#Leadership : #GoogleBusinessTools -40 Incredibly Useful Things You Didn’t Know #GoogleSearch could Do. Great Read!

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When you think about Google services, apps such as Gmail, Docs, and Photos may be the first things that come to mind. I’d be willing to wager, though, that the Google service you use more than any other is one you rarely think about—because it’s woven so tightly into your life that it doesn’t even feel like a service anymore. It just feels like a utility, something that’s always there—like a faucet for metaphorical water.

Browse through these 40 advanced functions—and get ready to see Search in a whole new light.

USEFUL TOOLS

1. Need an impartial judge to help make a decision? Try typing “random number generator” into Google. That’ll bring up a tool that lets you specify a minimum and maximum number—for however many choices you have, or even representing a specific set of values within a spreadsheet—and then have the Google genie randomly pick a number within that range.

For a more visual (although also more limited) version of the same concept, type “spinner” into Google and then switch the toggle at the top to “Number.” You can then create a wheel with anywhere from two to 20 numbers and click it to spin and land on a random digit.

The Google Search number spinner will land on a random digit, with anywhere from two to 20 options in place.

2. For even simpler decisions, let Google flip a coin or roll a die for you by typing either command into the search box. (Bonus tip: You can also ask Google to spin a dreidel.)

3. Make Google serve as your personal time-keeper by typing “timer” or “stopwatch” into a search box. You can also launch right into a specific timer by typing “20 minute timer” (or whatever amount of time you desire).

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4. You probably know that Google can act as a basic calculator, performing addition, subtraction, and so on—but did you know it can also do all sorts of advanced mathematics? For instance, you can have Google graph complicated equations like “cos(3x)+sin(x), cos(7x)+sin(x)” by entering them directly into the search box. And you can fire up a geometry calculator by searching for a specific query—”area of a circle,” “formula for a triangle perimeter,” or “volume of a cylinder”—and then entering in the values you know.

Google’s geometry calculator can work with a variety of advanced formulas.

5. Google has separate standalone calculators that can figure out tips and monthly mortgage payments, too. Search for “tip calculator” or “mortgage calculator” to give either a whirl.

6. The next time you need to convert between units, try asking Google to do the heavy lifting for you. In addition to  handling currency and practically any measurement system, Google can convert megabytes to gigabytes, Fahrenheit to Celsius, and days into minutes or even seconds. You can explore all the possibilities by typing “unit converter” into the search box and then looking through the dropdown menus that appear—or you can perform most conversions directly by searching for the exact changeover you want (e.g. “14.7 lbs to oz”).

7. Who among us hasn’t come across a sprawling number and stared at it blankly while trying to figure out how to say it aloud? Search for any number followed by “=english”—”53493439531=english,” for example—and Google will spell out your number for you in plain-English words.

8. Designers, take note: Searching for “color picker” will pull up a simple tool that lets you select a color and find its hex code, RGB value, CMYK value, and more—and easily convert from one color code type to another.

The color picker tool is an easy way to find color codes and convert among different code types.

9. You can also see an identifying swatch for a specific color code by typing it into Google in almost any form: “#fcef00,” “rgb(252, 239, 0),” “pantone 444 u,” and so on.

10. Get up-to-date info on any flight, anytime, by typing the airline name or code and flight number directly into Google.

11. Find your current IP address in a snap by typing “IP address” into any Google prompt.

12. Google can measure your internet speed and give you speedy results, regardless of whether you’re on Wi-Fi or mobile data. Just type “speed test” into a search box and then click the “Run Speed Test” button to get started.

13. From your phone, type “bubble level” into Google to load an on-demand level tool and make sure the picture you’re hanging is perfectly straight.

Keep the toolbox in the closet and pull up a bubble level right from Google Search on your phone.

14. Trying to stay on beat? Google “metronome,” and the search site will give you a fully functional metronome with a slider to start any beat-per-minute setting you need.

15. Search or browse through hundreds of old print newspapers at Google’s hidden newspaper archive site. The selection is pretty hit-and-miss, but you just might find what you’re after.

16. Hardly anyone knows it, but Google has a system that allows you to save results from your searches and then organize them into collections. From a browser, it works with images, jobs, and places; after searching for any of those types of items, you’ll see small bookmark icons alongside your results that can be clicked to save the associated entities. If you have an Android phone, you can also save web pages by pulling them up within the Google app and then looking for the bookmark icon in the upper-right corner of the screen. Either way, you can find and sort your saved stuff by going to google.com/collections or looking for the “Collections” option in the Google app on Android (tucked away within the “More” menu).

ADVANCED INFORMATION

17. Find your next job on Google by searching for “jobs near me” or something specific like “programming jobs.” You can then narrow down the search as needed, find direct links to apply to positions, and even turn on email alerts for worthwhile queries.

Google’s job search function pulls in postings from all over the web and presents them in a centralized, easy-to-follow manner.

18. Thinking about going back to school—or maybe enrolling in college for the first time? Google can give you oodles of useful info about any four-year college in the United States. All you have to do is search for the school’s name, and you’ll get an interactive box with facts about its average cost (before and after financial aid for any income level) along with its acceptance rate, typical test scores, rankings, and notable alumni.

19. Get the perfect recipe for any meal by searching for the name of a dish from your mobile device. Google will give you a scrolling list of choices and will even provide one-tap commands for sending any set of instructions to a Google Assistant Smart Display connected to your account. (Bonus tip: You can search for drink recipes in the same way—again, though, only on a mobile device for some reason.)

20. Speaking of eating, you can Google any individual ingredient to find detailed nutritional information about the food. You can also search for specific nutritional queries—things like: “How many calories are in avocados,” “How much fat is in an egg yolk,” or “How much protein is in chickpeas.”

21. Figure out which streaming service has the show or movie you want by searching for “watch” followed by the program’s title. Google will give you a list of places where you can find it—both as part of an active subscription and on an a-la-carte purchasing basis.

22. Craving some variety with your tried-and-true songs? Try searching for an artist name and song title together—like “Michael Jackson Billie Jean,” for instance—and then, in the info box that appears, click the “Other recordings of this song” header. That’ll bring up an interactive list of artists who have covered your favorite tune, complete with videos to watch each alternate version.

23. Fan of the sportsball? Search for the name of a team or league to get real-time game scores and detailed recaps of recent matchups.

LOCATION FIXATION

24. Avoid frustration and check on a restaurant’s average wait time for any day and time before you head out. Just search for the restaurant’s name, then look for the “Popular times” section in the info box that appears. There, you can click a dropdown menu to select any day and then scroll through a timeline to see the typical crowd level and wait length for any given hour.

See how long you’re likely to wait at a restaurant by using Google’s “Popular times” tool.

25. Generate a list of upcoming local events by searching for “events near me” from your mobile device. Once the info box is in front of you, you can jump ahead to other days or tap any event to get additional info. If you’re looking for something specific, you can also search for terms like “concerts near me,” “food festivals near me,” or “conferences near me.”

26. Google has a whole host of ways it can help you figure out the time in any location. Aside from being able to search for “time” followed by the name of a place to see the current time in that area, you can quickly perform time zone conversions by typing in something like “time 2:00 p.m. India”—which would show you what time it’ll be in yourlocation when it’s 2:00 p.m. in India.

27. Get a fast glance at the weather for any city on any day by typing “weather” followed by the city name—and then the day you’re interested in, if it’s anything other than today.

SEARCH SMARTS

28. Trying to reach a site that’s temporarily down or permanently offline? Type “cache:” followed by the site’s address directly into Google. That’ll take you to a recently saved version of the site hosted on Google’s own servers.

29. You can search any site through Google to find whatever you need: Simply type in the term you want followed by “site:” and the URL—”site:fastcompany.com,” for example—and you’ll get a list of results that’s practically guaranteed to be better than whatever the site’s own internal search function would give you.

30. If you’re looking for information from a specific time period, type in the term you want and then click or tap the “Tools” menu at the top of the Google results page. Then you can limit your search results to a particular time—if, say, you wanted to see stories about Apple earnings from January 2018.

31. Google’s image search function has a similarly useful option: After searching for an image, tap “Tools” at the top of the results. You’ll be able to filter your image search to show only results of a particular size or color—or only images that contain a face or were created during a specific period of time.

Filter your image search to find exactly the type of result you need.

32. Save yourself a bunch of clicks or taps and tell Google to show more search results per page—without forcing you to press that pesky “Next” or “More” button. Just hop over to this preferences page and move the slider under “Results per page” as high as you’d like, then be sure to hit the blue “Save” button at the bottom of the screen. Google warns that the higher the number, the slower your searches may be—but realistically, as long as you’re on a reasonably speedy internet connection, you aren’t likely to notice much difference.

33. On that same preferences page, you can instruct Google to open every search result as a new tab by default. If you find yourself opening links in new tabs more often than not, that can be a very welcome change.

GETTING PERSONAL

34. Got a tracking number from the U.S. Postal Service, UPS, or FedEx? Paste the number directly into Google Search. It’ll give you a direct link to the latest update on your package’s delivery.

35. Google Search can dig up info from your own personal data, so long as you use services such as Gmail, Google Calendar, and Google Photos. Try searching for “my trips,” “my flights,” “my appointments,” “my reservations,” “my purchases,” “my bills,” or “my photos.” With some of those, you can get even more specific: “my AT&T bills from 2018,” “my photos from france,” “my photos from February 2016,” and so on. As long as you have matching data in a compatible Google service, you’ll get results right then and there.

Quickly find photos featuring a particular time, place, subject, or event by searching directly in Google Search.

36. You can browse or search through your own past Google searchesand even rediscover results you clicked while signed into your account by visiting myactivity.google.com. Click the “Search” tab at the top to narrow the results down only to Search (as opposed to also seeing your activity from other Google products).

37. Want to erase the past—or maybe just part of it? Hang onto this link. It makes it easy to wipe away your entire Google Search history, should the urge ever arise, or to erase your last hour’s worth of searches for a more limited reset.

JUST FOR FUN

38. The next time you need to calm down and focus, type “breathing exercise” into any Google box. You’ll get a one-minute guided breathing exercise to help recenter your brain.

39. If you need a serious break from productivity, let Google entertain you with a hidden Search game:

  • Search for “Atari Breakout,” then click on the “Images” tab at the top of the screen to test your old-school skills.
  • Search for “Zerg Rush” and fight off the falling O’s before they erase the page.
  • Search for “Google Pacman” and chomp away at those pretty yellow pellets.
  • Search for “Solitaire,” “Minesweeper,” “Tic Tac Toe,” or “Snake” for some good old-fashioned fun.

40. Last but not least, take a trip back in time by searching for “Google in 1998.” That’ll let you look through one of Google’s earliest site designs, from the time of the company’s launch—and make you appreciate just how far things have come.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

 

FastCompany.com | February 25, 2019

#CareerAdvice : #SalaryNegotiation -These are the #SalaryTrends you Need to Know Before your Next Negotiation. A Must REad for All!

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Even as the job market breaks records, wage growth has remained sluggish in the U.S.–and employers don’t seem too anxious to change their penny-pinching ways. Two-thirds of employers reported retention as a top concern in PayScale’s “2019 Compensation Best Practices Report,” up 7% from 2018. But of the 81% that are planning base pay increases, slightly more than two-thirds are estimating an increase of 3% or less.

So if you’re seeking a higher number on your paycheck, it’s likely up to you to make it happen. Before you go into a salary negotiation for a new job or a bump in pay for the position you already have, here is the information you should seek out to make your case.

START WITH SALARY GUIDES

Annual salary guides and compensation reports like those from PayScale, Randstad, Robert Half, and others may give you some insight into general salary trends. You can get a sense of how respondents say they’re budgeting for salary increases, what their main concerns are about compensation, and how they’re thinking about salaries in general.

In addition, sites like Glassdoor and Salary.com can also give insight into specific companies and their compensation practices. And while the general information you find on the internet can be a helpful starting point, take it with a grain of salt, says Lydia Frank, PayScale‘s vice president of content strategy. “It’s a good idea to get your information from a variety of sources,” she says. Self-reported salary information you find online is often inflated, she says.

 

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CONSIDER GEOGRAPHIC DIFFERENCES

PayScale’s research found that, over time, some U.S. metro areas led in compensation growth while others lagged. For example, the PayScale Index for the fourth quarter of 2018 found San Francisco having the largest year-over-year wage growth at 4.9%. Los Angeles, Boston, and New York were tied for 7th place with 2% year-over-year growth. The Nashville metro area came in at No. 32 with -0.7% growth.

If you’re in a growing sector in a high wage-growth city, this could be a promising indicator for compensation negotiations. But when you factor in inflation, wage growth generally isn’t much to write home about. “Mostly we have less spending power in our paychecks, even if it’s a higher number than we did in 2006, because inflation has eaten away some of those increases. I think that’s a nuance that gets missed,” Frank says.

UNDERSTAND YOUR EDGE

Jim Link, chief human resources officer (CHRO) at Randstad, says one thing that stood out to him when reviewing the Randstad “U.S. 2019 Salary Guide,” was the rise in importance of some positions that hadn’t seen much of a base pay increase in the past, especially in manufacturing and logistics sectors. Even assemblers and programmable controllers, where a relatively small degree of technical skill is needed, are seeing average raises in the 5% range.

“To me, that’s a good sign for our economy, but it’s also fascinating to me that it’s taken this long for those positions to really flex their muscle in our economy. It’s about time and a little overdue, in my mind,” he says.

This year, Randstad’s research found more marked salary jumps in some specializations and skill intersections, which may offer a salary negotiation advantage, too. For example, engineering coupled with project management experience and information technology (IT) pros with healthcare experience got bigger pay increases than their counterparts who didn’t specialize, he says.

PRICE YOUR JOB PROPERLY

Frank encourages people who feel like they’ve taken on more responsibility to check in with human resources. Ask to look at the job description that is being used for your current job. If you’re performing additional tasks, especially those that are typically done by someone in a higher-level job, that can be a great negotiating tool.

“Sometimes, HR doesn’t understand how the job has evolved, and the manager doesn’t necessarily know they’re supposed to alert HR to that,” she says. Frank believes most HR departments will be open to this conversation so they can write more accurate job descriptions in the future.

CONSULT THOSE IN THE KNOW

Whether you’re seeking information for your current job or a new one, seek out colleagues who formerly worked for the company or champions within the company who have supervisory responsibilities. They may be able to provide insight into compensation levels or expectations, Link says. More important, they may be able to give you insight into how the company thinks about pay. For example, they may help you see whether the company is more open to investing in benefits or performance-based compensation than base salary increases.

YOUR OWN PERFORMANCE AND VALUE

Of course, be prepared to show the results you’ve generated and the value you’ve contributed, Link says. Whether you’re negotiating for more pay in your current company or proving your worth to a prospective employer, walk in with a list of how you’ve gone above and beyond in your job, the skills you have added, and how you’ve helped make a difference in the company’s performance. “Never forget that the best information you have is about your own performance,” he says. Show that you’re a team member worth adding or retaining, and you may be rewarded with additional compensation.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Gwen Moran writes about business, money and assorted other topics for leading publications and websites. She was named a Small Business Influencer Awards Top 100 Champion in 2015, 2014, and 2012 and is the co-author of The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Business Plans (Alpha, 2010), and several other books

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FastCompany.com | February 25, 2019

#Leadership : #RecruitingTalent -Why #OlderWorkers are the Economy’s Hidden Asset. #AgeDiscrimination is real, and a #JobLoss around age 60 can Force #EarlyRetirement.

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The association of old age with inevitable decline runs deep. To carry on with work–or indeed with anything more demanding than afternoon lectures, a movie, and an early dinner–during the traditional retirement years seems cute at best and depressing at worst.

Economist John Kenneth Galbraith called these common reactions–surprise laced with condescending admiration or misplaced concern–the “Still Syndrome.” It’s the “young” asking questions like, ‘Are you still well?’ ‘Are you still working?’ ‘I see that you are still taking exercise.’ ‘Still having a drink?’ As a compulsive writer, I am subject to my own special assault, ‘I see you are still writing.’ ‘Your writing still seems pretty good to me.’ The most dramatic general expression came from a friend I hadn’t seen for some years: ‘I can hardly believe you’re still alive!’”

No one would think “decline” on meeting Luanne Mullin, age 71. Mullin has assembled a portfolio of activities in recent years, some paying gigs and others volunteer jobs. “Life is full,” she says, laughing. That’s an understatement. Among her jobs with incomes are project manager for a nonprofit organization in Marin County, California, that focuses on older adults and the disabled; her own coaching business and workshops; and acting gigs in the backgrounds of television and movies. Mullin has a portfolio of volunteer ventures, too. She’s a volunteer leader for the mature student organization at the College of Marin, focusing on lifelong learning. She helps produce a local documentary film series. She organizes salons bringing people together to discuss critical topics.

Mullin has plenty of company in her entrepreneurial quest. The demographics of aging ranks as one of the most significant long-term forces shaping the U.S. economy and society, alongside globalization, automation, and climate change. The numbers are striking. The U.S. Census Bureau forecasts that those individuals 65 years and older will account for more than 21 percent of the U.S. population–about 73 million–in 2030. Older Americans are also living longer, on average. Life expectancy for people reaching age 65 now averages 19.4 years. That’s up from 13.9 years in 1950.

OLDER WORKERS ARE STARTING MORE BUSINESSES

Older Americans are showing plenty of zest for life at work and at home. They aren’t doddering life away as antiquated stereotypes, and tasteless jokes suggest. The swelling numbers of Americans age 50 and older and their experiments in rethinking and reimagining the second half of life will have a profound impact on everyday life in America.

“In coming decades, many forces will shape our economy and our society, but in all likelihood, no single factor will have as pervasive an effect as the aging of our population,” said Ben Bernanke in a speech when he was still chair of the Federal Reserve Board. For instance, the future trajectory of housing markets, public transportation networks, and urban design will be shaped by growing numbers of mature adults. The global age-friendly city initiative is encouraging many urban communities to accommodate an aging population. Well-connected transportation networks of public transit, ride-sharing apps, and on-demand vans can ease trips among modern elders to work, the grocery store, restaurants, yoga studios, and medical appointments.

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An impressive body of scholarly research suggests that, given the opportunity, people in the second half of life can be as creative, innovative, and entrepreneurial as their younger peers, if not more so. Experienced adults are experimenting with different ways to stay attached to the economy, including self-employment, entrepreneurship, full-time jobs, part-time work, flexible employment, and encore careers. Here’s one indication of the embrace of work: According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, between 1995 and 2016, the share of men ages 65 to 69 in the labor force rose from 28 percent to 38 percent. The comparable figures for women were 18 percent and 30 percent.

Here’s another critical number with a similar message: The 55-to-64-year-old age cohort accounted for 25.5 percent of new entrepreneurs in 2016, up from 14.8 percent in 1996, according to the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that the unincorporated and incorporated self-employment rate among workers age 65 and older was the highest of any age group. The 65-plus rate of self-employment was more than triple the unincorporated rate and five times the incorporated rate of the 25-to-34-year-old age group. Put it this way: The 50-plus population will start more businesses in the years ahead than any other demographic.

WHAT OLDER WORKERS CAN BRING TO THE WORKFORCE

Here is a big, grassroots idea that is already making its presence felt: Experienced workers and 50-plus entrepreneurs rethinking and reimagining the second half of life. A new era of broad-based prosperity is within our grasp. Older adults are in the vanguard of inclusiveness by breaking down barriers to staying employed. The fight for purpose and a paycheck is a battle for respect and recognition.

“Perhaps the greatest opportunity of the twenty-first century is to envision and create a society that nurtures longer lives not only for the sake of the older generation, but also for the benefit of all age groups–what I call the Third Demographic Dividend,” writes Linda Fried, dean of the Mailman School of Public Health at Columbia University. “To get there requires a collective grand act of imagination to create a vision for the potential of longer lives.” Fried is spot on.

Older adults are already exercising their imagination as productive workers and motivated volunteers and engaged entrepreneurs. They’re battling against age discrimination, taking actions to remove pernicious stereotypes holding down experienced workers. Older Americans represent an enormous market for goods, services, and experiences. Many of those products and services will be built and designed by older adults with a flair for understanding the 50-plus market. The widely touted innovative benefits of employing a diverse workforce include tapping into the insights of older workers.

Several factors are coming together and reinforcing one another, bringing new ideas and different expectations about the second half of life from society’s fringes to the mainstream. Boomers are better educated than previous generations. They’re also healthier, with a sixty-five-year-old today having the same risk of mortality or serious illness as those in their mid-50s a generation ago.

The most under-appreciated aspect of work may well be that it’s a social activity. Colleagues care if you show up. Work offers the possibility of creativity and purpose, a reason to get up in the morning, an opportunity to tap into skills and knowledge developed over the years. Work helps people stay physically fit and mentally active. Social connections are one of the best contributors to meaningful longevity and, for many older adults, the community in which they spend the most time is the workplace. Employers are finally looking at experienced workers with greater appreciation.

A big reason behind the change in employer attitudes is the relatively tight labor market of recent years. Employers continuously complain they can’t find the qualified labor they need. I’ve never found the lament particularly convincing. It seems many experienced workers could do the job, given the chance and perhaps with some training. But executives seemed blind to the opportunity experienced workers offered–until now. Management teams are finally learning they can’t afford to ignore experience.

Age discrimination is real, and a job loss around age 60 can force early retirement. The business cycle hasn’t been tamed, and more recessions lie in our future. The timing of the next downturn is uncertain. But it’s a safe bet that the unemployment rate will climb higher at some point, including for experienced workers in the second half of life.

That said, there is no going back. America has passed a significant inflection point when it comes to experienced workers and mature entrepreneurs creating a more welcoming economy and labor market. Experienced workers are no longer obsolete. They’re a valuable asset–productive and creative–with older entrepreneurs in the vanguard.

This article is adapted from Purpose and a Paycheck: Finding Meaning, Money, and Happiness in the Second Half of Life by Chris Farrell. It is reprinted with permission from HarperCollins Leadership. 

 

FastCompany.com | February 23, 2019 | BY CHRIS FARRELL 6 MINUTE READ

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#CareerAdvice : What You Need to Know About the Future of the #Job Search . A #MustRead for All!

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Searching for a new job and finding the right person for a role is undeniably a task within itself for job seekers and talent acquisition professionals alike.

From writing a compelling resume to nailing an interview and tracking candidates to securing an offer, there’s quite a deal of heavy lifting involved for all parties.

Even more, the advent of new technologies continues to redefine the job search landscape and talent industry. Every day, the ecosystem gradually evolves as candidate and employer demands continue to shift.

The future of the job search is still on the horizon, but a few things are for sure. People can expect trends like artificial intelligence, online personas and mobile applications to continue to transform our world.

AI: Enabling Productivity & Improving Recruiting Relationships

It would be amiss to not acknowledge the emergence of artificial intelligence in the hiring and job search space. Automation is already making waves today with chatbots, screenings, applicant tracking systems and intelligent interviews.

As employers continue to use machine learning to refine their recruitment process to find the perfect candidate, job seekers will have to rise to the challenge of adapting to emerging technologies. Candidates will have to become more comfortable with interacting with machines, from writing bot-friendly resumesto speaking to them throughout the hiring process.

While technology will enable efficiency within the hiring process by freeing up the time to complete mundane tasks, candidates and recruiters can also await more opportunities for face time and meaningful relationships.

“AI will never replace human recruiters in our industry, but it will enable recruiters to spend more ‘human’ time with candidates,” said Denis Edwards, Kforce Chief Information Officer.

Popular Companies Using AI to Interview & Hire You

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Candidates Are Treating the Job Search Like an Online Shopping Experience

Now more than ever, job seekers are treating the job search like a shopping experience, using an average of 16 to 18 sources when looking for a job. They’re doing their due diligence to make informed decisions with prospective employers. Even more so, candidates are increasingly becoming aware of an employer’s brand and reputation.

The job search of the future will continue to see this trend, with job hunters seeking out more content to learn about companies and their open positions. Peer review sites like Glassdoor and social media platforms will be used to gather an insider’s perspective within a company and how employees perceive an organization.

“Companies with a competitive advantage are sharing compelling content (not just posting jobs) that adds value — including why working at their organization is different than working at similar companies, which helps guide a candidate’s decision to apply or accept an offer,” said Allison Kruse, Kforce Director of Content & Social Media.

Online brand awareness and management will be critical for employers and recruiters who wish to attract active and passive candidates. For any organization looking to attract talent, the job seeker’s trust will be the ultimate goal.

On a similar note, branding and online reputation will be equally as important for candidates searching for a job.

Online Professional Branding Will Be King

Gone are the days of requested references validating your professionalism and skill sets being enough for prospective employers. We now live in a digital world where a job seeker’s online presence is just as important as the coveted resume.

There’s a growing desire among employers to experience candidates in 3D — on paper, in person and online. They’re Googling your name and will be for the foreseeable future. Candidates who want to land a job in the future will have to create the digital footprint employers want to see.

Job seekers should optimize their professional brand by showcasing commitment to their work, highlighting professional achievements, curating industry content and more.

“Your professional brand plays a pivotal role in your career. Regardless of if you are currently looking for a new job or not, it is important to strategically design and actively manage your digital persona,” Kruse said.

“Future Proof Jobs” & the Return of Job Security

In recent years, millennials entered the workforce and demanded job flexibility, career paths and stewardship. Currently entering the market is Gen Z — individuals born during the mid-‘90s to the early millennia. This generation now desires job stability in contrast to millennial job hopping.

Emerging workers will likely seek roles that are practical, staple and in high demand across various industries like health care, technology and finance. In turn, employers should prepare to offer training and development opportunities to foster career growth to attract future job seekers.

In fact, 7 out of 10 people say that training and development opportunities influence their decision to stay with a company.

“Managers must ensure that there is an investment strategy aligned to training and development priorities. This can come through resources such as enhanced learning management and enablement tools, data analytics, surveys and more,” said Ashley Ehlinger, Kforce Director of Training and Development.

9 Companies That Offer Incredible Professional Development Programs

The Only Apply Is Mobile Apply

With the onset of the digital age, mobile devices continue to rise in popularity. The trend has created a new phenomenon that’s only expected to grow — applying to jobs on the go.

Nearly 79 percent of millennials use their phones to apply to jobs, with Gen Xers trailing behind at 73 percent and Baby Boomers at 57.2 percent.

Mobile apply jobs allow job seekers to save time by conveniently and quickly applying to jobs within minutes on their highly-accessible smartphones. Free mobile apps like Dropbox and Google Drive are excellent choices for candidates to store their resume to apply on the go easily. Downloading job apps and creating profiles also assists candidates in making the job application process as easy as one click.

Ultimately, the convenience of mobile platforms should encourage employers, recruiters and candidates to think mobile-first and consider how they can use mobile platforms to improve efficiencies in the application and hiring process.

In the future to come, job seekers and hiring professionals can anticipate technology to continue to revolutionize the job hunt and improve productivity. From chatbots to online branding and more, it’ll be up to professionals to take advantage of emerging tools to continue to grow throughout the employment journey and stay ahead of the competition.

 

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#CareerAdvice : #JobSearch – 4 Smart Tactics(and Email Templates) for Sending Emails to #Recruiters . Great Read!

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Connecting with recruiters is one of the best strategies for scoring the interview you need to get the job you want. Yet many job seekers find reaching out intimidating because they don’t know how to email a recruiter.

We’ll show you a few sample emails to help you get past fumbling around for the right words to presenting yourself in a way no recruiter could ignore.

Reasons to Write an Email to a Recruiter

Applying for jobs is easy. (Well, aside from that whole “attach your resume, and now type everything from your resume into this online form” dynamic we all love to hate.) But scoring that plum position — the one lots of strong candidates are competing for — is a challenge. A well-written letter can do a few things to highlight you as an applicant to watch.

  • It shows that you’re proactive. Recruiters want to see that you’re truly interested in a position with their company and not just firing off resumes in hopes of getting a nibble.
  • It demonstrates your written communication skills. The ability to put your thoughts into writing cleanly and clearly is an asset no matter what position you apply for.
  • It sets you apart from the pack. Only the top two percent of candidates are considered for positions, and a well-crafted letter to a recruiter can help you stand out.

There’s another compelling reason to forge connections with recruiters: an estimated 70-80 percent of positions are not posted. If you’re sitting around waiting for a position to appear on the job boards you frequent, you could be missing important opportunities. Being proactive can pay big dividends.

The Dos and Don’ts of Business Email Etiquette

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How to Email a Recruiter

Recruiters want to hear from you. It’s their job to find the perfect candidates for the positions they need to fill, and they’re on the lookout for talent. But recruiters also get a lot of emails, and their time is precious. Make sure your message meets these criteria.

  • It’s respectful. Remember that you’re communicating in a professional capacity. Be friendly (Hi Amy,) but not too casual (Well, hello there, Amy!).
  • It clearly states your intent. What’s the purpose of your email? You need to know what you want the recruiter to do for you (consider your resume, schedule a chat, interview you) and communicate it clearly.
  • It’s brief. Get to the point. You don’t have to include a lot of background information; just say what you need to say.
  • It’s well-written. Edit. (Grammarly can help.) Get rid of filler words and phrases. Avoid email clichés.
  • It’s accurate. Be sure you spell and format the company’s name correctly. Get the recruiter’s name right.

Here’s a tip: Is it okay to contact a recruiter on LinkedIn? Yep. 87 percent of recruiters use LinkedIn regularly, including to connect with potential candidates. Just make sure you avoid these common faux pas when you reach out.

3 Sample Emails to a Recruiter

Make your email message as customized as possible. (Whatever you do, avoid spamming recruiters with a stock copy/paste message. They’re easy to spot and even easier to ignore.) Use these sample emails for inspiration.

Connecting With a Recruiter

Subject: Any content marketing roles at XYZ?

Hi Francois,

I read the Inc. article last week about XYZ Inc.’s rapid growth since landing five million in venture capital last spring. Way to rock that funding! Do you have plans to expand your marketing department?

I’ve had great success as the brand manager for Acme Widgets for the past five years. I’m planning to move into a broader content marketing role that challenges me to grow as a brand storyteller, and XYZ has been on my radar. I’d love to chat with you for 5-10 minutes to introduce myself and learn more about the company’s culture and any upcoming roles you need to fill. Would you have time for a quick phone call on Wednesday?

All the best,

Marla Dixon

5 Email Templates to Use When Asking for a Reference

The Follow-up Email

Subject: Lead copywriting role at Acme – Résumé attached

Hi Emily,

I applied for the lead copywriting role at Acme Widgets last week. I’m impressed by Acme’s crazy fast growth in the widget industry, and I’m excited by the opportunity to be part of a lively team.

I think I’m a great fit for this position because my ten years in the copywriting trenches have made me a whiz at turning out clean, compelling copy. In 2016, I won a Netty Award for Best Copywriting for my work on the ABC123.com website.

I’ve attached my resume so you don’t have to dig through your files to files to find my application. Would you like to schedule a time to chat about the role?

All the best,

Eric Ferguson

Referrals to Recruiters from Friends

Hi Louis,

I had lunch with Eric Ferguson yesterday and he mentioned that ABC123 was planning to hire more writers soon. I graduated from NYU with a bachelor’s degree in English in September, and I’d love to learn more about your writing team and what makes them tick. And, of course, I’d love to talk to you about open roles. Do you have a few minutes for a video chat on Wednesday at around 1 p.m.?

All the best,

Julia Engels

Related Links:

 

GlassDoor.com | February 19, 2019 |  Posted by 

#Leadership : #WorkSmart -How to Stop Being a People Pleaser. Great Three(3) Min Read!

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Do you regularly ignore your own work in response to others’ need for your assistance? Do you say “yes” to meetings that do more to fulfill someone else’s agenda instead of your own? While being a people pleaser may endear you to others in the short term, this behavior can be harmful to your career in the long run.

Clinical psychologist Erika Martinez says this people-pleasing behavior begins in childhood. “Children have an innate drive to please their caregivers because it ensures their needs will be met, and thus, their survival,” says Martinez. As children, we figured out what we needed to do or say to make the grown-ups in our lives happy. While some adults learn to disengage from this behavior, seeming not to care at all about what others think, others continue these people-pleasing behaviors by acquiescing to the needs of others in their lives.

By looking to the outside for validation, people pleasers tend to put aside their own ambitions. Saying “yes” to a request when you’re already over-extended with things on your own plate means you’re valuing someone else’s needs and wants, and leaving your own unattended to. “By pleasing others all the time, you fail to prioritize yourself and the things that are important to you,” says Martinez.

As a result, you may find yourself missing deadlines on your work, feeling overwhelmed constantly, taking on too many responsibilities, and feeling taken for granted or resentful.

Try these four strategies to stop curb your people-pleasing tendencies:

BE SELF-AWARE

Recognize times when you are giving in to other people’s demands of you rather than taking control of your own time, and see if there’s a pattern. Are there certain scenarios or certain individuals where you are more likely to bend over backwards? Recognizing that you have a tendency to engage in people-pleasing behavior is the first step to changing the behavior.

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PRACTICE SAYING NO

People pleasers often struggle to say the word “no.” The fear of not being liked, of losing friends or of disappointing others paralyzes them, making the word “no” seem like a swear word.

To practice saying “no,” Martinez suggests starting with small no’s, ones that don’t have any significant ramifications. Saying no to the cashier when asked if you want to purchase an add-on item, for example. Then start to say medium no’s, such as saying no to a friend who invites you out to coffee when you’re feeling overwhelmed with work or other responsibilities.

Make a list of situations that you struggle saying “no” to and work your way through the list, checking off each situation when you do say “no.”

BE ASSERTIVE, YET COURTEOUS

Often saying “no” comes with feeling the need to offer a long explanation for disappointing the asker. Jonathan Alpert, Manhattan psychotherapist, performance coach, and author of Be Fearless: Change Your Life in 28 Days, suggests providing only a short explanation or none at all, adding that a polite “no” can help people pleasers to be assertive with their decision.

“Saying “I’m sorry I can’t right now but will let you know when and if I can,” is polite, and puts you in a position of power by changing the dynamic,” says Alpert. This approach lets the asker know that they are not the priority right now and gives you the ability and the permission to return at a time convenient to you, to either fulfill the ask, or to tell the asker that you aren’t able to do what they’re asking.

EVALUATE YOUR RELATIONSHIPS

Examine the relationships you have with those you have trouble saying “no” to. Will you saying “no” to your sister mean that she’ll disown you and never come over for dinner again? Will saying “no” to a coworker who wants to pick your brain about something really mean that you won’t be able to have lunch together again? “When you understand the dynamic and your role, you won’t feel as worried about the consequences of saying no. You’ll realize that your relationships can withstand your saying no,” says Alpert.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Lisa Evans is a freelance writer from Toronto who covers topics related to mental and physical health. She strives to help readers make small changes to their daily habits that have a profound and lasting impact on their productivity and overall job satisfaction

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FastCompany.com | February 20, 2019

#CareerAdvice : #WomenCareer – 5 Successful Women Give Advice they Wish they Would Have Taken in Their 20s. Got Daughters? Great Read!

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Our 20s are a time of tremendous career growth and learning. But this doesn’t come without some hurdles and hiccups, even if you ultimately end up as a successful professional or entrepreneur. We spoke to successful women about their own regrets in their 20s.

Everything may happen for a reason, but if they could rewind time and change their approach, they could have fine-tuned their journey to the top. From taking advantage of having no strings attached and seeing the world to raising your hand and asking questions, here is the advice these women business owners wish they would have taken.

“GO TRAVEL AND EXPERIENCE THE WORLD”

In her 20s, Amanda Bradford, founder and CEO of The League, was busy. By the time she reached 29 in 2014, she was building her now uber-successful dating app. To date, The League has a 1.5 million person waitlist across 60 cities domestically and internationally, and has grown 100%  year-over-year since its launch. Now 34, Bradford is happy with the success she’s found and the connections she’s been able to foster, but she wishes she would have taken the advice of her former boss at Google who urged her to go see the world. “Anyone who takes that leap of faith and moves abroad to continue education or work rarely regrets it. For me, global work experience and travel are key contributors to business and personal fulfillment. I wish I had invested more in global exposure during my 20s,” she says.

Launching a company didn’t allow her the time or flexibility to pack a bag and go:

I wish I had traveled and forged my own global experience in my 20s because now it’s just too hard. I’m devoted to The League and its rapid growth. As the app expands into international cities–already in London and Paris–it would be helpful to have firsthand knowledge of each market and a network of people on the ground.

 

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“DON’T BE AFRAID TO ASK QUESTIONS”

In a world that’s ripe with farm-to-table options, Suzanne Simon had a different idea: farm-to-taco. In 2013, she created Chaia Tacos in Washington, D.C., at the White House Farmer’s Market. At the time, First Lady Michelle Obama had launched the “Let’s Move” campaign, and it inspired Simon (and her business partner) to source local vegetables and develop seasonal recipes, honing in on sustainability and healthy eating. Though her 13-year-old daughter was skeptical of squash tacos, they’ve sold more than 1 million to date.

Growing her business, Simon wishes she wouldn’t have been afraid to ask questions. As the oldest child of two younger sisters in a divorced family, her mom worked long hours, leaving her siblings to care for themselves. When she reached adulthood and took her first gig at an environmental consulting firm in Washington, D.C., she felt like she still needed to have all the answers without posing any questions:

I remember worrying about a project, and my sister said, ‘You know, you don’t have to solve every problem and know everything.’ If I had taken her advice at the time, I think I would have been more focused on solutions and would have gone into making mistakes with more confidence. It has taken me many years to learn to let go, accept mistakes, and realize that I can’t control everything. Take advice—and outsource.

Much like not being able to ask questions, the best advice from Ali Grant, founder of Be Social PR, to twentysomethings is to, well, take advice. “I thought I could do it all and knew it all. Turns out, I didn’t. I made a lot of mistakes in leadership and large business decisions that ultimately caused a lot of unnecessary stress,” she continued. Even with early hurdles, now that she’s more than six years into business, her company has grown from barely hitting five figures to a multimillion-dollar business. And in the past year alone, she’s seen 51% growth.

It’s because she’s been able to listen to others’ wisdom and outsource areas she’s not an expert in that she has met and exceeded objectives. She didn’t listen right away, though, to people like her uncle, who encouraged her to hire a payroll company or hire a bookkeeper:

Hiring someone that specializes in bookkeeping is essential. Now, our accounting team is one of the most valuable parts of the business. You can’t know it all, especially at 24 years old. I wish I would have absorbed more advice from a strong mentor and other seasoned business leaders, so I could have avoided the mistakes I made. Change your attitude and you’ll change your income.

After high school, Ronda Jackson was working for a door-to-door sales company selling multipurpose cleaner. Every day, the “car handler,” as she called him, would repeat this mantra: “Change your attitude and you’ll change your income,” as they went from neighborhood to neighborhood. She wasn’t making sales–or having a good day–and didn’t listen. Now, as the founder and chief workplace stylist for Decor Interior Design, Inc., she wishes she would have listened:

I later learned that limiting beliefs inhibits your capacity, ambition, prosperity, relationships, health, quality of life, and ability to make a meaningful impact on the things you care about most. Looking back, it was a brief life lesson not about selling soap, but instead not letting your current circumstances get in the way of who you want to be.

Her outlook definitely changed for the positive, since what once started as a one-woman show has grown into a multimillion-dollar firm that is in the Inc. 5000.

“GIVE YOURSELF SOME GRACE”

When you’re such an overachiever that you decide to audition for American Gladiators on your wedding day, you know you’re the type of person who doesn’t slow down. After six weeks of filming, Ally Davidson became the Grand Champion but had to wait three months to spill the beans. She took that prize money and turned a lifelong dream into a reality, launching the first Camp Gladiator in Dallas. As the cofounder and co-CEO, Davidson’s brainchild is on track to exceed $60 million this year, and has an impressive 950 partner trainers that provide more than 4,000 locations across North Carolina, Louisiana, Tennessee, Texas, Colorado, and Florida. This equates to around 90,000 campers attending Camp Gladiator in any given month.

If it sounds like a fast-paced, bootstrapped business, that’s because it is. Now in her early 30s, Davidson wishes she would taken the advice of her business coach and given herself more of a break instead of pushing full throttle:

When you’re constantly going at 100 mph, you will make mistakes and lose focus along the way. Every year, your priorities will continue to shift, and all of a sudden you don’t have the same time, energy, or focus you once had. But that’s okay. You have to learn to let the little things go, pick a few things to really focus on, and always make sure you have good harmony in your life to give yourself the breaks you deserve.

 

FastCompany.com | February 19, 2019 | BY LINDSAY TIGAR 5 MINUTE READ

#CareerAdvice : #PregnantJobSearch – Here’s What Happened When I Interviewed for a New Job while Heavily Pregnant. Great Read!

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I don’t know how else to start this story except with the punchline: I started interviewing for a senior position at an ad agency while six and a half months pregnant.

I got a job offer at eight months and received a formal contract two weeks after giving birth to my second daughter. I didn’t start my new, big, full-time gig until I’d enjoyed five months off with my delicious baby girl.

I do not share this to boast. I share it because every woman who’s found this out has looked at me, wide-eyed, asked to hear every detail, and then implored me to tell every woman I know.

Because it’s a sadly uncommon tale, right?

Our societal norm looks more like this: a professional woman finds out she’s pregnant and stays in her current position whether she likes it or not. She stays because of maternity leave and health care. Because she fears rejection. Because she feels ill and exhausted and can’t deal.

For many reasons, women’s professional mobility can be largely limited during pregnancy. Pregnancy alone is 10 months, and combine that with any amount of time trying to get pregnant plus the postpartum period, and suddenly two years go by. Given that the average 25 to 34-year-old female stays with a job for only 2.8 years, this period of time with limited job movement is significant. And that’s just for one child.

I did not consciously decide to fight against this current. What initially happened to me was in line with the standard tale. I found myself at three months pregnant ready to make a professional move but realized my timing was lousy. Impossible even. I’d loved my latest experience and coworkers, but felt I’d grown as much as I could within my role and the company at large. I was ready to start looking for my next challenge. But job searching takes time, and I’d be lucky to find an opportunity by the time I was six months pregnant, and who would hire me then?

Like many pregnant women, I internally shrugged my shoulders and accepted my fate. I would stay put, I told myself. Use this time to figure out my next move, take my maternity leave, and start interviewing when I became hirable again (i.e. after the baby was born).

But impatience nagged at me. I started responding to recruiter messages, just out of curiosity. Or so I told myself. These calls often went well, but when I eventually shared that I was pregnant–because I’m honest like that–the script cut to a quick and common finale. “Oh, congrats! You’re like the third woman I’ve spoken with this month who’s pregnant. There must be something in the air. Okay, let’s talk after the baby is born.”

These recruiters were other women. And I wasn’t even offended at the time. All it did was reinforce my own assumption that I was indeed stuck for now. I once again shrugged my shoulders and told myself that it was all for the best. It’d force me to relax, take my time and make a really thoughtful decision about my next move.

As part of this exploration, I reached out to past colleagues I’d always liked and admired, and asked them to reconnect over coffee. After one such meeting, with a man I used to work with but hadn’t connected with in over a decade, I became particularly interested and excited. He was now president of Heat, an ad agency, and I found myself thinking the agency was potentially the fit I’d been looking for. I could tell he was interested in my experience as well. We parted ways by agreeing to reconnect after the baby was born when I was ready to make a move.

 

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In all fairness to him, I had learned to open any and all networking coffees by pointing to the obvious baby bump in my belly and clarifying that I was just using this time to explore my next step. Of course, I wasn’t looking to make a move right now. I certainly contributed to setting my own limitations, but no one I met with encouraged me to consider otherwise.

After this fruitful networking coffee, I came home and excitedly told my husband about it. But I soon found myself expressing disappointment that I couldn’t just jump at the opportunity now. I tried to shrug my shoulders yet again, but my disappointment quickly shifted into annoyance. This sucks. My husband wouldn’t have to wait for months to pursue an opportunity because we’re having a baby. Why should I?

It’s at this moment my story takes an uncommon turn.

Instead of quieting that voice, I decided to challenge the status quo for acceptable pregnant lady behavior. I did something the next day that everyone in my life thought was crazy, including me. I reached back out to the man I’d had coffee with to say, “I’m actually ready to talk seriously now if you are.”

This was a scary thing to do. It opened me up to being judged or rejected by someone whom I wanted to maintain a good rapport. Exhibiting professional ambition while also being thrilled to have a child on the way can be a really delicate tightrope for women to walk. Pregnancy is a giant visual reminder of the dichotomy between work and family, stamped across a woman’s body. I knew full well that I wasn’t as desirable as a candidate at that moment as I’d typically be. I was terrified to send that email.

The moment I pressed send, I knew I’d feel better about the outcome than if I’d just kept quiet, no matter what his response was. If he said, “Awesome, let’s have you meet some people,” I’d feel confident pursuing the opportunity completely as myself, baby and all. If he said, “Nah, we’re not interested in talking to you until this baby thing is over and done with,” I’d learn upfront they weren’t likely people I’d want to work with as a new mom anyway.

His response was immediate and positive. He set me up to interview with my current boss at Heat, with whom I had another interesting and exciting conversation. He then moved me forward to meet with more people, all of whom didn’t blink that I was pregnant. It was amazing.

This isn’t to say it was a breeze interviewing while six, seven, and eight months pregnant. I felt exposed and insecure in such a maternal state. My interview shtick had a look to it, and that absolutely did not include a giant basketball in my stomach or waddling into conference rooms. Pregnancy didn’t allow me to don my typical armor, one that most of us wear in some form or another.

Again though, what initially felt terrifyingly vulnerable took a positive turn. It was the first time I’d ever come from a place of, “Take me or leave me as I am,” in a professional setting. There was no hiding the fact that I’d come with some baggage. That I’d have other priorities outside of work. That they’d be hiring a mom of little ones and all the inconveniences that can bring.

It ended up being the most empowering experience of my professional life to date. Interviewing while pregnant challenged me to lower my guard and be fully myself from Day One. As a woman in advertising, I had learned to brand myself according to what’s appealing to my industry–as most women in most industries do. Motherhood is definitely not included in that picture. Not having had any working moms to look to as examples in my early career was part of what drove me away from the industry. Most of the ad-women I worked with left after having children because they too felt they didn’t have a place in it, for a multitude of reasons. If I was going to come back to an agency after years of applying my skills elsewhere, doing so while enormously pregnant seemed almost absurd. It forced me to put forward the very thing I was most insecure about in this field: my femininity.

Funny how life works sometimes.

At eight months pregnant, after a process that was nothing but positive, I received a formal job offer for a position I hadn’t dreamed of pursuing months prior.

What about maternity leave? Given my unique timing and the fact that I didn’t receive a contract and negotiate final details until after my baby was born, I couldn’t take advantage of my new employer’s maternity leave. Instead, I took the three and a half months of maternity leave I received from my former employer and the state of California.

My new employer initially hoped I’d start after three months off with the baby, but I told them I’d be a better employee if I could start after five months. They supported this request. And the six weeks of unpaid leave I was planning to take all along was essentially paid for with the salary increase I received.

I realize I was very fortunate. Not every woman has any maternity leave to begin with, nor is every new employer so inclined to be flexible with family leave time. However, I believe this is all the more reason for women to be their own best advocates during this time of life.

What about starting a new job with a new baby? I won’t lie: it wasn’t easy. It brought up a whole new set of vulnerabilities. I can see why some women choose to stick with something comfortable and known during that phase of life. Most of my new co-workers didn’t know I had a tiny baby and a four-year-old at home, and it’s not exactly something you bring up in early conversations. Because they also didn’t yet know me or my work, I worried about coming off as less sharp than I’d normally be.

Between having to pump twice a day, kids getting sick, me getting sick, and juggling the life logistics of a dual-working home in a big city with little children whom I insist upon seeing every morning and night when not traveling, I literally couldn’t give 100% of myself to the new gig. Nine months into the job, I still can’t. But again, this forced me to be true to myself and my life values more than I’d ever been at work before. I had to establish stronger boundaries around my time and was then able to learn that my work and reputation didn’t suffer by doing so.

I also felt an immediate sense of respect and loyalty to my new organization. It says a lot about an organization and its leadership when they extend a senior position to a woman at that late stage of pregnancy and then happily wait a half year for her to start. This illustrated a level of value for women and moms and was a great indication of Heat’s culture and values. Not surprisingly, this agency is the best organization I’ve ever worked for when it comes to caring for its employees and actively pursuing excellence in diversity and inclusion in the workplace.

For anyone inspired by my fortunate tale, I’ll end this story with a bit of advice as anyone who experiences good luck suddenly feels qualified to do.

Companies, consider the motivation, loyalty, and progress you can cultivate by pursuing women who are pregnant. Be open to working with them to get creative about maternity leave options, signing bonuses, access to health care or other workarounds. I know this is particularly challenging for small businesses or smaller teams, but hiring the right person is also valuable in the long run.

Recruiters, don’t assume pregnancy is a pause button for women or companies. You could be hurting both parties by doing so. If women say they aren’t interested in making a move because of pregnancy, politely ask if that’s actually true or if they’re just assuming the company won’t want them. Be a champion for your female clients during this phase of their lives.

Women, dare to actively pursue professional growth while pregnant. If you feel the pull to do so, that is. We can work to unstick ourselves. You never know what kinds of opportunities might arise, and how you might be able to make them fit within your pregnancy, maternity leave, and future family lives.

Author: At work, Jen Watts Welsh is a Group Strategy Director with Heat. At home, she is the head of strategy for two tiny girl bosses. At play, she avoids all things strategic and can be found in child’s pose or drinking strong coffee.

 

FastCompany.com | February 19, 2019

#Leadership : #WorkPlace -The Quest for #AffordableChildcare is Crippling U.S. Workers… A Great REad for ALL!

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Before Sheila Lirio Marcelo launched Care.com in 2006, before she led it through a successful IPO (with a $554 million valuation) in 2014, and before the CEO and chairwoman steered the marketplace for finding and managing family care through 12 consecutive quarters of profitable growth amassing more than 30.8 million members in over 20 countries, she didn’t feel like she could tell her employer she was a mother.

“I hid the fact that I was a mom because I was judging myself,” Lirio Marcelo recalls, “because I was thinking that other people would perceive me as not a great performer because I had children at home.” Although this happened nearly 20 years ago, Lirio Marcelo’s fears continue to be commonplace among the workforce. According to findings from a survey by Harvard Business School, very few employees are willing to admit to their organizations that they are caregivers for fear that it will undermine their career prospects.

Instead of putting her head down and hoping no one would ever ask, Lirio Marcelo used this experience to develop herself as a leader. By questioning the lines she was drawing around professionalism and how family and motherhood played into that, she asked herself: “Is that how I think of other people? Is that the right way to think about it?” Lirio Marcelo realized that if she was doing that to herself, she was likely going to treat her employees the same way. She concluded it wasn’t a healthy way to have work-life balance and left that job shortly thereafter. “I quickly realized I couldn’t bring my whole self to work,” Lirio Marcelo says. “It wasn’t a good cultural fit.”

But that got her thinking about caregiving more broadly as she worked her way through other jobs before accepting a position as an entrepreneur-in-residence at Matrix Partners where she refined a business plan for Care.com.

Despite her earlier conflicted thoughts on motherhood and career, to hear Lirio Marcelo tell it, being a female founder who would eventually take the helm of a large public company wasn’t all that strange. As a Filipino-American, Lirio Marcelo was steeped in a matriarchal culture where there was no shortage of female role models in corporate and government realms.

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“My mother is incredibly assertive–sometimes borderline aggressive–but on a very positive note,” says Lirio Marcelo with a laugh. Yet she describes her father as a “teddy bear” who was nurturing to her and her siblings. “There weren’t stereotypes of gender for me around leadership,” she explains. “And there was never a question in my mind whether to pursue a career, be the breadwinner, or support my family, it’s part of our matriarchal culture.”

But the fact that she founded a marketplace for caregivers was also steeped in Filipino culture. The country is a world leader in exporting caregiving labor, she points out. And not long after the business was established, Lirio Marcelo remembers that her mother took her aside and said, “It is really interesting that you pursued this, because this is who we are.” As a self-professed global citizen, Lirio Marcelo maintains that her upbringing teaches that a more nurturing and caring culture can make a meaningful difference in all peoples’ lives. “This is something I can add to the mission and leadership of the company,” she says.

CHALLENGING THE PERCEPTIONS OF THE CARE ECONOMY

It’s something she’s held onto throughout the vicissitudes of growth, particularly just before the IPO. About six months before going public, Lirio Marcelo recalls that an analyst sat her down and said it was going to be tough. The challenge was not only that a majority of analysts didn’t know what Care.com was about, but also because it was seen as a female-focused business. The analyst’s advice was to just concentrate on producing eight quarters of profitable growth. “I guess it managed my expectations as we went on the journey,” Lirio Marcelo admits.

That single-minded focus would serve her well as the stock price dipped sharply between 2015 and 2016. Lirio Marcelo says that the IPO market shifted during that time, and the “flavor of the month” were companies that could produce profits faster. Lirio Marcelo recalls knowing that it might take years to get there.

“I kept reminding myself of how difficult it was being a young mom, 20 years old and an undergrad, juggling,” she muses. Although she understood that a $5 stock was a challenge, Lirio Marcelo contends she faced larger ones throughout her life. She had faith that if she continued to focus and run the business with clarity and transparency, she could turn things around. “It was a multiyear [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”][process],” she says, “that required a sense of resilience and stress management.”

The bigger issue was that Care.com was still considered a niche business, even though, as Lirio Marcelo observes, caregiving affects everyone–people must take care of children, elders, and pets, not to mention their homes. The problem, as she notes, is that unconscious and conscious biases persist. “Care represents love and is often associated with the female world, and because of that it is considered a soft issue and must not be an economic driver–when the reality is, it is,” says Lirio Marcelo.

THE LIFE-CHANGING IMPACT OF CAREGIVING

She describes the arc of life in terms of caregiving, starting with the importance of brain development in children from infant to age 4. Research has proven that children are more competitive and have better life outcomes if they are taught a certain number of words earlier. Obviously caregivers can play a very important role in this development. The problem, as she sees it, is that we in the U.S. have a weak infrastructure for care. Not only do most employers fail to provide enough paid leave, but many don’t support their employees to hire caregivers. It’s not just about money–it’s about providing an environment where workers aren’t penalized if they have to care for a child or an elder themselves. The perception that they are somehow less than professional if they have to care for a loved one is why they–as Lirio Marcelo did once upon a time–hide the fact that they are responsible for others’ care.

Women primarily step off their career tracks when faced with the cost of caregiving–something that doesn’t get counted in the GDP. Feminist economists argue that a male-centric study of the GDP is inaccurate, as it leaves out the paid and unpaid contributions of women. But those models persist.

Then there’s the end-of-life care, which is rapidly rising as baby boomers age. Many would prefer to age in place, but again, they need to be cared for in order to remain safe and not resort to emergency care, which Lirio Marcelo says is a key driver of the U.S. budget deficit.

A 2016 report from the National Survey of Children’s Health revealed that 2 million working parents had to quit their jobs that year because of childcare issues. And 1 in 5 U.S. workers reports they are currently providing assistance for older relatives and friends, according to a report by the AARP Public Policy Institute. A majority (70%) of those took time off or had to make other work arrangements to handle care.

THE ECONOMIC IMPERATIVE OF CAREGIVING

“There’s a whole litany of things missing in our care infrastructure,” says Lirio Marcelo. But the bottom line is a codependency conundrum. “You need to work to pay for great care, and you need great care to work,” she explains, and this affects everyone, regardless of gender. From the start of life with brain development, to end-of-life care, she underscores, “Our care infrastructure drives our economy, and my job is to raise awareness of this ‘soft issue’ that’s not soft at all. It’s an economic imperative.”

The challenge for Lirio Marcelo as she leads Care.com forward is to come up with innovative and cost-effective solutions for care. She points out how they created a way for families employing caregivers to set up funds with extra money so they can use them to buy groceries and gas. And she notes that Starbucks is now offering their more than 180,000 U.S. employees a benefit that could be a huge boon. In partnership with Care.com they are offering an online service called Care@Work, and will receive 10 subsidized backup care days a year for kids and adults.

We still have a long way to go. Harvard Business School’s Joseph B. Fuller and Manjari Raman who authored the aforementioned study say that “American companies are facing a caregiving crisis–they just refuse to acknowledge it.” They insist that the impact of caregiving (or lack thereof) on companies and the economy should be measured. Lirio Marcelo believes there has to be public-private partnerships, because bean counting and government funding can’t do it all. It’s going to take a village, she says, “not just to raise a child but to support families.”

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Lydia Dishman is a reporter writing about the intersection of tech, leadership, and innovation. She is a regular contributor to Fast Company and has written for CBS Moneywatch, Fortune, The Guardian, Popular Science, and the New York Times, among others.

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FastCompany.com | February 18, 2019

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#CareerAdvice : #JobSearch -These 8 Mistakes on your #LinkedInProfile are Killing your Job Search…Must REad!

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The team at digital selling firm Vengreso was ready to hire an instructional designer. They found someone on LinkedIn who seemed perfect for the job, and he likely would have gotten an offer after a cursory interview. But there was just one problem, says co-founder and Chief Visibility Officer Viveka von Rosen: He had no contact information listed.

That was the “final straw” from an already weak profile, says von Rosen, author of LinkedIn Marketing: An Hour a Day. Sure, she could have messaged him through the platform, but they didn’t know how long it would take him to check for messages and the fact that his profile made it more difficult than necessary to contact him was a deal-breaker. The team moved on to look for someone else. “Update your contact information and consider including it in your summary, too,” she says. “Make it easy for them to find you.”

You may have built your LinkedIn profile and network over the course of years–or you may pay little attention to it at all. Either way, your profile may have red flags to recruiters or hiring managers, undermining your job search. But refreshing it doesn’t have to take long. In addition to keeping your contact information up-to-date, here are seven more red flags to keep in mind.

MISTAKE #1: A MISLEADING HEADLINE

The headline next to your photo is one of the most valuable pieces of LinkedIn real estate you have. Use it wisely, says  executive recruiter and career advancement coach Suzanne O’Brien. If you have aspirations of moving up, don’t use your current title in your headline. Instead, opt for something that reflects the job you want without being misleading. “Try using something that encompasses your current role and where you want to go, along with your unique value,” she suggests. For example, “Leadership in Product Management with Mobile and Healthcare Expertise” or “Marketing Professional for High-Growth Companies.”

“For the company that’s looking for someone with that expertise, they’ll know right away that you’re a ‘bull’s-eye’ candidate and they want to speak with you,” she says. Avoid very broad descriptions like “Consultant” or “Tech Explorer with a Systematic Approach.” Also, it’s not the best place for a quote from your favorite author, she says.

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MISTAKE #2: INCOMPLETE DEGREE INFORMATION

Another issue that can get you easily dismissed is incomplete degree information, says Debra Boggs, LinkedIn profile strategist and co-founder of D&S Professional Coaching, a career coaching firm in Scarborough, Maine. “Clients will be really vague about the type of degree they got,” she says. Instead of specifying that they have a bachelors or master’s degree they’ll say they studied biology, for example. “That’s a big red flag to recruiters that they don’t actually have a degree,” she says, which can be a deal-breaker to some prospective employers.

MISTAKE #3: IMPRECISE INDUSTRY

“From the recruiter’s lens, when we’re scouring LinkedIn for prospective candidates, we use filters,” O’Brien says. If you haven’t updated your industry information, recruiters may not see you as appropriate for the job or may think that you lack attention to detail. “If you were in biotech and now you’re in tech, and a recruiter’s looking for someone in tech, so they might not see you,” she says.

MISTAKE #4: RESUME MISMATCH

If you do nothing else before your next job hunt, do this: Pull up your resume and compare it side-by-side with your LinkedIn profile, Boggs says. Make sure the dates, positions, and job titles match. When resumes and LinkedIn profiles aren’t aligned, recruiters don’t know what to believe, she adds.

MISTAKE #5: INAPPROPRIATE PHOTO

You don’t need to shell out big bucks for a professional photo shoot. But don’t use that wedding or vacation photo just because you like the way you look in it, Boggs says. Your photo tells a story about your professionalism. For a quick, budget friendly option, dress appropriately, find a place with decent natural light, and have a friend take your photo, she suggests. (No selfies.)

MISTAKE #6: DESPERATION

Job-hunting is difficult, especially if you’re unemployed or hate your current job. But, the minute that desperation creeps into your job search activities, it’s a turnoff, says von Rosen. While you want to make it clear that you’re looking for a new role, you still need to play a little hard to get. Von Rosen says that including phrases like “will work with anyone” or similarly broad statements can backfire.

“In your summary and in your headline section, position yourself as leader in your industry–a subject matter expert. Someone people trip over to work with or to hire,” she says.

MISTAKE #7: BRANDING YOURSELF WITH YOUR CURRENT JOB

You may be a shining star at your company, but if you’re too closely identified with the brand, hiring managers may be concerned that you’re not interested in new opportunities or that you’ll remind customers of the competition, von Rosen says. When you start thinking about a new job search, put a little distance between you and your current brand. For example, if your LinkedIn background photo is includes your company brand, swap it out for a neutral landscape or sunset photo. Begin producing your own thought leadership instead of only posting your company’s content. Use the platform to present your expertise and show your independence.

Watch out for these common missteps and you’ll eliminate some areas that might cause a recruiter or hiring manager to pass by your profile.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Gwen Moran writes about business, money and assorted other topics for leading publications and websites. She was named a Small Business Influencer Awards Top 100 Champion in 2015, 2014, and 2012 and is the co-author of The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Business Plans (Alpha, 2010), and several other books

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FastCompany.com | February 15, 2019 | BY GWEN MORAN 4 MINUTE READ