How to become resilient to the dreaded no

How to become resilient to the dreaded noHow to become resilient to the dreaded noWhen your boss turns down your idea, its natural to feel wounded you put yourself on the line with some original pitch, and then it was rejected.The chances are, however, the boss isnt saying no to hurt you. Shes doing it to get you to think up a better idea. And when companies reject you for a job, theyre not trying to ruin your future. Theyre usually looking for the best fit.Thats why the best thing you can immediately do when facing a no is refuse to take it personally. Take a deep breath.The most important thing is to resist the spiral into despair. We may misinterpret that no as a sign that were being undervalued, and well self-sabotage ourselves to meet those lower expectations nothing I do matters anyway, so why even try?But Harvard Business Review research explainshow you can turn that no into a success through a company case study on people who made the best out of their boss rejection.A 2016 s tudyfound that resource scarcity leads to mora creativity as the constraints force us tothink beyond the traditional functionality of a given product.Make it work, even if its garbageHBR uses the story of a retail business managers dilemma on he how made a best-seller out of an inferior product he couldnt returnAfter this managerwas told that he couldnt return a large quantity of poorly-made tube dresses back to the warehouse, he decided to reevaluate the product because otherwise, theyre gonna be sitting here forever. He decided to cut off the flimsy straps and sell the productas a superior beach cover-up. It became a best-seller.As this anonymous manager told a different study, Sometimes when I get stuff that I think is personally garbage, I have to look at it as a challenge How am I gonna make it work?Necessity and limits can be the spark toall creativity, as long as employees and managers feel empowered to take theirresources into new directions.Famous fashion consultant Tim Gun n critiqued the lack of designers making clothes for plus-size women under this mindset. In his Washington Post essay on the subject, he argued that, I profoundly believe that women of every size can look good. But they must be given choices.Theres an art to doing this. Designers, make it work.You may not have an ideal team, enough resources, or unlimitedtime or money, but you have your mind and your will to achieve your goals despite these setbacks. Researchers say that people succeed despite these nos when they overcome threat rigidity, or the fear to think were personally at fault or under threat during times of professional adversity.But you can unstuck yourself. Spend less time worrying about what you dont have, and focus that energy on making do with what you already have. As Steve Martin puts it, Be so good they cant ignore you.

Formal Employee Thank You Letter Sample

Formal Employee Thank You Letter SampleFormal Employee Thank You Letter SampleHere is a sample thank you letter that an employer can write to an employee to recognize the employees good work. This is a more formal example of an employee thank you letter sample. Formal thank you letters serve formal occasions that require recognition beyond a pat on the back or a simple thank you. For example, the company president may want to send a recognition letter to Mark for setting a company sales record. The sales director may also want to follow up the presidents letter with a formal thank you letter of his own for making such a powerful contribution to the companys success. The Human Resources director may want to recognize the department that turned in all open enrollment plans three days early and required no HR follow up. The marketing director can use a formal thank you letter to thank the kollektiv that earned awards in industry rated media campaigns. Keep in mind that a thank you lette r is also appropriate for coworkers, employees in different departments, managers, supervisors, and executives, as well as from the employees boss. No one will ever feel unhappy when a thank you note or a recognition letter is received. 129 Watch Now How Gratitude Makes Happier Employees How to Formally Recognize an Employee or a Team Thank you letters and other employee recognition methods are well-received when they are presented effectively to the employee or team. The best formal recognition is Timely to the event or contribution for which you are recognizing the employee or team.As specific as possible about why you are recognizing the employee or team. In addition to wanting the employee or team to feel rewarded and recognized, you are also communicating the actions or behaviors that youd like to see more of from them.Randomly presented so that employees dont begin to feel as if every time they make a contribution, a formal thank you letter will be forthcoming from the m anager. You want the employee recognition to make the employee feel good about her contribution. You dont want the letter to become an entitlement. Well-written on formal stationery. Employees treasure these letters and they keep them forever framed on their wall, pinned to their cubicle tack board, or in their memory file. The letter needs to look and feel like a big deal- because it is to the employee or team. Frequent thank you letters are an excellent addition to a leaders work toolkit. Heres a sample that you can use as a guide when you write your own employee thank you letters. Formal Thank You Letter Example (Text Version) Dear Mary,Todays presentation went very well and welches well received by the department managers I was also pleased to see that the team accomplished its key goals. I want to personally thank you for informally assisting your project team to stay on track and on target to meet their goals for this most significant contribution to our profitability this yea rWithout your willingness to step up and, despite some pushback from team members, persist in keeping the team on track, the project would certainly have strayed off course. That would have been bad for our customers and business results this year.Specifically, your scheduling of meetings with a specific purpose, your use of an agenda with time allotments, your meeting minutes distributed within 24 hours, and your excellent meeting facilitation really helped the team make progress. They, with your leadership, accomplished the desired outcome- a 5 percent increase in the profitability of the product.On the creative side, taking the team on field trips to see what several non-competing companies had done on a similar project appears to have been a key success factor, too. They brought useful new knowledge into the company.Again, thank you. The project was well worth your time and investment and, on behalf of the entire management team, I want you to know that we really appreciate your efforts.You will also receive a bonus of $5,000.00 to thank you for your contribution. Youll receive it in your next paycheck.Regards,Alison WelnerVice President of Product Management Expand

How Recruiters Can Help Your Small Business

How Recruiters Can Help Your Small BusinessHow Recruiters Can Help Your Small BusinessSmall geschftliches miteinanderes are feeling bullish about the future, according to some reports. The Index of Small Business Optimism, for example, reached its highest level since 2004, reports the National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB).But if your company is to adopt and capitalize on that optimism, youll need the right employees in the right roles. And thats not easy in a todays tight job market.A new survey from Robert Half suggests many small businesses are facing serious hurdles when it comes to recruiting and hiring. Here are some of the findings of our survey of more than 1,000 U.S. small and midsize business ownersNearly half of respondents said they have underestimated the complexity of the hiring process.Alfruchtwein two-thirds admitted to problems with their hiring process.The vast majority (81 percent) confessed to having made a badeanstalt hire.A recruiting Catch-22One rea son for the hiring difficulties cited by respondents could be that many small businesses lack in-house recruiting resources. That often leaves hiring duties in the hands of the business owner or top-level managers whose time and resources are already stretched thin. Because of competing demands, hiring often drops to the bottom of their priority list.This could well leave your company in a Catch-22 Youre short-staffed because youre so busy. But youre so busy because youre short-staffed.The real costs of a bad hireWhen you dont have time to properly vet candidates, you increase the odds of hiring the wrong person. And that risk is coming home to roost for small business owners. Four out of five survey respondents said their business has been saddled with a bad hire. Costs of a Bad Hire Revealed from Robert Half And bad hires cause more than a bureaucratic headache for small and midsized businesses. Business owners estimated that their team wasted an average of 45 hours of precious time hiring and onboarding people who ultimately did not work out.Thats bad enough, but the effects spread much further. For exampleMore than half (53 percent) of respondents reported increased stress on the team that worked with the bad hire.Forty-six percent said productivity decreased.Nearly one-quarter (23 percent) lost customers, and 18 percent said the companys reputation was damaged because of the bad hire.One in five (20 percent) business owners said bad hires have caused them to lose confidence in their managers ability to make good hiring decisions.But whats most critical is what it will take to fix the situation. Its not a question of whether or not a bad hiring decision will adversely impact the business, says Paul McDonald, senior executive director at Robert Half. The more important question is, how long will it take the business to recover, and at what overall cost?Got 17 weeks to spare?When y ouve hired the wrong person for the job, you usually find out right away most survey respondents said they knew within a month.But thats just the first part of a four-month odyssey, the study found.To begin with, it took small business owners almost a month, on average, to realize they had a bad hire on their hands. After that, they said it took them an average of 8.8 weeks - more than two months to terminate an employee. And that only got them back to square one. They still had to search for and hire a new employee, which took them another five weeks, on average.That means four months of increased stress for the team, decreased productivity and - depending on the role - damaged customer relationships.Hidden small business hiring hurdlesStill, managers are often unaware of all thats involved in starting over - and not making the same mistake again. They simply repeat the process of recycling an old job description, posting it online, and then waiting for the right person to appe ar from the ether.And even when that person seems to appear, your work is not yet done. You need to check references. And even if the person has the perfect resume, you have to consider the soft skills - organization, communication, leadership - that make for a great employee and colleague. After all, more than one-third of failed hires result from personality conflicts or a poor fit with the culture. And in a tight job market, the chances of hitting the nail on the head with that approach are even lower.Once you consider the hiring process as a whole, you begin to see why nearly half of the small business owners surveyed said they underestimated its complexity before diving in.The power of a recruiterIf posting a recycled job description doesnt do the trick, whats the answer for a small business? Many survey respondents reported success from reaching out to a recruiter or staffing agency. It helped them get the right person for the job, get them up and running more quickly, and l eft them free to concentrate on the pressing demands of running the business.How exactly did that approach work? By partnering with a staffing firm, business owners said they were able toReach more candidates. Among respondents who have used recruiters, 76 percent said the recruiter was able to find a candidate they wouldnt have found on their own.Save time and resources. For 45 percent of business owners, evaluating candidates based on their skills and potential fit was the most challenging step in the hiring process, and 26 percent admit it takes them too long to fill open roles. Yet 43 percent said working with a recruiter saved them time because the staffing agency did most of the work. Thirty-six percent said they saved money by finding someone more quickly than they could have on their own.Get a guarantee. One third (33 percent) of businesses working with recruiters said they do so for the service guarantee. Be sure to ask recruiters about their placement success rates - and the guarantees they offer if a new hire doesnt stick.Maintain productivity. The survey suggests that some business owners may be missing an opportunity to lift the burden from existing staff and keep projects moving while they are trying to replace a failed hire Only 18 percent of respondents said they bring in temporary professionals to help with excess workload while roles are vacant. That can also give you a chance to evaluate a temporary employee for a potential full-time role.

The Secret to Great LinkedIn Recommendations

The Secret to Great LinkedIn RecommendationsThe Secret to Great LinkedIn RecommendationsTheres a reason executives with recommendations get three times more inquiries. Follow these steps to get meaningful testimonials.With more than 50 million members (about one new member per second), its no wonder LinkedIn has gained a reputation as crucial to the modern networking toolkit. Be forewarned, however Establishing a profile on LinkedIn will do you little good unless you augment it with rolleal testimonials, known as recommendations, from other users.Recommendations are displayed on your profile for employers, recruiters, colleagues and clients to see. LinkedIn reports that people with recommendations are three times as likely to get inquiries through LinkedIn searches.By providing independent support for your talents and highlighting qualities that may notlage automatically shine through in your job history, recommendations help to emphasize the traits that set you apart from the crowd .Requesting recommendations is easy. LinkedIn breaks it down into three steps1. Choose what you want to be recommended for.You can request recommendations for each job listed on your profile. As a best practice, departure with your most recently held positions. First impressions are everything. Since LinkedIn organizes your career history into reverse-chronological order, recommendations for the most recent jobs arent just the best representation of your current talents they are also going to be the first thing that people will see when viewing your profile.At this point, you should also consider the special qualities, skills or accomplishments to which you want to call attention. This leads us to Step Two.2. Decide who youll ask.You can request testimonials for each position from up to 200 recipients at a time. While sending your requests in one big batch may seem like a quick way to get this task out over with, you are likely to get back the same effort from recipients that you p ut in.As LinkedIn likes to remind us, Relationships matter. A few well-crafted testimonials from authoritative sources will say volumes more about your talents than a dozen blurbs from people who are just being nice and not taking the time to write a meaningful statement about their experience working with you.Take your time and send your requests one by one.When choosing which people you want to ask, think about the perspective each person offers and the type of audience to which their perspective will appeal. Your managers, business partners, coworkers and clients will all have different outlooks on your performance.Heres an example of two different strategiesGoal A Connect with recruitersRequest recommendations from your colleagues. Goal B Network with potential investors for your new ventureFocus on gaining recommendations from clients and partners.Once you have narrowed the field, review each persons profile to see the recommendations they have provided other people. Are the re commendations personalized, or is it a one-size-fits-all approach? Are they grounded with specific statements about a persons accomplishments, or are they filled with over-exaggerated praise? In most cases this wont be a big issue, but it is something to consider before clicking the Send button.3. Provide specific details to your references.LinkedIn provides a brief sample message that can be used to request endorsements. While it is okay to use this as a template, be sure to personalize each message to its recipient. Since you are contacting people with whom you presumably have a good relationship, this shouldnt be too difficult.Make the task easier for the other person by offering specific details about what you would like her to vouch for and why. Offer to answer any questions and let the person know that you would be happy to reciprocate by writing a recommendation on her behalf.After you receive a recommendation from another LinkedIn user, send a thank-you note Even though Link edIn recommendations are not as formal as traditional letters of recommendation or reference requests, they still take time and effort to write. And if someone declines your request, dont be offended. LinkedIn is a public forum, so many users choose not to provide recommendations to certain people or groups of people for personal or ethical reasons. For example, your last boss may not feel comfortable providing a recommendation for you if she is still employed by the company at which you last worked.Finally, dont just ask for LinkedIn recommendations. Give them.If you get in the habit of providing unsolicited recommendations to people you feel have done quality work, the goodwill you spread will return to you in the form of new endorsements. Remember, the recommendations you make for others are also a part of your profile and showcase other aspects of your business acumen than the recommendations you receive.

Database Developer Resume - Is it a Scam?

Database Developer Resume - Is it a Scam? Database Developer Resume Help New database models, as opposed to conventional relational ones, make usage of raw and unstructured data from various devices and sources. Otherwise, you ought to keep the headers data short and easy. This dataset is simply a placeholder with no true content. This option gives you the ability to display a customized message to users in the event theres no data to display. The Dos and Donts of Database Developer Resume There are many ways to view a query execution program. Listing the skills in a very simple manner provides you the green light. As the database administrator, your task is to organize massive data in a manner which makes life and work easily for the firm. This job is all about communicating directly with users of the site in order to give assist. This means you have to make it past the robot eyes as a way to progredienz your application. You need the assistance of other equally qualified data administrators to repair the issue. Online coding tests might be great means to screen Java skills. Facts, Fiction and Database Developer Resume This is nearly a bonus question. Job boards offering a performance-based rate (pay per click, pay-per application or even pay per hire) may provide you better results and a great deal more value for the money. If and once an opportunity you desire is available, your resume will be up-to-date and you will be prepared to submit On the off likelihood that you must wind up noticeably a wonderful site developement, you will need to stay on the ball. The new exam was updated to reflect the most recent services and best practices regarding the developer role. Those who pass either exam will get the exact same advantages and badging to showcase their accomplishment. These aspects would be helpful to highlight in your CV. Do the above, and youre going to require a data warehouse to store all of your interview requests. Below youll f ind information how you are able to use programming tests and which ones to pick. Sure all the information that you will need is in the CV you just have to find the ideal ones. This will say a great deal about you as an individual and as an employee. Concerning expectations, it actually is dependent upon the candidate and your requirements. How to demonstrate the experiences in your resume is a significant question makes you most proper for practically any work profile. If youre certified based on each version, your certification is very good for a couple of years from the date it was attained. What You Should Do to Find Out About Database Developer Resume Before Youre Left Behind You ought to take an exam so as to earn Microsoft certification. A synonym may be Front End Engineer. How to Stand Out You might need to start looking into earning Microsoft SQL Server Certification to demonstrate that youre a database development professional. Experience is an absolute must if you need to be a Data Administrator. If this SQL Developer resume example was not sufficient for you, youre absolutely free to review a few other samples and templates from our website. SQL Server should maintain all indexes even if they arent used. The Argument About Database Developer Resume Just like you ought to have a superior comprehension of data to permit you to organize them effectively, we included valuable information about how to compose key sections of your application. The database developer works in several sectors, performing a number of tasks and obligations. The application automates the intricate calculations necessary to manage municipal H20. Finally, you ought to be able to make sure our database techniques zustrom effectively and securely on a daily basis.These professionals also create methods and systems made to generate the managing of data efficient and potent. Based on your specialization, you could be in a position to focus your certification on dat a platforms or company intelligence. Youre going to be working with different data administrators. Business logic developers shouldnt be in the work of verifying table relationships.

Quip Diversity Scholarship

Quip Diversity Scholarship Below is an article originally written by Belinda Gu at PowerToFly Partner Quip, and published on March 1, 2017. Go to Quips page on PowerToFly to see their open positions and learn mora.Last year, we introduced our first-ever Diversity Scholarship program, and it welches one of the best things weve ever done at Quip. Not only was it a hugely fulfilling, motivating, and inspirational experience for the Quip team, but we made a tangible difference in the lives of the scholarship winners. Were thrilled to announce that were doing it again, and the applications for the 2017 Quip Diversity Scholarship are now open.Why we do thisAt Quip, we emphasize building a company that prioritizes work-life balance, inclusivity, and diversity. Part of it is culture, part of it is hiring, and part of it is community outreach. With this program, we hope to have an impact beyond our team, and do a small part to encourage students getting started in computer science, with these values in mind.Thats how it all started, and its the main reason why we will continue to do it. But theres another motivating factor for the Quip team too the impact it has on us, in the Quip office. For 2016s scholarship, more than half our engineering team was involved in reading applications, meeting the applicants, and answering questions. Even our co-founders, Bret and Kevin, met with candidates to answer questions and talk about engineering. So many incredible, deserving students applied, and our only regret was not being able to make an impact for every single one of them.How it worksThe Quip team will choose 10 recipients 5 winners and 5 runners-up to visit our office in San Francisco for a full day of learning, mentorship, and meeting the team (all expenses paid). At the end, each scholarship winner will receive $5,000 and each runner-up will receive $1,000 toward their education.Were looking for applicants whoAre part of a group that has been historically underrepresen ted in STEM (including but not limited to students who are Women Black, LatinX, American Indian, LGBTQ+, first-generation, and/or people with disabilities)Have demonstrated interest or declaration of studying computer science or a related field.Are currently enrolled as an undergraduate or masters student in the U.S. or Canada, graduating in 2018 or later.Apply nowIf this sounds like you, please apply Applications are due on Sunday, April 16 at 1159pm PDT.Visit the application One of the biggest challenges in almost all industries today is achieving gender parity. Gender diversity provides huge benefits in the workplace. pWhile some industries have made significant advancements in gender diversity, some industries lag further behind... and the construction industry is well-known for being in the latter category. If someone says, construction workers, youll likely picture a group of men in yellow hard hats analyzing an architects plans or laying bricks on top of a scaffold. And men at work signs only help to reinforce this image.pThis stereotype is rooted in reality. When was the last time you actually spotted a woman on a construction site? Or hired a female plumber or carpenter? Your answer is most likely never. In fact, the Bureau of Labor Statisticsreports that only 3.4% of the total of 8.3 million construction employees are women.pBut the construction industry has a lot more to offer than steel-toed boots and hard hats, and it needs women to help advance the industry in this era of rapid change. Here are 5 reasons why women joining the workforce or looking to make a pivot should consider a career in construction.h21. Fuel Innovation/h2pNot only is diversity the socially and morally right thing to do, but it is also actually an excellent business strategy. pResearch presented in the Harvard Business Reviewshows that diverse teams develop more innovative ideas. This is further supported by a study conducted by Gal lupon the performance of gender-diverse teams versus single-gender teams, which found that the difference in backgrounds and perspectives led to better business performance and problem-solving. h22. Capitalize on Demand/h2pThe construction industry is currently experiencing a labor shortage. The industry itself is booming and projected to be one of the fastest-growing industries, with total spending projected to exceed $1.45 trillion in 2023/a. However, most construction companies are unable to meet the rising demand. pAccording to the Associated General Contractors of America/a, more than 80% of contractors are experiencing difficulties filling hourly craft positions that represent the bulk of the construction workforce.pAnd demand isnt limited to individual contributor roles. Given the industry boom, there are a number of open stable and high-paying roles (any project managers out there?) waiting for the right candidateh23. Leadership Opportunities/h2pAccording to the Bureau of La bor Statistics/a, women compose only 7.7% of the total 1 million managerial positions in construction.br/pBut given the highly collaborative nature of construction work, more women in leadership roles would help drive innovation and enhance productivity.Furthermore, as a woman in construction in a leadership position, youd have the unique opportunity to drive change for the industry and make it a more attractive option for other women.h24. High-Income Potential/h2pSalaries for many skilled positions in construction are on the rise, making a construction career a prime choice for women looking for a high-paying job,pThe 2018 Construction Craft Salary Surveyconducted by the National Center for Construction Education and Research revealed that salaries for many skilled craft areas are increasing. Project managers and project supervisors topped the list at $92,523 and $88,355, respectively. The next set of highest-paying jobs include those of combo welders ($71,067), instrumentation tec hnicians ($70,080), pipe welders ($69,222), power line workers ($68,262) and industrial electricians ($67,269). Of the 32 categories of workers in the survey, 19 positions earned an average salary of $60,000 or higher.h25. Sense of accomplishment/h2p The construction industry can give employees a unique sense of achievement. Yes, the job is stressful and the work can be demanding, but nothing beats the feeling of being able to build something from the ground up. pHow many professionals in other industries can point at a school, a hospital, or a skyscraper and say I helped build that?pThe construction industry has a long way to go in combating gender bias and supporting women in the workforce, but given the current demand for workers, theres no better time to pick up a sledgehammer (figurative or literal) and smash the gender stereotypes plaguing the construction industry.

Determining Your Worth for a Salary Negotiation

Determining Your Worth for a Salary NegotiationDetermining Your Worth for a Salary NegotiationIts a known fact that in todays competitive job market that if you want a salary bump, youre most likely going to have to ask for it. Savvy candidates will likely have read one of our articles on preparing your background materials for promotions and raises, such as milestones achieved and sales or other goals met. While thats all fine and good, most employers are still going to ask for industry trends for comparison in order to justify any nudge north when it comes to compensation. If you find yourself in similar shoes, or simply want to be prepared for all possibilities, weve got a few useful suggestions for determining your worth for a salary negotiation. Research Through Online Salary ToolsSavvy job-seekers know that Simply Hireds free salary calculator is one of the best-kept secrets in your raise negotiation arsenal. With this handy (did we mention free) service you simply input keywor ds based on industry or job title in order to get the sensationsmeldung on what others like you are currently earning. You can also search by region to further fine tune the information you collect making your final numbers all the more relevant and powerful to your case. Assess Your Skill SetGetting a handle on comparable salaries is only have the pay raise battle. Employees should also gather information on their specific role at their company which can help demonstrate ability, worth and any areas where you may be going above and beyond. If youve managed large teams of people, take note. Asked to take on large projects and department or company-wide rollouts? Also vital information.Once youve collected your specific contributions, its time to start comparing. Search for other jobs in your industry with similar titles to delve into common responsibilities. If youre being asked to perform at a higher level than your peers it could help make for a strong argument for promotion and/o r a salary negotiation. All else fails youll have the start of a great pitch for freshening up your resume or speaking with a recruiter. Ask Your NetworkWe saved the toughest, but most relevant, steps for last when it comes to determining your professional value. While there is an unspoken rule when it comes to comparing salaries with your peers, this can often be relaxed with trusted networking contacts. Reach out to prior coworkers or managers, recruiters or trusted HR professionals. Get their feedback on your skills if theyve worked with you professionally and take advantage of their specialized knowledge of your position. Use their recommendations and advice as part of your pitch during raise negotiations for maximum impact.Have another useful suggestion when it comes to valuing your skills in order to negotiation for a raise? Drop us a line in the comments and maybe your tips will make our next updated column on the topic.

Scheduling a Job Interview Keep These Things In Mind

Scheduling a Job Interview Keep These Things In MindScheduling a Job Interview Keep These Things In MindYou know your resume and cover letter are carefully targeted when you receive the phone call or email that every job seeker wants Thank you for your submission. Were very interested in scheduling an bewerbungsgesprch with youWhile some talent acquisition managers will provide several scheduling windows from which to choose, others will point to an open calendar and leave it up to you. When that happens, your brain goes into overdrive trying to figure out the best possible time to schedule an interview. Morning or afternoon? Early in the week or late? The list goes on. Fortunately, you can give up on trying to find out the absolute best time of the day, week or year to interview. As career expert Alison Green says, If youre the best candidate, the fact that you interviewed at the start or end of the week isnt going to obscure that. No scheduling hat trick will suddenly make you the best fit for a position careful scheduling will only help to make you feel at your best for the big day. With that disclaimer, here are a few things to take into consideration as you plan your job hunt and interview for your next big opportunity. Best Time of the DayStatistically, there is no single best time of the day to conduct or attend an interview it all depends on your preference or the preference of those interviewing you. Since you cannot read the mind of your interviewer, you should prioritize your personal working rhythms to make sure you are able to perform at your best. For example, if you are like 7 percent of young adults who identify as a morning person, an early-morning interview may catch you at your freshest. If you arent, a late-in-the-day interview may suit you better and give you more time to prepare. The best answer will depend on when you feel the fruchtwein confident and energetic. As you hunt for a job hunt, take note of when you feel your best each day. Wh ether you are employed or unemployed, you will start to notice specific times when you feel most energized and other times when you feel tired or unfocused. Whenever possible, schedule these times for interviews.Best Time of the WeekThere is no day of the week that will obscure your fit for a position. However, interviewers are people, too, so there are a few common-sense guidelines you can use to catch them at their best. First, aim for the beginning of the week over the end of the week. In particular, after noon on Mondays through noon on Thursdays. This allows talent acquisition managers to step into the office and have time to catch up on administrative tasks before they meet you, making it less likely that they will be distracted by unanswered emails and other priorities for the week. The reverse logic works for the end of the week as busy as your interviewer is, he may be preoccupied with finishing his tasks for the week or fitting every meeting into his schedule before the we ekend. An interview during this time wont count against you by any means, but it may be more convenient for the interviewer to avoid these high-traffic times in the office.Finally, if you have any indication of the interview order (that is, when other candidates will be interviewed relative to your interview), try to be last. Contrast bias may work against you as the hiring board considers everyone it has interviewed, and the last interview tends to stand out most. Some experts recommend aiming to interview slightly before the middle of the group so that you avoid falling victim to the hiring boards decision fatigue, but you still stand out as one of the first viable candidates.Best Time of the YearIf youre ready to leave a job or suddenly unemployed, there isnt much you can control about the time of year youre seeking a job. However, its important to note the holiday and common vacation schedules of your locality so that you wont be surprised by closed offices or everyones-out-of-t he-office responses. For example, hires over the summer or near peak holidays such as Thanksgiving and Christmas may take longer to push through a company. During these times, key stakeholders in the decision process may be on vacation, pushing back the final offer until everyone is available, caught up and ready to make a decision. Also consider the financial calendar of the industry youre pursuing. Towards the end of the year companies are finishing up initiatives and working off of maxed-out budgets. When a company makes its hiring decisions will depend on whether they are on a calendar year financial schedule (starting January 1) or a fiscal year financial schedule (starting on the last day of any month in the year except December). It may be difficult to figure out which calendar is used in your industry, but there are some guiding principles. For example, seasonal businesses often use fiscal tax years, whereas partnerships, LLCs and S-Corps will typically use calendar years. T o-Do List for Extra Careful PlannersIf youre determined to be as strategic as possible in scheduling your interview, heres a list of preventative measures you can take to time your interview perfectlyDouble-check that you do not have any recurring appointments for the day of your scheduled interview (dentist, doctor, counselor, etc).If you are currently employed, factor in your work schedule and when you are least likely to be missed.If youre ready to go around the clock, consider asking the interviewer what time works best for the team rather than suggesting your own time. Increase your odds of being hired by 20 percent by taking time to send a genuine note of thanks afterwards, preferably received in the same week of an early-in-the-week interview.Avoid interviews right before or right after the lunch hour. That way a good interview wont be cut off by a lunch appointment or delayed by someone late from lunch.Again, none of these details will affect whether or not you are the best candidate for the job, so accept them with a grain of salt. The most successful interview wont be the one scheduled at exactly 115 PM on a Tuesday right after the end of the tax year simple because of the day and time it will be successful because of the preparation you put into the interview and your applicable experience.

70 Days of Unemployment

70 Days of Unemployment 70 Days of Unemployment This article welches originally published on LinkedIn and is the actual testimony of the author.On February 22nd, I had a meeting with my manager and welches relieved of my duties. Im almost 40, and for the first time in my lifeI was being laid off.Yesterday, I started my next adventure with a new employer in a position I am amazed I was able to get.This blog posting will be my attempt to share with you what I learned about myself, about my job search, and yeahThis wasnt the first time I had been unemployed. When I moved to New England, I did so without a job. After a month of sending out my resume to HR black hole after black hole and elend hearing back a peep, I walked into a temp agency and got a temp position within a week. After three months, I was offered a full time job. The job was easy, I did it, and had plenty of downtime to do things like write speeches for Toastmasters. But I wasnt mentally stimulated, so I literally applied for any internal job that remotely seemed interesting. After four years of sending more applications into that HR black hole, I finally got a shot, and was offered a promotion.My job challenged me, forced me to work harder, be more diligent, and taught me very valuable transferable skills like SharePoint. Then three years later I found myself unemployed.Because I knew how hard it was to get a job, especially a job I liked, there was a part of me that was scared I would never find a job. I feared I would spend months sending emails into more HR black holes and then I would finally have to go back to the temp agency and get another temp job and hope it worked out.I even talked with my wife about being a stay at home dad, and on the weekends being a wedding photographer again. We ran some numbers and frankly it wasnt something that fiscally could work. Health insurance premiums were going to kill us.Luckily, part of my severance package was that I got to work with a company that helpe d people in job transition called Lee Hecht Harrison. Through them, I took online seminars about things like creating an exit statement, maximizing your LinkedIn profile, and how create a soar (situation, obstacles, actions, results) story. I attended workshops on how to get insurance if you dont have a job, how to spruce up your resume, how to handle interviews and did networking with companies.One of the things that helped the most was working with my career coach at Lee Hecht Harrison.I never had a great resume, but I thought what I had looked good. My career coach and I had disagreements over trivial things like font choices. I mean really who uses arial anymore? But she helped me see that recruiters generally skim resumes. You need to have it formatted in such a way that they feel very comfortable finding the information you want them to find. And using arial over say California FB (my personal branding) helps them do that.Also at Lee Hecht Harrison, I attended a weekly support group called the Job Search Work Team. Through those sessions I was able to meet other people and learn what they were doing. I was also able to share what I learned and was doing too. I went to the Monday morning group and found it was a great way to start my week.Through my Job Search Work Team I learned of a website called jobscan.co.They take your resume and compare it to a job posting you are going to apply for. It looks at your hard skills, your soft skills and other skills, and then tells you what percentage it thinks you are a match. The best part however was it showed you what words you needed to add to your resume to be a better match. IE you are great at process improvement, but the job posting needs someone who knows change management. Those are two words that mean basically the same thing, but odds are the HR computer doesnt know that. As someone who loves video games, this was fun trying to see if I could beat the HR black hole game.Jobscan.co helped me see where my r esume was lacking and helped me get past the filter so a menschengerecht could find me. I applied for 45 jobs, and had 9 phone interviews with HR recruiters, a roughly 20% success rate. Dont get me wrong, I would have loved to have had a 70+% success rate, but compared to my 0.001% I had over the past 8 years I have lived here? It was a huge improvement.Of the nine phone interviews, I had two actual interviews, and I got one job offer.So if you find yourself looking for your next career follow my advice and do those following three things1) Work with a career coach, take their advice and follow it. Seriously, Arial isnt the end of the world.2) Get a support group, its great for networking and staying sane. Plus, when people from the support group get a job, they usually bring in doughnuts to celebrate.3) Figure out how to maximize your resume to appeal to the job you are applying for. The yearly subscription to jobscan.co was the best money I spent on my job search. Aside of course from the celebratory doughnuts I brought to my support group last week.Aloha from Western Massachusetts,Brian David Crawford, DTMBrian David Crawford is a Data Analyst based in Springfield, Massachusetts. He is currently employed by Cigna as a Tech Support Specialist and is an excellent photographer and owns his own company BDC Photography. Brian has been a Jobscan user for three months. You can see his LinkedIn profile here.Interested in sharing your story? Email emailprotected