Entry-level Job Seekers What Employers Want in the Interview -

Entry-level Job Seekers What Employers Want in the Interview -As a recent expert panelist for the newest release in the NY Times Bestselling Knock em Dead Series, I am excited to share some great advice with you from the author himself Martin Yate, CPC.Most recent grads applying for their first jobs dont understand why those jobs actually exist. If you want to get the attention of a hiring manager, you need to think this through from his or her point of view.Keep these following two thoughts in mind and any hiring manager will landsee in you a degree of professional awareness that few of your peers possess.Understand why companies existCompanies exist to make money, as quickly, efficiently, and reliably as possible. Companies make money by selling a product or service. They prosper by becoming better and more efficient at it. When a company saves time, it saves money, and then has more time to make more moneythis is called productivity.If a company can make money without employees, it will do so, because that means more money for the owners. Unfortunately for the owners, a company requires a complex machinery to deliver those products and services that bring in revenue. Every job is a small but important cog in a complex moneymaking machine, and every cog has to mesh with other cogs. The cogs also have to be oiled (salary) and maintained (vacations, benefits). This all costs money payroll and benefits are generally thought to account for by far the largest slice of a companys income. If a company can redesign the machinery to do without that cog (automation) or can find a cheaper cog (outsourcing oversees), of course it is going to do so.Get inside your customers headUnderstand your customers and find out what they want to buy. There are two reasons jobs exist. First, as Ive said, every job is a small but important cog in the corporations complex money-making machine. Second, the company hasnt been able to automate that job out of existence because in your are a of technical expertise, problems arise.Consequently, the company hires someone who has the technical skills to solve these problems when they occur and who knows the territory well enough to predict and prevent many of these problems from arising in the first place. It doesnt matter what your job title is you are always hired to be a problem-solver with a specific area of expertise. It is why your job exists and what you are there to do anticipate, prevent and solve the problems that get in the way of helping your department do its job in contributing to company profitability.Think of all the summer jobs youve held. Whatever the job, it always comes down to anticipating, preventing, and solving problems. This enables the company to make money for the owners as quickly, efficiently, and reliably as possible. School didnt work like this, but the professional world does anticiapate, prevent and solve problems for your manager and everyone comes out ahead.Critical thinking, or problem solving, is one of a set of specific transferable skills and professional values that help successful professionals execute their responsibilities well, whatever their profession or challenge facing them. When that hiring manager is looking to hire someone, her goal will be to find a candidate who understands why the job exists, the problems it exists to solve and how the part in that job helps contribute to the bottom line. Your technical skills may help get you an interview, but if you want to set off light bulbs in the interviewers head and get that offer, you must show that, unlike your peers, you understand the small but important role your job plays in helping the company profitability.For more insights on how to outperform the competition at a job interview, check outKnock Em Dead Secrets Strategies For First-Time Job Seekers.For more advice for emerging professionals,check outKnock Em Dead Secrets StrategiesFor First Time Job Seekersavailable onAmazon

The Real Reason I Quit My Freelancing Career After Taking 9 Years to Build It

The Real Reason I Quit My Freelancing Career After Taking 9 Years to Build It Work-life balance has always been a top priority for me. Throughout my career, Ive struggled to maintain a sense of independence while working for more traditionally corporate employers, leaving me to make somewhat unconventional requests along the way. Whether it welches advocating for remote workdays in an office where that was unheard of, making the case for a 32-hour workweek, or shifting my schedule to better accommodate my natural energy peaks and lows, Ive never been shy about speaking up for what I wanted in this area. And yet, no matter how flexible my employers were with me, I still felt restless and constrained.In 2011, I launched a part-time, freelance side hustle as a writer and editor. A few years in, I began to wonder if I could use this freelance work to break out of location-dependent work entirely. I knew Id be in good company According to Forbes, 50% of the workforce will soon be remote, and this flexibility only increases employee engagement and motivation.I had dreams of traveling the world and not having to answer to anyone but myself.It took me nine years to actually make the move, however. In 2018, I was leaving New Orleans to start life anew on the West Coast and I decided to take the leap in both location and lifestyle and become a full-time freelancer. I couldnt wait to grow my business to a point where I could travel non-stop and make the world my office.Within the first six months of funneling all of my energy into attracting clients, I was in a distribution policy where I could completely sustain myself financially. I could officially afford to do what Id always dreamed of I could fly to Italy and work there as I explored the Amalfi coast. I could take a quick mid-week trip to anywhere in the country and not even have to take time off. I could do whatever I wanted.But then, reality set in. The truth is, I didnt feel as excited as Id imagined I would. I was surprised at how, well, exhausted I felt at this time in my life. Perhaps not surprisingly (given that Im a perfectionist who tends to be quite hard on myself), I felt like I had to be working all of the time. I felt pressured to respond to clients right away to prove my worth, and I had a hard time setting boundaries. I missed having a sense of structure that wasnt totally self-imposed and the ability to turn work off without feeling guilty.Lets be honest The digital nomad influencers make their lifestyle look full of ease, fun and style. I felt ridiculous for not feeling as they seemed to.I was painfully lonely, working alone day in and day out. Im an introvert and whereas in the past, work provided some sort of social interaction and traveling alone was a welcome reprieve, now I felt alone all of the time and, for me, that diminished the shine of being a digital nomad. I missed being part of a community, whether it was personal or professional. I felt faceless, without an ide ntity.I did take several solo trips during this period of freelancing, and I enjoyed the novelty of, say, reading on the shores of Lake Tahoe beaches or roaming my old stomping grounds in New Orleans while everyone else was at work. This didnt offset my overarching longing for some sort of community and structure, though.During this time, I thought a lot about how I was feeling and how to fix it. I tried co-working spaces (verdict too expensive) and meet-up events (somewhat rewarding, but draining for an introvert), as well as therapy to address my perfectionism and burnout (still working on that). I was confused I knew Id been unhappy in a traditional work environment, but now I also felt unhappy defining everything on my own terms and being completely responsible for my own success.The question remained Was there a balance somewhere in between where Id been and where I was now?Turns out, there is a happy middle and Im lucky to be living there (for now).A little over a year after I dove into freelancing full time, I was unexpectedly offered a salaried role with a client I was already working with. As part of our agreement, I would still have the freedom to freelance for other clients, and I would only need to be physically on-site twice a week. I could work remotely the rest of the week and on an as-desired fundament while traveling essentially making this my dream scenario.I now have a team that I interface with in-person a couple of times a week. I get to enjoy the benefits and stability of a creative full-time job, while still having the freedom and flexibility thats always been so important to me. To be honest, Im still grappling with burnout because my workload has only grown, but I do feel much better overall.I know there are many people out there who are completely satisfied working as freelancers or digital nomads, and I think the important thing is to find what works best for you. Prior to accepting this job, I wasnt sure that a job could actually c heck all of my boxes, but my story is proof that theres hope youll find your perfect medium.--Nikki Carter is a writer-editor-strategist currently based in San Diego, where she writes about sobriety, personal growth, tech, productivity, and more. Nikki is passionate about freedom, telling the truth, and supporting other women/non-binary folks of color. Follow her on Instagram nikitanola.

The Secrets of Resume with No Experience Revealed

The Secrets of Resume with No Experience Revealed Resume with No Experience - What Is It? Make sure that the skills are related to the job which you desire. Writing a resume geared towards the work experience may be an effective method to get work. Fortunately, you may make a resume that highlights your skills even for those who have zero work experience. From the example above, you will observe that there are plenty of skills listed. You dont need to incorporate every job which youve held, especially when you have many years of expertise or have worked in unrelated fields. Dont list each technology you used on each and every job. Therefore, when you sit down to compose your first resume, attempt to consider your prior jobs in a new light. For instance, if youre asking for a job as an administrative assistant, you dont will need to discuss the way your role for a babysitter helped improve your childcare skills, but you might share the way the experience helped you cultivate t ime management abilities and the capacity to juggle several tasks simultaneously. Adhere to the tips above, and youll have a resume that compensates for the absence of expertise and gets you the interview. You can receive some information regarding the job from the announcement about the opening, but you desire to understand much more about it. So long as youre able to emphasize and highlight the skills you know can give rise to the businesss well-being, youre sure to acquire short-listed and be invited for an interview. Take into consideration the info you gathered from those who have completed the job and other sources. The One Thing to Do for Resume with No Experience While the functional resume format may be an attractive choice for job seekers with very little experience, most employers would rather have a chronological or kreuzung resume format. Whenever you have so little time to create the perfect impression, how you format the contents of your resume is equally as v ital as what information you decide to include. Once youve reviewed resumes in your field, peruse resumes across fields to learn how to vary using action verbs and receive a feel for what makes a highly effective accomplishment statement. Utilize your judgment, and as always, you need to always prepare several resumes for many kinds of companies. All you have to do is follow some basic actions. In case the work search is getting you down, take a rest. Everyone that has a work right now has, sooner or later, had a very first job. Bear in mind that your resume is the very first step to a prospective job so its very important in order for it to be perfect in every manner.

New report says employee loyalty is plummeting

New report says employee loyalty is plummetingNew report says employee loyalty is plummetingEverybody knows that employees could leave their jobs for a better offer at any time, but its assumed that offer better be good, instead of escaping your organization for a paltry raise. That only happens when employee loyalty is down and weak culture is to blame, says a report byemployee experience platform TINYpulse. One glaring finding from their new report was that43% of workers might leave their job for a 10% raise. (The previous year TINYpulse asked that question, only 25% of workers said theyd consider leaving).Follow Ladders on FlipboardFollow Ladders magazines on Flipboard covering Happiness, Productivity, Job Satisfaction, Neuroscience, and moreThe 2019 Employee Engagement Report polled 25,000 employees across 20 industries spread out across North America, Europe, Asia, and Australia.But it wasnt just the 10% raise that factored into employees leaving. There were other intangibles, like workplace culture, that were important parts of the equation of weakening loyalty.Work culture really mattersOne employee said that besides the 10% raise, It would depend if the other company had a strong culture and good benefits, such as work from home, casual Fridays, or a more flexible schedule, I would leave. Another employee cited must-haves such as sense of team, and quality of work/life balance to be more than a 10% raise, another said they had taken a $10k cut in pay to work at a place that provided the the intangible most important to them environment and culture.In short, culture, environment, and balance matter more than ever, and employees are willing to leave jobs for a very small bump in pay or even take a pay cut to find it.Creating or stimulating a company culture isnt just a matter of throwing together some free snacks and a ping-pong table those are perks, not culture. Culture isnt what you do, but how you do it and live your mission eight hours a day.You might also enjoyNew neuroscience reveals 4 rituals that will make you happyStrangers know your social class in the first seven words you say, study finds10 lessons from Benjamin Franklins daily schedule that will double your productivityThe worst mistakes you can make in an interview, according to 12 CEOs10 habits of mentally strong people

Skip that latte! and other financial advice we hate

Skip that latte and other financial advice we hateSkip that latte and other financial advice we hateThe world is full of terrible financial advice. Some of it is worse than others, but a certain percentage is just cringe-inducingly badeanstalt.Heres a roundup of the financial advice we most love to hate.Skip the latteSure, if you really need to save money, it can be helpful to do an audit of what you spend, find the little everyday luxuries you dont need, and stop spending money on them. But in general, this is bad advice.Why? Its a lot of effort for a small reward. (As illustrated in the video above.)A tall Caffe Latte at Starbucks costs $2.95. Lets say you buy one every day for a month thats $88.50 per month. It wont kill you to have an extra $88.50 in your pocket, but think of the effort it takes.Every time you pass that Starbucks, youre going to have latte cravings. Youll have to wrestle with yourself- and sometimes youll lose. You wind up saving less than that $88.50 per month, and feeling bad about it.There are better ways to save.Buy a house the market is hotA lot of people took this advice just before the housing market crashed - and it took them years to dig themselves out.Buying a house is a great thing for some people. And some get lucky and sell for much more than they bought for. But thinking of your home as an investment is a bad idea. No one can predict what the market will do, and life circumstances may push you to move before youve recouped your investment.Bottom line? Buy a house when youre financially ready. And dont assume youll make money on it. You may, but its quite possible you wont - so plan accordingly.Put a years worth of money in your bank account before you(fill in the blank)Whatever you most want to do - start a business, move cross-country, have a baby - there will be people telling you not to do it until you have a years salary saved. This is dumb.Should you have some savings? Yes, definitely. Is it realistic to build up a years worth within a reasonable timeframe? For most of us, no. This advice could leave you waiting years or even decades before you pull the trigger on your dream.Whatever it is you want to do, people have done it without a years worth of savings. Do the research. Talk to those whove managed it successfully. Take stock of your finances and see how much you really can save within a timeframe that works for you.But dont put your dreams on hold for a savings goal you may never meet.Not sure what to do with your life? Go to klasse schoolIf you just graduated college and still feel aimless, it can be tempting to go back into academia - an environment youre familiar with, and one that gave you purpose.But a Masters degree can be ruinously expensive - adding tens or hundreds of thousands to your student loan debt - and having one doesnt guarantee a high-paying job.If you know exactly what you want to do and you need a Masters or Ph.D. to do it, then go to grad school. But if youre just flailing, there are plenty of ways to flail without adding thousands to your student loan debt.Financial advice that really works? Refinance your student loan to a lower interest rateSome lenders offer as little as 2.5% interest when yourefinanceyour student loan. Keep in mind that even a Perkins loan will run you 5% interest these days.Refinancing is good financial advice because its low-effort, high-reward. Refinancing takes about 20 minutes in most cases, and you can save hundreds per month and thousands over the life of your loan.Theaverage amount most people who refinance save is $253 a month, or $16,183 over the life of their loan.It works, and, maybe even more importantly, itfeelslike it works.This article first appeared on Comet Financial.

7 Ways You Can Control Your Job Search Progress

7 Ways You Can Control Your Job Search Progress7 Ways You Can Control Your Job Search ProgressSearching for a job is a lonely experience. If you have come to the decision that you want to leave your current employer and search for a new position, you need to be very circumspect about the whole process, lest the wrong people find out at the wrong time. And, if you are unemployed while searching, youll find that no matter how much you are networking and interacting with friends and even your family, you are ultimately on your own. Your family and friends, no doubt, want to be supportive and help. However, sometimes they arent in a position to know how best to do that. Add another layer to the sense of isolation that you may experience. You have a choice to make. On one hand, you can allow yourself to flounder, perhaps making sporadic progress. And you can blame others for not putting opportunities in front of you while you passively wait for just the right thing to come along. Not recommended Alternatively, you can take control and act as the CEO of your own job search business enterprise. As with any great leader, youll need to determine and articulate a vision of your professional future. Youll need to figure out how to operationalize and ultimately execute that plan in order to transform your vision into reality. When you approach your search from this perspective, you can empower yourself to move forward in a positive fashion. Here are some questions youll need to answer in order to be successful1. What are your key strengths, specific skills and identifiable achievements up to this point in your career? What role do they prepare you to fill with distinction? In what context would a hiring authority value all that you bring to the table?2. What are the key network resources you have to support you in your search? What is the nature of your professional network? How can you make people understand what specifically they can do to help? And what can you do to motivate them to do so? 3. How will you position yourself in the marketplace? How can you create and present a compelling case for people to want to interview you? Is yourrsumaccomplishment-based, or are you simply asking people to guess what youve actually done inyour various positions? Is your LinkedIn profile complete in all regards with a professional picture and your story well presented?4. How will you structure your time? How much time each day or week will you devote to your job hunt, and how will you divide your time between all the tasks of job hunting? How much time will you commit to working on LinkedIn, engaging in personal conversations and so forth?5. What kinds of skills do you need to acquire or enhance to become a better job hunter? Who can help you? It might be that someone in your family or professional circle can help with yourrsum. Or maybe you would be better served bygoing to a professional who has a broader view and more current experience.6. What can you do in the coming day, week and month to keep up to date in your field or to broaden and enhance your skill set? It might be as simple as watching a few online how-to videos or reading professional journal articles. Would perspective employers expect you to have certifications you currently lack, and if so, how can you obtain them?7. What will you do to keep yourself accountable for your own progress? Will you commit to setting specific goals on a measurable timeline and sharing what youve done with your coach, spouse or partner? Perhaps you only need to schedule a time to ask yourself each day or week what you have done recently and what benchmarks youve yet to fulfill. Of course, there are things that will always be outside your control. Yet, when you create a formalized process and hold yourself accountable to it, you are far more likely to identify and maximize the opportunities open to you. Youre also more likely to take on the new role your next employer is dying for you to fill. Happy huntingArnie Fertig, MPA, is passionate about helping hisJobhuntercoachclients advance their careers by transforming frantic Ill apply to anything searches into focused hunts for great fit opportunities. He brings to each client the extensive knowledge he gained when working in HR staffing and managing his boutique recruiting firm.

Customize this Outstanding Legal File Clerk Resume Template

Customize this Outstanding Legal File Clerk Resume TemplateCustomize this Outstanding Legal File Clerk Resume TemplateWriting the File Clerk Resume TemplateCreate Resume In some industries, managing a companys files is a much more complicated task than in others. The file maintenance requirements of the legal industry make it necessary for firms to hire qualified people to manage and administer those files. For your File Clerk resume template to be effective, you need to show off your organizational talents and your understanding of the filing needs of the legal industry.Resume Template for File ClerkHannah TempertonProfessional SummaryDedicated File Clerk that is capable of managing archived and active files with equal efficiency. Proven track record of updating digital and hard copy files as needed, assisting in critical research projects and developing a file organization system that anyone in the firm can understand. Utilizes a strict sense of uniformity to create an efficient f ile maintenance system.Core QualificationsDigital File MaintenanceOffice Process AdministrationFile Management Policy DevelopmentResearch Project SupportActive File ManagementFile Removal Log MaintenanceExperienceFile Clerk, September 2010 June 2015Ashton Hughes New Cityland, CAResponsible for maintaining the file release log for all hard copy filesAssisted the paralegal team in doing critical case researchWorked with the amtsstube administrator to upgrade the digital file management platformReceptionist, June 2004 September 2010Jarosch Attorneys New Cityland, CAResponsible for greeting visitors and maintaining the visitor logAnswered incoming calls and distributed messages accordinglyAssisted in filing archived case filesEducation2004 Associates Degree, Legal StudiesPriam Community College New Cityland, CACustomize Resume