Saturday, May 30, 2020

Age Discrimination, Old Job Seekers, Options

Age Discrimination, Old Job Seekers, Options Theres a discussion I think we need to have that I havent seen elsewhere. Ive been thinking about this for the last year or so, as the job market has gotten worse. The pink elephant seems to be those who are discriminated against for their age specifically, the older worker (we can talk about age discrimination for younger workers in a separate post). Lets assume a couple of things: The economy, and the job market, are in the crapper.  Regardless of what strategies and tactics you employ, some of you just wont find a job. Period. Older people (whats the age cutoff?  40?  50?  60?  Or is it a matter of wrinkles and gray(ing) hair?) are passed over for jobs for various reasons. Put these two together and it can be beyond discouraging. Yesterday I read a really interesting post titled Silicon Valley’s Dark Secret: It’s All About Age. Of course we knew some of this stuff (or all of it), and its not limited to Silicon Valley.  But the post puts certain things into perspective. The author, Vivek Wadhwa, ends with this: Finally, I don’t know of any university, including the ones I teach at, that tells its engineering students what to expect in the long term or how to manage their technical careers. Perhaps it is time to let students know what lies ahead. Interesting does this mean that what you think your career will look like is what it really will look like? Maybe, the older we get, the more our career changes? Its not that you are getting put out to pasture (excuse the phrase but I know many older, discriminated-against wannabe-employees feel that way), but maybe your role and value prop is simply different. Maybe you are chasing after the wrong job, wrong level, wrong company. What are the options one Ive heard is I dont have to work anymore Im trying to figure out if I want to.  What a nice place to be.  Not many have that option. What are other options? Freelancing/consulting seems fun but it is definitely not without stress or problems. Starting a company is a viable option but, again, not without stress or problems (whos ready to spend 15 hours a day on a new business??). Seriously what are real options for older workers who are not finding any success in finding a job, I mean making ends meet, I mean figuring out where any income will come from?? Age Discrimination, Old Job Seekers, Options Theres a discussion I think we need to have that I havent seen elsewhere. Ive been thinking about this for the last year or so, as the job market has gotten worse. The pink elephant seems to be those who are discriminated against for their age specifically, the older worker (we can talk about age discrimination for younger workers in a separate post). Lets assume a couple of things: The economy, and the job market, are in the crapper.  Regardless of what strategies and tactics you employ, some of you just wont find a job. Period. Older people (whats the age cutoff?  40?  50?  60?  Or is it a matter of wrinkles and gray(ing) hair?) are passed over for jobs for various reasons. Put these two together and it can be beyond discouraging. Yesterday I read a really interesting post titled Silicon Valley’s Dark Secret: It’s All About Age. Of course we knew some of this stuff (or all of it), and its not limited to Silicon Valley.  But the post puts certain things into perspective. The author, Vivek Wadhwa, ends with this: Finally, I don’t know of any university, including the ones I teach at, that tells its engineering students what to expect in the long term or how to manage their technical careers. Perhaps it is time to let students know what lies ahead. Interesting does this mean that what you think your career will look like is what it really will look like? Maybe, the older we get, the more our career changes? Its not that you are getting put out to pasture (excuse the phrase but I know many older, discriminated-against wannabe-employees feel that way), but maybe your role and value prop is simply different. Maybe you are chasing after the wrong job, wrong level, wrong company. What are the options one Ive heard is I dont have to work anymore Im trying to figure out if I want to.  What a nice place to be.  Not many have that option. What are other options? Freelancing/consulting seems fun but it is definitely not without stress or problems. Starting a company is a viable option but, again, not without stress or problems (whos ready to spend 15 hours a day on a new business??). Seriously what are real options for older workers who are not finding any success in finding a job, I mean making ends meet, I mean figuring out where any income will come from?? Age Discrimination, Old Job Seekers, Options Theres a discussion I think we need to have that I havent seen elsewhere. Ive been thinking about this for the last year or so, as the job market has gotten worse. The pink elephant seems to be those who are discriminated against for their age specifically, the older worker (we can talk about age discrimination for younger workers in a separate post). Lets assume a couple of things: The economy, and the job market, are in the crapper.  Regardless of what strategies and tactics you employ, some of you just wont find a job. Period. Older people (whats the age cutoff?  40?  50?  60?  Or is it a matter of wrinkles and gray(ing) hair?) are passed over for jobs for various reasons. Put these two together and it can be beyond discouraging. Yesterday I read a really interesting post titled Silicon Valley’s Dark Secret: It’s All About Age. Of course we knew some of this stuff (or all of it), and its not limited to Silicon Valley.  But the post puts certain things into perspective. The author, Vivek Wadhwa, ends with this: Finally, I don’t know of any university, including the ones I teach at, that tells its engineering students what to expect in the long term or how to manage their technical careers. Perhaps it is time to let students know what lies ahead. Interesting does this mean that what you think your career will look like is what it really will look like? Maybe, the older we get, the more our career changes? Its not that you are getting put out to pasture (excuse the phrase but I know many older, discriminated-against wannabe-employees feel that way), but maybe your role and value prop is simply different. Maybe you are chasing after the wrong job, wrong level, wrong company. What are the options one Ive heard is I dont have to work anymore Im trying to figure out if I want to.  What a nice place to be.  Not many have that option. What are other options? Freelancing/consulting seems fun but it is definitely not without stress or problems. Starting a company is a viable option but, again, not without stress or problems (whos ready to spend 15 hours a day on a new business??). Seriously what are real options for older workers who are not finding any success in finding a job, I mean making ends meet, I mean figuring out where any income will come from??

Tuesday, May 26, 2020

Music = Inspiration Marla Gottschalk

Music = Inspiration Marla Gottschalk From time to time, we all experience our own form of writers block. The words (and work) stop flowing, as we find ourselves faced with that invisible, impervious wall. We might be working too hard or lingered too long solving a specific problem. Whatever the scenario â€" inspiration is absent. As we know, changing gears completely can lead to a breakthrough (Read more about the Eureka Phenonmena here.) Listening to a great piece of music, can affect this gridlock â€" setting our minds in motion, in an entirely different direction. Here are six pieces of music that might take you away from the pressure, and lead your mind toward a more productive, fluid space. I happen to find these selections helpful. However, I would love to know what you queue up when energy is running low. Share them with us here. A little extra inspiration never hurt. Bittersweet Symphony by The Verve: ______ What A Wonderful World by Louis Armstrong: _______ Clocks by Coldplay: _______ The Best is Yet to Come by Frank Sinatra: ______ Nessun Dorma by The 3 Tenors: ______ Sweet Disposition by The Temper Trap: ______ Dr. Marla Gottschalk is an Industrial/Organizational Psychologist. She also writes for Linkedin and US News World Report.

Saturday, May 23, 2020

Retail Associate Job Description Sample - Algrim.co

Retail Associate Job Description Sample - Algrim.co Retail Associate Job Description Template Download our job description template in Word or PDF format. Instant download. No email required. Download Template Using Your Template Follow these instructions to use your new job description template Step one: Fill out all details in your job description template using the provided sample on this page. Step two: Customize your requirements or duties to anything special to your workplace. Be sure to speak with team members and managers to gauge what's required of the position. Step three: When the census of the team has agreed on the description of the work, add in a Equal Employment Opportunity statement to the bottom of your job description. Step four: Check with your legal department, management team, and other team members to ensure the job description looks correct before creating a job advertisement. Choose a job board that's specific to your needs. Related Hiring Resources Retail Associate Resume Objective Examples

Monday, May 18, 2020

Get Away, Girls! 7 Perfect Places for Your Next Ladies Weekend

Get Away, Girls! 7 Perfect Places for Your Next Ladies’ Weekend Everyone needs a vacation now and then â€" and the only thing better than going on vacation is taking off with your best girlfriends. The possibilities are truly endless when it comes to a weekend getaway: You can pick a place near your hometown or jet across the country to experience an entirely new city for a few days. That’s why you should consider the following seven ideas as a jumping-off point. One might be the perfect fit for your next girls’ trip, but you might also find yourself inspired by the suggestions to forge your own path. No matter where you go, though, one thing is for sure: You and your girls will have an amazing time. Here are our seven best suggestions of where to go: Charleston, South Carolina Need a healthy dose of Southern charm? Then head to Charleston, South Carolina, where antebellum architecture, bright paint colors, horse-drawn carriages and palm trees will envelop you in that Dixie state of mind you seek. Of course, Charleston is more than its looks alone: The city has easy access to the beach, which is a perfect place to head on your girls’ getaway. On top of that, it has an incredible culinary scene, and there’s no better thing to do on vacation that eat incredible food. Portland, Oregon You’ve probably heard that Portland is a haven for hipsters, but it’s also a destination for those who aren’t rocking waxed moustaches, extra-large glasses or ironic tattoos. You and your girls will love exploring the city’s craft beer scene, which we promise won’t disappoint. Because Portland has such a young population, you’ll find the city is packed with unique and delicious food spots. Aside from a plethora of food trucks, you will also have to try Portland’s famous VooDoo Doughnut, where flavors include maple bacon and the Memphis mafia, which features fried banana chunks drizzled in chocolate and peanut butter. Yum. Las Vegas, Nevada Portland has a very chill vibe, but that may not be what you and the girls are going for this year. If that’s the case, liven things up with a trip to Las Vegas. You already know the attractions that Sin City has to offer: incredible pools, year-round sunshine, clubs, champagne and the Strip. You can make your trip even more special by going to see a concert together â€"  especially one the men in your life would rather not attend with you. Britney Spears and Jennifer Lopez, among others, have Vegas shows that would cement this as one of the best girls’ trips ever. Washington, D.C. Our nation’s capital has more to offer than a whole bunch of monuments, although those are pretty fun to visit. Still, you’ll want to infuse your girls’ weekend with a bit more excitement than that, but don’t worry: D.C. has got you covered with more than enough activities for a weekend. Because you’re on vacation, you won’t want to make any one in the group responsible for driving â€" especially in the city where parking is limited. A safe and seriously fun option would be to rent a party bus to take you around D.C. or, better yet, from D.C. to a winery just outside the city. Some companies even operate wine tours, which take participants from D.C. to the best wineries where they can drink, be merry and get home safely afterward. Traverse City, Michigan You might be thinking, “Michigan?! For a girls’ trip?” However, Midwesterners know the truth, which is that Michigan has quite a lot to offer tourists. There’s perhaps no place better to prove the point than Traverse City. This is the perfect destination for an outdoorsy squad of women. Wintertime weather â€"  read: Midwestern snowfall â€"  means you and the ladies can hit the ski slopes and cozy up in cabins. During the summer, the snow melts away to reveal gorgeous beaches. The city celebrates warm weather with plenty of festivals you will all love. Newport, Rhode Island It doesn’t get much more quaint than the New England coast. You’ve heard so much about Cape Cod, and while that’s certainly a possible destination for your getaway, you might want to consider Newport, too. Newport is just as quintessentially Northeastern as Cape Cod, but with one fun twist: the Gilded Age mansions. Yes, you and your girls can spend a full day scoping out gorgeous pieces of iconic real estate â€"  can you imagine trying to get your significant other to partake in that? Once the dream house-scoping is through, the city has everything you’d expect of a New England port: a harbor, plenty of chowder and boat shoes galore. So, pack yourself a pair of white jeans, throw on some shades and give Newport your best Jackie O impression. Austin, Texas Let’s end on a musical note: Austin, Texas, has an incredible live music scene. Aside from its most iconic music festivals â€"  hello, SXSW â€"  Austin has a plethora of bars and music venues where up-and-coming and well-loved musicians rock out every night of the week. Austin’s close enough to Mexico that its culinary scene is very much south-of-the-border inspired. This is great news on its face, but it also means you and your girls can sip some of the nation’s best margaritas all weekend long. Have you ever had any better news than that? Where Will You Go? These seven places are examples of ways to transform your girls’ trip from ordinary to extraordinary. Find the city that has the most amenities â€"  and restaurants and adult beverages â€"  in line with your tastes. Then, book and don’t look back: You all deserve a weekend away, and there’s no better way to spend some time off than with your girlfriends.

Friday, May 15, 2020

How To Write a Good Headline For Resume

How To Write a Good Headline For ResumeA well constructed headline for resume can put your resume at the front of the stack. With a catchy headline you will grab the attention of any reader, and the reader will feel that it is important to know what you have to offer. The person reading your resume will be drawn in, and they will make a decision.The common mistake made by most people is to write a story in the first paragraph, and then give a summary in the second paragraph. The headline for resume should only show a brief summary and should not go into the details of the story. You should leave the reader with a very simple goal and leave it to them to make a decision based on that goal.People will read as much as they can from the headline for resume, and the reader will decide whether or not to click through to the next page. It is also important that the headline not be worded in such a way that it makes it seem like a sales pitch. People will see that, and they will turn away, s o it is important that you have the subject line of the resume read the way you want it to read.For example, if you are selling a product to someone, you would want to write the headline for resume in a way that would lead someone to think that the product is necessary for the particular situation. You might say something like 'Needle storage unit for one room'. If you keep the sentence short, the subject line will be shorter, and this would make it easier for the reader to read the rest of the sentence. Using shorter words will make the headline for resume read more like a marketing message, rather than a request for an action.The subject line of the resume should not contain background information or tricks to trick the reader into buying a product, and you should use simple language. The reader will determine whether or not the subject line is a sales pitch.If you were trying to sell your skills, and you wrote something like 'Has worked in all levels of sales, first at Fortune 50 0, now is a sales trainer', the reader will think that you are selling your skills. What you are actually doing is describing what the reader can expect to receive if they join your training course. However, if you were to use the word 'certified', the reader would consider your skills a guarantee, and they would click through to the page where they could see what you can offer.The title of the resume should be chosen carefully, because you might not even read the resume that is produced. It might be emailed to you, or someone else might call to ask for an application. In this case, you should still put the title of the resume in the title block. This will give the reader a chance to read the entire content of the resume before it is printed out.Remember that the headline for resume is the first thing that your reader will see when they look at your resume, and they will make their decision based on the headline for resume. So if you use a long title, it will show the reader that yo u have plenty of content, and you will get lost in the long article of information.

Tuesday, May 12, 2020

Executive Job Search Top Mistake #5 of 6 Unclear Career Goal

Executive Job Search Top Mistake #5 of 6 â€" Unclear Career Goal Executive Job Search Top Mistake #5 of 6 â€" Unclear Career Goal Executive Pop Quiz: What is your concise, inspiring and clear job search goal? Similarly, what is your answer to the most common networking question “What are you looking for?” It is critical that each of you have your next step career goal written down, memorized and shared broadly with your network. Executives, you have so many skills and experiences, and you are very clear on your past accomplishments and what you did well for your other companies. But you lack one of two things (or both): one, lacking clarity on what you want to do next and/or, two, lacking the ability to articulate your next stage goal in a compelling way. Here are some examples of the most common (and poor) responses to “What kind of position are you looking for?” “I can do anything” (interpreted as someone not self-aware, not focused or not passionate about anything) “I’m looking for a challenging position where I can work with people and leverage my financial skills.” (squishy goal, all about you vs. what you can do for another) “Sales, Marketing, Business Development.” (too broad; three discreet functions) “I want to do the job your job description outlines.” (cheesy, trite, the kind of response a college graduate may say, but not appropriate for an executive) AND, the most common response is “Well, let me tell you about my background” followed by a long list of everything you have done in the last 20 years (not answering the question about your future goals at all) There are so many more, but more helpful might be to share the three main job search tips about articulating your goal: Know what you are hunting. An executive job hunt implies you have a target. Is it big, brown and say ‘growl’ or does it have a white fluffy tail and tall ears? If you don’t know how to describe your goal, spend hours on any job search board like Monster.com and write down key words. Your network contacts want to help you. However, the squishier you are in your sharing, the less amount of help they can provide. The more confident and clear you are, the more likely they are to share opportunities or advice with you. The flip side of this important step is to know what you don’t want to do, too. Write down the characteristics. Organize the “features” of your target by the following: The function you target, as specific as possible (Sales Management, Marketing Research, Financial Controllership) Have some example titles at your level, based on the job description research you have done. The industry or industries you target Size of company Sample companies in your industries and sizes â€" at least 5 Cities desired, if multiple, OR if just your current city, say so! Script your improved Goal Statement: Write out exactly what you will say to everybody. It’s okay to have two goals that are slightly disparate but there should be some explainable thread between the two. “I have two goals that I am actively pursuing now…” “I am seeking a VP of Marketing Communications in a Fortune 500 consumer goods company located in Chicago or Atlanta. Examples include Dial and Coca-Cola Corporation.” “I am well qualified for a role as Chief Operating Officer of a medium-size technology company in Austin, Texas.” Executives, Cut the Crap, Get a Job! You can do so much better and leave a much more impactful impression if you show confidence and clarity in your description of your next stage career goal. Don’t keep your job search goal a secret and good luck!

Friday, May 8, 2020

Ernie Banks inspires my career and life Lets play two!

Ernie Banks inspires my career and life Lets play two! Mr. Cub, Ernie Banks, has passed away and I’m profoundly sad. He was such a presence in my life even though he retired from baseball before I was born. I am a lifelong Cubs fan. It started at age 10 when I saw my first Cubs game at Wrigley field. I fell in love with the team and the magical place they played baseball. Cub fandom is passed down in my family on my mother’s side: from my grandma to my mom to me and now I’m passing it to my girls. Has my passion for the Cubs led to much heartbreak over the years? Yes. But I remain optimistic about the future and I get that from Ernie. His infectious enthusiasm for the game of baseball is unsurpassed. Ernie Banks is a legend. He was the first black player in Cubs history and had an amazing baseball career: 11 time all-star 512 career home runs National League MVP in back to back years He had so many amazing accomplishments, but more than that, it was his optimism, enthusiasm, and infectious spirit that remains with me. He is famous for saying to his teammates on game day, “Let’s Play Two!” He loved the game that much. As I reflect on Ernie’s life, these questions come to mind: What brings me as much joy as baseball gave Ernie? When in my life or career, do I want to say “Let’s Play Two”? What activities energized me so much that Im ready to do them all over again as soon as I finish? How can I bring more of those activities into my life and career on a regular basis? What would life be like if I could feel the energy, joy and optimism that baseball brought to Ernie? I’m going to spend some time answering those questions and finding ways to bring more of that pure joy into my everyday life. I encourage you to answer them for yourself and then identify some ways you can incorporate those energizing activities into your life on a regular basis. Thank you Ernie for everything you did for the Cubs, and for the countless number of individuals you brought joy to over the years. You will be terribly missed but your spirit remains and continues to spread joy to those you touched over the years. You are a legend in baseball, but your legacy doesn’t stop there. The legacy of how you approached and lived your life far surpassed your amazing baseball career.