Insider Information Interview Russell Lookadoo, HR Expert

Insider Information Interview Russell Lookadoo, HR Expert Russell Lookadoo has  quite the background in HR. He has had executive roles at a couple of banks, and for the last twelve years has been consulting with small businesses that need HR help.  He has helped build large teams and has been responsible for letting many, many people go (as the messenger, of course). I got to interview him a few months ago for the Insider Information Interview series, which is a series of interviews where I ask hiring managers, HR, and recruiters how they really hire, and what they really look at and for and I was NOT disappointed! I have known Russell for many years, but it wasnt until last year that we were both in a video production together that I really came to understand that he has some amazing expertise in HR, and a great way of sharing his thoughts for job seekers.  He was one of the first people that I asked to interview for this series. Below are notes I took as I was QAing the video yesterday, as we get it ready to add it to the library.  Note that some of these are questions that are asked all the time, but getting a senior HR experts response was really quite insightful. Is there a right way (or a wrong way) to greet someone? How to make a great first impression What do you say to someone in an interview when you first greet them? You are always watched, even when you dont know you are (regarding in interviews) How to set yourself apart when answering tell me about yourself Is it bad to have scripted or coached answers in an interview? How do you make it okay? Whats the first thing to do when preparing for an interview? How do you have an outstanding interview? How and why to rephrase an interview question before you answer it Is it okay for a job seeker to be assertive in an interview? How and when? Is any of this advice different for executives? How? (very interesting insight here) What are great websites to use to do company research? What are some interview questions you ask that have an underlying question? What are you really looking for? What are transferable skills, and how do you communicate them? When do I follow up after an interview? Especially when its past the time I expected to hear from you? How do I follow up after an interview? What if I have bad handwriting should I still snail-mail a thank you note? How do you respond to a job offer? (think: negotiation) What do I need to know about sexual harassment in an interview? How do you end an uncomfortable/creepy interview early? (think: personal safety) What is the role of HR in the hiring process? How powerful is HR? Were told to avoid HR as a job seeker! Should I report a hiring manager who asks a bad question, etc.? What is an ATS, and what do I need to know about an ATS? How do I prepare my resume to get through an ATS? Conversation on salary and salary negotiation What are you (HR) telling hiring managers on how to negotiate salaries? What is the hidden job market? Are HR people good people to network with? Im your best friend what is your advice to me on starting a job search? Conversation about his resume tips Im your best friend, and Ive been in a job search for more than 18 months what is your advice to me now? What if I want to become a consultant? Pricing for consultants I cant believe we covered so much ground in just over an hour.  Russell had great answers and I know this will help job seekers are they move forward in their interviews, networking, job search, and career management! This interview should go live next week (I hope depends on the video editor). Insider Information Interview Russell Lookadoo, HR Expert Russell Lookadoo has  quite the background in HR. He has had executive roles at a couple of banks, and for the last twelve years has been consulting with small businesses that need HR help.  He has helped build large teams and has been responsible for letting many, many people go (as the messenger, of course). I got to interview him a few months ago for the Insider Information Interview series, which is a series of interviews where I ask hiring managers, HR, and recruiters how they really hire, and what they really look at and for and I was NOT disappointed! I have known Russell for many years, but it wasnt until last year that we were both in a video production together that I really came to understand that he has some amazing expertise in HR, and a great way of sharing his thoughts for job seekers.  He was one of the first people that I asked to interview for this series. Below are notes I took as I was QAing the video yesterday, as we get it ready to add it to the library.  Note that some of these are questions that are asked all the time, but getting a senior HR experts response was really quite insightful. Is there a right way (or a wrong way) to greet someone? How to make a great first impression What do you say to someone in an interview when you first greet them? You are always watched, even when you dont know you are (regarding in interviews) How to set yourself apart when answering tell me about yourself Is it bad to have scripted or coached answers in an interview? How do you make it okay? Whats the first thing to do when preparing for an interview? How do you have an outstanding interview? How and why to rephrase an interview question before you answer it Is it okay for a job seeker to be assertive in an interview? How and when? Is any of this advice different for executives? How? (very interesting insight here) What are great websites to use to do company research? What are some interview questions you ask that have an underlying question? What are you really looking for? What are transferable skills, and how do you communicate them? When do I follow up after an interview? Especially when its past the time I expected to hear from you? How do I follow up after an interview? What if I have bad handwriting should I still snail-mail a thank you note? How do you respond to a job offer? (think: negotiation) What do I need to know about sexual harassment in an interview? How do you end an uncomfortable/creepy interview early? (think: personal safety) What is the role of HR in the hiring process? How powerful is HR? Were told to avoid HR as a job seeker! Should I report a hiring manager who asks a bad question, etc.? What is an ATS, and what do I need to know about an ATS? How do I prepare my resume to get through an ATS? Conversation on salary and salary negotiation What are you (HR) telling hiring managers on how to negotiate salaries? What is the hidden job market? Are HR people good people to network with? Im your best friend what is your advice to me on starting a job search? Conversation about his resume tips Im your best friend, and Ive been in a job search for more than 18 months what is your advice to me now? What if I want to become a consultant? Pricing for consultants I cant believe we covered so much ground in just over an hour.  Russell had great answers and I know this will help job seekers are they move forward in their interviews, networking, job search, and career management! This interview should go live next week (I hope depends on the video editor).

Resume Writing Laboratory - How It Can Help You Get A Good Job

Resume Writing Laboratory - How It Can Help You Get A Good JobThose who have completed their education in a resume writing laboratory may be able to earn significant income from this training. We will discuss some of the options available to them, as well as some practical tips for successful resume writing.There are several paid and free curriculum that are available on the internet today. Many of these courses have a laboratory component. The first time they used this is when they were studying for an exam.An additional benefit is that you do not have to spend money to achieve a good resume. Many who attend these seminars realize that it is not required for that goal. So, what is the drawback?Most people would like to have some practical experience before they choose a career. For those that have some, but not enough, to have a substantial amount of experience, this type of class may not be helpful. By taking this course you can gain some experience and become familiar with the com ponents needed to write a good resume. Also, you can find that it is a beneficial experience that will help you get your foot in the door when you are looking for employment.These types of courses, which are often called resume writing laboratories, are also helpful for those who want to become employed and then get promoted to management. The reason for this is that most employers prefer to hire individuals who have had some experience. They want a team effort and someone that have demonstrated they are willing to work as a team player.As I mentioned earlier, there are a variety of different laboratories that offer resume writing training and resume writing lab services. The advantage to this is that you can learn from a professional. This helps you determine how to structure your resume and how to use it properly. In addition, many seminars also have testimonials and reviews from previous participants that give you some insight into the type of curriculum you should take.Before ta king these courses you should make sure that they meet the criteria of what you are looking for. You should check out the professionals who offer this type of education and if they have any recommendations.Whether or not you are attending resume writing workshop, there are other ways you can use to help make your resume writing. You can use resume writing laboratories, you can enroll in a free online resume writing classes and you can even sign up for resume writing workshops.

When To Change Jobs Step By Step Guide To Knowing When Its Right - Algrim.co

When To Change Jobs Step By Step Guide To Knowing When It’s Right - Algrim.co OK, so you might be thinking to yourself, “When is the right time to change jobs?” or “When should I change jobs?” If you have these questions in your mind, you aren’t alone. This is one of the most common internal questions that great employees ask themselves. It doesn’t mean that you are unhappy or doing a poor job, it could be that you are doing a fantastic job in your current role and you are starting to think about moving onto a new job simply because you’ve reached a ceiling at your current position. This is natural. We’re going to cover a few situational examples which might help you determine if its the right timing to start changing positions. Are you feeling unhappy The first thing you have to ask yourself is if you are seeking to change jobs because you are unhappy. If this is the case then often times you might want to think about a few things before you make an irrational decision. Firstly, is your unhappiness something that can be solved by your employer? For example, in most cases, great employees are rewarded for coming to an employer and saying, “I’m unhappy and here’s why.” The employer, if they value you, will engage in the conversation and start to work with you to put together a plan to solve some of your issues. If they aren’t willing to solve some of your issues, and you are still feeling unhappy, then it might be time to move on. The biggest takeaway here is, have you communicated to your manager or employer about your unhappiness? What I hear most often is that employees wish they would have communicated their issues with their current employer before having decided to leave the company. Usually, at the end of the working relationship, the employer will ask for feedback, and this information becomes available. And both the employer and the employee feel regret for not having resolved the issues before they decided to move on. Are you performing well & it’s time to think about something new This is the less common situation when examining if its time to change jobs. For those who are doing a great job in their current role but don’t have the opportunity to have upward mobility within the company, meaning to get promoted; then you might feel stuck as well. This feeling would be classified as feeling stuck, feeling that you aren’t very challenged, and feeling like the company may not be moving as quickly as it should be. If this is how you are feeling, you should sit down and start to examine the pros and cons to moving into a new company. Some of the con’s that you should really think about are: The time it takes to gain the trust of your direct report or manager The chemistry you have between yourself and your existing employer The potential of waiting until the company grows alongside the industry as a whole Often, when you are a few years into your existing job function, you might feel as though “things have slowed down.” Take a moment to think about what it will be like when you enter a new working environment. It is important to consider the opportunity that you have available to you right now simply because you’ve been apart of the companies story for a few years. Consider talking to your employer and asking them to challenge you again. Explain you are feeling as though you could be providing more value to the business and are underutilized. That may spark a positive and collaborative discussion between you and your direct report which can allow you to advance yourself without having to go through the problems of interviewing with a new company, negotiating compensation, and developing a rapport with a new team. If that doesn’t resonate with you, and you are feeling as though it is time to move jobs because you want to work with a company that has different qualities. For example, let's say the company you are currently at is only 30 people and you want to experience working with larger companies. Then you have some valid reasons for seeking out new challenges. Make sure you are considering your overall career path. And consider what outcome you are seeking within the next 5 years, 10 years and your lifetime. If the need to change jobs fits within that strategy, then it is time. Patience is a virtue in the job If none of those two factors above resonate with you, then the last situation is that you might be feeling as though the company has stalled out and isn’t going anywhere. And you are truly just feeling frustrated with the fact that the company isn’t advancing itself quick enough. If that feels closer to the issue you are having, consider the fact that oftentimes, leadership isn’t communicating company progress as often as you might think. There are regulatory issues with telling large quantities of employees potential successful outcomes that are in the near future. For example, maybe the company is about to be acquired, in which you would most likely receive a large benefit (compensation or bonus) for having been with the company during this time. And in that situation, operators of this business aren’t often able to tell large quantities of employee’s, “Hey, we’re having discussions about being acquired, hold tight for the next 6 months.” That simply doesn’t happen. There’s a number of reasons for that. But how do you know that’s the case? Consider the larger market your company is apart of. Are a large number of companies similar to yours being acquired? If so, maybe that’s the case. If there’s another factor, like maybe a large number of companies like yours starting to claim bankruptcy, then you may need to flip the script and consider leaving for “quiet times, negative reasons.” If none of those situations feel accurate to your situation, then maybe you should spend the time to really think through what your primary reason is for wanting to change jobs. Have you analyzed the industry? Have you analyzed where the company is going? Have you analyzed where you want to go? Have you analyzed what your career path is? Go through the process to write it down and figure out which scenario best fits. After that, then make a decision. Avoid irrational, fast, emotional decisions which you might regret.

IT Specialist Job Description - Algrim.co

IT Specialist Job Description - Algrim.co It Specialist 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.

Resume Writing For Stay at Home Moms

Resume Writing For Stay at Home MomsMany women want to write a resume, but do not know how to begin. If you have worked in the past and feel confident with your work experience, you may be able to write a resume that will get you that job. However, if you are having a hard time remembering what you did when you were employed, you may want to look into resume writing for stay at home moms.Often times the female employees are unsure as to what they are supposed to put on their resumes. This may be due to the fact that they are the sole breadwinner in the household, or because they did not actively seek employment. Regardless, of the reason you may have to put a little more effort into it.In addition, you may need to review the information you put on your resume. You may have forgotten something important or it may be much better left out. There is nothing wrong with this, but you may want to take some time to go back and find what you forgot, or find new ways to include it.You may find that your former employer is just as confused as you. Often times your resume will be reviewed, and in some cases your former employer may change the information on your resume to reflect the differences between what you wrote on your old resume, and what is written on your new one. Even if you had the same education and experience, your past employers may have decided it would be best to leave your prior employment information out.Your resume will be reviewed and depending on what the employer asks for, you may have to resubmit it to them. Sometimes your previous employer has already started looking for someone else to do the work. Therefore, you should not be surprised when your resume has changed.When resubmitting your resume, it is a good idea to keep all of the necessary information about your previous employment on the resume. If your previous employer does not ask for information on the resume, they may simply need the name of the person you worked for. In this case you may wish to keep the employment information on the new resume and submit it as a new request.If you are going to be submitting your resume, make sure you have a pen and paper with you. This way you can write down your information, and also jot down any new ideas that come to mind. Keep a record of the job title and the amount of work you are doing now. Also write down your experience and any awards that you may have received.After you have completed your new resume, make sure you proofread it. Remember that your resume writing for stay at home moms is a personal statement as well. Try to be as accurate as possible.

How to Present Your Education on Your Resume

How to Present Your Education on Your Resume Education is fast becoming a new standard in the world of recruitment. Is it enough anymore to simply list your studies and the year completed?The education component of your resume is often the first port of call for many recruiters, yet overlooked by the majority of applicants.A great application should be concise and relevant to the job you are applying to, in order to be scanned over quickly. This means that if you’re hoping to land a job in digital communications, pre-apprenticeship training shouldn’t be top of the list to qualify your skills set.evalBefore you send off your application to a potential employer, revise the academic component of your resume first. When you have less than 6 seconds to grab the attention of a recruiter, it’s important that your application makes a great first impression. Undertaking study demonstrates dedication, hard work and passion â€" leading qualities every employer is looking for.1. Go Back Through Your HistoryIf you’ve only recently g raduated, then recounting your academic history should be straightforward. For those established professionals who have long left the classroom behind, this is a crucial first step to building out the education section of your resume.The best practice is to include your highest level of education first, then work backwards.Take note of the exact graduation year and institute that you attended. Once you have made mention of your major qualifications, start to evaluate any short-term education experiences that you have been involved in.Short courses, workshops and community classes suggest a diverse academic history and show a balance between your career aspirations and personal interests.2. Which of These Are Relevant?Make a brief mention in your cover letter of your most recent education. As a general rule, this means any training that has been undertaken within the last year. This will help to separate your achievements and enhance readability in the education section of your resum e.If you have over five years of industry experience, this is a great method to highlighting your knowledge without adjusting the hierarchy of your application.evalDemonstrate a commitment to your industry beyond the ‘stock standard’ education pathway by making mention of any unique experiences that are directly applicable to your job.Further learning suggests to an employer an open mind and proactive attitude â€" the hallmark of innovators.3. Highlight Outstanding AwardsIf you are a recent university graduate with a notably high GPA or have finished a TAFE course and had your project featured, these are special achievements that deserve an inclusion.As education pathways continue to become more accessible, it is harder to stand out amongst the sea of credentials. By clearly showing a point of difference you can position yourself as a unique candidate in the job search.evalAwards are a fantastic method to bring out your best qualities on paper, without repeating what you have al ready said. If you were elected keynote speaker for a university presentation, this shows confidence and leadership without needing to spell it out.Show, don’t tell. Remember â€" the significance of an award will change as you progress in your career. You should review your resume at the end of each year to ensure that all content is relevant.4. What Did You Learn?If you make a special point of mention for your academic experience, include a brief sentence that can outline what you gained from the course. Keep this concise and applicable.Don’t only explain that you learnt to use excel â€" say that you now understand how to create a complex pivot table in Excel. This is a subtle distinction that will help recruiters to gauge the level of training required and where you will fit in the business.If some of your education was taken as part of a hobby, it could still be useful for your resume. There are particular attributes that are universally appreciated by every industry, such as teamwork, independent thought and creativity.5. Get An Academic ReferenceIf your course leader or lecturer is a respected industry figure, name-dropping them in a reference is one way to qualify your resume. If they are associated with an outstanding company or institute, mention this in their title to give a recruiter some context.Strong mentors are an important part of the learning journey and cultivate your professional character.Before you include an academic reference on your resume, ensure that you let them know they will be featured. Give a reference some background as to the industry and position type that you are looking to apply for.This will give them the information to prepare to answer a range of questions and place you in the most favourable light for a potential employer.

Life Job Update - Cubicle Chic

How I Actually Juggle Blogging and a Full-Time Job // Life Job Update - Cubicle Chic How I Actually Juggle Blogging and a Full-Time Job // Life Job Update Career design, Life as a blogger October 4, 2017 4 CommentsYellowcake Shop 15% discount code: CHICYCTop: Yellowcake Peter Pan Collar TunicTo be perfectly honest, on most days I feel like I just can’t do it both. Not the way each job  deserves to be managed, anyway. I’ve made it work for over 2 years now, advancing a corporate career and growing a blog. But something’s different this time around. In today’s post, I’ll give a little update on how things have been since I took on the new social media manager job and how I’ve still managed to keep blogging.The New JobEver since picking up a new full-time job in June, I’ve reverted from freelancing/blogging full-time back to the 9-5 (more like 7-6 in reality) life of a corporate employee. In case you didn’t know, this is the life I knew for 7 years and I am a veteran at it. The commute, the meetings, the onboarding process as a new employee, getting to know people and building new relationships… I’ve been there and don e all that.Top: Yellowcake Peter Pan Collar Tunic ; Yellowcake Shop 15% discount code: CHICYCComing Back to Work This TimeYet still, coming back to work was SO HARD this time. Much harder than I’d anticipated. I couldn’t shake off the doubts I had about why I came back to work. I couldn’t ignore my anxieties about only publishing one post a month (my record in the last 2 months). I couldn’t stop feeling the guilt of not being able to tend to more chores around the house and leaving them mostly to my husband. And truthfully, I couldn’t help but reminisce the days when I did things all according to my own schedule.Top: Yellowcake Peter Pan Collar Tunic ; Yellowcake Shop 15% discount code: CHICYCThe New Job â€" Why I Love ItDespite all the inner demons, I’m going into the 4th month of this social media manager role at the new company. I started to realize I actually really like this job. There are a few things that are quite rare about this company and this job that keeps m e fully engaged:Highly visible, impactful and clearly-defined projects that I’ve been spearheading.A really, really, really friendly and supportive environment â€" everyone is SO friendly and SO nice. I never knew this is possible in Corporate America. I think somehow I had the belief that t being overtly nice is detrimental to one’s own success in the corporate world. Oh, how wrong was I!I have an intern that I supervise now! It’s such a game-changing experience. It has given me next level insight and self-reflection that I could never imagine before. More on this later!What Keeps Me GoingSocial psychologist Dan Pink has famously coined the trifecta that makes up motivation: autonomy, mastery, and purpose. When you have all three, you will not lack the motivation to do something that you choose to do. For both my blog and my job, I have the autonomy in the ways I do things, the necessary mastery to do a good job, and the purpose of why I’m doing it. Hence, I am doing everyt hing I can to keep up with both of them!Top: Yellowcake Peter Pan Collar Tunic; Yellowcake Shop 15% discount code: CHICYCThe BloggingStrong motivation has everything to do with how I fit blogging into my life on top of the 9-5 hours. It’s what keeps me going. With all that said, what I struggle with the most right now are two things: 1) Finding the time to sit down and write 2) keep up with social media. Here are the things that I do that allows me to blog on top of having a full-time job and still keep my sanity:Fully utilize my commute. Podcasts and audiobooks used to be my thing during the commute. But when I have an article to write, I try to play classical music on 50-minute drive home. Dvorak and Sibelius are my current faves. I’ve learned this kind of music is very conducive to organizing my thoughts and ideas.Plan ahead. Then, plan ahead more. I thought I knew what I was doing when I did photo shoots in bulk, planned my Facebook posts ahead of time, and had about 2-3 top ics laid out ahead of time at all times. But now, in addition to all of the above, I am planning my Instagram posts, and work on content weeks ahead of time.Accept that work doesn’t stop when I leave the office. After hours spent at work with my brain fully engaged and operating at peak capacity, I drive home, eat dinner, and crank up my brain capacity again for blogging. It’s my routine now. I have accepted it.Adjust to a slower pace with my blogging process. At my peak, I was publishing 5 posts a month. Now I am just grateful to publish one. Now, I am not satisfied with this cadence and am working on ramping up. But for now, I try to have peace with what I can do.Be even more selective in brands I work with. Working with brands is an essential part to a thriving blog. As a blogger, working with brands comes with many perks. One of the perks is that I get to try different products and brands. And if I like them, they serve as good foundation for me to build content. But since I know I have a limited capacity to write, I have to limit the number of companies/products I work with.Give up on perfection. Even when I was never that much a perfectionist to begin with. Compared to before, I have less time to do all of the things I wanted to do. My instagram feed is not perfect anymore. My tweets are not interactive/engaging anymore. I may not have a Facebook post scheduled everyday anymore. But for a while, my objective will be to just keep the flow of content going… and not strife for perfection!So that’s a wrap. Happy October and the season of Fall is upon us. Everyone’s favorite season is just around the corner!All photography by Natalie Alvarado @ StylenfuseDisclaimer: I received thisYellowcake Peter Pan Collar Tunic for free to provide a review and was compensated for this collaboration. As usual, I only publish review on products that I TRULY love and all opinion is neutral, mine, and only mine!

Tough (Question) Tuesday What can you take off your plate

Tough (Question) Tuesday What can you take off your plate 4-29-10 by beverly13 Im feeling major overwhelm today. This week is the last week that I start the group coaching sessions for my scholarship peeps, again I feel that excuse forming: Once I get past this week which I remember saying last week, and the week before. My yoga classes have fallen by the wayside. My business building time is non-existent. I havent logged into Flying Lessons for over a week now Im scared by the sheer amount of posts that are waiting for me (Kelly Rae is certainly not skimping on the content, godblessher!). It finally hit me: Ive committed to too much. Somethings gotta give, orr else Ill hafta start pulling those all-nighters I prided myself on not doing in the Spring videos we taped for July (on self-care, no less!). If youre feeling overwhelmed or need to make time for the Priority/Priorities in your life, join me in answering: What can you take off your plate? Im gonna really hafta give this some big fat thought, because   Im honestly at a loss. It all seems so important (especially because most of it is stuff I wanna be doing)! Join me in the comment section with your answer/some handholding, come back tomorrow to see my Big Ole Brain Dump how I made my decision! ************************************************************************************************************** The last Law of Attraction video is up on Spring today! Click on over to hear our thoughts share yours on What do you say to the non-believers?! Get Danielle LaPorte’s Nuggets of Genius in your own home, on your own time.   The Digital Firestarter Sessions from my “cult leader” have launched! What’s your Joy Equation? Find out with Molly Hoyne’s Pay-What-You-Can-Afford Program!