Customize this Outstanding Technical Illustrator Resume Sample

Customize this Outstanding Technical Illustrator Resume SampleCustomize this Outstanding Technical Illustrator Resume SampleCreate Resume Career Goal Obtain a respective career as the technical illustrator with the utilization of obtained executive and professional expertise. Academic BackgroundObtained Associate degree from the Orlando Technical Institution, Orlando in the year of 2000 at Technical Illustration. Experienced Computer Programming SkillsExperienced Office Package Microsoft Word, Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Access, Microsoft PowerPoint, Microsoft Outlook ExpressExperienced Programming Language Pascal, Turbo Pascal, C, C++, Java, Java Swing, PythonExperienced Operating Systems Windows9X, Windows2000, Windows ME, Windows XP, Windows Vista, Linux, Unix, MS DOS Professional Excellence SummaryHave extensive experience in technical drawings.Have thorough knowledge in generating various genres of artwork for graphs and charts.Blown up reviews as well as drawings assembling.Se lf-motivated, devoted and decisive management personnel.Have excellent analytical as well as mechanical features.Have ability in taking up new theories as well as responsibilities.Have in depth knowledge in the respective subject.Formerly worked in United States Air Force. Professional AffiliationObtained membership as the technical illustrator from the Professional Technical Illustrators Registering Society, Indianapolis in the year of 2000.Obtained membership from the State Technical Board, New York in the year of 2001. Professional Background 2001- Present date Work as the Technical Illustrator for the Gemini Limited, New York with the following responsibilitiesUtilized computer software along with ink and pen materials for producing various line artworks for publishing service manual.Applied various software tools like Auto Cad, Norton, Fast links and CC mail.Provided objects as per the specification given by the technical writer.Provide consolidation and necessary blueprints fo r using in publication.Customize Resume

10 Insider Lessons No One in the Business World Will Teach You

10 Insider Lessons No One in the Business World Will Teach You 10 Insider Lessons No One in the Business World Will Teach You It took me years to comprehend why people functioned so differently in the corporate world from the way I functioned or expected them to function. On the one hand, my clarity of thought, determination, ambitiousness, andcreativity helped me excel in my careerbecause these traits were highly valued in the competitive business culture on the other hand, I found that when it came to people skills particularly networking, leveraging influence, and positioning my value system was very different from the one I met in the business world.Turns out my parents didnt raise a kid who was ready to face the cutthroat corporate environment, which is typically the case for manyfresh grads who come from similarlyprotective and safe backgrounds.Whether we like it or not, the corporate world is the real world, and we have to learn how to navigate it successfully. To help yo u get up to speed much more quickly than I did, Im sharing some of theunwritten rules of the game. Nobody will tell you these things. Most of us have to figure them out on our own but reading this guide can give you a head start on the competition.1. Your Worth to the Company IsTied to Your Last wertzuwachs EvaluationIm not kidding. Even if you were a top performer for five years in a row, youre doomed if you didnt manage to get a top rating this year, too, for whatever reason.I know, not all companies are the saatkorn. You may think that in your amazing company, managersreally sit down and evaluate all your results, compare them to your peers, iron out the differences in workloads and responsibilities, and give you a fair assessment.That may be true for some, but many of you arein for a rude awakening.2. Some People Are Only Nice to You When You Are Influential or They Need YouOnce your level ofinfluence changes or they no longer need you, so does their behavior.Sadly, it is often the case that someone who became your best friend wont even say so much as Hi once your role changes. As if that werentenough to shock the living heck out of you, that same person may soon be back on your team and have the audacity to treat you like a friend again.Ive experienced this twice, and I am still baffled as to how people can manage such extreme levels of duplicity.Maybe they think I suffer from amnesia?3. Promotions Are leid Linked to Performance They Are Linked to the Perception of Your PerformanceWe all view thingsthrough our own lenses. My map of the world could be drastically different from your map because of ourdiffering values, beliefs, experiences, and cultures. When you are working in a diverse, multiethnic organization staffed bypeople from all sorts of cultures and backgrounds, differences in perception can matter a great deal.Perception is reality. If you want to advance, it is imperative that you portray the right pictureof your work and results to the decis ion-makers who matter.4. Being in the Right Place at the Right Time Can Matter More Than ResultsWe all know that fortunate know-it-all who got promoted before everyone else despite theirmediocre results. How did they manage to do that?Building your image, networking, and exposure can get you places you never even dreamedof. Dont rely on your boss to do it for you. Create a network of influential leaders, sponsors, and mentors who know you and your achievements. Then,as soon as an opportunity opens up,youll be top of mindwithall the right decision-makers.5. When Youre a Star, Most of Your Mistakes Will Be ForgivenI have had the privilege of making some potentially career-lethal mistakes that went overlookedbecauseI was delivering results and management perceived me as a star.At the same time, Ive seen cases where management wasjust fishing for mistakes so they could kiss an employee goodbye. The key is to be diligent and cautious at all times, especially when you are not completelyme etingexpectations. Even the slightest issue can get you into trouble.6. High-Paid Opinions Hold More Weight than Low-Paid FactsThere are the actual data and facts, and then there are opinions and positioning. The opinions of higher-paid (and higher-ranking) people matter more in most organizations. Even when lower-paid (and lower-ranking) people have data and facts on their sides, top management has the right andauthority to do as they please. The earlier you learn this, the better.7. Sometimes Its Okay to Dissent and Sometimes It IsntMost companies encourage straight talk and want you to speak your mind. What they dont tell you is that, if you speak your mindtoo often, you might be labeled as negative, cynical, or narcissistic.There will be times when you have to choose between being in the right and being employed.Before you blurt out your opinion, ask yourselfwhat is at stake. How could your opinion be perceived? Is there a conflictbetweenwhat you are saying and what the company wants?Be strategic if youre going to disagree. Back up your message with data, and deliver itin a non-confrontational tone. As you may know, its not the words that get people off their chairs its the tone.8.Theres a Fine Line Between Gaining Experience and Growing RustyYou think that becauseyou have 10 years of experience in your category of business, you arenot only highly valuable to your company but also a great catch for your competitors? Well, think againIn those 10 years, you have been pretty much doing the same thing over and over again, working with almost the same exact people the whole time. Have you ever delivered truly slam-dunk results?Why would anyone be interested in you over the other guywho has worked in three different organizations, rolled up his sleeves to deliverin every role hes held, and led his teams to stellar results?The lesson here Dont get rusty.9. Never Associate Your Self-Worth With Your Position or PerformanceIt feelsgreat when you are the champ but what what happens when you arent? And there will be times when you arent. Even if youre the next Mark Zuckerberg or Steve Jobs, you are bound to fail along the way.How do you react when you fail? Do you tie your self-worth and self-esteemtoyour job? You will be absolutely miserable if you do. You have to keep in mind that there are many factors outside of your direct influence that determine your success. If you were to beat yourself up for failing in those ares,it wouldnt be fair. Take pride in all the other roles you have in life when the going gets tough at work.10. It Is Easy to Thrive on Mediocrity Dont Fall for itDont be a victim of your own success. After youvespent years learning all the rules of the game, youll know how to play it with precision. At that point, it will become easy to fall into the trap of mediocrity.So what if you dont have stellar results? You can frame it otherwise. So what if you got passed over for a promotion? You have the right sponsors, and theywill look out for younext year. So what if youve been on a dud assignment for the last three years? At least you have a stable, high-paying job.This mindset is a kiss of death. Its detrimental to your learning and growth it is the path thatensures you get rusty.You dont have to. Instituteazero-tolerance policy for mediocrity, no matter how good youve gotten at playing the game. Push your boundaries and break the monotony.Dont struggle like I did. Give yourself a leg up in the business world. Learn these rules today, and really take them to heart.You may feel overwhelmed and even a little despondent right now, but youll thank me later.A version of this article originally appeared on Entrepreneur.Samia Hasan is the founder of Direction Dose.

How to Create a List of Employers to Target During Your Job Search

How to Create a List of Employers to Target During Your Job SearchHow to Create a List of Employers to Target During Your Job SearchHow to Build a Company List of Top Employers for Your Job SearchIf youre looking for a job, creating a list of companies youre aiming for is a great place to start.Landing a new job often requires you to pursue multiple job opportunities at the same time. To streamline this process, it is helpful to build a list of companies that meet your location, industry, size, and corporate culture needs.Below are seven tips to help you identify the right employers for your personal target company list and how to leverage them during your job search.Document your goals.You may have a clear idea as to the type of role you want to pursue next, but have you thought about the kind of company youd like to work for? If you havent already, write down the things that matter most to you when it comes to your next employer. Include details like the companys size, distance fro m your home, industry, corporate culture, and the values the organization believes in. This information will help you keep your job search on track and make smart decisions about the roles you apply for.zulauf a Google search.Dont overlook the value of a good ol Google search. In just a few keystrokes you can find lists of companies that share the same ideals as you, such as a focus on innovation, work-life balance, or customer service.Glassdoor, CareerBliss, and The Muse all offer company profiles and employee reviews to help you get a better sense of the organization and what its really like to work there.RelatedWhy You Need to Google Yourself to Monitor Your Online BrandFollow in your colleagues footsteps.If youre unsure of what type of company is best for you, consider where your former colleagues have found their next gigs. Run a search on LinkedIn to see where those youve previously worked with found employment. This is a good way to find companies in different industries that may value your background it works especially well if you both worked in the same department or business unit. As an added bonus, you now have a contact at the company who can put in a good word for you.Search for face-to-face events.As youre building your dream company list, take a look at sites like 10times, Meetup, and Eventbrite for upcoming events you can attend that are relevant to your industry. Use these face-to-face opportunities to find new organizations to add to your list and increase the connections in your professional network.In addition, check out your target companies social media pages and websites, paying close attention to the Careers and Press sections, to find out if any of them are hosting or speaking at events in your area. This is a great chance to meet people from the company and demonstrate your genuine interest in working at their organization.Monitor your targets with Google berichterstattung Alerts.Set up Google News Alerts for your target employers an d their competitors to keep an eye on the market. If you closely follow the news in your industry, you may be able to predict when new job openings will become available within the companies that interest you most. For example, if the company of your dreams announces its plans to expand its operations, then the organization may go on a hiring streak to prepare for the extra business.Evaluate your network.Run an advanced search on your LinkedIn professional network to find out if you know anyone who currently works or previously worked for one of the companies on your list. If a friend of a friend, i.e. a second connection, works for one of your dream companies, then ask for an introduction from your mutual connection.You can also learn more about the company culture and its hiring practices by requesting an informational interview with someone who currently works at the organization. In addition to gaining valuable information, this is also a great way to secure an employee referral for when the right opportunity appears, and to get the inside track on job opportunities that you wont find published online.Leverage social media.If you havent already, start following the social media accounts of your dream companies, their recruiters, and their senior leadership. These profiles will often provide insight into the organization, like its company culture and when new job opportunities become available.Click on the following link for more job-search advice.Will your resume help you land more interviews with the companies youre aiming for? Find out where you stand with a free resume critique.Recommended ReadingWhat Kind of Work Culture Works for You?Is This Company Right for You? Run a Social Media Check to Find Out7 Questions to Ask Yourself Before Applying for a New Job

Server Resume Examples and 2019 Guide [+50 Samples]

Server Resume Examples and 2019 Guide +50 SamplesServer Resume Examples and 2019 Guide +50 SamplesCreating a Server resume can be hard.We know this because we have had hundreds of clients who had a lot of questions on what skills and achievements to showcase in their Server resume.Thanks to our reasearch, our experts have finally nailed the art of creating the perfect server resume with details on resume sections including the objective, summary, experience, skills, achievements, etc.Moreover, be it a fine dining server resume or a sushi server resume, we have collated all the answers in this in-depth guide along with real restaurant server resume examples.After reading our 2019 Guide on Restaurant Server Resume, youll be able toIdentify the right skills to put in your food server resume key skills sectionWrite server resume objective sectionMake server resume summary sectionWrite your resume points in S.T.A.R formatAll these will help you make a job winning restaurant server resume. You can also choose to make your server resume at Hirations Online Resume Builder for a hassle-free resume making experience.You can refer to the restaurant server resume examples below to create your own server resume.We can serve humanity with our divine passions and gifted skills.-Lailah Gifty AkitaWith the passion of serving customers and by the skills of taking orders and serving food is how the servers serve humanity. Customer service and serving food are an essential part of a servers job.According to Study.com, approximately 2.5 million job positions were occupied by servers, in which, part-time employment was common. Server jobs are predicted to grow of 3% in the next six years.Servers make sure that the customer service is on point by providing customers with a pleasing dining experience. Their broad level job is to take orders, serve food and beverages and take away dinnerware from the table after the customers leave.When it comes to qualification for this position, a de gree is bedrngnis required as the employees are taught in the training process itself about the nuances of this profile. However, those who want to pursue a degree for this field can opt for a degree program in food services or restaurant operations.In order to get more clarity on how to make a server resume and how it should ideally look like, see the restaurant server resume sample given belowServer Resume SampleServer Job Description For Server ResumeTo create a professional server resume, you need to first understand the job description for a server. The server job description for the server resume includes the followingAnswering the customers questions related to the special item of the day, ingredients used, and food preparation in case of daily changing menus.Processing PaymentsCleaning dining area and tablesGreeting customersSetting tablesSolving customers problems and complaintsKeeping kitchen staff informed on meal progression by noting the timeRefilling food and water gla ssesBeing attentive towards special needs of the customersGive proper information about menu over phone orders and provide an accurate estimated delivery timeWhy Do You Need A Server Resume?A restaurant server resume showcases the efficiency and prowess of a person as a server.The resume embodies all the information related to your past achievements in an efficient way. Its goal is to maximize the chances of you getting a job as a Server.Having a server resume while you go job hunting is of utmost importance as it serves as the first point of contact between you and the recruiter.A restaurant server resume holds all of your professional information, along with the number of years youve worked. This information helps the recruiter in deciding your pay at the time of recruitment.You can go for Hirations Online Resume Builder to make your professional server resume todayHow To Write A Server Resume?Follow the steps given in the article below to excel in making the server resume.In plus -rechnen to this, you can go for Hirations Online Resume Builder which cuts your efforts of making restaurant server resumes right into half as there are pre-written server resume templates, which are ready to use. Select industry experts have used their resume making expertise in making these templates.By using them you can instantly boost the chances of your restaurant server resume getting shortlisted.Hiration Pro-Tip Include job specific keywords in the restaurant server resume to make it easier for the ATS to approve it.Server Resume SectionsHeaderPersonal InformationTitleSummaryKey SkillsProfessional ExperienceEducationCertificationsAwards and RecognitionLanguagesWriting Your Server ResumeThe process is broken down into four simplified stages. We will call the resume at each stage asCompilation Server ResumeMaster Restaurant Server ResumeFirst Draft Server ResumeFinal Restaurant Server ResumeCompilation Stage of you Server Resume In this stage, dump all the information you hav e related to your restaurant server resume at one place. It will make it easier for you to tweak your server resume in the future as well, as a restaurant server resume keeps updating as long as you work as a Server.So, whenever next youll need to update your server resume, youll know where to exactly find it.Master Restaurant Server Resume In this second stage, you will sort, arrange and make your professional experience section. In this stage of server resume making, ensure you have the below-given information and then place them at their respective places in the restaurant server resume.Company personennameLocationDates of Joining and Resigning/Completion of TenureDesignationPoints in Terms of ImportanceWhen youre done assorting this section, save a copy of the master server resume. This will help you later in customizing your professional experience according to every job description.First Draft for your Restaurant Server Resume In this stage you will write the rest of your serv er resume sections.Hiration Pro-Tip Use the reverse chronological order to write your restaurant server resume. In this format of server resume making, the most recent information in terms of date is written first. Then the second most recent and so on.Three-fourth of your restaurant server resume will be complete by this stage.Final Server Resume The first thing that you will write in this section is the key skills section. Write the key skills section by scanning your professional experience section and your job description for keywords.The Second thing that you will write is the server resume summary/objective section.To write the summary or server resume objective section, you will pick the highlights of your career from the professional experience section and then put them in the summary section by rephrasing them a little.Mention in the summary section how you can use your server skills to benefit the company.Hiration Pro-Tip Write the summary/objective section in a paragraph form not exceeding 2-3 lines.The third thing to do in this stage is to bold all the important words and phrases throughout your restaurant server resume, except for the summary section.Writing Server Resume HeaderSo, now you must be thinking What is a restaurant server resume header?The header is the very first section in the server resume. This section consists of only one thing, and that is your name. Are you wondering what is so important about this section?It is important because it differentiates your restaurant server resume from other server resumes. The header should be the largest text in your resume. The ideal point size for writing the header is between 14-16 font size. And of the most important things in the header is the correct spacing in the name.People with a middle name tend to make the most errors while writing the header. So, heres the correct way to write it Justin R. Timberlake. Write only the first initial of your name and then put a full-stop after it.Refer to the below-given restaurant server resume example to get a clear idea of how to make the header.Server Resume Header Restaurant Server Resume ExampleAlso, you can instead go for Hirations Online Resume Builder which is programmed to use a fixed font size according to the latest resume building trends.Personal Information Section In Your Server ResumeThe section of personal information comes second in the server resume. It includes your personal information like your personal mobile number, your personal e-mail ID along with the current location of residence.Personal Mobile NumberIf you use multiple phone numbers then do not write all of them in the restaurant server resume. Write only one number which youre available on 24x7. Writing multiple numbers creates confusion and takes up unnecessary extra space.When writing the mobile number, the first and the most important thing to write is the International Subscriber Dialing (ISD) code of your country followed by a plus sign (+). Give a single space after the ISD code and then write your mobile number. Then within the mobile number, give a single space after the first five digits.Personal E-mail IDThe second thing to write in your include in this section is the e-mail ID.Do not write e-mail ID names like cutecathyxyz.com as they are taken to be very unprofessional. So, make sure you use an e-mail ID name that is professional and at the saatkorn time ideal for writing in a server resume.For example justinxyz.com looks professional and is suitable to be included in a restaurant server resume.You can also provide hyperlinks to other social media sites at this point, but only if they are relevant to your profile and are on the saatkorn page in terms of information.They should be updated properly with the information regarding your professional experience, and this implies especially for professional social media sites like LinkedIn.Hiration Pro-Tip When providing links to your social media handles, do not write the w hole link. Just give the hyperlink for them.Also, if you have any portfolios and personal websites, then you can provide their hyperlink as well in the professional information section.Current LocationThe third thing to include in the personal information section is the current location.If youre living in a city thats not your home town, then write the current location where youre living and not the city which is your home town.Do not write the complete address as again, it will take up unnecessary space in the server resume and at the same time, it is of no use to the recruiter. Writing the city name along with the country pin is information enough for the recruiter to know whether youll be relocating to work with that company or not.Take a brief look at the restaurant server resume sample given below to get a better idea of how to make the personal information section.Server Resume Personal Information SectionYou can also opt for Hirations Online Resume Builder to make your restau rant server resume in which you get to use different icons to put in your personal information section to make it more engaging for the recruiter.So, what are you waiting for? Go and make your server resume at HIrations Online Resume Builder NowCustomizing Server Resume Profile TitleTo let the recruiter know for which profile youre applying for, adding a profile title is important.For example Restaurant Server, Cocktail Server, Senior Restaurant Server, etc.It is of utmost importance to write the profile title so that as soon as the recruiter sees your server resume, hes able to make the decision of whether or not to read your restaurant server resume further.Take a glance at the server resume example below to get more clarity on how to make the profile title section.Restaurant Server Resume Profile Title Server Resume ExampleYou can also go for a review of the restaurant server resume done by select industry professionals at Hiration, to know how your server resume performance asse ssment is.Server Resume Professional Experience SectionThe server resume professional experience section exhibits the work experience that a professional has had as a server.This section is of utmost importance for those people who have an extensive work history as a server.Use the below given format to write this restaurant server resume sectionCompany Name Location of the Company Dates of joining and resigning/completion of tenureDesignationBucketingCause-Effect PointsBucketing and cause-effect points are one of the major things that can increase your chances of getting shortlisted. Let us show you this through a server resume example.Section with no bucketing and cause-effect points.Providing delightful food beverage and responsible for taking ordersWorking on versatile shiftsAdept at anticipating and deliveringManaging customer reservationsRecommending alternatives and up selling itemsTraining new juniorin serversSection with bucketing and cause-effect points.Customer Service Providing delightful food beverage services to 100+ customers every day and responsible for taking orders from multiple tablesRecommending alternatives for up selling while successfully up selling items worth an average of $ 1,000 per weekAdept at anticipating and delivering on the requirements of the customersMiscellaneousManaging 150+ customer reservations and bookings every weekWorking on versatile shifts including on holidays, weekends etc.Training new junior servers who join the restaurant and trained a total of 15 servers till dateNow, if youve written 8-10 points in your professional experience section, it will look all cluttered up without bucketing. This will also make it quite difficult for the recruiter to read your server resume.As you can see in the server resume example below, bucketing and bolding will make it easier for the recruiter to read your restaurant server resume.The bucketing will majorly be made of the broad level duties that you perform and the points wil l elaborate on those duties in details further.Take a glimpse of the sample given below to get greater clarity on how to make the professional experience section.Server Resume Professional Experience SampleServer Resume No Experience?If you are a fresher in the field of serving then worry no more. Were here to tell you how to make the server resume for a fresher.In a restaurant server resume for freshers, the professional experience section will be replaced by the certifications section. They will write the certifications section instead of a professional experience section.Writing certifications in a fresher resume for server adds value to your server resume. These certifications can be in the area of food protection management, food handling or alcohol serving.The following needs to be mentioned in the certifications sectionCertification NameAffiliating InstitutionInstitution LocationDates of enrolling and competition of courseUse the below given format to write this sectionCertif ication Name Affiliating Institution Location Date (in mm/yy)For those people who have prior experience as a server, the certification section will come after the education section.To get more clarity on how to write this section, look at the below-given restaurant server resume example.Server Resume Certification Section Restaurant Server Resume ExampleServer Resume Education SectionThe education section contains all the details related to your qualification, like the courses you did, the name of the institutions, their locations, dates of enrollment and graduation and the CGPA acquired.Use the below given format to write this sectionName of the University/School Location Dates (in mm/yy format) Name of the DegreeCGPAAll the information in this section needs to be true as the recruiter decides on the basis of this section whether you are qualified for the position youve applied for or not.The sample given below will provide you with a better understanding of how to make the ed ucation section.Restaurant Server Resume Education Section SampleFurthermore, you can opt for Hirations Online Resume Builder where all the sections of the resume come pre-arranged for pleasant user experience.Server Resume Awards And Recognition SectionIn the awards and recognition section, you will write all the relevant and important awards that you got in your previous work engagements, college or school.Refrain from writing awards and recognition like Best Handwriting and Best Student. These are not value adding awards and recognition and at the same time, they do not fit well in a professional restaurant server resume.Use the below-given format to write the awards and recognition section.Name of the award Award giving Institution Date of getting the awardOpt for Hirations Resume Reviewing Service to check your design compatibility with the ATS.Server Resume Languages SectionLanguage is another very important aspect of the working of a server. Many servers do language courses in order to cater to foreign customers.Knowing a second language always works as a benefit for the servers as by knowing how to speak a second language they can serve and provide a better customer experience to the customers who dont know the regional language of the place.In this section, mention all the languages that you speak and are fluent at. There is also a specific way to write this section. A bullet will come before each language name. For exampleEnglishFrenchSpanishAll the languages should come in just one line and not more. This will help make your restaurant server resume stay within one page and wont take up unnecessary space.Server Skills To Put On A ResumeThis is the fourth section of the server resume but it is the second brde section to be written.Writing it at this stage will give you more skills to include in your restaurant server resume key skills section than writing it at the starting of server resume making stages.To write this section, go through the profess ional experience section that is already done to look for skills. These skills will basically come from the bucketing that you did in the professional experience section and the points that you wrote under them. When making this section, ensure that your skills dont exceed more than three lines.After youre done making this section, bold the whole section and center align it.By doing so you ensure that the recruiter reads your key skills section first. So, if the recruiter doesnt have much time to read the whole of your restaurant server resume, he can decide to give you the chance to give the interview just by seeing your skills section.Bolding it will separate it from other sections and make it more clearly visible.To get a clear understanding of how to make this section, look at the below-given sample.Server Resume Key Skills SampleIn addition to this, you can use our California resume template at Hirations Online Resume Builder to make your restaurant server resume where you can add bar graphs and pie charts to better illustrate your skills. So, go make that professional server resume now at Hirations Online Resume Builder.Personalizing Server Resume Summary SectionThis section is written in the end. Writing it at the end is the best way to optimize your summary as you can go through the rest of your server resume to pick out the points that are the highlight of your career to put in the summary section.In the summary section, write what you can do for the company by utilizing your skills and not what you expect from the company.Look at the below-given sample to get an idea of how to optimize your summary section.Restaurant Server Resume Summary Section SampleServer Resume Objective SectionThe server resume objective section is for the freshers whereas a summary section is for those professionals who already have experience in this field. Just like the summary section, you will also write this section at the very end, after youre done making the rest of you r server resume.By doing so, you can scan the rest of your restaurant server resume to pick out valuable points to include in the server resume objective section. When writing these points in the server resume objective section dont write them as it is. Rephrase them a little and then write them. By doing so, your efforts of making a server resume will clearly reflect in the server resume objective section.Hiration Pro-Tip Your Summary/Objective section should be written in 3-4 lines and in a paragraph form. Not in bullet points.Server Resume portable document formatIf you choose to make your restaurant server resume at Hirations Online Resume Builder you will get the following server resume PDF optionsUnlimited PDF DownloadsShareable LinkYou can download as many PDFs of your restaurant server resume as you want and also a sharable link for your server resume.Server Resume TipsDo not include full stops in your server resume except for the summary/objective section.Write by deploying or via, however applicable, instead of using.Make sure your restaurant server resume points dont exceed the limit of one line. All your points should be one-liner bullet points.In case any of your points exceed the limit of one line, split them into two points of make sub-points.Highlight all the important words, phrases and numbers throughout your server resume.Write all your points using the S-T-A-R format. Situation-Task-Action-Result, all your points should have these mentioned.Write a one-line description of all the restaurants where youve worked beneath the designation to give information about that restaurant to the recruiter as there are chances that the recruiter might not have heard of that restaurant before.Bold all the buckets that you make in your professional experience section.Dates should be written in mm/yy format throughout the restaurant server resume.Also, make sure that the font that you are using to make the server resume is consistent throughout the restauran t server resume.Have more queries around a server resume? Send them at gruppehiration.com and our resume experts will get back to you.

Is It a Good Idea to Be Friends With Your Boss

Is It a Good Idea to Be Friends With Your babo Is It a Good Idea to Be Friends With Your Boss But that doesnt meanour bosses are ourfriends. Spherion found thataslight majority (51 percent) of employees say that their bosses are not their friends, and that only 46 percent of workers ever spend time with their bosses outside the office. Forty-one percent of employees said they consider their relationships with their bosses no matter how good those relationships are to be exclusively professional.For me, Spherions survey raises an interesting questionShould employees be friends with their bosses?Ive always felt that the answer is Yes. Why would I want to work for someone I didnt consider good enough to be my friend? (Shoutout to my current manager, who often Skypes me to talk about bourbon. Shoutout to our CEO, who gave me a signed copy ofThe Basketball Diaries when I moved out of state.)According to Spherion Division President Sandy Mazur, though, Im thinking about this all wrong. Theres a lot more to boss-employee relationships than whether or not you think your manager is cool.The Benefits and Drawbacks of Being Friends With Your BossIf you look at Spherions survey results, it seems that being closewith your boss can bring some serious benefits. Fifty-six percent of the employees surveyed said people with more personal relationships with their bosses get more one-on-one time with their managers, and 52 percent of employees said workers who are friendly with their bosses get more schedule flexibility.But heres the thing those benefits only seem good to you. They dont necessarily look all that great to your colleagues, who may believe (rightly or wrongly) that youre receiving unfair special treatment from your boss as a result of your friendship. As Michele Lando has written for this website, your coworkers perceptions of you can seriouslyimpact your career. If your coworkers think youre the beneficiary of some sketchy favoritism, they may make your life a living hell in the office.Employeesdont want to be seen as someone who is gaining favor, Mazur says. They want everyone to be equally rewarded and recognized.Maybe thats why 66 percent of employees dont want to have closer relationships with their bosses than they already have.Furthermore, four out of five employees in Spherions survey said their relationships with their bosses had positive impacts on their careers but, as Mazur points out, those four-in-five employees may not be friends their bosses. In fact, it may be the one in five who say their relationships with their bosses have negatively impacted their careers that are friendly with their bosses.Consider this If you are very close friends with your boss, you may be reluctant to leave your company even if leaving would mean taking a great new opportunity to boost your career.You (and Your Boss) Have to Do Whats Right for YouClose, personal relationships between bosses and employees are double-edged swords, which means emp loyees should think long and hard about the kinds of relationships they cultivate with their higher-ups.You certainly dont want to be seen as someone who is getting special perks or favors because ofthat relationship, Mazur says. As with any friendship in a work environment, you have to be very careful and cautious about how you build those relationships.Ultimately, Mazur believes that how friendly bosses and employees get is a personal choice. Theres no clearly correct answer here.Its a very personal choice theres no right or wrong way to do this, Mazur says. Its kind of up to the employee and the employer to walk that fine line.Speaking of the employer Bosses play a role in determining how personal or professional theirrelationships are with employees, too.As a boss, your employeesare important to you. Their lives are important to you, and their families are important to you. Thats what makes solid teams, Mazur explains. But its up to you and what you and your employees are comfo rtable with.And theres one final element to consider in all of this What counts as friendship depends, in large part, on how we each personally draw the lines between friendly and professional.Its such a personal choice, and people define friendship in different ways as well, Mazur says. I consider all of my staff my friends but I dont go to plays with them. But were there for one another.

The Unexplained Puzzle Into Career Center Resume Revealed

The Unexplained Puzzle Into Career Center Resume Revealed Questions will be job-specific and designed to find out the degree of your understanding of the business and your abilities. Students are initially contacted by email with instructions about how to select the course for which theyve registered. Obtain and review a work description for each one of the lokalitts you wish to pursue. Recruiters are known to swiftly scan resumes looking for the most relevant information depending on the criteria set out in the work description. Think of what a hiring manager would search for in an intern or employee. The Most Popular Career Center Resume Discover career fields you didnt even know existed and learn what is needed to get there. Writing your resume now can help you identify crucial abilities and experiences you might be missing. Our career counselors can talk to you about options supplied by LSU and the way in which they relate to careers. Your career counselor may determin e and will probably suggest different places on campus or in the community which may be helpful that you access. Be certain you conduct research to figure out the demands and necessities of the organization and position youre seeking. A career consultant can make certain youre putting your very best foot forward on YOUR resume. Before beginning searching for a job, you should create a career program. Sometimes a bit of help, guidance and motivation may be the extra push necessary to connect to a job. This list are touch-points for students to obtain extra career development support. Alumni Find out ways to use the Career Center at CBU. Any volunteer experience can be helpful to include too. Stick to a single page, unless youve got extensive experience or an advanced level. Many employers believe if you find it possible to use a skill in 1 situation, you ought to be in a position to use that skill in another job, even when work seems to be unrelated to your previous employment or educational experience. Therefore, if you think you have the skills to have a position, you are going to want to convince the employer, even in case you havent held a position identical to the one advertised. Allow the employer know why youre writing, where you learned of the position (if applying to a particular job lead), why youre interested in the firm or organization, how youre able to be reached, and that youre eager for the chance to interview. It is essential that you tailor your resume to the work position youre applying for. What Is So Fascinating About Career Center Resume? Our resume builder is the quickest approach to create a resume that can help you get your fantasy job. As soon as you build your LinkedIn Profile, think about listing your private URL beneath your name. Resumes dont need complete sentences and you ought to avoid employing the very first rolle (I, me, my). You should also know that organizations might choose to have you interview with several pe ople during the day. Focus on what you could do for the employer, rather than what they are able to offer you. Employers wont be in a position to observe the label. Its awesome though that they have several computers out for all to use There is not a single correct approach to organize a resume. Everyone theres extremely valuable. Even if you currently have a resume, it is going to be beneficial that you review our expectations.

Matthew Salier - National Christmas Manager for The Smith Family

Matthew Salier - National Christmas Manager for The Smith Family Matthew Salier National Christmas Manager for The Smith FamilyPosted October 13, 2011, by Jordan Huidekoper The Smith Family have been organising and delivering Christmas hampers to Australians in need since 1922, when the organisation welches founded. Matthew has been the National Christmas Manager at The Smith Family for nearly 12 months. He completed a Bachelor of Environmental Science before undertaking an honours year focused on community involvement. The latter, he says, was a signpost of things to come. He has worked for Landcare Australia and Tennis New South Wales, both bedrngnis-for-profit organisations. What does your job involve? I manage the logistical components of The Smith Family projects that support families at Christmas. This involves coordinating nearly 3000 volunteers to pack 10 000 hampers and 25 000 toy packs and distribute them to thousands of financially disadvantaged families around Australia . I have to make sure that we coordinate our activities to meet deadlines. First we pack the toys, then the hampers and, finally, we put them together ready for the delivery drivers. What is it like coordinating so many volunteers? Volunteers are great but allowances have to be made if, for example, a volunteer cant make it on a day that they are scheduled to help. We have to have lots of contingency plans in place because we cant insist that people turn up. However, were very fortunate that the majority do. If we had the funds to hire people to deliver all of the hampers we might not have the logistical problems we do we could just give the drivers the addresses and leave them to get the deliveries done. In reality, we have to support our drivers who in their regular jobs might be accountants, lawyers or administration assistants. Who are the volunteers? Staff from our corporate supporters the companies that help fund The Smith Family activities throughout the year often volunte er. We also have a lot of repeat volunteers from the general community year in year out. We have one guy in Sydney who has been volunteering to pack hampers for 51 years and now he brings his daughter along. So there is a strong sense of community in the group. What personal qualities do you need to work for The Smith Family? The Smith Family is a large organisation so the ability to communicate clearly and work in a team are key skills. A large proportion of my role as National Christmas Manager is keeping people informed. Around 200 of The Smith Familys more than 500 staff are directly involved in the Christmas activities. What is the hardest part of the job? Having to say no unfortunately this is an aspect of the role. While 10 000 hampers and 25 000 toy packs seems huge, the reality is that we have more requests than we can fulfil. We have a lot of donations including those from the Kmart wishing tree and Woolworths, and we also purchase goods with our budget. Wed love to be a ble to say yes to everyone but the reality is that there is a limit to our resources. We send out order forms to families in September and there is an eight-week window in which they can respond. We can generally accommodate the orders that come in a few days late, but there has to be a cut-off point. By the end of the eight-week period weve allocated everything that we have to allocate. Why are the hampers so important to families? The hampers help make sure that Australian children do not miss out on the little joys that make Christmas day special the sharing of presents and food. Did you always want to work for a not-for-profit organisation? It wasnt something that I necessarily aimed for. I believe that its important to be passionate about any work that you do whether its in the corporate or not-for-profit sector. Belief in what you do, and the organisation you work for, is very important it makes it easier to come to work every day. For me, its important to know that Im wor king for an organisation where the outcomes are so positive. Thats how I feel about my work at The Smith Family. Will you be tired of Christmas by the time it comes? Im still looking forward to Christmas Day its always a great time with family and friends. I dont think I could ever be over Christmas, although, with the amount of wrapping paper and tinsel I see over the next two weeks, it might be hard to get motivated to clean up my place on Boxing Day Want to make a difference in your community just like Matthew? departure with a course in Social Work.Social Work ResourcesSenior social worker sample resumeSenior social worker sample cover letterInterested in becoming a?Community WorkerYouth WorkerResidential Care OfficerAged Care WorkerSocial WorkerPopular Career Searchesgovernment funded social work courses melbournesocial work courses tafegraduate diploma in social workbachelor of social work online australiasocial work courses brisbaneSocial Work CoursesBachelor of Social WorkE nquire Online Enquire OnlineMaster of Social Work (Professional Qualifying)Enquire Online Enquire OnlineBachelor of Social WorkEnquire Online Enquire OnlineGraduate Certificate in Human ServicesEnquire Online Enquire Online Jordan HuidekoperJordan is a writer and photographer with a keen interest in personal growth and development.Related ArticlesBrowse moreChristmasVolunteeringVolunteering at ChristmasChristmas is about giving not just expensive gifts for family and friends, but also your time. What better way to get into the Christmas spirit than to volunteer with one of the many organisations that are overburdened during the silly season?Community ServicesCounsellingThe many faces of social workThe field of social work is incredibly broad and diverse, but wonderfully rewarding too. So how do you decide which field of social work is best for you?Charles Sturt University (CSU)Future trendsSocial Work What Does the Future Hold? We sat down with Charles Sturt University (CSU) social work academics to uncover the changes and challenges society will undergo in the coming decades, and how these changes will affect the role of social work and social workers in the future.

How to Find a Virtual Job

How to Find a Virtual JobHow to Find a Virtual JobIf youve always worked in an office, the idea of striking out on your own and finding a virtual job can be exhilarating- and scary. The good news is that looking for a remote job is bedrngnis very different from any other type of job hunting.Here are five tips to help you find a virtual job youll love.Do what you love. Most likely, youve clocked in the majority of your career in a traditional in-office position. So take the opportunity of potentially working from home to pursue a career that you truly love. Figure out what would make you happy, even if no one were paying you for your services. That passion will help lead you towards what you should be doing at this moment in your career.Analyze your position.If youre planning to continue in your current career, its a good idea to analyze the parts of your position that can be done remotely. Then search for jobs with those same responsibilities. Of course, it might also mean that youll have to look for another position within your area of interest that will allow you to work virtually. By doing a little research, it will be easier to find something within your field that will also allow you to telecommute.Target your search. Now that youve decided to join the 1 in 5 Americans working virtually at least one day a week, its time to jump-start your job hunt. But before you start clicking and applying for any job, make sure youre selective when youre searching. Use keywords like virtual job or remote job to pull listings that specifically state you can work at home. While you might be able to negotiate a part-time, work-from-home situation later, if a job doesnt automatically state that you can work from home, you might not be able to.Connect with companies.Almost any company can benefit from virtual workers. Some of them might not realize it though, so its your job to enlighten them. You can start small with your search by visiting local businesses to find out if th ey need any work done remotely. You should also apply for both national (and international) businesses. After all, the joy of working a remote job is that you can be based in Burbank, CA, and work for a company in Bombay, India.Prepare yourself. When youre thinking of becoming a virtual worker, you should set the scene for success- literally. Stage an office within your home and make sure your computer equipment is in good working order. Your Internet should be fast (no dial up) and reliable. That way, when you finally find a virtual job you love, you- and your home office- will already be prepared for the next (and exciting) phase in your career.Finding a virtual job is the first step towards getting your work-life balance in, well, balance. Once you know the steps, working virtually will become your own professional (and profitable) reality.Readers, have you worked in a virtual job before? Let us know about your previous experiences in the comments section below

How to Work From Home With the 1-800-Flowers Company

How to Work From Home With the 1-800-Flowers CompanyHow to Work From Home With the 1-800-Flowers CompanyThe company 1-800 FLOWERS still uses home-based call center agents. However, it now hires them through Sutherland CloudSource, rather doing so directly. Being in thecall centerindustry, the company has agents who perform a variety of customer service and sales tasks. For example, they take inbound calls and complete multiple transactions using several software applications. Agents that are bilingual in Spanish are in high demand and may even be paid more. Company Description Headquartered in Long Island, NY, this online florist company hires call center agents in its work at home jobs. More specifically, they hire temporary agents during its peak seasons and holiday periods and tend to keep on some high-performing home-based agents for permanent jobs. The company has a brick-and-mortar call center in its Long Island headquarters, where its customer contact call center handles c alls for additional brands such as Cheryl Company Gourmet Cookies, The Popcorn Factory, and Fannie May Chocolates. Types of Remote Jobs At 1-800-Flowers, agents are considered employees, not independent contractors. However, most agents are hired on a seasonal and temporary basis for popular holidays and celebrations like Mothers Day, Valentines Day, Christmas, and so on. Typically, peak season agents are needed for full-time work due to the high demand for flower delivery. Pay and Benefits If you want to become a florist or create beautiful flower arrangements, working for a company like 1-800-Flowers could be beneficial to your career. Even if you dont get hands-on experience working with flowers, the customer service with the clientele will add to your skill set. This type of entry-level job pays around nine dollars an hour. Agents are paid an hourly rate for both times on and off the phone, and training is paid. While the company offers benefits to full-time employees, most of the jobs offered are seasonal and temporary gigs. Sending an Application The official jobs page keeps its job description for work-at-home agents up all year, but it typically hires seasonally. If its not hiring, you can still submit your emaille to be contacted when hiring opens back up. Most often, the company will begin the hiring process months before major holidays. To start the application process, create a login and provide basic information. At this point, you want to ensure that you live in one of the states where the company hires. After youve entered initial information, candidates are asked to perform an assessment that asks a series of 50 personality-related and personal history questions. Then, an assessment will ask 100 questions about how you feel about various workplace issues. If you pass that assessment, you will then be asked to view a 15-minute simulation of the online training. After the final simulation, youll be asked to perform a sample call for an evaluation. Disclaimer Advertisements for work at home jobs or business opportunities placed on this page in the section labeled Sponsored Links or elsewhere are not necessarily legitimate. These ads are not screened by the authorbut appear on the page due to having similar keywords to the text on the page.

4 Times Self-Doubt Can Help You in Your Career - The Muse

4 Times Self-Doubt Can Help You in Your Career - The Muse 4 Times Self-Doubt Can Help You in Your Career Here’s a fact about self-doubt: Everyone has it. Even some of the most famous people have suffered from self-doubt. Lady Gaga revealed in her documentary that she “sometimes feels like a loser kid in high school.” Arianna Huffington calls the negative self-talk in her head her obnoxious roommate. And like the supreme athlete she is, Serena Williams manages to pull through physically to overcome a negative mental state. There’s plenty of great advice on ways to conquer it. But- bear with me here- it actually has some benefits if you learn how to think about it the right way. So before you swat that “negative” feeling away and let it cripple your confidence, remind yourself of these four things: 1. Self-Doubt Motivates You to Keep Learning and Growing Doubting yourself every once in a while makes you want to continue to better yourself- for example, questioning a skill you have and deciding to take a class on it or being unsure about a strategy and asking your co-worker for advice. Without it, your skills and knowledge would stagnate. There’s nothing like a little self-doubt to spur you to put in more effort, try harder, or pick up some extra training to stay fresh. This ultimately makes you feel confident, sets you up to move forward in your career, and, better yet, opens doors that can lead to the discovery of a new field you might enjoy. Want to Keep Learning and Growing? Read This: 45 Free Online Classes You Can Take (and Finish) by the End of This Year 2. Self-Doubt Keeps You Humble You’re human, which means that you’re aware that you’re going to make mistakes and not know certain things. And that self-awareness and honesty makes you someone people can trust, count on, and feel comfortable working with. After all, no one wants to hire a narcissist- imagine the poor team skills! Self-doubt also encourages you to see all sides of a situation- you’re willing to consider options outside your expertise and thus able to make smarter decisions. Think about it: When’s the last time you ran an idea by your boss or colleague just to be sure it was a good one? Did that conversation help you to refine and perfect your idea? Chances are it did- or at least forced you to ask yourself more questions and try different paths. Want a Few Tips on Staying Humble? Read This: 3 Questions to Ask After Your Boss Shuts Your Idea Down (Again) 3. Self-Doubt Can Highlight Red Flags That Spur Action to Something Better If you find yourself feeling really insecure about something, it’s possible that you’re working on something you’re not qualified to do or you’re in the wrong role or at the wrong company. Knowing this encourages you to take actions to actually fix it. You might decide to move on to work that brings you more satisfaction. Or, you might decide to talk to your boss about your concerns. Either way, you wouldn’t improve your situation without a little self-doubt. Want a Push in the Right Direction? Read This: How to Tell Your Boss You’re Not Happy at Work 4. Self-Doubt Can Create More Honest and Transparent Conversations If you’re doubting yourself, this can spur a much-needed conversation with your boss about your career trajectory, your workload, or your current assignment. Perhaps she’s given you a stretch assignment that’s caused you to feel anxious or said something in a meeting that put you off. An open and honest discussion might prompt her faith in your ability to overcome your fear and be the insight and boost you need to move forward. Want Help Starting Those Conversations? Read This: How to Tell Your Boss You’re Lost Without Feeling Stupid (Email Template Included!) Count the number of times you pursued something, anything- a course, a new hobby, a new job. Did you go into it with 100% certainty that you could do it? Of course you didn’t. But that bit of self-doubt made the experience that much more enlightening and challenging. It’s OK to have self-doubt sometimes, and accepting that will put you in a healthier position to assess your career goals and refresh how they align with your strengths. Remember that everyone and everything is a work in progress, so the next time you feel a bit of self-doubt creep in, don’t let it overwhelm you- use it to your advantage.

Cliff Daigle - The Balance

Cliff Daigle - The Balance Cliff Daigle - The Balance

Three Lessons I Learned from Executive Recruiters

Three Lessons I Learned from Executive Recruiters Three Lessons I Learned from Executive Recruiters The reality behind how they work and what they do.I suppose you may remember one particular scene from the 1946 debut of “It’s a Wonderful Life.” Cast me as George Bailey, and cast Mr. Potter as the executive recruiter. This is how I felt when I met with executive recruiters early in my career.(Potter’s office â€" daytime) CLOSE SHOT Potter is lighting a big cigar which he has just given George. The goon is beside Potter’s chair, as usual. GEORGE Thank you, sir. Quite a cigar, Mr. Potter. POTTER You like it? I’ll send you a box. GEORGE (nervously) Well, I… I suppose I’ll find out sooner or later, but just what exactly did you want to see me about? POTTER (laughs) George, now that’s just what I like so much about you. (pleasantly and smoothly) George, I’m an old man, and most people hate me. But I don’t like them either, so that makes it all even. You know just as well as I do that I run practically everything in this town but the Bailey Building and Loan. You know, also, that for a number of years I’ve been trying to get control of it… or kill it. But I haven’t been able to do it. You have been stopping me. In fact, you have beaten me, George, and as anyone in this county can tell you, that takes some doing. Take during the Depression, for instance. You and I were the only ones that kept our heads. You saved the Building and Loan, and I saved all the rest. The lesson of the story? In a tough economy, keep your head, and keep your senses about you. Go back to the basics of how to work with executive recruiters. Executive recruiters are good coaches - not careless and callous like Mr. Potter - but they taught me tough lessons.In my early days I would sit in front of executive recruiters, in their really small ch airs, and advocate for my clients. When they would pull out the stacks of resumes and show me that not one person made their business, it made me very uncomfortable. Most job seekers feel powerless when dealing with executive recruiters. Perhaps several of my early worklife lessons will help you understand the reality behind how they work and what they do.Know your terms. If you’re working with a recruiter, you need to know if they are in-house or third-party. Are you familiar with the terms “recruiter,” “executive recruiter” and the slang term, “headhunter”?Recruiter is a general term that can refer to either an in-house recruiter or a third-party retained or contingency recruiter (headhunter). Executive recruiters are often on staff and in house at the company you want to work for next. Then there are cases where an executive recruiter may not be in house, but has a contingency relationship with that company to provide qualified candidates for potential hiring. You may also be working with retained recruiters. Retained recruiters generally get paid their fee regardless of whether or not the company makes the hire. Contingency recruiters, however, are paid based upon performance.Retained recruiters often have been partially compensated and have already been paid to do part of the search. These retained searches have been given to the re tained firm so that the recruiter can have an exclusive, with no competition from other recruiting firms. Retained searches allow third-party recruiters to “retain” exclusive rights to find the right person.Build your relationship before you need it. George Bailey ended up in Mr. Potter’s office at his hour of desperation. Hopefully, you don’t send unsolicited resumes or, worse, show up in an executive recruiter’s office in your greatest time of need â€" when you need a job. In my early experience I would send unsolicited resumes, and quickly learned a key lesson. Recruiters “place people” they don’t “find jobs.”A recruiter may dispense job search advice, but most of his or her time is spent finding the right fit for the client, the employer. Approaching an executive recruiter with the right expectations is a major factor in how successful your relationship will be. It’s wisest to step back and take the long-term view of your relationship with a recruiter.You should make your first contact with a recruiter long before you are in desperate need of a new job. Think of it as a networking relationship in which you have a relaxed give-and-take rapport and information sharing. A good recruiter will always be intereste d in good leads and information. Depending on how comfortable they are with you, they may even be able to give you advice on ways to improve your chances for job placement in the future - such as what specific accomplishments in your current job will make you more attractive to potential employers.In turn, you should be helpful to the recruiter by providing good job prospects for them. This doesn’t mean just throwing names at them, but offering up substantial information that will be helpful. Remember that the executive recruiter is essentially working for the client company - and they’re often working on multiple placements at any given time. If you’re not on their radar screen when the job you’d be qualified for comes up, then you’ll have missed your chance. The best way to stay on their radar screen is to offer assistance without expecting anything in return.Don’t be a wandering generality. I remember telling an executive recruiter how great one of my clients was and how they could help his firm drive revenue and reduce costs. He let me rattle on for about 10 minutes before he cut in, “John I don’t recruit for medical sales positions. I recruit for physicians who want to go from private practice or related work to the CROs (Contract Research Organizations).” I only thought that his firm worked with sales people.He went on to explain, “I don’t get paid until I find an exact match for one of these positions and I don’t work with, talk to or do much of anything else as it relates to recruiting.” This lesson taught me that some recruiters must specialize in very restricted niches. When working with highly focused recruiters, it’s important to quickly identify what they’re looking for and convey specific achievements. Key questions to ask specialized recruiters are: Do you or any of the recruiters at your firm specialize in placing people like me and my specific background? Who at your firm knows if I would be a good candidate to be placed? How can I study your most recent opportunities so that I know I am a good candidate for your firm to place? Prepare resumes professionally and carefully, and go into any interview, including interviews with third-party recruiters, with intelligent, cogent questions.Don’t be intimidated by executive recruiters. They don’t run the town and are not the only hiring authorities. They can, however, be an important part of your search process. Get help in identifying them, how they work, and how they can help you. Make sure you speak to them and find out their niche, and how you can help them. While they ultimately work for the client company, they also have a vested interest in helping you.

What To Do If Your Employer Fights Back

What To Do If Your Employer Fights Back What To Do If Your Employer Fights Back The Occupational Safety and Health Act, or OSHA, forbids your employer from lashing out at youcutting your pay, demoting or firing youbecause you file or help investigate a complaint about an unsafe workplace. However, the Act does not authorize you to enforce this restriction by going directly into court; you must ask OSHA to intercede.If you suspect illegal retaliation, you have 30 days from the time the illegal action took place to file a complaint about it with your local OSHA office. The outcome of illegal discrimination complaints filed under OSHA often turns on whether you can prove that you were fired or demoted because you contacted authorities, not because your performance slipped or economic cutbacks made it necessary. Be sure to back up your complaint with as much documentation for your employer's action as possible. Once you have filed a complaint about illegal job discrimination, OSHA has 90 days to respond. If you have shown that you were fired or otherwise punished be cause of complaining to OSHA, the compliance officer handling your complaint will attempt to convince your employer to take the proper action to remedy the situation. For example, if you were demoted in retaliation for your complaint, the OSHA compliance officer would probably ask your employer to reinstate you to your original position and give you the backpay to which you are entitled. If OSHA is unsuccessful in talking your employer into reversing the effects of the illegal discrimination, it can sue your employer in federal court on your behalf.

Learn How to Deal With a Difficult Employee

Learn How to Deal With a Difficult Employee Learn How to Deal With a Difficult Employee It is inevitable in your role as a manager that you will have to deal with employees who earn the label difficult. Instead of ignoring the situation as many managers do, it is essential for you to take action to remedy the problem. After all, you own forming and maintaining an effective working environment. Effective managers use a deliberate approach similar to planning and delivering a constructive feedback discussion, for dealing with difficult employees. Here are some tips on  how to best deal with a difficult employee. 1:46 Watch Now: 9 Tips for Handling a Problem Employee Evaluate While action is essential, it is important to momentarily hit the pause button and evaluate the situation so that you are armed with a current, clear perspective.  Observe the employee in different settings. Look for behaviors that introduce stress or toxicity into situations. Observe how others respond to the employee. Strive to isolate the one or two behaviors that others are complaining about to you. Observe Resist the temptation to respond to complaints or innuendo without checking out the situation yourself. Talk to the people involved. Collect all the facts you can before you act. And dont discount that occasionally, everyone has a bad day or week. If a normally easy-to-work-with employee is suddenly uncooperative and uncommunicative, consider that there may be extenuating circumstances. Develop a Plan Based on your observations, assess whether the situation merits coaching, counseling, training or discipline. Coaching emphasizes specific behavior modification.Counseling focuses on problem behaviors and comes with implications, including, You need to cease doing (behavior), or, you will be placed on a performance program and potentially fired. These situations often turn into coaching activities.Training supports skills development and helps fill knowledge gaps.  Discipline reflects an immediate improvement program with implications. Make certain to involve your human resources team. Your time invested in thinking through where you want the situation to go will pay dividends during the actual discussion. Many managers script out the opening sentence of their discussions with the employees just to make certain to frame the situation properly for all parties. Confront the Problem Dont put it off. It may not be pleasant, but its an important part of your job. It will not fix itself. It can only get worse. You have planned this confrontation. Now you need to execute. And remember, everyone on your team is watching and waiting.   Focus on the Behaviors, Not the Person Your goal is to develop a solution, not to win. Focus on the inappropriate behavior; dont attack the person. Dont assume the inappropriate behavior is caused by negative intent. It may be from fear, confusion, lack of motivation, personal problems, etc. Try to Draw out the Reasons Behind the Behavior As you talk with the difficult employee, actively listen to what they say. Stay calm and positive. Ask open-ended questions that cant be answered in one or two words. Dont interrupt. When you do respond to the difficult employee, remain calm. Summarize back to them what they just said, So what I understand you are saying is..., so they know you are listening to them. If you can find out from the difficult employee what the real source of the inappropriate behavior is, you have a much better chance of finding a solution. Develop the Solution Together The desired result of confronting  a difficult employees inappropriate behavior  is an agreed upon solution. You know that this inappropriate behavior will continue unless you and the employee agree on a solution. The employee needs to know what is inappropriate about their behavior and they also need to know what the appropriate behavior is so that they can adjust their approach. Plan Follow-up and Repeat as Necessary Minor problems, like being late for work, you may be able to resolve with a simple chat in your office with the employee. Others may require more than one confrontation before a solution can be reached. Be patient. Dont always expect instant results. Aim for continuous improvement rather than trying to achieve instant success. Know When You Are in Over Your Head Sometimes the underlying issue with a difficult employee will be beyond your capabilities. The employee may have psychological problems that require professional help, for example. Learn when to keep trying and when to refer the employee to others for more specialized help. Your company may have an EAP or you may need to use resources from the community. Know When You Are at the End While the goal  is  always to reach a mutually acceptable solution that resolves the difficult employees inappropriate behavior and keeps your team at full strength, sometimes that is not possible. When you reach an impasse and the employee is not willing to change his or her behavior then you need to begin terminations procedures in accordance with your companys policies. The Bottom Line Dealing with difficult employees is never fun. Nonetheless, it is part of your responsibility. A timely, deliberate approach to navigating these awkward situations will help you succeed. Updated by Art Petty

8 Good Reasons to Start Looking for a New Job

8 Good Reasons to Start Looking for a New Job 8 Good Reasons to Start Looking for a New Job But to help, weve laid out a few good reasons to start looking for a new job. Here are eight  good reasons to start looking for a new job: 1. Every day feels like a Sunday night. As a kid, you might have experienced feelings of dread on Sunday night knowing that school was starting again the next day. If every night starts feeling like a Sunday night (and every day at work feels like a Monday morning), it might be time to dust off your resume. 2. You want/need to work from home, but your boss wont let you. You might have a job that you love- but you’re not really in love with your long commute to and from the office. Try speaking with your boss to see if you can ease your way into a flexible schedule (for example, you could ask to start working from home part-time to start). But if your boss is inflexible when it comes to your flexible work request, it could be a sign that you might be better off working elsewhere. 3. Your work performance is starting to suffer. When you were first hired for your job, you showed up on time at work every day and even burned the midnight oil on many occasions to produce the best work possible. Now, you might be clocking in a good 20 minutes late and only half-heartedly doing your work. Going through the motions can be a sign that your heart just isn’t into your job anymore- and it’s time to move on. 4. You’ve learned everything you can in your current job. A new job can be exciting as you learn new policies, procedures, and protocols. After some time, though, you might feel as if you’ve outgrown your position, especially if you’re not learning anything new. When that happens, you should speak to your boss to see if you can be given new responsibilities or a possible promotion, particularly if you still like the job and the company you work for. But if that’s not a possibility, you may want to look for a new job that will allow you to grow more and stretch your wings. 5. You don’t like your boss. At some point in your career, you might have a boss whom you really, really don’t see eye to eye with. So when do you know if it’s just a small issue that will pass or something more serious? If your blood pressure is going through the roof because of your interactions with your boss, or you’re being unfairly micromanaged, or worse, you’re in an abusive situation, a new job is probably  in order. 6. Your company is falling apart. In an effort to stay afloat, your company might be laying off people left and right. And each day you go into the office you may wonder if today will be your turn. Feeling that you might be let go from your job sooner rather than later can be a good reason to start looking for a new job while you still have one. 7. You want to make a career change. A career change can be a great motivator for you to start looking for a new job. You might have a hobby that you can translate into a profitable career, or realize a long-held dream and make that your next career. 8. The thought of a new job excites you. There’s something to be said for listening to your instincts. So if your heart starts to flutter a little faster at the idea of a new job, maybe you should trust what your gut is telling you- and get into job search mode. If youre ready, here’s how to start a new job search! Look at your transferable skills. If you’re considering a career change, you may  think you won’t be eligible to apply for positions in your new field. That’s why you should look at what skills you could  need for your new job and see which ones you already possess. It just might give you the encouragement you’ll need in order to look for the job you want. Figure out what would make you happy. Maybe one of the reasons why you wanted to look for a new job was because you weren’t happy in your current one. But instead of blindly starting a new job search, take the time to determine what it is about your current job that has made you both happy (and unhappy) and what you’d love to find in a new job (e.g., the ability to work remotely, a company with a great culture, etc.). Then base your new job search on those parameters. Get your home office ready. Let’s say that you’re looking for a telecommuting job. Why wait until you already have the job to start scrambling to get your home office ready? While you’re job searching, gather the things you’ll need for work-from-home success. Find a spot in your home that will serve as your home office, and then outfit it with what you’ll to work remotely. Having everything already set up can help make for an easier transition when you do accept a job offer. Get social. A big component of job searching success is the getting the word out there that you’re actually job hunting. So hit up your network to let people know that you’re looking for new work opportunities- but be selective about who you speak to. After all, you don’t want it to get back to your current boss or coworkers that you might be looking to leave the company before you’ve found a new position. Begin Your Search for a New Job

5 Interruptions to Successful Talent Acquisition

5 Interruptions to Successful Talent Acquisition 5 Interruptions to Successful Talent Acquisition The job market is moving faster than ever, and it’ll grow even more competitive in future years. Recruiters are up against the speed of the industry, the speed of applicants’ expectations, and the speed of change. It’s an uphill battle when talent acquisition specialists are attempting to court top talent to enhance growth and company revenue. Recruiters and human resources professionals simply can’t afford to procrastinate when it comes to making hiring decisions. Many recruiters are hyper-focused on thoroughness in analyzing and background checking an applicant. They are not realizing that the longer they consider their decision, the more likely it is that they may lose out on a worthy applicant. Top Hurdles for Recruitment Several roadblocks exist today that are derailing what should be fast-moving and efficient talent acquisition processes. These are five of the top hurdles facing recruiting and HR teams in their talent acquisition efforts, and a strategy for maximizing their efficiency. High-Volume Screening: Recruiters are facing one of the busiest, yet best, times of their careers with a low unemployment rate and a record-high number of job openings. In this demanding, candidate-driven market, screening the high number of candidates necessary to fill open positions is a big challenge for recruiters.Companies are willing to shell out higher salaries and offer better perks ?to attract top talent, making it a great market for recruiters. But that also means they’re playing a numbers game in their talent acquisition and need to screen a high volume of talent. Technology, like text-based recruiting, is making it easier- as much as 10 times easier- to screen a high volume of talent daily. Lack of Candidate Engagement: Recruiters spend their days attempting to facilitate outreach for open positions to attract top talent. They’re calling potential candidates, promoting jobs, attempting to connect via LinkedIn, and hosting employment fairs.Despite the massive output, recruiters often see a flat response to their talent acquisition efforts. It seems surprising given the effort put in, right? Well, the problem is that these attempts at outreach don’t allow for actual engagement with candidates. This leaves potential applicants disinterested, unimpressed, and likely to disengage early in the process. Wasted Time on Manual Documentation: Documentation is an enormous time suck for recruiters who spend hours each day on this task between detailing candidate conversations, creating reports and importing data into applicant tracking systems.Unfortunately, talent acquisition leaders are often slow to change outdated recruitment tools. Automation is the way of the future that can result in an incredible ROI and increased efficiency.Personal Bias Affecting Hiring Decisions: Unconscious bias persists across the recruiting industry and with talent acquisition specialists at companies of all sizes. Unfortunately, this unconscious bias gets in the way of evaluating candidates objectively for the particular skill set of the position.A 2016 study by the Harvard Business Review detailed the reality of personal bias, noting that when there is only one woman or minority candidate in a pool of four finalists, their ?odds of being hired are statistically zero. The Next Generation of Talent Is Hitting Ignore: Young professionals today may be sending videos via Snapchat or getting breaking news updates on Twitter, but it’s not likely that they’ll answer a phone call from an unknown number. That’s why talent acquisition leaders must ditch outdated recruiting practices and replace them with modern ways to connect with today’s on-the-go workforce. In fact, a KPCB 2016 Internet Trends Report shows that only 12 percent of millennial employees and 29 percent of Gen Xers favor the phone for business communication. Top recruiters and hiring managers are aligning with this preference and utilizing text messages to reach potential candidates for interview screens. Texting is effective to begin the conversation with applicants but is not meant to replace in-person or phone interviews. Following an initial text-screen, talent acquisition professionals often choose to continue the interview process ?through a phone interview or in-person discussion. The information from the text screens provides excellent background and can ultimately allow for better hires. Talent Acquisition in Action One company that is using text screening is Aegis Worldwide, an organization focused on manufacturing and engineering job placement. Aegis recruiters have reported that text screening has improved their ability to screen high volumes of applicants daily. What’s better, they’ve also improved the quality of candidate and hastened the hiring process for all types of jobs, including positions that pay upwards of $100,000 a year. When companies implement text screening, they’ll grow recruitment power and engage top talent, all while helping minimize their disruptions to talent acquisition. - Aman Brar has an extensive background in leading technology companies through periods of high growth, and has also held key corporate strategy and finance roles at Fortune 500 companies.

This is what it feels like to work for a startup after leaving a big corporation

This is what it feels like to work for a startup after leaving a big corporation This is what it feels like to work for a startup after leaving a big corporation Most people leave the relative security of an established organization for a startup for one reason- they want to create a bigger impact.I worked at a larger tech company for almost a decade, but I transitioned to a startup in order to have more ownership, be part of the company’s growth, and watch it succeed over time.And if you’re looking for a real sense of ownership, I can tell you, there’s no better place to find it than a company without enough employees to field a soccer team. The fewer people there are, the more your voice - and your work - matters.Not all startups are created equal, but generally speaking, most allow room for incredible responsibility. Still, it’s a big transition, and you may experience a bit of culture shock when you first make the switch.Here’s what you’ll want to be ready for when you leave an established company for a startup:1. Be prepared to pick up the paceThings move faster at a startup. A lot of that has to do with the size, but also the relative lack of processes you’ll encounter in the beginning.At a large company, processes are developed as a way to help the company grow without becoming unmanageable. But at some point, they actually begin to slow down the execution. A small company with fewer people will almost always have fewer processes in place. As it grows, more will be added. But initially, you’ll feel a real difference in the pace of work and the progress you make.However, this doesn’t mean a startup is a chaotic mess. Processes are present but only to the extent needed.If you are coming from a bigger company, you’re likely used to following many processes. Don’t expect those to be replicated at the startup. A new process should be added only if it makes the team more efficient.2. Understand there are tradeoffs to being at a startupOne of the challenges of working at a startup is the limitations of your resources. A fifteen-person operation has to make compromises and choose between multiple appealing options.For instance, I was helping the sales and support team when I first joined the team at Chronicled. We received many inquiries from enterprises asking if we could help them with a variety of issues they had. But it just wasn’t feasible to help everyone.There were plenty of interesting opportunities that didn’t fit our company strategy, and we had to turn them down.A startup has to manage their resources effectively, and that means not everything you plan will actually come to fruition. Sometimes, you just won’t have the resources to expend on a project.3. Realize it’s not just about a job for most people.There are plenty of passionate people working in established companies, but you’ll also find many who view their work simply as a job. It’s something they do from nine to five and then forget about when they go home.There’s nothing necessarily wrong with that, but it’s not the attitude you’ll encounter at a startup.When I go to work each day, I see people who really care about what they do and what they deliver. Whether it’s the product, the marketing, or even a slide deck, they want it to be very high quality. They go out on a limb to ensure they’re delivering the best possible results.So, make sure you’ve researched the company well to understand if you’re actually interested in their vision. If you’re committed, you probably wouldn’t mind working 80 hours a week if there was a need. If you aren’t committed, then you wouldn’t even enjoy the regular hours.It doesn’t make any sense to join a startup if you aren’t enthusiastic about the company and their goals.4. Be ready to take on more responsibilities.The phrase, “That’s not my job,” shouldn’t be part of your vocabulary if you’re working at a startup.You’ll almost certainly have more responsibilities than you would at a large company. It’s actually one of the most exciting parts of working for an early stage startup- you aren’t siloed int o one function.For instance, I currently have four different responsibilities as part of my product management role, simply because I’m part of a smaller team with fewer employees to handle tasks. At my previous job, we would have had four different people handling each of those areas.It can seem hectic at times, but a startup will provide you with more opportunities for taking ownership of something and making it your own.5. Know your voice will be heard and will help make decisions.There’s a difference in the structure of command when you work at a company with only 20 people. Strict, top-down control doesn’t really work- and it’s not a winning strategy, either.A startup environment offers every employee the opportunity to make their voice heard, even if they disagree with a decision.It’s important that you can be honest about your opinions. But that may mean hard discussions with senior leaders, which can be a new experience. At my former company, I would never have bee n a part of those talks because important discussions happened at the senior leadership level.Now, I have that opportunity. I’m able to speak up, sell an idea, or offer constructive criticism. But that’s what being in a startup boils down to- more opportunity for ownership, for responsibility, and for growth.6. Have fun and help shape the core company culture.A startup’s culture is generally shaped by the founders and their backgrounds. And you’ll likely have a chance to be part of the core team that defines it. Of course, this differs depending on whether you’re joining a company with 20, 50 or 100 employees.If the company is very young, its culture likely hasn’t been fully defined yet.You can help shape the culture and values by projecting what you believe in. Imagine you’ve been with a company for a few years and someone new is joining the team. You may be able to say, “This is how our team trains here,” and you could have been the leader who set it up. This is something you will never get to do at a big company, no matter how innovative it claims to be.While there are many more considerations to joining a startup, these are the main benefits to keep in mind if you’re thinking about making the transition.This article was originally published on Quora.com.

How to Build the Career Roadmap That Leads to the Job of Your Dreams

How to Build the Career Roadmap That Leads to the Job of Your Dreams How to Build the Career Roadmap That Leads to the Job of Your Dreams I started my current career journey when I was 25. I had a prestigious job at a highly regarded company analyzing potential acquisition targets for the executive team, regularly discussing our findings with some of the most important people in a very sexy industry. I worked with smart, cool people, and my parents were proud. But something about the job, deep down, didnt feel right, and it was making me unhappy, though I could not put my finger on why. The hours were lousy, but I had been working all-nighters since high school and that had never been a problem. I felt overdue a promotion (as usual), and couldnt help but notice the disproportionate money my friends in finance were making, so I assumed that was it, and that once I was finally made a vice president I would be happier. Then a friend who was a kindergarten teacher invited me to speak to her class at career day. I told the kids that I helped come up with big ideas, buy companies, and identify synergies. During the QA session, one little girl approached me and asked her prepared questions: Do you work in New York City? Yes, I do â€" I love New York! Do you bring your lunch to work? No, I usually buy a salad, but that is a really good idea! Is your job important? What? Is your job important? Well, we guide overall capital allocation, which is a key driver of shareholder value. And, granted, the MA deals do not always work, but we execute those deals and someone has to do that. And look, the business leaders dont have the overall view of the strategic landscape that we do, and â€" Im supposed to write down yes or no. Oh. Um no? And there it was. All my ambiguous work anxiety, my fixation on the next promotion, the residual unhappiness that slipped from my workday to my personal life, and it took a childs simple question to illuminate the issue. This was a perfectly good job. But I had always believed my best work would come when I was leading and executing, not strategizing. I felt that the world is moved forward by people who build, motivate, and direct great teams to do big things. I was not doing that, and I was not learning how to do it. It was a truly great job, and it was not the job for me. I began a soul-searching exercise that would eventually lead me to develop the Impact Map and Happiness Matrix. I kept redrawing  the Impact Map and redesigning my Happiness Matrix until I felt I had the direction my life needed. I faced the fact that I wanted to lead others, be accountable for the success of the team, and have an important impact on the lives of customers. I also knew that I wanted to do this in the context of marrying my amazing girlfriend, making a life in New York City, having kids and being a good dad, and giving back to my community by contributing to education and getting underprivileged people back to work. If I succeeded, maybe I would write a book. If I pulled all of that off, I would be proud of my eulogy. Just one problem remained. I had virtually none of the qualifications or experiences I needed. By this stage of our journey, you are probably in a similar situation. The career path you desire requires experience doing the job, but how do you get experience without getting that job? The average person is sitting in her role waiting for the person above her to retire or get fired to create an opportunity. But not you, not anymore â€" you create opportunities. We are going to do a couple of exercises to build the Career Roadmap that will help you realize your dreams. This is how I planned the career path that I wanted, which guided me on countless occasions to take on the right new roles, volunteer for relevant additional responsibilities, seek out mentors and coaches who could teach me what I needed to know, read the necessary books, and so on. These exercises are simple, clarifying, and will light the way to your career destiny. Lets pick an example, and pretend you have decided that your career purpose is to be a senior technology leader of a company in the eCommerce space, building an online shopping experience that brings lower cost and improved convenience to millions of peoples lives while lowering the environmental waste of brick-and-mortar shopping. To clarify this picture in our minds, lets call this role chief technology officer (CTO), though you may figure that running a large technology team with any title would be a great career destination. Write down the names of all the CTOs in your industry of interest that you can think of. Google something like best CTOs in eCommerce. Study their bios and look for the patterns in their career paths to learn what skills, experiences, and achievements they have amassed. Start recording your observations. Seek other avenues to enrich this list, perhaps by talking to friends of friends who are in the higher ranks of technology organizations, reading books on the topic, and so on. As your research is coming together, your list of needed skills, experiences, and achievements may look something like this: This list is going to form the foundation of what is essentially your career to-do list. Some of these items will appear clear and achievable, like staying current on latest technology trends, while others, like managing a hundred people, will seem insurmountable. Dont panic â€" when I first performed this exercise and reviewed the bios of successful CEOs, the only person I had ever managed was Felix, the summer intern. You just have to make a plan. As Henry Ford once said, Nothing is particularly hard if you break it down into small jobs, and then he turned a horse into a car. For you, then, the next step is to break down each of these characteristics into the small jobs that are easier to visualize and plan to achieve. For instance, lets break down the first item  from the list, ability to manage large numbers of people effectively, into some of the components it might entail: So, while you may have struggled with the leap from where you are now to CTO-level organizational leadership, learning the component parts like hiring good people is not so daunting. Next, you are going to make a plan to learn and demonstrate each of these tasks in the coming years of your career. Again, we will break down the first item in the list above, comfortable with management tools like budgeting, designing organizational structures, and performance management: You will do this exercise for each item on the checklist. A few may be achieved just through the normal course of your work; for example, if you are currently a software engineer, your day-to-day work and hands-on learning may already support something like excellent engineer who codes well. Others are learning experiences that will likely never present themselves to you unless you are magically promoted into the big job or you create the synthetic experiences, like those illustrated above, that will give you your first taste of the new skill. This checklist will inform the action items you tackle every week of your career. Write it all down, set deadlines, and commit. Each time you execute one, you will learn, grow, and demonstrate success in some way that helps advance your plot. There are some keys to getting your Career Roadmap and its execution right. Here are a few snippets of advice that others have found helpful: Commit to an Unusual Path Achieving extraordinary outcomes will require unusual measures. Very few of your colleagues, classmates, and friends will have a Career Roadmap; most of them will be measuring their success in titles, compensation, and awards, and behaving accordingly, rarely with a clear-eyed plan for their future. Many of the people senior to you in your chosen profession will be guilty of the same â€" if enough people just do what is expected of them, eventually a few of them will be made senior vice president. Most people will find the idea of a big detailed plan for their future to be somewhere between odd and off-putting. They will also find some of your career choices to be confusing. Not long after a kindergartner had shamed me for being misaligned from my career purpose, my team had begun negotiating the largest acquisition in the companys history. Everyone was salivating over putting this career-making deal on his or her resume. At the same moment, a mentor of mine, who understood my Career Roadmap better than I did at the time, offered me a long-shot opportunity to develop and launch a new channel for the company, which would provide me with extensive operational and leadership experiences. For the next few months, the whole team worked excitedly on a deal that  consistently graced the cover of the Wall Street Journal, while I played alone in the corner developing a new business plan. That channel became my first business launch, my first management experience, my first PL responsibility â€" and it catapulted my career in the arc of my new Career Roadmap. I have yet to read in the autobiography of an important person, I just did what everyone else did and, wow, here I am. If you do what everyone else does, you are going to get what everyone else gets. I want a lot more than that for you. Achieving your  Career Roadmap requires a commitment to executing your own path. Do Your Research Your Career Roadmap calls for you to advance in your field well beyond your current scope of knowledge. By definition, that means you are making big assumptions and plans regarding a career and jobs about which you are at least somewhat ignorant. In ways you cannot yet see, your plan is wrong. Poring over books, articles, blogs, and TED Talks on relevant topics can help. And there is no substitute for talking to someone on the other side of the journey. Delightfully, people are usually happy to share their advice; the successful tend to be motivated by service or by ego, and telling someone else the secrets of their success is consistent with both. With some hustle, you can gather a lot of insight and inspiration. For instance, in the exercise above, we strategized a CTO career path and collected a list of top CTOs in the industry. With some time on Google and LinkedIn, you could find a way to get in touch with each one of them and ask if you could visit or call them for fifteen minutes of advice, and if that would be too much trouble, could you email a question or two. At least one, likely more, will say yes. If you can find someone in your network who knows an individual on the list and agrees to make an introduction for you, your likelihood of success increases tenfold. Ask them what propelled their  career. Ask what they look for in top talent. Ask if the items on your Career Roadmap are consistent with their career observations . Ask them, if they had to go back  15 years and do it again, what they would do, knowing all that they know now. Will this feel awkward? At first, of course! You are asking intimidating strangers exotic questions about their success. But each of them can give you a piece of the map to the special place you are trying to go. Most every step of this extraordinary career path is going to require you to make yourself uncomfortable at first. Again, get comfortable being uncomfortable. Enter Into a Career Covenant With Your Manager Your current manager can have a significant impact on your success. If advancement in your company is a component of your career plan, she can advocate for you at critical junctures, like when promotions are considered. Even if your Career Roadmap points in a different direction, your manager is someone who regularly observes your work and can provide valuable feedback and advice. Recruiting your manager to be a part of your Career Roadmap is key to success. Michael Feiner writes in The Feiner Points of Leadership that a leaders responsibility is to deliver on a career covenant, agreeing to provide skill development, performance feedback, advice, and career sponsorship to employees who deliver good work. You can initiate this relationship by asking your boss explicitly if she would be willing to provide this mentorship, and if shed dedicate a fraction of your one-on-one meetings to coaching you on your career plan. Here you could discuss elements of your Career Roadmap and solicit advice or introductions as you work your way through it. Your bosss commitment to a career covenant with you also opens the door for you to take on side hustles â€" bonus projects that will develop new skills and experiences for you and benefit your boss. For instance, you may conclude that you need to become a better interviewer on the path to learning to be a manager, and you ask if it would be appropriate to join your boss for interviews and take notes for her and send her the summary. At some point in the future, you might be positioned to do first-round interviews for your manager and screen out candidates who are not worth her consideration. Or you may have a Career Roadmap action to learn marketing, so you are reading a few books on the topic and you offer to take a crack at producing a new marketing brochure for customers describing one of your teams services. If you deliver in your day job and in your side hustle, you will continue to build your managers trust and receive more and more responsibilities. This has the added benefit of distinguishing you as a person who is learning the craft at the next level, which puts you on the radar for promotion. Your side of this bargain is the heavy one: You need to do excellent work in your day job, keep your relationship with your boss focused on the work she needs the team to get done, and then create added time for the coaching and advice. You will very quickly lose your managers support and goodwill if your assigned work appears to be slipping because of your focus on longer-term goals. You can be both Superman and Clark Kent, but you have to get your articles in on time. Be a Giver, Not a Taker Blatantly ambitious people often come across as needy, selfish climbers. There is a way for you to be ambitious without being that kind of person: Frame your Career Roadmap and your career discussions in the context of what you want to contribute and how you want to help. You could, using the interviewing example above, just go to someone in human resources and impose on his time to learn how to interview. Alternatively, you could say, I have always respected professionals who value their people and understand HR and am hoping to be able to do the same someday. If this is something important to you, too, could I pick your brain? I dont know if you have interest in engineering, but I would love to repay the favor if you ever want to see how we do it. The latter is a sincere exchange and one to which an HR professional who cares about his craft will likely be excited to contribute. There will be people upon whom you impose â€" for instance, the successful people in your field whose advice you solicit â€" to whom you cant really provide much value today. But you will someday, and it is important that as you progress along your path, you do not forget the people who helped you get there. In the meantime, there is always someone junior to you, who could use your help in one way or another. If you have read this far, you would probably make a good mentor to someone else. Pay it forward. Change Jobs Thoughtfully and Purposefully Your job needs to be important to you, aligned to your Happiness Matrix, and challenging to you in ways consistent with the demands of your Career Roadmap. Unfortunately, many settle into jobs that do not achieve these principles. Some are aware that their job is not right, but are afraid of making a mistake, so they wait for the perfect opportunity to come along next. Others may not be comfortable pushing themselves to the next level, getting soft and lazy instead, convincing themselves that they have worked hard to get here and deserve to sit back and enjoy it for a while. The problem is, if you are not moving forward in your career, you are moving backward, because there are ambitious people all around who are gunning for the next challenge and are going to take your seat. The alternative to an extraordinary career is not an easy and comfortable career; it is failure. Properly executing your career plan requires constantly assessing your current role and other potential roles in the context of your Career Roadmap. This does not mean opting instead for job hopping;  variety without a strategy is hardly better than sitting passively with the same old responsibilities. It does mean working relentlessly through your checklist of skills and experiences you need to achieve the next level. A well-managed career covenant with your manager can help to maximize what you are learning in your current role, but at times the next set of lessons will require a new job with your employer or with a new organization. For instance, your employer may not have management opportunities available for you, but another, faster-growing company does. Or your career plan may require you to work in a different industry or region, necessitating a move. Another company may be more willing to give you ownership of your own budget or some other broader responsibility. Or perhaps your Career Roadmap is leading you to starting your own business. Your job may change a dozen times over the next few decades; the key to a successful career is making those decisions proactively, with a focus on accomplishing the items in your Career Roadmap as quickly and successfully as possible, while continuing to honor your personal values. With regularity, you should assess your current job as well as other jobs for which you may be qualified in the context of your Career Roadmap. As you do so, keep in mind the human bias to overvalue what you have and undervalue what you could have; when comparing opportunities, pretend you are already in the other job you are considering, and ask yourself if you would leave it to take the job you have now. If not, then it is time to think harder about making a  move. Fundamentally Change How You Think About Time Management Most people see their lives in two parts: working and playing. Either they are required to be at work to get their job done, or they can do whatever feels fun. Executing an extraordinary career and life requires a radically different approach. You have to set goals and action items and deadlines, and a good number of them need to be due this quarter. They must be in your calendar and you have to commit to them. You should be checking in on your plan regularly, assessing and adapting your  plan based on your progress. Leaving work on Friday for two days of mindless fun and returning Monday morning sleepy are for someone on a different path. To achieve your career goals, we are going to stack the calendar with the routines that are fundamental to your success. Dont Lose Sight of the Big Picture The examples offered here focus on work-related strategies and tactics because they are the most universally relevant (we all suffer from email overload and endless meetings). However, that is not meant to imply that work is more important than the other things you value in life â€" family, friends, and community may play a more prominent role in your life  than anything you do at work this year. My goal is to help you succeed in your career as part of an impactful overall life plan. Therefore, your Career Roadmap should accommodate, and force thoughtful trade-offs among, the things that are truly important to you. You could spend all your waking hours working on your Career Roadmap, but that would come at the expense of your relationships with the people you love. A big promotion to a role full of international travel may fill important gaps in your Career Roadmap, but if that conflicts with your important responsibilities as, say, a new parent, you may be wise to decline. Being the first to reply to the bosss emails may earn you goodwill at work, but a life spent glued to your screen may not be the eulogy you were looking for. Having a clear plan for each of the things truly important to you, and investing the time and focus each deserves, is the balance required for an extraordinary life and career. Adapted from  The Career Manifesto  by Mike Steib, copyright (c) 2018. Published by TarcherPerigee, a division of Penguin Random House, Inc. Mike Steib  is the president and CEO of XO Group, a family of brands that includes the popular sites The Knot, The Nest, and The Bump.