calculations.In terms of who has had a conversation with a professional financial advisor about retirement planning, 23% of workers and 34% of retirees said they had done so. Around 11% percent of workers and 19% of retirees said they had made a formal, written financial plan for retirement.Even if youre not making gains toward being ready for your Golden Years at the moment, its never too late to start.Calculatehow much cashyoull need to stay afloatCome up with a number based on what youre making before you leave the workforce.Several sites have retirement calculators that allow you to plug in your yearly income and savings, including Nerd Wallet and CNN Money. Be prepared the numbers are relatively big. The current conventional wisdom is that, while living on your income, you also need to save enough to have the same amount of money each year of retirement.Experts estimate that you will need at least 70% of your preretirement income lower earners, 90% or more to maintain your standard of living when you stop working, according to The United States Department of Labor.Think beyond the right nowPlanning for retirement, or any future goal, centers around having compassion for your future self how you want to live after you stop working, and for the many years afterwards.For many people, thats a mind-blowing exercise.This National Institutes of Health study proves it. Were living longer, and that strains our imagination about what our old age may look like.For Americans in the earlier part of the twentieth century, the average length of time spent in retirement was approximately two years ,and consequently, one did not need to worry too muc h about accumulating a huge horst egg to ensure a comfortable end-of-life period, the studys authors wrote.Now, the average American man spends over 17 years in retirement, and the average woman spends 20 years retired. Thats a long time to be able to sustain a middle-class life without working.The result Two-thirds of Baby Boomers will not be able to maintain their preretirement standard of living in retirement, the NIH study noted.Yet we know that people are notoriously bad at picturing their future selves and what they may want.Save early, save oftenThe earlier you start saving for retirement, the better - due to the magic of compound interest, which grows your nest egg significantly each year.Youll need that advantage, because the average American hopes to spend 22 years in retirement and live off a very precise retirement account $878,206, according to asset manager Natixis.Not only is that number precise, its pretty large and possibly unreachable While participants say they h ave a goal amount in mind for their retirement savings, many are not on track for meeting self-stated savings targets. Savings rates are low. Competition from college loans, personal debt and other financial obligations prevent many from saving at a rate that will allow them to meet their goals or even participating in their companys plan, Natixis wrote.Some millennials get it. Theyve started putting money away for retirement in their early 20s, or asking their companies to help.According to Natixiss2016 survey, 82% of Americans between ages 18 and 34 believe that employers should have retirement plans for workers. Boomers and Gen Xers tend to consider retirement planning to be more of a personal responsibility.Different ways to save for retirementOne of the most popular plans for retirement is the classic corporate401(k), which siphons contributions from employee paychecks into an account that includes holdings of various mutual funds. Such passive saving can feeleffortless, but it s not available everywhere.A nachrichten release from the Bureau of Labor Statistics showed that only 66% of workers employed in a private industry had access to retirement benefits in March 2016, compared to 90% of state and local government workers.There are other options you can save and invest money yourself through personal retirement accounts, put it into tax-deferred annuities that will pay you a certain amount each year, or buy rental properties that will bring you income later in life.Can you retire? Do you want to?If youre close to retirement age,give yourdecision to leave the workforce a lot of thought.A survey of 4,049 retirees, 65 years and older, from global advisory, broking and solutions company Willis Towers Watson found that more than one-quarter of people surveyed said employer incentives- such as eligibility for retirement and retiree health benefits were the biggest motivation to leave the workforce.But for people who retired more recently, this wasnt the case- their jobs environment and eligibility for Social Security and Medicare play larger roles, according to the highlights.As employer retirement and health care benefits become less generous (and early retirement incentives become rarer), employers wield less direct influence over their employees retirement decisions, the survey highlights said.Make a financial plan for retirement when youre ready, but know that the age you start can dictate how much youll need to save.And consider whether you want to retire at all. White-collar professionals frequently retain the capacity to do knowledge work well past retirement age, and they could get bored with a retirement that involves doing nothing. Planning for some part-time work or other means of keeping busy could make the difference to a more productive life.Then, of course, theres the chance that for financial reasons youll have to work past 65 years old - most Americans do.

New Future Engineers Challenge Asks Students to Design Space Containers

New Future Engineers Challenge Asks Students to Design Space Containers New Future Engineers Challenge Asks Students to Design Space Containers New Future Engineers Challenge Asks Students to Design Space ContainersA screenshot of the updated Future Engineers website announcing the new 3D Space Container Challenge. In January, two K-12 students were selected as the winners of the inaugural Future Engineers 3D Printing in Space Challenge for konzeptioning 3D digital models of tools that astronauts could print and use on the grenzberschreitend Space Station. This year, students aged five to 19 are being challenged to design 3D models of containers that could be used for various purposes in a zero gravity environment.The competition, which was developed jointly by NASA and the ASME Foundation and launched last fall, is intended to inspire elementary, middle and high school students to become young innovators and engineers by enabling them to create 3D models that, if selected, wi ll actually be manufactured in space. This years competition, which opened for student registration earlier this month, is focused on the design of containers that can be used use in space. Astronauts use a variety of containers to perform a number of activities, from collecting asteroid samples and sustaining plant life to storing food and disposing of trash. Students are free to design containers to be used on the Space Station - or that could be used by astronauts of the future as they explore Mars or other planets. Contestants will be divided into two groups the Junior category, for students aged five to 12, and the kid category, for students aged 13 to 19. Judging criteria for entries in both categories include the innovation and creativity of the solution the containers ability to advance human space exploration the students ability to communicate the design through the text description and during the finalist interviews and the quality of the 3D model and its compliance with the design guidelines. Prizes include 3D printing gift certificates for the semi-finalists in each category and one-week trips to Space Camp for the finalists in each category. The grand prize winner in the Teen division will receive a tour of the Space Shuttle Endeavor in Los Angeles with an astronaut, while the Junior grand prize winner will receive a 3D printer for his or her school. Entries will be accepted through Aug. 2. Ten semi-finalists in each of the Junior and Teen divisions will be announced Sept. 2. Four finalists in each category will be named on Sept. 16 and interviewed on Sept. 30. The two Future Engineers Challenge winners will be announced on Oct. 7. For more information on the Future Engineers program, visit www.futureengineers.org. ASME members and student members who would like to work with the program as volunteers or as 3D technical or design mentors - or would be able to host a 3D Printing Showcase or Workshop location - can sign up via the w ebsites Get Involved section, at www.futureengineers.org/Home/GetInvolvedgetInvolved.

Unanswered Concerns About Template Free Download

Unanswered Concerns About vorlage Free Download When you own a profile made that tells about your organization, you will have the ability to use that in a number of situations to share what you are about. With NEON, your site will certainly succeed. With wonderful group of elements to select from and present your product its ideal theme for virtually any startup company. In the event that you were searching for a schablone with a minimalist konzept and which is best for a photographers website you may have just found it. No matter which type of diary you intend to keep, first look over a good example diary template or two. Its important to keep in mind that keeping your scientific poster template design simple is among the most important facets of a successful poster presentation. The family tree template word is highly popular among the users due to the simplistic design, and it could also be downloaded in the term format from the world wide web. The template includes a c ustomizable call to action alongside icons for assorted social networking accounts. It is possible to make a CD label all on your own from paper and letter it using pen or marker ink pen. Alternatively you may download our totally free bundle with 16 free slides. If youve bought labels elsewhere in years past you might have been made to obtain expensive label printing program. Moreover its challenging to repeat the exact same CD label template or the procedure will take much time and pain to repeat the very same layout. You can produce the chart more interactive by adding siblings as well as the family heads. A template can spare you lots of time. Budget template Got plenty of gifts to purchase and people to please. The whole income for a family for the whole month is figured by consolidating the internet income earned under each subcategory. In the following, you will discover a template for your cash book along with all important details about ways to fill it out correctl y. The money book is among the most crucial accounting books for corporate bookkeeping. In the form of a simple document, often an Excel spreadsheet, it is used to record a companys cash payments. What You Dont Know About Template Free Download If you would like a template whose design you are able to customize entirely, spielblttchen the completely free blank templates. The template is entirely adjustable and can be edited how you want. Your new template will now appear along with the rest of the templates. More than 321 completely free invoice templates that you may download and print. Its possible for you to make 16 unique layouts from single file. Below youll discover an assortment of recipe templates out there for free download which are made in Excel. There are a lot of outstanding, free HTML templates given free of charge online Creating templates from scratch is not a simple job. Top Template Free Download Secrets There are many different templates for PowerPoint for virtually every design occasion. Thisfree After Effects template can readily be changed to some other color if you want. The templates may be used on MAC computers since they provide high-resolution pictures. They allow you to edit the content, color as well as design quite conveniently. Top Choices of Template Free Download People today utilize to-do lists regularly to accomplish various tasks. You dont need a flyer crammed with text, Thus if youve got a lot to say, put the most significant details on it and after that incorporate a site address so that individuals will go online to acquire the rest of the facts. Templates also show you exactly what information you want to put in your CV, such as what information to put in each individual part of your CV, and what type of language to use. Among the troubles with free is it isnt always free. Among the following things you should decide is how many sections you wish to have in your menu. When you build a site, you req uire an admin panel to control website content seamlessly. So, you need to use a Bootstrap Theme or Template to find custom and trendy appearance of your bootstrap based site to fit your organization, brand, choice and design trends. There are 24 individual templates at the link above, every one of which has six unique sizes and formats you can print directly through the website. Grid lines are turned off so the sheets seem clean. There are several different elements on a menu, and you have to thoroughly look at all them when youre making your menu. PSD templates is a wide collection, but there are lots of subcategories to pick from.

The 4 Worst Ways to Start a New Job

The 4 Worst Ways to Start a New Job Caught up in theexcitement of a new job, its easy and somewhat foolhardy to take success in your new position for granted. Come back down to earth, and youll find that success in a new role is farfrom guaranteedstudies show that 46 percent of new hires fail within the first 18 months.Statistics are hardly on your side.Its vital, then, that you handle this new-hire period effectively and avoid the known pitfalls that come with starting a job. Many companies have nurturing onboarding programs that help you transition into the organization, but these programsare not perfect. As a new hire, it is up to you todeploy great new-job behaviors and avoid terrible ones if you are to ensure your success.Manyhave covered the great new-job behaviors I mention above, so I thought I would take the opportunity to explore the terrible new-job behaviors. Think of this postasa ma ssive red warning side on a road that screams Cliff drop aheadThat is to say these are the four worst ways to start a job, and you should avoid every single one.1. Starting With a Poor Attitude and/or Lack of MotivationThe single worst way to start a job is to start with anything other than a bounce in your stepand a resilient, can-do attitude. The Leadership IQ study to which I linked in the first paragraph foundthatmost new hires fail thanks to poor attitudes and/or a lack of motivation not because they lack technical skills.On your first day along with the obvious requirement of not arriving late you should also avoid complaining about mundane things like parking, traffic, or your own lack of focus. Make sure you are outwardly positive and accommodating, and offer plenty of suggestions whenappropriate. If there is a problem that needs a remedy, fix it if you canstudies showthat new hires who achieve quick wins perform better later on in their careers and are mora promotable.2. Neglecting Your BossStudies showthat one of the most influential factors in determining whether an employee quits a job is the employees relationship with their boss. Employee-boss relationships are also linked to satisfaction and productivity.Ensure you meet with your boss early on and quickly try toestablish common ground in terms of personality, values, ideals, social interests, etc. Doing so will help you build a strong rapport with your boss, which bodes well for your tenure at the job.3. Failing to Manage Your Own Onboarding and OrientationPerhaps you are thinking, Isnt myemployer supposed totake care of that? Well, they very well might notan Aberdeen Group studyfound that only 32 percent of employers have formal onboarding processes.Chances are youll be left to fend for yourselfwhen it comes to joining the company,building your network, and learning the ropes. Waiting around to be told what to do may be one of the biggest mistakes you can make as a new hire. If your manager is slow on assigning goals, chase them down or write your own until your sanctioned goals arrive. If you have a gap in your knowledge, find out who knows the answer and ask them to teach it to you.4. Spending All Day at Your DeskWorking on your first day is crucial, but this study from the Sloan School of Managementfound that new hires who quickly build information relationships with colleagues also get up tospeed more quickly, perform better, and are more satisfied with their jobs. You can do some networking on your computer, but face-to-face networking will help you build the strongest relationships. Dont do it blindly or stickto yourcomfort zone build a political map of influencers at the company, then get out and meet them

Banish Interview Anxiety With These Tried-And-True Tricks

Banish Interview Anxiety With These Tried-And-True TricksBanish Interview Anxiety With These Tried-And-True TricksBanish Interview Anxiety With These Tried-And-True TricksDont let vorstellungsgesprch jitters get the best of you. Heres how to prepare and overcome your fears. TWEETFor most people, landing an interview is as nerve-wracking as it is exciting. At some point after the initial thrill wears off, theres a good chance that youll abflug to feel a little nervous. But dont worry with the right preparation, it is possible to calm your nerves and ace that interview. Next time, consider these recommendations to prepare yourself for success both physically and mentally.Practice makes perfect.Although its not possible to predict exactly what youll be asked, most interviewers do rely on some old favorite questions. After all, what interviewee has never been asked to talk about their strengths and weaknesses or to tell the interviewer a little bit about themselves?Ideally, you should already know how youll answer questions like these when you go into your interview. However, you dont want to sound too well-rehearsed, as though youre reciting your answers from memory. In other words, the challenge is to be prepared, but not sound too prepared. The best way to accomplish this is to jot down a couple of talking points for each potential interview question, and then practice the general ideas you want to discuss rather than memorizing specific phrases. You might want to dig out some index cards to quiz yourself, writing the interview question on one side and your talking points on the other.When you feel like you have your talking points down, ask a friend to give you a mock interview by reading the questions on the cards at random. Give each answer as though you were in a real interview. Practice using this mock interviewing technique until you feel confident and well-prepared, but not so long that you start to sound like a broken record.Bring what youll needWhenev er you interview, you should always bring three things, at a minimum something to write with, something to write on, and at least one copy of the same resume you used to apply for the position. However, its also a great idea to bring any other notes that you might find helpful. Having the information you need at your fingertips can help you to reduce interview anxiety and feel more confident, even if you dont need to refer to it.Here are some examples of written notes or materials you might want to bring alongA brief summary of your background research about the company.Specific ideas you have for addressing the unique challenges of the position.A list of questions you would like to ask during the interview.It might be tempting to bring a lot of extra information for example, a list of the talking points you came up with for common interview questions but sticking to the basics will help you to find the information youre looking for when you need it.You might also find it helpful to use a highlighter or colored pen to mark specific details in your resume that you want to bring up for example, the accomplishments that you are most proud of or the job title(s) that are most relevant to the position youre interviewing for.Dont leave anything to chanceThere are a lot of things that could go wrong on the day of your interview, but the good nachrichten is that you can avoid many of these potential problems by planning ahead. As soon as you schedule your interview, begin working out the details in order to maximize your chances of success. Once the logistics are covered, youll be able to focus on the interview itself rather than worrying about what might go wrong.Start by getting your outfit ready especially if you havent interviewed in a while. Try the whole outfit on and make sure you can stand, walk, sit, and bend comfortably. Make sure it is clean and free of wrinkles and odors, and store it safely in a location where it will stay that way.Next, make sure you know where youre going and how to get there. If possible, go to the location a day or two before the interview to see what the building looks like and figure out where you can park. Make sure to leave plenty of time in case you get lost, get caught in traffic, or cant find parking.Take care of your bodyJob interview preparation is almost as grueling physically as it is mentally. Stress often manifests in physical ways, but you can take steps to prevent these effects.The night before your interview, try to pamper yourself. Consider taking a nice hot bath, listening to music, or drinking tea. Think about what helps you to relax and try to incorporate this into your interview preparation routine.No matter what, make sure to get a good nights sleep. Not only will this help you to look your best, it will help to keep you mentally sharp and allow you to think more clearly and speak more eloquently. When you wake up on the big day, make sure to eat a hearty breakfast with plenty of polype ptid to keep you going strong.MeditateThe word meditation might bring to mind images of monks kneeling for hours at a time. But meditation doesnt require any special equipment or hours of focus, and you dont have to be a monk in order to experience the benefits of meditating.Meditation is a great way to clear your mind and calm your nerves. There are many ways to practice meditation, and no right or wrong way to do it. If youve never meditated before, try these stepsFind a quiet, relaxing spot where you wont be interrupted. Some people find an outdoor location to be ideal, but you can meditate inside, too.When youre seated comfortably, close your eyes and begin to focus on your breath. Breathe in slowly through your nose, hold your breath for a moment, and then breathe out slowly through your mouth. You might find it easier to focus on your breathing if you count each inhale and exhale, or you might prefer to just maintain awareness of your breath. Let go of any distracting thoughts , feelings, or worries and just focus on your breath.After a few minutes or so, you should begin to feel calmer and less nervous. Once you feel that your mind is clear, you might wish to spend some time visualizing positive outcomes, such as having a great interview experience or receiving a job offer.Meditation can be a helpful tool for calming your mind before an interview, but it has also been shown to have powerful long-term benefits when practiced regularly.Hire a TopResume writer to help you land more interviews, faster.Related Articles

Self-Assessment Are You a Leader By Nature or Nurture

Self-Assessment Are You a Leader By Nature or NurtureSelf-Assessment Are You a Leader By Nature or NurtureYur answer to this question and two others may determine your long-term success.Dave is a CEO of an Internet startup that failed to get funding, and hes got to find something else to do. But hes so focused on his failure that hes having a hard time seeing what talents and skills he could leverage. Something invisible but crucial is standing in his way - his mental model. Let me explain what I mean.Carol Dweck is a professor of psychology at Stanford who studies why some people succeed and others fail. What shes discovered At a young age, people develop beliefs that organize their world and give meaning to their experiences. These mental models determine the goals we pursue and the ways we go about achieving them.1. Fixed mind-setIntelligence is static and leads to a desire to look smart and therefore a tendency toAvoid challengesGive up easily when faced with an obstacleSee eff ort as fruitless or worseIgnore useful negative criticismFeel threatened by the success of othersAs a result, may plateau early and achieve less than full potential2. Growth mind-setIntelligence can be developed and leads to a desire to learn and therefore a tendency toEmbrace challengesPersist in the face of setbacksSee effort as a path to masteryLearn from criticismFind lessons and inspiration in the success of othersAs a result, reach ever-higher levels of achievementWhen someone like Dave, with a fixed mind-set, fails at something, they believe the situation is out of their control and nothing can be done.They lose faith in their ability to perform. They shrink previous successes and inflate failures. They give up.Those with a growth orientation do not see failure as an indictment of their capacity. For those folks, a problem is just an opportunity to learn new things. Their attention is on finding strategies for learning. When they blow it or meet an obstacle, they realize that they just havent found the right strategy yet. They dig in and make optimistic predictions The harder it gets, the harder I need to try. I need to remember what I already know about this. Ill get this soon.Two questions can determine failure or successThese mind-sets can powerfully affect our career trajectories. One of Dwecks research studies was with Chinese students in Hong Kong who were given the opportunity to learn English, which in the long run would increase their ability to get good jobs. The students with the fixed mind-set turned down the opportunity because they knew it was hard. But the students with the growth mind-set said, Sure, Ill do it e ven if I dont do well, Ill grow my capacity.She also discovered that extremely highly paid athletes with a fixed mind-set often dont do well on a team. They decide they dont need to practice because they are so good, and they flame out.Want further proof that success comes from accepting that you will make mistakes and you have the ability to learn from them?Would-be neurosurgeons were studied to determine who would succeed and who would fail. The researcher discovered that the answer came down to how they responded to the following two questionsDo you ever make mistakes?If so, what is the worst mistake you ever made?Those who flunked out claimed never to make mistakes or attributed any error to things beyond their control. Successful neurosurgical students admitted to many mistakes and described what they had learned about avoiding them in the future.Dwecks research offers powerful evidence that when it comes to moving through the challenges of a job search and career change, we need a growth mind-set. When we see our minds as capable of learning and life as a chance to grow, then everything we do is grist for the mill. We dont give up when we experience setbacks but learn what we can from the experience and begin again, wiser.Your attention is focused on the question, How can I use the constraints and c hallenges Im facing to grow my own capacity?Where do these orientations come from? It turns out that it has to do with whether you think intelligence is fixed - youre born as smart as youll ever be - or changeable - you can get smarter throughout life. When provided with evidence that the brain can grow new pathways, fixed-oriented freshman college students on the verge of dropping out switched to a growth orientation and graduated.What about you?In working with hundreds of executives, Ive found that many of us have a growth orientation in some of these attributes and not in others. Each person is different based on his early history. For instance, Ive got no trouble with the first three or the last one. Im still working on seeing mistakes as learning opportunities. There continues to be a voice of perfectionism inside me that panics when I find Ive made an error, although its much softer than it used to be. And I still have trouble seeking out feedback because Im afraid it will be negative. But Im working on it Ive gotten much better at feeling the discomfort and asking for input anyway.Looking at the list, is your mind-set a growth or fixed one? Which of these are easy? Difficult? Try to notice without beating yourself up. That just interferes with a growth mind-set because it reinforces the belief that you should know everything already.After all, even know-it-alls dont know it all. And accepting this premise is the key to success.

The Negative Impact That Growing Up Digital Has Had on Communication

The Negative Impact That Growing Up Digital Has Had on Communication The Negative Impact That Growing Up Digital Has Had on Communication Millennials have a stronger connection with technology than any previous generation. It makes sensethat they would They grew up alongside the internet and smartphones. Experts in all things digital, millennials have certain advantages when it comes to adopting and deploying the latest workplace technologies to drive results.However, the millennial affinity for technology may also be the source of what many deem to be this generations greatest weakness poor communication skills. Many older professionals who work with millennials leide that the members of this generation seem to be lacking when it comes to face-to-face interaction, making eye contact, and communicating with tact.While the effects of technology on communication skills may be most evident in millennials who grew up with tech, other generations are not immune. Even those who did not g row up digital have started to see their communication skills slip as technology becomes mora pervasive in every aspect of our lives.Heres what you need to know about the negative impact the digital world can have on your communication1. Your Ability to Make Eye Contact SuffersA little more than half of millennials report experiencing some form of anxiety if they dont have their phones on them, and people across generations check their phones 80 times a day on average. Part of the reason why were so anchored to our phones is that receiving emails and social media notifications actually releases dopamine, a neurotransmitter that makes us feel good, in our brains.Given thissort of phone addiction, its not surprising that many millennials (and others) struggle to make and sustain eye contact. The discomfort one experiences when separated from their device is real.Being able to make eye contact helps establish connections and trust with other people.If you struggle with eye contact, itc ould have a devastating impact on your professional life. Try going to dinner with a friend and keeping your phone off the table.Challenge yourself to make it through the meal without checking your phone once.2. Youre Shying Away From Face-to-Face ConversationsA recent studyfound thatrequests delivered in person are 34 times more likely to result in positive outcomes than requests sent via email.To make meetings as successful as possible, keep your digital device off the table. It may behard to imagine going into a meeting without having your device handy, but unless you are expecting important information that will impact the outcome of your meeting, theres no need to checkyour phone or tablet until the meeting is over. Checking your device not only takes your focus away from the topic at hand, but it also sends a message toother people in the roomthat they are not worthy of your full attention. Basically, checking your digital device during a meeting can negate all the positive ef fects of having a face-to-face meeting in the first place.3. Youre Less Comfortable With Nondigital ConversationsWhen most of your communications are virtual, two things happen Youget used to being in a constant state of control, and you lose your ability tobe vulnerable.With texting and email, you can edit and tweak your message until youre ready to hit send. This pattern of communication makes it hard to let your guard down during a conversation. Vulnerability starts to feel foreign and even scary. You might not think vulnerabilitymatters in the workplace, but it can actually help you become a much better leader.4. Youre Shielding Yourself From Both Conflict and Conflict ResolutionMillennials avoid phone calls. Why? Because theyre less likely to run into conflict if they use texting and email instead. This aversion to conflict, while understandable, may also be harmingconflict resolution skillsin younger generations. When conflicts inevitably do arise - and they will - younger w orkers may not be able to handle them effectively. That could be disastrous in a professional environment.- There is no doubtthat technology is driving change in our personal and professional lives, and much of the change is actually positive. However, as outlined above, there are some pitfalls to growing up digital. By making yourself aware of the drawbacks, you put yourself in the best position to overcome them.Feeling consumed by the digital world? It may be time to take a much needed break. Try a digital detox and reap the benefits.A version of this article originally appeared on theAtrium Staffing blog.Michele Mavi isAtrium Staffings resident career expert.