Job Search Organizer Video What is JibberJobber

Job Search Organizer Video What is JibberJobber Today I recorded 4 more videos for the LinkedIn DVD. PREORDER the second edition of LinkedIn for Job Seekers, the DVD at a discount. Check out all the specials here After almost four years I finally did what Ive been asked to do by many, many people. I didnt do it earlier because I had simply run out of creativity.  But recently I started doing video recordings again and I thought I CAN DO THIS. And so I did. Thanks to Julie Walraven, resume writer and career coach, for being the first person to put this on a website (even before I put it up!). Enjoy! Job Search Organizer Video What is JibberJobber Today I recorded 4 more videos for the LinkedIn DVD. PREORDER the second edition of LinkedIn for Job Seekers, the DVD at a discount. Check out all the specials here After almost four years I finally did what Ive been asked to do by many, many people. I didnt do it earlier because I had simply run out of creativity.  But recently I started doing video recordings again and I thought I CAN DO THIS. And so I did. Thanks to Julie Walraven, resume writer and career coach, for being the first person to put this on a website (even before I put it up!). Enjoy! Job Search Organizer Video What is JibberJobber Today I recorded 4 more videos for the LinkedIn DVD. PREORDER the second edition of LinkedIn for Job Seekers, the DVD at a discount. Check out all the specials here After almost four years I finally did what Ive been asked to do by many, many people. I didnt do it earlier because I had simply run out of creativity.  But recently I started doing video recordings again and I thought I CAN DO THIS. And so I did. Thanks to Julie Walraven, resume writer and career coach, for being the first person to put this on a website (even before I put it up!). Enjoy!

Vacation Request Email Template - Algrim.co

Vacation Request Email Template - Algrim.co Asking for vacation time by email can be difficult. You don’t want to come across as lacking passion for the environment. Or your work. But at the same time, you want to make sure your manager knows that you need a little break. In this short writeup we’re going to cover what you need to know about writing an effective vacation request email, what should go inside your email, a simple template to use for writing your own, and tips you should know before writing your own. Let’s jump right in! Before You Send Your Email Before you send your email, here are a few things you should consider: Is it the right time to request vacation time? If you’re involved in a major project or have a significant amount of work on your plate, it might not be a great time to ask for vacation time, unless it is weeks or months from the date of your email. Did you fill out a Employee Time-Off Request Form? Some companies want you to fill out a form that tells your employer or HR team the exact dates you’re requesting off and the reason for doing so. This form includes the current date, your signature, and your printed name. In addition, your employer may approve or deny your request with this form. Be sure your company doesn’t require you to submit one of these forms before you send your email. If you aren't certain, contact one of the professionals on your Human Resources team asking about your vacation policies and requirements for requesting time off. Make sure your last vacation wasn’t too recent. It could look poorly upon you as an employee if your last vacation was a few weeks ago. Try to schedule your vacations with enough time apart so you don’t appear to have lost interest in your work. What Your Email Should Say When writing your email, consider the perspective of the manager. Do they have a significant amount of work that needs to get done? Are you behind on your work? Is your requested time going to be a good time for the business? Think through these factors before you send your email. This could impact the perception your manager has on you and whether or not they approve the request. Here are a few things your email should say: The reason why you want time off. Like regular vacation time, a wedding, visiting family. The specific dates you have in mind. Be sure this is bold and clear. Ask whether or not this will be a good time to take a vacation. If you aren’t sure whether or not this is a good time to take a vacation, ask your manager in this email. Be sure you mention you filled out an Employee Time-Off Request Form if your company requires it. Vacation or Time-Off Request Email Template Here is a simple template and sample you can use as a reference to write your own vacation request email. Dear Josh â€" My family recently decided they wanted to have a reunion this summer. And I’m wondering if I might be able to take a few days off to go visit them. The reunion is July 1st through July 7th of this year. Would this be a good time to take a vacation? If so, I’d love to make sure our Human Resources department is aware of it and I would gladly communicate my vacation dates to them upon your approval. Thank you so much Josh, Peter

On the Job by Anita Bruzzese How to Be Successful Even When Under Stress

On the Job by Anita Bruzzese How to Be Successful Even When Under Stress Got stress? If youre like 75% of other Americans, youve experienced moderate to high levels of stress in the past month, and often lie awake at night because of it. Trying to balance the demands of your work and family life can stretch even the strongest among us to the breaking point. But there is a way to be successful and productive even when under stress, says Sharon Melnick, PhD and author of Success Under Stress: Powerful Tools for Staying Calm, Confident, and Productive When the Pressures On. In her book she writes that stress is not necessarily the result of too much work or continual interruptions, but rather when the demands of your situation exceed your perceived ability to control them. Every challenge, she writes, can be divided into the 50% you can control and the 50% you cannot. In this interview with Anita Bruzzese, Melnick offers strategies to cope: In the book you address being impeccable for the 50% you can control when faced with a challenge. What do you mean by this? SM: We face so manystresses in our lives. The average business professional has 30 to 100 projects on their plate, gets interrupted on average seven times an hour and faces increased competition and rapid changes in their business. On top of that, 65 million of us are too wound up to sleep through the night so we walk around exhausted, and plenty of us have at least one person in our lives who drives us nuts! The key to having success under stress is controlling what you CAN control. You can practice this by dividing every challenge into two parts: the aspects of the situation that you can control, such ashow you communicate, and the aspects that you cant control, such as other peoples reactions. Then, make sure that you are effective in what you are doing before you ever allow yourself to lose time and focus in frustration over what is not in your control. AB: Many people feel stress because they feel trapped in their situation, whether its a bad boss or a demanding schedule. You say there are ways to keep a positive outlook and be happy even when the situation is negative. Can you give a couple of tips on how to do this? SM: 1. See if you can turn that situation on its head in order to make it work for you. Look for a whats in it for me? How can you use the company instead of feeling used by them? You too can turn an obstacle into opportunity! 2. You may be stuck in a bad situation because you have not exercised the choices that you do have in the situation. If you are trapped in a relationship situation at work or at home, have you used themost effective influencing techniquesto persuade that person to support you, or have you just been hoping the other person will change? Have you set up constraints that are of your own making? Could you use your same skills in a new industry or start a side business? For example, instead of just being another coach, I now coach thousands of people to be productive under stress. 3. Scientists estimate we have about 60,000 thoughts a day. That self-talk you have all day long is like listening to a mental iPod. What tunes are playing on your mental iPod(read the rest here)

4 Tips for Onboarding Remote Employees

4 Tips for Onboarding Remote Employees To adapt to new jobs, new employees need to undergo an onboarding program. Without it, they will have a hard time getting to know both their co-workers and their tasks. Local hires are usually welcomed in person so that employers can answer their questions and make introductions. However, remote workers usually have a less engaging orientation. As the barrier of physical distance makes communication challenging, remote workers cannot adapt to their new environment that easily. Let ´s take a look at why onboarding is important and what you can do to implement that process for your remote workers. The importance of onboarding Internet technology has brought about immediate communication over great distances, whether through chat or video conference. This has led to more and more organizations hiring virtual employees â€" the talent pool has widened and that’s a great thing.  However, it can be a struggle to onboard people from different cultures and time zones and sustain them as contributing employees. Employers find that remote workers tend to experience decreased involvement, so it’s important to provide a proper onboarding process which makes them feel more relaxed and integral to the team. Onboarding new hires involves introducing them to the work environment, colleagues, and business processes. Here are some best practices you can follow to make onboarding remote employees more effective. 1.  Meet face-to-face If it’s possible, consider bringing remote employees to the head office for the first week of orientation and training. At the least, use video conferencing to include them in meetings. Matching a face to the voice is important because it provides an opportunity to make eye contact and observe body language. That way, conversations become more meaningful and it’s easier to build relationships. When bonds are built and strengthened, remote workers feel more comfortable about asking questions and are more likely to become engaged. You could also give remote workers a virtual tour through the office. Have co-workers welcome the new hires and encourage them to open communication to keep them from feeling isolated. 2.  Be clear on what you expect Communicate your expectations to new hires so they can direct their efforts effectively. Discuss your companys organizational values, team objectives, and individual responsibilities. Confirm from new hires that they understand what needs to be done â€" this will give them sufficient confidence and focus when they begin completing their first tasks. You should also explain how to use the tools and systems theyll be working with, how to engage with key figures, and how to access resources. Work out timetables for team meetings and communications that take into account the remote workers time zone. Don’t forget to document and share these processes for future reference. 3. Assign a mentor Telecommuting is a drastic change from the shared workspace and it takes some time for remote workers to adapt. The best way to ensure that they fit in is to promote a healthy company culture where ideas and experiences are shared freely. As part of onboarding, pair the new hire with a mentor who can coach them on procedures and who will always be there when they have questions and dilemmas. This will enable a healthy relationship that leads to other avenues of communication. When remote workers feel they have adequate support, they will be more satisfied and their productivity will more likely blossom. In addition, make sure that the rest of the team accepts and understands the role of the new hire. You can also connect them with other members of the team over the first few weeks to provide opportunities to learn more about the workflow, business goals, and everything else. 4.  Assess and improve the process All processes require continual assessment and improvement, so make sure to always evaluate and refine the onboarding process in your company. Use your instincts and don’t be afraid to experiment, but place special emphasis on gathering feedback from the new hires. Once new employees have undergone a period of adjustment, ask for their views on the onboarding process. Make note of their observations and use them to improve the program and make onboarding even better for new remote workers that will potentially join your company. By constantly evaluating and improving your program, you make it easier for new hires to become acclimated and productive. Final thoughts Employees with top skills may be outside your local area. A solid program for onboarding remote workers will make them adapt with as little stress as possible, so make sure to have one. Try to meet your new hires and introduce them to the team. Let them know your expectations, and assign a mentor who can help them at all times. Its important to establish relationships so that remote employees feel involved. It is also important to constantly evaluate your onboarding program in order to make it even better. Establishing an effective onboarding program provides lasting benefits not only to the new hire, but also the entire company. About the author:  Jill Phillips  is a freelance writer from Buffalo, NY. She is an aspiring entrepreneur and tech enthusiast, who loves to share her insight on various topics. When she is not writing, Jill enjoys taking photos and hiking with her dog. Connect with Jill via Twitter  @jillphlps

Improving Your Resume With a Funny Resume

Improving Your Resume With a Funny ResumeGetting your resume written by using the classic resume format is not enough to get a potential employer to call you. But, utilizing the power of sarcasm or the use of humor when you are talking about yourself can certainly make a lot of difference in getting the attention of the employer who will be reading your resume. Employers pay attention to personality and this is the key to getting them to call you. Using humor and sarcasm along with your resume can certainly help you get noticed and by utilizing humor in your resume, you can actually convey more than just a straightforward and honest description of your experience and skills.It is important to mention that there is likely workplace humor that you should avoid. Keep in mind that a sense of humor is a very positive thing and you should include it in your resume but avoid including a sense of humor that is too over the top. These types of jokes about specific characteristics such as the length of a man's penis are not going to be read by most employers.When you are writing your resume and making sure that you do not leave out any of the humorous aspect of your past that you are most proud of, make sure that you find ways to make your humor to be funny enough for the employer to read. One thing that you can do is to include your hobbies in the section that you put in your resume about the humorous experience. If you do not have any hobbies that will qualify under your hobbies section, then make sure that you include a small sentence stating something along the lines of 'In addition to my work, I enjoy spending time with my family.'What is more, if you do not like to tell funny stories, then list one for the employer to hear before reading what you have to say about yourself. Also, the humor or the humorizing side of you can be utilized in the statement about your accomplishments.This humorous statement about you and your work background can be something that may be read by the employer by way of a direct or indirect line from the interviewer to you. It is also advisable that you make sure that you do not forget to include your education background as well as awards and other similar information.While the humorous remarks that you make about yourself are best used with a sense of humor, there is no reason that you should keep your potential employer from hearing your very serious perspective. You can bring the humor to the forefront through using the sarcastic style of humor. In writing your resume, you can also utilize the sarcasm type of humor as well as include it in the summary and/or the statements that you make about your accomplishments.Again, while it is important to note that humor is always appropriate, you can still add the humor that you think is needed to stir up the feelings of the employer. When writing a humorous resume, you need to do it in a positive manner and without losing the seriousness of the facts that you are trying to convey. You need to be able to get your point across while being able to get the employee to listen to your message.The humor or sarcasm of your resume analysis sand particles is what determines how it will be perceived by the employer. Your own sense of humor or the sense of humor of others might be too much for the employer to handle so that they will get the feeling that you are not even trying. The more personal the humor is the better.

What Twitter Really Can Do For Your Life - Kathy Caprino

What Twitter Really Can Do For Your Life I follow slews of fascinating people through their blogs and Tweets, and today I read a compelling blog post written by Scott Stratten who runs his company, Unmarketing.      I simply love what this guy has to say!   I find his ideas and posts so interesting, authentic, funny, insightful and just plain old great. Here’s his latest blog about What If I Didn’t Use Twitter: http://www.un-marketing.com/blog/2010/02/22/what-if-i-didnt-use-twitter I was moved to write a comment on his post, which is here: Scott I love your description of what youve learned and received from Twitter.   My guess is that youre the kind of person who gets enormous benefits out of anything you dive into.   But that being said, theres something about the Twitter experience that helps you stretch into wild new territories that youve been deeply longing for, but didnt even know it!   Its so damn powerful to connect with thousands of people, to use your voice in new ways, to put your one-of-a-kind ideas out there, to develop a tough-enough skin so that you can shrug off the occasional snarkiness of others, and to feel the love and support of one-time strangers who become dear friends.   Love your work, Scott! When people ask me “Do I really need to use Twitter,” I have so much to say about it that I don’t know where to begin.   So I’ll begin here… Who Gets the Most Out of Twitter?   People who: 1) Have something of interest to say 2) Don’t care to just blather on about the everyday minutiae of their lives (most people’s lives are boring â€" let’s face it!) 3) Enjoy giving as much as they do receiving 4) Have a generous, kind spirit and can support others’ thinking and work 5) Understand that using Twitter effectively is about building relationships and is not a get rich quick” scam 6) Get the fact that what you put into something directly correlates with what you get out of it 7) Don’t use it as a way of talking about how great they are, and how they can make you rich 8 ) Do use it as a way to become better, bigger, smarter, funnier, more helpful   â€" more of who you really are at your core So, if you’re wondering what you can get out of using Twitter, I’d say this: With an attitude of openness, curiosity, commitment, and generosity, you can get:   New friends   New ideas for books, writing, projects, seminars, talks, etc.   New interests and passions   New customers and supporters   New ways to see yourself and your life and work   New coping skills for when strangers write you and say your ideas stink   New like-minded colleagues to partner with   New directions to pursue that light you up   New ways to make money   New, helpful insights about yourself â€" what you’re great at and what you’re not so great at It occurred to me that what Twitter has brought us might have some parallels to when television first emerged on the scene â€"  it opens up a fascinating new avenue through which you can connect to a whole new world of ideas, feelings, perspectives, teachings, directions, along with passionate, inspiring people who have so much to share and give.   That is, if you’re selective about what you choose to focus on. So have at it, friends!   And as Scott Stratten says, I LIVE for comments, so please leave yours.

Quicksilver New ways and old ways - The Chief Happiness Officer Blog

Quicksilver New ways and old ways - The Chief Happiness Officer Blog Heres some info on the writing of Neal Stephensons latest book Quicksilver from his new website: The manuscript of The Baroque Cycle was written by hand on 100% cotton paper using three different fountain pens: a Waterman Gentleman, a Rotring, and a Jorg Hysek. It was then transcribed, edited, formatted and printed using emacs and TeX. When it was totally finished, the TeX version of of the ms. was converted to Quark XPress format using an emacs LISP program written by the author. Some share of credit thus goes to the people who made the GNU/Linux operating system and to the originators of LISP. I just love the idea of that kind of mixture of new and old. Fountain pens and TeX, 100% cotton paper and LISP programs written by the author. 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