Saturday, May 30, 2020

The 3 Biggest Draws for European Employees in 2017

The 3 Biggest Draws for European Employees in 2017 Some people have called 2016 the worst year ever. But despite 2016 being a turbulent year, both politically and economically, many European employees have high hopes for 2017. A recent survey by Ricoh Europe  found  that while 91% of employees expect digital disruption, economic uncertainty and political turbulence to change how they work in the near-future, 95% also believe this period of change will benefit their business. However, this doesnt mean that everyone can rest on their laurels because with the levels of uncertainty in the coming months and even years as employees will be seeking  stability in their roles. David Mills, CEO of Ricoh Europe, said: As the world feels the impact of unprecedented change, business leaders must ask themselves where they see the most beneficial return on bringing more innovative technology into the company. To enable their business to stay focused on its long-term goals, and remain competitive, often the best place to start is with their employees. So what are the three biggest draws for employees  in Europe? 1. Job security Unless individuals prefer the flexibility of sub-contracting or working on a freelance basis, most people seek full-time permanent jobs because of the job security it offers as well as benefits like sick pay, holiday pay, pension and other perks the company may be offering. Jon Gregory  is a job hunt coach at  Win-That-Job.com. He says: Whilst true job security is never certain, candidates thus prefer to find jobs within an employer possessing a good track record of both growth and employee retention. The latter is rooted in the organisation’s culture, and candidates are less enthusiastic about joining companies with a hire-and-fire reputation, even if they are growing. From the employer’s point of view therefore, it’s clear that their employer-brand has a ‘value’, whether they consciously manage it or not. If that value is high, they’ll attract better candidates who will stay longer. That has direct impact on employee commitment, the organisation’s costs and its own longer-term development trajectory. For clear evidence, look at Germany’s Mittelstand â€" the hugely strong privately owned SME companies who contribute so strongly to the German economy. They consciously try to protect jobs when recessions happen, in order to preserve the knowledge and experience built up from their investment within employees. That contrasts with UK, and especially American, organisations who downsize at the first sign of trouble. As a consequence, Germany’s companies retain more human and financial strength and bounce back much faster. Employees will often take more pain in order to protect longer term security, and the benefits for both sides are cle ar to see. 2. Solid financial backing This is an obvious one. If a company has got lots of investors or a huge amount of financial backing then they are more than likely to come through the end of any turbulence. This gives the employee confidence and peace of mind that they are less likely to be offered a short-term contract  or be made redundant. Obviously there are no guarantees that a company wont fold but knowing a company is well-supported financially makes them an attractive prospect to jobseekers. Hung Lee,  CEO at Workshape.io: People become more discerning when they realise they are in high demand. In the tech community, where businesses can grow and decline at a dizzying pace, the financial footing of that business can become an important factor to consider. Of course everyone wants to work for successful companies on an upward trajectory. Theres a big difference between working on successful products that are moving well compared to dead or dying products that have declining user interest. 3. Opportunity to work for a larger enterprise Large businesses have certain inherent advantages over smaller companies. They are usually more established and have greater amounts of funds and resources  and  have greater numbers of employees or human resources. This means they can  pool their resources to accomplish more work  and, in turn, have greater amounts of talent within these separate departments.  This means there is more opportunity to get extra skills and training, move within departments and get promoted. While no-one can really predict the future (if they could, I would have won the lottery by now) it is pretty obvious that with the ongoing Brexit negotiations there is likely to be more unrest and turmoil to come.

Wednesday, May 27, 2020

Tips For Writing A Good Resume For Transcriptionists

Tips For Writing A Good Resume For TranscriptionistsIf you are applying for a job as a transcriptionist, your resume will be quite different from a regular resume. First of all, a typical resume will just not cut it in the industry. While it is important to be aware of this, there are a few tips that you can use to make your resume stand out.Many people just give up on resumes when they encounter term paper or research papers. Transcriptionists are expected to have a very detailed resume with lots of information. You will need to build the right impression on your potential employer.Transcriptionists must first and foremost demonstrate how well they can do their job. They must demonstrate that they are qualified to do the job. This is often done through their education and training.When hiring entry level positions, many employers are looking for applicants who can learn new things quickly. As a transcriptionist, you are expected to know everything there is to know about the field. B ecause of this, it is very important that you be able to demonstrate your knowledge in a very short amount of time. Your resume should show how fast you can quickly learn any new material and how you can hold on to it.A good resume will emphasize areas that make your personality shine. Make sure to highlight your accomplishments and skills that you have. Avoid hyping yourself up too much by making bold claims. Be as honest as possible while highlighting your strengths and achievements.Just because you know all the facts about a specific job doesn't mean that you can impress a prospective employer. They want someone who has the ability to put things into perspective for them. The resume should highlight your capabilities and skills to bring a viewpoint to the situation.Finally, do not hesitate to ask for help during the interview. Don't just sit there and listen to the interviewer. You want to make sure that your resume reflects you as the most professional person possible. And by as king for feedback, you will also be building your confidence and showing that you are eager to get a new job.Make sure that your resume is professionally written. In the transcriptionist industry, this means that you should use all the tools that you have at your disposal, including handwritten notes and spreadsheets. Never let a deadline ruin the quality of your resume.

Sunday, May 24, 2020

How To Respond To An Interview Request Sample Emails, Full Guide [2020 Updated] - Algrim.co

How To Respond To An Interview Request Sample Emails, Full Guide [2020 Updated] - Algrim.co Want to know how to professionally respond to an interview request by email? It sounds easy but if you aren’t familiar with the interview process or are maybe a recent graduate, you might be wondering how to do this in a professional and courteous way. We’ve got you covered. In our guide, we’ll tell you how to respond to an interview request by email. And what the best response by email is when being asked to come in for an interview. And what you might expect to happen next with your employer. Let’s go ahead and get started. How To Respond To An Interview Request Here are the best practices when you've received an invitation to interview on behalf of an employer. Respond quickly. Be sure to respond within 24 hours of receiving the request. Recommend some available times in your email. This will help the interviewer get you scheduled quickly and start the hiring process. Start preparing for your job interview. Don't wait, get prepared as soon as you can. This will help expedite the hiring process and get you a job offer quickly. Get an interview confirmation. Be sure the interviewer has confirmed your interview schedule. What Should Go In My Response Email When crafting your response email to the hiring manager or HR leader who is coordinating with you, be sure that you include a few components in the email that make you sound professional and courteous. Those elements are: Your confirmation that you’d like to interview Your appreciation for the interview Your confirmation of dates/times or your availability Your excitement for the opportunity Your awareness that they might change dates/times and your flexibility in order to accommodate Those are the general breakdowns when thinking about crafting a good response to a request for an interview. The confirmation that you’d like to interview tells the interviewer that you are still interested in the position. Your appreciation for the interview shows that you are truly thankful for the opportunity. Confirmation of your availability is going to help the interviewer. And then letting the interviewer know that if there are any changes that they’d like to make to the interview schedule, you’re available. These seem kind of obvious but it’s important that these things are apart of your response. Let’s go ahead and show you what it looks like when you put those qualities of your email response together. 2 Sample Emails To Send In Response To An Interview Request Example one Hi [Name] â€" Thank you so much for reaching out to me. I’m very interested in interviewing for this position and am thankful that you’d like me to interview. I’m available this week, all day Thursday and Friday. If you need anything from me please don’t hesitate to ask. Also, I’m very flexible with my schedule. Thank you so much, [Your name] [Your phone number] Example two [Name] â€" I sincerely appreciate you reaching out to me in consideration of the open position at [company]. I’m very interested in interviewing with you or the rest of the team. I’m available most of this week, here are some available times: [Date/Time 1] [Date/Time 2] [Date/Time 3] Let me know if any of those work. I’m very flexible with my schedule and it is my highest priority to be interviewing with you. Thank you so much, [Your name] [Your phone number] If The HR Manager Asks You To Reach Out To Another Employee This happens infrequently but sometimes a hiring manager will ask you to reach out to an employee directly in order to setup your interview session. The reason for this is scheduling. When you reach out to the colleague, it’s important that you show them the same levels of interest about the job and company, plus your excitement for the interview. Here’s what you would say to the hiring manger: [Name] â€" Thank you so much for the opportunity to interview with [Company]. I will reach out to [Employee] right away to schedule my interview. If you have any questions please don’t hesitate to email me. Thank you so much, [Your name] [Your phone number] And here’s what you would send to the employee: Hi [Name] â€" I was told by [Hiring Manager] to reach out to you in order to schedule my interview. I’m really excited to meet with you. Here are some available times, let me know if any of them work. I’m very flexible. [Date/Time 1] [Date/Time 2] [Date/Time 3] Thank you so much, [Your name] [Your phone] Where Is The Interview Taking Place Usually, the interviewer will let you know where the future interview will take place. They may do this initially, thus letting you know how you might want to tell them about your availability. Or they might do it after you give them your availability, in which case you might have to make some corrections if they want you to interview onsite. Generally speaking, there are two types of interview locations that they will ask you to go on. The first would be a phone interview, which requires no travel. And the second is an on-site interview where you might meet with the rest of the team. What Is The Onsite Interview An on-site interview is a session where you’ll be meeting with either one or many team members. If you are being asked to interview on-site, recognize that this means you are doing a full interview. You should spend considerable amounts of time preparing with behavioral interview questions and on-site interview questions in order to be more prepared with knowing how to answer potential questions that might come your way. Related: 5 Steps For A Successful Onsite Interview What Is A Phone Interview A phone interview is a session that happens over the phone, usually with a team leader or someone who is going through the process of ensuring that you are a qualified fit for the position. A phone interview is kind of like a prerequisite session before being invited to the second round of interview that happen at their offices. If you are being asked to phone interview, it’s important that you spend the time to investigate what questions that you might be asked and how you can better prepare to answer them. Related: 200 Phone Interview Questions To Ace Your Phone Interview Interview Request FAQ's Below are common questions asked by job seekers regarding how to respond to an interview request. Should I ask about salary in my interview request email? If your employer hasn't brought salary up in the discussions yet, that means they are going to wait until after you have interviewed in order to talk about salary. It's best to wait until after your interview sessions are complete. What if I didn't hear back from my employer about the interview scheduling? You can send a simple follow-up email. All you have to do is reply to the email thread where you received the invitation and ask to confirm the dates and times for the interview. This is the best way to follow-up What if the interviewer didn't mention the job title they are asking me to interview for? If the interviewer forgot to mention which role or job title you're interviewing for, you should ask. Getting clarity on the role will help you prepare for the telephone interview, skype interview, in-person interview, and more.

Tuesday, May 19, 2020

International Update Your Resume Month

International Update Your Resume Month If a recruiter or an employer called you tomorrow, and presented a wonderful opportunity, would your resume be ready?! Too often job seekers  avoid the task of updating their resume and find  themselves overwhelmed when asked to produce a quality and updated document in a short time frame. September marks the 12th annual  International Update Your Resume Month  (founded by  Career Directors International)  â€"  an excellent opportunity to reflect on your career achievements over the past year and have them added to your career portfolio. Taking the time to reevaluate your value and update your documents  now  will ensure  they will be ready when opportunity comes knocking!“September is the perfect time to start a new approach to career care-taking”, says Laura DeCarlo, CDI President.   “While children are embarking on starting the new school year, adults should also be taking stock of their professional attributes and career value by updating their resumes.”Some recommended tips to help you with this process: Get ready, right now.    Do not wait for the perfect opportunity to present itself before taking action. Application times may be short; if you rush getting your materials together you risk the chance of getting sloppy and being overlooked. Reevaluate your personal worth and take inventory of accomplishments achieved over the past year, which you can now add to your resume. Update all of your career documents, not just your resume.    A complete personal marketing kit includes a customized cover letter, a tailored resume, an updated references list, an active and complete LinkedIn profile, a thank you letter, and possibly even an executive biography. Brush up on your interview skills.    Again, do this before the dream job calls you in. Identify current interviewing trends and practice conveying your value proposition in person.    30-60 minutes of preparation (for each interview) can significantly increase your chances of securing a job offer. Line up your references.    Speak with these people in advance and know what they are going to say about you.    If the person seems nervous or not forthcoming on their opinions of your work, it is probably best to ask someone else. Hire professional assistance if you are struggling.    Professional resume writers, interview coaches or career coaches can reduce your workload and anxiety.    Keep in mind that these professionals will likely also experience a peak in service demand during the Fall season, so book early.

Saturday, May 16, 2020

Writing a Resume With Only Fast Food Experience

Writing a Resume With Only Fast Food ExperienceYou can look at a resume and it's filling with little information. The food has probably been eaten as well. If the same person has worked in this restaurant for several years, they probably won't be telling you about that food unless it is one of their specialties. They may tell you about their business dealings or where they have lived.There is no time to dwell on what is going on in your entire self. Make the statement you want and that will be the end of it. It will give you a little relief and it will make you feel better.After the statement, give yourself some time to sit back and take a look at your resume in an open mind. Try to get inside the person's head. See what the person sees in the eyes when they think about you. What do they remember about you? Is there something they remember from your job when you were not there for the interview?If you have only eaten fast food and had a job with this person then maybe they don't reme mber you at all and they think you are still stuck in the days of fried chicken. So give yourself a chance to stop thinking about the fact that you did not meet the standard when you wrote a resume. Just see where you are now.When you write the first paragraph of your resume you can talk about the fast food experience. The food has been there and gone. You can see how this person thinks about you. This is important when the other side of the resume is being written.Here is an example of how you can talk about the fast food experience. It will tell you how this person can be serious at the same time. If they go to the grocery store to get the food and spend twenty minutes in line, they will be considered serious. If they buy the items at the store and are in the checkout line, they will be considered fun. They just need a little pep talk on the way home and the rest will fall into place.In a relationship with your own boss or supervisor it would be much easier to find the common grou nd. Everyone has at least a little bit of difference but everyone also has a lot of the same traits. When you write your resume and start talking about the same issues they can relate to you and put you in the same category.When you look at your resume and see that the food experience is only listed there, you can see why it isn't listed. And you can make the first paragraph of your resume a small compliment to what the other information has to say. By changing the way you write the resume and the way you think about your resume, you can change the opinion of others about you.

Wednesday, May 13, 2020

When LinkedIn Becomes A Pay-To-Use Product

When LinkedIn Becomes A Pay-To-Use Product The headlines read: LINKEDIN SNUBS 400M+ USERS Today, LinkedIn announced they will only allow paid subscribers access to their accounts infuriating their 400 million loyal customers Reality Check No, I am not an alarmist, conspiracy theorist or extremist. I am a realist. It is conceivable, given the observable trends from other social networks (Ning, for example) and LinkedIns history of quickly and quietly eliminating some of their features (read about elimination of Events and Answers) and the regular incremental decrease in our ability to do what we used to be able to do as a user of their free services. (By the way, that headline is not real) My point is, when you build your online reputation using a single product, such as LinkedIn, as powerful and wonderful as it is now, things can change. This could leave you vulnerable or without the ability to control and manage your online presence. That may be exactly what LinkedIn is hoping if they ever decide to change their model to one where full access is given only to paid subscribers. It isnt inconceivable. Own Your Domain There is only one sure way to protect your investment. Own your domain. It is a small price to pay to ensure you have control over what people find first online. Go to a domain registrar, such as 11 or Godaddy   or one  LifeHacker lists as a Top 5 in this post. Your goal would be to obtain your name or any version of your name available. While .com has been the standard and most sought-after, it is also more expensive and really, who enters a website name into the address bar? Dont you enter it into the search engine? If you cant get a .com, why not get a .net? (Im kinda partial to .net myself!) For an individual, its more important to have a place online (a site) that you own and control than worrying about getting .com! Once you have this piece of digital real estate, you would link to this site from your email, include it on your personal business card, and add it to your resume; just like you are doing now with your LinkedIn profile URL. Diversify Another part of the solution is diversifying your online investment. Test new tools and platforms. You may not always be active, but youve staked your claim and have your name reserved. There are a couple of tools to help you see if your name is available across multiple social networks. Namechk and KnowEm. Your Page Putting content on your page may seem overwhelming. You dont have to build a website from scratch. Why not link a WordPress site to your domain? Or maybe you can demonstrate your social prowess with a Flavors.me page linked to your domain name. You could also use a content aggregator such as Twylah or Rebelmouse to summarize what you say and share online. These are free tools that create a summary of online content (articles and images) and looks very much like a newspaper. You specify what you want pulled into the summaries. You can learn more about them and see what they look like in my post about creating a summary of stuff you share. Long Term Strategy Owning digital terrain and building an online presence is a long-term strategy. It isnt a quick fix nor should you abandon it once you start. If you are serious about managing your career and your online reputation, I hope youll consider some of the advice here. Did this ruffle your feathers? Am I off base? Or do you agree? Leave a comment!

Friday, May 8, 2020

The Most Important Skill for Your Future Career Success

The Most Important Skill for Your Future Career Success How can you give yourself the best chance of having a long and fulfilling career? The world of work is changing fast. Your job in 5-10 years from now may not have been “invented” yet. And the skills you’ve worked so hard to hone may become outdated even sooner. At the same time, technology is upending entire industries and leaving companies struggling to stay relevant. It’s no wonder there’s no longer such a thing as job security. Even the good news that we’re likely to live longer brings the challenge that you’ll probably need to work for longer too. In a world where the only sure thing is change, the “warning label” on investments holds true for our careers as well: “past performance is no guarantee of future performance.” The Most Important Skill for Your Future Career Success If you want to craft a career where you’re able to add value, feel fulfilled and stay employed over the long term, then there’s one skill that stands above all others. That skill is being able to keep learning. When you keep learning, you are better equipped to adapt and change with the times and perhaps be the one who drives the change. This is what will give you longevity in your career. In a study by the World Economic Forum (WEF) on The Future of Jobs, the skills that are in demand are changing such that employers expect 54% of employees will require significant reskilling and upskilling. Even if your job stays the same, the core skills you’ll need to perform that job are likely to change. For example, a marketer who was trained on TV and print advertising now has to be savvy about digital media. And with the upswing in remote working, managers will need to become skilled at leading virtual teams. So, if you’re staying still doing what you’ve always done, even if it’s to a high standard, then you risk falling behind. Instead, you have to keep learning and growing. But don’t let this panic you. Learning and growing doesn’t have to be overwhelming or time-consuming. It’s about making it a priority and a habit. And here are three steps that will help you to set yourself up for future success. 1. Take Ownership of Your Learning As tempting as it is, relying on your employer for your career development is a mistake. No one knows or cares about you as much as you do and even the most well-meaning employers can fall short. For example, in the WEF study, the #1 strategy for employers to address their shifting skills needs is to hire new permanent staff with the relevant skills. And two-thirds of employers expect people to adapt and pick up the needed skills in the course of changing jobs. So, if you’re relying on your employer to provide what you need to upskill or reskill, you’re taking a big risk. The number one skill for your future success is way too important to leave to someone else. You’ve got to take ownership of your career development and invest in yourself. Don’t leave your career development up to your employer. Take ownership and invest in yourself. 2. Create Your Learning Strategy It’s useful to have a strategy for what and how you want to learn. This doesn’t need to be detailed or fancy. You just want to take a moment to make a few choices so you’re investing wisely. What to learn: A good guiding principle is from one of the world’s greatest ice hockey players, Wayne Gretzy, who credited his success to this approach: “Skate to where the puck is going” and not where it is right now. So how could you anticipate what will become increasingly valuable for you in the future? Which skills do you need to show you’ve got what it takes at the next level in your career? To further guide your thinking, the two areas cited in the WEF study where skills are increasingly in demand are technological proficiency and “human” skills (e.g., creativity, influence and persuasion, negotiation, leadership, communication, emotional intelligence, teamwork, flexibility, critical thinking). Which of these skills do you need to work on and improve? You won’t go wrong by adding to your skillset ones that can be used broadly rather than the ones that are specific to a particular organization or job. How to learn: Think about how you learn best, how you would fit it into your life in a sensible and realistic way, and what would help you to actually follow through and do it. Some people like to learn on their own while others prefer having people around them for support. Some prefer to read or study while others prefer to learn by doing. Going back to school for a degree or a certificate program full-time or part-time is one option. But this can be costly in terms of time and money. On the flipside, learning by doing is a great low-cost and time-efficient option. You get to develop your skills and get real-time feedback on how you’re doing in a work environment. And it’s a visible way to show senior management that you are willing to learn and grow, which can lead them to give you new opportunities. 3. Stay Open and Curious Once you’ve taken ownership of your learning and created your strategy, it’s time to adopt the mindset that will help you to keep learning, which is to stay open and stay curious. Adopt the mindset that will help you to keep learning: stay open and stay curious. This makes it easier to learn because you’ve primed your brain to look out for new ideas, different perspectives and creative ways to do things. It’s when you think you know everything that you stop learning, growing and developing. And that’s a risky place to be in a rapidly changing world if you want to stay relevant, engaged and in demand. To keep that open-mindedness and curiosity, experiment with adopting a “beginner’s mind” with things that you’ve been doing the same way for years. Or start asking questions instead of giving out answers. What can you do to remain open to new ways and approach your work (and life) from a place of curiosity? When you think you know everything, you stop learning, growing and developing. Get Going and Keep Going! They say the best defense is a good offense. So instead of being left behind as the proverbial “old dog who can’t learn new tricks”, make sure you are (and are seen as) the person who keeps learning, growing and developing.   What’s the next step you will take to keep learning and set yourself up for success? Leave me a comment and let me know.