Making the initial jump from college into the working world can feel overwhelming. Leaving the safe haven of a classroom and being thrust into the harsh reality of a first job might feel like more than you might want to deal with; especially if you have the option of working from home. This month's video podcast addresses the difficult question of: Should recent college graduates opt to telecommute instead of working in a conventional office?
What is telecommuting? As broadband technology becomes universal, more people have the bandwidth to link their home office to their corporate offices. Telecommuting is the replacement of a daily commute to a central workplace by telecommunication links.
Telecommuting can be especially beneficial for maintaining work/life balance for working parents. However, for recent college graduates, who lack the inter-office experience, telecommuting can pose serious drawbacks over the long term.
Check out the rest of my series of Recruiter Tips in the coming weeks. I hope that you find them useful and good luck!
What are employers looking for? It depends -- every employer seeks a different mix of skills and experience from a prospective employee. But one thing they look for consistently is soft skills.
This month's video podcast highlights the importance of defining your soft skills while in an interview. Your resume doesn't tell the whole story, so make sure your social skills shine as much as your work skills.
What are soft skills? Soft skills are intrapersonal and interpersonal skills that determine a person's ability to excel or at least fit in a particular social structure, such as a project team or a company. These skills include competencies in areas such as Emotional Intelligence (EI), communication, leadership ability, etiquette, conflict resolution, decision making, self-motivation, self-discipline, persuasion, social graces, personal habits, friendliness, and optimism that mark people to varying degrees. Soft skills complement hard skills, which are the technical requirements to a job.
Remember the phrase from your report card -- "works and plays well with others"? That's a critical soft skill, and there are many more, all of them important for any job in any industry. More and more corporations around the world recognize that, in order to gain a competitive advantage, they also need to make sure their people know how to handle themselves at work and how to relate with their customers and peers.
Check out the rest of my series of Recruiter Tips in the coming weeks. I hope that you find them useful and good luck!
One of the most important skills a person can possess is the ability to communicate. Whether it's to a client, co-worker or to the CEO of your company, the ability to communicate clearly, succinctly and with confidence is a trait that separates the leaders from the followers.
The truth is, too often someone thinks that they are being assertive when in fact they are really being aggressive. More likely than not, these styles get mixed up unintentionally. This confusion, however, can lead to undesired results.
The main difference between these two styles is that assertive people are firm, but remain polite about it. Assertive people are open to conflicting opinions. These individuals seek a mutual solution that will meet both sets of needs. They work with people to obtain a common goal, not against them.
Aggressive people will do whatever it takes to meet their needs. They communicate for control and usually end up pushing others away. They have the 'my way or the highway' approach to getting what they want. If you have ever worked with someone like this, their inflexible approach to getting things done usually stirs a lack of respect and cooperation from others.
Another differentiator between these two styles is one's body language. Without saying a word, most people are very receptive to what someone is feeling or thinking by their eyes, their body stance, and the volume of their voice. Ever speak to someone that doesn't look you in the eyes? It's not a very good practice, especially if you want to appear confident and trustworthy.
Assertive behavior is a key ingredient for career success. If you are wondering if you're assertive, ask yourself the following questions. If you answer the majority with a 'yes," you're on the right track.
- Can you say no when you disagree?
- Do you look people in the eyes when you are speaking to them?
- Do you consider other's opinions that differ from your own?
- Is your tone conversational, rather than loud?
- Do you wait until others are done speaking to interrupt?
- Do you have open posture?
- Do you participate in group discussions, rather than try to control them?
It's the end of the year and for many workers, two words come to mind: performance review. For some, this can stir up feelings of anxiety and stress. For others, it can be an exciting time to really gauge how much work and progress you have made throughout the year.
Despite these feelings, this experience is supposed to be a helpful one. One that will praise you for all the hard work you have done and make you aware of things that need improving. These evaluations serve two main purposes: to help you progress and help businesses develop their talent, thereby increasing productivity.
Here are some helpful tips to make the most out of your performance review:
- Be receptive. No one is perfect. Be aware and prepared that you may receive less than stellar feedback.
- Speak up. If your manager gives you a low rating in an area where you disagree, speak up. Ask them to share certain circumstances when the situation occurred. Remember to respond diplomatically.
- Know your weaknesses. Yes, everyone has weaknesses. Be aware of them. The last thing you want is to be blind-sided by your boss. You can avoid this by doing an honest self-evaluation of yourself prior to the discussion. If your weaknesses have a reflection on your salary, you are clearly going to have to make changes.
- Think about what you want. Utilize this one-on-one time to mention a few skills that you would like to hone in on for the next year. For example, if you would like to improve your public speaking abilities ask your boss for coaching or possibly take a class.
- Keep your co-workers out of it. Do not bring up your neighbor's lack of performance or annoying habits. This reflects poorly on you and this is your review, not theirs.
View your performance evaluation as an opportunity to showcase your accomplishments and enhance your professional development. If needed, take this time to go over what is expected of you and what responsibilities you have. This could be a great time to ask for more of a challenge or mention something outside your realm that you may be interested in working on.
Remember, don't think of it as a bad thing if your boss gives you some points to improve on. It is highly unlikely that your evaluation will be entirely positive. Take those areas of improvement and follow up by acting on them and making your manager aware of your accomplishments. It is management's job to help you strive for better. Remember, no one is perfect. But, top performers always strive for more.
This month's video touches upon a situation that many candidates in today's hot job market find themselves in - can you work with multiple recruiters or are you shooting yourself in the foot if you do?
It's highly likely that if you're looking for a job and you're the right fit for the position, multiple recruiters will be contacting you. While casting the widest possible net seems like the best way to get your resume out there, there is a right way to go about doing it.
One recruiter's portfolio isn't going to have all the job openings available. That being said, doing the right thing can build respect, trust and a stronger recruiter-candidate relationship. Be sure to check out the additional installments in my Recruiter Tips series in the coming weeks. I hope that you find them useful. Good luck in your job search!
I was recently approached by a colleague that voiced some concerns about her new job. Visibly stressed, she expressed how much she loves her job, but wasn't sure how much longer she could take it. As the conversation progressed, it became crystal clear what the problem was... she had a micromanager on her hands.
Micromanaging has much more of a profound effect on employees than merely causing their direct reports stress and anxiety. This management style can lead to lower productivity, sick employees, and loss of efficiency.
So why does this happen? Well, there is no clear cut answer. Whatever the reason is, being a domineering boss is not a good managerial practice. That being said, if you like your job, the pay, the company and leaving is not an option (yet), you will need to find a way to deal with your micromanaging boss. Here are some tips that will hopefully change the dynamics of your relationship:
Look in the mirror: Have you given your boss reason to doubt your abilities? Have you been late to work recently? Are you missing deadlines? If so, this behavior needs to be addressed first before you point the finger.
Suggest regular follow-up meetings: Your boss obviously likes to know the ins and outs of what you do daily, so why wait for him to ask. Set up a scheduled 15 minute meeting a few times a week or daily (if needed). This will hopefully reduce some frustration and address his concerns on your terms.
Work with her, not against her: If your boss is very sensitive about timelines and chatting at work about personal issues, make sure you are always on track and save the chatter for your lunch break. Find out what means the most to her and make sure you work with her to get it done.
Tell him, tell him again and don't forget to remind him: If your boss is someone that wants to know every single detail, let him know and make sure you do it with a smile. When repeatedly questioned, our natural instinct is to become defensive. Rather than do this, over-communicate by keeping him in the loop on relevant details.
Always be prepared: Take notes, keep emails and most importantly- always know the status on all your projects. Always be ready for questions. Don't give your boss more reason to lurk over your shoulder.
If all else fails and you see no signs of improvement, it may be time to transfer to a different department or seek other employment. Start dusting off your resume and go somewhere that makes you happy!
After having been in the recruiting and staffing industry for more than 20 years, I can honestly say that I've seen it all - the good, bad and ugly. These experiences prompted me to create a series of videos highlighting various tips and advice to help you land your next job or advance your career. Each month I'll post a new tip - so check back.
This month's video highlights five interview blunders that spell disaster - things that I see all the time. A candidate with *all* the right credentials comes in for an interview and shows up late in beach attire, cell phones go off and answered, names of companies pronounced wrong and even parents showing up.
Whether you're looking for work at a corporate office, small business or Fortune 500 company, the right interview skills and career advice can mean the difference between coming in first place or runner-up. Check out the rest of my series of Recruiter Tips in the coming weeks. I hope that you find them useful and good luck!
How many times have you read articles or research that characterizes Generation Y, or millennial workers, as disloyal, difficult to work with and in need of constant praise to feel rewarded for a job well done? My guess is a lot. But I wonder if this is a sign that workers' attitudes have changed, or is it time for employers to change their employee policies to address this shift in worker attitudes?
An article featured on Yahoo! Finance discusses Gen Y as employees and seeks to debunk what it believes are myths about the millennial worker. The article is music to our ears here at Spherion because since 1997, we've been predicting and tracking this shift in workforce attitudes through our Emerging Workforce Study.
Emerging workers, as defined by Spherion's research, are employees who possess certain qualities and traits that differ from past worker attitudes. For example, Emerging workers believe loyalty is defined by one's contribution to their employer and not tenure, and they want employers to reward them based on their performance. Sound familiar?
Our research shows that Gen Y workers are now the largest pool of candidates who possess these emerging traits and values, and they are looking for employers whose workplace policies mirror those emergent characteristics. The workforce is vastly shifting in this direction. Even migrating workers - employees who possess characteristics of both emergent and traditional workers - prefer companies with emerging traits.
The bottom line is that employers will need to shift their attitudes, perceptions and policies to attract and retain this breed of worker. If companies choose to ignore growing disconnects between what workers are asking them for and what they are actually providing them, they won't fair well in the ongoing war for talent.
So what type of employee are you? Do you fall in line with the millennial and emerging workers, or are you more comfortable with a traditional employer and/or environment? If you're not sure, be on a look out for Spherion's newest Emerging Workforce Study due out this year. Interactive tools and quizzes will be available to help you determine where you fit in, as well as career guides to help you find the right employer to match your workplace values.
I'm frequently asked questions about etiquette and procedure when working with recruiters. One question I field most often is whether it is acceptable to work with two recruiters at the same time. There are varying opinions on this topic but here's my two cents.
It depends. I don't mean to be vague here but that's the truth. Let me explain. If you are a "hot" candidate with skills that are in high demand and you are looking within a narrow job market (geographically), then you are best to stick with one recruiter. The reason is recruiters are generally paid on a commission or contingency basis. This means they only get paid when the person they present or recommend is hired. If you're working with two different recruiters, from different firms, and they both submit your resume for the same position, you've got a problem. Now the potential employer fears having to pay two fees if they'd like to hire you, and when (not if, but when) the recruiters find out, you will have burned a bridge with two valuable resources.
A great option for these types of candidates is to give a recruiter an exclusive. This means you give your recruiter an opportunity to represent you exclusively for a set period of time and in exchange you promise not to work with any other recruiters for the same time period. If you are working with multiple recruiters and one of them asks for exclusivity, make sure you are open and honest with all of them about your choice. Again, this scenario works best for candidates with skills in high, high demand.
On the other hand, if you are seeking employment in an industry or a position in high supply or looking in a number of geographic locations, then it is generally best to work with several recruiters and staffing agencies. One reason is that in the recruiting worlds, recruiters can only show you what they have in their portfolio of clients. Working with multiple recruiters makes more sense because it gives you access to the entire job market and can expose you to the broadest range of companies and options as possible. This will increase your chances of standing out among a large number of job seekers and candidates. Just make sure you know where your resume is being submitted in order to avoid the unlikely scenario above.
The days of staying with one company your entire career are all but over. Most workers stay with one employer for an average two to three years, and then move on. Some career experts say this practice is perfectly acceptable, particularly given that many of today's employers simply expect it. I ran across a recent Brazen Careerist post in which the blogger maintains that staying with one employer for a long time can be "career suicide," giving advice on how candidates can safely change jobs frequently.
I certainly agree with the notion that changing your career frequently is not a career mistake, especially if the move makes sense for you. For example, you find a job at another employer that will provide more opportunities to build your skills sets than your current employer, leading to better career opportunities in the future.
However, I'd argue that staying with one employer for a long period of time can also be the best non-move of your career. Let me qualify... if you have been working your same job for several years without advancement it is probably time to either speak up, or move on. But, if you receive steady increases in job title and salary, and have shaped your skills and developed a specialty, then there is no need to move on.
Through acquisitions and mergers, I have essentially worked for Spherion for more than 20 years, and I haven't looked back. I started out as an entry level recruiter at a small boutique recruiting firm and continued to take on new positions within that organization. Then, we were acquired by Spherion and new opportunities to expand my career presented themselves. Today, I am a Senior Vice President and Group Executive of Professional Services, creating new strategy for our recruitment efforts on behalf of some of largest clients. I have managed to gain the same experience, title changes and salary increases that I may have achieved through ten different companies. Yes, there were growing pains, but at the end of the day, I have achieved my career goals and still feel confident in my status as a viable part of the company.
I am curious to hear how others have handled their career paths, and what tips can you offer as either an employee with longevity, or someone who has job hopped. What's the longest you have ever stayed with an employer? Did it hurt or hinder your career?
The nightmarish temp job ... we've all had them. Now you can relive every awkward, cringing moment with My Temporary Life, Spherion's original Web series based upon YOUR worst temping stories.
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