Careers and Employment Archives - Page 116 of 129

How To Help Your New Employees Learn Your Software (Beyond Just Handing Them The User Manual)

March 9, 2022March 12, 2022

You bought some software, and it came with a user manual (online help) with detailed step-by-step procedures and a list of standard reports. But does it tell you the scenario when the procedure applies or when to use the standard reports?

If it does, you’re way ahead of the game! But if not, your employees may not be taking full advantage of the available features and functionality. In the end, you may not be leveraging your technology investment as much as you could be. This is specifically true for new employees who may initially be on information overload.

Having a comprehensive user manual available to your employees is the first step. Here are five ways to help your employees use the technology better and be more efficient:

5 Ways To Help Your Employees Learn New Software

1. Create process workflows (I typically use Visio) including the manual steps and when to use the computer procedure. You can even show when specific standard/custom reports should be used.

Don’t forget to reference these workflows and procedures in your training materials
Post the procedures, workflows, and training materials on your intranet so that employees can easily access the latest version
If you upload the workflows and procedures onto your intranet, you can use hyperlinks. If you have a workflow that contains a computer procedure, right-click on the shape, and add the hyperlink to the procedure. Then, when you click on the shape, it will bring up the actual procedure.

2. Create “Tips” describing when you would use specific features and functions that the business could really benefit from using. Post a new tip on the intranet each day/week. You can even include tips for underutilized but powerful Microsoft-related tools like:

Excel – PivotTable or formulas (such as If, Concatenate, and Vlookup)
Word – Stylesheets or track changes feature
The key benefits of using OneNote and/or OneDrive

Be sure to provide examples of why/when they might want to use a PivotTable, which will help show the benefits of using a PivotTable.

3. Have a “lunch and learn” combining similar tips into one session for a specific topic (e.g. Excel) or a role (e.g. finance). Try to work these tips into your training curriculum.

4. Training

Offer training classes (instructor-led and/or self-paced) training materials
For new employees, employees preparing for a promotion, and refresher training
Self-paced courses (such as videos or using Articulate 360) are especially convenient for employees who work off-hours
Create “cheat sheets” for things like shortcuts, hotkeys, etc.

5. If you’re using the Microsoft Office suite, there is online help within the applications. If you’re looking for some additional training materials, there are third-party vendors who provide specific training materials such as videos and quick reference cards for products such as Office 365 as well as Acrobat and Windows. You can purchase these items and post them on your intranet.

These are some simple ways the organization can invest in your employees’ development. Employees will appreciate the efforts to make them more knowledgeable and become more efficient.

For more concepts beyond the user manual, follow me on LinkedIn!

How To Deal With Loneliness In Your Career

March 9, 2022March 12, 2022

Feeling lonely at work? Feeling like you don’t belong at your company, in your job, or in your career at all? Loneliness can creep up on us at any stage in our professional lives. When it does, we often don’t know how to handle the feeling. Is it normal to feel lonely at work? Is it normal to walk into the office or log on for the day and instantly feel alone?

Yes, it is. You’re not alone in feeling lonely.

The good news is, you can do something about it! You can become empowered in your career and feel a sense of connection again.

Loneliness is often caused by a lack of connection–to people, to yourself, or to the work that you do. Without connection, you won’t feel happy or satisfied in your career.

Here are some ways to deal with loneliness in your career so you can finally find happiness and satisfaction in your professional life.

Learn How To Network

Connection is essential in our lives. We need to connect with others every day, or at least feel connected to them. If we don’t, loneliness can set in. And that’s when our mental health (and performance at work) can really start to suffer.

In your career, you might not be friends with your boss or co-workers. That’s okay. But you should have a network of people, a support system, that you can fall back on. These people know your professional strengths, weaknesses, and accomplishments. They know your skills, the type of work you like to do, and the causes you’re passionate about. This is not your family. This is your professional network.

Having a strong professional network is not only important for career success. It also gives you a sense of connection to others in your professional life. For this reason, it’s important to learn how to network, even if you hate it. The more you network, the easier it will become. Reach out to people you admire. Find people who can help you succeed. After connecting on LinkedIn, make sure to add value to your network. If you help others, they will return the favor.

Discover Your Career Purpose

One of the biggest reasons why you might feel lonely and unfulfilled in your career is because you feel disconnected from yourself and the work that you do. That loneliness could be amplified if you’re working with people who aren’t passionate about the same things as you are. This is why it’s essential to discover your career purpose.

Finding your career purpose is a relatively simple process. First, you need to discover your professional strengths (take our Career Decoder Quiz to figure this out!). Then, you need to determine how you want to prioritize the eight key areas of life, and how you have been prioritizing them (there’s probably a disconnect, and that could be the primary cause of your loneliness and career dissatisfaction). Finally, once you’ve figured out your professional strengths and how you want to prioritize the eight key areas of life, you need to create your interview bucket list.

An interview bucket list is a list of 10-20 companies you’d love to work for. Are you passionate about a company’s product or service? Do you feel connected to their mission? Can you relate to their values and beliefs as an organization? Think about these questions as you make your list. You’ll probably notice a pattern, and that’ll help you identify your intrinsic motivation and the type of job/career that would make you feel unfulfilled and satisfied, where you would feel connected to and passionate about the work, overcoming loneliness in your career once and for all.

Find Your Community

In addition to building your professional network and discovering your career purpose, you should also find your community.

A community is different from a professional network. A community is close-knit. It’s a safe space, a fortress. Inside, there’s a sense of solidarity and togetherness. It’s hard to be lonely when you feel supported by and connected to a group of like-minded individuals who all have the same goal, whatever that goal may be. Essentially, everyone in your community is a part of your professional network, but not everyone in your professional network is a part of your community.

Join organizations or groups, volunteer, or do something you’ve always wanted to do (especially if it’s outside your comfort zone). Follow your passion, your career purpose, and you’ll find your community along the way.

The best community for professionals, though, is located inside Work It Daily.

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. We like to see ourselves as the leader of the Workplace Revolution. And we want YOU to be a part of it.

It’s time to find work that makes you feel happy, satisfied, and fulfilled. It’s time to overcome that crippling loneliness in your career. Join our FREE community today to finally become an empowered business-of-one!

5 Business Tips to Flourish inside a Recession

March 8, 2022March 9, 2022

Whether it’s the decline in customer fulfillment or just a general drop in demand, lack associated with sales can put actually the largest businesses out there of commission. Even though the majority of businesses that prepare may weather the storm, not really all do. Small companies only starting out may not become secure enough to handle the decrease in […]

The particular post Five Business Ideas to Thrive in a Economic downturn appeared very first on Jobacle. com .

Top 8 Transferable Skills You Should Develop

March 8, 2022March 12, 2022

Sometimes, we all need a change of pace. Whether this means looking for Metro Manila work from home jobs to get a different working environment, or changing companies for better work opportunities, what remains the same are the skills needed to get accepted. While technical skills are essential to any job, soft skills that show you’re a […]

The post Top 8 Transferable Skills You Should Develop appeared first on Jobacle.com.

What Is the Best Career Path for Getting a Job as a Data Engineer?

March 7, 2022March 8, 2022

The volume of data captured and consumed worldwide is growing at lightning speed – and it’s showing no signs of stopping. From the 79 zettabytes of information created in 2021, the world is expected to produce a whopping 181 ZB of data by 2025, boosting the global data analytics market to a global value of […]

The post What Is the Best Career Path for Getting a Job as a Data Engineer? appeared first on Jobacle.com.

#1 Reason You Need Personal Branding To Get A Better Job

March 7, 2022March 8, 2022

Personal branding. Maybe you’ve heard the term. Maybe you’re wondering what it is, and if you really need it. The short answer? You do.

If you want to grow your career, if you want to attract employers and have recruiters knocking on your door, you need a personal brand. Here’s why…

What Job Seekers Should Know About Personal Branding

@j.t.odonnell No. 1 Reason YOU Need Personal Branding! #learnontiktok #edutok #careertiktok #personalbranding #careertips #careergrowth #careermode #jobsearch #jobs ♬ original sound – J.T. O’Donnell

Think of yourself as a business-of-one. You’re a service provider, right? You sell your services to an employer. And companies that make the most money and get the best opportunities have great brands. Therefore, you want to have a great personal brand so that the best employers want to hire you.

So, how do you build a great personal brand? Well, there is a step-by-step process that you use, especially tools like social media, in order to put out your message (and communicate your personal branding statement) in a way that feels normal and natural to you. I know most of you don’t want to sound like a guru, and you definitely don’t want to look like a narcissist. You don’t have to. Personal branding is about documenting your experience so that people understand what you do for work and how you create value. And there’s a very logical and easy way to do this that won’t make you feel like a fraud.

Want To Learn How To Build Your Personal Brand?

I’m really excited to announce that I’ve got a special course on personal branding. For only $29, you’ll get access to the full training, plus admittance to my new private community where professionals like you are learning how to become empowered in their careers so they can finally find career satisfaction. Interested in more career courses? Check out my premium course catalog!

Everyone needs a personal brand. It’s not hard to build one. It’s not rocket science or brain surgery. But having one can make all the difference in your career. Would you like to make more money? Would you like to work for great employers? The better your personal brand, the higher the chances you’ll achieve those goals. So, go build that personal brand! I’ll be here if you need any help.

Overview Sunday: Issue #466

March 6, 2022March 7, 2022

As we appear out on the reverse side of this pandemic, employers and job seekers face new problems. Workers and employers happen to be faced with difficult choices and priorities are moving. In this week’ h Summary Sunday, these options and challenges are becoming addressed by some for the changes to LinkedIn and reinvention of firm} culture, industries, […]

This post Summary Sunday: Problem #466 made an appearance first on Career Sherpa .

How To Answer “Why Are You Looking For A New Job?”

March 5, 2022March 7, 2022

“Why are you looking for a new job?” is an interview question that trips up plenty of job-seekers. It seems innocent enough, but there’s no doubt that your interviewer will be scrutinizing your answer. Table of contents Why Interviewers Ask It How to Answer How to Prepare for This Question Things You Should Avoid in […]

The post How To Answer “Why Are You Looking For A New Job?” appeared first on Career Sherpa.

Quit Your Job Recently? Attend Work It Daily & Monster’s New FREE Webinar “I Quit, Now What?”

March 4, 2022March 5, 2022

Quitting is the easy part. Knowing what to do after? Well, that’s where it gets tricky…

If you quit your job recently, joining the Great Resignation in hopes of finding better pay and flexibility (or are currently in a dead-end job and dream of finding fulfilling work), you’re probably wondering what to do now. Once you take that giant leap and hand in your two weeks’ notice, you can feel stuck and might struggle to figure out what to do next.

Fortunately, we can help with that. Sign up for Work It Daily and Monster’s new FREE webinar “I Quit, Now What?” today!

In this webinar, J.T. O’Donnell, CEO of Work It Daily, and Elana Lyn Gross, author and contributor to Monster’s Career Advice blog, are teaming up to offer you five steps to getting a job you truly want.

In This Webinar, You’ll Learn How To…

Determine your must-have list for your future job and employer
Find out if a company offers the work-life balance you need
Explain a gap in your resume and why you quit your job without having another one lined up
Successfully apply for a job (and follow up)
Think long term and develop a 5-year plan

We’ll also leave plenty of time for Q&A—so bring your questions!

Interested? Register now! We hope to see you on Wednesday, March 9th at 2 p.m. EST.

Don’t Take Drug Test If You Know You’ll Fail

March 4, 2022March 5, 2022

A business owner recently vented his frustration to me around the number of job seekers who failed a work drug test at his company.

“As a fairly active employer when it comes to hiring, I need to share with you my recent frustration when it comes to new hires and drug testing. We have had a particularly bad run in the last quarter with over a dozen failed tests. With over half of the candidates being college grads, I was particularly surprised! It actually seems more like an IQ test, why take it if you are going to fail? People currently in a job hunt should really be more aware of how testing works, and be prepared to pass. It is both disappointing and expensive for us as employers.”

Now, you might be thinking, “I bet this it was a bunch of punk kids,” or “The job probably pays squat.” Well, you are wrong. When I contacted him to get more details around the situation, here’s what he told me:

In three months, he tested 39 prospective employees at $45/test. That’s an estimated $7,000/year spent on drug testing.
Only 25% passed.
Their ages ranged between 21-52 years old.
The owner estimates the additional cost of the wasted time/expense went into interviewing these people prior to the test at $24,000+.

More importantly, these people missed out on jobs that paid between $50,000-$58,000/year!

Why You Shouldn’t Take A Drug Test If You Know You’ll Fail

Here’s the takeaway for job seekers…

Many companies are using drug tests these days as a way to weed out employees. Be sure to find out before you apply if the company is going to ask you to take a drug test to avoid any embarrassment.

What should you do if you find out about the drug test after the interview?

If the company fails to mention the drug test until after your interview. Simply say you’d be happy to take the test and leave. Then, call them back and say that upon reflection, you’ve decided the job isn’t for you. That way, you won’t be embarrassed when you fail and you’ll save the company the cost of giving you the test.

Using drugs is your choice—you just need to acknowledge choosing to do so comes with consequences in the form of limiting your job options. It’s a small world. Failing a drug test isn’t good for your career. So, be smart and move on if you know you can’t pass one.

Navigating career struggles can be tricky. We understand the challenges you face in the job search, and it can be incredibly difficult to make the right career decisions. If you’re feeling trapped or lost in your career right now, we’re here for you. We’d love it if you joined our FREE community where professionals like you are learning how to become empowered in their careers so they can finally find career satisfaction.

Sign up for our FREE community and become a Workplace Renegade today!

This article was originally published at an earlier date.

Employees Expect Transparent Communication. Are You Leveraging Your Intranet?

March 3, 2022March 5, 2022

When your office workforce pivoted from onsite to remote was it difficult to make sure employees received the same detailed communication? Did employees realize that all of the information they had when they were onsite wasn’t readily available when they were remote? Did your new employee receive a laptop, but there was little to no training documentation for him/her?

If your organization relies on share drives, hard copy documents, and copious emails, then you’re not taking advantage of your intranet. An intranet is a great one-stop-shopping tool to improve internal communication and collaboration (and potentially build a more transparent and positive culture). Relevant information can be posted on the intranet providing numerous benefits such as making announcements timely, centralized storage of data, and sharing best practices with others. For example, have a CEO/president’s blog where they can post every 1-2 weeks with informative and engaging content.

7 Things To Consider When Building Your Company Intranet

When building or upgrading your intranet, you’ll have a site map but don’t forget to define the processes and practices. Seven (7) key considerations are:

1. SharePoint is one tool—especially if employees are already using and are familiar with the Microsoft toolset; there are specific widgets for calendars, picture galleries, real-time feeds, social media links, etc.

2. Design and customize the intranet to appeal to all employees (from baby boomers to Generation Z). Ask the employees what type of widgets would make it more relevant and meaningful for them—maybe a blog, podcast, Craig’s List, and/or Wiki. Employee engagement will lead to better adoption!

A CEO/president that consistently shares valuable insights in their blog will show employees that he/she is authentic, open, and accessible
Give employees a voice and the ability to collaborate and post content too

3. Create naming conventions for documents, forms, etc. (such as using a department prefix). Encourage unique document names that are intuitive for employees to find them. Using a date stamp in the footer and turning on versioning will identify which is the current version.

4. Create online forms (if possible) and automate workflows (if possible). Online forms with a workflow (such as a PTO request) will automate processing including approval/rejection, and escalation if the supervisor is out of the office.

5. Don’t make security overly complicated. Start off by giving everyone read-only access, and then restrict access for specific sites, pages, libraries, etc. as needed.

Decentralized site ownership—train at least two individuals from each department to be department site administrators; same for project and community sites—train at least two individuals to be site administrators

6. If you have shared drives and want to eliminate them:

Review all of the existing drives/documents
Purge if drives/documents are old and not needed, duplicates, or past retention schedule date; an exception is any documents on legal hold for pending litigation
Otherwise, if the document is current and relevant, move it to the intranet (following the naming convention)

7. And last but not least…

Set up kiosks so that employees who don’t sit at a desk can access the intranet
Have a contest asking employees to give the intranet a name; give the winner a prize
Have a scavenger hunt when you go live to help employees get familiar with the intranet layout; give the winners prizes

An intranet that is well-designed will be well-adopted and benefit the entire organization—specifically improving communication and collaboration. Employees will appreciate the organization having more transparent communication which will promote a more positive culture.

For more information on using your intranet to improve communication and collaboration, follow me on LinkedIn!

How To Be Assertive In The Workplace

March 3, 2022March 5, 2022

Are you assertive in the workplace? Assertiveness is one of the many qualities that makes a good leader. Without this trait, leadership can be a challenge.

So, what if you’re not a naturally assertive person but want to move up the ladder? Or, what if you’re not confident enough to assert yourself in the workplace? Here are some tips from some of our approved career experts:

Focus On Leading

“The important thing to do is to stand up for yourself in a manner that doesn’t trample on other people,” says Bud Bilanich, author of Climbing The Corporate Ladder. “This is a good working definition of being assertive.” Bilanich stresses that if you’re in a leadership position, you have the right and, more importantly, the responsibility to direct the actions of others. “Don’t focus on being friends with the people you lead,” he advises. “Focus on leading them.”

So, how do you do this? Set goals with them and review their performance frequently. Provide them with positive, encouraging feedback when they do well, and redirect their behavior when they get off track.

Be Proactive

According to Dorothy Tannahill-Moran of NextChapterNewLife.com, assertiveness is a crucial trait in a leader. But what if you’re not naturally assertive? “You need to look at where you aren’t asserting your opinion and direction, and think through those situations in advance,” says Tannahill-Moran. She suggests creating a “script” for yourself in advance. This approach allows you to work on your leadership skills in a proactive way.

Look for one opportunity each day to assert your opinions and direction—practice makes perfect! “Keep in mind that you are building a skill, which means it won’t feel comfortable or fluid at first,” she says. “But the more you do it, the better you will be.”

Map Out A Plan Of Action

“Leadership is about directing people and you need to be clear about the expectations of the organization,” says career coach Roshni P. Kumar. Kumar suggests creating a plan of action. For example, if you need to reach your office, the first thing you need to know is its location. Then, you determine the most effective route and guide others (management). “Once you are clear about your destination,” she says, “then you can communicate effectively to your team—and that, my friend, is ‘assertiveness.'”

Being assertive in the workplace takes practice, but once you hone this skill, you’ll be better equipped to succeed as a leader.

If you’re struggling to move up in your career or find the right career for you, we can help. We know how difficult it can be to stand out at work and overcome office politics. We know how it feels to be trapped in a career that isn’t making you happy. That’s why we’d love it if you joined our FREE community where professionals like you are learning how to become empowered in their careers so they can finally find career satisfaction.