Preparing for the Pink Slip (and some history)

Preparing for the Pink Slip (and some history) Years ago I spoke a lot at least twice a month I was on the road. When I spoke Id want to go to as many job clubs as I could. The record was, I think, 13 job club presentations in 3 days in the Minneapolis area. I was exhausted, as was my voice. I created a business card that, on the one side, said pink slip. on the other side was a link to JibberJobber.com/pink. The page went through a few versions, and we finally settled on what you see there. This needs another UI update, but my top 10 tips remain solid. Want to know what I tell people when they get a pink slip? Check it out: At the very top it says Congrats, you got a pink slip! This was in jest, because the only people who went here were people who were at my presentation. But, when a friend tells me they got laid off, my wife and I will tell them congrats. Because in many cases, your life changes in a big way. And great things can happen. Read more at my pink slip page! Preparing for the Pink Slip (and some history) Years ago I spoke a lot at least twice a month I was on the road. When I spoke Id want to go to as many job clubs as I could. The record was, I think, 13 job club presentations in 3 days in the Minneapolis area. I was exhausted, as was my voice. I created a business card that, on the one side, said pink slip. on the other side was a link to JibberJobber.com/pink. The page went through a few versions, and we finally settled on what you see there. This needs another UI update, but my top 10 tips remain solid. Want to know what I tell people when they get a pink slip? Check it out: At the very top it says Congrats, you got a pink slip! This was in jest, because the only people who went here were people who were at my presentation. But, when a friend tells me they got laid off, my wife and I will tell them congrats. Because in many cases, your life changes in a big way. And great things can happen. Read more at my pink slip page!

How Women Can Get The Salary They Deserve 3 Simple Steps For Success - Classy Career Girl

How Women Can Get The Salary They Deserve 3 Simple Steps For Success When I was starting my career, one burning question I really wanted someone to answer was: Do women need to be so aggressive to rise to the top? Is that the only way to succeed? Because, honestly, I didn’t think I could pull that off. And I didn’t want to. Fortunately, I ignored societal messages and learned that the perception in my head didn’t match reality. I didn’t grow up wanting to be a compensation consultant â€" no one does. But it’s been the best accidental career ever. Helping companies design and implement compensation programs provides me with first-hand experience understanding how pay decisions are made. Working with C-Suite men and women allows to me to watch, learn and answer that burning question: How do women shatter the glass ceiling and rise to the top? How Women Can Get The Salary They Deserve: 3 Simple Steps For Success 1. Play Your Strengths Successful women play to their strengths, and not every woman’s strengths are the same. I quickly recognized that different personality types (I call them powerhouse personalities) rise to the top. Women trying to act like men, or to be something they weren’t, generally faced more challenges. But women who recognized who they were, and how to leverage those strengths, succeeded. Leveraging your powerhouse personality will help you succeed. Women who stop trying to be like a man â€" and start acting like a strong woman â€" succeed. But not all women are the same. There are different definitions of “strong.” Over time, I noticed 4 major types of powerhouse personalities: assertive, confident but humble, politically savvy and fiercely loyal. A woman who is self-aware and identifies her powerhouse personality can play that role better than a woman who tries to be something she isn’t. In other words, not all woman have to be assertive to succeed. Once women figure out who they are, they can tap into those strengths (and avoid the pitfalls) to scale the corporate ladder. 2. Its Based On Perception It’s not about telling management what your job is worth. It’s about convincing management that  you as a person are worth a higher salary. Listening to senior management review performance and compensation â€" and discuss who deserved what raise (or promotion or bonus) led to my revelation: Earning more money is based on perception. Forget about telling a company what your job is worth. The biggest surprise may be that there isn’t one fixed amount of money a job is worth. Individuals can actually cause a job to be worth more money based on their own unique experiences, impact on the organization and performance. You influence your own pay more than you know. Men, more naturally than women, leverage how they are perceived by the company. Women need to do this too, but by playing to their own strengths. Women who recognize and use their powerhouse personality to their advantage convince companies they are invaluable. As a result, they earn a higher salary. [RELATED: Which Professions Are Hurt Most By The Pay Gap?] 3. How You Play The Game Matters Remember that compensation is a game, and how you play the game matters. Working with men and women highlighted one important fact â€" overall, men play the game better. They may have fewer inhibitions or they may spend more time figuring out how to play, but either way, they play it better. Compensation is a game that you need to understand in order to win. Women who realize compensation is a “game” â€" a high-stakes game â€" also succeed. These women study how their company plays the game. Recognizing that each company (and industry) approaches compensation differently) is half the battle. If you don’t know what game you are playing, how can you succeed? You can’t go into a pay discussion speaking Spanish when the other person is speaking French and expect to negotiate a higher salary. And that is exactly what happens to a lot of women. Women who identify the game being played and then leverage their own strengths to make their next move earn more promotions, higher raises, and bigger bonuses. These women convince the companies they are worth more. Find your powerhouse personality. Convince the company you are invaluable. Play the game to win.

Five Easy Steps to Achieve Debt Relief

Five Easy Steps to Achieve Debt Relief Do you want to pay off your debt? The only difference between you and  debt relief is your action. Yes, if you want to become a debt free person, you have to straighten up your act. You need to give up your bad financial habits to enjoy financial stability. If youre not sure where to begin, here a few tips to help you get started! Quick Budget You can call it the”Money List” or Quick Budget, whatever you want. Before you get yourself out of debt, you have to understand your financial situation. It will take an hour or so but will help to achieve a better understanding of your current condition. You need to follow these steps to create a money list Include every expense How much every entry costs you on monthly basis Minus your expenses from your income If your remaining balance is in negative instead of positive, then you have to cut corners on your regular expenses.   Or, find a way to increase your income. Note All Your Debts from Lowest to Highest Note down all your debts from lowest to highest. This may seem a daunting task, but it’s crucial. You need to realize how deep you are in this mess before you start pulling yourself out. As you start recognizing the damage you have already done, it will be incentive to keep it from happening again. It’s your first step in the right direction to a stable financial future. Cut Corners You have to see how much money you can squeeze from the money list. You need to divert more resources to pay off your debt. Fortunately, you shouldnt have to make any big lifestyle changes. Its unlikely youll need to swap your flat for a hut, or your car for a bicycle. You can achieve that by making many small changes.   That latte youve been having every day?   Swap it out for a cheaper flavored coffee.   Cant give up your weekly movie addiction?   Go to a weekend matinee instead of a full-price evening show. Youre not going without.   Just making more conscious choices. Minimum Payment You need to pay more than the minimum amount needed for every debt.   Paying only the minimum makes the lender happy because they collect a ton of interest.   But it keeps the bill lingering for many years.   Allocate whatever you can manage to pay a little extra each month. You might want to allocate all of your extra money towards a small debt and get it paid off quickly.   Dealing with small ones first   can trigger a happy reaction and prompt you to do even better.  You will feel encouraged and will continue to pay off your debt and be on your way to becoming completely debt free. Automate Payments Late payments incur huge late fees, which only serves to extend the debt longer.   Put your bills on auto pay so theyre paid promptly each month. It helps you keep up with your plan, and pay back your debts in time. So, you keep your mind free and build confidence with your lenders.

Sunday Notes Taking responsibility to make work a better place Marla Gottschalk

Sunday Notes Taking responsibility to make work a better place Marla Gottschalk We all share responsibility to forge a better workplace. As managers. As employees. As organizations. Even as customers of those organizations. How should we come together to mold a better workplace? This goal might boil down to our personal work life basics. Some ideas to consider: Become more transparent. Honesty is a basic and its value holds in all facets of the workplace. In a nutshell, tell the truth. If you are a recruiter, let the candidate know everything you know about a role, both good and bad. If you are giving a performance review, tell the whole story. (Dont skim over the weaknesses that will hold someone back in the future). If you are a customer, dont walk away upset. Diplomatically express your problem it is worth mustering the courage to do so. Sharpen your listening skills.   Make it a point to lessen the signal noise, and really listen to your employees and your customers. Separate yourself from the potential stress you feel this may bring or worse yet, the fear of the change that may follow. Progress starts with an open mind and an open mind develops when you truly hear the concerns of others. Become hopeful.  Remaining optimistic, and maintaining energy levels when things are challenging is a difficult task but one that is worthwhile. Make every attempt not to give up on an employee, co-worker, a project or yourself. If there is an issue trouble-shoot and attempt to devise a plan to impact the situation. Not the solution? Step back, reflect and formulate another route. Develop the frame of mind that one more try may hold the ultimate key. Some related reading to support your quest: Ryan Smith Golnaz Tabibnia   Why Radical Transparency is Good for Business Tom Peters Leadership Thoughts: Listening Seth Godin Confusing lucky with good Anthony K. Tjan   The Secrets to Building a Lucky Network What are the personal methods you utilize to improve the workplace? Ideas welcome. Dr. Marla Gottschalk is a Workplace Psychologist. Connect with her and continue the conversation on Twitter and Linkedin.

7 Employee Retention Strategies and Secrets CareerMetis.com

7 Employee Retention Strategies and Secrets â€" CareerMetis.com Source â€" DepositPhotos.comIn 2018, leading employee retention researchers estimated 42 million Americans would turn over. Meaning they would leave their current jobs. That’s almost 1 in every 4 members of the American workforce. The same reports also estimated that 77% of this turnover is preventable. As an employer, what does employee turnover mean for you? Many businesses invest time and money on exit interviews. This seems to be a pointless exercise these days. The point is, you need to take preventive not corrective measures. Most employers assume a hefty compensation package is the biggest motivator. They think a big salary is enough for employers to work. They assume a large paycheck can smooth out much of the conflict that may arise. Salary is definitely one of the first considerations when it comes to recruiting new talent. But salary isn’t as important to retaining employees as it is to attract them in the first place. evalThese 7 factors influence employee retention m uch more than salary or compensation does:Recognition and AppreciationMeaningful WorkNon-Hostile EnvironmentsGrowth ProspectsWork-Personal Life BalanceCommunicationFlexibilityWithout further ado, let’s examine each point in turn below. 1) Recognition and AppreciationAs an employer, it usually pays off in the long run when you show appreciation for your employee’s hard work. Unfortunately, too many companies gloss over this important aspect. You need to recognize the value your employees offer to your business. At the same time, you need to communicate this value to your employees. You can do this through regular shows of appreciation. Recognition and appreciation establish a sense of trust between employer and employee. This strategy does not involve the use of too much time or resources. Yet, it has proven itself time and time again to be an effective employee retention strategy. Something as simple as a congratulatory or appreciative phone call can go a long way. Use it regula rly to keep retaining your talent. A small token of appreciation like Super Bowl tickets or a complimentary dinner can also help. 2) Meaningful WorkThis is one big reason why employee turnover rates are so high with some employers. Employees begin to find their work meaningless. One way employers can counter this is to make the work more challenging. Your most talented recruits need to feel a sense of accomplishment. They get this with work that challenges their abilities. evalEven a good salary may not be enough to retain an employee. Not when they find work to be meaningless and unchallenging. Challenging tasks help them develop professionally, motivating them to excel.3) Non-Hostile EnvironmentsHostile work environments are the single biggest factor behind high employee turnover rates. Leaving a job is much easier than leaving people you have a good working relationship with. Conversely, employees will leave a comfortable job with a hostile or unfriendly environment. A friendly a nd welcoming atmosphere at work contributes significantly to employee retention. But how do you create this atmosphere? You start small with team-building exercises, company dinners, and even weekend retreats. Do this regularly and encourage camaraderie between your employees.4) Growth ProspectsEmployees generally do not hesitate to leave a job or employer that doesn’t offer growth. Employers need to reinforce growth opportunities with employees regularly. Your employees need to know there is a place for them at your company in the future. evalWithout any future growth prospects, employees may never put down roots. They may never fully become part of your company and community. 5) Work-Personal Life BalanceOne of the biggest contributors to job satisfaction is a good work-life balance. Most employers forget their employees do have a life outside of the office. Sometimes work begins to upset this balance between personal and professional life. This causes job satisfaction to go dow n. Employers need to show employees they care about their families as well. Employee benefits and perks should reflect this. You need to include some that are good for employees with families. 6) CommunicationToo many times, the reason behind employee turnover is a failure to communicate. There is no easy way to say this. If you do not communicate well with your employees, you can’t retain them over the long haul. Miscommunication or the lack of communication frustrates employees. Even bad news needs good communication. You don’t want your employees to draw their own conclusions in the absence of your communication.7) FlexibilityFinally, the most important factor to consider in employee retention is flexibility. More and more employees prefer the flexibility to work remotely every now and then. With tools like Blizz Collaboration, it is actually quite easy for teams to work remotely. The newer generation of managers also places a lot of emphasis on remote working. They have no p roblems allowing their teams some degree of flexibility. Flexibility goes a long way toward forging a positive employer-employee relationship. This, in turn, leads to lower employee turnover.

3 Ways to use Pinterest as a Visual Resume

Dedicate your Pinterest account to your personal brand as a portfolioThe next level of using Pinterest for personal branding is to dedicate your entire Pinterest account to your resume as a portfolio. If you’d rather not mix business with pleasure, design your Pinterest account to be strictly business and set up boards for each section of your resume Experience, Education, Skills, Volunteering, etc.In addition to the sections of your resume, create pinboards that link to examples of your work. For example, if you’re in advertising and a commercial you helped produce is available on the web, pin it! If you’re a writer, pin your articles. If you helped to organize a nonprofit fundraising event or a walk for charity, pin those too. Think about all the different projects you’ve been a part of as a professional and make sure you have a pin for each.Round out your professional self with more personal pinsSo far, we’ve focused on the options you have for translating your resume i nto visuals with Pinterest. The next step is adding additional information not usually found on a traditional resume.Include additional sections that don’t normally make the cut on a traditional resume. Things like the hobbies you enjoy, books you’re reading, or quotes you find inspiring all help to add depth and interest to you as a professional and as a person. Adding these details makes it easier for anyone viewing your Pinterest resume to visualize knowing and working with you.If you truly want people to use your visual resume on Pinterest, be sure to include a link to your Pinterest board or page in as many places as possible your e-mail signature, LinkedIn profile, on your traditional resume anywhere that potential employers might be looking.For inspiration, visit the Top 100 Pinterest Boards for Job Search.If a picture is worth a thousand words, then Pinterest helps amplify your resume by a thousand-fold, and that’s worth a bit of your time and effort.

Discover How the Government Resume Writing Class Veterans Can Help You

Discover How the Government Resume Writing Class Veterans Can Help YouThe Government resume writing class veterans will be provided with some key suggestions that can help them in creating a top notch resume for the purpose of being hired. In the following paragraphs, you will find out how you can use these key pointers and create the perfect resume that can put you on the path to success.First of all, if you want to be successful in your quest for a better career, you need to master these three basic steps. You must know exactly what to include on your resume, how to format it and when to use the formats.When you learn the basics, you can avoid making mistakes and saving yourself from giving up. This can make the difference between landing that job or waiting too long to see the results. The Government resume writing class veterans will also provide you with an additional step that can help you identify and become familiar with the next point in the process.Do not take the time to a sk for the help of a professional cover letter. Even though there are dozens of them available in the market, they do not have anything in common. However, you can always use a cover letter which is similar to the Government resume writing class veterans will be providing you with. Since the cover letter is written to suit your specific job description, you can start using it as early as the resume stage.A cover letter can serve as a foundation for a resume. For instance, if you are an E-9, you can easily place the covering letter into your resume and you can talk about your experiences that can help lead to a promotion in your next posting. Although, there are chances that your cover letter will get lost in the shuffle of the entire job application. The cover letter is one of the most important parts of the resume.It is best to make sure that you review all the cover letters that you have received. As you do so, you can highlight the ones that caught your attention and those that y ou found interesting. You should give importance to your cover letter, as it will serve as your first impression in the minds of the hiring officials.These Government resume writing class veterans will also give you guidelines on how to make a resume appealing and effective. The next step is to find the employer's contact information and send it to them. Just be sure that the employer can be reached over the phone number provided. It is only when the employer has contacted you and taken your resume seriously that you can proceed with the next step.Another great way to utilize these Government resume writing class veterans is to hire an outsourcing company. A service provider can help you write a resume by providing you with an expert guide that covers all the steps of the process, right from the very beginning to the last sentence of the final draft.