Sunday, March 15, 2020

Long-Term Employment Is a Plus So Prove It in Your Resume

Long-Term Employment Is a Plus So Prove It in Yur ResumeWhile long-term employment is always favored over long-term unemployment or a job-hopping history, its easy as a worker to feel like youve deckenfries with the same title in the same company for too long. If youre ready to move on to a new position but worry that hiring managers will think you dont have enough variety in your resume, here are some ideas to give your resume that fresh, updated look youre hoping for.Remove Outdated Skills and CredentialsOne way to move your resume out of the 20th century is to remove outdated skills and other credentials. For instance, if you dont want it to appear that you still function at the same level you did in 1992, then its a good idea to eliminate phrases like skilled at word processing as it implies that you just recently retired your typewriter and learned how to use a computer. Instead, list specific and current programs that youve learned in order to give your resume a fresher look.H ighlight New Responsibilities Its good to show in your resume that youve taken on new responsibilities in your position over the years, even if youve kept the same title. As mentioned previously, its likely that youve had to learn new programs or adjust to new communication systems in order to adapt to evolving technology. Also, think about adjustments in your position that you initiatedand be aya to use action words such as developed, programmed, organized, etc. to show leadership. Finally, consider listing years that your new responsibilities were acquired as a way to measure growth.Show That Youve Continued LearningOf course, if youve learned technological skills, youve probably received some type of training along the way. So be sure to list training classes youve taken that make you relevant to new employers. And if youve gone back to school, be sure to say so to give younger candidates a run for their money.Add a Career Summary That Shows GrowthIn your resume, its always good to add a career summary near the top of your resume to provide hiring managers with a value proposition. But in your case, the summary works especially well in giving the company a snapshot (usually via a bullet-point list) of your career highlights, accomplishments, and evolution in your position.Highlight Longevity in Your Job TargetFinally, your job target (also known as a headline) is a fantastic addition to your resume because it highlights the very best of your professional career in one sentence. You can use your longevity to your advantage by stating that youre a Legal Assistant with 22 Years of Experience in a Fortune 500 Law Firm Targeting an Executive Assistant Position with XYZ Company.Theres no doubt that long-term employment shows you are dedicated, loyal, reliable, and responsiblewhich is why your employer has held on to you for so long. So use those high points to your advantage as you write a winning resume for the next phase of your life.For additional tips and adv ice on resumes and cover letters, follow us on Twitter GreatResume or visit our blog.

Tuesday, March 10, 2020

The Secret To Asking For (And Getting) What You Want At Work

The Secret To Asking For (And Getting) What You Want At Work Read all the stats out there and youre likely toget discouraged women arent promoted as often as men, women arent reaching the C-suite as often as men, women are paid less than men.But every study agrees on one thing we are more likely to get what we ask for.There isnt a magic fairy out there watching over us and sending us invitations to do cool things. Our baboes dont usually give us a raise, put us on leadership teams, or assign career-changing projects to us ... until we ask.In fact, the 2016 study Women in the workplace by purple drank In and McKinsey shows that the women who ask are 54% more likely to get a raise. Heres a ray of sunshine amid the doom and gloom women are starting to ask for what we want.So, listen up, ladiesyour time is NOW.Speak upheres HOW.How to ask for what you wantLike all habits that you want to change, asking for what you want requires knowing what to do, then practicing the heck out of it unti l it stops being so scary.For inspiration, check out this TED Talk withJia Jiang What I learned from 100 days of rejection.The bottom line practice until its easyWhat you thinkAsking for what you want starts in your head. If your inner critic tells you that you dont deserve a raise or that cool project or to be on that leadership team, or that others on your team are more experienced and better at their jobs, or that you just need one more year of experience before youre ready to ask, or a mio other reasons why youre too nervous, please tell that inner critic to sit down and shut up.Heres how to get a grip on that negative talk in your head1) Look it in the eye dont ignore itWhen you ignore it, that voice in your head gets louder. A wise coach advised me to look my inner critic in the eye and say, Hey, I see you there then turn the negative self-talk into a maybe statement.It sounds like this Hey, I see you there, telling me that I have no right to ask for thisbut MAYBE my boss will be excited to give me that promotionor MAYBE she wants to know that I have ambitionand MAYBE shes looking for someone to take on this new project.2) Get clear about what you want.Take some time to think through what you want because you cant ask for it if you dont know what it is.Make a list of everything you want and then prioritize. Its common to get a no for one thing and a yes forthe next thing you ask for. So if you get a no about the raise you want, be prepared to ask for something else like aday a weekof telecommuting.What you sayLearn a few persuasion and influence techniques to get more of what you want while building stronger relationshipsBe friendly in your tone and body language.It can be intimidating to ask for what you want when youve spent your career being told no, or youve been called bossy or too assertive oroff-putting.In one study,when observers watched a video of a woman asking for a raise, men and women alike rated the woman as less likable than the man asking for the same raise. Dont waste your energy being mad about it. Take action.In most situations, you have to be friendly and you have to smile. Yes, it sucks that you have to do this to get what you want. On the flip side, it does feel nice to be nice. And being nice doesnt mean youre a pushover.Be concise.Get your facts together and then simply stick to them. Dont ramble on.It sounds like this Heres the market rate salary info I found on these sources. Here are the projects Ive completed and heres how my work adds value to the company. Thats it. Dont mention the economy or your house payments or anything else that is not relevant to what your boss cares about. Your boss cares about looking good to her boss and being able to brag about that. You make that possible by being so awesome.Be clear.When we get nervous, we often accidentally muddle up what were asking for.Ask clearly, Id like a salary increase or Id like to know what it would take for me to get a salary increase.I love the phraseId like as a way to clearly state what you want without coming across as too harsh. Its worked well for me and the women I coach.Use silence.Ask for what you want and then be quiet.You may have been criticized for being long-winded, its a common criticism for women. Women get interrupted with, Can you please just get to the point? Harsh, right? If youve ever uttered the phrase, As I said before or As I mentioned previously then you are rambling. Stop repeating yourself, its not necessary. Just say it and be quiet.Dealing with noAsking for what you want doesnt make everyone fall in line behind you with big YESes. I wish it did. If you watchJia Jiangs TED Talk, youll hear him talk about how the noes were often followed by questions that may have led to yeses if he had stuck with it. In fact, over time, as he got more comfortable asking, this very thing started to happen.Get comfortable with rejection. You have to stop taking things personally to do that.Get curious.If you make a ssumptions about why youre getting a no, youre probably wrong.Instead,ask What would it take for me to get a raise? Would you sharesome specific ideas about what I can do toget a raise? How are you making decisions about who gets a raise? What can I do to add more value to you and the company so that Im eligible for a raise?How can I get on that Leadership Team? What qualifications are required? Would it help if I shared some of my relevant experience and how I can add value?The bottom lineYou are more likely to get what you ask for. Learning to use some persuasion and influence techniques will help you get ahead and get along. Its not necessarily the big, once-a-year negotiations that will make the biggest impact on your life, but the everyday agreements that help you get what you want and build stronger relationships.--Melissa Hereford has been a trainer and coach for 23 years in the corporate world. She teaches women solid communication skills to get Everyday Agreements Be yourse lf. Get what you want. Build stronger relationships.Fairygodboss is committed to improving the workplace and lives of women.Join us by reviewing your employer

Thursday, March 5, 2020

I Can Be Me at L3

I Can Be Me at L3 At L3 Technologies, they celebrate the talented people of the LGBTQ community, and especially their employees who are free to be themselves each and every day. Here are just some of the voices from their employees in Salt Lake City, Utah. ProudToBeL3L3 wants you to apply, and join their team of diverse people that make up their organization. Click here to see all available opportunities with L3 and dont forget to press Follow to stay up to date on new jobs, events, and mora One of the biggest challenges in almost all industries today is achieving gender parity. Gender diversity provides huge benefits in the workplace. pWhile some industries have made significant advancements in gender diversity, some industries lag further behind... and the construction industry is well-known for being in the latter category. If someone says, construction workers, youll likely picture a group of men in yellow hard hats analyzing an archit ects plans or laying bricks on top of a scaffold. And men at work signs only help to reinforce this image.pThis stereotype is rooted in reality. When was the last time you actually spotted a woman on a construction site? Or hired a female plumber or carpenter? Your answer is most likely never. In fact, the Bureau of Labor Statisticsreports that only 3.4% of the total of 8.3 million construction employees are women.pBut the construction industry has a lot more to offer than steel-toed boots and hard hats, and it needs women to help advance the industry in this era of rapid change. Here are 5 reasons why women joining the workforce or looking to make a pivot should consider a career in construction.h21. Fuel Innovation/h2pNot only is diversity the socially and morally right thing to do, but it is also actually an excellent business strategy. pResearch presented in the Harvard Business Reviewshows that diverse teams develop more innovative ideas. This is further supported by a study co nducted by Gallupon the performance of gender-diverse teams versus single-gender teams, which found that the difference in backgrounds and perspectives lumineszenzdiode to better business performance and problem-solving. h22. Capitalize on Demand/h2pThe construction industry is currently experiencing a labor shortage. The industry itself is booming and projected to be one of the fastest-growing industries, with total spending projected to exceed $1.45 trillion in 2023/a. However, most construction companies are unable to meet the rising demand. pAccording to the Associated General Contractors of America/a, more than 80% of contractors are experiencing difficulties filling hourly craft positions that represent the bulk of the construction workforce.pAnd demand isnt limited to individual contributor roles. Given the industry boom, there are a number of open stable and high-paying roles (any project managers out there?) waiting for the right candidateh23. Leadership Opportunities/h2pAc cording to the Bureau of Labor Statistics/a, women compose only 7.7% of the total 1 million managerial positions in construction.br/pBut given the highly collaborative nature of construction work, more women in leadership roles would help drive innovation and enhance productivity.Furthermore, as a woman in construction in a leadership position, youd have the unique opportunity to drive change for the industry and make it a more attractive option for other women.h24. High-Income Potential/h2pSalaries for many skilled positions in construction are on the rise, making a construction career a prime choice for women looking for a high-paying job,pThe 2018 Construction Craft Salary Surveyconducted by the National Center for Construction Education and Research revealed that salaries for many skilled craft areas are increasing. Project managers and project supervisors topped the list at $92,523 and $88,355, respectively. The next set of highest-paying jobs include those of combo welders ($7 1,067), instrumentation technicians ($70,080), pipe welders ($69,222), power line workers ($68,262) and industrial electricians ($67,269). Of the 32 categories of workers in the survey, 19 positions earned an average salary of $60,000 or higher.h25. Sense of accomplishment/h2p The construction industry can give employees a unique sense of achievement. Yes, the job is stressful and the work can be demanding, but nothing beats the feeling of being able to build something from the ground up. pHow many professionals in other industries can point at a school, a hospital, or a skyscraper and say I helped build that?pThe construction industry has a long way to go in combating gender bias and supporting women in the workforce, but given the current demand for workers, theres no better time to plektrum up a sledgehammer (figurative or literal) and smash the gender stereotypes plaguing the construction industry.