Job hunting can be a frustrating odyssey of nos and non-responses, and applying for gigs can feel like screaming into a void. (Are you alive? Are they alive? Is anyone out there?)
Showing posts with label jobs. Show all posts
Showing posts with label jobs. Show all posts
Sunday, October 9, 2016
Sunday, May 3, 2015
Perfect Your Sales Pitch to Convert More Customers
For the budding entrepreneur, the path to success is filled with roadblocks. What might seem like surefire strategies often flame out quickly. The challenge of attracting and keeping customers requires extensive research of your market and attention to detail. There may be false starts along the way, but this seven-step process will help you perfect your sales pitch and seal the deal:
Read more... http://www.thesimpledollar.com/perfect-your-sales-pitch-to-convert-more-customers/
Friday, April 6, 2012
Economic opportunity for women: Where to be female | The Economist
MARKING International Women's Day on March 8th, the Economist Intelligence Unit, The Economist's sister company, has published its second Women's Economic Opportunity Index, assessing the environment for female employees and entrepreneurs across 128 countries. Nearly half the world’s women of working-age are not currently active in the formal labour market. As governments seek to revive ailing economies, welcoming these 1.5 billion women into formal employment will become ever more important. The EIU’s index brings together 29 indicators measuring access to finance, education and training, legal and social status, and the general business environment. The chart below shows how a selection of countries have scored this year and where conditions have improved or declined.
by The Economist Online Mar 8, 2012
Sunday, November 6, 2011
Boost your skills to compete, author says
Now that companies are competing for a small number of recession-scarred consumers, sales professionals need an edge, said best-selling author and syndicated columnist Harvey Mackay.
Mackay shares advice on selling products in a down economy in "The Mackay MBA of Selling in the Real World," which he will sign in Scottsdale on Thursday.
Mackay, who built a multimillion-dollar envelope-making firm, has written five business and motivational books. Top sellers such as "Swim With the Sharks Without Being Eaten Alive" and "Beware the Naked Man Who Offers You His Shirt" have sold over 10,000 copies worldwide. His column is syndicated in about 50 newspapers, including The Arizona Republic. His trademark is to end his syndicated columns and sometimes book chapters with a simple "Mackay's Moral."
"Today's game is to take the business away from somebody else," Mackay said. "That person who is prepared, hopefully the person who reads my book, can take their game to the next level."
That includes melding online tools and social networking with traditional selling techniques, a topic that Mackay covers in his new book.
"In the marketplace today, people, customers, are way more knowledgeable, demanding and sophisticated than ever before," he said. "Selling in this kind of climate is all the more important."
Mackay, a part-time Paradise Valley resident, also counsels sales professionals on to handle rejection and to invest in their own development -- skills that the businessman practices in his own life.
Mackay has hired coaches for many activities, from improving his golf game and to learning Chinese.
"When people ask why I have all these coaches, I say, 'I'm not spending a single penny. I'm investing in myself,'" he said. "Once I try my guts out, I can't worry about anything because I'm just doing the best I can with the best coaching."
The book also touches on how professionals can make a seemingly mundane job more exciting to increase their output and allow them to move up to more interesting positions. Mackay said his envelope business has to combat the perception of dreariness.
"When you hear the word 'envelopes,' you think boring," he said. "But being able to make any product, manufacture it, sell it and create some employment is exciting. There's a lot more excitement in that little envelope than meets the eye."
Mackay's recent book is the culmination of his years of business experience, the author said.
His first job as a paper boy, at age 11, taught him basic business lessons, Mackay recalled. He made sure that he got paid every month and signed as many people as he could up for early payments.
After college, Mackay spent five years working at an envelope company, which stoked his desire to be his own boss. He left to found Minneapolis-based MackayMitchell Envelope Company in 1959 at age 26, a business that now turns out 25million envelopes per day.
Several decades later, the business generates $100million in sales each year and employs 500 people at its various offices. Mackay is chairman of the board and remains active in the company.
The advice he shares in his book are steps he takes every day to continue his own success. The first section of the book is simply titled "You."
"I've never met a successful hermit," Mackay said. "You have to be out there, you have to be networking. You have to ignite your own passion."
by Yvonne Gonzalez The Arizona Republic Oct. 29, 2011 02:15 PM
Boost your skills to compete, author says
Saturday, October 29, 2011
Ice your fears of public speaking
For many people, public speaking is a paralyzing exercise: sweaty palms, an errant leg shake or the sudden inability to speak coherently.
But in the business world, speaking confidently in public is a must-have skill for many professions. It's also key for any worker who is eying a leadership role, is looking for a job, has customer-service duties or is considering consulting work.
Workers can soothe public-speaking jitters with constant practice, good preparation and help from others, experts say.
And embrace the jitters. Speech skills sharpen over time, but seasoned public figures still flub or get nervous. Remember Gov. Jan Brewer's widely discussed pause during a televised 2010 gubernatorial debate? An Oscar-award-winning movie, The King's Speech, delves into King George VI of Britain's quest to nail an important speech.
Mastering her fear of talking in front of a crowd helped Karen Dolyniuk, now a manager at Pinnacle West Capital Corp., move up within the company, she said.
But that confidence came with time. Have you been to a staff meeting when the boss asks everyone to say their name and what they do at the company?
"My palms used to sweat, just doing that," Dolyniuk, 49, said with a laugh.
"It's hard to explain. I used to think, 'Do I have something to say that people would want to listen to?'" She later added: "I knew that I had to do something about it."
Public speaking is an essential workplace skill. Even a technology worker who spends hours behind a computer screen may have to train people or explain an issue to higher-ups at some point, said Jessica Pierce, executive director of Career Connectors, a non-profit networking group that serves Phoenix-area job seekers.
"As you are working your way up the corporate ladder, you will have to present a staff meeting, you will have to present yourself to customers," Pierce said. For job hunters, the skill is even more critical. Volunteering to speak to groups about their area of expertise helps job seekers build their personal brand in the community, which can help them land a job.
Also, more employers are doing group interviews to save time -- but some job candidates can't handle situations where they must sell themselves to several company officials at once.
"I know so many people more than qualified for a job, but if there are more than two or three interviewers in a room, they completely bomb it."
That's where practice comes in. Don't wait until a big speech rolls around. Volunteer to make a small presentation to your team, introduce a new employee or speak up at a club meeting. That will make you more comfortable with it, Pierce said.
Preparation also helps, added Fred Doidge, who calls himself the "doctor of public speaking."
An ordained minister for 40 years, the Scottsdale-based consultant teaches authors, lawyers, housewives and whoever else approaches him techniques for speaking more effectively.
He said the speaker must first be well-prepared and practiced, have a well-organized presentation, design the presentation specifically for the intended group and pick a specific style to use.
"Never write a speech. Design it and build it," Doidge said. "What are you trying to do? Inform people, motivate people. ...What's the intention?"
For many people seeking to hone their public-speaking skills, groups such as Toastmasters offer a chance to practice and the benefit of moral support.
Since 1924, Toastmasters has helped nervous public speakers work through their troubles and learn.
The non-profit has 13,000 chapters globally with more than 270,000 members.
The group meetings tend to vary in length but often last between 60 and 90 minutes, have 20 to 40 members and charge a $36 fee every six months.
"I just wanted to do Toastmasters because I always was uncomfortable speaking in public, and I would like to be a good speaker in general," said Judy Blum, 59, a caseworker and recent member of Toastmasters.
The organization has seen steady growth over the past decade, during the economic downturn, too. In 2000, Toastmasters had about 176,000 members but has grown by almost 100,000 people in 2011.
Dolyniuk, the Pinnacle West manager, joined Toastmasters in 1989. Over time, she become a more confident speaker and took on more leadership roles in the company.
As a loaned executive for Valley of the Sun United Way, she spoke to groups of up to 100 people.
Before she conquered her fear, Dolyniuk said, she used to sit in the back row at similar gatherings and marvel at the speaker.
"I used to think 'Wow, how do they do that? I could never do that.' "
by William D'Urso and Jahna Berry The Arizona Republic Oct. 29, 2011 01:21 PM
Ice your fears of public speaking
But in the business world, speaking confidently in public is a must-have skill for many professions. It's also key for any worker who is eying a leadership role, is looking for a job, has customer-service duties or is considering consulting work.
Workers can soothe public-speaking jitters with constant practice, good preparation and help from others, experts say.
And embrace the jitters. Speech skills sharpen over time, but seasoned public figures still flub or get nervous. Remember Gov. Jan Brewer's widely discussed pause during a televised 2010 gubernatorial debate? An Oscar-award-winning movie, The King's Speech, delves into King George VI of Britain's quest to nail an important speech.
Mastering her fear of talking in front of a crowd helped Karen Dolyniuk, now a manager at Pinnacle West Capital Corp., move up within the company, she said.
But that confidence came with time. Have you been to a staff meeting when the boss asks everyone to say their name and what they do at the company?
"My palms used to sweat, just doing that," Dolyniuk, 49, said with a laugh.
"It's hard to explain. I used to think, 'Do I have something to say that people would want to listen to?'" She later added: "I knew that I had to do something about it."
Public speaking is an essential workplace skill. Even a technology worker who spends hours behind a computer screen may have to train people or explain an issue to higher-ups at some point, said Jessica Pierce, executive director of Career Connectors, a non-profit networking group that serves Phoenix-area job seekers.
"As you are working your way up the corporate ladder, you will have to present a staff meeting, you will have to present yourself to customers," Pierce said. For job hunters, the skill is even more critical. Volunteering to speak to groups about their area of expertise helps job seekers build their personal brand in the community, which can help them land a job.
Also, more employers are doing group interviews to save time -- but some job candidates can't handle situations where they must sell themselves to several company officials at once.
"I know so many people more than qualified for a job, but if there are more than two or three interviewers in a room, they completely bomb it."
That's where practice comes in. Don't wait until a big speech rolls around. Volunteer to make a small presentation to your team, introduce a new employee or speak up at a club meeting. That will make you more comfortable with it, Pierce said.
Preparation also helps, added Fred Doidge, who calls himself the "doctor of public speaking."
An ordained minister for 40 years, the Scottsdale-based consultant teaches authors, lawyers, housewives and whoever else approaches him techniques for speaking more effectively.
He said the speaker must first be well-prepared and practiced, have a well-organized presentation, design the presentation specifically for the intended group and pick a specific style to use.
"Never write a speech. Design it and build it," Doidge said. "What are you trying to do? Inform people, motivate people. ...What's the intention?"
For many people seeking to hone their public-speaking skills, groups such as Toastmasters offer a chance to practice and the benefit of moral support.
Since 1924, Toastmasters has helped nervous public speakers work through their troubles and learn.
The non-profit has 13,000 chapters globally with more than 270,000 members.
The group meetings tend to vary in length but often last between 60 and 90 minutes, have 20 to 40 members and charge a $36 fee every six months.
"I just wanted to do Toastmasters because I always was uncomfortable speaking in public, and I would like to be a good speaker in general," said Judy Blum, 59, a caseworker and recent member of Toastmasters.
The organization has seen steady growth over the past decade, during the economic downturn, too. In 2000, Toastmasters had about 176,000 members but has grown by almost 100,000 people in 2011.
Dolyniuk, the Pinnacle West manager, joined Toastmasters in 1989. Over time, she become a more confident speaker and took on more leadership roles in the company.
As a loaned executive for Valley of the Sun United Way, she spoke to groups of up to 100 people.
Before she conquered her fear, Dolyniuk said, she used to sit in the back row at similar gatherings and marvel at the speaker.
"I used to think 'Wow, how do they do that? I could never do that.' "
by William D'Urso and Jahna Berry The Arizona Republic Oct. 29, 2011 01:21 PM
Ice your fears of public speaking
Sunday, October 16, 2011
Wellness site's CEO seeks to aid women
When Arizona entrepreneur Michelle King Robson had her own bout with illness, she read books, consulted doctors and scoured the Internet for answers.
But she said she found an absence of useful women's health information.
The experience prompted the Phoenix woman to create EmpowHER.com, a fast-growing website that focuses on women's health, wellness and advice.
"I was looking for women to say, 'You're going to be OK,' and to validate how I was feeling," said King Robson, chair and CEO of EmpowHER. "I would have felt a million times better, and that's why I started EmpowHER. I didn't want another woman to suffer, not on my watch, not if I could help it."
Since launching the site in 2007, the Scottsdale-based company said its traffic has grown more than fourfold, reaching 1.75 million visitors last month.
The company employs 25 people and 61 independent contractors.
Women who visit the site are encouraged to pose questions to each other and directly to the site's staff, who respond within 24 hours. Moderators route users' questions to a team of more than 450 medical experts or a "peer to peer" community of women who offer advice based on their own experience.
While the privately owned company did not release financial details, EmpowHER has recorded double-digit growth in advertising revenue each of the past three years, King-Robson said. The company also is shopping for venture-capital funding to grow the business as it seeks to bolster its standing as a site that provides original and clinically sound advice to women.
King Robson started her career as an entrepreneur in her 20s, then moved to Arizona and worked in real estate. About eight years later, she moved into the non-profit sector.
After 20 years in philanthropy, she said she couldn't imagine starting a company focused on women's health that could be profitable.
"It was one thing to start a site that would help women," said King Robson, who has funded the website since its launch. "It was another to allow myself to think that we could actually do well (financially)."
Alan McCann, EmpowHER's head of business development, said he has been with the company from the start and helped her execute her vision.
When he met her in 2007, her enthusiasm for women's health was just one reason he decided to work with the company.
"My wife had had some women's health issues, so Michelle's passion was something I already understood," McCann said.
King Robson has evolved as the head of EmpowHER, McCann said, learning how to grow a startup company and stay focused with limited funds.
McCann said King Robson doesn't just focus on women's health as a job. It's part of her daily life.
"There are many stories of people that have been helped by her but that aren't going to be known or publicized," he said.
EmpowHER Executive Vice President Thom Brodeur remembers one staff meeting where he was distraught over his mother's recent health issues. King Robson stopped the proceedings to ask if he was all right, and when he told her his mother was hospitalized and the doctors couldn't figure out what was wrong, she walked out of the office so they could go see her.
"She went straight down there and got my mom a different medical team," he said. "Within hours, we started getting answers. How many jobs have a boss who would do that?"
This month, King Robson shared her story as part of the 100X100 Project by SmartGirls Way in Seattle, which is featuring videos online of 100 women entrepreneurs every business day for next 100 days.
Jean Brittingham, a founder of the project, said the women were chosen based on their passion to make a difference.
"From the minute we were told about Michelle and started doing research about her, we were so impressed," Brittingham said. "There's nothing more empowering than realizing you are personally in charge of your own wellness."
The business has represented a personal transformation for King Robson. Among other awards, she was most recently named Chairman of the Year in the American Business Awards' 2011 Stevie Awards.
"As I sit across the table from people with MBAs and Ph.D.s . . . I wish I had that brain power," said King Robson, who does not have a college degree and joked about not knowing how to turn on a computer when she first started.
But having to learn as she went has not stopped her from reaching her goals.
"Now I can say I know way more about the Web than I ever thought I would, and I'm very proud that I am able to be the CEO of this company and learn it all," she said.
by Yvonne Gonzalez The Arizona Republic Oct. 14, 2011 03:28 PM
Wellness site's CEO seeks to aid women
But she said she found an absence of useful women's health information.
The experience prompted the Phoenix woman to create EmpowHER.com, a fast-growing website that focuses on women's health, wellness and advice.
"I was looking for women to say, 'You're going to be OK,' and to validate how I was feeling," said King Robson, chair and CEO of EmpowHER. "I would have felt a million times better, and that's why I started EmpowHER. I didn't want another woman to suffer, not on my watch, not if I could help it."
Since launching the site in 2007, the Scottsdale-based company said its traffic has grown more than fourfold, reaching 1.75 million visitors last month.
The company employs 25 people and 61 independent contractors.
Women who visit the site are encouraged to pose questions to each other and directly to the site's staff, who respond within 24 hours. Moderators route users' questions to a team of more than 450 medical experts or a "peer to peer" community of women who offer advice based on their own experience.
While the privately owned company did not release financial details, EmpowHER has recorded double-digit growth in advertising revenue each of the past three years, King-Robson said. The company also is shopping for venture-capital funding to grow the business as it seeks to bolster its standing as a site that provides original and clinically sound advice to women.
King Robson started her career as an entrepreneur in her 20s, then moved to Arizona and worked in real estate. About eight years later, she moved into the non-profit sector.
After 20 years in philanthropy, she said she couldn't imagine starting a company focused on women's health that could be profitable.
"It was one thing to start a site that would help women," said King Robson, who has funded the website since its launch. "It was another to allow myself to think that we could actually do well (financially)."
Alan McCann, EmpowHER's head of business development, said he has been with the company from the start and helped her execute her vision.
When he met her in 2007, her enthusiasm for women's health was just one reason he decided to work with the company.
"My wife had had some women's health issues, so Michelle's passion was something I already understood," McCann said.
King Robson has evolved as the head of EmpowHER, McCann said, learning how to grow a startup company and stay focused with limited funds.
McCann said King Robson doesn't just focus on women's health as a job. It's part of her daily life.
"There are many stories of people that have been helped by her but that aren't going to be known or publicized," he said.
EmpowHER Executive Vice President Thom Brodeur remembers one staff meeting where he was distraught over his mother's recent health issues. King Robson stopped the proceedings to ask if he was all right, and when he told her his mother was hospitalized and the doctors couldn't figure out what was wrong, she walked out of the office so they could go see her.
"She went straight down there and got my mom a different medical team," he said. "Within hours, we started getting answers. How many jobs have a boss who would do that?"
This month, King Robson shared her story as part of the 100X100 Project by SmartGirls Way in Seattle, which is featuring videos online of 100 women entrepreneurs every business day for next 100 days.
Jean Brittingham, a founder of the project, said the women were chosen based on their passion to make a difference.
"From the minute we were told about Michelle and started doing research about her, we were so impressed," Brittingham said. "There's nothing more empowering than realizing you are personally in charge of your own wellness."
The business has represented a personal transformation for King Robson. Among other awards, she was most recently named Chairman of the Year in the American Business Awards' 2011 Stevie Awards.
"As I sit across the table from people with MBAs and Ph.D.s . . . I wish I had that brain power," said King Robson, who does not have a college degree and joked about not knowing how to turn on a computer when she first started.
But having to learn as she went has not stopped her from reaching her goals.
"Now I can say I know way more about the Web than I ever thought I would, and I'm very proud that I am able to be the CEO of this company and learn it all," she said.
by Yvonne Gonzalez The Arizona Republic Oct. 14, 2011 03:28 PM
Wellness site's CEO seeks to aid women
Steve Jobs and the 7 Rules of Success - Yahoo! Small Business Advisor
Over the years, I've become a student of sorts of Jobs' career and life. Here's my take on the rules and values underpinning his success. Any of us can adopt them to unleash our "inner Steve Jobs."
1. Do what you love. Jobs once said, "People with passion can change the world for the better." Asked about the advice he would offer would-be entrepreneurs, he said, "I'd get a job as a busboy or something until I figured out what I was really passionate about." That's how much it meant to him. Passion is everything.
2. Put a dent in the universe. Jobs believed in the power of vision. He once asked then-Pepsi President, John Sculley, "Do you want to spend your life selling sugar water or do you want to change the world?" Don't lose sight of the big vision.
3. Make connections. Jobs once said creativity is connecting things. He meant that people with a broad set of life experiences can often see things that others miss. He took calligraphy classes that didn't have any practical use in his life -- until he built the Macintosh. Jobs traveled to India and Asia. He studied design and hospitality. Don't live in a bubble. Connect ideas from different fields.
4. Say no to 1,000 things. Jobs was as proud of what Apple chose not to do as he was of what Apple did. When he returned in Apple in 1997, he took a company with 350 products and reduced them to 10 products in a two-year period. Why? So he could put the "A-Team" on each product. What are you saying "no" to?
5. Create insanely different experiences. Jobs also sought innovation in the customer-service experience. When he first came up with the concept for the Apple Stores, he said they would be different because instead of just moving boxes, the stores would enrich lives. Everything about the experience you have when you walk into an Apple store is intended to enrich your life and to create an emotional connection between you and the Apple brand. What are you doing to enrich the lives of your customers?
6. Master the message. You can have the greatest idea in the world, but if you can't communicate your ideas, it doesn't matter. Jobs was the world's greatest corporate storyteller. Instead of simply delivering a presentation like most people do, he informed, he educated, he inspired and he entertained, all in one presentation.
7. Sell dreams, not products. Jobs captured our imagination because he really understood his customer. He knew that tablets would not capture our imaginations if they were too complicated. The result? One button on the front of an iPad. It's so simple, a 2-year-old can use it. Your customers don't care about your product. They care about themselves, their hopes, their ambitions. Jobs taught us that if you help your customers reach their dreams, you'll win them over.
There's one story that I think sums up Jobs' career at Apple. An executive who had the job of reinventing the Disney Store once called up Jobs and asked for advice. His counsel? Dream bigger. I think that's the best advice he could leave us with. See genius in your craziness, believe in yourself, believe in your vision, and be constantly prepared to defend those ideas.
by Carmine Gallo Entrepreneur Oct 14, 2011
Steve Jobs and the 7 Rules of Success - Yahoo! Small Business Advisor
Sunday, October 2, 2011
Facebook Policies Tricky For Employers, Workers -AARP
WASHINGTON (AP) — In the age of instant tweets and impulsive Facebook posts, some companies are still trying to figure out how they can limit what their employees say about work online without running afoul of the law.
Confusion about what workers can or can't post has led to a surge of more than 100 complaints at the National Labor Relations Board — most within the past year — and created uncertainty for businesses about how far their social media policies can go.
"Employers are struggling to figure out what the right policies are and what they should do when these cases arise," said Michael Eastman, labor law policy director at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.
In one case, a Chicago-area car salesman was fired after going on Facebook to complain that his BMW dealership served overcooked hot dogs, stale buns and other cheap food instead of nicer fare at an event to roll out a posh new car model.
The NLRB's enforcement office found the comments were legally protected because the salesman was expressing concerns about the terms and conditions of his job, frustrations he had earlier shared in person with other employees.
But the board's attorneys reached the opposite conclusion in the case of a Wal-Mart employee who went on Facebook to complain about management "tyranny" and used an off-color Spanish word to refer to a female assistant manager. The worker was suspended for one day and disqualified from seeking promotion for a year.
The board said the postings were "an individual gripe" rather than an effort to discuss work conditions with co-workers and declined to take action against the retailer.
Those cases are among 14 investigations the board's acting general counsel, Lafe Solomon, discussed in a lengthy report last month on the rise in social media cases. Solomon says federal law permits employees to talk with co-workers about their jobs and working conditions without reprisal — whether that conversation takes place around the water cooler or on Facebook or Twitter.
"Most of the social media policies that we've been presented are very, very overbroad," Solomon said in an interview. "They say you can't disparage or criticize the company in any way on social media, and that is not true under the law."
The number of cases spiked last year after the board sided with a Connecticut woman fired from an ambulance company after she went on Facebook to criticize her boss. That case settled earlier this year, with the company agreeing to change its blogging and Internet policy that had banned workers from discussing the company over the Internet.
The National Labor Relations Act protects both union and nonunion workers when they engage in "protected concerted activity" — coming together to discuss working conditions. But when online comments might be seen by hundreds or thousands of eyeballs, companies are concerned about the effect of disparaging remarks.
Doreen Davis, a management-side labor lawyer based in Philadelphia, said many of her corporate clients are often "surprised and upset" when they learn they can't simply terminate employees for talking about work online.
"All of us on the management side are being inundated with calls and inquiries from clients about this," Davis said. "A lot of companies want their social media policies reviewed or they want to establish one for the first time."
But the NLRB's Solomon also warns workers that not everything they write on Facebook or Twitter will be permissible under the law just because it discusses their job.
"A lot of Facebook, by its very nature, starts out as mere griping," Solomon said. "We need some evidence either before, during or after that you are looking to your fellow employees to engage in some sort of group action."
In one case, an employee at an Indiana emergency transportation and fire protection company was fired after writing on the Facebook wall of her U.S. senator, Republican Dick Lugar, to complain that her company skimped on wages and that its cheap service compromised the quality of care.
The NLRB's enforcement office declined to take up her case, saying that the employee didn't discuss her complaints with other workers or show any attempt to take employee complaints to management. She may have been trying to make a public official aware of problems with emergency medical services in Indiana, but board attorneys said that wasn't enough to protect her under the law.
While there are more than 100 cases pending before the board, only one has actually led to a formal ruling. Earlier this month, an administrative law judge at the agency found that a Buffalo, N.Y., nonprofit group illegally fired five workers after they posted Facebook comments complaining about workload and staffing issues.
The judge ordered the group, Hispanics United of Buffalo, to reinstate the five employees and award them back pay.
The Chamber of Commerce's Eastman said it's too early to criticize how the board is interpreting the law, but he wants to see what happens in closer cases where an employee goes "over the top" with criticism of a supervisor of employer.
"Where will the board draw the line between concerted activity and an employer's legitimate non-disparagement policy?" Eastman said.
by Sam Hananel The Associated Press Sept 26, 2011
Facebook Policies Tricky For Employers, Workers -AARP
Confusion about what workers can or can't post has led to a surge of more than 100 complaints at the National Labor Relations Board — most within the past year — and created uncertainty for businesses about how far their social media policies can go.
"Employers are struggling to figure out what the right policies are and what they should do when these cases arise," said Michael Eastman, labor law policy director at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.
In one case, a Chicago-area car salesman was fired after going on Facebook to complain that his BMW dealership served overcooked hot dogs, stale buns and other cheap food instead of nicer fare at an event to roll out a posh new car model.
The NLRB's enforcement office found the comments were legally protected because the salesman was expressing concerns about the terms and conditions of his job, frustrations he had earlier shared in person with other employees.
But the board's attorneys reached the opposite conclusion in the case of a Wal-Mart employee who went on Facebook to complain about management "tyranny" and used an off-color Spanish word to refer to a female assistant manager. The worker was suspended for one day and disqualified from seeking promotion for a year.
The board said the postings were "an individual gripe" rather than an effort to discuss work conditions with co-workers and declined to take action against the retailer.
Those cases are among 14 investigations the board's acting general counsel, Lafe Solomon, discussed in a lengthy report last month on the rise in social media cases. Solomon says federal law permits employees to talk with co-workers about their jobs and working conditions without reprisal — whether that conversation takes place around the water cooler or on Facebook or Twitter.
"Most of the social media policies that we've been presented are very, very overbroad," Solomon said in an interview. "They say you can't disparage or criticize the company in any way on social media, and that is not true under the law."
The number of cases spiked last year after the board sided with a Connecticut woman fired from an ambulance company after she went on Facebook to criticize her boss. That case settled earlier this year, with the company agreeing to change its blogging and Internet policy that had banned workers from discussing the company over the Internet.
The National Labor Relations Act protects both union and nonunion workers when they engage in "protected concerted activity" — coming together to discuss working conditions. But when online comments might be seen by hundreds or thousands of eyeballs, companies are concerned about the effect of disparaging remarks.
Doreen Davis, a management-side labor lawyer based in Philadelphia, said many of her corporate clients are often "surprised and upset" when they learn they can't simply terminate employees for talking about work online.
"All of us on the management side are being inundated with calls and inquiries from clients about this," Davis said. "A lot of companies want their social media policies reviewed or they want to establish one for the first time."
But the NLRB's Solomon also warns workers that not everything they write on Facebook or Twitter will be permissible under the law just because it discusses their job.
"A lot of Facebook, by its very nature, starts out as mere griping," Solomon said. "We need some evidence either before, during or after that you are looking to your fellow employees to engage in some sort of group action."
In one case, an employee at an Indiana emergency transportation and fire protection company was fired after writing on the Facebook wall of her U.S. senator, Republican Dick Lugar, to complain that her company skimped on wages and that its cheap service compromised the quality of care.
The NLRB's enforcement office declined to take up her case, saying that the employee didn't discuss her complaints with other workers or show any attempt to take employee complaints to management. She may have been trying to make a public official aware of problems with emergency medical services in Indiana, but board attorneys said that wasn't enough to protect her under the law.
While there are more than 100 cases pending before the board, only one has actually led to a formal ruling. Earlier this month, an administrative law judge at the agency found that a Buffalo, N.Y., nonprofit group illegally fired five workers after they posted Facebook comments complaining about workload and staffing issues.
The judge ordered the group, Hispanics United of Buffalo, to reinstate the five employees and award them back pay.
The Chamber of Commerce's Eastman said it's too early to criticize how the board is interpreting the law, but he wants to see what happens in closer cases where an employee goes "over the top" with criticism of a supervisor of employer.
"Where will the board draw the line between concerted activity and an employer's legitimate non-disparagement policy?" Eastman said.
by Sam Hananel The Associated Press Sept 26, 2011
Facebook Policies Tricky For Employers, Workers -AARP
Monday, September 26, 2011
Finance guru Ramsey gives Valley pep talk
The sluggish economy, wobbly stock market and sinking trend in consumer confidence cried out for a little pep talk, which Ramsey delivered Friday in a speech at Central Christian Church in Mesa and in media interviews.
"The thing to remember is some of the greatest businesses in history were started in down times," including those founded by people who lost their jobs, he said. "We're going to see some wonderful things come out of this recession."
Ramsey, visiting metro Phoenix to promote his new book, "EntreLeadership," said it's critical for managers to value the human side.
The most successful firms, he said, value employees not just as units of production and customers not just as units of revenue.
"Companies run by lawyers and bean counters have lost their souls," he said.
Ramsey's own Tennessee-based company, the Lampo Group, now counts more than 300 employees and has been honored as a desirable place to work.
The book provides a guide to how he manages. Some tenets, drawn from his personal-finance beliefs, include not borrowing money, operating on a budget and "living on less than we make."
Ramsey considers the current period a "great time to start a business." He also said it's a good time to invest, for which he favors growth-stock mutual funds.
by Russ Wiles The Arizona Republic Sept. 25, 2011 01:42 PM
Finance guru Ramsey gives Valley pep talk
Sunday, September 11, 2011
How to Create Digital Resumes for Your Online Job Search - Workforce50.com
In my last column I explained the many different types and formats of resumes. While an understanding of the intricacies isn't necessary, you should have at least a basic understanding of the formats before beginning your job search. For a refresher, you can read that column here.
Here are some quick and easy tips for creating the most common "digital" formats that you'll be asked for.
KEYWORD RESUMES:
Remember - it is absolutely essential that you create resume content that is keyword rich regardless of the file format. It is not necessary that you maintain a separate keyword version of your resume. ALL resumes must include a heavy emphasis on keywords. Keywords are generally defined as nouns or phrases that an employer will use when searching for an applicant with your skill set. To maximize the recall of your resume in a search, you will want to use as many keywords in your resume as possible.
1. Keywords should focus on technical and professional areas of expertise, industry-related jargon, and your work history. Also, include the names of associations and organizations of which you are a member.
2. Whenever possible, use synonyms of keywords in different parts of your resume and if you use initials for a term in one section, spell the term out in another.
3. Always be specific. For example, while it may be fine to include the phrase "computer literate," you will also want to list the specific software that you are proficient in using.
This is one of the most common areas of confusion, so I'll state it once again...the content of a keyword resume does not need to differ from the content of your traditional resume. With careful attention to rhythm and flow, it is possible to prepare a resume that is keyword optimized, but that also includes the powerful, compelling, active language of a traditional resume. Not only will this simplify your resume preparation, but it will ensure that the content of all versions of your resume will be optimized for both the computer and the human reader. Furthermore, if you incorporate a professional summary and bulleted list of qualifications in the text of your resume, there is little if any need to prepare a separate keyword summary.
Unfortunately, it is impossible to recommend a specific list of the best keywords to use in your resume, as the "best" keywords are different for every individual and depend mainly on your unique career objective and background. What is certain, however, is that a well-prepared keyword resume is so critical to your success in a job market that largely relies on electronic applicant tracking systems, if you have any doubts at all you should consult with a professional resume writer.
ASCII RESUMES (aka TEXT RESUMES):
Preparing the all-important ASCII text version of your resume is not difficult, but it does require a learning curve. Once converted to ASCII format, you will be able to email your resume in response to an ad or paste it directly into web-based forms and submit it to Internet resume databanks. The specific directions will vary depending on the software you have installed on your computer. But, in general, to prepare your ASCII resumes properly, follow these simple steps:
1. Using your word processing program (most likely, Microsoft Word), open your word-processed resume and use the "Save As" function to save a copy as a "Text Only" or "ASCII (DOS)" document. Title your document with an easily distinguishable name; perhaps "resume_internet.txt"
2. Close your word processing program and re-open the ASCII file. You will not be able to see your changes until you have done this. Note that it has been stripped of virtually all original formatting.
3. Go through your new ASCII document line-by-line. Align all text flush to the left-hand margin.
4. Remove all "centering," "right hand margin," and "justification" alignments.
5. Although you should no longer see them, if visible, remove all graphics, artwork, and special character formatting.
6. Remove all tab characters.
7. Remove all columns.
8. Replace bullets with a simple ASCII asterisk (*).
9. Carefully check the spelling and the accuracy of your data.
10. If you wish, use ASCII characters to enhance the appearance of your resume. Asterisks, plus signs, or other keyboard characters can be used to create visual lines that separate sections of your resume and make it easier to read. The above steps convert your resume to ASCII without line breaks. When pasted into a web-based form or email message, your resume will automatically wrap to the size of the window.
Your new ASCII resume will be universally readable, no matter what computer system the recipient uses. It will also be easy to manipulate for entry into applicant tracking databases, eliminating the inherent difficulties of scanning and converting your paper resume with OCR systems.
There is no denying that the Internet has caused what was once a straightforward process to become complex and confusing to many job hunters. Yet, the benefits far outweigh the negatives. Like never before, as a job seeker you have immediate access to announcements and advertisements of openings around the globe. You have the ability to conduct detailed research on companies of interest. And you have unprecedented opportunity to cost effectively promote your qualifications to hundreds or even thousands of hiring authorities for just a tiny fraction of the cost of doing so through traditional methods. While the new skills you must learn may seem daunting at first, by understanding the concepts and creating your electronic resumes, you are well on your way to an efficient, effective Internet job search.
by Michelle Dumas
Saturday, August 13, 2011
Boss should use powers wisely
Question: My boss continuously manages his subordinates through carrots and sticks. He routinely threatens employees' jobs and also dangles perks to motivate. Otherwise, he is incompetent in providing the needed resources, guidance or expertise in leading us to success. What do you have to say?
- Sabina R., Phoenix
Answer: There are essentially six main powers vested in a boss. An appropriate mix of these powers and using the correct power for a given situation is a managerial skill learned and perfected through experience. Your boss needs training in using these powers more effectively.
Here are the powers:
Legitimate Power: This is the power granted to bosses by their position. They can approve resources, expenses and projects, and assign priorities. Proper use of this power requires knowledge of the business, the technological capabilities, the competitive environment and the staff's capabilities. Incompetent managers will misappropriate this power and decide by their bias, closeness to employees, etc.
Connection Power: Managers often have more connections to the important people in the company or the industry. They can help their employees by making appropriate use of this power. The bosses who continuously drop a lot of high-level names are misusing this power by trying to influence others.
Expert Power: This is the power enjoyed by a boss who is an expert in a given field. Managers in technology fields often enjoy this power. Subordinates want to work for these people because of their expertise.
Referent Power: This a power enjoyed by a boss who is likeable. People want to work for this boss because he or she is nice to work for. Likeability is often a good power, but any power taken to an extreme can be bad. If the boss is becoming likeable because he or she does not deal with poor performers and lets everyone slide while the projects are failing, he or she may be a nice boss but a poor performer.
Power of Reward: A boss has the power to reward the employees with bonuses, raises, promotions, perks or praise. Excessive use of this power is considered negative and seems to be the case with your boss.
Power of Punishment: A boss has the power to punish, demote, withhold merit raises from or fire an employee. Judicious use of such power with non-performers is a necessity, but managing by using such threats, as in your boss's case, is a misuse of the power.
The best managers use a combination of all six powers in moderation. Excessive use of any one power is not good. And removing any of the powers from a manager's toolbox would compromise his or her management ability. I have been learning and practicing the appropriate use of these powers all through my business career.
Your boss can learn and can get better. But motivating or requiring him to get help is a difficult task. Discreetly slip this column under his door.
One more caution - don't try these powers at home with your spouse or kids. It does not work.
by Steve Sanghi - Aug. 7, 2011 12:00 AM
Boss should use powers wisely
- Sabina R., Phoenix
Answer: There are essentially six main powers vested in a boss. An appropriate mix of these powers and using the correct power for a given situation is a managerial skill learned and perfected through experience. Your boss needs training in using these powers more effectively.
Here are the powers:
Legitimate Power: This is the power granted to bosses by their position. They can approve resources, expenses and projects, and assign priorities. Proper use of this power requires knowledge of the business, the technological capabilities, the competitive environment and the staff's capabilities. Incompetent managers will misappropriate this power and decide by their bias, closeness to employees, etc.
Connection Power: Managers often have more connections to the important people in the company or the industry. They can help their employees by making appropriate use of this power. The bosses who continuously drop a lot of high-level names are misusing this power by trying to influence others.
Expert Power: This is the power enjoyed by a boss who is an expert in a given field. Managers in technology fields often enjoy this power. Subordinates want to work for these people because of their expertise.
Referent Power: This a power enjoyed by a boss who is likeable. People want to work for this boss because he or she is nice to work for. Likeability is often a good power, but any power taken to an extreme can be bad. If the boss is becoming likeable because he or she does not deal with poor performers and lets everyone slide while the projects are failing, he or she may be a nice boss but a poor performer.
Power of Reward: A boss has the power to reward the employees with bonuses, raises, promotions, perks or praise. Excessive use of this power is considered negative and seems to be the case with your boss.
Power of Punishment: A boss has the power to punish, demote, withhold merit raises from or fire an employee. Judicious use of such power with non-performers is a necessity, but managing by using such threats, as in your boss's case, is a misuse of the power.
The best managers use a combination of all six powers in moderation. Excessive use of any one power is not good. And removing any of the powers from a manager's toolbox would compromise his or her management ability. I have been learning and practicing the appropriate use of these powers all through my business career.
Your boss can learn and can get better. But motivating or requiring him to get help is a difficult task. Discreetly slip this column under his door.
One more caution - don't try these powers at home with your spouse or kids. It does not work.
by Steve Sanghi - Aug. 7, 2011 12:00 AM
Boss should use powers wisely
Sunday, July 24, 2011
The rules of career reinvention - Fortune Management
1. Get online, for real. Reinvention these days is digital. You're not too old to learn social media, and it's not too hard. In fact, technology has become more, not less, accessible. So get going!
2. Start from scratch. In the Age of Disruption, we're all starting from scratch. Don't get hung up over it -- embrace it. (Anyhow, you don't have a choice.)
3. Learn by doing. Don't worry about being perfect before you post something or try out a new site. The beauty of the medium is that there's often no right answer -- so you won't be wrong.
4. Share the wealth. Competitive advantage used to be about keeping a juicy nugget to yourself. But today knowledge is practically a commodity. Sharing raises your personal brand and connects you to others on a higher level. (Now go post this article.)
5. Cut back fast. To change your career, you need to be financially fit. So forget about status; the neighbors will be more impressed by your reinvention than your country club.
6. Prioritize your passions. The great thing about remaking yourself is that you can jettison all those things that you hate. Plot your passions and skill sets, and see if it gets you to a new place.
Sites that spark new thinking:
1. LinkedIn. Click on the groups tab, join as many "groups you may like" as possible in your areas of interest, and check out their discussions.
2. Twitter. Follow the experts who link to info about your professional interests. It's like hiring smart people to curate the news for you -- free.
3. Meetup is about bridging the online/offline divide with groups of people who share interests, then actually get together in real life.
4. YouTube. Type in"How to [fill in the blank]," and you'll find video after video explaining it. The results can be hit or miss, but the hits are fantastic.
The rules of career reinvention - Fortune Management
Pulling off the ultimate career makeover - Fortune Management
Job security has gone the way of the three-martini lunch. You can't become bulletproof, but you can reinvent yourself. How five gutsy professionals turned job setbacks into satisfying, sustainable careers.
FORTUNE -- If you lived in Birmingham, Ala., and wanted to rent a movie on a Friday night back in 2002, the odds were pretty good you'd be paying David Kahn for the privilege. Back then, Kahn, 49, was the effervescent owner of 45 Blockbuster franchises in Alabama and Mississippi; by his estimate, his group of stores made up the seventh-largest video-rental chain in America, and were worth more than $15 million.Then a little company named Netflix (NFLX) came up with a new and disruptive business model for renting videos, and soon it would harness the technology behind delivering movies over the web. Kahn was about to be Blockbusted. He was in jeopardy of losing his financial security, his self-respect, his professional life. He would have to reinvent himself -- or the world would do it for him.
Feel a chill of recognition while reading this story? Thought so. In this "Age of Disruption," Kahn's story is hardly unique. If you haven't actually been Blockbusted yet, you've doubtless lost sleep over what you'll do if/when it finally happens.
We live and work in a time when technology has made it easier for new companies to be born. That's the good news. The bad news is that increase in productivity has fueled multiple rounds of job cutting. Add to that the lingering wreckage of the financial crisis and the fits-and-starts recovery, and it's clear that job change is the only constant.
Job creation is at its lowest point since 1980, while job destruction continues to rise. A full 12.6% of the workforce lost their jobs in the past recession, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics' Displaced Worker Survey. That's the highest rate since at least 1981.
What all these data points make crystal clear is that the very nature of jobs in America has changed. Pensions? An ancient relic. Steady progression up the corporate ladder? Yeah, right. We're living in a project-based economy, one moving from full-time employment with benefits to part-time employment with project-based assignments.
Here's proof: By the end of 2010, the number of people working part-time because they couldn't find full-time work had nearly quadrupled since the 1950s, to 2.38 million people. "It's a spot auction market," says Robert Reich, former secretary of labor under Clinton and the chancellor's professor of public policy at the University of California at Berkeley. "What you're paid is what you're worth at that particular time."
That means you will change your professional identity frequently -- maybe even as often as you spruce up the look of your living room. The youngest baby boomers (those born from 1957 to 1964) held an average of 11 jobs from ages 18 to 44, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The Denali Group, a procurement-services company, predicts that Generation Y will have 15 to 25 jobs in their lifetime. "This can be a very exciting world," Reich says. "In many ways, it's much better than the old world that was more seniority-based, where you tended to work on the same thing for many years."
Exciting if you're in your early twenties. But not so much, Reich adds, if you're an expert in your field, if college tuition is looming, if you aren't as able to relocate as you once were. There's just one way to achieve true job security: stand ready to reinvent yourself -- no matter what your age, your education, your skill set, or the color of your collar -- sometimes more than once.
But how?
To find out, we scoured the country to find people who have been disrupted but have managed to create a new career story. Those profiled here have successfully reinvented themselves -- not because they wanted to, but because they had to. They are not 25-year-old techies; they are established professionals who were happy doing what they were doing -- until they weren't doing it anymore.
The reason some people have become successful reinventors is more about attitude than experience: One thing they all have in common is that they love learning by doing. They have come to embrace the future, using new technologies, particularly social media, to help them leverage their own professional skills. And they are not victims. At a time when many people react passively to career bumps, our reinventors took control. Read on for 5 career makeover success stories
by Douglas Alden Warshaw Fortune Magazine June 21, 2011Pulling off the ultimate career makeover - Fortune Management
Wednesday, February 23, 2011
Temp work can lead to permanent position
As the economy begins to recover, more employers are hiring only contract or temporary workers as a way to keep costs under control.
That's because most companies don't offer temporary workers benefits, helping to greatly reduce their costs.
So what does that mean for someone seeking permanent employment? Will a temporary job be the only route to bringing home a paycheck?
No, says Tim Ozier, director of contract staffing at MRINetwork in Philadelphia, because only 1.5 percent of the workforce is considered contract or contingent workers. And even though he expects that number to rise to 5 percent, in line with the temporary-employment figures in Europe, contract workers won't dominate the employment landscape.
The days of temp workers being qualified for only low-paying, entry-level jobs is past, and workers who embrace the work may find they appreciate the flexibility and experience they gain, Ozier says. While information technology and engineering have a great demand for contract workers, other workers being hired on an as-needed basis include human resources, advertising and marketing.
"Companies are opening up all kinds of work in these areas," he says. "We've placed CIOs and COOs for eight months or longer with one company."
For those considering temp work, Ozier recommends:
- Staying connected. Online-networking sites such as LinkedIn are critical steps in letting others know of your availability for contract work and the skills you bring to the table. Attend industry events to let employers know of your expertise.
- Seeing temporary work as a logical step. Not only can temporary work keep a paycheck coming, but it also can lead to permanent employment. Ozier says employers may use a contract gig as a way to try out an employee. When employers hire a temp for a full-time position, they often offer a higher salary than if making an outside hire.
- Being vocal. Just as if you were applying for a full-time, permanent position, be specific about what you offer an employer as a contract worker. Cite cases where you helped an employer's bottom line.
- Looking forward. Some employers may hire you with a contract that can be extended or ended as planned. If you've worked with a recruiter to land the temporary gig, check in with the recruiter about a month before the end date to begin looking for another assignment, Ozier says.
- Knowing your worth. It's not unheard of for temporary workers to ask for a pay raise from the employer.
by Anita Bruzzese Gannett Feb. 22, 2011 12:15 PM
Temp work can lead to permanent position
That's because most companies don't offer temporary workers benefits, helping to greatly reduce their costs.
So what does that mean for someone seeking permanent employment? Will a temporary job be the only route to bringing home a paycheck?
No, says Tim Ozier, director of contract staffing at MRINetwork in Philadelphia, because only 1.5 percent of the workforce is considered contract or contingent workers. And even though he expects that number to rise to 5 percent, in line with the temporary-employment figures in Europe, contract workers won't dominate the employment landscape.
The days of temp workers being qualified for only low-paying, entry-level jobs is past, and workers who embrace the work may find they appreciate the flexibility and experience they gain, Ozier says. While information technology and engineering have a great demand for contract workers, other workers being hired on an as-needed basis include human resources, advertising and marketing.
"Companies are opening up all kinds of work in these areas," he says. "We've placed CIOs and COOs for eight months or longer with one company."
For those considering temp work, Ozier recommends:
- Staying connected. Online-networking sites such as LinkedIn are critical steps in letting others know of your availability for contract work and the skills you bring to the table. Attend industry events to let employers know of your expertise.
- Seeing temporary work as a logical step. Not only can temporary work keep a paycheck coming, but it also can lead to permanent employment. Ozier says employers may use a contract gig as a way to try out an employee. When employers hire a temp for a full-time position, they often offer a higher salary than if making an outside hire.
- Being vocal. Just as if you were applying for a full-time, permanent position, be specific about what you offer an employer as a contract worker. Cite cases where you helped an employer's bottom line.
- Looking forward. Some employers may hire you with a contract that can be extended or ended as planned. If you've worked with a recruiter to land the temporary gig, check in with the recruiter about a month before the end date to begin looking for another assignment, Ozier says.
- Knowing your worth. It's not unheard of for temporary workers to ask for a pay raise from the employer.
by Anita Bruzzese Gannett Feb. 22, 2011 12:15 PM
Temp work can lead to permanent position
Saturday, February 19, 2011
Secrets to climbing the ladder faster
Sometimes getting from where you are to where you'd like to be careerwise can seem like a daunting task. But it doesn't have to be.
Here are some tips to help you move up the corporate ladder:
1Accumulate knowledge.
Knowledge is power, so read about your industry, know what people are doing and keep an eye on innovations. This will help you become an asset to your company - one with promotion potential.
2Know how to ask questions.
Workers who gain attention know how to ask appropriate questions. But asking questions is an art. Don't talk over your boss trying to show them how much you know.
3Think outside yourself.
People who move up quickly are often ones who are good at examining the needs and goals of the company as a whole, not just in their own particular niche. At the end of the day, it's not about you.
4Give it your all.
Be a solid performer who goes the extra mile. Performing tasks beyond your routine job description is the way to impress and build a stellar reputation.
5Let your passion shine through.
View everything with enthusiasm, which shows you truly have a passion for your field. These are the people who move up in the world.
CareerBuilder Feb. 15, 2011 08:55 AM
Secrets to climbing the ladder faster
Here are some tips to help you move up the corporate ladder:
1Accumulate knowledge.
Knowledge is power, so read about your industry, know what people are doing and keep an eye on innovations. This will help you become an asset to your company - one with promotion potential.
2Know how to ask questions.
Workers who gain attention know how to ask appropriate questions. But asking questions is an art. Don't talk over your boss trying to show them how much you know.
3Think outside yourself.
People who move up quickly are often ones who are good at examining the needs and goals of the company as a whole, not just in their own particular niche. At the end of the day, it's not about you.
4Give it your all.
Be a solid performer who goes the extra mile. Performing tasks beyond your routine job description is the way to impress and build a stellar reputation.
5Let your passion shine through.
View everything with enthusiasm, which shows you truly have a passion for your field. These are the people who move up in the world.
CareerBuilder Feb. 15, 2011 08:55 AM
Secrets to climbing the ladder faster
Don't blame boss; take control of your happiness
You may think that your complaining boss or whining co-workers - or even the gloomy cubicle where you labor - are the reasons why you're not happy at work.
But according to leadership and spiritual guru Deepak Chopra, individuals have more control over their happiness than they might believe. If you're miserable at work or in your job search, you can do something about it, and it doesn't matter who else is whining or complaining.
He said one of the easiest ways to be instantly happy when you're having a bad day at work or finding a job is helping someone else.
"Get outside yourself," said Chopra, author of more than 55 books. "Ask someone, 'How are you feeling?' Give them appreciation."
He advises that we take more responsibility for having good thoughts instead of negative ones. He said that when you have a stressful thought, such as thinking you'll never get the promotion or a new job, try to assess how that thought makes you feel. Then, think about how you would feel and how different your life might be if you let go of that negative thought. In his latest book, "The Soul of Leadership," (Harmony Books, $19.99), Chopra suggests taking responsibility for how you view the world. You can work to "reverse" beliefs that "block your future," he said:
1. When you think you're not good enough and deserve less than others, tell yourself: "The more I evolve, the more I deserve. Since evolution is unlimited, so is my deserving."
2. If you think avoidance is a good way to put off difficult decisions, think: "Postponement is never a solution. It simply freezes the problem in place. If I solve the problem now, I have my whole future to enjoy the solution."
3. If you believe that it doesn't help to focus on the things that are wrong about you, tell yourself: "Problems aren't bad. They are indications of where I need to grow. Beneath the difficulty lies a hidden ally. If I don't focus on my problems, I will miss the path of my own evolution."
4. When you tell yourself that change is hard, reverse that thinking to: "Life is nothing but change . . . change can be conscious or unconscious. Simply by becoming more aware, I have become a powerful agent of change. There is no need to force anything, only to expand my awareness."
5. If you believe that you're a prisoner of random events outside your control, change that to a belief that being controlled by anything - including randomness - makes you a victim. Tell yourself: "I have a choice to make the unknown either my friend or my enemy. As a friend, the unknown brings new life, new ideas and new possibilities. I will focus on that and let go of the rest."
6. If you believe you'd rather avoid confrontation so you can avoid making more enemies, think of an enemy as simply being another name for an obstacle: "Whenever I meet an obstacle, my soul has put it there for a purpose and has provided a solution at the same time. I don't need to focus on what another person feels about me. My aim isn't to make friends of everyone. Instead, I am here to evolve and follow the path my soul is unfolding day by day."
by Anita Bruzzese Gannett Feb. 15, 2011 08:57 AM
Don't blame boss; take control of your happiness
But according to leadership and spiritual guru Deepak Chopra, individuals have more control over their happiness than they might believe. If you're miserable at work or in your job search, you can do something about it, and it doesn't matter who else is whining or complaining.
He said one of the easiest ways to be instantly happy when you're having a bad day at work or finding a job is helping someone else.
"Get outside yourself," said Chopra, author of more than 55 books. "Ask someone, 'How are you feeling?' Give them appreciation."
He advises that we take more responsibility for having good thoughts instead of negative ones. He said that when you have a stressful thought, such as thinking you'll never get the promotion or a new job, try to assess how that thought makes you feel. Then, think about how you would feel and how different your life might be if you let go of that negative thought. In his latest book, "The Soul of Leadership," (Harmony Books, $19.99), Chopra suggests taking responsibility for how you view the world. You can work to "reverse" beliefs that "block your future," he said:
1. When you think you're not good enough and deserve less than others, tell yourself: "The more I evolve, the more I deserve. Since evolution is unlimited, so is my deserving."
2. If you think avoidance is a good way to put off difficult decisions, think: "Postponement is never a solution. It simply freezes the problem in place. If I solve the problem now, I have my whole future to enjoy the solution."
3. If you believe that it doesn't help to focus on the things that are wrong about you, tell yourself: "Problems aren't bad. They are indications of where I need to grow. Beneath the difficulty lies a hidden ally. If I don't focus on my problems, I will miss the path of my own evolution."
4. When you tell yourself that change is hard, reverse that thinking to: "Life is nothing but change . . . change can be conscious or unconscious. Simply by becoming more aware, I have become a powerful agent of change. There is no need to force anything, only to expand my awareness."
5. If you believe that you're a prisoner of random events outside your control, change that to a belief that being controlled by anything - including randomness - makes you a victim. Tell yourself: "I have a choice to make the unknown either my friend or my enemy. As a friend, the unknown brings new life, new ideas and new possibilities. I will focus on that and let go of the rest."
6. If you believe you'd rather avoid confrontation so you can avoid making more enemies, think of an enemy as simply being another name for an obstacle: "Whenever I meet an obstacle, my soul has put it there for a purpose and has provided a solution at the same time. I don't need to focus on what another person feels about me. My aim isn't to make friends of everyone. Instead, I am here to evolve and follow the path my soul is unfolding day by day."
by Anita Bruzzese Gannett Feb. 15, 2011 08:57 AM
Don't blame boss; take control of your happiness
Sunday, November 14, 2010
Paid to put in client's 2 cents
Once or twice a week for the past 20 years, I've received at least one telephone call, e-mail or letter from a reader asking the same rhetorical question:
"Do you actually get paid to write that (expletive)?"
And that's just from family and friends.
I'm kidding. Sort of. Other readers wonder:
"Are you seriously willing to attach your name and photograph to that (expletive)?"
I get the same type of comments from readers who add their opinions to columns and blogs that appear on azcentral .com, the newspaper's Internet site.
Almost always the queries are made anonymously.
Those of us in the news business are accustomed to readers posting at the end of articles or columns.
Anonymous jeers are to news writers what hecklers are to comedians.
I didn't know until recently, however, that some of those anonymous readers actually are being paid to post responses.
I was on the phone with a young man who told me that a friend of his had what he called a "side job" filing anonymous posts on Internet sites that ranged from news operations to mainstream business websites and more.
He said that even a casual search of the Internet would turn up dozens of operations offering money for blog posts.
And it's true. There are such businesses. And it's been going on for years. (The fact that I just heard about this may indicate that the readers wondering why I get paid may have a point.)
Back in 2006, for instance, Bloomberg Businessweek published an article titled "Polluting the blogosphere" that described the practice. The story reads in part: "Advertisers pay to post details about their 'opportunity,' specifying, among other things, how they want bloggers to write about, say, a new shoe, if they want photos to be included, and whether they'll pay only for positive mentions. Bloggers who abide by the rules get paid; heavily trafficked blogs may command premium rates."
There seems to be no law requiring an anonymous poster on an Internet website to announce whether he or she is being paid.
Some of the companies who advertise for such bloggers are very open about the arrangement. One that I looked at said that after a blogger signs on with the company, an "administrator then assigns writing tasks for what our advertisers want you to mention in your blog."
A friend of mine who once worked in newspapers and now represents politicians and political campaigns says that mainstream websites like azcentral.com are littered with paid blog posts.
They're like the audience "volunteer" in a magic act who actually is a plant by the magician. Only multiplied by . . . hundreds? Thousands?
The young man who told me about this said that his friend earns roughly 5 cents per post. He said that his friend uses as many as 10 different fake identities when posting and earns enough money on a good week for "beer money."
Not exactly a career path, but quick easy cash.
News writers know that staff members working for politicians and business interests will post anonymously on a website to make their causes or their bosses look good.
This is different. There's something creepy about getting paid 5 cents to put in a client's 2 cents worth. Although there is a positive side - at least for me.
For the first time in 20 years, I figure that I now get to respond to every expletive-laced rhetorical comment I receive by asking:
"Do YOU actually get paid to write that (expletive)?"
by E. J. Montini The Arizona Republic Nov. 14, 2010 12:00 AM
Paid to put in client's 2 cents
"Do you actually get paid to write that (expletive)?"
And that's just from family and friends.
I'm kidding. Sort of. Other readers wonder:
"Are you seriously willing to attach your name and photograph to that (expletive)?"
I get the same type of comments from readers who add their opinions to columns and blogs that appear on azcentral .com, the newspaper's Internet site.
Almost always the queries are made anonymously.
Those of us in the news business are accustomed to readers posting at the end of articles or columns.
Anonymous jeers are to news writers what hecklers are to comedians.
I didn't know until recently, however, that some of those anonymous readers actually are being paid to post responses.
I was on the phone with a young man who told me that a friend of his had what he called a "side job" filing anonymous posts on Internet sites that ranged from news operations to mainstream business websites and more.
He said that even a casual search of the Internet would turn up dozens of operations offering money for blog posts.
And it's true. There are such businesses. And it's been going on for years. (The fact that I just heard about this may indicate that the readers wondering why I get paid may have a point.)
Back in 2006, for instance, Bloomberg Businessweek published an article titled "Polluting the blogosphere" that described the practice. The story reads in part: "Advertisers pay to post details about their 'opportunity,' specifying, among other things, how they want bloggers to write about, say, a new shoe, if they want photos to be included, and whether they'll pay only for positive mentions. Bloggers who abide by the rules get paid; heavily trafficked blogs may command premium rates."
There seems to be no law requiring an anonymous poster on an Internet website to announce whether he or she is being paid.
Some of the companies who advertise for such bloggers are very open about the arrangement. One that I looked at said that after a blogger signs on with the company, an "administrator then assigns writing tasks for what our advertisers want you to mention in your blog."
A friend of mine who once worked in newspapers and now represents politicians and political campaigns says that mainstream websites like azcentral.com are littered with paid blog posts.
They're like the audience "volunteer" in a magic act who actually is a plant by the magician. Only multiplied by . . . hundreds? Thousands?
The young man who told me about this said that his friend earns roughly 5 cents per post. He said that his friend uses as many as 10 different fake identities when posting and earns enough money on a good week for "beer money."
Not exactly a career path, but quick easy cash.
News writers know that staff members working for politicians and business interests will post anonymously on a website to make their causes or their bosses look good.
This is different. There's something creepy about getting paid 5 cents to put in a client's 2 cents worth. Although there is a positive side - at least for me.
For the first time in 20 years, I figure that I now get to respond to every expletive-laced rhetorical comment I receive by asking:
"Do YOU actually get paid to write that (expletive)?"
by E. J. Montini The Arizona Republic Nov. 14, 2010 12:00 AM
Paid to put in client's 2 cents
Sunday, September 12, 2010
Tips for job applicants, businesses
It was a two-line online want ad: Busy downtown Scottsdale restaurant looking for servers. Experience is not necessary with the right attitude. Bartending a plus.
Five minutes after Malee's Thai Bistro owner Deirdre Pain posted it at 11:30 one evening, her e-mail account was flooded with applicants. Her BlackBerry, which makes a short "ping!" each time she gets new e-mail, chimed non-stop, like a winning slot machine. She got more than 400 responses, said Pain, who posted the ad two weeks ago.
They included seasoned servers as well as former business owners and out-of-work teachers. Several pleaded for work.
"They just kept coming and coming and coming and it was so overwhelming," Pain said. "If I had my way, I would be hiring them all, so people can have a job."
As thousands of Arizonans look for work - the state's official unemployment rate was 9.6 percent in July - throngs of job seekers have become an increasingly familiar sight.
Many major companies have now become accustomed to handling a tidal wave of applicants for certain job openings.
As word spread about as many as 1,000 job openings at McDonald's this week, more than 15,000 people went to Phoenix area restaurants to apply for work. The chain brought in extra managers to help interview the influx of job seekers, a spokeswoman for the fast-food chain said.
In July, 800 to 1,000 people applied for 40 part- and full-time jobs at Cabela's, an outdoors store in Glendale.
For employers, especially ones who have not hired in the past few years, the experience can be both eye-opening and gut-wrenching. And smaller businesses, such as Pain's, often don't have the staff to sift through hundreds of queries.
"You read these stories about joblessness and there are no faces to that these stories," Pain said. "And all of the sudden, I had a very front-line, in-my-face, 'this is the reality of what is going on here.' And it's frightening and it makes me profoundly sad."
That flood of interest is a mixed blessing. The queries can include outstanding candidates and desperate applicants who are a poor fit, employment experts say. But there are ways for job seekers and businesses that want to hire workers to get a better outcome, they say.
Employers: Strategize
Being specific, both when employers craft a job posting and when job hunters apply for jobs, will help spare both sides some frustration.
Employers should have a detailed recruiting strategy to narrow the pool of applicants, said Allison Nawoj, corporate communications manager for CareerBuilder. That game plan may include posting jobs on industry-specific websites, she said.
Also, the job description should be detailed, specifying the desire for concrete experience, skills and information about the company, said Holly Schor, director of community marketing for Jobing.com. Some applicants may choose not to apply because the job isn't right for them, Schor said.
And not all jobs have huge competition, Schor said. Businesses have been surprised when their job postings got less response than expected.
It appears that some fields, including nursing, technology and some entry-level posts, tend to draw a larger number of applicants, Schor said.
Job seekers: Customize
To stand out in a crowded field, job seekers should customize their resume and cover letter for each prospective employer. Talk up specific attributes about the company, such as a recent award the business won, in the cover letter.
Pain and her staff developed criteria to whittle down the applicant list. They wanted servers with at least some experience and they wanted workers with a great attitude. They hired three who will start training next week and they plan to hire a few others soon.
Other job seekers, such as the thousands of Valley residents who applied for the McDonald's jobs this week, are still waiting to find out if they will be employed.
"I'm praying I get one because I'm trying to pay for school," said Phoenix resident Timesha Little, 19, as she filled out a job application at a Phoenix McDonald's on Wednesday.
"I believe in God and have my rosary in my purse, so hopefully that helps."
by Jahna Berry The Arizona Republic Sept. 11, 2010 12:00 AM
Tips for job applicants, businesses
Five minutes after Malee's Thai Bistro owner Deirdre Pain posted it at 11:30 one evening, her e-mail account was flooded with applicants. Her BlackBerry, which makes a short "ping!" each time she gets new e-mail, chimed non-stop, like a winning slot machine. She got more than 400 responses, said Pain, who posted the ad two weeks ago.
They included seasoned servers as well as former business owners and out-of-work teachers. Several pleaded for work.
"They just kept coming and coming and coming and it was so overwhelming," Pain said. "If I had my way, I would be hiring them all, so people can have a job."
As thousands of Arizonans look for work - the state's official unemployment rate was 9.6 percent in July - throngs of job seekers have become an increasingly familiar sight.
Many major companies have now become accustomed to handling a tidal wave of applicants for certain job openings.
As word spread about as many as 1,000 job openings at McDonald's this week, more than 15,000 people went to Phoenix area restaurants to apply for work. The chain brought in extra managers to help interview the influx of job seekers, a spokeswoman for the fast-food chain said.
In July, 800 to 1,000 people applied for 40 part- and full-time jobs at Cabela's, an outdoors store in Glendale.
For employers, especially ones who have not hired in the past few years, the experience can be both eye-opening and gut-wrenching. And smaller businesses, such as Pain's, often don't have the staff to sift through hundreds of queries.
"You read these stories about joblessness and there are no faces to that these stories," Pain said. "And all of the sudden, I had a very front-line, in-my-face, 'this is the reality of what is going on here.' And it's frightening and it makes me profoundly sad."
That flood of interest is a mixed blessing. The queries can include outstanding candidates and desperate applicants who are a poor fit, employment experts say. But there are ways for job seekers and businesses that want to hire workers to get a better outcome, they say.
Employers: Strategize
Being specific, both when employers craft a job posting and when job hunters apply for jobs, will help spare both sides some frustration.
Employers should have a detailed recruiting strategy to narrow the pool of applicants, said Allison Nawoj, corporate communications manager for CareerBuilder. That game plan may include posting jobs on industry-specific websites, she said.
Also, the job description should be detailed, specifying the desire for concrete experience, skills and information about the company, said Holly Schor, director of community marketing for Jobing.com. Some applicants may choose not to apply because the job isn't right for them, Schor said.
And not all jobs have huge competition, Schor said. Businesses have been surprised when their job postings got less response than expected.
It appears that some fields, including nursing, technology and some entry-level posts, tend to draw a larger number of applicants, Schor said.
Job seekers: Customize
To stand out in a crowded field, job seekers should customize their resume and cover letter for each prospective employer. Talk up specific attributes about the company, such as a recent award the business won, in the cover letter.
Pain and her staff developed criteria to whittle down the applicant list. They wanted servers with at least some experience and they wanted workers with a great attitude. They hired three who will start training next week and they plan to hire a few others soon.
Other job seekers, such as the thousands of Valley residents who applied for the McDonald's jobs this week, are still waiting to find out if they will be employed.
"I'm praying I get one because I'm trying to pay for school," said Phoenix resident Timesha Little, 19, as she filled out a job application at a Phoenix McDonald's on Wednesday.
"I believe in God and have my rosary in my purse, so hopefully that helps."
by Jahna Berry The Arizona Republic Sept. 11, 2010 12:00 AM
Tips for job applicants, businesses
Monday, September 6, 2010
7 tips to make your resume stand out
Putting together a resume can be a daunting task, but a necessary one, because it can put you above other applicants. Unfortunately, many resume-writing guides give conflicting information on what you should and shouldn't include. Here's what some professional recruiters in metro Phoenix had to say:
• Avoid objective statements.
At the top of many resumes, applicants often include a job objective. But not in the correct fashion.
"This should be about what you have to bring to the party not what you're looking for," says Linda Baugh, president of American Career Executives in Phoenix.
Instead use an overview, suggests Allen Plunkett, president of Phoenix Staff Inc.
"The overview is the new objective," Plunkett said. "It says more specifically how you match the job you're responding to instead of speaking to what you think you should do."
• Do not include a photo of yourself.
This is a common practice in other countries, but here in the U.S. many recruiters will automatically throw away a resume with a photo attached because it puts them at risk for accusations of favoring attractive candidates. It leaves room for discrimination, Baugh said.
"You can cause more trouble by putting it (a photo) out there," she said.
• Don't get personal.
Exclude descriptions of race, religion, marital status, etc. It does not enhance your resume and it puts the recruiter in an awkward position because they now know aspects about you that they legally can not ask you, said Richard Baumgarten, vice president for Recruiting at United HR in Phoenix.
• Avoid subjective language.
Employers hear the terms innovative leader, motivated team member and creative thinker from everyone. Plunkett says using this language does little to distinguish you from the crowd.
"You're falling into the sea of sameness," he says.
• Do not include references.
If the company is listed on your resume, it is assumed that they can call them for a reference if needed. So do not include references on your resume. It only wastes space that can be used for more helpful information about your career experience.
• Avoid including club membership or hobbies.
Leave this information out except for cases where involvement in that organization is related to the job you are applying for, or if it is an interest shared with the person hiring you. For example, when applying for an accounting job, include that you are a member of the American Accounting Association.
• Don't use the same resume every time.
Treat your resume as a template. Many job applicants send out the same version to multiple companies, which is one of the top reasons applicants get rejected for being overqualified, Plunkett says.
Plunkett advises tailoring your resume to a specific job.
"Focus in on that particular company and what experiences will relate to this job," to succeed, he adds.
by Courtney Godfrey Special for the Republic Sept. 4, 2010 08:27 PM
7 tips to make your resume stand out
• Avoid objective statements.
At the top of many resumes, applicants often include a job objective. But not in the correct fashion.
"This should be about what you have to bring to the party not what you're looking for," says Linda Baugh, president of American Career Executives in Phoenix.
Instead use an overview, suggests Allen Plunkett, president of Phoenix Staff Inc.
"The overview is the new objective," Plunkett said. "It says more specifically how you match the job you're responding to instead of speaking to what you think you should do."
• Do not include a photo of yourself.
This is a common practice in other countries, but here in the U.S. many recruiters will automatically throw away a resume with a photo attached because it puts them at risk for accusations of favoring attractive candidates. It leaves room for discrimination, Baugh said.
"You can cause more trouble by putting it (a photo) out there," she said.
• Don't get personal.
Exclude descriptions of race, religion, marital status, etc. It does not enhance your resume and it puts the recruiter in an awkward position because they now know aspects about you that they legally can not ask you, said Richard Baumgarten, vice president for Recruiting at United HR in Phoenix.
• Avoid subjective language.
Employers hear the terms innovative leader, motivated team member and creative thinker from everyone. Plunkett says using this language does little to distinguish you from the crowd.
"You're falling into the sea of sameness," he says.
• Do not include references.
If the company is listed on your resume, it is assumed that they can call them for a reference if needed. So do not include references on your resume. It only wastes space that can be used for more helpful information about your career experience.
• Avoid including club membership or hobbies.
Leave this information out except for cases where involvement in that organization is related to the job you are applying for, or if it is an interest shared with the person hiring you. For example, when applying for an accounting job, include that you are a member of the American Accounting Association.
• Don't use the same resume every time.
Treat your resume as a template. Many job applicants send out the same version to multiple companies, which is one of the top reasons applicants get rejected for being overqualified, Plunkett says.
Plunkett advises tailoring your resume to a specific job.
"Focus in on that particular company and what experiences will relate to this job," to succeed, he adds.
by Courtney Godfrey Special for the Republic Sept. 4, 2010 08:27 PM
7 tips to make your resume stand out
Sunday, September 5, 2010
Negotiate the best pay from new job
A tight employment market has many job seekers thinking they should accept anything that comes their way.
Yet there still may be room to negotiate pay and benefits without jeopardizing a job offer.
The key is to be grounded in reality, with a good sense of what you bring to the table and what local job-market conditions will bear.
"It's fine to be assertive as long as you have the facts to back it up," said career coach Stacie Garlieb of Successful Impressions LLC in Phoenix.
Job-negotiating tactics can be tough for anyone to master, but women's advocates say women appear to be less effective at it than men. Some observers believe ineffective negotiating is one reason female workers earn about 77 cents for every dollar earned by male colleagues.
"There are voices in our heads telling us not to be pushy and to be happy with what we have," said Jean Johnson, who helped conduct a recent Start Smart wage-negotiation workshop sponsored by YWCA Maricopa County and the Scottsdale chapter of AAUW.
The gender-wage gap starts soon after college and grows throughout the working years, she said.
Step 1: Preparation
At the workshop, participants were urged to become better negotiators by preparing in advance.
This partly involves becoming familiar with the salary range for specific jobs in your area using tools such as Salary Wizard at www.salary.com.
"Wage benchmarking is empowering because knowledge is power," Johnson said.
It also helps to know if you can live on the pay offered. To assess this, you might need to draw up a personal budget. Websites such as www.pay checkcity.com will run you through the numbers and show what your take-home amount would be.
Step 2: Understand the offer
Knowing the salary range and what you need to live on is a start. But pay negotiation doesn't really start until you receive a job offer.
If you do get one, recognize that you have an edge - even if dozens, if not hundreds, of other people applied for the same position.
"The fact (an employer) wants you gives you an advantage in negotiations," said Arlene Blunt, a coach of real-estate agents who helped lead the YWCA workshop.
"The employer doesn't necessarily think the other (applicants) have the best qualifications for the job - they're the fall-back choices," Blunt added.
That said, this isn't the environment to press salary demands too strongly or to puff up your earnings history, warned Michael D. Hayes, owner of Momentum Specialized Staffing in Phoenix.
"You don't want to risk annoying anyone," he said. "Companies are on tight budgets, and another $10,000 or $20,000 could push them over."
In today's job market, it's not likely you will be offered compensation that's much above your target salary. But you won't want to accept jobs for less than your minimum.
Step 3: Negotiation
The situations in the middle, where the offer is below your target but above your minimum, are where negotiating has most relevance.
As part of your interview preparations, learn what the company does and practice articulating your skills and talents.
"Be sure you know your qualifications inside and out," Blunt said. "You're not going to have a piece of paper to read from."
It's smart to rehearse the bargaining process with practice sessions with friends. At the YWCA seminar, instructors split the group into pairs so participants could rehearse.
If you can't get an employer to budge on pay, turn to benefits.
"There are many creative ways to get extra benefits, and employers generally are willing to discuss them," Johnson said.
Some participants at the workshop expressed surprise that perks are even up for discussion.
"I didn't know benefits could be negotiated," said Patricia Estrada, an administrative assistant who lives in Phoenix. "I always thought you got whatever was offered."
The benefits to discuss can include certain options on health and retirement packages to vacation time, tuition reimbursement, company cars, bonuses, travel assignments, overtime and subsidies for public transit.
Hayes suggests asking for a bit more paid vacation. "That's not usually a deal killer," he said.
Garlieb suggests asking about an early performance evaluation, which could put you in line for a pay raise sooner.
"Those things can be very negotiable," said Garlieb, who added that it's wise to prioritize benefits so you know what to focus on heading into an interview.
"The biggest error is not planning for what's most important," she said.
Step 4: The bottom line
Negotiating isn't easy. It's not natural to boast about yourself, and the process can become confrontational.
"There's a fine line between bargaining and intimidation," Estrada said.
Yet honing negotiation skills can get you off to a good start in a new job and keep you from wondering whether you could have done better.
"If you never hear 'no,' " Johnson said, "you haven't negotiated enough."
by Russ Wiles The Arizona Republic August 23, 2010 04:46 PM
Negotiate the best pay from new job
Yet there still may be room to negotiate pay and benefits without jeopardizing a job offer.
The key is to be grounded in reality, with a good sense of what you bring to the table and what local job-market conditions will bear.
"It's fine to be assertive as long as you have the facts to back it up," said career coach Stacie Garlieb of Successful Impressions LLC in Phoenix.
Job-negotiating tactics can be tough for anyone to master, but women's advocates say women appear to be less effective at it than men. Some observers believe ineffective negotiating is one reason female workers earn about 77 cents for every dollar earned by male colleagues.
"There are voices in our heads telling us not to be pushy and to be happy with what we have," said Jean Johnson, who helped conduct a recent Start Smart wage-negotiation workshop sponsored by YWCA Maricopa County and the Scottsdale chapter of AAUW.
The gender-wage gap starts soon after college and grows throughout the working years, she said.
Step 1: Preparation
At the workshop, participants were urged to become better negotiators by preparing in advance.
This partly involves becoming familiar with the salary range for specific jobs in your area using tools such as Salary Wizard at www.salary.com.
"Wage benchmarking is empowering because knowledge is power," Johnson said.
It also helps to know if you can live on the pay offered. To assess this, you might need to draw up a personal budget. Websites such as www.pay checkcity.com will run you through the numbers and show what your take-home amount would be.
Step 2: Understand the offer
Knowing the salary range and what you need to live on is a start. But pay negotiation doesn't really start until you receive a job offer.
If you do get one, recognize that you have an edge - even if dozens, if not hundreds, of other people applied for the same position.
"The fact (an employer) wants you gives you an advantage in negotiations," said Arlene Blunt, a coach of real-estate agents who helped lead the YWCA workshop.
"The employer doesn't necessarily think the other (applicants) have the best qualifications for the job - they're the fall-back choices," Blunt added.
That said, this isn't the environment to press salary demands too strongly or to puff up your earnings history, warned Michael D. Hayes, owner of Momentum Specialized Staffing in Phoenix.
"You don't want to risk annoying anyone," he said. "Companies are on tight budgets, and another $10,000 or $20,000 could push them over."
In today's job market, it's not likely you will be offered compensation that's much above your target salary. But you won't want to accept jobs for less than your minimum.
Step 3: Negotiation
The situations in the middle, where the offer is below your target but above your minimum, are where negotiating has most relevance.
As part of your interview preparations, learn what the company does and practice articulating your skills and talents.
"Be sure you know your qualifications inside and out," Blunt said. "You're not going to have a piece of paper to read from."
It's smart to rehearse the bargaining process with practice sessions with friends. At the YWCA seminar, instructors split the group into pairs so participants could rehearse.
If you can't get an employer to budge on pay, turn to benefits.
"There are many creative ways to get extra benefits, and employers generally are willing to discuss them," Johnson said.
Some participants at the workshop expressed surprise that perks are even up for discussion.
"I didn't know benefits could be negotiated," said Patricia Estrada, an administrative assistant who lives in Phoenix. "I always thought you got whatever was offered."
The benefits to discuss can include certain options on health and retirement packages to vacation time, tuition reimbursement, company cars, bonuses, travel assignments, overtime and subsidies for public transit.
Hayes suggests asking for a bit more paid vacation. "That's not usually a deal killer," he said.
Garlieb suggests asking about an early performance evaluation, which could put you in line for a pay raise sooner.
"Those things can be very negotiable," said Garlieb, who added that it's wise to prioritize benefits so you know what to focus on heading into an interview.
"The biggest error is not planning for what's most important," she said.
Step 4: The bottom line
Negotiating isn't easy. It's not natural to boast about yourself, and the process can become confrontational.
"There's a fine line between bargaining and intimidation," Estrada said.
Yet honing negotiation skills can get you off to a good start in a new job and keep you from wondering whether you could have done better.
"If you never hear 'no,' " Johnson said, "you haven't negotiated enough."
by Russ Wiles The Arizona Republic August 23, 2010 04:46 PM
Negotiate the best pay from new job
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