Nowadays, everyone has some kind of computer skills they can bring to the table when applying for a new job. So, does that mean you should still list your own skills on your resume? The answer to that question is, yes, absolutely. Everyone has experience in both hardware and software. Depending on the kind of job you’re applying for, you may not necessarily need to list the hardware you’re familiar with. The kind of computer software you’re familiar with, however, may make or break your chances of getting that job. Some software, like Microsoft Office – and, in particular, Microsoft Word – you can usually leave off your resume because an employer assumes you already have a basic understanding of Microsoft Word by now. Here, instead, are the most important computer skills you should absolutely list on your resume. Operating Systems You should list on your resume the operating system(s) with which you’re more familiar. The reason for this is because some jobs require Mac knowledge, while others use strictly PCs. If you have more experience with a PC, for example, you may find it difficult to navigate a Mac. This would require the employer to put extra time into training you if they ultimately feel you are the right candidate for the job. Therefore, it is important to be up front about the operating system with which you are most familiar. Google Drive Today, many businesses prefer operating in Google Drive, rather than Microsoft Office, when it comes to things like documents and spreadsheets. There are just so many more benefits to using Google Drive, like the ability to save your work in real time without doing anything at all, or sharing a document with multiple users, who can also edit it. However, simply listing “Google Drive” on your resume isn’t specific enough. You want to go into detail about what exactly it is you know how to do in Google Drive. For instance, you can list “Google Drive” as a main heading, and then, as subheadings, you can list the aspects with which you are most familiar, such as:
Google Docs Google Sheets Google Forms Google Slides
You can also use this nesting format for other software skills on your resume. For instance, if you chose to list Microsoft Office on your resume, you could do something like this:
Microsoft Office
Word Excel Power Point
This list is not only more pleasing to the eye and quicker to skim, but it also tells the employer exactly where your skills lie. Social Media Social media definitely falls into the category of “Most Important Computer Skills to List on a Resume.” Businesses everywhere use social media, and while they may vary up which channels in particular they frequent, they have come to understand that social media means everything when you’re in business. It’s the fastest way to spread the word about new products and services, as well as provide a sounding board for one’s customers and clients – and maybe attract new ones in the process. So, how do you tell a prospective employer that you’ve got what it takes to give their company the social media platform they deserve? Well, in addition to listing the specific channels with which you have the most experience (Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, etc.), you can also talk about the achievements that social media has brought you. For instance, at your last company, did you regularly monitor the company’s post engagements on Twitter? Did you scour Google Analytics to discover what worked about the company’s social media advertising campaigns, and what didn’t? Were you able to determine the company’s reach, and how best to expand it? These are all skills you can – and should – highlight in the computer skills section of your resume. Listing Computer Skills on Your Resume Something very important to note about listing your computer skills on your resume is that you should not dedicate one section in particular to these skills. Instead, you should incorporate your computer skills throughout your resume to show how they have benefitted you throughout your career. Ideally, you want these skills to be most concentrated in three areas in particular:
Your professional summary or objective statement Your main skills section Your experience
Of course, don’t try to shoehorn your experience into areas where it feels forced. Instead, find those areas that would benefit from your inserting a skill naturally here and there, and you will ultimately create a more well-rounded resume.
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An objective statement is the first bit of information a hiring manager sees on your resume. Within it is your well-defined career objective, along with a super-short blurb about why you’re the perfect person for the job to which you are applying. This is why your objective statement should be as impressive as the skills and experience that follow it. When to Use an Objective Statement Some say that objective statements are becoming outdated. However, while your particular situation may not call for an objective statement, it is always a good idea to have one on your resume anyway. In the following circumstances, however, an objective statement may mean the difference between getting or being passed up for a job:
If you are a recent graduate who is entering the workforce for the first time If you are considering relocating, else your out-of-town address may confuse the hiring manager and he or she will disqualify you If you are changing industries, to help explain why you are making the change
Here are some tips insofar as what to do, and not to do, when crafting your objective statement to help you stand out from the crowd. Be Concise An objective statement is an appetizer of sorts, designed to “wow” the HR department enough to convince them to conduct an introductory interview with you, typically over the phone. During your interview you can talk more about your skills and experience, but you don’t want to go overboard here either. One of the reasons people dismiss objective statements is because they tend to be narcissistic. Many applicants ramble on about themselves and their accomplishments, rather than highlight how hiring them can benefit the company. This is why remaining concise throughout the entirety of the interview process, from start to finish, is crucial to improving your chances of getting the job. Here’s a good example of a concise objective statement that gives the hiring manager just enough information without becoming overly wordy: “Ambitious and experienced technical support professional with proven success managing the help desk for an international corporation. Seeking an opportunity to use my five years experience to serve a nonprofit organization.” Do Not Use the Same Objective Statement Every Time Do not use a vague “one size fits all” statement to sum up your past career and future career goals. The entire point of the objective statement is to tell the employer why you are the perfect choice for that particular job. What is it about that job that enticed you to apply? Why do you think you, above all other candidates, would be a perfect fit? Plus, this also serves a dual purpose as well. When the hiring manager inevitably asks you, “So, why did you decide to apply to ABC Company?”, you can use your objective statement to jog your memory if you’ve applied to so many jobs this week that you honestly can’t remember why you applied to that specific job. Here’s a good example of an objective statement that, while somewhat cookie-cutter insofar as relocation, can be more specifically tailored to a particular position: “Current accountant with more than fifteen years experience in the field of finance seeking a tax advisor position when I relocate to Boston in May. I am excited to apply my tax knowledge and related skills and grow my experience as part of your established institution. Remain Relevant Make sure that the career goals you note in your objective statement match those that the company can actually fulfill. Many applicants talk about how the job they’re applying for now can help them land their dream job in the future. This speaks more to the company about what you want, rather than how hiring you could benefit them as a company. Consider the following example. You’re a high school graduate, and it is your first-time ever applying for a job as a cashier at a local retail store. Do not simply put in your objective statement that you would like the job because it would give you the experience to one day become a store manager. Focus more on the give-and-take, on how you can grow within the company and what you can do for the company by growing within it. Here’s a good example of how you might want your objective statement to sound in this situation: “I am a highly driven team player and aspiring store manager with proven analytical skills seeking to grow my knowledge of the retail industry by using my communication skills as a retail associate for your department store.” List Degrees, Certifications, or Licenses You May Have A quick blurb in your objective statement regarding the certificates you have acquired over the years (and which are relevant to the position to which you’re applying) is an impressive start to your resume. An objective statement should be an outline of sorts. It tells the reader, “if you think that’s good, keep reading!” Putting your licenses, degrees, and certifications right in your objective statement gives the reader a clearer picture of what you can bring to the table.
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Have you extensive experience in the field of customer service? This is an invaluable resource, as it tells an employer that you have kept your cool in situations where customers were less than happy, and when it might otherwise be difficult to remain calm. You should therefore be sure to highlight your customer service skills on your resume so that a prospective employer can find them easily. Even if you are not applying for another customer service job, you still want to put these skills on display to show the employer exactly what you are capable of. Here are 6 tips to help you better highlight your customer service skills on your resume. 1: Use Your “Skills” Section Wisely Almost all resume templates employ a “skills” section. This is your time to shine! You should put both hard skills and soft skills on your resume. Soft customer service skills you can highlight include your effectiveness and efficiency when it comes to problem-solving. In your hard customer service skills section you can include typing, including your words per minute, as well as the software you used (proprietary or otherwise) to help you do your job effectively. Bottom line: never make a “one-size-fits-all” resume, and then send it off to every Tom, Dick and Harry with whom you want to work. Tailor your resume to each job you apply to. Yes, this takes more time and effort, but it shows the hiring manager that you truly thought about the position you’re applying for, rather than applying at random to anything with an “Apply Now” button. 2: Be Concise No matter the type of job you’re applying for, remaining concise on your resume is always preferable to letting yourself get too wordy. Don’t include a list of every little task you did at your last job, even if you’re trying to make your resume more dense. Mention only those details that are relevant to the type of job you’re applying for, and try to group similar skills under one bullet point. Many applicants find their resume goes into a second page, so they beef up the word count in an effort to make it longer. In reality, you don’t want to go onto a second page unless you have a wealth of skills and experience that justify it. 3: Make It Your Own Using a resume template you find online is fine as a guide. But do not simply copy the structure of a resume template and replace the template’s information with your own. Remember, any resume you find online can be found just as easily by a prospective employer with an internet connection. Further, when a hiring manager sees hundreds of the same style of resumes coming in on a weekly basis, it’s not difficult to see which applicants are not putting the time and effort into making their resumes truly unique. Stand out from the crowd, show you care, and make your resume your own, and you will show the hiring manager that you are willing to do what it takes to earn that job you’re eyeing. (This also hints at the dedication you’ll bring to the role, too.) 4: Use Keywords Keywords are important because for those companies who use software to evaluate resumes automatically, the software will select the resume that uses the right keywords and dump the rest. Do some research insofar as a list of the customer service skills that exist, and incorporate only those relevant to your personal experience in your resume. You can use keywords to describe everything from your skills to your credentials. Try to incorporate as many as possible without getting too wordy. The goal is to catch the hiring manager’s eye – not drown them in details. 5: Keep the Focus on Your Results Many applicants explain on their resumes what they did in a position, rather than on what they accomplished or learned during their time with that particular company. For example, an applicant may put that he or she “provided technical support for [company’s product] to approximately 150 customers each week.” A better sentence would be something like “achieved the company’s target of 95% customer satisfaction rating within the first three months of employment.” See why this is better? Not only is it less generalized and, frankly, boring, than the first statement, but it gives the company a clearer picture of who you are as an employee, what you have accomplished in your prior roles, and how their company can benefit from hiring you over all the other applicants they have left to consider. 6: Think Outside the Box If you have never held a customer service job before, read through the qualifications of the job you’re interested in and see how they measure up to your personal experience. Have you helped customers over the phone or in person, even if your title did not technically include “customer service”? Do you have experience in training others on a particular product in a prior position that would translate well to helping people more regularly in a customer service job?
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Searching for a job nowadays is a far cry from the way things used to be. Now, recruiters “ghost” you (i.e. leave you hanging without a return phone call or e-mail), and you don’t even know why. Sadly, one reason could be because your resume is making you look “too old.” It’s a tragic truth. While you may think giving your all over the last 35 years to the same company proves you are a loyal and dedicated worker, all the recruiter may be thinking as he or she looks at your resume is that you’re over 50 years old and that you’re going to want to retire soon. In that case, the recruiter thinks, it’s probably best not to choose you for a long-term position. Here are three tips to help you craft your resume in such a way so as to not let your age define your qualifications before the recruiter even agrees to meet with you. Keep Your Experience Relevant It seems logical that if you have a plethora of experience in a variety of areas that you should include that experience on your resume. After all, you never know which of the jobs you’ve held previously will be the closest match for the position you’re seeking. However, as tempting as it may be to include all your promotions over the last 30 years, don’t. Even if you don’t include dates, the hiring manager knows how much time it takes to accrue that much experience. Whittle your resume down to two pages, and include only the most relevant information from your career. Try to match your resume as best you can to the skills and qualifications listed in the job posting. Many recruiters use software that only selects the resumes that match the terms they’re looking for, so the more terms you can legitimately include on your resume, the better. Watch Your Dates While this builds on the advice in the above tip, you should be careful of any and all dates you include on your resume. This goes for graduation dates and dates on which you earned certifications. For instance, if your last Windows certification was from when Windows 95 was released, this is a dead giveaway that you’re not fresh out of school. You shouldn’t not include dates, because this too is a bad idea. So what can you do? It may seem like overkill, but if you want to freshen up your skills, you may want to consider taking a nighttime or online class. Not only will you freshen up your resume, but you may also find you’re able to apply for more positions by learning something new. Then you can leave off the older certifications (like Windows 95) entirely and replace them with newer ones (like Windows 10) that make you more employable. Switch to a Professional Summary If you’re including an objective statement on your resume, this too can make you look “old school.” Today’s candidates often use a professional summary. The difference is that, instead of one line of at the top of your resume describing your purpose in applying, you instead include a blurb of factual evidence that proves you have what it takes to succeed at the job. Consider the following: Example Objective Statement: “Seeking a position that allows me to use my strengths as a project manager to provide quality feedback to my team while helping the company achieve its organizational objectives.” Example Professional Summary: “Business graduate with proven communication, email and project management skills. Seeking a position as a project manager at Company ABC, to leverage management skills to support internal and external communication.” The differences are minor, but by staying on top of trends in job applications, you’re giving the recruiter or hiring manager one less reason to question your longevity with the company. This is also a great space to fill in a little more of your experience without attaching dates.
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Most recruiters nowadays conduct phone interviews before they meet with you in person. Initial phone interviews are typically on the shorter side. If they go well, the recruiter will call you back for a second interview, which may be either another phone interview, a video interview, or an in-person interview. While a phone interview can be an efficient way for both the candidate and the recruiter to take the temperature of the candidate’s interest in the job, a phone interview can be an unnerving experience. It’s difficult to read a situation when you can’t see the other person’s reactions to your statements. With that in mind, here are six tips to help you ace your next phone interview and move on to round two! Maintain Good Posture While the interviewer can’t see you over the phone, you still want to maintain good posture while speaking to him or her. This is similar to the idea that if you smile, the other person will hear it in your voice. Good posture encourages you to sit up straight and helps you breathe better. A confident posture will lead to confident answers. Use a Landline Phone When you’re on a phone interview, you want the process to go as smoothly as possible. Taking a phone interview on a cell phone is a bad idea for several reasons. For one, you certainly don’t want to risk dropping the call. Secondly, you want the interviewer to hear every word you say – something that is not always possible with spotty cell phone signals. Using a cell phone also encourages you to get up and move around, which changes your breath and your voice – and not for the better. If you don’t have a landline – it is 2019 afterall – consider a VOIP service. Rehearse Your Answers You should not be improvising your answers on a phone interview. Part of the research you should do before taking the call, in addition to finding out all you can about the company and the position, is finding similar responses to questions candidates have answered in the past. Some questions are unique, but many are standard fare. For instance, you should already have a situation in mind that you can speak about with confidence when questioned on the biggest challenge you have faced in your previous experience, or something you accomplished of which you are particularly proud. Pause Before Answering When you’re asked a question on a phone interview, you may feel like you need to answer immediately, lest you sound unprofessional. After all, silence can seem to last longer on a phone call. However, it’s actually in the pauses you take that you allow your confidence to shine through. Telling the interviewer “that’s a great question. Let me think about that for a moment,” demonstrates to the interviewer that you’re someone who doesn’t rush into a situation without giving it serious thought first. Don’t Be Afraid to Take Notes You may think you will be able to answer all of the interviewer’s questions with ease, but the moment you answer their call, fear may kick in and cause your mind to go blank. Don’t hesitate to make a “cheat sheet” of sorts. Write down anything you may need to refer to on the call, such as the questions you have about the company and the position, and the salary range you’re considering. Just be sure to keep your notes short, like bullet points. You certainly don’t want to sound like you’re reading from a script. That would make you sound more like a telemarketer than a candidate, which only works if you’re applying for a telemarketing position. Remain Upbeat One of the biggest mistakes candidates make in phone interviews is that they don’t sound excited or energized about the job. Unfortunately, because the interviewer can’t see your face, you have to work extra hard to infuse your voice with the enthusiasm you have for this position. However, you have to keep that delicate balance of not going so overboard as to sound phony either. Just be honest. Gesture as you would if the person was sitting right in front of you, as this helps you emote better. And don’t be afraid to laugh if the interviewer says something funny. You’re both human, after all. The job search can be difficult, but following these tips will make at least one part of the process a little bit easier.
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Drug testing. It’s a trope used as an anxiety-inducing plot device in countless stoner comedies. Perhaps it has even made its way into your real-world job search with your current or former employer. For years medical drug screening has been a tool utilized by well-meaning but cautious companies who want to ensure their newest hire is focused on their work and not under the influence or partaking in illegal activities on personal time. It’s also big business with some estimates predicting the drug testing market will have a value of $13.89 billion by 2027. While that’s all well and good, the increasing number of states that have legalized medical and even recreational marijuana use places a snag in the previously streamlined system. Can, or should, companies expect their employees to not engage in perfectly legal behaviors outside of office hours? As it turns out, many states are wrestling with exactly that question. The Push to Legalization Beginning in the 1990’s states began taking a serious look at the potential benefits to marijuana use. By the time the millennium rolled around, five states had legalized medical marijuana use via a doctor’s prescription. In 2012 Colorado and Washington were the first states to legalize recreational marijuana use. Today 11 states have laws on the books legalizing recreations weed use. Marijuana and Drug Testing Years ago, employers realized the utility in drug testing potential new hires. The logic went that anyone who engaged in illicit drug use during personal time probably wasn’t up to company standards. You could eliminate problem employees and ensure that anyone you brought on board was in line with your corporate culture and focused on their daily job duties. Marijuana was typical one of numerous substances tested for on broad screening panels performed by third-party drug testing labs. With the advent of legalized recreational marijuana use, however, many employees are rethinking screening for its use, and for drug use altogether. As of 2017, one in seven U.S. adults admitted to occasional marijuana use. With the increasing number of states taking action on the topic, it only stands to reason that the number will continue to increase. Marijuana use continues to be studied for its benefits on a range of health conditions from insomnia to pain management and is consistently touted as a useful and enjoyable tool for many adults. While the topic is hotly debated, many advocates tout marijuana as a safer drug of choice than alcohol for recreational use, a legal but regulated substance. With the increase in use and legal status, it’s not too hard to see the quandary employers are faced with when it comes to drug testing for marijuana. Companies in states that allow recreational marijuana are narrowing the potential applicant pool by eliminating otherwise talented candidates from consideration. With the increase in acceptance and mainstream use of weed employers also run the risk of alienating younger talent who tend to be more focused on company culture and inclusiveness in the workplace. Then there are the legal considerations. New York state recently passed a law prohibiting pre-employment screening for marijuana in all but a handful of professions such as construction workers, nurses, and police officers. While drug screening for marijuana use is still allowed in many states, it’s not hard to imagine similar legislation being enacted as the push towards federal legalization continues. What Can (and Should) Employers Do While the verdict is still out on marijuana’s ultimate status, there are common-sense steps employers can take now to provide guidance and clarity with their new and existing workforce. For starters, companies are well within their rights to prohibit the use of drugs or alcohol while employees are on duty. Reasonable policies that clearly spell out the ability of employers to terminate anyone who shows up to work intoxicated or high are an accepted and safe course. Likewise, it’s also a reasonable expectation for careers in industries that deal with public health and safety that employees refrain from drug use that may impact their ability to operate at a high level of attention. What companies shouldn’t do, however, is throw the baby out with the bathwater by enacting zero-tolerance policies that alienate and limit their access to quality talent. Finally, it may be worth your time and money to consult with an employment attorney to learn about the laws of your particular city or state concerning drug screening and use. Taking this holistic approach allows companies to adapt to changing the societal acceptance of marijuana while still protecting their business.
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If you’ve turned on the radio, switched on a television, or scrolled through a news app anytime in the last few weeks you’re probably aware of the U.S. economy’s recent wild swings. Chances are you’ve also heard or seen terms like “recession”, “yield curve”, “bond market”, and “trade” more times than you can count. Even if you don’t have a deep portfolio of investments or aren’t a Wall Street trader, economic performance as a whole can still have a major impact on your ability to land a decent job. One of the most relevant sets of statistics for anyone currently in the employment market is the monthly JOLTS report. Here we break down where those magical “jobs” numbers come from and how the results could influence your employment search. What is the JOLTS Report? Launched in 2000, the JOLTS, or Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey, is a monthly report prepared by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The information in the report is based on voluntary reporting by certain U.S. employers. The data collected from key industries and employers is crunched and used as a base to derive wider national numbers of hirings, firings and total open positions. The report is released monthly for the time period two months earlier. The most recently released report on August 6th, for example, covers statistics gathered from June of this year. Breaking Down the Numbers The August 6th JOLTS report shows little change from the May results. The total number of job openings clocked in at 7.3 million with 5.7 million total monthly hires and 5.5 million separations. 3.4 million of those separations were “quits” or people who chose to voluntarily leave their job while 1.7 million were involuntary firings or layoffs. When comparing total job openings with the number of unemployed individuals there are around 1.4 million more jobs than people currently on the market which is slightly fewer than during the previously tracked month of May. What Does This All Mean? While the gap between open jobs and those looking for work is closing, the facts still point to an employee market in that companies will have to work harder to attract individuals given the short supply of talent. While this may not ring true for every field, it’s a good gauge of hiring prospects and your ability to potentially negotiate for a higher salary. This is further enforced by the healthy number of workers willingly leaving their jobs since this is a strong indicator that employees feel like they have other, better prospects. While total job openings didn’t quite meet analysts expectations, the consistency with the previous month speaks to the stability of the current job market and your ability to find work, if you’re looking. If you’re looking for a specific industry to target, the JOLTS report also has some useful tidbits in that area. Private versus government jobs didn’t see much of a change, but openings in real estate and rental leasing along with state and local government education were on the rise. Hirings also ticked up in foodservice, indicating restaurants may be in need of talent. While this data may be useful to your immediate employment prospects, it also provides insight into larger trends in the economy. An increase of companies interested in hiring realtors may indicate that the housing market is about to boom while the strong foodservice showing is a good sign that people are dining out and spending money. Hirings and Firings Bottom Line If you enjoyed our breakdown of the employment prognosticating, be sure to tune back next month when the July report is released on September 10th. In the meantime, if you’re looking to add to these numbers by leaving your current job, be sure to check out the Simply Hired blogs for tips on making a graceful exit.
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During an interview, the interviewer may throw a curveball your way with a tough question that you may not know how to answer. While these tougher questions may seem out of left field at best, or silly at worst, it is important to maintain your professionalism and answer them accordingly. Even if you have a stellar resume, how you answer a tough question is just as important as what you say when you give your answer. Here are some tips on how to handle some of the tough interview questions out there. “What is Your Greatest Weakness?” The key to handling this tough interview question is to give an answer that doesn’t make the interviewer’s job easy for them by giving them permission to reject your application. You always want to remain upbeat in an interview, focusing on your strengths. But how do you focus on your strengths when they’re literally asking you about your weaknesses? One thing you definitely don’t want to do is say that you “don’t have any.” Everyone has a weakness, and the interviewer, of course, knows this. The key is to pick out something positive about yourself that you might see as a negative but that employers might see as a positive. For instance, if you say “I tend to put my job over my personal life,” this tells the employer that you are a hard worker, perhaps at times to your own detriment. It’s a weakness, yes, but it’s also a strength. “Tell Me About Yourself.” This is one of those tricky questions because: a) it doesn’t even seem like a question – more like an icebreaker, and b) it’s easy to get wrapped up in this one and drone on and on forever. The interviewer is not looking to have a friendly conversation before the interview proper. He or she simply wants a two-to-three-minute summary of your experience thus far and a reason why you are the only person for the job. If you’re overwhelmed by the question and unsure how to answer it, think of it instead as “tell me something unique about yourself.” Give the interviewer a quick summary of your experience and education, as well as one strong quality that you have learned thus far to help you in your career. For instance, you can say something like “my business degree, coupled with my experience as a Hospital Director, has made me a strong leader, and I am confident my leadership skills could also carry me far in this role.” “Why are You Looking to Leave Your Current Job?” Even if you’re leaving your current job because your boss is a lot to handle, or you haven’t received a raise in five years, you never want to give these as your reasons. Remember to stay positive and upbeat with every answer you give. And also remember, how you talk about your current employer may be how you talk about your prospective employer one day – and your prospective employer knows this. The best way to answer this one is to focus on the positives of the job you’re applying for. You can never go wrong with expressing your desire to pursue a more challenging opportunity. Also, remember to keep your tone upbeat, too. If your real reason for leaving your current job is because you are desperately unhappy, the interviewer will be able to tell and may fear you’ll do the same thing to them in six months. “Do You Have Any Questions for Me?” The answer to this tough interview question is always “yes.” You must always have questions prepared for the interviewer. Else, it looks like you don’t really care about the company and that you are only interested in a paycheck. Even if this is true, you certainly don’t want to convey it to the interviewer. Ask questions that you could not have answered yourself with a quick online search. Lazy questions are just as bad as not having questions prepared at all. Ask the interviewer questions that no one but he or she could answer, such as “what do you like about working for the company?” or “can you describe the company culture?” You want to ask about two or three questions total. Three is often better, but you can usually gauge from the interviewer whether to ask that third question or stick to the two. Riddles You’ve made it to the end of your interview, and you know you aced it. Then the interviewer asks you something incredibly odd and out of left field, like “how many ping-pong balls can you fit inside of a minivan?” or “how many marshmallows can you fit inside of an airplane?” This is another one of those situations where they’re looking for how you answer as much as, or more than, what you answer. Rather than acting cute, stick to logic. Try to come up with an honest solution to this question, no matter how ridiculous it may seem to you. The interviewer is testing your ability to be a problem-solver, and snark is just not going to fly here. Have you ever been asked a tough question you weren’t sure how to answer? Tell us about it in the comments!
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You hear it all the time, how highlighting problem-solving skills on a resume or cover letter is more important than throwing together a shopping list of the tasks you performed at your previous job(s). But you may be wondering which way is best when it comes to highlighting these problem-solving skills. Examples of Problem-Solving Skills First and foremost, in order to be able to highlight problem-solving skills on your resume or cover letter, you have to be able to identify them. In fact, you may have more problem-solving skills than you give yourself credit for. Here are some examples of some of the more common problem-solving skills that candidates tend to list in their resumes and cover letters:
Research Skills – In order to fix a problem, you have to be able to understand it. And sometimes understanding a problem requires you to go deeper, to research and discover its root cause, before you can figure out how to fix it. Communication Skills – Communication is important at every level, from informing others that a problem exists in the first place to brainstorming ways to resolve it. Analytical Skills – Sharpened analytical skills can help you discover and understand a problem, as well as come up with ways to research and, ultimately, solve the problem. Dependability – It may not seem like a problem-solving skill, but dependability is crucial in that employers can depend on you to solve problems in a timely fashion. This is an invaluable skill in that it can save your employer time, money, and other finite resources.
Customization is Key It’s a lot of work, yes, but it’s important. You should tailor your resume and cover letter to each individual job you apply to. In other words, you should consider the job you’re applying to, and compare the skills they’re asking for with the skills highlighted on your resume and cover letter. Do they match? If there are skills that you have and that the job requires, but you have not listed them on your resume, then now’s the time to do so. You want to show the company that you are the best candidate for the job because you have performed and accomplished everything they’re looking for in an employee. If this causes your resume to be longer than it should be, then you should weigh which skills you could do without in favor of highlighting the more important ones. Be Short and Sweet In most situations, hiring managers don’t have the time, nor the desire, to sit and read a lengthy cover letter. If you ramble on for too long, you practically guarantee your application will end up in the “outbox” (garbage can). You want to strike that delicate balance between telling the hiring manager enough about yourself to strike up interest, and keeping your cover letter short and sweet so as not to drone on and lose the person. The best way to sum up your problem-solving skills in a cover letter is to, in one paragraph:
Briefly explain a work problem that either happened or could have happened, and whether it was resolved. Elaborate, briefly, on your role in the situation and what you did to solve the problem. Describe the positive result of your actions, and whether there were any positive, long-term effects.
You should be able to cover all these points in one paragraph. You should be able to flesh out the first bullet point in one or two sentences, and the remainder in a sentence each. Cater to Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) In today’s world, the odds of an actual human being reading your job application are less than they were ten years ago. This is largely due to the introduction of Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS), which scan a candidate’s application, looking for certain keywords. If those keywords aren’t there, then the system rejects the application. Therefore, the best way to ensure that your application receives a phone call back is to try as best you can to match the problem-solving skills in your resume and cover letter to the exact qualifications listed within the job posting. The more your skills match what the company is looking for, the more likely you are to receive a phone call for an interview, rather than a bot-issued rejection. If, for example, you’re looking for a secretarial job, you may see “time management” listed among a job posting’s required skills. You should therefore include the keyword “time management” in your resume and briefly describe your experience with that skill.
The post Highlighting Problem-Solving Skills on a Resume or Cover Letter appeared first on Career Advice.
When drafting your resume, you normally include a line at the bottom stating “References: Furnished upon request.” But what happens if the hiring manager actually requests your references? Who should you list? Most places ask for two personal references and two professional references, but what if you no longer speak to any of your prior coworkers? What if you were the only employee at your former job? What if you have never even had a job before? Here are some ideas for job references you can use if you’re not quite sure who to turn to. Just be sure to always ask the person’s permission before putting them down as a reference. You don’t want to put them in a situation wherein they feel like the hiring manager is putting them on the spot. Not only do they not have enough time to craft their answers, but they could end up resenting you for not giving them the common courtesy of simply asking their permission first. A Former Professor or Teacher If you’ve never had a job before, a former professor or teacher works wonderfully as a “professional” reference of sorts. This is because a teacher is an unbiased party who will provide the hiring manager with the information he or she needs regarding your work ethic and level of enthusiasm when it comes to learning new things. In that same vein, another option is your college advisor. An advisor is a great choice because he or she can explain to the hiring manager what your career goals were when you started your college career and how you have evolved in meeting those goals. If your advisor has been with you every step of the way and has seen how hard you were willing to work during your college years, then he or she can act as an effective witness to your character. A Former Supervisor If one of the reasons you are leaving your current job is because you don’t get along with your boss, consider asking a former supervisor to act as your reference instead. Chances are, your supervisor spent enough time with you on your projects to provide a hiring manager with a clear picture insofar as who you are as a person and what you accomplished as an employee. Past and Present Colleagues Most folks choose former colleagues to act as their references. While former colleagues you still speak to are more than likely your friends, they are also valuable references because they can inform the hiring manager of the kinds of projects you worked on together. They can fill in the blanks on your achievements as part of the team that you might have forgotten to focus on in your resume and cover letter. The same goes for present colleagues. Some folks may not realize they can utilize the people they still work with as references. And who better to give the hiring manager a current snapshot of your skills as a worker than someone who is still presently working with you? A Family Member For most people, putting a family member down as a personal reference is a no-brainer. However, this packs more power if you have a family member who can also speak to your skills as a professional. For example, while you may want to list your mother as a reference, because she’s sure to give you a glowing review, why not consider instead listing the cousin you worked with at the ice cream shop over summer break every year? Your cousin is just as likely to give you a glowing review because he or she is family, but you also have the added benefit of a professional reference, having also previously worked with your cousin. An Authority Figure from Your Past While not as common, some folks don’t have much, or any, remaining family, and/or they have never held down a job. What does a person do then? You can use any authority figure from your past whom you trust and who can speak to your character as one of your references. This can be anyone from your pastor to your former Boy or Girl Scout leader – anyone who served as your leader or organizer of sorts. Just be sure to ask their permission first – especially if it’s someone you haven’t spoken to in years. And, of course, no matter who you choose as a reference, always be sure to thank your references, whether or not the hiring manager contacts them. Thanking your references is just as important as thanking those who interviewed you. And be sure to return the favor and offer to act as a reference for them too, should they ever need one.
The post Who Makes for a Good Job Reference? appeared first on Career Advice.
Have you heard of the three Cs of career growth? They are the three things you need to focus on in your career if you want to move up the ladder at work and find long-term professional success.
As a career coach for the last 20 years, I've learned that people cannot move their careers forward in a vacuum. You can't grow your career alone. And that's where the three Cs come in...
@j.t.odonnell How to grow your career FAST! @j.t.odonnell #careertiktok #careeradvice #careertips #learnontiktok #ScreamItOut ♬ original sound - J.T. O'Donnell
The first "C" of career growth is courses/content. You need resources in your career that will teach you something new and give you a new perspective.
The second "C" is coaching. In order to truly grow your career, you need a trained expert or a mentor, somebody who can help you interpret what you're learning, especially if you hit roadblocks. A career coach, for example, can tailor their answers to support you and your needs, providing you with the right advice that will help you succeed.
The third "C" of career growth, and the most important, is community. You have to surround yourself with like-minded individuals who are working on the same problem or chasing the same goal. This not only motivates you, but it gives you more information and perspective in order to speed up the success of your learning.
Now, where do you find the three Cs of career growth? Well, I actually founded Work It Daily on the principles of the three 3 Cs. When you join our FREE community, you get access to courses, coaches, and community—all in one place!
Work It Daily is one of the largest online career coaching platforms, and all you have to do is sign up to get FREE access to the 3 Cs of career growth. Sign up, check out our free resources section, and pick courses to learn from. You can post your questions inside the community for the coaches and you can meet other members who are part of the community.
So, if you want to grow your career and move up the ladder at work, you know where to find me.
Sign up for Work It Daily's FREE community today! My team and I are looking forward to working with you soon.
Let's be honest! LinkedIn is not the easiest social media platform to navigate. If you wish you could make better use of this essential career tool, we've got just the event for you...
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Learn how to make the most of your time on LinkedIn so you can work smarter, not harder!
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Interviewing can actually be pretty fun, especially when you're on the other side of the table! However, I know how stressful it can be when you're the one in the hot seat as an eager job candidate.
Emotions are high, nerves are in play, and there's so much information you need to remember. It can be tough!
And, because I know how difficult it can be to be in that position, I want to share some major red flags I've encountered when interviewing candidates.
I know there's a lot to remember, but there are some things you should NEVER say during a job interview. If you've got an interview coming up, make sure you review these phrases before you hop on the phone or walk into the office.
Even if the job you're applying for isn't something you can really see yourself doing for the long term, don't volunteer that information to your interviewer. You might have big career aspirations, but it's important to focus on the job you're interviewing for now, even if it's just an entry-level job you don't plan on working for very long.
By telling your interviewer that you're essentially uncommitted to the job, you can sabotage your chances of landing the position. Think about it from the employer's perspective: Why would a company want to invest in, hire, and train someone who is already planning on leaving before he or she even gets the job offer? Second, you might not realize how much growth potential this role has and whether or not it might transform into something that excites you. Every dream job starts somewhere. So, why kill the opportunity before you give it a chance?
Typically, at the end of interviews, we ask our job candidates if they have any questions for us. We EXPECT questions. The candidate should be looking to learn as much as he or she can about the role, company, and team. It's just as much for his or her benefit as it is for the employer.
Also, don't just wait until the end of the interview to ask questions. An interview should be a two-way conversation. So, ask questions throughout the interview to emphasize your interest, curiosity, and listening skills.
While it's very important to ask questions during a job interview, it's just as important to ask the RIGHT questions—questions that show you've done your homework, but want to dig deeper. Asking questions you could (and frankly should) have the answers to beforehand (like what the company does, when it started, why it started, etc.) isn't going to make you look very good.
A huge part of interview prep is taking time to research the company you're applying to. You should be able to find basic information about the company by doing a simple Google search and checking out their website and social media profiles.
Learning about what you'll be paid and what benefits you'll receive as an employee is something you'll want to understand down the line, but please don't bring this up during your first interview.
This information will be revealed and/or mapped out for you as you get closer to a job offer. If you ask questions like this one too soon, though, you risk looking like you're only in it for the money and kickbacks. Employers know these things are important to job candidates, obviously, but if you start focusing on them too early in the process, it can be a huge turnoff.
Again, think about it from the employer's point of view: If you're taking this job solely for the money and/or benefits, who's to say you won't up and leave when a better offer comes along? What's keeping you at the company other than the extras?
Instead, focus on why you want this particular job at this specific company. The other stuff will come up later.
This is a similar question to #3. If you feel like you need to ask what kinds of skill sets are required for this role, you didn't read the job description carefully enough. That information should be all over the job posting and you should be prepared to show examples of how your experience will be valuable.
If the job description was a little vague, though, ask more targeted questions about the role. For example, "What would a typical day look like for this employee?" or "What kinds of projects would I be working on specifically and how would they add value to the company?"
Questions like these will allow you to get more clues on the role AND give you a deeper understanding of what you're expected to accomplish as an employee.
A job interview can be scary, but if you go in prepared, it's actually pretty exciting. Make sure to prioritize interview prep before your next job interview, and you'll likely avoid saying any of these five things to the hiring manager.
If you're struggling to land job interviews, we can help.
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This article was originally published at an earlier date.
The SeatGeek employee roster includes a classically-trained opera singer, a retired contender on the competitive eating circuit, and an all-American fencer, to name a few. Having such a unique and diverse workforce under one roof is something that SeatGeek takes pride in. Not only does it create a fun company culture, but it lends itself to endless ideas and perspectives.
"It's great that people have different interests and backgrounds and can come together and work on awesome projects," says Jamie Sterrett, director of talent at SeatGeek.
The mobile-focused ticket platform has seen its fair share of growth over the last three years. SeatGeek employs just under 500 employees globally, which includes the company's headquarters in New York City and offices in the United Kingdom, Netherlands, Italy, and Israel.
In order to encourage collaboration and networking, and foster an environment of diversity and inclusion, the company has both employee resource groups (ERGs) and affinity groups. Sterrett says the ERGs are focused on empowering diverse groups across SeatGeek, while the affinity groups are focused on hobbies and shared interests such as fitness, food, and board games.
"It's really important as we grow that people are able to find community within the workplace," Sterrett says. "The more you have that community, the more people will collaborate."
The company uses a number of long-standing traditions to bring the workforce together on a regular basis.
One example is the weekly company lunch. Each week a team presents during the lunch to update the company on projects they're working on. Sterrett says it's a great way to keep employees updated about what's going on at the company and to help them get to know co-workers they're not as familiar with.
"We're a people-focused organization...transparency and collaboration are important to us," Sterrett says.
The company also holds "ask anything" forums where employees are urged to ask company leadership questions about anything.
One newer SeatGeek tradition, breakfast-lunch-dinner, is a livestream conference between the offices in New York, Europe, and Israel.
The online ticket selling industry has become a competitive one over the years and SeatGeek is always striving to be the industry leader. Sterrett says that competition, plus the ever-changing culture of the technology industry, makes working at SeatGeek appealing to a lot of people. "We're trying to introduce a lot of that change and that's really exciting to people."
SeatGeek's platform puts the focus on the fan experience. Customers looking to purchase tickets to sporting events or concerts will not only see the ticket price, but they will get a "Deal Score" that indicates what type of value they are getting for the prices of tickets. Essentially, this tells customers whether or not they're overpaying for the tickets.
In recent years, SeatGeek has expanded its international offerings and has become the primary ticket provider for the Dallas Cowboys and New Orleans Saints.
SeatGeek employees enjoy being a part of the ticket-selling industry.
"From a product and business standpoint the past couple years have been incredibly exciting. We are now official ticketing partners with some of the largest names in sports. It's not only helping us grow our business, but more importantly it's helping us provide a better experience to fans," one employee says in a Glassdoor review.
"SeatGeek is starting to disrupt the ticketing industry. It is exciting to be a part of a company that is truly focused on the customer. It is clear from top to bottom that we want to make it easier for the average person to see more events live," another employee writes.
One of the most popular benefits at SeatGeek is the $120 monthly ticket stipend that can be used on an endless list of athletic events and concerts. Sterrett says that in addition to being popular, the perk also benefits the company because many employees will use it to go to events together, and it allows employees to suggest possible improvements.
The SeatGeek office is bright and open and features a large projection screen for the viewing of occasional sporting events.
To apply or learn more about working at SeatGeek, check out their careers page today!
If you’re trying to take yourself and your life to the next level, it makes a lot of sense to aim higher when it comes to making friends. The right friends will support you emotionally and provide practical help along the way.
If you have exciting friends that aren’t as ambitious as you are, chances are that they’re unconsciously holding you back. You don’t have to stop seeing them; your best bet is to focus on building friendships with new people. If you want to make friends with ambitious people, read on.
In this article, I would like to share with you three important steps. These steps will help you go to the next level in your social life, meet many ambitious and interesting people, and have them stick around for a long time.
People seem to leave their friendship life to chance, more often than not. While that probably worked well when you were a kid, it most certainly won’t work for you as an adult. With no college or school to facilitate new friendships, you need to be proactive about it. This means that you get conscious and curious about friendship and how it works—consciously make time, every week, for meeting new people, staying in touch, and hanging out with them.
Studies have shown that the influence other people have on you is strong; your destiny literally depends on the people you hang out with. This is why it’s important to have a clear idea of the kind of people you want to have in your life. All you have to do is make a general list of qualities, attributes, or activities that you want in your future friends. It doesn’t have to be definitive; it’s just a guide for your mind. You can start by listing qualities like "healthy," "ambitious," "honest," "productive," "fun," "interesting," etc.
Success in your friendship life means that you don’t only use the tips once in a while; it means that you adopt the easy new habits that will work on a consistent basis. The first habit is to go meet new people every month. The way to do that is to join a local community that meets up once or twice every month. Try a few that you can find on meetup.com and decide on the one that has the kind of people you'd like to get to know better. In general, go where meeting people is easy; focus on places like trade shows, cultural or charitable events, seminars and talks, and so on.
The second habit is to dedicate at least one hour every week to reaching out to people in your network. You can put it in your calendar; it can be something like every Wednesday at 7 p.m. Early in the week is better. Contact and network with important/strategic LinkedIn connections during this hour. This habit will make sure you don’t lose touch with your existing friends, and follow up with the new people you meet.
The third habit is to decide what you’re going to do over the weekend ahead of time. When it’s time to reach out to people, plan ahead and decide on what you want to do; suggest that plan to those you want to see. This is why it’s important that you contact people early enough in the week, when they haven’t already decided what to do on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday.
Making friends can be time-consuming if you don’t optimize your efforts. If you’re always the one calling and making plans, then you’re not going to be doing it for very long. The best way to tackle this is to focus on forming groups of friends, instead of having a bunch of friends that don’t know each other. I recommend that you always introduce the people that you know to each other, especially if they’re of the ambitious kind. After they meet once or twice, a new group emerges, and you now have a circle of friends. When that happens, they start to call and make plans as well, which means you’ll have more time to contact and make plans with people that you don’t know that well.
As you meet new people, introduce them to the existing group, and make it bigger. If you prefer to meet in small groups, this is a great strategy as well; you can still meet two or three people at the same time, even if your social circle has dozens of people in it.
These three steps will get you started on having ambitious, resourceful friends that will help you succeed, introduce people to you, and emotionally support you when you need it. What’s really important is to open your mind to learning about friendship, how it works, and how you can apply that information to your life.
We understand how difficult it is to make new friends, especially as an adult. The good news is, at Work It Daily, we provide you with a safe and supportive place where you can meet new people and network with like-minded professionals!
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Join our FREE community today to grow your professional network and make new friends!
As a recent college graduate, it is always intimidating looking for your first job. At this point, you are more interested in getting into the corporate world rather than getting that dream job.
Have you ever thought about what leads you to that “dream job”? Precision, positivity, and a good attitude are the keys to not only getting an entry-level job but succeeding in it. And when you start your career on the right foot in an entry-level job, you'll quickly position yourself for a raise and/or promotion, and you'll be well on your way to getting that dream job.
Here are a few tips for entry-level job seekers looking to land their first job out of college:
1. Get Noticed with Your Cover Letter
For a job opening, it's common for the hiring manager to get a thousand applications. What's so great about you? Why should you get an interview? Give it your best shot by providing a precise, interesting, and effective cover letter. The right disruptive cover letter encourages the recruiter to go through your resume.
2. Refrain from Long Stories
First off, your cover letter should only be about a page long. Similarly, your resume should only include quantifiable work experience—no long-winded descriptions of duties and tasks you were responsible for at a previous employer.
3. Don't Get Overly Formal
Be simple yet effective. On your resume and cover letter, do not use bold phrases, clichés, or idioms to create an impression.
4. Have Faith in Yourself
Confidence is essential to your career. There is no place for “good” in the corporate world. Competition is fierce and companies want someone who believes in themselves and knows their value. If you don't know your value as a business-of-one, how can you expect to prove your value to employers?
5. Know About the Organization
It's important to research the company before going in for a job interview. Make sure you know each bit of the organization you are applying to—the latest happenings, the past issues, the website, and the company culture. You should aim to know at least 80% of what a current employee knows.
6. Sell Yourself Logically
One of the most important questions to answer is, “How beneficial can you be for the organization?” Employers want to know if you can solve whatever problem they're facing because they're not hiring someone just for the heck of it. Talk in terms of what you can do to make the organization better. If you have sales experience, you can say something like, “With my knowledge and experience in sales, I can make sure I sell at least XYZ amount of products each month by working on XYZ aspects.” Use the STAR method or "Experience + Learn = Grow" method to ace those tricky behavioral interview questions.
7. Act Mature
Be polite and take your job interviews seriously. Talk in terms of how your abilities can help in the betterment of the organization. No one wants to know what you learned from your childhood.
8. Relate Your Abilities to the Job
Focus on talking about those trainings, subjects, certifications, and specializations that have something to do with the job you're applying for. What makes you qualified for the position?
9. Never Boast About Your GPA
You might be a brilliant student, but if you fail to impress the interviewer, your GPA will not save you. Do not rely on your GPA to make a good impression and prove you're smart and hardworking. Focus on your experience and accomplishments instead.
10. Don't Exaggerate
Don't lie or exaggerate on your resume or in a job interview. Even a single white lie can outshine your abilities and competencies.
11. Prepare, Prepare, and Prepare
Always prepare before walk into an interview well-prepared. This includes everything from your appearance to knowledge about the organization. get information about the interviewer, too.
12. Leave like a Lady/Gentleman
Always leave by paying good regards to the interviewer and showing your interest in working in the organization. And don't forget to send a thank-you note!
As an entry-level job seeker, remember these 12 tips as you look for your first job out of college. You'll be sure to stand out from the competition!
If you're struggling to find a job as a recent college grad, we can help.
Back in the day, I owned a marketing agency that was acquired by HubSpot in 2013.
We were purchased because we had a reputation for being technically strong at the ‘website design’ aspects of the HubSpot tools at that time. Now imagine my team and I showing up on day one and attending a week or so of corporate training to learn the lay of the land when it finally dawned on me: HubSpot was about to launch a new content management system (they called it the COS) and it was going to be our job to move the existing customers' websites (all 7,800 of them!) onto the new platform with as little customer impact as possible. Add to that the casual comment, “Oh, and by the way, don’t screw it up. We’re preparing to go public in 16 months.”
Let’s just say this taught me the importance of having a framework for technical implementations.
So much effort, energy, resources, and money goes into acquiring customers for any business. And businesses continually focus on reducing their customer acquisition costs (CAC). To make all the effort on the front side of acquiring customers worth it, it’s important to get the new customers “to value” as soon as possible.
If the customer is not successful with the software they just purchased, the business risks not retaining them therefore potentially missing the opportunity of obtaining the optimum lifetime value (LTV) of the customer. Some SAAS companies call it implementation, some call it onboarding. I typically consider implementation to have a more technical setup aspect rather than onboarding which to me is more about getting users logged in and using the software.
1. Understand the Needs of the Customer
First, it’s really important to have an idea of what success to the new customer is defined as. What does the customer intend to do with this new software they have purchased? What is the “job to be done” with the software? What are they trying to accomplish and why? You need to understand what problem the purchase of this software solves in order to successfully implement a new customer into being an active user. You’re going to want to focus on the goals of why the customer wants to use your business's software.
2. Define Success Criteria
Now that you understand the problem that is being solved, it’s important to define the path toward the “aha moment” when a customer sees the value in what they have just purchased. You want this clearly defined and you want to get there as fast as possible. That doesn’t mean that the entire system/instance is set up to its fullest capacity, but it does mean that the software is set up or configured or the correct users are added (whatever it is) and the customer can do something that solves the problem they came to your business to solve. For example, in an email marketing tool, it could be the first email sent, or in a CRM, first contact is added. It will depend on the software.
3. Understand the Steps Required to Get the Customer to Success
This may sound obvious, but it’s going to be important to define the steps required to get to that first value. To reuse the email software example it would look something like this: Add new user, define the email’s content, create email, add email recipient, hit send. That's a super simple example but there will likely be many steps involved and it will be important to outline the concurrent steps in order to make sure that you are organized and get to the time to value in as straight a line as possible. This will also allow you to define the repeatable process.
4. Create a Repeatable Process for the Steps Required
Once we've defined the steps you need to distill this down to a repeatable process. You’re going to want to have this well defined and written down. Some teams I’ve worked with have created a checklist of tasks, others keep it relatively fluid and loose, but I recommend keeping it consistent for the sake of customer experience. I encourage you to try and provide a like kind experience for the customer no matter which person on the team helps time implement their software.
5. Define the Skill Set Required to Staff the Team
Now that you have an understanding of the process it’s time to get familiar with the skills sets required to implement customers. As a first step, a mandatory skill set is willingness to communicate with customers, both verbal and written. Believe it or not I have seen people in the position of implementing customers who did not possess strong customer communication skills and admitted to not ‘liking’ talking to customers. Wow. You want people with strong organizational skills as this person will often be multi-tasking many customers in different stages of the implementation at once. Being that this is a SAAS company and is most like some software mediu to strong technical skills are pretty much a must. However, each implementation will vary from different business to business but it’s required that you identify the technical skill set needs and that you find people with the skill set. For example: at HubSpot I ran a team that was implementing websites so we needed people who had some web development design skills as well as a baseline understanding of DNS settings (i.e. GoDaddy).
6. Get an Understanding of the Volume of Work Required to Implement the Customers
With a clear understanding of the job to be done, that definition of first value, process and skill set needs to be laid out by you. We need to figure out the human bandwidth required to implement customer volume coming onto the software. How many customers will need the implementation? In what timeframe? How long does it take to implement a customer? Is there work that the customer needs to do? Will you be waiting on customers as a bottleneck at times? What is the total time required to onboard a customer? These are all questions to think about when trying to determine the overall human capital requirements to successfully implement the customers. Of time, as the process gets more defined, and the people doing the implementations acquire their tool chest of tips, tricks, snippets, tools. They will speed up. You may even find opportunities to use additional software to decrease the time and effort it takes to implement customers.
7. Set up Clear KPIs
I’ve found that you’re going to want clear and attainable KPIs that motivate the team to deliver successful implementation for the customer. I’ve been most successful when measuring the team on what we call the success of the customer. For example, when we were onboarding customers onto websites, the team’s success criteria was 1) to get the customer’s website live in 2) the shortest amount of time possible. That worked well to motivate the team to be swift (quicktime to value) but also solve for the customer’s goals. I’ve had this go wrong on me once when I had set up KPIs that solved for time to completion of a project and that didn’t always end in the happiest customers.
These are my seven steps to building a successful implementation team. Naturally, the specifics will vary across SAAS businesses but I believe this is a trusty road map to follow. If you’re reading this because you’re trying to figure this out at your business don’t hesitate to reach out to me on LinkedIn. I’d be happy to be a resource.
I’m guilty of fighting for the underdog in all circumstances especially when it comes to music. This may be a product of my upbringing, as my mother was known for being an incredibly kind, caring individual, treating my siblings and me exceptionally equally in all matters of life. This early pattern has served me well today as we see huge culture shifts in the music industry emerging, where indie artists are able to survive, maybe not thrive, but survive. This is inspiring to me.
However, I will always be a fan of major label achievements as well, with a focus on social media platforms like TikTok for talent scouting and metaverse concerts now moving into a mainstream position. Even with independent musicians gaining newfound revenue on brand deals, NFT opportunities, increased distribution partnerships, and touring revenue, I still worry about the impact of not having major label support. I have learned from working with music tech companies and gaming companies that having label support is essential to sustain a robust career in music. You may be discovered on TikTok but how do we know if you can maintain the heat?
As a professional signed music artist, your job is to make hot records. It’s nothing personal.
Success always comes down to a hit song and without it you're climbing a serious uphill battle. To me, having the connections of decades of music work where studio sessions, producer connections, and collaborations thrive in the major label system, provides serious insight into why major record labels thrive. Do I believe that there are exceptions to hit songs where an indie artist can create a banger? Well yes. Yes, I do. But economies of scale and history of voluminous impactful hit records in multiples have always resided in houses built by Sony, Warner & Universal. Let’s explore further why major labels have success-breaking music artists on a scale that is undeniable.
I've seen a greater ratio of success with a larger volume of artists under one roof, where leveraging leading music artists helps smaller less established ones. Majors are able to execute proven roadmaps to break artists, for less money, more efficiently at a faster rate. And why shouldn’t they? They’ve actually put in the work.
To do this, they:
For example, with Universal Music group going public and reporting today a 21.6 quarterly revenue increase to 2.32 billion dollars, their portfolio style approach has shown us what a leader UMG is in the space. The growth across multiple business units is incredible and with their diversified artist roster, songwriters, retail merchandising, publishing and emerging metaverse projects in new markets is an incredible achievement. I’m excited as I have a feeling that UMG is just getting started. The teams at UMG are exceptional, enough said.
We cannot deny that when your company is making billions of dollars there may be a correlation to artist marketing success. (An understatement). However, the benchmarks from years of taking the risks and investing in huge music artists have provided the roadmap. Majors have invaluable, incredible statistics and analytical data assisting in maximizing dollars helping to make streaming ad buy decisions and spends for marketing dollars with an almost guaranteed success for releases.
Although I will always root for indie artist street hustle on the daily, I value and appreciate what labels are accomplishing as we make a huge culture shift. If you're considering a career in music, building a strategy for gaining label exposure is essential and fighting for that major label deal is crucial and definitely worth the effort.
When COVID-19 hit in 2020, I didn’t hear any accounts of C-level or enterprise operations executives jumping out of windows, but I did hear their stories about real frustrations and sudden challenges with execution. Many openly admitted a new risk to operations and ultimately financial performance as they battled through low-value manual processes, disparate platforms, and the absence of a remote ecosystem or “hub” where department, division, or enterprise teams could come together to communicate, execute, and manage end-to-end workflows and data to transcend unforeseen events, factors, or constraints for employees.
Faced with acute business risk and operational difficulty, why didn’t more enterprise companies move to outsource an infrastructure-less SaaS operations or logistics software solution along with its support?
For companies in verticals that were still in growth mode or mostly business as usual after the onset of COVID-19, three obstacles may have impeded a tech/SaaS path to continuity, efficiency, and reduced business risk—two having to do with buyer psyche and the other about the options (or lack thereof) for tech/SaaS and its providers.
Obstacle #1
We all HATE discomfort. Human nature clings to the familiarity of the status quo and skillfully tricks the subconscious into downplaying, avoiding, or outright denying the existence of unpleasant or ineffective circumstances. This saves us the discomfort of reasoning the cause of a problem, its scope, or the inconvenience of having to do something about it.
Obstacle #2
We all LOVE control. Modern enterprise buying happens when a majority of 10-14 cross-functional stakeholders, that may or may not also engage the board of directors, decide to say “YES!” to change as they are helped past their individual risk aversion that is influenced by their performance metrics, professional goals, challenges, underlying biases and motivations to either support or block the decision.
As such, even when presented with a clear, distinct solution that demands change from the status quo, if stakeholders are left to themselves without an objective, insightful, empathetic guide with a strong understanding of their current processes, data requirements, and the technology—teamed up with an internal champion as a collaborative partner to help instill new insights, influence, clear obstacles, and gain consensus—one of two things is most likely to happen for these folks:
And the third obstacle that may have prevented enterprise companies from creating a needed communication and operations execution superhighway for their teams:
Obstacle #3
We need confidence in our partners. Lots of it. When the vulnerability of continuity became obvious in 2020, enterprise technology options were still pretty clunky. Choices included older platforms still on-prem, partial, or rigid workflows that required daisy-chaining disparate platforms together or retraining, they offered limited reporting, low data mining and analytics, no advanced predictive capabilities, few simple integrations with other major business systems, and long backlogs when custom dev was necessary. This meant vendors and their platforms were of limited use, painful to deal with, and the ratio of bad reviews to good reviews was high when measuring the rate of adoption, realized value, and the overall customer experience during implementation, when using the platform, and when support was needed.
What’s different today? There is good news for enterprise SaaS buying holdouts! A new generation of “Service as a Solution” (SaaS) enterprise software designers have emerged with intuitive, adaptive, integrated, perpetually evolving solutions. This has jettisoned adoption with stakeholders and users alike as solutions are now blending into the business with flexibility to resemble comfortable, native workflows, simply integrate with most business systems, and deliver sizeable benefits relative to op-ex fees.
This new virtual work “place” brings employees, external partners, and various business systems together via simple integrations into a community to accomplish major workflows with simplicity and agility. Some of the benefits:
With artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) now in production, in development, and in dev roadmaps, SaaS developers are also infusing deep insights, visibility, and predictive decision making into their functionality with advanced:
As such, enterprise SaaS software spend is up 14% in 2021 per Gartner’s reporting, with an estimated $700 billion on the way for 2022. Another 11% increase.
Buying technology is complicated! For enterprise executives who are ready to appoint a buying committee to select your next tech solution, this article will help you:
To set the stage for your buying journey, make sure you have a qualified guide to lead your buying team through organizational requirements, vetting and qualifying, and the complex behavioral science maze of the numerous stakeholders chosen for your buying committee.
Next, here are (10) initial questions to strip down your vendor list and clear away common obstacles for stakeholder personas throughout the organization:
1. Does the software provide a full end-to-end solution to execute and manage the entire workflow process for the departmental / division / organizational application?
2. Will the software have long-term application for your operations, despite workplace and technology advancements, and what is the partner’s roadmap for ongoing development and investment?
3. Does the software enable users the flexibility to mirror familiar workflows already intuitive to your operations without forcing a new workflow and retraining?
4. Does the potential SaaS partner provide a simulation of the platform’s operation with your workflow or application or environment to validate its efficacy for your company’s specific needs?
5. Do they have case studies that demonstrate a great buyer and user experience with the product, implementation, training for each level of user, and support?
6. Is the platform available in a SaaS model without a cap-ex spend or on-prem hardware?
7. Are ready integrations available for your major systems and apps to offer a low-coding, low development & engineering implementation, especially if you don’t have unlimited internal technology resources?
8. Is data import and configuration relatively simple?
9. Does the simplicity of the solution and the tech partner’s support mitigate the need for IT to acquire additional skillsets to implement or support?
10. Do they publish ample ungated content about their solution to research and evaluate before contacting their sales rep?
For additional insights and help with navigating the enterprise technology buying journey, please reach out to me on LinkedIn or at lynn@solvedbyholland.com.
Look, I'm just going to say it. Not everybody should work for themselves. Right now, there's this huge craze about working independently, being self-employed, being your own boss. So much of this came out of the pandemic because people realized they wanted to have control over their careers and not be at the mercy of their employers' needs. But if you're looking to take control of your career, becoming self-employed is not always the best solution.
@j.t.odonnell Not everyone should work for themselves... #workplacerenegade #learnontiktok #careeradvice #joblife #jobsearch #careeradvice #careertiktok #careers #jobs @j.t.odonnell ♬ original sound - J.T. O'Donnell
Twenty years ago, it was all about getting the corporate job. You didn't hear a lot about entrepreneurship back then, but nowadays everyone is talking about it. It almost feels like if you don't do your own thing or own your own business, or if you don't at least have a desire to do those things, there's something wrong with you.
Not true.
A lot of people were not built for self-employment. But they also don't want to go back to the traditional work environment where the employer is at the top and they're at the bottom wearing golden handcuffs and feeling like they have no control over their career or future. And I get that. I think that's why 40 million people quit their jobs in 2021—because they're frustrated. But not all of those 40 million people should be their own boss.
So what do you do?
Well, for the last 20 years, I have been teaching people how to become "Workplace Renegades." A Workplace Renegade is an anti-employer. They're about empowering themselves so that they can build a decent relationship with their employer. They want to work with the employer, not for them. They want trust and respect. They want to attract the opportunities that are best for them. And it still means working a full-time job with benefits and that structure that a lot of people need. In return, you're giving the employer what they need.
But you need to understand one thing...
There are seven rules to becoming a Workplace Renegade that will enable you to get a full-time job that gives you the trust and respect you want and deserve so that you don't have to necessarily own your own company to have control over your career.
If you would like to learn what those seven rules are, check out my new book Awakening Your Inner Workplace Renegade: 7 New Rules for Transforming Your Career & Finding Your Professional Purpose.
In this book, you’ll learn:
Buy the book and start awakening your inner Workplace Renegade today!
I promise you the seven new rules will change your mindset completely so that you can get those jobs that you want and deserve.
P.S. If you're serious about taking control of your career, I'd love it if you joined my FREE community where professionals like you are learning how to become empowered in their careers so they can finally find career happiness and satisfaction.
Sign up for my FREE community today! My team and I are looking forward to working with you soon.
EQRx is a new type of pharmaceutical company committed to developing and delivering innovative medicines to patients at radically lower prices. Leveraging cutting-edge science and technology and strategic partnerships with stakeholders from across the healthcare system, EQRx aims to provide innovative, patent-protected medicines more efficiently and cost-effectively than ever before.
EQRx encourages people to take smart risks and cultivate innovative thinking.
Their mission aspires to make a broad societal impact—to improve access to important new medicines for people who need them most—which attracts the kind of people who think outside the box, who want to do things differently, and who believe there is a better way.
EQRx is assembling a team of top talent from across the pharma/biotech industry, as well as from other industries, who each bring their skills to building a different kind of company from the ground up, with new approaches to tackle tough challenges. If this sounds like you, here's what you should know about working at EQRx...
EQRx is not looking for just another “culture fit"—they’re looking for a culture ADD. This is why they have an internal philosophy that empowers their team to be themselves—every day and in every way. #BeYouAtEQ encourages the EQRx team to bring their most authentic selves to work, including their big, bold, and out-of-the-box ideas!
#BeYouAtEQ is way more than just a hashtag at EQRx. And the people who are #RemakingMedicine are so much more than their job title. The phrase "Be you at EQ" is a huge part of EQRx's culture and it's been their mantra from the very beginning.
The pharmaceutical company wanted to create and nurture a culture that is about inclusion and diversity of thought. To disrupt an industry, they need people who bring different perspectives, backgrounds, and experiences. They want their team to feel comfortable asking questions like "why" and "why not?" That's why they've created the space for people to feel the freedom to be 100% themselves.
Across EQRx, they are a rich tapestry of individuals, each employee bringing something unique to their team, like the different squares within a patchwork quilt. To celebrate their individuality and the powerful way they come together as one collective community, they have designed, created, and sewn together what they’ve termed a “tapestory.” This tapestory proudly displays their individual stories and the people who are a part of EQRx’s growing history.
EQRx asked their teammates, “If you could think of one object that tells us more about who you are, and a part of your story, what would it be?” This information morphed into a beautifully illustrated and embroidered square within the EQRx Tapestory. Their physical, digital, and e-book “Tapestory” will continue to grow as their team grows, with each new teammate comes new stories, perspectives, and backgrounds. EQRx's physical tapestory is hung in their Cambridge Hub for viewing, and they work with employees to highlight individual stories internally and externally to bring their unique experiences (and EQRx's company culture) to life.
These stories and objects have ranged from everything from a phoenix (representing a woman who dreamed of having a large family, but her life changed forever when she was diagnosed with cervical cancer...she is now a survivor and adopted five children) all the way to a pair of keys (representing the keys to their partner’s house—the fact they're able to tell their coworkers where they’re going with no judgement... #BeYouAtEQ) and so much more in between.
The EQRx team is geographically spread out, but together, they’ve cultivated a “virtual-first” approach to working, with digital collaboration tools integrated into their day-to-day work, and their virtual “HQ” intranet and virtual forums that help to keep their employees informed and engaged.
EQRx had to address the challenge of working together and building a new company in a remote environment.
EQRx launched in January 2020, just before the world shut down for the pandemic. They have actually built the company virtually through the pandemic, growing from 25 people in March 2020 to now more than 300!
They also created a policy called “T30”—Tuesday, Thursday Time Off—to help combat the Zoom fatigue, where their team has designated time to step away from their computer, run an errand, or have some time for themselves. They trust their team to get their work done—no matter where they are. EQRx also has many fun virtual activities like happy hours, volunteer events, and even some awesome SWAG gifts. They needed to find a way to still achieve those meaningful interactions that are harder to come by in a virtual world, so that’s exactly what they did.
EQRx's approach to benefits has been very different from most start-ups. From the very beginning, their founders and leadership team wanted their benefits to truly stand out and to make sure their team had access to great options. The company's benefits allow EQRx-ers to focus on their work and know that they and their families are being taken care of.
Highlights of EQRx's benefits include:
Here are some things you can do to be a happier, more confident you:
When you're feeling discouraged about something, it can be easy for the evil negative self-talk (a.k.a. NST) to take over. Don't allow yourself to say (or THINK) things like, "I'll never get a job" or "I'm never going to be good enough." When you focus on this negative mindset, those thoughts turn into motivation-suckers.
In addition, NST can be a big, fat barrier between you and strong relationships with others. According to WebMD, people who think negatively tend to be less outgoing and have weaker social networks than positive thinkers. Studies link positive emotions with more satisfying relationships. So, if you want to build a strong network, your first step is to have a more positive outlook on life!
Whenever you feel down, try to find something to smile about (ex: take a fun online quiz, look at cute puppy videos, or check out funny listicles). If you find yourself giving into negative emotions, allow yourself five minutes to find something to smile about. Honestly, it works!
Think about this quote from Dr. Seuss: "You have to be odd to be number one."
Your little quirks make you who you are. They make you stand out from everyone else. In a world where everyone is fighting to stand out from the crowd, there's never been a better time to embrace what makes you different. Quirks are what give you flavor. Stop wasting time and energy on trying to be someone you're not. Accept yourself and embrace those little things that make you... you.
You may compliment others all the time, but what happens when someone compliments YOU? Do you smile and say, "thanks!" or do you instantly try to undermine yourself? There are many of us out there who are guilty of this. According to this article in LifeHack, many people feel they don't deserve positive feedback, and anyone who pays them a compliment must be either lying, misguided, or feeling sorry for them.
Here are some tips for how to take a compliment:
Say thank you. Whether a stranger opens a door for you or your boss gives you a raise, always say thank you. Studies show that showing gratitude makes us happier. Make an effort to give thanks to those who deserve it.
By doing these five things daily, you'll be one step closer to being a happier, more confident you.
Need more help gaining confidence, especially when it comes to your career?
We're here for you!
The term inspiration is very commonly used. Everyone seems to be inspired by someone or something in their lives. His or her inspiration can be a person, event, imaginary character, or even an insight. To cook, write a poem, draw, or take up a job, one needs inspiration. In simple words, inspiration is a creative push from something that resonates deeply with you and your beliefs.
The reasons for inspiration can be very weird. Two sons of a drunken man can be inspired by their dad to become an alcoholic or a teetotaler. Inspirations can emerge from one’s mind too. It is a very active process of the mind. A person or an object can inspire one only if they are mentally active enough to be receptive to that object or the person. Thus, in order to be inspired, you need to be receptive and should have an open mind.
Sometimes, these two words are used interchangeably, but they are totally two different processes. A person’s mind is like a soft mold and an impression can be easily made, whether or not it is a good one. However, inspiring a mind is like making a rigid object flexible. One needs to be hyperactive when they are involved with an object in order for it to inspire them.
Do some objects come with an inspiration tag? Why do some objects inspire a few people and some do not? Centuries ago, the people who got hit by falling apples did not think the phenomena would be related to gravity. It is almost like seeking a new reality.
When a mind actively searches for inspiration, it will automatically find it. An artist gets the inspiration to draw upon seeing a butterfly because he has been seeking some object which inspires him to draw. Thus, inspiration is a creative process. Once tagged as creative, it means that the inspiration process, methods, and effects of one person will not be the same as that of another. Even the same person may not be inspired in the same way by two different objects.
To come up with the psychology of inspiration, we need to know what will inspire us, why it inspires us, and why certain objects can inspire certain people and not others. To study the inspiration process, one needs empirical data, but this process is contributed by personal experience, tastes, attitude, personality, and many other factors. Finding inspiration is something you must do yourself, no matter how much information is available about it. That's what makes it more of an art than a science.
The first element of the inspiration process is the purpose. A photographer will be inspired by a butterfly flying over its reflection in a pond to take a picture, but a person who wants to catch some fish may not be stirred by the same bug. What is important to the person looking for inspiration is where his or her interests intersect with the outside world.
Intuition can guide anyone at any time, but inspiration seeks those who search for it. Sudden enlightenment is the common term used to describe an inspiration process initiation. For instance, a scientist who wants to find an alternative source of energy would get enlightenment from a boiling pot’s rattling lid.
The inspiration process is a little more than just a thought process. It is an interlinked web that connects all the external factors and internal factors to create a solution.
1. The knowledge-based inspiration process is initiated by knowledge gained or an understanding of a process or an object. For instance, light falls on shattered pieces of glass and creates a visual pattern. An artist would be inspired to draw it, a poet would write about it, and a scientist would have the inspiration to learn why such a visual pattern is produced. Thus the kind and amount of knowledge of the process defines the inspiration.
2. The need-based inspiration process is developed from the need of the person. An explorer can be inspired by a travel book, but a scientist will not be. So, when the object can satisfy a need of the person, then the probability of that object creating inspiration is much higher.
3. An object-based inspiration can be obtained by the personal feeling about an object or subject. A student could be inspired by a teacher to become one because he or she likes the teacher.
4. Internal inspiration can be defined as a thought-based inspiration process. For instance, a scientist looking for a structure of Benzene gets his or her inspiration from a dream of a snake biting its own tail. A person gets inspired if an object or a scene can be related to the topic in his or her thought process.
In short, inspiration is about what our mind wants to see and what the eyes actually see. If the mind can correlate both, then the inspiration is more likely to happen.
Has it been a while since you've felt inspired? Your career might be to blame.
We know how difficult it is to feel inspired if your job is crushing your hopes and dreams. The good news is, we can help.
Despite what the industry pundits are saying, many firms don't have a cloud strategy or a complementary Analytics-as-a-Service Strategy (AaaS). Approximately 20% to 25% of companies have successfully integrated their data, analytics, and cloud strategies.
One of the biggest challenges for companies with cross-border entities, mainly in APAC and the Gulf countries, is how to improve data platforms and cloud maturity while navigating restrictive regulations that constrain the use of cloud data strategies. Without access to cloud capabilities due to information security challenges and fears, the company or institution is limited in its ability to use big data capabilities and other high maturity functionality such as machine learning operations.
Let's say you are a company operating in a country or across multiple countries that don't allow housing your data in the cloud, particularly if this is outside the country or the country bans the use of the cloud.
This prevents regional entities from building a responsive single source of truth or mining large data sets in the cloud, thus restricting data monetization and digital transformation. Connecting with customers requires connecting organizational data across countries, regions, business units, and products.
Whether your issues are in the ingestion space or processing or serving and consumption, cloud platform companies have a variety of on-prem and cloud-based solutions to help you deal with your data in various regulatory compliant environments. Whether the data is structured, semi-structured, or unstructured, you have solutions. All it takes is a well-thought-out integration of data architecture, data strategy, and infrastructure design.
Facts to consider as you and your leadership team develop your strategies:
Don't give up on your cloud strategy because of regulatory issues—compliance and cloud strategy are compatible! We just have to be creative with the strategic design of our systems.
Every organization has its own set of hurdles when attempting to leverage the benefits offered by cloud technology. We've only touched on one external aspect in this article, the regulatory environment. However, from over 20+ years of working in this arena, I'm convinced that the singular reality for every company on this journey is that change is difficult. The biggest internal challenge is an organizational commitment—the realization that transitioning to the cloud will benefit all company stakeholders and not just an elite few...but that's for another article!
I look forward to your thoughts on this topic.
Lead photo from iStock (purchased by author)
The new workplace reality brought on by COVID-19 has thrown a lot of businesses for a loop. But having a strong business and culture going into the pandemic has helped California-based Backblaze not only adjust to the changing workplace environment, but keep the company moving forward in a positive direction.
Backblaze provides online computer backup and cloud storage for personal computers and businesses. The company, which is usually always hiring, believes that many of the things that it was doing prior to the pandemic has helped to keep it successful.
One of the more unique benefits offered by Backblaze is the employee equipment perk. Employees that work at the company's San Mateo headquarters are provided with an ergonomically supported workstation and then given a stipend to help customize that workstation to meet their needs.
In some cases, employees will use the stipend to purchase equipment, like a secondary workstation to have at home, or other high-efficiency tools such as iPads or smartwatches, according to Ramya Ramamoorthy, Marketing Recruitment Coordinator at Backblaze.
Ramamoorthy said the goal of the stipend is for employees to buy what they need to be comfortable and productive. The perk has taken on added importance recently when COVID-19 forced the Backblaze workforce to work from home.
"During COVID a lot of our employees have been using their employee equipment perk to purchase things like a desk and chair, computer monitor, or anything they need to set up their workstation because a lot of people didn't have that prior to COVID because most people were working in the office," Ramamoorthy says.
Backblaze has also been flexible with the stipend based on an individual's need for their home office. For example, the company has approved portable A/C units, ellipticals for under the desk, and even a coffee maker, because the company believes all these items can keep health, comfort, and productivity up while employees are working from home.
Backblaze also provides a monthly stipend to employees who are now required to work from home, but may need help upgrading their internet connection.
Ramamoorthy says the company offered work from home flexibility prior to the pandemic, and even had some employees that worked remotely full time. "I think the fact that we all at some point, even if it was only for a day or two, worked from home was really helpful in the transition," Ramamoorthy says.
Another perk that has taken on an added importance is the Employee Assistance Plan (EAP), which allows employees unlimited phone consultations. Ramamoorthy says the company wants its employees to have access to confidential counseling services to help them through any challenges relating to work, family, stress, finances, and other personal issues.
Workplace culture has always been a sense of pride for Backblaze. When employees were in the office, the company's "Fun Committee" would often plan social events to bring the workforce together. These events included happy hours, milestone celebrations, and Family Fun Days, to name a few events.
These events have gone virtual since the COVID-19 pandemic, but that hasn't stopped the Fun Committee from getting creative, according to Ramamoorthy. The committee recently held storytime events for the children of employees, where actors playing Disney characters read and sang.
The company has also been holding virtual happy hours and wellness classes, including yoga, meditation, and Zumba classes.
Prior to shelter-in-place, Backblaze offered fully stocked micro-kitchens with free snacks in the office as well as free breakfast and lunch twice a week, and pets were allowed at the office.
Ramamoorthy says company leadership is constantly reassessing when going back to the office might be feasible and safe for employees. When employees do return to the office, the company will look to resume as many workplace traditions as possible.
All five of Backblaze's founders still work at the company, and in normal circumstances, it was fairly common for company leaders to walk around the office and chat with employees on a regular basis, according to Ramamoorthy. Managers would also take their employees on "walk-and-talk" meetings.
Video conferencing is being used by management to stay connected to the workforce during COVID-19. Company co-founder Brian Wilson has virtual office hours every week where he goes over interesting facts about the company and answers any questions that employees may have.
Here are some benefits and perks at Backblaze:
Backblaze is hiring!
Ramamoorthy says the pandemic has not impacted Backblaze's staffing, and that the company is usually always on the lookout for more people to join the team.
"We're very lucky that during this time people are still using our services, and I think it's because our service is almost essential," Ramamoorthy says. "We're very fortunate to be in this situation."
The interview process is entirely remote, and there's a coding exercise for those applying for engineering positions.
Does your business have a unique story to tell? Consider being featured by Work It Daily! Work It Daily has an engaged audience of individuals either looking for a job or are focused on career growth—the perfect audience to get your company in front of.
Do you remember your first space experience? I had many growing up. My first was seeing the Star Wars movie. It was a pop-culture juggernaut. We stood in line for hours, around the block just to buy tickets. People camped out, dressed up in Star Wars costumes, skipped school, and sat in the movie aisles just to see the Star Wars movie. Seeing the adventure of outer space with these amazing characters and creatures was awesome. Second, my dad was a ‘Trekkie.’ I spent many evenings hanging out watching Star Trek TV shows with him. It was a fond memory I have of time spent with my dad, enjoying one of our favorite shows that changed popular culture. And last, was an emotional time when I was in school, watching the Challenger space shuttle go up in space with all of my classmates, only to see it explode shortly after launch from Cape Canaveral back in January 1986. We were stunned realizing that the lives of seven astronauts had just died before our eyes. It was a very emotional time.
Recent years have seen a shift in what people want to consume. Younger generations are valuing trips, experiences, and exploration over physical objects. People are willing to pay for a lifestyle over materialistic objects.
Companies have an opportunity to tap into space experiences, reimagining themselves outside earth. Let’s take a look at a few companies that have successfully used space marketing tactics and four things you can start doing now to plan for your brand’s future in space.
Estee Lauder contracted with NASA to take 10 bottles of its Advanced Night Repair skin serum to the International Space Station (ISS). NASA astronauts captured imagery and video of the product for social media with one bottle auctioned off for charity. The campaign cost Estee Lauder $128,000 (less than a big Influencer campaign).
Under Armour and Virgin Galactic partnered to create a new generation of space apparel and footwear, as well as an astronaut performance training program. The 10-piece limited-edition collection features garments proven in space and designed for comfort and functionality. Both companies share an obsession with innovation and making the impossible possible.
Mars Wrigley released a limited-edition Zero-G pack of Skittles, guaranteed to float while in space. The new Zero-G pack featured “intergalactic, aluminum packaging” and contained only blue and purple candies. Partnering with Jeff Bezos and the first human flight of his Blue Origin New Shepard spacecraft, he threw Skittles at his fellow passengers in a game of zero-gravity catch. Skittles also gave away a Zero-G experience for two from Zero Gravity Corporation, along with a bag of limited–edition Zero-G Skittles. Another 99 winners were also selected to receive limited edition “Zero-G” Skittle packs.
The expert in brewing beer, Miller Genuine Draft, strapped a competitor’s seltzer to a rocket, hurling it into space. Fans could suggest which hard seltzers deserved the ride. Over 1 million people tuned in to see the launch (albeit it was via CGI) go up in flames.
Tide to Go is off to outer space, partnering with NASA to keep astronauts' spacesuits fresh. Procter & Gamble and NASA scientists have created a fully degradable detergent that will clean clothes without wasting water. Over the next decade, they’ll be testing fabric care products, including Tide to Go pens and wipes, at the International Space Station (ISS) and on missions to the moon and Mars. This partnership could have larger implications for Earthbound consumers. Source
Let’s take a look at four ways you can start to engage your target audience as you start to reimagine your brand outside of earth.
Space marketing is the next big thing in marketing right now. However, as you evaluate space marketing for your brand, be sure that it reinforces your brand values and brand promise. Start building your brand leadership today. You’ve got this!
The following career advice is what I believe to be the top eight things recent college graduates should know before joining the workforce. I am sure there are additional tips you can bring into the workforce but these are a great start to ensure you begin on the right foot.
Time is finite. Once it is gone you cannot get it back. Once a deadline is missed there is no turning back. If you missed an assignment, you risk a lower grade. But in the working world, it can mean losing a job project and the company having to incur financial losses. Learn time management skills and you end up being more productive, effective, and efficient.
It’s far too easy to be convinced by those who say you can talk to impress people. And I do not deny that, but eventually, your work has to be the proof that you are a good worker and you are dependable. You need to decide if you will do more and talk less or do less and talk more.
Being present means two things to me. Firstly, it means to be on time every time. This ranges from a small internal meeting to meeting your deadlines. It means being there when you are needed. Golden opportunities present themselves when you are present. Secondly, being present means focusing on the work that needs to be completed. It also means being mindful and fully aware of your surroundings.
Develop some form of routine and be disciplined to stick to that routine. This is related to time management but goes beyond the time management that you do in the office. Have a routine for your life. Give yourself time. Block off time for yourself to read or even do the chores like laundry, etc. Start to be more organized than you were in college. Stick to this career advice even though it does not relate to career building. You will soon see the wisdom of it.
Learn to be authentic and avoid politics. Of course, sometimes it is tough not to get involved at all. But you can learn to avoid it and be real and authentic. Stay true to your values. These are the anchors that hold you when people change and agendas change. Be nice to people regardless of rank and designation. Smile often. Say “please” and “thank you.”
Compete with no one else. Of course, no matter what is said and done, you will always be peeping at the next guy to see how he is doing in his career. Sure, peep. But don’t be overly affected by competition that you forget to look at yourself. Be the best you can be in this long cross-country marathon; it is filled with detours and stops. When you focus too much on your competitors you may get lost. It’s one of those career tips for recent college graduates you need to experience to know what it truly means.
Life is as much about creating as it is discovering. I hear far too often recent college graduates saying, “I need to discover myself.” But is life all about discovering yourself? It is and it is also not. Life is as much as creating the "you" you want to be as it is in discovering the "you" that you are. The truth is somewhere in between. So, when you get a job that is less than satisfactory for you, use it as a pedagogue to discover yourself. More importantly, use it to give you hints at creating the self you want to be.
There is a lot of fun in learning. If you understand being present in my earlier advice, then you will know work-life presents so much you can learn and be paid for it. Learn to love what you do and learn to love learning. Because the chance to do what you love may be far and in between. When you find fun in learning then you will be constantly improving yourself. Learn to love books and all sorts of books. There is no need to stick to books in your own industry.
These are the eight things I consider solid career advice for any recent college graduate. A new phase of life has just begun. It’s a long road of work from now on. There is no need to rush your career progression. Take time and enjoy life while honing your skills as you move along.
Here at Work It Daily, we understand how difficult it is to find a job and grow your career as a recent college grad. If you're struggling to find a job that's right for you, we can help.
We use digital media every day, from texting, streaming movies, music, and gaming to using voice assistants, ordering our food online, or even trying to find our love partners!
“Zoom fatigue,” “distraction,” and “doomscrolling" are now everyday terms for many of us.
Reed Hastings, Netflix’s CEO, even said that their "biggest competitors are YouTube, Facebook, and sleep.”
Here are some stats for you:
The attention economy is usually defined as an approach to managing information that treats human attention as a scarce commodity and applies economic theory to solve various information management problems. “Attention is a resource—a person has only so much of it” (M. Crawford). Attention is not only a resource but a currency: users pay for a service with their attention. And it should be good for brands that have a powerful new tool to let people know about the products and services they sell such as Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, etc.
The human brain is hard-wired for searching for novelty and happiness for survival reasons. And through behaviorism, reducing the human reactions to animal reactions. Behaviorism assumes that behavior is either a reflex evoked by the pairing of certain antecedent stimuli in the environment, or a consequence of that individual's history, including especially reinforcement and punishment contingencies, together with the individual's current motivational state and controlling stimuli. With this, and the use of “persuasive design,” tech designs tend to be highly appealing and rewarding to humans.
When you think about your attention, multitasking is typically one skill that we believe in capitalizing on. The question: can we really multitask, and what happens in our brains, in our cognitive energy? Multitasking is really a rapid context-shifting back and forth (G. Mark, 2018) vs. doing two or more things at the same time. The latter for humans simply does not exist. The prefrontal cortex has what is known as a “central bottleneck”; our prefrontal cortex switches between tasks. Even though it feels like we are doing more than one thing at a time, it is really switching. This is what has led to the feeling referred to as the “myth” of multitasking—we are not really doing more than one thing unless they become very automated, i.e. gum chewing and walking.
Multitasking gives a sense of flexibility, fresh perspective, and increased variety. It enables us to use downtime productively, but probably the most salient aspect is that it is just more fun. We are novelty-seeking creatures. It is a very strong part of our evolution to seek out new things. It stimulates the dopamine system, the reward system.
Finally, if you want to break patterns and regain attention time, you now want to do something about the triggers themselves. Breaking habits isn’t about stopping but substituting. The key here is mapping this out before those triggers have a chance to kick in.
As an educational consultant, I have had the opportunity to support school improvement efforts within rural, suburban, and urban communities. I can tell you that the schools that are successful in ensuring student achievement and growth are not determined by zip code but, rather, by employing a no-excuses approach to implementing best school practices and systems as well as by how they value and support students, staff, and learners’ families. Don’t have buyer’s remorse. Know if the school community that you are interested in joining is committed to student success before taking the plunge into that new teaching job.
Information on schools where you are interviewing, beyond the basics of teacher compensation, could be plentiful if you know where to look and what to ask. If you do find yourself interviewing for your next teaching gig, here are six “look fors” you should reflect upon before saying yes to any offer. After all, an interview process is just as much about finding the right school fit for you as it is for the school in selecting a new teacher.
In my work, I’m immediately drawn into a school community when I see teachers’ college pennants prominently displayed as well as information posted on classroom doors as to what the teacher might be reading on their own time. Schools get bonus points when hallway TVs loop photos from community events and bulletin boards not only display student work but indicate why certain student work is posted, how this work exemplifies quality and meets academic standards, and what students will do next to continue growing in their learning on that topic. You, too, should look for examples of school pride and learning culture, or lack thereof, as you wait to be called into your interview. As they say, a picture is worth a thousand words.
“Without big data, you are blind and deaf and in the middle of a freeway (Geoffrey Moore).” While you may not have time to ask more than two or three questions at the end of your interview, school data is often available on school and state DOE websites. Do your research before the interview as this will help you to target the questions you do get to ask in your interview.
Knowing this information can provide a candidate with a sense of whether the school has a culture of high expectations for ALL students.
Chances are, if social-emotional and personalized learning are school priorities, teachers will have support with challenging student behaviors and students with special needs. Consider whether there is a restorative justice practice in the school—as opposed to a punitive discipline code of behavior—as research indicates that students of color are often disproportionally punished. Schools that build in student morning assemblies and advisory programs also are at an advantage in celebrating and promoting student exemplars of leadership. Also, how does the school support families of learners including families whose first language might not be English?
Teaching can feel like a lonely profession especially when one is teaching alone in self-contained classrooms all day. Ongoing collaborative professional development can, in contrast, make all the difference in forging productive relationships, among educators, that develop capabilities in pedagogy (teacher moves) that, in turn, provide students with the learning expertise they deserve.
In a recent Work It Daily article I wrote, "3 Reasons For The 'Big Quit' In Teaching," many educators commented in response that they do not feel valued, as professionals, by the school administration. Try to avoid this happening to you by sussing out how involved all school stakeholders are, collectively, in defining a school’s vision and the means through which the school will achieve that vision, i.e. the mission. Further, determine if teachers sit on the school leadership (SLT) team and if this team meets regularly throughout the school year.
When I began teaching, many schools used pass/fail checklists to rate teacher performance as well as supervisor “impressions.” This was too subjective for my taste. Today, many states, like New Jersey where I live, now require that schools utilize evidence-based performance evaluation systems such as the Danielson Framework and/or the Marzano Focused Teacher Evaluation Model to ensure both clarity of teaching expectations and observer inter-rater reliability. If you know what performance evaluation system is used by the schools where you are interviewing, you are in a great position to discuss how your teaching practice, up to now, meets these criteria. You get bonus points if you also can demonstrate your past impact on student achievement and growth (STAR method in interviewing).
You’ve got this. Go with your gut when accepting or not accepting that next teaching position. Whatever the type of school in which you hope to teach, do learn as much about that school as possible before and during the interview process. Hopefully, these “look fors” will help you feel more confident about any decision you ultimately make when it comes to your next teaching assignment. Good luck!
Here's my issue with the word "outplacement." The name itself says, "You're out. Go get placed someplace else." What is a more motivating word?
We see this a lot in business. We hang on to words that maybe made sense at one point in time, but we've evolved. I think this word needs to be retired. But the other issue I have is that the companies that are doing outplacement right now, again, are old school.
@j.t.odonnell Let"s retire the word OUTPLACEMENT @j.t.odonnell #outplacement #layoff #edutok #jobsearch #WomenOwnedBusiness #hr #recruitment #careeradvice ♬ original sound - J.T. O'Donnell
The companies that still do outplacement have been around for a really long time. And when a big company does a layoff and is very visible in the public, they will go and purchase outplacement services from these older companies which honestly are teaching outdated resume, LinkedIn, and cover letter techniques, and aren't really helping laid-off employees figure out what they want to do in their careers.
And how do I know that? Well, I built a platform—a career coaching platform—and all of these people who are getting this "outplacement" are now coming to us after it's been unsuccessful.
Inside my career coaching community, we're finding out how unsuccessful outplacement services really are. We're seeing what laid-off employees were told and we see how wrong it is. They come to us, and we help them fix it.
What's different about us? We're disrupting the industry. For starters, anyone can join my platform for free. We believe career coaching is a sign of greatness, not a sign of weakness. Outplacement is seen as something shameful. You did something wrong, you got laid off. But with career coaching, it's different.
Think of your employees as becoming alumni of your organization, as the alumni having a place to collectively go. That's what we're doing for companies. Smart companies are doing away with outplacement and coming to us and saying, "Create an alumni center for my folks and give them the support that they need so that they can figure out what they want to do next," and we support them. That's what we do. That is the future of support for the people that you have to let go in your organization.
If you would like to learn more about how that works, you can direct message me and I can share more with you. But even if you don't work with us, please think twice about overpaying for these outplacement services that are really not doing your people any good. There is a better way (and a more motivating word) than outplacement services, and that's career coaching.
Are you finding it difficult to sum up your value proposition in a two or three-page executive resume? In addition to annoying employers, a too-long resume can quickly lose its potency and dilute your brand message—leaving decision-makers confused about why they should hire you for a leadership role.
Here are some tip-offs you have a too-wordy resume that fails to distinguish your skills:
If any of these apply to your executive resume, it’s easy to trim excess words with these three techniques that drive your point home quickly:
As a branded marketing document, an executive resume can use innovative conventions, such as sentence fragments that remove the verbs. Consider this example of a sentence transformation:
Original:
Led large-scale operations restructuring and expansion of call centers and company facilities, resulting in a 63% profit increase in just three years and the region’s lowest personnel costs.
New:
63% profit increase in 3 years plus lowest per-employee expenses with enterprise-level operations restructuring and expansion.
Here, the original sentence was condensed by 37%—but it still conveys the same meaning. Now, imagine what cutting more than a third of the clutter could do for the clarity of your executive resume! To use this technique, under each job you've held, make a list of front-loaded results sentences like these where you quantify your work experience and accomplishments. You'll impress employers and keep their attention!
There’s no need to bore your reader with a look-alike resume summary or profile that states the obvious, such as:
Dedicated team player with proven leadership, technology utilization, and financial expertise. Skilled in completing projects and communicating at all corporate levels, with excellent team-building and cross-functional collaboration skills.
Don’t waste this key area of resume real estate with a description that fails to tell a story. Instead, cut down the volume of words while giving a snapshot of brand value that pulls in some achievement metrics. Here’s an example culled from a leadership resume for a candidate moving up the ladder to a CTO role:
VP of technology attaining 99% over-goal performance by exceeding SLA requirements through strategic planning, cost containment, and contract negotiations.
Note the metrics and specific job title blended into the summary—with a message that promises value and performance.
A trade secret among professional and executive resume writers, the headline is actually a tagline that allows you to condense more data into a tight space. The best part? Your resume can use more than one headline to convey your strongest points.
Here are some examples of headlines that encapsulate value and position job hunters for a specific role:
A personal branding statement can quickly give employers the “big picture” of your achievements, without taking up precious space on your executive resume. To create this statement, combine the position you seek with a major achievement from your career, showing the results of your work or the approach that you use.
As you continue to adjust your executive resume and tighten the language, be sure to show it to colleagues and others familiar with your work. You’ll probably find, even with excess words removed, it still conveys your brand message—and faster to boot.
If you'd like more help with your executive job search, sign up for J.T. O'Donnell's FREE training “4-Step Process For Creating Your Executive Presence Online.” In just three hours, you’ll learn how to write an effective resume and build your executive presence so you can find the best job opportunities!
There are tons of reasons for a business to want to give back in some way. In the past, businesses have chosen charities for tax breaks, credibility, or to be recognized as a "good corporate citizen." While all these reasons are valid, and you may want to consider them when choosing a charity, the best option is a strategic choice. This can be an opportunity to do more than just give money or write checks: it can be an opportunity to get closer with your audience while making an impact on something that matters greatly to you.
Consider your mission and values. When selecting a cause to support, consider what you stand for as a company—or personally, as the founder. What is the mission of your organization? Who are your customers? Is there an issue or cause that speaks to one of those two components? If it feels authentic, it will resonate with your audience. Think about your company's founding story? Was it born out of a frustration or heartfelt need to make something better? Looking closely at why your company does what it does will help you see what causes your brand could work with strategically.
Close examination aligns your brand's giving efforts with your mission and values. If there isn't a connection between the cause you've chosen and what you stand for as a company—or what you stand for personally—it won't feel authentic when communicating about the partnership on social media or in other promotional channels. The public is very good at sniffing out insincere efforts, so authenticity is key. Your audience will see right through any attempt at "cause marketing" that doesn't come from genuine passion on behalf of its founders or leadership team.
Some examples of strategically aligned giving could be a woman-owned tech company giving to the nonprofit Girls Who Code. Being a successful woman in a male-dominated industry aligns perfectly with wanting to help close the gender gap in technology and to change the image of what it is to be a woman in tech. Another example is a bottled water company helping to bring clean water to developing countries by supporting the building of wells. The connection does not always have to be as direct as these examples but it does need to be authentic.
As part of this process, also think about what issues are important to both you and your audience. Do they love animals? Are they concerned with environmental issues? Is education important? Which causes are the most innovative right now and receiving funding from other sources? To find a strategically aligned charity, spend most of your time selecting a cause. The organization you choose will be driven by the cause in which it believes, so if you're not passionate about that cause, it's unlikely to be a good fit for your business.
Once you've identified an issue or a specific charity that aligns with your brand values and mission, decide if there is any potential risk associated with supporting this particular cause. Does the cause or organization have any bad press surrounding it or anything that might negatively affect your marketing efforts? This does not mean you should only give to nonprofits that lack controversy, but rather do some research into the charity before committing to make sure there aren’t any major pitfalls associated with giving time, resources, or money to them.
For example, supporting Planned Parenthood could be considered controversial by those who are pro-life. This could alienate customers who believe in pro-life values and may choose not to support a business that supports Planned Parenthood simply because they hold different beliefs on women’s reproductive rights than the company owner does, even though they might love everything else about the product.
In controversial cases, you must decide if you are willing to forgo possible profit for this cause. Lots of companies have taken a stand on an issue and come out stronger for it but you should certainly weigh the pros and cons beforehand.
Different organizations have different needs. The best way to see how you can help is to talk with the charity about any specific needs they have or gaps that you can fill for them by becoming involved as a corporate supporter. Make sure the charity has room for more support from businesses like yours. Not all charities and nonprofits are created equal, so be sure that your chosen charity is a bona fide 501(c)(3) organization to qualify for deductions; consult your tax professional for specifics. Working with the charity to provide the help they need most, while still ensuring that your company can maximize any tax incentives is still important to the bottom line.
The only thing left to do once you have completed the three steps above is to bring your audience into your giving story through your social channels and marketing efforts. Show your customers how supporting you supports others. Show them that they can feel good about buying from you. When customers know that your giving efforts are authentic and driven from a place of generosity they find a connection with your brand.
You may have heard people say to you, “It’s always easier to get a job when you are already employed.” But have you ever asked why this is?
There’s absolutely no evidence to prove that anyone going for a job, who is already in full-time employment, stands any better chance of being offered a position than someone who is currently out of work. So, if we are to believe this is just the way the system works, then it could be worth looking at what the reasons might be.
Here are some possible explanations as to why those in work are deemed as more employable than those who aren’t.
Having to explain why you left your last job or why you were told to leave your last job is never easy, but it’s still something potential employers love to ask you about. If you are employed, then your options are much greater in terms of what you can say in an interview. You could say, “I’m looking for a new challenge” or “My current job just doesn’t offer me the challenges I want.” So, you can take your pick of reasons for wanting to find a new employer if you’re already on the payroll. If you're not absolutely sure how to explain why you quit your job (or why you're not currently employed), that could cause problems for you in the job interview.
You can’t underestimate the power of good networking, and there is more chance of you networking when you are working and not sitting at home. The people you work with could mention companies looking to hire people, or you may meet someone that has just left a firm—meaning a new vacancy has been created. Also, when you're employed, you're better able to add value to your professional network on LinkedIn by posting content about what you're currently working on in your job, proving to your connections you're a valuable person in your industry. If you’re unhappy at work and looking for a new job, keep your ear to the ground and prioritize online networking!
Regardless of how much you hate your current job, the fact that you are working and still earning means you have the time to look elsewhere. You know the rent will be paid at the end of the month. So, use your time constructively.
Confidence is everything when looking for a job. If you are already in full-time employment, it’s a pretty good bet that you’ll exude more self-confidence than someone who isn’t. This might not be a conscious act, but the fact that the “pressure is off” might have something to do with it. However, don’t be cocky, because there is nothing more off-putting to an employer than arrogance—no matter confident you may be.
The fact that you have been chosen by your current employer suggests that you have enough relevant experience to hold down your position, right? This is experience that other candidates you are up against may not have (assuming you are going for a job in a similar field). So, it’s well worth highlighting any strengths that you have when going for a new job and mentioning all the experience you have gained in your present role when starting your new job search. Quantify your work experience on your resume and use the "Experience + Learn = Grow" model to answer behavioral interview questions in your next interview to stand out from the competition!
If you're thinking about quitting your current job before looking for a new one, think again. The above reasons are why it's easier to find a job when you already have one. Staying employed (if you can help it) is the best way to ensure you have a quick, easy, and successful job search.
We know it's easier said than done, though. We understand how difficult it is to find a job, especially if you're feeling lost, trapped, or burned out in your career. If you're struggling to find a job that's right for you, we can help.
To say that 2020 was a big year for Zoom would be an understatement. The company sees more opportunities and challenges ahead and is adding to its team. Would a job at Zoom right for you?
There's a good chance that many people reading this have used Zoom at least once, or hundreds of times, in their lifetime. But if you're not familiar, Zoom is a cloud-based video conferencing and online meetings service. Zoom's mission is to help businesses and organizations bring their teams together in a frictionless environment to get more done.
Zoom's platform provides video meetings, voice, webinars, and chat across desktops, phones, mobile devices, and conference room systems. Zoom was established in 2011, but very much became a household name in 2020 when it proved to be a lifeline for businesses, schools, and everyday people to stay connected during the COVID-19 pandemic.
@workitdaily Reply to @angelface021473 jobzzz #workitdaily #jobopportunity #jobtok #earthday #hiring #zoom #remotework #corporate #jobportalabroad #workfromhome
Reply to @angelface021473 jobzzz #workitdaily #jobopportunity #jobtok #earthday #hiring #zoom #remotework #corporate #jobportalabroad #workfromhome
Zoom is headquartered in San Jose, California, and has 16 other offices in the U.S. and internationally. Like many global companies, Zoom also has a large number of remote work opportunities. Job seekers should review all openings carefully to see if there are any location requirements.
Zoom has job openings in sales, engineering, security, finance, product, marketing, customer service, information technology, engineering operations, legal, customer services, and project management.
2020 was a banner year for Zoom and the growth continues.
As the COVID-19 pandemic started to take hold in March 2020, Zoom was the most downloaded app in the Apple App Store. The company when from a peak of 10 million daily meeting participants in December 2019 to an average of 200 million daily meeting participants in March 2020, and by April 2020 Zoom was averaging 300 million daily meeting participants—a 30x growth in three months, according to Zoom's blog.
In that time, Zoom went from 2,500 to 4,400 global employees and the company is still growing as more companies commit to remote work for the long term.
Zoom loves to give back.
In addition to major company growth, 2020 was also a year for giving back as Zoom launched its philanthropic entity Zoom Cares. The Zoom Cares initiatives are focused on three core areas: education, social equity, and climate change.
Education was at the forefront of Zoom's charitable efforts in 2020, especially as COVID-19 forced many schools to operate through Zoom. Zoom provided its education service to over 125,000 schools in 25 countries for free during the pandemic, and also provided training and resources to help more than 35,000 educators teach remotely on Zoom as part of its Zoom Summer Academy. The company also donated $1.5 million to organizations helping students disproportionately affected by school closures.
Zoom also donated $250,000 to the Association for the Study of African American Life & History, Equal Justice Initiative, and the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People.
Zoom offers employees charitable gift matching through the Zoom Cares program so employees can support their favorite causes.
Zoom is proud of its company culture.
Despite rapid growth and working remotely, Zoom has been able to maintain a unique company culture that employees still appreciate. The company made Glassdoor's "Best Places to Work in 2021" list (it also made the list in 2018 and 2019) and has a culture of 4.9/5 on Comparably. Comparably also recognized Zoom for company leadership, compensation, company culture, perks and benefits, diversity, work-life balance, and best company for women.
Zoom's culture is based around a single value: care.
"We encourage Zoomies to care for their community, customers, company, teammates, and themselves," according to the company's blog.
Benefits and perks at Zoom include:
To apply or learn more about working at Zoom, check out the company's careers page.
Zapier is a top-ranked company that aims to simplify the work process for businesses of all sizes. As a 100% remote company, Zapier could be an appealing job for a job seeker looking for a remote position at an incredible company.
Zapier is a productivity tool that connects over 1,300 business apps, such as Gmail, Dropbox, Slack, and MailChimp. Zapier helps to automate routine processes and repetitive tasks without the need for coding or technical resources.
"Zapier is on a mission to make automation incredibly easy and accessible to everyone at work," according to the company's mission statement. Quite simply, Zapier eliminates busy work.
Zapier was founded in 2011 and has over 3 million registered users around the world. Some well-known companies that use Zapier include BuzzFeed, Invision, Spotify, and Adobe.
@workitdaily Still hiring anywhere in the world! #hiring #jobsearch #hiringnewemployees #newcareer #jobseeker #hiringnow #remote
Still hiring anywhere in the world! #hiring #jobsearch #hiringnewemployees #newcareer #jobseeker #hiringnow #remote
While Zapier is based in Sunnyvale, California, the company's workforce is 100% remote and employees can work from anywhere in the world! The company's workforce is currently spread across 17 time zones in 30 countries.
Zapier has job openings in accounting & finance, business operation, decision science & analytics, design, engineering, marketing, product, research & development, recruiting, and support.
Zapier's interview process varies by job position but it typically starts with a phone screen with a recruiter. Applicants who are deemed a good fit will then get a 45-minute to 1-hour interview with the hiring manager. The next step in the interview process includes a skills interview or a take-home skills test.
Throughout the interview process, Zapier makes it a point to get back to applicants quickly, and then commits to being in touch with applicants once per week while they're going through the hiring process.
Zapier is a leader in building a remote workforce.
At Zapier, remote work isn't just meant to be a perk. Rather, it has been the company's reality from the start. As such, Zapier considers itself a leader in running a remote workforce and often shares information and insights about remote work best practices on the company's blog.
Those who work at Zapier are given a remote equipment budget and allowed to choose the equipment they need for their home offices. Zapier employees are also encouraged to take advantage of the freedom and flexibility that comes with remote work (as long as they're in communication with their teams about tasks and deadlines).
Zapier is also committed to building one of the strongest company cultures for a remote company.
"100% distributed doesn't hold us back from building bonds—daily conversation in chat includes non-work topics like #fun-cooking and #fun-scifi, weekly posts to our company blog show off pictures of pets and hobbies, and twice-annually, we come together for an all-team retreat that includes activities like crafting, basketball, karaoke, and rock climbing. We make space for whatever your flavor of fun," the company states on its website.
Past all-team retreats have been held in Vancouver, Minneapolis, and New Orleans. In addition to the twice-annual all-team retreats, departments and teams within Zapier sometimes get together to work on projects and have fun.
Employees like working at Zapier.
Zapier has a ranking of 4.9/5 on job review site Glassdoor and is gaining recognition throughout the tech industry. Zapier ranked #1 for mid-stage companies on Wing Venture Capital's "Enterprise Tech 30" list that recognizes startups "poised to transform enterprises at all stages of maturity" and the company is also featured on Forbes' "The Cloud 100" list.
Zapier prides itself on being a global workforce that lends itself to diverse backgrounds and experiences. Diversity, inclusion, and belonging is a major area of focus at Zapier and all employees that are hired agree to the company's code of conduct.
"We're building a global community—one that's safe for people of all backgrounds. We have regular open discussions on topics like gender equality, unconscious bias, and celebrating our differences," the company states on its website.
Benefits and perks at Zapier include:
If you're interested in working at Zapier, visit the company's careers page to learn more.
TikTok has become somewhat of a cultural phenomenon and has given everyone (everyday people, celebrities, and even politicians) a platform to get creative and build their brands. But creating videos isn't the only way to get creative at TikTok. The company has a number of job opportunities available for creative types who are interested in moving the platform forward.
TikTok is the leading destination for short-form mobile video.
TikTok is used by regular people, celebrities, politicians, businesses, sports organizations & leagues, and other brands as a way to entertain and get out messages in a creative way. While there are big names that use TikTok, the platform prides itself on giving lesser-known content creators equal footing to get discovered.
"On TikTok, anyone has a chance to reach an audience, without needing to be a celebrity or social influencer with a large following," the company states on its website.
Many turned to TikTok when the COVID-19 pandemic kept people home in 2020, making it the most downloaded mobile application of the year. The company faced some cybersecurity concerns along the way but has since made investments in technology and people to improve security on the platform and the company has become certified by the International Organization for Standardization.
TikTok is currently available in over 150 markets and in 75 languages.
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TikTok has offices around the globe, located in Los Angeles, New York, London, Paris, Berlin, Dubai, Mumbai, Singapore, Jakarta, Seoul, and Tokyo. TikTok also offers some remote work positions, but job seekers should review all job postings carefully to see if remote work is available for specific positions.
TikTok is looking to fill positions in the following departments: operations, research & development, corporate functions, marketing, sales, design, and product.
TikTok also offers a number of job opportunities for new college graduates and internships for students. TikTok has an MBA internship program that it offers for 12-13 weeks during the summer and a PhD internship program.
Those who apply for jobs at TikTok are expected to complete an initial assessment followed by three to five interviews depending on the requirements of the role.
TikTok is committed to having a diverse workforce.
TikTok is on a mission to become the most diverse and inclusive company in tech and is trying to accomplish this by championing diversity and inclusion both in the workplace and on the platform.
The company established a Diversity & Inclusion Council in North America which serves as a strong advocate for the company's diverse community by highlighting important issues for employees and the business, including supporting employee resource groups and ensuring accountability across the organization.
In June 2020, the company engaged the black community in important conversations about racism and discrimination by inviting black creators to share their concerns and experiences with TikTok leaders. The company also held a roundtable to hear the perspectives of TikTok student ambassadors from historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs).
"In these discussions, our community has emphasized the need for TikTok to take more proactive steps against harassment, better understand cultural sensitivities, and broaden our own team's perspectives. Internally, forums with our Black employees are facilitating ongoing conversations to make sure we're aligning our on-platform and community initiatives off the platform as well," the company says on its website.
TikTok has also made an effort to recognize different cultures throughout the year while donating to organizations that fight for equality.
TikTok is a "Great Place to Work."
TikTok's U.S. and U.K. offices were certified by the Great Place to Work Institute for 2021. Company leadership said the certification was a major accomplishment in a year where TikTok saw major growth and had to work remotely during the pandemic.
"While this past year has been anything but ordinary (and led many of us to work from home), we've continued to support our employees through initiatives like our Inclusion Summit, community townhalls, virtual concerts, wellbeing workshops, training sessions, and more. As we grow, we're also working to realize our goal to become the most diverse and inclusive company in tech -- with an incredible culture built on trust," the company said in response to certification.
TikTok has an overall score of 3.9/5 on employee review site Glassdoor and earned a score of 4.5/5 for its employee benefits.
Benefits and perks at TikTok include:
TikTok wants to make a positive impact on the world.
TikTok has occasional "TikTok for Good" campaigns where they encourage content creators to make a positive impact with promoted hashtag campaigns. Successful campaigns have included:
#EduTok - The company's most popular challenge encouraged users to create educational and motivational content around a variety of themes. In addition to this in-app challenge, TikTok launched a mentorship program with leading social enterprises Josh Talks and The/Nudge Foundation which will reach 5000 young individuals across 6 Indian states with lower literacy rates.
#PetBff - The company worked with animal shelters and animal welfare organizations worldwide in a global campaign to celebrate International Homeless Animals' Day 2019. For every video posted, TikTok donated $1 to its animal protection partners (up to a maximum of $175,000 USD).
To apply or learn more about working at TikTok, check out the company's careers page.
Spotify considers its workforce a giant band, and like any band that consistently produces hits, everyone needs to play a role. Are you interested in making some beautiful music at Spotify? Here's some insight into what it takes to work at Spotify.
If you're listening to music or podcasts on the go, at the gym, or at work, then chances are you probably already know what Spotify is and are an avid user of the platform.
But for those who are not familiar, Spotify is the world's largest audio streaming platform. Whether it's on a smartphone, tablet, or computer, Spotify gives its users access to millions of songs, podcasts, and video streaming content.
Spotify has 345 million users, including 155 million subscribers, across 178 markets.
Spotify was launched in 2006 and is headquartered in Stockholm, Sweden, and has 50 office locations across 25 countries.
1. It's an opportunity to be part of a band
You're not literally making music or going on tour, but Spotify considers its business "a band" and its employees "band members." This isn't just meant to be a cool play on words, but rather a reminder to band members that their mission to create the best audio experience possible helps bring music to millions—which in many ways is what a band does.
A band also needs all of its members to be working together at a high level to produce the hits, or in the case of Spotify, a great product and customer service. So, if you missed out on your chance to be in a garage band, a career at Spotify could be your chance to make up for it.
2. It's an opportunity to embrace chaos
"Welcome to controlled chaos" is a phrase often said to new members of the Spotify band. It's not said to scare them off but rather to encourage them to throw themselves into the workforce and not be afraid to show off their creative side. Things can change fast at Spotify and band members need to be willing to adapt and bring ideas to the table.
Spotify is willing to give band members all the support and autonomy they need, but band members must be willing to bring their best selves to work.
Band members who make the best music at Spotify typically meet the company's five values:
3. It's an opportunity to work from anywhere
Given Spotify's worldwide presence, job seekers already had many options but remote work has brought that flexibility to another level. Spotify launched its Work From Anywhere program in February 2021 which allows employees to work from the office, work from home, or a combination of the two. (Employees need to consult with their immediate supervisors.)
"We believe we're happier and more productive when we have the freedom to choose where we work. It helps us find better ways to communicate and collaborate with one another. It means we can work with the very best people for the job, regardless of what city or country they call home. It helps us to become a more diverse place to work - a place that can flex with our people as their lives and ambitions change. And perhaps best of all, it supports a better work-life balance. A life-work balance," the company states on its website.
Spotify is treating this policy as a workplace remix and is always exploring other ways to make the workplace more flexible.
4. It's an opportunity to experience great entertainment
Prior to COVID-19, it was very common for band members to bond at trips to concerts, industry festivals, and other events. These experiences are a big part of Spotify's business and culture and they will be again. You can't stop the music forever!
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Spotify is hiring in the following departments: Engineering, Data, Research & Insights, Design, Product, Content, Finance, Sales, Business Support & Operations, Global Affairs, Marketing, and Human Resources.
Spotify also offers multiple internship programs throughout the academic year and summer, so students are urged to check the company's website frequently.
Spotify's interview process usually begins with a video or phone interview with a recruiter, and those who make it past the screen are invited to a second interview with one or two Spotify band members. The final round of interviews usually involves meeting multiple band members across the business. Job seekers are told in advance of all interviews who they'll be meeting with at each step of the process.
Here are some of the benefits and perks that come with a job at Spotify:
If you're interested in working at Spotify, visit the company's careers page to learn more.
Many professionals can easily recall the days of multiple out-of-control email chains and loose papers of correspondence, and then Slack came along and helped to bring organization to the workplace. As the modern workplace evolves, Slack's mission will likely take on even greater importance.
Slack is the leading channel-based messaging platform used by millions to align their teams, unify their systems, and drive their businesses forward. Slack offers a secure, enterprise-grade environment that can scale with the largest companies in the world.
Slack came along at a time when large organizations were struggling to coordinate with teams to get them moving in the same direction, and gave these companies a place to connect their conversations, information, and software.
With remote workforces expanding and becoming more prominent, Slack has become an essential tool for many businesses. Some well-known companies that use Slack include Oracle, E-Trade, SAP, and The New York Times.
Slack by the numbers:
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Slack is headquartered in San Francisco and has other American offices in New York, Chicago, and Denver, along with international offices in Toronto, Vancouver, Dublin, London, Paris, Munich, Melbourne, Sydney, Osaka, Tokyo, and Pune.
In addition to its offices, Slack offers remote roles and remote work flexibility. Job seekers interested in remote work positions should review all postings carefully.
Slack has job openings in analytics, business development, business technology, communications, customer experience, customer success, design, engineering, legal, marketing, product management, program management, recruiting, sales, and solutions engineering.
Slack also has a great 12-16 week summer internship program where interns are given real projects that make an impact.
Slack is embracing the future of work.
As a company that has developed a platform that makes working and collaborating remotely easier, it only makes sense that Slack would also embrace remote work flexibility.
While COVID-19 sent Slack's workforce remote, the company's leadership quickly realized that a remote-first work environment would likely persist long after the COVID-19 pandemic. As a result, the company opened up remote work positions and has given most employees the option to work remotely on a permanent basis.
The company is working hard to reimagine the workforce as things continue to evolve.
"Slack is committed to shaping the future of distributed work. Whether that means working out of one of our offices, having the flexibility to work from home a few days a week, or working remotely on a permanent basis, we're providing more choices to employees on where they can do their best work," the company states.
Slack is for everyone.
Slack has a diversity, engagement, and belonging (DEB) program that encourages a diverse workforce on multiple levels. The company realizes that sometimes the best talent falls through the cracks because they don't always have the easiest access to certain career opportunities. To address this, Slack has a few different initiatives going.
Employee happiness is important at Slack.
Slack employees are focused on doing their part to make other people's work lives easier, and Slack leadership strives to do its part in returning the favor for its own employees.
While at work, Slack wants its employees to be creative, collaborative, and supportive of each other while having fun. Outside of work, Slack encourages its employees to unplug and leave work behind. So far the company seems to be doing something right as it earned a culture score of 4.2/5 on Comparably and was named one of the "Best Places to Work" by Glassdoor in 2020 and 2021. Slack CEO Stewart Butterfield earned a high score of 92/100 on Comparably.
Some of the employee benefits and perks at Slack include:
To apply or learn more about working at Slack, check out the company's careers page.
Quantifying your accomplishments on a resume is very important since employers do not make important hiring decisions based on qualifications only. Recent college graduates often struggle with how to quantify their accomplishments. However, accomplishments aren't only about big numbers—anything that contributes to the company's goals is an achievement.
Even as an intern or recent college graduate, changing a process to improve the ease or speed of a task is an accomplishment. You should be able to find some achievements from your course or work experience. It is easy to impress the interviewer with examples of increasing profits, decreasing costs, or streamlining processes.
When asked about accomplishments, don't say clichés answers like: I got 2:1 or I got a driver's license. Having a degree is hardly going to make you stand out from the crowd. Ideally, you would want to mention something tangible that you can measure (e.g. if you raised money for charity, how much did you raise in the end?).
As with competency-based interviews that usually focus on behavioral questions, you should aim to use the STAR technique when quantifying your accomplishments.
If you're still struggling to come up with something, think about whether you've done any of these:
Here are some examples of quantified accomplishments for recent college grads:
You can choose a professional accomplishment that's related to the role, such as exceeding sales targets in your part-time job, but you don't have to—it's more important that it's an achievement you're genuinely proud of.
Good luck quantifying your accomplishments on your resume! We're here for you if you need any more help navigating the post-grad job search.
In fact, we'd love it if you joined our FREE community. It’s a private, online platform where workers, just like you, are coming together to learn and grow into powerful Workplace Renegades.
Cloud platforms that keep the workforce connected have always served an important role. But in the post-COVID-19 world, where working remotely is more common, these companies will serve an even greater purpose. RingCentral realizes this and is growing its team accordingly.
RingCentral is a global cloud communication and collaboration platform that allows individuals and businesses to communicate through its contact center, which features voice, video conferencing, and team messaging and collaboration.
RingCentral has always been a popular platform for companies that have offices around the world attempting to bring their international teams together with ease. With the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, RingCentral's platform served a major role in helping workplaces adapt to remote, or hybrid, work arrangements.
RingCentral touts itself as being "built for every industry" and has multiple customers in healthcare, retail, education, high tech, and sports. Some RingCentral customers include Columbia University, Insureon, New Relic, SoFi, Carvana, Oakland Athletics, and Detroit Pistons.
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RingCentral is headquartered in Belmont, California, and has other U.S. offices in Boulder & Denver, Colorado, Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, and New York City. RingCentral also has international offices in Australia, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Ireland, Israel, Netherlands, Philippines, Singapore, and the United Kingdom.
In addition to all these office locations, RingCentral offers hundreds of remote work positions.
RingCentral is currently hiring in sales, engineering, customer success, product, marketing, IT, human resources, and finance. The company also offers multiple internship programs for students and recent college graduates.
RingCentral is poised for continued growth.
RingCentral has grown by an average of 30% every year, according to the company's website, and this growth will likely continue as the company meets the demands of a virtual world.
The company has already made moves to enhance its platform in anticipation of the expansion of remote work. For example, in early 2021 RingCentral acquired the technology and engineering team at Kindite, a developer of leading cryptographic technologies that mitigate and reduce security and privacy risks to information and applications in the cloud.
The move was made to make the RingCentral platform more secure for all of its users.
"Security and reliability are paramount in enabling employees to work from anywhere," RingCentral's Chief Information Security Officer Heather Hinton said at the time of the acquisition. "With this team's leading-edge security technology, we will accelerate our ability to deliver end-to-end encryption and continue to enhance our commitment to deliver the highest level of security capabilities for our global communications platform, benefiting customers everywhere."
This enhanced focus on making the platform safer will undoubtedly open up more job opportunities down the road. In addition, RingCentral is always looking for ways to improve its platform and welcomes people who have big ideas and love innovation.
RingCentral has a global and diverse workforce.
One of the benefits of having offices around the world, and remote work, is that it gives RingCentral access to talent from all kinds of backgrounds. The company believes that its workforce should reflect the diversity of its customers.
"We're creators and problem solvers. We're not all the same, and that's our biggest strength. Together, we're building an inclusive culture that embraces what makes us human," the company states on its website.
The company currently has employee resource groups (ERGs) that help professionals with similar backgrounds connect and plays a role in contributing to professional development. RingCentral's current ERGs are Rainbow Room, U.S. Veterans, Women & Allies, Black Employees at Ring Central, and HUGS.
Some of RingCentral's continued goals for diversity and inclusion include:
RingCentral's company culture is getting noticed.
RingCentral landed on Glassdoor's "Best Places to Work" list for the first time in 2021, and the company was also recognized by employee review website Comparably for the best global workforce and for having the best company outlook for 2021. RingCentral earned an A+ grade on Comparably for compensation.
Benefits and perks at RingCentral:
To apply or learn more about working at RingCentral, check out the company's careers page.