7 Interview Secrets for Introverts

7 Interview Secrets for IntrovertsRaise your hand if youve gone to an bewerberinterview, and been so nervous about the whole thing that afterward, you couldnt remember half of what happened. (Raises hand.) Now raise your hand if thats happened multiple times, because anxiety. (Hand still raised.) googletag.cmd.push(function() googletag.display(div-gpt-ad-1467144145037-0) ) Interviewing can be really tough if youre leid a natural extrovert. Meeting new people, having to be on at all times, trying to negotiate the interactionit can be exhausting. And mora importantly, it can undermine your job search, even when you know youre qualified, and have an A+ resume. Nerves or pauses can come off as seeming unprepared, which is the last thing you want.The way to get around this, and seem like you put yourself out there all the time, no big deal, is to develop coping mechanisms that will have you schmoozing like someone who does it all the time. That being said, here are 7 interview secrets fo r introverts.1. Chillits just a conversation.It can be very daunting to walk into an interview. Its just so formal. The handshake, the eye contact, all of it. Instead, remember that this is literally a conversation between two (or more) people, at heart. You already have an in, so its not like you have to start from scratch with conversation topics. Always remember that even though the stakes are higher than your average chat over coffee, youre talking to regular people, not CIA interrogators.2. Show off those listening skills.One of the best social skills that many introverts have is the ability to listen carefully and zero in on the heart of the issueone of the most beneficial skills to bring into an interview. Even if youre used to being the one who hangs back in conversation, thats something you can use to your advantage in a job interview. A customized answer to a complicated question can give you an edge of someone whos in extrovert interview mode, and working from a set of pe rsonal talking points.3. Bring musiknotes.Personally, one of my biggest interview challenges is feeling like Im rambling or forgetting crucial information in the moment. Notes can help with that. Unless the interview is bizarrely like the SATs, where notes and calculators are not allowed, its not likely any interviewer would object to you having a notebook in front of you. That way, if you start to feel nervous or like youre having trouble thinking on your feet, you have your prep notes right there for reference. However, be careful not to lean on unterstellung too muchyou want to maintain the eye contact and conversational flow.4. Anticipate small talk.Its going to happen. After the initial offer of water or coffee, there will always be some small talk. If thats not your strong suit, think of a few topics ahead of time the weather (clich but it works), the commute, that awesome painting in the lobby. Honestly, this will be the easiest part of the interview, so its not worth stressi ng about whether youll have anything in common with the interviewer.Be prepared to have a few casual minutes of talking about things that arent directly related to the job at hand. Also be prepared to think on your feet. For example, if youre in someones office and see a Yankees cap, its a good chance to comment on their World Series chances this year.5. Realize youre there to brag.If you struggle with being the center of attention, find ways to couch your accomplishments as part of your current companys growth/positive outcomes, or focus on things youve been praised for in the past. It can be easier to illustrate your awesomeness than to come out and say, Im awesome. Its also good to focus on things that make you genuinely excited about your jobif you light up when you talk about something, thats an easy win and engages the interviewer.6. Practice, practice, practice.Know the job description cold. Know ahead of time what questions you have about the job or company. Know what you wa nt to to emphasize in your own history and experience. Then, once you have those in mind, practice answering questions about all of them. The more familiar you are with the lines of the conversation ahead of time, the easier it will be to deal with them when youre in an unfamiliar space with unfamiliar faces.7. Use the thank you email to your advantage.If you did fumble something or let nerves get the better of you in part of the interview, the follow-up note can help you clarify a bungled point. If youre better in writing than chatting in person, a coherent and charming thank you note can help shore up the final impression.The job interview as we know it is not suited super-well to those of us with introvert tendenciesbut that doesnt mean you have to accept that. You dont need to become a social butterfly overnight, but having a set of strategies in you pocket can really help you compete with people who take to the format much more naturally.

Important Skills For A Retail Resume

Important Skills For A Retail Resume List of important skills for a retail resumeRetail jobs are versatile, high-pressure jobs. They demand employees who are dynamic, adaptable, and have a diverse set of key skills. To stand out in the crowd, polish your resume until it shines. Make your retail skills sparkle by placing them in context. Dont just say you have great organization skills prove it with examples of how youve had to use those skills.Describe your skills in your retail resume with these top attributes in mindDetails of your accomplishments in the retail fieldRetail work represents a broad sortiment of specific areas. Your past work in retail may have included stock management, creating displays, product demonstration, cashiering, or credit management. Highlight your most impressive experiences with details about your activities, duties, and responsibilities in the job.Whenever possible, show your accomplishments and achievements by describing the results of your work and us ing specific number values, such as successfully influenced 20% of POS customers to join a special membership program, or list awards like Cashier of the Month.Use your job descriptions to show any organizational prowess or attention to detail for example, if youve worked in IT retail, memorization of highly detailed specifications was a must.Software, technology, and industry knowledgeYour resume should highlight your job experience using specific software or working with various POS systems including cloud-based POS solutions or management software. Underscore your computer and web skills in office positions or tech-based experiences to show your aptitude in the computing world.anzeige your ambition and aptitude for learning and applying yourself even if the job you are applying for is in a sector you have little experience in. You may have taken fashion classes at a design school and were able to apply that knowledge at a haute-couture clothing store when you helped your employer develop a fashion event series to engage the community. This example shows how you used your personal interests to bring value to your job.Leadership and team cooperationRetail jobs are team jobs. Not only will you have numerous customers to help, but the interpersonal dynamics with your co-workers can make or break your success. Strong teamwork skills are desirable because they make a retail business flow smoothly.Any leadership experiences youve had, like helping to train new employees, are a big plus. They show your commitment to nurturing the health and development of a team.Great communication and a customer-focused attitudeRetail work involves interacting with a vast range of people with different personalities in fast-paced settings. You need to show that you have the interpersonal skills, amiability, and patience needed to work together in an enthusiastic, helpful, solution-oriented way regardless of pressure.Highlight past experiences where your great oral and written comm unication, conflict resolution, or diplomacy skills came sharply into focus. Also, point out experiences where your courtesy and helpfulness were clear requirements of the experience, such as customer happiness roles.Write your most impressive and most useful marketing skills into your resume with clarity, precision, and proper context. Always give specific examples to show your abilities and successes. Display a mixture of experience and ideal character traits that make you a perfect choice for the job.

Recognizing Employees Whats Most Effective - Spark Hire

Recognizing Employees Whats fruchtwein Effective - Spark HireWhen it comes to recognizing employees for their performance, there are many methods of proven, effective recognition. But as you may already know, not all of these are good for every employee, nor is one of them the magic button to be used for any one group. How can you gauge which form of recognition might be the most effective? How do you navigate the different personalities, job types, and forms of recognition to motive your employees and help them progress?Be aware of the nature of your employees position. Does your employees job require that they work by themselves or is their position driven by the work given to their team? Based on this basic information, you may have some guidance on what kind of atmosphere is mora appropriate in which to recognize the employee. If they largely work by themselves, recognizing them in front of a group of people, while a kind gesture, may not have the same motivating effects as calli ng them into a one-on-one meeting and congratulating them on a job well done. Conversely, for an employee who mostly works with teams, recognizing them in front of their peers might have the double effect of affirming the individuals performance and motivating the team in their continuing work.Meet your employees on a personal level. Are you aware of this employees personality? How well do you know them on the level of what motivates them best? Are they self-motivated or do they thrive when theyve received accolades and positive feedback? In a one-on-one session, be direct in asking what forms of recognition would be most motivating to them and take note. As a manager, while you cant accommodate every employees personal needs, you can show your effort and support by genuinely attempting to give feedback in a format that will push employees to be more productive.Consider the context of the recognition. During performance review time, employees expect to receive a certain amount of fe edback from their managers or supervisors. Within this context, the feedback is a formulated step in the process of reviews and can at times come across as insincere and cookie-cutter. Impress your employees by stepping off the beaten path and recognizing them for their performance at unlikely times during the year. Send a short thank you note or a quick e-mail congratulating or thanking them. Perhaps escalate a project they have worked on tirelessly to someone higher up within the company to help that employee and their work gain visibility and understanding within the company.While these seem like small steps, unexpected and sincere recognition could make the difference in morale on your team and in the office. As employees take notice of your extra efforts, youll begin to foster a working atmosphere where employees feel motivated and show their genuine appreciation through their work and productivity.Do you put some thought into the way you recognize your employees for a job well done? We want to hear about it in the comments below.IMAGECourtesy of Flickr by Victor1558

By the Numbers Jobs and Manufacturing

By the Numbers Jobs and Manufacturing By the Numbers Jobs and Manufacturing By the Numbers Jobs and ManufacturingImports have become an easy target for Americans in both major political parties. But the countrys high-productivity factories simply dont need as many workers as they used to.Trade has become a hot political issue in the United States, with many people on both ends of the political spectrum wanting to slow or restrict imports to bring back manufacturing jobs. Scenes of abandoned factories and interviews with unemployed industrial workers underscore the point.But how much do imports actually matter?Its true that the U.S. imports many more goods than it ausfuhrs to the rest of the world. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, $931.2 billion in manufactured goods were imported in the first six months of 2016, compared to $522.6 billion in exports. Even in the industries where the U.S. manufacturers export the mosttransportation, chemicals, computers and electronics, and non-el ectrical machinery there was a net trade deficit.But the annual trade deficit in manufactured goods (roughly $800 billion) is a small fraction of the $5.9 trillion worth of goods produced by the U.S. manufacturing sector. In terms of bringing back manufacturing jobs to the levels of 40 and 50 years ago, eliminating trade isnt going to do the trick.Even in its top four export categories, the U.S. ran a trade deficit in the first half of 2016.Comparing the number of manufacturing jobs, as measured by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, to manufacturing output from 1947 to the present reveals that American factories make much more stuff per worker than ever before. Most of that increase in productivity has occurred since 2000, as factory automation has reduced the demand for workers at the same time that low-value manufacturing began to leave the U.S. While the workforce has been reduced by nearly 5 million since 2000a 29 percent cutmanufacturing output has grown steadily, if slowly.T hat means the factory workers who remain are adding more value than ever before. In 2015, manufacturing output per manufacturing worker was $482,242, just a bit off of the peak by contrast, each manufacturing worker in 2000 produced $336,847 in 2015 dollars. In 1976, the inflation-adjusted production was just $276,525.Indeed, using a simple calculation based on the present rate of productivity, the manufacturing jobs that would be added by eliminating the entire $800 billion annual trade deficit in goods would number around 1.6 millionnot enough to restore the manufacturing jobs lost since 2000, let alone return manufacturing to the central place it once had in the American economy.Read the latest issue of the Mechanical Engineering Magazine.

5 money questions you should be able to answer by 35

5 money questions you should be able to answer by 355 money questions you should be able to answer by 35Keeping on top of personal finances is hard, perhaps especially in the first decade of your career. However, by the time youre 35, a long-term plan for saving, investing, purchasing, and retirement should be starting to come into focus.Here are a few questions you should be able to answer by the time youre 351. How much money will I have when I retire?By the time youre 35, you should have a solid retirement plan with at least a few years worth of investing and saving under your belt. Because compound interest is your friend when it comes to investing, each year you wait to get started can have huge long-term effects on the nest egg youll have when you retire.How much youll have really depends on how youve tischset up your investment portfolio. Using a combination of investment types, such as a company 401(k) and a Roth IRA, can help enkoranvers youre shuffling the mix between high- risk and low-risk investment. However, until around 40, you should aim toward more high-risk, high-return investments and slowly shift as you get older.No matter how your portfolio is set up, you should be aiming to invest in your retirement plan every year. Timothy G. Wideman, D.B.A. PHR Emeritus, and a retired Associate Professor of Management Human Resources at Doane University, gives the following advice In order to fund an early retirement, folks should strive to invest 20% of their incomes in their combined retirement accounts. That may sound daunting, but sticking to that 20% can have big payoffs in the long run.2. Am I prepared for a major emergency?Theres no way to predict what life has in store for us (although that would be nice). With this in mind, its important to have some emergency funds in case something unexpected happens. According to investment group Vanguard, fruchtwein experts believe you should have enough money in your emergency fund to cover at least 3 to 6 months worth of living expenses. Although that probably sounds like a lot of money, and hopefully you never need it, if you ever do youll be glad you have it.3. Am I paying more for anything than I need to be?Most of us have recurring expenses we dont think about often. Because theyre not actively on our radar most of the time, it can be easy to forget that these expenses can really add up over time. In your mid-30s (and all ages, really), you should be aware of everything that drains a little from each months budget. If you arent sure exactly what youre paying for, or if you cant specify the exact amount your subscriptions and services are costing you, run a quick audit of your monthly bills. Some expenses may be unnecessary (for example, you may find you want to unsubscribe from magazines you dont read often), and some may be necessary but available for a lower price (for example, many cable bills can be negotiated down). Either way, trimming down on any extra recurring costs can really add up over time.4. What big expenses are on my horizon?At 35, many people are at different places in their lives. Some may be parents or looking to become parents, while others may be looking to move abroad or take a big career step. However, no matter what your situation, there are probably some big expenses just ahead. Trying to buy a house? Looking to add a baby to the mix? Both of these are huge financial commitments. Will you be ready for them? Only you can answer that, but preparing in advance for your big upcoming expenses can help you make sure youre ready when the right time comes.5. Is money preventing me from reaching one or more of my goals?Money can be many things a safety net, an enabler, a status symbol. But perhaps its most important use is as a tool to achieve the things we want to achieve - and avoid falling into situations we dont want out of necessity. Beth Haiken, an EVP at Method Communications, says, Money isnt stuff - money is autonomyIts what enabl es you to make your own decisions and follow your own goals, whether thats a trip you want to take or a job you DONT want to take.If you keep track of how much youre spending and maximize your savings, youll be prepared to use money however you need to when that need arises. Whether its the flexibility to quit a toxic job or the freedom to take the trip of a lifetime, the possibilities provided by keeping on top of your financial situation are well worth the work.A version of this post previously appeared onFairygodboss, the largest career community that helps women get the inside scoop on pay, corporate culture, benefits, and work flexibility. Founded in 2015, Fairygodboss offers company ratings, job listings, discussion boards, and career advice.

Put Your Best Face Forward With Our Model Resume Template for Word

Put Your Best Face Forward With Our Model Resume Template for exaktPut Your Best Face Forward With Our Model Resume Template for WordIntroductionBecoming a model often involves getting discovered be it in person, from photographs, or through a great resume. Our model resume template for Word includes a sample document tailored to the unique qualifications for this career as well as explanations of standard resume sections with helpful writing tips. Modeling is a highly visual career, but you may still need to be able to present your experience in writing. Refer to our template and tips for guidance on preparing a summary statement and lists of skills, work experience, and education.Model Resume Template for Word Miranda MitchellNew York, NY 11111E mirandamitchellanymail.com P 555Model with three years of experienceAppeared in four department store print adsWalked two runways during fashion week Perfect Your Skills SectionModeling involves more than just posing. Aspiring models shou ld describe key traits or points of their experience in the skills section. This section can be a great place to mention the types of modeling in which you specialize, vital soft skills like interpersonal communication or time management, and other useful skills for a modeling agency or gig.Describe your skills in short, skimmable phrases without periods at the end and organize this section using bullet points. Be koranvers to prioritize the most relevant skills for the job to which you are applying. The skills section can also be the place to point out important characteristics that qualify you for a particular agency or gig. Refer to our model resume template for Word for an example of a skills section in context. Some of the most useful skills for a model includeTime managementOrganizationListening skillsDisciplinePolish Your Work History SectionModels often work many gigs. If you have only worked a few gigs or are not yet represented by an agency, you may want to list individual jobs under work experience. Start with your most recent appearances and continue backward in reverse chronological order, ending with your earliest work. If you are currently represented by an agency or have a history of representation, you might prefer to list your agency affiliations and describe the type of work you obtained through each agency. In a broader sense, the work history or experience section should include the dates of employment. Once you have listed your role or position, the employer, the location of the job, and the dates, create a bulletGraduate, Barbizon Modeling School, 2016 Specialized in live runway modeling

Five Meetings Your Employees Will Thank You for Killing or Fixing

Five Meetings Your Employees Will Thank You for Killing or FixingFive Meetings Your Employees Will Thank You for Killing or FixingThe balance of this article offers up some additional meeting types that spread stress and strife. As the manager or leader responsible for pulling people together to communicate, share and generate ideas, you are well served by eliminating these meeting types from your routine. 800 a.m. Monday Morning Staff Meetings The problem with this meeting is that no one is ever ready for it. After all, its 800 a.m. on Monday morning- nothing has happened yet and whatever happened last week is mostly ancient history. The second problem with this meeting is that for anyone to be prepared, they have to work Sunday night which is fine on occasion but guaranteed to earn you some serious votes for jerk of the year from employees and the family members of employees. The solution If you must run a team meeting on Monday, push it to later in the morning or early in the afternoon. Better yet, push it to Tuesday morning. Round-the-Table Status Meetings You know this meeting. Its the one where people move around the room sharing their latest updates, sagas, fantasies, and dreams. Sit in the wrong place and you end up as the 22nd person to offer an update to a group whose bladders are over-strained and brains numb from the politically oriented updates emanating from the mouths of colleagues in far-away functions. The solution Meet if you must, but set some rules on the updates. Ask people to focus on important news that impacts everyone or to identify challenges that require help from across functions. Do anything to limit the painful march of gratuitous and self-serving status updates that undisciplined round-the-table meetings generate. Recurring Meetings that Have Lost Their Purpose Any recurring meeting where no one can remember why this meeting still takes place is a candidate for immediate elimination. The laws of physics transfer to mee tings and a meeting on the schedule tends to remain on the schedule long after it has used up its usefulness in the workplace. One new manager reviewed the recurring list of meetings on his teams schedule and canceled two of them because he could not uncover a reason for these meetings to exist. He received mora than a few thank-you notes and a few comments from people wondering how he managed to kill this meeting that they had been trying to get rid of for the past year. The solution Review all of the recurring meetings that you subject your team to or that you are a participant in, and eliminate them from your life and the lives of your team members. If you are not the host of the meeting, inform the host of your intention and of your perspective on the utility of the meeting. If you are the host/sponsor, poll team members and give them a voice and a vote. A bit of draconian slicing of recurring meetings opens up valuable time for other more important activities. Group Word-Smi thing Meetings This is any meeting where you pull together a group of people to work on the wording for something a vision, a mission, a strategy statement, a scope statement in project management. The output of these sessions is typically a series of awkwardly constructed sentences reflecting compromises on the part of the person-in-charge. No one in the room agrees with the final product, but everyone nods their heads in assent as soon as the wording moves beyond ridiculous to just awful in an attempt to make the pain go away. The solution Never relegate rough wording of anything to a committee. Take a stab at the element in question yourself, bounce it off a few colleagues and when you approach something that is beginning to work for you, very carefully ask for input from a group. Ask clarifying questions, take great notes and then disappear and redraft the statement(s), repeating the process as necessary. Template Strategy Meetings There is no magical process or template or even simple series of steps that help strategic clarity emerge. Conducting a S.W.O.T. (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats) analysis is not always on the critical path to arriving at an accurate assessment of conditions, and opportunities. And numbers and targets and growth are not strategies. Beware of anyone suggesting they have a simple process for this complex topic. The solution Invest in a highly qualified and experienced strategy facilitator or advisor who understands how to guide, sometimes lead and sometimes follow in pursuit of developing an actionable, meaningful strategy. The right professional will hold the group accountable to finding answers to the right (difficult) questions that must be answered on the road to strategic clarity. The Bottom Line Meetings are priceless opportunities to connect, communicate, build relationships, and stimulate creative problem-solving. They are also opportunities ripe for overuse and even abuse. Strive to be the manag er that respects the power and importance of meetings. Use these forums for the right reasons by architecting them to focus on key issues, solicit ideas and importantly, respect the time that everyone puts into the sessions. Your team members will appreciate your positive approach more than you may ever know.