TSA Turmoil Will Create Thousands of New Jobs for Well-Prepared Candidates

TSA Turmoil Will Create Thousands of New Jobs for Well-Prepared CandidatesTSA Turmoil Will Create Thousands of New Jobs for Well-Prepared CandidatesTSA Turmoil Will Create Thousands of New Jobs for Well-Prepared CandidatesThis spring, lines at airport security have grown so long that thousands of travelers have missed their flights. But theres a silver lining to the cloud hanging over the Transportation Security Agency (TSA), according to Kathryn Troutman, president of The Resume Place.CNN Money reports that TSA is on a hiring blitz Thousands of Americans will soon be hired into well-paying federal government jobs with excellent benefits. You CAN begin your federal career at TSA and grow your government career from this location, which is in demand, right now.On May 24, the Senate Appropriations Committee voted to increase TSA spending by $228 million for fiscal 2017, making it likely the hiring wave will continue beyond summer 2016.TSA openings recently posted on USAJOBS range from Transportation Security Officer (with pay ranging from $15.13 to $21.61 per hour plus, at some locations, quarterly zurckhalten bonuses of $3,500) the familiar checkpoint screeners who scan bags and travelers by the millions to accountant ($50,601 to $95,636 annually) and program analyst (with some positions paying up to $142,203). These jobs come with medical, dental, vision and life insurance, retirement savings plans, paid federal holidays, and more. Veterans preference applies.Duties of the entry-level transportation security officer typically include operating screening equipment performing searches and otherwise interacting with the public controlling secure entrances and exits, maintaining situational awareness and so on. Candidates must have a high school diploma or GED, or a year of experience in security, among other qualifications.Applying for a job at TSA or another federal agency differs in many ways from applying for employment in the private sector, according to Tro utman, whose firm helps people prepare federal resumes. A federal resume is different than your private sector resume. The federal resume is two times longer. Instead of two pages, it could be 3 pages with more details of your responsibilities and competencies. she says.In the USAJOBS application, candidates must give a detailed employment history in reverse chronological order, including accomplishments. Its critical to provide every bit of information thats requested and follow instructions to the letter, says Troutman, author of Federal Resume Guidebook 6th Edition. Troutman highly recommends that you copy and paste your resume into the USAJOBS builder to ensure all of the information is in the resume.Competencies required by the TSA for a given position could include application of standard operating procedures, attention to detail, conscientiousness, critical thinking, customer service, incident management, multitasking, oral communication, situational awareness, teamwork, secu rity equipment proficiency, and visual observation.To create an effective resume block demonstrating application of standard operating procedures, for example, a candidate could describe in detail her or his experience as an employee executing instructions given in writing or orally by a supervisor at a retail store, for example specifically using the words application of standard operating procedure.Conscientiousness is a competency that an applicant can illustrate with a variety of examples, whether its a job thoroughly and consistently done, a documented record of spotless attendance, or an employee-of-the-month award. Candidates will score points with the TSA for including the word conscientiousness.The concept of competence in customer service also applies across many domains, from fielding inquiries from a businesss customers to serving internal clients of a candidates current or one-time employer. The trick is to couch such accomplishments in the language of customer service , quantifying wherever possible with metrics such as number of cases successfully resolved.Security experience, even of limited duration, is a boon to any application to the TSA. Any work duties involving increasing the personal safety of others or preventing theft could count as relevant experience, even if security wasnt the candidates primary responsibility on the job.With Congress feeling the heat from constituents enduring delays at airports across the country, the flow of money to increase the TSAs headcount is virtually assured making this a great time to answer a posting on USAJOBs. These jobs with great career potential will go to those who show the intelligence and persistence to write a federal resume that covers all the bases. Read PRWeb article published May 31, 2016.

In-Demand Technology Skills

In-Demand Technology SkillsIn-Demand Technology SkillsAre your skills still in demand or do you need to invest in training?As some skills become less desirable, others are more in-demand than ever.Ladders dug into which specialties are most frequently inserted into job postings now versus year ago. Pinpoint which of your skills are unfavorable and what classes or training you can invest in to keep yourself marketable.The same wave and trough is true of industries. As some go extinct, others flourish. Even if downward spiraling industries like chemicals and content management are your expertise, consider eyeing growth industries like insurance and real estate technology. The data below proves that crises can spur the need for technical assistance and advancement. Take musiknote of the hot springs in a cold market noted belowKatie Sherman is the former associate managing editor at Ladders.

Tips for Working Remotely While Traveling

Tips for Working Remotely While TravelingTips for Working Remotely While TravelingWorking from outside of the office, whether its from home or while youre on the go, can be a key opportunity to figure out your work habits and boost your output. It can also be a challenge to nail down an effective way of managing work while youre traveling. Whetheryouve just asked to work remotely, youre on a test run to prove your productivity, or youre traveling and job searching at the same time, these tips will help you get the most of your remote work. 11 Tips for Working Online While Youre On the Go Have a plan for your Internet connection.In the United States, those of us who work from our computers or job search zugnglich are used to clocking in at a caf and settling in for the day. But when youre traveling internationally, you cant always rely on the corner Starbucks. If youve griped about the WiFi speed at the Starbucks in the States, the connection can be even more harrowing when youre abroad. Moreover, not every city has a caf culture that accommodates the one-purchase-per-hour-of-work paradigm that exists in most American coffee shops. Beforeyoutravel,do your researchon finding WiFi in your destination, and have a backup plan, whether its purchasing an Internet SIM card, connecting to a wireless hotspot, or securing a spot in a co-working space. Carry around a notebook and pen.There will come a day when you cant connect to WiFi, when you forgot to grab a converter for your laptop charger, or when youre in a location not quite secure enough to pull out a$1,000computer. But, the solution is easy slip a notebookin your bag and keep a pen hooked over its cover. Youll always have a distributionspolitik to jot down your ideas, and you might just find yourself grateful when inspiration strikes at a random time. Figure out when, and how, you work best.This sounds like a given, but if you can settle into aroutine that maximizes your productivity, do your best to stick wi th it. For example, I am most productive when I work in short, two-hour bursts with a half-hour break in-between. I know I get the most done when I close out any extraneous windows that means no Facebook chat running in the background andIplug in with my headphones. I also know my productivity is at its top levels when I have an unbroken stream of music playing, one that doesnt require me to change songs or repeatedly hit shuffle. Youd be surprised how many minutes you waste searching for songs on YouTube, scrolling through Spotify looking for new music, or responding to Facebook chats. Make a productivity playlist.That said, if you know you work well to music, set up a playlist before you dive into your to-do list. Keep in mind that your WiFi might not have enough juice to load music videos on YouTube or stream Spotify, which also places restrictions on users listening abroad without a premium account. When Im connected to a decent WiFi connection, I like to use 8Tracks, where y ou can find pre-made playlists specifically put together for getting work done. Invest in a pair of quality headphones.Trust me, youll need them. Although the standard Apple earbuds, or their generic equivalents, are convenient to pack, they arent the best for blocking out noise. Even with the volume on full blast, Ive found my Apple earbuds dont do a great job of blocking out background noise, especially when its a boisterous conversation in Russian or the drone of motorbikes whizzing by. Bose is the best-known brand for noise-canceling headphones, but my Symphonized NRG in-ear noise-isolating earbuds do a pretty good job for a fraction of the price. Buy international outlet adapters before you go.Sure, you can pick them up at the airport, but youll pay less if you order online from a site like Amazon, which has a huge selection of converters. If you use Mac products, the Apple World Traveler Kit is a good investment. For only about $30, it comes with plugs for North America, Japan , China, United Kingdom, Europe, Korea, Australia, and Hong Kong. And, because you simply switch out the plug on your existing laptop or iPhone charger, rather than attaching it to a converter, it offers a more secure source of power and a lower risk of damaging your device. Arrange your communication channels before you go.If youre working with other people, or expect to be job searching and arranging interviews while youre traveling, you should take a few minutes to set up your messaging systems before you go. This is especially true if youre going to use an Internet messaging platform like WhatsApp or Viber, as these types of apps usually require that you confirm via MMS, which wont work once you hit airplane mode and turn off your cellular service. If youre going to be communicating via video, set up and test Google Hangouts, Zoom, and Skype before you leave. If you opt for an international phone plan, carefully review the available options so youre not spending a fortune on sta ying connected. With the abundance of Internet messaging services, from cross-platform apps like WhatsApp and Viber, to iMessage, Google Hangouts Chat, Slack, and Skype, most people can get by without paying for an international phone plan. You can pick up aninexpensiveflip phone and SIM card for use within another country, or purchase Skype creditsthroughyourSkypeaccountto call mobile phones and landlines worldwide. Hereismoreinformationonarranging an international phone interview. Plan ahead for video job interviews or meetings.You dont want to be scrambling at the last minute ifyouhaveaSkypecallwith an important boss orneedtodo a video jobinterview for a new position. For example, its a good idea to put onanappropriateshirtorblousefor a video interview. Just because youre traveling, doesnt mean you dont need to dress the part. Make sure you read up on how to have asuccessful video interview, and take afew minutes to practiceso youre not scrambling to get ready whenthecallcomes. B e flexible, but also upfront. When youre communicating with professionals in other countries, you need to be aware of time zones and take into account whether youre really going to be able to get online at 430 a.m. local time to accommodate someone located halfway around the world. You should also be upfront about your accessibility. If you know youre going to have difficulty connecting to the Internet from a certain location, or if youre going to be in transit for a few days, let others know in advance. Be mindful of the time and date differences.Keep track of time zones, so you dont end up calling a potential employer or another important contact at 3 a.m.without realizing it. Most smartphones allow you to set a clock for another time zone, or you can download an app to keep track. Once you get a feel for the time difference, you can strategize to make it work to your advantage. If youre staying somewhere with alargetime difference, you should factor in the discrepancy in dates, t oo. For example, if you are in a very different time zone, you could wake up early Saturday morning with an extensive to-do listbecauseit isonlyFriday afternoon in theUnitedStates and your boss and co-workers arewrapping up theirworkweek. Conversely,Mondays can be a good timeformeto get a head start, because it wasonlySunday in theU.S. Plan Ahead Before You Travel Before you leave, research how and where youll be connecting to the internet.Set up your communication channels before you go.Bring the travel adaptors youll need for your devices with you.Be cognizant of the time zone when youre scheduling meetings or call.

How to get rid of laziness and carelessness

How to get rid of laziness and carelessnessHow to get rid of laziness and carelessnessYou must do the opposite to get rid of these vices. You need to care and to consistently do the work.Your beliefs become your thoughts,Your thoughts become your words,Your words become your actions,Your actions become your habits,Your habits become your values,Your values become your destiny.?Mahatma GandhiAssuming you are lazy and careless, you approach the destiny of lazy and careless.Mahatma Gandhi very aptly described the perpetual cycle that drives our lives. You can intervene in any part of it to modify it. However, most common mortals have a hell of a trouble modifying their thoughts, words, values leid even mentioning the destiny.The best course of action if you want to change yourself is to modify your habits. And your habits consists of strings of smaller actions.You need to careThis is the more important issue. If you care, you wont stay idle. When you know the why behind your actions, yo u simply do the work. Only when complacency is greater than your motivation do you procrastinate. And when desire burns in your heart, you dont postpone your activities, but fill them with attention and focus.Watch this short video to get a picture of a game-changing quality of your whyTo care, you need to know yourself - what you like, what drives you, what your dreams are or what you hate? All of these sum up your intrinsic motivation.I love to read absorbing knowledge is kind of a drug for me. I can study interesting topics for hours. But for someone else it might be torture.On the other hand, dont try to force me to run. Ive never ran two miles in my life. I dont care about running. Period. My sister runs several miles before work. It frees her mind and gives her a sense of freedom and relaxation. She cares about running.You need to know yourself to know what you care about. There are a few daily habits that can help you with that.1. Meditate.Its like step 0, especially if you are not used to self-analysis. Meditation itself will not uncover what your values are and what you care about, but it will make you self-aware in a positive sense. We live our lives on autopilot and we dont even register our internal debates. Meditation helps you notice what and how you speak to yourself.Its not hard nor woo-woo. Simply close your eyes, inhale and exhale deeply and slowly, focus your attention on the flow of air through your nostrils.It will be difficult, because its when your mind activates and bombards you with inner chatter instead of focusing on such a mundane activity. And thats good, because thanks to that you will become aware of the chatter.You should sit in meditation for twenty minutes every day - unless youre too busy. Then you should sit for an hour. - Zen proverbThis is a famous Zen proverb and its bollocks Especially in the beginning. If you are not used to this activity, 20 minutes can feel like a torture Personally, I found meditation over 5-minu te period more of an exercise in patience than a beneficial activity.Start from two-minute sessions. If possible, do them multiple times a day. Continue your short meditation sessions for two weeks before you decide to scale up. That way you will have over a 90% chance of developing a lasting habit.2. Journal.This is by far my favorite method. Every morning I sit down with my journal, ask myself a question and answer it for 1015 minutes on paper.This discipline makes you self-aware, just like meditation does. I had heard how hard meditation is for beginners, how hard it is to focus or hush their minds But when I tried meditation after a year of journaling, it was easy for me. I was used to mind-bombardment, it happened all the time when I was journaling.My journalHowever, journaling takes a bit more time than meditation. On the other hand, it doesnt have this woo-woo stigma in your mind that is often attached to meditation.There are a few reasons why journaling works so wellyour br ain is a search engine ask it a question and it will bring you answers. It loves to do that, its a totally natural activity for your brain.journaling activates your motor memory human memory is not a precise storage, like a hard drive. It doesnt have cylinders, sectors and addresses. It works through associations. Handwriting involves movements of dozens of muscles at once and all those signals to your muscles are associated with your journaling.writing clarifies your mind when you put something on paper, it automatically go through the rational part of your brain. You cannot capture incoherent blabber in writing. Journaling is like translation from the language of your emotions into plain English (err, for me its Polish).3. Get Feedback.I consider it an advanced technique thats not easy for everyone. First, you need a great social support of people who dont hesitate to speak the truth about you. Unfortunately thats far from common.Second, you need to be a person who can absorb crit ique when its coming. And it will come. We are so good at lying to ourselves, especially when it comes to our self-image, that hearing the truth about yourself can be devastating. And it also puts your relationships at risk. Thus, this method is not for the faint of heart.4. You Need to Do the WorkHow can a lazy person do the work? It sounds like an oxymoron, doesnt it?Well, the secret to doing the work is simple and doable for lazy people too show up consistently.Showing up is the 1 requirement to be able to do anything. If you dont arrive to your workplace, its hardly possible you will work, isnt it?So, if you want to write a novel, sit in front of your computer and write. If you want to graduate, go to school. If you want to write a computer program, show up and write the code, one line after another.Laziness and carelessness usually manifest themselves in procrastination. And procrastination is NOT showing up. Its putting off the things you need to do ad infinitum.Show upEvery t ime you show up and move a project an inch forward, you are a winner. I coached folks who were endbearbeitung their dissertations more than once. Several different people, but the story was always the same procrastination, looming deadlines, desperation and lack of progress. Some of them were stuck for months.I couldnt help them all, but those who succeeded embraced the show up philosophy. We focused on showing up and doing the job every day.Most of the time they wanted to work for hours at a time. Most of the time, they werent able to. They needed to extend their deadlines to make them realistic. But they finished their dissertations and graduated.Show up and do the work even if its ridiculously insufficient amount. Its better to do something every day than nothing every day.

Your Resume Doesnt Need These 4 Things Anymore

Your Resume Doesnt Need These 4 Things AnymoreYour Resume Doesnt Need These 4 Things Anymore9Your resume should be a living, breathing document. And as such, not every section or piece of information you included on your resume last year, or five years ago, should still be there.To make sure your resume will stand out to employers for the great info it contains, and not for its outdated formatting or unnecessary information, here are four things you can leave off your resume.1. An objective.This is the stellungnahme at the top of a resume that tells an employer what youre looking for, and about 10 years ago, it was everywhere, especially for entry-level job seekers or college students. But, no longer.Employers already know youre looking for their job, so an objective statement telling them that is unnecessary. Instead, use a well-writtenSummary of Qualifications to introduce employers to your most relevant skills and experience and tell them why they need you, rather than why you nee d them.2. Unrelated awards, hobbies, and interests. CEO Sara Sutton remembers years ago when she received a job seekers resume that mentioned his distinction as a pig wrestling champion.It was certainly interesting, but because it had nothing to do with the job he applied for, it was more of a distraction from his other qualifications than anything else.3. Too much formatting.Keep your resume simple so recruiters can read it quickly and easily. Dont use bold, italics, and underlines all at once. Stick to one or two fonts, and if youre using more than one, be consistent in how you use each one, making sure they are complementary rather than clashing.Some modern resume formatting trends use colors, graphics, and charts, which are all useful if done well. Any formatting you use should help employers to see and remember your most important qualifications.4. A list of tasks foreach job.Instead of telling employers what you did at your past jobs, tell them what you accomplished. What were the overarching results of your day-to-day tasks?If an employer is hiring you for a specific role, they probably understand what that role entails. Instead, employers want to know HOW you did what you did and WHY it made a difference to your previous employers.When youre starting a job search, one of the first things youll probably do is update your resume. But to be prepared for career opportunities anytime, try browsing your resume at least once or twice each year, making updates, adding accomplishments, and removing pieces that are no longer relevant to your professional story.

Ruthless What Do You Put on a Resume Strategies Exploited

Ruthless What Do You Put on a Resume Strategies Exploited The Foolproof What Do You Put on a Resume Strategy By carefully targeting resumes for particular jobs and situations, it is possible to greatly improve your odds of getting noticed in the work industry. In terms of prior jobs, most job binnenseekers wish to return as far as possible since they need to impress hiring managers. The three most typical mistakes that could continue to keep your resume hidden from recruiters are also the simplest to repair. Some individuals have had as many as 90 jobs in the past decade, therefore it only makes sense theyre confused and dont understand how many jobs to improve their resume. You may use a resume while interviewing for employment. Resumes are tricky its sometimes hard to know exactly what things to include. The solution is it is dependent on your LinkedIn profile and resume. A resume, actually, is your own bonafide promoting document. For those who have skills from truly be ing a homemaker, market them-just be sure that you market them in such a manner that you show youre a great fit for the job that you are applying for. If its possible to sell yourself, you may sell a businesss product. If you mention the businesss name, make sure you receive it right. You dont need to supply any personal or private info on your resume. Create a new expert email address in case you have a novelty email address When writing a resume, it isnt appropriate to incorporate an on-line contact address that doesnt sound professional. Frequently, a physical address is one particular part of infassonation they may include. Job seekers want to see that there arent any solid rules concerning what should be placed on a resume. The ideal strategy for your resume is dependent upon the duration of your absence from the workforce. When considering what things to put on a resume, skills are the absolute most important. Your resume can continue to be riveting. New Step by Step Roadmap for What Do You Put on a Resume Be certain that your resume contains everything the employer should be convinced that youre a very good match for the position. There are a lot of reasons why you might rather not share your address. You dont need to include your house address, though there may be some situations when doing so would be advisable. In the event the job that youre applying for is not local, excluding your present address will help you stay away from confusion. The Basics of What Do You Put on a Resume At the close of the day, job seekers will need to use their resume to offer the very best presentation possible. For other folks, however, its generally far better to put short-term jobs on your resume so that you dont need to explain missing moment. Taking the opportunity to work on your resume is critical. Everything on your resume have to be true, but you dont need to list everything thats true on your resume. Consider what youve accomplished before and that which its possible to offer later on. Before you submit your resume to make an application for work, take the opportunity to reassess and refresh your resume so that its going to provide you with the very best opportunity to have the interview. Now that you know what things to put on your resume, lets at a few matters you should leave off if you prefer to have interviews. If you graduated quite a while ago, dont hesitate to leave the dates off. Note that there might be circumstances when including some of these information proves that youre a fantastic fit for the job. Listed below are just a couple examples of skills and attributes that could be demonstrated from extracurricular pursuits. A complete resume includes these sections. Things You Wont Like About What Do You Put on a Resume and Things You Will List the duties you performed that are definitely the most significant to the form of work youre in search of. Or perhaps you want to reinforce a product include d in your resume skills section as you are aware that it is crucial to the job. Well it is all dependent on whether the job posting instructions specify a specific format. Based on who you ask and the way youre using it, summary statements can be a whole waste of space or a whole game changer.

Tips for Managing Interns - Spark Hire

Tips for Managing Interns - Spark HireIn our in eigener sache series,wevecovered the advertising and the interviewing. Now lets talk about what to do with an intern once you have one. Ifyouvefollowed our previous tips, hopefullyyouvegot a great intern (interns?) that will benefit from working at your company. Here are some tips for managing your summer help crew.First, map out expectations and goals when the intern arrives at the beginning of the summer. The interns manager (more on this below) should outline company policies and expectations, and follow up on the goals that were discussed in the interview process. Any summer-long projects should be discussed at this time, and the intern should share his/her goals for the internship.This process should be headed up by the dedicated manager for your summer help. Like any employee, an intern should know who their boss is. Throughout the summer, the manager should be in charge of training, tracking an interns progress, and providing con structive criticism. A dedicated boss will also provide valuable work experience for the intern. This manager jokes that some interns need to learn the difference between a parent and a boss (i.e. young workers often dont know how to verstndigung im strafverfahren with a boss and you can teach them).It is also important to give other employees a heads up on the summer help situation. This can be as simple as an email introduce the intern, and explain what exactly he/she will be doing during their time at the company. Inform the employees of proper behavior towards the intern (is it okay to make them go get coffee?) and perhaps share some of the interns goals for the summer. If the intern really wants to learn about a specific parte of your company, employees in that department should have a heads up about the teaching opportunity.Once the summer begins, it is important to stick to the expectations that you have established. Just as you would with any employee, hold your intern accou ntable by providing direct and honest feedback on their work. However, keep your interns goals in mind as you provide your feedback. They are here as part of a learning experience, so take some extra time to teach skills and give context for what they are working towards.Finally, have some fun with your summer help. Everyone at the office will love an excuse to get out the popcorn machine, roll out the ping pong table, or have a welcome picnic for the interns. These activities will keep your internsand everyone elserelaxed and motivated.How do you manage your summer help? Does anyone manage multiple interns? Spark a conversation belowIMAGE Courtesy of Flickr bySamuel Mann

Customize this Outstanding Technical Illustrator Resume Sample

Customize this Outstanding Technical Illustrator Resume SampleCustomize this Outstanding Technical Illustrator Resume SampleCreate Resume Career Goal Obtain a respective career as the technical illustrator with the utilization of obtained executive and professional expertise. Academic BackgroundObtained Associate degree from the Orlando Technical Institution, Orlando in the year of 2000 at Technical Illustration. Experienced Computer Programming SkillsExperienced Office Package Microsoft Word, Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Access, Microsoft PowerPoint, Microsoft Outlook ExpressExperienced Programming Language Pascal, Turbo Pascal, C, C++, Java, Java Swing, PythonExperienced Operating Systems Windows9X, Windows2000, Windows ME, Windows XP, Windows Vista, Linux, Unix, MS DOS Professional Excellence SummaryHave extensive experience in technical drawings.Have thorough knowledge in generating various genres of artwork for graphs and charts.Blown up reviews as well as drawings assembling.Se lf-motivated, devoted and decisive management personnel.Have excellent analytical as well as mechanical features.Have ability in taking up new theories as well as responsibilities.Have in depth knowledge in the respective subject.Formerly worked in United States Air Force. Professional AffiliationObtained membership as the technical illustrator from the Professional Technical Illustrators Registering Society, Indianapolis in the year of 2000.Obtained membership from the State Technical Board, New York in the year of 2001. Professional Background 2001- Present date Work as the Technical Illustrator for the Gemini Limited, New York with the following responsibilitiesUtilized computer software along with ink and pen materials for producing various line artworks for publishing service manual.Applied various software tools like Auto Cad, Norton, Fast links and CC mail.Provided objects as per the specification given by the technical writer.Provide consolidation and necessary blueprints fo r using in publication.Customize Resume

10 Insider Lessons No One in the Business World Will Teach You

10 Insider Lessons No One in the Business World Will Teach You 10 Insider Lessons No One in the Business World Will Teach You It took me years to comprehend why people functioned so differently in the corporate world from the way I functioned or expected them to function. On the one hand, my clarity of thought, determination, ambitiousness, andcreativity helped me excel in my careerbecause unterstellung traits were highly valued in the competitive business culture on the other hand, I found that when it came to people skills particularly networking, leveraging influence, and positioning my value system was very different from the one I met in the business world.Turns out my parents didnt raise a kid who was ready to face the cutthroat corporate environment, which is typically the case for manyfresh grads who come from similarlyprotective and safe backgrounds.Whether we like it or not, the corporate world is the real world, and we have to learn how to navigate it successfully. To help you get up to speed much more quickly than I did, Im sharing some of theunwritten rules of the game. Nobody will tell you these things. Most of us have to figure them out on our own but reading this guide can give you a head start on the competition.1. Your Worth to the Company IsTied to Your Last Performance EvaluationIm not kidding. Even if you were a top performer for five years in a row, youre doomed if you didnt manage to get a top rating this year, too, for whatever reason.I know, not all companies are the same. You may think that in your amazing company, managersreally sit down and evaluate all your results, compare them to your peers, iron out the differences in workloads and responsibilities, and give you a fair assessment.That may be true for some, but many of you arein for a rude awakening.2. Some People Are Only Nice to You When You Are Influential or They Need YouOnce your level ofinfluence changes or they no longer need you, so does their behavior.Sadly, it is o ften the case that someone who became your best friend wont even say so much as Hi once your role changes. As if that werentenough to shock the living heck out of you, that same person may soon be back on your team and have the audacity to treat you like a friend again.Ive experienced this twice, and I am still baffled as to how people can manage such extreme levels of duplicity.Maybe they think I suffer from amnesia?3. Promotions Are Not Linked to Performance They Are Linked to the Perception of Your PerformanceWe all view thingsthrough our own lenses. My map of the world could be drastically different from your map because of ourdiffering values, beliefs, experiences, and cultures. When you are working in a diverse, multiethnic organization staffed bypeople from all sorts of cultures and backgrounds, differences in perception can matter a great deal.Perception is reality. If you want to advance, it is imperative that you portray the right pictureof your work and results to the de cision-makers who matter.4. Being in the Right distributionspolitik at the Right Time Can Matter More Than ResultsWe all know that fortunate know-it-all who got promoted before everyone else despite theirmediocre results. How did they manage to do that?Building your image, networking, and exposure can get you places you never even dreamedof. Dont rely on your boss to do it for you. Create a network of influential leaders, sponsors, and mentors who know you and your achievements. Then,as soon as an opportunity opens up,youll be top of mindwithall the right decision-makers.5. When Youre a Star, Most of Your Mistakes Will Be ForgivenI have had the privilege of making some potentially career-lethal mistakes that went overlookedbecauseI was delivering results and management perceived me as a star.At the same time, Ive seen cases where management wasjust fishing for mistakes so they could kiss an employee goodbye. The key is to be diligent and cautious at all times, especially when you ar e not completelymeetingexpectations. Even the slightest issue can get you into trouble.6. High-Paid Opinions Hold More Weight than Low-Paid FactsThere are the actual data and facts, and then there are opinions and positioning. The opinions of higher-paid (and higher-ranking) people matter more in most organizations. Even when lower-paid (and lower-ranking) people have data and facts on their sides, top management has the right andauthority to do as they please. The earlier you learn this, the better.7. Sometimes Its Okay to Dissent and Sometimes It IsntMost companies encourage straight talk and want you to speak your mind. What they dont tell you is that, if you speak your mindtoo often, you might be labeled as negative, cynical, or narcissistic.There will be times when you have to choose between being in the right and being employed.Before you blurt out your opinion, ask yourselfwhat is at stake. How could your opinion be perceived? Is there a conflictbetweenwhat you are saying an d what the company wants?Be strategic if youre going to disagree. Back up your message with data, and deliver itin a non-confrontational tone. As you may know, its not the words that get people off their chairs its the tone.8.Theres a Fine Line Between Gaining Experience and Growing RustyYou think that becauseyou have 10 years of experience in your category of business, you arenot only highly valuable to your company but also a great catch for your competitors? Well, think againIn those 10 years, you have been pretty much doing the same thing over and over again, working with almost the same exact people the whole time. Have you ever delivered truly slam-dunk results?Why would anyone be interested in you over the other guywho has worked in three different organizations, rolled up his sleeves to deliverin every role hes held, and led his teams to stellar results?The lesson here Dont get rusty.9. Never Associate Your Self-Worth With Your lokalitt or PerformanceIt feelsgreat when you a re the champ but what what happens when you arent? And there will be times when you arent. Even if youre the next Mark Zuckerberg or Steve Jobs, you are bound to fail along the way.How do you react when you fail? Do you tie your self-worth and self-esteemtoyour job? You will be absolutely miserable if you do. You have to keep in mind that there are many factors outside of your direct influence that determine your success. If you were to beat yourself up for failing in those ares,it wouldnt be fair. Take pride in all the other roles you have in life when the going gets tough at work.10. It Is Easy to Thrive on Mediocrity Dont Fall for itDont be a victim of your own success. After youvespent years learning all the rules of the game, youll know how to play it with precision. At that point, it will become easy to fall into the trap of mediocrity.So what if you dont have stellar results? You can frame it otherwise. So what if you got passed over for a promotion? You have the right spons ors, and theywill look out for younext year. So what if youve been on a dud assignment for the belastung three years? At least you have a stable, high-paying job.This mindset is a kiss of death. Its detrimental to your learning and growth it is the path thatensures you get rusty.You dont have to. Instituteazero-tolerance policy for mediocrity, no matter how good youve gotten at playing the game. Push your boundaries and break the monotony.Dont struggle like I did. Give yourself a leg up in the business world. Learn these rules today, and really take them to heart.You may feel overwhelmed and even a little despondent right now, but youll thank me later.A version of this article originally appeared on Entrepreneur.Samia Hasan is the founder of Direction Dose.

Why the Employee Feedback Sandwich Tactic Doesnt Work

Why the Employee Feedback Sandwich Tactic Doesnt WorkWhy the Employee Feedback Sandwich Tactic Doesnt WorkManagers in workplaces are on a mission to discover ways to provide employees with wertmiger zuwachs improvement feedback- comfortably and kindly. The feedback sandwich has been recommended in management development, consulting, and Human Resources practices for years by many different consultants and trainers. And, you know what? They are wrong to recommend the feedback sandwich as a method for providing constructive feedback. It just doesnt work. And, it may even prove harmful to employee feedback. What a Feedback Sandwich Is In a feedback sandwich, the manager layers constructive feedback between two instances of positive performance feedback. The formula looks like start the meeting with positive feedback, then provide constructive or negative feedback, and then, end the meeting with more positive feedback. (Note the constructive meat is layered between two pieces of brea d praise.) Regardless that this approach may be comfortable for managers who seek easy ways to provide constructive feedback, the feedback sandwich may not be as helpful as recommended. In fact, it can get in the way of effective, meaningful feedback and communication that will produce performance improvement results. Heres why. Problems With the Feedback Sandwich Using a feedback sandwich flies in the face of recommendations about how to provide effective, meaningful employee feedback that is less than positive. The best approach recommended to performance improvement feedback is to provide straightforward, to the point, descriptive communication with examples of what the employee needs to improve.When an employee is scheduled for a meeting, even if it is a regular meeting, the employee anticipates that some feedback will be constructive. Sure, the employee doesnt like the constructive feedback as much as positive feedback, but the meeting met his or her expectations.The employ ee does not feel deceived or fooled. If the employee can expect honest, straightforward feedback from you, the employee will trust you. Beating around the bush is perceived as prevarication. If you provide feedback in a sandwich, the employee forgets what you said about his or her positive performance when you use terms such as and or but to transition to the perceived negative feedback. The employee loses the positive first interaction when they experience follow-up constructive feedback. Hence, you lose the supposed advantage of offering positive feedback first.Performance improvement feedback that is followed by more positive feedback distorts the importance of the feedback about areas to improve. The employee can be confused about the importance of constructive feedback. Since sustained improvement is the basis for recommendations about raises and other organizational perks, this places the employee at a disadvantage. Positive feedback is a powerful tool that managers can use to communicate the value of the employees work and contribution to the organization. It reinforces behaviors that youd like to see more of on the job. The feedback sandwich diminishes the value and the power of the positive, reinforcing feedback that is delivered during the same message or meeting. Alternative Strategies for Providing Constructive Feedback Convinced that the feedback sandwich may actually hinder effective performance feedback? If so, then these recommendations will help you provide more effective, employee-enabling, behavior-changing feedback to employees. (And, thats what you wanted in the first place, right?) You need to prepare for any meeting during which you will provide constructive feedback to an employee. The babo plays a powerful role in the employees work life and you need to remember this at all times. (Yes, this is burdensome, but you chose to be a boss with the responsibility for providing constructive feedback.)Your preparation of wording, approach, and examples will make you more comfortable as the deliverer of constructive feedback.An additional rule has been widely recommended to managers. If you need an employee to improve his or her performance, address only one major improvement at a time. With this approach, the employee can fully comprehend the needed changes. You can spend the time offering examples, developing a course of action, and expressing confidence in the employees ability to improve. It makes sense to focus after you have given the employee an overview of the key areas of needed improvement. You might even ask the employee where theyd like to concentrate first. When discussing the employees performance, link the failings to their real impact on the business and on the employees coworkers. Help the employee see where their actions are unfavorably having an impact on their company and their career. Focus, too, on the positive results that will occur with improvement. You need the employee to believe that they ha ve hope on the horizon.Areas that you put forth for improvement may already be apparent to the employee. The straightforward approach allows the employee to acknowledge that he or she sees the need for improvement. In fact, the employee may be experiencing frustration about how to approach improvement and how to get better results. This is an opportunity for the manager to develop a relationship with the employee in which the manager is viewed as a helpful resource who is committed to the employees success. The outcome of the meeting should be an action plan with feedback sessions planned at regular intervals. The employee is more likely to improve with clear expectations, due dates, and your proffered regular support. Then, make sure that you do follow up with the employee to emphasize the importance of his improvement to the success of his career.In a performance review setting, provide both positive and constructive feedback while providing the opportunity for discussion. Followi ng the entire discussion, rather than provide more positive feedback, use the time to express confidence in the employees ability to improve. Establish an action plan and critical points timeline that specifies when youd like feedback about progress from the employee. The feedback sandwich is an outdated recommendation that catered to the skills, fears, and trepidation of managers who were expected to help employees improve their performance by providing clear and honest feedback. If you follow these recommendations instead, you actually have the opportunity to help every employee succeed.