Should social media have a place at work - CareerEnlightenment.com

A distraction both beneficial and hazardousThe most obvious complaint about social media usage in the workplace levied against employees is that it distracts from the work at hand. Why is an employee browsing their cousin’s wedding photos when they should be working on a company project?You could argue that an employee surfing social media sites would be negligent of their time, but you could equally make the argument that their usage functions as necessary decompression time from work-related stress. A few minutes on Twitter is a small price to pay for worker morale. Happy workers are good workers,One could also make the case that social media usage can tangibly benefit people in the workforce. Those in the creative industry, for example, could chance upon a shared story or link to a site that gives them unexpected inspiration for a project or an article.An employee conducting research might find that social media outlets provide some of the best information on a subject. Company contacts might prefer social media as their primary means of communication. The uses of social media are nearly endless, providing rich material for just about anyone who looks in the right places.Here to stayIt’s 2012, and the Web 2.0 movement is ages old by any technological standard. Social media platforms have stood the test of time, evolving from innocent spheres of socialization between friends to an incomprehensibly huge structure that dictates much of the information we receive today.Social media tools definitely have their drawbacks, but for almost any workplace the benefits will far outweigh them.

Pros and Cons of Working on Wall Street -

Pros and Cons of Working on Wall Street - Photo by Epicharmus Yesterday,   Lindsey Pollak, an author and speaker specializing in career advice for young professionals, posted a guest blog of mine on her site.   Its about the pros and cons of starting your career on Wall Street based on my personal experience and in consultation with a friend of mine who is still in the business. (Lest things changed since I left.   They havent!) I hope youll click over and take a look at the post on Lindseys blog. If you are a new college graduate (or even a not-so-new graduate), I highly recommend Lindseys book Getting from College to Career.   With 90 tips to help get your job search on the right track, you cant go wrong. No matter what type of job you are seeking, Keppie Careers is here for you. Let us help by writing your resume, directing your search and coaching you every step of the way:   www.keppiecareers.com.

How To Find Out About Best Resume Writing Services In Australia

How To Find Out About Best Resume Writing Services In AustraliaThe best resume writing services are usually provided by a reputable company. Usually, the company will create a perfect resume for you based on your specific requirements and job type. Here are some ways you can research the different companies that provide resume writing services in Australia:Online Job Sites - Most job sites have a section where they list the different resume writing companies in the area. When looking at the job sites, make sure to check whether the company you are interested in is listed there. Although you might not find it by searching through job boards, it is still a good idea to look around a bit.Job Board Websites - You may also be able to find out whether the company you are interested in is affiliated with any of the major job board websites. Generally, if the resume service company is listed on such websites, it will be worth checking out. It is a better idea to check out more than one websi te because a number of companies offer quality resume writing services in Australia.Job Board Forums - For those who would like to check out other people's reviews, forums are a great place to look. Many people post their experiences regarding a particular resume writing company. It is important to read these reviews and decide whether the company you are interested in is one you would like to work with.Web Casting - Another way to research the best resume writing services in Australia is to see if the company can give you a free resume writing service or video conference. The video conference will allow you to meet the actual people who will create your resume. Sometimes, this will also be an opportunity to meet some of the clients of the company so you can get a feel for how it works.Job Listings - Although the list of job listings is not the best way to do research, it is still worth it. If the company you are interested in is one that provides high quality resumes, it should be listed in the top 10. Many times, companies that are large or very well known will be listed higher in the list.Before signing up with a company, always ask if there are other services it offers and if you can receive free samples of its work. This is a way to check if the resume writing company you are interested in is capable of producing a quality resume.

How to Find a Mentor at Your First Job

How to Find a Mentor at Your First Job When you start your first job, you’ll have plenty of questions about the real world that college might not have prepared you for. Should you dress up every day, even if your co-workers wear jeans? What email signature should you use? How do you stand out from your colleagues when you’re trying to keep up with all your new responsibilities? Luckily, you don’t have to figure it all out on your own. A mentor â€" or two or three â€" can help you navigate office life, learn how to move up in your industry and weigh future job offers. But there are right ways and wrong ways to identify and work with mentors. Here are the dos and dont’s of mentoring from pros who have been on both sides of the relationship. DO: Consider a midcareer mentor from within your own network You’ll get the most out of a mentorship if you’re able to speak with someone in your field who understands the challenges specific to your industry. He or she will also have professional connections you might be able to call upon in the future. Start by considering former bosses from college internships or part-time jobs, professors who taught classes in your major or older alumni from your alma mater whom you admire. Your potential mentor should be someone you consider successful but who is also reliable, accessible and candid, and who will take the relationship seriously. “It really comes down to the two parties. Do they click? Is there something there of value that they both see?” â€" Paul McDonald, senior executive director, Robert Half “You want to have somebody who’s not too far advanced in their career compared to you,” says Paul McDonald, senior executive director of global recruiting firm Robert Half. They’re more likely to make time for you and to be aware of emerging trends in the field if they’re between five and 15 years older than you, but a mentor in his or her 40s could be helpful, too. “It really comes down to the two parties,” McDonald says. “Do they click? Is there something there of value that they both see?” If you work at a large company, you might also have access to a formal mentoring program, which pairs you with a higher-level colleague who can give you career guidance from within the company. Take advantage of this opportunity to meet colleagues you might not have had the chance to work with, and who can share with you valuable insight into how they were able to thrive in your work environment. In addition to keeping in touch with a more senior professional in your field, it’s worthwhile to seek out a second mentor who is in his or her second job out of college, called a “step-ahead” mentor, says Ellen Ensher, professor of management at Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles and coauthor of “Power Mentoring: How Successful Mentors and Proteges Get the Most out of Their Relationships.” “They’ll be able to empathize with what you’re going through,” she says. “And they’ll have all the cutting-edge knowledge.” DON’T: Be afraid to meet new mentors at industry events Joining a new organization or attending a networking event alone can be intimidating, but it can also be hugely rewarding. There’s a trade organization for nearly every industry, from the National Science Teachers Association to the National Exercise and Sports Trainers Association. Attend their monthly meetings or conferences and you’ll get to know other professionals â€" some who are entry-level like you and others who have risen to the top of the field. You’re more likely to find a potential mentor, and make meaningful new connections in general, if you take an active role in the organization once you join, Ensher says. “Volunteer on a committee, and then you get partnered with these older, advanced professionals and you start to interact with them one-on-one,” she says. Helping other members organize an event or update the association’s website will give you a chance to see your teammates’ work styles and to recognize a great prospective mentor when you meet him or her. DO: Decide on specific goals and meeting times Once you have someone in mind, formally ask him or her to be your mentor. Using the word “mentor” â€" and not merely asking to speak on the phone every once in a while if you have a work-related question â€" will make your expectations clear, McDonald says. “That will help with the specificity and help qualify and quantify what you need from that person,” he says. It’s important to be as explicit as possible when defining the relationship. Meeting once a month is standard, McDonald says, either in person or over the phone. You can schedule your conversation while you’re both commuting to work in the morning or on your lunch hour, as long as it’s at least a half-hour block of time when you know you won’t be distracted. Know what your goals are, too. Tell your prospective mentor that you’re particularly interested in learning how to communicate effectively with your colleagues, manage your time or build your confidence so you can negotiate a raise. Come to each conversation prepared with questions and anecdotes from work so you make the most of the time your mentor has carved out for you. The more specific you are, the more useful and targeted the answers you’ll get. Take care to act professionally, though, and to focus on how you want to grow â€" not on how frustrated you are with a boss or colleague. “It’s not a time to call out people as bad managers or bad employees,” McDonald says. DON’T: Immediately ask for a job Try not to view your mentor as merely a potential connection for a future job. Think of him or her as someone who will help you become the best current employee you can be so that you’re prepared to land an even better position next time you’re on the job hunt. If you’re currently looking for a job, you can bounce ideas off your mentor or ask for advice on how to frame your skills. Your mentor might even be more likely to suggest positions you should apply for if you’re professional, confident and inquisitive than if you hand over your resume or ask explicitly for a good word at their company. “You have to feel the vibe,” Ensher says. “And a lot of times, if you’re asking provocative, interesting questions, the mentor will offer that up.” One of the best ways to make sure you’re a good mentee is to mentor others, Ensher says. You can work with current students at your alma mater â€" in person or virtually â€" or high school students through a local nonprofit. You’ll have a greater understanding of how important it is to make the best use of a mentor’s time when you’re on the other side. You’ll also gain confidence in your growing workplace knowledge, and maybe you’ll be surprised by how much you already know when you advise others. “You have to give them feedback, you have to provide them with coaching, you have to kind of explain your thought process,” she says. “When you teach someone else, you become better at what you’re doing.” Close Modal DialogThis is a modal window. This modal can be closed by pressing the Escape key or activating the close button. More from NerdWallet: 8 Tips for Standing Out on Your First Day of Work How to Negotiate Salary and Evaluate a Job Offer Knock ‘Em Dead: The Best Job Interview Questions to Ask

How to Handle Work Anxiety - Your Career Intel

How to Handle Work Anxiety - Your Career IntelAnxiety and work seem to go hand in hand. Maybe you have a big presentation coming up. Maybe youre gunning for a promotion. Or maybe you just have a lot on your plate. No matter whats going on in the office, anxiety at work gets to us all. In fact, seven out of ten American adults report experiencing daily stress or anxiety, and about one-third report persistent stress or excessive anxiety, according to the Anxiety Disorders Association of America.But just because work anxiety is normal, doesnt mean you shouldnt try to tackle it. High levels of anxiety affect your health, your personal life and even your performance at work.As an executive recruiter, I see candidates in high stress situations all the time. Here are a few easy strategies I advise for taking your anxiety down a notch.Get Some PerspectiveHalf the time we feel anxious, we cant even put a finger on the cause. First, try to get a handle on what is causing your work anxiety. The n ask yourself the following questions Is this within my control? Are there actions that I can take to address the problem? Whats the worst that can happen? Finally, adjust your attitude and get positive. Its hard sometimes, but try to focus on only what you can control and let the rest of it go.BreatheEveryone from doctors to yogis agree on one basic cure for anxiety breathe. Long, slow, deep breaths are well proven to alleviate anxiety. Try starting and ended your day with a few minutes of deep breathing. Then take a moment to breathe any time you feel anxious throughout the day.Adjust Your DietIf youre already feeling anxious and jittery, its going to be exacerbated by poor food choices. Processed foods, sugar and caffeine could all be contributing to your to anxiety. The first few days without coffee are rough but your system adjusts quickly.ExerciseLike deep breaths, almost everyone agrees that exercise is key to relieving anxiety. It sets off all sorts of positive chemical re actions in your body not only alleviating stress but also boosting your mood and helping with overall health. Some people find it difficult to sleep if they exercise too close to bedtime, so try not to work out too late.Get organizedAnxiety often comes with a feeling of being out of control, so getting organized can help soothe your nerves. Clean your workspace, organize your email, make a to-do list and schedule out your day complete with breaks. Everything feels more doable when youre organized.Get a good nights sleepAnxiety tends to cause insomnia, but not getting enough sleep contributes to anxiety. Its a vicious circle that is important to break. First, stop looking at your phone and computer at least an hour before bedtime. This gives you time to unwind from the stresses of the workday, and screen time is also believed to reduce melatonin (the chemical that naturally makes you feel sleepy). Then, find a pre-bedtime ritual that helps you relax whether its a cup of herbal tea, f ive minutes of meditation or a hot bath.What strategies do you use to cope with work anxiety? Share them with us below.

How to Repair Your Reputation at Work After a Mistake

How to Repair Your Reputation at Work After a Mistake How to Repair Your Reputation at Work After a MistakeFollow these five steps to recover from a mistake at work.First nobodys perfect. Maybe youve made a mistake at work so egregious that you feel youll never truly recover from it. Whether you missed a deadline that caused the company to lose money or you shared information about a co-worker that caused him or her to feel betrayed, a big mistake or failure at work can be frustrating to others and cause damage to your reputation.And your reputation matters. In this digital age, insights about your work reputation appear on search engines and social media, which explains why 69 percent of employers research candidates zugnglich before making a hiring decision. Among the people you work with every day, you want to build a reputation that truly represents you and your capabilities. But how do you recover after youve let the company or your co-workers down? Here are five ways to repair your reputation and overcome mistakes youve made at work.Take responsibility for your actionsYour reputation can be damaged by poor judgment or failure to deliver on a commitment. However, it can be repaired by taking ownership of your error and accepting accountability for the consequences. Nobody likes to work with someone who blames others for their mistakes. Its one thing to acknowledge that market conditions prevented your kollektiv from meeting its sales goal, despite a great plan and a strong effort by the team. Its another thing to blame your boss if you took on a project and didnt complete it. Everybody makes mistakes and sometimes fails at the tasks they were given. When you take responsibility for your shortcomings, you allow others to establish trust in you and set the stage for repairing your reputation.ApologizeIm sorry can deliver a lot of weight when said in the right context. However, apologizing is not just about uttering those two words. You need to deliver your apology in a way that shows you possess genuine remorse no fauxpologies or Im sorry if you feel that way Its better to have a reputation for apologizing than for being unrepentant.Help yourself after a work failure by expressing an attitude of apology, even if you dont really feel it or dont think the failure was entirely your fault. For example, if you were due to give a presentation to the executive leadership team but arrived late because your printer jammed or you got stuck in the elevator, leise apologize and tell your manager youre sorry you didnt make it into the boardroom on time. When you show others you can apologize, even for the things that may not be fully under your control, you can more effectively recover from the mishap and save your reputation in the process.Related Damage Control Have You Been a Fool at Work?Do great workSometimes you make a mistake that has such negative implications that it may feel like youll never recover. In this case, taking accountability and apologizing doesnt begin to scratch the surface of reputational repair. However, even if youre the in-house attorney who failed to do proper due diligence on a company acquisition, causing a deal to fall through, there is still hope.Perhaps the only way to repair your reputation is by going the extra mile and doing your best work and more. To make restitution for previous mistakes, youll need to look for opportunities to let your positive work outweigh the negatives from the past. For example, you can volunteer to lead a new initiative, offer to help your manager with a key project, and bring added value to the team in a multitude of ways that allow them to regain their trust in you.Find a beraterA mentor can be invaluable in helping you navigate the challenges of overcoming a failure at work. If youve lost the trust of a colleague or cant seem to earn your teams respect, a mentor can provide real-time coaching and guidance to help you rebuild your credibility. In addition, if your mentor happens to work in the same company, they can also help to talk up your strengths and remind others of the value you add.Put the failure behind youWhen youve done everything you can to rebuild your reputation after a serious misstep at work, eventually youll have to put the past behind you. If you remain mired in regret over your prior actions, youll miss out on opportunities to continue the good work that earned you a strong reputation in the first place. Some of the ways you can move on include showing a willingness to talk about your past mistakes without becoming overly emotional and reflecting on past errors with a healthy dose of humor.Changing peoples perceptions of you and your work doesnt happen overnight. In fact, not everyone you work with will be your cheerleader or possess the willingness to look beyond your mistakes. The key to repairing your reputation after youve created a problem or made one worse is using a variety of methods that will help others to se e your kompetenz for redemption. When you take ownership, apologize, and do your best work, you can look beyond your most recent failure and begin to patch back together your reputation at work.Click on the following link for more advice on how to get ahead.Make sure your work mistakes arent reflected on your resume with a free resume critique. Try it todayRecommended ReadingDamage Control for Your Professional Reputation5 Habits That Can Harm Your CareerMoving Through the Challenges of Perfectionism at WorkRelated Articles

The 30-Second Trick for How to Talk when Writing a Resume

The 30-Second Trick for How to Talk when Writing a Resume At the peak of your resume, you should incorporate a career objective. Show youre serious and hard-working when it has to do with leaving a very first impression, not lazy and careless. Furthermore, you might want to rely on an executive resume writing service to help make certain you have a higher chance of landing interviewsand jobs Meanwhile, spend that energy elsewhere in the event you cant do away with it, like by working with a group of specialist executive resume writers to tweak your resume and associated documents. Dont forget, youll have a cover letter to accompany your resume, where you are able to give a more in-depth account of your background info, experience, and goals. The custom writing geschftliches miteinander consists of excellent selection of inexpensive article providers from all over the world. If you consider obtaining educational writing services on the net fundamentally you must bear in mind lots of things before plunging in head-first. Academic writing solutions accessible online may also be convenient. How to Talk when Writing a Resume at a Glance Remain observant and alert so as to assess in in case that person is easy or secretive, authentic or ambiguous. After youve made a custom of maintaining eye contact, its time to consider your body positions. A gratitude journal is a good method to keep track of all the things which youre thankful for.