Your Digital Footprint Speaks - (Future) Employee Be/Aware! (Part 1)

Article adopted from: http://www.digitalfamilysummit.com/2012/safety-protecting-your-digital-footprint/

Just like in real life, every step we take online provides insight into our person.  And don’t be fooled, even though you can’t see it, people are watching.  That’s why it’s so important to protect that digital footprint, to somewhat wrap your reputation in virtual bubble-wrap.

There are a few steps you can take to make sure that you are giving off the right impression of yourself.

Social Smarts: 

Be mindful about what you are posting on your social network channels.  Too much information isn’t necessarily a good thing, especially because you don’t know who it’s reaching.

Longevity:

Remember, what goes online stays online.  Forever.  Just because you decided that, once you posted it, you don’t want it live anymore…it’s still out there.  It’s embedded in the social network DNA.  Hitting delete doesn’t ever change that.  So think first.

Privacy IS the BEST Policy:

Only allow those people who you know IN REAL LIFE to have access to your personal information.  And even then, be wary because the more people know about you, especially in the written word, the more ammunition they have to use against you.  The best practice for protection management is to keep private things private.

Stay Clean:

Posting provocative or inappropriate pictures or posts online can be to your detriment in many ways both in your personal and professional life.

Think first, protect your digital footprint.  Those impressions last forever.

A Lesson on the Importance of Honesty in the Workplace

The Seed

Adopted from http://blog.beliefnet.com/haveamagnificentday/2013/01/the-seed-2.html  

 A successful businessman was growing old and knew it was time to choose a successor to take over the business.

Instead of choosing one of his Directors or his children, he decided to do something different.  He gathered the young executives in his company.  He said, “It is time for me to step down and choose the next CEO.  I have decided to choose one of you. ”

The executives were shocked.  The boss continued “I am going to give each one of you a SEED today – one special SEED.  I want you to plant it, water it, and come back one year from today with what you have grown from the seed I have given you.  I will then judge the plants that you bring, and the one I choose will be the next CEO.”

One man, Jim, went home and excitedly told his wife the story.  She got a pot, soil and helped plant the seed.  Every day, he’d water it and watch to see if it had grown.

After a few weeks, the executives began to talk about their seeds and the plants that were beginning to grow.

Jim kept checking his seed, but nothing ever grew.  Three weeks, four weeks, five weeks went by, still nothing.  By now, others were talking about their plants, but Jim didn’t have a plant and he felt like a failure.

Six months went by – nothing. Jim knew he killed his seed.  Everyone had plants and trees…he had nothing.  Jim didn’t say anything to his colleagues, however.  He just kept watering and fertilizing the soil – He so wanted the seed to grow.  

A year went by and all the executives brought their plants to the CEO for inspection.  Jim told his wife that he wasn’t going to take an empty pot.  But she asked him to be honest about what happened.  Jim felt sick to his stomach, it was going to be the most embarrassing moment of his life, but he knew his wife was right.

He took his empty pot to the board room.  When Jim arrived, he was amazed at the variety of plants grown by the other executives.  They were beautiful — in all shapes and sizes.  Jim put his empty pot on the floor and many of his colleagues laughed, a few felt sorry for him!

When the CEO arrived, he greeted his executives.

Jim tried to hide in the back.  ”My, what great plants, trees, and flowers you have grown,” said the CEO.  “Today one of you will be appointed the next CEO!”

All of a sudden, the CEO saw Jim at the back of the room with his empty pot and ordered Jim to come forward.  Jim was terrified.  He thought, “The CEO knows I’m a failure!  Maybe he will have me fired!”

When Jim got to the front, the CEO announced, “Behold your next Chief Executive Officer!  His name is Jim!”

Jim couldn’t believe it.  Jim couldn’t even grow his seed.

“How could he be the new CEO?” the others said.

Then the CEO said, “One year ago today, I gave everyone in this room a seed.  I told you to take the seed, plant it, water it, and bring it back to me today.  But I gave you all boiled seeds; they were dead – it was not possible for them to grow.

All of you, except Jim, have brought me trees and plants and flowers.  When you realized that the seed would not grow, you substituted another seed for the one I gave you.  Jim was the only one with the courage and honesty to bring me a pot with my seed in it.  Therefore, he is the one who will be the new CEO!”

What would you do were you in  Jim's  position? Please comment.

Don't let your good work traits go bad

 
Successful professionals often share man attributes: optimism, helpfulness, commitment, perseverance. But sometimes, the good traits you possess can work against you in the office. 

      For instance, being known as a nice person is certainly a good thing. Being too much of a pushover, on the other hand, may lead others to take advantage of you by directing unwanted assignments your way. Being seen as someone who's always "in the know" also sounds like a compliment -- unless you earned the reputation by trolling for office gossip.

        Below are some other examples of positive attributes that can help you succeed in your career, provided you know when and in what measure to apply them:

     Attention to detail
When it comes to ensuring top-notch work, you're the champion. But getting so caught up in confirming that every "t" is crossed and "i" is dotted could be hurting, not helping, your co-workers. For example, if you continually obsess over every minute detail before sending something out the door, you may be putting deadlines at risk. Likewise, if you're constantly double-checking their figures and reports, your colleagues may assume you don't trust them to produce quality work.

      There's no doubt that producing error-free work is crucial to your company's reputation and to your own. But your level of scrutiny should be based on how important each assignment is to the business. For example, it makes much more sense spending more time carefully editing a client presentation than a draft report to a co-worker in another department.

      Self-confidence
You enjoy your job and take pride in being good at what you do. That doesn't mean your ideas and approaches are always right. In fact, insisting that they are is not only presumptuous but also rude to colleagues who also have valuable input.

      Another potential pitfall: Self-confidence can lead to overconfidence. Take care not to bite off more than you can chew just because you're convinced you can handle anything and everything that comes your way. That's a quick path to disaster.

  

    Enthusiasm

 Work motivates you. Nothing is more satisfying than completing a project and clearing your desk so you can take on the next challenge. But an upbeat attitude can backfire if you sugarcoat problems or make promises you can't keep ("Sure, we can deliver twice as much in half the time!"). An overly positive attitude isn't always realistic, particularly if you don't give yourself the chance to vent frustration or disappointment when faced with significant setbacks.

        If you lose a major client or are passed over for a promotion, take time to acknowledge the loss, and then use that reflection period to develop a plan for moving forward. Just be sure you don't dwell on a setback or respond in an unprofessional way.

       Level-headedness
Multiple deadlines? Heavy workloads? Demanding clients? "No problem!" you say. "Bring it on!" While you may indeed have a higher-than-average tolerance for stress, everyone has his or her limits.

      Even if people look to you to be their port in the storm -- and you relish that role -- there's nothing wrong with raising a warning flag in rough seas. Doing so will do four important things: ensure that deadlines are met, work quality doesn't slip, co-workers and clients aren't let down, and you don't suffer a massive case of burnout.

      Joviality
You love to make people laugh -- in fact, levity should be your middle name. When things get stressful at the office, you know just what to say to ease the tension.

      Although humor plays an important role in employee morale, timing is everything. Know when a situation calls for a serious demeanor, no matter how tempted you are to break the ice with a joke. And take care not to offend co-workers you're trying to amuse. Everyone is different -- and so are their senses of humor. Remember, it's much better to be viewed as a quick wit than a clown.

      Getting ahead in your career requires a mix of positive qualities, but, as in all things, practice moderation. After all, you can have too much of a good thing -- even the qualities that make you successful at work.

Source: Careerbuilder

Posted by Beneta

Creating a résumé that says I AM the Right Person for the Job (Part 2)

2.    Résumé Content              

iv.          Eliminate unnecessary information from your résumé. For example, a student enrolled in an undergraduate degree programme need not detail his/her CXC passes. The employer would be more interested in core modules covered in the degree programme which would bare great relevance to the job. 

v.                  Do not clutter your résumé with excess words. Résumés are not generally written in sentence form but rather in concise phrases. Please consider these examples that would fall under “Work Experience”:

Instead of writing:

·         I was hired to develop the company’s website and database

It is completely acceptable to write:

·         Developed the company’s website and database

vi.       Avoid acronyms and jargons.

      v.       Use résumé power verbs to emphasize your achievements. These words 

                include managed, collaborated, implemented, advanced, engineered, 

                formulated conceptualized and strengthened etc.

      vi.      Whatever you place on your résumé should represent you greatly. Write with confidence and ensure that your résumé is error free. Where possible, seek professional help to review your résumé. Let the employer know that you are a confident prospective employee!

Creating a résumé that says I AM the Right Person for the Job (Part 1)

Here are some very important points for consideration:

1.    Visual appeal

i.                    Be creative by creating a background design for your résumé. Besides creativity, this shows that some thought have gone into your résumé presentation. Keep the design simple, professional and representative of you. While the design should enhance your presentation it is the information contained in the résumé that is more important.   

ii.                  You can get a more appealing look, by printing your résumé on a lightly-coloured paper. Ensure that the colour does not affect the readability of your résumé.  Ideally, the paper should be a little heavier than the normal printing paper.

iii.                You can also use colours to separate the various headings and sections; however you should use a limited range of colours. Dark blue is usually a good choice. If you are using dark blue for one heading, ensure that this is the colour used throughout the document.

iv.                Should you include a photograph on your résumé? Generally (with relatively few exceptions) the inclusion of photographs on résumés is discouraged by recruiters unless the position that is being applied for requires a particular look.  If and when the need for a photograph arises, you will be informed by the recruiter/employer.     

2.    Resume Content

i.                    Be sure to create an email address that portrays a professional image, for example, shellyann.brown@gmail.com or natalia_black@yahoo.com. Email addresses that are offensive, sexual or flirtatious must only be utilized for personal use, for example, sexybody@yahoo.com, danityme@live.com or bossyme@gmail.com, just to name a few.

ii.                  Be sure to include a well thought out career objective statement. A well-written statement tells the prospective employer that you are goal-oriented (you know what you want to do and you know how to get there). Normally your career objective supports the position that you are applying for.

Example:

As an aspiring marketing consultant, I am currently seeking a significant marketing role in a dynamic and growing marketing company that will permit me to hone my analytical skills while and developing media plans and marketing strategies with cross-functional teams

iii.                Make sure you have an adaptable résumé. Do not send the same résumé to every organization. It must be adjusted to suit the job requirement for the particular position for which you are applying. Where possible, your résumé must demonstrate your utilization of boasted skill-sets in other settings. For example, if the position being applied for requires management skills, under the section titled “Relevant Work Experience” or “Positions held”, be sure to include/highlight tasks or projects that will demonstrate that you have acquired such a skill. This will is one sure way to verify to your potential employer that you can advance organization with your skills and experience.