Tuesday, December 31, 2019

Recession Dispatch from...London

Recession Dispatch from...LondonRecession Dispatch from...LondonThe home gym is my favorite so far Why sign up to a costly health club when you can use your garden and substitute sandbags for weights?, asked the (clearly barmy) writer. Because I dont have a garden or sandbags is why. And because the cute receptionist at my gym smiles at me, sometimes.So far it doesnt seem as bad zu siche as it does in New York. Or is that just because we prefer not to talk about it so much? After all, it is a trifle embarrassing.I dont actually know anyone who has lost his or her job, but then again, most of the people I know are self-employed media types who spend their days in coffee shops chatting on their mobiles and tapping away at their laptops. How is one supposed to tell whether they are gainfully employed or begging their parents for another loan?One pal, a heretofore hot TV director, has had no work for six months. Not that surprising, since British telly, once the envy of the world, is red uced to showing endless reruns of Friends and Frasier. So my friend is diverting his considerable creative energies into the most ambitious home improvement scheme in London. This from a man who previously couldnt change a light bulb without electrocuting himself.An architect friend with his own practice has had to let some people go, to use the charming English euphemism for axing his staff.If you have been canned, having a former empire and a peripatetic tradition comes in very handy. A friend in Cape Town has become a one-woman recruitment agency. Yes, the salaries are much lower in South Africa than they are in London, but the sun shines all day long, the beach is a 10 minute drive from the office and the wine is as cheap as chips.Four of the 50 candidates short-listed to look after a tropical Australian island for a year are Brits, a fifth is Irish. Lets hope none of them gets the job by the end of the first week he or she will be burnt to a crisp, will have antagonized the loc al sharks and will be begging for a nice cup of tea.Perhaps thats too harsh, the English are nothing if not adaptable. The company I work for has just hired a former investment banker as its head of research, at a fifth of his previous salary. binnensee him squirm as he distributions-mixs his expensively be-suited arse on our stained chairs watch him wince as makes instant coffee in our grotty kitchenette hear him sneeze as he passes our dust-encrusted 20th century PCs.Get used to it mate, youre lucky to have a job at all.On the bright side, craft goods, cloth, and sewing machine sales are all up, as people turn to making their own cushions, dresses, and gifts. Sales of British comfort foods are up, too Bisto gravy, swiss rolls, jam sandwiches and beans on toast. I realise none of this means anything to you, but imagine you are starring in a film set in post-war London Kate Winslett, looking plain in a washed-out yellow housecoat spreads margarine on a dry white loaf a kid in a slee veless Fair Isle jumper looks up expectantly from his Dan Dare comic book the brown earthenware teapot I can longer buy from Woolworths has pride of place on the kitchen tableYou get the picture.Posted by London Jack, RecessionWire.comRecession Briefing 3.17Hired in 30 SecondsScrewed 5,000 at UBS

Thursday, December 26, 2019

Top Entry-Level Administrative Assistant Skills

Top Entry-Level Administrative Assistant SkillsTop Entry-Level Administrative Assistant SkillsPerhaps youre fresh out of school and beginning your search for your first professional job as an entry-level assistant. Or maybe youre changing careers and starting to apply for administrative positions. Whatever the case, youre excited - but not sure what to expect in this line of work.Dont worry, were here to help.Whats an admin job all about?The responsibilities and day-to-day tasks in different administrative jobs can vary wildly and depend on the location, industry and company. But typical duties for four of the most common - and in-demand - entry-level administrative positions includeReceptionist - Often the first point of contact for anybody outside of the company, a receptionist primarily greets visitors and handles incoming calls. This role also takes on administrative responsibilities, such as word processing, data entry and internet research, and is expected to help busy coll eagues with similar tasks.Administrative assistant - At the entry level, administrative assistant duties involve handling telephone calls filing data entry and using office software for word processing, spreadsheets, and creating or updating presentations. Administrative assistants are often called upon to assist other admins, which may involve acting as the receptionist or covering a wide range of other office duties.Customer tafelgeschirr representative - Professionals in this position are responsible for maintaining strong relationships with customers by placing and receiving calls. The best customer service assistants answer questions and resolve issues quickly and with confidence, so excellent communication skills are required. Other duties typically involve data entry and research to troubleshoot queries.Human resources assistant - This professional helps with a variety of functions, including hiring staff, organizing health and welfare benefit programs, resolving employee disputes, and handling employee departures. Not surprisingly, companies search for HR assistants with strong interpersonal skills. They should also be able to conduct internet research, screen telephone calls, maintain databases and keep sensitive material confidential.Master the fundamentalsDeveloping and polishing a few essential skills will help you succeed as an administrative professional, whether youre breaking into the field or youve landed an entry-level assistant job and want to become a superstar.Communication - Employers search for admin candidates with the ability to clearly articulate ideas to colleagues, superiors, clients and vendors in writing, over the phone and face to face.Technology skills - Candidates must be confident working with Word, Excel, Outlook and PowerPoint savvy with social media and, in many cases, have a strong understanding of databases.Bilingualism - Proficiency in one or mora foreign languages is a big advantage in todays global economy and ca n increase an admins salary by 12 to 15 percent.Flexibility - Entry-level administrative jobs revolve around helping others. The best admins see a need and offer to help before even being asked. Many times, this involves tasks that arent in the job description.Collaboration - Admins must be able to work seamlessly with coworkers from all over the company, which means understanding everyones role and figuring out how to be most useful to the group. The best ones also build bridges to administrative assistants in other departments - as well as people in areas like the mailroom and IT - to make interdepartmental collaboration simple and smooth.A desire to keep learning - Companies look for administrative professionals willing to take the time to enroll in continuing education classes, pursue a certification and take advantage of any training opportunities offered by the company. Such passion and enthusiasm is sometimes even rewarded with a salary bump A professional administrative certification, for example, can boost pay by as much as 6 percent, and a Microsoft Office Specialist certification can lead to a raise of up to 10 percent.Looking for an administrative job? We can help Upload your resume.Whatever type of administrative work you decide to do, know that companies truly appreciate their support staff In an OfficeTeam survey, more than nine in 10 respondents (94 percent) rated administrative support as important to the companys overall success. Thats because these professionals provide key support to their colleagues and managers. And the more you willingly and proactively offer to help others as an entry-level administrative professional, the more valuable you become to your team.

Saturday, December 21, 2019

Five Simple and Inexpensive Office Halloween Costume Ideas

Five Simple and Inexpensive Office Halloween Costume IdeasFive Simple and Inexpensive Office Halloween Costume IdeasHalloween is a blastthe treats, the costumes, the thrill of indulging our curiosity for all things macabre. But every year I see some costumes and decorations that go too farthe maggots, rats, severed heads on meathooks.We all have our Halloween turn-offs. When it comes to your amtsstube get-up and decor, try to keep it light and fun. If your office has a costume party, here are some cheap and easy ways you can get into the spirit Peanutize yourselfIts all the rage on social media and finding the right costume and accessories is pretty simple. A yellow shirt with a black zigzag, a blue dress and headband, red and black shirt and a blue blankieif you dont have these these articles lying around your house you can find them at any thrift store. Nerd it upWork is a great place to get your nerd on, so go ahead and channel your favorite historical or literary character. The f unny Drunk History TV show has confirmed our suspicions that (even when intoxicated) nerds are cool, and history is awesome. So bring on your Amelia Earhart, Mark Twain, Langston Hughes or Lady Bird Johnson. Historical costumes are all about the props. You can find some good basics at your local vintage shop and then put your energy into making your props and learning some fun facts about your character. Use the forceStar Wars characters never go out of style, and with the countdown on to the new film, everyones excited. While you may leid want to go full wookie or ewok in the office (unless you have the wherewithal to remain productive while costumed as such), theres a lot you can do to invoke the force. You can find great Star Wars costumes for the core characters at any Halloween shop. You can also make your own costume to channel more obscure characters like Lobot, Shmi Skywalker or Admiral Motti. There is plenty to work with using this theme. Go classicIf you are not a Hallowee n enthusiast, but you want to show your team spirit, good for you. Thats an applaudable reason to move outside your comfort zone. You are not doing this to draw a lot of attention to your costume, so stick with a comfortable and classic look. Go as a witch, pirate, cat or vampire. Team upA group look always has a great appeal, and its a lot of fun. Consider these pair and group costumes The haunting sisters from Stephen Kings thriller The Shiningget a couple baby blue dresses, white knee highs and black Mary Janes. Then practice walking and delivering your chilling line in unison Come play with us Danny Mulder and Scully from the X Filesgrab a ginger wig, FBI badges and trench coats. You are ready to hunt down the truth. Its out there The Cantina Band from Star Warsif you have instruments, you are halfway there. There are a lot of online resources for making or buying the masks and then dress uniformly in black. This may be hard to pull together, but if your team is comprised of mus icians and Star Wars fans, the end result could be truly awesome. Happy Halloween

Tuesday, December 17, 2019

4 Things That May Affect the Results of Your Job Interviews

4 Things That May Affect the Results of Your Job Interviews4 Things That May Affect the Results of Your Job InterviewsYouve been applying for jobs for a while now.Youve perfected your resume. Youve written a great cover letter. You have done some networking on LinkedIn.All your efforts have proved successful as you finally landed a few interviews.Whether you are a new job seeker or a veteran to the job search, interviews can be a scary thing.While you may know the questions to prepare for, there are some other things you should consider when going into a job interview.4. TimingThe time of your job interview and when you arrive could be affecting your job search more than you realized.While Im sure you know not to be late to an interview, arriving too early can also be affecting your interview results.There is a balance between arriving early to show punctuality and arriving too early.Arriving 15-30 minutes can make you appear too anxious, and it can inconvenience your interviewer.Its best to arrive five to ten minutes early.Another time factor affecting your job search is when you schedule your interview.You want to avoid scheduling your interview too late in the day when your interviewer could be tired and have their mind distracted by other priorities.According to Glassdoor, the best time to schedule an interview is at 1030 AM, when people are at their fruchtwein productive.3. Lack of knowledge about the companyWith the all the information available online, coming into an interview without researching the company is unacceptable.Not knowing the company can make you seem uninterested in the position and the company. It can even come across as insulting.Before your interview, look up the company online. Browse their website and the services they offer.Get a sense of the companys culture to see how where you fit and what you can bring to the table.If you can, find information on the team you are interviewing for and write down questions relating to your research .Be prepared to give information about what the company does and what you can bring to the team.2. OversharingBeing personable and friendly are great tips for an interview, but its important to understand the line between friendly and too friendly.Sharing too much personal information when asked to tell about yourself can have adverse effects on your interview.Revealing too much personal information in an interview can come off unprofessional to the interviewer.Keep your answer concise and limited to your professional accomplishments.Having a few stories that show off your personality and relate to your work is a good plan for the interview.If you find yourself getting off track, take a breath and bring the subject back to theposition at hand.1. Asking too much about the perks too soonBringing up salary and benefits in an interview is a tricky situation that can have disastrous effects on the outcome.Its important to know the right time to bring up salary and benefits in an intervie w.Asking too much too soon can seem like you are only interested in the benefits of the position.It is best to wait for the interviewer to give information on salary and benefits.If you have questions about the salary or benefits, do some research on the company beforehand to get an idea.Researching the salary estimates beforehand will also help prepare if the interviewer asks about your expectations.

Thursday, December 12, 2019

6 Steps to Accomplish Your Goals and Resolutions

6 Steps to Accomplish Your Goals and Resolutions6 Steps to Accomplish Your Goals and ResolutionsDont let your goals and resolutions fall by the wayside. Chances are that to achieve your dreams and live a life you love, those goals and resolutions are crucial. Goal schauplatz and goal achievement are easier if you follow these six steps for effective and successful goal setting and resolution accomplishment. Deeply Desire the Goal or Resolution Napoleon Hill, in his landmark book, Think and Grow Rich, had it right. The starting point of all achievement is desire. Keep this constantly in mind. Weak desires bring weak results, just as a small amount of fire makes a small amount of heat. So, your first step in goal setting and achieving your dreams is that youve got to really, really want to achieve the goal. Visualize Yourself Achieving the Goal Lee Iacocca said, The greatest discovery of my generation is that human beings can alter their lives by altering their attitudes of min d. What will your achievement feel like? How will your life unfold differently as a result? If the goal is a thing, some gurus of goal setting recommend that you keep a picture of the item where you see and are reminded of it every day. If you cant picture yourself achieving the goal, chances are you wont. Make a Plan for a Path to Follow to Accomplish the Goal Create action steps to follow. Identify a critical path. The critical path defines the key accomplishments along the way, the most important steps that must happen for the goal to become a reality. Stephen Covey said, All things are created twice. Theres a mental or first creationand a physical or second creation of all things. You have to make sure that the blueprint, the first creation, is really what you want, that youve thought everything through. Then you put it into bricks and mortar. Each day you go to the construction shed and pull out the blueprint to get marching orders for the day. You begin with the end in min d. Commit to the Goal by Writing It Down Lee Iacocca said, The discipline of writing something down is the first step toward making it happen. Many consultants and coaches agree completely. Write down the plan, the action steps, and the critical path. Somehow, writing down the goal, the plan, and a timeline sets events in motion that may notlage have happened otherwise. It is as if you are making a deeper commitment to goal accomplishment. You cant fool yourself later. The written objective really was the goal. People have pulled written goals out of their desk drawers years after writing them down only to discover that they have achieved them. Written goals are powerful. Check Your Progress Frequently Whatever you use, a day planner, an erreichbar calendar or notetaking system, a smartphone, or a handwritten list, make sure that you check your progress frequently. People have been known to start their day by looking at their goals and then, scheduling time or action steps t o move closer to the end they have in mind. If youre not making progress or feel stymied, dont let your optimism keep you from accomplishing your goals. No matter how positively you are thinking, you need to assess your lack of progress. Adopt a pessimists viewpoint something will and probably is, going to go wrong. Take a look at all of the factors that are keeping you from accomplishing your goal and develop a plan to overcome them. Add these plan steps to your calendar system as part of your goal achievement plan. Adjust Your Plan if Progress Slows Make sure that you are making progress. If you are not making progress, hire a coach, tap into the support of loved ones, analyze why the goal is not being met. Dont allow the goal to just fade away. Figure out what you need to do to accomplish it. Check the prior five steps starting with an assessment of how deeply you actually want to achieve the goal. The more deeply you want to obtain it, generally, the more motivated you will feel in the face of both optimism and pessimism. This six-step goal setting and achieving system seems simple, but it is a powerful system for achieving your goalsand resolutions and even living your dreams. You just need to do it. Best wishes and good luck.

Saturday, December 7, 2019

What to Expect From Amazing Resume Examples?

What to Expect From Amazing Resume Examples? Depending on the sort of application process youre addressing, it can be appropriate to include samples of your work inside your CV. There are a lot of good choices available to assist you produce a resume that will stick out among the others. Be koranvers that your contact information is clear, prominent, and simple to read. Resume examples at no cost will aid you in a step-by-step process on find out the way to compose your resume. Amazing Resume Examples Help A possibility utilizing free resume templates is they arent professionally proofread. Using a template can help to minimize a number of the extraneous tasks connected with creating a resume and allows the writer to concentrate on the content. Once you have selected your perfect resume template from our selection, follow our completely free expert guidance about ways to craft the ideal modern resume. Again, many templates are offered for use in any business. Ideas, Formu las and Shortcuts for Amazing Resume Examples There are various kinds of paper apart from regular typing paper. An excellent cover letter should complement you RESUME. Going through the resume samples, you will receive an idea on what are the critical things for a perfect resume and exactly what you may include in your application. Actually, resume templates are a simple means to create a resume. Benefits of Resume Templates The templates are helpful because it is going to help you to make a professional resume even in case you dont have the idea about formatting a customized resume which could incorporate all the critical info. Additionally, utilizing a resume template are not only going to accelerate the procedure for writing a resume, but in addition help in crafting a professional looking, eye-catching resume. Resumes must be simple for the reader to follow. Teacher Resume must be well drafted document. 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Monday, December 2, 2019

vacationemails

vacationschmelzglass I used to go on vacations and be miserable. Id often want to be back in the office so that I wouldnt have to wonder about all of the things I might be missing. Id check my emails throughout the day, despite putting up a vacation reminderId jump into problems I didnt understand fully (because I was away)Id worry that certain things were being dropped in my absence (they werent)Obviously Id come back to work feeling mora stressed than when Id left. This summer I knew I had to change that - not only for my sanity, but for my family, and those who worked with me. So I did two things. I filled in a Google Spreadsheet that tracked all of the tasks that needed to be taken on while I was gone. You can find a copy here and use it for yourself. I wrote a notenzeichen to the entire PowerToFly team that made it very clear how and when to reach me. The note was key for my piece of mind - and for everyone else who would need to get in touch. I knew that people would call if t here was a truly urgent matter. If not, Id check in when I said I would. (And my cofounder was around, so any major escalations could go to her.) What I learned is that when I only checked in once a day, most of the issues that would stress me out on previous vacations had already been solved So what I really took away from sending the note below is that going on holiday is often the best way to learn how to trust your team (thats for another blog post).Hi Everyone - Below is an escalation and expectations rundown for my time in the UK. Ill be visiting family through 9/4. Please read this. Its important that were all on the same page so you dont feel like youre bothering me.Ill aim to check email at 8pm GMT which is 3pm EST and 12pm PST where I can give feedback on any items that arent immediate, but that require my attention. All daily functions are in the PTO handover grid here.I really want to stay away from constantly looking at email - its stressful to worry that youre missing important things. So if you need me before or after those times then please call me or text. Keep in mind that I want to be in bed by 9. So earlier calls are appreciated. My cell is xxxx. You shouldnt hesitate to get in touch with me if you have something that needs my attention asap. If in doubt, just call. Ill be more annoyed if I feel youre trying to protect my time (and therefore waste other peoples time) than if you just get in touch.In general, escalations include A client request or question no one else can handle Mass messaging that needs to be approved that is related to a crisis or major product update. All other messaging should go through Arbell and Andrea. I will still be taking a few meetingsKick off calls with X and any other major clientSenior Management Call on 8/28 Meetings I will not attend (please record)Org call (Ill be in the air on Monday)Mega meeting - Arbell runs my part Product backlog - Ana runs as always Site traffic meeting - Andrea and Vanina run Daily standups (dont record)Thanks all.KRelated Articles Around the Web Business Trip Out of Office Message Examples Arianna Huffington How to Keep Email from Ruining Your Vacation How to stop worrying about email while youre on vacation ... One companys ingenious way to free employees from email on ... Buried by vacation emails? Dont read them, delete them, expert says One of the biggest challenges in almost all industries today is achieving g ender parity. Gender diversity provides huge benefits in the workplace. pWhile some industries have made significant advancements in gender diversity, some industries lag further behind... and the construction industry is well-known for being in the latter category. If someone says, construction workers, youll likely picture a group of men in yellow hard hats analyzing an architects plans or laying bricks on top of a scaffold. And men at work signs only help to reinforce this image.pThis stereotype is rooted in reality. When was the last time you actually spotted a woman on a construction site? Or hired a female plumber or carpenter? Your answer is most likely never. In fact, the Bureau of Labor Statisticsreports that only 3.4% of the total of 8.3 million construction employees are women.pBut the construction industry has a lot more to offer than steel-toed boots and hard hats, and it needs women to help advance the industry in this era of rapid change. H ere are 5 reasons why women joining the workforce or looking to make a pivot should consider a career in construction.h21. Fuel Innovation/h2pNot only is diversity the socially and morally right thing to do, but it is also actually an excellent business strategy. pResearch presented in the Harvard Business Reviewshows that diverse teams develop more innovative ideas. This is further supported by a study conducted by Gallupon the performance of gender-diverse teams versus single-gender teams, which found that the difference in backgrounds and perspectives led to better business performance and problem-solving. h22. Capitalize on Demand/h2pThe construction industry is currently experiencing a labor shortage. The industry itself is booming and projected to be one of the fastest-growing industries, with total spending projected to exceed $1.45 trillion in 2023/a. However, most construction companies are unable to meet the rising demand. pAccording to the Associated General Contractors o f America/a, more than 80% of contractors are experiencing difficulties filling hourly craft positions that represent the bulk of the construction workforce.pAnd demand isnt limited to individual contributor roles. Given the industry boom, there are a number of open stable and high-paying roles (any project managers out there?) waiting for the right candidateh23. Leadership Opportunities/h2pAccording to the Bureau of Labor Statistics/a, women compose only 7.7% of the total 1 million managerial positions in construction.br/pBut given the highly collaborative nature of construction work, more women in leadership roles would help drive innovation and enhance productivity.Furthermore, as a woman in construction in a leadership position, youd have the unique opportunity to drive change for the industry and make it a more attractive option for other women.h24. High-Income Potential/h2pSalaries for many skilled positions in construction are on the rise, making a construction career a prime choice for women looking for a high-paying job,pThe 2018 Construction Craft Salary Surveyconducted by the National Center for Construction Education and Research revealed that salaries for many skilled craft areas are increasing. Project managers and project supervisors topped the list at $92,523 and $88,355, respectively. The next set of highest-paying jobs include those of combo-verstrker welders ($71,067), instrumentation technicians ($70,080), pipe welders ($69,222), power line workers ($68,262) and industrial electricians ($67,269). Of the 32 categories of workers in the survey, 19 positions earned an average salary of $60,000 or higher.h25. Sense of accomplishment/h2p The construction industry can give employees a unique sense of achievement. Yes, the job is stressful and the work can be demanding, but nothing beats the feeling of being able to build something from the ground up. pHow many professionals in other industries can point at a school, a hospital, or a skyscraper an d say I helped build that?pThe construction industry has a long way to go in combating gender bias and supporting women in the workforce, but given the current demand for workers, theres no better time to pick up a sledgehammer (figurative or literal) and smash the gender stereotypes plaguing the construction industry.