Improve Your Job Application ROI

Improve Your Job Application ROIImprove Your Job Application ROIBefore you hit the apply button, make sure the application is worth your time.As a career coach I often talk to job landseekers who are frustrated over the lack of response from employers.This phenomenon is commonly referred to as the Black Hole, and leaves most job seekers discouraged with no updates on their applications status and no feedback to help improve their future applications.While you cant control the recruiters actions, there are things you can do to combat the Black Hole and improve your applications return-on-investment.Take more timeA recent eye-tracking study conducted by Ladders found that the average job seeker only spends about a minute reviewing a job description before deciding if its worth an application. Lets face it applying to jobs can be a very tedious and time-consuming process, especially when each application is properly tailored. With that in mind, I encourage you to take a few extra minut es before you apply to carefully read the job description and assess the applications potential ROI.Consider the locationAre you within commutable distance of this opportunity? Or if youre in sales, do you have an established book of business in this area? If the lage requires relocation, let employers know in your cover letter that theres a good reason for the move. In other words, make it clear you didnt make this decision on a whim and that youre not an expensive flight risk.Focus on responsibilities requirementsRead the responsibilities and requirements sections of the job description carefully what skill sets, education level and years of experience do they require? While the employer probably doesnt expect you to have every single qualification, they do expect you to meet all the core must-have requirements. Only apply to jobs where you possess these must-haves. Remember, job titles often carry different meanings depending on the organization and its industry, so the respons ibilities and requirements are a better indication of the level of the role (and its budgeted salary).Identify the industryHave you worked in the same or a very similar industry within the past 3-6 years? Not every position requires industry-specific experience however, possessing this background is often more attractive to employers. If you dont have relevant industry experience, be ready to highlight your transferable skills in your resume and cover letter. If youre looking for a change, research your former colleagues to see where else their experience was accepted.Tailor your applicationsEdit your resume and cover letter so that your job goals and qualifications are obvious. Incorporate key terms from your targeted jobs requirements into your resume to make it past the electronic gatekeeper. Test your applications readability by handing it over to a friend with a copy of the job description. If your friend has trouble identifying your qualifications, then you know its not clear enough. If you need help, seek out a resume expert.Check your networkMap out your personal and professional network so you can easily research connections between your contacts. Before you apply to a job, check to see if you know anyone who currently works at the company and seek their endorsement. Studies have shown you are ten times more likely to land an interview when your application is accompanied by an employee referral.

How Productive People Get More Done - The Muse

How Productive People Get More Done - The Muse How Productive People Get More Done “You have the same number of hours in the day as Beyoncé.” Everyone knows someone who works full time, volunteers, runs a successful blog, and somehow still finds time to go grocery shopping, cook organic Instagram-worthy meals, foster a loving relationship, walk his or her adorable Boston Terrier, and, oh- train for a half marathon. These kinds of “super-achievers” have the same number of hours in the day as the rest of us, but somehow, they always seem to get more done. How do they do it? As a psychologist and life coach who has spent thousands of hours working with clients over the past 28 years- including hundreds of hours with clients who meet this super-achiever character profile- here’s what I’ve noticed about people who consistently succeed. Plus: How you can tweak your mindset to become a high achiever, too. Fully Commit Whatever you’re doing right now? Be fully in it. Commit. When you see an Olympic hurdler leaping over barricades with superhuman agility, does she look distracted? Nope. She is 100% invested in the task at hand. And as you can see from her success, commitment leads to greatness. So what do you do when you feel your mind wandering away from the present moment? Josh Pais, creator of Committed Impulse, high-performance training for actors, public speakers, and entrepreneurs, recommends saying “I’m back!” out loud whenever you feel yourself drifting away. You might get a few odd looks from bystanders, but it works! Avoid Multitasking Your email inbox, Instagram, Facebook, that hilarious viral cat video, and an ad proclaiming a big sale at your favorite website- these are probably just a few of the tabs you have open, commanding your attention while you simultaneously try to finish a project a work. It’s not out of the ordinary; multitasking has become the norm. But the human mind is not designed for multitasking. In fact, research has proven that we’re pretty terrible at it. When you try to multitask, you lose focus, you’re more likely to make errors, and projects tend to take longer. To make sure you can focus completely, strive to shut off all distractions- even if that means locking your cell phone in a drawer while you work. Extreme? Maybe. But it’s worth a try! Ban “Friendly Interruptions” at All Costs You’re working on a project. You’re totally in the zone, making lightning-speed progress. Then, a co-worker swings by. “Just wanted your two cents on this,” he says, handing you a report outline. You look it over and give him your thoughts. It doesn’t take more than 60 seconds for you to chime in. No biggie, right? Unfortunately, that minor interruption just majorly derailed your focus. It will take an average of 23 minutes for you to get back into the zone of whatever you were doing. Super-achievers know that interruptions are productivity-killers, so they avoid them at all costs. (There’s a reason why most CEOs have private offices- with doors!) If you don’t have a door to close, try finding a quiet space where you won’t be nudged, turn off your incoming email notifications for a few hours, or talk to your boss about instituting company-wide “do not disturb” hours a few times a week. Hang With Fellow Super-Achievers You’ve probably heard the expression, “If you are the smartest person in the room, then you are in the wrong room.” Same goes for achievement and productivity. There’s a reason why Beyoncé rolls with people like Oprah, the Obamas, and her mogul husband, Jay-Z. When you surround yourself with high-energy, like-minded people, you tend to rise to their level- while inspiring them, too. Try to weed your professional life of people, colleagues, and even friends who don't energize you. This doesn’t mean you should never see these people again or that you have to coldly cut them out of your life completely. But be mindful about who you choose to spend the majority of your time with. Try to surround yourself with super-achievers as often as possible. Don’t know where to meet them? Join a challenging club or group (10K training, anyone?), or write an email to someone you admire. Or maybe there’s someone you already know in real life, but have been too shy to talk to. Drop him or her a note to say, “I’d love to treat you to lunch at your favorite spot.” You never know where one simple invitation may lead. Prevent Emotions From Building When you allow negative emotions- like frustration, anger, disappointment, or self-loathing- to build up inside of you like water about to boil in a tea kettle, you can easily head down a destructive path. Sooner or later, all those bottled-up feelings are going to compel you to act out- whether that means binge-eating potato chips at midnight, watching 14 hours straight of Gilmore Girls instead of dealing with urgent deadlines, or engaging in some other behavior that leaves you feeling more frustrated (not to mention tired, hungover, or nauseous) than ever. Which is not great for productivity. Super-achievers know how to manage their emotions effectively to prevent the tea-kettle effect. Most super-achievers I know have some kind of emotion-management practice that they rely on: meditating, journaling, a weekly check-in with a life coach, or a good old-fashioned punching-bag session at the gym. Find a strategy that works for you. You’ll know it’s working when you feel a deep sense of release and relief- as if a ton of bricks have been lifted from your shoulders, leaving you feeling light, unburdened, no longer upset, and ready to get back to being awesome! Last, but not least, remember that those incredible super-achievers you admire- and aspire to be like- are just ordinary people with flaws and fears, too. As Beyoncé herself once said, “I know I’m stronger in the songs than I really am.” We’re all just human beings trying to work, live, and navigate the world using all the tools and skills we have. Rather than aiming for flawless perfection, aim for your personal best- and you’ll always be a success. Photo of ticking clock courtesy of Shutterstock.

10 Buzzwords You Should Stop Using on Your Resume

10 Buzzwords You Should Stop Using on Your Resume 10 Buzzwords You Should Stop Using on Your Resume Many words that were once widely popular in the employment jargon are slowly getting a bit old. They just got overused by both employers and job seekers. Companies often get resumes with statements such as: “I’m a self-motivated team player with a can-do attitude and ability to think outside the box.” Sorry, you’re what? If you’ve ever written a non-sensical sentence like this, the recruiter probably took you more for a dictionary than a person. Like we said in our previous blog post, the job offers sometimes push you into using the same buzzwords all over again because they were listed in requirements for the candidate. But you don’t really have to follow the standard resume patterns. Distinguish yourself from the others by not using these phrases. Using cliché words tells the recruiter nothing about you. Give your resume some meaning by describing the real you, not the cliché you. Don’t fill your resume with fluff and never write anything you can’t base with evidence. Keep this in mind and you’ll increase your chances to get an interview invitation. And next time you’ll be writing your resume, avoid using these 10 buzzwords: 1. Thinking outside the box Nine out of ten recruiting managers would toss your resume in the trash without second thoughts if they saw that you “think outside the box”. Okay, we made that up, but we simply think there’s no worse buzzword than this one. Whoever started this “outside the box” mania should have stayed inside the box. 2. Creative There are many forms of creativity and plenty of spheres where being creative is a great advantage. But it’s slowly becoming a vaguely used word. If you’re applying for any artistic kind of job, being creative somehow goes without saying. And for any other job “creative” is simply too general, be more specific how your creativity would be a benefit for the job. 3. Team player Being a team player doesn’t mean anything really unless you can be a good team player. What trait in particular makes you a great contribution to the team? Be more specific and point out in what way youd bring value to the team. On its own it is just another cliché buzzword. 4. Problem-solver This one’s very similar to the previous one. So, which problems did you solve? Stating that you are a problem solver tells the recruiter virtually nothing. Instead, say what trait in particular helped to solve these problems or give a  concrete example of how you solved a certain issue. 5. Dynamic So you’re dynamic? Good for you. Only we’re not sure how your ability to move helps you get an interview. You should rid your resume of words like this because they’re just too vague and not at all relevant. If you wish to express you are active and passionate, specifically mention your activities and passions. Give those words meanings. 6. Hard-working Without evidence, statements about how hard-working you are sound a bit hollow. Can you prove it? Maybe give an example of your volunteer work, mention some projects you worked hard on at university or express passion for learning new things and getting experience. 7. Can-do attitude It’s great to let the recruiter know you can do it. But on the other hand, who would ever confess on their resume they’re as lazy as a sloth? Let the recruiter know you don’t get easily scared of too much workload. Or you can hint at your time management skills or mention a situation where you proved most resourceful. 8. Proactive It’s incredible how many proactive people walk the surface of the Earth judging from how many resumes contain this information. Proactivity is a valuable personal trait that could make you a CEO one day. If you’re really able to deal with issues proactively, tell the recruiter a story of you being the hero to save the day and you’ll get the interview.   9. Self-motivated Rather than using this cliché buzzword, express your enthusiasm and interest for something. It doesn’t even have to be connected to the job, it could be a hobby or a cause that you eagerly cared about and turned it into something bigger. Think about a situation that proves you don’t give up easily. 10. Flexible What does that even mean, that you’re capable of standing palms to the floor? Unless flexibility is a requirement for the job, don’t bother with mentioning this buzzword on your resume. Instead, emphasize your different set of skills and versatility of your expertise. If you’ve had different kinds of jobs before, take the best skills you learned in each one and tailor it to the job offer you apply for now. Share Your Feedback or Ideas in the Comments!

10 Best U.S. Industries for Employment

10 Best U.S. Industries for Employment 10 Best U.S. Industries for Employment Which are the best industries to work in? Where are the hottest opportunities if you’re looking to start a career or  considering a career change? Heres an overview of the top 10 U.S. industries with the most projected growth in employment opportunities through 2026,  including the types of jobs available, required education and training, and salary information. 01Healthcare and Social Assistance Hero Images / Getty Images The retail trade industry encompasses direct marketing of products to consumers through brick-and-mortar stores as well as online entities. Expansion of income will continue to fuel growth in the sector, primarily in the online component.Types of Jobs:  Common  jobs in the retail industry  include salespersons,  customer service representatives,  cashiers, buyers, pharmacy technicians, order fillers, shipping/trafficking clerks, department supervisors, store managers, and truck drivers.Education Requirements:  A high school degree is all that is required for sales, customer service, and clerical jobs.  Buyers  and store managers often have bachelors degrees.Salary Information:  Retail salespersons earn an average of $23,370, and buyers earn an average of $62,120. First-line supervisors earn  an average of $43,580. Sales managers earn an average of $89,380.Employment Opportunities and Growth:  The retail trade industry job pool will increase by about 412.3 jobs by 2026 or about 3%.

How a Bad Job Can Make You Better at Your Work - The Muse

How a Bad Job Can Make You Better at Your Work - The Muse How a Bad Job Can Make You Better at Your Work I started taking pictures to capture quiet moments. Little details. Good light. Untold stories. I didn’t get into picture taking to make goofy faces (and bad jokes) to keep a hangry lil’ toddler smiling through an afternoon family session. But a girl’s gotta eat. And people love flattering photos of young love at golden hour. So, smile! When I first started taking on work that I didn’t love, I felt like a total sellout. I would call my mom and wail that I was “compromising my artistic integrity” and that my work would never be the same. Lots of question marks and existential questions about purpose and truth filled the pages of my mind (and my journal). But, after a few months of doing work I hated, I began to see growth in the work that I loved...and hated. Now, I’m not trying to encourage you to seek out work you dislike. If you can accept work that fits with your mission and vision 100% of the time, then by all means- be the exception to the rule. But, in the off chance that you might have to take on work you dislike (or even flat-out loathe)- here are three things to cling to when you think nothing good will come of it. 1. Doing Work You Hate Forces You to Stop Dreaming and Start Making In a perfect world, you would only write, design, and strategize for the projects of your dreams. All the beautiful ideas floating around your head would be shaped and formed in everything you got paid for- your dreams actualized in your portfolio and your bank account. What bliss! But, let’s be real. Creating the work of your dreams doesn’t come along every day, and if you wait to create when the light hits just right, then you probably won’t make anything. Author P.D. James says, “don’t just plan to write- write. It is only by writing, not dreaming about it, that we develop our own style.” So, when you get discouraged about doing work you hate, remember that actually making something is better than dreaming about it. 2. Doing Work You Hate Challenges You to Think Outside of What is Comfortable We create from what we know and what we love. And even the most innovative creators and makers get stuck in ruts and rhythms where they create the same work over and over. One of my junior high photography students, Nikita, loves surf photography. For the first five weeks of Photography 101 class, he would only take pictures of the water, waves, and surf. After five weeks of filtering through hundreds of images of the ocean and amateur surfers, I challenged him to do a portrait series of a family member. No water, no waves, no surfing. He hated it and took every opportunity throughout the week to remind me. Despite his reluctance, he came to class with the most beautiful photos of his sister, Tsungi. During class critique, one of his classmates said, “you should stop taking pictures of water, ’cause you’re way better at taking pictures of people.” Leave it to a 12-year-old to tell it like it is. So, who knows. Maybe the work you “hate” will actually force you to create something better than the work you’ve been hiding behind this entire time. I’ve even found that trying something new entirely (like learning how to code so I can update my website or taking a photography class) helps challenge what I know and grow what I don’t. 3. Doing Work You Hate Pushes You to Pursue the Work You Love The argument behind doing work you love is that if you love it- well, it isn’t work. But, when you spend multiple family sessions engaging moody teens to “look” like they love their parents, then you will crave one session of doing something you love. Doing work you hate pushes you to seek out the hours (and even minutes) in which you’re doing work that fills you up- and reminds you why you started making that thing in the first place. So, if doing work you have forces you to create, challenges you to be uncomfortable, and pushes you to seek out the work you love- keep your chin up! You’re on your way. Photo of broken pencil courtesy of Shutterstock.

5 Simple Ways to Get Motivated at Work

5 Simple Ways to Get Motivated at Work 5 Simple Ways to Get Motivated at Work Have you ever tried to “get motivated” at the office- but nothing works? You start to feel terrible, like you’re falling behind in your business or career. You’re bored, lethargic, and you don’t want to meet up with your friends because you don’t want to talk about what you’ve been doing. (Or, more accurately, what you haven’t been doing.)I’ve totally been there, too, and I’ve felt the frustration that comes from a lack of motivation at work.But I’ve also got some good news. There are some key things that contribute to your work being motivating (or not), and once you recognize them, you have the power to redesign your workday in a way that gets you moving.Here are five things you should make sure you’re getting out of your day-to-day tasks- and if you’re not, the changes you can make to jump start your motivation.1. Task IdentityWork is most motivating when it’s clear what, exactly, you’re accomplishing. Think about it: How great does it feel when you k now you’ve gotten a launch off the ground or made great progress on big project? On the other hand, nothing is worse than working all day and thinking “What did I even do today?!”If you’re feeling like you’ve been spinning your wheels, try this: At the end of each day or week, make a “Got Done” list (the opposite of to the to-do list!), where you outline all of the tasks you've completed. For extra motivation, keep it somewhere you can see.2. Task SignificanceAnother key to staying motivated is knowing that the work you’re doing makes a difference in some way- recognizing the impact you’re making on your clients, company, or the world.If you’re not totally seeing this connection, try to dig deep. You could map your weekly sales reports to the increase in your company’s bottom lines or sales unit, for example. Or, say a key metric your company tracks is customer acquisition cost. Make a list of the tasks you do that reduce this cost for your company, and find wa ys to focus on those aspects of your job more often.3. Skill VarietyFeel like you’re doing the same old repetitive work, day after day? It’s not so stimulating, to say the least. But when you’re engaging lots of different skill sets- that’s fantastic for your motivation.Try to structure your days so that you’re working on different tasks (and thus, making use of different skills) throughout the day. For example, instead of writing all day on Monday and then building your client presentations on Tuesday, try to do both in smaller three-hour chunks each day. When you stimulate different parts of the brain, your motivation will be recharged.4. FeedbackOne of the most motivating factors you can have is getting feedback on your work. Not only for the ego boost you get when you’ve done a good job, but because the right feedback can help you hone your skills even further. It can also help you see the difference that your work is making. On the contrary, if you don’t know how you’re performing, it’s easy to lose steam.If find that you’re in a black hole of feedback, ask your manager, or even a colleague, for standing check-in meetings every one or two weeks. Let her know that you’d like to use the time to check in on your projects, and that you’d love honest feedback on where you could improve.5. AutonomyFinally, this is a big one: having autonomy in your job. Now, this doesn’t mean that you always get to do what you want- it just means you get a domain of choice about how you’re doing things.For example, say you need to secure three more clients for the month. It’s much more motivating to be able to determine how to do that on your own- perhaps you want to build your online presence, or perhaps you enjoy building relationships offline. Sure, in the corporate world, there are plenty of things that have to be done a certain way- but there are also plenty of places where you can ask your boss for more autonomy.And that brings me to my final point: Unless you work for yourself, you probably don’t have the power to totally rewrite your job description. But what you can do is communicate with your manager. You can identify the skills you want to develop, ask for feedback more often, probe for clarification when tasks are not clearly identified or seem insignificant, or ask to take on different tasks or have more autonomy on a project.More than likely, you’ll be able to change something about your workload. And not only will you be more motivated- your boss will be impressed you’ve taken the initiative.So what’s getting in the way of you being motivated at work? Find out, and then find a solution.Photo of woman working courtesy of Shutterstock.

Do You Know Where Your Applicants Are Coming From

Do You Know Where Your Applicants Are Coming From Do You Know Where Your Applicants Are Coming From When you’re recruiting for top-notch talent, data about your potential applicants is mission critical to finding the right person to fill the role.  Savvy hiring managers realize that lightning is bound to strike once, but replicable results are critical to improving the efficiency of the hiring process.   In that spirit, collecting as much information about your potential candidates is important to avoiding reinventing the wheel for each and every job search.  Education, background, work experience and geographic data can all be useful. Perhaps the most critical piece of data, however, is the route each applicant took to find your job listing.  Having this information can help track cost per application and is valuable in helping you understand how best to put your recruitment dollars to work when seeking out candidates. Sold on the need for knowing from where your applicants originate?  Here we break down just how you can ensure you know just where your applicants are coming from for any giving open listing. Live Tracking Questionnaires We’ve all rolled our eyes from time to time when asked to fill out questionnaires.  Whether a quick survey on your way out of the store or a few questions as a follow up to a purchase, companies big and small use live polling to gather pertinent data about their physical and digital visitors.  While you may dread and avoid these like the plague in an optional setting, job applicants are more than usually motivated to provide this type of information. Take advantage of would be job-seeker’s willingness to provide feedback by asking candidates to fill out feedback forms at the end of their first interview or as part of an initial screening form.  Not only can you ask the all-important “how did you hear about us” question, you can also craft a few key feedback queries into process and ease of application to help improve your routines going forward. Advanced Tracking Tech While old school forms are certainly an easy and accessible option, modern times call for better innovations in hiring.  Major job boards, such as SimplyHired.com, give employers the option to insert a discreet and useful tracking pixel directly into their “thank you” pages of their resume process.  When a candidate clicks through Simply Hired’s job listing to the employer application, upon completion of the resume submission the “counter” will tally that the recruit originated through the specific platform.  The Simply Hired tracking pixel is unique to each individual employer and a surefire way to gather much needed origination data from prospective applicants.   Setting up the tracking pixel is easy and a vital first step to upping your hiring practices game.  Contact your Simply Hired account manager today and in minutes you’ll be ready to break down essential details to help make your recruitment process more efficient and effective at finding the best quality talent available.