Your colleagues arent your family. And thats a good thing

Your colleagues arent your family. And thats a good thingYour colleagues arent your family. And thats a good thingPatty McCord served as Chief Talent Officer of Netflix for fourteen years, and helped create the Netflix Culture Deck, which has been viewed mora than 15 million times online - Sheryl Sandberg has said that it may be the most important document ever to come out of Silicon Valley. David Burkus is a bestselling author, speaker, and associate professor of leadership and innovation at Oral Roberts University, whose newest book is Friend of a Friend Understanding the Hidden Networks That Can Transform Your Life and Your Career. The two recently sat down for a fascinating conversation about what it takes to craft powerful cultures that outlast the people who build them.This conversation has been edited and condensed.David I have wanted to have a chat with you since the first iteration of the Culture Deck. How long ago was that?Patty Youre not going to believe how long ago it w as- we started writing it in 1997. And it went up on Slideshare in 2008 when it went viral.David 20 years back. When it went viral in 2008, most people thought it was a finished document, rather than a snapshot of a work in progress. But you had been working on it since 97 - how did the whole thing start?Patty Reed Hastings and I had worked at another company that he started called Pure Software. We grew through merger and acquisition, so every couple of years we acquired another company. Every time we acquired a company, we doubled in size and every time, I took their employee handbook and our employee handbook and Id smush them together, and that would be the new policies and procedures. It was fine, it was a lovely company, but we eventually sold, and Reed invested in a bunch of startups, and Netflix was one of them.So when he called me up and asked me to join him at Netflix, I initially said no. But the way he talked me into it was by saying, Lets create the company we always d reamed of. One where wed walk in the door every day and want to work with these people and these problems.The commitment that we made to each other was that we would write stuff down. The first thing we wrote down was the behaviors we valued in people - the rule we followed was, If you act like this, thats a good thing if you dont, thats a bad thing. If you go back onto the Netflix Culture Deck, thats the first chapter - and we rewrote that like six times.This is how it worked Usually, Reed would come up with an idea, he and I would bash it around in one-on-ones, and then wed go over it with our executive team. We might talk about the idea for another couple of months, and then wed talk to the employees about it. And since it was PowerPoint, if you wanted to weigh in, you could weigh in. People would tell me, Some of us disagree with what you and Reed told us to do in the Culture Deck. I responded Okay its a PowerPoint presentation, its not a law or the hand of God. Do you disagre e with the concept, or do you disagree with whats on the slide? Because if you disagree with whats on the slide, there is an edit function.Its a PowerPoint presentation, its not a law or the hand of God.The next chapter was called High Performance. We started to be really articulate about the kind of people that we wanted to work with. We wanted them to be adults, we wanted them to be interested in the problem, we wanted them to be focused. We started this system of examining the way we work. We initially used the document for onboarding. So wed hire a bunch of people, and Reed and I would meet with them, and wed go over the deck and ask questions. We wrote chapter after chapter, year after year - we worked on it for those first ten years.So Reed and I are driving to work one day and he says I met this woman who has this really cool company called Slideshare, and they put PowerPoint presentations online, so I put the deck up. Im like, Oh God, Reed. Its the ugliest document known to humankind, and second of all, youre going to scare away all of the candidates. And he said Only the ones we dont want. But the day we published it, it changed the way we innovated. Because people had an insight into who we were, and we really meant it by then. Ten years in, we were really practicing the things that we talked about in the Netflix Culture Deck. It made for really rich, deep conversations.David Im not surprised it went viral because of the truths it speaks to. There are two things that I really liked about it. One was the emphasis on high performance - Adequate performance will be met with a generous severance package. The other thing is that you clued in on that keyword - adults. So many of us think about performance, incentives, motivators, et cetera. Were potty training my 3-year-old child now. What were doing to potty train a 3-year-old is what most companies spend billions of dollars designing. Granted its usually more complicated than, If you do this. youll ge t a cookie. But thats basically what were doing. And then heres Netflix saying, No, theyre grownups. Theyre high performers. Theyre big motivators. They want to be working on projects that matter.We started to be really articulate about the kind of people that we wanted to work with. We wanted them to be adults, we wanted them to be interested in the problem, we wanted them to be focused.Patty When we create these sophisticated feedback problems, we sometimes forget how effective a cookie is. I get a lot of questions about how to give great feedback. I think its unfortunate that feedback is often constructive criticism, which is basically telling you, you did something bad and you should probably stop. And as you know with a 3-year-old, thats not all that effective, because they dont remember and theyre on to the next day. If you really want to give people feedback that will drive high performance, you catch them doing something right, in the moment.As sophisticated as we get as adu lts, were wired very primally for positive feedback. There are some things youre doing with your 3-year-old that are very applicable. In the same vein, you shouldnt have to threaten an adult that they wont get a cookie if they dont do the right thing.If you really want to give people feedback that will drive high performance, you catch them doing something right, in the moment.David Or theres even a lot of evidence that people arent in it for the cookie. I used to work in a sales organization, and when youre interviewing, the right answer is that youre motivated by money because thats the only thing they can offer you. But the truth is, most of us arent. If youre an intelligent person, you want to go to work on difficult problems and exercise your creativity in a team to solve them. Thats the foundational idea of what youve built. That success is a good motivator, and people want to be tackling those problems. Thats different from base salary and compensation, but its not, Lets dang le a carrot or a cookie in front of people, - its, Lets give them the stuff they want to work on.Patty I came to that through observation. Ive watched people in their work for a long time, and I know that when people experience great joy at work, its when theyve done something amazing that theyre proud of. You want to create a situation where you go home and tell your spouse or your pet, It was a great day at work today Thats what motivates everybody. You have to care about what youre doing and really love the people that youre working with, and get great stuff done. Thats whats satisfying.The accomplishments that you have at work are what create your fabulous career. Thats why I wanted Netflix to be a great place to be from, not a place that wants to keep you.Ive watched people in their work for a long time, and I know that when people experience great joy at work, its when theyve done something amazing that theyre proud of.David Were hitting on another thing- one of the things Iv e admired about Netflix is you use the word team,not family.Patty I was in a conference the other day talking with professional sports coaches. One of them said, It must be so hard for you to say goodbye to these great players who youve played so many games with and had such a great experience. And the coach of the San Antonio Spurs just looked incredulous, and said, It actually doesnt feel that bad at all. We both came in knowing that were only going to be together for a certain period of time to win the games where the team is right.So the family metaphor is just not true. Youre going to be with your 3-year-old when theyre 33, but thats not what happens at work.The family metaphor is just not true. Youre going to be with your 3-year-old when theyre 33, but thats not what happens at work.David Lets talk about you, then. How did you know it was time to leave Netflix? What were other peoples reactions?Patty Well, everything operates within the context of the business. At the time tha t I left, we had a lot of turmoil in the business, physically separating out DVD by mail and streaming. I used to tell Reed, Im kind of a serial entrepreneur- I turn into a pumpkin about every four years. The great thing about Netflix for me was I got three startups and I didnt have to leave home. The first one was coming up with a business model that might actually work before we ran out of money after three or four years. The second one was DVD by mail. The third one was my last tour at Netflix, which was figuring out the technology behind digital streaming, and now Netflix as a global content provider. And you know, I got what I wished for. Netflix is a great place to be from.I got what I wished for. Netflix is a great place to be from.This article first appeared on Heleo.

Studying for Air Force Basic Military Training - AFBMT

Studying for Air Force Basic Military Training - AFBMTStudying for Air Force Basic Military Training - AFBMTFailing to prepare both physically and academically for basic military training is just careless and shows a lack of understanding of what you are about to endure as a possible career for what could be a significant part of your life. It also shows a lack of initiative, a quality you will learn you need in the military. Start practicing now. As the saying goes, Failing to prepare is preparing to fail. You dont have to study a thing in advance in order to graduate from Air Force Basic Military Training (AFBMT). The Air Force already knows that you are capable of learning, because youre at least a high school graduate, you passed the Armed Forces Vocational Aptitude Battery (ASVAB), and you impressed your recruiter enough to get into the Air Force. However, youll quickly find out during AFBMT that there is never enough time to get everything done that youre expected to do. Thats a universal rule of basic training. The more studying you do in advance, the less time you will have to spend in the books studying during basic, and the more time you will have to do those other 20-dozen things that just have to get done, in order to avoid having a big, ugly scary person making the rest of you day miserable. Here are some things you can study in advance to make your life in AFBMT easier Air Force Ranks During basic, pretty much everybody in the world outranks you. The Air Force has two separate rank structures enlisted and officers. Enlisted folks have stripes (the more stripes, the more rank), and officers have bars, leafs, and stars. Officers always outrank enlisted folks, no matter how many stripes are on the enlisted persons shoulders. Before you graduate from Basic Training, youll have to memorize all Air Force ranks. So, why not know them before you ever arrive? This article explains the Air Force rank system. As a minimum, you should memorize the ra nk insignia (stripes or bars/leafs/stars), and their names. Drill Drill means marching, or sometimes it means just standing in place in an organized and disciplined way. Youll do a lot of drill in basic training. For the first couple of weeks, youll spend an hour or two every single day learning and practicing drill, and pretty much everywhere you go in basic, your flight (recruits you are living with) will march to. Your life in basic will be easier if you learn some of the fundamentals of drill before you even get there. As a very minimum, you should learn how to salute, and practice saluting in front of a mirror, until you have it down pat. Chain of Command All military organizations have a chain of command. A chain of a command is who is in charge of who. In the military, if you have a problem, you bring it to the lowest appropriate level in your chain of command. If he/she cant help, you can then address it to the next level in your chain, and so on. Youll be required to memorize your entire AFBMT Chain of Command by the 8th day of basic. So, why not study it in advance? Reporting In AFBMT, when you are ordered to speak with a superior, you must first report, and use your reporting statement. This article will tell you what reporting is all about, and how you can be a reporting expert before you even get to basic. Air Force Song Each military branch has a popsong that they consider theirs and theirs alone, and they are proud of their song. In AFBMT, youll be required to sing the Air Force Song each morning following reveille (the raising of the flag), and pretty much any time your TI wants to hear you sing it. Air Force Core Values All of the services have core values standards that their members are expected to live by. In basic training, youll be required to memorize the Air Force Corps Values, and be required to state those values, anytime the T.I. orders you to. Military Time If you dont know how to tell time the military w ay (i.e. 300 PM 1500 hours), this would be a good topic to study in advance. This article will help you understand how the military tells time. Social Security Number If youre like my kidsand dont know your social security number by heart, memorize it. Your social security number becomes your identification number and youll use it for almost everything (Privacy Act permitting). Want to Know More About Air Force Basic Training? Surviving Air Force Basic Training

Survey Nearly 100% of open-office workers are distracted by their coworkers

Survey Nearly 100% of open-geschftszimmer workers are distracted by their coworkersSurvey Nearly 100% of open-office workers are distracted by their coworkersThe visceral dislike for open offices is so universal, its almost a dark comedy. High-concept architects and designers baited office developers into the concept, telling that it would increase collaboration, and oh yeah, by the way, take up less space and be cheaper.While open offices have some things going for them (theyre certainly airy and modern) studies have shown they decrease communication between workers. A a well-known Harvard study showedthat open offices decreased face-to-face communication between workers by 70%. In an environment where everybody is constantly up in everyone elses face, people actually tend to shut down to protect themselves.Follow Ladders on FlipboardFollow Ladders magazines on Flipboard covering Happiness, Productivity, Job Satisfaction, Neuroscience, and moreSome 99% of workers in an open-office p lan get distracted at least some of the time, according to a new survey. Global communications firm Poly surveyed 5,000 office workers across 10 countries.And 40% of open-plan office workers are always or very often distracted. Almost 50% report an inability to focus while at work.Its also easy to lose time to the constant influx of people when working in an open space, with the noise level at a dull roar, people startling you by approaching you from behind, and randoms from other departments stopping by your desk to discuss Game of Thrones.What were the top office distractions? Respondents said the following. Hint its their co-workers.Loud co-worker on the phoneOffice celebrationsCo-workers talking nearbyTable and video gamesPhone ringers or alarmsPets in the officeFor those reasons and more, one in three workers lost one hour or more to distractions every day.A full 70% say they would be more productive and concentrate better if open-office chaos was cut down.In that spirit, the o pen office is also full of people trying to cope with the noise. The most popular was was to hide and search out a quieter place in the office (34%). Others listened to music on headphones (27%), while some wore noise-canceling headphones (19%). A bold 14% wore earplugs, and a wise 12% worked from home.You might also enjoyNew neuroscience reveals 4 rituals that will make you happyStrangers know your social class in the first seven words you say, study finds10 lessons from Benjamin Franklins daily schedule that will double your productivityThe worst mistakes you can make in an interview, according to 12 CEOs10 habits of mentally strong people

How to Beat Résumé Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS)

How to Beat Rsum Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS)How to Beat Rsum Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS)How to Beat the Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS)In 2019, the majority of companies are using resume reading robots called Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) to streamline hiring processes. With only 25% of applications reisepassing the test, its crucial that you follow ansicht tips to optimize your resume for ATS. You feel crushed you think somehiring manager on the other end actually read through the entirety of your rsumand concluded that you werent qualified for the job. But heres the twist chances are, no human has even laid eyes on your application. The truth?Youwere probably rejected by rsum reading robot called an Applicant Tracking System (ATS).Welcome to the 21st century. Large and even medium sized firms are using ATS to deal with the hundreds, if not thousands of applicants who are applying to the same positions every day. This rsum reading software allows unterstellung compa nies to automate, streamline, and manage the hiring process.Whyare companies allowing robotsto make human resource decisions?Its all about speed.Going through rsums to screen applicants is tedious work. But the ATS speeds up this process by identifying candidates whose rsums contain key experiences and skill sets that match the qualifications employers are seeking.According to a popular study conducted by search services provider Preptel, as manyas 75% of the candidates dont make it past the ATS screening. It may seem brutal,but this screening process does the job of whittling down a cumbersomeapplicant pool into just a handful of applicants that the human hiring managers can review more closely.What does this mean for you?Heres the takeaway for living in the age of rsumreading robots a well-crafted, ATS friendly rsumis absolutely critical to a successful job hunt.Qualified candidates that fail to make an ATS friendly rsum will get rejected, period. After combing the web and consult ing some of our in-house experts at Resume Genius, we zero in on the 4 most common reasons why rsums of even the most qualified candidates fail to pass screening.Reason 1 The ATS cant actually process yourrsumWarning The ATS will fail to read your artistic additions to your rsum. Although a human hiring manager might appreciate a little flair, thersum robot will simply incinerate yourrsum without a second thought.Fixability EasyIt would be a shame for your rsumto get screen out because the ATS is unable to read it. Basic rule of thumb keep your fonts and formatting simple.Sometimes theATS will usea built-in optical character recognition (OCR) software to processes your digital rsum. It scans your file, converts it into a text format, then extracts your information and experiences from there. While the ATS is getting better at reading PDF files, its still safer to feed the system a Word or Text file.Do away with any adjusted spacing, newsletter formatting, lines. Go with the clean, s tandard fonts like Arial, Verdana, and Times New Roman. Scrap inventive layouts, graphics, or artifacts that affect the readability of your rsum.Reason 2 The ATS doesnt recognize the headings you usedApplicant Tracking System softwareis built to sort your experiences based on the rsums section headings. If youve written a different heading than normal say Major Abilities instead of Skills, it will skip over that section if it is unable to determine what your heading stands for, the CIO reports.Fixability EasyPeople like to get creative with headings, thinking that it will help their rsumstand out. Unfortunately, unconventional headings can actually hurt it.Help the software do its job. Use the standard headings Work Experience, Skills, Publications so you dont stand the risk of the rsumbot placing your qualifications under the wrong categories, or misreading your headings altogether.Reason 3 Your rsumlacks targeted keywordsBy now, youveformatted your rsumproperly, and used normal h eadings. Heres the meat of how an ATS actually reads your rsum. Its looking for targeted keywords.First, the hiring manager will eingabe certain keywords and key phrases into the software,each relevant to therole they need filled.For example, an software company hiring manager might use these keywordsPythonC++JavascriptCodedProgrammedNext, the ATS software will read through each rsum, and determine whether the ithas enough keywords and key phrases to pass through the screening.If the percentage is high enough, your rsum will successfully be reviewed by an actual human.Fixability MediumYour ability to use the right keywords depends on two thingsDo you actually have the relevant skills, abilities, education, and work experiences?If you do have all or somefrom 1, doing good research and giving your rsuma hard look-over will get you through the ATSHow to selectkeywordsThe best place to begin is to readthe hiring managers very own job description. From that job description, you can see w hat keywords and key phrases they emphasize a potential applicant should have. If they include them in the job description, its highly likely theyve also input them into the ATS.The image below contains areal example of a librarian job description, and the image next to it reflects what we believe are important keywords a librarian applicant should include on their rsumsGREEN HIGHLIGHT Keywords that are CRITICAL to getting past the ATS.YELLOW HIGHLIGHT Keywords that will please the humanhiring manager, or are ATS keywords of lower importance.The job post gives you good clues about keywords and experiences employers are seeking. Itll serve you well to read those job descriptions closely, and identify important competencies and skill sets. Place emphasis on these matched experiences in your rsum.Its also helpful include both specific and general keywords in the mix. ATS uses all of these keywords into certain job functions. For your previous position as team leader, include job-specif ic buzzwords such as coordinate, manage, but having the general keyword project coordinator, project manager will help to strengthen your rsum.Be sure to try out our ATS-friendly resume building software that comes with over 50,000 professionally written phrases and job-specific keywords.Reason 4 Your rsumhas too many nonspecific keywordsSome have suggested hacking the rsumbot by submitting two or three-page long rsums that exhaust all keywords that are relevant to the job.Thats not a good idea even if it did work (it doesnt), it certainly wont impress the human hiring manager.ATS software ranks your candidacy based on how specifically your rsum matches keywords and phrases in a job description. Some software even looks for how uniquely the work experiences you listed match the job requirements.Fixability MediumHeres the rub you cant stuff your rsumwith an exhaustive list of experiences and hope to game the system into thinking youre a perfect match. Having off-target keywords can score your rsumdown on relevancy.Use the instruction from 3 to research relevant keywords and ensure that your rsumis concise and targeted. To the greatest extent possible, your rsumshoulduniquely match the requirements in the job description.To sum it up the bots are getting better at contextualizing rsums, and recruiters are always aiming to interview candidates whose experiences adhere the most closely to positions theyre seeking to fill. Therefore, having targeted, job-specific keywords throughout your rsum is more important than ever.Reason 5 Your rsumlacks industry and company jargon orabbreviationsExperts suggest that adopting industry jargon or evenincluding acompanys corporate lingowithin your rsumis a smart choice. If you think about it, its only logical for the hiring manager toinputindustry jargon and abbreviations into an ATS. Therefore, you will need to optimize your rsumto include these terms wherever possible.Fortunately, this is very simple to do.FixabilityEasyWeave relevant jargon and terminology into your rsum, and spell out the abbreviations and acronymsDO NOT ever simply include an acronym or abbreviation by itself on a rsum. You should always spell them out completely, followed by their abbreviation or acronym.Acronyms withSpelled out ExamplesFederal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) agent with 10+ years of experience.Optimized and purchased Pay Per Click (PPC) ads for a major software companyMaintained plant operations perfect record of zeroOperation Safety HealthAdministration (OSHA) recordablesIf youre unfamiliar with a certain industrys lingo, you canresearch jargon and abbreviations specific to the field, sector, or industry in which youre seeking employment.To sum it up a rsumwith clean formatting and clear, targeted language gets you through ATS screening. Once you land that interview, however, it would be advisable to have a more descriptive and eye-pleasing version of your rsumready for your human recruiters.

What You Dont Know About Skills for Teacher Resume

What You Dont Know About Skills for Teacher Resume The best method to decide is to do a little bit of work experience in various sorts of school or college to find out what you think might suit you. Modern-day teachers understand how to discover engaging resources. Anyway that you may engage students and keep things interesting is a necessity. If you would like to be an excellent educator, you have to be committed to your job and your classroom. Teachers are a few of the most hardworking, patient and dependable workers out there. Depending on the help of our expert sources, here are a number of broad types of skills your resume could include, together with unique approaches to express them. Make certain that you have a minumum of one example for a time you demonstrated every one of the top five skills listed here. In addition to the practical demand for developers in virtually every organization, programming skills demonstrate advanced problem solving skills that could le ad to a well-rounded professional. Strong planning abilities and organization are traits which are highly desired in an employee, particularly in the plan world. The placement of your skills section is also a rather important thing to contemplate. Soft skills are a little mora vague and open to interpretation. A Key Skills section, on the flip side, is listed at the very top of a resume. Your skills section stipulates a window into how much capability it is possible to bring to the corporation. The Argument About Skills for Teacher Resume Communication is a top skill valued in virtually every profession, but it gets especially critical in the plan industry. Analytical skills are useful in various ways. Verbal communication skills are very important in teaching. Soft abilities, on the flip side, arent simple to quantify. They are the skills that apply to every job. In the majority of cases, your soft skills can boost your hard skills. There are a few skills which dont ne cessarily belong on your resume, however awesome youre at them. Even simple skills including Microsoft Excel or societal media knowledge can force you to stick out from other applicants if presented. As an example, you may have used Microsoft Word for years, but you need never done a Mail Merge. You should be proficient with Microsoft Office, and can browse the internet and send emails without tripping up. Part of being a true teacher is the capability to work as part of a team, together with alone. The One Thing to Do for Skills for Teacher Resume No matter the sort of industry youre aiming to land work in, you will need to personalize your list of skills for the position. You currently have a huge amount of skills, therefore its just an issue of rounding them up and figuring out which ones result in the very best applicant package. There are lots of chances in your job for quantification. If so, your resume can nevertheless be quantified, and provide the hiring manager a concrete idea of the range of your abilities and abilities. For instance, its wise to list the true classroom experience you got as a student teacher whilst working on your degree and the certificates you have gotten to teach in your specific jurisdiction. You didnt choose to be a teacher as you wished to turn into rich, you did it as you have passion for education. Theres always something to learn when youre teacher. You cant be a teacher in case you dont have the confidence to stand at the front part of the classroom and speak to your students. As a substitute teacher, youre predicted to manage a classroom once the lead teacher is away for a short while. In the event the normal teacher has left any instructions, make sure theyre well followed. An effective teacher is a mentor and knows the way to guide her students in the ideal direction. Being an assistant teacher is a tough job that demands excellent people skills with children and grownups alike.

Photos From Our Event With American Express

Photos From Our Event With American Express An exclusive look at our event with American Express 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 an alyzing 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 mora 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 suppor ted by a study conducted by Gallupon 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/h 2pAccording to the Bureau of Labor 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 neuheit 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 technicians ($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.

How to Gift the Boss or Your Special Coworker

How to Gift the Boss or Your Special CoworkerHow to Gift the Boss or Your Special CoworkerIts an age-old dilemma and it comes up several times each year. What do you do for that special babo or coworker on their birthday, their company anniversary, their engagement, the birth of their child, or to celebrate the holiday season? Gift-giving occasions are endless and endlessly challenging. You want to gesundheitsgefhrdender stoff the boss with something special, but you dont want it to be too personal or exorbitant. You dont want to embarrass the receiver with your largesse, but you dont want to appear tight-fisted in the eyes of someone you like or your geschftszimmer peers. You know the person from work. You may have some ideas and knowledge about his personal tastes and interests. But, you are totally unfamiliar with what he already has. You dont want your dozen golf balls joining another hundred in his garage, the victims of other gift givers who didnt have a clue. If you are the designated purchaser for a group of people, the above problems multiply, as you have more people to please. Especially for a group gift, spend time soliciting ideas from others in the group. Some may know the person better and good ideas multiply when people brainstorm together. Another approach is to talk with a friend or family member of the person you want to gift. Sworn to secrecy, she might have several ideas sure to please. These are my favorite gifts for your valued work associate. Memory Books and Scrapbooks People appreciate gifts that commemorate good times and successes at work. A memory book in which all staff write comments and share high points of the year is an often appreciated gift. Depending on the individual, scrapbooks with pictures of staff activities, actual company product advertisements from magazines, positive notes from customers, and memory notes from staff make successful gifts. I have even seen an artistic group create a striking collage. Anything Bl ank BookA Womans Journal Quotes by Women Picture Frames and Photo Albums Consider a group photograph in an attractive frame for your boss or coworker. You can make the photograph formal or informal, or consider a collage of different staff pictures. (Some of these are group gifts.) A photo album that includes pictures of staff events, product highlights, office happenings, trade show booths, and staff and customer interaction is a particularly winning choice. Picture Frames Collage Picture FrameSolid Wood Picture FramesWaterford Lismore 5x7 FrameUncommon Photo AlbumsCollage Frames Gift Baskets No matter how close you are to your coworker, chances are you are familiar with some items, hobbies, or food choices that bring her pleasure. A ready-made gift basket filled with selections of her favorite things makes a popular and appreciated gift. Baskets I have seen include an assortment of teas, biscuits, and a teapot for the tea lover and a selection of coffee, jams, and scones f or the coffee lover. Ready-made baskets for people who enjoy a particular food such as chocolate or popcorn are also available. Baskets of foods or fruits and other items that celebrate a particular heritage such as Italian or Greek or a particular region such as California or Michigan make popular choices, too. The fun part with baskets is that you can also make one yourself by selecting a theme, then the basket, and filling it with items from various stores. If you have the time, making up your own basket will likely save money. You also have the whole world of stores from which to select the items that fill your basket. You can customize the gift to your coworkers taste. When my uncle worked at Ford, he once received a basket of grapefruit with a grapefruit knife and a set of serrated spoons from his coworkers. As a grapefruit lover, it was a perfect gift for him, a gift that kept on giving he used the knife and spoons for years. Gift Baskets Chocolate and CandyGift Baskets Chees e and CrackersGift Baskets FruitBaskets to Fill With Your Selections Books or Book Store Gift Certificates When you are familiar with a persons reading interests, books are an attractive gift choice. The main dilemma I have experienced is identifying a book she doesnt have already. Some people talk about what they are reading or their reading interests, others dont. You face the same dilemma with magazine subscriptions, another possible gift choice. For a reader, select a recent business or people-management best-seller. Or, play it safe and give your colleague a gift certificate to a local or online bookstore. You never go wrong when she can make her own choice. Not as personal as some of the earlier gifts I recommend, a bookstore gift certificate is mucksmuschenstill a valuable choice. Little Books With Big Impact Gift Certificates You can always purchase a gift certificate to a popular online or local store. Assuming you select a store your colleague frequents, this is a no-fail gift. Think about your coworkers hobbies and recreational activities as well as her goals and dreams. Im sure youll select the right store. Engraved Items Look around your coworkers office. What does she keep on her desk or display in her cubicle? Often youll find framed certificates of classes taken, awards won, and honors bestowed. Consider purchasing articles engraved with staff signatures, sentiments for the recipient, or an honorary mention of the day or occasion. These may be paperweights or framed prints, plaques or bookends. When you select quality items, these are valued for years. A Sample Item To Engrave Beyond these ideas for gifts for your boss or coworker, use your imagination. Im a big fan of desk toys and searched long and hard one year to purchase a variety for a coworker. Take a look at The Office Playground for fun desk toys. Dream on about gift-giving, but remember that a card and a thoughtful verbal exchange are often all that is needed for your boss or coworker to feel recognized and rewarded. More About the Holidays and Your Office Alternatives to the Holiday Office PartyTop 7 Office Party GaffesTo Drink or Not to Drink at Work Events?Tips for a Stress-free, Very Merry Holiday SeasonAppreciate Diversity During the Holidays

Improve Your Presentations in 60 Seconds or Less

Improve Your Presentations in 60 Seconds or LessImprove Your Presentations in 60 Seconds or LessInstantly improve your public speaking skills with these simple tips.Blum suggests making five small changes that will greatly improve your public speaking skillsShow your passionLike any good story, a presentation is only as interesting as the person who is presenting it. Even if youre just giving your weekly status report, find something to speak about thats meaningful to you. Your audience will only be as engaged in a topic as you are. If youre bored theyll be bored too, says Blum. Let them landsee your energy and passion Having trouble getting your energy levels up? Check out Tony Robbins pre-speaking ritual which includes incantations, affirmations, and a ton of energized movement.Fake it till you make itWhether youre negotiating your salary or presenting to an audience, experts agree that confidence is essential to communicating persuasively.Speak confidently, loudly, and clearly. Le t your audience see and hear that you believe what youre saying, says Blum. Public speaking, like any other valuable skill, requires practice. The more you present, the more confident youll become.Take a deep breath and slow downThe average person speaks 125 words per minute. If you find yourself racing through your presentation at a much faster pace, pause, take a breath, and slow down. When you speak too quickly, the audience will assume youre nervous and wont receive your message. Speaking more slowly will also help you establish credibility with the audience. According to Blum, a young professional who slows down a fast-paced speaking style can instantly sound more authoritative. Need more help slowing down your motor mouth? Check out these presentation tips by Diane DiResta, author of Knockout Presentations .Use your hands effectivelyMost people use their hands when they speak, but very few use them in a way that supports their words, says Blum. He suggests looking for opportu nities to gesture while youre thinking through and rehearsing your presentation. For instance, are you describing something big or small, expanding or contracting, over here or over there? Use your gestures to help drive home your points. Check out these hand gesture tips by Matt Abrahams, author of Speaking Up without Freaking Out .Have mini conversationsDo you have a fear of speaking with people one-on-one? For fruchtwein people, the fear of public speaking only creeps up when your audience involves a group of people. To combat this anxiety, Blum suggests having mini-conversations during your presentation. Instead of speaking to the room, direct your presentation to specific individuals in the room.Having these few-second mini-conversations will calm your nerves, improve your eye contact, and engage your audience, says Blum. Still having trouble making eye contact? Try staring at the foreheads of individuals in your audience. It will still look like youre making eye contact witho ut causing you to feel more nervous.

How to Win an Internship

How to Win an InternshipHow to Win an InternshipHow to Win an InternshipInternships provide valuable experience prior to graduation. Heres how to win the one you have your eye on. TWEETCollege is filled with many amazing experiences. Among them networking with professionals and experts in your field, building lifelong relationships with classmates and sharing some shall we say less than mature experiences with friends.The biggest advantage to college however, often isnt those internal offerings academic advisors constantly endorse, it s the hands-on learning found with company internships. Learning at the hands of the industry masters not only builds your self-esteem and skills, it connects you with potential employers and references for the future.Before you can soak in the warmth of a hard-earned internship, you have to, well, earn it. The following guide will help college students learn how to get an internship with no experience and begin to prepare for a better career future.T ime to dust off your resume, and give it a spit shineOkay, so youve taken those two-hour career center training sessions online. After following all the advice, you think you have the perfect resume. Well, take another, even three or four, looks. Be sure to avoid common mistakes before sending your perfect resume to the recruiters.Is your contact information current?Do you have a career summary and skill listing?Is your education section at the top?Have you listed college engagement and participation?Is your resume one page?Ask a professor to look over your resume to ensure you havent missed any crucial information. If theyre in a related field, they may have insight into your industry and can guide you with both the resume and einstellungsgesprch questions.Send your application in on timeThe next stop to learning how to get an internship with no experience involves timeliness. While this is a no-brainer to most, hiring managers reporting late applications is one of the most common mistakes college students make when applying for an internship. Send your application in early, preferably when the professor announces it. If the application is hardcopy, type it rather than use your own handwriting. And make sure you dont spill coffee or beer on the paper.Practice for the interviewAsk a professor to help you practice for the interview. They will evaluate your performance and give you valuable pointers. Remember, your professors were likely managers in the industry before they started teaching. Their advice is crucial. Additionally, recruiters sometimes ask weird questions, while others are more standard. Here are a few questions hiring managers ask potential internsWhat do you want to do with your life?Where do you see yourself in five years?Why did you choose the major you did?Why are you interested in this profession?What do you bring to the table in terms of skill sets?What makes you different or special?Ask for other opportunities, even unpaid onesCompanies on ly make available a specific number of paid internships. Should you not get this position, dont be scared to ask if there are any positions available for earned college credit. In other words, you get college credit and on-the-job training, and they get free labor. Its a win-win for both sides. Also ask if there are any entry-level paid positions you can work. Explain to them you want to learn the business from the lowest to highest positions.TakeawaysLearning how to get an internship with no experience doesnt have to be difficult.Internships are one of the best opportunities for college students. They provide valuable experience prior to graduation, connect students with industry leaders and train them to operate in real-world scenarios. Taking time to prepare for these opportunities will help increase students chances for winning internships and more important positions.One valuable piece of advice a college professor once gave Treat the internship as both classroom learning and a job. Many times, companies will hire those interns who outperformed the others, giving them a step up in their career path. And never burn any bridges.Need help with your resume? Our TopResume writers can help