When it comes to choosing a candidate for a new job or a promotion, employers consistently say they want "a team player."
This means someone who can "put the team goals and the team accountability ahead of their own individual situation," says Steve Kass, president for the Great Plains district of Robert Half International.
But how, exactly, do you go about showing that you're a team player? Experts offer the following five suggestions for concrete ways you can show your dedication to the team.
1. Meet your deadlines.
When Accountemps, a division of RHI, surveyed senior executives at large companies about what it meant to be a team player, the most common reply was "meets deadlines."
When you're doing one part of a larger project, as is often the case when you're on a team at work, you can hold up everyone else if you don't get your work done on time. A good team player is someone other team members know they can depend on.
2. Be candid.
Glenn Parker, a team-building consultant in Princeton, N.J. and author of "Team Players and Teamwork: New Strategies for Developing Successful Collaboration," believes companies used to have a one-dimensional view of a team player: someone who worked hard and didn't ask questions. "But the world has changed," he says. "The idea of just supporting things is not as valued as it was."
Indeed, in the Accountemps survey, "supports his or her manager" was low on the list of qualities a team player should have. This doesn't mean managers want to be undermined -- but many do appreciate suggestions and constructive criticism.
3. Adapt quickly.
You may work with teams whose members are in different locations. It's likely you'll be a member of several different teams at work, too, each focused on a different goal.
Today, with advances in technology, increased globalization and more diversity in the workplace, team players need to be "more complex, adaptive, creative and flexible," Parker says.
One way to demonstrate how adaptable you are is to offer to change the way you work if it seems like it would help your teammates, Kass said.
Attitude is important, too. People used to assume that trust among team members had to be built over a long period. In today's fast-paced business world, there may not be time for that. So, Parker says, successful team members begin by assuming that their coworkers are capable, dependable, and engaged.
4. Appreciate others' work styles.
One person may be good at facilitating communication; another likes to challenge the group's assumptions. The best teams will have a mix of these styles and members who appreciate each other's contributions.
"The really good team player, regardless of style, is somebody who can understand and appreciate and work with people whose style is different from theirs," Parker says.
5. Avoid politics.
In Accountemps' survey, avoiding politics was second only to meeting deadlines when it came to defining a good team player. "This means," says Kass, "that you don't let yourself get distracted by issues that aren't crucial to the team's mission."
Posted by Margaret Steen, from Yahoo! HotJobs
Sunday, July 12, 2009
12 Tips to Get Your Resume Noticed
Gone are the days of simply mailing your resume, receiving a call, shaking hands at the interview, and agreeing on a start date for that new job. The Internet has taken over the recruiting landscape, and everyone is required to submit a resume online. While that brings greater efficiency to the process for employers, it can be awfully maddening for job seekers. But it doesn't have to be that way if you know how to navigate the system.
Consider these 12 tips before pressing "submit" to send your resume:
1. Search job boards and the websites of employers that appeal to you. Print out the job postings that you're interested in pursuing before you apply.
2. Use a highlighter to mark the keywords and industry language used to describe the requirements and responsibilities.
3. Compare those words and phrases to the language that appears in your current resume.
4. Figure out how and where to add the most relevant keywords to your resume, assuming you have the specific knowledge, skills, and experience. Applicant tracking systems will search for keyword matches -- the more matches, the better, which often determines if a recruiter opts to view your resume.
5. Once you're confident that your resume reflects a strong match, go ahead and submit that targeted resume online.
6. If the system requests a cover letter, write a short one that expresses why you're a strong match and why you'd like to join the organization. This is a chance to tout your research on the role.
7. Never submit a generic, one-size-fits-all resume or cover letter. If you really want the position, you'll customize all documents for each job.
8. Once you apply, get to work to find an internal referral to make a personal introduction.
Here's how:
12. Ask directly for advice on how and when to follow up. A simple question, "What's the best way to keep in touch?" will give you the details you need to stay ahead of the pack.
Posted by Tory Johnson from Yahoo
Tory Johnson is the CEO of Women For Hire and the Workplace Contributor on ABC's "Good Morning America." Connect with her at womenforhire.com.The opinions expressed in this column are solely the author's.
Consider these 12 tips before pressing "submit" to send your resume:
1. Search job boards and the websites of employers that appeal to you. Print out the job postings that you're interested in pursuing before you apply.
2. Use a highlighter to mark the keywords and industry language used to describe the requirements and responsibilities.
3. Compare those words and phrases to the language that appears in your current resume.
4. Figure out how and where to add the most relevant keywords to your resume, assuming you have the specific knowledge, skills, and experience. Applicant tracking systems will search for keyword matches -- the more matches, the better, which often determines if a recruiter opts to view your resume.
5. Once you're confident that your resume reflects a strong match, go ahead and submit that targeted resume online.
6. If the system requests a cover letter, write a short one that expresses why you're a strong match and why you'd like to join the organization. This is a chance to tout your research on the role.
7. Never submit a generic, one-size-fits-all resume or cover letter. If you really want the position, you'll customize all documents for each job.
8. Once you apply, get to work to find an internal referral to make a personal introduction.
Here's how:
- Make a list of 50 people you know and ask each one if they know someone who works (or has worked) at that employer.
- Attend job fairs to meet face-to-face with employers and other professionals.
- Create a free profile and become active on LinkedIn.com or Facebook.com, which boast a combined 60 million users. Surely you can find someone who knows someone to make that connection.
- Create a free Twitter.com account and "follow" friends and post requests for help. (You can follow me at Twitter.com/ToryJohnson where I post job leads and where fellow followers can help with contacts.)
- Join an association in your field and network with like-minded peers.
- Connect with your high school and college alumni groups. Old pals could be new connectors.
- Talk to your unlikely network. For example, look at the class list of the parents of your kids' friends. Anytime my kids hear about a friend's mom or dad who's lost a job, they tell them to call me. Even though we don't know each other, we have a common connection that can sometimes lead to a contact.
9. Follow up with a call or email to the recruiter responsible for filling the position. Never say, "Did you get my resume?" Instead be ready to reiterate your strong qualifications and interest in the role. You'll have just a brief moment to sell yourself, so rehearse before making the call or sending the email.
10. Don't know the name of the right person? Cold-call the company and ask an operator to put you through. If that doesn't work, do a Web search on the term "recruiter" or "HR director" along with the name of your employer of choice. The results may reveal the name you're trying to find. LinkedIn is another resource to find the correct name.
11. Stay top of mind. Every recruiter is different, which makes this a challenge. Some say you're welcome to follow up weekly. Others say every other week is enough. And then there are some who'll tell you to never call. Find the right balance so you're politely persistent without crossing over to a pest.
12. Ask directly for advice on how and when to follow up. A simple question, "What's the best way to keep in touch?" will give you the details you need to stay ahead of the pack.
Posted by Tory Johnson from Yahoo
Tory Johnson is the CEO of Women For Hire and the Workplace Contributor on ABC's "Good Morning America." Connect with her at womenforhire.com.The opinions expressed in this column are solely the author's.
Cover Letters that Catch the Eye
Throw away your form letter. These days, getting your cover letter noticed means getting creative.
"A good cover letter can be the difference between getting a job and not getting a job," said Gretchen Hirsch, writing coach and author of "Talking Your Way to the Top." "How you stand out, how you tell your story, is with cover letters."
Consider these tips from hiring managers and writing coaches:
Start Strong
News reporters know most people only read three paragraphs, so they lead with the most important information. You should, too. Start with a relevant professional accomplishment, said Sherry Mirshahi, a resume writer and interview consultant with Interview Roadmap.
"The accomplishment should be aligned with at least one of the qualifications the employer seeks," she said. "This encourages the reader to continue reading and automatically positions you as an expert."
Keep It Employer-Focused
Talk about how the job fits your goals in the interview. Use the cover letter to show how you can help the employer meet her goals, said Alison Farrin, hiring manager and owner of Innovative Pension.
Make sure your cover letter shows that:
You've looked at the company website and know what they do.
You can help cut costs or increase profits.
You have something that makes you special and will make the company special.
Farrin suggests the following example:
The description of your company's range of services indicates that you place a high value on quick response to clients but with particular attention to details. In my position with XYZ Company, I was employee of the month six times based on my fast, accurate service record. I look forward to improving on that record with a company that values my skills in this area.
"If I received a resume that took the time to come up with anything remotely close to this kind of thoughtful information, once I picked myself up off the floor, I would be picking up the phone," she said.
Write a 'Charticle'
Short charts in magazines attract more eyes than long articles. So ditch paragraphs in favor of columns, said Malcolm Munro, a career coach and author of "Marketing Yourself for Your Dream Job."
In one column, list the attributes the employer needs. In the next, show how you meet them. For instance, if it asks for four years experience, list that you have six. If it asks for a self-starter, list your experience starting and leading a team and how it increased profits.
Keep It Short
"If you're a hiring manager and you're going through resumes for eight hours a day, cover letters better be real short," said Munro. "No one wants to read a long one."
Keep it less than one page with lots of white space and in 12-point type. If it's longer, ask yourself if each sentence meets the qualifications in the first section. If not, cut it.
Munro says, "What you're telling the hiring manager [in a short cover letter] is, 'I'm the perfect fit, write notes here and call me in.'"
by Heather Boerner, from Yahoo! HotJobs
"A good cover letter can be the difference between getting a job and not getting a job," said Gretchen Hirsch, writing coach and author of "Talking Your Way to the Top." "How you stand out, how you tell your story, is with cover letters."
Consider these tips from hiring managers and writing coaches:
Start Strong
News reporters know most people only read three paragraphs, so they lead with the most important information. You should, too. Start with a relevant professional accomplishment, said Sherry Mirshahi, a resume writer and interview consultant with Interview Roadmap.
"The accomplishment should be aligned with at least one of the qualifications the employer seeks," she said. "This encourages the reader to continue reading and automatically positions you as an expert."
Keep It Employer-Focused
Talk about how the job fits your goals in the interview. Use the cover letter to show how you can help the employer meet her goals, said Alison Farrin, hiring manager and owner of Innovative Pension.
Make sure your cover letter shows that:
You've looked at the company website and know what they do.
You can help cut costs or increase profits.
You have something that makes you special and will make the company special.
Farrin suggests the following example:
The description of your company's range of services indicates that you place a high value on quick response to clients but with particular attention to details. In my position with XYZ Company, I was employee of the month six times based on my fast, accurate service record. I look forward to improving on that record with a company that values my skills in this area.
"If I received a resume that took the time to come up with anything remotely close to this kind of thoughtful information, once I picked myself up off the floor, I would be picking up the phone," she said.
Write a 'Charticle'
Short charts in magazines attract more eyes than long articles. So ditch paragraphs in favor of columns, said Malcolm Munro, a career coach and author of "Marketing Yourself for Your Dream Job."
In one column, list the attributes the employer needs. In the next, show how you meet them. For instance, if it asks for four years experience, list that you have six. If it asks for a self-starter, list your experience starting and leading a team and how it increased profits.
Keep It Short
"If you're a hiring manager and you're going through resumes for eight hours a day, cover letters better be real short," said Munro. "No one wants to read a long one."
Keep it less than one page with lots of white space and in 12-point type. If it's longer, ask yourself if each sentence meets the qualifications in the first section. If not, cut it.
Munro says, "What you're telling the hiring manager [in a short cover letter] is, 'I'm the perfect fit, write notes here and call me in.'"
by Heather Boerner, from Yahoo! HotJobs
Phrases That Kill Resumes
The 2009 job market is very different from job markets of the past. If you haven't job-hunted in a while, the changes in the landscape can throw you for a loop.
One of the biggest changes is the shift in what constitutes a strong resume. Years ago, we could dig into the Resume Boilerplate grab-bag and pull out a phrase to fill out a sentence or bullet point on our resume. Everybody used the same boilerplate phrases, so we knew we couldn't go wrong choosing one of them -- or many -- to throw into your resume.
Things have changed. Stodgy boilerplate phrases in your resume today mark you as uncreative and "vocabulary challenged." You can make your resume more compelling and human-sounding by rooting out and replacing the boring corporate-speak phrases that litter it, and replacing them with human language -- things that people like you or I would actually say.
Here are the worst 10 boilerplate phrases -- the ones to seek out and destroy in your resume as soon as possible:
Results-oriented professional
Cross-functional teams
More than [x] years of progressively responsible experience
Superior (or excellent) communication skills
Strong work ethic
Met or exceeded expectations
Proven track record of success
Works well with all levels of staff
Team player
Bottom-line orientation
You can do better. What about adding a human voice to your resume? Here's an example:
"I'm a Marketing Researcher who's driven by curiosity about why people buy what they do. At XYZ Industries, I used consumer surveys and online-forum analysis to uncover the reasons why consumers chose our competitors over us; our sales grew twenty percent over the next six months as a result. I'm equally at home on sales calls or analyzing data in seclusion, and up to speed on traditional and new-millennium research tools and approaches. I'm fanatical about understanding our marketplace better every day, week and month -- and have helped my employers' brands grow dramatically as a result."
You don't have to write resumes that sound like robots wrote them. A human-voiced resume is the new black -- try it!
Posted by Liz Ryan
Article from Yahoo
Liz Ryan is a 25-year HR veteran, former Fortune 500 VP and an internationally recognized expert on careers and the new millennium workplace. Contact Liz at liz@asklizryan.com or join the Ask Liz Ryan online community at www.asklizryan/group.The opinions expressed in this column are solely the author's.
Monday, June 22, 2009
Where do you think I am?
I was just sitting here thinking, yes thinking of a solution i was facing before I got here. How many places like this you've been? Hahahaha
Thursday, June 18, 2009
Balik estambay nasad
Opon - Pipila nalang ka adlaw gikan karon mo balik nasad ko og estambay sa amoang probinsya og mag huna-huna unsay angay nga buhaton.Manirado naman gyud and among kompaniya nga ge trabahoan kay tungog sa rason nga gitawag nila og economic downturn.Hay! pagka lisod ra gyud mangeta og trabaho karon kay ang uban nga kompaniya struggling pod (english to ah).Unsa naman lang ang akong ipa kaon sa akong duha ka anak og tambok nga asawa kung mao galing ni dangatan sa akong pangenabuhi.Pun-an pa sa akong utang sa internet nga ako gigamit karong gabhiona samtang dag sulat ani nga dokumento.
Sauna manaway pako sa ubang tawo makit-an nako nga walay mga trabaho.Akong huna-huna sa ilaha mga tapulan nag segi nalang og estambay.Karon wala damha, mga pipila nalang ka adlaw ako na silang mga classmates.Ambot ngano kining kinabuhi usahay dili gayud mag permanenty, usahay dato ka ron, ugma makililimos naka.Pagka paet palandungon kung ikaw mao matungnan sa demalas.
Sauna manaway pako sa ubang tawo makit-an nako nga walay mga trabaho.Akong huna-huna sa ilaha mga tapulan nag segi nalang og estambay.Karon wala damha, mga pipila nalang ka adlaw ako na silang mga classmates.Ambot ngano kining kinabuhi usahay dili gayud mag permanenty, usahay dato ka ron, ugma makililimos naka.Pagka paet palandungon kung ikaw mao matungnan sa demalas.
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