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#CareerAdvice : #JobSalary – 4 Times It Pays to Accept a Lower #Salary …Before you jump at that Higher Salary, there are Certain Circumstances where Accepting a Sower Salary actually Makes more Sense. Here are a Few you Might Encounter.

July 10, 2018/in First Sun Blog/by First Sun Team

In the course of your career, you’re apt to land in situations where you’re choosing between two jobs, and two distinct salaries. Most people will naturally gravitate toward the higher income, because, well, money is important, and there’s no such thing as having too much of it. But before you jump at that higher number, there are certain circumstances where accepting a lower salary actually makes more sense.

Here are a few you might encounter.

1. When you’ll get better benefits

Workplace benefits are an important part of your overall compensation package, so if you’re looking at a lower salary from a company whose perks are outstanding, that’s reason enough to consider that offer. Furthermore, a superior benefits package can actually save you money, even when you end up taking a hit on salary in the process.

Imagine you’re choosing between two companies. The first is offering you a $65,000 salary and health insurance that’ll cost you $300 a month. The second is offering you $62,000, but health insurance that’s completely subsidized and free to you. Suddenly, you’re actually $600 ahead by taking the second offer. Therefore, before you accept an offer on the basis of it coming with a higher salary alone, take a look at the whole picture and recognize the financial value your employee benefits might offer.

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2. When you’ll enjoy a more favorable company culture

Company culture can play a huge role in your day-to-day satisfaction on the job, so if taking a hit on salary means being happier at the office, it’s probably a hit worth taking. Not being content with their company culture is actually the No. 1 reason younger workers quit their jobs today, so if you’re offered the chance to work in an environment where employees are valued and respected, it pays to go for it.

3. When there’s ample room for growth

Career growth should be a major factor in any job-related decision you make. Therefore, if you’re offered a slightly lower salary by a company that’s expanding rapidly and tends to promote workers internally, accepting that deal might pay off in the long run.

How do you know what growth potential your company has? It’s simple: Ask. Find out how many jobs the business has added over the past year, and how many it plans to add in upcoming years. These are questions you’re allowed to ask during a job interview, and if you have reason to believe you have more long-term potential at a company that’s paying less at present, don’t hesitate to join it.

4. When there’s a better work-life balance

Only 30% of employees today are satisfied with their work-life balance, so if you’re offered a role whose demands seem reasonable, it pays to consider it. Though a growing number of companies today are becoming open to flexible work arrangements, such as telecommuting, there’s a large chunk of businesses out there that are sticking to a more rigid model. And finding a position where you’ll get the former over the latter is reason enough to accept a little less money.

Though money does, and should, play a substantial role in our lives, it certainly isn’t everything. Before you rush to take that job with the highest salary, think about the perks that might come along with making a bit less money. You may come to find that taking a lower salary makes you happier with your work situation on the whole.

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GlassDoor.com | July 10, 2018 | Posted by Maurie Backman, The Motley Fool

#Leadership : The #EmotionallyIntelligent way to Give #Feedback to your #Boss …Here’s an Approach to Raising Concerns with #Managers that won’t Feel Risky to You or Whiny to Them.

July 10, 2018/in First Sun Blog/by First Sun Team

No matter how much you like your boss or manager, there will always be some things about them (or the system) that you’d like to change. But speaking up about a problem or giving feedback to your superiors can feel awkward, to say the least. You don’t want to risk offending the people who hold your future in their hands.

As it turns out, sharing some constructive criticism with your boss is a lot easier with a little emotional intelligence. Here are a few tips and pointers to help you do it tactfully.

FIRST, SHORE UP YOUR REPUTATION

Different things bother different people, and in differing degrees. If you look at your colleagues, chances are you can distinguish the stoics and the whiners. The stoics come to work without complaint every day, no matter what’s going on. That doesn’t mean they aren’t bothered by things happening around them, they just keep it to themselves. The whiners, however, let everyone know when something bugs them, from small annoyances to major problems. And make no mistake: Your boss knows who those whiners are, too, even if she never passes along their complaints to her own higher-ups.

Obviously, you’ll be most effective at giving upward feedback if you have a reputation for complaining only about the big things that really matter. This way, when you do go to the boss with a problem or request, it will carry more weight; your boss knows it takes a lot to get you to say something. And if you think you might be a whiner, try writing down your complaints in a notebook without talking about them to other people at the office. This way you can still get them out of your head, but in a way that doesn’t risk your reputation.

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SCHEDULE A SEPARATE MEETING TO RAISE THE ISSUE

Your boss probably hears fewer complaints than you might think. Most people want to make a positive impression on their superiors. No matter how much they might complain among their own coworkers, few people actually take those complaints upward. (Then they’re puzzled about why things don’t change.) But as long as you’re respectful, chances are you’ll be sharing useful information that your boss might not know about otherwise.

The way you decide to bring it up depends on what you know about your boss, of course. Not every boss is equally amenable to feedback, and those who don’t take criticism well tend to earn reputations as prickly managers. In addition to tuning into these subtleties, you should also try to raise your issue in a meeting where there aren’t other pressing items on the agenda. Better yet, consider scheduling a short one-on-one just for this purpose. That way you won’t be tempted to delay sharing your feedback until the very end of some other meeting, when there won’t be enough time to provide details.

Friends of mine who are therapists have told me that clients often bring up the most important thing in the last couple minutes of a session. It can take people a long time to work up the courage to say what they really want to. By scheduling a quick meeting just to talk about your concern, you can’t hide it in the middle of lots of other information.

BE AS SPECIFIC AS POSSIBLE

If you’re going to point out something that you think needs to change, talk about the problem as specifically as you can. If the issue has to do with a certain incident or event, focus on exactly what happened and who was involved. Stick to the facts, including how the event affected you–both your reaction and any consequences on your ability to get your work done–but avoid speculating about others’ motives or intentions.

The reason to be specific is that the alternative is you trying to diagnose what went wrong–which you shouldn’t do. There are two problems with stating why you think the problem arose rather than simply what it consists of: First, you likely have only partial knowledge about why things are done the way they are around the office. As a result, you may be missing key parts of the context when you give your explanation The more emotionally intelligent approach is simply to leave room for your boss’s judgment and perspective in determining the underlying causes of whatever issue you’re raising.

Second, some of your diagnoses rely on assumptions about what drives other people’s behaviors. There’s no surer way to get someone on the defensive than to ascribe a motive that they don’t recognize in themselves.

Take these three tips to heart and chances are you’ll stop feeling so anxious about raising important concerns with your boss–who might even start to rely on your helpful feedback, and even intentionally solicit it.

FastCompany.com | July 10, 2018

#CareerAdvice : Between Jobs? #Freelance to Earn Cash & Gain Experience…Freelance Work Helps you Develop your #Skills , Earn a Living & Gain Valuable Experience, so your Time #BetweenJobs is Anything but Wasted. Here are a Few Best Practices to Get you Started.

July 9, 2018/in First Sun Blog/by First Sun Team

So how’s your job search going?”

Well-meaning friends, family members and distant acquaintances never fail to ask this dreaded question. And it stings, whether you’re in week one or month six of sending out resumes and hustling for interviews.

Sometimes the process of finding your dream job takes longer than you’d like. But that doesn’t mean you have to watch your bank balance disappear while you wait for full-time work. You already have what you need to start freelancing in your field right now. Freelance work helps you develop your skills, earn a living and gain valuable experience, so your time between jobs is anything but wasted.

Here are a few best practices to get you started.

See the Possibilities

The freelance labor force has grown steadily in recent years. “Freelancing in America: 2017“, a study from the Freelancers Union and Upwork, reports high growth for freelancing:

In 2017, 57.3 million Americans did freelance work (roughly 36 percent of the US workforce), contributing about $1.4 trillion annually to the economy (up almost 30% since 2016).
For millennials, 47 percent of the generation did freelance work (higher than any other generation).
If this growth rate continues, freelancers will make up the majority of the US workforce by 2027

These numbers show that freelance opportunities exist for you. Focus on the projects you want to do by identifying the types of clients you hope to work with in advance.

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Treat Yourself Like a Business

If you’ve worked only for other people in the past, freelancing is a big transition. You are now responsible for convincing potential clients to hire you, selling them on your work and expertise. To do this, you must first see yourself as a qualified professional.

Be intentional about how you describe your work. Don’t use minimizing language like “I’m just a freelance writer” or “I’m doing some design gigs on the side.” Instead say, “I’m a self-employed writer who specializes in science and technology” or “I run my own design business, creating responsive websites and mobile apps.”

Define Why Someone Should Hire You

Clients typically hire a freelancer because they have a problem. Ask yourself how you can solve this problem? What do you offer that adds value to their business? Why should they hire you instead of someone else?

Make a list of your professional skills and strengths. Collect project examples, case studies and portfolio pieces that demonstrate your best work. Ask former colleagues and employers for testimonials. Use these pieces to develop a list of services you can provide freelance clients.

Create Your Online Presence

No matter what kind of freelance work you do, you need a website. Here you can showcase the work examples, testimonials and service descriptions you started to put together in the previous step. Your portfolio website is an important sales tool and a strong first impression to clients, demonstrating what you can do for them.

Fortunately, you don’t need to be a web developer to create an attractive and functional website. You can choose from many different platforms to display your portfolio that require no design or coding expertise.

Keep the content simple at first, but be sure to include information that highlights who you are and what you do: a brief bio, contact details and several strong work examples. If you don’t have many paid projects to include in your portfolio, create them now— even if that means doing some pro bono work:

Write a well-researched article on a topic that interests you
Design a logo for a friend’s company (or a fictional brand)
Offer a free coaching session to a small business owner

Set Up Systems for Success

As the owner of your freelance business, you need to manage all the financial and operational details that come with that title. This role intimidates many new freelancers, but don’t be afraid. If you do your homework and establish structured systems in the beginning, you can run your business with minimal stress. Start with these steps:

Choose a business structure: For freelancers, this structure is usually a sole proprietorship or a limited liability company (LLC). Comply with any state requirements, register for an Employee Identification Number (EIN) and set up a schedule for self-employed tax payments
Test out project management systems: Successful freelance work depends on you staying organized and keeping track of what’s due and when
Invest in good bookkeeping tools: Choose an accounting software that makes it as easy as possible to send invoices, track payments, manage cash flow and prepare for taxes

Connect with Others

When you’re ready to take on freelance clients, spread the word. Reach out to your existing connections — friends, classmates, former colleagues — and let them know what kind of services you offer. Share your new website on your social media profiles, and invite your connections to share with others.

Finally, put yourself out there, both online and offline. Follow industry accounts and leaders on Twitter. Join professional associations, and seek out LinkedIn groups. Attend Meetups and networking events. You can even cold call and email businesses to pitch your services. When you snag your first freelance client, start building a pipeline of steady business right away.

Freelancing is an excellent way to pay the bills and move your career forward when you’re between full-time jobs. And who knows? You may decide freelance work is a good fit for you long term.

GlassDoor.com | July 9, 2018 | Posted by Shea Drake

#CareerAdvice : #SuccessfulLeaders -7 Warning Signs that Your #Career is Stalling…What Got you Here won’t Get you There. After you’ve Achieved #Success , it’s Common to Stagnate. Look Out for These Signs & Turn Things Around.

July 9, 2018/in First Sun Blog/by First Sun Team

It’s not unusual to see a leader turn a company around and bring it to success, only to fail at the next challenge. Some call it the sophomore slump, but it’s really a case of, “What got you here won’t get you there,” says John Hillen, coauthor of What Happens Now? Reinvent Yourself as a Leader Before Your Business Outruns You.

“Leaders are often victims of their own success,” says Hillen. “They wanted the change; they put the business plan in place. Then they themselves don’t make parallel plans to change with the organization. That’s why leaders often stall on the other side.”

What it takes to become a successful leader is not what you need to remain a leader. Playing at the higher level requires different skills, capabilities, mind-sets, behaviors, and attitudes. “Most leaders get it intellectually,” says Hillen, executive in residence and professor of practice in the School of Business at George Mason University. “Unfortunately, what they often do is focus energy on tinkering with the organization instead of reinventing themselves.”

Only a small percentage of organizations make deliberate plans to grow their executives alongside their business. As a result, leaders need to take it upon themselves to adapt to the new playing field, or they’re at risk of hitting one of seven career stalls, says Hillen.

1. YOU HAVEN’T RE-ESTABLISHED YOUR PURPOSE

Leaders often fail to establish new purpose and direction once they succeed. “When things change and new people are coming on board, purpose and direction must be modified,” says Hillen. “Leaders often struggle to tell a coherent narrative, and people start making decisions at odds with culture or value.”

A warning sign that you’re hitting the purpose stall is when you think you need to hire an outsider to get to the next level. Break through by holding a story-creation session with people from all levels of the organization, suggests Hillen.

“Ask, ‘What are we about here?’” he says. “Engage teams to rearticulate values and purpose that will be easy to communicate to the ranks and out to multiple stakeholders.”

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2. YOUR TEAM ISN’T WORKING TOGETHER ON GOALS

After a success, team members can start acting like freelancers, concerned with their own departments and not agreeing on priorities or strategies, says Hillen.

“The single most critical success factor for high-performing teams is having a shared understanding of why the team exists, what it is trying to accomplish, and how it will work together,” he says.

Work through this career stall by holding frequent meetings or off-sites to ensure team alignment, suggests Hillen. “Create team ‘rules of engagement’ and require team members to hold each other (and you) accountable to them,” he says. “Be explicit about the culture that ties the team together.”

3. YOU AREN’T TALKING TO THE RIGHT PEOPLE

Working at a new level can cause leaders to not make good use of their time. If you feel frustrated that people aren’t following your orders, or if you’re too busy to talk to stakeholders, you’re career’s in danger.

Push through by creating a stakeholder management plan, Hillen suggests. “Who will you put on your calendar regularly?” he asks. “What kinds of conversations should you be having with them?” Concentrate on developing a strategic network, allocating time for people who control your future.

4. YOU CAN’T ARTICULATE YOUR VISION AND MOTIVATE PEOPLE

If you can’t seem to energize employees to own the strategy or spring into action to tackle a new initiative, you’re at risk of another career stall. Instead of blaming others for their inability to “get” it, reassess your communication skills and think of yourself as the “chief explaining officer,” says Hillen.

“Whenever possible, make communication two-way; achieve true communication, not mere transmission,” he says. Communicate more than you believe is necessary to ensure sufficient understanding, and change your style of communication to reach different people.

5. YOUR AUTHORITY IS WANING

Once you’ve achieved success, you need to keep performing at a high level to maintain your team’s respect. If you give people direction but they don’t follow through, or you start getting passed over for promotion, you may have hit a career stall.

“Shift your actions and behaviors to come across to followers in a more authentically and emotionally,” he says. “Empathy works, and builds character.”

Accept a position on the board of a nonprofit, for example, take a community leadership role, or be more involved in your industry, Hillen suggests.

6. YOU FEEL EXHAUSTED AND OVERWHELMED

Once you’re operating at a new level, it can be easy to lose sight of your focus. The danger signs of a career stall here are feeling exhausted and overwhelmed, and less energetic and passionate about what you’re doing and its impact, says Hillen.

Decide which tasks to do, which to delegate, and which to drop. “Allocate your time as if you’re going to ‘make history,’” he says. “Enforce, with the help of an accountability partner, rational percentages of time on your calendar to the leadership work that matters most.”

7. YOU’VE ABANDONED LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT

A successful leader’s job is to be a leader of leaders, says Hillen. If you’re unsure of your current leadership team and are starting to no longer trust their capabilities, you could be about to hit a career stall.

“Take command of shaping your organization’s leadership-development programs and play a meaningful role in leading them,” he says. “Commit to becoming a coach as well as a boss, and dedicate discrete time for both.”

While every stall is different, every leader will stall at some point, says Hillen. “They might not hit all of them and not all at once,” he says. “When you’re in a meeting where you are the decision maker, but everybody else has more information at hand, you’re at risk. It should be an epiphany that it’s you and your behavior that needs to be changed.”

FastCompany.com | July 9, 2018 | CAREER EVOLUTION

#CareerAdvice : #OlderWorkers – Dealing with Ageism in your Career Journey… #AgeDiscrimination Hits Young Candidates Fresh Out of School and Again Later in Life as Older Candidates.

July 8, 2018/in First Sun Blog/by First Sun Team

Ageism; it’s always been a problem and not likely to just go away. Age discrimination hits young candidates fresh out of school and again later in life as older candidates.

The first definition of agism is “prejudice or discrimination on the grounds of a person’s age,”

The reasons for all types of discrimination are varied, but generally never unique.

I’ve always referred to discrimination as, “someone sees difference and does not know how to approach it with interest to discover it’s really not different.” I personally believe discrimination leads to missed opportunities.

As with any type of discrimination, there is only one possible way to overcome it; through an open conversation. However both parties need to be open to and looking for the opportunity to have these conversations. Too often neither will initiate the conversation. Someone has to take the lead.

The conversations need to be with the individual in the business who has the need, generally speaking this is not the recruiter or human resources personnel, unless this is where the need is.

I won’t mislead you, being able to get into these open conversations is not easy and it takes effort. However the rewards are often worth the efforts, if done correctly. Having an open conversation needs to start before applying or sending in your resume for a specific job, otherwise the conversations are simply vetting activities trying to match you to the job description.

Candidates are frequently discouraged from having these open conversations. Recruiters and hiring managers will say things like, “you can’t talk to the department head yet, you have to go through me.” Typically candidates will hear this after they have applied online and sent in their resume. Again, this is too late to have a real open conversation with the department head.

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Open conversations should focus on the industry, organization and the person you are talking with. When you make an open conversation about your needs and getting a job, it’s not an open conversation, it’s job searching and this leads to more potential for discrimination. The moment the person you are talking with discovers you want to ask for a job you kill the potential of an open conversation that can lead to opportunities.

The more an individual feels you care about them, their ideas, their role, their business and business needs, the more likely they will disregard potential discrimination issues and want to know more about you. This is true in life, career and business. I live this myself every day. I am a 60 year old man without a college degree and I am known and trusted as a social media consultant. Typically social media consultants have a marketing degree and are far younger than I am. In many respects I have overcome age discrimination in my business and I do this through open conversations.

Yes, I know there are people who won’t consider me because of my age. However, there are many others I do work with because I have been able to get into open conversations with them, focus on them and their needs, show them I care about them and can do the work. I am not unique, I just decided to take the lead asking for and getting into an open conversation.

You too will find people who aren’t willing to have an open conversation, as well as some who just can’t get past their prejudices. Move on when this happens. Your primary purpose is to find those who are willing to get into an open conversation and I promise, there are far more who are willing than those who are not. You have to believe this.

Age discrimination is founded on lots of perceptions; lack of energy, technophobe, stubbornness, higher salaries, etc, etc. In good open conversations many of these perceptions can be discovered as invalid, or irrelevant based on other more positive perceptions discovered through the conversation.

I love the Phrase “We Shall Overcome”, used in gospel songs, civil rights messages and in President Lyndon Johnson’s message to congress in 1965 after the violent “Bloody Sunday” attacks on civil rights demonstrators during the Selma to Montgomery marches. You too can overcome age discrimination, however it has to start with open conversations and you should take the lead in this endeavor.

by Teddy Burriss

LinkedIn Coach & Trainer serving people in business and career transition around the best practices and use of LinkedIn.

Burriss Consulting, Inc.

Learn more about Teddy on his LinkedIn Profile, YouTube Channel, Blog or Quora Channel

Connect with Teddy @ TLBurriss@BurrissConsulting.com

FSC Career Blog | July 7, 2018 | Teddy Burris, FSC Career Blog Guest Author

#CareerAdvice : Exactly How to Find (or create) an #Internship that Doesn’t Suck…This Founder Asked her Own Company’s Interns to Share their Wisdom on Finding & Making the Most Out of Internship Experiences. Here’s What they Said.

July 7, 2018/in First Sun Blog/by First Sun Team

Most students think it’s crucial to find the “right” internship, otherwise they’ll be saddled with the “wrong” experience on their resumes for applying to full-time jobs later on. It’s not that simple, and that’s a good thing.

Since I run my organization’s fellowship program for students, I recently asked our fellows–many of whom have interned at other places, too–to weigh in on the experience: Why intern? What differentiates a good internship from a crappy one? And how do you make the most out of any internship experience, including one that might not be ideal? These are a few of their tips and insights.

DON’T WAIT

Start in high school! Some of your peers will spend four years studying something in college that they decide they don’t want to pursue after earning their degree. One summer internship could save you from taking the “scenic route” toward a career you want (which, however, isn’t the end of the world).

The high-achieving behaviors that tend to work in high school (talk a lot, give teachers what they want, play by the rules, etc.) don’t necessarily work in business. There are no right answers when your intern manager asks you to build the company’s first artificial-intelligence sentiment analyzer–just ask our three high school fellows. One of them, Liam, told me he’s more often judged by what he accomplishes than by how he does it. His AP computer science class was hard, not because of the problems he had to solve, but because the teacher wanted them solved in prescribed ways. Internships will liberate you from an education built around “right” answers, and the sooner you can get started on that, the better.

FOCUS ON WHAT YOU CAN LEARN (ABOUT YOURSELF)

If you’ve been playing the I-want-to-look-impressive game, stop. Internships are for trying career paths on for size. They reveal what you like and don’t like, how you work, and with whom you collaborate well. Internships are ways to learn about yourself–at least as much as they are about picking up skills and knowledge–and to meet the people you could become.

Sahar, our fellow who works on user-interface design, notes that internships take you to depths that college classes can’t. Whereas you and your classmates are trying to balance five courses and get good grades, full-time employees are focused. They’re invested in the mission of the company but also work to raise families, pay mortgages, care for parents, and live comfortably. By getting to know them, you can better envision how you want your life to look in the years after graduating.

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THINK CREATIVELY ABOUT OFFSETTING DRAWBACKS

A few potential risks and downsides can be mitigated. For example, many internships require some degree of grunt work, but you don’t want to take one where that’s the main event. If some of your responsibilities involve crucial yet boring tasks, make sure the majority of the experience will function like an apprenticeship or fellowship. Great internships embed you in the workflow of the company and make you accountable for something more important than administrative duties (at a different company, one of our fellows recalled handling so much paperwork that he developed a coffee habit just to stay awake).

WATCH OUT FOR RED FLAGS

Other red flags are a lot easier to spot. For starters, find out whether you have a designated manager. If not, you’re probably going to be passed around and lost. Second, note how much or how little the internship coordinator scrutinizes you. Bad internship programs just need a warm body in the room to do rote work, so the interview tends to be pretty fluffy. Ask the interviewer about how many people applied, how many were offered interviews, and how many the company will hire.

Third, when you tour the office, scan the culture. Do you see a room of jaded, bitter faces? Can you imagine them taking your input and offering insightful critique? Always ask to speak with former interns during the interview process. If the program is legitimate, there will be references ready and eager to speak. You can check Glassdoor, but nothing compares to a conversation with someone who actually did the job.

Our doctoral fellow Kevin adds that it’s important to look at the moral fabric of the company: What does the organization do and why? If you have ethical qualms about the work, the prestige of the job probably won’t counterbalance them.

SHOW WHAT YOU CAN DO, AND BE UPFRONT ABOUT WHAT YOU CAN’T

On day one, ask your manager about the expectations. You need to establish goals, deadlines, and intended outcomes. If there’s not already a system for check-ins and feedback sessions, ask for one. Likewise, if you’re asked to do something you aren’t prepared to do–like code in Python–be honest. If you have the rudimentary skills, go for it and push your comfort zone, but try to avoid getting in over your head.

And for high schoolers, don’t be afraid to bother adults. Robert, one of our high school engineering interns, stresses that it’s actually crucial to ask questions and bug people. Consider how much more time they’re going to spend fixing your mess if they don’t help you succeed!

Finally, as your internship unfolds, keep asking yourself this question that our fellow Sima recommends: If you did this full-time, what would your life look like? Unless you take an internship that challenges you and demands your full commitment, you won’t be able to answer it. Building your career is an experiment, and internships provide the best data you can collect.

Ximena Hartsock, PhD, is the cofounder and president of Phone2Action.

FastCompany.com | July 7, 2018 | BY XIMENA HARTSOCK 5 MINUTE READ

#CareerAdvice : #Internships – So, You Got Your Dream #Internship — Here’s How to Turn It Into a Career… Do you Know, 93% of #CollegeStudents had Jobs after Graduation in 2018? Hmm?

July 6, 2018/in First Sun Blog/by First Sun Team

Summer is finally here, which means we are seeing some fresh new faces around the office: interns. This season is an exciting time for everyone — students learn new skills and make connections, and businesses enjoy fresh perspectives from an eager workforce.

I still remember how excited I was when I started as a marketing intern at UPS. I immediately fell in love with solving problems for customers and learned lessons every day. Today, as Chief Sales and Solutions Officer at UPS, I still have that same love for problem-solving, and the lessons I learned early in my career that helped lead me to where I am today.

Starting a career in today’s business environment can be exciting — and occasionally overwhelming. Disruptive technologies and changing customer demands have forced businesses, and their employees, to adapt quickly.

For those of you just starting out this summer, here’s my advice for making the most out of your internship and potentially turning it into a career:

1. Embrace New Opportunities

In today’s business environment, young professionals must demonstrate that they’re capable of continuously learning and growing. Never be afraid of asking for opportunities that will help broaden your skillset, but be sure to demonstrate that you have handled your assigned workload before doing so.

A few weeks into my internship with UPS, I saw an opportunity to manage people, so I asked my boss if I could help manage the next group of interns. It may have been a bold move, but I had demonstrated that I was capable of handling my workload and was ready. I encourage all of you to think about what would make you a better professional, whether it’s managing people, learning a new tool or helping with a new project — and be proactive by asking for those opportunities while also achieving the goals of your current responsibilities.

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2. Be Adaptable

In addition to developing your skills, show that you are adaptable. That means saying yes to new opportunities, especially when they push you out of your comfort zone. That’s key, because when comes to developing in your career it’s always better to say “yes, and how” than “no, and why.”

Embracing challenges is the best way to expand your skillset. For example, just three years after graduation, a customer asked me to travel to Japan to sell UPS’s services to his management team. I was nervous but determined to succeed. I read everything I could about Japanese business culture, flew over and confidently led the meeting. But despite all that, I didn’t get the sale, which leads me to my next point…

3. Learn From Your Failures

At some point in your career, you will fail (we all do). But you don’t have to despair — just treat every failure as a learning opportunity. This requires you to remain positive even when you’re discouraged.

Dwelling on the failures in your career will surely cause self-destruction. Instead, I encourage you to channel that frustration into determination. I was dejected after my experience in Japan. But instead of dwelling on it, I analyzed the customer’s feedback, modified my proposal, flew back — and gained the business. Robert Kennedy once said: “Only those who dare to fail greatly can ever achieve greatly.” I couldn’t agree more with this statement. Fail. Adapt. Win. Just don’t give up.

4. Know Your Priorities

When you start your first job, you may find that balancing all the priorities in your life is a little tricky. Our devices can keep us connected to work on a 24/7 basis. Work-life balance is still possible, but be realistic about it. At the end of the day, achieving the proper balance is all about managing your time and being present in each moment. So, remember to put your phone down every so often and focus on the present when it matters most.

Careers are ultimately about knowing and living by your priorities. Whether you are single, married or somewhere in between, staying prepared for life-changing career opportunities will keep you flexible — and, frankly, less stressed. Throughout my career, my family and I have moved seven times, including an international move to Europe. These life changes taught me to always anticipate the complex decisions and know the answer before the opportunity arises. This comes from good communication and evaluation ahead of being asked.

So seek out opportunity, be adaptable, learn when you fail and know your priorities. These are just a few ways to gain success in your new job. Internships are a great springboard for starting a career you love — so good luck to everyone starting out this summer!

Kate Gutmann is Chief Sales and Solutions Officer; SVP The UPS Store; UPS Capital – UPS. In this role, she is responsible for global sales, solutions and customer-engagement strategies. Under her direction, UPS sales and solutions professionals are focused on deepening customer relationships by providing high-impact and value-rich solutions, enabling customers to better compete in the global marketplace.

GlassDoor.com | July 5, 2018 | Posted by Kate Gutmann, Chief Sales and Solutions Officer – UPS

#CareerAdvice : #JobInterview – 5 Red Flags #HiringManagers Say Will Earn You a Rejection…With Proper Preparation & Self-Awareness, These are the Right Tools & Information You Need to Show Up Well in Making a Lasting First Impression!

July 5, 2018/in First Sun Blog/by First Sun Team

While one can never predict the outcome of an interview, there are some surefire ways to shoot yourself in the foot and earn yourself a rejection.

These 5 behaviors will send off red flags to hiring managers and likely prevent you from landing your dream job!

1. Not providing concrete answers to interview questions

Hiring managers and recruiters will often reject candidates because they didn’t get clear responses to their questions. If you want to avoid sounding “wishy-washy”, focus on articulating yourself with answers and examples that elude to your past and potential future success.

Try this: While you can’t predict every question that might come up, you can certainly predict a handful of them. Try preparing for these questions using the S.T.A.R. method, and provide answers that focus on the Situation, Task, Action, and Result. This helps you tell a succinct and linear story while giving the hiring manager clear insights and evidence into how you have handled situations in the past.

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2. Not managing emotions

We all have scars that can leave us feeling emotional, whether they be from previous employers, or past life experiences. However, if you can’t keep those feelings under wraps during an interview, you’ll quickly find yourself written off from an opportunity. Keep topics like wrongful termination, horrible bosses, financial struggles, and personal sob stories out of the interview room. You need to articulate how, and why, you are the best-suited candidate for this role, not why the hiring manager should have empathy for you. Remember, never speak poorly about a past employer, no matter how horrible your experience.

Try this: Focus on your success stories rather than your sad stories! If you’re unable to put your emotions aside when meeting with a hiring manager, consider taking a break from interviewing to regroup. Similar to dating, you likely wouldn’t want to jump back into the pool after a bad break up without taking some needed healing time!

3. Can’t articulate why you’re leaving a job

One question you can certainly count on coming up is “Why are you looking to leave your job?”. If you’re unable to provide a reasonable answer, the hiring manager might be suspicious and assume the worst. Additionally, stating that you’re leaving because you want more money, or stating something negative about your team/company will also raise red flags.

Try this: Before heading into an interview, prepare an answer for this question that is both neutral and non-critical. For example, you can say something like this:

You’re looking for new kinds of experiences (if you say this, be ready to talk about what kind of experiences these are, and why you’re not getting them at your current job!)
You’re looking to switch industries ( again, be prepared to say why)
You’re looking to be stretched in new ways
You’ve learned everything you will from the role and you’re looking towards the next steps

4. Can’t explain movements throughout your career

Movement in one’s career is healthy. In fact, “Workers who stay with a company longer than two years are said to get paid 50% less, and job hoppers are believed to have a higher learning curve, be higher performers, and even to be more loyal, because they care about making a good impression in the short amount of time they know they’ll stay with each employer.”, says Vivian Giang. While this may be true, the movements need to make sense. If you’ve made several moves across roles and industries, you need to connect the dots for the hiring manager, otherwise, they will assume you can’t commit or might be flakey.

Try this: Write down all your experiences, and think through the skills you’ve gained. Can you explain how each step and skill has helped you move forward? Tell a cohesive story about your career, and how each experience has inspired and contributed to your long-term goals.

5. Mistaking arrogance for confidence

Displaying arrogance is almost guaranteed to make recruiters perceive you in a negative light. While it is paramount to sell yourself with confidence, you don’t want to come across as cocky, or a “know it all”.

Try this: Actively listen when the hiring manager speaks. Show gratitude for the opportunity, and demonstrate (with humility) how you can add value to the team and organization. Ask questions that express your willingness to learn, be a team player, and contribute without an ego.

One final tip to decreases the likelihood of rejection is to really understand what the company does and show your enthusiasm for their mission statement and company objective. With proper preparation and self-awareness, we can all better equip ourselves with the right tools and information we need to show up well and make a lasting first impression!

The Author: Stacy Pollack is a Learning Specialist with an MA in educational technology. She is passionate about building leadership programs that engage and contribute to the success of her organization. She loves to share her perspective on job hunting, career building, and networking for success. Connect with her onLinkedIn orTwitter.

GlassDoor.com | July 5, 2018

#Leadership : Secrets of the Most #ProductivePeople – How to Check Email on Vacation and Still Enjoy Yourself…Smartphones Often Blur the Line Between Professional & Personal Life, so If you Must Check your #WorkEmail , Follow these Guidelines to Set Some Limits.

July 5, 2018/in First Sun Blog/by First Sun Team

Let’s be real. If you’re going on vacation this summer, you’re probably going to check your email. More than 62% of travelers make it a point to check their work-related email and voice mail, according to a new poll by Travel Leaders Group, a travel agency.

Email is a hard habit to break because we’re attached to technology, says Vicki Salemi, career expert for the job site Monster. “In most jobs, we never shut off, so going on vacation can be particularly challenging because you want to instantly disconnect once you put your ‘out of office’ on, but it’s not that easy for most,” she says. “You may feel like you’re missing out, or that a project will fall behind if you’re not constantly checking emails.”

Smartphones often blur the line between your professional and personal life. You may be making reservation plans on your device and convince yourself that a quick perusal of work email to clean your inbox while you’re away won’t be so bad, Salemi adds. “Next thing you know, an hour has gone by, and you’re completely in the work zone when you should be detaching and relaxing instead,” she says.

If you’re going to check it anyway, it helps to plan how it fits into your vacation, and to set limits.

PREPARE

A week before you leave, let colleagues and clients know you’ll be gone, giving them time to get information from you before you leave. Let key players know how to reach you in case of a true emergency, such as calling or texting immediately, to reduce your worries that you’re missing something urgent, says Elaine Varelas, managing partner of Keystone Partners, a career management firm.

“Make sure your out-of-office reminder is set with a note advising that you are away on holiday and will respond to email after your return,” she says. “And advise colleagues that unless the subject includes ‘please respond’ or ‘urgent,’ you will respond after your vacation.”

Delegate your projects and direct people elsewhere during your absence. Be specific in your out-of-office response, says Salemi. For example, “For billing inquires, contact [fusion_builder_container hundred_percent=”yes” overflow=”visible”][fusion_builder_row][fusion_builder_column type=”1_1″ background_position=”left top” background_color=”” border_size=”” border_color=”” border_style=”solid” spacing=”yes” background_image=”” background_repeat=”no-repeat” padding=”” margin_top=”0px” margin_bottom=”0px” class=”” id=”” animation_type=”” animation_speed=”0.3″ animation_direction=”left” hide_on_mobile=”no” center_content=”no” min_height=”none”][insert colleague’s name here]” or “For technology issues, contact [another colleague’s name here].”

Zapier is a tool that links the apps you use at work, such as Gmail, Asana, and Slack, to automate daily tasks. During vacation use it to automatically push inbound emails into Slack so the team can stay in the loop on external communications while someone is out of the office.

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SET BOUNDARIES WHILE YOU’RE GONE

Check emails in the morning before anyone else is awake, says Varelas. “Do it alone, so others don’t feel overlooked or as if they aren’t your first priority during your planned time off,” she says.

Keep it short, says Salemi. “For example, 15 minutes in the morning and 15 minutes in the evening to only respond to emails that require action,” she says.

You may need an accountability partner, adds Salemi. “Make a pact with one of your travel mates that if they see you on your phone responding to a message that’s work-related—and yes, they can ask for you to hand over your phone to check—you owe them a small amount of money, such as $5 or $10,” she suggests.

Also decide where you’re allowed to check emails. “If you’re on a beach, on a boat, in a museum, don’t check emails, enjoy the moment and your surroundings,” says Salemi. “Only check emails when you shouldn’t be in the moment instead, like in your hotel room, on the balcony, or prior to working out.”

DON’T ENGAGE

Reading email is different than responding to email. “As soon as you engage in any manner, such as forward, reply, or read triggering a message read-return receipt, people will start emailing more, assuming you are online,” says Varelas. “Do not encourage this.”

If you absolutely must respond, do it as efficiently as possible. “And certainly never after any alcohol becomes part of a vacation activity,” says Varelas. “Do not let any negative reaction to work email impact your mood with your vacation pals. They are on vacation, and wish you were, too.”

PREPARE FOR RE-ENTRY

Organize your email as you scan it. Salemi suggest creating folders and move emails within certain categories into their respective folders such as “follow up,” “budgeting” or “the team.” This will help you handle it more efficiently when you return.

Then block out an hour at the top and bottom of your first day back, says Varelas. “Give yourself time to address the email that piled up while you were gone,” she says.

Unplugging from email—even if you just decreased the amount of time you usually spend—can help you enjoy your time away. “One of the most important things to remember is that studies have shown you’ll be more productive after you return from vacation if you’ve truly logged off to the best of your ability,” says Salemi. “Your boss and company will thank you, especially as your morale and creativity will hopefully be boosted after you’ve given yourself the time you needed to literally reboot.”

FastCompany.com | July 3, 2018 | BY STEPHANIE VOZZA 4 MINUTE READ

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Your #Career : #JobInverview – Be Careful about Answering these 5 #JobInterviewQuestions ….These Questions are Designed to Trip you Up.

July 4, 2018/in First Sun Blog/by First Sun Team

Most interview questions are innocuous: They’re meant to evaluate whether you’re right for the job, and whether this company could be the next and best place for you. But some of the questions you’re asked, experts tell us, have a slightly more nefarious purpose: They are meant to trip you up by confusing you, catching you in a fib, or showing you’re unprepared.

But you don’t have to be tripped up by these tricky questions. Here are five that you should look out for during your next interview, and the best ways to answer them, according to experts.

1. WHAT’S YOUR DREAM JOB?

According to Steve Pritchard, human resources manager at Cuuver, this question may seem innocent, but it’s “asked by many hiring managers to deliberately trip up a candidate.” Of course, there is an element of curiosity involved, as the recruiter or manager may want to see if you have a clear career path in mind–but he or she may also be asking to see if you are “firing off applications for any job you see listed,” Pritchard warns. “If the latter is true, it suggests that this candidate may just be desperate for a job, so it’s best to have a defined answer that is relevant to the role you’ve applied for at that company.” He adds, “Having a dream job that has nothing to do with the available position suggests to the interviewer that you might not stick around very long, and that you will just treat this role as a pit stop.”

2. TELL ME ABOUT A TIME YOU SUCCEEDED AT WORK–AND A TIME YOU FAILED

Yes, the interviewer is genuinely interested in your stories of success and your ability to be honest about any failures. But he or she also wants to find out if you came prepared, says Keith R. Sbiral, a certified professional coach with Apochromatik. In other words, he or she is trying to find out if “you contemplated what might be asked during this interview, and if you have gone through the critical review of your own qualifications, successes, and most importantly, your failures,” he explains. “So often applicants are simply are not prepared, or only answer the positive half of the question, and they really miss an opportunity.” Be sure to “start with a clearly defined time you failed,” Sbiral advises. “Explain what you learned from it. Explain how you addressed the issue. And then flip to your positive success story.”

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3. YOU’VE DESCRIBED YOURSELF AS X IN YOUR APPLICATION. EXPLAIN WHY

“Some interviewers really scrutinize candidates down to the smallest word on their CV or application,” Pritchard warns. “If, for example, you said that you are tenacious, then don’t be surprised if you’re asked to give a real-life example in which you demonstrated this characteristic in your career.” The moral of the story? Don’t exaggerate your skill set or invent traits you don’t possess. An interviewer may be looking to catch you in a lie. “If you say that you are a problem solver, then be sure you have at least one instance in your career history where you were able to solve an actual problem,” Pritchard says. “This will show that you haven’t lied–and also that you can walk the walk, not just talk the talk.”

4. WHY ARE YOU LOOKING FOR A NEW JOB?

You can almost guarantee you’ll be asked this question at any job interview. “Whether you’ve already left your last position or are just putting the feelers out for a new job, this question has been a staple in interviews for years,” says Pritchard. “On the surface, this is a very obvious, common question. However, the question can be very damaging to your credibility if you use this as your trigger to bad mouth your current or former employer.” And that, Pritchard says, “is the subliminal reason behind this question: If you launch into a tirade about former jobs, it puts you in a very negative light. It suggests that you have a bad attitude, are not a team player, and could be disruptive.” So no matter what, when you’re asked this question, “You should omit anything that might sound like you’re slating your last position,” Pritchard says. “There is nothing wrong with saying innocent comments like, ‘There’s no real room for progression,’ or, ‘I’m looking for something more challenging or in line with my career path,’ but steer away from the name bashing and personal problems. This means you can answer the interviewer’s question without airing your dirty laundry.”

5. IS THERE ANYTHING THAT WE SHOULD HAVE ASKED YOU BUT WE HAVEN’T?

“This is a question that, in my experience, 75% of people get tripped up on,” warns Sbiral. That may be due, in part, to confusion. “They think the interviewer is asking if you have any questions,” Sbiral says, “but they are not. They are asking you if you have anything else to add.” If you come prepared, this question doesn’t have to trip you up–instead, it can be a chance to shine. “This is a freebie,” says Sbiral, “an opportunity to add something they didn’t cover. I like to hear a well-refined answer as to why I–as a hiring manager–should know that you as the interviewee are the right fit for the position.” In other words, “Worry less about credentials at this point and more about organizational fit,” Sbiral recommends.

This article was originally published on Glassdoor and is reprinted with permission

GlassDoor.com | July 3, 2018 | BY JILLIAN KRAMER—GLASSDOOR 4 MINUTE READ