Thursday, July 30, 2020

A Checklist of Return to Work Forms

A Checklist of Return to Work Forms A Checklist of Return to Work Forms At the point when you get to the furthest limit of maternity leave, the exact opposite thing you ought to be stressing over is the arrival to work structures. Rather, youll need to concentrate on babys youngster care needs and making sense of how to carry out your responsibility now that youre a mother. Make those huge errands your priority.Use this agenda of come back to work structures to ensure all your desk work is leveled out. You may not require each arrival to work structure on this rundown, contingent upon your circumstance, however its a decent beginning stage. At that point, appreciate the last couple of seconds of maternity leave with your child and plan for your new life as a working mother. (Dont stress, it shows signs of improvement starting now and into the foreseeable future.) 01Your Return to Work Letter Photograph credit: Peter Dazeley/Getty Images To wrap things up, before coming back to work, consider whether you should arrange an adaptable calendar. Regardless of whether you havent raised this issue with your boss, its never past the point where it is possible to reexamine the rigors of work and how to make the change as smooth as feasible for you, your infant and your employer.A part-day or part-week calendar may help you bit by bit conform to coming back to work. Or then again maybe you will need to utilize a diminished hour plan for a long time to come. On the other hand, you may just need to move your work hours around so as to oblige youngster care.Whatever your requirements, dont be reluctant to raise the issue with your boss. Youre not, at this point only liable for yourself. Your childs prosperity relying upon you having a sound work-life equalization, and theres no preferable opportunity to begin once again the present. Being Prepared Will Make You Feel Competent Despite the fact that having this data readily available is alot of work it's smarter to be protected than sorry. At the point when this data is sifted through you'll feel increasingly arranged to begin the following part of your life as a working mother.

Thursday, July 23, 2020

Incorporating Age Diversity Into Your Inclusion Retention Strategy - Workology

Incorporating Age Diversity Into Your Inclusion Retention Strategy Bringing Each Generation Into Focus Age and experience are often viewed as measures of knowledge. However, it’s not always that simple or straightforward. The young tech leader in a hoodie is still a prevalent stereotype. A recent study by Indeed finds that close to half of employees in the technology industry (46 percent) are Millennials.   Further, as firms battle to attract young talent with perks like happy hours, free food, and gym classes, they may unintentionally create an environment and culture that excludes or alienates older workers. With the Bureau of Labor Statistics predicting that 25 percent of workers will be at least 55 years old by 2019, it’s clear that the tech industry workforce doesn’t reflect the age diversity of the working population. And we know that diversity has a positive impact on companies, with some studies finding that firms with greater racial or gender equality enjoyed more sales revenue, more customers and greater profits. While companies currently (and rightfully) spend a lot of time and effort on cultural, religious and gender-focused diversity initiatives, addressing diversity of ages and generations is a natural next step. Bringing Each Generation Into Focus  One way to accomplish this is to incorporate age-inclusive language and practices into existing inclusion initiatives. HR and recruiting professionals can also examine the language and requirements in job postings. At Indeed, we recently eliminated the college degree requirement for most roles in our sales and client service functions. We believe this will attract many qualified workers who may not have graduated from college but offer incredibly valuable work experience. A focus on the needs of other generations should go beyond the hiring process, seeking and implementing cultural initiatives and benefits that cater to not only Millennials, but to other generations as well. For example, while younger workers may rank volunteer programs as an important company attribute, older workers may want more family time and prefer flexible work arrangements. Some workers are likely not thinking about day care, but about elder care. It’s important to ensure that your company’s benefits and perks are inclusive of and attractive to workers of all ages. Each generation brings valuable perspective, knowledge and experience to the workplace. However, considering the substantial experience older employees bring and the fact that they will soon make up a full quarter of the workforce, companies have no other choice but to attract and hire them. To do otherwise leaves far too much talent on the table. This piece was originally published at the SHRM Blog here. Its author, Paul Wolfe,  is SVP of Human Resources at Indeed. He oversees all global human resource functions, including talent acquisition, employee retention, compensation, benefits, and employee development.

Thursday, July 16, 2020

7 Pieces of Career Advice You Should Stop Listening To

7 Pieces of Career Advice You Should Stop Listening To 7 Pieces of Career Advice You Should Stop Listening To In an extremely broad sense, our reality is continually changing, which means we need to adjust to stay significant. A similar reason remains constant for the expert world, and so as to keep up, there is profession exhortation you should quit tuning in to. A few ideas become obsolete. Others were, honestly, never smart thoughts in any case. We should investigate some as far as anyone knows sage knowledge that should be abandoned. Here are seven bits of vocation guidance you should quit tuning in to now: Acknowledge any bid for employment. The thought behind this is you can just proceed onward when something better tags along. The issue is that it's difficult to show dependability or duty to an association on the off chance that you have a past filled with work bouncing. The huge exemption, obviously, is when monetary conditions require a vocation any activity. Excepting this, bouncing for the following sparkling item in your profession can blowback as a procedure. Follow the cash. A major check, a strong arrangement for assistance, and advantages with an incredible coolness factor can be hard to leave. In any case, on the off chance that you realize you won't care for the work or on the off chance that you don't associate with the crucial culture of the organization, your bliss will be fleeting, best case scenario. I'm not recommending you have to carry on with the life of a poor person to be satisfied, yet there is surely more to life than high income. You may think about attempting to pick an organization, at that point a vocation to get the correct fit. Work admirably and the cash will follow. The other side is accepting that you can let your work represent itself with no issue so as to be paid reasonably for your work. As a rule, you should arrange compensation and advantages that fit the position and level of marvelousness you produce. Try not to be hesitant to move toward your organization on the off chance that you feel an expansion or alteration is all together. Look the other way. Suppose you wind up taking a shot at an extend and understand that somebody from an alternate office is acting unscrupulously. Do you report the movement or remain calm to abstain from causing trouble? It used to be that you stayed out of other people's affairs and accepted that deceitful individuals would get their due in the long run. It doesn't really should be that way. On the off chance that there is somebody higher up the stepping stool that you trust to give you direction, you ought to make some noise. In the event that that isn't an alternative, it's presumably best to hush up about the data and begin thinking about a new position, particularly if the issue seems, by all accounts, to be boundless. Remain in an impasse work in light of the fact that in any event you have a vocation. An occupation that has nothing more to offer probably won't merit staying for. Set aside some effort to assess the estimation of your activity past the check. Is there development potential? Do you feel associated with your work? Do you make the most of your activity most of the time? Approach yourself on the off chance that you are prepared for a lifelong change. In the event that you are not feeling any feeling of satisfaction and don't see things changing where you are at, begin thinking about a new position search. Do what you're acceptable at. This is such an extraordinary conclusion. I love the possibility that whatever we appreciate doing will make an incredible vocation. One issue with this thought is that there is no assurance that your adoration for sewing covers for companions who are expecting an infant will convert into an affection for sewing 40 hours per week for the following 35 years. There is nothing amiss with seeking after an enthusiasm as a vocation simply leave yourself some bliss outside of your expert world also and be sensible when hoping to transform your pastime into a living. You can have everything. Most exceedingly terrible exhortation ever. No, you truly can't. I appreciate a gigantic measure of adaptability in my activity. To the point that there truly is certifiably not a solitary thing more I could ask of my organization with regards to permitting me to attempt to adjust my life and profession. I despite everything settle on decisions. There are still days when something, or somebody, doesn't get the consideration I might want to have the option to give. Regardless of whether it is feeling the loss of an evening in my office to deal with private issue or disclosing to my little girl that I can't eat with her at school today-those decisions are made constantly in my reality. I trust every one of you has the chance to settle on those equivalent extreme decisions. Fortunately there are a lot of profession exercises worth tuning in to. Listen cautiously and sift through the things that don't sound accurate. Perusers, what other awful profession counsel have you heard? Tell us other profession counsel you should quit tuning in to in the remarks segment underneath.

Wednesday, July 8, 2020

How to Boss Hunt with a Cover Letter That Makes Hearts Melt

How to Boss Hunt with a Cover Letter That Makes Hearts Melt How to Boss Hunt with a Cover Letter That Makes Hearts Melt Listen to Podcast Now: Listen in iTunes Download Audio File Having trouble with your job hunt? Why not expand your techniques to boss hunt as well? If you’re running into roadblocks in your job search, you’ll need to augment your techniques. Imagine those silly gatekeepers and HR specialists sifting through your one-page-advertisement sheet as they swipe by so they can rifle through the other 299 applicants and call it a day. Ain’t gonna happen. Well, you’re in luck because I have a technique that only a rare few useâ€"boss hunting. Actually, this technique will benefit anyone in these situations: Youre stuck in your job search. You simply want to add another tool to your job-search arsenal. You want to expand your professional network and need an opener to meet someone. You want some cool cover letter templates. First, make sure you know which career, companies, roles, and so forth you truly want. I have a fantastic, free workshop called Transform Your Career: Mastering the 3 Personal Drives That Lead to Career Fulfillment coming up on October 27th. It will help you get on the right track. Second, I’m assuming you’re also targeting companies and searching the job boards per How To Target the Best Companies in Your Job Search. Check out the video, podcast, and downloads (Best Fastest Growing Companies Lists and My Favorite Job Boards List). Now, let’s get to boss hunting. The goal is to increase your chances of success by adding another dimension to your search! Its about finding the person or a person you can contact. I’m not going through the techniques to find the boss. If you know the company or see an open role, you should be able to LinkedIn or Google your way to finding her or him or them. It doesn’t need to be the exact boss overseeing the area. Any authority figure or the head honcho should do for your purposes. You might also stumble across an attractive person (career-wise people!) via your research. That’s just as good. It doesn’t matter whether his or her company is hiring or has an open role. This is about people contacting! Send that person an email with your resume. Don’t know what to say? No sweat. I wrote it for you. Grab the download The Boss-Hunting Cover Letter. It’s heart-melting. I promise. Don’t forget about my four-sentence cover letter too! Do not be concerned if you’ve already sent your resume into the ATS abyss. (Here’s how to bypass the ATS. You knew I’d have something on that subject. Don’t lie.) Most companies don’t communicate well even if they only have twenty employees. The HR specialist might not have gotten to yours. Either way, there’s nothing wrong with getting a little extra love or referral from within the organization. Think about it. What’s better? A personal email to someone telling him or her you are a not-so-secret admirer or clumsily plopping your information into a robotic, cold-hearted ATS? Like this episode?  Please share it via social media and review it on  iTunes! I can keep this blog and all future podcasts and videos ad-free and sponsor-free ONLY because you share my work! Please share or subscribe to  my podcast  and  YouTube channel  too! Want more advanced material?  Join the  milewalk Academy  and grab some of the free offerings that support the instruction in this post!

Wednesday, July 1, 2020

Online Resume Builders What You Need to Know Before Applying With a Designer Resume

Online Resume Builders What You Need to Know Before Applying With a Designer Resume Visually stunning designer resumes and resume-building websites are a hot trend in the world of job searchers, but do they work when it comes to landing interviews? In this post, well break down the good, the bad, and the ugly of designer resume services when to use them, when to avoid them, and how to strike the perfect balance when it comes to creating resumes that attract hiring manager interest. What are Designer Resume Services and How Much Do They Cost? Designer resume services are services or websites that create a nicely-designed resume one that is visually attractive, with a modern look and feel. Designer resume services range anywhere from free, to a low monthly fee of $15 per month, all the way up to $99-$1,000 per resume from boutique firms and individual designers. Here are examples of standard designer resumes: Designer resumes courtesy of Canva Designer Resumes Create a Modern Brand and Stand Out When Compared to Traditional Resumes Im a big fan of design (if you couldnt tell by my website). I absolutely love when I come across a well-designed resume worthy of the most coveted user experience jobs at the Googles or Facebooks of the world. Visually, there is nothing more stunning than a well-crafted resume with clean lines and the utmost simplicity. Even better if it includes sleek fonts and the perfect blend of colors and imagery. I love this stuff as do most job searchers looking to stand out and create an ultra clean and modern brand. Why You Must Avoid Using Designer Resumes for Online Job Applications While highly-designed resume templates are all the rage and may be essential for some design industry jobs, they are a terrible mistake for 99.99% of online job applications. Designer resumes may look good, but they don’t work. And job searchers with designer resumes are always confused when they recruit my help for a resume review until they learn why their resume isn’t working. They think that because it looks good, it must work. This is simply not the case and hence, the reason I do not offer them through my resume writing services. Why wouldn’t such a beautiful resume have hiring managers reaching out non-stop? There are a few good reasons you want to avoid design-heavy resume templates when applying for jobs online. 1. ATS Systems Can’t Process Heavy Design Components and Will Send Your Resume Into the Trash Applicant Tracking Systems or ATS’s are the biggest enemies of designer resumes. If you dont know what ATS systems are by now, YOU NEED TO! They are those pesky resume-reading robots used by a large majority of companies (company websites and third-party application sites) to scan resumes, sending the majority of job applicants to the infamous resume black hole. If youve ever received an automated rejection email, or better yet, no email at all, it is likely you have been dinged by an ATS and are floating in resume deep space nine. Expert Tip It’s critical then to always optimize your resume for ATS systems. A designer resume is a risky play when aiming for an ATS optimized resume. For example, ATS systems are designed to scan resume sections and parse keywords. In the parsing process, if the ATS is hitting heavy design pieces that are central to designer resumes graphics, tables, charts etc. there’s a good chance the resume will produce errors, sending your nicely designed resume to the trash. 2. A Human Being Won’t Ever See Your Designer Resume, So Why Risk it? Approximately 70% of resumes never reach human eyes, making ATS’s a real challenge for all candidates applying through online portals. While ATS’s are helpful in enabling HR departments to quickly sort through hundreds of resumes and qualify or disqualify candidates, it doesn’t mean the technology is able to perfectly handle any kind of document that comes through. It further means that a human being will not be seeing your resume, therefore making the beautiful design components irrelevant. Expert Tip It is most important when optimizing a resume for ATS to include the appropriate amount of information and most relevant keywords to pass through the ATS’s algorithm. 3. The Robust Keyword Strategy Necessary to Pass Through ATS Will be Lacking in Design-Heavy Resumes As I mentioned, ATS systems are designed to scan and parse keywords. This is why the current trend in resume writing incorporates a separate Skills section, which consists of keywords and keyword phrases. Click here to see a before and after resume sample of a resume that incorporates the Skills section. In addition to aiding in ATS scans, the Skills section further supports the human “scanning mentality” of today’s reader and especially that of the 6-second hiring manager or recruiter resume scan. In addition to the keyword-optimized Skills section, the entire resume can be populated with keyword-rich industry and role-related terms. This is why a professionally written resume is more text-heavy than not. A professionally written resume aims to take advantage of keyword optimization strategy, and therefore ATS optimization strategy in the process. With a modern, design-heavy resume, it is more likely that the strategic keyword copy will be missing. This is a huge mistake, because the resume will miss important opportunities to present the right keyword mix, and likely send the resume to the trash. Expert Tip Be deliberate in selecting the most accurate keywords to describe you, what you do and how you do it. Click here for a list of 50 resume keywords for high-impact resume branding. Designer Resume Services Offer Pre-Written Phrases Templates that Won’t Enhance Your Brand One of the supposed benefits of designer resume DIY websites is access to pre-written phrases and templates. Think: enter basic info about yourself, and click a button to generate your top resume summary. Oftentimes these pre-written statements and resumes parts do not appeal to hiring managers because hiring managers can quickly identify the generic statements. While it may seem like a good idea to opt for auto-generated resume sections, it will in no way aid your ability to stand out from the other 200+ applicants using similar auto-generated parts. Hiring managers are looking to get to the heart of your brand and learn about YOU. They are not interested in standard resume jargon that will read like every other resume theyve scanned. For this reason alone, the perceived benefit of pre-written parts is false and should be avoided. Expert Tip Take the time to get to the heart of who you are as a professional and what sets you apart from others with identical experience. Then incorporate these insights into your resume branding. Not Applying Online? You Still Need to be Cautious of Old School Hiring Mentality Bias In the event that your designer resume does make it past the ATS, or if you are applying via other channels, it’s important to acknowledge that all hiring managers are not created equal. In fact, some hiring managers may be more old-school than you realize, and not ready for an ultra-modern designer resume. Furthermore, it may be too risky for some industries or levels, positioning you as too junior, unprofessional, informal, etc. for the job opening in question. If you are an executive, or an  aspiring executive, my advice is to avoid altogether. Instead, opt for a professionally-written resume that will use strategic branding and keywords to highlight your best results and career highlights. Investing in a fully optimized resume delivers tremendous ROI for a professional aspiring to climb the corporate ladder, and help you avoid these 10 fatal resume mistakes. Without one, you will be missing opportunities to fully express who you are via a robust brand.   Expert Tip As an Executive Recruiter turned Career Coach, I advise my clients to get inside the hiring manager’s head in order to create high-impact branding materials. Therefore, any and every resume you send should reflect, as closely as possible, the needs of the hiring manager. Spend time getting inside the hiring manager’s head by analyzing job descriptions, Linkedin profiles, etc. Take time to make sure youre a fit for the job before applying.   Before working with Noelle I really had no idea what aspects of my resume and LinkedIn were keeping me from getting noticed. She helped me to remove the clutter and replace the fluff with a true story of my success. Alex, Creative Director, San Francisco A Recruiter Might Hate the Design Choice You Love Another important perspective to consider when discerning whether or not to use a designer resume is that of the subjective nature of design. One of the drawbacks of hyper-designed resumes is that what looks good to the designer and the job searcher might not look good to a recruiter. If a recruiter thinks your resume is ugly, and there is a pile of resumes 100-deep below yours, you risk the recruiter moving on to the next resume. Expert Tip Time is money for recruiters. Recruiters scan resumes quickly looking for basic career path-related info, but also for glimmers of substance. Submitting a keyword-rich and text-heavy, traditional resume  will ensure you can give recruiters something to sink their teeth into. Submitting a resume that is too light on information, may prompt them to move onto other candidates that dont require further digging to find the information recruiters need to make quick screening decisions. When to Use Your Designer Resume The Best Industries and Company Types A designer resume isnt great for online applications, but that doesnt mean you shouldnt use one at all. For my clients in the creative or U/X fields, I absolutely recommend a resume that showcases your design style or U/X expertise in action. Designer resumes can also be used by job searchers in non-creative roles and can be great for branding aimed at startups, tech, and other companies with more cutting-edge company cultures and brands.  However, I only advise this if you’ve done your homework and are confident the company and/or hiring manager are ready for this. Otherwise, you may miss an opportunity to shine with solid and relevant messaging. Expert Tip Be sure to analyze each company culture before opting for a designer resume. Never resort to one size fits all job applications! The Best Application Channels for Submitting Your Designer Resume While a designer resume is great for creatives, company cultures, etc. it is still important to avoid using designer resumes when applying via online channels. An ATS cant make a distinction between creative vs non-creative or cultural fits. Therefore I would only recommend using a designer resume for in-person meetings or email application submissions. This way, you can be absolutely sure that your design will reach human eyes, and not create a fatal ATS error, that lands you in the trash. The Worst Application Channels for Submitting Your Designer Resume Never Use Here Always avoid using your designer resume when you are applying to jobs online because this is the point at which you will encounter an ATS. As a hard rule: use the 2nd version of your resume one that is keyword optimized (text heavy) and more traditional in terms of formatting. Expert Tip Including a web address to your online portfolio, on the 2nd version of your resume is a great way to direct the hiring entity to your more creative side and ensure that you won’t end up on the trash. Just make sure the web link isnt embedded or live. Live web links can tend to trigger ATS errors. The Bottom Line: Always Have a Professional Keyword-Optimized Resume Ready Technology has made it easier than ever to access beautifully designed resumes. However, its important to discern each application situation individually, when deciding whether or not to use your designer resume. Otherwise, you may be committing fatal application errors unknowingly. The bottom line with designer resumes is to always have a 2nd resume that is fully keyword optimized and text-heavy, for online application submission. Having both resumes will make it easy to apply once you determine the appropriate job application channel. If you want to be fully prepared to apply for jobs, with a keyword and ATS-optimized resume, check out our best-selling package, The Works. It covers all the basesâ€"resume, cover letter, LinkedIn profile, and a 30-minute phone consult with one of our career strategy expertsâ€"to give you the best chance at getting hired.