How to Find Company Reviews

How to Find Company ReviewsHow to Find Company ReviewsWhen you are job searching, its important to read company reviews to get the inside scoop on the organization. Company reviews are written by current and former employees, and provide useful details about a company. Reviews provide information on the company culture, the managers, the hiring process, salaries, and more. Company reviews and ratings are available for just about every major company and many smaller employers. In general, the more information you have about a company, the better prepared youll be to interview and to make an informed decision if you get a job offer. Read below for information on how to use company reviews, websites that contain company reviews, and other strategies for learning about a company. How to Use Company Reviews Looking at company reviews can be useful at every step in the job process. When you are in the early stages of your job search, looking at reviews can be a helpful way to decide wh at companies you might want to work for. If a company has very good reviews but does not have any current job listings, you might consider sending a cold contact cover letter. You can also use company reviews to help you prepare for a job interview. Some company reviews focus on what the hiring process is like. They might even include common interview questions. Practice answering these questions to prepare for your interview. Finally, you can use these company reviews to help you decide whether or not to accept a job offer. If you are deciding between two jobs, or are on the fence about whether or not you want a job, company reviews can help you decide if the company is one you want to work for. How to Find Company Reviews and Ratings There are websites where you can read company reviews written by real people. Employees and former employees review the company where they worked or currently work. Site visitors can read about the company, what it is like to work there, get sampl e interview questions that have been asked by hiring managers, and post their company reviews. Do keep in mind that the company reviews on all these sites are posted by individuals, including possibly disgruntled employees. So use them as a tool to help gather more information about a company, but dont count on them as 100% accurate, because every employees experience is different. Company Review Sites Glassdoor, the company, and salary research site has excellent information for job seekers including company reviews, ratings, salaries, CEO approval ratings, competitors, and much more company information. Job seekers can find and anonymously share company reviews, ratings, and salary details. Vaultis another source of company reviews. Site visitors can read company reviews, and get the latest informationon over 10,000 companies. Company overviews are free, which is all you need fruchtwein of the time. Youll need to pay a fee if you want more details. Company Research There a re also sites that dont contain actual company reviews but do provide basic company information thats useful for job seekers. For another quick overview,Hoovers.comhas a large company directory. Again, youll need a subscription for detailed information, but the basics are free. Check With Your Connections Another way to get inside information is to check whoyoure connected to at the company onLinkedIn. Ask your connections what they can tell you about the company and what its like to work there. You might even arrange an informational interview with a friend or acquaintance to get even more information on the company. Company Websites and More Company websites are another great way to learn about a company. Most websites have an About Us page that contains information on their mission statement, company culture, and more. Searching by company name on Google is another way to find information about companies. SearchYouTubeas well. You may find company produced videos with inf ormation on employment opportunities and company culture. Company websites and company-produced videos can be very useful when writing your cover letter or interview. Referring to information on the company website in a cover letter or during an interview can show that you have done your research, and can help you demonstrate that you want to work for that specific company. However, when using a company website to learn about a companys culture, keep in mind that the website is designed to show the company in the best light. Talking with current and former employees, and checking out company reviews, are great ways to gain a more balanced understanding of a company.

Top Business News for Job Seekers, July 24th

Top Business News for Job Seekers, July 24thTop Business News for Job Seekers, July 24thThe past week in business was an eventful one, with companies across the US releasing their financial reports for the brde quarter. A number of companies made big headlines, specifically Microsoft, Amazon, and American Airlines. Some of the financial news was good, some was bad. In addition, we saw Anthem acquire Cigna, Republican Presidential candidate Jeb Bush show his support for Uber, and PayPal complete its break from EBay.With that in mind, heres the top business news that can be helpful to you as you look for a new job.1. Amazons impressive revenue numbersAmazon investors are feeling great this week, after stocks rose some 20% on Friday morning after reports of surprisingly large profits for the tech company in Q2. Accompanying those large profits was news that over Q1 and Q2 of 2015, Amazon hired more people than at any other time in the companys history.The great news for job seekers is A mazons hiring spree doesnt look to be stopping anytime soon.Search Amazon jobs2. Anthem and Cignas mergerThe healthcare industry continued as the largest hiring industry in June, according to Simply Hireds latest Employment Outlook, with 1/3 of the top hiring companies healthcare-related. The newly announced deal between these healthcare insurance giants should conclude in 2016 and, if approved, would leave only 3 big insurance companies in the US. Although that seems like news for the insurance industry, both companies also hire healthcare workers.Job seekers in healthcare should monitor this news closely to see what impact it will have going forward on these two companies, their culture and hiring practices.Search Cigna jobs, Search Anthem jobs3. PayPal completes break from EBayEver since PayPal announced it would split from its parent company EBay, the market has been eagerly awaiting the impending IPO. The waiting ended on Monday, leaving no one disappointed. The online payment service debuted with a market cap of $46.6 billion and at one point swelled to be worth over $50 billion. Look for PayPal to make more headlines through acquisitions and continued success in the stock market.PayPals new sttte as an independent company is important for job seekers interested in working with the online payment pioneer. Keep an eye on the company as it develops its own unique company culture.Search PayPal jobs, Search EBay jobs

Revamping the Overtime System

Revamping the Overtime SystemRevamping the Overtime SystemUnder current laws, the strict but confusing rules on overtime entitle about 75 million workers to overtime pay for hours they work over 40 in a week.The notion of paying a premium for overtime workhours harkens back to the 1930s, when employers were encouraged to hire more workers rather than pay high rates to a select few. But these days, a growing number of people claim that overtime pay is an anachronism.Many employers, oblivious to or unmindful of overtime pay strictures, routinely deny workers the extra pay they have coming. Few of them get caught. The Labor Department currently collects only about $100 million a year in back overtimea small drop in its oversize bucket.But those that do get caught by the Department of Labor pay dearly. Employees lose their exempt status, which means they must be paid overtimeand they must be paid any overtime pay due them during the brde two years.Some employers unwittingly become liable for large overtime claims by putting conditions on exempt, salaried employees. Some courts have held, for example, that executive employees who are suspended without pay or docked for taking partial days off have been treated as non-exempt workers and so become entitled to overtime pay and other benefits guaranteed by the FLSA.Many employees, citing increased difficulties with balancing time between work and personal lives, say they would prefer more flexibility over more take-home pay. Restructuring proposals which also have the support of many small business organizations include the plan to abandon the 40 hour workweek. If, for example, entitlement to overtime was based on a two-week, 80-hour work schedule, an employee would be free to work 75 hours in one week and a mere five the next without being entitled to overtime pay.

Next NanoEngineering for Medicine and Biology Conference Set for April

Next NanoEngineering for Medicine and Biology Conference Set for April Next NanoEngineering for Medicine and Biology Conference Set for April Next NanoEngineering for Medicine and Biology Conference Set for AprilThe organizing committee for the ASME 2015 4th Global Congress on NanoEngineering for Medicine and Biology (NEMB 2015) is accepting abstracts from researchers interested in presenting technical papers and posters at the conference, to be held April 19-22, 2015, in Minneapolis, Minn. The deadline for submissions is Jan. 5. Next years event in Minneapolis follows a very successful 2014 conference, held in San Francisco last February, which attracted more than 300 attendees and featured 45 technical sessions, 40 keynote and featured speakers, and a number of plenary talks and tutorials. NEMB 2015 is gearing up to be just as exciting, with a number of luminaries from the field of nanoengineering for medicine and biology already on board as conference presenters. Speakers a lready confirmed for NEMB 2015 include Rashid Bashir, prof of electrical and computer engineering and bioengineering at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, and director of the universitys Micro and NanoTechnology Laboratory and Center for Nanoscale Science and Technology Shuichi Takayama, professor of bioengineering at the University of Michigan Lihong Wang, professor of bioengineering at Washington University in St. Louis Paul Weiss, the Fred Kavli Chair in NanoSystems Sciences and director of the California NanoSystems Institute at the University of California, Los Angeles and Denis Wirtz, professor of chemical and biomolecular engineering and vice provost for research at Johns Hopkins University. Tours of the Minnesota Nano Center at the University of Minnesota, a state-of-the art facility for nanotechnology R&D, will be conducted on Sunday, April 19, during the ASME 2015 4th Global Congress on NanoEngineering for Medicine and Biology (NEMB 2015). The NEMB 2015 technical program will be divided in six topical tracks, covering the areas of nano-imaging and nanophotonics nano-therapeutics nano and microfluidics nano-to-macro multiscale modeling nanotoxicology in public health and the environment and biomimetic materials. Several tutorials will be presented on Sunday, April 19, covering such topics as opportunities for women and under-represented minorities in nanoscience and technology for medicine and biology National Cancer Institute funding in nanotechnology cardiotoxicity of emerging cancer nano-therapies and integrated multiscale biomedical modeling and experiments. Tours of the University of Minnesota Nano Center also will be offered on April 19. The conference will feature a special ASME NEMB Poster Competition, which will give students the opportunity to network with leaders from the field of nanomedicine, present their research in front of hundreds of attendees, and discuss their ideas with peers, profes sors and representatives from government and industry. Selected finalists will take parte in the competitions lightning round, during which cash prizes and certificates will be awarded. Award winners will also be featured in a series of videos to be posted on ASME.org and other ASME social media outlets. Caroline Cvetkovic, one of the poster presenters from NEMB 2014, is featured in a video clip that was recently posted on ASME.org. Cvetkovics video is one of several interviews with NEMB 2014 poster presenters now available on the ASME website. Several interview clips featuring poster presenters from NEMB 2014 were recently posted on the ASME website. Visit ASME.org to watch an interview with Caroline Cvetkovic, a participant from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, and for links to other interviews. To submit a paper or poster abstract, visit www.asmeconferences.org, and follow the instructions on the webpage. For more information on the 4th Global Congress on NanoEngineering for Medicine and Biology, visit www.asmeconferences.org/NEMB2015 or contact Christine Reilley, Engineering Sciences, at (212) 591-8486 or reilleycasme.org.

Lessons on thinking Your first thought is rarely your best thought

Lessons on thinking Your first thought is rarely your best thoughtLessons on thinking Your first thought is rarely your best thoughtThe best advice Ive ever gotten about thinking came from a private-company CEO who has a thirty-year track record thats up there with Warren Buffetts. One day he said to me, Shane, most people dont actually think. They just take their first thought and go.Were all busy. Weve got meetings, phone calls, texts, kids, spouses, parents, friends, and of course the ever-present email. Busyness has become an end in itself, and nothing is more dangerous. What my CEO friend meant was that people are losing the ability to think through a problem.Most people schedule themselves like lawyers. They work in five- to eight-minute increments, scheduled back to back. The best part of their day is when they manage to sneak away for a quick coffee with a friend before heading into the next meeting they havent had time to prepare for.I actually schedule time to think. It sou nds ridiculous, I know, but I protect this time as if my livelihood depended on it because it does. Sometimes Im in the office and sometimes Im in a coffee shop. Im not always thinking about a problem that Im wrestling with. Im often just thinking about things I already know or, more accurately, things I think I know. Setting aside time for thinking works wonders, not only for me but also for most of the people Ive convinced to give it a try.The problem with not having time to think isnailed by William Deresiewicz, who saidI find for myself that my first thought is never my best thought. My first thought is always someone elses its always what Ive already heard about the subject, always the conventional wisdom.Heres what Deresiewicz says does workIts only by concentrating, sticking to the question, being patient, letting all the parts of my mind come into play, that I arrive at an original idea. By giving my brain a perspektive to make associations, draw connections, take me by surp rise. And often even that idea doesnt turn out to be very good. I need time to think about it, too, to make mistakes and recognize them, to make false starts and correct them, to outlast my impulses, to defeat my desire to declare the job done and move on to the next thing.A lot of people see thinking more than a few minutes as a waste of time, but this viewpoint is shortsighted and flawed. While it might take me 30 minutes to come to the same conclusion that you come to in five, Ill likely have a better idea of the nuances of the situation, including which variables matter the most. Ill know what to watch for and Ill know how to frame things for other people to appeal to their interests. Not only will collaboration take less time, but Ill make fewer mistakes. Thats the real advantage.Thinking time is non-linear. The time you spend thinking walking around a problem in a three-dimensional way and exploring all of the various perspectives and mental models pays you back tenfold in t he end. The problem for those who are shortsighted is that this time will appear as a negative for a while because it looks like nothing is getting done. This situation is a great example of what I call first-order negative, second-order positive.A lot of things in life arefirst-order positive and second-order negative. Heroin is an obvious one, sugarless so. We have trouble delaying gratification, so we do a lot of things that are first-order positive, second-order negative. We buy bigger houses than we need, only to find that rising interest rates make the mortgage payment untenable. We buy the sexy car only to discover later that it depreciates faster than the commuter car.A real advantage is conferred on people who can do things that are first-order negative, second-order positive. Especially if these first-order negatives are very visible costs with no immediate benefit in the short term and a non-linear benefit at some future time.Intuitively we know the value of delayed grati fication. We tell our kids that they need to get an education, which is nothing more than preparation for life. And yet once we get out of school and start working full time, we are conditioned to think in terms of today and tomorrow, rather than months or years ahead. Suddenly, everything we do is supposed to provide an instant and visible benefit to the organization. At an individual level, this means that for your organization to value you more, you must run faster and faster. At a corporate level, this means youre ripe for disruption from a competitor willing to play the long game.Making time to think is a great example of something thats first-order negative with some future payoff thats not easily visible. However, when you think through problems, youll not only come to better decisions on the whole but youll also avoid a lot of problems.Thisarticleoriginally appeared on FarnamStreet.com.

First Job Resume Examples - What Is It?

First Job Resume Examples - What Is It? Resume creators make it possible for jobseekers to make and download their finished resumes right from the net to get started applying immediately. Resumes give potential employers a means to learn about applicants quickly and readily, and theyre your very first step toward new job opportunities. Now you need to know how to compose a resume with no experience thats compelling and distinctive, ideal for a high school resume or a beginners resume for teens. Itll be really simple for you to have a job, if youre applying in the similar field that you were self employed in. The procedure for requesting a job is stressful and time consuming. By putting in some work, and adhering to a strategy, you can make an effective resume that gives a superb start on the work industry. A Secret Weapon for First Job Resume Examples Make certain you always understand the target of your resume, the sort of resume you should create, and the five parts of adv ice and youll have a better resume in almost no time However tempting it may be to stretch the truth, lying on your resume is always a poor idea. Then it may be time to bring some style to your resume Understanding how to tailor your resume will obviously provide you an advantage. All you would like to do is receive an opportunity to talk with a person over the telephone or sit with someone to spell out your situation and the way youve changed since youve been released. All you need to do is point and click. Therefore, if youve never contemplated getting a part-time job before, now might be a fantastic time to begin. No matter the case might be, youre likely to want a resume to have in the door at most any employer. Transportation jobs involve a lot of responsibility and your resume will want to reflect you can take care of that. Salary is also based on the employing business and the sort of work an individual will be doing. Also show youre a well-rounded worker. Make sur e you receive the info youre looking for. You might also want to take a look at our complete collection of job sites in Singapore to aid you in getting started. If youre in the middle of a work search with a felony on your record, or know a person who is, we highly advise that you sign up to find access. Among the positive facets of a resume Web page, from a possible employers point-of-view, is it doesnt require your recipient to download a file and decreases the danger of virus transmission. New Questions About First Job Resume Examples Looking at examples will be able to help you make a decision as to what sort of content you should include, together with how to format your resume. The majority of the templates are offered by named, resume writing specialists and thus the quality is quite excellent. Resume examples and templates are incredibly helpful, especially when youre writing one of your very first resumes. To find some formatting suggestions for your resume, have a l ook at our samples. A resume builder will allow you to rectify any errors and supply you with a working vision of the resume although you edit. Learning how to do a resume when dont have any work experience is much simpler if its possible to demonstrate some seasonal or short-term work experience. In reality, in regards to first resumes and job applications, the idea ought to be to take care of the process for a learning experience. However much or what schriftart of work experience youve got, theres a resume format that is likely to make your qualifications shine. Be certain to bring many copies of your resume when attending job fairs, so that you may be prepared to apply to numerous positions out there. Career Objectives are excellent for resumes with a particular function. Writing your first resume may appear to be a daunting endeavor. Employing entry-level resume examples can provide you a tried-and-tested structure to take as a starting point and also provides resume help to learn how to finish each resume section with guides in regard to what to include and exactly what you ought to avoid to be able to entice the perfect employers. The HTML resume provides a fast and convenient choice for getting your resume before prospective employers and companies of interest. Utilizing a resume template is getting an acceptable and smart practice for quite a few explanations.

Video Interviews The Not-So-Obvious Candidate Traits You Can Learn - Spark Hire

Video Interviews The Not-So-Obvious Candidate Traits You Can Learn - Spark HireWhen you are bewerbungsgesprching a candidate for an open position you are paying attention to many things. If you are a seasoned hiring manager or employer, you are looking at the candidates body language, listening to what they are saying, analyzing their answers and much more. Before you even meet them you are judging them based on their resume, cover letter and other application documents you require. Unfortunately with traditional hiring you cant pick up on much until you bring the candidate into your bro for an in-person interview.Thankfully though, video interviews are making their way into the hiring process of employers all over the world. With video interviews you can pick up on so much more than if you were simply reading through their resume and calling them on the phone. With both one-way video interviews and live video interviews you can pick up on a candidates personality, their communicatio n skills, their confidence level, etc. However, you can also pick up on much more than the obvious.So what are some of the candidate traits you can pick up on in a video interview that you wouldnt pick up on with just a resume or a phone interview?DeadlinesDeadlines are an important part of any job, and there will always come a time when an employee must work under pressure. When you use video interviews in your hiring process you can see how well a candidate works under deadlines. When you send candidates questions for a one-way interview they have a window of time to complete their answers and send them back to you. The amount of time they have to work on their video responses is up to you, but you must set a deadline. Smart candidates will get their video interview responses to you in a timely manner. Candidates that make good use of their time will send their responses to you with time to spare. However, if the candidate is getting their one-way video interview back to you with little time to spare, you may have some issues if this position requires them to produce under tight deadlines.You should also be very weary of the candidate that asks for a deadline extension at the last minute without a valid excuse. Certain situations will always come up when you are dealing with other people, and deadlines will need to get pushed back and interviews rescheduled. This is usually understandable. For instance, if you invite a candidate to complete a one-way video interview for you and they ask you for a deadline extension because they will be out of town, that makes sense. Plus, they probably asked you right when you scheduled the interview. However, a candidate that asks for a deadline extension the day of is likely very unreliable and unprofessional. It is the same as having a traditional interview scheduled and the candidate calls you the day of to tell you they have to reschedule. Its unprofessional and a bit immature. Be on the look out for candidates that do this in the hiring process and perhaps move the other way.DirectionsUtilizing video interviews in the hiring process is not difficult by any means. However, job seekers do have to follow directions in reservierung to participate in a live video interview or send along their responses to a one-way video interview. For one, when candidates take part in a live video interview they have to show up at the right time. They should have all of their video equipment set up and ready to go before the actual interview. If the candidate signs onto the video interview even just a few minutes late without letting you know, you may have a bit of an issue. If they sign on at the right time though- and they are even in a different time zone- then it can show you that this candidate not only follows directions, but pays close attention to detail as well. This is valuable information you can learn from a candidate early on in the hiring process.ProfessionalismJob seekers are told that they should trea t video interviews just as they would a traditional interview. That includes their dress and the way they choose to carry themselves. Job seekers that are serious about the position will dress professionally in the video interview. Even though they are not coming into the office to meet you just yet, they are putting themselves in front of you. Smart job seekers know that they need to always show you their best- that includes the way they dress. If a candidate participates in a video interview and doesnt dress professionally, they may not care so much for this position or may not take it seriously enough to succeed in what you need.These are just a few of the things you can notice from job seekers in video interviews. Of course, you can always pick up on their communication skills, personality and confidence levels as well in video interviews but those are more obvious. Spend some time and really look for the not-so-obvious traits that candidates may be showing you in their video in terviews.What are some candidate traits you look for in a video interview, or even just a traditional interview? Let us know in the comments section belowIMAGE Courtesy of Flickr by Ramkarthikblogger

The Definitive Guide to High-Quality Leads

The Definitive Guide to High-Quality LeadsThe Definitive Guide to High-Quality LeadsIts fairly easy to find new leads, but finding new leads that turn out to be qualified prospects is another matter. Every minute that you spend on the phone with someone who is unable to buy from you is a minute that youre not spending with a real prospect. The better your leads are, the mora of your time will go into possible sales. One place to start looking for great leads is with your current customers. Make a list of your very best customers and next to each customers name, write down how and where you honigwein that person. If you dont remember, or you inherited a customer from another salesperson, youll have to ask the customer himself. This is usually best done as part of an account review during which you ask a few questions about how the customers doing, if he has any questions or issues, and what you can do to continue to keep them happy. Its a good idea to check in with your favorite cust omers on a regular basis anyway. Just slip in an extra question like, How and where did you first come in contact with us? Once youve completed this exercise, look for any patterns or similarities. Did you meet several of your top customers at trade shows? In that case, it may be time to ramp up your trade show attendance. Did they find you on social media or through your business network? If so, maybe you should put more time and effort into developing those resources. Wherever your best customers came from, there are probably a lot more people just like them that you can reach in the same way. Another way to help identify qualified leads is to make a list of the qualities that your customers tend to share. If you sell to consumers, do they all tend to be homeowners? Or have large families? Do they have similar hobbies or come from the same geographical area? If you sell B2B, do your best customers tend to come from one or two industries? Are they professionals, manufacturers, tafe lgeschirr providers? Do they tend to be a certain size or be located in certain geographic areas? Now that youve identified the markers that can guide you to the best leads, its time to consider a lead generation program. You may have the greatest product in the world at a superb price but if your prospective customers dont know you exist, you still wont sell anything. The only way you can get sales is by making your target customer base aware of what you have to offer. If you dont have a lot to spend on your program, start small - anything from social media sites for your business to printing out flyers and posting them in places where your customer base hangs out. When setting up a lead generation system, keep in mind that different prospects have different contact preferences. Some prefer emaille, others like to do business over the phone, and still others enjoy wellenreiten social media sites. If you only use one contact channel, youll probably lose your chance to speak with al l the prospects who prefer other methods. Similarly, when you send out marketing methods you should include multiple ways for prospects to contact you in return - email, phone and regular mail at a minimum. Once you have a few leads and youve made contact with them, dont expect immediate results. With luck, some of those leads will buy immediately. But as a rule, it takes several contacts between yourself and a particular lead before hell consider buying. So once youve got someone on your list, keep in touch with that person in a value-building way. For example, you might send your leads a monthly newsletter full of helpful tips, or a link to a free white paper on a subject that will interest them, or a limited-time offer on your product. Every salesperson has experienced the energizing sensation of having a lead call them and say theyre ready to buy. These leads are exciting because theyre a chance to make a sale without having to bother with the time-consuming early parts of the sales process. No combing lead lists, no cold call, no wooing a prospect into ameeting, just straight into the sales presentation. Unfortunately, the expression too good to be true usually applies to so-called hot leads. The truth is that you will rarely actually close a sale with a prospect you meet late in their buying process. The reason is simple whichever salesperson first meets with a prospect has the home field advantage. The first salesperson to speak with a lead has the opportunity to frame his presentation in such a way that his product will automatically look the best. Frequently the prospect who calls up salespeople late in the sales cycle isnt even really shopping by then. She already has a vendor in mind, but her companys purchasing process requires her to get a set number of bids before she can pick one. Or she may be collecting other bids so that she can go back to her preferred vendor with them and try to get a better price. The longer a prospect has been with her c urrent provider, the more likely it is that this vendor has shaped the decision criteria in such a way that other companies dont really have a chance. This is particularly true with very big companies that have tons of red tape involved in the purchasing process. This isnt to say that hot prospects are impossible to close. What it means is that if you simply give your sales presentation and leave it at that, you wont succeed in this type of situation. These prospects need a little extra work on your part if you want to have a real chance - think of it as a trade-off for the work you skipped from the early stages of the sales process. When you get a call from a prospect who says hes ready to buy, ask him a few questions before you launch into selling mode. Youll need to ask who else the prospect is evaluating, how her relationship with her current supplier is working out, what her motivation is for switching providers and similar questions. If the prospect expresses some real frust ration or describes serious problems, you have a chance. If not, dont get your hopes up. If your cold calling isnt putting you in touch with leads fast enough, or youre looking for other options, consider email. emaille prospecting has some serious benefits. Its a huge timesaver compared to cold callingsince you can email a huge number of prospects with one click of the mouse. Whats more, you can save a successful email and use it in the future with a few modifications. And the fact that no one can hang up on an email is a big plus, especially with new salespeople. The basic rules for email prospecting are not necessarily set in stone. Some salespeople break these rules regularly and get huge response rates. However, they do make a good place to start if youre new to email prospecting. Once youve had a little more practice, youll have a better sense of when its safe to break these rules. Rule 1 Choose a Compelling but Businesslike Subject Line?? Your subject line should make pro spects want to read further but should be an honest representation of the email. Subject lines that pretend you have a previous relationship with the prospect may get your email opened, but at that point, the prospect will discard your email in disgust. Rule 2 Keep It Brief?? Most prospecting emails should be no more than a paragraph long, four to five sentences or so. Remember, the point of the email is to get the prospect interested enough to get in touch with you, not to sell to them. You want to give the prospect just enough information to get them to call you back. Rule 3 Include an Offer?? The whole point of a prospecting email is to get an appointment. So your email needs to include something that will motivate the prospect to meet with you. Thats what the sales offer is for. A sales offer can be anything from a one-time break on price to a just for you demo package to a gift with purchase. Rule 4 Minimize Linkage Dont fill your email with links that practically s creams sales email. Include one link in the body of the email, and, possibly, the secondone in your signature. The body link might go to a sales landing page, while the signature link would probably go to your social media or blog page. Rule 5 Minimize Images Yes, its tempting to fill your email with pictures, but resist the urge. First of all, having a lot of images makes your email very large, slower to download, and more likely be flagged as spam. Second, many email clients will block images by default for security reasons, which means your prospects will just landsee a bunch of big empty squares instead of your carefully selected images. Rule 6 Include Lots of Contact Information?? Some people love the freedom of email, while others are more comfortable with phone communication. So the more contact options you give a prospect, the more likely he is to reply. At a minimum, youll want to include a phone number and an email contact address. Including a physical address will give your email more respectability, and including your social media account information allows prospects to learn a little more about you, which can also help to inspire their confidence. Rule 7 Flaunt Your Company Affiliation? Always clearly include your company name and (if you have one) your company logo. Its also a good idea to include a slogan or other tagline related to your company. If your company has branding policies, use them when you construct your email template. All of this will reassure prospects that you work for a respectable business.

How to Run Effective Meetings That Produce Results

How to Run Effective Meetings That Produce ResultsHow to Run Effective Meetings That Produce ResultsPeople spend so much time in business meetings that turning meeting time into sustainable results is a priority for successful organizations. Actions that make business meetings successful require management by the meeting leader before, during, and after the meeting. If you take advantage of these twelve business meeting management tips, your meetings and teams will function better and produce better results. Actions to Take Before the geschftsleben Meeting Actions before the business meeting establish the groundwork for accomplishing meeting results. You can do all the necessary follow-up, but without the pre-work, you wont be successful. Plan the Business Meeting Effective business meetings that produce results begin with smart planning. First, identify whether you need other employees to help you plan the meeting (i.e., pulling in people from a few departments). Then decide wha t you hope to accomplish by holding the meeting and establish doable goals for your meeting. The goals you set for your business meeting will establish the framework for an effective meeting plan. As Stephen Covey says in the Seven Habits of Highly Effective People, Begin with the end in mind. Your meeting purpose will determine the meeting focus, the meeting agenda, and the participants youll need to attend the meeting. Make Sure You Need a Meeting It may sound backward, but, once youve developed your business meeting plan, make sure that a meeting is an appropriate vehicle for accomplishing the goals you established. Holding meetings is an expensive venture when you consider the billable cost of attendees. Make every effort to determine that a meeting is the best opportunity to solve the problem, improve the process, or create a long- or short-term strategy for your team or department. Ensure Appropriate Participation at the Meeting If a business meeting is the appropriate means t o accomplish your goals, check with the participants whose attendance is necessary for the meeting to succeed. This may sound like a no-brainer, but it trips up the savviest leader- the key attendees must be available to attend the meeting. Sometimes people send delegates in their absence. If a delegate attends in the place of a crucial decision maker, make sure the designated staff member has the authority to make final decisions that can be signed-off on. Otherwise, postpone the meeting. Distribute and Review Pre-Work Prior to the Meeting How many meetings have you attended that started with the meeting facilitator passing out a ream of paper or doing a PowerPoint presentation to launch for discussion? It is frustrating because of getting down to brass tactics the meeting becomes a group read-in- hardly productive for your business. You can make business meetings fruchtwein productive and ensure results by providing necessary pre-work in advance of the meeting. Providing pre-work, charts, graphs, and reading material 48 hours before a meeting startsmeans that everyone comes prepared to jump right in. Documentation that will help you achieve the meeting goals can include the following reports and datacharts and links to competitive informationmonth-to-date salesproduction plansMicrosoft PowerPoint slides that illustrate key discussion pointsmeeting minutes, notes, and follow-up from earlier meetings or related meetings and projects Actions to Take During the Business Meeting During the business meeting, if you use the time effectively, youllbuild enthusiasm for the topic and generate commitment from the participants. People will feel part of something bigger than their day-to-day challenges. Therefore, a well-facilitated, active meeting that sets the stage for follow-up will produce meeting results. Effective Business Meeting Facilitation The meeting leader sets a positive, productive tone for interaction among the meeting participants. Effective meeting facilitation starts with a review of the goals, or anticipated outcomes from the meeting, and the agenda. The facilitator helps group members stay focused and productive. Meeting design and the agenda set the framework for the meeting. An effective facilitator, who keeps participants on track, ensures the accomplishment of expected, desired results as an outcome of the meeting. Involve Each Participant in Doable Actions Every workgroup has different personalities that show up for meetings. You have quiet coworkers as well as people who try to dominate every discussion point. Whether facilitating or attending the meeting, you need to involve each attendee in the process of the meeting goals. This ensures that each participant is invested in the topic of the meeting and will follow-up. Youll not have one member- or yourself- trying to carry the whole load. Create an Effective Business Meeting Follow-up Plan During the business meeting, make a follow-up plan with action items. Effectiv e plans include the following The specific action itemThe name of the person who took ownership to accomplish the action itemThe due date of the action itemConsensus about what constitutes completion of the action item Discuss real-life scenarios and barriers to success thatteam membersmay experience as they try to accomplish the items necessary to produce results. If you need a follow-up meeting, set the time before the participants leave so that its on everyones calendar. Actions to Take After the Business Meeting Actions and planning before and during the meeting play a big role in helping you achieve expected, positive, and constructive outcomes. Your actions following the meeting are just as crucial. Follow-up at the next scheduled meeting is never enough of an investment to ensure results. Publish Meeting Minutes Publish your minutes and action plan within 24 hours. People will most effectively contribute to results if they get started on action items right away. They stil l have a fresh memory of the meeting, the various discussion points, and the rationale for each meeting item. Also, a delay in the distribution of minutes will affect your results because most people wait for the minutes to arrive before tackling their commitments. Effective Business Meeting Follow-Up Respecting and observing deadlines and follow-up will help you achieve results from your meetings. Following the meeting, each person with an action item should make an action plan for accomplishing each of their commitments. Whether they write the steps in their planner, delegate the tasks to another staff person, or complete the task immediately, the individual is responsible for follow-up. And, you can improve meeting results by following up with each person mid-way between meetings. Your goal is to check progression and ensure that tasks are underway. Accountability for Follow-Up During the Next Meeting Have you ever sat in a follow-up meeting that consisted of each participant tel ling the group why they were unable to accomplish their commitment? Establishing the norm or custom of accountability for results begins early in your meeting cycle. Follow-up by the facilitator mid-way between meetings helps, but the group must make failure to keep commitments unacceptable. Have participants report on progress and outcomes at the next meeting with the expectation that all participants will have accomplished their ascribed goals. If a task is stalled, at the next meeting see if there is a legitimateroadblock to progress and determine how to proceed. Debrief the Business Meeting Process for Continuous Improvement The practice of debriefing each business meeting is a powerful tool for continuous improvement. Participants take turns discussing what was effective, or ineffective, about the current business meeting process. They also discuss the progress they feel the group is making on the topic at hand.

5 Impressive Interview Questions to Ask as a Candidate

5 Impressive Interview Questions to Ask as a Candidate5 Impressive Interview Questions to Ask as a CandidateIn todays job market, employers want- and expect- job candidates to come armed with their own array of questions. In fact, not having a question to query your potential employer with might make all the difference between getting a callback for a follow-up interview or not. So the next time youre asked by an employer, Do you have any questions for me? be sure to whip out any one of ansicht five impressive interview questions to ask as a candidateHere are five impressive interview questions to ask as a candidate1. How would you describe the companys culture?Many companies pride themselves on their culture, and its best to have a clear understanding of what that entails. It might be empowering employees to ensure the best customer service, remote team-building retreats, workplace flexibility, or even free meals and yoga classes (were looking at you, Twitter).Its important to keep in mind that employers are not looking to just hire workers, but rather invest in employees who share a common vision and desire- and that typically means being a fan of the companys culture.No matter what industry youre in, you should always think about asking an impressive question (or have one ready) during any job interview. It shows a prospective employer that you dont just want a job, but you want a career with their company.2. How will my work contribute to the companys mission?Every company, big or small, has a mission. And every job within that organization somehow ties in to the bigger picture of that mission. So its important to understand that your job is not just another cog in the wheel but rather a critical component of the companys overall success.By wanting to comprehend how your job fits in with the bigger picture, youre showing that you, too, are thinking about the bigger picture and want to be a valued asset in contributing to the companys mission.3. What is the most important task I can accomplish within the first 30 days?Typically, the first few weeks of any new job are a learning curve. So by asking a potential employer what you can tackle shows that youre goal oriented and focused on success. Second, it highlights to a potential employer that you are not looking to coast through your first few weeks but rather come in and make your mark instead, which is highly attractive to an employer.4. How does the company define success?Sure, a healthy bottom line is the goal of any organization, but what does the company youre interviewing with consider success? Maybe its also having a huge humanitarian impact, or creating a workplace environment that is one of mutual respect and leadership.Whatever the case, knowing what the company considers success- and what it doesnt- can show that youre interested in not just clocking in and getting the job done, but helping the organization to achieve its own brand of success.5. What are some of your pain po ints?Maybe its the companys poor social media strategy. Or it might be that seasonal sales are slumping more than they should be. By asking what problems your potential employer is currently facing, youre showing that youre a problem-solver and not just looking to go with the flow.Getting ready for a big interview? Check out our job interviewing tips category.