Alexandra Levits Water Cooler Wisdom Collaboration Has Infiltrated the IT World

Alexandra Levit's Water Cooler Wisdom Collaboration Has Infiltrated the IT World At the recentGartner Catalyst Conferencein San Diego, PGi’sJohn Perkins talked about strength of the collaboration movement in the IT industry. As CIO reported, collaboration trends are breaking down IT silos and promoting responsive communication and agile development. Thanks to its newfound flexibility, IT is executing faster than ever. The following are positive collaboration trends Perkins shared. Organization-Wide Teamwork A collaborative approach to development involves strengtheningpartnershipsacross departments. Every cross-functional project facilitates greater engagement for IT across the organization. Shared Workspaces As more employees take advantage of flexible work arrangements, permanent workspaces that are empty much of the time will no longer make sense. Teams are more likely to inhabit collective workspaces while working on a particular project, with the temporary physical proximity promoting teamwork. Virtual Teams There is still a shortage of IT talent in many regions of the United States. IT organizations get the job done by employing qualified individuals regardless of physical locale. Collaboration software allows remote teams to operate as seamlessly as in-person ones. Custom Solutions Collaboration platforms allow IT and citizen developers to quickly build out custom applications for every function of the business. More than ever, IT professionals need to understand the requirements of various business units so that they can arrive at the right solutions. Instant Communication In the past, collaboration across time zones was challenging. However, new collaboration tools are always on, allowing synchronous and asynchronous communication regardless of where and when team members are working. For more where this came from, visit QuickBases Fast Track blog.

Make This Weakness Your Strength

Make This Weakness Your Strength What is your weakest skill? As a candidate for a new position, this can be an intimidating question.One common belief is, “If I admit I have this particular weakness, how will the interviewer hold that against me in terms of my ability to perform the job role and excel?”To play devil’s advocate, “What if one simply states they do not have any weaknesses? Won’t you still throw yourself into the reject pile with certainty?”There is no perfect job performer who simply has no room to grow. This is a time to show humility and expand upon your weakness.Here Is the Nitty GrittyBefore getting into the nitty-gritty of how to best handle this interview question, each piece of the job hunt process, including your documents, should be designed with integrity and honesty.Beyond stating perfection, it has been proven in excess that producing any dishonesty on your resume will red flag your information straight into the bin. Whether it is sales results, dates of employment, or specific job tasks you handled, just be honest.Not only is it the right thing to do, it makes conversations with recruiters, and potential employers much simpler.When you’re participating in a phone interview or it is time to walk into your face to face meeting, your nerves will be at ease knowing you can speak with accuracy and honesty about your experience.How to Embrace Underdeveloped SkillsPersonally, this interview question holds a strong place in my line of interview prep questioning. This allows the job candidate to embrace their underdeveloped skill, and address what moves they are making to become more productive and proficient with it.When you are conscious of your weaknesses, it is much easier to verbalize and improve upon them. Not only will you feel more comfortable answering the question, it is the first step to developing an outline for how you will improve.This can be important for overall personal and professional development, making the interview mastery component, icing on the cake.Don’t be afraid to use an ample number of colorful descriptors here for how you’re going to execute.Time to Start PracticingSo, what is next? It is time to start practicing your explanation of how you’re going to wrap this all together and conclude what benefit there is for the company. Remember, displaying cognizance of how you will contribute to their success is key. Think of the cause and effect analogy: “I will perform ‘X’ task, expect ‘Y’ outcome and ‘Z’ is how that relates to the opportunity.” Better yet, if you can provide an example of actions you have already taken to elevate yourself, there is concrete evidence you are willing to put the work forth.How to Perform a SWOT Analysis on YourselfPreparation and strategy can make this question a breeze, but the prep is necessary. Within the efforts put forth to master this, industry-specific components need to be considered.Displaying humility throughout will also help you grow personally and dev elop your overall skills.The most efficient way to expose your weaknesses (and strengths) is to create an individualized SWOT analysis. If unfamiliar with the acronym, it stands for:Strength Weakness Opportunity ThreatFor example, envision you’re interviewing for a sales position, and through your personal examination, you recognize overuse of close-ended questions, but there are essentially no soft words within your pitch skills.Uncovering these vital puzzle pieces will help move forward throughout the process, and self-realization of what you need to improve upon.Appointing yourself as the owner of your skill set puts you in the driver seat and demands respect from the individual conducting the interview.Putting Interview Puzzle Pieces TogetherThe anticipation of this specific question is just one piece of the interview puzzle, but it is one giant leap in the right direction.Developing a strategy to answer commonly asked questions will prove its value in the first two minutes of anyjob interview, regardless of industry.The glory of the digital age allows for instant access to questions frequented within specific roles and industry.One may even be able to gain access down to the degree of what specific formatting questions are expected to be answered in for an interview.Stay tuned for more advice on how to tackle finding your next role proficiently and professionally!

The 5 Minute LinkedIn Makeover

The 5 Minute LinkedIn Makeover So youve been meaning to develop  your LinkedIn profile further, but who has the time? Unless you need it to be working for you right now, its just too easy to put off investing the effort for when you might need that profile to do some serious work on your behalf. Well, the folks at Bluewire Media have put together a LinkedIn marketing plan that you can implement in 1-5 minutes at a shot. Easy-peasy. Increase your connections, grow your expertise, and appear in more recruiters searches by spending just a few minutes here and there to improve your profile. Check out their infographic below and commit to taking  just one of these actions today. And one tomorrow. And maybe even one the next day?.

Tips on Relocating for Your Career - Ms Career Girl

Tips on Relocating for Your Career - Ms Career Girl Q: I have just been offered to relocate for my job. Im so excited I cant focus on where to begin! How do I get started?   Relocating for a job is a big and brave decision.  As with moving for any other reason, it can be complicated and stressful but it can also mean a vast opportunity for new experiences and a great chance to prove yourself.  Most of the time, relocation is an indicator of your employer seeing great value and potential in your contribution to the company, which is definitely a step into the right direction for your career! A friend of mine has just made a big decision to take on a new life by relocating to Germany for work, and shared some valuable advice with me to share with you career girls! Here are some tips on relocating for your job! Make Short Term Decisions First. While I support throwing out your desires to the universe and being positive about every situation you are in, try not to jump the gun. Even if you get a raise and a contract, don’t make the mistake of getting a long term commitment on your accommodations and big purchases. Moving to another country might give you opportunities to buy a house or a car, but renting is much smarter when starting out. Understand Your Financial Perks and Disadvantages. Learn how the cost of living will work for you by making a quick internet research on your everyday needs. Find a few items you can make a comparison standpoint from in different categories, such as transportation or groceries. Also, it will help to know if you can get tax deduction from your moving expenses. Make Your World Smaller. So many internet sites are devoted to making connections even from the comfort of your own home. If you don’t know anyone in the new place that you are moving to, ask your friends if they know of anyone you can connect with, or try looking into your social networks like Facebook or LinkedIn to see if any of your old friends r contacts are in the area. You can also try networks like MeetUp or Couchsurfing, where you can find people who are accommodating enough to take you around town. Just be sure not to overshare information about yourself to strangers. Better safe than sorry. The best tip I got  from her is this: breathe. Relocating can make your life pretty crazy so make sure to take one task at a time and try not to get too overwhelmed by the exciting opportunity! Do you have any more tips for Career Girls relocating for work? Share it below or tweet us @mscareergirl!

Choosing A Job-worthy Degree Universal Vs Niche - CareerMetis.com

Choosing A Job-worthy Degree Universal Vs Niche Photo Credit â€" publicdomainpictures.netThere are many reasons to study for a degree. Some do it to broaden their mind, others to bide their time whilst they figure out what they want to do with their life. For the majority of us, a degree is a stepping stone to a good job.There are now all kinds of degrees available that weren’t previously. Some are traditional and cover a broader spectrum such as Physics and English Language. Others are newer and more niche like Baking Technology Management and Ethical Hacking evalChoosing a universal degree is the obvious choice if you’re undecided over your career path, but want to take higher education as a safety net. Universal degrees can also be more versatile for changing jobs.If you follow a career path, realise it’s not for you and want to switch to something entirely different, the broad spectrum of skills covered in your degree will probably allow you to make that switch. With a sports journalism degree, you’re less likely to be able to make a switch to marketing than if you had a general English degree.The cons of universal degreesOn the flipside, universal degrees can make those undecided on what career they want feel just as directionless when they leave as when they entered. They can also act against those that know exactly what they want to do. If you’re trying to go into pharmaceuticals with a Chemistry degree, you may find yourself losing out to people with a specific Pharmacy degree.The pros of niche degreesNiche degrees have the benefit of offering specific ready-for-work skills. Lecturers and tutors can focus in on individual skills tailored to your career goals, giving you edge over other candidates with general degrees.You’ll need less training when you do get a job and pick up things faster and potentially climb the career ladder at a faster rate. Many niche degrees may even offer a sandwich year, allowing you find work experience within your field.The cons of niche degreesSites such as Fi nd Your Context are great for locating niche degrees â€" although you’ll notice that they’re fewer and further between. With limited courses and limited places, you may also find getting onto this kind of course more challenging.If you can’t get on a course close to home, you may end up having to move abroad to study your niche course, which could be more costly.evalWith limited selection you may end up with a degree from a less high-ranking university, which could put off some employers. On top of this, a niche degree may tie you to a career path, which you later decide you don’t want to pursue, only to find it difficult to find another job without getting extra education.It’s recommended that before taking such a degree you get some work experience within that niche field first. This will allow you to decide whether such a niche is right for you.

Interviews - What You Say Without Speaking - CareerAlley

Interviews - What You Say Without Speaking - CareerAlley We may receive compensation when you click on links to products from our partners. Aaron Newbold has been helping individuals with their job search for nearly ten years. He currently writes on employment related topics for ResumeEdge. Whether you are aware of it or not, your body is sending out all sorts of cues to those you interact with. Hiring managers are often trained to pick up on these subtle messages that your body is sending during the interview. In fact, by the time you sit down for the actual interview the employer has already collected a fair amount of information about you without you even speaking a word. So before the interview even gets under way, the employer is making judgment calls about the type of person you are. We should all be aware of our non-verbal cuesespecially during the interview. By paying as much attention to our body language as we do to our interview answers, we will make sure our body is sending the right answers. First impressions are important; therefore make it a good one. When greeting the interviewer, offer them a smile, maintain eye contact, and offer a firm palm to palm handshake. Many candidates tense their bodies, including their face, when they enter the interview. Plan ahead where you will intend to put your briefcase or purse. The floor is likely your best option, as you shouldnt place them on your lap or on the table or desk where they may be a distraction. You want as few obstructions between you and the interviewer as possible. Eye contact is one of the most important verbal cues we send. Timing is everything with eye contact. Breaking eye contact with the interviewer too quickly may make us look unsure of ourselves or intimidated. Maintaining an excessive amount of eye contact or staring may make the interviewer uneasy. Instead, maintain eye contact for an extra second beyond what you would normally do with an acquaintance. That additional eye contact helps build a personal connection with the interviewer. Our posture should be upright and neutral. Leaning forward too much may send the message that we are eager, but it may also appear as being overly aggressive to the interviewer. Leaning back may make us seem like we are sending the message that we are relaxed but in reality it runs the risk of being interpreted as arrogance or laziness. Avoid crossing your arms or legs as this can make you appear defensive. Gestures are a natural part of communication. They enhance a conversation and convey our engagement and enthusiasm. When we are nervous, we tend to stop gesturing altogether or barely move at all. On the other hand, too much gesturing draws attention away from the conversation. The trick is to strike a balance. Refrain from overdoing gestures or the opposite, hiding your hands. If standing, let your arms hang comfortably at your sides, instead of in your pockets or behind your back. For some, the biggest challenge will be in containing their nervous energy. Touching your face or hair or jostling coins in your pockets is a distraction and takes attention away from what you are saying. Practice for your interview at home in front of a mirror. Maintain eye contact with yourself as you rehearse answers and pay particular attention to your gestures and posture. With a little practice you can control what your body is saying and feel more confident in the interview. This is a Guest post. If you would like to submit a guest post to CareerAlley, please follow these guest post guidelines. Good luck in your search. Joey Trebif

When I Grow Up 2018 Gift Guide! - When I Grow Up

When I Grow Up 2018 Gift Guide! - When I Grow Up Welcome to the 2nd annual When I Grow Up Coach Gift Guide! Yup it’s back! I loved shining a spotlight on my clients and their incredible offers last year, and I couldn’t help myself from doing it again. This is definitely an annual thing. These incredible women are all highly creative, super smart, multi-passionate and the absolute kindest, and I know you’ll find at least one thing you can gift yourself or someone on your list! I have something to add to the mix, too: for the first time, I’m offering my 2-hour Leave Your Job Launch Your Biz in 2019 webinar for $0! It’s not ‘til Jan 16th, but you can sign up and get the details right here ASAP. When you’re done signing on up, then get to scrolling, rock star. Singing lessons, restorative journaling, wellness coaching, badass calendars and even more goodness awaits! Not only will you score some amazeballs products and services, but expect the warm fuzzies that come when you support female business owners who are working hard to make their dreams come true. Hope you’re enjoying the holiday season! Erin Sanders (EB Sanders Creative Career Coaching) As a career coach for creative types, EB Sanders  teaches women how to leave the fear behind and reach their career goals through intentional career design. Enter the reference code WTFCRUSHIT to save $150 on her small group coaching program Career Crushers  before December 15th! Esmé Wang (Restorative Journaling) The Unexpected Shape provides resources for ambitious people who are living with limitations, who are eager to find new ways to deal with the cards they’ve been dealt on their way to being excellent and building a legacy. Rawness of Remembering: Restorative Journaling Through Difficult Times is a six-module, self-paced online course about restorative journaling through difficult times, built by someone who’s been in the trenches. Rawness of Remembering is not merely about creating a journal. It’s an investment in taking charge of your own healing. You will develop a way to take care of yourself when your therapist or best friend isn’t there; when it’s just you and your thoughts, threatening to take you down into a terrible, lonely spiral. Normally $147, Rawness of Remembering is $99 for a limited time with the coupon code JOURNALPOWER at  esmewang.com/rawness. Sara Ifert (Go Simple Wellness) Health Coach  Sara Ifert created  Go Simple Wellness to help busy women manage their stress, live healthier, and be more true to themselves.  Start 2019 off on the right foot by getting a jump start on your own health goals! Mention code WHENIGROWUP by  December 31st to get 30% off Saras  60 Day Jumpstart Program! You’ll get a 1:1 session, plus ongoing email/SMS accountability for 60 days as you work toward the health or stress-related goal of your choice! Learn more about the  60 Day Jumpstart program  and get started today! Carole Ann Penney (Penney Leadership) Carole Ann Penney, Strategic Career Coach, develops mission-driven leaders who are ready to take the next steps in their careers. Book or gift a  Breakthrough Career Coaching  session with Penney Leadership before 12/31 and enter GROWUP in the application to receive $25 off. Inge Geylen (Thoughtful Gesture) I’m Inge, and with  Thoughtful Gesture  I help you find gifts that warm people’s hearts. You swore to get the holiday gifts sorted well in advance this year… But you still haven’t gotten around to it, or you’ve been struggling to come up with original gift ideas. If that sounds like you, then give yourself the gift of stress-free holiday shopping with  my Holiday Hero Packages.  I do the personalized gift selection for you. All you need to do is order the gifts from your comfy couch and get ready to impress and delight your loved ones. No going to the mall, no comparing reviews on Amazon, no wasting money on things your family and friends won’t like. Be sure to enter promo code MICHELLE10 for a festive 10% off until December 10. Amber Petty (Sing a Different Tune) Looking for ways to give self-care that dont involve beauty masks or baths? Want a creative outlet to find your unique, beautiful voice? Want to sing OUT this holiday season? Lucky for you, Amber Petty of  Sing A Different Tune  is offering 30% off any singing lesson or package of lessons. Enter the code: HOLIDAYS at checkout for this Michelle Ward fans exclusive deal. Victoria Buda (The Being Me Movement) Exclusively for the When I Grow Up community, the new tote bag from the Being Me Movement is offered at $25 (regularly $30) until 12/31/18 with the code breathing19 at checkout.  Go to  www.beingmemovement.com/theshop  to purchase. Follow the movement on IG  www.instagram.com/beingmemovement.  Notice it says, BEING, the more you keep breathing. The bag’s promise: to remind you don’t have to be, do or have anything to belong to who you really are inside.  Carry the bag and help us spread the movement. Erika Dillon (Hand Lettering Sans Bullshit) Erika Dillon creates hand-lettered products, sans bullshit. Order her  2019 Motivate Your Ass Calendar  for you and all of your BFFs at 20% off until December 15. Use code WIGU20 at her  shop. Christy Tending (Christy Tending Healing Arts) Christy Tending  mentors rebellious humans in creating awesome self-care and becoming skilled self-advocates. Use the code MICHELLEISRAD to take 20% off her live workshop,  Plan Your Sacred Year, available until January 2nd! Tara Sroka (Bringing Death into Life) Tara is an End of Life Planner and Educator who helps life-loving, creative people explore and plan their end of life wishes.  Tara guides and supports clients through the options and process of getting their end of life wishes in tip top order.  Tara makes death, dying, and what happens after planning an enjoyable and creative process for her clients to benefit from. To think about death helps you live! Session topics include: important end of life paperwork, pre/post rituals, funeral planning and digital legacy work.  Contact Tara at  bringingdeathintolife.com  with offer code AMAZEBALLS to get a special introductory planning package for 3 sessions at only $200! Use the promo until  December 25th  in order to get your 3 sessions (virtual or in person, NYC only). Cat Kessler (Opt Inward) At  Opt Inward, self-care coach Cat Kessler helps women find the space they need to create meaning in their busy lives. If the holidays offer little more than a blur of activity for you (or someone you love), Cat would love to weave your (or their) interests and needs into a unique personal retreat experience. Make space for meaning in 2019. Use the code ROOMTOGROW at  optinward.com/work-with-me  for 20% off a Personal Retreat Box or PDF guide until 1/6/19. Maya Henry (Real Food, Real Quick) Maya Henry helps women make healthy choices effortlessly so they can feel radiant from the inside out.  Enter code HAPPY18 to get her Real Food, Real Quick meal system for only $19 before  December 31st. Youll get 3 weekly meal plans with recipes that will leave you feeling radiant but also fit into your packed schedule. Plus youll get detailed grocery and prep lists so you know exactly what to buy and all the steps you need to take to have everything prepped and ready to go. Kristen Good (Kristen Good Collective) Bonus business card design to any When I Grow Up follower when they purchase a design package from me! As a designer and creative strategist, Kristen Good helps creative, heart-centered entrepreneurs rock their businesses with kick-ass branding and strategy. Let her know Michelle Ward sent you and get a bonus custom business card design ($150 value!) when you sign up for a design package. Good until December 24th! Start your new year off with a fresh look for your business! Megan Dowd (Megan Has Good Words) As a Narrative Strategist for creative, female-identifying entrepreneurs, Megan Dowd helps you tell the ordinary stories of your extraordinary work. The next round of her signature program Uncover Your Core starts January 1st 2019 four months of individual coaching in a group setting to  realign you with your core values and get you crystal clear on how to talk about your work.  If you want to talk about your biz with the confidence of a mediocre white dude, be sure to mention SMASHTHEPATRIARCHY in your application to save 20%! Raquel Hellenga (Raquel Hellenga Life and Business Coach for Chronically Ill Creatives) Raquel Hellenga is a life and business coach who helps people with chronic illnesses and other health challenges build the life and business of their dreams! Right now you can receive Raquel’s 2019 Planning Package for just $99 (usually $149) when you use the code CHRONICALLYAMAZING. This package includes three one-hour, one-on-one coaching sessions with Raquel via Skype during December/January to make a crystal clear plan and remove roadblocks to make 2019 your best year yet! This offer is available through December 31st and limited spots are available. Complete the intake form to get started. Anabell Bender (Dreamcatcher Coach) As the Dreamcatcher Coach, I help people who are suppressing their creativity to unlock that part of themselves to achieve their big dreams. Through my unique offerings, I can help you let out your true inner self and unleash the creativity that you’ve been trying to hide. In my 8 week «Catch Your Creativity » Program we’ll work together for 8 consecutive weeks through 45-minute one-on-one sessions, either online or in-person (where possible). You’ll also receive: Email support, so you’re not left hanging between sessions Personalized homework that helps move your creative project forward Online session recordings to re-listen to the aha moments The package is only 350€ and for all subscriptions until December 7th I’ll offer you a free Human Design reading, which is going to clarify who you have been designed to be. You’ll love it!