Alexandra Levits Water Cooler Wisdom Are You Down with OPG (Other Peoples Goals)

Alexandra Levit's Water Cooler Wisdom Are You Down with OPG (Other People's Goals) Most of us over age 30 remember the song OPP from the 90s. The acronym stands for “other people’s problems,” etc. Lately, a lot of professionals in my world have been focusing too much on OPG â€" or other people’s goals. I’ll share a personal example. For the last several years, I’ve come across a lot of people wondering why I don’t expand my business. When I was called by a Washington firm that wanted to help me get on the GSA schedule and build my firm to a multi-million dollar enterprise, I declined the opportunity. Some thought I was crazy. Here’s the thing. I’m an introvert raising two young children, and I like relative peace and quiet on the work front. I don’t want the stress of sitting atop a huge enterprise, with responsibility for many a livelihood. Being very wealthy and powerful is not important to me. Butbeing balancedis. And with few exceptions, CEOs do not have much balance. There is nothing wrong with my point of view, and if you want to be a CEO, there’s nothing wrong with yours. In the 21stcentury business world, careers are no longer one-size-fits-all. What’s right for someone else might not be equally desirable for you, so you must measure your success in terms of thegoals that make the most senseindividually. We all have goals, even if we haven’t thought about them consciously or put them down on paper. Consider yours. Where do they come from? Have you developed them based on messages from society, the media, or family? If your goals don’t excite you personally and encourage you to strive for greater accomplishment, they might not be yours after all. It’s time totake your career into your own hands. For advice on how to establish personal and professional goals that resonate, check out the full post at Intuits Fast Track blog.

Research Top 3 Priorities for Staffing Firms

Research Top 3 Priorities for Staffing Firms 2016 is upon us and that means that recruitment firms need to begin doing a bit of planning, to identify the areas to focus  on in the year ahead of them. LinkedIn recently released their new Global Trends Report for 2016, which provides us with a few insights about how the recruitment industry may evolve in the next year. With these trends being considered, recruitment leaders have identified three of the top priorities for 2016. 1) Secure new clients 46% agree that growing their client base is an important priority. 72% agree that branding significantly impacts business growth. Organisations must invest in their brand to get more business. 2) Be a strategic partner 40% agree that being a strategic partner is an important priority. 43% feel confident using data to understand recruiting effectiveness and opportunities. Organisations must use  data to better advise clients. 3) Source smarter 29% agree improving sourcing techniques is an important priority. Social networks are the number one source of quality hires. Organisations should leverage social professional networks.

Square peg; round hole individualism in the workplace

Square peg; round hole individualism in the workplace Candid, unusual, unexpected is there room for individualism and personal  expression within the workplace?  We all know people bring different skills, strengths and experiences to the workplace and the best teams consist of  complementary not cloned personalities. But how far is this reflected in current recruitment practice? Have we lost sight of the power of individuals.. Life on the fringes Perhaps this is where some people feel most comfortable on the fringes, one foot planted deliberately on the outside  where they can fuel their creativity, free from the strictures of office convention or best practice. Where would we be without the vision, courage, and tenacity of individuals like the Wright Brothers and their ‘Flying Machine’ or Galileo or even Steve Jobs? And, at this point, who better to wheel out than  Albert Einstein. Any intelligent fool can make things bigger and more complex. It takes a touch of genius and a lot of courage to move in the opposite direction. Creative some might say eccentric individuals have always attracted attention, and sometimes been mocked and derided for their efforts. But progress is driven by the will of intrepid mavericks who are prepared to challenge the status quo, bend the rules a little and sidestep traditional  thinking. The benefits of space and autonomy Innovation doesn’t have to be on a grand, life-changing scale: even the smallest changes can enhance  productivity and effectiveness.  But this doesnt happen in a vacuum.  Companies have to create the right environment to foster creativity and change, and this means inspiring a culture of trust and autonomy. A research project conducted by Harvard Professor, Ethan Bernstein, on a manufacturing floor at a leading technologically advanced plant in Southern China in 2009 discovered that workers became focussed on performing tasks strictly by the book whenever they knew they were under the close observation of their managers which led to them working more slowly, but when they were allowed to work in privacy, using their own initiative ‘the real show went on, and that show was more productive’. Something to share with overly exacting managers? Intensive training or light touch? Francesca Gino (Associate Professor in the Negotiations, Organizations, and Markets Unit at Harvard Business School) has studied  employment relationships, comparing the intensive training of new staff versus the lighter touch taken with temporary staff and (un)surprisingly found:  â€¦individuals working temporarily as part of a research team were more engaged and satisfied with their work, performed their tasks more effectively and were also more likely to return to work when initial socialization focused on personal rather than organizational identity. In addition, authentic self-expression mediated these relationships.” If companies value adaptability, creativity, the ability to innovate and problem solve then surely it makes sense to create a culture which truly encapsulates that vision? As employees spend an increasing amount of their waking time with colleagues rather than with their own family/community the freedom to be genuine (and authentic) within the workplace will  only enhance personal satisfaction and motivation. A win-win. The power of the individual How many times do you hear companies state that ‘our people are our strongest asset’ and then then seek to eliminate all traces of individuality through staff development initiatives which adopt the one size fits all approach. Similarly staff who are micro-managed  can feel stifled and with no outlet for their creative zest  become demoralised and demotivated. Not a winning strategy. I think Tina Fey nailed it with this comment: Yes, there is a  bigger picture; even the most ardent  non-conformist  has  to knuckle down occasionally and accept the benefits of collaborative working. But, that doesnt mean surrendering your  individuality your greatest agent of power.  Resist the temptation to (always) confirm, concur or concede. Don’t be afraid to be curious,  to offer something different and to suggest the unexpected. Maybe it’s time to let the loose cannons fire (but bring an extinguisher.just in case!)

5+ Best Daycare Worker Interview Questions Answers - Algrim.co

5+ Best Daycare Worker Interview Questions Answers - Algrim.co We’ve compiled the absolute best daycare worker interview questions and answers to help you on your future job interviews. Daycare workers are an essential part of the modern lifestyle. As more parents are forced to have to go to work, daycare systems become an essential part of the development of our youth as well as an essential part of our economy. The average daycare worker will make anywhere between $20,000 to $30,000 in salary based on US nationwide averages. The role of the daycare worker is to work with young children to help establish some basic educational practices. The ages of which these children will be in daycares can vary from as little as one year of age to five years of age. After a certain period of time, the child will develop to the age that requires them to attend a school system, like preschool or kindergarten. Some daycare workers are assisting with the program alongside many other teachers and program directors. In this scenario, you will more like an assistant to the size of the daycare itself. Candidates who will be chosen for this position will portray good leadership skills, good communication skills, good planning skills and present themselves in a professional manner. It is important that daycare workers are trusting sources as they are around vulnerable youth. You will have to go the distance in showing your passion for children and their quality care. Daycare Worker Interview Questions & Answers 1. What makes you passionate about working with children? I love working with children because I feel at such a young age, their minds are like sponges. And we need to be careful and insightful about how we treat those children. I’m passionate about our future as a civilization and I believe it all starts from child development and working with youth at this young of an age. I also believe quality care is hard to come by and I want to be able to provide that. 2. How can you help children be more hands-on? Developing programs and activities on a regular basis can help get kids more hands on. Even if its decorating cookies or doing some type of construction paper project. Putting together plans and executing them in the daycare is helpful for the child's development. 3. What can you inform a parent about to help them with their development of that child or children? It’s imperative that we help tell parents where we are seeing good development and where some development may need some additional attention. We aren’t telling them how to parent but we are alluding to where we see some work needs to be done. Since we are with the children more than the parent potentially, it's helpful that we provide that analysis for the parent to decide. 4. How do you handle transparency in the daycare? We can install private camera systems which only the parents can log into using a secure password, to see their child. We can also share private (non-public) password protected photographs of the children each day sharing their joy for the daycare. Of course, we need to be careful about these materials as we don’t want to share children pictures or video publicly for safety purposes. 5. What are some ways we can go above and beyond as service providers? Having clear lines of communication with parents, being transparent about our activities and ensuring that we spend time with both the parent and child together.

10 Ways to Build Your Personal Brand Online Without a Blog - Executive Career Brandâ„¢

10 Ways to Build Your Personal Brand Online Without a Blog A new client of mine understood that he needed to pump up his online presence. A Google search for his name yielded a dismal number of relevant results, plus he had a common name and the little that was out there about him was lost in a sea of same-named people. To win at executive job search in the digital age, he knew that having on-brand evidence online supporting and differentiating his promise of value was critical. Recruiters and hiring decision makers Googling his name were assessing him based on what they found. Think that your online identity doesn’t factor into executive hiring decision-making? See my post Does Your Online Identity Scream Hire Me? My client also understood that blogging was a powerful way to extend his online footprint and build evangelism for his brand and promise of value in the marketplace. But he didn’t enjoy writing and knew he didn’t have the time or inclination to commit to his own blog. Although I hate to dissuade anyone from starting a blog because I love blogging so much and I know what it can do for executives in job search (see my post Executive Job Search and Blogging: Perfect Together), I know that working your own blog may not be a realistic piece in your personal brand communications plan. Here are 10 places to build top-landing search results for your name: Realize that the sequence of search results that you get for your name may not be the same as the results  others get for your name. They can vary by location and even from one computer to the next, in the same room! Create branded, searchable profiles on these strong link-weight sites. Update them as you gain new skills, certifications, achievements, etc., and when your target changes: 1. Make sure your profile is branded, searchable, and 100% complete. Download my free e-book, Executive Branding and Your Profile: How to Transform Your Executive Brand, Resume, and Career Biography Into a Winning Profile. Once it gains traction, your profile should land within your top 3-4 search results. 2. Google Profile One of the nifty things about the search result for your Google Profile it appears on the search page with your gravatar (tiny photo), if you’ve uploaded a photo with your profile. Very eye-catching! See Google Profiles Powers Up Your Online Personal Brand Identity. 3. ZoomInfo Hiring professionals run searches on ZoomInfo when they’re filling jobs. Brand up your profile, if one exists. Otherwise create one. 4. VisualCV The beauty of a VisualCV is in its interactivity and multi-media features, and you can link to PDFs of your portfolio of personal marketing documents (resume, bio, references, etc.). Practically everything you want people to know about you is housed on one web page. See A VisualCV Belongs in Your Personal Brand Toolkit. 5. Twitter,

When Team Spirit Fizzles Your Job Search

When Team Spirit Fizzles Your Job Search When Team Spirit Fizzles Your Job Search Sure, we all want to demonstrate that we have team spirit, but it can fizzle your job search. Say what?!!!!??!! Yes, it’s great to be rah-rah about the team when talking about past projects, but sometimes, this can be a liability, versus an asset. In job searches, I’ve found that people start talking about their accomplishments in “we” and team spirit terms, and dont use personal language. But that’s not what the employer is interested in They aren’t hiring the rest of the team. They are interested in what YOU can do. Not the others. When it comes down to the interview, the rest of the co-workers aren’t in there on the hot seat with you. It is only you. The team spirit has to end right there. And that’s what you need to be prepared to speak about. Of course employers realize that team spirit and how well you might plug into their culture is part of the picture.   They are obviously testing to see how things might mesh if they bring you on board. But be careful about relying too much on describing team accomplishments without really detailing your value and contribution to the overall equation being discussed. Some ways to start reframing your thinking would be to say things like: “The team was tasked to do X, and specifically, my role was to do Y. “ “As part of the team, my specific part in the end results was X.” “After collaborating with the team, I did X to help drive us to Z results.” “Working with the team was great; I learned a great deal from my counterparts and facilitated information sharing.   At the end of the day, my contribution to Z results was…” Reframing the sentence from “We” to acknowledging a team environment but being specific to what YOUR contribution specifically was answers the burning question on employers’ minds: “What did YOU do at the previous company, so I can make an educated guess on what you might be able to do for me?” Understanding the perspective and showing teamwork while being clear on your value and contribution to the overall picture is a win-win situation. Try it. It might surprise you!

Change Management Resume - Important Notes On Writing A Good Change Management Resume

Change Management Resume - Important Notes On Writing A Good Change Management ResumeChange management resume should be designed with both clarity and conciseness to help a company or organization to find their best future leader. The results can have a direct impact on the success of the company or organization, so it is necessary to find someone who can lead an organization through the next years without a significant amount of time. In this article, we will look at how to ensure that a change management resume is well-written. This is important because there are many obstacles to becoming a change manager, and this allows you to overcome many of these obstacles to ensure a successful transition.Remember, a few months before a change can be extremely detrimental. People do not generally accept the change within the first couple of months, so let this opportunity pass. Prepare a change management resume as soon as possible, and focus on making a strong first impression in this regar d. You must make sure that the reading experience you have is very clear, and you must ensure that you are not forgetting any detail.People are going to have difficult situations in their lives that will involve time and effort, and you must ensure that you are keeping this in mind. If you cannot do this yourself, you need to hire someone who can. One of the most crucial areas to look at is your work history. Since people will have many jobs and opportunities, you need to clearly explain your experiences and what your skills are in a nutshell. These aspects should be discussed and highlighted because people want to hire someone who can effectively connect with others and achieve objectives.The next thing to consider when considering your work history is the different aspects of what you have done. If you have taken courses and other classes, then ensure that you can show this. If you have worked in areas where there are a lot of people working together and you do not know the dynami cs well, then ensure that you can fully demonstrate this. Then ensure that you are keeping all of this in mind for a change management resume. This can help you separate yourself from the crowd and show that you have expertise in many areas.If you have read a lot about a particular subject or have experienced several different aspects of a subject, then this is also a great area to put all of these things into consideration. The third thing to consider is that you should make sure that you have not had too much time to spend with anything. For example, if you have only been out of college for six months, do not just forget this. It is perfectly fine to put this in as part of your work history. This will show that you have had a lot of time to experience the field of expertise, and this will help you to overcome any difficulties that you may face at this stage.Once you have completed your first year and have completed your first job, then you need to look at your working experience a nd you will need to show the company or organization that you have the ability to fill in for this new chapter. This is also a great way to highlight your professionalism. Finally, when you write your own name on the change management resume, ensure that you are focusing on the skills that you possess. This is why it is very important to keep this in mind while you write your resume. This way, you will always be showing that you have a good work history and that you are up to the task of changing the organization.There are certain lengths that you will want to stick to when writing your resume. When you are making a change management resume, ensure that you are focusing on the points listed above. People can see through an applicant who has little knowledge of the details and they need to know that you are fully committed to the position. For this reason, it is very important to have as much information as possible, especially on this particular aspect of your resume.