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#CareerAdvice : #JobReference -Need a #Reference ? Use One of These Five Templates…It can Be Awkward to Ask your Previous Colleague, Client or #Boss to Say Nice Things about You. Here are 5 Email Templates to Help you Out.

July 12, 2018/in First Sun Blog/by First Sun Team

It’s no secret: Asking for references can be intimidating. Since references often don’t come from the company you’re working at currently–especially if you haven’t yet told them you’re sniffing out new opportunities–you often must reach out to colleagues from across the spectrum of your career.

Try to be specific regarding why you’re asking that particular person to be a reference for you,”

This means contacting people you may not have spoken to in a while, and asking them to take time out of their schedule to remember your attributes and speak about them with your potential employers. The quality of your references can make or break certain hiring processes, so it’s of the utmost importance to find the right people.

Although sending the same stock email out to each potential reference can save you time, it’s not advised. A reference request should be personalized to the person you’re sending it to, and the type of relationship you had with them.

We reached out to career experts Tiffany Franklin, who is the founder of TFJ Career Coaching and works in career services at an Ivy League School and Emily Kapit, MS, MRW, ACRW, CPRW, career strategist and owner of ReFresh Your Step career consultancy, to learn more about the right way to ask someone to serve as a reference over email.

“You want them to feel like you’re asking them because you truly want them to be a reference, not just because you have to have three,” says Kapit, underscoring the importance of tailoring each request to the person you’re reaching out to.

To get an idea of what personalized email requests for references would look like, these five templates give a full idea of what type of language is appropriate for different relationships.

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FOR A FORMER BOSS

Hi Donna! I hope you have been doing well. It’s hard to believe it has been three years since we worked together. I learned so much while we were working on the XYZ project and have fond memories of working at [fusion_builder_container hundred_percent=”yes” overflow=”visible”][fusion_builder_row][fusion_builder_column type=”1_1″ background_position=”left top” background_color=”” border_size=”” border_color=”” border_style=”solid” spacing=”yes” background_image=”” background_repeat=”no-repeat” padding=”” margin_top=”0px” margin_bottom=”0px” class=”” id=”” animation_type=”” animation_speed=”0.3″ animation_direction=”left” hide_on_mobile=”no” center_content=”no” min_height=”none”][company name].

Things have been good here. I have enjoyed working at [company name] for the past two years and getting to explore the city of Denver. After much contemplation, I’ve decided it’s time for new challenges, so I’m beginning to search for marketing director roles and hope to relocate to San Diego later this year.

Would you be available to serve as a reference and provide a positive recommendation for me? If you are, I would be happy to send you my resume and a sample job description so you have an updated view of my experience and what I’m seeking.

Thank you for considering this. I look forward to connecting with you again and hearing your updates.

Sincerely,

[Your Name]

This reference request, written by Franklin, masterfully reestablishes the connection with the former boss and brings them up to speed on your recent professional history. “The wording of your message to reintroduce yourself to a potential reference will depend on the nature of the relationship (former boss versus coworker), how close you were at the time, whether you saw each other outside of work in social settings, and exactly how long has it been since you last connected,” Franklin says. She adds that it’s also important to consider the timing of your request, and how far you are in the job search process, which can determine the likelihood that they will be imminently contacted.

FOR A FORMER COLLABORATOR

Dear X,

I hope you’re well. I’ve been following your career via LinkedIn for the last several years and see that you’ve moved up to [new role]–congratulations! In the last few years, I have also moved up and am currently doing [current role]. I’m looking to transition to an even more senior role and am conducting both an internal and an external search regarding future opportunities. In doing so, I was reflecting on who would be a really good reference for me, and felt that you would be one.

I recall our time working on [particular project] and I thought that given what I’m looking for in that next role, you would be a great person to speak to the skills I bring to the table as well as the kind of hard worker that I am, and would really appreciate if you could serve as a reference for me.

Of course, I am more than happy to do the same for you at any point in time. Please do let me know. Additionally, if you would be so kind as to put the recommendation on my LinkedIn profile, I would greatly appreciate that. Again, I would be more than happy to do the same for you.

I wish you continued success in your career and look forward to being in touch. Please do reach out with any questions!

All the best,

[Your name]

This template, written by Kapit, contains a few powerful elements. First of all, it gives the recommender a specific reason why you’re asking them, of all people, to be your reference. Second, you’re following what some call the “golden rule of networking“: offering your help to someone else, so that they may offer their help to you. This particular template offers to recommend or serve as a reference for the other person in return for them doing the same for you–a great strategy for making the “ask” feel much less one-sided.

FOR A FORMER MENTOR

Hi Mr. Thomas! I hope you’re doing well. It’s hard to believe that it’s already been four years since we worked together at [company name]. How have you been?

I really appreciate all I learned during that time and the guidance you provided. It has been so helpful with my client projects here at [company name]. I have been networking as you suggested and recently became aware of an interesting opportunity to become a marketing manager. Given my work on client projects over the past few years, I feel it would be a perfect fit and great next step. Would you be willing to provide a positive recommendation for me? I’ll be happy to provide you with my resume, full details of the job, and any other info you would find helpful.

Thank you for considering this. I hope we can catch up properly soon.

Warm regards,

[Your name]

This request, written by Franklin, shows the power of a brief–yet humble, respectful, and professional–email. When you have reservations about sending a request to someone, or are worried that the connection might be too tenuous, always defer to a humble, professional tone. In addition, Franklin says, “When making any request in life, it’s helpful to use empathy and think about how you would feel if you received a similar request. If you get a feeling in the pit of your stomach that you’re asking for too much, or it sounds like you’re sucking up or something like that, rethink the email.“

FOR A FORMER DIRECT REPORT

Dear X,

I hope all is well with you. I heard you were promoted to [new position] at [former company]. Nice!

I’m reaching out today because I’m looking to make my next career move, and I’m in need of references for the positions I’m applying for. Given our extensive working history together, I thought that you would be able to speak to my ability as a manager, and I was wondering if you would be willing to serve as a reference. If asked, I think that the example of [X project] we worked on together would be particularly salient.

Of course I would be more than willing to act as a reference for you or provide you with any sort of recommendation. Please let me know if you have any questions!

Kindly,

[Your name]

While it’s less common to ask someone who you formerly managed to be a reference for you, it can be appropriate in cases where you’re looking to show off your management skills to the hiring team. Reaching out to a person who was your subordinate has a slightly different tone than asking someone who you worked under. “You want to mirror the tone of the relationship that you had with them in your prior role,” Franklin advises. “That way, the style of your request is consistent with how you have always interacted with that person and won’t seem outside the balance of what that relationship [is] and always [has] been.” Franklin also provides a number of templates outreach examples in her “Essential Guide to Securing References for a Job Search.”

A FORMER CLIENT

Dear X,

I just heard news that your company recently [accomplishment]. Congratulations! I’m always heartened and delighted to see what your company is doing in the world.

I’m writing today because I’m looking to transition into a new role doing [new job], and I’m looking for a few people who can serve as references for me and speak to my skills as a [your profession]. I thought that the project we worked on last year was a great example of how I can [list skills]. I would be very grateful if you were able to serve as a reference for me.

Please let me know if you have any questions–and I’m also happy to refresh your memory on the details of the project and the role I played if you want me to send anything over.

All the best,

[Your name]

“Try to be specific regarding why you’re asking that particular person to be a reference for you,” counsels Kapit. In this template, praise is given to the former client in order to remind them of their connection to you. In addition, listing specific skills tied to the project you worked on together can help trigger their memory of why exactly they would be qualified to comment on your professional prowess.

FastCompany.com | July 12, 2018 | BY LILLIAN CHILDRESS— GLASSDOOR 8 MINUTE READ

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#CareerAdvice : Four Things #Recruiters Look for to Size Up Candidates’ Potential… #HiringManagers Always need to #Assess candidates’ Ability to Grow, Especially #NewGrads with Little Experience. These are some Key Signs of Standout Traits.

July 11, 2018/in First Sun Blog/by First Sun Team

I’ve recruited countless graduates for roles in many organizations over the past decade, and I’m constantly asked what I look for. My answer is always the same: potential.

This is especially true for entry-level hires. Obviously, there’s no point in assessing recent grads the same way that you would more experienced candidates. Without much work experience or familiarity with the workplace, those candidates need to bring something else to the table–namely the ability to pick things up quickly and apply new ideas on their own. Here are a few concrete qualities that signal potential in entry-level (or any!) candidates–and what job seekers can do to show those traits off.

1. DETERMINATION

I currently work for a tech company called ThoughtWorks, which looks beyond traditional credentials like college majors and grades to make hiring decisions. To be a software developer you don’t necessarily have to have a computer science degree. Maybe you taught yourself to code in your free time, which tells me something much more powerful–that you’re committed to learning your craft and determined to succeed.

In fact, I’ve noticed recently that some of our most successful graduate hires in Australia have come to us through an intensive coding bootcamp, and what they sometimes lack in technical ability, they make up for with drive. Skills from elsewhere in their academic careers and previous work experience tend to be transferrable, as long as they’ve got grit and determination.

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2. PASSION

Passion and determination are close cousins but remain distinct. The former is about creativity and enthusiasm, and the latter is about strategy and ambition; both are strong predictors of potential.

To assess a candidate’s passion, I ask myself how excited they seem at the prospect of joining the team–and how excited I am at bringing them on board. Will they introduce new ideas or fresh energy? What will they bring to the table? Everyone on a team can learn from each other, whether they’ve got 10 months’ or 10 years’ experience, so I tend to look for candidates who demonstrate creative thinking and an eagerness to learn. I also ask myself whether I’d be happy coaching or mentoring them, since their passion and enthusiasm will drive them forward and fuel their growth–but without it, their potential to learn diminishes.

3. SELF-AWARENESS

Ideally, every new hire should be able to grow with the organization, adapting to larger changes. To do that, they need to be aware of themselves and how they fit into the overall company culture.

4. APTITUDE

Technical skills can be picked, and professional maturity comes with time and experience, but every new hire needs to be able to learn quickly in order to reach their full potential. And for that, there’s no substitute for good, old-fashioned aptitude.

Look for assessments and interview questions that let candidates demonstrate how inquisitive they are. You might even ask them to describe an experience when they had to learn something new on the fly. Some interviewers even devise exercises and practicums that give candidates a chance to collaborate on a shared outcome, and I’ve found this is often a great way to gauge potential: Don’t tell us what you can do, show us. There’s no better way to find out if someone has the ability to do something than by asking them to demonstrate it.

Keeping these attributes in mind can help you spot candidates with the most promise to grow into future leaders. And if you’re a job seeker, remember that recruiters and hiring managers are always assessing your potential, even if they haven’t devised a formal method for doing that. So when in doubt, take your own initiative and show off these four traits as best you can. They’ll never steer you wrong.

about the authors below:

Yewande Ige is a global recruitment strategist at ThoughtWorks, which helps companies invent a new future and bring it to life with technology. In her 13 years at the company, Yewande has helped ThoughtWorks grow from several hundred progressive technologists to a diverse 4,000-person organization.

Will Philips is a graduate experience lead at ThoughtWorks. He has over 11 years of experience in campus recruiting across EMEA & APAC across a range of industries.

FastCompany.com | July 11, 2018

#Leadership : #WorkSmart – 4 Ways to Make #Anxiety Work for You…Don’t let Anxiety Drive you into Overwhelm or Procrastination. Here are Four Ways to Beat It & Take Back your Focus.

July 11, 2018/in First Sun Blog/by First Sun Team

We’re getting more anxious.

A March 2018 survey from the American Psychiatric Association found that 39% of Americans report being more anxious than last year. Worries about everything from health to finances have us feeling more on edge.

But the word “anxiety” is one that people tend to throw around casually—and, sometimes, problematically. For some, anxiety is a debilitating condition that keeps them in “fight or flight” response and affects their ability to function. For others, anxiety is an edgy sensation that can be harnessed to improve performance, says Washington, D.C.-based licensed clinical psychologist Alicia H. Clark, author of Hack Your Anxiety.

If anxiety is unrelenting and chronically interfering with daily life, it’s a good idea to consult a doctor or mental health profession. But moderate anxiety can be useful, Clark says. “It’s always trying to tell us something that we care about. Alert us to things that we might not be noticing or tending to,” she says. Try these four ways to harness that anxious feeling and make it work for you.

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NAME IT

When your anxiety is uncomfortable, explore what’s making you feel that way, Clark says. Explore the fear or nervousness and work on figuring out what’s at the heart of it. What is making you anxious? Why do you feel this way? Once you can name the feeling specifically, you can begin to address it and change your thinking about it, she says.

For example, if you’re doing a presentation to a new prospect and your anxiety about it is getting the better of you, think about why you’re feeling that way. It may be because you’re unsure of your presentation skills and need more practice. It could be because you really need this sale and you’re worried that you might not be successful. Each are valid reasons for feeling anxious, but have different remedies, she says. Let the anxiety tell you what you need to address for better performance.

CONFRONT IT

Sometimes, anxiety is trying to warn us of something or share a message about a risk or circumstance, says therapist and career coach Lauren Appio, PhD, founder of New York City-based Appio Psychological Consulting. “Often, that’s the reason why people go to therapy, so that they can become more attuned to those signals, when you tend to be able to say, “Okay, what I know about myself is that I tend to have this kind of reaction to situations where I feel incompetent or I felt inadequate,” she says. Think about the warning signs that lie in your anxiety, and what you need to address to be able to release it.

DIFFUSE IT

If your anxious feelings are overwhelming, give yourself a break, says Ashley Hampton, PhD, a Trussville, Alabama, psychologist who specializes in entrepreneurial productivity. Your ability to do this may vary, depending on the situation. If you’re about to speak in front of a group, you might need to do a few deep breathing exercises. If you’re getting overwhelmed with a big project, you may need to take a break from it and go for a walk, or do some mindless activity to distract yourself, she says.

Meditation may also be useful. One study from the University of Waterloo found that as little as 10 minutes of meditation helps anxious people have better focus. Plus, meditation delivers a host of other benefits.

REFRAME IT

Once you are clear on the reason for your feelings, you can begin to think about them in different ways—also called reframing–to your advantage. Anxiety, when it’s not overwhelming, can sharpen your focus and improve performance, Clark says.

So, instead of being fearful of the challenge you’re facing, work on focusing on the opportunity within it. Think about the positive aspects of being excited about the presentation and the potential benefit it holds. A 2017 study published in the Journal of Individual Differences found that people who acknowledged their anxiety were better able to use it to motivate them.

As more people feel the challenges of anxiety, listening to its messages and finding ways to release the negative aspects and channel its power into performance are important skills to master.

FastCompany.com | July 11, 2018

#CareerAdvice : #ResumeWriting – 4 Metrics Recruiters Love to See on #Resumes … If you Want to Make Sure your #Resume Catches a #Recruiter’s Eye, There are Few Better Ways to Do So Than by Adding Metrics to It. Why?

July 10, 2018/in First Sun Blog/by First Sun Team

For one, “we know that the human eye processes numbers faster than words,” career expert J.T. O’Donnell said in an interview with Glassdoor. But beyond that, they also “help me as a recruiter give context to the size and scope of the work that you did,” O’Donnell explains.

In any given workday, though, there’s no shortage of specific numbers you could call out: the amount of emails you send, the amount of meetings you attend, the amount of projects you work on. So how do you know which metrics to include?

We use the following four-step framework in our Job Seeker’s Toolkit to help you decide which numbers pack the most punch. Once you add the right metrics throughout your resume, don’t be surprised if the interview offers start rolling in!

1. Growth: What did you add to the company?

When deciding which metrics to include, it’s important to think about the key performance indicators, or KPIs, for your role. For example, salespeople are often assessed on how much revenue they drive, how many new clients they bring in, how many of their customers renew, etc. Whatever your role, think about the numbers that matter most for you: perhaps they’re ones that your boss brings up in weekly meetings, that you find in your performance review, or even that you see in the LinkedIn profiles of people with the same job title as you.

Of these different metrics, think about which ones represent ways you added to the company and helped it grow. Depending on your role, this might include:

Website visits
Revenue
Deals closed
Partnerships secured
Candidates hired
New technologies/processes adopted

Examples:

Authored 150 articles over the course of one year, driving 500,000 unique website visits
Vetted and reached out to roughly 30 prospects per day, resulting in 20 closed deals in Q1 and $120,000 in revenue (+22% to quota)
Optimized 15 landing pages during the course of the internship, resulting in 17% lift in organic search traffic

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2. Reduction: What did you help the company save?

In many cases, what you help your company reduce or eliminate can be just as important as what you add to it. In fact, certain roles focus their energy entirely on helping companies save or reduce in order to operate more efficiently. Think about whether you have a concrete way to measure how you’ve helped your company save or reduce the following:

Time
Budget
Client turnover
Employee turnover
Website bounce rate

Examples:

Identified three major bottlenecks in the hiring process and spearheaded taskforce to implement new technologies and strategies to overcome them, resulting in 31% faster time-to-hire
Led website architecture redesign, leading to a two-second faster load time and 16.5% decrease in bounce rate
Conducted internal budget audit and discovered five key areas of redundant spending, saving $23,000 per year

3. Impact: How many people did your work help?

A great way to illustrate how much value you can add to a company is by showing them how many people you’ve previously helped. This doesn’t just have to be people outside of your company like users or clients; it can also include those within your company. Look through the following “people” metrics, and think about which ones might be relevant to your role:

Number of team members you’ve led
Number of users or customers your work impacted
Number of stakeholders involved in a project
Number of clients you managed
Number of employees you supported (for a function like IT or HR)

Examples:

Coached, mentored and led a team of seven direct reports on the factory floor to ensure top-notch quality of products used by millions of consumers
Conceptualized and executed a multi-touch blog, social and email marketing campaign that reached 200,000 unique impressions
Oversaw both day-to-day and strategic HR operations for a company of 75 people

4. Frequency: How often did you complete tasks?

Understanding how frequently you performed certain tasks goes a long way in helping recruiters and hiring managers reading your resume understand how well-versed you are in a given area — often, the only difference between being a novice and being an expert is how much time you spend practicing.

To help you figure out which tasks are the most important to highlight, take a look in the job description to see which key responsibilities and skills are listed. For example, a job seeker applying to a position that lists analytical skills as a requirement might want to describe how they pulled weekly site traffic reports using Google Analytics, while someone applying to a PR position that mentions media relations skills in the job description may want to describe how they pitched reporters on a daily basis.

Samples:

Spent 75% of each day utilizing Python, R and SQL to analyze large volumes of data to influence decision-making processes
Analyzed performance metrics, reviewed creative and brainstormed with internal stakeholders to develop and present 4 strategic social media plans per year
Worked with facilities, IT and communications teams to set up and flawlessly execute company all-hands meetings every 2 weeks

If you’re not used to adding numbers to your resume, it may feel a little bit strange at first. But don’t worry — you’ll get the hang of it in due time. Best of all, there’s a real chance it will improve your odds in a job search.

“Numbers make a huge difference. If you can quantify what you did in any way, you should,” O’Donnell said.

GlassDoor.com | July 10, 2018 | Posted by Emily Moore

#CareerAdvice : #JobSalary – 4 Times It Pays to Accept a Lower #Salary …Before you jump at that Higher Salary, there are Certain Circumstances where Accepting a Sower Salary actually Makes more Sense. Here are a Few you Might Encounter.

July 10, 2018/in First Sun Blog/by First Sun Team

In the course of your career, you’re apt to land in situations where you’re choosing between two jobs, and two distinct salaries. Most people will naturally gravitate toward the higher income, because, well, money is important, and there’s no such thing as having too much of it. But before you jump at that higher number, there are certain circumstances where accepting a lower salary actually makes more sense.

Here are a few you might encounter.

1. When you’ll get better benefits

Workplace benefits are an important part of your overall compensation package, so if you’re looking at a lower salary from a company whose perks are outstanding, that’s reason enough to consider that offer. Furthermore, a superior benefits package can actually save you money, even when you end up taking a hit on salary in the process.

Imagine you’re choosing between two companies. The first is offering you a $65,000 salary and health insurance that’ll cost you $300 a month. The second is offering you $62,000, but health insurance that’s completely subsidized and free to you. Suddenly, you’re actually $600 ahead by taking the second offer. Therefore, before you accept an offer on the basis of it coming with a higher salary alone, take a look at the whole picture and recognize the financial value your employee benefits might offer.

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2. When you’ll enjoy a more favorable company culture

Company culture can play a huge role in your day-to-day satisfaction on the job, so if taking a hit on salary means being happier at the office, it’s probably a hit worth taking. Not being content with their company culture is actually the No. 1 reason younger workers quit their jobs today, so if you’re offered the chance to work in an environment where employees are valued and respected, it pays to go for it.

3. When there’s ample room for growth

Career growth should be a major factor in any job-related decision you make. Therefore, if you’re offered a slightly lower salary by a company that’s expanding rapidly and tends to promote workers internally, accepting that deal might pay off in the long run.

How do you know what growth potential your company has? It’s simple: Ask. Find out how many jobs the business has added over the past year, and how many it plans to add in upcoming years. These are questions you’re allowed to ask during a job interview, and if you have reason to believe you have more long-term potential at a company that’s paying less at present, don’t hesitate to join it.

4. When there’s a better work-life balance

Only 30% of employees today are satisfied with their work-life balance, so if you’re offered a role whose demands seem reasonable, it pays to consider it. Though a growing number of companies today are becoming open to flexible work arrangements, such as telecommuting, there’s a large chunk of businesses out there that are sticking to a more rigid model. And finding a position where you’ll get the former over the latter is reason enough to accept a little less money.

Though money does, and should, play a substantial role in our lives, it certainly isn’t everything. Before you rush to take that job with the highest salary, think about the perks that might come along with making a bit less money. You may come to find that taking a lower salary makes you happier with your work situation on the whole.

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GlassDoor.com | July 10, 2018 | Posted by Maurie Backman, The Motley Fool

#Leadership : The #EmotionallyIntelligent way to Give #Feedback to your #Boss …Here’s an Approach to Raising Concerns with #Managers that won’t Feel Risky to You or Whiny to Them.

July 10, 2018/in First Sun Blog/by First Sun Team

No matter how much you like your boss or manager, there will always be some things about them (or the system) that you’d like to change. But speaking up about a problem or giving feedback to your superiors can feel awkward, to say the least. You don’t want to risk offending the people who hold your future in their hands.

As it turns out, sharing some constructive criticism with your boss is a lot easier with a little emotional intelligence. Here are a few tips and pointers to help you do it tactfully.

FIRST, SHORE UP YOUR REPUTATION

Different things bother different people, and in differing degrees. If you look at your colleagues, chances are you can distinguish the stoics and the whiners. The stoics come to work without complaint every day, no matter what’s going on. That doesn’t mean they aren’t bothered by things happening around them, they just keep it to themselves. The whiners, however, let everyone know when something bugs them, from small annoyances to major problems. And make no mistake: Your boss knows who those whiners are, too, even if she never passes along their complaints to her own higher-ups.

Obviously, you’ll be most effective at giving upward feedback if you have a reputation for complaining only about the big things that really matter. This way, when you do go to the boss with a problem or request, it will carry more weight; your boss knows it takes a lot to get you to say something. And if you think you might be a whiner, try writing down your complaints in a notebook without talking about them to other people at the office. This way you can still get them out of your head, but in a way that doesn’t risk your reputation.

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SCHEDULE A SEPARATE MEETING TO RAISE THE ISSUE

Your boss probably hears fewer complaints than you might think. Most people want to make a positive impression on their superiors. No matter how much they might complain among their own coworkers, few people actually take those complaints upward. (Then they’re puzzled about why things don’t change.) But as long as you’re respectful, chances are you’ll be sharing useful information that your boss might not know about otherwise.

The way you decide to bring it up depends on what you know about your boss, of course. Not every boss is equally amenable to feedback, and those who don’t take criticism well tend to earn reputations as prickly managers. In addition to tuning into these subtleties, you should also try to raise your issue in a meeting where there aren’t other pressing items on the agenda. Better yet, consider scheduling a short one-on-one just for this purpose. That way you won’t be tempted to delay sharing your feedback until the very end of some other meeting, when there won’t be enough time to provide details.

Friends of mine who are therapists have told me that clients often bring up the most important thing in the last couple minutes of a session. It can take people a long time to work up the courage to say what they really want to. By scheduling a quick meeting just to talk about your concern, you can’t hide it in the middle of lots of other information.

BE AS SPECIFIC AS POSSIBLE

If you’re going to point out something that you think needs to change, talk about the problem as specifically as you can. If the issue has to do with a certain incident or event, focus on exactly what happened and who was involved. Stick to the facts, including how the event affected you–both your reaction and any consequences on your ability to get your work done–but avoid speculating about others’ motives or intentions.

The reason to be specific is that the alternative is you trying to diagnose what went wrong–which you shouldn’t do. There are two problems with stating why you think the problem arose rather than simply what it consists of: First, you likely have only partial knowledge about why things are done the way they are around the office. As a result, you may be missing key parts of the context when you give your explanation The more emotionally intelligent approach is simply to leave room for your boss’s judgment and perspective in determining the underlying causes of whatever issue you’re raising.

Second, some of your diagnoses rely on assumptions about what drives other people’s behaviors. There’s no surer way to get someone on the defensive than to ascribe a motive that they don’t recognize in themselves.

Take these three tips to heart and chances are you’ll stop feeling so anxious about raising important concerns with your boss–who might even start to rely on your helpful feedback, and even intentionally solicit it.

FastCompany.com | July 10, 2018

#CareerAdvice : Between Jobs? #Freelance to Earn Cash & Gain Experience…Freelance Work Helps you Develop your #Skills , Earn a Living & Gain Valuable Experience, so your Time #BetweenJobs is Anything but Wasted. Here are a Few Best Practices to Get you Started.

July 9, 2018/in First Sun Blog/by First Sun Team

So how’s your job search going?”

Well-meaning friends, family members and distant acquaintances never fail to ask this dreaded question. And it stings, whether you’re in week one or month six of sending out resumes and hustling for interviews.

Sometimes the process of finding your dream job takes longer than you’d like. But that doesn’t mean you have to watch your bank balance disappear while you wait for full-time work. You already have what you need to start freelancing in your field right now. Freelance work helps you develop your skills, earn a living and gain valuable experience, so your time between jobs is anything but wasted.

Here are a few best practices to get you started.

See the Possibilities

The freelance labor force has grown steadily in recent years. “Freelancing in America: 2017“, a study from the Freelancers Union and Upwork, reports high growth for freelancing:

In 2017, 57.3 million Americans did freelance work (roughly 36 percent of the US workforce), contributing about $1.4 trillion annually to the economy (up almost 30% since 2016).
For millennials, 47 percent of the generation did freelance work (higher than any other generation).
If this growth rate continues, freelancers will make up the majority of the US workforce by 2027

These numbers show that freelance opportunities exist for you. Focus on the projects you want to do by identifying the types of clients you hope to work with in advance.

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Treat Yourself Like a Business

If you’ve worked only for other people in the past, freelancing is a big transition. You are now responsible for convincing potential clients to hire you, selling them on your work and expertise. To do this, you must first see yourself as a qualified professional.

Be intentional about how you describe your work. Don’t use minimizing language like “I’m just a freelance writer” or “I’m doing some design gigs on the side.” Instead say, “I’m a self-employed writer who specializes in science and technology” or “I run my own design business, creating responsive websites and mobile apps.”

Define Why Someone Should Hire You

Clients typically hire a freelancer because they have a problem. Ask yourself how you can solve this problem? What do you offer that adds value to their business? Why should they hire you instead of someone else?

Make a list of your professional skills and strengths. Collect project examples, case studies and portfolio pieces that demonstrate your best work. Ask former colleagues and employers for testimonials. Use these pieces to develop a list of services you can provide freelance clients.

Create Your Online Presence

No matter what kind of freelance work you do, you need a website. Here you can showcase the work examples, testimonials and service descriptions you started to put together in the previous step. Your portfolio website is an important sales tool and a strong first impression to clients, demonstrating what you can do for them.

Fortunately, you don’t need to be a web developer to create an attractive and functional website. You can choose from many different platforms to display your portfolio that require no design or coding expertise.

Keep the content simple at first, but be sure to include information that highlights who you are and what you do: a brief bio, contact details and several strong work examples. If you don’t have many paid projects to include in your portfolio, create them now— even if that means doing some pro bono work:

Write a well-researched article on a topic that interests you
Design a logo for a friend’s company (or a fictional brand)
Offer a free coaching session to a small business owner

Set Up Systems for Success

As the owner of your freelance business, you need to manage all the financial and operational details that come with that title. This role intimidates many new freelancers, but don’t be afraid. If you do your homework and establish structured systems in the beginning, you can run your business with minimal stress. Start with these steps:

Choose a business structure: For freelancers, this structure is usually a sole proprietorship or a limited liability company (LLC). Comply with any state requirements, register for an Employee Identification Number (EIN) and set up a schedule for self-employed tax payments
Test out project management systems: Successful freelance work depends on you staying organized and keeping track of what’s due and when
Invest in good bookkeeping tools: Choose an accounting software that makes it as easy as possible to send invoices, track payments, manage cash flow and prepare for taxes

Connect with Others

When you’re ready to take on freelance clients, spread the word. Reach out to your existing connections — friends, classmates, former colleagues — and let them know what kind of services you offer. Share your new website on your social media profiles, and invite your connections to share with others.

Finally, put yourself out there, both online and offline. Follow industry accounts and leaders on Twitter. Join professional associations, and seek out LinkedIn groups. Attend Meetups and networking events. You can even cold call and email businesses to pitch your services. When you snag your first freelance client, start building a pipeline of steady business right away.

Freelancing is an excellent way to pay the bills and move your career forward when you’re between full-time jobs. And who knows? You may decide freelance work is a good fit for you long term.

GlassDoor.com | July 9, 2018 | Posted by Shea Drake

#CareerAdvice : #SuccessfulLeaders -7 Warning Signs that Your #Career is Stalling…What Got you Here won’t Get you There. After you’ve Achieved #Success , it’s Common to Stagnate. Look Out for These Signs & Turn Things Around.

July 9, 2018/in First Sun Blog/by First Sun Team

It’s not unusual to see a leader turn a company around and bring it to success, only to fail at the next challenge. Some call it the sophomore slump, but it’s really a case of, “What got you here won’t get you there,” says John Hillen, coauthor of What Happens Now? Reinvent Yourself as a Leader Before Your Business Outruns You.

“Leaders are often victims of their own success,” says Hillen. “They wanted the change; they put the business plan in place. Then they themselves don’t make parallel plans to change with the organization. That’s why leaders often stall on the other side.”

What it takes to become a successful leader is not what you need to remain a leader. Playing at the higher level requires different skills, capabilities, mind-sets, behaviors, and attitudes. “Most leaders get it intellectually,” says Hillen, executive in residence and professor of practice in the School of Business at George Mason University. “Unfortunately, what they often do is focus energy on tinkering with the organization instead of reinventing themselves.”

Only a small percentage of organizations make deliberate plans to grow their executives alongside their business. As a result, leaders need to take it upon themselves to adapt to the new playing field, or they’re at risk of hitting one of seven career stalls, says Hillen.

1. YOU HAVEN’T RE-ESTABLISHED YOUR PURPOSE

Leaders often fail to establish new purpose and direction once they succeed. “When things change and new people are coming on board, purpose and direction must be modified,” says Hillen. “Leaders often struggle to tell a coherent narrative, and people start making decisions at odds with culture or value.”

A warning sign that you’re hitting the purpose stall is when you think you need to hire an outsider to get to the next level. Break through by holding a story-creation session with people from all levels of the organization, suggests Hillen.

“Ask, ‘What are we about here?’” he says. “Engage teams to rearticulate values and purpose that will be easy to communicate to the ranks and out to multiple stakeholders.”

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2. YOUR TEAM ISN’T WORKING TOGETHER ON GOALS

After a success, team members can start acting like freelancers, concerned with their own departments and not agreeing on priorities or strategies, says Hillen.

“The single most critical success factor for high-performing teams is having a shared understanding of why the team exists, what it is trying to accomplish, and how it will work together,” he says.

Work through this career stall by holding frequent meetings or off-sites to ensure team alignment, suggests Hillen. “Create team ‘rules of engagement’ and require team members to hold each other (and you) accountable to them,” he says. “Be explicit about the culture that ties the team together.”

3. YOU AREN’T TALKING TO THE RIGHT PEOPLE

Working at a new level can cause leaders to not make good use of their time. If you feel frustrated that people aren’t following your orders, or if you’re too busy to talk to stakeholders, you’re career’s in danger.

Push through by creating a stakeholder management plan, Hillen suggests. “Who will you put on your calendar regularly?” he asks. “What kinds of conversations should you be having with them?” Concentrate on developing a strategic network, allocating time for people who control your future.

4. YOU CAN’T ARTICULATE YOUR VISION AND MOTIVATE PEOPLE

If you can’t seem to energize employees to own the strategy or spring into action to tackle a new initiative, you’re at risk of another career stall. Instead of blaming others for their inability to “get” it, reassess your communication skills and think of yourself as the “chief explaining officer,” says Hillen.

“Whenever possible, make communication two-way; achieve true communication, not mere transmission,” he says. Communicate more than you believe is necessary to ensure sufficient understanding, and change your style of communication to reach different people.

5. YOUR AUTHORITY IS WANING

Once you’ve achieved success, you need to keep performing at a high level to maintain your team’s respect. If you give people direction but they don’t follow through, or you start getting passed over for promotion, you may have hit a career stall.

“Shift your actions and behaviors to come across to followers in a more authentically and emotionally,” he says. “Empathy works, and builds character.”

Accept a position on the board of a nonprofit, for example, take a community leadership role, or be more involved in your industry, Hillen suggests.

6. YOU FEEL EXHAUSTED AND OVERWHELMED

Once you’re operating at a new level, it can be easy to lose sight of your focus. The danger signs of a career stall here are feeling exhausted and overwhelmed, and less energetic and passionate about what you’re doing and its impact, says Hillen.

Decide which tasks to do, which to delegate, and which to drop. “Allocate your time as if you’re going to ‘make history,’” he says. “Enforce, with the help of an accountability partner, rational percentages of time on your calendar to the leadership work that matters most.”

7. YOU’VE ABANDONED LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT

A successful leader’s job is to be a leader of leaders, says Hillen. If you’re unsure of your current leadership team and are starting to no longer trust their capabilities, you could be about to hit a career stall.

“Take command of shaping your organization’s leadership-development programs and play a meaningful role in leading them,” he says. “Commit to becoming a coach as well as a boss, and dedicate discrete time for both.”

While every stall is different, every leader will stall at some point, says Hillen. “They might not hit all of them and not all at once,” he says. “When you’re in a meeting where you are the decision maker, but everybody else has more information at hand, you’re at risk. It should be an epiphany that it’s you and your behavior that needs to be changed.”

FastCompany.com | July 9, 2018 | CAREER EVOLUTION

#CareerAdvice : #OlderWorkers – Dealing with Ageism in your Career Journey… #AgeDiscrimination Hits Young Candidates Fresh Out of School and Again Later in Life as Older Candidates.

July 8, 2018/in First Sun Blog/by First Sun Team

Ageism; it’s always been a problem and not likely to just go away. Age discrimination hits young candidates fresh out of school and again later in life as older candidates.

The first definition of agism is “prejudice or discrimination on the grounds of a person’s age,”

The reasons for all types of discrimination are varied, but generally never unique.

I’ve always referred to discrimination as, “someone sees difference and does not know how to approach it with interest to discover it’s really not different.” I personally believe discrimination leads to missed opportunities.

As with any type of discrimination, there is only one possible way to overcome it; through an open conversation. However both parties need to be open to and looking for the opportunity to have these conversations. Too often neither will initiate the conversation. Someone has to take the lead.

The conversations need to be with the individual in the business who has the need, generally speaking this is not the recruiter or human resources personnel, unless this is where the need is.

I won’t mislead you, being able to get into these open conversations is not easy and it takes effort. However the rewards are often worth the efforts, if done correctly. Having an open conversation needs to start before applying or sending in your resume for a specific job, otherwise the conversations are simply vetting activities trying to match you to the job description.

Candidates are frequently discouraged from having these open conversations. Recruiters and hiring managers will say things like, “you can’t talk to the department head yet, you have to go through me.” Typically candidates will hear this after they have applied online and sent in their resume. Again, this is too late to have a real open conversation with the department head.

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Open conversations should focus on the industry, organization and the person you are talking with. When you make an open conversation about your needs and getting a job, it’s not an open conversation, it’s job searching and this leads to more potential for discrimination. The moment the person you are talking with discovers you want to ask for a job you kill the potential of an open conversation that can lead to opportunities.

The more an individual feels you care about them, their ideas, their role, their business and business needs, the more likely they will disregard potential discrimination issues and want to know more about you. This is true in life, career and business. I live this myself every day. I am a 60 year old man without a college degree and I am known and trusted as a social media consultant. Typically social media consultants have a marketing degree and are far younger than I am. In many respects I have overcome age discrimination in my business and I do this through open conversations.

Yes, I know there are people who won’t consider me because of my age. However, there are many others I do work with because I have been able to get into open conversations with them, focus on them and their needs, show them I care about them and can do the work. I am not unique, I just decided to take the lead asking for and getting into an open conversation.

You too will find people who aren’t willing to have an open conversation, as well as some who just can’t get past their prejudices. Move on when this happens. Your primary purpose is to find those who are willing to get into an open conversation and I promise, there are far more who are willing than those who are not. You have to believe this.

Age discrimination is founded on lots of perceptions; lack of energy, technophobe, stubbornness, higher salaries, etc, etc. In good open conversations many of these perceptions can be discovered as invalid, or irrelevant based on other more positive perceptions discovered through the conversation.

I love the Phrase “We Shall Overcome”, used in gospel songs, civil rights messages and in President Lyndon Johnson’s message to congress in 1965 after the violent “Bloody Sunday” attacks on civil rights demonstrators during the Selma to Montgomery marches. You too can overcome age discrimination, however it has to start with open conversations and you should take the lead in this endeavor.

by Teddy Burriss

LinkedIn Coach & Trainer serving people in business and career transition around the best practices and use of LinkedIn.

Burriss Consulting, Inc.

Learn more about Teddy on his LinkedIn Profile, YouTube Channel, Blog or Quora Channel

Connect with Teddy @ TLBurriss@BurrissConsulting.com

FSC Career Blog | July 7, 2018 | Teddy Burris, FSC Career Blog Guest Author

#CareerAdvice : Exactly How to Find (or create) an #Internship that Doesn’t Suck…This Founder Asked her Own Company’s Interns to Share their Wisdom on Finding & Making the Most Out of Internship Experiences. Here’s What they Said.

July 7, 2018/in First Sun Blog/by First Sun Team

Most students think it’s crucial to find the “right” internship, otherwise they’ll be saddled with the “wrong” experience on their resumes for applying to full-time jobs later on. It’s not that simple, and that’s a good thing.

Since I run my organization’s fellowship program for students, I recently asked our fellows–many of whom have interned at other places, too–to weigh in on the experience: Why intern? What differentiates a good internship from a crappy one? And how do you make the most out of any internship experience, including one that might not be ideal? These are a few of their tips and insights.

DON’T WAIT

Start in high school! Some of your peers will spend four years studying something in college that they decide they don’t want to pursue after earning their degree. One summer internship could save you from taking the “scenic route” toward a career you want (which, however, isn’t the end of the world).

The high-achieving behaviors that tend to work in high school (talk a lot, give teachers what they want, play by the rules, etc.) don’t necessarily work in business. There are no right answers when your intern manager asks you to build the company’s first artificial-intelligence sentiment analyzer–just ask our three high school fellows. One of them, Liam, told me he’s more often judged by what he accomplishes than by how he does it. His AP computer science class was hard, not because of the problems he had to solve, but because the teacher wanted them solved in prescribed ways. Internships will liberate you from an education built around “right” answers, and the sooner you can get started on that, the better.

FOCUS ON WHAT YOU CAN LEARN (ABOUT YOURSELF)

If you’ve been playing the I-want-to-look-impressive game, stop. Internships are for trying career paths on for size. They reveal what you like and don’t like, how you work, and with whom you collaborate well. Internships are ways to learn about yourself–at least as much as they are about picking up skills and knowledge–and to meet the people you could become.

Sahar, our fellow who works on user-interface design, notes that internships take you to depths that college classes can’t. Whereas you and your classmates are trying to balance five courses and get good grades, full-time employees are focused. They’re invested in the mission of the company but also work to raise families, pay mortgages, care for parents, and live comfortably. By getting to know them, you can better envision how you want your life to look in the years after graduating.

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THINK CREATIVELY ABOUT OFFSETTING DRAWBACKS

A few potential risks and downsides can be mitigated. For example, many internships require some degree of grunt work, but you don’t want to take one where that’s the main event. If some of your responsibilities involve crucial yet boring tasks, make sure the majority of the experience will function like an apprenticeship or fellowship. Great internships embed you in the workflow of the company and make you accountable for something more important than administrative duties (at a different company, one of our fellows recalled handling so much paperwork that he developed a coffee habit just to stay awake).

WATCH OUT FOR RED FLAGS

Other red flags are a lot easier to spot. For starters, find out whether you have a designated manager. If not, you’re probably going to be passed around and lost. Second, note how much or how little the internship coordinator scrutinizes you. Bad internship programs just need a warm body in the room to do rote work, so the interview tends to be pretty fluffy. Ask the interviewer about how many people applied, how many were offered interviews, and how many the company will hire.

Third, when you tour the office, scan the culture. Do you see a room of jaded, bitter faces? Can you imagine them taking your input and offering insightful critique? Always ask to speak with former interns during the interview process. If the program is legitimate, there will be references ready and eager to speak. You can check Glassdoor, but nothing compares to a conversation with someone who actually did the job.

Our doctoral fellow Kevin adds that it’s important to look at the moral fabric of the company: What does the organization do and why? If you have ethical qualms about the work, the prestige of the job probably won’t counterbalance them.

SHOW WHAT YOU CAN DO, AND BE UPFRONT ABOUT WHAT YOU CAN’T

On day one, ask your manager about the expectations. You need to establish goals, deadlines, and intended outcomes. If there’s not already a system for check-ins and feedback sessions, ask for one. Likewise, if you’re asked to do something you aren’t prepared to do–like code in Python–be honest. If you have the rudimentary skills, go for it and push your comfort zone, but try to avoid getting in over your head.

And for high schoolers, don’t be afraid to bother adults. Robert, one of our high school engineering interns, stresses that it’s actually crucial to ask questions and bug people. Consider how much more time they’re going to spend fixing your mess if they don’t help you succeed!

Finally, as your internship unfolds, keep asking yourself this question that our fellow Sima recommends: If you did this full-time, what would your life look like? Unless you take an internship that challenges you and demands your full commitment, you won’t be able to answer it. Building your career is an experiment, and internships provide the best data you can collect.

Ximena Hartsock, PhD, is the cofounder and president of Phone2Action.

FastCompany.com | July 7, 2018 | BY XIMENA HARTSOCK 5 MINUTE READ