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