Sunday, March 15, 2020

Going Up Perfect Your Elevator Pitch - Your Career Intel

Going Up Perfect Your Elevator Pitch - Your Career IntelEvery marketing, branding or sales methodology incorporates some form of the classic Elevator Pitch that 30 second to 2 minute communication that concentrates the listener on essential points.Performed effectively, the Elevator Pitch grabs the listeners interest and establishes a starting position for further discovery and discussion.Its the hook.Your professional and career growth deserves the same focus and dedication as any product or company.To successfully promote yourself in quick opportunities you need a clear, memorable Elevator Pitch.Before everything else, getting ready is the secret of success.Henry Ford knew about preparation. He recognized that in order to build a well-constructed product, you must first gather the materials and perfect the tools needed in its assembly. Consider this approach with your own personal Elevator Pitch.Gather the MaterialsAn effectual Elevator Pitch consists of the short delivery of core messages. What are yours? Think about your accomplishments, abilities and goals. Write them down. Your Elevator Pitch shouldnt just reside in your mind make it a living, tangible document that you can review, edit and perfect.Consider the following elements.Key Experience Identify the important aspects of your professional experiences and formulate them into a succinct and focused few sentences. Where have you worked and what elemental experience do you bring to the table?Impact How have you reduced costs, improved efficiencies, generated leads, lowered waste, streamlined processes, increased revenue? Be specific. Show that you can both recognize business pains AND solve them. Communicate precise solutions and achievements that you have delivered.Leadership What skills, methods, capabilities make you a valuable organizational leader? The Big Mac has special sauce and KFC has 11 herbs and spices. What do you bring to an organization that is unique and powerful? Spell it out into words.Goals Know what you want and articulate it. Im not talking about a corner office or casual Fridays. Think big picture. Are you seeking a company that has an international presence and global growth opportunities? Do you dream of the scrappy start-up, energized by the notion of risk and reward? tischset the tone of what you want, but dont limit yourself. The Elevator Pitch is the time to create opportunity for exploration. Dont hit the close doors button too soon.Perfect the Tools. Its not enough to compose your Elevator Pitch. When presented with an opportunity, you wont be reaching in your pocket for notes or passing along your LinkedIn profile. You need to be able to deliver yourpitch with assuredness, openness and conviction and to do it on the spot.Practice out loud in front of the mirror, in the car, before a trusted colleague or friend. An actor doesnt step on stage without rehearsing his lines, and neither should you. Preparing aloud gives you the chance to ensure th at its convincing.Did you write a word or phrase that just doesnt roll off your tongue?Change it.Do you stumble on your points or confuse the listener? Clarify it.Does your speech reflect your current role or present goals? Revisit it.Segment your pitch and be able to adapt it to the situation at hand. If you enter the theoretical elevator in the lobby and your target presses the 5th floor, then you have a quick 30 seconds and youd better deliver a focused and succinct message. If the doors close and youre headed from the lobby to the 40th floor, you have additional time to expand and deliver your message. Being able to tailor your pitch to the realities of the situation helps ensure that you communicate without hesitation or regret.An effective and powerful Elevator Pitch doesnt just appear. You must consider it thoughtfully, develop it intentionally and practice it regularly. Make it compelling, and it can open doors and help grease the wheels of new opportunity.

Tuesday, March 10, 2020

Rethinking Diversity Recruiting

Rethinking Diversity RecruitingRethinking Diversity RecruitingDiversity is a topic we discuss a lot at WayUp. Internally, we are focused on having a diverse team to build a strong foundation for the future, and our clients also rely on us as a method to correct their own diversity issues. I welches recently listening to one of my favorite podcasts (Reply All), and learned about a really cool study conducted by a University of Michigan professor (Go Blue). He used mathematical algorithms to simulate diverse groups of people. Without fail, the consciously selected group of the best algorithms underperformed in comparison to the randomly selected (diverse) group of algorithms. The best algorithms always got stumped on the same problem, whereas the diverse algorithms were able to navigate and come up with a solutions.At the end of the day, besides the moral obligation to have a diverse workforce, diversity is key in solving major company challenges and sparking innovative thinking. The p roblem, however, is that diversity is composed of so many factors that a quick glance may cause you to overlook in a diverse candidate. To effectively engage in diversity recruiting, youll need to think about factors that go beyond race and gender socioeconomic status, region of the country, upbringing and challenges candidates have faced in their lives. These are all important diversity indicators. So, now that we have covered the importance of diversity and some of its many facets, how can you tackle diversity through university recruiting? Here are 3 quick tips1. Look outside of your core schoolsIf you constantly recruit from the same schools, you are limiting your diversity prospects. Its expensive to travel to tons of schools searching for that one great candidate This is where WayUp comes in. You will be able to expand your recruiting efforts without having to physically go the extra mile. Additionally, we are working on great virtual events, so you can connect with students f rom a range of schools without having to leave your office.2. Search for a mix of quantitative and qualitative qualitiesIt is best to go into recruiting thinking outside of typical criteria like technical skills, GPA and major. When creating an ideal candidate profile, consider questions like, Is this person a self-stspecieser? or Will this person attack a problem differently than their manager? Another thing to consider when it comes to diversity is finding a balance of people with strong IQs and EQs. A team with a strong balance of intellectual intelligence and emotional intelligence will make strong decisions and will better understand the implications of those decisions. Additionally, the team members with strong EQ will often be the glue that holds everything together when it comes to company culture.3. Test for resultsTo make sure you arent missing a diverse candidate on the inside, present candidates with challenges during the interview process. This will allow you to see how they navigate problems and if they will bring a different approach to the company. Open-ended questions that leave room for creative solutions will allow you to get a holistic view of each candidates potential. Possibly even give them an existing company challenge, so the results can be put into perspective.Diversity in the workplace is definitely more of an art than a science, and it is not a one size fits all model. Remember that every company has different challenges that require different solutions, so look internally for inspiration instead of comparing your organization to another.

Friday, March 6, 2020

What Everybody Is Saying About Resume Writing Pet Peeves

What Everybody Is Saying About Resume Writing Pet Peeves Before you compose a pet peeves essay, its necessary for you to restrict your list of possible annoyances. A pet peeve is an irritating experience due to others that you are unable to control. My pet peeve is all about people using a cellphone where or when it isnt supposed to be used because its quite rude and disrespectful. Hence, its far better to explain why that specific pet peeve bothers you. A hiring manager would like to know that youre interested in the position. Allow it to be simple for the reader to rapidly discern the way your skillset and experience aligns with the position. Other random information like hobbies, interests and random tasks you might have performed that arent associated with the position ought to be omitted. The 30-Second Trick for Resume Writing Pet Peeves One really important part of writing is how it seems on the webpage and the way that it sounds as you read it. Then jot down some notes on what you would like to have in your letter. The visual look of your cover letter is at least as vital as that of your resume. If you are uncertain, look through a sample book and select the one you enjoy the very best. A receptionist is going to be very happy to supply the info. Hence, you ought to keep your answers generic and explainable. It ought to be simple to read and follow together with the info youre presenting. Its also advisable to review for old details. The candidate ought to know the market, sector and basic goal of the geschftlicher umgang. When content a part of your work, you take it rather seriously. The content of your letter should reflect understanding of the business and its unique needs. The Resume Writing Pet Peeves Game Go until the ruler and click on it to decide on a reiter at which you would prefer the date to END. To set your self aside from the job-hunting pack, you will have to have an effective cover letter. Although the usage of irregardless has risen through the years, its nonstandard English. By exactly the same token, if youve got a rare or confusing job title, add the more prevalent title fruchtwein folks would recognize. All About Resume Writing Pet Peeves As soon as you have written the letter, then you are going to need to make it appear good. If you do get a request for references, make sure that you have their permission, and they know what position youve applied for. Lastly, enable the employer know how you intend to follow-up. Be open and clear of what you need to offer you the prospective employer. Use the incorrect ones and you might spoil everything. Everybody has a pet peeve. Everybody has a pet peeve, something which really gets on her or his nerves. My last most important pet peeve is people who smoke in public place because I dont enjoy the smell, and its dangerous to our wellbeing. Resume Writing Pet Peeves Fundamentals Explained Though its a good idea to minimize the usage of adverbs, it is not vital to strip them entirely from your writing or speaking. For some reason, punctuation is a true challenge for a good deal of individuals. By way of example, while others might be more lax about typos some individuals that are coined Grammar Nazis may discover a single typo or a grammatically incorrect sentence a comprehensive turn-off. As a job seeker, youre interviewing a provider as much as theyre interviewing you. With recruiters reading through piles of resumes each and every day, its important your clients know of common issues that may land their resume in the shredder Before preparing any work interview answers, you must do an exhaustive research on the business you are applying to. The work market is competitive and the job-hunting procedure is tough. Complaining to the stewardesses about things which are beyond their control is entirely futile. When answering there are chances that you could accidentally insult the man interviewing you ev en if you werent hoping to. Lying or putting misleading info on your resume is a significant no-no. Make certain youre taking a look at the interviewer and find out how theyre responding to your answers.

Thursday, January 2, 2020

Can You Afford to Relocate

Can You Afford to RelocateCan You Afford to RelocateCost of living is key to consider when you are contemplating making a move.Once you get an offer in anotzu sich city, youll probably do everything you can to see if the new job is in your kind of town. If it is, dont say yes right away - make sure the salary is enough to pay for your lifestyle in that particular place.Your desired location might have all the amenities you can ever want close by, but that wont mean anything if you couldnt afford them. The trick is to get as much local pricing information as possible - everything from gas prices and rent to what it would cost to buy a cup of coffee and a movie ticket, said recent Chicago transplant Jacob Young, an SEO specialist and zugreifbar reputation manager for Young Social Media. Being that specific is really good because you can say, Oh, when I go to the grocery store, Ill know how much itll cost, he said.Commodities dont cost the same in Wichita as they do in San Francisco, and the things you regularly buy can add up quickly if you dont account for them before you decide to relocate. I have three things grocery store, gas station and bistro - those are the three places Im going to go to, Young said.He moved to the Midwest from Los Angeles last winter because it was better for his company to be strategically based in the middle of the country, while still having easy access to international flights. Los Angeles is relatively pricey, but so is Chicago. However, theyre pricey in different ways - and in Chicago youre less reliant on your car.In some place, especially New York City, you dont need a car at all. Young said he advises those who are considering moving to the Big Apple to add up all their car costs and subtract it from the sky-high rents of Manhattan to get a clearer picture.Rachel Dotson, a communications manager at the job-distribution company ZipRecruiter.com, advises her clients about relocating and draws on her own experience with sticke r shock. A starting salary of $40,000 is not the same in Los Angeles as it is in rural Michigan, for instance, as I quickly learned when I moved to LA after graduating, she said. I may have been making double that of my friends in similar jobs at home, but my rent was also three times higher.CNN Money offers a handy cost of living calculator you can use to compare different American zip codes. Dotson also recommends that job seekers consult the governments Occupation Outlook Handbook where you can search by occupation. It includes information on everything from the nature of the work to job prospects.Another key factor in the relocation cost analysis is whether or not the hiring company will chip in on the move. Some of the well-established companies have a policy on relocation bonuses, Dotson said. Its important for the jobseeker to understand it. Some are offered on a probationary basis, where the new hire would have to forfeit the bonus if it doesnt work out in the first year or two.The key, Dotson said, is to bring the issue up with a little bit of finesse - during the salary negotiation makes the most sense - and to the right person. She noted that department heads typically dont handle such matters and itll likely be up to a recruitment officer or human resources person. A good way to phrase it could be While I figure out the moving, whos my point of contact?Dont be pushy, Dotson said. Be tactful and diplomatic, obviously, just like with all parts of the interview process.

Saturday, December 28, 2019

Burning Olive Pits

Burning Olive Pits Burning Olive Pits Burning Olive PitsThe largest olive processor in theU.S. used to pay to truck around 13 billion olive pits per year to landfills. But the Musco Family Olive Co. now burns what was previously viewed as a waste material to both treat their wastewater and generate electricity to run their plant.In 2007, after being hit by the state with large fines for water discharge violations, the Tracy, CA-based company began testing a demonstration-sized renewable energy wastewater system (RENEWS) produced by Combined Solar Technologies,Pacific Grove, CA,that proved capable of cleaning the olive plants wastewater containing salts, olive brine, olive oil, acetic acid, and high amounts of total dissolved solids.The firms system begins by feeding pits into burners where they are combusted. Energy from the burner heats a heat-transfer fluid made from white paraffin low-grade cooking oil that travels through pipes to a brine boiler. The CST boiler processes the wast ewater using a distillation process, and pressurized steam produced from the wastewater powers a steam engine to generate electricity, which is fed into the facilitys power distribution network. Exhaust heat is used to dry solids separated from the wastewater stream.Since installing a full-scale sized system in 2010, Musco has been able to treat its wastewater and generate 500 kwh/hr, or half of the plants electrical needs for operations such as sorters, canners, pitting, packing, and tagging machines.Storing and Delivering Pits for CombustionOlive pits have an energy rating of 8,800 Btu per pound, higher than hard wood, and have a similar moisture level. The full-sized system currently in use at the Musco plant burnstwo to threetons of olive pits every hour.Pits can be burned straight out of the plant, and theres an easy screw feed system to get them fired in the combustion unit at a constant rate, explains Frank Schubert, creator of the Bio-Reactor Burner (BRB) and RENEWS at CST. Pits are fed into a silo for storage before feeding into a burner, and are even used slightly wet. Schubert says the pits are not saturated about half of the moisture is on the outside in their wrinkles and folds. On occasion pits will be left to dry in the sun, but after scaling to the full-sized plant, CST developed a system to catch the 50-60 gallons per day of water that drained out of the silo so it could be treated with the mills wastewater.Olive pit processing equipment. Photo courtesy of cstgreen.comPits are fed into a relatively low-temperature combustion chamber where air is spun in a unique way. Ash is allowed to remain in the burner longer at temperatures lower than other typical systems, creating a carbon sink that holds in heat, sulfur and nitrogen oxide. The pits dont smolder they start firing quickly when they hit the bed, and burn at 1,800-2,000 degrees F.As batches of 100 tons are combusted weekly, about one-half ton of residue is cleaned out of the burner.About ha lf of that are clinkers, heavy rock-like chunks that look like lava. The other half is powdery fly ash that contains nitrates, potassium, magnesium, and other minerals. Both are spread on the olive fields, offsetting about one-quarter of the facilitys fertilizer needs.As of 2011, Muscos CST burner has passed Californias strict air quality laws and is officially the cleanest burner in California, producing lower than required limits for nitrogen oxides, according to Schubert.CSTs bioreactor combustion unit was granted a permit to emit 17.5-ppm levels of NOx and regularly beats it at 4.7 ppm, according to Schubert. In addition to treating wastewater, the RENEWS system saves charges for fertilizer, waste disposal, fuel, and power, and generating power onsite reduces transmission and distribution losses.Musco plans to double the size of its current system this fall, which will provide them with 100% of the plants electricity demand.Debbie Snidermanholds an MENG from Cornell University, Ithaca, NY. She is an independent writer and regular contributor to Mechanical Engineering.Pits can be burned straight out of the plant, and theres an easy screw feed system to get them fired in the combustion unit at a constant rate.Frank Schubert, creator of the Bio-Reactor Burner (BRB) and RENEWS at CST

Monday, December 23, 2019

You dont need a reason to want to work remotely

You dont need a reason to want to work remotelyYou dont need a reason to want to work remotelyWith any sort of career decision, its easy to feel like you need to have a solid, irrefutable, evidence-backed reason for every choice you make.You want totake that new jobbecauseitll lead to more growth. You want to change careersbecauseyou feel stuck in a rut with what youve been doing. You want to spearhead that projectbecauseits great experience to have under your belt.We hesitate to make any sort of decision without being able to immediately point to some sort of obvious benefit or justification.Follow Ladders on FlipboardFollow Ladders magazines on Flipboard covering Happiness, Productivity, Job Satisfaction, Neuroscience, and moreBut, thats not always so easy.For example, what about when someone asks youwhy you want to work remotely? Personally, I often have a hard time pinpointing exactlywhyI pursued this lifestyle. Was it the flexibility? The greater control over my work and schedul e? The ability to stay home with my dogs?Well, yes- and, at the same time, no. In all honesty, I didnt really have a specific supporting argument forwhy I wanted to give remote work a try. I just knew I wanted to, and that was enough for me to take the leap.Heres the good news the same rule applies for you.You dont actually need a reason to want to work remotely. Heres whySometimes you just want something for no real reason.This is something that often isnt talked about, particularly when it comes to careers. Sometimes you just want to do something because, well, you justwantto.Thats an excuse that we acknowledge in so many other areas of our lives. For example, imagine that you told a friend that you were craving ice cream and they asked you why. Im willing to bet you wouldnt start talking about the benefits and all of the reasons you deserved it. Youd probably respond with something straightforward like, Because it sounds good, or, Because I just want it.But, were not so readily w illing to accept that same type of reasoning when it comes to our careers. Theres definitely pressure to have thoughtful rationale ready to go in your back pocket. But rest assured, youre allowed to make decisions without having a lengthy explanation to go with them.You might have more than one reason for wanting to work remotely.Of course, there are plenty of greatreasons for wanting to go the remote route, and that can make it all the more challenging to zone in on the exact quality thats speaking to you.Maybe its not the flexibility or the increased productivity or the sense of control thats calling your name- maybe its actually a culmination of all of those things (and then some) thatsdriving your desire to go remote. Fortunately, you dont have to pick one (or really, any) reason for wanting this lifestyle.Youre the only one who requires justification for your career choices.Ultimately, do you know who needs and deserves tofeel good about the decisions you make about your career ? You- and thats really it. Without a doubt, you should still be professional and courteous about your choices and actions (in other words, dont take this as your permission to tell off a colleague or storm out of work without warning).But at the end of the day, you technically dont owe an explanation to anyone about the career moves you make. As long as you feel happy and confident about what youre doing and whats inspiring you to do it, thats really all that matters.Heres the bottom line while it might not feel like it,you dont actually need a reason for wanting to work remotely. You can just want it- and thats it. But what happens if youreasked about your reasoning in a job interviewor a similar situation? In those circumstances, you can feel extra pressure to spout out a logical and impressive rationalization.Dont force yourself to get specific. Something general like, Its something Ive been considering for a while, and I wanted to give it a try should do the trick when it comes to answering the question- without boxing yourself in.This article originally appeared on FlexJobs.You might also enjoyNew neuroscience reveals 4 rituals that will make you happyStrangers know your social class in the first seven words you say, study finds10 lessons from Benjamin Franklins daily schedule that will double your productivityThe worst mistakes you can make in an interview, according to 12 CEOs10 habits of mentally strong people

Wednesday, December 18, 2019

4 ways to help master the phone interview

4 ways to help master the phone interview4 ways to help master the phone interviewPart of my job entails hopping on the phone and convincing companies and conferences to book me as a speaker. Its like a job interview every time, and it always reminds me of my very first phone interviews for internships back in college. I was so nervous my knees would be shaking and Id feel nauseous with anxiety. Even though Ive become mora comfortable over the years, there are still a few key best practices I rely on to make the best possible impression.Rise and shineFirst, I always try to stand up. When youre standing, you entire demeanor changes and often, your vocal tone does, too. As Im listening to the dial tone ring, nervously awaiting their pick-up on the other end of the phone, I force myself to smile, knowing that itll make me sound more pleasant and cheerful, too.But instead of nerves being my biggest enemy nowadays, its distractions. Since I take these calls throughout the course of an ave rage workday, Im usually within site of my laptop, which is ripe with distractions even if its just my inbox. One minute, Ill be engrossed in a conversation with a potential client, and the next Ill see an urgent customers request appear at the top of my inbox ah Or one of my team members will pop into slack to chat with me yikesNo screens, no stressIts impossible to not be distracted within sight of your screens. So for any job-seeker whos taking a phone interview, just because youre face isnt on camera, doesnt mean you should let your eyes wander. Sequester yourself in a room without screens whenever possible to make it easy to avoid any alerts and notifications popping up while youre mid-sentence.Take noteThe one thing I recommend you DO keep within sight is the anthroponym(s) of the folks youre speaking to. This is especially true when youve got multiple interviewers on the other end of the line. Whenever you can, write their names on a sticky note before youre even on the ca ll and keep that sticky posted within sight. Use their name a few times throughout the call to show youre really listening. As Dale Carnegie once saidA persons name is to him or her the sweetest and most important sound in any language.The key here is to make sure youre never giving the impression that there are more important things youd rather be doing than talking to them right this moment.Handle stress seamlesslyAnd if, God forbid, something crazy does come up, like a fire alarm or your dog starts barking his head off at the mail carrier, put yourself on mute and if absolutely necessary, ask politely for a moment to yourself. You might say something like I amso sorryto ask, but may I place you on a very brief hold? Upon return, explain but dont dwell on whatever went down. Dive right back into the conversation with something like, My apologies, so where were we?Keep these principles of strong phone etiquette in mind for your next interview or pitch call, and youre sure to give a polished, professional impression.Do you have any phone interview best practices to share? Or some horror story about a phone interview faux-pas? Id love to hear about it on social media atemilieariesandbosseduporg. I cant wait to hear what you think.This article first appeared on Bossed Up.