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Your #Career : #Recruiters Look At This More Than Your #LinkedIn …Here’s what they are looking for when they scroll through your #Instagram and #Facebook accounts.

April 21, 2018/in First Sun Blog/by First Sun Team

When it comes to getting your online profiles ready for a job search, you probably focus your attention on LinkedIn. However, a study by the job search website Simply Hired found that hiring managers are more likely to check your Instagram account.

Just 29% of hiring managers look at an applicant’s LinkedIn profile, while 38% search for social media accounts, the study reports. And there’s an important reason why, says Carly Johnson, project manager at Simply Hired: “LinkedIn is a great platform, but if you have someone’s resume, you’re probably not going to find much else about them; it’s pretty replicated.”

Johnson says recruiters often go to Instagram and Facebook to determine the kind of person the candidate is beyond their resume. “Instagram and Facebook show a living, breathing person,” she says. “It’s great to have a second level of information.”

Social media platforms offer a wealth of information about candidates.

CULTURE FIT

Posts and comments on social media platforms provide insights to a person’s beliefs, and they can reveal potential red flags, says Johnson. “You want to make sure candidates aren’t rude or offensive toward people,” she says. “Also, do their personal opinions fit with your culture?”

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Victoria Whiting, internship director at the marketing firm Agency H5, looks for characteristics on candidates’ profiles that fit with the agency’s five core values: kindness, smarts, integrity, passion, and hustle, she says. “It can be difficult to assess these values in an interview, as a candidate can come across as kind and passionate during an initial conversation, but later demonstrate the exact opposite,” she says. “I use social conversations and profiles to evaluate how this person would stack up.”

HOBBIES AND INTERESTS

Pictures reveal hobbies and interests, allowing you to get a bigger picture of a person, says Johnson. “Hobbies show that a person is well rounded,” she says. “You don’t want someone who is all about work and a robot.”

Twitter is a great place to showcase what interests you professionally, adds Whiting. “When evaluating a candidate, I check for a Twitter profile to see what types of articles are shared, where he or she gets news, what content is of value to the candidate, and how he or she engages with other people,” she says.

INDUSTRY FIT

If your job has a marketing aspect, employers might want to see how you brand yourself through social media. Whiting looks to see if candidates have a basic understanding of how platforms work. “We create Facebook content and paid ads for many of our clients, so it’s important that this channel is not overlooked,” she says.

When it comes to Instagram, profiles with well-curated content stand out, says Whiting. “Instagram is a great place to showcase your eye for cohesive imagery, brand development, engaging content, and clever copywriting,” she says.

THE LEGALITIES OF LOOKING

While there is no law against looking at a candidate’s public social media sites, it could pose a potential risk because you might learn protected characteristics such as a person’s age or national origin, says David Weisenfeld, legal editor for XpertHR, an HR services provider. “If the applicant somehow becomes aware that the employer accessed this information via social media and is subsequently passed over for the job, this knowledge could boomerang against the employer and potentially lead to a discrimination claim,” he says. “Even meritless claims could cost the employer time, money, and resources to defend, so this risk should not be discounted.”

Loni Freeman, vice president of human resources at the public relations agency SSPR, checks the LinkedIn profile of every candidate she interviews, and stops there. “Since I know this person is actively seeking a position with our company, I’m interested in learning how they are maximizing their professional candidacy,” she says. “I do see value in understanding the public personality of an individual; however, once you learn information about someone, particularly protected hiring information, you can’t unlearn it. It’s a slippery slope for a recruiter, and using personal information to make a professional hiring decision is risky.”

While not all recruiters look at social media, Johnson said Simply Hired’s study found that the number is higher than they originally thought. She offers this advice for job seekers: “If you have a public account, you’re better safe than sorry,” she says. “Make sure you’re comfortable with anyone seeing what you’re posting, from a friend to a future employer.”

FastCompany.com | April 20, 2018 | BY STEPHANIE VOZZA 3 MINUTE READ

Your #Career : How To Craft A Strong (And True) Narrative About Why You Got #Fired …Just Parted Ways with your Last #Employer in a Less-than-Desirable Manner? When a #HiringManager asks, “Why Did you Leave?” Don’t Jump into the Reason Immediately. Here’s How to Spin It the Right Way (without dodging the question).

April 18, 2018/in First Sun Blog/by First Sun Team

Just parted ways with your last employer in a less-than-desirable manner? Chances are you’re finding it tricky to land a new job. You may find yourself in an uncomfortable position when a job interviewer asks you, “So why did you leave your last company?”

You’ll need to walk into that job interview with a narrative that reflects well on you, no matter what actually happened. The challenge is to create a story that positions you positively in the eyes of potential employers–yet remains true to the facts. Here are the four things your narrative needs to accomplish in order to walk that line successfully.

1. SHOW RESPECT FOR THE COMPANY YOU LEFT

First, avoid answering the question directly. Do not immediately say, “I left because . . . ” It may feel like a dodge, but it’s important to lay a strong foundation first. To do that, start off by making it clear that you respect your former employer. No firm is likely to want you if you put down your previous company; any reasonable hiring manager will worry that you’ll eventually turn on them as well.

Sometimes being positive might take an effort, but it’s one worth making. That also means resisting the urge to blast the company on social media or even on platforms like Glassdoor that let you post anonymously. It often doesn’t take a sleuth to guess who might’ve uploaded a rant.

So kick off your account of why you got fired, laid off, or quit on a note of positivity–pretty much no matter what. Employees occasionally leave for high moral principles, criticize a company’s practices, and land on their feet by attracting a like-minded employer. But these scenarios are typically the exception. The general rule to follow is to speak favorably about your latest work experience.

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2. EMPHASIZE WHAT YOU LEARNED

Next, turn to the contributions you made in your last job–how you advanced the goals of your company and strengthened your own skills. Sure, there were some areas that were less exciting, but in the narrative you’re crafting you don’t need to discuss everything. Explain how you gained professional experience in the role and how it positions you for the new one you’re interviewing for.

Mention, too, the leaders who influenced and mentored you, and describe how they helped you mature in your role. (By the way, don’t wait long after your departure to let those allies know you appreciated their mentorship. It’s not only common courtesy, but this bridge building will come in handy when you need a reference.)

3. STATE IN ONE SENTENCE WHY YOU LEFT–AS POSITIVELY AS POSSIBLE

The previous two steps should only take a few sentences–don’t spend too much time laying this foundation, otherwise your interviewer might cut you off and press you to give a straight answer.

Now we come to a crucial part of your narrative: explaining why you left your last job. Don’t lie. Clearly and succinctly state what happened, taking care to put the best possible face on the reasons for your departure. For instance, if you left as part of a corporate reorganization, emphasize those changes above all others. Those are “forces beyond your control,” and don’t reflect on your abilities or the quality of your work.

If you quit, explain that you contributed a great deal to your last firm but wanted a company where you could offer still more. If you were fired, explain (with an eye on your new firm) why the fit wasn’t quite right, but why you’re well-suited to this opportunity. Once you’ve laid the groundwork, these trickier lines are much easier to deliver candidly, confidently, and compellingly.

4. SHOW HOW EXCITED YOU ARE ABOUT THE NEW OPPORTUNITY

Your storyline isn’t done yet. Close out the narrative by showing excitement about the firm you’re interviewing with.

As the president of a company I founded and directed for 25 years, I interviewed tons of job candidates, and anyone we hired–no matter their work history, warts and all–had to convince me in their interviews that they’d love working here. The best candidates had researched our firm, and had thought long and hard about the position they were applying for. They talked more about the excitement of the job and spent less time simply praising themselves. They knew about our core offerings and who our major clients were. They did not overuse the word “I” but talked about themselves in terms of what they could accomplish in the new role. This positive, forward-looking, enthusiastic approach not only got them hired, but these were the folks who contributed the most as employees.

Good jobs are hard to come by, while bad jobs can continue to affect your career trajectory long after they’re over. Don’t let that happen. Present yourself in the best light, and others will see you that way. If you can develop, write out, and learn this narrative, you’ll be able to deliver it confidently and spontaneously in all your career conversations.

FastComapany.com | April 18, 2018 | BY JUDITH HUMPHREY 4 MINUTE READ

#Leadership : Do These Three Things When You Check A Job Candidate’s #References .. #Employers usually Assume they can Glean the Most Important Information about #JobCandidates from Candidates Themselves. Not Always.

April 17, 2018/in First Sun Blog/by First Sun Team

Who wouldn’t want a heads-up on how a job candidate might perform before hiring them? That’s what the entire interview process is for, right? Well, yes, but there’s a final step that many employers either treat as a mere formality or skip over entirely: reference-checking.

Employers often believe they can glean the most important information about job candidates from the candidates themselves. Yet information supplied by the candidate can be biased–either due to self-deception, the inability to accurately evaluate oneself, or even intentionally stretching the truth. There’s a real risk that biases in candidates’ self-reporting can make resumes, interviews, and even personality tests less useful than many recruiters and hiring managers might hope.

On the flip-side, references tend to be more valuable than hiring experts typically believe–as long as they take reference-checking seriously. Here’s how.

1. TREAT IT AS A TEST

Reference-checking is only one of the final tests job candidates face in the interview process, but it’s still an important one. You’re asking a candidate to provide contact information from people they’ve worked with in the past, both managers and coworkers: Can they share this intel efficiently and accurately? How long does it take them to do so? Have they reached out to their references ahead of time to make sure they have their current contact information, and if they’re willing to serve as a reference?

Here at SkillSurvey, a reference-checking platform, we’ve found that behavioral ratings, and the proportion of references who respond to the candidate’s request, are key predictors of their success on the job. What’s more, these factors are statistically linked to people leaving or being fired within the first year. So don’t just focus on what feedback the references are providing. Also, keep an eye on who is providing that info to you and whether most references respond.

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2. ASK REFERENCES FOR THEIR CONSTRUCTIVE CRITICISM (AND TAKE IT SERIOUSLY)

It’s a myth that job candidates only solicit references from people who’ll say nice things about them. Of course, they frequently do–but after praising a candidate, references are typically happy to share constructive feedback when prompted to, and it actually tends to be fairly accurate.

In fact, research suggests that information gathered from references is statistically predictive of a candidate’s future work behavior. This feedback has been linked to productivity, teamwork, hiring manager satisfaction, and turnover, to name just a few important factors. One study of current employees even found that others’ perceptions of an individual’s personality at work can be more accurate than those same individuals’ self-perception.

Reference providers will usually be more candid when they’re ensured that their feedback will remain confidential. We’ve actually seen that 83% of all reference providers offer open-ended comments on a candidate’s areas for improvement when they’re questioned about that. Some of the top issues they tend to cite include stress-coping skills, prioritization, and attention to detail–not exactly minor issues.

3. COMPARE WHAT REFERENCES TELL YOU WITH SOCIAL-MEDIA DATA

Platforms like LinkedIn, GitHub and Upwork permit candidates to flesh out their resumes with comments or rankings from others, including recommendations and endorsements of their skills by colleagues and partners. Since this information is so handy, recruiters and hiring managers may feel tempted to use it as a rough proxy for checking a candidate’s references. That’s a mistake. If you’re looking for the candid story about a candidate and whether they’ll be a good fit for the role, you’ll have to get information from references that’s more specific to what it takes to succeed in your organization.

While the information a candidate puts out there on social media can supplement a reference check, keep in mind that it’s mostly curated by the candidate, who can exclude anything unfavorable. In fact, if there’s a glaring disparity between what a candidate’s profile endorsers seem to say and anything else you’ve learned over the course of the hiring process, that inconsistency can lead to some valuable, probing questions during the interview.

The myth that reference-checking is just a trivial formality needs to be dispelled. It can be the best tool for uncovering othermyths–the ones that a job candidate might be throwing your way.

Cynthia A. Hedricks, PhD, is the Chief Analytics Officer at SkillSurvey, Inc., a reference checking technology firm that harnesses the power of references to help organizations more effectively recruit, hire, and retain talent

FastCompany.com | April 17, 2018 | BY CYNTHIA A. HEDRICKS 3 MINUTE READ

Your #Career : How To Write #ThankYouNotes That Impress #HiringManagers …When it Comes to Impressing Hiring Managers , what You Do After Counts as Much as What you Say During your #Interview .

April 17, 2018/in First Sun Blog/by First Sun Team

Spring is a great time to search for new jobs for a number of reasons. First, budgets are often approved around January/February to hire more people. Second, the economy is pretty healthy right now, and businesses are ready to expand and try to grow their profits. For some companies, this means new hires to support these growth efforts.

Lastly, it’s also the time of year when companies often revisit their products, services, and technologies, working on improvements to keep competitive in the market. Often, companies will hire new employees or teams to work on these changes.

If you’re ready to job search, or perhaps you’ve already started, here’s one skill you should sharpen:writing thank-you notes. A powerful thank-you note can land you the job–we’ve seen it happen frequently with the candidates we place. (And on the flip side, we’ve seen bad thank-you notes damage a candidacy.) Here are four tips from our recruiters for writing the kind of thank-you note that impresses hiring managers.

1. TAKE NOTES IN YOUR INTERVIEW

This tactic isn’t just about looking (and being) more engaged in the interview–though that certainly wins you points. It’s also about writing a better thank-you note later. Mark down important points you discuss in the interview. What imperative job functions do your interviewers bring up? Are there any problems they’re facing as a company that you could help with? Do they pose any questions that you might be better able to answer after a bit more thought? These are the kinds of things to add to your thank-you note later. Time and again, we find that a generic thank-you note–one that feels like it’s copied from a template–will never impress hiring managers like a thank-you note that makes reference to specifics from the interview. In fact, in some cases, a generic thank-you note will hurt your candidacy more than help it! There are hiring managers that think a generic, template-like thank-you note shows so little effort that they think less of a candidate.

2. BE PROMPT

A thorough, detailed thank-you note that’s beautifully written will never make much of an impression if it’s too late. Especially in some fast-paced fields like the tech industry, healthcare or marketing, time is of the essence. When you finish your interview, head home as soon as you can to write your thank-you note. Sending it the day of the interview (if possible) or within 24 hours is ideal, although sending the note 48 hours later can be acceptable if you get really tied up. If you send the note late, you might find that the hiring manager has already assumed you’re not sending it and dinged your candidacy or rejected you for it.

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3. SEND INDIVIDUAL THANK-YOU NOTES

If you interview with multiple people, try to get their individual contact info from your recruiters. Writing each of them a note will show a level of care that goes above and beyond what most candidates demonstrate. If you can add a detail to each note that really personalizes it, that’s even better. Especially today, the trend is for workplaces to be focused on building a great corporate culture, which often requires teamwork and strong interpersonal skills from all levels of employees. Showing off extra effort in your soft skills can be key for your candidacy. Individual, personalized thank-you notes could make you seem like the kind of team player that hiring managers will love working with.

4. CONSIDER ADDRESSING WEAKNESSES OR CONCERNS WITH YOUR CANDIDACY

This may not always be necessary. However, if you felt there were concerns or weaknesses brought up in your interview, a thank-you note can be a great place to address that. The key is to keep things positive and, if possible, focus on how you’re already working to remedy these potential issues. If you can handle this right, your thank-you note can significantly strengthen your candidacy, as it’s your last impression that you leave on a hiring manager before they make their decision.

This article originally appeared on Glassdoor and is reprinted with permission.

FastCompany.com | April 17, 2018 | BY SAMANTHA KEEFE—GLASSDOOR 3 MINUTE READ

Your #Career : Five Victim Mentalities to Drop During a #JobHunt …When Going Through the #InterviewProcess , We Subject Ourselves to all Kinds of Vulnerabilities that May Compel Us to Play the Victim Card. Yes You!

April 17, 2018/in First Sun Blog/by First Sun Team

We all have different filters through which we see the world that influence our attitudes and behaviors. One filter that is common to many is that of the “victim”. When circumstances become challenging, we sometimes use this “victim filter”, to ease certain ego bruises we experience. This filter leads us to feel victimized by events perceived to be beyond our control.

When going through the interview process, we subject ourselves to all kinds of vulnerabilities that may compel us to play the victim card. This kind of mentality can be especially detrimental when it manifests during a job hunt.

As a candidate, it’s your job to ensure that:

You’re able to articulate yourself professionally and sell your experiences
Your professional documents tell a clear and formatted story
You’re prepared for each interview

If you can’t check these boxes, then there’s work to be done beyond adjusting your attitude. However, if you’re confident that you’ve met the criteria discussed above, and you’re still experiencing interview rejection, it’s important to counter the negative thoughts that may result. Let’s examine some common victim mentalities.

1. “If a person I reach out to forgets to follow up, they must not want to help.”

People are usually well-intentioned and willing to help. Before assuming that someone has dropped off the face of the earth to avoid helping you, consider that they may have simply forgotten, or your approach didn’t work! People get inundated with messages all day, so it’s your job to be thoughtful about standing out.

Consider the following strategies before writing a person off:

Take the initiative to follow up and nurture your leads
When reaching out to someone for networking purposes, remember to ask for advice, not a job
Refine and retry your messaging — a/b test your strategies to see what works

Reframe your thoughts to “This person forgot to get back to me, but it’s my job to follow up and make a great impression.”

2. “I don’t have the right experience, so I won’t bother applying.”

Job descriptions often set out a wish list of qualities required of candidates that are more aspirational than mandatory. Though you might not have the years of experience, your skill set might nonetheless still fit the bill for a given position. Less experience also means a lower pay grade, which can be an advantage for an organization.

Break the job description down into tasks, and if you feel you could succeed in each area, don’t hesitate to apply.

Reframe your thoughts to “I can’t change my work experience, but if I get rejected at least I went for it!”

3. “Job hunting is hard for someone like me.”

Whether you’ve been laid off, fired, or left a job, it’s tempting to think that you’re the only one struggling. You need to acknowledge that job hunting is hard for everyone; and you can’t pretend that there won’t be rejection involved. “You’ll need to build the confidence to move on from setbacks and get back on the horse”, says Work & Life Coach Minda Miloff. It’s important to fill your life with meaningful hobbies and projects, so when a challenge presents itself in one area, your confidence remains intact!

Reframe your thoughts to “Job hunting is hard for everyone. I will show empathy and help those in their job search whenever I can”.

4. “I’ve been rejected from so many jobs — it’s not fair!”

When an organization makes a choice about who gets the job, the decision may not always be based on criteria that is transparent to you. Though the outcome might not be what you hoped, there is always something to learn and a tangible skill to be gained through each interview, says Miloff. Assume that the competition is stiff, and you can’t predict how things will unfold. Focus on what you can learn from each interview, and use that to drive yourself forward.

Reframe your thought to “I’ve been rejected from so many jobs, but I’ve learned from each rejection and I know that all it takes is one person to say yes.”

5. “I’m never going to land the job I want.”

While you need to project the confidence that you’ll be successful, it’s important to monitor your expectations and be realistic that there is a chance things won’t work out. Interviews should be viewed as a performance about “delivering the best of who you are on the spot” says Miloff. At some point, you have to say, “I did my best,” and that’s a helpful countermeasure to feeling knocked down.

Reframe your thoughts to “I will land the right job eventually. I accept that it might take time, commitment and grit on my behalf.”

It’s normal to indulge in some necessary pity parties. However, career development requires mental toughness, strength to recover and self-awareness to recognize your own weaknesses or alternatives for why things didn’t work out. Rejection is an unavoidable part of the process, and so the quicker you learn to bounce back and re-strategize, the more success you’ll find!

Stacy Pollack is a Learning Specialist with an MA in Educational Technology. She is passionate about building leadership programs that engage and contribute to the success of her organization. She loves to share her perspective on job hunting, career building, and networking for success. Connect with her onLinkedIn or Twitter.

Glassdoor.com | April 16, 2018 | Stacy Pollack

#Leadership : 9 No-Fail Tips for Giving #ConstructiveCriticism at Work (Infographic) ….Learning How to Give Honest, Constructive Feedback to All Types of Colleagues will Help you Be a #BetterManager and Will Help your #Employees Develop.

April 16, 2018/in First Sun Blog/by First Sun Team

Though criticism is an inevitable part of any workplace, most people find it difficult to give negative feedback to direct reports. Whether you are offering real-time observations or engaging in a formal review discussion, it can be stressful to critique the work of your colleagues.

Don’t let yourself be intimidated by difficult feedback conversations! Honest evaluations are essential to employee development, engagement, and retention. Most employees understand the value of constructive feedback for their company and for their own personal development. A Zenger/Folkman surveyfound that 93% of people agree that when negative feedback is delivered correctly it can be an effective way to improve performance.

Learning how to give honest, constructive feedback to all types of colleagues will help you be a better manager and will help your employees develop. By providing specific direction based on employees’ actions, you can provide criticism in a way that will help people develop, without making them feel attacked.

Check out this infographic for tips on how to criticize constructively:

Fundera.com | March 23, 2018 | Meredith Wood

Original Post: https://www.fundera.com/blog/how-to-criticize

#Leadership : #OlderWorkers – Everyone In My Office Is 30 Years Younger Than Me… As SYPartners’ Senior Adviser & Entrepreneur-in-Residence, Sherri Leopard, 62, is Often the Oldest Person in the Room, and she Explains Why That’s a Plus.

April 16, 2018/in First Sun Blog/by First Sun Team

Sherri Leopard has experienced being unique many times in her career. During her early professional life as a marketing consultant in technology, Leopard found herself in projects where she would be the only female member, as well as the youngest.

Having grown up in a lower-middle-class household, she also found herself at odds with many of her privileged friends who graduated from elite colleges. Yet she persevered and thrived, building and running a marketing consultancy with blue-chip clients such as IBM, SAP, Siemens, and Motorola. In 2006, she sold her consultancy, Leopard, to advertising giant WPP. Leopard became a wholly-owned subsidiary of Ogilvy & Mather.

**Sherri Leopard** [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”][Photo: courtesy of SYPartners]

Many years later, as a senior adviser and entrepreneur-in-residence for SYPartners, Leopard would find herself–once again–as the unique person in the room. But this time, it would be as the oldest person in an office full of twenty- and thirtysomethings. Leopard recently chatted to Fast Company about how working with younger employees has helped shaped her way of thinking, and the misconceptions about older workers that she wishes everyone would drop. Here’s her experience in her own words, edited for length and clarity.

WHAT IT’S LIKE TO BE DECADES OLDER THAN ALL YOUR COWORKERS

All of the people that I work with on a day-to-day basis are 20 to 30 years younger than me. The company is young, young, young, and many of them come from prestigious schools. Me? I went to Metropolitan State University in Denver. I came from a lower-middle-class upbringing–and I think part of the way that manifests in me is being really practical. Everyone else would have these debates about really minute things, and I tend to be super impatient and cut to the chase. Of course, I’ve had to learn to do it in a way that doesn’t stifle people’s creativity.

To be honest, I don’t think people tend to focus on the fact that I’m older. There is a designer on my team who is 24 years old, and the other day he told me, I think of you as a mentor, but you’re not someone who just gives me advice, because you’ve done all these things. We get in and figure out stuff together and when we’re solving a problem. We’re solving it as equals.

ON LEARNING FROM YOUNGER WORKERS

As a former CEO who happens to be the oldest person in the office, over my three years at SYPartners, I’ve really struggled with not being right and the need to be right. It took a while for me to be comfortable with learning from the young people who challenge me. That’s been a journey. In one of my earliest projects, that was really hard. I was on a team that just saw things so differently.

The perspective shift came during my work with BlackRock–who we’ve been working with on their diversity and inclusion initiatives. Something finally jelled in my brain, and now it’s much easier to be in situations where people are challenging my thinking. Had I learned that earlier in my career, I would have been a much better CEO. I’ve realized that we need those differences in the workplace to solve the sorts of complex problems we’re presented with today.

Of course, there will always be a generational gap. When I hear about young women discussing salaries, I think, in my generation, people didn’t talk about what they got paid. But I think that young people are a lot smarter because that transparency is going to pay off.

Another obvious generational gap is my aversion to social media. I feel like young people around me try to pull me into that world and occasionally I’ll go, okay, I get it, I get why I need to do it. But I’ve had times where I’ve gone through six rounds of writing a Medium post and I can never bring myself to post it. The younger people will be telling me, “Just do it, and you’ll get more comfortable.” But I still can’t do it.

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ON THE IMPORTANCE OF ENDURANCE

I think that my stamina is an advantage I have, as an older worker. When I was doing marketing and communications work, I did a lot of speech writing. I’d have clients call me very last minute, often very early in the morning. I remembered watching my then client, a senior VP at IBM, outwork me even though he was probably 20 years older. At that time I realized, oh my gosh, the game here is actually endurance. I realized then how important it is to be physically strong, eat healthy, exercise, and just be really mindful about my health. I think that investment I’ve been making for years in my health is really paying off. Today, young people in my team will go, geez, you’re the Energizer bunny!

ON MISCONCEPTIONS ABOUT BEING AN OLDER WORKER

I feel like there’s this misconception that older people just can’t keep up, whether that’s keeping up with anything in the world, or physically. Well, I’m just going to prove in my little circle of the world that we can keep up. I do think that to succeed at this age, you need to have a growth mind-set. There are so many people my age who believe that the world is prejudiced against them. I deeply believe that there’s an experience in all of us that can be reshaped and reapplied in a new way. The question is, do you choose to reinvent yourself?

FastCompany.com | April 16, 2018 | BY ANISA PURBASARI HORTON 4 MINUTE READ

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Your #Career : Behind the Scenes: Uncovering the Myths and Mysteries of #Recruiting …For many #Jobseekers , it Can be Confusing & Downright Frustrating to Try to Understand what a Recruiter is Thinking when He/She Reviews a #Resume or is Evaluating a Candidate Post-Interview.

April 16, 2018/in First Sun Blog/by First Sun Team

For many jobseekers, it can be confusing and downright frustrating to try to understand what a recruiter is thinking when he or she reviews a resume or is evaluating a candidate post-interview. Most recruiters would like to speak with everyone personally, but some of their job postings have so many people applying, that they often have to rely on form letters.

Here are some insights into all those questions you would love to ask the person on the other side of the “Apply” button.

Scenario #1: I just clicked Apply and submitted my application. What happens now?

After a job is posted, recruiters will spend time reviewing applicants and setting up interviews for the most qualified people. They also do some proactive searching for skilled candidates if they’ve got a really tough job to fill. After interviews wrap up, recruiters spend a lot of time comparing notes with the hiring teams. During those discussions, they will offer expertise to influence hiring decisions and help determine the best person for the job.

Scenario #2: I thought the interview went well, then I got a form letter. What happened?

Don’t take a form letter as a sign of not doing well; it’s possible that you did a great job, someone else just did slightly better. Recruiters truly wish they could respond to everyone personally, but some of their open jobs have literally hundreds of people applying.

Scenario #3: Is it a bad idea for me to apply to the same role multiple times?

It’s not unheard of to apply multiple times before being hired, especially at well-known companies or in competitive industries. The key is to show the recruiter you have something new to offer the next time you interview. Start by doing an honest self-assessment of your interview performance:

Did you struggle to provide strong answers?
Did the recruiter have to ask follow-up questions to understand your responses?
Did you make it to the interview step or were you declined during the apply phase?

Whatever you uncover, know that you don’t necessarily have to offer something drastically different the next time, sometimes just improving your interview performance is enough. But if you were declined early in the process, take some time to consider whether you met all the criteria for the role. You may want to take a few months to obtain new skills or experiences before trying again.

Another best practice is to take some reflection time immediately following an interview. Write down everything you can remember – questions you were asked, your answers, what you did well, and what you would improve.

Scenario #4: Why didn’t the recruiter offer me feedback after the interview?

Recruiters and the hiring team collaborate before deciding where strengths and opportunity areas exist, so immediate feedback wouldn’t be helpful to the applicant. Another reason is time – offering feedback to a large volume of applicants isn’t very efficient. Even if only a few people applied, many recruiters are hesitant to give feedback due to legal reasons.

Scenario #5: How can I stand out during the interview process?

Believe it or not, simple things like professionalism, manners, and a polished presence make a huge difference. Display your enthusiasm for the job and practice articulating your qualifications so they’ll sound natural, not rehearsed. Make sure to research the hiring company so you’ll sound informed, and avoid gimmicks. And don’t forget to send a personalized “thank you” note – you’d be surprised how many people forget.

Scenario #6: I was originally scheduled for a phone interview in two days, now it’s pushed out two weeks. Is this a bad sign?

Not necessarily. Many industries (banking, finance, PR, to name a few) have frequent emergencies that need addressing right away. If your interview is rescheduled once or twice, that may be a normal course of business. Five or six times? It could be a sign that the business or person is a bit disorganized. Chat with a trusted contact in your industry to uncover if this is normal.

Scenario #7: During an interview, I was only asked two or three questions. Should I be concerned?

There are many reasons for short interviews, so don’t worry too much about the length. Sometimes, recruiters identify something early on that tells them they want to move a candidate to the next step in the process; they then save deeper questions for that stage. Many phone screens, for example, only take about 15 minutes. It could also be that your interviewer isn’t prepared for the conversation or is newer at interviewing. Always make sure to ask your own questions to demonstrate your interest in the role. Asking solid questions can make a more memorable – and more positive – impression.

Scenario #8: I get so nervous during interviews! Will this affect my ability to get a job?

While it’s true that you are being assessed on your ability to stay composed in a tough situation, how much you are measured will depend on the role. For example, if you are applying for a senior leader position, recruiters will expect you to appear confident and relaxed.

In other roles, many recruiters will overlook slight nervousness, but if your emotions get out of control (crying, gasping for air, being unable to speak) it can negatively affect the impression you make. There are little tricks to look less nervous than you feel – smile a few times, avoid conversations fillers (such as “um” and “uh”) and don’t be afraid to pause if you need a moment to compose your thoughts. Above all, realize that recruiters empathize that interviewing is hard. Remember that they brought you in for a reason – they want you to do well and get hired.

Devon Miller, Talent Branding and Recruitment Marketing at Vanguard, is a writer specializing in branding and marketing topics that create authenticity and engagement via social media channels. Vanguard is one of the world’s largest investment companies, offering a large selection of high-quality low-cost mutual funds, ETFs, advice, and related services.

GlassDoor.com | April 13, 2018 | Posted by Devon Miller, Vanguard

Your #Career : 6 Key Ways to Eliminate #SalaryNegotiation Anxiety…In our new eBook “How to Negotiate Your Salary (Free Bonus in Article)” we Offer Tips will also Help You to have Effective Salary Negotiations

April 15, 2018/in First Sun Blog/by First Sun Team

Salary negotiation doesn’t have to feel uncertain or intimidating. As long as you’ve done research to learn a realistic salary range to ask for and have a plan in place for navigating the negotiation, there’s nothing to worry about.

In our new eBook “How to Negotiate Your Salary” we offer tips will also help you to have effective salary negotiations:

Step #1: Have a Salary Range Rather than a Single Figure

When pressed for your salary requirements, you should always be sure to offer a range based on what others in the field are earning, rather than a single fixed number.

Step #2: Don’t Sell Yourself Short

One common mistake when talking about previous salary is forgetting to include benefits as part of your total compensation, says author Don Hurzeler. For example, if you are earning $100,000 a year with a 20% bonus plus health, dental and other incidental benefits, you should answer the question by saying, “$120,000 plus generous benefits.”

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Step #3: Practice Your Pitch at Least Once Before the Actual Negotiation

Find someone to listen to your proposal for a salary increase, so you can feel the cadence of your speaking points out loud in a conversational setting.

Step #4: Be Gracious

No matter the outcome, be understanding, appreciative and thankful for the opportunity.

Step #5: Be Confident in Your Delivery

It’s extremely important to put on your game face when it comes time to negotiate.

Step #6: Avoid Accepting the First Offer

If you need time to evaluate an offer, say so. Schedule your next meeting 24-48 hours out and come back with your counteroffer.

Before your next salary negotiation — whether for a new job or as your lobby for a promotion — learn what to say, how to make a strong case, anticipate your manager’s questions and ultimately seal the deal.

Now Download Glassdoor’s Newest eBook

How to Negotiate Your Salary

Glassdoor.com | April 9, 2018 | Posted by Amy Elisa Jackson

#Leadership : How To Turn #Conflict Into A #Communication Tool…Many People Try to Avoid #Conflicts at #Work . But if you Know the Right Way to Lodge an Objection, It can Actually Smooth the Way for Better Communication.

April 14, 2018/in First Sun Blog/by First Sun Team

Last year, I was working with leaders who had recently joined an Israeli company. One of them said to me, “Anett, I used to work for a Midwestern company, and now I’m working for a company that yells and pounds the table in meetings–you can even hear it on the phone! What do I do?”

“Well, what happens after those meetings?” I asked. “They all go out for coffee!” she told me.

This is a texbook example of constructive conflict. Yes, it might have been emotionally charged and intense, but everyone respected each other enough to be friendly afterward. You might feel that it’s hard to see conflict as anything but a barrier to communication, but if you use it the right way, it can be an effective tool.

Here are some tips on how to do just that.

ATTACK THE IDEA, NOT THE PERSON

Intense conflicts can be civil. The key is not to let it get personal–which means making sure that you direct any criticism toward ideas, not people. Many of us know to avoid telling someone, “I don’t think you’ve done your research on this issue” or, “How could you possibly come to that conclusion?!” since these clearly sound like an attack on the person. But finding alternative phrasing isn’t always easy. When in doubt, delete any second-person (“your”/”your”) phrases from your vocabulary, and start with “I” phrase that zeroes in on the underlying concept. For example, “I struggle with that conclusion.” Now you can center the discussion around the conclusion itself–not the person who proposed it.

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BE ESPECIALLY CAREFUL WITH YOUR TONE

Sometimes what you say doesn’t matter as much as how you say it. And when you’re sharing a critique, you have to be especially mindful of your tone. My client’s colleagues might have participated in loud conversations–but those discussions weren’t overly emotional, sarcastic, or condescending. Tone isn’t about the volume of your voice; you can still be calm and collected while verbally putting someone down. As Fast Company’s Lydia Dishman previously reported, passive-aggression comes in many forms. For example, you might start off by using logic to point out the flaws in your coworker’s point–but if you end by saying something like, “You don’t mind, do you?” your coworker might read your tone as patronizing.

DON’T FLOUT CULTURAL NORMS

Some companies are more comfortable with conflict than others, and every company will have its own “rules” about what’s acceptable and what’s not. Those rules might not be written anywhere, but if you look at how your organization has dealt with conflict in the past, you can usually get a sense of how its culture operates. Some workplaces are comfortable with constructive conflict as long as it stays behind closed doors, and employees and senior leadership show a united front in public. Others embrace displaying their conflict openly. So stay attuned to corporate culture as well as societal norms. As my client found, the way his Midwestern colleagues operated was pretty different than the approach his Israeli associates took. Neither was necessarily “better” or “worse” than the other, but in order to have productive disagreements, he needed to adapt to those teams’ respective cultures.

FOCUS ON MAINTAINING RELATIONSHIPS (EVEN IF IT MEANS BITING YOUR TONGUE)

Remember, just because you disagree with someone’s idea, you still need to show that you value their input. This might require extra effort on your part–like being selective about when to voice your criticism. If you argue too frequently, others may find it hard to believe you’re doing so in good faith. If, on the other hand, you share your disagreement a little more strategically, you’re more likely to strengthen your relationships–and improve the odds that your criticism will actually register, without hurting feelings.

CALCULATE THE OPPORTUNITY COST

On the other hand, if you’re on the fence about whether to raise an objection, consider the possible downsides to not engaging in constructive conflict. What potential consequences will staying silent bring? Depending on your company culture, you may be viewed as lacking conviction in your ideas if you seem afraid to stand up for them. In that case, not speaking up could actually backfire. Not to mention, if you don’t voice your disagreement early on, you might be setting yourself up for a bigger explosion later by keeping your thoughts bottled up.

Needless to say, no two situations will be the same. If you’re unsure of how direct you should be–start by listening and observing. You can learn a lot just by paying attention to people’s body language and how they respond. When it comes to constructive conflict, context is everything. But whatever you do, just don’t let it get personal.

FastCompany.com| April 14, 2018 | Anett Grant