Saturday, May 30, 2020

What is Your Alter-Ego Career

What is Your Alter-Ego Career Like so many of my generation of recruiters (god, I have just made myself sound ancient and I am only 3*something), I fell into recruitment in the 1990s as opposed to by design (as is the case of many generation Y now because “it’s very lucrative” apparently).  I often chat to my contacts, as I build a relationship with them  (and of course away from work too), as to what my alternative career would have been had I not stumbled across a random advert in The Grocer that fateful day in October 1998, which led me to the R2R (who placed me into my first role) and so history tells the rest. Well, I guess it depends what day you ask me : I could have been: I think I could have been a barrister. After all, a lot of the skills I use could be comparable listening, negotiating, persuading, advocating if only I had tried harder at my A levels! I was destined for this career path and most days I am actually relieved I failed to get the grades I needed to do law (much to the horror of my parents who had funded me through private school for 7 yrs, oh dear!)so, maybe not. I should have been: Anyone who knows me personally will agree with this. I should have been a politician or public speaker of some sort. Give me a microphone and an audience and I am in my element. I think that you have to be so confident as a recruiter, putting yourself “out there” whether it’s cold calling, challenging clients, to giving bad news to candidates I think you lose your inhibitions pretty quickly (if you had any to begin with I didn’t!) Trouble is, I never know when to stop just ask the hecklers at my recent wedding vow renewals (the worst culprits were my own father and dear husband huh!) I wanted to be: Obviously Wonder Woman! Which girl (born in the 70s) didn’t want her amazing outfit (and figure!) and to have super powers? Having been in R2R for 10 yrs now, some would say I do  have super powers although I haven’t figured out yet how to jump as high as her.or fly. I could still be: A party planner! I knowdon’t laugh, but once again, I think it uses very similar skills to recruitment. Organisation, planning, negotiating, targets and goals. And, let’s face it if booze and fun is involved how can it NOT be a good career choice?! (Although it is only fun if it is your OWN party, so we can leave that one out too) We could all be: Matchmakers. I have said it for years. Set up a dating agency in the same way you run a recruitment business meeting all the parties involved face to face and matching up on personality and instinct and surely that’s a winning formula? And yet, what has stopped me? Matters of the heart are so personal and based on one episode many moons ago where I tried to play Cupid and it ended in total heartbreak (he was a right “you-know-what”). But I have the resilience! So maybe we could set up Qui Cupid Services? 3 So now over to you what would your alter ego career be? Have you read my alternative career aspirations and thought, “no way, I would be a pilot, bridal shop owner, author”? So let’s see whether it is normal or should I stick to the day job instead of the daydream? Author: Signing out, Diana Prince aka WonderWomanoops! I mean Lysha Holmes, Qui Recruitment.

Tuesday, May 26, 2020

NUCORATE For Resume Writing

NUCORATE For Resume WritingIf you are a resume writer, you need to use the NUCORATE resume writing rubric. This is especially important for the career candidates as they need to go for competitive rates.In fact, there are plenty of companies who have developed the NUCORATE career application service that has proven to be really useful for the employers. A resume that does not have NUCORATE statement will not be given to the employer and will be taken for just another resume. The employer will expect you to make a difference in the corporate world.The career candidate has to go for using a neat resume that has all the essential information about the candidate that needs to be mentioned in the resume. Such a resume will also show the aptitude and proficiency in certain job description. A neat resume will also increase the chances of success in the career of a career candidate. So, the job applicant must try to make a neat and professional resume.You must remember that the employer can easily get confused by seeing a neat resume when an applicant has used the best possible wordings for the resume. So, the candidate must read the resume and make sure that it contains the most relevant information about the job. To have a quick response from the employer, the candidate should not only have the best writing skills, but he should also use the best NUCORATE strategy.There are several ways in which you can use the resume writing rubric NUCORATE to write your resume. First of all, you can use the NUCORATE resume writing tool. This will help you give accurate and clean information about the qualifications of the resume of the career candidate.This tool will work differently in each different way. For example, you can use the chronological format to write the resume of the career candidate. Another example is the free format. Or, you can make use of the section, which works like a summary and it gives a good idea about the educational qualification, among others.You can al so use the NUCORATE checklist with the help of which you can take good care of all the points mentioned in the resume. These simple tools will help you write a resume with clean information about the qualification. However, to develop your writing skills, you must be aware about the several writing techniques.You should also create a good resume as per the requirement of the employer. Your resume should be written in a neat manner to ensure that it gets accepted by the employer.

Saturday, May 23, 2020

Strategies for Boosting Restaurant Profits in 2016

Strategies for Boosting Restaurant Profits in 2016 With constant improvements in technology, ever expanding competition, and changing tastes, staying on top in the restaurant industry means consistently refining your process and searching out ways to improve profits and boost your bottom line. If you’re in search of ways to augment your restaurant sales, consider incorporating these tips into your daily processes and watch your business and customers reap the multitude of benefits. Offer Online Ordering According to recent studies, 69 percent of consumers have ordered food online with their smartphone; if you don’t have a mobile-friendly website that makes this task easy, you might be losing out on key customers. Online ordering allows for a measure of convenience that today’s consumers have come to expect, and it can make the ordering and preparation more efficient on your end. With data entry instead of phone ordering, you’ll find fewer mistakes, happier customers, and foster a sense of a loyalty. When you do launch online ordering, make sure you allow for modifications to your items (as you would if a customer was ordering in person), provide delivery or pickup services, and offer estimated times of delivery or food readiness for pickup. You don’t necessarily need to provide your own delivery service; utilize options like GrubHub (a popular delivery app) and make it easy for hungry customers to gain access to your food. Some studies have found that ticket amounts are, on average, 10 to 30 percent higher with online orders. Harness Customer Loyalty There’s few things as integral to restaurant success as ensuring customer loyalty. One Harvard study found that if you’re able to increase your repeat customers by a mere 5 percent, you’ll see a profit increase of 25 to 125 percent. How can you improve this loyalty? Offer reward cards that see customers securing discounts each time they return, emphasize excellent customer service, and make sure you cut down on kitchen mistakes and offer excellent food each and every time. Refine Your Scheduling Process While labor costs don’t necessarily boost your restaurant sales, the wait staff you have are an integral part of securing loyal patrons, so you’d be remiss to ignore this important facet of the restaurant industry. Reducing costs can be a tough task, but one area that can always use refining is labor expenditures. If you’re looking to improve communication with your employees and work out kinks in your scheduling process, consider using an app like HomeBase. This app will help you keep track of hours, payroll, and indicate when you might be losing money thanks to less-than-satisfactory labor management and unnecessary scheduled hours. Offer Drink Specials There’s also something to be said about expanding your alcohol offerings. If your establishment currently only serves beer and wine, or you chose to forgo a liquor license altogether, you could be missing out on a bevy of profits. Many restaurants cite alcohol sales as a significant portion of their profits, and many patrons expect to be able to order their favorite alcoholic beverages when they head out for a dining experience. If you are considering getting your liquor license, or are interested in buying a license that allows you to serve a full range of liquors and spirits, you may find it difficult to secure depending on competition in your area. Instead of attempting to approach private sellers who may try to upsell you, use a brokerage service like License Locators, Inc. to find a list of available alcohol permits in your area. Use Social Media to Your Advantage If you’re not utilizing the multitude of social media channels available at the click of a button, you’re doing your business a great disservice. Make profiles on the major players, including Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. If you’re looking to appeal to Millennials and Generation Z-ers, consider starting a Snapchat account that can provide sneak peeks into the kitchen and make potential customers feel more connected to your business. Keeping your restaurant thriving means remaining flexible and adapting to current trends. Incorporate these strategies into your business plan this year and improve profits in no time. Image Source; Image Source; Image Source

Tuesday, May 19, 2020

Recruiting The Beautiful Backlash

Recruiting The Beautiful Backlash In my last blog post, I wrote about the unfair advantages good-looking people experience in the workplace, and a new website looking to capitalize on them. There is plenty of data to support the fact that positive work attributes are more likely to be credited to the genetically gifted. However, an interesting counterpoint was recently raised with regard to looks-based hiring practices. Earlier this month, the Iowa Supreme Court reaffirmed its December ruling that a dentist acted lawfully in firing a female assistant for being, well, just too darn sexy. Melissa Nelson (right), who is happily married and the mother of two young children, worked for dentist James Knight for over ten years. A year and a half before her firing, Knight mentioned to her that her clothing may be too tight or distracting for the workplace. About a year later, Nelson and Knight began exchanging text messages about work and personal matters. Soon after, Knight’s wife discovered the text messages and insisted he fire Nelson. Knight later admitted that he feared his working relationship with Nelson would lead to an affair if he did not fire her. Nelson felt that she was the victim of gender discrimination. Court documents stated that Knight admitted Nelson was good at her job. How could she be fired for not doing anything wrong? But according to the Iowa Supreme Court, employers can fire employees they see as threats to their marriages, and that such firings do not count as illegal sex discrimination because they are motivated by feelings, not gender. It would be a bold statement to profess that you are so good-looking that your beauty is a deterrent in the workplace. But this wouldn’t be the first time it has occurred. In 2009, Debrahlee Lorenzana (right) filed suit against Citibank, alleging that she was fired from the company because of her looks. Lorenzana’s lawsuit accused her employer of practicing a double-standard, whereby she was disciplined and eventually terminated for wearing low-cut blouses, pencil skirts and three-inch heels, yet other female employees were allowed to do the same without consequence because, in her words: they were short, overweight and didn’t draw attention. Lorenzana was eventually fired from Citibank for disciplinary problems and poor performance. What followed was a media circus as she retained the legal services of high-profile feminist attorney Gloria Allred, whom she later accused of only taking the case for publicity, then dropping her as a client. Lorenzana claimed she was offered a settlement, but decided to pass because she wanted to “press on.” The case went to arbitration, and in 2012, Citibank stated that they did not enter into any kind of settlement or provide Lorenzana any payment. The question at hand is whether reverse discrimination actually exists against good-looking people, or whether those who consider themselves good-looking simply perceive it that way? When a person is put in a difficult situation, it’s only natural for them to focus on the differentiating factor that separates them from their peers, and blame that factor as the reason they have been singled out. Sometimes the blame is justified, but sometimes it’s just a coincidence. In Melissa Nelson’s case, there is far less gray area. There is no debate that she was fired because of her looks. But was it justified? The Supreme Court says it was, because it was done to save her employer’s marriage. But in Debrahlee Lorenzana’s case, the lines seem to get blurred. Did her looks really play into it, or did her ego play a larger part? According to Citibank, her termination was solely performance-based and not at all related to her appearance or attire. Another interesting question to consider is how this type of reverse discrimination may play into the hiring practices of managers whose spouses share jealous traits with James Knight’s wife? If a hiring manager foresees trouble on the horizon stemming from hiring a good-looking candidate, he or she may decide to hire another less-qualified candidate in order to avoid inevitable arguments and marital struggles. Through no fault of their own, the better-looking candidate will be the one left unemployed, and in many cases will never know why. While the argument remains strong that beautiful people enjoy more advantages than disadvantages in the workplace, for every action, there’s an equal and opposite reaction. Recruiters, have you witnessed any instances of reverse discrimination against the terminally sexy? RELATED: Recruiting the Beautiful People [ONLY!]

Saturday, May 16, 2020

Writing Your Senior Project in a Resume

Writing Your Senior Project in a ResumeWriting your senior project in a resume can be difficult, if you don't know how to do it. There are so many guidelines to follow when it comes to writing your senior project in a resume that you might find yourself confused. So here are some tips on how to make it easier for you.One thing you must do is go over all of the information in your senior project in a resume to make sure you have everything needed. This means that you will need to remove or make notes on anything that is either outdated or superfluous. You also need to remember to add your contact information in chronological order. So, take a look at the information in your senior project in a resume and go through it and check everything out one step at a time.Another thing you should consider is just how many things to write in your writing for the project. What you might do is go over your job history and determine how many things you have written about. That way, you will know how many words to write and which one to use. Also, when writing about your experience, be sure to talk about your achievements in one paragraph, not the whole resume. Talk about what you accomplished in one paragraph and what you did the rest of the time.When writing your senior project in a resume, be sure to include everything you did during the project. That means everything that you did from beginning to end. Do not skip the section that describes the primary responsibilities of the project. Always talk about what you did.Also, when writing your senior project in a resume, always think about your accomplishments and anything that are worth mentioning. For example, if you want to write about the fact that you won a good grade in an exam, that is fine, but be sure to mention that as well. Always mention the awards that you received and the reason you won them.Another thing you might consider is a thesis statement for your senior project in a resume. This statement is used to make it easier for a reader to understand what the project was about. Also, keep in mind that this statement should be used to talk about how you were an integral part of the project.Finally, when writing your senior project in a resume, always write it down because it will make things easier for you when you are typing the entire document. Also, writing down is more specific than it would be to type and your writing will be easier to read when you type it up.It may seem that writing your senior project in a resume is more difficult than it needs to be, but it really isn't. If you think about all of the things that you can write about in your writing, you will soon see that writing your senior project in a resume isn't all that hard.

Wednesday, May 13, 2020

Top Tips for Making a Career as an IT Freelancer - CareerAlley

Top Tips for Making a Career as an IT Freelancer - CareerAlley We may receive compensation when you click on links to products from our partners. With outsourcing and social media theres perhaps never been a better time to freelance. The life of a freelance IT contractor sounds attractive, doesnt it? The freedom to choose your clients, organise your own schedule, and of course deciding how much youll be paid for each job you do. Its perhaps why there are now 15.5 million Americans registered as self-employed, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. That number is only set to grow having already increased by 1 million since last year. By 2020, it is expected to climb to 60 million people, or roughly 40% of the American workforce, each of them an independent worker freelancers, contractors, and temporary employees. Suggested Reading:Freelancing: The Blueprint to Become a Top Earning Freelancer in 90 Days or Less Where temp positions were perhaps once looked down upon by the workforce at large, they are now positions that are held by the best and brightest. Professionals including attorneys, CMOs, and world-class consultants all now choose to work independently, on a temporary basis. But before you leave your job to start freelancing there are a few things worth considering: The first thing to consider would be, is there a market for what you do? Are you one of many doing what you do, or are you one of just a handful? For example, there is constant demand for skilled technical work online, like in the building of high-end websites. However, social media is massively oversubscribed as a service freelancers can provide online and there is arguably now a barrier to entry. When thinking about what marketable skills you have, consider what jobs you could create for yourself rather than take for yourself. Be the problem solver a business needs. When thinking about your marketable assets, its also beneficial to think about how you plan on marketing yourself. You are, after all, now the entire company. So its time to learn how to understand how to do basic accounts, and other admin duties along with working on an effective marketing strategy. This means learning how to use social media effectively along with other online marketing tools such as MailChimp. Dont be afraid to pull yourself away from your computer to attend some networking events IRL too. You never know where it might take you. Now that youve got some clients and the work is coming in everything should be going smoothly. But what if it doesnt? You have to know how to protect yourself in the world of business. Your skills may be in demand, but if you make a mistake, or give a client the wrong advice, you could be faced with a compensation claim. Now is the time to get to grips with what professional indemnity insurance is and the different policies on offer. Whether youre a graphic designer, IT professional or a business consultant if your business relies on your expertise, you could be liable if you get into trouble. Once youve settled in to your freelance career its important that you not only manage your client time effectively, but also your own private time. Its too easy to be on all day and night. This is especially true if you work freelance from home, so be sure to set boundaries on where your working day begins and ends, just as you would as if you were going to work in an office. Using your working time as effectively as your me time will help you to alleviate the stress that comes from your busy schedule. The new freelance economy offers some fantastic opportunities for those willing to work for it. Independent workers are increasingly strategic, experienced, and professional. They want more flexibility than a traditional employee, and in many ways theyre achieving it. Stay savvy and you can take advantage of the same opportunities that many already have. Career Tip of the Day:Starting a Career as a Freelance Software Developer Career Tip of the Day: Suggested Reading: We are always eager to hear from our readers. Please feel free to contact us if you have any questions or suggestions regarding CareerAlley content. Good luck in your search,Joey Google+ Visit Joeys profile on Pinterest Job Search job title, keywords, company, location jobs by What's next? Ready to take action? Choose the right tools to help you build your career. Looking for related topics? Find out how to launch your career. Subscribe and make meaningful progress on your career. It’s about time you focused on your career. Get Educated Contact Us Advertise Copyright 2020 CareerAlley. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy + Disclosure home popular resources subscribe search

Friday, May 8, 2020

Hidden Mistake

Hidden Mistake Hidden Mistake Job Seekers Make That’s a Deal Killer One hidden mistake. That’s all it takes. And most people don’t even know that they are doing it. What I am talking about is a hidden mistake that can seep down into your psyche and truly wreak havoc. Well, what is this mysterious, dark secret? It’s when you ask a good friend, spouse/partner, or friend in human resources to read your résumé after you’ve worked on it. Say what?! Yep.   This hidden mistake has multiple layers. And here’s why: You and you alone know your career the best. People that work with you or are very close to you really only know a small portion of your persona, abilities, skills, and experience. They start reading your résumé with a specific bias already in place.   You are the only one who has the whole picture, so when you ask someone else to read your career document, you are inviting personal bias into the document.  And the hidden mistake is that we already try to keep personal bias out of the document in order to provide a more objective overview of your qualifications and background; adding in the feedback from others may seem on-point, but what you are doing is weighting the document down with bias all over again. Of course your loved one thinks you are the best! But they aren’t necessarily the best at talking about you in résumé terms. Whoever is reading your résumé likely is a good friend or has a strong affinity with you, so of course they think you walk on water. You can do anything!   But are they really going to tell you that you suck at a particular skill that you are proud of? Nope. The discipline of human resources is a subjective sport.  If you enlist a friend who is a recruiter / human resources manager / hiring manager, they are going to give you specific advice on how to structure the document according to their own personal beliefs and preferences.   Does that fly for everyone? Nope. Which leads me to my final point: There is no perfect way to write a résumé. If someone is insisting that you re-write your résumé a specific way, they have their horse blinders on. Until there is a standardization of formats, you are stuck with writing a résumé that tells your story the best way you can in order to share value. Unfortunately, there is a lot of advice out there (read: bad advice) which is outdated, so your best bet is to read up on résumé writing trends, then take the approach that best serves your needs to tell your career story. So avoid making the hidden mistake that job seekers make. Do what you do best, and if you want a truly impartial party to give feedback, in your next interview, ask the employer what made them select your résumé out of the pile. Then you know how well you are telling your story and showing value to a potential employer.