Help Im a Workaholic!

Help Im a WorkaholicOkay, being a workaholic sounds doesnt sound like a very positive description. You might consider yourself to be more along the lines of too efficient but the truth is, being extremely efficient at work can have its drawbacks, too. Consider these tips, inspired by Laura Vanderkam at FastCompany.com. googletag.cmd.push(function() googletag.display(div-gpt-ad-1467144145037-0) ) Realize You Move at a Faster SpeedFirstly, if youre driving at 90 mph and your coworkers are cruising along at the speed limit, odds are youre pretty frustrated whenever youre waiting on them to turn around an assignment or component for a shared project. The solution here isnt to slow down, necessarily, but be aware that your natural pace may not match up automatically with those around you.And chances are, if youre feeling frustration, others may be sensing it. Approach your workflow with all that characteristic efficiency, but build the time delays into it, so you know when to expect and how to respond to them.Dont Rush Past Important Workplace CheckpointsSecondly, what if you know youre the fruchtwein productive person in the office, but promotions keep going to other people? Sure, maybe youre just too valuable where you are, buttake a look at the politics of the workplace for a possible explanation.You may be working speedily and effectively, but are you taking the time to build personal relationships? Make the effort to accept a happy hour invitation at least once a month support your colleagues by celebrating their milestones and pitching in on projects if they need help. Take 10 minutes to schmooze a little with someone you actually like talking toyou never know when a positive impression will come in handy.Besides, if you churn through your to-do list at a breakneck pace and dont have a lot of patience for stragglers, youre actually demonstrating poor management skills. Good managers motivate their teams, and help them balance responsibilities and tasks, rathe r than steamrolling by and expecting them to follow automatically. Mentor your coworkers, particularly those further down the hierarchydemonstrate to the higher ups that you may be a wunderkind, but youre also a team player.Make Sure Your Contributions are KnownAnd finally, make sure someone knows how productive you are The disadvantage to keeping your head down and your eyes on the target is that people may come to take for granted what you contribute. Schedule regular check-ins with your boss, disguised as a position meeting if necessary, to ensure that your accomplishments are on their radar.Then, kick back and enjoy leaving promptly at 5virtue (or high level efficiency) can also be rewarded by the timely end to the work day.The Downside To Being Super Efficient At WorkRead More at Fast Company

Fairygodboss of the Week Oladotun Idowu

Fairygodboss of the Week Oladotun Idowu Oladotun Idowuhas worked in several capacities in media from absatzwirtschaft to publicity to events. But throughout herbei professional experiences, one thing remained the same she welches often one of only a few black women in the room. Thats why she started Sisters In Media, an organization for women of color in media to access mentor/mentee relationships, job opportunities and conversations about race in media. herbei end goal? Making sure women of color have a real voice in her industry.We spoke to Idowu about her career path in one of the most competitive industries in the world, who inspires her and how she got started with Sisters In Media. Then, she shared her best career advice and her best fashion advice.Fairygodboss of the Week Oladotun IdowuFounder, Sisters In MediaGreater New York City AreaTell us a little about your career. How did you get to where you are now?I started my career at NBCUniversal working in the marketing departm ent, then transitioned into publicity at Fox Searchlight Pictures. During the earlier stage of my professional career, I was adamant on building a strictly entertainment profile, so I was strategic with each role I accepted. While I still love entertainment, I decided to take a minor shift and try out events at Twitter. I very much love what Im doing and plan to continue to execute more experiences for friends of the brand.Sisters In Media was born during my second year out of college, in lieu of the frustration of constantly being one of few black women in the office. My hope was to create an organization that made women of color feel like they had a community that supported their career growth. I wanted to stem mentor/mentee relationships. I wanted job and internship opportunities to be available, and to create an environment for women to have conversations about race in media.What is an accomplishment that you are proud of?Starting Sisters In MediaWhat is a challenge that youve f aced and overcome?Expanding the brand and building partnerships is so tough, but Ive learned that being consistent and being patient with the process is crucial.Who is YOUR Fairygodboss? and Why?Elizabeth Luke embodies women empowerment. She not only does a phenomenal job as a Communications Manager at Twitter, Luke stands out because she makes it her mission to have women of color be guaranteed a seat at the table. Her passion for building up and supporting women inspires me to keep going.What do you do when youre not working?Binge Netflix, go to screenings and BRUNCHIf you could have dinner with one famous person - dead or alive - who would it be?Easy President Barack Obama and Former First Lady Michelle Obama.Lightning Round What is your karaoke song?Jenny From the Block by J. Lo.Lightning Round What is your favorite movie?Too many, but Ill say Remember the Titans.Lightning Round What book would you bring with you on a desert island?Eleanor and Park by Rainbow Rowell.Lightning Ro und What is your shopping vice? What would you buy if you won the lottery?I would buy out Zara. OBSESSEDWhat is the 1 career tip youd like to share with other women who want to have successful careers like you?Be patient with the process and value every relationship you make during your career. You never know where it will take you.Why do you love where you work?I love connecting people, and I find that Sisters In Media helps me connect the most random professionals together. The end goal is making sure women of color have a voice and are represented in the industry. If I can help push that narrative, Im happy.

The Interview Process Alternative Approaches That Really Work - Spark Hire

The Interview Process Alternative Approaches That Really Work - Spark HireImagine youre a manager looking for the best and brightest talent to hire for your company. Youlook through hundreds of cover letters and resumes. Casually you toss aside the ones you dont like, while highlighting the ones you do. You finally have narrowed down the qualified candidates you think will fit the position. Now you have your five best potential hires, but three of them dont seem as strong after speaking with them. So with two candidates left, you schedule in-part interviews. One candidate drops the ball, but the other candidate is so impressive you hired them on the spot. You rest easy, thinking youve found the perfect new hire for the job and everything will take care of itself. Except, it doesnt. After a few months, you realize the new candidate youve hired is having a hard time. Adjusting to his surroundings is proving far more difficult. You thought itd be a smoother transition, but he doesnt see m to quite gel with the rest of the team. The work you thought he was capable of doing isnt up to snuff. Now you have a decision to make. Do you abflug the entire process over? How long should you give him a chance to redeem himself without drastically impacting the performance of the entire time? In 2015, the Brandon Hall Group (BHG) published The True Cost of a Bad Hire. In the study, BHG found 69 percent of companies say a bad interview process is the reason for low quality hires. Those bad hires are expensive too. Costs range from nearly $40,000 for individual contributors all the way up to over $150,000 for executives. Have faith though There are ways to change up the interview process to ensure you getthe right people into the right position. And to make the process simpler for you, we talked to a few experts. Here are their favorite interview processes and questionsUsing Predictive AnalyticsGoogle has a reputation for hiring the best and brightest minds in the geschftlicher u mgang. For all the talk of how extraordinary they are, however, their interview process isnt as complicated as one might expect. In June 2015, Lazlo Block, Googles former Senior Vice President of People Operations, wrote Heres Googles Secret to Hiring the Best People. Companies have long been in favor of using assessment tests to judge candidates. Where Google differs from most companies, is they use a combination of assessments in order to find the best employee. Bad hires are expensive. Its important to hire the right person the first time.Click To TweetResearch shows that combinations of assessment techniques are better than any single technique, Block said. For example, a test of general cognitive ability when combined with an assessment of conscientiousness is better able to predict who will be successful in a job.Block said Google has an internal tool called qDroid, where interviewers pick the job they are berprfung for, check the attribute they want to test, and are emailed a n interview guide with questions designed to predict performance for that job. Block believes the combination between personality and situational assessments give a little nudge toward better, more reliable interviewing. Spotting Signs of LeadershipIts important to think ahead. You might leid be looking for a leadership role when hiring for an entry-level position, but whether or notlage that candidate will make a great leader in the future could have an impact on whether you should hire them from the outset. In March 2015, Saba and Workplace Trends produced the The Global Workforce Leadership (GLW) Survey. The survey found 46 percent of companies noted leadership skills were the hardest to identify. A good way to spot these skills within a potential hire is to have your interview process designed to identify specific leadership skills. parte of the reason companies arent getting this right is because many dont exactly know what it takes to be a leader. Although 68 percent of worker s, according to the survey, see themselves as leaders, 47 percent of HR leaders judge their pool to fill new roles within the company as just adequate. Its important to think ahead when hiring for entry-level candidates.Click To TweetThe GLW survey found the cause for the gap between viewpoints is due to employee development not being personal enough. While 52 percent of companies conduct annual performance reviews, less than a quarter worldwide use advanced technology for insights into their people and effectiveness of their talent programs.If youre looking for new employees you want to really stick within the company, your interview process will need to change to spot these leadership traits early on. Using Video InterviewsInterviews might not be your idea of a date, but at least one CEO would disagree. Kathryn Minshew, CEO of The Muse, talked about job interviews with Business Insider in September 2016. Minshews interview, A CEO explains how interviewing for a job is just like da ting presented the parallels between job interviews and dates. She said a mistake she often sees is that people want a job in general, not the one in particular theyre interviewing for. From a hiring managers perspective, youre looking for someone who is excited about this role or this company, she said. Its kind of like dating and no one wants to date someone who just wants a girlfriend or boyfriend. People want to be with people who are interested in them. A great way to screen for this is through video interviews. They allow you to see a candidates body language, how they handle themselves with tough questions, and their tone. All which reveals clues of their true interest in the job. Videointerviews are a great way to see if candidates want a job or THE job.Click To TweetIn July 2015, Korn Ferrys company published the Futurestep Executive Survey to show how commonplace video interviewing has become. The report shows 71 percent of companies are using real-time video interviewing. Moreover, 50 percent are using them to narrow the candidate pool. Additionally, 24 percent of companies surveyed are using recruiting focused video on their career websites. So, if youre looking for ways to make sure youre hiring the right people, making video interviews a part of the process is a great way to screen potential new hires. Asking Candidates Oddball QuestionsIf youre a hiring manager searching for new talent, you need to put time into finding the right questions. This helps youto properly assess candidates for the exact role they are interviewing for. A lack of good questions is a sure-fire way to extend the time it takes for you to hire someone. Throwing curveballs toward a job candidate is an effective method to see how well they think on their feet. If youre searching for new talent, put time into finding the right interviewquestions.Click To TweetPete Abilla, founder of Find Tutors Near Me, says he likes to flip the tables on candidates. I play the interlocutor to the candidate, Abilla said. They will ask me a series of questions where new information will emerge about the business situation. Then they will begin to form a hypothesis and arrive at recommendations. Abilla said hes not so much focused on the right or wrong answers. Hes looking to see how they think. Max Page, founder of Coupon Hippo, asks candidates something a bit more personal. His question to candidates is if you started this job on Monday, what would your day-to-day look like that would make you say to yourself, I made the right move to X company?Page said hes looking to hear what candidates really want to do. It also can tell you what they arent getting out of their current job if you follow up with, what part of this day-to-day you want are you not getting at your current job? He believes if you cant offer the things the candidate wants to do in that role hes not a good fit.Gene Cabellero, co-founder of Greenpal, wants to know what a candidate is passionate about. He als o asks candidates what theyre passionate about outside of their family. If a candidate is not passionate about anything, he will not be passionate about working for my company. Changing the Screening ProcessIn addition to asking oddball questions, influencers are known for changing the entire interview process. Robert McGuire, CEO of Mcguire Editorial Content Marketing Agency, likes to plant a paying attention test into the job ad. Mcguire typically works more with freelancers and independent contractors, so his process for screening them is different. I ask them to do some particular small thing in their application, he said. For writers, I will often ask them to look at an existing article and to suggest one or two follow-up topics as a demonstration of their thinking. Angela Copeland, author of Breaking The Rules Getting The Job, also has an interesting process. Copeland says, during the interview process, shell have a candidate organize their reference checks. Theyre asked to w alk the future hiring manager through their entire work history and why they left each job. Copeland says its a comprehensive and enlightening process. Taylor Dumochel, the executive recruiter at Peak abverkauf Recruiting, uses structured interviews. A slight twist for their interviewers, however, is they use scorecards to help remove bias. Its the best way to hire A-level talent, she said. Dumochel also says the biggest advantage for having a scorecard is that when you have done the work to break down the candidate profile and the job profile in terms of measurable attributes, youll find more qualified candidates. Dumochel further went on to say people who have experience in a similar selling environment will also be qualified along with people who have experience in the same role in the same sector. She believes the criteria theyve created eliminates subjectivity. Including Potential Co-workersWhen youre looking for a new candidate to hire, sometimes two or more heads are better t han one. Having more than one person evaluate a candidate can be a fantastic way to see how the persons qualifications are viewed from multiple perspectives.In a recent Business Insider interview, Facebooks global head of recruiting, Miranda Kalinowski, and VP of people, Lori Goler, spoke about their interview process. Kalinowski said after candidates have gone through the multiple interview steps, they turn it over to their employees. Theyre the closest to the work being done, so theyre able to impart a lot of firsthand experience about what its like to work on that team in that role, as well as answer any question the candidate might have, she said. Facebook looks to make sure they match the right people with the right opportunities. In the end, your goal is to always look for the best person for the job. Although that can be a tall order for anyone, having the right process can go a long way. Whether its assessment-based, new processes, or oddball questions, the more committed yo u are to sharpening your interview process, the higher the chance youll find the perfect candidate for the job the first time. What are some of your favorite interview processes? Let us know in the comments

Why You Should Take Those Scary Career Risks - The Muse

Why You Should Take Those Scary Career Risks - The MuseWhy You Should Take Those Scary Career Risks Im someone who tends to like to play things safe. Predictable and stable are two of my favorite adjectives, and I always prefer to stick to the beaten path, rather than opting for the road less traveled. And, regardless of what route Im walking on, you can bet I make my best effort to avoid any of those pesky sidewalk cracks- for fear of causing any careless injuries to my dear mothers back.So, needless to say, when I decided to up and quit my full-time job in favor of pursuing a career as a freelance writer, it welches a little (ahem, well, a lot) out of character for me.After I finally put in my two weeks notice with my supervisor, news of my pending career jump began to spread like wildfire. Numerous people approached me with what they said were their well wishes- which, in all honesty, were really just harsh criticisms and warnings with a half-hearted good luck tacked onto the end. Are you sure you want to do this? theyd ask, with a skeptical look on their faces, like I had just told them I was running away to join the circus, It seems like a pretty big risk- wouldnt you just rather play it safe?There they were. The words that had reverberated in my own brain for months before finally gathering my courage and running from my standard 9-to-5 Play it safe.Its advice you hear echoed time and time again. And, its well meaning, really. After all, many of us operate with this understanding that theres a step-by-step guide that will eventually lead us to a fulfilling and rewarding career- that theres some sort of paint-by-numbers approach that will finally give us the lives we want, as long as we play our cards right. In all honesty, its a sentiment that you could easily let dictate your entire career, particularly if youre someone who tends to thrive on the certain rather than the unknown (Im raising my hand over here).As Im sure you can imagine, those three small words taunted me over and over again as I was preparing to take one of the scariest career risks of my life. Who was I to make this jump? I was still young and green- why would I opt for this less traditional path, when I was already safe and secure in my own full-time job? What made me think I deserved to stray from the norm and do something different?But, somehow I managed to push all of those criticisms, naysayers, and nuggets of self-doubt aside, and instead took a running leap and hurled myself off of that ledge that- most of the time- seemed totally foolish and unreasonable.And, you know what? Im glad I did it. Not only has it led me to a career that I absolutely adore, but it also taught me something valuable about the way I was approaching my entire career- and even other decisions outside of my work life.Its all too easy to think that success resides with the predictable. With all the talk of climbing the ladder and paying your dues, anyone can understand why youd think tha t theres a certain rigid structure you need to obey- that if you follow the steps clearly laid out in front of you, youre bound to eventually wrap your greedy hands around what you really want. However, its important to recognize that theres always more than one way to do anything. And, safe doesnt always equal successful. In fact, sometimes sticking with the tried and true is a surefire way to land yourself in a career rut. There are countless stories of people who did things exactly as they were supposed to, and still remain unsatisfied with where they ended up. So, where am I going with this long-winded tale? Well, if you take one thing from this article, it should be this Playing it safe isnt always the best route. As a matter of fact, some of the biggest career successes and achievements have been attained by those people who disregarded the inclination to stick with the predictable and instead decided to do something that seemed just a little crazy. Bill Gates dropped out of H arvard. Apple got its start in a garage. The initial premise of Harry Potter was drafted on a napkin. You know the stories.Believe me, I know how tempting it can be to stick to that well-mapped and well-trodden path- its comforting. But, while taking a well-informed risk might not always seem as reassuring, it can definitely be more rewarding. And, take it from me- the view from the road less traveled? Well, it can be pretty amazing.Photo of happy person courtesy of Hero Images/Getty Images.

How to eliminate procrastination

How to eliminate procrastinationHow to eliminate procrastinationYou know you want a better job, relationship with loved ones, home, group of friends - the list goes on. Yet you are wise enough to realize that those are just trappings of fulfillment. Getting doesnt bring joy. A peaceful perspective where you make room for curiosity and compassion and edge out judgment and perfectionism is where you want to be. You long for a state of mind where acceptance is king and expectations and resentment are banished from your kingdom to a place where forgiveness prevails and control has no value - a place where your career and personal goals are aligned with your authentic self and whoosh into your life like a breeze of freshly cut grass.So why cant you get there?Do you see your future pretty much like the present +/- 10%? Have you dummied down your goals? Do you lack the energy to organize your life and tischset new goals for fear of that the next trying challenge is just around the corner? Procrastination is simply you not thinking fulfillment is possible. You dont know what to reach for and why do it anyway since it never comes.What future rewards do you put on sale when you give up or procrastinate? The immediate payoff might be that you arent disappointed. At first. That works for a while. The long-term effect of procrastination is stagnation and little chance for a better life.Is putting your future rewards on sale to hide from a perceived disappointment a fair trade? Who would you be if you set your fear aside?Squeeze in betweenWhat I continue to realize in my clients, in what I read, in the research is that you may not be able to control your emotions but you can control your thoughts which then affects your behavior and choices. The brain is like a muscle. The decision to have a clear intention and purpose is how to begin a mindful journey to joy in the moment - accepting what is without judgment.There is a difference between feeling and emotion and acting on it. When you are mindful you squeeze in between the two to create a space where you take a deep breath and say, Okay, maybe theres another way.Dont be the reactionary leader. Create a moment of silence. Listen to the silence. There is power in the pause. Have no expectations or judgment. Accept what is. Slow yourself down enough to notice your own breath. Notice sounds, what you smell, flavors and feel of every moment - even if the ones that scare you. Dont run from fear. Notice it. It is not real. It is you practicing failure in advance. Lean into it - risk vulnerability. Say, Im afraid and I am still ok. Therein lays the magic of wisdom bubbling up in front of you.MaryLeeGannon, ACC, CAEis an executive coach and corporate CEO who helps busy leaders get off the treadmill to nowhere to be more effective, earn more, bemore calm and enjoyconnected relationships with the people who matter while it still matters.Watch her FREE Master Class training on Three Things to Transform Your Li fe and Career Right Now atwww.MaryLeeGannon.com.

Study Online crowdfunders trust woman-led ventures more

Study Online crowdfunders trust woman-led ventures moreStudy Online crowdfunders trust woman-led ventures moreThe sad reality of being a woman leader in a startup business is that you have fewer female role models. Fewer than 10% of technology startups backed by venture capital are owned by women. Overall, only 2% of overall venture capital financing went to women-led startups in 2017. But a new study from Indiana UniversitysKelley School of Business has found one upside to being a woman seeking money for her startup - women may be less likely to get venture capitalists to give them money, but people supporting crowdfunding projects on the internet are actually more likely to invest in a woman than a man.Looking at three years of Kickstarter data, the university found that women were more likely than men to have their startup ideas funded. Why? Because they were trusted more.Our findings suggest common gender biases held by amateur investors function to increase female stereotype pe rceptions in the form of trustworthiness judgments, which subsequently increases investors willingness to invest in early-stage women-led ventures, the study found.Study Women are seen as more trustworthy on KickstarterOn crowdfunding platforms like Kickstarter, you have a digital crowd of amateur investors making small bets on projects to fund. These amateur investors do not have formal pitch meetings and stats to based their decision on. They may need to lean on their gut about which individuals to invest their time and money into. This is where an implicit gendered bias on which kind of partie is more trustworthy actually comes in a womans favor.When the researchers showed 43 crowdfunders fake pitches and videos for startup ideas, trustworthiness was a key factor in whether or not they funded an idea. The more trustworthy the entrepreneur was perceived to be, the more likely they were to get funding. And predominantly, crowdfunders found women to be more trustworthy than men.Some times, women are told to downplay their gender in their jobs, aware that men may see them as less competent. But when you are a woman seeking money through Kickstarter, just being yourself may be the best advice you can follow, the researchers suggest.Previous research in venture capital setting has advocated that women should downplay feminine characteristics to increase their chances of obtaining funding, Regan Stevenson, one of the studys authors, said. This advice not only appears to be dogmatic, but our data shows it is simply bad advice for female entrepreneurs when they are obtaining funding through crowdfunding platforms.

How to Use Visual Marketing Techniques in Your Job Search

How to Use Visual Marketing Techniques in Your Job SearchHow to Use Visual Marketing Techniques in Your Job SearchRecruiters rely heavily on Internet search to source candidates, and theyre using social networks as a sourcing platform as well. Using marketing tactics for your job search may not be as far-fetched as you think. You probably already realize that its vital to establish an online presence to aid your search. Plus, some research shows that90 percent of information transmitted to the brain is visual, and visuals are processed 60,000 timesfaster in the brain than text.Visual marketing is a hot trend this year, so doesnt it make sense to update your career portfolio to include visuals? If you are seeking a job in a creative field, such as design, marketing or advertising, using visuals is an obvious way to prove your creativity. But even smaller companies and startups tend to look for standout candidates who can demonstrate multifaceted skills and entrepreneurial spirit. If you arent using out-of-the-box thinking as parte of your job search, you probably should be. With so many tools available today to show what you can do, isnt it worth at least trying to incorporate unconventional techniques and visuals into your job search? These are some ideas to help spark your creativityLeverage LinkedIn as a Portfolio Uploading the traditional text version of yourrsumto LinkedIn is a no-brainer. But dont stop there. What other documents can you embed? Think about including samples of your work. Did you create a flow chartor process? Did you write a summary report or technical instructions? Did you design a form, logo or website? Any of these would provide evidence that you know how to do your job and offer proof of your abilities. You could also take a screen shot, video or link to your Behance portfolio. Before you upload anything to your LinkedIn profile, be sure you think about the confidentiality of the information you are about to share. You may be able to remove identifying information or data. Or you could recreate a generic version of the documentation. You can embed your document within the summary or work experience section of your profile. Just look for the blue paperclip. Another alternative to amp up your profile is to use LinkedIns publisher function, also known as a long deutsche bundespost. It is essentially a blog post. By now, most LinkedIn users should have access to this. The long post is the perfect opportunity for you to answer the question, Why should I hire you? Here are questions you could use to write your long postWhat do you do? (job title oroccupation)Why are you qualified to do this job? (certifications, previous experience and such)What industry experience do you have? (paid or unpaid)What types of problems are you great at solving?Who benefits from your work? (Who are your internal or external customers?)What makes you one-in-a-million? (How do you do what you do differently?)What inspires and motiva tes you? Your published long post will appear immediately under the contact section of your profile, which is very visible to anyone viewing your profile. And be sure you use a visual in your long post to call attention to your content. Slip Your Documents into SlideShare SlideShare is a free service that lets you upload and share files via the Web. It is also a social network, which allows you to follow other users, comment on uploaded content and share across other social networks. The main benefit for you is that it makes your files public and searchable on the Internet.What documents might you create and upload? How about the emails from customers, colleagues or managers that offer praise or recognition? Currently, you are the only one who has seen these words of praise. It is up to you to make the positive feedback public. Remember This is your reputation. Compile the testimonials in a PowerPoint presentation, or if you prefer, through Prezi or Keynote. If you dont have per mission to use the testimonial, you can leave off the last name or identifying information. Add visual elements to your presentation, such as logos or pictures. Review, finesse and get feedback from those you trust and respect. Once youre satisfied with the results, create a free Slideshare account and upload your presentation. Be sure you title your uploaded document with your name, completely fill out the description section and tag the file with appropriate terms someone searching for your qualifications would use. Testimonials are just one idea. You can upload an infographicrsum, flow chart, report or any other document you feel is worthy of public recognition. As an added bonus, SlideShare users willreceive an email that includes the number of people who have viewed your uploaded presentations. Use this information to evaluate if you have used the correct keywords. You can always update your files description or tags to help improve the results. Most importantly, dont forget to share your SlideShare documents as status updates on LinkedIn or other social networks so your network can check them out.Hannah Morganwrites and speaks on career topics and job search trends on her blogCareer Sherpa. She co-authored Social Networking for Business Success, and has developed and delivered programs to help job seekers understand how to look for work better.