Friday, May 29, 2020

Top 5 Interview Howlers of All Time

Top 5 Interview Howlers of All Time We’ve all attended an interview in our lives, Dictionary.com defines an interview as a formal meeting in which one or more persons question, consult, or evaluate another person. To even get an interview request means that someone has decided that you might be suitable for their position, however, it doesn’t always go to plan! I’ve been in recruitment 7 years now (wow!) and in that time I must have literally arranged, briefed and debriefed 1000’s of interviews. Obviously I love it when a client says to me ‘Adam, that candidate is amazing, when can we get him/her back in and prepare an offer’. Unfortunately, that doesn’t always happen, sometimes the candidate is just not right for the client, or the candidate is looking for something slightly different than the client is offering which is particularly prevalent in the technical sector I recruit within. I’m not sure why, but there are a group of people that just do not take the interview process seriously, and during my time recruiting for technical staff, there have been some real interview howlers, but I thought I’d put the best 5 I’ve come across in that time to The Undercover Recruiter. In reverse chronological order: 5) Angry Birds: The man who turned up for his interview to be a QA for a blue chip client in a pair of sandals, shorts and a vest. When the interviewer asked him to come through he asked them to wait until he had finished his game on his handheld. 4) Dressed for a quick getaway: The candidate who was interviewing for a very senior position that turned up to the interview in a suit and a pair of trainers. Not black trainers, but bright white running trainers. Perhaps he was already considering the possibility of a quick escape?! 3) Interviewing for the wrong job: The candidate who turned up for an interview, was asked to complete a HTML coding exercise and pulled a book out titled ‘HTML for Beginners’, and then got up after ½ of the test and said he had to go back to work now as he only gets 30 minutes for lunch. 2) Employee of the month material: The person who didn’t answer their phone to me all morning, had an interview booked for 10am, turned up to the interview 4 hours late and then proceeded to shout at the client for not having the time to interview him, needless to say he wasn’t in receipt of a job offer. 1) Self-confession: Saving the best for last (and possibly leaving myself open to some serious mockery) how about the young recruiter with just a few months experience and very minimal money who managed to sit on some chewing gum on his way to an interview? He proceeded to go to a shop and purchase a black pen, scrub as much of the gum off as possible from his only suit and colour over the residue to not have it noticed by his potential client. I’m not so sure if I pulled that one off as well as I thought I did, but only the interviewer would be able to tell you…(hint, I don’t work for him now, and never have done!). What can we learn from howlers? So, in summary it might be an idea, when requested for an interview, to wear suitable attire (that would be a suit, and shoes!), know your technology before going to the interview, turn up on time, and, above all else, check the seat on the train doesn’t have chewing gum on it! Related: 10 Classic Job Interview Blunders You Must Avoid. Image: Shutterstock

Tuesday, May 26, 2020

Secretary Job Description Sample - Algrim.co

Secretary Job Description Sample - Algrim.co Secretary Job Description Template Download our job description template in Word or PDF format. Instant download. No email required. Download Template Using Your Template Follow these instructions to use your new job description template Step one: Fill out all details in your job description template using the provided sample on this page. Step two: Customize your requirements or duties to anything special to your workplace. Be sure to speak with team members and managers to gauge what's required of the position. Step three: When the census of the team has agreed on the description of the work, add in a Equal Employment Opportunity statement to the bottom of your job description. Step four: Check with your legal department, management team, and other team members to ensure the job description looks correct before creating a job advertisement. Choose a job board that's specific to your needs. Related Hiring Resources Secretary Resume Example Secretary Cover Letter Sample Legal Secretary Job Description Sample School Secretary Cover Letter Sample Legal Secretary Cover Letter Sample Secretary of State Job Description Executive Secretary Job Description Medical Secretary Job Description Church Secretary Job Description Sample

Friday, May 22, 2020

6 questions with LinkedIn co-founder Konstantin Guericke

6 questions with LinkedIn co-founder Konstantin Guericke I noticed that among the ten ideas for job hunting in my last post, the idea people talked about the most was using LinkedIn. This doesnt surprise me. The promise of LinkedIn is to make your network work for you, and thats enticing. But the process of building a network on LinkedIn has always felt very nuanced to me. For example, I can never decide when its time to send someone an invitation. I feel nervous about it like I am asking someone on a second date Did the first date go well enough? Do we want to hang out more? So when LinkedIn co-founder Konstantin Guericke offered to do an interview with me, I jumped at the chance because I want to be better at using LinkedIn myself. Heres the interview: Q: How many connections do I need to make LinkedIn really work for me? A: Thirty connections is usually enough. But the quality of connections is important How well the person knows your work so they can make a strong introduction for you. Q: What makes a connection high quality? A: Ask yourself what value they can add in an introduction. Your network can include people you work for, people who are working for you, and with you. For example if youre in sales a customer can make an introduction for you. Quality is also someone with a lot of connections, but you have to look to see if its a superconnected person or someone who is ardent about building up their connections on LinkedIn. Q: Why does someone with 500 good connections need to use LinkedIn? A: If someone asks this person Do you know someone at Coke, then the work is on the broker [to figure out who in his network would be appropriate]. Or he can say, Link to me on LinkedIn. Q: What are some ways to use LinkedIn to get a job? A: Sometimes the hiring manager you are looking for is three degrees away from you, but the company is two degrees. Also, use LinkedIn to prepare for an interview. Often people have their interests listed. Then you can talk about interests or people you might have in common. Q: Any other tips for using LinkedIn? A: Once you have the offer, ask people who used to work at the company but no longer work there they are free to talk. Also, do due diligence on your future boss by finding someone who use to work for the boss; you can type in the company and title and you might find someone who had the job in the past. Q: How do I get over the fear of my invitation being rebuffed? A: Over half the time people say yes. This should have been my cue to say, So do you want to connect with me via LinkedIn? It would have been great. I could have spent all night clicking through his 500+ contacts carefully forming a long term strategy to tactfully leverage this treasure. But alas, I did not ask. Not even the Brazen Careerist can be brazen all the time.

Monday, May 18, 2020

Everything You Need Know About Leadership Coaches (and Superheroes)

Everything You Need Know About Leadership Coaches (and Superheroes) Employee disengagement is it continuing to take over the American workplace? It is according to a  2016 Gallup study  that points to  67 percent of employees lacking enthusiasm for their job, not feeling committed to their employer. This is a problem for employers, considering the high cost of turnover and recruitment. Companies invest in all kinds of employee engagement strategies and plans that may fall short in encouraging a long-lasting solution. These plans may only boost engagement for a brief period before employees start to seek greener pastures.  So where does that leave employers in their pursuit to get everyone on board and keep them invested and motivated in contributing to the big picture? MyWorkNinja  has created an infographic looking at  how leadership coaching can turn clock punchers into high performing, growth-oriented individuals. When employees know they can grow in their current company and see they are being invested in, they are more motivated, happier, and far more productive.  Providing executive leadership coaching is no longer reserved solely for the C-suite. Leadership coaching services are more affordable and readily available than ever before for employees of all levels and industries. Let’s take a look at how leadership coaches can improve the current disengaged climate and how they impact employees: Goal setting How can your employees evolve and learn if they don’t know where they want to go and who they want to be? Coaches guide them to set specific, attainable goals all while holding them accountable. Employees are bound to give up if they don’t set goals and share them publicly. In fact, according to a 2015 Dominican University of California  study, 70 percent of people who send weekly updates to friends and write down their goals achieve success. When employees have a coach to speak to on an ongoing basis, they are held accountable to more than just themselves. What’s concerning is that, given the evidence that setting goals results in success, only 43.1 percent of companies have formal goal setting and tracking programs, according to the 2016 Quantum Workplace State of Employee Feedback report. With the help of a leadership coach, you’re giving employees their own program to get them where they want to be. Skills building Typically with career development efforts, employees are going to be looking to build on their current skills and develop new ones. Coaches make the perfect sidekick for this.  They find a personalized plan with the tools and resources necessary to guide them to professional growth. This is especially helpful with developing soft skills, such as communication and organizational skills, as well as teaching them to become strong leaders. Balancing  work and life Long days can be draining, and it can be even worse when employees are trying to learn new skills on top of their daily operations. The simple fact is that an overwhelmed employee will end up taking longer to develop, especially if their health starts to suffer and they miss more days. The 2015 Labor of Love survey  report from Virgin Pulse found that more than one in four employees rank maintaining good health as a top aspect for driving their well-being and happiness. Leadership coaches help them prioritize their personal health by giving them tools to better manage the stress of life, both in the office and at home. When employees attain a better work-life balance, they are happier, healthier, and overall better workers. Finding the way Coaches point out the path to career success for the employee. When they start to stray and struggle with their development, coaches are there to provide them with constructive input.  According to a January 2014  study from Harvard Business Review, 57 percent of employees say they prefer corrective feedback, and 72 percent said their performance would improve if managers provided corrective feedback. Not everyone learns the same way. This feedback can inform better development practices and steer employees to learning practices that fit them best.  Individualized training is the way of the future. Employers want high performing, engaged employees who will stay to learn and grow with the organization, and leadership coaching is the best solution. How are you investing in employee development? How would leadership coaching help your company? Share in the comments below. About the author:  Heather R. Huhman  is a career expert, experienced hiring manager and president of  Come Recommended, a content-marketing and digital-PR consultancy for job-search and human-resources technologies.

Friday, May 15, 2020

6 Useful Online Learning Tools to Help You Develop Your Skills - CareerMetis.com

6 Useful Online Learning Tools to Help You Develop Your Skills Source : trainwitheti.comLearning on a computer was very inconvenient and unapproachable in the past. It was possible to find lessons on a CD, but they were very limited and it was a hassle to get them and go through them effectively.Today, the internet and computer technology have gone very far and online learning has become incredibly efficient. With just a simple browser and internet connection you can instantly access various online learning tools.Not only can they be accessed easily, but they also offer improved learning capabilities through personalized, collaborative, blended, real-time, and engaging lessons.evalAdditionally, the timing couldn’t be better, as younger generations are tech-savvy and find it easy to learn how to use these tools to improve their skills.On the other hand, teachers can quickly create online classes and harness all the benefits of this type of learning. The two most important factors of online learning tools are their features and the value they of fer.Today we will introduce some of the best learning tools regardless what kind of style they have or which area they focus on.1. Project ShareevalA lot of people use this tool.Project Share has a huge variety of different courses that both teachers and students can use for free. Apart from the fact that anyone can instantly log in and use courses which are already available, teachers can also create courses of their own and add them to the database.All of the lessons that you can find here have manyWeb 2.0 toolsthat make learning more convenient, such as blogs, wikis, forums, drop boxes, various chat tools etc. No matter what knowledge you might be looking for, you can definitively find it here, as content repositories have even more content.In fact, bloggers and webmasters havea variety of useful tools at their disposal, which they can use in combination with Project Share to further enhance their learning. evalTeachers create various tests through quizzes and other tools and all of the results that learners achieve get added to their grade books.Teachers on Project Share also monitor how students are performing and create reports on their progress.2. PreziPrezi is a presentation platform where users add their videos, images, slides and other type of content. The spatial narrative of the platform gives flexibility and mobility, as learners can navigate through presentations back and forth, viewing whatever they want.This is a great platform for visual learners and if you don’t like reading a lot, it might be just the thing you are looking for. All elements on the screen can be enlarged or isolated, allowing learners to view the content in front of them at a wider angle or in more detail.evalThere is this narrative that presentations have become obsolete, but you cannot compare Prezi to PowerPoint presentations. There are many engaging elements within presentations here, from quality visuals to navigation.3. EdmodoEdmodo is an interesting tool that nurture s a blended learning style. This is a comprehensive learning platform where learners of all levels, grades and ages can find something interesting.The first thing you need to do is choose one of the countless of courses available and when you do, you will get credentials which allow you to join a class.It has a unique feature “Note”, through which teachers share files with students, talk about issues, give announcements and collaborate. The other important feature of this online learning tool is “Assignments”, through which students can access files or links to complete their assignments. The Assignments card also shows when people have finished their assignments.Through this tool, teachers provide quizzes, questionnaires, and tests in various formats and they are delivered to the whole group. The results of completed tests are added to a grade book which students can export.Teachers also create polls to discuss important collective issues and improve lessons.4. TedEdThis is a tool that was able to perfect the flipped classroom learning model. This model allows students to go through various content from their computers and then choose what they want to learn from it and apply it in real life.The platform is designed to provide learners vital foundational knowledge through online learning and then solidify it and learn it even better with practical courses.TEDEd is a serious learning platform where there are a lot of professional online teachers who create lessons which are further enhanced by designers. What is interesting about this platform is that courses can be viewed in two ways, thematically and conceptually.evalNo matter what kind of lesson a learner chooses, all of them are designed to be watched and encourage learners to learn more about the topic.The learning stage where users watch videos also has quick quizzes that offer them choices through which their future assessment is determined. The second stage includes short questions, as well as answers through which learners solidify their knowledge.In the end, students are offered new resources through which they can explore a certain area of the subject they are interested in.5. Crash CourseA YouTube channel might not exactly be considered as a “tool”, but Crash Course is certainly an amazing learning instrument through which many people get a lot of accurate information.The videos you can find on this channel pack a lot of well-researched information on various subjects such as politics, astronomy, history etc.evalThey are course-based videos that can have multiple episodes and the content is delivered very quickly, while sticking only to the essential knowledge. This means that the videos can be watched and understood easily. The fact that there is a bit of humor makes watching Crash Course even more fun.No matter which topic you are interested in, the videos that you can find here will have you glued to your screen for hours, having fun while learning. What is eve n better is the fact that their content is really inspiring and makes you want to look for more knowledge on your own.eval6. CourseraThe name says it all, Coursera is all about online courses. This platform has a large network of universities and professors from around the world. Together they work on providing quality courses to students, and after finishing them they receive certificates as proof of their acquired skills.This is a serious platform where everyone can get valuable knowledge either for free or for a fee.Coursera stands out from similar tools, because it has a group of recognized professors working together on providing high-quality courses that give students practical and actionable knowledge allowing them topursue careers they never thought possible.What’s even better is that Coursera has made important partners including Google, through which companies can judge the projects of their students. This is a great opportunity for learners to show what they’ve learne d and potentially pitch ideas to those companies and even get funding or employment.Online learning tools havemade a great impacton how we get our education today. Even if you are unsure which tools you need there are databases you can utilize to find the right tools for your situation.More and more official institutions are getting similar solutions and accepting this kind of education as viable. In fact, today some online certificates can be of greater help for finding a job than a college degree.