Why Spelling and Grammar Can Ruin Your Job Hunt

Why Spelling and Grammar Can Ruin Your Job Hunt If you’re hunting for a job, you’ve likely been told hundreds of times about the importance of good spelling and grammar. But why are spelling and grammar such sticking points for employers? Surely even they make the odd spelling mistake from time-to-time? We’re all prone to human error, right? Well yes. However, when you are applying for a job (like it or not) the recruiter is in the position of power! Your lack of written proficiency tells a recruiter more about you than you might imagine. Here are 5 reasons why a ‘their’ instead of a ‘there’ will fast-track your application to the shredder: 1) First impressions count: There’s tons of advice out there about how to make a good first impression at interview    the importance of a firm handshake, the correct clothes and the mega-watt smile. However, don’t forget that the first contact you make with a potential employer is almost always written: your application form or your CV/cover letter are your real first impression. Poor spelling and grammar are the written equivalent of turning up to an interview late, or with a stain on your shirt. The danger of a written first impression is that if you present yourself poorly, you can’t go back and fix things. Make a bad impression at the start of an interview you can spend the rest of the time trying to change the interviewer’s mind but fail to woo with your words and you don’t get the chance to redeem yourself and your bid for the job is stopped in its tracks! 2) Written communication is important for almost every job: Effective communication is crucial in business and is listed amongst the essential requirements in most job descriptions. If your spelling and grammar are poor, your ability to communicate is hampered. Most of us will spend a decent chunk of our working day writing whether that’s sending emails, preparing proposals or writing reports. Since the job you’re applying for likely involves writing it’s understandable that an employer will favour a candidate with superior writing skills. After all, wouldn’t you? On top of this, an employer has to consider the impression your writing skills will give of them. If (for example) you’re emailing clients and customers, your mistakes will in turn reflect badly on your employer and their brand. 3) You give off an ‘I don’t give a damn’ attitude: Employers want to give a job to someone who really wants to be at their company because that person is going to: stay with them for longer and work harder. A slap-dash application littered with errors paints the picture of someone who doesn’t really want the job and has sent out dozens of applications that day.  Ultimately if you care enough about the role you’re applying for you’ll triple check your work, you’ll look up any spelling/grammar queries you have on the internet and you’ll give your application to someone else to proof read. 4) You fall foul of ‘The Horn Effect’: As well as portraying an ‘I don’t give a damn’ attitude, poor spelling/ grammar suggests some other undesirable traits about you, e.g. a lack of attention to detail, laziness and a lack of pride in your work, none of which are going to be on an employer’s wish list!  Beyond the traits that employers may reasonably associate with bad spelling/grammar, a lack of effort in the writing department will actually dampen other completely unrelated achievements, courtesy of the horn effect. The horn effect is a powerful psychological curiosity in which if a person seems particularly lacking in one trait, then that person will often be assumed to be deficient in many others.  For instance, people will consistently rate those who are less ‘attractive’ as less kind and funny than their more attractive counterparts, despite there being no evidence of this. Likewise, your poor spelling and grammar will mean employers will underestimate your other abilities too. While you may have outstanding achievements and incredible qualifications, spelling and grammar mistakes will cast a grey shadow over everything else. Unfair, yes, but true! 5) You turn yourself into a sitting duck! Most vacancies nowadays receive dozens, if not hundreds of applications. As a time saving measure recruiters will start by weeding out the definite ‘NOs’ before comparing the ‘maybes’ and the good applications. Since poor spelling and grammar are some of the easiest things to spot on a CV or application form, a rogue ‘your’ rather than a ‘you’re’ puts you in the firing line for the first cull! Refuse to play by the spelling and grammar rules and you immediately give your competition the upper hand; you’ve unwittingly turned yourself into a sitting duck. Author: Jenna Allcock works for GradTouch.com, the UK’s fastest growing graduate careers site and recruitment agency.

Your brand equity equation - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career

Your brand equity equation - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career As a brand, your brand accounts for more than just your personality and who you are as an individual. I believe its the sum of others brands that you either own, work for or touch in some distinct way. Brand equity is the value built-up in a brand. It is measured based on how much an audience member is aware of the brand. In the above picture, you see a man who drives a Mercedes, wears Lacoste and works for General Electric. Each brand has various attributes, values and perception tied to it. Lets explore each brand: General Electric is a multinational American technology and services conglomerate incorporated in the State of New York. In terms of market capitalization, G.E. is the worlds second largest company. Lacoste is a French apparel company founded in 1933 that sells high-end clothing, footwear, perfume, leather goods, watches, eyewear, and most famously, tennis shirts. The company can be recognized by its green crocodile logo. Lacoste has the reputation of being culturally preppy, especially in the United States. Mercedes-Benz is the brand name applied to the models of one of the premier automotive manufacturers in the world and, because of its tie to Karl Benz, it is also the name of the worlds oldest continuously produced automobile line. If you meet someone for the first time and they are driving a Mercedes, your first thoughts may be that they are successful or classy. If a youthful individual drives one, they may be considered spoiled. It also has the perception of he must think hes better than me or that stereotype that Mercedes drives arent nice people. If that same person wears Lacoste, you may think they are preppy or trendy. If they work for GE, both their dress and automotive side may make sense to you because GE is one of the largest and most successful companies in the world. To me, these three brands (as an example) make sense with each other and tell a story to the audience. As you can see the total equity of these brands reflects in your Personal Brand. You are what you dress like, drive, work for and behave like. More about the brands you work for When you interview for a certain position, if you have previously worked for well-known, top-of-mind brands, such as GE, you will be taken more seriously and the interviewer will associate your name with that of the larger company as being intelligent and successful. The more big brands you have on your resume, the stronger your brand will be. For example, if you worked for Nike, GE, Ogilvy and Ford, you would have a leg up on someone that worked for 4 small no-name companies. Let this association work in your favor. Why is this important? You can explain a good portion of someones Personal Brand without even knowing anything about them. What this means is that your appearance element is crucial for first meetings, interviews and daily life routines. Your appearance is a gateway into a conversation or a networking opportunity, which is heightened by your personality, competencies and differentiation. All the brands that surround you play a role in building your brand!

Success Breeds Jealousy - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career

Success Breeds Jealousy - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career Surprisingly one of the toughest parts of success is finding a colleague happy for you. But as they say, “Anyone can get pity. Jealousy you have to earn.” Following the advice in my blog posts might cause you some trouble. When you persistently do off-the charts good work, the unintended consequence is that you make other people look bad. That can create a problem for you because frankly, people are often envious of your effort and success. It’s crazy, but you will be reviled by some for your exertion. They are afraid you’ll make them look inferiorâ€"their worst fear. I’ve asked many CEOs what was the biggest surprise they experienced once becoming CEO, and the majority told me some version of being taken aback by how many enemies they then had. One told me that it is a double-edged sword to differentiate yourself: When you get noticed, get rewarded, get recognition, coworkers, family, and friends can turn on you. Jealousy is a unique human instinct, and it can create a divide. Instead of lauding your accomplishments, they make snide remarks. I remember my coworkers griping, “You’re making us all look bad,” and then reacting by trying to make me look bad. It was a total surprise to me that that would happen. People are jealous because you remind them of their weaknesses, which makes them feel fearful and insecure. When you are a nobody, doing nothing, no one cares. But if you start leading the pack, you’ll get the arrows in your rear. That’s just life. The only thing you can do is to try in every way to highlight and spotlight the accomplishments of others. When they do well, praise and laud them. Do not hold back praise or retaliate against them in any way. Just continue to pour your heart into your craft. And in a private place on your body, you can tattoo in Sanskrit: “Success is the best revenge.” Debra Benton has a new book from McGraw-Hill (June, 2017)  titled, The Leadership Mind Switch: Rethinking How We Lead in the New World of Work.

7 Tips for HR to Handle Glassdoor Other Employer Review Sites

7 Tips for HR to Handle Glassdoor Other Employer Review Sites Let’s face it, in today’s world we expect to get loads of information in an expedient manner about whatever decision we are currently facing. Think back to the last time you tried a new restaurant.  Did you use Yelp?  Did you check out their menu and pricing?  I know I did.  When I bought my last pair of skis I spent 3 hours researching online reviews, the company’s website, Youtube videos, etc I demand information for basically any purchasing decision that I make, and I get it!  Marketers know this is essential to moving product and spend endless hours making sure they have the right content in the right places to convert interested parties into customers. How the age of information affects recruiting Ok, so the obvious parallel here is with information around working at our company.  The best employers (or at least who we think are the best employers) have all spent time and resources on this.  Goldman’s career page is chock full of in depth information.  Cisco has a Snapchat handle they post to daily. Generally, companies are using various tools to help build their employer brands and convert interested talent into applicants. The influence of review sites, along with countless studies on trust and candidate behavior tells us that employees hold the most weight when communicating information to customers.  I apologize to marketers, agencies, etc.  We all know a commercial when we see one. Here’s the problem though, employees are busy.  And, they don’t necessarily see why they have to help out in recruiting.  Isn’t that HR’s job? 7 pieces of  advice: Don’t explicitly ask employees to post reviews on review sites.  They don’t want to feel like they are being pressured.  This could backfire big time (we’ve all seen reviews with “my manager asked me to write this” in it â€" yikes!). Do explain the business case around employer branding to your employees. “candidates research us, if we have a strong brand, we’ll get more awesome people like you!”  If people understand the impact they can have and the purpose, they are much more likely to take action. Do look for people who are raising their hands to help out on culture building initiatives, happy hours where you invite local professionals, talks that your hiring managers can give at local meetups, and other ways to build your brand. Do give your employees control over your social accounts.  This seems very scary, but if Cisco can do it, so can you.  This will create authentic content that’s closer to what your target audience is looking for than what you’ll put together (sorry, maybe you’re really creative and I’m being too judgmental). Do reward people.  Don’t say “$10 gift card to whoever writes a review of us!”  But, for people running your social, or participating in your various branding activities, it’s ok to give them a shoutout internally/externally for doing a good job.  Or, go to a nice restaurant for lunch to plan your next meetup. Do make it easy and enjoyable.  No one wants to fill out a 30 question survey.  No one wants to write a 500 word blog post (besides me, apparently).  Make content creation easy and mobile friendly.  Make it fast, and enjoyable (fun questions, not just “tell me about the last meeting you were in.”). Do build your employees personal brands.  Ask a developer about the biggest challenge they overcame, or a sales person about the last negotiation they went through.  This is great content to have on the internet that will help them build their brands. Look beyond review sites I’ve mentioned social media a few times as great places for employee content.  Another is your careers site.  You get a lot of traffic there.  And, it’s trusted to have accurate information about your company.  If you do it in an authentic way, content here can be very powerful.  And, you’ve already got the audience! One last tip Don’t be afraid to go big.  The more in depth content out there, the better your chances of being seen and believed will be.  Three one liner testimonials from a perfectly diverse group doesn’t cut it.  You’re going to get a lot more leverage out of 10 employees each answering 5-7 very specific questions about their jobs. Good luck! Phil Strazzulla is the CEO of NextWave Hire, a software platform which allows companies to build their employer brands through employee testimonials that live in career pages, social media, and relevant Google search results.   Phil is a graduate of Harvard Business School and was previously a venture investor at Bessemer Venture Partners.

A Breakdown of the Different Parts of A Resume - CareerMetis.com

A Breakdown of the Different Parts of A Resume The resume is your first step while searching for a job and that has to be perfect. Whichever resume you opt for, video resume, audio resume or the plain text resume it has to be interesting to leave the employer curios enough to know more about you.Though video resumesare fast catching the frenzy of the employers and employees, the text resume has not lost its charm. Here let us discuss the text resume. It is composed of certain elements that need to be appropriate and attractive to attract the employer within few seconds.evalIn an ideal text resume, there are certain parts or sections which are quintessential while some are optional. Let us take a tour.1) Heading evalThis is an essential component of your resume. The heading consists of your full name and detailed contact information, which includes your complete postal address, phone number and email address.The heading should stand out in the resume. It should be instantly visible. The formatting of this section should be simp le, with either centre or left-alignment. Example:2) Career ObjectiveFresh graduates applying for the job must have a career objective in their CV. The career objective highlights your intention for applying for the job and also put forward your career goals.This is important for the first-timers as well as those who are applying for an entry-level job. However, for experienced candidates, this part is optional.evalWhile writing the career objective focus on what your potential employer wants to hear and what you want the employer to know about yourself.To simplify, you should have a career goal that is in line with the position you are applying for.Example:3) Resume Summary or Career SummaryevalA more sought-after section than career objective for the experienced candidates. This is an introductory section that describes who you are and it has to be impressive. It should be packed with your most exclusive skills, abilities, accomplishments and attributes.Mention the skills that are in accordance with the job. Soft skills that depict your personality should also be mentioned in this section. Example: Well-organized, dedicated and competent call centre agent with 3 years of experience in handling both inbound and outbound calls.Skilled in providing information and assistance to the customers. Exceptional ability to work in the fast-paced corporate world. 4) Work ExperienceA key component of the resume, this section highlights your contributions in the previous jobs.List all the job positions you have held in a chronological order stating the names and location of each of the employer, along with your joining and leaving dates. Each entry should be described briefly.Mention all the projects that are relevant to the job. Also, mention any volunteer work if it is relevant to the position you are applying. Include the work position, company name and duration.evalExample:5) Pre-Professional ExperienceevalFresh graduates with no professional experience this section i s for you. Highlight here your on-job training, internships and voluntary work that you have done.The hiring manager is aware that you do not have any previous experience, but by including your voluntary work or internship details will tell him that you are ready to face the professional world.This will take the same format as the employment history section. Include the work position, the company name and the duration of the service.eval6) Technical Skills or Professional QualificationsThe hiring managers probably are more interested in your technical competencies than your educational background. This is because your technical skills form the basis for determining whether or not you are eligible for the position you have applied for.Your professional certifications are considered to be the proof of your expertise. This section should include all your certifications that are most relevant to the job position. This section could be a decider of your interview ticket. Example:7) Educa tional Credentials This section is dedicated to your educational background. Talk about your degrees here. Mention the name of the institute from where you graduated and the major, minor if any. Write the official names of your school, degree and major and minors, no short form, please.Mentioning your degree should be sufficient. There is actually no need to include the details from preschool to college.Example:8) Related CoursesThis section is especially important for the undergraduates.If your educational background does not match with the job you are applying, you need to mention the related courses that you have done. You should write a brief description of each course that you took.9) Training and SeminarsThis part of the resume is optional. Here you will list the training, workshops and seminars that you have attended and that are relevant to the job position you are applying for. This should include the name of the event, date and its venue.10) Achievements and AwardsSimilar to the training and seminars section, this section is also optional. If you think that any award of yours is relevant to the job you are applying for, please mention it.Also if you have any extraordinary achievement while graduating you can mention it here.11) Activities and InterestsAgain an optional section, you can list your activities and hobbies that are relevant to the job. This might give you an edge over the other applicants. 12) ReferencesThis is a section is always controversial. Some schools say that you should include the references in your resume, while some say you should not. The best practice here is to just write in the section, “Available on request”. There should be two references one for you professional work and other should be your personal reference.These are the parts or the section an ideal resume should have. Using this as a guideline, you can start writing one for you.13) DescriptionAresumeincludes certain parts or sections which are quintessential whi le some are optional here areexamplesof each section.Using this as a guideline, you can start writing one for you

Off the Shelf or Tailor Made Which Tech Is Best For Your Business

Off the Shelf or Tailor Made Which Tech Is Best For Your Business No matter what sort of business you are in or industry you serve, the chances are that in some way your company will be heavily reliant on technology. There is a huge range of choice out there, however, which can make the simple task of choosing a piece of software or a tool confusing and bewildering. In fact, one of the biggest decisions you will make as a business owner is your choice between an off the shelf technology or something tailor made and custom built precisely for your needs. The big question is which is best? In this guide, we’re going to run through everything you need to know about the differences between off shelf and custom built technology to ensure you make the best possible choice. Let’s get started straight away with some of the basics. Off the Shelf vs. Custom Built the Key Differences First of all, let’s take a look at what we are talking about. Off the shelf technology refers to products like software that has pre-built integration, are available to anyone, and tend to be sold by vendors to millions of different customers. Think Microsoft Office and you will be somewhere close to the relevant ballpark. Custom built tech, however, is a bespoke solution that is built purely for your business. For example, custom software development companies will look at your exact business needs to come up with a solution that fits you perfectly. As a rule, tailor-made technology solutions are thought to be the more expensive of the two but is this really the case? The cost The idea that off the shelf tech solutions are more expensive than a custom built alternative is simply untrue. The myth stems from the fact that because of their vast reach, off the shelf solutions will often appear to be moderately priced. With a custom build, you will be paying for something developed for you alone, so there will obviously be a cost attached to that. But it isn’t that simple. When you buy generic software, you pay for a lot of features that you just won’t use, whereas, with something made for you, everything is relevant to your business. Furthermore, you have to bear in mind that performance is often an issue with a generic product you have to take time and use resources to seek out the best possible solution for your business, and even then you might not get a perfect match. In terms of value for money and bang for your buck, it is almost always best to take the custom built route. The service Finally, you also need to consider the level of service you will get from each possible solution. As a rule, buying off the shelf means that your business makes up only a tiny fraction of the tech company’s business it simply won’t be their priority to cater to your individual needs. With a tailor-made solution, however, the company will have a smaller set of clients, and a lot more focus on keeping you happy as a result. Conclusion If you are serious about your business, at some point you need to find a system and the technology that works specifically for your business. Off the shelf, solutions may well do a job for you, but ultimately you will be at the mercy of the selling company. Tailor-made alternatives give you more control and power and more value for money. What are your thoughts?

Three Things to Ensure That Your CV Is Stunning

Three Things to Ensure That Your CV Is StunningA good CV is just that - it must contain something of value. Unfortunately, this means that the vast majority of resumes that you will be receiving for hire should not be written in the conventional manner. The reason why I say this is because one of the biggest causes of poor customer service across the UK is simply that those who are employed in this field know how to write a resume but have never actually had to put their skills to use for the benefit of another customer.This means that you need to be absolutely certain that your CV is going to be written in a way that makes it reflect your true skills. I believe that this means that you should start with the idea that it must contain some value.So what can you do to ensure that your CV has value? The answer is simple - you can begin by ensuring that you provide some information about the strengths and weaknesses that you have as a person who can offer good customer service.The idea h ere is that if you begin with an idea that your resume should contain some valuable information about your customer service skills then you are much more likely to be confident that you will be provided with the CVs that are at least well-written. It is also an opportunity to ensure that the skill you are highlighting is a genuine one and not something which has been taken to be positive rather than negative.Another very important tip that you should always pay attention to when you are creating a CV is to ensure that the information that you include about yourself is honest and accurate. Make sure that you discuss all of the advantages and disadvantages of being employed in customer service.In addition to this, it is also vitally important that you talk about the values that you stand for and that you talk about your core values in the context of your customer service skills. It is important to talk about these and to discuss how these affect your customer service.The key thing her e is to make sure that you consider the fact that customer service skills can have very positive outcomes and also that you do not discount or ignore the opportunities that they present for you. Therefore, you need to do your best to create a resume that will not only attract the attention of the people who are in the recruitment process but that will also take you into the first stages of the interview process.So the next time you need to produce a good CV it is important to remember to keep your eye on these three pointers. They will provide you with the clear direction that you need to take so that you can ensure that you get the most out of the process.