8 things every person should do before 8 a.m. to be successful

8 things every person should do before 8 a.m. to be successful8 things every person should do before 8 a.m. to be successfulWe would rather be ruined than changedWe would rather die in our dreadThan climb the cross of the momentAnd let our illusions die. - W. H. AudenMost peoples lives are a reflection of their past, rather than their future.For fruchtwein people, today will look quite similar to tomorrow. 2019 will look similar to 2018.Most peoples lives are highly predictable. And theres a very good reason.Your brain is quite literally a prediction machinedesigned to keep you from situations and scenarios filled with uncertainty and possibility of failure.FollowLadders on FlipboardFollow Ladders magazines on Flipboard coveringHappiness,Productivity,Job Satisfaction,Neuroscience, andmoraAccording to several psychologists,the foundation of all fears is the unknown.We want our lives to be predictable. We dont want to deal with the intense emotions involved in doing something new and different.Trying something new and attempting to change your life will, without a doubt, cause anxiety. But according to the philosopher, Sren Kierkegaard,To venture causes anxiety, but not to venture is to lose ones self. Anxiety is the dizziness of freedom.In order to move forward in your life, youll need to embrace difficulty and uncertainty - or what you might typically consider anxiety which Kierkegaard called the dizziness of freedom.Embracing a bigger future is how you change. And according to Albert Einstein,The measure of intelligence is the ability to change.The only way to change is to stop explaining your life by your past and to departure explaining your life based on your future.You get to design your life and your future. But in order to do so, you must stop living from your past.Today cant be the same as what happened yesterday.The food you ate today, if you really want to get healthy, probably cant be what you ate yesterday.Stop repeating the past.Rather than repea ting the behavior of your past, you need to act today based on the life you want to have tomorrow.If youwait for tomorrowto departure acting how you should today, then you really are just repeating yesterday. As Professor Harold Hill has said - You pile up enough tomorrows, and youll find you are left with nothing but a lot of empty yesterdays.Developing Confidence And Changing Your LifeYou cannot have confidence in your life without positively moving forward toward a bigger and better future.If youre days, weeks, and years are a repeating of the past, then youre not confident.Living a comfortable and predictable life is actually a clear reflection of your lack of confidence.You can only have confidence after youve begun living a better life - and then, that confidence allows you to think bigger about what is possible.Confidence is the byproduct of prior success. This is one of the reasons it is completely essential that you begin your morning with a routine.The purpose of a morni ng routine is to get yourself moving toward your grand and exciting future. If you dont have an exciting future that youre working toward, then you are literally stuck in the past. And when stuck in the past, you cannot change your life, but only repeat the patterns that got you here.When you repeat the patterns that got you here, youll have a lot of empty yesterdays.When you start the day in a higher and more powerful way, youll immediately begin turning your future a different direction from your past.With this short morning routine, your life will quickly change.It may seem like a long list. But in short, its really quite simpleWake upGet confidence and motivationGet inspired and connectedGet perspectiveGet movingAct courageouslyMove powerfully toward your dreamsPut the right food in your bodyLets begin1. Get A Healthy 7+ Hours of SleepThe National Sleep Foundation (NSF) conducted surveys revealing that at least 40 million Americans suffer from over 70 different sleep disorders. Not only that, 60 percent of adults, and 69 percent of children, experience one or more sleep problems a few nights or more during a week.In addition, more than 40 percent of adults experience daytime sleepiness severe enough to interfere with their daily activities at least a few days each month - with 20 percent reporting problem sleepiness a few days a week or more.On the flip side, getting a healthy amount of sleep is linked toIncreased memoryLonger lifeDecreased inflammationIncreased creativityIncreased attention and focusDecreased fat and increased muscle mass with exerciseLower stressDecreased dependence on stimulants like caffeineDecreased risk of getting into accidentsDecreased risk of depressionAnd tons more google it.The very act of waking up earlier will create an enormous sense of motivation in your life.Like confidence, motivation is the byproduct of action. You cant be motivated without taking positive steps forward toward a desired future.As Harvard psychologist, Je rome Bruner said, Youre more likely to act yourself into feeling than feeling yourself into action.Waking up early has the power of making you psychologically bulletproof.If you wake up early and - rather than getting sucked into the distraction of your smartphone or the addiction to stimulants - you start vividly imagining your desired future and boldly acting toward that future.Motivation is something you must create every day. You can only be motivated if youre moving forward.2. Prayer and Meditation to Facilitate Clarity and AbundanceWhen you change the way you see things, the things you see change. - Dr. Wayne DyerAfter waking from a healthy and restful sleep session, prayer and meditation are crucial for orienting yourself toward the positive. What you focus on expands.Prayer and meditation facilitate intense gratitude for all that you have. Gratitude is having an abundance mindset. When you think abundantly, the world is your oyster. There is limitless opportunity and a po ssibility for you.People are magnets. When youre grateful for what you have, you will attract more of the positive and good. Gratitude is contagious.Gratitude may be the fruchtwein important key to success. It has been called the mother of all virtues.If you start every morning putting yourself in a space of gratitude and clarity, you will attract the best the world has to offer, and not get distracted.3. Write In Your Journal For 515 MinutesWhen you write down your dreams in vivid detail, you begin to engage both your conscious and subconscious minds. Drawing out your dreams in the form of a mind-map is also very powerful for engaging both sides of your brain.Writing down your dreams and deeply visualizing them will make them more emotional for you. Until your dreams become emotional, they wont be powerful enough. You need to reconstruct your identity and memory by developing a new and emotionally-driven vision of your future.As you write your dreams down every single day, write do wn the ways in which you will actually achieve those dreams.As you write down your dreams and goals, the right people will start popping into your mind. A key part of your success will be learning how to position yourself such that you can connect and collaborate with the right WHOs.Youll need to first develop lots of personal capability yourself in order to be someone worth connecting and collaborating with. You need toMake a firm and committed decision about what you want to become a master ofEmbrace fully the process of developmentOnly care about what certain people think and ignore everyone elseBecome so good you cannot be ignoredHelp the right people further their goalsInvest in the right mentorshipsMake it about your mentors goalsBe a giverNever lose track of your WHYNever become complacent about the success you experienceMake huge requestsAsk to collaborate with your heroes once youve established credibility and helped them in incredible waysAll of this stuff can and should h appen in your journal long before it occurs in reality. You then act and continue acting in powerful ways and watch as your journal entries become more vivid and clear. Watch as your goals become realities quicker and quicker and quicker.4. Hard Physical ActivityDespite endless evidence of the need for exercise, only one-third of American men and women between the ages of 25 to 64 years engage in regular physical activity according to the Center for Disease Controls National Health Interview Survey.If you want to be among the healthy, happy, and productive people in the world, get in the habit of regular exercise. Many people go immediately to the gym to get their body moving. I have lately found that doing yard work in the wee hours of the morning generates an intense inflow of inspiration and clarity.Whatever your preference, get your body moving.Exercise has been found to decrease your chance of depression, anxiety, and stress. It is also related to higher success in your career. If you dont care about your body, every other aspect of your life will suffer. Humans are holistic beings.5. Act CourageouslyA persons success in life can usually be measured by the number of uncomfortable conversations he or she is willing to have. - Tim FerrissBut you dont have to constantly be battling your fears. Actually,Darren Hardyhas said that you can be a coward 99.9305556% of the time (to be exact). You only need to be courageous for 20 seconds at a time.Twenty seconds of fear is all you need. If you courageously confront fear for 20 seconds every single day, before you know it, youll be in a different socio-economic and social situation.Make that call.Ask that question.Pitch that idea.Post that video.Whatever it is you feel you want to dodo it. The anticipation of the event is far more painful than the event itself. So just do it and end the inner-conflict.In most cases, your fears are unfounded. AsSeth Godinhas explained, our comfort zone and our safety zone are not the same things. It is completely safe to make an uncomfortable phone call. You are not going to die. Dont equate the two. Recognize that most things outside your comfort zone are completely safe.You cant change your life without courage.If you start every morning by doing something courageous, then your life will quickly change.6. Listen to/Read Uplifting ContentOrdinary people seek entertainment. Extraordinary people seek education and learning. It is common for the worlds most successful people to read at least one book per week. They are constantly learning.I can easily get through one audiobook per week by just listening during my commute to school and while walking on campus.Taking even 1530 minutes every morning to read uplifting and instructive information changes you. It puts you in the zone to perform at your highest.Over a long enough period of time, you will have read hundreds of books. Youll be knowledgeable on several topics. Youll think and see the world differently. You ll be able to make more connections between different topics.7. Do At Least One Thing Towards Long-Term GoalsWillpower is like a muscle that depletes when it is exercised. Similarly, our ability to make high-quality decisions becomes fatigued over time. The more decisions you make, the lower quality they become - the weaker your willpower.Consequently, you need to do the hard stuff first thing in the morning. The important stuff.If you dont, it simply will not get done. By the end of your day, youll be exhausted. Youll be fried. There will be a million reasons to just start tomorrow. And you will start tomorrow - which is never.So your mantra becomesThe worst comes first.Do that thing youve been needing to do. Then do it again tomorrow.If you take just one step toward your big goals every day, youll realize those goals werent really far away.8. Invest In Your Key RelationshipsIn addition to moving your own life forward, youll want to deepen the connections with those you love.Your relationships are a very clear indicator of your quality of life and character.Relationships should be viewed as an investment rather than a cost. When they are viewed as an investment, then you start putting more into them. You start seeing their potential for growth and development.When you invest in key relationships - both personal and professional - your life starts to change. According to Joe Polish, Life gives to the giver and takes from the taker.If during your mornings, you proactively do something kind, thoughtful, and useful to someone important in your life, youll feel far more joy. Youll also likely make huge progredienz toward your goals, because the more successful you become, the more your success depends on your relationships.ConclusionAfter youve done this, no matter what you have for the rest of your day, youll have done the important stuff first. Youll have put yourself in a place to succeed. Youll have inched toward your dreams.Because youll have done all the se things, youll show up better in life. Youll be better at your job. Youll be better in your relationships. Youll be happier. Youll be more confident. Youll be more bold and daring. Youll have more clarity and vision.Your life will shortly change.You cant have mornings like this consistently without waking up to all that is incongruent in your life. Those things you despise will meet their demise. Theyll disappear and never return.Youll quickly find youre doing the work youre passionate about.Your relationships will be passionate, meaningful, deep, and funYou will have freedom and abundance.The world, and the universe will respond to you in beautiful ways.Ready toupgrade?Ive created a cheat sheet for putting yourself into a PEAK-STATE, immediately. You follow this daily, your life will change very quickly.Get the cheat sheet hereThis article was originally published on Medium.You might also enjoyNew neuroscience reveals 4 rituals that will make you happyStrangers know your social c lass in the first seven words you say, study finds10 lessons from nestkken 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

Go to the doctor in the morning and other proven timing hacks

Go to the doctor in the morning and other proven timing hacksGo to the doctor in the morning and other proven timing hacksOne of the worlds forefruchtwein thinkers on geschftsleben and social science,Daniel Pinkis the author of several bestselling books on business, work, and behavior. He recently sat down with world-leading business thinkerWhitney Johnson, author ofBuild an A-Teamand host of theDisrupt Yourself Podcast, to discuss why when matters as much as what, how, where, and why.This conversation has been edited and condensed. To listen to Daniel and Whitneys full conversation on the Disrupt Yourself Podcast,click here.WhitneyYour new book,When The Scientific Secrets of Perfect Timing, is an absolute pleasure to read. Whats the big idea?DanielThe big idea is that we think the timing is an art. We make our timing decisions based on intuition and guesswork, but its actually very much of a science. There is this enormous body of research out there across many, many fields that all ows us to make systematically smarter, more evidenced-based decisions about when to do things. So, in this book, I try tocrack the code of good timing.WhitneyIn any given day, we have peaks and troughs. For most human beings, the peaks come in the morning, troughs in the afternoons. What are some of the implications of this?DanielWe generally move through the day in three stages a peak, a trough, and a recovery. For most of us, the peak is in the morning, the trough is in the early afternoon, and the recovery is in the late afternoon or early evening. For people who are strong night owls, its the reverse order, but the implications are significant. Time of day explains about 20% of the variance in our performance on cognitive tasks- on things that require our brain. So, this question of when is material to our performance and to our mood. It has huge implications.Lets take health. Based on this research, I would not let a loved one go to the hospital in the afternoon if that was avo idable. Anesthesia errors are four times more likely at 300 p.m. than at 900 a.m., for example. Looking at colonoscopies, doctors find half as many polyps in afternoon exams than in morning exams, even if its the same population. There is some great research showing that doctors, nurses, orderlies, hospital personnel are much less likely to wash their hands during the afternoon than in the morning. So, when we think about our experiences, as customers, as patients, as people doing jobs, we focus on the what, how, and who of our days, but the when of what were doing has a huge effect.The other big idea here is that we dont take behauptung when questions seriously enough, and they have a material effect on our mood, on our well-being, on our performance, on what we learn, on healthcare delivery, on a whole sortiment of things.WhitneyIn the book, you talk about the larger arc of our lives- the beginnings, the mid points, and the ends. You quote Cervantes and say, To be lucky at the beg inning is everything. What do you mean by that? And specifically, what have been some of your good beginnings?DanielWhat the research shows is that beginnings matter more than we realize and have a greater impact over the long haul than we realize. You see this in a whole range of interactions. If you look at something like school start times for jugendlicheagers- the American Academy of Pediatricians says, Do not start school for teenagers before 830 in the morning, and yet the average school start time is 803 a.m. in the United States. Simply, the time of day of the school starts is increasing the dropout rate, increasing teenage depression, increasing obesity, and leading to more teen accidents.I found this really alarming. There is some research from Lisa Conn at Yale showing the following you take two people who graduate from the same college, have the same major, and have similar ability five years apart. One graduates in a recession, one graduates during a boom time. The pers on graduating in a boom time, will earn a little bit more money straight out of the gate. What is surprising is that the wage difference shows up 20 years later. Its unbelievable.WhitneyHow do you correct for that?DanielI set out three principles of beginnings start right, start again, start together. As much as possible, its important to start right. This is why you have more companies paying attention to what happens in the first week, in the first year of somebodys tenure on the job. Chip Heath and Dan Heath write a lot about taking these moments and making that beginning meaningful and useful to people so that they get off on a good trajectory.At an individual level, there are times when sometimes we need to start again. Theres some research from the University of Pennsylvania about whats called the fresh start effect, which shows that were more likely to make behavior changes on certain dates of the year rather than other dates of the year. Youre more likely to make a change on a Monday, rather than on a Wednesday. On the day after a Federal Holiday, rather than the day before a Federal Holiday. There are certain dates in the year that operate as temporal landmarks, and we can use them to make a fresh start.On a policy level, lets take the issue of the people graduating from college, through no fault of their own, at an inopportune time. Maybe we need to treat recessions akin to how we treat natural disasters. Theres an earthquake, youre going to get some help because through no fault of your own, the ground erupted underneath you and destroyed your property. Were going to help you out. Your neighbors are going to help you, the public authorities are going to help you. Maybe we need to do something like, if the unemployment rate hits a certain level for that year or for that certain period of time, peoples student loans are forgiven, or theyre reduced.Whitney Before we move on from beginnings, do you have a single tip that you would give to people to eith er get off to a good start or actually, more importantly, starting again?Daniel Pick the right date. Not all dates are created equal. If you have dates that are personally meaningful, that can be great. So, if you want to start a behavior change of some kind, lets sayWhitney For me, its to stop eating sugar.Daniel I would begin the new regime on a day that has some special meaning to you. Maybe the day after your birthday or the day after your anniversary, the day after one of your kids birthdays or something like that.WhitneyLets go to midpoints. What do we need to know about these? In particular, could you talk about the Uh-Oh effect?DanielSometimes midpoints bring us down, sometimes they fire us up. Theres some great research from Connie Gersick at UCLA and Yale where she followed these teams around and recorded what these teams did. These are teams who are coming up with a new advertising campaign or rolling out a new product for a bank or you know, just the basic stuff that goe s on in the workplace. She found something really peculiar. We have this notion that theres this fairly steady linear process by which teams do their work. What she found is that it didnt work that way at all. Teams begin by doing very, very little, mostly posturing and status-seeking. But there was a moment when they started really working in earnest, which came at the midpoint.So, you give a team 34 days to do something and they get started in earnest on day 17. You give a team 11 days to do something, they get started in earnest on day 6. That midpoint had this galvanizing effect- it had this Uh-Oh effect. People look at the calendar and they say, Whoa We we wasted half of our time. We better get going Its just eerie how often it happened. She created experiments where she would give teams an hour to do something. And they would really get started in earnest between the 29th and 31st minute. That is something really useful for bosses and project leaders to know how projects reall y unfold. They can make these midpoints salient, and use it to get people to move.WhitneyNow, you talk in midpoints about a U-curve of happiness, a midlife slump, an American male slump at an estimated 52.9 years. By my calculations, you are right about at 52.9 years.DanielIndeed.WhitneyHow have you noticed that for you? What has that midlife slump looked like for you? And, excitingly, if publishingWhenis your slump, then what do we have ahead?DanielYou know, I actually have felt that slump on a couple of different dimensions. Ive been doing what Ive been doing now for 20 years, and in the course of writing this book, I was like, Hey, this is my last book. I cant do this anymore. I cant take it anymore. This is really hard. If you were to chart my overall well-being, it wouldnt surprise me at all if Im lower than at other points in my life. Its not a big dip for me though- the U is fairly flat.WhitneyBut its a slump nonethelessDanielI think it is. I wish I wouldve tested that. That analytical part of me wishes I wouldve tested that, basically taken a mood reading twice every year for my whole life and see where I was today.People my age typically have parents who are getting older, and kids you need to assist in making their way into the world. Theres no question that there are certain disappointments that you have when you get to my age. The odds of my being on a 40 Under 40 list are pretty much nil. My odds of winning a Pulitzer Prize are almost nil. I think we have to reckon with those kinds of things. The good news though, Whitney, as you say, is that things begin to tic up a little bit.Whitney Do you have one or two suggestions for people to effectively combat that midlife slump?Daniel One of the meta takeaways of this book is just simply being aware of some of these phenomena. For instance, midpoints were basically invisible to me. Its something that I never even thought of. And now, Im like Oh, okay. This is a midpoint of a project. Now, I understand th at midpoints have these kinds of effects, and so Im going to be aware of these things and make sure that they dont bring me down too much.Warren Buffett has this great technique that I think can combat a midlife slump. He asks, What are your 25 goals? What are the 25 things you want to achieve? Heres where it gets interesting You look at that list, and you cross out number six through 25 and focus only on those five. So, I have begun doing that exercise, and I find it very clarifying. In focusing and really being intentional about the things that matter most, that creates the most meaning. Thats who you really are.Whitney Whats a goal thats in your top five?Daniel I have alway wanted to make a movie. Not like Star Wars, but a documentary.WhitneySo, are you going to do it?DanielI think Im going to try to do it.WhitneyThat is fantastic. Im so excited for your documentary.DanielNow, I have to do it WhitneyWhitneyThats right. Isnt that wonderful? So its fascinating that you said that, b ecause one of the things that you wrote about endings is, The most powerful endings deliver poignancy because poignancy delivers significance. Adding a small component of sadness to an otherwise happy moment elevates that moment rather than diminishes it. When I read that, I thought, Oh, thats why I liked the filmLa La Landso much, because it had that element of poignancy.DanielEndings have some really, really incredible effects on our perception, our behavior, and our mood. One of the things that endings seem to do in many cases is triggera search for meaning. And poignancy is, I think, a really under-studied emotion, but profoundly meaningful and profoundly human. You see this at graduations. I happen to love the ritus of graduations, the Pomp and Circumstance - I find them poignant. Its exciting because someone has achieved something, theyre moving onto a new stage of their life, but theyre also leaving something behind.That mix of happy and sad creates a sense of meaning. Life is about these passages. Life is about somebody you love making their way through life and entering a new chapter where you are a peripheral character.WhitneySo what are some tips or suggestions for our listeners to have better endings?DanielBe intentional- recognize that endings are a thing. All of this comes back to this idea that we need to be aware of the temporal aspects of our life and not just dismiss it as something thats not important or something that we cant have a role in shaping.Endings are a source of meaning. So, you should use endings as meaning makers. People prefer endings that elevate, they prefer rising sequences to declining sequences. This is one reason why if you have good news and badeanstalt news, you should always give the bad news first and end with the good news.This is true for more mundane things. Like the end of customer experiences are really, really important, and I dont think a lot of businesses are intentional enough about that. Endings disproporti onately affect how we remember entire experiences. Most important of all, be aware that endings are going to be a huge part of how someone remembers an encounter with you, how someone remembers a transaction with your business, how someone remembers a talk that you gave. Endings stick with us for a very, very long time.This article was originally published on Heleo.com.

How to Beat Interview Fear

How to Beat Interview FearHow to Beat Interview FearDont let fear, nerves and stage fright keep you from the job interview you want. Sometimes nerves take over and you dont show who you are.Those are the words of an auditioning actor in Every Little Step, a 2008 documentary that follows the process of casting the 2006 Broadway revival of A Chorus Line. But they could just as easily have been spoken by anyone who has ever been nervous before a job interview or looked back on his interview performance with regret.Whether you are an actor stepping onto an audition stage or a job seeker entering a conference room, the pressure to perform to the best of your ability can cause anxiety that threatens to cripple your performance.For some job seekers, nerves can be disabling and lead to an unsuccessful job interview. Something happens when they walk through the door of the interviewers office. Cold sweat trickles down the back of their knees. Their minds draw a blank when asked basic question s like, Where do you see yourself in 10 years time? or, Why would you like to work for this company above all others? These candidates feel like theyre back at school in front of a crowded assembly, unable to make those words pass their lips.Actors call it stage fright the fear of underperforming in front of a paying audience or at an audition and almost all good actors acknowledge batting it at one time or another. Many learned tricks early to overcome a paralyzing phobia that can kill their careers. (Remember the instruction to imagine the audience in their underwear?)Ladders asked several actors and acting coaches to share the tactics they use to keep stage fright from paralyzing their performance and tips to deliver the best audition during your next job interview.Be preparedThere are many things that job interviewees can do to stave off stage fright. For actor John Treacy Egan, star of such Broadway hits as The Producers and The Little Mermaid, the key to overcoming nerves an d ensuring you ace the audition is simple preparation.In Every Little Step, he said, it is fantastic to see how prepared a lot of these performers were for their auditions. Egan, a veteran of stage, cinema and television and an authority on auditioning, was inspired by the documentary. I really need to be more prepared, he realized after seeing the film. You sometimes think, Oh, I will do fine, and it will get me to the next stage. You can get lax like that as an actor. You really need to give that performance the first time and not rely on a callback. Be as prepared as you can be.Jodie Bentley, owner and co-founder of The Savvy Actor, a New York firm that coaches actors on the business of acting and teaches them how to market themselves, supports Egans philosophy that preparation is vital. So many people just wing it and say, I am just going to be me And then when we get in the interview situation, we all clam up if we dont have something planned and prepared.Comfort with your cos tumeWhat you wear for your interview or audition can set the stage for your nerves it can sap your spirit or boost your confidence, Bentley said. Im coaching an actress right now who is really a leading lady, but she is having trouble owning (those roles), she said. You need to dress that part, and that confidence will come. I think (the right clothing) helps body language in an interview as well.Your appearance goes beyond clothes, Egan said. It extends to all aspects of your physical presentation your posture, pose, expressions and voice.Always try to put yourself in comfortable situations, Egan said. You have a lot of people around you in the professional world to help you. Ask them, Does my outfit look correct? Does my voice sound right? Is my hair cut right? Practice interviews with your friends.Breathe and shakeWhat if you are well dressed, well groomed and well prepared but you totenstill feel like a panic attack is approaching? Stage fright, said Egan, usually occurs about five minutes before the actor goes on stage. Actors beat back the paranoia by breathing, he said.Whenever you start to experience fear, the first thing that you have to do is remember to breathe. Fear stops your breathing, and everything starts to tighten. Breathing opens the door to relaxation.You can tell right away when someone walks up and they are not breathing, Bentley said. They are not in their body, and they look uncomfortable. Breath is a force of life. I really believe that. She recommends a breathing exercise that she does before going on stage or before a big meeting or audition It is rapid breathing through the nose. It really centers you and calms you.Egan advises that you give yourself a option to shake it off. Literally. Shake your limbs and jump up and down and give the adrenalin the chance to have an outlet of actual movement.If youre feeling the pains of panic set in, find yourself a private space a lobby bathroom or a secluded corridor and practice these brea thing and shaking tips to beat back stage fright.The elevator pitchBentley instructs her clients to practice role-playing exercises before an audition and to have an elevator pitch or monologue memorized and at the ready. Everyones interview routine should include a 45-second blurb, she said. If someone says, Tell me about yourself, you already have a monologue or blurb ready to go. She encourages her clients to rehearse their elevator pitches and asks that it convey something personal about you, showcase your strengths and show what you are passionate about.Bentley believes the elevator pitch should be carefully crafted and learned. Type it out. Say it to yourself in the mirror. Look at yourself while you are doing it.Also, research all you need to know about the company where you hope to work. Prepare your thoughts about the business and industry and have some ready answers about the them, she said.From the moment you walk in, be realThe interview isnt just how you answer question s or explain your skills, Egan said. That would be like limiting an actors audition to his reading and singing, he said. From the moment you walk through the door, you have to be available as a real person. You cannot shut down when you arent singing and dancing. You want to be present for all of it. It is the same for an interview. You take yourself on as a character.Bentley warns her clients about being overly intimidated and losing the essence of their personalities in the process. Many people get into interview settings and look at that person across the table as an authority figure. I think that is the worst thing that you can do.Bentley encourages interviewees to show their passions and interests because people want to work with people they like. That is definitely a rule in theater. If a director is going to be working with you for four to eight weeks straight, he has got to like you first. And it is the same if somebody is going to bring you onto a team in their company they need to like who they are going to be working with. People want to work with people who are passionate.The multiple-person interviewIn a one-on-one interview, you can balance your energy against that of the other person. You can sense the temperature in the room much quicker in a one-on-one than with a group, Egan noted. If the interview is with a group of interrogators, your balance and attention are taxed like an actor on stage connecting to an audience.The first rule Acknowledge everybody in the room, he said.Bentley agreed. When you have a room full of people, she said, I think it is your job to keep the energy up in the air a little bit more. It is more of a hot-seat situation. I think you really need to take in the whole room and not just answer one person. Eye contact is really important.Ask questions dont freezeConfidence in the interview or audition is evident when you are fully prepared. I would recommend preparing stories about your resume that show your personality, you r strengths or your work ethic, Bentley advised. If you have these prepared and memorized to a certain degree, you will always have something that you can pull out of your back pocket if the nerves begin to take over.Egan suggested notecards as a last resort. Even if you have to look down, at least youre getting your point across as opposed to freezing.Another way to keep grounded and in the moment it is to have a few questions prepared to ask the interviewer. If you get stuck and you dont know what else to say, dont just sit there. Have a couple of questions prepared and know your audience, Bentley said. She instructs her clients to have three personal questions and three business questions prepared that they can insert at any moment. So if you know that a person lives in a certain area of the town, you could ask if they have ever gone to a particular pizza parlor. Or if you know that they went to a certain college and you know someone that went there, you can bring that up.Always ask questions, Egan said. An interested person is an interesting person.Take your time when you speak, and select your words. Dont talk too fast. Speak clearly and slowly, he said.Faking it The interview is underway, and you still feel insecure. How can you project something youre not feeling? Act it, Egan said. You really have to fake it. No one will know. You have to tell yourself to be confident. It really is about projecting confidence because nobody wants to hire somebody who is not confident.A lot of actors walk into an audition and apologize for not being ready because they only received the music that day. Directors dont want to know that, he said. He recommends that the actor approach the situation with confidence by declaring his intention to sing something else. Dont apologize. Walk in and show them that you can carry the show. I hate to say this because it can be taken another way, but you are doing them a favor by being there. They need somebody to fill their position, and you are going to be really good at it.Analyzing the performance afterwardsDont judge the interview until it is over, Egan said. Oftentimes, you can go into an audition and feel you got the job, but you may never get the phone call. And if you feel like you did blow an opportunity, you should take a moment to learn from it and build upon it rather than repeat it.You should always analyze what your stage fright is about, he said. If you can identify what you are afraid of, you can address it. Often, for people who suffer from stage fright it is one big thing (that the feeling originates about). But it is more likely that minor aspects of performing cause you anxiety. Do you feel you are being judged? Do you feel unprepared? Do you focus too much on your own behavior or appearance? Identify the crux of your stage fright, and performance anxiety could be a thing of the past.

The Queen is hiring someone to run her social media

The Queen is hiring someone to run her social mediaThe Queen is hiring someone to run her social mediaPerhaps envious of the roaring social success that Duchess Meghan Markle has had with her carefully curated Instagram account, sussexroyal, herbei Majesty Queen Elizabeth the Second is hiring a digital communication officer.The job posting appeared this week on the Royal Households job board as Digital Communications Officer for the Queen.Follow Ladders on FlipboardFollow Ladders magazines on Flipboard covering Happiness, Productivity, Job Satisfaction, Neuroscience, and moreIts knowing your content will be viewed by millions, the ad begins breathlessly. Its finding new ways to maintain The Queens presence in the public eye and on the world stage. This is what makes working for the Royal Household exceptional.Now in her 93rd year, Queen Elizabeth still maintains a bustling calendar of public appearances.The role of Royal Communications is to engage a worldwide audience with the publi c role and work of the Royal Family, the posting reads. Joining this fast-paced and dynamic team, your challenge will be to manage and oversee the daily news flow on digital and social networking platforms, as well as play a key part of some of the digital projects.The hire will be part of a small team and will create content for social networking, their new website, and will research and write articles.Whether youre covering a state visit, award ceremony or Royal engagement, youll make koranvers our digital channels consistently spark interest and reach a range of audiences.And its not all Instagram and taking pictures of the Queens pretty hats, either. Youll be expected to hone and shape our digital communications through analytics, monitoring, and exploring new technologies. Candidates should have experience with digital publishing, creating social media content and using a variety of content management systems.Hours are an easy 37.5 hours a week, Monday thru Friday, but the pay is a paltry 30,000 pounds, or $38,000 American (depending on experience). Benefits and lunch are included.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

The Benefits of Pharmacy Technician Resume

The Benefits of Pharmacy Technician Resume Whether youre interested in an entry-level stelle or youre a seasoned professional who would like to climb the career ladder, you will wish to also highlight your achievements. You are going to want to concentrate on what youve learned, like your capacity to work nicely with the public and your dedication to ethics, followed by relevant on-the-job experience. The experience and education sections only include things like pharmacy-related details also. If youve done several work in the technical industry, again highlight achievements instead of work history. Finding Pharmacy Technician Resume Online The expert experience section of our how to compose a resume guide is another exemplary resource should you feel that you leise need more help. Writing a competitive application document demands a good deal of effort. however, it surely pays off. Due to the growing competition, you will need to draft a strong application to grab the empl oyers interest. It is possible to go at any format provided that the value youre bringing to the employer is stated. Tailor your statement objective Your statement objective should be made to the particular job youre applying for. The bullet point reveals that the candidate is not just intelligent, but in addition hardworking. Moreover, do not forget that the space on your resume is limited so even for those who have much more, do your best not to list more than three important responsibilities. When you wish to locate a job, you have to have a plan of action to help you accomplish your aims. Therefore, the part of the pharmacy technician is undergoing considerable shift. The best method to make sure your success for a pharmacy technician is to abflug with pharmacy technician education. As a pharmacy technician, you are in possession of a lengthy list of day-to-day duties and tasks, but theyre not all created equal. A pharmacy technician mixes different varieties of medic ines together as a way to supply the medicine thats best suited for the individual. A certified pharmacist then checks the completed prescription before its supplied to the patient. It is vital that pharmacy employees arent addicted to medications. As an example, pharmacy technicians who are employed in general surgical and health care hospitals can make about $35,280. A friendly and beneficial pharmacist will also make sure that customers keep coming back. When it is for hospital or retail pharmacy positions, they need individuals who would give the very best service to their clients. The certified pharmacy technician resume sample can function as a handy resource for everyone fighting to compose her or his own. Most work directly with clients and pharmacists. You play a valuable function in organizing the pharmacy and make certain everything is in order. If you are searching for ideas about how to draft a pharmacy technician resume, the templates mentioned previously are t he things you want. On account of the rise of the pharmaceutical industry in the previous decades, making a thriving career in pharmacy isnt as challenging as in different professions. The simplest approach to print your resume is to go to your community office supply shop. Registering for a program that supplies you the coursework and practical training is a wonderful method to begin. The resume paper you use to submit an application for a pharmacy technician position should make an impression. Fourthly, youve got to be able completing the suitable courses. Based on the place you wish to work, the resume of an excellent pharmacy technician should consist of info about the practice and training you attended, along with in medical conferences and seminars. A pharmacist is permitted to administer just a pharmacist with a masters degree. Pharmacies are always watching out for Pharmacy Technicians with the competencies and expertise to help them manage the many distinct function s of the geschftliches miteinander enterprise. Employed as a pharmacist assistant is a remarkable means to set out on a career in pharmacy, but you are going to require a professional resume to secure a pharmacy assistant position. Entry Level Resume An entry-level pharmacy technician wont have any work experience in the precise position, so they should concentrate on any retail-related experience and educational achievements, including the certificate, diploma, or degree that was earned. Pharmacy Technician Resume for Dummies There are other job requirements that you have to possess as a way to develop into effective. Important details like the location of the job and skilled title are found in each entry. Pharmacy technicians have to do a lot of things in a brief time. Pharmacy techs will need to supply excellent customer support, be attentive to details and understand how to stay organized. The very first senior medical assistant resume sample indicates the perfect skill s. As its been said, you dont know when youll be called in for that interview. Youre in the correct place to compose an amazing medical assistant resume. Hopefully you would select the one that means business and took every step to find the job The Lost Secret of Pharmacy Technician Resume The classification of qualifying characteristics in the area of pharmacy in various countries of the world differs. An indication you know about the pharmacy to which youre applying is another important part of the resume objective you may include. The pharmacy technician stipulates the population and medical care facilities with medical supplies in compliance with the demands of proper pharmaceutical practices. Aspiring pharmacy technicians arent required to finish any formal education requirements as a way to work within the area.

Action Words for Resume Exposed

Action Words for Resume Exposed Cash flow is quite essential for the prosperity of an organization. Resume Keyyeps are centered through your base abilities. Training is typically done at work. Numbers arent only for business professionals. Nothing dilutes the effect of action verbs than being surrounded by a number of other action verbs One of the greatest reasons to use resume action words is they leave a durable effect. You can achieve this by using resume action words to produce your bullet points more specific. Within this tutorial, you are going to learn the way to use action words on your resume right. Power words are used for a number of reasons. You need to always steer clear from vague and not as impactful words. Utilizing action words is truly important here. Utilizing strong words here is needed. The absolute most powerful words are verbs. A good deal of well-meaning folks will suggest you ought to use action verbs. Powerful and persuasive verbs help your accomplishmentsshine in the correct lightand get readers excited to find out more about you. Employing action verbs and active voice makes a big difference in your resume, therefore its well worth the additional effort. The Tried and True Method for Action Words for Resume in Step by Step Detail Ensure that your resume clearly highlights why youre the suitable candidate for the particular security guard job prospect. It is much simpler for a hiring manager to discover that value in a brief paragraph than attempting to piece it together from a lengthy history of qualified experience and education. The hiring manager would like to know youve got understanding of the laws and procedures surrounding the position but also that you may communicate effectively with individuals of all ages and from all walks of life, which is the reason why it is crucial to include skills like patience or being bilingual. Every hiring manager would like to employ a person who will take initiative. Th e Hidden Truth About Action Words for Resume When youre adding the experience section make certain that the skills are proven with information. Make certain that youre highlighting the most relevant and topical experience essential for the position. If thats the case, it ought to be included on a resume. Use the search box to find just what you are seeking. Hiring managers typically have a rule of three in they dont need to see over three sentences in the expert summary. Sprinkle the right buzzwords into your resume and cover letter to demonstrate that youre a component of the business. The very first illustration is extremely clumsy. Take into consideration the full statement. Lies Youve Been Told About Action Words for Resume Typically, the active voice is more powerful, and simpler to understand. If youre applying for work in communications, its extremely important to use action words. More precise words may also add some formality to your actions, she states. The wo rds you decide to utilize in your resume are an essential way to demonstrate your strengths. Your aim is to make your achievements stand out so that your upcoming employer or hiring manger can readily locate them. The advice and examples above ought to help you come up with some resume achievements. Many also believe that its tough to locate certain accomplishments in their industry. Dont use passive tense. The Basics of Action Words for Resume When you want to land up a job in a trusted business house you will want to get a detailed resume. Youre not in the work anymore, its in your past. With a lot of folks applying for the exact same job, you would like your resume to stand out. In your previous jobs, you will need to be sure everything is past tense. The best method to receive a superior cashier resume is researching the work description. Committed Show that youre devoted to your work, begin to finish. Have a look at the list below, and get prepared to make your resu me way more exciting. Ruthless Action Words for Resume Strategies Exploited Lets start at the start. The action word extracted, on the flip side, carries considerably more power. This list contains some of the resume action verb and a few of the appropriate time to use them. You just have a limited quantity of real estate on your resume, so each and every word counts, states OSullivan. What to Expect From Action Words for Resume? Kick you have to kick something or someone for the verb to earn sense. Carry you should carry something or someone for the verb to earn sense. Send you have to send something or someone for the verb to earn sense. Take you must take something or someone for the verb to earn sense. What Action Words for Resume Is - and What it Is Not The cashier in such a situation is going to have to deal with cash in a variety of transactions with clients. A good posting for a nursing position will consist of experiences particular to the profession. It can a lso function as a fantastic means of obtaining better jobs at better pay. You always wish to set yourself aside from the remaining portion of the applicants as long as its for the proper factors. The function of your resume is to paint a photo of the sort of employee that youre able to be. If you have lots of social work experience, you should think about utilizing an expert summary. Just upload your resume in their system then paste the full job description to begin the comparison. The practice of resume writing has gotten so generic that lots of businesses already understand what things to find in about eighty-five percent of resumes, as a result, the only manner in most cases to have the ability to secure just a little bit of advantage is to be fluid with the building of your resume and try as much as possible to steer clear of cliches.

The Best Digital Interview Practices for Enterprise-sized Companies

The Best Digital Interview Practices for Enterprise-sized CompaniesCongratulations Your company has grown significantly, and youre now an enterprise-sized organization. Youve been successful in rapidly expanding your team and are eager to keep your talent acquisition strategy rolling.Theres only one issue hiring for a larger company puts a lot more on your plate. The tactics you used as a small and medium-sized business wont be as effective now that you have over five hundred employees. There are more positions to fill and it takes longer to make decisions. Luckily, there are digital bewerbungsinterviews. While the tool is great for companies of all sizes, it is especially helpful for bigger organizations developing a more efficient hiring process.By instituting the right digital interview practices, you can refine your talent acquisition strategies so they better match your enterprise-sized needs. This will ensure you continue to find great talent as your team evolves and grows. Her e are three approaches to the digital interview process as an enterprise-sized company to help ensure success1.Prioritize collaborationAs you know, as a company grows, its organizational structure changes. One rolle can confidently make hiring decisions for a smaller team, but an enterprise requires more decision-makers. Its not uncommon for a hiring manager, a member of the HR department, and a head of talent acquisition to weigh in on hiring decisions. Figuring out how to build effective collaboration into your strategy is vital.The digital interview process lets multiple people view and share their opinion on each candidate. But with so many team members involved, in order to keep opinions organized, you need to take the time to establish expectations about how each rolle will provide feedback on candidates.Enterprise-sized companies need to focus on collaboration during the digitalinterview process.Click To TweetPractical tipA great digital interview platform facilitates collabo ration. But its up to you to use the tool in a way that works for your team. Once multiple people are involved in the hiring process, agree upon a standard of communication.For example, some decision-makers will not want to move forward with a candidate after watching the digital interview. There needs to be an understanding of how they share this information with others. If each person just says no in the comments, no one will learn what candidate traits were red flags.Each team member should share three reasons why they dont want to move on with a candidate. If anyone disagrees, they can directly address the concerns raised by another collaborator. This keeps the discussion focused and limits any needless debates.2. Set realistic timelinesLikely, youve encountered the unfortunate consequence of increased red tape as your company grows. There are more steps to the hiring process, but rushing through is not an option. Enter the hurry up and wait dynamic of an enterprise hiring proce sses.At the same time, enterprise-sized companies have more positions to fill, and every day a position is vacant hurts the team. Theres pressure to move quickly while remaining thorough. So finding a realistic balance for your organizational and candidate deadlines will help reinstate your sanity.Practical tipIf youve noticed your time to hire has gotten out of control, conduct trial runs with digital interviews to reign it back in. Ask a few employees to record mock interview responses. Dont give them a timeline, but track how long it takes most to respond. This will give you a more realistic idea of how long you should wait for candidates to complete this hiring step. If individuals with full-time jobs can record their digital interview in a few days, motivated job seekers can as well.Then, give members of the hiring team a deadline for submitting their thoughts on the mock interviews. If people struggle to give their feedback in time, find out why. Work with each individual to d evelop a plan so they can respond in a more timely manner.Maybe they would be more successful reviewing the digital interview of one candidate each day instead of several over a week. Or they may prefer getting the option of assessing candidates while on their morning commute via mobile. The trick is finding a timeline that works within your new hiring teams schedules rather than forcing them to make drastic changes.3. Give every member of the hiring team a purposeYoull see that the digital interview process makes it easy for multiple people to be involved in a hiring decision. While having a variety of perspectives allows you to identify top talent more easily, you dont want too many hands in the pot. This will lead to back-and-forth discussions your organization doesnt have time for.While every person on your hiring team needs to be involved in the decisions, make sure that everyone has a distinct purpose in regards to reviewing digital interviews. Each individual can focus on a d ifferent aspect of candidate assessment. This way the process is thorough, but not redundant.Keep your hiring team focused by giving each person a candidate trait to evaluate. hiringtipsClick To TweetPractical tipRemember that the digital interview process isnt only about filling a vacancy. Each new team member should be inspired by the company mission statement and values. If a candidate doesnt align with the overarching goals of the organization, they wont help move the company forward.Before reviewing digital interviews, remind your team about how this role fits into the larger picture. Talk about what values and passions will help a candidate identify with the purpose of the role. Then, make sure your hiring team is looking for these traits when assessing candidates. This will help them see that their observations and decisions have meaning. They are ensuring the new hire is just as inspired by the company mission as the rest of the organization. This will keep them from making arbitrary choices just to fill a position quickly.

Speak Successfully

Speak SuccessfullySpeak SuccessfullyTake these five steps to clearer speech and more effective communication with hiring managers.How many times have you received a voicemail message that you needed to replay several times just to decipher the persons name?What about your own speech? Are you clear and articulate? Do you speak slowly and clearly enough for the person on the other end of the phone bewerbungsinterview to understand your name and background?Communication skills can mean the difference between not getting a call back for a second interview and landing the job. I am frequently told by managers at banks and other financial institutions and large corporations that poor speech in and of itself may knock a candidate out of the running.Why do people often speak like they have marbles in their mouth? Why is it that some people often need to be asked to repeat what they are saying? In a fast-paced business environment with so much on everybodys plate people tend to speak quickly. They do not even pay attention to how and what they are saying because they are often doing more than one thing at a time. With so much competition for jobs, why not give your self a competitive edge and learn to improve your communication skills in order to stand out among your competition? Better communication skills will make the difference.Statistics reveal that companies lose millions of dollars due to their employees miscommunications. If you are looking to advance your career within your current firm or outside of your present company, think about your own communication skills. Do colleagues frequently ask you to repeat what you have just said? Do they ask you to speak louder? Could your speaking style prevent you from getting that dream job?Consider this You are sitting at your desk, reading an email, thinking of a meeting in five minutes and the telephone rings. You are not completely paying attention to what and how you are speaking since you are busy reading the email. S o, the person on the other end of the telephone asks you to repeat yourself, and only then do you realize that you need to stop typing on the computer and pay attention to the conversation. Sound familiar?Remember these tips to help you improve your communication skills immediately1. Learn to listen. Listening skills are critical. Be sure to pay attention when you are receiving information about a potential job. Give your full attention to the person who is speaking. You may need to recall the information a few minutes later in order to ask intelligent questions based on what welches said. Be sure not to let your mind wander. You cannot listen well if you are thinking of what to say next.Stay focused. Sit up straight and look directly at the speaker if in person or in a mirror if on the phone. Now and then nod to let the speaker know you are actively listening. Be sure to let the speaker finish what they are saying. When you interrupt, it appears as if you are not listening.2. Slow down your rate of speech. Simply slowing down your rate will significantly improve your speech quality. The average rate per minute varies from about 130-150 words. For suggestions on how to check your rate of speech, send an e-mail to infocorporatespeechsolutions.com.3. schliff your words.Remember hearing the saying, Dont swallow your words? People are in such a hurry to complete a task at hand that they forget to finish their words. Old becomes ol fishing becomes fishin business becomes busin. You get the idea. In the course of a conversation, this doesnt just cause sloppy speech, it forces the listener to work harder to understand you. In business, people dont want to work harder. They want to get the information and move to the next item. Learn to finish your words.4. Many words in English sound similar. Still versus steal? Hill versus heal? Cab versus cap? If you do not speak clearly, how will the listener be sure what you are saying? Will you grab the cab? Is your friend askin g you to grab the cap that he left in the other room or the cab so you can head downtown together?5. Learn to speak clearly and effectively on the telephone. Today, most of our daily business is conducted over the telephone. Often we have meetings with multiple people on the telephone. There are many high-frequency sounds that can be lost if you do not learn to speak clearly your message can be misinterpreted.Speaking clearly takes practice, but it is an integral part of effective business communication.

5 Common LinkedIn Mistakes New Users Make

5 Common LinkedIn Mistakes New Users Make5 Common LinkedIn Mistakes New Users MakeAre you new to LinkedIn?As a first-time user, you may bedrngnis realize how important LinkedIn can be.Through LinkedIn, you can build professional relationships with those in your industry and increase your opportunities for career growth.However, to find success on LinkedIn, there are some common mistakes you will need to avoid.Below, I will show you what the common LinkedIn mistakes first-time users often make and how you can fix them.leid using the right profile pictureYour LinkedIn picture is often the first thing perspective connections and employers see.Your picture is often what these connections are basing their first impression on.Are you making the right impression?Using an unprofessional photo or no photo at allcould be costing your opportunities.How to fix the LinkedIn profile picChoose a photo that is professional and reflects the image you want to portray.Avoid pictures with inappropriate or unprofessional behaviors, pictures that are low-quality or hard to see, or pictures that involve other people.For a truly professional feel, consider having a headshot taken for your LinkedIn profile picture.Not customizing your headlineDo you know what your headline says?If you have never customized your LinkedIn Headline, the default will be your current job title and company.Your headline is one of the first things people seek when you send a connection request.If you are using the default, you are telling potential connections nothing about who you are and what you are looking for.How to fix the LinkedIn headlineUse your headline to tell who you are, what you do and what you offer.If you are looking for a job, try the followingExperience Level Role you are looking for your valueEntry Level absatzwirtschaft Specialist Highly-Skilled CopywriterFocus on using strategic keywords and expanding on your job title and abilities to create a super LinkedIn headline.Not completing y our profileYour LinkedIn profile is more than just your resume.Its a chance to expand on your experience and show your strengths.However, unless your profile is complete, you could be selling yourself short.Too often, first-time LinkedIn users stop after putting in where they went to school and what jobs they have held.If you havent written your LinkedIn summary or included details of your work history, you arent making your profile stand out from the crowd.How to complete your LinkedIn profileWrite a targeted LinkedIn summary that gives some background into who you are, what youve done, and what you bring to the table.Add in details about what you did at your previous positions, mirroring the descriptions on your resume. Make sure you are using action verbs and add in quantifiable results if you can.Ask your close connections to write a recommendation for you, and give recommendations to your connections.Include any certifications youve earned.Not using a customized URLWhenever you sign up for LinkedIn, you are automatically assigned a URL.Your default URL usually looks something like thishttps//www.linkedin.com/in/your-name-34849f34dWhile it may not seem like a problem at first, the default URL is difficult to read and would be hard to share on your resume or email signature.The benefit of a customized LinkedIn URL is that they are easy to share across different channels and appear higher on Google searches.How to customize your LinkedIn URLWhen looking at your LinkedIn profile, choose Edit Public Profile and URL.Customize your LinkedIn URL to reflect who you are. Try using your first and last name as your URL.https//linkedin.com/in/yournameIf you have a common last name (Jones, Smith, etc.), be prepared to be creative. Try including your middle initial to make it unique to you.Not using personalized connection invitesPart of being on LinkedIn is connecting with other professionals in and around your industry.You build your network with connections to collea gues, alumni, and other professionals.To connect, you send invitations out.However, if you are just clicking on Connect and not including a personalized message, you are making a mistakeSending generic requests without a message doesnt tell your perspective connection anything about who you are and how you know them.Unless the connection is a close friend, it may be hard for them to know who you are or what connection they have to you.How to personalize your LinkedIn invitesWhen sending a connection request, choose the option of adding a note.Include a short message about how or where you know them from and why you would like to connect.If you have mutual connections, you could mention them in this message.

The surprising way gendered jobs hurt both men women

The surprising way 'gendered' jobs hurt both men women The surprising way 'gendered' jobs hurt both men women Fighting against workplace inequality is just a typical day at the office for most women and minorities. Recently it has dominated the news cycle due to the outrage over sexual misconduct, the #MeToo movement and the birth of the #TimesUp campaign in Hollywood. But is there a more subconscious, widespread culprit at play as well?If you’ve been following the arguments and discussion around equal pay and the gender gap for any length of time, you’ll often hear that women gravitate to fields that pay less (for example teachers, social workers, nurses) than ones dominated by men. This argument typically sends me into a tailspin preaching about how our current system often compels women towards lower-paying and more-flexible work, since they are ultimately responsible for bearing children (hence the motherhood penalty).While I still maintain that the maternal wall needs to be discussed more broadly, a recent study suggests that part of the problem is that we actually gender stereotype certain jobs themselves. And once a job is stereotyped for a woman, that job subsequently has less authority and arguably becomes lower paying.Think about it: while the rules are definitely not hard and fast when you consider almost any job, you’re likely to have a gender in mind. Nurse = Woman; Doctor = Man; Administrative Assistant = Woman; Firefighter = Man. This continues to surface even at the C-Suite. CEOs often tout how many women they have on their leadership teams, but too often the women are running HR, Marketing or Operations, while the men are running the revenue-generating arms of a business.So instead of fighting to get more women into male-dominated roles, is the answer to actually fight to keep jobs from being stereotyped in the first place?In their recently published study in the American Sociological Review, Laura Doering and Sarah Tehbaud examined microfinancing in Central America, a relatively undefined role in terms of gender. While managers in the field are split about 50/50 between men and women, their study showed that borrowers were more likely to make their payments on time when their manager was a man, and they were more likely to miss payments when their account was overseen by a woman. They attribute this to an immediate gender stereotyping of the position that gives women the perception of having less authority than their male counterparts.Surprisingly, when a male manager took over the account from a female colleague, the role was still perceived as “women’s work” and his authority was undermined as well. Rather than only affecting female professionals, their conclusion is that stereotyping jobs is harming society overall.While I’m sure most people don’t find the results shocking, taking corrective action seems more difficult since these stereotypes seem to become assigned and ingrained quickly. Judith Baxter, emeritus professor of applied linguistics at Aston University, argues that one place to start is with job ti tles and job descriptions. By removing gendered language we may slowly move the needle on what is defined as normal for both men and women.According to Baxter, “If we use non-gendered words most of the time, we begin to see people and professions as non-gendered too.”So perhaps we all need to take a step back and look at our language. The more we utilize non-gendered language, perhaps we can change the views of more people at work and in our day-to-day life.This article first appeared on Fairygodboss.

5 Signs Youre Nagging a Recruiter Sabotaging Your Chances for a Job

5 Signs You're Nagging a Recruiter Sabotaging Your Chances for a Job 5 Signs You're Nagging a Recruiter Sabotaging Your Chances for a Job The fine art of communicating with recruiters doesn’t come naturally to everyone. On one hand, you want to impress them and be enthusiastic so that they’ll consider you for a position. On the other, you don’t want to appear too eager or desperate. Still, job hunting often gets stressful, and no one likes playing the waiting game. When a recruiter is the one person who is able to tell you whether you’re being considered for a position, if you landed an interview, or if you actually got the job, it can be very tempting to reach out to them frequently to express your continued interest. There are definitely times when it’s appropriate to check in, but it’s very easy to cross into nagging territory if you’re not careful. Here’s how to know if you’re driving the people who can help you land a gig crazy, straight from recruiters themselves.   There’s likely a pretty good reason they’re not getting back to you. If you’ve already interviewed or corresponded with a recruiter, don’t worry if they don’t get back to you immediately. “Each recruiter is most likely managing 50+ active candidates at a time, and it takes time to collect feedback from interviewers and then connect with hiring managers to decide what next steps look like for each candidate in play,” explains James Parker, an Employee Recruiting Manager for Glassdoor. So what should you do if you’ve emailed a recruiter for feedback or to check in and haven’t gotten a response? “Candidates should give at least a two day window before seeking more information on the decision-making process,” he says. You might feel like you’re being proactive or simply showing how excited you are about a position, but most of the time, when recruiters say they’ll get back to you on a certain day, they really mean it. “This can send the wrong message and come across as desperate or too pushy, especially when candidates cold call a recruiter for an update,” says Linda Schubert, an Employee Recruiting Manager for Glassdoor. By all means, feel free to ask when you might hear back, but Schubert says you then have to respect the date the recruiter gives you in response. And if you don’t hear back by the date they’ve given you? “Send a polite and concise follow-up email asking if there are any updates, or if there is anything the recruiter needs from you as the team looks to make their decision.” Maybe you think you didn’t get a fair shot, or you want a certain company to know that you really want to work there, so you decide to submit your application again. Whatever the reason, when a candidate is rejected from a position and given feedback as to why, it’s a pretty major misstep to then ask to be reconsidered the same position (or a similar one) right away. “We love to reconsider candidates, but a reasonable amount of time (6+ months) would need to pass where they could have gained new experience or skills that would make the hiring manager want to re-interview them,” Parker says. If you do get rejected from a job you really want, his advice is to ask for feedback if it wasn’t provided, then make an effort to develop skills in the areas needed. “When reapplying at a later stage, candidates should include a cover letter explaining how they have developed the skills that weren’t sufficient previously,” he adds.” If you plan to do this, it’s also a good i dea to ask the recruiter what the appropriate timing would be to submit another application. Calling, emailing, and Facebook messaging a recruiter all at once is a serious faux pas . “Sometimes I get the same question emailed, sent through LinkedIn, texted to me, and left in a voice message within the same day from the same candidate,” Schubert says. “That doesn’t do anything good to help their chances. There is a fine line between being proactive and nagging, and by bombarding a recruiter with messages that aren’t essential, you are leaning towards the latter.” It’s best to stick to the same messaging medium the recruiter has used to communicate with you before, and if they haven’t ever responded to you before, pick one method and wait a few days before trying another. If a recruiter tells you that they’ll be in touch when they have an opportunity for you or if anything should change in the future with the role you’ve applied for, it’s likely that they are not inviting you to check in with them frequently. “At this point, it is safe to assume you should stop following up with the recruiter,” Parker says. “If you are a great candidate, you better believe the recruiter will contact you the very second another role opens. There is nothing wrong with a follow-up email, but if you hear crickets, it’s best to cut your losses and move on.”

4 Ways Companies Are Preparing For Tax Changes

4 Ways Companies Are Preparing For Tax Changes 4 Ways Companies Are Preparing For Tax Changes What do the new tax changes mean for companies, small, medium and large? That appears to be the question on the minds of many firms. The passing of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, signed into law at the end of 2017, changes the way all types of businesses, public and private, are taxed and already is having an impact on accounting methods and workloads. Not only will graduated tax brackets be replaced by a flat 21 percent corporate tax rate, but sweeping financial reporting changes will impact companies beginning this fiscal year. The new rules are expected to affect expensing of capital expenditures, deductions, purchases, inventories, charges for foreign earnings and profits, net operating losses, year-end disclosures and more. So, what should accounting and finance managers do to make sure they’re in compliance with the law? A new survey by Finance Accounting shows only about a third of companies (32 percent) consider themselves very prepared for the new demands. “Companies need to move quickly to get the right people and teams in place, provide training and upgrade systems to ensure a smooth transition to the new tax mandates,” said Steve Saah, executive director of Finance Accounting. “Acting fast to make necessary hires takes on greater importance given today’s low unemployment rates and shortages of top talent.” Here are four strategies companies are using to prepare for the tax changes: 1. Hire full-time accounting and finance staff In some companies, Saah says, the CFO or controller may take the lead at working through the requirements and impacts of the new law. At a small- or medium-sized company, this could fall under the scope of duties of senior or staff accountants. Large companies with dedicated tax departments may hire full-time tax accountants or consultants to help map out compliance. Regardless of size, companies will likely find themselves looking for more resources. If that takes the form of hiring accounting staff to help with the additional workload, contacting a specialized recruitment firm is your best first step in today’s ever-tightening job market. 2. Learn from subject-matter experts Training, including in-house presentations and guest speakers, is a must for financial executives and their teams. Teaming up with an industry group gives you a chance to share ideas with colleagues and hear from experts in your industry. Professional associations like the American Institute of CPAs (AICPA) are already featuring a wide range of training sessions dedicated to tax reform at their conferences. And CPA firms are offering webcasts, seminars and continuing professional education (CPE) courses on financial planning considerations and strategies associated with the new tax changes. 3. Bring in consultants for your staff Another option is to look to outside consultants for tax expertise. Consultants can step in when and for as long as needed, while providing expertise not available internally. These experts can also train full-time staff on new tax laws, financial systems or internal processes. Contact us for information about our interim management staffing, financial staffing and project consultant solutions. 4. Upgrade financial systems Are your corporate financial reporting systems capable of handling the changes? Some companies are finding their systems fall short in their ability to handle the complexities associated with compliance. With the changes to the deductions for meals and entertainment, companies may need technical assistance to separate the two expenses in their general ledger, for example. In payroll, changes in withholding methods and calculations may require new systems as a result of the tax law. Planning for the tax changes As you start to feel the effects of this first major tax overhaul in decades, you’re likely asking what the changes mean for the short and long term. How should you plan for the future? Start now by preparing your strategies for compliance, Saah advises. “If you don’t start today or if you haven’t yet started, you are already behind. The law is going to impact every company in every industry.”

Americas sweetheart Chrissy Teigen makes tearful confession

America's sweetheart Chrissy Teigen makes tearful confession America's sweetheart Chrissy Teigen makes tearful confession Model Chrissy Teigen made a surprising confession Monday as she accepted an honor at Glamour Magazine’s Women of the Year awards. “I never thought I’d be the kind of person that would win anything,” she said. “I was used to seeing John do it, and I was used to being on his arm.” As her “trophy husband” John Legend introduced her, he remembered an evening only a decade before when she had felt she did not belong among such esteemed company. Alongside icons such as Michelle Obama at a Time 100 celebration, Teigen became overwhelmed and sought refuge in a dressing room. When Oprah walked in, she crammed herself behind a door as she continued to sob.With his eyes brimming, Legend told his wife,  â€œYou are more than worthy of this honor tonight.” “I am amazed by the woman that you’ve become, and I’m truly glad that the rest of the world has found out about it, too,” he said.  A tearful Tiegen accepted her award and likened  the audience she addressed to the pe ople at the Time 100 celebration. “I don’t think you should ever feel quite comfortable in a room like this,” she said. “I think it’s always good to look up to people, and to see the things they’re doing, and to want to be your better self.” With more than 20 million followers on Instagram and more than 10 million followers on Twitter, Teigen has built a social media fan base that follows her every move. Over the last few years, she has used her popularity to speak out policies such as family separation. She has also been vocal about her own experiences with postpartum depression, bringing the mental health problem into the mainstream. “I’m so honored to be able to have this platform to talk to all of you and to be able to share any kind of message,” Teigen said, “whether it’s chicken pot pies or getting blocked by Donald.” close dialogAdvertisement close dialog/* effects for .bx-campaign-1012255 *//* custom css .bx-campaign-1012255 */.bx-custom.bx-c ampaign-1012255.bx-type-agilityzone .bx-close { z-index: 2;}@-ms-keyframes bx-anim-1012255-spin { from { -ms-transform: rotate(0deg); } to { -ms-transform: rotate(360deg); } } @-moz-keyframes bx-anim-1012255-spin { from { -moz-transform: rotate(0deg); } to { -moz-transform: rotate(360deg); } } @-webkit-keyframes bx-anim-1012255-spin { from { -webkit-transform: rotate(0deg); } to { -webkit-transform: rotate(360deg); } } @keyframes bx-anim-1012255-spin { from { transform: rotate(0deg); } to { transform: rotate(360deg); } } #bx-close-inside-1012255 { top: 0; right: 0; } /* KD - Remove padding from video wrapper and set height to 100% */.bx-custom.bx-campaign-1012255 .bx-row-video .bx-video-wrapper { padding-top: 0!important; height: 100%;}.bx-custom#bx-campaign-1012255 #bx-creative-1012255 .bx-wrap { height: auto;}/* KD - Change positioning to static as that was not necesaary and here you can adjust the height of the video element */.bx-custom.bx-campaign-1012255 .bx-row-video .bx-video-wrapper video { position: static;}/* rendered styles .bx-campaign-1012255 */.bxc.bx-campaign-1012255.bx-active-step-1 .bx-creative *:first-child {width: 100%;}.bxc.bx-campaign-1012255.bx-active-step-1 .bx-creative {background-color: transparent;border-style: none;max-width: 900px;}.bxc.bx-campaign-1012255.bx-active-step-1 .bx-close {stroke: white;background-color: black;border-style: solid;border-color: white;border-width: 1px;}.bxc.bx-campaign-1012255 .bx-group-1012255-AFvXBOB {padding: 10px;display: block;width: auto;}.bxc.bx-campaign-1012255 .bx-element-1012255-J0EiS8Y {width: auto;}.bxc.bx-campaign-1012255 .bx-element-1012255-J0EiS8Y *:first-child {padding: 2px 4px;font-size: 10px;color: rgb(255, 255, 255);text-transform: uppercase;background-color: rgb(0, 0, 0);background-color: rgba (0, 0, 0, 0.34);}

How to Prepare for Your Annual Employee Review

How to Prepare for Your Annual Employee Review How to Prepare for Your Annual Employee Review Your annual employee performance review is an important opportunity to review your goals and accomplishments and receive feedback on your past performance and suggestions for improvement. Performance reviews can be used to justify raises or promotions or to request additional responsibility, so it’s important that your performance is accurately documented. With a healthy amount of upfront planning, an annual performance review can be a positive experience that can further your career. Prepare for Your Annual Performance Review Properly preparing for your annual performance review throughout the year, not just a week or two before it occurs, can lessen any surprises and increase the likelihood of a productive, successful meeting. Maintain a detailed log of your goals and accomplishments that you can refer to throughout the year and use them in preparation for your annual review. This will ensure that the information you provide is detailed, complete and accurate, and lessen the likelihood of missing a key item in your review. In addition, stay current on whats expected of you to meet company goals. Company strategies are always changing and your job description may change along with it. Therefore, meet regularly with your manager to make sure you continue to meet present expectations. Five Ways to Prepare for a Performance Review Key points to remember for a smooth performance review are:Know your managers expectations and your goals before the review.Obtain manager feedback on a regular basis.Maintain a record of your accomplishments and changing goals throughout the year.Keep your manager informed.Provide input to your manager. Manage Job Expectations Understand managements expectations, as well as your goals well before your annual review. Take a look at the job posting that was used to advertise your position. When you are applying for a job, or new at a job, it’s not uncommon to only have a superficial understanding of your job duties. However, once you’re there for a few months, you should have a better understanding of the job requirements. Many managers schedule weekly one-on-ones with their employees to stay informed about their employees work, which can include reviewing job expectations, especially when duties change along with changing company goals. Above all, its important to have your manager explain how your performance will be assessed throughout the year. Even if your manager or company doesn’t have a formal goal-setting or development-planning process, you can still set informal goals with your manager. By doing so, you’re not only demonstrating to your manager that you are ambitious and results-oriented, you are minimizing the chances of being surprised during the annual review discussion. Get Feedback Ask your manager for feedback twice a month or monthly. This can be done during scheduled status meetings. The information will help you to keep track of your goals and accomplishments, and set expectations. Feedback will also help you to make any necessary improvements. You can, therefore, be assured that you are performing your job properly throughout the year. Record Accomplishments Record and maintain a log of your accomplishments thought the year. For example, keep a folder of good and bad performance, customer feedback, performance reports, progress on goals, and anything else that supports your performance expectations and goals. Keeping a record of your major accomplishments and summarizing them on an annual basis is also the perfect time to update your resume. Each year, you should add at least a couple of accomplishments to your resume and LinkedIn profile. Keep Manager Informed Don’t assume your manager is aware of your performance status and accomplishments. Without overdoing it, let your manager know when you’ve done something great. It’s also important to own up to any mistakes, as managers dislike surprises and will appreciate that you are accountable for your actions.   Give Input to Manager Provide input to your manager, even if it is not requested during your annual review. Your input during this meeting is a rare opportunity to mention your accomplishments to increase your chances for advancement. Electronic Review Process Many companies have adopted an efficient process that records and tracks an employees progress throughout their years of employment. For example, there are software programs that simplify the review process by asking management to fill in employee goals that must be met throughout the year. The employee then explains, in the required fields, how they met these goals along with providing specific examples. The manager then reviews the employees comments and accomplishments and may rate the employee, from didnt meet expectations to exceeded expectations and adds their own comments. The employee then meets with their manager to review the findings, which is the basis of the annual review.

Best Buy Career and Employment Information

Best Buy Career and Employment Information Best Buy Career and Employment Information With more than 1,500 stores worldwide, Best Buy is one of the nations leading electronics retailers. Their locations include large-format and Best Buy Mobile stores, employing more than 125,000 people.  The company’s headquarters are in Richfield, Minnesota â€" a Minneapolis suburb.   The company was founded by Richard Schulze  and Gary Smoliak in 1966 as an audio specialty store. In 1983, it was renamed and rebranded with more emphasis placed on consumer electronics. Best Buys subsidiaries include Geek Squad, Magnolia Audio Video, Pacific Sales, and Cowboom. In the US, the company operates under Best Buy, Best Buy Mobile, Geek Squad, Magnolia Audio Video, Insignia, and Pacific Sales brands. In Canada: Best Buy, Geek Squad, and Best Buy Mobile; in Mexico: Best Buy, Best Buy Express; and in China: Geek Squad, Best Buy Mobile, and Five Star. Best Buy describes its employees as friendly, enthusiastic and willing to help you succeed. Sure, we’re a big company - the world’s largest consumer electronics retailer - but that doesn’t stop us from having fun while doing what we love: bringing technology into people’s lives in meaningful ways. What Best Buy Sells Best Buy sells consumer electronics and related products, including cell phones, software, video games, music, digital cameras, computers and home appliances. The company also offers computer repairs, warranty service, and accidental service plans through its Geek Squad brand.   Best Buy Employment InformationBest Buy offers a wide range of employment opportunities, from retail and administrative to corporate careers. Since  retail associates are interacting with customers daily, it is essential to have strong interpersonal skills, communication skills, and technology acumen, specifically concerning the products you are selling. Most of the sales positions require a high school diploma, and while a college education is preferred, it is not a necessary credential. Geek Squad employees may be charged with the delivery, installation, and repair of technology products and equipment. Though the level of experience required depends on the specific position, the ability to solve clients tech issues on time is key. The soft skills needed are effective communication, teamwork, problem-solving and flexibility. The majority of corporate employees work at Best Buy’s headquarters in Richmond, Minnesota. For those of you who are not highly skilled in technology, there are a host of careers beyond this focus. Think marketing, finance, legal, administrative, public relations and much more. Of course, there are dozens of job openings for tech applicants, including IT specialists, engineers, software developers and program analysts. There are also distribution jobs available at Best Buy warehouses around the country. There, employees facilitate moving products throughout the distribution center in areas such as Receiving, Stocking, Shipping, Non-Con, Order Processing, and Replenishment. Warehouse positions offered are both seasonal and year-round. Additional Best Buy employment information concerning job openings, the company culture, applications, company locations, benefits, and how to apply is available online. Best Buy Job Listings Best Buy offers detailed information for the various retail, corporate and administrative job postings online. For military vets and those currently serving, Best Buy matches their specific skills with the appropriate careers through their Military Skills Translator. Job seekers can search for openings by Best Buy brand, job function, job level, individual store and within a geographic location. Best Buy Employee Benefits Best Buy benefits coverage is available to employees, spouses, domestic partners, and dependents. The full-time benefits offered are grouped into three areas: Health and Wealth programs and Other Rewards. The Health benefits include medical, dental, vision, life insurance, disability and health and dependent care spending account programs. The Wealth benefits include 401(k) and the Employee Stock Purchase Plan. Best Buy also offers an array of other benefits including time-off programs, employee discount, tuition assistance, vendor accommodation programs and more.

How to Build a Network From Scratch -The Muse

How to Build a Network From Scratch -The Muse How to Build a Network From Scratch For the most part, I’m a card-carrying introvert. Big conferences and events exhaust me; I’d rather have a glass of wine with my husband or a few close friends than meet new people in a crowded bar. I’m truly of the mindset that staying in is the new going out. And for the most part, that works. I have close friends I see often and a strong network I maintain via introvert-friendly activities: one-on-one drinks meetings, intimate dinners with close contacts, swapping advice and connections over email. But there are also times that it doesn’t. In the last decade or so, I’ve moved to four new cities and changed careers twice. In short, a few times over I’ve found myself needing to build a professional network (and friend group) from scratch, and quickly. Which doesn’t really happen when I’m at home, sitting on my couch. So, during these transitions, I up my networking game. I reach out to my current connections asking for introductions in my new industry or city. I send cold emails to people who I’d like to meet. I browse meetups and conferences and events. But the single most effective thing I do to build my network is this: I say “yes” to everything. OK, not to anything illegal, or to anything I’d regret seeing posted on social media. But for a certain period of time (typically one to two months), I make a point to say “yes” to every invitation, every event, and every networking request that comes my way. If I hear about a conference that seems only mildly related to what I do, yes. If someone asks me to lunch, yes. If I’m invited to an alumni event 10 miles a way- I’d never normally commute that far on a weeknight, but yes! From early morning coffee meetings to outdoor Frisbee games, I’m truly game for anything and everything. To tell you the truth, many of these activities lead to nothing. But many of them lead to meeting people who become friends or important professional connections. Many of them lead to other invitations (which, of course, I accept)- that then lead to friends or important professional connections. And it keeps going. In fact, I can’t count the number of amazing relationships I’ve built and the number of opportunities that’ve come my way because I said yes to something I normally would’ve skipped- going to events far out of town, eating pizza on a Saturday night with a group of women I had never met before, watching or even playing sports. Yes, it’s uncomfortable. Yes, it takes time. And yes, every time I do it, I really have to pump myself up. But I remind myself that it’s just for a month or two, and then I can return to my old ways- but with a much stronger community in place. So, give it a try. Whether you’re making a major career or life change, you’re looking to bolster your network, or you’re just trying to make some new friends, have a “yes” period. I have a feeling you’ll be pleasantly surprised. Tried it out? Let me know on Twitter.

How to Craft an Effective Business Card to Advance Your Career

How to Craft an Effective Business Card to Advance Your Career How to Craft an Effective Business Card to Advance Your Career Yes, Business Cards Still Matter. Here's How to Craft Good Ones Who needs business cards these days? You do. These days, your personal brand relies heavily on your digital presence, but be careful about shifting 100 percent to the digital realm. Don't give up on those trusty little cards just yet. Business cards are indeed still effective, and they can really come in handy. Think about this: You're at a networking event and you just met a VP of Marketing who just so happens to work for your dream employer and has direct connections to positions you're interested in. Naturally, you want to keep in touch. Do you go online right then and there and make a LinkedIn connection? Awkward, right? Instead of pulling out your phone and scrolling through LinkedIn profiles mid-conversation, simply hand your new contact your effective business card and do all the follow-up work later it will save time and come across as much more professional. Business cards are still the expected and most respected method of sharing contact info during in-person meetings, so don't disappoint. If that's not enough to convince you to order a new set of business cards, maybe these other business card benefits will give you more incentive. Accurate information If you've ever been in a situation where you're trying to type someone's email address into your phone during a conversation, you know it doesn't always go smoothly. How do you spell that? Is there a dot in between your first and last name? All kinds of questions can arise, and you or the other party can easily slip up and type something incorrectly. If that happens, your chances of keeping in touch significantly decline. And unfortunately, if the person you just met doesn't have accurate contact info for you, they aren't likely to go out of their way to find it. Effective business cards eliminate this problem, as they contain accurate and up-to-date contact info, proper spelling and all. Showcasing your personality You'd be surprised by how much personality you can fit into that 3.5-by-2-inch rectangle. One of the worst things you can do is use the basic, no-frills templates. You know these they're the ones that business card websites offer for free or really cheap to lure you in. Take the time to showcase your personality rather than accept the minimum. Add your company logo or a graphic that represents you. Whatever you add, just make sure it reflects you as a professional and adds aesthetic value. Your personal brand will thank you. Affordable direct marketing Business cards are relatively affordable compared to a lot of direct marketing collateral. Think of them as a sort of tiny brochure. You hand them out at conferences, during meetings, and to people you connect with by chance. They can contain a brief message about you that states who you are and what you do, along with the traditional contact info to help someone get in touch. Related:Networking Event Tips: How to Succeed at Events So, how exactly do you craft a business card, then? Great question! There are a number of things you need to consider when crafting an effective business card. Here are just a few: Find the right balance of information. You want to exercise some caution too much information can make a card look sloppy, while too little can leave it looking empty and unprofessional. In order to avoid this, here are the basics you need to include: Name and title Company name Email address Phone number Website address (if you have one) You can add additional info at your discretion, but generally, the above is all that's necessary. Select the right design. While you shouldn't accept the basic, no-frills option when ordering business cards, it's perfectly OK to use an business card template. In fact, many templates will allow you to upload your own logo or other graphics, so even though you may not be the only person with that template, you can still personalize it. When it comes to a custom business card, make sure you know what you're doing; you need to understand things like aspect ratio, pixels, space, and a number of other considerations. Otherwise, you may end up with a blurry, out-of-focus design when you go to print. If you don't understand design but still want to go the custom route, have a professional design it for you. Choose your cardstock. Thick, thin, or in between? All of these are fine options, but it's best to avoid cards that are paper thin. The quality of your card says a lot about the quality of you as a professional, so don't give that new contact a card that will crumble and fold under the slightest bit of pressure. Shop around. This is the easy part of business card guidelines there are tons of options for ordering cards. Some are better than others, so check reviews before you make your purchase. You can go directly to a printing service, but typically going through websites is cheaper and you can get just as high a quality as custom printers if you go with the right site. Not all sites will have the same variety of options for cuts, quality, and other aspects of your card, so do your research before you choose. Here are a few trusty options to help you get started: Vistaprint: Perhaps the most widely-recognized site, Vistaprint has great prices and lots of options. MOO: MOO offers a premium stock, including luxe and cotton among others. Jukebox: It's not the cheapest, but Jukebox offers really cool options where cards are definitely customizable. Ever considered a wooden business card? These are just a few of the many options available. Do your research, and don't settle. Find the best option for you before printing. Don't overlook the value of an effective business card. They're a great way to enhance your personal brand and help build your career. So create a set ASAP and start handing out your cards! Click on the following link for more networking advice. Make sure your resume matches your professional business cards with a free resume critique. Recommended Reading: Personal Branding is Critical to Your Career's Future. Here's Why Network Like an Expert: Networking Tips from the Industry's Finest Personal Branding 101: Creating Your Personal Brand