7 Tips to Writing an Effective Job Description

7 Tips to Writing an Effective Job Description Recruiting is a very competitive industry. Writing  a good job description is a fundamental step toward attracting the right candidates to applying for one of your job postings, by communicating clearly what kind of individual you are after and what responsibilities and tasks the job entails. Here are some tips on how to write a good job description that can communicate your available jobs and requirements to your candidates effectively. 1. Accurate job title and summary: You should always give the position you are looking to fill a title. The title, including the level of experience, should reflect the job accurately. In addition, make sure that the job title reflects the industry’s standards as well as the company’s culture. Also, include a short and concise description of the position, including its purpose and overview of responsibilities. Choose a writing style that matches the company culture and nature of the role. If you are hiring for a startup with a very casual culture, be sure to use words that evoke that feeling. 2. Be transparent about the responsibilities: You should indicate the essential responsibilities and duties of the job clearly. It is a good idea to list them in bullet point form and begin each point with a verb in present tense. Be clear on how much time and how often a task will be performed, as this will give the candidates an idea on what a typical day at this position will look like. Steer away from fuzzy descriptors, such as “often”, “once in a while” when describing the tasks. 3. Be clear about the skills and qualifications: In the job description, specify all the mandatory qualifications and experience, along with any preferred skills. For each qualification, include the level of experience, licenses and certifications, as well as any necessary technical proficiency. You should also include the traits or attributes you expect the candidate to display in the role, for example  behavioural competencies such as leadership, teamwork, flexibility, initiative and communication. 4. Tell them about the company: Assume that the candidates know nothing about the company so it is important for you fill them in on information about the organisation,  such as the company’s industry, goals and mission. Other useful information such as the branch locations, number of employees, and even annual sales, can also be included. 5. Be specific about the type of employment location: Let the candidates know about whether you are looking for someone to fill a full-time or a part-time position. If it is for an internship position, let the candidates know if it is paid and what duration the internship is for. It is also essential to list the location of the role to ensure that you are targeting the correct candidates, as there is no use people applying if they are out of the area and uninterested in relocating. 6. Include details on salary and benefits: If you don’t have a specific amount, include a salary range- This allows for variation based on education and experience. In addition, include benefits such as number of paid vacation days, medical insurance coverage, pension plans, housing benefits, travel reimbursement, etc. 7. Contact information: Make sure that you include up-to-date contact information so that potential candidates can get a hold of you if they have questions or if they want to apply. An email address is usually sufficient, however you may also want to include a phone number.  

5 Great Company Away Day Ideas

5 Great Company Away Day Ideas Company away days are great for a number of reasons. They can help relieve tensions in the office, increase moral and strengthen team bonds. On top of that they’re just great fun, and a chance to get out the working environment and blow off some steam. If you’re in charge of moral, leader of the party committee or just the boss, you might be looking for some away day inspiration. Never fear, CNM Online; a leading provider of washroom and heating equipment for businesses, are on hand with their top company away day ideas. Zorbing If you haven’t been zorbing, you’re missing out! This one is more for fun factor than team building, as you’re in the zorbing ball alone, but it is definitely something different. Either throw yourself down a hill inside an orb or walk across water in one, some sites even have zorbing games to play against each other. This one really is a laugh a minute! Treasure Hunt This takes a little planning, but is great for team building and getting creative. Leave an array of clues across your local area or a nearby city, then leave it up to the different teams to decipher them and complete the challenge. There are even apps you can download now which give the clues to your staff once they check into a geolocation on their phone, so you don’t have to hide bits of paper anywhere. This is perfect for strengthening smaller teams or improving relationships across departments, the last clue could even lead you to a bar or pub…we’ll leave that part up to you. Mini Golf This is one for the competitive types in the office. Mini golf is a great laugh and usually fairly affordable, plus, it should only take an afternoon. Get a trophy made for the office champion and offer a few days free annual leave as a prize to make it interesting. Google is your friend here, some cool venues in bigger cities combine food and drink with a bit of mini golf, or maybe combine the games with a picnic or something afterwards. Paintballing This one isn’t for the faint of hearted, because if you’ve ever been paintballing you’ll know, it hurts! It is super fun though, great for releasing a bit of stress and you can do it in all conditions. If you play games like capture the flag it will also promote interaction and should improve teamwork and communication. You could even bring natural leaders out of their shell. If you don’t want the bruises you could always opt for laser quest instead. The Great Office Bake Off Unless you’ve been living underneath a rock, you’ll no doubt have some idea of what the Great British Bake Off is, well, you can now do it as a team building exercise. The best part about this one is once all the baking is done you’ll have office goodies for weeks. If you aren’t up for baking, try sushi making or a group cookery lesson. The important part is having fun whilst getting to know each other better outside of a work setting, plus it adds a little competition to keep it interesting. Company away days aren’t just for having fun, they can also help you identify leaders, improve communications and strengthen bonds across departments. You can shape the activity around the desired outcome, and make sure it fits what you are aiming to achieve. Let us know if you have any ideas or have done anything cool where you work, we can always add to the list. Image Source; Image Source

Resume Writing Tips for Career Change

Resume Writing Tips for Career Change So, you are in the middle of a career change.You've browsed job search sitesand now have a list of companies to apply to.The problem is that you don’t have a resume to match the job you're looking for.If you’ve been working in a different field for a while and want to switch careers, it’s going to be a challenge. However, it’s a challenge millions of people face.You can handle the transition smoothly and start doing a job that you love!This is how you transform your resume to match the new line of work.Have a Strong Cover LetterSure, some HR people will just ignore or skim your cover letter, butthat's noreason not to write one.The thing is, since your previous profession was not quite in line with the job you’re applying for now, you have to go the extra mile to prove yourself.Writing a great cover letter can be the first step towards that.You should be aiming at a strong first impression.Show yourself as a professional in the previous field. Indicate what work have you don e in your prospective field. Highlight your positive sides.Another good trick to use in a cover letter is to show a negative side to let the employer know you are aware of it and know how to deal with it.Focus on Skills, Not ExperienceIf you’re switching careers, you probably lack experience in the field.That shouldn't be a problem as you can focus your resume on general skills.If you have previously been in a leadership position, that’s a huge bonus!You can state that you are adept in skills such as ...How to manage teams How to plan budgets How to get projects done in timeEvery industry needs team members with leadership skills.Marketing is also one of the skills most jobs require.If you made a living off selling fashion goods, you can easily switch to selling other products. All you need is a bit of an introduction to the niche.Now, if you’re making a transition from a salesman to a creative, you’ll have to work harder on showing your relevant skills on your resume.For in stance, emphasize how you showed creativity in your previous workplace.Underline Nonprofit ProjectsHave you done any side projects when you were working at your old job?If you did any relevant work, that’s perfect for your resume! If there’s an item you can add to your portfolio, that’s even better.Make sure to include all the work you’ve done for little to no money. This shows a potential employer that you have a passion for the work.Are you a journalist who learned to code?Add examples of the open-source projects or freelance gigs you have completed.Mention Relevant EducationThe other thing you can add to your resume to make it even better is the training you received in the new industry.Everything goes here, even the online courses you’ve completed.Isyour college degree somewhat relevant to the career you want to take up?Mention that as well.Delete the IrrelevantThe sad truth is nobody in the new field will caremuch about what you did in the previous position (or positi ons) you held.You may have been a top performer in your former industry.Going forward, the performance will be judged, but not specific achievements.Don’t add anything to your resume that the hiring manager will find irrelevant.This includes all types of education that you’ve received for the previous job.Your university degree is worth mentioning, of course,but a certificate in accounting is worth nothing in the world of marketing.Pick the Right FormatNo resume is the same.Some resumes just state all the information about you briefly. Others try to show you as a person with skills. Some resumes are linear. Some are narrative-focused. Some have your picture while others do not.You will have to experiment a bit with your resume.A resume writing service such as Find My Professionmay help you go through a dozen iterations before you end up with the best option.The general advice is to keep the balance between dry enumeration of your skills and bragging about your abilities.Realize It is PossibleMany people who want to switch careers are afraid that they’re going to fail and will be stuck in a job they hate up until retirement.The truth is, if you are a professional, you can sell yourself in any field.Go beyond sending resumes/CVs. Meet employers at shows and relevant gatherings. Network in person and through online venues.Doing this along with employing the above tips on writing a great resume will help you find your dream job as you go through the process of a career change.

What is Managing Up

What is Managing Up “Managing up” has become a trendy buzzword at all levels of the corporate ecosystem.   Certainly, we all understand the concept of traditional top down management, but what exactly is managing up? While there are few certainties in the field of management and leadership, one truth that I’ve found over decades of experience is that all managers are not strong, effective leaders.   In fact, truth be told, most have significant flaws. What does that look like in the workplace?   Well…they don’t always make the best decisions.   They miss things.   Sometimes, they’re the barrier to success on a project. Managers typically aren’t closest to the day to day work.   So they don’t always understand the details or have the best information.   They also frequently don’t know what people are really thinking or how team members really feel about a particular process, issue, or task.   Like anyone else, they also sometimes don’t know what they don’t know (unconscious incompetence). So they can have huge blind spots. While this laundry list of flaws may sound somewhat scary, it also sounds pretty normal because managers are after all human, right? Yes, but unfortunately we’re conditioned to treat them like they’re somehow all knowing and all powerful superheroes with perfect decision making skills.   While managers often possess certain strengths and advantages that enable them to make sound decisions, they also often possess certain disadvantages or weaknesses either due to their own personal failings or due to inherent disadvantages in holding a higher level position. Sometimes leaders are actually handicapped by their ivory tower position.   They may not be as close to the customer or have their ear to the ground in terms of what staff really think or which processes are truly broken.   Guess what â€" they also may not be perfect.   They may have their own weaknesses or shortfalls, and be so swamped with broader responsibilities that they may not have the bandwidth to pour over the details before every decision.   As such, the truth is that for teams to operate at maximum performance levels, it’s not just important for managers to manage (down). It’s also important for staff to continuously manage up! My personal definition of “Managing Up”… “A subordinate customizing their work style/behaviors to better suit their manager, taking steps to make their manager’s job easier, and/or proactively striving to optimize success for all.” What Does “Managing Up” Look Like? The employee who actively “manages up” is one who often…. Anticipates problems and actively works to prevent them Adjusts their style and approach to better fit their manager’s preferences Are particularly flexible and willing to take on the “dog” projects that no one wants Speak truth to power when necessary (being the one willing to tell the boss the ugly truth when others won’t) Learns to navigate prickly or difficult boss personalities If you’re looking at that list thinking that’s a tall order, it is!   Managing up isn’t easy, and that’s precisely why it is so important and so effective.   Most employees don’t take the time to actively manage up.   So the ones who do truly stand out from the crowd.   So how do you begin to start “managing up”? Managing Up Best Practices Always propose a recommendation or two when asking your boss for help with a problem Look for opportunities to “take things off their plate.”   Simple acts like volunteering to schedule meeting invites, book meeting rooms, develop presentation templates, conduct vendor research, etc. can produce huge time savings for your boss. (and make you seem like an invaluable resource in the process) Adjust your communication style to fit their preferences. (e.g. if they prefer face to face, try to stop by their office more often to discuss the big picture, then just send a follow up email as needed with details) Get in the habit of brainstorming/analyzing potential risks for new projects and proactively sharing the risk analysis. (including recommended mitigation strategies and back up plans) with senior leadership Share good news soon and bad news sooner Look for opportunities to propose process changes or new innovations, and volunteer to help lead the resultant work (as appropriate) This guest post was authored by Dana Brownlee Dana Brownlee is author of The Unwritten Rules of Managing Up: Project Management Techniques from the Trenches (to be published by Berrett-Koehler publishers January 2019).   President of Atlanta based Professionalism Matters, Inc., Dana is an acclaimed keynote speaker, corporate trainer, and team development consultant. She can be reached at [emailprotected]. Connect with her on Linked In or Twitter @DanaBrownlee.    

9 ways to prepare for starting your grad job - Debut

9 ways to prepare for starting your grad job - Debut This post was written by an external contributor. Entering the world of graduate jobs? Heres some top tips to get ready from Lucy Skoulding. Youve spent months fretting about finding work after graduating or waiting to finish your exams and get out into the world of work. The time has arrived and you’re not to blame if it’s all a bit terrifying. You might have had people warning you that the transition into working life is very tough. Starting full-time work is a change if youve been used to the spontaneous, lack of structure that university lends itself to, but it’s not a scary as it seems if you gear yourself up for it. Become a master of plans Even if planning doesn’t come naturally to you, getting to grips with organising your time is important if you don’t want to become a stress ball who keeps missing appointments. Full-time work doesnt mean you have no free time, you just have to adjust to using your time differently. Become joined at the hip with your diary. Often people prefer to use digital calendars on their phones or laptops, but if like me you would rather keep an old-fashioned paper diary, then go for it. Use your diary to record meetings, events, and appointments as well as to jot down your to-do lists. Learn how to make quick dinners This comes down to meal planning and working out how much time you have to make dinner on any given day. Buy a blackboard and write your meals for the week to make it a bit more interesting. There are plenty of quick, easy recipes online and in recipe books, or try asking your friends and family for tips. Meal prep and bulk cooking also saves so much time (and money). Cook up a big pasta, curry, or hot pot, or prepare a big salad. Portion it up for lunch or dinners and keep meals fresh by freezing them for another day. Don’t go to bed too late Everyone knows how much sleep they need to stay healthy and well, it’s usually seven to eight hours, so make sure you go to bed early enough to get your shut-eye. Find a night time routine which relaxes you, whether that’s winding down with a bath, hot drink, or reading. In the first few weeks of working life, there’s no escaping the fact you might be tired, but you will soon adjust and feel better for having more routine in your life. Have fun but relax too Forgetting the above point for a moment, there will be some evenings when youll be invited out or have plans which run on late on a work night. Go along, enjoy yourself, and have fun, but try to schedule in some relaxation time during your working week too, or you will burn out. Do all your ironing at once Become a master of chores in general. It’s easy to ignore them and let them build up, but then you will spend your whole Sunday doing house work. Instead, find the most efficient way of doing chores, like ironing your clothes all at once. Decide what jobs need doing every week and tick them off as you do them. Slot them in to your daily routine and they will be far less intimidating than letting the work pile up. Exercise and go outside Unless you have an active job, most of us move around far less when we start working because the general drill is sitting at desks or in meetings all day. Before you start, work out how you will fit exercise and fresh air into your life. Can you walk or cycle all or part of the way to work? Would you have time to join a gym or can you exercise at lunch time? What about trying a new team sport after work? Getting fresh air during the working day is hugely beneficial to help you concentrate for a long period of time. Take your own food to work As much as café food is tempting, making your own lunch can save you so much money. Speaking from experience, buying lunch out can easily cost you £7. Add a coffee on to that and you’re spending £10 a day just on food at work. That’s around £200 a month â€" ridiculous. Homemade meals don’t have to be boring â€" make your favourite sandwiches, soups, pastas, and salads. My favourite thing to do is make a bit of extra dinner then bring what’s left over to work. Most workplaces have facilities to heat food up. Leave plenty of time for commuting Arriving in time for work, meetings, and appointments is important â€" consistently late people will be remembered, and not in a good way. If your maps say a journey takes half an hour, leave 45 minutes before you need to be there. Simples. Get ready for day one Last but not least, make sure you prepare fully for your first day at work. This means finding out what you need for the first day from your company, asking what time you must arrive, and checking whether you need to prepare anything. It also means ensuring you have the right equipment and dressing appropriately for the environment you will work in. Download Debut  and  connect with us on  Facebook,  Twitter  and  LinkedIn  for more careers insights.

Happiness at work in Turkey - The Chief Happiness Officer Blog

Happiness at work in Turkey - The Chief Happiness Officer Blog I spent three days in Istanbul this week launching our partnership with local company Power of Happiness who will be using some of our tools and concepts with clients in Turkey. First I did a workshop for a group of leaders from Borusan (a big Turkish holding company) and on Tuesday we did an open speech for invited HR managers and executives from some big Turkish and international businesses. Here I am with Tijen, Ferah and Diana our new partners in Turkey. They are not only passionate about happiness at work, they also have enormous experience in coaching, speaking, facilitation, event planning, pr and leadership. And theyre also nice people and gracious hosts and made me feel very at home in Istanbul. We are incredibly excited about this partnership and the interest from clients in Turkey has been very encouraging. Next step is a big conference about happiness at work in Istanbul on March 25. Contact Power of Happiness if youre interested in attending. Thanks for visiting my blog. If you're new here, you should check out this list of my 10 most popular articles. And if you want more great tips and ideas you should check out our newsletter about happiness at work. It's great and it's free :-)Share this:LinkedInFacebookTwitterRedditPinterest Related

Flexing Your Entrepreneurial Muscles The Ways To Do It

Flexing Your Entrepreneurial Muscles The Ways To Do It I’m not sure many people grow up saying that they want to be an entrepreneur. I find that when it comes to these sorts of attributes it is often something that you are born with. The neutral desire to turn a profit at any given opportunity. Buying sweets from your friends for one price and selling them on for a higher price. Always looking for the next big thing, and even creating ideas like car washing as a teenager to raise funds or selling something. As an entrepreneur you may find that you have lots of passion and drive when it comes to business and this is only something that grows as you get older, so you may feel that it is your natural way into business and your career rather than deciding you want to do it. But how can you flex those muscles in the world of business. I thought I would share with you some of the ways to do it. Having that one idea For any entrepreneur I think you will agree that so many would say it takes that one big idea. The one idea that hits you when you least expect it to. It could be that you want to change something, or you have an idea for a niche or gap in a market where you think you can make the biggest difference. The idea can consume you, and it can certainly be the one night thing that enables you to launch a business and make it a success. Starting up an online business from home Sometimes it just takes that leap of faith. You could be working for a company and think that doing it yourself would be better. Enabling you to have more time or earn more win the process. Maybe it means going freelance and just starting up at home. Many online businesses start from a laptop in a living room, and often some of these companies can become the biggest success stories. Apple was started in a garage, just saying. Acquiring a failing business and making it a success Maybe the idea is simple, you just want to work for yourself. So a great option is to consider buying a business and making it a success. Whether that is a business that is failing and you want to make it a success, or whether that is a business you are interested in and want to learn more on the ground experience in. You can acquire businesses and using business acquisition lenders can help you secure the finance you need to do it. Once you have the business you can then come up with your plan and actionable steps to make it a success. Expanding your already existing business Maybe you already have a business that is doing well. But what would be the next step to move the business forward? Have you through about expanding it? This might be moving it from your home into a physical workplace. It might be that you decide to open a shop or retail outlet. Maybe it is expanding your current range of products and services. Could you turn your business idea into a franchise? There are many things you could consider doing. You could reinvest into the business or seek finance to help you grow and expand it quicker. Building a business with selling in mind Maybe the end goal is to always sell a business. This is what many entrepreneurs do. They don’t tend to be interested in the running of a business, they are simply wanting to build it up and then make their money and move on to the next project. So you could be building a business with selling in mind. This is a great way to really flex your skills and see what you are capable of doing. Acquiring a business location and changing the use Finally, maybe you are looking at the bigger picture. Perhaps you have acquired a business location but now think it is more suitable for another purpose. That might be change a shop into a cafe or restaurant, or vice versa. Maybe it is using a big open space and making it into a fun centre for families and children. A business location that has once been one thing doesn’t;’t mean it won’t work being something different, and this can be the good basis for your next successful business plan. I hope that his has given you some food for thought on how you can flex your entrepreneurial muscles.