How to Get a Promotion (Without Working Longer Hours)

How to Get a Promotion (Without Working Longer Hours) If you’ve been slogging away at the office, working long hours in the hope your good efforts will mark you out for promotion, you could be doing it all wrong. Unless you are an Olympic athlete, feats of strength and stamina are unlikely to be what your boss is looking for. Many of todays business leaders are looking for something more than a workforce to carry out certain tasks. They want somebody that is on-message, loyal and adaptable. Your priority needs to be abiout ensuring your boss knows what it is that makes you special,rather than just putting in hours of additional grunt work that may not even be noticed! Strategise! If you’ve set your eye on a new position, you need a strategy. And there is a mantra you need to hold in mind throughout your campaign: work smarter, not harder. If you can establish yourself as a unique but highly suitable candidate for promotion, you will place yourself heads and shoulders above workhorses who are destined to remain where they are most needed â€" doing the simple, repetitive work that you want to leave behind. Your strategy, then, should begin with identifying just what ‘smarter working means to your organization. What are the firm’s core values, and what measures do they have in place to honor them? What are their achievements right now â€" and their goals for the future? What ideas can you bring to the table to help the company move in this direction? Get inspired If you’re short of inspiration or you’re not sure how to apply new  insights, think about who else has been promoted before you. Of course, you need to be promoted on your own strengths, and you will soon get found out if you thoughtlessly emulate the behavior of the last guy or girl who rose from your position. But if you notice that there are certain skills that are frequently found among those who’ve been recently promoted, these could be areas to work on. Once you’ve started this period of self-development â€" learning the way your company works and the skills you must develop to proceed â€" be sure to be open about it. This is not a stealth game. Without showing off or sucking up, make sure your boss and the people around you know that you are improving the way you work and that you are focused on the company goals. If you don’t tell them, they  might never know. Ask for feedback A great way to go about it is to seek feedback from those above. Ask for advice on how to get training in the areas you’ve identified for improvement, and run your regular work past them from time to time to see if there are any areas you need to tweak. Companies promote not just employees who seem to fit a new role, but those who show a desire to grow into that role â€" and into subsequent positions as they gain experience. Your loyalty and ambition will not go unnoticed, if your employers are aware of your daily efforts. Think of the bigger picture If you’ve noticed that most of these strategies seem a little focused on yourself, your instincts are right: while these are smart techniques for improving your shot at promotion, they are useless by themselves. Working in a company is about co-operation and collaboration. Share your ideas with others, and develop together where possible. If you miss out on the promotion this time around, the person who gets it may be in a position to help you in future â€" if they know you are a team player. Honor the strengths of the company as a whole, because if you’re identified as a self-interested careerist your peers will be wary of lending you the trust you need. These tips and more are explored in CashnetUSAs  new infographic  that lays out some key techniques in an easy to follow style. It’s well worth referring back to as you build your profile at the workplace â€" and refine your daily activities to become the kind of worker that bosses want to promote. About the author: Marilyn Vinch is a freelance writer and HR specialist. She works for several marketing and public relations agencies, supporting their content teams. She writes about leadership, careers and personal development, and has a knack for productivity and time management techniques.   Courtesy of: CashNetUSA

Tips For Choosing Resume Writing Services

Tips For Choosing Resume Writing ServicesResume writing services are a new way to get work. Through the use of modern technology, employers are hiring individuals to write their resumes for them. These professionals can be used to write or edit your resume.Resume writing services, as the name implies, are available online, though many are available in traditional office spaces. The kind of service that you choose is completely up to you and your needs.There are services that specialize in writing resumes, but you should make sure that they are able to meet your specific needs before you sign on with a company's online resume writing service. There are also certain things to look for in a good resume service, such as ease of use, responsiveness, and integrity.Before you start looking for a service, you need to decide what the purpose of your search will be. Is it for resume writing services? Or, are you looking for creative services for custom resume writing? You will also need to det ermine what you want to highlight about your resume.You may be concerned with getting the information across clearly. By doing this, you can rest assured that the person viewing your resume will not have to struggle to get the information he or she needs. You may have a professional writer to do the work for you, but you may still want to emphasize certain elements.This can include things like how long you have been employed, which companies you worked for, and the salary range at which you were working. Your resume should also contain information that is related to your past experiences, such as educational achievements, such as diplomas, certificates, and even high school diplomas. Your experience with the company is also important.Finally, you will want to look for a service that will give you full editorial control over your resume. You can have a particular word, phrase, or idea included in your resume that the service does not provide. This would be ideal if you wanted to emph asize specific parts of your resume, such as your work history. These services can usually edit the resume and make changes to it at any time prior to submission.A resume can be a key to getting a job. Make sure you find the best one for you, so you can be prepared to answer all your future interviews and land a new job.

Negotiate With Ease and a Smile! - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career

Negotiate With Ease and a Smile! - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career Building your brand is about consistency in everything we do. I’m going to bridge this to the fact we each negotiate many times during the day but most people fail to recognize this. And then they hinder their outcome telling themselves, “I’m afraid to negotiate.” This is inconsistent with reality. Old school negotiations The reason most people shy away from negotiation is due to the old model of needing to berate the product or service you are attempting to purchase and letting the seller know that they are “lucky” you are there to take it off their hands. I’ve purchased a few cars this way, however, it certainly isn’t a pleasant experience. My preferred style is a modern one where I strive to build the relationship with the other party to get more accurate information of where they stand. Only then am I able to put a reasonable request in for what I want and know it will initially be at the very least close to acceptable. Every time you make a request or express an opinion you are selling. The act of selling most often is a stage of negotiation. So when you ask a friend to go to a movie and provide reasons such as, “It’s your favorite actor, you love comedy”, or ”it will do you good to get out…” you are selling the idea and negotiating an agreement for your friend to join you at the movie. The first key factor for making a sale, obtaining a job offer or negotiating is: You must first speak to the other persons:   Needs, Wants and Deep Down Desires The second key factor is: Remain true to your beliefs, level of integrity â€" components of your brand. By questioning, clarifying and truly understanding the other party’s needs, wants and deep down desires, will you be successful in obtaining that which you desire. You will not have to accept the lowest possible salary offer or give away services without profit or find it a requirement to purchase at a very high price. Full understanding When you fully understand your prospects position on everything pertaining to the subject at hand, you will be in a far better position to negotiate a fair deal for all concerned. In sales we call this a win-win. In my opinion, business is not about making a huge one-time sale or deal but rather possessing the mindset of encouraging a win for all concerned so that you will enjoy repeat business, referrals and testimonials. This is the hallmark of a dynamic business and the aspiration for every job seeker so that they may enjoy a lucrative career. As your conversation builds in a natural dialogue, you uncover what is of importance to your prospect and gain insight of how to position your offer. Due to your listening skills, whether you are buying or selling, the other party senses you “get” what they want. They then relax believing you are trustworthy and have the confidence you are the person with whom they wish to work. Negotiating in this manner and with a smile in your voice, you will find success comes easily. Author: Elinor Stutz is the CEO of Smooth Sale, LLC a motivational speaker and the author of the International Best-Selling book, “Nice Girls DO Get the Sale: Relationship Building That Gets Results” published by Sourcebooks. Elinor’s new book, “HIRED! How to Use Sales Techniques to Sell Yourself On Interviews” is based upon years of community service teaching job-seekers how to land the job they desire. Elinor provides team sales training, private coaching to grow you business, and is available upon request for consultation.

6 Rules for Addressing a Cover Letter - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career

6 Rules for Addressing a Cover Letter - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career While perusing the job advertisements of your favorite career site, you’ve just found a position that seems tailor-made for you. That’s a common scenario, but unfortunately, one that often strikes fear into the hearts of even the most seasoned job seekers. After all, there are a lot of steps to go through between locating a job and actually getting it. One of the first involves addressing a cover letter appropriately. Addressing it properly is important because first impressions can make a big difference. However, being unsure how to get started could create a big roadblock. That’s especially true when you need to write a cover letter that does not go to a specific person. Fortunately, after reading the essential rules below, you’ll feel well-equipped to write a cover letter that shows recruiters and hiring managers you’re in this career-bettering game to win a job that meets or exceeds your hopes and dreams. Don’t Call the Company to Get a Name For years, you’ve probably heard about how important it is to not just come across professionally when writing a cover letter, but to also make your content authentic. It shouldn’t seem like a particular cover letter is the same one you’ve given to numerous other hiring managers, without even a sentence of personalization. However, it’s not necessary to call the company to find out the name of the person doing the hiring. Hiring managers may see that as overkill, and you’re not likely to lose points if the letter is not addressed to the hiring manager by name. Do Your Research The tip above doesn’t let you off the hook and permit you to use a totally generic greeting in all cases. In the Internet age, it’s usually easier than you may think to figure out the name of the person responsible for hiring. Start by tapping into resources like LinkedIn. Doing a Google search or looking at the company’s website to check for biographies of employees are also useful things to try. If it is not clear which person is hiring for your desired position, address your letter to the individual who’s the head of the respective department. That shows you went to a lot of effort, and even if someone at a lower level in the department is handling hiring duties, you shouldn’t be at fault for addressing your letter to a person who’s higher up. Don’t Assume a Human Resources Professional Is the Recipient If you have hunted for a specific name thoroughly but still come up blank, avoid simply addressing the letter, “Dear HR Professional.” That greeting may not be accurate, because there’s a chance the person who’s hiring for this position doesn’t normally work in human resources. If you are in this situation, it’s preferable to instead refer to the recipient as a hiring manager. Even if the person does not ordinarily handle hiring, he or she is doing that in this instance, so the greeting works. Be Careful With Gender-Specific Titles Err on the side of caution if you find out the name of the hiring manager but realize you’re still not sure of the person’s gender. For example, the names Shelby and Shannon are just two of dozens of names that could be given to either a man or woman. If you’re lucky enough to find a picture of the hiring manager along with the name, it may help you determine the individual’s gender with certainty. If you’re not that fortunate, avoid starting with Mr., Mrs., Sir, Madam, Ms. or Miss. Instead, just use the person’s full name by saying, for example, “Dear Shannon Smith.” Maintain Formality When Addressing Multiple People A job posting may outline how the hiring process will go and mention you will only be contacted for an interview if your skills and experience can impress a hiring committee. In that case, don’t assume it’s okay to begin your letter with a “Hello,” or “Hi,” just because you’re addressing several people instead of one. Use the same language that was described to you in the job ad when making your greeting. If the listing for the open job says, “Qualified applicants will be contacted no later than August 31 after the selection panel narrows down the candidate pool,” address your letter by saying, “Dear Selection Panel,” or “Dear Selection Panel Members.” Going with that approach doesn’t just demonstrate you took care to be professional. It also shows you have read the job advertisement thoroughly and have a clear understanding of what it’ll take to be hired. Proofread Carefully to Check for Misspelled Names You could negate all the hard work performed to address a cover letter as completely as possible just by failing to spell the name carefully. Academy Award-nominated actor Chiwetel Ejiofor is a case in point when it comes to reminding us all how many names are difficult to spell. All parts of your cover letter should be proofread extremely diligently to check for mistakes and sections that may be unclear. However, many people just glance quickly over the part of a cover letter that addresses the recipient. It’s such a small part of the overall composition that it’s understandable you might just tell yourself, “I’m sure that’s spelled right,” without actually checking it. However, that’s a very dangerous stance to take. You can be sure if you did happen to spell the addressee’s name wrong, he or she will immediately notice that blunder. A properly addressed cover letter doesn’t guarantee you’ll get a job, of course, but it’ll more than likely give you a leg up on candidates who weren’t so careful with the opening of their letters. Rather than automatically going with an overly formal and generic address such as, “To Whom It May Concern,” use the advice above to show you’re willing to work harder than many to stand out from the pack.

Resume Writing For Computer Skills

Resume Writing For Computer SkillsThe concept of resume writing for computer skills has to do with programming, graphics and other computer-related tasks. It may sound like a lot of work to the computer illiterate, but it is in fact a real skill. People who write resumes are not only typing these documents for the purpose of finding employment. They understand that a computer program can make life easier and possibly save lives, if you are ever in an emergency situation.There are thousands of people who claim to be skilled in resume writing for computer skills. Some may be actually writing these documents. There are even plenty of schools that will teach computer skills, such as Excel, Word, and Outlook.Writing a resume can be a difficult task for anyone. Many people think that writing resumes is too complicated to do. But, if you keep reading this article, you'll soon find out that it really isn't all that hard at all.Many of the things that you would use when writing a resume can a lso be used to enhance your resume writing for computer skills. You should know that any amount of writing will help you. This is because you're going to want to use everything that you know on your resume.Some people mistakenly think that they need to purchase software or an application to help them write their resume. It's true that certain applications have been developed to help you with this. However, using these programs is a waste of money.By writing the resume yourself, you will be able to get rid of the cost of hiring someone else to help you. Even if you do hire outside help, you will still be able to use your computer skills to write your resume. And, if you have the ability to type, you can find several great programs that are online.It is possible to write a resume without being able to type at all. However, you will still have to learn how to organize your thoughts and what information you want to include. In most cases, learning how to use a word processor is better t han writing the resume on your own.Resume writing for computer skills is a skill that any person can learn to do. Of course, it's going to take some time. But, it can be done. So, give it a try.

Managers Have time for your people - The Chief Happiness Officer Blog

Managers Have time for your people - The Chief Happiness Officer Blog Do you have time for your employees? Or do you have more important things to do? John from Seattle wrote a frustrated comment at my blog some time ago. One of his colleagues at a huge IT project is simply not cutting it: He is always late, he never meets his deadlines and he doesn?t respect agreements. John has raised these issues with his colleague several times without any success, and now he feels that it?s time for his manager to step in. And John?s manager would very much like to discuss this with him the next time he has a bit of space left in his schedule ? which is in three weeks! That?s not good enough because in the meantime John grows more and more frustrated having to do his own job as well as that of his incompetent colleague. John is this close to just quitting ? and the company is close to losing a valuable employee just because his manager hasn?t got time to talk to him. A few years ago The Danish Association of Managers and Executives published a study showing that 60% of Danish managers have too little time for their work because they spend too much time on their employees. What a load of nonsense! As a manager, your employees are your job. Your very first priority is to keep them happy and productive. Of course all managers have other things to do as well, but if you put your own assignments above those of your immediate subordinates, the result will be an increase in one person?s efficiency (yours) at the expense of that of 10-20 others (depending on how many you are responsible for). If you?re not 10-20 times more productive than them, that?s a really bad idea. So you need to have time for your people every single day. Time for two things: creating and maintaining good, friendly relations and handling any crises that may arise. Some of the world?s top executives have already caught on: Marissa Mayer, in her time at Google opened her office door every afternoon between 4 and 5.30. There was a signup sheet on the wall and couches and WiFi in the hall outside so people could work while they waited. During this hour and a half, all Google employees could present their questions, doubts, wishes or ideas. A few years ago, IKEA held a European executive meeting in their store in Gentofte, Denmark, and founder Ingvar Kamprad was present too. When the meeting ends, Ingvar takes a stroll through the store, kindly and smilingly greeting each and every employee. He encounters two female employees talking to each other and approaches them with a smile and the words: ?And what are too such lovely ladies talking about then?? ? following up with giant hug for them both. Not bad for a man who?s a multi-billionaire in charge of well over 100,000 people worldwide ? and 86 years old. Many managers believe that it?s enough to just proclaim that ?My door is open?. Well, it?s a good start, but your schedule is also open ? or do you have wall-to-wall meetings for many weeks to come? So what exactly can YOU do make time for your employees? I?ve got two simple and effective tips for you: Tip No. 1: Say good morning! A kind greeting from the boss has a completely amazing effect. But it?s not enough to just put your head through the door and yell good morning to the room in general. Walk the aisles and give each and every employee a personal greeting. Shake hands, look people in the eyes, and connect with people ? ?Did you have a nice weekend??; ?Did you watch the game yesterday??; ?Is your son doing better??. Tip No. 2: Reserve five minutes for an employee every day ? without any particular agenda. Just talk to a new one every day, simply to find out how things are going. You can make a list to help you keep on top of whom you have talked to and when and ensure that you get around to everybody eventually. This will strengthen your relationship with all your employees, but you will also hear a lot that you might not have been told otherwise. Do these steps sound trivial? Well, you?re right, they are ? but that?s why they work! They?re so simple, they cost nothing, they take (almost) no time at all, and every manager can do them. And if you don?t think you can find time for them, my answer is simple too: You can?t afford not to! How many good employees do you risk losing if you haven?t got time for them? And how much will it cost you to replace them? Thanks for visiting my blog. If you're new here, you should check out this list of my 10 most popular articles. And if you want more great tips and ideas you should check out our newsletter about happiness at work. It's great and it's free :-)Share this:LinkedInFacebookTwitterRedditPinterest Related

Colbert cartoons insults Danes - The Chief Happiness Officer Blog

Colbert cartoons insults Danes - The Chief Happiness Officer Blog Last night, american TV-pundit Stephen Colbert on his show The Colbert Report attempted to fix the growing controversy over the Muhammed cartoons by insulting Denmark with his own scribblings. In two cartoons, which he drew himself, he managed to offend such major Danish icons as Hamlet, Hans Christian Andersen and Queen Margrethe. To top it off, he even went after Lars von Trier. We Danes cannot let this pass. Colbert admits to being afraid of muslim retaliation lets show him that Danes are not to be trifled with either. You can see the segment here but be warned, it is strong stuff. (5MB, 1 min, wmv). I hereby declare a special Danish Fatwah over Stephen Colbert, to be removed only after he apologizes unreservedly to all of Denmark. Sign your name in the comments, to support our protest! If you have any ideas for specific Danish penalties we might threaten Colbert with, please add those also. Maybe we can exploit his irrational fear of bears. (Image taken from Madsenblog who also spotted these horrible slurs). Thanks for visiting my blog. If you're new here, you should check out this list of my 10 most popular articles. And if you want more great tips and ideas you should check out our newsletter about happiness at work. It's great and it's free :-)Share this:LinkedInFacebookTwitterRedditPinterest Related