Saturday, December 28, 2019
Embracing Vulnerability at Work Leads to Growth - The Muse
Embracing Vulnerability at Work Leads to Growth - The MuseEmbracing Vulnerability at Work Leads to GrowthBeing vulnerable can be scary, but its also the first step to truly connecting with others. In order to accept ourselves and one another, we need to get real.In this video, Capital One employees share how embracing vulnerability at work has helped them to grow and innovate as a team.
Tuesday, December 24, 2019
Coming Soon to a Cover Letter Near You!
Coming Soon to a Cover Letter Near YouComing Soon to a Cover Letter Near YouComing Soon to a Cover Letter Near YouThis Blog post originally ran in February 2008. With summer blockbuster season upon us, we thought it was a good time to rerun this cinematic explanation of the titelseite letter. When you go to the movies, you always binnensee previews of the coming attractions. The goal, of course, is to make each member of the audience whisper to their companion, Ooh, that looks good. I cant wait to see the movieIn career terms, your cover letter is the preview and your resume is the movie.Movie previews (or trailers) shamelessly tease us with the most dramatic scenes, the funniest jokes, or the steamiest love scenes, because those are the things that have been proven to motivate you and me to spend our time and money on movies. Previews use music, narration, and strategic dialog to work you into a frenzy of anticipation. Sometimes they even splice together parts from two different sce nes. THATs what you need to do in your cover letterTease Your AudienceA good cover letter pulls out and emphasizes the most relevant skills, accomplishments, and qualifications that appear in your resume. Shine the spotlight on the things that will intrigue your audience and pique their interest. Make your reader think, Ooh, I cant wait to see the resumeIf you have appropriate skills from two different jobs, splice them together in the cover letter. For example, if the job youre targeting calls for Sales and Marketing experience, mention those together in your cover letter, even if you did Sales at Job A and Marketing at Job B. Pay attention to the previews next time youre munching on $10 popcorn and drinking a bucket of soda. They can teach you a lot about the science of promotion
Thursday, December 19, 2019
Saturday, December 14, 2019
What to do when you think you dont matter
What to do when you think you dont matterWhat to do when you think you dont matterWhat should a meaningful life be about? Its an important question. Unfortunately, the answer is not likely to be found on social media.Artwork by John P. WeissMost of the idealized and carefully curated content on Facebook and Instagram focuses on vanity, fame and wealth. We pursue these things energetically, convinced they will bring us a meaningful life. Yet the reality is that most people will not become supermodels, nor particularly rich or famous. In fact, most of us will lead seemingly ordinary, unremarkable lives.Follow Ladders on FlipboardFollow Ladders magazines on Flipboard covering Happiness, Productivity, Job Satisfaction, Neuroscience, and moreDoes this mean ur lives wont be meaningful?Absolutely not.Something beyond theselfInstead of relying on social media for shallow answers, let us turn to some serious literature. Consider the novelMiddlemarch, by George Eliot (a pen name for Mary Ann Evans). In the novel, a character must relinquish herbei big dreams and find meaning in the small details of a faithful life, raising a family.As Eliot writes in the novelBut the effect of her being on those around her welches incalculably diffusive for the growing good of the world is partly dependent on unhistoric acts and that things are not so ill with you and me as they might have been is half owing to the number who lived faithfully a hidden life, and rest in unvisited tombs.In a New York Times article, writer Emily Smith reflected on the above quote this wayIts one of the most beautiful passages in literature, and it encapsulates what a meaningful life is about connecting and contributing to something beyond the self, in whatever humble form that may take.The meaning of life is in smallthingsThe author Tom Morris, in his article The Meaning of Life Is In Small Things, notesMost young adults wont achieve the idealistic goals theyve set for themselves. They wont become the next Mark Zuckerberg. They wont have obituaries that run in newspapers like this one. But that doesnt mean their lives will lack significance and worth. We all have a circle of people whose lives we can touch and improve and we can find our meaning inthat.Morris goes on to cite a growing body of psychology research showing that meaning in our lives doesnt come from success and glamour but in the mundane. For example, some research showed that teenagers who do household chores feel a stronger sense of purpose. Also, as Morris wrote in his articlePeople who see their occupations as an opportunity to serve their immediate community find more meaning in their work, whether its an accountant helping his client or a factory worker supporting her family with a paycheck.All the lonelypeopleOne of my favorite songs by the Beatles isEleanor Rigby.The lyrics sadly tell us of Eleanor Rigby, a seemingly forgotten soul who cleans the church after a wedding. And Father McKenzie, who seems to be writin g sermons that no one will hear. As the lyrics go on to sayEleanor Rigby, died in the churchAnd was buried along with her nameNobody cameFather McKenzie, wiping the dirtFrom his hands as he walks from the graveNo one was savedEleanor Rigby and Father McKenzie have seemingly unremarkable lives, and are viewed in the song as lonely people. Perhaps they were lonely. Perhaps they wondered if their lives had any meaning. Maybe they worried that nothing really mattered.The truth is that our lives matter a great deal.Our efforts in life tendril out and affect others in ways often unseen to us. We are changed too, by our acts. The positive, selfless ones elevate us. The negative acts drag us down. All we really have to do is live, give and forgive. That simple recipe can carry us to the finish line if we just get out of our own way.Connecting and contributing to something beyond ourselves, in whatever humble endeavors we choose, will give our lives great meaning. Money, good looks and fame are not required to create lives of significance and worth.Thousands of tinyactsA woman named Sarah Bush married a man named Daniel Johnston in 1806. They had three children but sadly, Daniel died several years later in the brechruhr epidemic. Despite the loss of her husband, Sarah managed to care for her three children and move forward.In 1819 Sarah married a widower named Thomas Lincoln, who had two children of his own. The two married, and Sarah became a wonderful stepmother to Thomass children (a boy and girl). Sarah accepted Thomass children as her own.Sarah encouraged Thomass son with his love of reading and helped shape him into a successful man. A man who would become the 16th President of the United States.Unlike the headstone for Sarah Lincolns resting place, thousands of Americans regularly visit the memorial for President Abraham Lincoln. Yet without the love and guidance of Sarah Lincoln, Abraham Lincoln may never have become such a monumental figure in history. The lov e of books she instilled in Abraham, the meals she cooked for him, the thousands of tiny acts of love and support all helped shape who Abraham became.Sarah Lincoln connected with and contributed to something beyond herself. Namely, her children and stepchildren. Her legacy is found in the family she helped shape. Every mundane act, tiny thing, and daily chore contributed to her childrens success. All of which contributed to a profoundly meaningful life.Connect and contributeIf you think that you dont matter, take a closer look at your definition of a meaningful life. Maybe youre stacking yourself up against some Hollywood star, supermodel, technology billionaire or even a wealthy neighbor. If so, youre using the wrong measurements.A meaningful life (which can also be an entirely satisfying life) does not require wealth, fame or physical beauty. Dont pay attention to TV, the gossip magazines or social media glitterati.All you have to do is connect and contribute to something beyond y ourself. It could be the parenting of your children or the growth and development of your writing or artwork. Perhaps you minister to the homeless, improve the environment or shape young minds in the classroom.The Eleanor Rigbys and Father McKenzies of the world may feel lonely at times, but their lives are meaningful, just as your life is meaningful. The trick is to not get too caught up in yourself.The size of ouruniverseAs the authorJoshua Beckerhas writtenThe size of our universe shrinks considerably when we place ourselves at the center. And the people who are most focused on themselves are the least satisfied in life.Part of the key to living a meaningful life is to help others.Its also important to figure out where your passion lies and then develop it. Embracing work or a creative calling that quickens your heart can become infectious. Others will become inspired by your passion. The author James Clear, in reviewing Mark Mansons best selling book,The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F***,wroteFinding something important and meaningful in your life is the most productive use of your time and energy. This is true because every life has problems associated with it and finding meaning in your life will help you sustain the effort you need to overcome the particular problems you face. Thus, we can say that the key to living a good life is not giving a f*** about more things, but rather, giving a f*** about the things that align with your personal values.In the end, every life is precious. Each one of us has the ability to contribute and enjoy a meaningful life. You can positively affect the lives of other people in ways you have not imagined.So, stop comparing yourself to beautiful, rich or famous people. Start tapping the unique talents and qualities that you have. Embrace your passions and gifts, and use them to help the lives of others and make the world a better place.However big, small, spectacular or mundane, your contributions matter.And so do you.(Origina lly published atJohnPWeiss.com).Before yougoImJohn P. Weiss.I draw cartoons, paint landscapes, and write about life. Thanks for reading
Monday, December 9, 2019
What You Need to Do About Good Resume Skills Beginning in the Next Seven Minutes
What You Need to Do About Good Resume Skills Beginning in the Next Seven Minutes Some skills could be relevant while others arent. In the majority of instances, your soft skills can boost your hard skills. As stated earlier, assessing soft skills is quite a bit more difficult. On the flip side, soft abilities, also referred to as interpersonal or social abilities, are those that you have as personal qualities or you get through professional experiences. If you are in possession of a wide selection of technical abilities, however, your abilities may wind up being precisely what gets you hired. If youre not certain which skills you wish to share, consider your prior experiences. Professional skills are extremely important additionally to include on your resume. Listing your skills provides a chance to showcase your abilities and experiences to prime employers for the remainder of your resume. Your skills are an overview of what you could do for the prospective employer if you were offered the work at this time. Be confident in yourself and what youre able to offer employers. Employers may wish to know the level ofcommunication skills youve got and how well you work with other folks. They look for jobseekers who love what they do and will keep at it until they solve the dicke bretter bohren mssen and get the job done. The Downside Risk of Good Resume Skills Volunteer experience can reveal that youre a great fit with the business culture. Review their About Us page and see whether your soft abilities or attributes are aligned with the providers core values. Its fast and simple to use. Thus when writing down your job skills take some time to strategize and find out the ideal approach to organize them in your resume. As you ought to be friendly with your clients, keep in mind that you arent there to share your life story. Think of why you are interested in getting the job they are providing and compose an objective that will demonstrate youve pa id attention to what they need, and you have a reason behind wanting the job. If your resume isnt up to date you may not obtain the job of your dreams. Understanding Good Resume Skills An effective communicator is frequently a great motivator, which means you may get other people to do their jobs. Soft abilities, on the flip side, arent simple to quantify. Hard skills have a tendency to be more technical, and each business or sort of job will often have its personal necessary set. The Unusual Secret of Good Resume Skills If youre on the lookout for a job for a sommelier, list your understanding of wine fundamentals and food pairing, and your experience with inventory administration. Regardless of what job you need to apply for, opportunities will open for you whether it is possible to bridge the gap and demonstrate the essential finance wisdom and technical know-how. Conflict resolution skills are a work requirement for many distinct kinds of positions. The particular ski lls you have to excel in the working world will change depending on your area. There are styles of preparing your skills section that may still show you in the very best light. In reality, there are particular jobs in which its important to set a skill section at or close to the top of the resume. Perhaps your skill set is entirely different. Then make a list of your matching skills that it is possible to incorporate in your resume. Since many job seekers may list skills in another section of their resume, in addition, it is important to weave them into descriptions under every one of your prior positions. Even when you arent actively searching for employment, your resume is a significant bit of your digital portfolio. So brush up on your resume skills and be sure that your resume is up to date whenever youre looking for employment. If needed, the capability to delegate assignments to others when needed is a portion of it. Read through it a couple of occasions and youll p robably spot three or four essential skills mentioned many times throughout the document. Its ideal to be ready The Meaning of Good Resume Skills The capability to communicate with clients and team members is critical. Show recruiters that you take your work seriously and are eager to work hard to make certain you do things right. As you proceed through the list of skills above, make a distinct list with the skills which you already possess. A superb editing job will take a small longerand some particular tactics intended to catch resume errors. The skills section of your resume shows employers youve got the abilities necessary to be successful in the function. Show which you have skills about the job which you would like. Technical skills are either something youve got or you dont, but theyre always something which youre able to learn. 3 First, you have to select the best skills for your resume. Top Choices of Good Resume Skills Most jobs require that you have a fundam ental comprehension of computer programs like Excel and Microsoft Office, and skills in internet navigation, social networking sites and email systems. Listed below are six of the fruchtwein crucial, listed in the order of importance depending on the outcomes of the survey. If you cant locate a solution which works for the customer, help them locate extra assistance. Dependent on the recommendation of our expert sources, here are a couple of broad classes of skills your resume could include, together with unique methods to express them. The Basic Principles of Good Resume Skills You Can Benefit From Beginning Right Away If youre trying hard to think of any, you can attempt employing the job descriptions of ads inside your industry, along with looking at LinkedIn profiles of individuals working in similar roles. When youre in the middle of a work search, picking out the pieces of your work history that may attract employers and land you a job interview can be difficult. So yo ure on the work market and youre confident that youre a superb candidate for the job which you would like. Just remember to double-check whether adding social media to your particular resume is suitable for the job
Wednesday, December 4, 2019
Why Nobody Is Discussing Writing a Bad Objective Statement in a Resume for Retail
Why Nobody Is Discussing Writing a Bad Objective Statement in a Resume for Retail Life, Death and Writing a Bad Objective Statement in a Resume for Retail As someone in the retail industry, you may not be koranvers whether to incorporate a resume objective. Possessing a brief statement or overview at the start of your resume is a good way to demonstrate your abilities and experience and show the hiring manager the value you will bring to the position. A resume objective can explain why youre qualified for the job, even if its the case that you do not own a lot of related experience. Everything about your resume is selling one product you and if you are trying to work in retail, you want to prove that you understand just what is necessary to sell yourself. What to Expect From Writing a Bad Objective Statement in a Resume for Retail? As a result, while your resume objective should consist of information on the career that you would like, you also need to spell out why you are the perfect candidate for the job. Just make sure you tailor your objective to the particular sales job youre applying for. The resume summary is simply a bridge to have the hiring manager in your experience. Thus the resume objective for retail must also emphasize the customer centric information. The New Fuss About Writing a Bad Objective Statement in a Resume for Retail Youll also have guidance about how to craft all other resume sections. In most instances, a resume objective is simply a couple of sentences long. You might not know where to start in regards to writing a resume objective. An objective is a brief statement that clarifies your goals about the sort of employment desired and the way in which your skills make you a nice fit. Keep in mind, its about short and sweet. Your resume was made to sell a single productyou. Writing a Bad Objective Statement in a Resume for Retail - What Is It? Our resume builder will provide you with tips and examples on the best way to compose your resume summary. A resume summary is occasionally called an executive summary, particularly for upper-level positions. While your resume should include your experience and abilities, you will also wish to get a summary statement that gives employers a reason to find out mora about you. 1 A resume summary is a brief, snappy introduction paragraph that offers a summary of your very best work. The Upside to Writing a Bad Objective Statement in a Resume for Retail One of the hazards of a resume objective is that it is possible to focus too much on what you would like in your career, and not enough on how you are going to add value to the business. You need your resume to get an effect on the hiring manager reviewing it, so make certain your objective states a clearly defined goal. In the end, stating an objective is optional, but it might help convince employers that you understand what you need and understand the business. To begin with, it has the incorrect focus.
Saturday, November 30, 2019
Revenue Velocity and Its Impact on Corporate Strategy
Revenue Velocity and Its Impact on Corposatz StrategyRevenue Velocity and Its Impact on Corporate StrategySome securities brokerage firms, most notablyMerrill Lynch, have used revenue velocity for many decades asa key measure of profitability. In this formulation, velocity represents the return onclient assets. Originally, it wasproduction creditvelocity, or production credits divided by the client assets in custody (that is, on deposit) at the firm. Stated in another way, this version of velocity is the return on client assets enjoyed by the firm. As Applied at Merrill Lynch Velocitycalculations were made at the aggregate firm-wide level, for the entirebook of businessheld by a givenfinancial advisor, and for individual clients. Fluctuations in aggregate velocity were monitored very closely by the controllers organization and the management reporting systems, and forecasts of trends in velocity were critical inputs to predictive financial models and profit projections. As the fi rmsmanagement reportingand profitability analysis systems and methodologies evolved and became more sophisticated, more focus began to be placed on revenue velocity rather than production credit velocity. This became advisable as the firm imposed an increasing number of fees that did not generate production credits, and as executive management began to recognize that, in transactions where production credits were indeed awarded to the financial advisor, the actual ratio of production credits to underlying revenue could vary significantly by product. Velocity in Economics Velocity, as applied in securities brokerage firms, is an application of a concept in monetary economics called the velocity of money. This fundamental theorem posits that the total value of transactions in an economy equals the stock of money times its velocity or the rate at which it changes hands. The theorem is written in this form M x V P x Q Where M is the stock of money, V is the velocity of money, P is the average price per transaction and Q is the total quantity of transactions. The brokerage application can be written A x V R Where A is the value of client assets, V is the revenue velocity on those assets, and R is the total revenue earned. Impact on Corporate Strategy The upshot of the focus on the velocity at Merrill Lynch was the development of an asset gathering strategy, working on the theory that more client assets in custody would yield more revenue. Accordingly, the financial advisor compensation plan was adjusted, rewarding financial advisors for the collection of net new assets in their clients accounts. Additionally, studies by management science of revenue and profit velocity by client segment and by individual client led to yet more insights that challenged traditional marketing strategy. That is, it was found that velocity, however, measured, declined significantly as the assets of a client or client household rose. parte of this was the result of the discount s either negotiated by or automatically granted to high net worth clients. Partly this was the result of trading activity generally declining as a proportion of assets, as assets grew. In either case, significantly lower revenue and profit velocities among high net worth clients challenged the notion that gathering assets by courting them was a preferable strategy to accumulating the same amount of assets by seeking out larger numbers of smaller clients. Going the latter route would produce significantly higher velocities on the same aggregate amount of assets.
Monday, November 25, 2019
5 Ways to Keep the Job Search Blues at Bay
5 Ways to Keep the Job Search Blues at Bay5 Ways to Keep the Job Search Blues at BayDont let the long days slow your job search. Use these tips to stay focused.Are the job search blues getting you down? Youre not alone.According to Dr. Norman E. Rosenthal, MD, a clinical professor of psychiatry for Georgetown University Medical School and a medical director at the Capital Clinical Research Associates, six percent of U.S. adults suffer from seasonal affective disorder (SAD), a type of seasonal depression that saps your energy during the chose and winter months. An additional 14 percent are affected by a lesser form of these seasonal mood changes.Even if you arent diagnosed with these conditions, its easy to feel a little unmotivated on cold, dark, wintery days. Dont let these winter blues sabotage your career or job search. Here are five ways to stay motivated this season.Lighten upConsider investing in a light therapy box to combat the effects of SAD. These boxes simulate outdoor lig ht, which has been known to cause a chemical change in the brain and offset some of the SAD symptoms. Additionally, keep your workspace and home bright open the blinds on your windows. If possible, move your desk close to a window or skylight to give you maximum exposure to the natural light.Stay activeAs Tony Robbins would say, change your state, change your mind. Exercise is a great way to feel good and relieve stress. Discover which workouts you enjoy and will do regularly, and invest in a club membership, group classes, or an instructional DVD related to the activity. The extra endorphin release will naturally boost your mood. If that isnt enough motivation, enlist an exercise buddy to help you stay committed.Find your motivating toolEveryone is motived by something different, so its important to understand what motivates you, and use that to your advantage during the winter months. Do you appreciate recognition? Feel best when youve won something? Is innerhalb peace and stress release what you need? Think about what you personally strive for, and the situations that have made you feel good in the past. Incorporate activities into your routine that will help you attain these positive feelings.Set goals and milestonesIdentify one major goal to work towards during the winter season, such as advancing your career or switching jobs altogether. Create smaller, more digestible milestones and activities that you can track on a weekly basis. When you break your goal into more digestible tasks, youre less likely to become overwhelmed and give up.Reward yourselfTreat yourself as you meet each milestone. Your rewards can vary based on your progress. For example, you might start with something small like treating yourself to your favorite dessert or a celebratory drink with a close friend holding you to your goal, and then commit to rewarding yourself to a weekend getaway in a sunny, warm place once you meet your big goal. Not only will this keep you motivated, but t he nicer climate is sure to lift your spirits.
Thursday, November 21, 2019
How to see the us in them
How to binnensee the us in themHow to see the us in themHospitals are supposed to nurse patients back to life.But most hospital rooms do the opposite. They are featureless, soulless white rooms lit by headache-inducing fluorescent lights.One healthcare organization set out to do something about this problem. They brought in the prestigious global plan firm IDEO to redesign the patient experience. The hospital executives were probably expecting IDEO to deliver a stylish PowerPoint presentation with creative new designs for the hospital rooms.Follow Ladders on FlipboardFollow Ladders magazines on Flipboard covering Happiness, Productivity, Job Satisfaction, Neuroscience, and moreInstead, what they got was a mind-numbing six-minute video clip. The video showed nothing but the ceiling of a hospital room. When you lie in a hospital bed all day, IDEOs Chief Creative Officer Paul Bennettexplained, all you do is look at the roof, and its a really shitty experience.What Bennett describes as a blinding glimpse of the bleeding obvious came after IDEO employees put themselves in a patients shoes. An IDEO designer checked into the hospital as a patient and lay in an actual patient bed for hours, getting wheeled around, staring at the ceiling tiles, and capturing the abysmal experience on a video camera. The six-minute clip of the dull tiles was a small glimpse of the overall patient journey- a mix of boredom and anxiety from feeling lost, uninformed, and out of control, as IDEOs CEO Tim Brownsaid.Six minutes of footage was sufficient for the hospital employees to spring into action. They decorated the ceilings, put up whiteboards for visitors to leave messages to the patients, and transformed the style and color of the patient rooms to make them more personal. They also put rear-view mirrors on hospital stretchers to allow patients to see and connect with the doctors and nurses wheeling them around. IDEOs presentation ultimately kickstarted a broader discussion to improve t he overall patient experience so that patients were treated less like objects to be positioned and allocated, and more like people in stress and pain, Brown explained.IDEOs approach to redesigning the patient journey carries important lessons for us all. Everything we observe in the world is through our own eyes. In our professional lives, we look at our products and services from our perspective- not the perspective of our customers. In our personal lives, we refuse to make eye contact with people of different persuasions- let alone see the world through their eyes. As a result, it becomes exceedingly difficult to see someone elses truth.The solution doesnt require a huge budget or enormous resources. You can follow IDEOs lead and proverbially become a patient for the day. If you work at a sportswear company, walk a mile in your competitors shoes and ask yourself why some might rightfully choose to wear them over your brand. If youre an airline executive, call the customer service line and endure the excruciating experience of pressing numerous buttons to escape the automated prompts, only to be rewarded by waiting on hold for 45 minutes. If you want to improve a piece of software, as IDEOs founder David Kelleyputs it, watch people using it and see when they grimace.I could go on. If youre a politician devising immigration policy, stay in a refugee camp overnight. If youre a policymaker working on disability rights, put yourself in a wheelchair for an entire day. If youre a Democrat, spend a weekend in Trump country (and vice versa), engage with the voters, and listen- reallylisten- with no agenda to persuade.When were busy creating PowerPoint decks and organizational charts, when were lost in focus groups and survey results, its easy to forget theres a human dimension to everything we do.Empathy doesnt require any grand gestures. All it takes is a desire to see the truth instead of the convenient and to feel what the other person feels for the briefest of mo ments.Inspiration My podcast interview withRob Walker, the author ofThe Art of Noticing 131 Ways to Spark Creativity, Find Inspiration, and Discover Joy in the Everyday.Ozan Varol is a rocket scientist turned law professor and bestselling author.Click hereto download a free copy of his e-book, The Contrarian Handbook 8 Principles for Innovating Your Thinking. Along with your free e-book, youll get the Weekly Contrarian - a newsletter that challenges conventional wisdom and changes the way we look at the world (plus access to exclusive content for subscribers only).This article originally appeared on Ozan Varol.You might also enjoyNew neuroscience reveals 4 rituals that will make you happyStrangers know your social class in the first seven words you say, study finds10 lessons from Benjamin Franklins daily schedule that will double your productivityThe worst mistakes you can make in an interview, according to 12 CEOs10 habits of mentally strong people
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