3 ways our new feature Ask for Feedback will help you land your dream job

3 ways our new feature Ask for Feedback will help you land your dream job3 ways our new feature Ask for Feedback will help you land your dream jobAs Elon Musk once said Its very important to have a feedback loop, where youre constantly thinking about what youve done and how you could be doing it better.Do you remember the last time you asked someone for feedback on your resume? What was the process like? Printing and meeting the person face-to-face. Or attaching it to the email. After receiving a separate sheet with the feedback, it was hard to track all the suggestions. The process of clicking back and forth from one tab to another beganIn any case, it probably was a proper pain in the buttock Our newest feature Ask for Feedback will help you make this process simple and effective. (See instructions at the bottom).No need to download, print or attach anymoreAsk for Feedback allows you to share your resume with just a few clicks. The receiver can leave the feedback directly on your r esume. The process is as simple as placing sticky notes around. When you receive the feedback, the stickies are easy to manage and reflect on. You also dont have to worry about losing your feedback in the threads of emails or chat discussions. Your resume and the feedback are in one distributions-mix nowAnd how can Ask for Feedback help you land your dream job?1. Avoid embarrassing typosAccording to Houstons premier recruiting and staffing firm Murray Resources, spelling, punctuation errors and typos are the most common mistakes in resumes. They convey to potential employers that an applicant lacks attention to detail. By exposing your resume to your fellow learners, tutors or those who have worked with you, you can prevent such situations from happening. After spending a lot of time on creating your resume, its difficult to spot even simple mistakes. Thats where a fresh pair of eyes will come in handy.2. Improve the contentAsking someone to throw an eye on your resume will allow yo u to improve the actual content, as well. Friends and professional connections can give us a new perspective on ourselves. They often bring the Oh, I havent thought of that moment. Their feedback will help you create the best version of your resume.3. Increase your self-confidenceHow did you feel the last time when your boss/teacher/friend told you Well done? I bet you felt great about yourself, ready to take on the next challenge Receiving the feedback, a positive one especially, will have the same outcome. We often forget what we are excellent at and need others to remind us. Through feedback, you will earn the confidence and courage you need when applying for a new job. Feeling confident about your resume will have a positive impact on your interview, too. Confident candidates reveal their full potential more easily.Go ahead, try our newest feature Ask for Feedback today and remember whether positive or negative, feedback is always goodInstructions How to use Ask for FeedbackStep 1 Click on the Ask for Feedback button next to your resume on the dashboard. Or click on Feedback in the left-hand-side menu. Then click on Ask now.Step 2 Enable the feedback link by clicking the gray button.Step 3 Choose the platform youd like to send your resume through Facebook Messenger, Facebook, Twitter or LinkedIn. If youd like to send it via email, copy the link and paste it in the email.Step 4 Once you receive your feedback and apply the changes, click on resolve to make the note disappear.

Mental noise is bad Why silence is the think tank of the soul

Mental noise is bad Why silence is the think tank of the soulMental noise is bad Why silence is the think tank of the soulUpon meeting a Zen master at a social event, a psychiatrist decided to ask him a question that had been on his mind for a long time.Exactly how do you help people? - the man inquired.I get them where they cant ask any more questions. - the master replied.Mental noise is hurting ur minds - we are continually asking questions that create busyness, leid knowledge. We are in reacting mode, leaving no room for reflection. To regain perspective in life, you need to pause. Silence is fertile ground.When welches the last time you push the pause button in yur life?Silence is not just lack of noise. Its an empty space for your mind to recover clarity. And to protect it from mental noise.Many people believe silence is isolation. However, its busyness what detaches us from reality. You need to take distance and reflect. As Lao-Tzu said Just remain in the center, watching. And then forget that you are there.Silence is not about the absence of sound - it invites the presence of everything else.Silence is an endangered speciesI am not absentminded. It is the presence of mind that makes me unaware of everything else. - G.K. ChestertonNoise keeps us busy.Our brain is continually exposed to internal and external stimuli. Silence feels impossible, like emptying our spirit.What creates noise in your life?Social media notifications, Netflix binging, overthinking, constantly being surrounded by others, and overloading our calendars are just many of the infinite ways to avoid silence. Weve turned noise into entertainment - it provides a temporary distraction so you cant pay attention.Ladders is now on SmartNewsDownload the SmartNews app and add the Ladders channel to read the latest career nachrichtensendung and advice wherever you go.Gordon Hempton believes that silence is an endangered species.Hes an acoustic ecologist - a collector of sound all over the w orld. For Hempton, real quietness is being present - silence is not an absence of sound, but an absence of noise. The Earth is a solar-powered jukebox. He believes that we take in the world through its ears.Noise is contaminating our minds.The World Health Organization in a 2011 report called noise pollution a modern plague, concluding that there is overwhelming evidence that exposure to environmental noise has adverse effects on the health of the population.Noise is not just a modern disease. It has been hurting our minds since the 19th century. Back then, a British nurse and social activist, Florence Nightingale, wrote that Unnecessary noise is the cruelest absence of care that can be inflicted on sick or well. Nightingale argued that needless sounds could cause distress, sleep loss and alarm for recovering patients.Permanent silence is not always good either. Animals must listen to survive - thats how we anticipate danger before it happens.The problem is when noise becomes esca pism.Psychologist Carl Jung noted that we naturally seek out noise because it suggests human company - we used to need the comfort and safety of the group to survive. Nonetheless, our lives are not under constant attack as they were many centuries ago. Detaching from our environment for a couple of hours wont put your life in danger.When you step back from an issue, you can spend more time on solving the right problem.The paradox of soundHe who does not understand your silence will probably not understand your words. - Elbert HubbardSilence is not about the absence of sound but the presence of something else. Your mind is like a canvas - if its full of noise, you cant paint anything new on it. When we are in silence, we make room for everything else.Gordon Hempton wants your help in recovering the value of silence. Not too long ago it was assumed that clean waters not important, that seeing the stars is not that important. But now it is. I think were realizing quiet is important, and we need silence. That silence is not a luxury, but its essential. - the acoustic ecologist said.When you remove the noise, the essential speaks up. However, though its a magnificent revelatory experience, it can backfire if you dont prepare adequately. The voices we hear in silence can create worrying noises.Our constant social connectivity keeps us busy. Whats even worse, we let our social identity to speak louder than our true-self. The fear of missing out keeps you away from your reality - you stop paying attention. Without self-reflection, theres no understanding. Silence lets your inner voice become present.If the brain is actively processing noise it cant turn off - its impossible to rest and replatzset when you are always asking questions or reacting to external stimuli.Getting rid of the noise is more an aspiration than a reality. Thats the paradox of silence we wish we could have quiet time, but its not easy to pull off. Removing other voices means we need to abflug listening to our true thoughts and words.Being in front of white canvas or blank page can be intimidating. Thats why most of us run away from silence.Silence has many meaningsNothing strengthens authority so much as silence. - Leonardo da VinciIs silence just the absence of noise? Or is there a deeper reason for you to invite sound into your life?Silence is cultural. For the Japanese, silence is more positive than it is for other populations.Japanese people highly value silence as an essential form of non-verbal communication - it conveys information, emotions and its a sign of respect and personal distance.In his 2007 paper The Cultural Significance of Silence in Japanese Communication, Takie Sugiyama Lebra identifies four dimensions of silence Truthfulness, Social Discretion, Embarrassment, and Defiance. The first three dimensions are helpful to maintain positive relations while the last one has a negative connotation.In the Western world, silence is associated with doubt, loneli ness or pain. If you tell your friends that you need silence, they might understand the feeling. But if you dont answer their messages for 12 hours because you opted to stay silent, they will assume something is wrong with you.Silence is always ambiguous. Its difficult to understand its true meaning.Rather than trying to define silence, think of it as an experience. Silence is the real sound of music. Empty spaces play a meaningful role in building the right atmosphere in architecture and space design. The white space is the most crucial element in visual design.There are two types of silence outer and inner. Getting rid of external distractions is not enough you want to avoid your thoughts from eating you alive.Why silence is the think tank of the mindWhen you pause, you dont just stop talking. You also choose not to listen to external distractions. Everything is within you.Silence enables something else to emerge. Perspective, reflection, distance, ideas, and solutions, all show u p unexpectedly when you silence the mind. Its a whole team that comes to help you. Gordon Hempton said Quiet is a think tank of the soul. We take the world through its ears.Lao-Tzu believed that Silence is the great revelation. He said that we turn to books for revelation, but their authors found the interlude of silence as their source of inspiration. Silence can bring you directly to the original source of knowledge.Silence adds intentionality and rhythm to your life.The same happens with music. Without silence, the various notes would all feel the same. Utilizing silence for very brief - less than a few beats - or for longer periods, creates a different impact on the listener.Silence is more than a beautiful state of mind it positively benefits your healthIt helps grow new brain cells. A 2013 study found that two hours of silence could create new cells in the hippocampus region, a brain area linked to learning, remembering, and emotions.It decreases stress by lowering blood cor tisol levels and adrenaline. A 2006 study in Heart, showed that two minutes of silence relieves tension in the body and brain - its more relaxing than listening to music.How to recover the power of silencePracticing silence is not easy.Going for a walk outside in nature, taking a deliberate break or practicing deep breathing exercises are easy ways to get you started.Try the following exercises and see which works best for you. Start in small doses. Being silent can backfire at the beginning. It takes time to enjoy the benefits of not being distracted by noise.1. The Silence ExerciseDavid Swartz, a history professor, uses this exercise as a transition after one of his courses. He invites students to write a short paper on silence. During 90 minutes, everyone focuses on the task without speaking.Students are instructed to put away their smartphones and leave the presence of other people. The paper is a reflection on the experience and includes a historical perspective too. What does it feel like to be silent? What happens when we dont have constant access to a smartphone? How is our lifestyle different to premodern times ones?2. Beyond the wordThis exercise is based on an ancient Indian prescription if you read for one hour, write for two hours and meditate for three hours. The purpose of such proportion is to avoid being blind recorders of other peoples words or ideas. You can stick to the ratio but start with a shorter duration for each part.The exercise encourages a personal dialogue and self-reflection. Its a nice transition from being in the company of someone elses words to being surrounded by your ideas as you write, and, finally, focusing on silencing your mind.3. The Silence GameThis Montessori Exercise builds on the concept that, deeper awareness and sensitivity to noise, help us get into a more refined and subtle world. Constant noise can create irritability, frustration, confusion, and even sleepiness.The purpose of this exercise is to make silence collectively. A board with the word silence and a picture of a tranquil place, reminds that every child might do its part. The silence is not only a positive outcome but is the byproduct of everyones effort.4. The sound of one hand clappingOur logic says that we need two hands to clap. What is the sound of one hand clapping? is a Zen challenge that has several interpretations. Some say that its a way to help you listen to other sounds - your heart, the rhythm of your breathing or the awareness of your mind. Others believe its a metaphor how we see life with a dualistic approach cause and effect.I use this question when coaching teams to invite them to reflect on the power of silence. Sometimes to inspire creative ways to make sound with just one hand. Other times, simply to challenge logical thinking by putting our rationality aside, we let the think tank of the mind show up.5. Meditation The Silence That is ListeningThis guided meditation by Tara Brach emphasizes the anchor of li stening it guides us to relax through our body and let sounds wash our thoughts out. You dont need any previous meditation experience to benefit from it.Listening to sounds is powerful to quiet the thinking mind. It will help you connect with the natural openness of awareness. By becoming more receptive, you can welcome your full presence and the peace of quietness.6. Building a tower with a constraintImposing constraints challenges individuals and those who interact with them alike - everyone must adjust their behaviors. A set of teams are challenged to build the tallest tower using Jenga blocks. It seems simple until most team members are assigned a specific constraint one cannot speak, another is blindfolded, one cannot use the hands, etc.Not being able to speak reframes the interaction. The person whos silent pays more attention. The rest of the team becomes more attentive to the quiet persons feedback. It dramatically increases both collaboration and self-awareness.7. Become s ilent for a dayThis exercise is about cutting the chord literally and metaphorically without attending a silent retreat. You can define what a day means for you. I would suggest that you aim for, at least, 46 hours. And then gradually increase it.Becoming silence is about unplugging from social media, emails, phone calls, and every other form of communication - including face-to-face dialogue. You need to set up some grounding rules to those close to you.I just finished a conference in Istanbul and was mentally exhausted after three days of speaking, workshops, and social events. I took a 14-hour break no Internet, no phone, alone, and without talking to anyone. It was a powerful experience to reset my mind and regain peace as I wandered around the Old City without any plan at all.How do you deal with silence?- - - Gustavo Razzettiis a Change Instigator helping people and teams lead change. Get his new bookhere.Thispostwas originally published onMedium.

Majority of Americans no longer eat three meals a day

Majority of Americans no longer eat three meals a dayMajority of Americans no longer eat three meals a dayMore of us are ditching the three-meals-a-day structured plan for the wilds of snack grazing. A new survey, conducted by OnePoll in partnership with Farm Rich, finds that only 27% of Americans are still eating breakfast, lunch, and dinner in a day.Out of the 2,000 Americans surveyed, 86 percent said that they had replaced a traditional meal with a snack meal. The most common meal to get dropped in favor of a snack? Lunch. Almost half - 49%- of Americans said this was the mealtime they chose to replace with snacking.Why we love snackingBeing busy, having an untraditional schedule, wanting more variety of food, and impatience with prepping meals were among the top factors for why Americans were ditching three full meals for more snacks. The majority of Americans were snacking at home, while 31% were snacking at their jobs.Snacks can be more portable than a full-on meal, which may explain their rising popularity among busy workers. You can eat them with one hand. You can neatly pack them away without worrying about lettuce and tomatoes flying everywhere. Participants said they were eating, on average, fur snacks on the go each week.You are what you snack. Snacks can be a healthy addition to our meals or they can be what ruins our diets. The snacks available at your office are likely to determine your overall diet, one study found. If your office offers sugary candies at all hours, your diet may pay the price.In this way, it is important to recognize that snacking is not always in our control. The impulse to snack may be part of our office culture. We are more tempted to snack when we see other people snacking around us. One study found that participants ate snacks around other snackers even when they had set healthy intentions. If you see a coworker munch on a bag of chips, you are more likely to get up and get a bag of chips of your own. So when you want to munch on snacks in between a jam-packed work day, take a moment to realize if you are snacking because you want to and are genuinely hungry, or if you are doing it because you are bored.

How Managers Can Improve Office Etiquette

How Managers Can Improve Office EtiquetteHow Managers Can Improve Office EtiquetteYes, were all moving at a faster pace than ever before, and the rules of office etiquette may notlage be so clearly defined as they use to be. And yes, all the technological tools we use in the workplace have made breaches of polite behavior more common. As a manager, you can set good examples of office etiquette for your team by remembering the basic manners you learned in preschool Pay attention when someones speaking to you, and if you dont have anything nice to say, dont say anything at all.If your staff isnt following your lead, youre not alone. Senior managers in a new Accountemps survey said they notice a lack of common courtesy when workers run late or miss meetings (34 percent), dont respond to calls or emails in a timely manner (26 percent) and gossip about others (23 percent).See a slideshow with more survey details, below.Here are five tips you can follow to improve office etiquette - and l ead your staff and your company to success.1. Be punctual, and pay attentionTry to arrive a few minutes early to start your workday or join a business meeting. Whether youre leading or attending the meeting, make aya you arent distracted by calls, emails, texts or side conversations. Unless youre making a presentation, dont monopolize the discussion, and dont allow anyone else to, either.2. Discourage gossip and public criticismGossip says more about the rolle sharing it than the person its about. So give a clear message to your team that not only wont you share in gossip - defined as casual or unrestrained reports typically involving personal details that are not confirmed as being true - but you disapprove of it.As a manager, its important to keep any discussion of sensitive issues to one-on-one, face-to-face conversations with employees. 3. Be mindful and courteousAs that cartoon above implies, you should be mindful that scents travel. If you share a refrigerator, cover your food to make it airtight, and toss out your old food and beverages at the end of each week.Other potential distractions? Speakerphones, loud voices, ringing phones that arent picked up, conversations or loitering next to desks, messy desks and cluttered workspaces.You can also be courteous by acknowledging your colleagues when they help you and give them credit when appropriate. Build healthy mentoring relationships, get to know your employees and pay attention to them.4. Communicate with classKeep your language clean, no matter how comfortable you are with your team or how casual your office is. Make sure you know how to properly pronounce employee or customer names. Consider your audience when you use humor, sarcasm, irony, puns and wordplay. Set workplace standards for email and phone commu nication. Encourage two-way communication and listening. Be open to input from your staff in fact, ask for it. Express gratitude in person when possible.Read about how workplace communication has changed through the generations.And yawning while someone is talking to you? Well, sometimes that cant be helped, but you can see how it looks. 5. Show respect for down timeHeres a message for those you supervise Going to work sick does more harm than good. It will only make you feel worse, your productivity will be lowered, and you could spread your germs to the rest of the office. Use your sick days, and stay home when youre sick.You can be a better boss by demonstrating work-life balance. Unless its an emergency, avoid late-night phone calls and emails, especially if you expect the recipient to r espond after hours. Keep reasonable business hours and expect others to do the same.How much does office etiquette matter?A lot. People may not be as formal at their jobs as they used to be, but they still expect their colleagues to be respectful and courteous. Whats more, good manners project an image of professionalism, strengthening your reputation and improving your chances for career success.How you handle sensitive workplace situations can make or break your professional image. Whether you work for a major accounting firm or lead a small business, theres likely some degree of office politics within your company. Most organizations are not immune to political issues, especially small businesses with few employees, where office politics can have a big impact.Find out How to Navigate Office Politics with this guide you can download now.What if you make a mistake?Everyone makes mistakes every now and then, so dont beat yourself up if you have a minor etiquette slip-up at work. Sim ply acknowledge your faux pas and apologize to anyone you might have offended as quickly as possible. Then think about what might have led to the mistake Were you feeling stressed or consumed with handling a problem outside of work? Try to verstndigung im strafverfahren with the root of the issue, and consider how you might deal with the situation in the future so that you dont repeat it.If you havent demonstrated the kind of office etiquette youd like your employees to emulate, know this You can recover. The first step is to see your error.For more on Business Etiquette 101, take a look at the slideshow.Mind Your (Workplace) Manners Business Etiquette 101 from Robert Half

The True Story About What to Put on Your Resume That the Experts Dont Want You to Hear

The True Story About What to Put on Your Resume That the Experts Dont Want You to Hear The best individuals dont always possess the best resumes. After all, youre going to acquire work. Better still, find someone just like you who already has the job that you want. If, for example, youve only held one job. however, it is not related to what you need to do next, you still need to keep it. Youll also most probably be asked about the dates during a work interview, so be ready to answer accurately. Different job postings will have different keywords and phrases, different job duties listed, and so forth. Very good resumes show instead of tell. Infographic resumes are impossible to comprehend, states MacIntyre. There are not any hard and nahe daran sein rules and each resume must be tailored to the position which youre seeking, how you wish to get perceived, and what exactly you have in past and present positions that are related to their existing career objectives. Theres no ne ed to incorporate a GPA. Think about a functional format only as long as youve been out of work for several years and you want to emphasize your functional skill collection. It is very important to know and work your strengths and get other people to work theirs. New Step by Step Roadmap for What to Put on Your Resume If you want to relocate for work, you most likely already know its most effective to leave your present address off your resume. Your resumes header is a kind of handshake involving you and prospective employers. You dont need to include your house address, even though there may be some situations when doing so would be recommended. Also, make certain youve got a professional-sounding email address. The last point to improve your resume is your very own human voice. A scarcity of dates will read as an effort to hide something. However tempting it may be to stretch the truth, lying on your resume is always a poor idea. There are some distinct things its poss ible to include, along with a couple of formatting tricks, which will help you present yourself in the very best light possible. If you mention the businesss name, make certain that you get it right. To begin with, you currently have experience. You may need to refocus your history to make it even more appropriate. Top Choices of What to Put on Your Resume Resumes are a rather bad information supply. Limit your resumes to a single page if youre able to. The templates are intended to be a guide to begin, but it must be expanded on to make it your own. The What to Put on Your Resume Cover Up Make a list of absolutely whatever youve done that may be useful on a resume. The saatkorn is true for any social media accounts related to your professional brand. You might not have LinkedIn testimonials. Usually its sufficient to include a couple of testimonials in your resume. Also, remember that theres a high probability you resume will be scanned electronically as an increasi ng number of companies utilize special software to index resumes. It is possible to find below a list of the greatest skills you may put on your resume based on the sort of job that you are applying for. While the functional resume format may be an attractive alternative for job seekers with very little experience, most employers would rather have a chronological or hybrid resume format. While resumes have a tendency to be pretty cut-and-dried documents, there are strategies to give hiring managers a better feeling of your nature and expertise without breaking a number of the standard resume guidelines, Augustine explains. You also ought to tailor your resume to demonstrate the way your work experience specifically meets the requirements of the job that youre applying for. An additional way you might receive a job which demands lots of experience is to work at an entry level position for a minumum of one year. Maybe that it taught you how to manage another persons lifeso you ca n showcase why youd be a great assistant or general manager. Its possible to present your work experience in various ways. Heres What I Know About What to Put on Your Resume There is quite a good likelihood you may make an excellent first impression with a stunning resume. As a receptionist, you want to have the ability to provide a great first impression. Capturing an individu attention and making a terrific first impression in only six seconds is no simple feat. Try to remember, you simply have a couple seconds to either make a great first impression or maybe to make a really bad one.

The Little-Known Secrets to Resume Writing Tips Career Change Objective

The Little-Known Secrets to Resume Writing Tips Career Change Objective Resume objectives can be a little controversial. Although a resume objective is a favorite means to start a winning resume, it isnt the only means to introduce yourself to the employer. As a result, while your resume objective should consist of information on the career which you want, you also need to spell out why you are the perfect candidate for the job. The absolute most efficient objective is one which is tailored to the job youre applying for. What Does Resume Writing Tips Career Change Objective Mean? If you select somebody you currently work with, make sure theyre alert to your plans and they will be discreet if need be. If you are searching for a career change, the most significant thing you can do is decide on where it is you would like to be professionally. Quite often, your professional title is the very first thing on your resume following your name. Therefore, if youre searching for a new job, it is crucial that your resume stands from the crowd to guarantee you a spot on the shortlist. The Resume Writing Tips Career Change Objective Cover Up You want to not just catch the hiring managers eyeyou should make certain that they study your anschauung and say Whew Employers wish to read about how you are able to assist their organization, not what you would like from them. Resume objective statements, if used, should illustrate what you could do for the possible employer rather than that which youve done previously for your prior firm. Writing objectives isnt the simplest job on earth, but with our tips you will produce a convincing objective statement for resume in virtually no time. Find out more about the industry youre interested in to establish the skills that are valuable. Nearly everyone possesses transferable abilities, because they are the skills acquired from past experience that could be used in other varieties of jobs, industries, or environments. F or example, your time management abilities or knowledge of specific computer programs would be helpful in most any position. If youve resolved to begin an entirely new career, congratulations By highlighting a couple of essential abilities and your existing aims, you give the recruiter or hiring manager a taste of whats to come in the remainder of your resume.

Here Are Quick Sample Thank You Emails for Your Coworkers

Here Are Quick Sample Thank You Emails for Yur CoworkersHere Are Quick Sample Thank You Emails for Your CoworkersThank you, emails dont have to be long and involved. They just need to follow the guidelines for effective employee recognition so that they have maximum impact. Quick emails that thank an employee or coworker are treasured and show respect to the recipient. Here are several thank you emails that you can use as templates and tailor to meet your own needs. Quick Thank You Emails Following a Training In this email, the employee is thanking his or her supervisor for the opportunity to attend a training. Example Thank You Following a Training (Text Only) Hi Margaret,Just a quick bedrngnise to thank you for the opportunity to attend the training session on dealing with conflict in the workplace. As a conflict-averse person, I thought the training would help sharpen my conflict entscheidung skills, and it did.Ill have to see how well what I learned will transfer back to the job, but Im confident the training provided me with a lot of insight and necessary tools. Without your support, I would not have been able to attend.Many thanks,Dan ExpandEveryday Job Done Well In this thank you email, please note that the manager is specific about what she is thanking him for doing. Example Everyday Job Done Well Letter (Text Only) Dear Tom,Just wanted you to know that I thought you did a terrific job updating the customer service database. Now that we have returning callers identified, we are building those necessary relationships with customers. It is far better than treating return customers as if we dont know who they are. Again, bravo Tom, for a job well done. We really appreciate your efforts- as do the customers.Thank you.Tricia ExpandFrom a Supervisor for Filling in for a Coworker This email thanks Marty for his help providing coverage while (department head) Julia was on leave and mentions positive outcomes from the coverage. It also passes the baton back to Julia beginning the day she returns to work. Filling in for a Coworker Thank You Example (Text Only) Hi Marty,Thank you for covering for Julia while she was out on maternity leave. Her staff appreciated that they had you to go to for questions and support. The staff feedback was that they got some new ideas from your sale groups approach to identifying potential customers.Now that Julia is returning from leave, I hope that you spend a few days with her to update her about anything important that occurred during the past twelve weeks. Shell be returning next Monday and working part-time for the first few weeks, but her staff will report to her beginning Monday.I trust that you will make this transition as smooth for everyone as you did when you took over Julias staff leadership role during her absence. Again, I cant express how much the organization appreciates your efforts on our behalf.Best,Brian ExpandReward This thank you email specifically notes several contributions that Pau la made. Most importantly, it rewards Paula with a day off. Example Reward Thank You Letter (Text Only) Hello Paula,Thanks for your help in hosting our first-ever weekend training sessions. Without our staff volunteers, the training department would never have been able to pull off such a great event for our customers and friends.You were one of the volunteers who took registrations in the morning and stayed late to clean up after dinner. On top of that, you participated in the sessions. I hope you enjoyed the weekend and took away some valuable training points.Its tough to tell busy, dedicated employees to skip work, but if youd like to take a day off to recuperate this week, please do, at no charge to your PTO bank.A much-deserved day off will give you the chance to get all those weekend errands done that you couldnt get to because of work.Once again, my sincere thanks. We could not have pulled this off without you.Best Regards,Sharon ExpandFrom a Coworker This is a casual note an d good example of the kind of thank you letters that coworkers are encouraged to send to each other. Example Thank You From a Coworker (Text Only) Hi Larry,Once again, a great time was had by all at the ballgame. I cant believe that you have the energy to set up this event for 100 people each year. Just arranging a date, securing tickets for everyone, and renting buses for the game is mind-boggling.I promise I will continue to attend every year as long as it is such great fun. It also helps that you do the work, so I dont have to (haha).Again, Larry, thank you for another great company outing. I hope you feel the love from enough of us that you decide to put the trip together again next year.Dave ExpandFor Running a Meeting This note comes from either the manager of the team or a coworker who is the team leader. Its a good example of the schrift of note that probably made Beths day. Example Thank You For Running a Meeting (Text Only) Dear Beth,I cant tell you how much I appreciate y oufilling in for me at todays marketing meeting. The group could not afford to lose a week if we plan to have the campaign ready for launch next month. The product appears to be on schedule, which makes our timely preparation even more critical.I cant believe that my daycare closed because of the weather on the day of the most important meeting this month. But, thanks to you, we are still on target. I also appreciate the minutes that Cheryl forwarded to me. It looks like you had a most productive meeting and the notes kept me in the loop.Once again, thank you, Beth, for jumping in at the last minute and doing such a great job.Sincerely,Stephanie ExpandConclusion About Thank You Emails Thank you, emails dont require a lot of effort or time, but they are appreciated by employees and co-workers. Whenever possible, create a work culture that encourages people tothankemployees more often- not less. The written recognition of a thank you email, no matter how brief, is something that is ch erished and remembered. Sample Employee Thank You and Recognition Letters Sample Employee Thank You Letter From SupervisorFormal Employee Recognition LetterInformal Employee Recognition LetterSemi-formal Employee Recognition LetterHow to Write an Employee Recognition Letter

5 Things to Avoid When Video Conferencing From Home

5 Things to Avoid When Video Conferencing From Home5 Things to Avoid When Video Conferencing From HomeOnline video conferencing applications such as Zoom, WebEx, Skype, and GoToMeeting are great tools that enable those who work at home to virtually meet with collaborators and colleagues. It allows for decision-making in real time and building a personal rapport with co-workers at the same time. And all this professional collaboration makes it easier for those of us seeking work-life balance to find it.Yes, these online tools are great until they are not.While meetings with these tools can be effective, efficient ways for people to come togetherbei, there are a few cautionary tales. Take, for example, the woman who was manicuring her nails during a meeting while unbeknownst to her she was being projected on a wall-size screen at the companys other locations around the world. And then there was the guy who was working from home and visible in a meeting only from the chest up. He was we aring a nice, Oxford shirt. Hilarity ensured, however, when he got up from his chair to retrieve a book. He was only wearing boxers below the Oxford.Despite these snafus, virtual meetings are taking off in the corporate world- something those of us who work at home truly appreciate. Technological advancements, coupled with the willingness by more companies to allow employees to work at least part of the time from home, has made online video conferencing a valuable, cost-conscious way for workers to collaborate.But there is a dark underbelly associated with these types of meeting, too, that can sortiment from downright hysterical to abjectly humiliating to rapid dismissal from the company. If you need to participate in these meetings, here are a few things to keep in mind. 01Video GaffesElementalImaging/Getty ImagesAs with mosttechnology, online video conferencing is a marvelous tool that drives business engagement and enables people working outside the traditional office to be impor tant contributors to the workplace team.But also like with most technology, users need a strong, common sense notion of what is and what is not proper in video conference meetings. Many moons ago, my first boss had this bit of advice regarding email If you wouldnt write your message on a postcard home to your mother, you probably shouldnt send it in an e-mail. In the world of video conferencing, this kind of common sense is still a very good piece of advice, too.

To Choose the Best College Majors, Veterans Need Early Career Counseling, Data Shows

To Choose the Best College Majors, Veterans Need Early Career Counseling, Data ShowsTo Choose the Best College Majors, Veterans Need Early Career Counseling, Data ShowsTo Choose the Best College Majors, Veterans Need Early Career Counseling, Data ShowsIts a hard truth Nearly half of recent veterans who use their GI Bill benefits to further their post-secondary education are failing to obtain a diploma or certificate within a decade, says a study released this year. And according to an analysis by The Resume Place, a major cause of this shortfall is veteran students uninformed choice of college majors, which leads to underemployment, unemployment or just plain dissatisfaction.The details of the study Some 51.7 percent of post-9/11 veterans using GI Bill education benefits completed an associates, bachelors or graduate degree or a vocational certificate program within 10 years, according to a 2014 report by Student Veterans of America and partner organizations. This compares to a four- year graduation rate of 59 percent for young non-veterans in 2011, says a USA Today analysis of data from the National Center for Education Statistics.But there is plenty of hope for better outcomes, especially for veterans who seek advice early on in their college careers. If we can get student veterans talking early on in college, they can avoid mistakes in the choice of a major and a career, says Lisa Andrews, Ph.D., director of The Office of Career Services at University of Maryland University College. Its ideal to make a career choice before you choose your major.Career Counseling Should Help Steer Veterans Path Through CollegeVeterans are wise to choose a college major carefully and early, so that they get the maximum return on the GI Bill money and all the hard work they put into their higher education. Career counseling can enable that.Veteran students should select courses, projects, professors and internships that will support their post-graduation careers, says Kathryn T routman, author of Military to Federal Career Guide, Second Edition and president of The Resume Place.Student Veterans Face Barriers to Making Good Career ChoicesStudent veterans need advice because many dont know enough about which college majors will be the fruchtwein marketable when they graduate. Nor do they necessarily understand how their military experience can help them build a civilian career.Veterans are a little reluctant about choosing what they want to do, says Andrews. In the military, they were always just told what their work assignments would be. So Andrews and her colleagues endeavor to help students express or discover what they like to do.Here are six steps that veteran students can take to steer their post-secondary studies toward a successful and rewarding career.Step 1 Examine How Military Experience Can Translate to a Civilian CareerStudent veterans who have done a certain job in the military need to analyze how it can translate to the world of civilian work, says Troutman. A college career counselor can translate military occupational jargon into language that will make sense to civilian hiring managers and human resources departments.As they begin their higher education, veterans should also find out if they can CLEP any of their military training or experience, which gives them a head start on the course credits they will need for graduation.Step 2 Take Assessments for Aptitudes and InterestsVeteran students can ask their college career counselors for testing to help them understand their own personality types, interests and skills. Assessments such as the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator and the Strong Interest Inventory are commonly given to college students. Assessments give you information about yourself that can help you make a career decision but they dont make that decision for you, says Andrews.Step 3 Explore Other Personal and Labor-Market Factors in the Career DecisionVeteran students should also look at their own talents, skil ls, experience and interests beyond their military service to see what careers might be a good match. College career counselors can help veteran students research the marketability of various majors and the projected demand for the corresponding career fields. While earning potential is a critical consideration for most college students, it shouldnt be the sole basis for a career choice, says Troutman.Step 4 Choose a College Major As Soon As PossibleNext, student veterans should work with their counselors as early in their post-secondary education as possible to settle on the optimal college major, given their choice of careers. The earlier veterans elect a major, the sooner theyll be able to graduate and get on with their careers, family life, and other aspirations.Step 5 Find Student Internships Relevant to College Major and Choice of OccupationWith their numerous connections to employers and alumni, college career counselors can help veteran students line up internships, whic h are so often the best launch pad for the desired career. Counselors can help students write the resumes that may be required for internship applications.Step 6 Start Early on the Search for That First Post-Graduation Career PositionEarly in the final year of their post-secondary education, veteran students should begin working with their counselors to line up a well-chosen post-graduation job. Career counselors can help with resume, interview and job-fair preparation. They can also point soon-to-be-grads to the people, jobs databases and other resources that will be critical to finding an employment opportunity that aligns with their college major and career choice.Lisa Andrews has over 19 years of experience in higher education. As the Director of Career Services, her office services the over 93,000 students enrolled at University of Maryland University Center (UMUC), 50% of which are veterans. In 2012, she was selected as a Fulbright Scholar in Germany as a part of the Internati onal Education Administrators Program, where she created connections with higher education systems around the world.During her career, she has serviced students at The George Washington University, University of Arizona, and Stetson University in addition to her work at UMUC. She earned a PhD in Higher Education at the University of Arizona, a Masters in Counseling and Human Relations at Villanova University, and Bachelors in Psychology at Elizabethtown College.Ms. Andrews passion is guiding and coaching students at all stages in their education to choose and succeed in the right career. She is also currently the President-Elect for the Maryland Career Consortium and is a member of the Maryland Career Development Association, the Mid-Atlantic Career Counseling Association, and National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE).Kathryn Troutman is known as the Federal Resume Guru and is the developer of the Ten Steps to a Federal Job. She teaches hundreds of career counselors each year about her highly acclaimed methods of federal job search and has published dozens of titles, including the recent award-winning Students Federal Career Guide 3rd Edition.