Rock the body. The body language, that is! Ladders

Rock the body. The body language, that is LaddersRock the body. The body language, that is LaddersSelf-Assessment Quiz - TRUE or FALSEThe only thing I need to do at work to succeed is to show up on time, work hard, and do what my boss tells me.Im already confident, and I have no problems walking around at work being the confident person I am.If I need extra tips to advance my career, Im more interested in taking a class or going to workshops.Whether youre the new kid on the block or the long-standing executive, there may be one tool in your career-building kit that youre not using to its full potential, and thats body language. On the flip side, you could be using it unconsciously, and this bad boy could really be holding you back. It could be keeping you from advancing to the next level or just making you look like a big tool. To that end, if you answered TRUE to all of the Self-Assessment questions above, read onMost people are aware of the body language basics like handshakes and eye contact. A sister-friend of mine told me her father taught her two things when she was a young woman coming out of college 1) you always offer a firm handshake, and 2) you always look a person in the eye when doing so. My colleague says that information was incredibly invaluable as she was coming up in her career (especially as a woman).If youre NOT doing this, think about it. What doyouthink when youre meeting someone for the first time and their handshake is like holding onto a wet fish? Not enticing. Not interesting. Not trustworthy, right? And you might feel a little like,EwwwHow about eye contact? If youre fishing around to catch someones eye so that you can connect with them to flash your dazzling smile or try to share a new strategic idea, what thoughts run through your head when theyre looking down or away or past you? Uhhh, not trustworthy. Not confident. Not someone you want to be around or do business with.Body language goes way beyond the handshake and eye contact. T here are several tools you can use to not only make you appear confident, but to also help you fake it til you make it during an important presentation or in your final interview for the job of your dreams.Posture Grandmas are for nothing else but to tell us to sit up straight. DO IT Slouching is sloppy. Sloppy aint nowhere near where you want to be when making a good impression or trying to sell a new client.Arms folded Want to tell someone youre bored, not interested, or think their ideas are nutso? Cross your arms while theyre talking. Better yet, keep em crossed the entire meeting. Want to appear open, interested, and available? Rest your arms on the table or in your lap. If youre at a networking event, stand with your hands clasped behind your back or low in front of you. People will instinctively feel welcomed and will be at ease.Body positioning When seated around the sides of a boardroom table, watch where your chest is pointed. Meaning, if you want to shut out the person se ated next to you and those behind you, turn your shoulders and chest away from them. If you dont want to block them and their ideas in this way- which is more indicative of you being a gruppe player- turn your shoulders and chest parallel towards the table or push your seat back a bit so that theres sort of a flowing current that can pass from one end of the table to the other. To listen and interact, turn your head, or if you do turn your shoulders and chest, be quick about it and get back to an open position.These are just a few tactics and tools that you can start using today. As you incorporate this fun stuff into your work world, watch how you turn into a dynamic team player out to winCheryl Grace is the sassy aunt, best friend, and mentor youve always needed in your life. The successful jet-setting, global corporate executive founded the aspirational lifestyle brand Powerful Penny LLC. Her products, workshops and speeches probe, inspire and empower to ensure those who really w ant to can get to their next level of best. Her blogs on careers, prosperity, relationships, family, looking and living fabulously, and living a five-star life can be found atwww.powerfulpenny.com.

Difficult people and clarity

Difficult people and clarityDifficult people and clarityAs I look back on the challenges my clients are dealing with right now I see two common themes difficult people and lack of clarity.Follow Ladders on FlipboardFollow Ladders magazines on Flipboard covering Happiness, Productivity, Job Satisfaction, Neuroscience, and moreFirst, people are difficult for one reason they are insecure and unhappy. That shouldnt become your problem, but often difficult people exude what looks like confidence. This gets them promoted to high-level positions. That perceived confidence is a smoke screen to hide what is behind the sand they kick up. Underneath they feel unqualified, ineffective and ultimately that they may lose respect, their job and be alone. Knowing this your goals are1. Make sure they know you have their back even though they will never have yours.2. Preface your suggestions in alignment with what they value. Since I know this is important to you.3. Stay off their radar screen. Dont play into their chaos. Dont meet with them unless necessary. Give them choices as it underscores their power. Dont posture to be favored. Let others live in the chaos.4. If you feel you are a target, repeat steps 1 to 3.These steps are difficult especially when you dont care for the person. Therefore, you must check your ego at the door. Dont battle a difficult person. They are meaner than you and you will lose. Be smart. Know how to interact with them in a way that makes them trust you and leave you alone. Let them focus on others who need more attention.Secondly, regarding clarity it is bedrngnis found on the treadmill to nowhere. Continually trying new things and making changes for the sake of change will not work. Rediscover your internal drivers. Name the single thought that holds you back and tell yourself many times each day that you are releasing that. What did you love to do as a child? Make some time to be somewhere where you have nothing to do but enjoy the environment. Listen to old music. Take free personality tests to uncover more about yourself. Be able to describe your strengths and weaknesses. What three things do you value more than anything? What could you do if you had the time?When you willingly release what holds you back and make space to realign your values with your strengths clarity evolves organically.Retire the treadmill to nowhere and your egos need to seek approval from unkind people. Youre awesomeIf you like these tips, heres a link to my new FREE eBook 31 Executive Presence Practices for Leaders in the High Stakes Corporate World.Mary Lee Gannon, ACC, CAEis an executive coach and corporate CEO who helps busy leaders get off the treadmill to nowhere to be more effective, earn more, bemore calm and enjoyconnected relationships with the people who matter while it still matters.Watch her FREE Master Class training on Three Things to Transform Your Life and Career Right Now atwww.MaryLeeGannon.com.You might also enjoyNew neuroscien ce 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

8 Actions That Get Job Seekers Hired

8 Actions That Get Job Seekers Hired8 Actions That Get Job Seekers Hired3The ultimate goal of any job search is to land a dream job with a great company. To get hired though, job seekers need to stand out from the competition and prove themselves worthy. For some insider tips, the below eight actions are popular to help get job seekers hired.A recent article by Careerealism about how to ensure you get the job offers some great advice. Inspired by that, we have developed a list of eight tips for job seekers to help them land the job of their dreams. Not only are these actions a great way to grab a recruiters attention, but theyre also easy steps to ensure your job search success.Here are eight actions that get job seekers hired.You stand out Standing out from the competition is essential to moving on to the next phase in the hiring process. Using subtle, but creative, resume formats or crafting well-written cover letters and documents are a great way to get yourself noticed.You show y ou are worth it You can say how perfect you are for a job until you are blue in the face, but unless you show the employer that you are worth their investment, you wont make an impression. Use metrics and facts to show what you have done in the past, as well as relate those numbers to how you can make them a profit.You prove your performance Again, saying and doing are two different things. If you say you are a big performer, have documentation that backs you up. Make sure to have references, recommendations, referrals, or testimonials to provide proof. Willingly offer these up.You offer a test run Many job seekers dont feel like they are in a position to work for free. However, offering a test run for a few weeks may be what lands you the job. If you are awarded the test run, make sure to perform.You are searchable and active on social media Recruiters and hiring managers use social media to learn more about candidates. If they cant find you on any social media channels, or they se e that you arent active, they may overlook you for someone with more information available. Make sure to keep your social media accounts professional and up to date, and be active with groups as well.You are consistent Your virtual life, personal life, and professional life should match up. With recruiters and hiring managers harnessing the power of the Internet, inconsistencies could hurt your reputation. Make sure to be consistent online, on paper, and in person.You are prepared and well-versed This is a major action that gets job seekers hired. Successful job searches are in part due to having updated and targeted cover letters and resumes. Additionally, successful job seekers research the job duties and the company to be fully prepared for the interview.You follow up and take initiative Last, but not least, following up and taking initiative is huge. While you dont want to be a pest, you do want to say thank you, follow up in a timely manner, and take initiative to prove your in terest.While a job search can be hard work, it doesnt always end in disappointment. By changing your strategy a bit and preparing ahead of time, you can have an increase in success. If you find that you arent getting calls back or getting noticed by recruiters the way you want, take a look at your job search plan and see if there are places you could make improvements.Readers, do you use any of the above actions that get job seekers hired? Share your experience with us below

How to Ask for a Voluntary Demotion

How to Ask for a Voluntary DemotionHow to Ask for a Voluntary DemotionVoluntary demotions are uncomfortable. Chances are that someone seeking a voluntary demotion has been unhappy for some time. Hopefully, such a person has come to the decision to seek an involuntary demotion after considering other options like adjusting job duties or pursuing a lateral transfer. But if the signs have been pointing to a voluntary demotion and other options dont exist, it is time to ask for a voluntary demotion. Doing this is tricky because you dont want to give the impression youve mentally checked out. You want to show youre valuable to the organization and should be cast in a different or previous role. Follow these tips when asking for a voluntary demotion. Be Honest You must be honest when asking for a voluntary demotion. You need to lay all your cards on the table and have an open conversation with your manager. Be clear and specific about the reasons you want to step down. If your manager knows what is bothering you and what you want to do, your manager may be able to offer options you dont know exist. Even if there are no other options, your manager should be your best ally in getting you where you want to be professionally. While being honest, remain tactful. You can be honest without being brutally honest. If your manager is part of the problem, you can probably say so without causing the situation to deteriorate further. You also dont want to badmouth colleagues. If you need to bring up colleagues, focus on their behaviors, not their personalities. Make sure you dont sound like you are blaming them for your situation. Prepare What Youre Going to Say You dont want to freeze up when you approach your babo about the demotion. Plan what youre going to say. You should jot down some notes so you touch on all the points you want to cover. Dont memorize your speech because what youre going to say shouldnt even be a speech. Your ideas should spark a conversation where you and your manager seek options that will work for you, your team and the organization. Going into the conversation you should know your wants and how you will articulate it, but you must be ready to listen as well. Draft a Letter Requesting the Demotion As part of your preparation for the conversation with your manager, you should draft a letter formally requesting the demotion. You probably wont give it to your boss during the meeting because the two of you may come up with other options. It will help you define and clarify what you want to accomplish with your demotion, and it can help you formally kick off the human resources processes that need to happen to get you in the position you want. Be aware that in government and in many other employment situations it might be hard to revoke a voluntary demotion letter once it has been accepted by your manager or your employers human resources office. Before you turn in the letter you need to be absolutely certain a voluntary de motion is what you want and that you are willing to accept the role the organization decides to give you. Schedule the Conversation Once youve done all the preparing you can do, schedule the conversation with your manager. The reason you dont schedule before you prepare is so you dont get caught off guard if your manager suggests an impromptu conversation when you attempt to schedule. When you schedule the appointment you dont have to say youre seeking a voluntary demotion. You can say you want to talk about job growth, your responsibilities or your career path. Your manager wont be caught totally off guard when you bring up the voluntary demotion because you set the stage for talking about your career. Be Open to Ideas Once you engage in the conversation with your manager, listen. Your manager may have advice for better handling your current role. That advice may make the difference between your desire to leave or stay in that position. For example, you may be experiencing an unfavorable work-life balance. Your boss may give you tips on getting your work done faster so youre not staying in the office until 800 each night. Your manager may be privy to upcoming opportunities that arent known to the organization at large. There may a role that better fits you that you can take without giving up status or salary. The organization might be ready to create a new position, or someone might be leaving, creating a vacancy. Be Helpful While you may be itching to get out of your current job, make things as easy as you can for your boss. Offer to stay in your current job for a transitional period. You dont want to leave your boss doing your job while you step back into something more comfortable. Make other helpful offers as your situation dictates. A voluntary demotion is about doing what is best for everyone involved, so proactively look for ways to help others.

The Basics of Manual Tester Resume

The Basics of Manual Tester Resume The Argument About Manual Tester Resume If youre seeking work, an on-line application enables you to readily highlight your abilities and experience in a way that you attract the interest of the employer. Today you can observe that if your requirements arent fitting the expectation, neither will the outcome of everybodys efforts. Make the vital parts of the notice stick out through the elimination of any sort of unnecessary info. When you are operating tests, you might have to stay longer than the normal working hours. Manual Tester Resume Ideas It is crucial to understand that developers and testers have a standard aim of producing high excellent computer software. ProgrammingWhen we discuss programming, it isnt that testers want to work as a developer, but its important to see the inside from the application so that it will become simple to comprehend its functioning and create tests accordingly. It is very important to keep a tab on the testers performance. You are able to find penetration testing jobs advertised in the regular on-line vacancy portals. To be able to make test cases its essential that the software tester is mindful of various testing practices and which approach is ideal for a specific system. Once you are prepared to turn into a paid penetration tester, you should begin applying for jobs. Manual Tester Resume Options Setting goals for yourself that can be done on a daily or weekly basis is a fantastic method to make the most of your productivity. Your Manual Tester skills list must demonstrate an excellent mixture of wisdom and character. Individual with strong organizational ability and energy whos in a standort to operate excellently in a team together with independently. Individual with physical dexterity, able to do manual tasks for extended periods. It has to likewise be able to cite the reasons of your certification for the job which you chance to be targeting. Conclusion If youre writing a resume or CV for the job of a manufacturing worker, you will need to make the objective statement very compelling to immediately bring in the employers attention to read the remainder of the resume. For instance, you could say how a lot of people you managed or the amount of departments you oversaw. For example, you might try sending out a definite number of resumes each week. The function of penetration tester is one which demands great responsibility. In reality, the additional growth can draw more candidates. By doing this youre proving your worth and your capacity to contribute, each of which are incredibly important aspects in determining your suitability for a position. 1 product could be in the very first phase while the second could be in the last developmental phase. Manual Tester Resume - Is it a Scam? QA and testing professionals understand that a high quality CV is an important portion of a thriving job search. Therefore, if youre planning to join a jo b as testing professional then comply with the above-listed format whilst designing resume and grasp your fantasy job with leading Companies in virtually no time. If you are searching for jobs as a software testing, you are going to want to be koranvers youre using effective job seeking skills. There are a lot of jobs out there for QA professionals online, pick the one which best fits your abilities and prepare your resume as per job requirement. The Start of Manual Tester Resume Ultimately, you can consist of relevant links to internet resumes or professional sites. You have to keep seeking the absolute best one until you find one, and you ought to run into a vorlage that brings an extra focus on your strengths. There are many other free resume-building templates online. The complete total CV template and ideas about the precise CV design and CV design ought to be only a final consideration. An eye-catching document also enables you to stick out from the competition. The tem plate isnt challenging to edit. Dont use PDF or other formats because it will be difficult to edit them. You need to pick the most suitable format. The Manual Tester Resume Game Therere prepared for download, if youd rather and would like to take it, just click save badge in the webpage, and it is going to be directly down loaded to your notebook computer. The computer software indicates the advertisements at the scheduled moment. If you believe you dont will have to create a resume template in that circumstance you may want to read further to establish why precisely you wish to learn how to compose a resume. Your manager or director does not need to hold your hand as you put together people and objects to be sure the business can supply the appropriate goods and solutions. Contemplating every one of the resources available through program and the on-line today, it may seem silly that Id personally advise you against utilizing a resume template to produce a professional resum e. With all these responsibilities, you may have trouble creating a concise document. As an employer you simply will have to put the resumes in software and filtration them to be in a position to acknowledge the person which you want to look for.

4 Hiring Hacks for Your Small Business - Spark Hire

4 Hiring Hacks for Your Small Business - Spark HireHacks are clever solutions to tricky problems (thanks Urban Dictionary). In this post, well apply some hacks to the traditional hiring process. Who doesnt need their hiring process to be a little easier, right? The hiring hacks we have for you today are a mixture of short-term and long-term solutions for your small geschftsleben hiring needs. Referrals and freelancers are great options for a small geschftsleben that needs employees right away. Community involvement, and a unique company brand can help your small business hiring strategy succeed in the long term. No matter your tricky situation, here are 4 hiring hacks for your small businessInstitute a referral bonusIf your small business doesnt have a network, use somebody elses. Referral bonuses can range anywhere from $100-$500, and can be a great incentive for your current employees to play matchmaker. Your current employees are a great resource because they have a vested interes t in a quality staff but play it safe with a 6-month rule. The referred employee has to stay with your company for 6-months before you pay up.Get involved in the communityNetworks are key talent pipelines for small business hiring strategies. Build your small business network by getting involved in your community. Sponsor school events, donate to charities, host a blood drive. This exposure generates year-round positive interest in your small business. When hiring season rolls around, that interest may inspire some great candidates to apply.Think beyond full-time employeesContract and temporary employees are the gold standard for hiring hacks. For small businesses especially, hiring full-time employees is high-stakes and time-consuming. If your small business needs help now, contract and temporary employees can provide help for relatively low cost and risk. This provides you time to find a full-time employee that will be a good long-term solution for your small business hiring, with out sacrificing productivity in the meantime.Be uniqueAs you build your business and its brand, with temporary and full-time help, remember to stay true to what makes your brand unique. Small businesses can provide a special work environment for employees, and its important to play that up. Michael B. Junge, a recruiter for Google, sums up small business hiring advice like thisIf you dont have an abundance of resources, going head to head with those who do isnt a great idea. Theyll always have deeper pockets and bigger perks. Fortunately, you dont need a ton of money or a big brand to build a compelling employment story. What you do need is a clear picture of the talent youre hoping to attract, an understanding of what they value, and a willingness to create an environment where their goals and ambitions can be fulfilled in a way thats not possible elsewhere.Have you crafted any hiring hacks for your organization? Tell us about it below.