Are you afraid of changing your job goals? You're not alone. Here's a lesson I'm still learning: Changing your mind isn't the same as giving up. You see, I've been thinking a lot lately about goals—how to set them properly, how to see them through, how to keep your perspective about achieving them. As most of you know, I'm kind of a goal junkie. But recently, I've had to make some... corrections, and it's been hard. In many ways, it makes me feel weak. Like I've failed. But I realized this morning that I've been looking at it the wrong way. I've been acting like “changing my mind" is the same as “quitting." And it's not. You see, changing your mind is YOUR RIGHT. No one can take that from you. The trick is not to be fickle. Give your decision the thought and attention it deserves. But give yourself the freedom you deserve. Here are a few questions to consider before changing your mind:
Here are eight ways to effectively deal with the Monday Blues so you can start your week off on the right foot!
1. Don't Think About Them
The more you think about the Monday Blues, the worse they become. The way I deal with the Monday Blues is to not think about them. Do they go away? I'm not sure. But it sure makes me feel better. If you think about an itch, it seems to get itchier. So, I just don’t think about the Monday Blues and I do not remind myself of the feeling. I simply ignore them and I feel better immediately. So, get that concept of the Monday Blues out of your mind. The less you think about the Monday Blues, the easier it will be to get through the day.
2. Get Some Sunlight
Get outside and soak of some sunlight when you can. Sometimes just getting some fresh air can help. There has been lots of research that shows sunlight stimulates our feel-good hormones and helps us deal with the blues—Monday Blues or otherwise.
3. Get Your To-Do List Ready On Sunday
When I return from a long vacation, I use the day before to tidy up my list of things to do at work. It helps me plan out and prepare for the load of work that awaits me when I get back to work the next day. I use the same system to deal with Mondays. Get your to-do list ready for the new week. When you have a properly planned list, you feel you are more in control and hence feel less of the Monday Blues.
4. Listen To Music
Some people like to start their Monday listening to music they love. It might help to improve your mood and provide you with the motivation to take on the day. Turn on the music while you make yourself a hot cup of coffee or tea in the morning, when getting ready for the day, or while commuting to work. It helps take your mind away from the experience of Monday mornings.
5. Prioritize Your Health On The Weekend
Let’s face it: sometimes it isn’t the Monday Blues that drag us down. It’s what we did on the weekend that does. I like to call it "inertia from the weekend." If we sleep in on Saturday and Sunday and have a leisure weekend, our body expects Monday to be the same. Or, if we party it up and don't take care of ourselves, we'll feel the effects of that on Monday morning. We'll hit the snooze button and, before you know it, we'll be rushing again. And we all know what happens when we rush. We skip breakfast, have small mishaps and, consequently, our week starts off on the wrong note. In other words, an unbalanced weekend—one without activity or relaxation—can make Mondays worse.
We blame it on Monday, but it is not about Mondays—it is simply not prioritizing our physical or mental health on our days off. So, take care of yourself this weekend, wake up early, and see how that changes your Monday.
6. Eat
Ever thought about food as a way to tackle your Monday Blues? By starting early, you allow yourself to make a good breakfast or grab one on the way to work. If you are not a breakfast person, I strongly urge you to try it to tackle your Monday Blues. A stomach with fuel for the day sure helps in dealing with the Monday Blues. If that doesn’t work, look forward to a good lunch with good company.
7. Look Forward To Good Things
There are many good things at work if you just open your eyes and be mindful. Your pay helps you settle your bills. Your colleagues have become good friends. Your boss, who you may not always agree with, is by and large understanding when you make certain requests. Look forward to these good things when you are faced with the Monday Blues.
8. Realize It Will Be Over Soon
Everything that starts must end. It’s the same with Monday Blues. It’s just the morning that you are usually most affected. Just tell yourself it isn’t permanent. It’s just a phase and, as with everything else, it will go away. It happens on Monday and it’s just for a few hours. Before you know it, it will be over. Do not dwell on it. Create your own dominant thought that masters your mind.
The Monday Blues need not own you and you need not fear them. The more attached you are to the concept, the worse it will affect you. Try some of these tips and see how they will help you tackle your Monday Blues!
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This article was originally published at an earlier date.
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The Challenges Of Implementing A DEIB Program
Diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging (DEIB) are definitely buzzwords that have been around for several years now.
Companies have realized the many benefits of including as many diverse groups as possible in their workforce to arguably appease social pressures or legal requirements, but also when they see how these different perspectives can benefit them in so many ways never before imagined or considered.
Some companies have been unsuccessful in their attempts to employ their DEIB strategy for a number of reasons, including lack of commitment, lack of understanding, or lack of a targeted strategy.
Project management teams can be tasked with this mission and can employ such important concepts as intercultural competence to successfully implement such an ambitious culture change program.
3 Direct Benefits Of DEIB Initiatives
Right away, I can think of three direct benefits of implementing a robust DEIB program:
1. Innovation
From diverse cultures come a myriad of interpretations and ideas which take brainstorming sessions to a whole new level. Many issues previously hidden from sight as well as new, innovative ways of solving organizational problems or mitigating risk tend to surface under such dynamic conditions.
For example, when developing a new global communications app, ensure you include a cross section of people from the BRICS countries so as to truly understand their communication preferences based on infrastructure cultural influences. This could include naming conventions on the menu so as to avoid potentially offensive language or too complex of a layout which could ward off potential users.
2. Morale
Globally, the pandemic has affected different countries in different ways and some would argue that many of the emerging economies may have had a less traumatic experience due to the economic hardships they have endured for many years. As such, targeted efforts to improve morale in these countries need to be implemented based on a detailed review and understanding of the pain points in each case.
Even before the pandemic, most larger companies suffered from steadily declining morale for a whole host of reasons. When companies demonstrate a commitment and openness to be inclusive, the direct impact on morale can be extremely positive at all levels of the organization.
3. Employee Engagement
In some countries such as Brazil, for example, employers have long been criticized for exploiting the population's restricted access to higher education as well as overtly discriminating against certain groups. As such, employees tend to not trust companies as a whole and are always skeptical when new policies, programs, or evaluations are implemented.
As employee morale improves, so does employee engagement which certainly has a positive impact on achieving KPIs. This will, in turn, foster a positive working environment which can certainly lead to greater levels of employee retention.
What Is Intercultural Competence And Why Is It Important?
Intercultural competence is basically the skill of understanding other cultures in such a way so that you are able to communicate more effectively with them. The key word here is EFFECTIVELY as it is not enough to simply speak or employ the same language.
For me, it is a deep dive into cultures so as to better understand what makes people tick and how they process communication of all sorts.
When digging deeper into these cultures, we readily identify:
- Political, socio-economic, and religious filters
- Historical oppression of certain groups and its impact on their behavior
- Geo-political relationships between countries and even ethnic minorities in each country
As diverse and overwhelming as this may sound, there is a way to achieve intercultural competence with the proper amount of study and, of course, an open mindset.
In my lengthy experience as a career expat in the oil & gas industry, I have seen how companies have fallen short on this important topic, even for cultures that were not so different than that of the home office in Houston.
Our already internationally connected world has become so interdependent today that companies can no longer ignore this issue as they risk serious misstepping which can have disastrous consequences when damage control has to be implemented due to an "international incident."
Project management teams are usually composed of cross-functional and multicultural teams and are an excellent choice to educate companies regarding cultural issues while offering feedback from lessons learned sessions in which these issues were identified, mitigated, and used as assets for future projects.
Using Intercultural Competence To Attract And Retain Top Talent
five human hands on brown surfacePhoto by Clay Banks on UnsplashThe Great Resignation of 2021 has descended on the United States with such a loud boom that it has seemingly permanently altered the employee-employer dynamic. Companies are scrambling to replace lost talent as well as retain their biggest performers.
I can see how companies can bridge this gap and move towards a more sustainable talent retention metric by implementing DEIB programs with appropriate intercultural competency training.
This needs to be done top-down so that people of all cultures, generations, ethnicities, handicaps, and gender (to name a few) can see that top management really understands the difficulties they have encountered both in life and in the workplace, and that they are committed to creating a more harmonious, inclusive space for everyone.
When these biases are removed from the hiring and promotion processes, the message is then clear that opportunities will be available to all, based on skill set and performance as well as other non-discriminatory factors.
In other parts of the world, the Great Resignation has not occurred nor will it to the same extent we are seeing in the U.S. This is mainly due to cultural perceptions of the employee-employer relationship, labor laws in some countries which require employment contracts, pensions, and legal protections not afforded to their American counterparts. France and Brazil are two such countries which offer much higher levels of protection to the employee, sometimes at the behest of U.S. multinationals.
From a project management perspective, I could easily see how a dedicated project team could map out the composition of the current workforce, the locations in which the company operates, and then scope deliverables targeted to identify synergies, major disconnects, as well as opportunities to streamline the DEIB initiative. Once this is done, the training programs can be developed with HR spearheading the initiative.
How To Use Intercultural Competence As Part Of The DEIB Strategy
When I worked on a project in Brazil, we had an urgent need for four technicians to service valves on an offshore installation. The vice president of project management located the technicians in record time and proceeded to affirm that they all spoke Spanish so "we were good." He could have obviously benefitted with better cultural knowledge of Brazil.
I could certainly list many examples but the point is that many corporations (in the U.S. at least) have really never grasped the fundamental importance of truly connecting their top managers with their teams in other countries, not to mention the diversity they have right at home!
So, how do you get these executives up to speed?
Cross-cultural training across business functions is a definite must for mid- to senior-level executives who work in multinational corporations and obviously needs to be adapted to the circumstance whether the executive will be deployed as an expat or not.
You also need champions!
The top-down approach will then require champions at all levels of the organization, much like any significant culture change project would require for successful implementation.
So, how long will it take?
Due to the size of the corporation, its geographical footprint, as well as the complexity and variety of cultural issues to be covered, it could certainly take a number of years to fully implement the DEIB initiative.
Companies can certainly leverage social media to help shorten the implementation cycle, as long as they are aware of the generational preferences for each of the platforms so that they reach as many of their people as possible.
Other intergenerational communication styles (face-to-face, email, messaging, etc.) can also be used to speed up the process.
DEIB Needs To Be A Carefully Managed Top-Down Strategy
For companies to survive in an already challenging and increasingly complex world, a well-implemented diversity, equity, and inclusion strategy at all levels of the organization will be key. Companies cannot forget to apply the multicultural filters to this strategy so that global implementation is possible, especially when you consider the higher number of people working remotely across the globe.
Companies may choose to gradually implement the program over time so as to minimize impact on budgets while ensuring that they are communicating effectively with the increasingly diverse workforce.
Leveraging project management resources will certainly drive the initiative in a focused manner.
Business executives can certainly do their part to fully support the initiative as well as play an active role by utilizing such techniques as intercultural competence to sharpen their skills and maintain their relevance as key influencers for whom the diverse workplace will want to work.
Whatever the case may be, social media will definitely provide quality checks for companies, so a robust social media strategy will be vital for long-term business continuity.
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Here are five things to remember before leaving your next voicemail if you want to make a good impression and increase your chances of getting an in-person interview...
1. Never Underestimate The Power Of The Phone
In our digital age, the majority of communication with friends and family happens via text or other direct messages. Making a phone call seems like a cumbersome, slow, and inconvenient form of communication. However, people over the age of 35 are much more comfortable using the phone and they will commonly use it as a screening tool for applicants. But no matter the age of the hiring manager, most employers will schedule a phone interview with you before bringing you in for an in-person interview.
Phone interview skills are essential across all employment levels. High-powered consultants as well as café workers will all usually face a phone interview and need to use voicemail sometime during the interview process. This is your first contact with a potential employer and it is critical to make a fabulous impression.
2. Record And Listen To Your Own Voice
Leaving an excellent voicemail begins by nurturing a good speaking voice. Speak slowly, clearly, and correctly. Use Dragon software or even the simple record feature on your phone to cultivate a good phone voice. This takes practice.
Prepare five outgoing messages in quick succession. On the first, use your normal speaking voice and your usual outgoing message. On the second, follow this text: “This is (your name). Press # to skip the rest of this message. I am currently unavailable. I check and answer voicemails after breakfast, lunch, and at 3:30pm. Please leave a detailed message and I will get back to you as soon as possible.” (Vary the content of the message to your own personal schedule but provide the listener with details about when you will be checking messages and calling them back.)
On the third outgoing message, purposely lower the tenor of your voice and speak again. On the forth outgoing message, consciously speak a little slower and remove "ums," "uhs," and any other common speech fillers. On the fifth message, make your voice slower, lower, and speak clearly.
Wait at least four hours and then listen to all the renditions of your outgoing message. Then, record a final outgoing message using what you have learned by listening to your own voice. Listen to this sixth message the next day and if you are happy with the results keep it as your outgoing message.
3. Good Voicemails Begin With Details
When leaving a voicemail, always leave your full name and the job title of the position you are calling about at the beginning of the message. Then, leave the reason you are calling and your call back number including the area code. Repeat the call back number and your name at the end of the voicemail.
4. Help The Hiring Manager Out
Leave enough information in the body of your voicemail so that the listener can quickly separate you from the rest of the applicants. This can be as simple as, “This is John Jones, I submitted my resume two weeks ago on April 15th. I am returning your call dated May 10th requesting a personal interview.” Something more informal can also work.
The idea here is two-fold: make an impression and help the person on the other end quickly identify who you are and your reason for calling.
5. Leave Enough Information To Entice The Hiring Manager
Leaving too little information is a common mistake. In a voicemail, there is room for at least one sentence after all the details to really leave an impression. Do not drone on! The idea here is to leave something for the hiring manager that shows you are as interesting as you are interested. Something like:
“This is John Smith, I am calling about the job that you had listed to work in the herpetology lab at the Natural History Museum. I sent you my resume last week. My call back number is (913) 244-8022, if your department can handle another crazy guy with an excellent Godzilla movie collection; I’m your man. Again, my name is John Smith and my number is (913) 244-8022.”
Craft your lines carefully and appropriately. Herpetologists are scientists who study reptiles and amphibians and they notoriously love Godzilla movies. The comment above reflects research as well as the personality of the applicant.
The next time you need to leave a voicemail in your job search, remember these five tips. With a well-executed voicemail, you'll make a good first impression and increase your chances of landing an in-person interview. Practice makes perfect!
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This article was originally published at an earlier date.
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So, how can recent grads break into the workforce?
Here are seven tips from our approved career experts on finding a job after college.
1. Showcase Your Skills
Debra Wheatman of Careers Done Write suggests listing leadership roles that you held in clubs or other activities that demonstrate your practical skills. "You might also want to pursue an internship now," she says. "This will enhance your resume, contribute to professional experience, and also help to build your network."
2. Make A Job-Specific Resume
"As a new college grad, it's vital that your resume make the most of the experience you do have," says Cheryl Simpson of Executive Resume Rescue. Simpson suggests bolstering your resume by including more keywords, better descriptions of your achievements to date, and relevant project assignments. That way, you can emphasize your transferable skills to prospective employers.
"As long as the jobs you're applying for are relevant to your major, chances are good that you're qualified for entry-level jobs," says Rachel Dotson of ZipRecruiter. "The most likely culprit, then, is that you're having a hard time communicating how your skills and experience make you qualified for a given position."
Dotson suggests going through your resume and cover letter and asking yourself, line by line, whether each point supports the requirements for the job you're applying to. You can also get industry-specific advice for your application materials at your campus career center and, better yet, from former internship advisors and those currently in your desired field.
Lisa Adams of Fresh Air Careers suggests asking yourself the following questions:
- How are you presenting yourself on your resume and LinkedIn profile?
- Are you not showing your value and differentiators?
- What kind of work experience have you obtained during your college years?
3. Modify Your Job Search
"A by-product of the bad economy is a serious bias for work experience and the 'perfect fit,'" says Dorothy Tannahill-Moran of Next Chapter New Life. "This doesn't mean the time and work you put into your degree was a waste. It means it's not enough." In this case, she suggests modifying your job search by looking into staffing agencies, internships, and volunteer positions as a means of getting some of the work experience you need.
"Employers right now are risk adverse," Tannahill-Moran says. "They only want to hire people they know have work ethics (which is something they don't want to train someone in) and have developed the skills to do the work (to reduce cost associated with training)."
4. Look Somewhere New
"Maybe you're looking in the wrong place," says Kathy Ver Eecke of Working For Wonka. The stats are clear; most new jobs are found with startups. Almost 85% of startups say they'll hire in the next 12 months; close to 10% will hire more than 10 employees!
"The good news for recent grads is that startups hire for mindset over skill set every time," she says. "You'll get the job faster armed with passion and enthusiasm for the product over having a resume filled with applicable experience. It sounds counterintuitive, but it's just the way startups roll."
She suggests taking the following steps:
- Find a fast-growing new company with a product or service you think is great
- Tell the founder of the company how much you love it
- Offer your time for free (if you can't get a paid position)
- Make yourself indispensable
"At a startup, every set of hands, every available brain, gets a good workout," she says. "You'd be surprised what they'll let you do. If ultimately they can't hire you, you'll walk away with the resume boost you were looking for."
5. Go For Unpaid Internships
"Being unpaid doesn't mean it's not valid work experience," says Jenny Yerrick Martin of Your Industry Insider. "And if you don't have unpaid work on your resume and can't get hired, offer to work unpaid for entrepreneurs or small businesses in your field and/or volunteer at events for your industry. That adds experience to your resume and allows you to network and prove yourself to people who could hire you."
6. Never Stop Learning
"Don't let graduation be the end of your learning," says Ben Eubanks of Upstart HR. "Start reading books, industry blogs and magazines, and so on to keep yourself up to date on the latest and greatest in your field." Eubanks suggests finding a local nonprofit and volunteer your time in a way that you can add the experience to your resume.
"If you only walk away with one thing, let it be this: you are the only one who can change this," he says. "Hoping that a hiring manager will lower the bar or 'just give you a chance' isn't the answer; making yourself a more knowledgeable and attractive candidate is the only thing you can count on."
7. Don't Give Up
"Network, network, network, and keep looking," says career coach Arleen Bradley. "Apply for internships in your field and particularly in companies where you want to work. Volunteering your time doing what you want to do for a career equals experience."
We hope these seven tips will help you find your first job after college. It's competitive out there, but you can do it. You're more qualified than you think you are!
Are you struggling to find a job as a recent college grad? We can help!
Check out our FREE resources page!
Or, join our career growth club today and get access to one-on-one career coaching, resume and cover letter reviews, online tutorials, and unlimited networking opportunities—all in your back pocket!
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This article was originally published at an earlier date.
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How Job Seekers Should Respond To Recruiters
@j.t.odonnell Reply to @mss_jammeh HOW TO RESPOND TO A ##RECRUITER ABOUT A ##JOB ##jobtips ##jobsearch ##findajob ##jobs ##careeradvice ##careertiktok ##PUBGMOBILE ##joblife
♬ Stuck in the Middle - Tai Verdes
As a job seeker, if you get a message from a recruiter about a job, when you respond is more important than how you respond. Respond fast—as fast as you possibly can. Do not wait and think about it. Do not try to find the right words. Email or message the recruiter ASAP and say, "I would absolutely love to talk to you about this. Here is my phone number. Text me. Call me any time."
Why is it important to respond to a recruiter quickly? Well, that message you got from a recruiter—20-30 other people got the same one. It's only the first five or six candidates who respond and say, "I'm totally ready to talk to you. You name the time," that get a phone call from the recruiter. They're the ones who make it to the phone screen.
Remember, recruiters are being evaluated on how quickly they can find candidates who are a match for the job. The longer you wait to respond, the less likely you will ever hear back from them.
A lot of job seekers get confused when they respond to a recruiter and never hear back. This is why. If you're not one of the first five or six potential job candidates to respond to a recruiter's message, you lost out on the job opportunity.
So, make sure you respond to a recruiter quickly if you're interested in the job they're hiring for. Give them your phone number. Tell them they can text and/or call you. Be prepared because you need to jump on that message or you're going to miss your window of opportunity.
Want To Stand Out To Recruiters?
The job market is incredibly competitive right now, and job seekers need to figure out how to stand out to recruiters and hiring managers if they want to land interviews and get a job.
Not sure how to effectively market yourself to recruiters and potential employers? Work It Daily can help!
Sign up for a Work It Daily membership today and get access to one-on-one career coaching, resume and cover letter reviews, online tutorials, and unlimited networking opportunities—all in your back pocket!
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