4 ways to help you make hard choices in both work and life

4 ways to help you make hard choices in both work and life4 ways to help you make hard choices in both work and lifeLife isnt always black or white - things happen, people change and sometimes you have to make difficult choices.Heres what to keep in mind.Do something to move forwardDecision coach and travel writer Nell Wulfhart writes in The Muse that you should practice being decisive.If youre chronically indecisive, build that decision-making muscle by starting small. Give yourself 30 seconds to decide what youll have for dinner, what movie to watch, or whether you want to go out tonight. Follow through on that decision. Repeat. Then work up to bigger things. Does this give you anxiety? Ask yourself what the worst-case scenario is if you pick wrong.Think about what would happen as a resultDaniel Jacobs, CEO and co-founder of Avanoo, writes in Fortune about making difficult geschftlicher umgang decisions in Fortune. After writing about a poor cost-saving decision he made in the pas t, he lists three ways that have since helped him approach challenges when the pressure is on.One of the questions he poses is, Are you willing to live with the consequences of your decision?This might seem like a rhetorical question, but its not. Most hard decisions are made because were either a) running toward expected rewards, or b) running away from expected consequences. Strangely, humans often tend not to consider what happens if the rewards or consequences we expect dont come to pass, he continues.Think about any biasesCatherine Price, author of 101 Places Not to See Before You Die, writes on Oprah.comabout having to choose a paint color with her husband for their new apartment. She goes onto list tips for making decisions, includingthat you should be aware of biases.They can lead smart people to make dumb decisions. For example, we hate to lose mora than we like to win, which can result in behavior such as holding on to a tanking stock instead of accepting a loss. We rememb er vivid examples better than facts, which is why plane crashes stick in our heads more than statistics on air safety. And were susceptible to how information is framed - a cash discount is more appealing than no credit card surcharge. Keeping these biases in mind can help you think clearly.Get some peace and quietElaina Giolando, a nomad and freelance writer, writes in Fortune about how she ultimately turned down a business fellowship and the different ways she arrived at the decision (and others).She writes that when making a big life choice, the first step is to try meditation.For me, this involved 10 days of intense, silent meditation in rural India. But you dont have to travel to the other side of the world for the same effects. Instead, set aside a quiet meditation space where you can listen to your heart. What does it communicate when its not panicked and inundated with other peoples ideas? Temporarily removing yourself from all external stimuli and ideas of who you should b e and what you should do allows you to access your own values and take ownership of the direction you want your life to take.

People can guess your name just by looking at your face

People can guess yur name just by looking at your facePeople can guess your name just by looking at your faceIts not uncommon to have a hunch about someones name based on their facial features. As it turns out, theres scientific evidence to back up this idea, according to researchin the Journal of Personality and Social Psychologypublished online in February 2017.It all boils down to the face-name matching effect, a way in which, the researchers say, both a social perceiver and a computer are able to accurately match a persons name to his or her face. They found that participants were able to do sosignificantly above chance level and thatcultural associations (stereotypes) about names play a role, and this may be partially because what people thought about the names welchesreportedly specific to a participants background.In case you think its just menschenfreundlich bias robots think we look alike too. The researchers found that computer that had been taught to match names to faces w ith a learning algorithm, when presented more thana whopping 94,000 pictures of faces, succeeded the majority of the time, nailing between 54% and 64% of its guesses.Who participated in the studyThe researchers carried outeight studies total- six where hundreds of French and Israeli participants matched names to faces (done in varying formats, with each study having different numbers of people) and featuring computer that had been taught a algorithm.But no matter who was participating in the study- human or machine- the participants were shown pictures of faces of people they didnt know, each one accompanied by different names one of which was the persons actual one.What the researchers foundOf all of the findings, here are a few that stood out.As the press release points out, during each study, human participants did better picking the right names (25-40% correct) than doing so randomly (20-25% correct), even when ethnicity, age and other socioeconomic variables were controlled for. It also states that when a computer participated during a study, it was 54-64% accurate, compared to50% accurate when doing so randomly, and that the results were culture-specific when humans participated.Study 5 also helped illustrate that people did better than choosing at random. Participants were shown a picture of a man with the choices Jacob, Josef, Nathaniel and Dan. Spoiler his name was Dan- they picked this name 38% of the time compared to the 25% chance level of a random guess.But it works both ways- peoples names sometimes impact their faces,which they hypothesize issomewhat of aDorian Gray Effect, citing prior research.The study found that the face-name match implies that people live up to their given name in their physical identity. The possibility that our name can influence our look, even to a small extent, is intriguing, suggesting the important role of social structuring in general and naming in particular in the complex interaction between the self and socie ty. We are subject to social structuring from the minute we are born, not only by our gender, ethnicity, and socioeconomic status, but also by the simple choice that others make in giving us our name.Lead author Yonat Zwebner, a PhD candidate at The Hebrew University of Jerusalem when the research was carried out, commented on the findings in a statement, showing that stereotypes can play a role.We are familiar with such a process from other stereotypes, like ethnicity and gender where sometimes the stereotypical expectations of others affect who we becomePrior research has shown there are cultural stereotypes attached to names, including how someone should look. For instance, people are more likely to imagine a person named Bob to have a rounder face than a person named Tim. We believe these stereotypes can, over time, affect peoples facial appearance, Zwebner said.We sometimes attribute certain names to people based on cultural stereotypes, but its also possible for our names to i mpact how we present ourselves.

The Top 10 Executive Resume Mistakes and How to Avoid Them

The Top 10 Executive Resume Mistakes and How to Avoid Them The Top 10 Executive Resume Mistakes and How to Avoid Them I have been looking at executive resumes for years, first as an HR VP managing the recruitment process and then more recently in my role as President of Blue Sky Resumes. Over the years, Ive seen executive candidates make many of the same mistakes over and over again, mistakes that cost them great opportunities, and yet are easily rectified.Ive boiled the list down to my top 10 and I hope it helps you to refine your own resume so that it truly communicates your unique value.Mistake 1 No clear titleA strong executive resume starts with a concise headline describing what you do (e.g. Marketing executive, sales leader etc). Without this, recruiters have no idea what roles you might be a fit for, and your resume will often be overlooked.Mistake 2 Dense, hard-to-read summary sectionIts common for executive candidates to feel that big words and long sentences are necessary to convey seniority and gravitas. In fact, they just put a barrier between you and the reader. Instead, use simple clear language and short punchy sentences.Mistake 3Resume introductions that try to say too muchAs a successful executive, you have many skills and many selling points. But if you try to include them all at the start of your resume, you will wind up with a long, hard-to-read summary that recruiters skip altogether. Instead, decide on your 2-3 key selling points and make those the centerpiece of your resume. Heres more on how to start your resume with a bang.Mistake 4 Missing keywordsMany resumes are scanned by computers prior to a human ever seeing them. This is especially true of executive recruiters who maintain large databases of candidates, and then scan those databases for keywords when a new opportunity arises. To be found, your resume must contain all the important words and phrases used in your profession or industry.Mistake 5 Too much detailYou might think that you need to include a lot of detail in order to show the level of your experience and to convey your executive responsibilities, but almost all executive resumes can be edited down without losing any power and impact. For example, if you run a 300 million business division with 150 staff and hold full PL responsibility, theres no need to spell out that you are responsible for hiring, firing, motivation etc (we know) or that you work closely with the CFO (we know) or that you develop strategic plans (of course you do). When it comes to executive resume writing, less is almost always more.Mistake 6 Too much focus on job descriptionsMany executives spend far too much time describing their responsibilities and not enough time talking about what they achieved in the role. As a rough guide, I recommend using 3-4 times as much space for your accomplishments as you use to describe your job responsibilities.Mistake 7 Not being specific about accomplishmentsDont just say that you turned the business around give the context (how badeanstalt were things before?) and the improvement. Use either numbers or percentages (choose whichever sounds most impressive) to emphasize the impact you made. For example Turned around under-performing company, transforming 10% sales decline into 32% increase in just 15 months. (Heres more information on creating effective bullet points).Mistake 8 Not including a LinkedIn profile URLIn this day and age, a LinkedIn profile URL is vital. It shows recruiters that you are on the ball and well-connected, and when done well your profile provides them with more information about you and your career, as well as some insight into your personality. If you are not on LinkedIn, recruiters will tend to assume that youre not tech-savvy and this is particularly damaging if you are over 50 and at risk of age discrimination. (Learn all you need to know about creating a good LinkedIn profile here).Mistake 9 One-size-fits-allDo you customize your resume ev ery time you apply for a position? If not, youre missing valuable opportunities to appeal to your target employer. Scour the job description for clues as to whats most important and then customize your resume to address those issues.Mistake 10 Formatting issuesKeep your resume formatting simple because too many fancy tricks can render it unreadable when its scanned by a computer system. Likewise, be sure to create your resume in MS Word dont send a version created in Mac Pages, for instance, because the formatting will not stay consistent when opened at the other end. And dont rely on PDF files because many computer systems cannot store or scan them for keywords.Its amazing how common these errors areYou might assume that most people at the executive level have a very strong resume, but actually the opposite is true. Most executive resumes are appallingly bad to put it bluntly. But this gives you a huge opportunity to shine. If you want to revamp your resume to really tell your sto ry, feel free to sign up for our free resume writing course. We never share your details or send you spam just a series of emails outlining some of my very best resume tips. I hope it helps

5 Tips for Writing a Resume Tailored to Fit a Legal Job Posting

5 Tips for Writing a Resume Tailored to Fit a Legal Job Posting5 Tips for Writing a Resume Tailored to Fit a Legal Job PostingWhen it comes to applying for legal positions, a single, stock resume isnt enough. Positions at law firms and companies can be very specialized. Your resume should be, too.So when its time to move on to a new legal job, the first step is to update and adjust your resume for each position you apply to. These five tips for writing a resume tailored to fit a legal job posting can help you get noticed at the outset of the hiring process.1. Lean heavily on certain specialized skills and experience.Rather than overwhelm your potential employer with your entire list of credentials, cater to areas of the target firms specialization. For example, if youre applying for a senior paralegal job at a firm working primarily in civil litigation, be sure to expand on your experience working with a legal team to manage eDiscovery. Appropriately balance the weight of your varied areas of experience, emphasizing what most pertains to the position youre seeking.2. Do your research and craft the language of each resume accordingly. Before you customize a resume for a particular job, learn more about the place where you hope to work. Is there an About section or mission statement on the firm or companys website? Or do you have a contact in your professional network whom you can tap for insights? The goal is for the employer to see as the ideal candidate because of the fit between your career aspirations and and the organizations mission.3. Get specific with concrete numbers and data.Dont just list the years that you worked on this or that. Paint a clearer picture by including additional details in your resume such as, Conducted case history research for 55 immigration law cases over three years.4. Showcase your knowledge of recent regulatory changes and industry trends.In a changing regulatory environment, legal professionals should remain current with legal i ndustry trends and einhaltung requirements. When detailing recent work experience on your resume, try to highlight a situation that dealt with a recent change as it applies to the position youre seeking so its easier for the potential employer to notice youre on top of the latest developments.5. Dont bother with an Objective.Although its a ubiquitous part of most general resumes, an Objective section isnt obligatory for legal resumes. Instead, write a succinct summary of qualifications at the beginning of the resume, perhaps as bullet points. Remember to stick to skills and expertise while avoiding overlap with your experience section. Resume experts could help make sure your resume isnt stylistically outdated.Keep in mind that by following these tips for writing a resume, you may end up with several very different-looking resumes. Make sure they are well organized and readily accessible so that when calls for interviews start coming in, you can review specifics and prepare accordin gly.What are your top tips for writing a resume? Tell us your techniques in the comments.

How to Use Social Media to Find Freelance Work

How to Use Social Media to Find Freelance WorkHow to Use Social Media to Find Freelance Work6When you work in an office, your workload might gradually get larger and larger. But, most likely, your salary wont enjoy a similar uptick.On the other hand, when youre a freelancer and you take on mora work, you get paid more money. Its really as simple as that. And since you set your own rates, so long as you can find clients to agree to them, the sky is really the limit in terms of your earning potential.Finding clients as a freelancer, however, can be quite difficult. If it were easy, logic tells us that even more folks would be trying to make it on their own. To be fair, recent research indicates that by 2020, half of the U.S. workforce will be freelancers.The good news is that there are many ways to find freelance work and meet new clients, and so if youre willing to try to get new ones- and arent afraid of being rejected- theres a good chance youll be able to get more work if you put i n the time.You can meet new clients at conferences and trade shows. You can meet them at networking events, or you could even have one of your buddies- or other clients, for that matter- make an introduction. You can also peruse job boards and the like.And you can use social media to find freelance work, too. Heres howBuild a professional social presence.First things first which platforms do you think your prospective clients are most likely to be found on?If the folks in the industry youre targeting are most likely to piste out on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn, by all means, target those networks first. But your Facebook page that has all those super sweet pictures of you doing keg stands in college? Thats not going to cut it.You need to build a professional page, like a complete LinkedIn profile, that gives readers a clear idea as to what your qualifications and experiences are without them having to spend more than a few minutes figuring out what youre all about.Be sure to incl ude the right keywords that are conducive to your industry, as well as the easiest ways to get in touch with you. That way, you increase the likelihood someone will contact you with a gig.Wouldnt that be nice?Find others by using relevant search keywords.An easy way to figure out which organizations are looking for freelancers do a quick search on social media sites like LinkedIn.For example, you can search phrases like freelance writer wanted or freelance writers needed to see whether it yields any results.Chances are youll see at least one or two businesses that are looking to hire some independent contractors. Theres no guarantee theyll hire you, but at least you wont have to reach out to a company in the dark in the hopes theyre looking for a freelancer.In other words, itll make your outreach more effective because youll only communicate with companies that are looking for folks like you.Promote yourself through blogs, tweets, and comments.In a perfect world, a million clients w ho want to pay you a billion dollars would email you every day because they stumbled across your LinkedIn profile. Unfortunately, it doesnt work out that way.Once youve established your professional social profiles, its time to start promoting yourself to find freelance work. Publish blogs on LinkedIn and promote them via your Facebook page by posting excerpts and a link. Use Twitter to tweet promotions (e.g., Looking for a freelance writer? Im your guy freelance freelancewriting freelancers).Sooner or later, an interested party will find your content and engage with you. The more frequently you post, the higher your chances are for that to happen.Find more tips for freelancers hereReaders, what have you found effective to find freelance work? Share with us below

The 30-Second Trick for Resume Examples 2017

The 30-Second Trick for Resume Examples 2017 The Resume Examples 2017 Game Resume objectives can be somewhat controversial. Resume is the ideal way to create the very best impression to the interviewer. If you can place a number to your social networking efforts, your resume will stick out in comparison to others. A resume thats too long could also hurt your probability of being chosen. Bear in mind, your resume must present only the perfect mixture of meaningful information related to your objective. Keep in mind, landing the interview is the very first step to receiving the position that you truly desire However much or what schriftart of work experience youve got, theres a resume format that is likely to make your qualifications shine. Hiring managers are busy people and youve got a limited time to pull their focus to your candidacy. Highly relevant knowledge in a field is the very first thing employers search for. Marketing is among the most diverse professional industri es in existence and many companies rarely just seek the services of a marketer. Getting the Best Resume Examples 2017 Our resume builder (its possible to create your resume here) will offer you tips and examples on the best way to compose your resume summary or some other section. Utilizing the most suitable format you would present your professional attitude and approach in everything that you do. Below, you will locate a list of resume examples that may assist you with your work search. To get the most out of this freebie, utilize a step-by-step PDF guide readily available in its package.For the optimum results, you can also need to use the combined format that focuses on both the two kinds of resume formats. Pay attention to the resume format you opted to pick, since you will need to reveal your skills, depending on the format you made a decision to pick. You should select the best IT resume format. Have a peek at these examples to select which format is most suitable for you. Its possible for you to leave every one of them as is or customize a small bit so as to bring a personal touch to the presentation of your candidacy. Unless you happen to be a graphic designer looking for employment, theres no need to over think the plan of your one-pager. You dont need to include things like all them, but select only the most relevant ones for the particular application. Light blue is utilized to accentuate headings for superior content hierarchy.10 points is actually good for the principal body of your resume. Take a look at the one that youve been using, maybe even for a couple of years now. Instead, youre highlight relevant abilities and achievements from previous work in the neatly-aligned bullet points. Unless you get a valid reason, your CV will most likely be disregarded. Dont just list off your job description in line with the CV examples 2018, but youve got to highlight what makes you the very best in that position. You know that you have t o nail your work application as a way to be hired by a company which you wish to work for but before it is possible to be noticed, your CV is just one of the things people will check and it definitely ought to be written well with the assistance of the professional top rated resume writing service. Functional resumes examples reveal that writing within this format ought to be targeted to the skills required by the organization, something to see in the advertisement. From the info it is possible to gather here, you will see it isnt as challenging to understand how to compose a resume as you might have thought. To begin with, perhaps its time to evaluate your current resume to be certain youre not committing any cardinal sins. While all resumes should offer information on your work and education experience, in addition to your abilities and accomplishments, there are various ways to present this info. If you get a simple understanding of Microsoft word, you will have the ability t o customize it and make your own resume.

Top 5 Ways to Boost Your Candidate Pool - Spark Hire

Top 5 Ways to Boost Your Candidate Pool - Spark HireThere are countless stories about highly-qualified job seekers who just cant seem to find work. As an HR manager, it may sometimes feel like these stories are wives tales, like your candidate pool is an exception or the good candidates just havent found you. So how do you reach all those highly-qualified job seekers you hear so much about and boost your candidate pool? Here are five ways to help bring job seekers to you.The Undercover Recruiter offers their own six tips for boosting your candidate pool, some of which Ive kept, and a couple of which Ive amended just a little.5. Sell your company culture.No one does this better I dont think than Google. Weve even written about it here. Google doesnt just advertise their jobs, they advertise the lifestyle which accompanies them. If you plan to spend over 40 hours a week somewhere, its not just important to have your listing seen, its important to have it show why people like working fo r you. I once applied for a job that asked about how awesome I was and my ping-pong skills. It was an intense job with a lot of man hours and the next interview even required a math test. But the initial post, tweeted out by an employee, helped draw me in initially.4. Make your employees your job sales people.As previously mentioned, the job I applied for I found from an employee I had met at a social media networking event. The people your employees are selling to are likely quality candidates whom they have met and may have previously vetted. Use your best (free) resources, your employees, to help advertise your openings.3. Utilize social media.The job in the first story I told, I found through social media. Use your own social media channels, and also connect with key job boards and social media accounts. I follow a Twitter account called NatsJobs. The account broadcasts the Washington Nationals score each half inning with an opening. If your target market is DC job seekers who m ight be interested in baseball/sports/local entertainment you may decide to spend some money to have them tweet out your listing. There are a number of examples of similar social media accounts which can connect you with your target job seekers.2. Creativity counts.This one Im stealing directly from The Undercover Recruiter, because well, they got to the heart of being creative. Look for anything, infographics, etc which might illuminate yourcompanysbest qualities in a unique way.1. Make your listing interesting.As I mentioned earlier, letting people know about your company culture in a job posting is important, but also let job seekers know what theyll be doing and how great it can be for them.There are plenty of great job seekers out there that would be perfect for your company. Use some of these tips and Im koranvers youll be rolling in top candidates in no time. Its all about selling yourself.Do you have any other tips for attracting top-quality job seekers? Let us know