8 Rules of Talking Politics at Work - The Muse

8 Rules of Talking Politics at Work - The Muse8 Rules of Talking Politics at WorkThe golden rule of discussing politics at work is to not discuss politics at work. But with politics being discussed everywhere you look nowadays, its pretty difficult to completely avoid talking about it when youre at the office.With that said, just because it is everywhere doesnt mean that you just bring it up whenever theres a lull in conversation. After all, youve probably seen just how quickly one Facebook status posted by a friend can turn into a full-out comment war. In an effort to avoid that (but not pretend like were all robots who are in a bubble from nine to five), Ive come up with a few new golden rules for having these tough conversations. And then leaving them with your dignity intact.1. Assume the BestIf you tritt off a conversation thinking the worst in people, then you wont be able to accept their points as valid, and the whole talking about current events experience will be lousy for e veryone involved. Assume that the people youre speaking with care about these issues just as much as you do- and they dont disagree with you for the sake of disagreeing with you, but rather because of their own set of beliefs and values. 2. Stay InformedIf youre planning to have these conversations at work, it would be in your best interest to stay informed as to whats happening. And that doesnt just mean reading tweets or sticking to the same blog you check every day. No, if you want to have a good conversation, you should be getting your information from a variety of sources. Not only will this bolster your points, but itll probably also open your eyes a bit.3. Use I StatementsEven if you think your opinion should be the law of the land, you should start every sentence with I think. Because even if the other rolle agrees with you, its never a good idea to put words in someone elses mouth. And if you start to hear yourself saying You it might be time to step away, because the only thing that follows you in these conversations is usually an accusation. 4. ListenBe prepared to listen twice as much as you talk. If youre starting this discussion just to hear your own voice and get validation for your opinions- stop, save it for your friends. Only jump in if youre trying to move the conversation forward, not if youre trying to win it. 5. Ask QuestionsIt isnt enough just to listen to others speak. You can figure out where theyre coming from simply by asking a few open-ended questions. Questions like Can you explain that a bit more? or Would you mind sharing how you came to that conclusion? tend to work wonders in keeping the conversation civil. And hey, you might just learn something and change your own mind.6. Choose Your Battles (and Battlegrounds) WiselyWhen you overhear people in the kitchen talking about a situation thats near and dear to your heart, take a beat before jumping in. Is this your CEO and COO? If so, are you sure you want to risk offending them wi th your viewpoints on international policy? If it is people you feel comfortable going back and forth with, is this the right place to do it? Do you think everyone in the kitchen will feel comfortable (and not want to run to HR) when the conversations over? 7. Know When to Step AwayThere is always that one person who is just looking to get you riled up. Theyll advance a crazy hypothesis and then defend it like the gospel. Or, theyll make inflammatory remarks about personal issues because they know its something you care a lot about. Dont take the bait. Simply put your headphones back in and get back to work. (Or, fine, dont get back to work- watch a YouTube video that you know always makes you laugh first.)8. Be AwareBefore delving into your points, take a moment to take stock of your audience. Are they willing? Or, are they just waiting for their food to finish heating up in the microwave? Sure, Laura mightve initially brought up a candidates statement from the night before, but th at doesnt mean she should be subjected to all your thoughts on the topic. Make sure youre having a conversation, not standing on a soap box. Off-topic workplace discussions are meant to relieve the pressure of your regular job. Dont let a discussion about politics threaten your sanity, your friendships, or worse, your career. Commit these rules to heart, and you should steer clear of any conversation disasters.

3 Follow-Up Questions to Ask When You Didnt Get the Job

3 Follow-Up Questions to Ask When You Didnt Get the Job3 Follow-Up Questions to Ask When You Didnt Get the JobIt happens to all of us- we find a job were excited about, carefully craft our resume and titelbild letter, send in an application, go through multiple interviewsall to find out we didnt get the job. Its a deflating and disappointing situation. However, learning from our past experiences is the best way to improve ourselves and land the next job. Asking for feedback from a recruiter or interviewer can provide you with valuable information. While you may be tempted to outright ask why you didnt get the job, youll have better luck if you ask questions that are centered around your performance. Consider these three follow-up questions to ask when you didnt get the job.What were one or two things I could improve on in the interview?To up your chances of getting a response to your question, make it easy on interviewers. If your interview was fairly recent, its likely the interview er can quickly think of one or two things off the top of their head you can improve upon. This question is broad enough that you may receive feedback that ranges from concern with a specific answer you gave, nerves that got the best of you, or even poor performance on a sample work test.Do you have any feedback on my resume or cover letter?A lot of job seekers struggle with writing a strong resume and cover letter. Feedback on these two items could make you a much stronger candidate in your next potential job opportunity. If the HR recruiter indicates that your documents contained typos or lacked originality, fix it ASAP before you apply to another job.Was I missing any relevant skills or experience?If you think you aced the interview, but still didnt get the job, asking this question may help you figure out if someone with more experience beat you to the job. If the recruiter says that you were lacking any skills or years of experience, think of ways in which you can fix it for the next job application. Perhaps a class, a certification, or some volunteer experience will help.Asking for feedback when you didnt get the job can take guts. Not every employer will oblige either. According to AOL.com, a survey of the tech industry found that 52 percent of those who DO attempt to get feedback, never get a reply. If youre one of the lucky ones to get a response, be sure to take the advice to heart and use it to land your next job.Readers, have you ever asked follow-up questions when you didnt get the job? What questions did you ask and did you get a response? Share with us below

Realistic First Job Expectations for New College Graduates

Realistic First Job Expectations for New College GraduatesRealistic First Job Expectations for New College GraduatesLast week I spoke with a startup business owner busily hiring his first round of entry-level talent. While he was excited to welcome newly-graduated Millennial talent for the versatility and depth of knowledge they bring in the world of social media, he also felt frustrated by the expectations he had encountered so far. From his point of view, it seems like every candidate expected Ping-Pong tables, long lunch breaks and free gourmet coffee 24/7, and he isnt offering those perks any time soon. However, the opportunity he is offering feels like a golden one to him the ability to learn from the best in the business, a competitive starting salary and a business casual office environment. We all know that interns run around the office fetching coffee and dont get paid well, if at all. But what about your first real job out of college? Yes, you have a degree and possibly som e real world experience. But in todays workplace, does that mean you no longer have to Earn your stripes or Pay your dues? And how does this fit in with the overall attitude that Millennials refuse to settle? The answer lies in a realistic look at the job market. What Benefits Does the Job Market Support?According to Accentures 2015 U.S. College Graduate Employment Study, high percentages of recent graduates reported underemployment, low salaries and a lack of learning opportunities in the jobs they were offered. Its not a matter of grads not preparing themselves for better opportunities. Eighty-two percent looked at the job market before choosing a major, and 72 percent participated in an internship during college. However, these opportunities simply arent as available as grads have hoped. Only 52 percent of the most recent respondents are employed full-time, and 49 percent of graduates consider themselves underemployed.Salaries arent exactly exciting, either. Even though 85 percen t of grads expected to earn more than $25,000 a year, only 59 percent actually do. These numbers indicate that leaving college with high expectations might leave you less than pleased when the job offers come in. To keep your spirits high and stay appreciative of the offer you do get, youre better off adjusting your expectations. You should still look for and negotiate for the best job offer you can, but you should do so with an understanding that your first job may just be an opportunity to establish yourself and figure out where you want to take your career.Your first job isnt likely to be the high-salaried, flexible, Ping-Pong competition you might expect from reading about high-profile companies in the news, but thats OK. The opportunity is what youre after. 2015 College Grads Should Focus On OpportunityThe future looks bright for full-time job opportunities, and thats what college graduates need to get their foot in the door. Full-time job listings for new grads on Simply Hired have risen 20 percent between 2014 and 2015, resulting in nearly 240,000 job opportunities in the U.S. These opportunities may not come with huge salaries and outrageous perks, but they do offer the tauglichkeit for much-needed resume experience and grooming for bigger, better opportunities. Jobs dont need to be at big companies, either. Eighty-five percent of those surveyed want to work for smaller companies, presumably where there are more opportunities for responsibility and promotion.If youre a college grad still seeking your first job, keep an eye out as listings peak in July and October. But dont work off of a must-have list that includes superficial perks like quirky office environment and mid-level salaries. Its up to college grads to keep expectations in check and carefully evaluate each job listing for its potential as a stepping stone in a long, successful career. And the beginning of that process is staying realistic about entry-level jobs right out of college.Did you g et the job? Heres how to nail the first 30 days

Tips for Creating an Excellent Resume to Land an Internship

Tips for Creating an Excellent Resume to Land an InternshipTips for Creating an Excellent Resume to Land an InternshipA successful career starts with a great resume. Heres how to sell yourself with very little experience.In todays job market, the internship has become the new entry-level position. If you want to build a successful career, it starts with a series of internships, co-ops and fellowships throughout your college career. But to land these coveted opportunities, you must first write a winning resume.I shared with Business Insiders Jacquelyn V. Smith a sample resume and my top tips for job landseekers with no experience. Here are the top takeawaysKeep the layout clean.Stick with one font type throughout the document thats easy to read online and offline such as Arial, Times New Roman, or Calibri. Be consistent in how you represent locations (Atlanta, GA vs. Atlanta, Georgia) and time (Summer 2012 vs. May 2012 August 2012 vs. 05/2012 08/2012), so its easy to scan and pick o ut the important information. In addition, the headers and main sections of information are centered on the page, which Ladders eye-tracking study revealed is how recruiters tend to scan resumes.Include a link to your professional profile.You havent already, create at least one social media profile thats dedicated to your future profession. If you plan to work in a more creative field when you graduate, consider developing an online portfolio you can include in the contact information section of your resume. Also, increase the security settings on your personal social media accounts to make sure theyre safely hidden away from hiring managers eyes.Make your goals clear.If your resume was passed along to someone by a friend, would the reader know right away what type of internship or first job youre looking for? Include a professional title and summary at the top of the resume that clearly states your goals,so the reader never has to guess. Even though youre still developing your pers onal brand, your summary should explain the value you bring to the table.Play up your selling points. When you dont have any relevant work experience, you have to get a little creative with the layout of your resume to showcase your other strengths such as your leadership activities, relevant coursework, and academic achievements. Include your work experience, even if it isnt directly tied to your internship goals because it demonstrates your work ethic, but move it towards the bottom of the resume.Dont list your references.As a college student you only get one page of resume real estate dont waste it by including a list of references or stating References available upon request. Employers dont ask for this information until you make it to a face-to-face interview, and they know youll provide it if they request it.While employers dont expect their prospective interns to have loads of relevant experience, they do want to see an active, well-rounded student whos genuinely interested in their job opportunity.Click on the following link to view the full list of resume tips and a sample resume on Business Insider.

7 Signs Youre Stuck in a Rut (and Need to Make a Change Today)

7 Signs Youre Stuck in a Rut (and Need to Make a Change Today)7 Signs Youre Stuck in a Rut (and Need to Make a Change Today)Sometimes, its hard to notice when werestuckverzierungin a rut. You could go through the dull, numbing pain of everyday activities and not feel anydesire to changeanything. After all, as humans we have the amazing ability toadapt and copewith nearly any situation.The downside though, is that we get used to things that make us unhappy. Ideas or places we used to resist eventually become the same things we cling onto, not out of need or want, but out of familiarity.Here are some signs that you may be in a rut at work1. Its Hard for You to Get Worked Up or Excited About AnythingAstudy by The Dana Foundationshowed how people whore depressed perceive the world differently from others. When upbeat music was played, they were less likely to notice or become excited.Being stuck in a rut is like living in a muted world, where you landsee things in black and white rather than in vivid colors. Sometimes, its not our surroundings, but our perception that changes what the world looks like.2. You Keep Reminiscing About the PastEveryone gets nostalgic from time to time. We like to think of pleasant, happy memories that evoke powerful emotions. But when those memories are used to substitute experiences in the present, its a sign that youre stuck somewhere you dont want to be.While its tempting to look at the past through rose-tinted glasses, remember that there are good and bad memories, and a lot mora in between the two. Dont let the past stall you in the present.3. Your Health and Well-Being Arent a PriorityWhen you just dont care about anything, your inner thoughts get reflected on the outside as well. Maybe you stopped your daily exercise routine, you dont care about your appearance, or you dont bother eating healthily anymore.Falling into a rut is a gradual, downward spiral that affects all aspects of your life. By neglecting your well-being, you neg lect all other aspects of your life. Bad experiences at work can carry over into our personal lives as well. If you havent been taking care of yourself lately, think about why thats the case.4. You Daydream About an Alternate RealityEscaping from time to time is perfectly fine and can be a good thing. Whether its by chatting with a co-worker, listening to good music, or finally getting away on vacation, doing something different helps break up our routine and lets us explore. But it may be time for bigger changes when you constantly think about being somewhere else rather than where you are right now.Be careful. Daydreaming too often can sabotage your long-term goals because it can act as a substitute for actually doing something to improve your situation. If you want to change your life, try tochange your environment.5. You Dont See the Purpose of Anything You DoMoney alone isnt a very good motivator. In order to enjoy any form of work, there needs to a sense that what you do is re warding or stimulating at least.Ask yourself Are you growing or learning new skills in the work you do? If youre starting to feel stagnant, its time to look for new roles or take on new learning opportunities. There arent many things out there more frustrating than spinning your wheels in one spot.6. You Find Yourself Feeling Unwell on a Regular BasisI once knew someone who was constantly suffering from stomach problems for nearly a year due to stress at work. After quitting, her stomach problems went away, and she has felt much better since then.Stress, unhappiness, or fatigue can cause us to feel physical pain, but we ignore them too often because we figure that illnesses can sort themselves out. Staying in a bad situation can deteriorate your health until its too late.7. You Stay in a Situation Because You Believe Theres Nothing Else Out ThereIts a poor excuse to get stuck somewhere because you dont think there are any other alternatives. It becomes obvious when other people do i t, yet we make all sorts of reasons for ourselves.When it comes to job hunting and finding great opportunities, we can become so fixated on obtaining that one thing that we think nothing else will do. We forget about the other possibilities that are just as good, or better.Open yourself to chance. When you explore multiple opportunities, you can see whats out there and give yourself different options to choose from.This article was originally published on Inc. It has been republished here with permission.

Where to Find Project Management Skills Resume

Where to Find Project Management Skills Resume Project sponsors hate surprises and fantastic risk management is 1 way that it is possible to manage that. An excellent project management resume is focused on just what the employer demands, and not what you desire. Every employer would like to know your experience is a fit for their organization. Therefore, if youd like to earn a lasting effect on an employer, you might want to look at making your resume visually attractive. As with the majority of situations, effective project communication means communicating with the appropriate people at the appropriate time and in the proper way. If it doesnt come easy to you you are going to have to create strategies to make sure you are always in addition to your To Do list. You need to ensure the information highlights your various abilities and abilities. You might be called on often to give presentations, and that means you also have to be comfortable using presentation software an d speaking before large groups. The checklist can be used with behavioral interviewing. Approaching projects from the view of a leader, rather than a manager, will make certain you obtain respect and boost staff morale. Cost management is a crucial topic for project managers. A project manager might have to compare the development of the project to the true strategic plan of the undertaking. Past the project group, a project manager will also will need to get engaged with outside contributors, stakeholders and other people regarding the undertaking. Youre an accomplished project manager. Heres What I Know About Project Management Skills Resume Quality management helps to ensure that you deliver something that is fit for purpose. The standard of your resume reflects the standard of your work. The better the level of your deliverables, the better value youre offering stakeholders and the mora satisfied theyll be. Moreover, professional understanding of the business is also a necessity. The Basics of Project Management Skills Resume Analytical skills are useful in a variety of ways. Analytical Skills To have the ability to analyse and understand the vast data present today, they are a must. Developing analytical skills wont just offer you a leg up at work they can help you become a better problem solver in many unique regions of your life. As an experienced project practitioner it is likely that you have lots of project management abilities and experience. Project Management Skills Resume No Longer a Mystery Simply take a better look at what skills can provide you the edge. Hard skills can be classified in various ways, based on your job title. Not even the very best project manager comes with an accurate insight into the future, although by making certain you have all of the information needed to produce realistic predictions about the results of projects is critical. Bear in mind, based on the field youre applying in, you might have to us e not just project management keywords, but industry certain keywords too. Include details like the sort of organizational systems you implemented in a preceding job. Use facts and figures from the particular projects you have been able to show what youve accomplished. New Questions About Project Management Skills Resume As our project manager, your job is going to be to coordinate people and processes to make sure that our projects are delivered in time and produce the desired effects. Afterall, youre the projects leader. From time to time, projects are sidelined by easy, small troubles which were permitted to snowball into catastrophic monstrosities. Many projects fail because of schwimmbad communication between departments. As the complexity of your projects rises, the variety of details you need to monitor also increases. Just as you review a project during its completion, make sure you review your own performance, and identify what you could do better next moment. Risk Assessment All projects are distinctive and subject to risks leading to project management to be an extremely unpredictable career. Project Management Skills Resume Ideas If you want to turn into a Project Manager you must ensure youve got the requisite abilities and competencies to take care of the job. You would like your showcase of skills to be viewed by the hiring manager. In addition, you can look for product manager jobs on Monster. Hard skills are quantifiable and frequently learned from school or at work.

During the Holidays, Incorporate Work and Family Instead of Balancing Them

During the Holidays, Incorporate Work and Family Instead of Balancing Them Ive often notlageiced how so many of these perfect work/life balance articles tend to be structured around balancing work with toddlers and babies in the household and less about what happens to that kind of balance once the kids start to grow up. As both a mom and a CEO of my own company, MyCorporation.com, the holidays are already hectic enough at the office, but add in two sons who are no longer of pre-K age and have two weeks off for winter break in that mix and what happens to that balance? It shifts into an incorporation of both work and family instead, making it easier to merge the two together and less stressful to strive for perfection during a season that puts so much emphasis on the notion as it is. How exactly does one incorporate the pair together successfully and pressure-free? These are my tried and true tips for incorporating the workplace with kids verging on the cusp of their tweenage years and beyond.1) Take Em to the OfficeIf you work in a particularly festive and merry work environment, this is a great way for your kids to engage in the activities offered while avoiding any feelings of potential boredom that could creep in. Assuming that you have your own space, let your kids work on homework or assign them smaller craft projects to keep them busy and quiet and make sure they know to be respectful of other members of the office working as well. Giving your kids little projects to work on rather than allowing them to play around online for eight hours straight helps teach them the importance of hard work and diligence. Plus, theyre probably very proud to see their mom working hard and taking action with her great career2) Enroll in a Winter CampIf you take several meetings out of the office during the day or have to travel for your job, its not always feasible to take the kids wit h you to work every single day. Look into finding some great camps for kids instead, especially winter camps. They dont have to be enrolled in camp every day, but a few days a week for winter break will add some much needed activity and excitement to their typical routines and allow for interaction with their own age groups. And speaking of that, find a few of their friends to go along with them and make it a party3) Stay OrganizedWhen youre not organized, things can snowball away from you (no pun intended) pretty fast. Im a huge fan of lists and planning and like to keep organized as much as possible to keep the entire family and all of my work responsibilities in check. It always feels good to check off the tasks on your list without needing to check them twice like Santa (okay, pun definitely intended this time)4) BreatheMerging your work life with your children, like every work/life balance, is sure to have plenty of stressful moments ahead, particularly during the holidays when the parties, events, and family gatherings are in full swing. Stop and take deep breaths often. By keeping calm, youre a lot more likely to accomplish your goals than if you act crazy or harried. Take the time to count your blessings as well. Recognize all of the good things you have and be grateful for those things instead of losing sight in whats important. Tis the season, after all