What we can learn about focus from a professional cliff diver

What we can learn about focus from a professional cliff diverWhat we can learn about focus from a professional cliff diverThe thought of diving off a27-meter platform eight stories above open water would stress most people out but for David Colturi sitting in a cubicle invokes much more fear.I am scared of the potential consequences of a cliff dive gone wrong, he said. Almost as much as having to hold a 9 to 5 office job.The California-based diver is the former US national 10m champion and was the youngest diver to appear in a full World Series in 2012, the youngest diver to finish on the podium and the youngest diver to win an event. Ladders spoke with Colturi ahead of the first Cliff Diving World Series stop inTexasabout his immense focus when he dives, dealing with nerves and how he approaches his career.On making those 90-foot leapsfruchtwein days its easy because I truly love what I do that feeling of flying, flipping, and twisting through the air, its like nothing else in this world. There are some days where I need a little extra motivation though, or the conditions are harsher and scarier than usual. Those are the days I need to dig deep, stay calm and in the moment, and focus on the task at hand.On dealing with setbacksCompartmentalizing and Self Talk are two cognitive tools I like to use when things get rough. Package that setback or baddiveup and put it at the back of your mind to deal with later. Its easy to go down the analysis road and beat yourself up immediately after a baddive however, if you can put it away for later, and build yourself up for the next immediate task, youll have a better chance at getting back on track and succeeding down the road. Positive Self Talk and just being mindful of your thoughts, in general, will keep you in a better mood and mindset for any situation.On finding the focusOne of my favorite quotes my college coach used to always tell me was, If you focus on the things you cant control, it will adversely affect the th ings you can control. Its easy to get caught up in environmental stimuli, other peoples actions or behavior, but if you stay within yourself and stay in the moment youll have a much better chance at success. To get away from all the outside noise I like to find a quiet place or put my headphones in, and meditate or visualize my next tasks.On dealing with nervesHaving a process and staying in the moment is key to dealing with fear and nerves. So many people get caught up worrying about the past, or focusing on an outcome, that they become overwhelmed with whats going on currently. Plan for a big day ahead of time, trust your process, stay calm and focused, and most of all keep it simple.On skills and mental toolsAll of these skills Ive mentioned above can be used in professional and social settings compartmentalizing, positive self-talk, meditation, visualization, and staying in the moment are all factors of high performance whether in athletics, business, or your personal life, all of these tools can be used to help you be at your best, and enjoy life at its greatest potential.On what he wished someone had told him at the beginning of his careerJust how fast it goes (which of course, Im sure someone did). I cant believe Ill be competing in my 7th season ofCliffDivingthis year. Enjoy the ride, work hard, and ask for help when you need it. Its crazy how fast life goes by, and itll be over before we know it.

Emotional Uber CEO promises to revamp its corporate culture

Emotional Uber CEO promises to revamp its corporate cultureEmotional Uber CEO promises to revamp its corporate cultureA former female engineer at Uber made explosive claims of sexual harassment at the company - and CEO Travis Kalanick responded to the public embarrassment by hiring no less than a former US Attorney General to investigate.Former Uber engineer Susan J. Fowler wrote an explosive blog postover the weekend that startled many Uber users with a description of pervasive sexual harassment.The widely-shared post this weekend included the detail that the company issued leatherbei jackets to men on the team, but left out women because they could not get a comparable group discountFowler also alleged that her former manager described his open relationship with his girlfriend in an attempt to solicit a sexual relationship with her, and added that the companys human resurces team declined to take action because the manager was a high performer. Fowler said the companys human resou rces representative told her that it was his first offense - a claim she later discovered was false after speaking with other female employees who said the same manager had also propositioned them.With no action taken against her manager, Fowler was given a choice either leave the team, or stay and possibly get a negative performance review from her manager, who was aware of her complaint.The blog post generated a range of responses from Silicon Valley and the tech community, nearly universally critical of Uber.Kalanick responded immediately on Twitter to Fowlers post, saying, Whats described here is abhorrent against everything we believe in. Anyone who behaves this way or thinks this is OK will be fired.Ive instructed our chief human resources officer Liane Hornsey to conduct an urgent investigation. There can be absolutely no place for this kind of behavior at Uber.Later, Kalanick said in a memo that former US Attorney General Eric Holder will examine the ex-employees claims, a nd diversity and inclusion at Uber more broadly.Kalanick said Ubers technology teams have consistently included about 15% women.Facebook is at 17%, Google at 19%, and Twitter is at 15%.He said the company would publish a diversity report in coming months.Arianna Huffington, a board member of Uber, told staff on Tuesday that the company was trying to fix its mistakes. Travis spoke very honestly about the mistakes hes made - and about how he wants to take the events of the last 48-hours to build a better Uber. It was great to see employees unternehmensverbund managers accountable. I also view it as my responsibility to hold the leadership teams feet to the fire on this issue. Change doesnt usually happen without a catalyst. I hope that by taking the time to understand whats gone wrong and fixing it we can not only make Uber better but also contribute to improvements for women across the industry.Holder, now a partner at law firm Covington Burling, is making a name for himself as a fixer for discrimination problems at Silicon Valley companies. He previously crafted an anti-discrimination policy for Airbnb, another billion-dollar startup that took a hit to its reputation after Harvard Business School researchers found that guests with distinctively African-American names had trouble getting approved for places to stay on the platform.The highly circulated post intensified criticism of the company. Uber has had a rough month, trying to rebound from a damaging Delete Uber campaign by customers displeased with the CEOs political involvement.Fowlers claims have become part of a larger ongoing conversation about the treatment of female employees - especially in the Silicon Valley tech community.Ellen Pao, a former employee at venture capital firm Kleiner Perkins Caufield Byers, who lost a gender discrimination lawsuit against the company in 2015 and has become a voice supporting anti-discrimination measures in the tech world. Pao responded to the Uber controversy on Twitter by saying, people do talk privately. Too many heartbreaking stories. I hope all CEOs are paying attention it is probably at your startup too.

How to Finally Stop Procrastinating Forever

How to Finally Stop Procrastinating ForeverHow to Finally Stop Procrastinating Forever Who among us hasnt put off a presentation until the night before it was due, or started a project weeks after you told yourself you would? Everyone falls victim to procrastination at some point or another, but if its happening enough to affect your quality of life or work performance , its time to think about changing your behavior.The good news is, theres reason to be hopeful. Even lifelong procrastinators can overcome decades of bad habits with the right attitude and strategies. Of course, this is much easier said than done - but weve identified a few tips and tricks that will make it a whole lot easier.Whether youre a born-and-bred procrastinator or its just recently surfaced as a bad habit, the following expert tips will help you nip procrastination in the bud for good.Its difficult to solve a problem when you dont understand whats behind it - otherwise, your attempts to reco ncile your behavior may amount to nothing more than a Band-Aid solution. Take a good hard look at yourself and your habits to determine why you procrastinate. One of the most common reasons is fear, experts say.Sometimes its a harsh inner critic or perfectionist that spews negative thoughts like, youre not good enough or youre going to screw it up. If you havent developed a system or method for pushing through those sticking points, it can be hard to get anything done, says psychotherapist Tom Bruett .Other times, doing a task youre not looking forward to can just feel downright painful - literally.Research has found out that when you are ready to start a perceived-as-unpleasant task, the actual pain centers in your brain light up, shares Dimitris Gkiokas, founder of The Metalearners . It is only natural that your brain, at that moment, makes its best effort to avoid the task and the pain it is what it is programmed to do.No matter whats driving your procrastination, understandin g it can inform which strategy will best help you address the issue.If this is your first time trying to tackle procrastination in earnest, there are a number of small changes you can make in your daily life that can have a big impact.Get Organized As a stubborn teenager, I used to refuse to use a planner, insisting I could keep track of everything in my head. It was only when I started really tracking my to-dos in college that I realized how silly that was - being organized helped me stay on track. Whether it means keeping a list, writing on Post-Its or a productivity app , find something that works for you, Bruett says. Write down all your tasks, and tackle them in order of priority.Eliminate Distractions It may seem like a no-brainer, but many procrastinators fail to truly remove themselves from the people, things and situations that divert their attention. Close your email client, shut off any Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn (etc.) notifications, silence your ringer, shut off th e television, etc. If you need noise, play instrumental or classical music, says Maura Thomas , author of Personal Productivity Secrets.Start Small Breaking large tasks into baby steps is a much less intimidating way to tackle a project. Career coach Carlota Zimmerman recommends doing at least two small acts each day. Do those two acts and write them down - I encourage clients to keep Action Diaries, so as to have a (paper) trail of their acts, since its very encouraging and empowering, she says. The rush you get from one small win often motivates you to continue your good behavior.Reward Yourself Theres a reason teachers used to put gold stars on excellent tests and essays - those small rewards work Use positive reinforcement to motivate yourself to achieve your goals, Bruett says. If you keep on track for a whole week, maybe reward yourself with a massage or a nice dinner.Lifelong procrastinators might be tempted to roll their eyes at the suggestion of using a planner or tu rning off their cell phone notifications. If youve already been there and done that, try out these more sophisticated tips.Try Stream of Consciousness Working Many procrastinators are, at heart, perfectionists , unable to take action until theyve figured out exactly what to stay or do. But you might be surprised at how effective it can be to dive into a project before youve fully fleshed it out. Thomas suggests taking a stream of consciousness approach, in which you simply start dumping out all of your ideas for a set period of time without pausing to refine, clarify or reorganize. Our brains are much better at creative, strategic thinking and problem-solving than they are at remembering details, and if we clear our mind of the minutiae (mental clutter), the good stuff often appears, Thomas shares.Hold Yourself Accountable If youre the type of person who finds it way easier to fulfill a promise to a friend than a promise to yourself, try seeking out an accountability buddy. For a dded motivation, raise the stakes, suggests Sarah Moe, business and money coach at Flauk . Create a deadline with a friend or coach and make the consequences for not finishing the task something you would hate, such as writing them a check, doing your least-favorite chore or cutting yourself off from TV for a week. When you have to own up to the fact to another person that you procrastinated, youll never do it again, Moe adds.spektrum Your Calendar Been meaning to tackle a particular task for while, but just cant seem to find the time for it? Try scheduling dedicated periods of time in which you are allowed to do nothing but the task at hand. To do this successfully, Thomas recommends not making your time-blocks too long (two hours or less), only blocking off time for the highest-priority items, and limiting how often you do so. Otherwise, youll start breaking those appointments with yourself, and then youll have lost the effectiveness of the technique, she explains.Learn to Toler ate Discomfort In the end, theres no way around it - overcoming procrastination will almost always involve doing something you dont like. Too often, people put tasks off simply because theyre a drag. But if you learn to accept that, you may have an easier time doing it. To change, you need to shift from doing something pleasant, then feeling badly afterward to doing something unpleasant, then feeling better afterwards, says psychotherapist Karen R. Koenig .When one tactic fails you, its easy to get discouraged. You might feel like a screw-up, or become convinced that your procrastination is just an insurmountable part of who you are. But buying into this negative thinking can stop you from overcoming an otherwise totally fixable problem.If you try a strategy to overcome procrastination and it fails, conduct a post-mortem, Bruett recommends. Be really honest with yourself about what didnt work. Where were the exact sticking points? Was it lack of motivation ? Did you have trouble with the system you tried? Problem solve and get some additional support from a coach or therapist.And remember, not everything works for everyone, Gkiokas says. Every person is different and faces different levels of procrastination. You should try different things, and use your experience to identify what works.fruchtwein of all, keep in mind that falling off the wagon is normal, and happens to almost everybody at some point.Any behavior change will take trial and error. Account for that and dont beat yourself up if you dont succeed on the first go around, Bruett concludes.

Top Industries With the Most Wage Stagnation

Top Industries With the Most Wage StagnationTop Industries With the Most Wage StagnationWhat is wage stagnation and how does it impact your income? It may be surprising to hear that wages have grown very little in the recent past, despite news stories of a booming stock market, alow unemployment rate,and heightened economic growth. Deregulationandtax relief forbusinessesand individualsare credited with stimulating corporate growth and hiring. Flashy news stories following the announcement of thetax cut plan, referenced corporations like ATT, Comcast, Home Depot, Southwest, American Airlines, Travelers, and Walmart allawarding bonuses to employees. These headlines painted a picture of dramatically increasing compensation. What is Wage Stagnation? Data on wage increases reveal a different slant to compensation trends. Wage stagnation occurs when there isnt asustained increase in wagesinrealterms, even when the economy is doing well based on other economic measures. Data from variou s surveys indicate a very modest growth in income, and some sources actually show a decline (or atbestno increase) in wages wheninflationis factored into the equation. Measures for real wage increases show that over the past 15 years,many workers- especially low- and middle-income earners -have gained little or no purchasing power after inflation. Causes of Wage Stagnation There is little agreement among experts about the reasons for wage stagnation Some economists believe thatrising health care costshave limited the ability of employers to increase wages.The decline of manufacturing,increases in automation,and the shift to lower-wage service jobs are also cited as factors.The diminished influence oflabor unionshas impacted the ability of blue-collar workers to pressure employers for higher wages.Some experts point to the relatively low level of educational attainment in the United States compared with other industrialized countries.Globalization and outsourcing have enabled emp loyers to identify cheaper sources of labor outside the country. Theemergence of thegig economyand the availability of cheaper freelance labor are also believed by some to suppress wages. Wage Stagnation Based on Income Level ThePew Research Centeruses data from theU.S. Bureau of Labor Statisticsto make the argument that employee wages have stagnated for the past 40 years. Their data indicate that the median usual weekly earnings rose from $232 in the first quarter of 1979 to $879 in the second quarter of 2018. In real, inflation-adjusted terms, that same$232 in 1979 had the equivalent purchasing power to $840 in todays dollars, which means there hasbeen very littleactual increase in earnings. Pew reports that fruchtwein wage gains have gone to the highest earners. Since 2000, usual weekly wages have risen 3 percent (in real terms, before inflation) among workers in the lowest 10 percent of the earnings distribution and 4.3 percent among the lowest 25 percent of wage earners. Am ong workers in the top 10 percent of the distribution, real wages have risen a cumulative 15.7 percent to $2,112 a week nearly five times the usual weekly earnings of the bottom tenth ($426). More Income, Less Buying Power PayScale, a leader in precise on-demand cloud compensation data and software for businesses and individuals, has also developed an index that tracks real wage growth and stagnation.It reveals an even more negative picture of wage growth. PayScale reports that since 2006, wages have risen 12.9 percent overall in the U.S., butwhen you factor in inflation, real wages have actually fallen by9.3 percent. In other words, the income for a typical worker today buys them less than it did in 2006.The PayScale Real Wage datenbankindexincorporates theConsumer Price Index(CPI) into The PayScale Index (which tracks nominal wages) and looks at the buying power of wages for full-time private industry workers in the U.S. The index data for the third quarter of 2018 indicated that real wages had actually declined by 1.8 percent since the third quarter of 2017. The PayScale data again showed that blue-collar workers experienced the lowest wage growth. Industry Trends in Wage Stagnation The PayScale Indexranks the year-over-year wage growth in 15 industries as of the third quarter of 2018.Growth ranges from 1.7 percent in the real estate sector at the high end,to -1.7 percent for transportation/warehousing at the low end. Industries with a complex service orientation and relatively low impact from globalizationhave accrued the highest wagegains. Theseindustriesinclude technology, engineering/science,and finance/insurance.Sectors like manufacturing, transportation, and health care (where workers have diminished leverage)have tended to lag. The complete ranking of year-over-year industry wage growth figures is as follows Real Estate 1.7%Technology 1.6%Engineering/Science 1.5%Finance/Insurance 1.2%Retail/Customer Service 1.2%Nonprofits 1.1%Agencies and Co nsultancies 0.9%Education 0.4%Construction -0.2%Health Care -0.2%Arts/Entertainment/Recreation -0.2%Energy and Utilities -0.4%Accommodation and Food Services -0.4%Manufacturing -0.7%Transportation/Warehousing -1.0% Occupational Trends for Wage Stagnation The PayScale Index for occupationstracks 19 job categories and found that growth ranged from 3.5 percent in the marketing and advertising field to -3.8 percent in transportation occupations. Occupations with high knowledge and skill requirements like accounting/finance, information technology, and science tended to fare better than areas where workers could more easily be replaced, and which are now less likely to have union leverage.Fields like transportation, manufacturing, installation/maintenance/repair, and food service showed wagedeclines. The complete ranking of year-over-year occupational wage growth figures is as follows Marketing and Advertising 3.5%Accounting and Finance 1.8%Social Service 1.6%Information Technology 1 .3%Science and Biotech 1.2%Art and Design 1.1%Media and Publishing 1.1%Human Resources1.0%Retail 1.0%Architecture and Engineering 0.9%Administrative and Clerical 0.7%Legal 0.4%Sales -0.4%Construction -0.5%Health Care Practitioners/Technical Health Care -0.8%Food Service -0.9%Installation/Maintenance/Repair -1.6%Manufacturing and Production -3.1%Transportation -3.8%

93% of Recruiters Screen Job Seekers on Social Media

93% of Recruiters Screen Job Seekers on Social Media93% of Recruiters Screen Job Seekers on Social MediaIf you thought the only people checking out your Facebook profile were your friends, family, and a few exes, think again. Its estimated that a staggering 93 percent of recruiters screen job seekers on social media as a way in which to evaluate potential job candidates.Recruiters Screen Job Seekers on Social MediaJobvite recently released their Jobvite 2014 Social Recruiting Survey Infographic- and results are eye-opening. Job recruiters believe that perusing the social media profiles of job applicants can give them a better overall picture of who the person is- far beyond what they can learn about them from their resume and cover letter, and even what they reveal about themselves in a job interview.More importantly, job recruiters are basing their decisions about whether they should be hired- or elend- on what theyre seeing about the candidates ansprechbar. Thats why mora than half (55 percent) of recruiters have reconsidered a candidate based on their social media profile.Since job recruiters anticipate increased job competition in their own markets in 2015, they are upping the ante by investing more time in areas such as social recruiting (73 percent), referrals (63 percent), and mobile (51 percent). And their efforts are paying off recruiters who use social media recruitment report an increase in candidate quality (44 percent), candidate quantity (44 percent), and improved time to hire (34 percent).As for job seekers, something important to keep in mind is how recruiters are using the Internet to post positions and find suitable job candidates. Recruiters are predominantly using mobile to post jobs (22 percent), search for candidates (36 percent), contact candidates (41 percent), post jobs on social media (30 percent), and forward candidates/resumes to colleagues (40 percent).Now that you know that almost all job recruiters screen job seekers on social med ia, it makes sense that you should up your online efforts, too. Here are three ways in which you can make your social media profiles look as polished as possible.How to Keep Your Profiles Employer FriendlyBe up to date. Sure, you signed up for LinkedIn, Twitter, and Google+. But thats where it stopped. You barely updated your LinkedIn profile, and as for Google+, well, you cant remember your login info. Even though it may seem like extra work- and it definitely is- its important to keep your profiles up to date at all times. By not adding fresh content, it can come across to a potential recruiter that youre not good with following through or that you may have a problem staying on top of your work. So even if its just once a week, send out a tweet or publish a new post on LinkedIn to keep your profiles current.Be professional. Lets face it youve been somewhat lackadaisical about which Facebook posts you keep as private and which ones are public. But even a semi-questionable post or p ic can make or break you getting hired for a job. While it may be uber time-consuming, its critical that you go through your Facebook profile (and any other social media channels) and remove anything that could be a deterrent in getting you a job interview. And while you might be tempted to simply delete your accounts and start over new, you shouldnt. After all, not having any social media profiles can come across as slightly suspicious.Be personable. While its ideal to present yourself in the best light possible online, that doesnt mean that you should strip away all aspects of your personality, either. Job recruiters are looking online to find out who you really are beyond a business suit and a smile, so be sure to give them glimpses into your personality. Simply be aware of anything that could come across as incendiary (such as political views, etc.) but still be true to who you are.Since recruiters are using social media to find and hire job candidates, make sure that your onlin e job search meets them where they are by having up-to-date, professional (and yes, personal) profiles that show them youre the right candidate for the job.Readers, how concerned are you that employers screen job seekers on social media? Is yours employer friendly? Leave a comment and let us know

Find Out Whos Concerned About Entry Level Sales Resume and Why You Should Care

Find Out Whos Concerned About Entry Level Sales Resume and Why You Should Care Your no-experience resume is the sole introduction you have before landing that coveted job interview, therefore its critical that you make a great impression and provide a well-rounded look at your abilities and talents. Stick to the tips above, and youll have a resume that compensates for the absence of knowledge and gets you the interview. Therefore, its best if youve got an outgoing, energetic personality. It should demonstrate your abilities and illustrate why you are the perfect candidate for the position because of your experience and traits. Despite the fact that the work seeker has over six decades of expertise, and it has worked in three or more positions, her resume is only a single page long. Get the resume you have to land the job you have earned Even when you have little to no work experience, you are able to leise find methods to emphasize your abilities and education to demonstrate y our capacity to do the work well. Thus, you will need experience to find an entry-level job, but minus the job, you cant get experience. If you would like to receive a foot in the door at your initial entry-level job, you want to convince employers that the abilities and experiences that you acquired during your time in school can help you turn into a star employee in their opinion. To stand out, you are going to want to earn your experience and skills shine. Emphasize skills youve developed over recent decades. The work designation a lot of the time does not need prior experience and professional backgrounds. You should make certain to emphasize any work in sale you have, even supposing it isnt directly pertinent to auto sales. Part of sales a prosperous entry-level sales resume is write time into activities associated with sales that will boost your resume. The salaries and bonuses can be very high, but its also highly competitive, and it can be quite hard to get your foot in the door. If building your initial post-college resume has you feeling under qualified, here is what you will need to understand. Entry Level Sales Resume Help Job aspirants need to be on the lookout for a resume template rather than a curriculum vitae template. To receive your application even viewed, you must sell yourself forcefully. Start with reviewing the work description and be certain to have their keywords in your resume. What Does Entry Level Sales Resume Mean? Examples can supply you with advice on how to structure your resume and what type of language to include. Organization can help save you from getting lost in the intricacy of it all. When crafting your resume the very first rule to bear in mind is My audience is busy and has an extremely brief attention span. Writing a resume can be an intimidating task. Examples of resumes are among the absolute most helpful techniques to ensure that youre writing one which is good and thats correct for the specific job youre applying for. If youre a recent graduate or career changer free of experience in retail sales, youre want to compose a sales resume objective. Pick any work title and be prepared sales handle many roles. In addition, you can find out more about sales careers on Monster. Retail sales associates are needed to possess some understanding of the retail company and client solutions, and understanding of inventory and stocking is also essential. Youre a graduate whos full of potential. Utilize your life accomplishments and your limited expert experience to show hiring managers that youre serious about your success. If you dont have any work experience, include life experiences that may be relevant to the industry youre targeting. Youre going to want to include every one of these subsectionsaat a minimumaand you will want to be sure they meet standard expectations. An individual whos capable and interesting to have a whole work linked to sales, must present a resume to her or his employer. Resume creators make it possible for jobseekers to make and download their finished resumes directly from the web to begin applying immediately. One of the things which every hiring manager will be searching for in your entry-level sales resume is your capacity to sell yourself. One of the things which every hiring manager will be searching for in entry entry-level sales resume is your capacity to sell yourself. If You Read Nothing Else Today, Read This Report on Entry Level Sales Resume Our resume builder makes it simple to create a well-written resume in a few minutes. You may try it and find which you are very great at and it might be the sort of job that may work into a full-time position working at home. As you start to seek out a new job, you have to have all the perfect tools by your side. Although it is an entry-level job, its still true that you should make certain that you set your best in everything that you do, starting with the resume that you pass.

3 Blind Spots in Hiring - Spark Hire

3 Blind Spots in Hiring - Spark HireHiring tends to become a rote process. A company has a system that has worked for them in the past and they stick to it in order to fill positions as people retire or resign. However, at the same time, there is always constant chatter about untapped potential hires such as passive candidates and how to reach them. Are there other potential schwimmbeckens that are being missed by the traditional process? Are there trends in hiring that cause menschlich Resources to miss out on potential candidates? Here are three blind spots in hiring to consider3.The reject pileThe times have certainly changed, and what you may have looked over due to necessity a few years ago may be exactly what your company needs now. Most human resources professionals would shun the idea of going back to applicants that they had turned down, but checking these candidates again could deepen your pool. In particular, take a second look at those candidates who you brought through m ultiple rounds of the hiring process. Perhaps they made it to one of the final rounds before you decided they didnt fit the position. What else was appealing about them then? Is it still appealing about them now?2. The long-term unemployedSteve Gifford at Fistful of Talent takes a look at a startling study from the St. Louis Federal Reserve. The graph he shares shows that of everyone who is currently unemployed, almost 40% of them have been out of work for more than six months. Gifford says that the lengths of someones unemployment is a huge factor in how much time a human resources professional will spend considering them for a job. He cites numerous excuses for ignoring the long-term unemployed, such as their skills are no longer sharp or, if they havent been employed by some other company, there must be something wrong with them as an applicant. Giving into these generalized misgivings and the kchenherd mentality can create a huge blind spot in hiring. In reality, there could be any number of reasons that a person has been unemployed for a long period of time, and the fact that theyre currently unemployed doesnt mean anything except simply that theyre unemployed.1. False perceptionsThe skills gap widens as time goes on hiring a person long out of a job will cost your company more on training an employee once rejected is always rejectedthey can have nothing to offer your company. All of these perceptions, while potentially true for some candidates cannot be true for all of them In fact, using these ideas to guide your hiring processunconscious as that may bemight mean youre missing out on great talent and even be impeding your companys progress. Both of the groups already discussed are generally untapped markets and could almost double your candidate pool if considered.Many human resources professionals might think that only the current candidate pool is worth taking a look at, but you could have a unique edge by considering those that other companies havent considered.What othermisperceptions or blind spots do you frequently discover in hiring? Share it with us in the comments.IMAGE Courtesy of Flickr bynimishgogri

3 Ways Right Now To Fight Age Discrimination

3 Ways Right Now To Fight Age Discrimination3 Ways Right Now To Fight Age DiscriminationIm 54 now and I work in marketing communications. What I dont understand is why Im having such a problem finding a job. But I am positive theyre discriminating against me because of my age.Despite laws protecting people over 40 from age discrimination, ageism remains very real because its difficult to prove. Most times if you hear a reason at all for why they didnt hire you the reason will be that abedrngnisher candidate was a better fit, or another candidate gels better with the corporate culture. Nebulous excuses like these are disheartening, and when it goes on long enough, it feels depressing.Heres What You Can DoTake care of the low-hanging fruit first remove the dates of yur education.Limit your experience to the most recent 15-20 years (there is rarely a job adthat asks for more experience than that), and make sure your resume reflectsnot only the employers key words, but also up-to-date key words. For example, partienelmanagement may be what you did in your job in 2001, but the term is definitelyold school. The term today is, talent management.Assume They Already Know Your AgeOr ThereaboutsA relatively quick Internet search will reveal a lot about you. So, inyour mind, act as if they already know your magic number. What that helps youdo is not be on the defensive during your interview. It helps you to not bethinking the entire time that you have to hide something. Being concerned aboutthat negatively impacts your conversation and dampens your performance. If youranswers are short and stiff, youll leave the decision maker thinking you justwont fit in with the group.Ramp Up The Know, Like & Trust Factor Youve heard that people buy from people they know, like, and trust, right? Age discrimination isnt always about the actual number. It can be about the decision maker wanting to work with a person like themselves. Obviously, thats not going to be stated outright. Its a bout perception.Right now, youre selling brand Y.O.U. What elements of brand Y.O.U. do you want to emphasize so that you align with the companys corporate culture? The onus is on you to find out what that is. The information is there for you on social media, particularly Twitter. In addition to looking at the company profile, look at the profiles of the individuals who work there, so you can get as much of a feel for the organization as possible before you get there.Increasing the trust factor is also important. That means more than just building rapport, which can feel manufactured and fake. Instead, because youre older and experience, leverage that to your advantage. You know what youre doing in your industry, so shine a light on that. Experienced people time and again raise issues and solve problems that companies didnt even know they had.Come to your interview armed with a theory about the direction the organization is headed. This is based on your research. If youre in operatio ns and you know theyre about to open a new facility, in your interview, ask, What have you all been considering in terms of automation solutions for the new logistics division? The interviewer may respond with either no solution or XYZ solution. Thats your opportunity to say, You know, one of the key things Ive found in the last 2 years is that implementing XYZ solution from the start really saves you significant labor hours, not to mention delivery errors as far as what arrives on the customers doorstep. Ive launched that solution before and Im seeing it as a reasonable solution for consideration here. You ramp up the trust factor because youre using all that experience you come with to already solve a problem for them.We go over exact language to say in the instances when they tell you, youre overqualified. Candidates over 45, 50, 55, and even 60 use these words to keep themselves in the running. Find out how to combat this in our job search webinar, How To Get Hired in HALF The T ime, Without Getting Ghosted Because Of Age Discrimination. Plus, if you feel like theyre automatically counting your resume out because of age, were going to walk you through the solution to that as well. Register today.3 Ways Right Now To Fight Age DiscriminationIm 54 now and I work in marketing communications. What I dont understand is why Im having such a problem finding a job. But I am positive theyre discriminating against me because of my age.Despite laws protecting people over 40 from age discrimination, ageism remains very real because its difficult to prove. Most times if you hear a reason at all for why they didnt hire you the reason will be that another candidate was a better fit, or another candidate gels better with the corporate culture. Nebulous excuses like these are disheartening, and when it goes on long enough, it feels depressing.Heres What You Can DoTake care of the low-hanging fruit first remove the dates of your education.Limit your experience to the most r ecent 15-20 years (there is rarely a job adthat asks for more experience than that), and make sure your resume reflectsnot only the employers key words, but also up-to-date key words. For example, personnelmanagement may be what you did in your job in 2001, but the term is definitelyold school. The term today is, talent management.Assume They Already Know Your AgeOr ThereaboutsA relatively quick Internet search will reveal a lot about you. So, inyour mind, act as if they already know your magic number. What that helps youdo is not be on the defensive during your interview. It helps you to not bethinking the entire time that you have to hide something. Being concerned aboutthat negatively impacts your conversation and dampens your performance. If youranswers are short and stiff, youll leave the decision maker thinking you justwont fit in with the group.Ramp Up The Know, Like & Trust Factor Youve heard that people buy from people they know, like, and trust, right? Age discrimination i snt always about the actual number. It can be about the decision maker wanting to work with a person like themselves. Obviously, thats not going to be stated outright. Its about perception.Right now, youre selling brand Y.O.U. What elements of brand Y.O.U. do you want to emphasize so that you align with the companys corporate culture? The onus is on you to find out what that is. The information is there for you on social media, particularly Twitter. In addition to looking at the company profile, look at the profiles of the individuals who work there, so you can get as much of a feel for the organization as possible before you get there.Increasing the trust factor is also important. That means more than just building rapport, which can feel manufactured and fake. Instead, because youre older and experience, leverage that to your advantage. You know what youre doing in your industry, so shine a light on that. Experienced people time and again raise issues and solve problems that compa nies didnt even know they had.Come to your interview armed with a theory about the direction the organization is headed. This is based on your research. If youre in operations and you know theyre about to open a new facility, in your interview, ask, What have you all been considering in terms of automation solutions for the new logistics division? The interviewer may respond with either no solution or XYZ solution. Thats your opportunity to say, You know, one of the key things Ive found in the last 2 years is that implementing XYZ solution from the start really saves you significant labor hours, not to mention delivery errors as far as what arrives on the customers doorstep. Ive launched that solution before and Im seeing it as a reasonable solution for consideration here. You ramp up the trust factor because youre using all that experience you come with to already solve a problem for them.

How to make everyday feel like a Friday

How to make everyday feel like a FridayHow to make everyday feel like a FridayI wish it were FridayThat was the response from the lady I met at the coffee shop on a Monday morning. It is bedrngnis strange, yet I found this statement alarming this morning as I was getting ready to pay for my coffee. Why is it that many people only live for the weekend, they abflug preparing and looking forward to Friday right from the beginning of the week? Why cant people just enjoy and be happy every day of the week?Follow Ladders on FlipboardFollow Ladders magazines on Flipboard covering Happiness, Productivity, Job Satisfaction, Neuroscience, and moraIt is true that Fridays signify the end of the work week for fruchtwein people, but the enthusiasm that people have for Friday shows that most people are not happy with their work. I have heard several phrases that people use during conversation to show their anticipation for the end of the week Friday. Some includesTell me when its Friday.Its anothe r week in hell.Im hanging in there.It could be betterHappy Friday eve.I cant wait for the week to be over.Finally, when Friday arrives, the greeting change toThank God its Friday.So, this begs for the questioning, why are people happier of Fridays than any other day in the week? Why cant we people start treating every day like Friday? Why is Friday so much special that many people look forward to it even right from the beginning of the week?Two possible scenarios came to me as I ponder on this event.1.Its just a catchphrase that most people have become accustomed to.2.Most people are genuinely not happy at work.If you fall in the first category of people and you respond to greetings by looking forward to Friday, then you just need to consider a new approach. A different approach that will genuinely express how you feel about each day. For example, you can adopt responses likeMajestic MondayThankful TuesdayWonderful WednesdayTerrific ThursdayFun FridayLearn to inject some dose of con fidence and optimism in each day.You can be awesome on Monday, great on Tuesday, fantastic on Wednesday, thrilled on Thursday, and feel even special on Friday. This is because, what you say, and how you express yourself will dictate your outlook in life, as well as your output at work.If you are genuinely not happy with your work and you see Friday as a getaway day to help you relieve tension from the distributions-mix of work that you detest, then I will encourage you to start looking for something new that will spark your interest. You spend most of your waking hours at work, and life is too short to live waiting for happiness on Friday. Here are five questions that you need to ask to guide you to find meaning at work and live happily every day.1.Passion Are you in any way passionate about your career field or the new job you are looking to start?2.People Are you happy around the people you work with?3.Purpose Have you been able to establish a mission with what you do, other than financial compensation?4.Pleasure Are you happy to get up every morning to do your job?5.Performance Are you capable of delivering the duties stipulated in your job role?If you answered No to one or more questions above, you need to consider a change. When you are no longer happy at your place of work, you should be bold enough to make the necessary change and find something new that you can do.PASSIONIf you have less enthusiasm for what you do, it will be difficult to do a great job or derive any form of satisfaction on the job. Passion provides the energy and interest that will help spark your creativity to do an excellent job. So, if you are in a position that you are not passionate about, dont stay there for too long.You need to have the courage to look for something new that you will be more passionate about such that you will look forward to going to every day of the working week. It is often said that people must follow their passion, I agree with this, in addition to pursuin g your passion, I am recommending that you should find more things you are passionate about and do everything you possibly can to have fun with your passion.PEOPLEIt is very possible that your co-workers are not among your close friends, but it is crucial that you work with friendly people in a friendly (non-hostile) environment. If you find yourself among toxic people or environment, you will automatically have the TGIF mentality.Your work has become a place where you go, only because you have to, and that you must earn a living. If you have a difficult boss or obnoxious colleagues, there is a high chance that you will not look forward to going to work every day.You should not be in such a situation for too long. It is not fun working with people you dont like in an environment that you detest, your morale and productivity will be negatively impacted if you find yourself in such a situation.PURPOSEYou will perform at your best if you are able to attach a meaning to what you do. The purpose helps you to find your why in your work.It also helps to motivate you as you will be able to see and focus on the big picture of your job, and not be deterred or discourage by some temporary displeasure that you may encounter on a day to day basis.With your work, you are either developing products or providing services for the benefits of humankind. Having a purpose about your work will not only make you enthusiastic about the job, but it will also help you to grow in the career and contribute your quota towards solving organizational challenges.If you do not have any purpose about your work today, you can check out my podcast episode 16 to guide you as you answer some simple fundamental questions that will help you discover your purpose.PLEASUREWork is indeed a serious business, but it must also be fun. Having a sense of satisfaction with what you do will not only make you enjoy your work, but it will also enable you to look forward to going to work every day.You will stop being someone that is only happy on Fridays.You will wake up each day, go to work, and be ready to confront the challenges as well as the fun that comes with your job.You will be more fulfilled at work because you know that each day brings its own set of challenges, but you are equipped to work to surmount those challenges, and at the same time you derive satisfaction and a sense of accomplishment for the solution you were able to come up with. Your job will be much more than the paycheck you receive, but a place to develop your career, to improve your knowledge and skill set.If you arent happy at work, other areas of your life will suffer as a result. If you are not having any form of fun with your work, you need to find your happy place, go ahead and quit that job, dont stay in a place that makes you miserable. Make every day like Friday.PERFORMANCEMany people dread going to work because of performance related concerns, especially if they need to work on tasks that are outside th eir scope or which they are not qualified for.It is also possible that you are working in an environment that is not conducive for you, for example, working in locations that will negatively impact your health, or where the tasks being performed are not done safely can affect your performance or desire to go to work.This will have the tendency to make Friday your favorite working day because you will always look forward to the end of the week when you will be free from the imaginary bondage that your job has placed on you.This is not the best way to live your life. If your job is such that you are unable to perform at the optimum level either due to lack of skills or you find yourself in an environment that you just cannot work efficiently, then it is time to consider a change.Consistently performing below expectations will deprive you of the required interest in the job, effectively making you a fan of TGIF.This article first appeared on Winners Ways.

The Top 10 Executive Resume Mistakes and How to Avoid Them

The Top 10 Executive Resume Mistakes and How to Avoid Them The Top 10 Executive Resume Mistakes and How to Avoid Them I have been looking at executive resumes for years, first as an HR VP managing the recruitment process and then more recently in my role as President of Blue Sky Resumes. Over the years, Ive seen executive candidates make many of the same mistakes over and over again, mistakes that cost them great opportunities, and yet are easily rectified.Ive boiled the list down to my top 10 and I hope it helps you to refine your own resume so that it truly communicates your unique value.Mistake 1 No clear titleA strong executive resume starts with a concise headline describing what you do (e.g. Marketing executive, sales leader etc). Without this, recruiters have no idea what roles you might be a fit for, and your resume will often be overlooked.Mistake 2 Dense, hard-to-read summary sectionIts common for executive candidates to feel that big words and long sentences are necessary to convey seniority and gravitas. In fact, they just put a barrier between you and the reader. Instead, use simple clear language and short punchy sentences.Mistake 3Resume introductions that try to say too muchAs a successful executive, you have many skills and many selling points. But if you try to include them all at the start of your resume, you will wind up with a long, hard-to-read summary that recruiters skip altogether. Instead, decide on your 2-3 key selling points and make those the centerpiece of your resume. Heres more on how to start your resume with a bang.Mistake 4 Missing keywordsMany resumes are scanned by computers prior to a human ever seeing them. This is especially true of executive recruiters who maintain large databases of candidates, and then scan those databases for keywords when a new opportunity arises. To be found, your resume must contain all the important words and phrases used in your profession or industry.Mistake 5 Too much detailYou might think that you need to include a lot of detail in order to show the level of your experience and to convey your executive responsibilities, but almost all executive resumes can be edited down without losing any power and impact. For example, if you run a 300 million business division with 150 staff and hold full PL responsibility, theres no need to spell out that you are responsible for hiring, firing, motivation etc (we know) or that you work closely with the CFO (we know) or that you develop strategic plans (of course you do). When it comes to executive resume writing, less is almost always more.Mistake 6 Too much focus on job descriptionsMany executives spend far too much time describing their responsibilities and not enough time talking about what they achieved in the role. As a rough guide, I recommend using 3-4 times as much space for your accomplishments as you use to describe your job responsibilities.Mistake 7 Not being specific about accomplishmentsDont just say that you turned the business around give the context (how bad were things before?) and the improvement. Use either numbers or percentages (choose whichever sounds most impressive) to emphasize the impact you made. For example Turned around under-performing company, transforming 10% sales decline into 32% increase in just 15 months. (Heres more information on creating effective bullet points).Mistake 8 Not including a LinkedIn profile linkIn this day and age, a LinkedIn profile URL is vital. It shows recruiters that you are on the ball and well-connected, and when done well your profile provides them with more information about you and your career, as well as some insight into your personality. If you are not on LinkedIn, recruiters will tend to assume that youre not tech-savvy and this is particularly damaging if you are over 50 and at risk of age discrimination. (Learn all you need to know about creating a good LinkedIn profile here).Mistake 9 One-size-fits-allDo you customize your resume every tim e you apply for a position? If not, youre missing valuable opportunities to appeal to your target employer. Scour the job description for clues as to whats most important and then customize your resume to address those issues.Mistake 10 Formatting issuesKeep your resume formatting simple because too many fancy tricks can render it unreadable when its scanned by a computer system. Likewise, be sure to create your resume in MS Word dont send a version created in Mac Pages, for instance, because the formatting will not stay consistent when opened at the other end. And dont rely on portable document format files because many computer systems cannot store or scan them for keywords.Its amazing how common these errors areYou might assume that most people at the executive level have a very strong resume, but actually the opposite is true. Most executive resumes are appallingly bad to put it bluntly. But this gives you a huge opportunity to shine. If you want to revamp your resume to really tell your story, feel free to sign up for our free resume writing course. We never share your details or send you spam just a series of emails outlining some of my very best resume tips. I hope it helps