Category Archive: Career Tips

Jan 24

Three Salary Negotiation Techniques That Work

The recession has forced thousands of professionals to forego salary increases in order to keep their jobs. Now with recovery underway and indications of hiring increases, those same individuals may find salary negotiation a growing possibility. If you’ve experienced a salary freeze, it’s possible that you may find yourself thinking about seeking a new, higher-paying job over requesting a salary increase.

If you decide to maintain your current employment, salary negotiation or restructuring may be in order. Negotiating salary and benefits can be complicated. It can also be emotional, so you need to be prepared. Here we’ll cover the “3 Ps” of negotiations. With these tips and the strengthening economy, there’s a great chance that you can gain a higher salary or better benefits.

Prepare for Negotiation:

Approach salary negotiation as an art rather than a fight. It requires a higher level of skill and patience than arguing or demanding.

Be prepared to ask for what you want: a higher salary, better benefits. More vacation days, or a different position are among the most negotiated topics. Remember: if you don’t ask for it, you’ll never get it. Stand tall, calm your nerves and go into negotiations ready to ask for what you want.

Arrive prepared and do your research. Employers review salary data from their competition and across the industry. Know where your request stands along the spectrum, accounting for your experience, education, professional training and relevant certifications.

Determine your ideal salary number, and then consider a “lowest-possible” figure. If the counter offer remains below your “lowest possible”, know what will your next action will be?

List your accomplishments and successes. This will help define your qualifications and back up your request for a raise. Did you bring in a big client, launch a successful new product or manage difficult projects well? Be sure to articulate your successes during negotiations.

Practice the Skills of Negotiation

For those of us who only negotiate car and home purchases, practice is in order. Talk to a friend or family member about what you want. Have them play “devil’s advocate.” Work out what you’ll say, what you’ll leave out, and the structure of your negotiation. For this, it’s best not to ask a co-worker.

Proceed Carefully

Successful negotiators employ important skills you may already have like active listening, diplomacy, creativity and courtesy.

Strive to understand the other person’s point of view. Listening is as important as making your case. Hear what the HR manager is saying, you may hear clues that can boost your position or stance.

Ask questions, don’t assume. Going in convinced your employer won’t give you a raise doesn’t accomplish anything. You may be right – or not. You’ll only know by asking. You may discover that your boss is willing to give you a higher salary to keep you happy and motivated. You may find out areas to improve in order to get a raise down the road. Or you may find out there’s an indefinite salary freeze which could be what you need to hear in order to begin seeking employment elsewhere.

Be creative. If a higher salary is unattainable, what else would satisfy your specific needs? Increased benefits, higher commission, extra vacation time or the ability to work from home one day a week can often enrich your life as much as a raise can. Remember, in salary negotiation, everything is up for discussion.

Successful Salary Negotiation

Negotiations are successful when both sides feel good about the outcome: the classic win-win situation. Go in looking for a fight and you’ll probably get one, resulting in a win-lose or lose-lose situation. If you approach salary negotiations professionally, meaning you’ve prepared, practiced and proceeded with care and caution, you’ll impress your employer, boost your confidence and increase your odds of becoming a winner.

This article was provided by University Alliance and submitted on behalf of Villanova University. Villanova provides several human resources courses include human resources degree and HR certification programs.

(Note: Many elements of this article have specific pertinence to employment market dynamics in the US. India’s job scenario is obviously very different – however, the guidelines for salary negotiation are universally valid.)

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Oct 31

Interview Basics for Jobseekers

I’ve written previously about the need to prepare for interviews. Many jobseekers throw themselves into the beginning part of the job search – preparing a resume, writing cover letters, searching job sites for potential jobs, and the savvy ones, networking to open doors.

Often when the news comes that you have an interview you are so excited to have made it to the next stage that you forget to adequately prepare. As with many things, preparation is the key to your success and it doesn’t just mean the big things.

I know first-hand from my recruiting days, and from my contacts in the industry I regularly hear that it’s the little things that let jobseekers down badly at interview.

Recently I surveyed a group of recruiters who interview jobseekers every day across a range of sectors, and asked them what were the main mistakes they had observed?

From their responses I have compiled a list of Interview Basics for landing a new job.

Dress professionally, irrespective of the role you are applying for – neat and tidy hair, clothes, shoes and don’t forget the finger nails!
Don’t be late – arrive at your destination with plenty of time to spare and use the time to go over your resume.
Don’t forget to be nice to everyone – especially the receptionist!
Greet your interviewer with a smile and a firm handshake.
Don’t take your parents, partner or a friend along for moral support.
Make eye contact with your interviewer.
Watch your body language – sit up straight, unfold your arms and give the interviewer your full attention.
Listen carefully to questions and if you don’t understand ask for more information.
Turn off your mobile phone!
Don’t bring takeaway coffee with you.
Don’t bad mouth former employers or co-workers – it makes you look unprofessional.
Answer questions using the STAR technique if asked for an example eg, ‘Tell me about a time when …’
Don’t ramble – stay on track and answer directly, keeping it concise.
Make sure you have prepared a list of questions for the interview – don’t say ‘You already answered my questions’.
Know your resume inside out and back to front – questions will come from the resume.
Be prepared to provide referees – have their contact information ready so you don’t have to troll through your phone to find their numbers.
Take copies of tickets, licenses, qualifications, etc. in case you are asked to provide them.
Know what the company does, makes or sells – do your research – it is expected.
Don’t be negative – your job search journey may not have been an easy one but you’ve got an interview; don’t blow it by complaining.
Be honest – don’t misrepresent yourself – it is simply not worth it if you are found out.
Be prepared – you should have rehearsed answers to common interview questions and be ready to express yourself clearly.

If you’ve been guilty of any of these, here’s your chance to correct it before the next interview. If not, don’t forget the basics for each and every interview.

Get these little things right – they will boost your confidence so that you present well.

This article is written by Michelle Lopez and is posted on her website- http://www.one2oneresumes.com.au © Michelle Lopez, Owner/Career Consultant

Thanks

Jappreet Sethi

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Oct 21

How To Build a Successful Career Even if You aren’t from an Ivy League School

One of my favorite leaders, a guy who is enormously successful and likable, has built thriving businesses, and is deeply ‘followable,’ revealed to me some years ago that he had been a C student at a small local college, and had never been considered very bright as a kid. He then went on to say that he was only able to begin his rise to success when he stopped beating himself up about his lack of educational credentials and “IQ points” (his words), and focused on building his other capabilities.

As it turned out, his other capabilities were extraordinary. He has enormous emotional intelligence: he’s great at building real relationships with a wide variety of people and involving them in the enterprise’s success. He’s also very far-sighted: he’s been able to identify industry trends and important big ideas way ahead of most of his peers. Finally, he’s deeply curious – always wanting to find out more, go deeper, understand better. He asks a lot of questions, but they never feel interrogative – you can tell he just really wants to learn.

He has figured out (and continues to figure out) how to make use of what he has and who he is.

In the past, certain things were key to success, especially success as a leader: a degree from a prestigious university, a high IQ, an upper class childhood, being a man, being white. These old requirements are starting to break down, thank goodness – but we can limit ourselves by believing that they still hold us back.

Now, please understand: it’s – sadly – still true that if you’re a white, upper class, Ivy-league-educated man with a high IQ, you’re going to be given a lot of free passes, especially early in your career.

BUT you also have more opportunity to succeed than ever before, even if none of those thing are true of you, as long as you identify your own key strengths, play to those strengths, and support your own success internally.

Identify your key strengths:

OK, so you didn’t go to Harvard. Let it go. What do you have going for you instead? Are you the person others want to have on their project team because you’re so amazingly good at pulling together a plan? Do you often see the dynamics at play in a group when no one else has a clue? Are you able to motivate people to achieve a goal that others think is impossible? Figure out what you’re uniquely good at and how that’s valuable to your organization (or any organization of which you’re a part.)

Play to those strengths:

Once you figure out what you’re best at, find ways to put those things in play and to keep building on them. Once my C-student CEO had figured out that he really understood and could connect with lots of different kinds of people (and loved it), he realized that was a foundation he could build upon to become a really good manager and leader – which he did. So for instance, if you’re the amazingly-good-at-planning-person, maybe you can build a career in project management. If you’re the one who sees the human dynamics, maybe you can work in HR or become a group facilitator.

Support your own success internally:

This is the most important element. Not being white, rich, male, or highly educated is less of an impediment to your success than the story you tell yourself about how those things are an impediment to your success. I’ve talked about self-talk often here, so those of you who read my posts regularly will know what’s coming next. Recognizing what you’re saying in your head about yourself and changing your monologue to be more accurate and hopeful is probably the single most powerful thing you can do to support your own success.

Here’s an example. Let’s say two people, equally qualified, are candidates for a job. Let’s say they’re both Minority women who attended community college.

One of these women says to herself as she goes into her interview, “There’s no way they’re going to think I’m qualified for this. I’m sure they’ll give the job to some guy with his newly-minted MBA from Stanford, all preppy and talking about his yacht. They’ll take one look at me and cross me off their list.”

The other says to herself: “The competition for this job is going to be stiff, for sure. But I’ve got exactly the experience they need, and my recommendations are stellar. And I’m really good at getting a feel for the person I’m talking to – I bet I’ll be able to connect with the interviewer.”

How do you think these two women will behave in the interview? Which one do you predict will be more likely to get the job? Exactly.

So, as you think about your professional future and how to succeed, rather than focusing on what you’re missing, figure out what you have and who you are. And go with that.

This article is written by Erika Andersen and appears on Forbes.com. Erika’s new book, Leading So People Will Follow, has been selected by Amazon as one of the 10 Best Business Books for October.

Thanks

Jappreet Sethi

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Oct 19

What are the Career Options in HR

HR is not just about liking people. HR isn’t the job for you if you’re not a ‘people person’, but liking people won’t be enough on its own. More precisely, you have to be interested in
getting the absolute best out of people.

It’s not just the softer ‘people skills’ that are important. You’ll have a strong interest in business and the strategy that underpins its success. You’ll need a good level of numeracy and analytical skills. Being able to work closely with your colleagues and earn their trust and respect is another critical factor

Each organisation is unique and the scope of the HR function adapts accordingly. HR departments often embody the values of their organisations. You should look first for organisations whose values you share. Then you can choose between generalist HR positions and a wide variety of specialist roles.

What does a HR generalist do?

When you’re an HR Generalist, variety is the order of the day and you’ll get involved in a wide range of specialist areas. One day, you could be working with management to decide on the people you need to deliver your business strategy. The next, you could be running an employee focus group, getting to grips with the issues that motivate teams. You could even develop a new benefits package or make sure a new HR information system delivers streamlined processes and support.

As an HR Generalist, you may often find yourself supporting – and even challenging – managers as they lead their teams. Your insight into building lasting performance will be a vital tool of your trade.

What does a Recruitment /resourcing / talent planning person do?

If you’re working in a recruitment, resourcing and talent-planning role, you’ll need to manage resources (people in the organisation) to meet the changing needs of the business and in particular to fulfil the short and long-term requirements of the organisation’s strategy. To do this, you need to plan around changing demographics, supply and demand, staff turnover and scarce skills.

You’ll also be responsible for identifying and attracting key people who can create a competitive advantage for the organisation. In times of economic uncertainty where recruitment is frozen or limited, this might include keeping talent engaged and interested for when roles arise and developing effective networks of talented individuals that you can tap into cost-effectively.

Additionally, you’ll have an important role in developing processes to identify talent across the organisation and integrating them with succession planning and other HR activities such as performance management.

What does a Learning and Talent Development person do?

Getting the best out of people and linking their skills and capabilities drives performance. It can also help people find their strengths and potential. That’s where learning and talent development (L&TD) comes in. L&TD specialists manage learning and potential. In this role, you may deliver activities as diverse as firearms training for police officers and mentoring programmes for fund managers. Or you could be involved in supporting managers in your business to act as a ‘coaches’ to their team.. L&TD specialists But it won’t just be about the delivery of these learning and talent development events. Having the analytical skills to evaluate the benefits to the business will be vital.

Learning and talent development professionals are involved in supporting, developing and accelerating learning in order to build agile and responsive organisations with the capability they need to execute their chosen strategy.

What does an Organisation Development Expert do?

Organisations are constantly reinventing themselves. ‘Change-ready’ and agile businesses are best-placed to cope with the challenges of a fast-changing external environment. If you’re involved in organisation development (OD), you’ll have a crucial part to play in change management. You’ll also be maintaining the health of the organisation in the long term.

The change activities you lead or deliver could be about developing the organisation’s culture or the capability of its people. Or they may involve re-organisations and creating more effective and customer-focused processes. You’ll also require a focus on how you communicate with employees. Additionally, you need to paint a picture, not just of what successful change will look like, but the risks and challenges that lie ahead.

Organisation development practitioners work in a planned and systematic way – diagnosing issues using relevant data. They consider the whole organisation and look to achieve sustained business performance by involving its people.

What is the role of Employee Relations professionals in HR?

Employee relations (ER) professionals have a wide-ranging brief to maintain and develop effective working relationships across the organisation. You’ll be looking to create a trust-based culture that drives long-term performance. To do this, you need a good understanding of what drives your organisation’s strategy, goals and performance. You’ll also need to speak the ‘language of the business’ and understand how people management drives organisation performance.

In practice, the job involves supporting line managers in motivating and engaging the workforce, treating people as individuals and ensuring fair access to opportunities. You may be involved in managing the organisation’s relationship with its trade unions and managing workplace conflict. A commitment to diversity and ensuring fairness in the workplace is an important part of employee relations. Another key aspect is supporting effective internal communications inside the organisation. Employees will perform best where they have a good understanding of the goals and purpose of the organisation. They’ll also be more motivated to deliver when they have the opportunity to feed their views upwards to senior management.

What is the role of Employee Engagement Resources in HR?

Employee engagement can sit alongside responsibilities for areas such as the employer ‘brand’ and internal communication. It also forms an important part of today’s employee relations roles. It’s about understanding what really makes your employees get out of bed in the morning – and what motivates them to go the extra mile when they get to work.

An ability to use quantitative and qualitative information is important. You’ll need to help develop and analyse surveys to measure the attitudes of the workforce and, for example, gauge their understanding of company values or the trust they have in senior management. You’ll also need to sense the ‘mood’ of the business. You might do this through informal and formal means, such as focus groups and workshops, to make connections and share insights with your management colleagues.

Building a successful business depends on making sure people understand and want to deliver the organisation’s objectives. Your analysis and advice will be vital here.

What is the role of Performance and Reward Expert in HR?

Performance and reward is about ensuring people’s skills, behaviours, values, attitudes and contribution to the success of their organisations are rewarded and recognised in a fair, market-based and cost-effective way.
You’ll be involved in a wide range of reward activities such as establishing salary levels and allowances and managing pay relativities. You may create incentive and recognition schemes, establish the case for employee benefits, and manage the benefit package and evaluate its effectiveness. This is all part of the organisation’s aim to create and sustain a high-performance culture.

As well as being numerate and aware of legal and regulatory requirements, performance and reward specialists need to be able to communicate and educate employees and line managers about the reward strategy; work with colleagues in other departments to create a ‘joined-up ‘total reward’ approach and support people related programmes initiatives such as talent and diversity. You will need to identify and manage the risks around pay and benefits. You’ll be able to get involved in government consultations relating to reward. As well as taking part in public policy discussion and consultations on the subject, with issues on your agenda as important as pensions and bonuses, you will also be involved in facilitating senior management discussion around the role of reward.

The beauty of a career in HR is that you get such great insights into all aspects of business.

The original article appears on the website of The Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) ,the world’s largest Chartered HR and development professional body.

Thanks

Jappreet Sethi

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Sep 30

9 Biggest Mistakes To Avoid In Your Resume

Here are 9 of the biggest mistakes to avoid In Your resume , not correcting them will instantly make your resume appear antiquated:

The One Page Rule

Don’t spend countless hours trying to squeeze a decade or two of valuable experience onto a single sheet of paper. The worst thing you can do is try to make the font smaller or eliminate space between lines. If you do, your resume is too hard to read.The best way to gain extra space is to decrease the margins. Use 1/2 an inch instead of an inch. The good news is that the one-page resume no longer rules, as today’s hiring manager is more likely to be scrolling down on a screen than flipping to the next page.In fact, for experienced professionals a two-page resume is the most common format. There are obvious exceptions, such as recent graduates and entry-level applicants who can easily fit all of their experience on one page without sacrifice. For seasoned pros, however, even three- and four-page resumes are not uncommon and are acceptable today.Printing double sided will get you two pages for the price of one, and can impress companies who are environmental oriented.

Using Ancient Fonts

A “font” is the style and shape of the words on your resume. The right fonts are modern and easy to read. The wrong fonts are ancient and difficult to read. The right fonts are Arial and Helvetica. The wrong fonts are Times New Roman and anything else too fancy.If you have your resume in Times New Roman font, like many of us do, change it to Arial. You’ll be amazed at how much cleaner, modern and more professional it looks.

Writing in Paragraphs instead of Bullet Points

Your resume is an outline, not a novel. Use bullet points to highlight your experience and education, with short sentences or phrases.Don’t write in long block paragraphs that tell a story. It makes your resume much harder for a human to “scan” quickly, and is likely to cause your resume to be thrown into the rejected pile.

Using a Street Address

Including a City and State is fine, but there is no reason to include your actual Street Address. The employer isn’t going to be notifying you of an interview by snail mail.Skipping the street address is good for you for two reasons. It helps prevent both identity theft and junk mail. Since many job ads are from companies that choose not to reveal their names, you never know who you’re sending your resume to, so skip the street address and keep yourself protected.

Not Including an Email Address

Yes, you may have emailed your resume to the recruiter, but it’s still important to have your email address on your resume, as well as your phone number.Listing an email is not just a matter of convenience. It says, “Yes, I am part of the modern world, please hire me.”

Using an Objective instead of a Summary

Objectives are out and Summaries are in. The reason is an Objective tells the employer what you want. A Summary tells the employer who you are and what you can do for them.Your Summary should be about 2 or 3 sentences that state what job you are applying for, and a brief explanation of your career highlights. You should be able to read your summary section out loud in 30 seconds or less.

Ignoring Keywords

Resumes are scanned by computers as often as they are read by humans. The software is designed to scan resumes for the keywords chosen by the employer. If you don’t have the right keywords, your resume never gets selected to be read by a real human.There are two ways to manage keywords. The easy way is to simply include a keyword section (don’t call it that, call it “Core Competency”).The harder but better way of using keywords is to place them throughout your resume in the descriptions of your work and school experience. It’s more natural, and will score better with the actual human recruiter.The secret to knowing the right keywords is that they are usually in the job ad. If you see a list of skills required, a certain educational degree, or specific licenses or other qualifications, those are all keywords. Any unique words could be keywords, but things like “strong work ethic” are never keywords.

Stating Obvious Computer Skills

Don’t list common technology on your resume. We all know how to use Microsoft Word, Windows, Internet Explorer, Twitter and Facebook. We all know how to use an email program. For upper-level applicants, it is already inferred that you possess the entry-level technical skills that were needed to successfully rise through the ranks. Listing them would unnecessarily lend your overall presentation a lower-level feel, which you would obviously want to avoid.

References Available Upon Request

Of course they are. References were more important before the internet became everybody’s reference. Google is always willing to give you a reference, for better or worse. It goes without saying that you are going to provide references if a prospective employer you want to hire you requests them.

This post was previously published on Doostang.com ,Founded in 2005 at Harvard, Stanford and MIT, Doostang was created with one goal in mind: to successfully advance ambitious young professionals in their careers.

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Jappreet Sethi

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Sep 18

How To Be Successful Like Richard Branson

Richard Branson founded Virgin in 1970 at the age of 20, and he hasn’t looked back.

He’s the only entrepreneur to have built eight separate billion-dollar companies in eight different industries — and he did it all without a degree in business.

“Had I pursued my education long enough to learn all the conventional dos and don’ts of starting a business I often wonder how different my life and career might have been,” he writes in his new book, Like a Virgin: Secrets They Won’t Teach You at Business School.

We’ve compiled some of the best tips from his book here.

Don’t do it if you don’t enjoy it.

Running a business takes a lot of blood, sweat, and tears (and caffeine). But at the end of the day, you should be building something you will be proud of.

Branson says, “When I started Virgin from a basement in west London, there was no great plan or strategy. I didn’t set out to build a business empire … For me, building a business is all about doing something to be proud of, bringing talented people together and creating something that’s going to make a real difference to other people’s lives.”

Be visible.

Branson received some timeless advice when building Virgin Airlines from Sir Freddie Laker, a British airline “tycoon.”

“Make sure you appear on the front page and not the back pages,” said Laker. “You are going to have to get out there and sell yourself. Make a fool of yourself, whatever it takes. Otherwise you won’t survive”.

Branson always makes a point of traveling often and meeting as many people as he can. This, he says, is how he came by some of the best suggestions and ideas for his business.

Choose your name wisely.

The unique name and brand that Virgin employs is one of the things that has made the company a success. Branson makes sure that the name ‘Virgin’ represents added value, improved service, and a fresh, sexy approach.

Branson says that he is asked all the time about the origin of the Virgin name, back when Virgin was just starting. “One night, I was chatting with a group of sixteen-year-old girls over a few drinks about a name for the record store,” he says. “A bunch of ideas were bounced around, then, as we were all new to business, someone suggested Virgin. It smacked of new and fresh and at the time the word was still slightly risqué, so, thinking it would be an attention-grabber, we went with it.”

You can’t run a business without taking risks.

Branson thinks of one of his favorite sayings when advising about taking business risks: “‘The brave may not live forever—but the cautious do not live at all!’”

Every business involves risks. Be prepared to get knocked down, says Branson, but success rarely comes from playing it safe. You may fail, but Branson also dares to point out that “there’s no such thing as a total failure.”

The first impression is everything. So is the second.

The first impression you make on customers will probably be when you acquire them. The first impression is extremely important, says Branson, but the second is equally as important.

The second time a customer usually contacts Virgin, it’s because he or she is having problems with the product or service. How you present yourself and your brand in these situations says a lot about how your brand maintains good customer relationships and handles obstacles.

Perfection is unattainable.

“There’s an inherent danger in letting people think that they have perfected something,” says Branson. “When they believe they’ve ‘nailed it’, most people tend to sit back and rest on their laurels while countless others will be labouring furiously to better their work!”

For this reason, Branson never gives anyone a 100% perfect review of their work. He believes that no matter how “brilliantly conceived” something is, there is always room for improvement.

The customer is always right, most of the time.

The customer is always right… unless they’re wrong. After all, they’re only human too. Your customers’ opinions are important, but “you should not build your customer service system on the premise that your organisation will never question the whims of your clients,” says Branson.

Branson warns that many entrepreneurs think if they provide ‘the-customer-is-always-right’ service that it will improve their businesses. This is only sometimes true. Beware not to damage relationships with customers or staff with your customer service policies.

Define your brand.

When it comes to defining your brand, Branson advises entrepreneurs to do the opposite of what he did with Virgin, which is spreading out all over the place. And while it’s true that Virgin branches into many different industries, Branson says the company is actually quite focused on one thing: “finding new ways to help people have a good time.”

Stick to what you know. Underpromise and overdeliver. Because if you don’t define your brand, your competitors will.

Explore uncharted territory.

Branson compares exploring new territory in business to exploring new territory in science or geography.

“We will find new species and better understand the make-up of the deep-level waters,” says Branson.

Business translation: There are still many things out there that haven’t been discovered, invented, achieved. Exploring little- or uncharted areas can spark new ideas and innovations.

Beware the “us vs. them” environment.

A workplace should be one in which the boss and his or her employees communicate well and work together toward the same goal. “If employees aren’t associating themselves with their company by using ‘we’, it is a sign that people up and down the chain of command aren’t communicating,” says Branson.

If you think there might be discrepancies or tension between employees and management, Branson advises to check with the middle management first to try to uncover the source of the problem and address it head-on.

Build a corporate comfort zone.

Employees must feel free and encouraged to openly express themselves without rigid confines so they can do better work and make good, impactful decisions.

“This may sound like a truism,” begins Branson, “But it has to be said: It takes an engaged, motivated and committed workforce to deliver a first-class product or service and build a successful, sustainable enterprise.”

Not everyone is suited to be CEO.

A manager needs to be someone who “brings out the best in people,” someone who communicates well with others and helps an employee learn from a mistake instead of criticizing them for it.

Not everyone does this well, and that’s okay. The founder can but doesn’t have to be the CEO; if the fit isn’t right, he or she should know when the role is meant for someone else.

Seek a second opinion. Seek a third.

Branson says you must learn to be a good listener in order to succeed, and that means bouncing “every idea you have off numerous people before finally saying, ‘We’ll give this one a miss,’ or ‘Let’s do it.’”

That means being thorough and deliberate before executing any decisions. In business, seeking a variety of opinions “can save you a lot of time and money,” says Branson. “Don’t tell people about others’ suggestions until you’ve heard what they have to say. In the end you may decide that the best advice is to walk away—and later find out it was the very best solution.”

Cut ties without burning bridges.

Business ventures with another person, be it a friend or a partner, don’t always work out. If this is the case, successful entrepreneurs know when to part ways.

But just because you decide to go in another direction doesn’t mean things have to end badly, especially with a friend, says Branson. Handle any problems quickly and head-on, and end the relationship as amicably as possible.

Pick up the phone.

It’s great to be tech-savvy, but don’t text or email when you should be calling. “The quality of business communications has become poorer in recent years as people avoid phone calls and face-to-face meetings, I can only assume, in some misguided quest for efficiency,” Branson says.

Problems are more difficult to solve by text or email, and “there is nothing efficient about allowing a small problem to escalate,” says Branson, when it could have been easily addressed with a phone call.

Change shouldn’t be feared, but it should be managed.

“Companies aren’t future-proof,” says Branson, and nothing lasts forever. An entrepreneur should be prepared to adapt, and avoid being nostalgic about the company itself.

“Sometimes you have to take your company in a new direction because circumstances and opportunities have changed.” If this is the case, Branson advises that you should “find ways to inspire all employees to think like entrepreneurs … so the more responsibility you give people the better they will perform.”

When it comes to making mistakes, bounce back, don’t fall down.

Your decision will not always be the best decision. Everyone makes mistakes, but the best thing you can do in the face of a mistake is own up to it.

Honesty isn’t just the best policy, it’s the only policy, notes Branson. When a mistake is made, don’t let it consume you. Uncover the problem and get to work fixing it.

Be a leader, not a boss.

Branson sees the classic image of “the boss” as an anachronism. Being bossy is not a desirable trait in a manager, he says. A boss orders while a leader organizes.

“Perhaps, therefore, it is odd that if there is any one phrase that is guaranteed to set me off it’s when someone says to me, ‘Okay, fine. You’re the boss!’” says Branson. “What irks me is that in 90 percent of such instances what that person is really saying is ‘Okay, then, I don’t agree with you but I’ll roll over and do it because you’re telling me to. But if it doesn’t work out I’ll be the first to remind everyone that it wasn’t my idea.’”

A good corporate leader is someone who doesn’t just execute his or her own ideas, but also inspires others to come forth with their own.

Source: “Like a Virgin: Secrets They Won’t Teach You at Business School.”This article is written by Melissa Stanger and appears on inc.com

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Jappreet Sethi

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Sep 12

Stanford’s Free Online Courses – Fast Track Your Career

Stanford University is recognized as one of the world’s leading universities and is offering free online courses. This is a great opportunity to upgrade your knowledge. God supplies us with the opportunity, but he cannot take advantage of it for us.

Many employees now use their spare time to try their hand to learn new skills. It may well be something that they have always longed to do under different circumstances. The experience and certification that they gain by branching out like this boosts their resume and career prospects considerably.

Stanford’s free online courses are taught by regular Stanford faculty in a highly interactive mode. You will not get Stanford credit for your work; however you do receive a statement of accomplishment if you successfully complete the course module. These are online programs so you can be anywhere in the world to complete it.

Opportunities are usually disguised as hard work, so most people don’t recognize them – Eppie Friedman

This is the list of current open enrollment programs at Stanford University, click on the title for more information on the module.

Title	Instructor	Dates – 2012
Introduction to Mathematical Thinking	Keith Devlin	Begins September 17
Human-Computer Interaction	Scott Klemmer	Begins September 24
Organizational Analysis	Daniel McFarland	Begins September 24
Introduction to Logic	Michael Genesereth	Begins September 24
Probabilistic Graphical Models	Daphne Koller	Begins September 24
An Introduction to Computer Networks	Philip Levis and Nick McKeown	Begins Fall 2012
Solar Cells, Fuel Cells, and Batteries	Bruce Clemens	Begins Fall 2012
Technology Entrepreneurship	Chuck Eesley	Begins October 1
A Crash Course on Creativity	Tina Seelig	Begins October 1
Designing a New Learning Environment	Paul Kim	Begins Fall 2012
Finance	Kay Giesecke	Begins October 1
Advanced Entrepreneurship	Clint Korver	Begins Fall 2012
Algorithms: Design and Analysis, Part 2	Tim Roughgarden	Begins October 2012
Cryptography II	Dan Boneh	Begins January 21,2013

Do not wait for ideal circumstances nor for the best opportunities; they will never come – Anonymous

Do you yearn to spread your wings and soar higher in your career? The way to do it is to upgrade your knowledge and make it more attractive to present or future employers. Make best use of this opportunity to fast track your career.

Thanks

Jappreet Sethi

3 comments

Sep 02

Job Hunting After Retirement

There are many reasons people look for work after they have retired. Perhaps you are feeling the pinch (there is no doubt the cost of living is rising); maybe your retirement investments have not performed as well as you’d hoped; or maybe you’re plain bored and want to do something more with your time.

Whatever the reason for seeking work, it can be done with the right attitude and approach.

First and foremost you have to have the right mindset. Don’t begin a job search with negative thoughts like ‘I’ll give it a go, but it’s hard for people of my age’ or ‘I’ll apply but I know they will want someone younger’. Job hunting with a negative perspective shows – it comes across in your dealings and immediately puts you in the wrong mode.

As a mature job seeker you have a great deal to offer employers:

Worldly wisdom
Reliability
Genuinely wanting an opportunity
Good ‘old fashioned’ work ethic.

Focus on these things when you begin. If they are at the forefront of your mind, it will come across to employers and help you immensely to sell your worth. Employers want benefits, they want people who will add value, so show them how you offer those benefits and value.

What do you want to do? You will more than likely not want to return to your primary career, so what skills and experience do you possess and how will they apply to an employer?

Relying on advertised roles is a long process and you will encounter problems. Instead be proactive.

Look around at places where you see older workers
Develop a target list of potential employers
Use your networks. Most mature job seekers underestimate the power of networking.

I worked with a man last year who’d retired after a long and successful engineering career. His skills were diverse and had been applied in many different disciplines throughout his career. He enjoyed retirement but was a little bored and ideally wanted to work a couple of days a week to keep him busy and mixing with people. We drew up a list of all of his skills and experience and started brain storming industries and positions where these would be beneficial to employers.

He approached a large retail hardware chain directly with a resume tailored to their needs. His target was a customer service role in the ‘trade’ section – a role where he would help and advise trade clients on various products. His background was ideal and we wrote his resume to highlight this. Long story short, he now works for the retailer on Saturdays and Sundays. He was a great fit because he has his weekdays to spend time with his wife and friends, many of whom have retired, and then on the weekend can share his broad knowledge with customers. He has never been happier.

But the hardware chain didn’t take the bait straight away. Twice he saw fulltime customer service roles advertised and each time, followed up. He reminded them of his availability, and even though he only wanted part-time work, was flexible and willing to do any days or shifts. Eventually persistence paid off and he was given an opportunity.

The company had never had a mature employee before; however he approached them with such a positive attitude, presented them with a resume that met every one of their needs for a customer service staff member, and exuded an energetic, positive manner that they seriously considered him for a role.

It won’t always work, but the point is, this retiree did his homework and presented himself well. You can do it too.

“I promise to keep on living as though I expected to live forever. Nobody grows old by merely living a number of years. People grow old only by deserting their ideals. Years may wrinkle the skin, but to give up interest wrinkles the soul.”- Douglas MacArthur

This article is contributed by Michelle Lopez of One2One Resumes.

E: [email protected]

W: www.one2oneresumes.com.au

Thanks

Jappreet Sethi

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Aug 15

Failure is an opinion not Reality – Story of 360 million web hits -Susan Boyle

How long can you dance to someone else’s tune, it’s time that you try dancing to your own tune. Go through the records of most successful people and you would see a common thread; all of them were branded as failures at one or another time in their life’s journey.

They could have sulked, cried and taken the opinion of the few zombies to their heart and relinquished their pursuit. The victorious choose a different way; they see failure as an opinion and not a reality. Abraham Lincoln said “Always bear in mind that your own resolution to success is more important than any other one thing .”

Susan Boyle is a story of a commoner – not highly educated middle-aged woman in an ordinary dress, unknown outside her small village in Scotland, who by her sheer determination catapulted herself in five minutes onto an international arena mostly reserved for those who meet a carefully promoted standard of elegance, glamour & fashion.

The clip of her audition in Britain’s Got Talent has been viewed 360 million times, more than any other video in history. Her debut album titled “I Dreamed a Dream” was a super hit, along with her subsequent releases she has sold more than 14 million albums worldwide.

Who is Susan Boyle?

Susan Boyle was a small town girl raised in the unknown town of Blackburn, Scotland. Her Father was a miner and veteran of the Second World and her mother was a shorthand typist. Susan Boyle was the youngest of nine siblings – four brothers and five sisters.

It is said that Susan was briefly deprived of oxygen during a difficult birth resulting in a learning disability. Boyle says she was bullied as a child, and was nicknamed “Susie Simple” at school. In an interview she told one newspaper that her classmates’ jibes left behind the kind of scars that don’t heal.

She had not had an easy life, for most of her adult life she was unemployed and earned a living by performing at local churches and pubs. Nevertheless she won numerous awards at the local level. Boyle never married, and she dedicated herself to care for her ageing mother until she died in 2007 at the age of 91.

It is said that Boyle abandoned an audition for The X Factor because she believed people were being chosen for their looks. She almost abandoned her plan to enter Britain’s Got Talent believing she was too old, but her coach O’Neil persuaded her to audition.

Susan Boyle says that she entered the musical career to make her mom’s wishes come true and pay tribute to her. That was her calling – so it didn’t matter what other were saying about her looks, age or societal status. She was focused on what she wanted and overturned all the odds to make a new life for herself.

If you watch the audition video you would notice the sneers, looks, judgments, and assumptions that nearly everyone makes – including the respective judges when Susan Boyle comes to stage. Susan Boyle in her audition declared to the judges and audience that her dream was to become a professional singer. Everyone frowned including the judges. This does not unnerve her, in fact it makes her will stronger to give her best!

Within 7 days her audition video had been watched more than 66 million times. Within three years she had sold 14 million records and earned more than US $25m. Is anybody laughing at her now?

Click Here to - Watch the Susan Boyle – Video

7 lessons from Susan Boyle’s story

Don’t make age an excuse for not doing something great
Never give up , never give up , never give up
Believe in yourself from deep within
Find yourself a coach
Dream big and make it big!
Be focused on what you are doing, don’t let other’s comments derail your plans
God gives everybody talent, all of us are gifted one way or another – discover it

Human spirit is indomitable by design; we set our targets high or low. What is stopping you from dreaming and making it big in life like Susan Boyle? . Always remember the famous quote by Vince Lombardi ” The difference between a successful person and others is not a lack of strength, not a lack of knowledge, but rather a lack in will.”

Thanks

Jappreet Sethi

2 comments

Aug 15

The Top 35 Online MBA Programs of 2012

The recent 2011 GMAC Application Trends Survey reports overall MBA applications are still on the decline, a trend that began in 2009. Over half of participating full time programs received fewer applications than the previous year. Such declines in full and part-time study are expected throughout a recession, but one interesting finding from the report is the significant increase in foreign applicants. Last year 45% of the applicant pool came from outside the US. India and China in particular dominated the foreign applicant demographic. 61% of programs report India as their top source of international talent and China is now the largest growing source of foreign applicants.

What’s causing this spike in international appeal? Surely not easier admission. One other key finding from the survey is all programs report the quality of applicants and their credentials actually increased from the previous year. Overall applications are down yet those who do apply make up a very competitive field – because the education is still incredibly worthwhile.

The MBA is still worth it

GMAC’s 2012 Alumni Perspectives Survey answered the perpetual question of whether or not the MBA still makes financial sense. 75% of alumni from the class of 2011 said they could not have obtained their job without their MBA, a number much higher than earlier in the decade. Over 90% of the alumni said the job they chose after graduation was exactly what they were looking for and 82% reported their salary met or exceeded expectations. More importantly, alumni 10 years out of school said they nearly doubled their return on investment.

The Online MBA is a unique opportunity

An interesting point in the Alumni Survey is how one specific alumni age group, those 28 to 34, were much more likely to indicate their education essential to finding a job. This age group is often in the midst of starting a real career and even beginning a family as well. Because of the constraints of traditional MBA programs, not everyone is able to compromise their lifestyle and commitments to study for a new degree. With the growth of accredited online MBA institutions, there are now educational possibilities for individuals who were previously unable to devote time necessary for completion of a program. Not only are online programs flexible for all sorts of schedules, they are often more affordable, allowing a whole new demographic to develop business skills and advance in their desired careers.

Ranking methodology

One of the primary factors that determine the success of an online MBA program is careful selection of the right program based on a myriad of criteria. That is where rankings come in. By carefully analyzing data from reliable sources like the National Center for Education statistics and College Results, rankings can be formulated to help prospective students find the best program for their individual needs.

Our rankings include a compilation of data students will find useful as they go through the program selection process. One of the top criteria used to rank schools is the affordability of the education, including tuition rates and financial aid option. Affordability also boils down to how long it takes to complete a program and how many credits are required to earn a degree. The value of the school may also be determined by additional benefits the school provides, such as student perks, program perks and alumni resources.

Reputation and prestige also play a role in ranking scores, which takes into account accreditation and awards the school has received. The quality of the institution is determined by enrollment statistics, as well as retention and graduation rates. Academic quality is of high importance and includes factors like the competitiveness of admission, design and efficiency of the online program and flexibility of coursework. Profiles of the faculty and diversity of the student body are also considered, as well as additional resources available to students beyond the virtual classroom.

1. University of Florida

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Quick Data – The University of Florida is located in Gainesville, Florida, and boasts 16 different colleges and more than 150 research centers and institutes within its network. This large southern college is home to more than 50,000 students each year, with even more now reaping the benefits of their online degree programs. The UF MBA program was established nearly a decade ago, as one of the first to offer a fully accredited online degree.

What Makes it Unique – Students who enroll in the UF MBA program online have a choice of a one-year or two-year program, depending on whether they already have a business degree and practical business work experience. The program has been ranked #1 by The Economist.

Accreditation – The UF MBA program is accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business – the same organization that provided accreditation to the University of Florida Warrington College of Business Administration.

How to Apply – To begin the application process for the UF MBA online program, visit the admissions page at http://floridamba.ufl.edu/admissions/apply.asp. All of the steps in the application process are clearly outlined, and links for all relevant documents are included.

2. Regis University

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Quick Data – Regis University strives to teach leadership qualities consistent with Judeo-Christian values, so students can make a positive impact on their communities. The school was founded in 1877 in Las Vegas, Nevada, and moved to Colorado in 1884.

What Makes it Unique – The curriculum for the Regis online MBA program is updated regularly to ensure the material reflects the latest business trends and technology. The program has consistently been ranked in the top 25 online MBA programs by TheBestColleges.org.

Accreditation – Regis University was first accredited in 1922 by the Higher Learning Commission. Accreditation was extended to distance programs in 2006 by the same accrediting agency.

How to Apply – The steps for applying to the Regis online MBA program can be found at http://cps.regis.edu/degrees-mba.php. The page also includes links to the online application form.

3. Indiana University Bloomington

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Quick Data – Indiana University Bloomington is the flagship campus for Indiana University’s eight campuses across the state. Since its founding in 1820, the college’s commitment to academic freedom, innovation and creativity is unsurpassed.

What Makes it Unique – The online MBA program offered by the Kelley School of Business at Indiana University is focused on providing students with a broad background in business law, economics, marketing, finance and other general areas of study for business majors. The program is flexible, allowing students anywhere from two to five years to earn a degree. Unlike other distance learning programs, this one can be completed almost completely online, with just two week-long trips to the campus required.

Accreditation – Kelley School of Business and its online programs are accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business. Indiana University is also accredited by the Higher Learning Commission.

How to Apply – Those interested in applying to the IU online MBA program through Kelley School of Business will find all the information they need at http://kd.iu.edu/admissions/default.htm. Information includes admission requirements, the admissions process and online forms.

4. Penn State University

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Quick Data – Penn State University is located in University Park, Pennsylvania, where it has enjoyed a long-standing reputation as one of the top universities in the country. After humble beginnings as an agricultural school in 1863, the school has come to be known as a world-class learning community.

What Makes it Unique – The online MBA program through Penn State offers students a wealth of networking opportunities and an integrated curriculum. Classes are taught by faculty experts and the program is committed to the highest quality of customer service for its students. Virtual teams offer students diverse contact with their peers and 2-year residency experiences provide valuable on-the-job training while still in school.

Accreditation – The online MBA program through Penn State University is accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business.

How to Apply – To apply for the online MBA program at Penn State University, visit this web page http://www.worldcampus.psu.edu/degrees-and-certificates/penn-state-online-mba-degree-program/apply, which will give you the steps in the application process and links to online documents.

5. National University

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Quick Data – National University was first opened in 1971, as a means to improve accessibility of learning programs to a more diverse student population. The school offers campuses throughout California and Nevada, in addition to its online degree programs.

What Makes it Unique – National University offers a Masters of Business Administration, which prepares students for leadership roles within the business community. This school offers the same program, both online and on site, giving students plenty of flexibility and choice when it comes to earning their advanced degree. The school also offers a collection of free, non-credit courses to enhance their learning experience and better prepare them for real-life experiences after their degree is earned.

Accreditation – National University has been accredited since 1971 by the Accrediting Commission for Senior Colleges and Universities of the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC). This organization accredits all schools in California, Hawaii, Guam and the Pacific Basin.

How to Apply – The application process for National University can easily be completed online by going to this web page: https://ep.soar.cci.nu.edu/psp/nuse9prd/EMPLOYEE/PSFT_NUSS9PRD/c/NU_SELF_ SERVICE.NU_OA_REGISTRATION.GBL. Applicants will be asked to provide a password and receive a unique ID before the process can commence.

6. University of Missouri

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Quick Data – The execMBA is the online MBA program offered by the University of Missouri. Located in Columbia, Missouri, this university has been providing students with a high quality education since 1839, as the first public university west of the Mississippi River.

What Makes it Unique – The execMBA through the University of Missouri offers a unique combination of online and on site learning. Seventy-five percent of coursework is completed online and the rest is done on campus, in small classrooms where students receive plenty of individual attention from professors. The program provides the same curriculum and faculty as the University of Missouri’s nationally recognized MBA program. An 8 to 10-day international residency improves global exposure for graduates of this program.

Accreditation – The execMBA through the University of Missouri is accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business.

How to Apply – An online application for the execMBA program is provided at http://execmba.missouri.edu/application.php. Students are asked to include a personal statement, resume, transcripts and a letter of endorsement when applying.

7. Southern Illinois University

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Quick Data – Southern Illinois University has come a long way from its beginnings as a second teachers college for the state in 1869. Since its inaugural class of 143, this school in Carbondale, Illinois, has grown to become one of the most comprehensive public universities in the state. The online MBA is a rigorous program that allows professionals the chance to further their education in a flexible academic environment.

What Makes it Unique – The structured, 24-month cohort-based program allows professional students the needed flexibility to pursue a higher degree in a technologically-advanced format. The program includes professional development services specifically designed to address the needs of current professionals.

Accreditation – The online MBA, like the rest of the Southern Illinois University, College of Business is accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business.

How to Apply – The application process for the online MBA at Southern Illinois University is outlined on the school’s website at http://onlinegrad.business.siuc.edu/Application/Pages/default.aspx. Students will also find a link to the online application here.

8. Georgia Southern University

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Quick Data – Georgia Southern University was founded in 1906 and is one of the premier public universities in the state today. The school is located in Statesboro, Georgia, and offers more than 115 degree programs in eight different schools, as well as a variety of online degree programs like the online MBA.

What Makes it Unique – The online MBA program at Georgia Southern University offers the same rigorous curriculum as their MBA on campus, but with the flexibility professionals require to complete their degree without interruption to their current career track. The Georgia WebMBA is a 30-hour program that appeals to professionals from a broad business background. The school is ranked at the top among regional schools with similar online MBA programs.

Accreditation – Georgia Southern University and all of its programs contained under the university’s umbrella are accredited through the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools.

How to Apply – The application process for the online MBA program at Georgia Southern University can be completed online at this web page: http://cogs.georgiasouthern.edu/gradadmin/applytogradschool. Applicants are required to set up an account before commencing the application process.

9. University of Nebraska – Lincoln

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Quick Data – The University of Nebraska-Lincoln was chartered in 1869 and recently celebrated its 143rd birthday. The school is located in the heart of Lincoln, Nebraska and is considered a top-rated public university today. The online MBA is just one of many programs in distance education the school currently offers.

What Makes it Unique- The online MBA at the University of Nebraska offers a general MBA or students can choose a specialization in agribusiness, finance, marketing and international business. The program is 100% online and offers students the same MBA curriculum and faculty as the on-campus program. The flexibility of the modular scheduling allows busy working professional the opportunity to participate in an internationally recognized program without putting your career on hold.

Accreditation – In addition to the University of Nebraska accreditation through the Higher Learning Commission, the online MBA program is accredited through the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business.

How to Apply- The application process for the University of Nebraska’s online MBA program is the same as the application process for all of the schools graduate studies, and can be found at http://mba.unl.edu/distance/prospective/admissionrequirements.aspx. The application can be completed online.

10. Oklahoma State University

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Quick Data – Oklahoma State University has enjoyed a long and illustrious history since its humble beginnings in 1890 as an agricultural and mechanical college. The school has three different campus locations throughout the state; Stillwater, Tulsa and Oklahoma City. The primary campus is located in Stillwater. The online MBA program is offered through the Spears School of Business in Stillwater.

What Makes it Unique – The online MBA program at Oklahoma State University strives to provide students with the same interactive approach to graduate studies that students on campus enjoy. The program incorporates a team-oriented focus that benefits students after graduation in a professional world that emphasizes the need to work well as a member of a larger unit. Unlike other online MBA programs, this school does not require students to have a certain number of years of professional experience before they can apply.

Accreditation – As part of the Spears School of Business, the online MBA program through Oklahoma State University is accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business.

How to Apply – Students must be accepted into the Oklahoma State University Graduate College before they can apply for the online MBA program. Once that step is complete, students can find information about admission into the online program at http://spears.okstate.edu/distance/graduate/enroll/.

11. Brandman University

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Quick Data – As a part of the Chapman University System, Brandman University started in 1958 as a means of providing professional adults the ability to further their education in a flexible environment. Today, the college offers more than 50 degree programs that combine both online and on site study at 26 locations throughout California and Washington. Students can also find programs that are fully online for added flexibility.

What Makes it Unique – Brandman University understands the needs of working adult students; because that is the demographic it has strived to serve since its inception more than 50 years ago. The school offers a unique focus on sustainability and innovation, as its professors work to keep up with the latest technology and business trends occurring in real-world industries. This program is available fully online or with an integrated approach that combines online course work with on-site studies at one of 17 of Brandman’s campus locations.

Accreditation – Brandman University is accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges.

How to Apply – The application process for Brandman University’s online MBA program can be completed online at https://app.applyyourself.com/AYApplicantLogin/ApplicantConnectLogin.asp?id=brandman. Students are asked to create an account with the school before the application process can commence.

12. Chadron State College

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Quick Data – Chadron State College, located in Chadron, Nebraska, is a member of the Nebraska State College System. Since its inception in 1911, the school has provided students a rich academic experience. Today, Chadron State College offers both 100% online degree programs and integrated programs that combine online studies with on-site coursework. The MBA program is offered fully online.

What Makes it Unique - Courses in the 36-credit hour program are offered in an 8-week format with two 8-week sessions available every semester. Students can complete the degree in as little as one year or as many as seven years so they can complete courses as their schedule permits. The college designed its graduate program primarily for mid-level managers with coursework focusing on leadership skills and basic business courses that will add to the professional’s current body of knowledge.

Accreditation – Chadron State College is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission. The School of Business, where the online MBA program is located, is also accredited by the Association of Collegiate Business Schools and Programs.

How to Apply – The application process for the online MBA program at Chadron State College can be fully completed online at https://www.csc.edu/apply/now/. There is no application fee. Students will be asked to create an account with the school before beginning the application process.

13. Charleston Southern University

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Quick Data – Charleston Southern University is a Christian university affiliated with the South Carolina Baptist Convention. The school was founded in 1964 and is located in Charleston, South Carolina. Charleston Southern University offers 57 undergraduate degree programs and four graduate programs, including their online MBA degree.

What Makes it Unique – Charleston Southern University’s online MBA program can be earned in less than two years, with only 10 courses (30 credit hours) required to earn a generalized MBA. The school also allows students to take additional coursework in accounting, management information systems, finance or organizational development if they want to specialize in one of these areas. Unlike many other graduate programs, Charleston Southern University does not require students to take the GMAT in most cases if a student’s undergraduate GPA was 2.75 or higher.

Accreditation – Charleston Southern University is accredited by both the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools and the International Assembly for Collegiate Business Education.

How to Apply – The steps for applying to the online MBA program through Charleston Southern University are available online at https://www.applyweb.com/apply/chsug/index.html. Test scores, transcripts and professional recommendations must be submitted with the online application.

14. Fort Hays State University

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Quick Data – Fort Hays State University has a long history of serving students throughout the Midwest and abroad since its founding in 1902. The school, located in Hays, Kansas, prides itself on it forward-thinking philosophies that tend to attract those with an entrepreneur spirit looking for both undergraduate and graduate programs. The school currently offers 28 academic departments with hundreds of different degree programs, including their online MBA.

What Makes it Unique – The online MBA program at Fort Hays State University is specifically designed with the working professional in mind, with the latest technology to help students stay connected with professors and one another via the Internet. The MBA program includes a wide range of specializations, including accounting and finance, health care management, human resources management, information assurance, international business, leadership studies, management information systems and tourism and hospitality management. The online MBA program requires 34 hours of coursework, with an additional 12 hours for students who do not have an undergraduate degree in business.

Accreditation- Fort Hays State University is accredited by both the Higher Learning Commission and of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools.

How to Apply – The instructions and online application for Fort Hays State University can be found at http://www.fhsu.edu/academic/gradschl/apply/. Transcripts, a personal statement and a professional recommendation must be submitted with the application.

15. Freed-Hardeman University

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Quick Data – The history of Freed-Hardeman University dates back to 1869, when the school first began operating as a private high school and college for the town of Henderson. It is named for one of the school’s presidents, Arvy Glenn Freed, and vice presidents, N.B. Hardeman. This Christian university eventually grew to become a private institution dedicated to academic excellence, while instilling Christian values into its students. The school is located in Henderson, Tennessee.

What Makes it Unique – Freed-Hardeman University’s MBA program is founded on an ethical, character-driven perspective that instills these principles into all of its students. The program can be completed entirely online or in a combination of online and classroom studies. Degree completion requires 36 hours of study, with an area of specialization chosen by the student. Choices include accounting, corporate responsibility or leadership. The MBA program is broken down into eight-week sessions, beginning in January, March, May, August and October.

Accreditation – Freed-Hardeman University is accredited by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools. The business school is also accredited by the Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs.

How to Apply – The application process for the online MBA program at Freed-Hardeman University can be completed online at https://www.fhu.edu/forms/grad/mbaapp.aspx. Grades, test scores and professional experience must be included on the online application.

16. Hofstra University

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Quick Data – Hofstra University is a private institution located in Hempstead, New York on Long Island. The school was founded in 1935 and currently offers approximately 140 undergraduate and 150 graduate programs, including their online MBA program. The online MBA is provided through Hofstra’s Zarb School of Business.

What Makes it Unique – The Zarb School of Business is home to more than 80 full-time faculty members, many of whom contribute to the online MBA program. The university was the first in the state to offer a focus on strategic business management, and small class sizes in a totally digitalized environment. Students can earn their online MBA within two years, although some may take longer to complete the program if their working schedules are particularly demanding. The program has an international focus and students have the opportunity to interact with professionals in New York industries, as well as global corporations.

Accreditation – Hofstra University is accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education. The Zarb School of Business is also accredited through the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business.

How to Apply – The application for the online MBA program through the Zarb School of Business can be accessed at https://app.applyyourself.com/?id=hofstragrd. Students will be asked to create an account when applying, so they can access their application throughout the process.

17. University of North Carolina

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Quick Data – The University of North Carolina is one of the older institutions of higher education in the United States, dating all the way back to 1789, when it was first chartered. The school is located in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, and prides itself on its diverse student population and an academic environment that is second-to-none. The online MBA program is offered through the Kenan-Flagler Business School.

What Makes it Unique – The online MBA at the University of North Carolina offers students the opportunity to earn a higher degree even while they are still working in the professional world. The Kenan-Flagler Business School is top-rated nationwide and combines the latest technologies with real-world experience to help online MBA students prepare for their future in business. The program combines three key components; self-paced coursework, live online class sessions and three-day global immersions scheduled for each quarter to broaden students’ perspectives through activities like live simulations and mock interviews.

Accreditation – The University of North Carolina is accredited by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools. The Kenan-Flagler Business School is also accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business.

How to Apply – Students can apply for the Kenan-Flagler Business School MBA program online at https://apply.onlinemba.unc.edu/start?came_from=https://apply.onlinemba.unc.edu/. To begin the application process, students must provide an email address and name to create an account with the school.

18. Lawrence Tech University

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Quick Data – Lawrence Tech University was founded in 1932 by Russell E. Lawrence, right in the midst of the Great Depression. The school survived the economic chaos of the time and went on to thrive as an institution of higher education for the next eight decades in Southfield Michigan. Today, Lawrence Tech University offers nearly 100 undergraduate and graduate degree programs, including its online MBA program.

What Makes it Unique – The online MBA program at Lawrence Tech University is specifically geared to working professionals who wish to further their position within their business fields. The program is highly flexible and incorporates the university’s “theory and practice” approach to learning. Students earning their degree online can choose between concentrations in project management or nonprofit management. The curriculum consists of 36 hours of coursework, of which 27 are core courses and nine are electives.

Accreditation – Lawrence Tech University is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission and is also a member of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools.

How to Apply – Students interested in the online MBA program use the same universal application process as all others applying to Lawrence Tech University at http://www.ltu.edu/futurestudents/apply.asp. Prospective students will find a link to the downloadable application for the school’s graduate programs, as well as the steps involved in the application process.

19. McKendree University

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Quick Data – With origins dating all the way back to 1828, McKendree University is the oldest institution of higher education in the state of Illinois. It is also the oldest in the country to have continuous ties with the Methodist Church. This school, located in Lebanon, Illinois, was first called Lebanon Seminary when it opened with two rented sheds. Today, the school boasts 46 majors, 4 graduate programs, including their online MBA, and one doctorate program.

What Makes it Unique – The online MBA program at McKendree University offers a balance of theory and application, with integrated curriculum that encourages students to interact with faculty and peers throughout their studies. The primary goal of the program is to prepare students for success in the modern business world. Although it is primarily designed for students with an undergraduate degree in a business discipline, the program is also available to students who do not have a business background. Students in the online program take one course every eight weeks, and involves a total of 36 credit hours for completion.

Accreditation – McKendree University is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission and the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools. The MBA program is also accredited by the International Assembly of Collegiate Business Education (IACBE).

How to Apply – The application for admission to the online MBA program at McKendree University can be found at https://www.mckendree.edu/admission/info/graduate/mba/application-for-admission.php. There is no fee to apply to the school. Transcripts, an essay, a resume, and three professional references are required with the application.

20. University of Phoenix

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Quick Data – Since it was established in 1976 by Dr. John Sperling, the University of Phoenix has been committed to helping working adults pursue higher education in a flexible format. Today, the school has more than 200 locations within the United States, and online programs are available to students around the globe. This school has been in the business of online education for more than two decades.

What Makes it Unique – The University of Phoenix began – and continues to be – a premiere institution for adults to pursue degrees of all kinds in a flexible environment that works with their professional schedules. The college employs a full graduation team to provide support to students from the time they enroll in the university until graduation. The online MBA program through the University of Phoenix offers students the ability to customize their degree, with areas of focus like accounting, energy management, global management, health care management, human resource management, marketing, project management and technology management.

Accreditation – The University of Phoenix is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission. The school is also a member of the North Central Association. In addition, the business school, where the online MBA is offered, is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs.

How to Apply – Interested students can begin the application process for the University of Phoenix at http://rfi.phoenix.edu/?kw=ready_enroll#rc1. Once basic information is provided, applicants gain access to the university’s Phoenix Prep Center, which offers a myriad of information about the school. An advisor also contacts applicants within 24 hours to help them construct the right degree program for their needs.

21. Post University

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Quick Data – Post University began in 1890 as a traditional institution of higher education with a focus on business located in Waterbury, Connecticut. A century later, the school began offering distance education to its students, as one of the first schools in the New England area to provide accelerated programs completely online. The online MBA is just one of the offerings from Post University.

What Makes it Unique – The online MBA program at Post University is a fully online program that can be completed in 14 to 20 months. Students have the option of a number of areas of focus with their graduate degree, including corporate innovation, entrepreneurship, finance, leadership, marketing and project management. The program stresses innovation and creativity, and provides ample opportunity for interaction between students and faculty members. The school promises a high ROI, with low tuition rates for a valued credential.

Accreditation – Post University is accredited by the New England Association of Schools and Colleges. It is also a candidate for accreditation through the Accreditation Program for Business Schools and Programs. In addition, the school is licensed by the State of Connecticut.

How to Apply – The online application process for Post University’s online MBA program begins at https://go.post.edu/adpapp/index.aspx. Students must set up an account with the school before the application process can begin.

22. Southeastern University

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Quick Data – Southeastern University was founded as a Christian college by the Assemblies of God Churches in 1935 in Alabama. In 1946, the school moved to Lakeland, Florida, where it is still located today. The school offers Christian education for professional careers and a variety of ministries. The MBA program through Southeastern University is a flexible one that allows students to complete their degrees completely online if they prefer.

What Makes it Unique – Southeastern University is committed to training up a new generation of business leaders with strong moral and ethical values. The MBA program prepares students to analyze and manage contemporary issues common in the business world today. Students enjoy ample flexibility in planning their degree program, with 12, 16, 20 or 24-month tracks available. Students who wish to finish their online MBA in one year will need to take two courses every eight weeks, or four courses a semester to finish on time. The business faculty at Southeastern University boasts extensive experience both in the professional and the academic world, to provide students with the highest possible quality of education.

Accreditation – Southeastern University is a member of the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools.

How to Apply – The online application for the MBA program at Southeastern University can be found at https://www.seu.edu/forms/mba_app.php. Students are also required to submit samples of written work, test scores, transcripts and recommendation letters.

23. Sam Houston State University

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Quick Data – Sam Houston State University was founded in 1879 and named after General Sam Houston. The school is located in Huntsville, Texas, and has been recognized by the Princeton Review as one of the “Best in the West” universities. Sam Houston State offers just one online graduate program currently – the online MBA.

What Makes it Unique – The motto at Sam Houston State University, “The measure of a life is its service,” is one that is embraced by the university’s schools, faculty and students. The university currently administers 79 undergraduate degree programs, 54 masters programs and 5 doctorates. The online MBA is the only graduate program currently offered fully online. The program includes a focus on banking and financial institutions. Students with an undergraduate degree in business qualify for the program; others will need to take preparatory courses before enrolling in the online program. The online MBA can be completed in as little as four semesters – 36 credit hours of work.

Accreditation – Sam Houston State University is accredited by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools. The college of Business Administration is also accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business.

How to Apply – The application process for Sam Houston State University begins at https://www.applytexas.org/adappc/gen/c_start.WBX, which is a general application for any Texas Public University. Students can also find more information about the admissions process to Sam Houston State specifically at http://www.shsu.edu/admissions/.

24. Saint Joseph’s University

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Quick Data – Saint Joseph’s University was founded by the Society of Jesus in 1851, with the intention of training up students in Jesuit, Catholic principles while providing them with a degree program that help them exceeed their highest expectations. The school is located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and is currently home to approximately 4,200 full-time undergraduates and 3,100 graduate students, including those enrolled in the online MBA program.

What Makes it Unique – The online MBA program at Saint Joseph’s University offer two distinct concentrations; one in financial services and the other in pharmaceutical and healthcare marketing. Both programs focus on building leadership skills in students to help them take on managerial roles in their industries. The coursework was designed with corporate stakeholders to ensure students receive the latest instruction to prepare them for the global business market. Elective courses included in the online MBA program allow students to customize their degree program to their specific professional needs.

Accreditation – Saint Joseph’s University is accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education. The Erivan K. Haub School of Business is also accredited through the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business.

How to Apply – Students can apply online for the online MBA at Saint Joseph’s University at http://www.sju.edu/academics/hsb/grad/mba/apply.html. The process requires transcripts from previous institutions and letters of recommendation.

25. St. Mary’s College of California

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Quick Data – St. Mary’s College of California, founded in 1863, is one of the oldest colleges in the West. This Catholic school prides itself on its ability to change with the times, providing students with a 21st century education that will prepare them for a wide range of professional fields. Located in Moraga, California, St. Mary’s College offers 40 academic majors and a number of graduate programs, including their hybrid MBA program.

What Makes it Unique – Students who receive their higher education at St. Mary’s College are instilled with the importance of social justice and making relevant contributions to society. Their Executive MBA program focuses on teaching ethical, responsible leadership skills with a global perspective. The hybrid program incorporates online studies with classroom sessions every other Saturday. The 18-month program prepares professional adults to move to the next phase of their career or helps them hone their current management skills with concepts and information relevant to today’s global workforce.

Accreditation – St. Mary’s College of California is accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges.

How to Apply – Students interested in applying for the hybrid MBA program at St. Mary’s College of California may apply online at http://www.stmarys-ca.edu/node/6628. Letters of recommendation, a personal statement and resume can also be downloaded online.

26. Tennessee Tech University

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Quick Data – Tennessee Tech University was established in 1915 in Cookeville, Tennessee, as Tennessee Polytechnic Institute. The school had a faculty of 13 and 19 students during its inaugural year, and today Tennessee Tech University hosts more than 11,000 students. The school now offers more than 40 undergraduate and 23 graduate programs on its Cookeville campus, including an online option for the Tennessee Tech MBA program.

What Makes it Unique – Tennessee Tech University strives to make their MBA program as flexible as possible, with both full-time and part-time options available. Students have the choice of studying in the classroom or online, with Internet-based class interaction that helps students apply what they learn. The online MBA program offers the following concentrations of study: accounting, finance, human resource management, international business, management information systems and risk management and insurance. Electives within the program allow students to customize their degree program to their specific professional needs.

Accreditation – Tennessee Tech University is accredited by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools. In addition, the MBA program is fully accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business.

How to Apply – The application process for Tennessee Tech University is outlined at http://www.tntech.edu/graduatestudies/howtoapply/. Students are required to download letters of recommendation, the student health form and test scores as a part of the application process.

27. University of South Dakota

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Quick Data – Founded in 1862, the University of South Dakota is the oldest institution of higher learning in the state. The school is located in Vermillion, South Dakota, and currently maintains 132 undergraduate degree programs and 65 graduate programs, including their online MBA.

What Makes it Unique – The University of South Dakota offers all the services of a large university, but with a small college feel. The school’s Beacom School of Business offers the only fully accredited business program in the state. The online MBA program prepares students to advance their professional careers at the management level, or to continue in the academic realm by providing a stepping stone to the doctorate required for teaching. The program involves 33 hours of coursework for students who already have at least 18 hours of foundational business courses in their academic portfolio.

Accreditation – The University of South Dakota is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools. In addition, the Beacom School of Business is accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business.

How to Apply – Prospective students interested in applying for the online MBA through the University of South Dakota will find the application process online at http://www.usd.edu/graduate-school/how-to-apply.cfm. Students are required to submit letters of recommendation, transcripts, test scores and a personal statement along with their application.

28. University of Wisconsin – Whitewater

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Quick Data – The University of Wisconsin at Whitewater was established in 1868 and currently offers 48 undergraduate and 12 graduate programs. The school is home to more than 11,000 students, including more than 1,300 professional and graduate students. A portion of that number is enrolled in the University of Wisconsin’s online MBA program.

What Makes it Unique – The University of Wisconsin Whitewater has been offering its online MBA program since 1998. The program is fully online and flexible, allowing students to work their studies around the rest of their professional and family responsibilities. The online MBA includes coursework in core classes, electives and the emphasis of the student’s choice. Some of the options for concentration include finance, human resource management, international business, IT management and operations and supply chain management. Classes are taught by faculty with earned doctorates and interaction occurs through online discussions and team projects.

Accreditation – The University of Wisconsin Whitewater is accredited by the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools. In addition, the MBA program is accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business.

How to Apply – Students interested in the online MBA program through the University of Wisconsin Whitewater can apply for the program online at http://www.uww.edu/cobe/onlinemba/admission.html. Along with the downloadable application, students must submit transcripts, test scores and personal letters of recommendation.

29. Walsh College

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Quick Data – Walsh College was founded in 1922 as an independent, non-profit institution serving the Michigan region. The school offers campus locations throughout the state, including Troy, Novi, Clinton Township, Harper Woods and Port Huron. The school currently provides business and technology degree programs at the undergraduate, graduate and doctorate levels, including an option in an online MBA program.

What Makes it Unique – The online MBA program through Walsh College offers students the opportunity to further their education and professional skills through a completely flexible academic environment. Unlike other MBA program, Walsh College does not require students to submit GMAT scores as criteria for admission. The program also offers one of the widest ranges of specialization, including the following: accounting, business information technology, economics, finance, health services administration, human resources management, information assurance, international business, marketing, project management, strategic leadership and taxation.

Accreditation – Walsh College is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools. The MBA program is also accredited by the Accreditation Council for Collegiate Business Schools and Programs.

How to Apply – Students can apply for the online MBA program at Walsh College at https://recruiter.walshcollege.edu/Datatel.ERecruiting.Web.External/Pages/Welcome.aspx. Those interested in completing the application process online must first create an account with the school before accessing the application and instructions.

30. Webster University

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Quick Data – Webster University began as a Catholic women’s college in 1915, under the name Loretto College. The school changed its name to Webster University in 1915, but remained an all-women’s school until the 1960s, when it slowly transitioned to a fully co-ed institution. Today, the school teaches to a student population of around 11, 000 on its St. Louis campus, which offers a wide range of undergraduate, graduate and doctorate degree programs.

What Makes it Unique – The online MBA program at Webster University puts students on the fast track to degree completion, through 27 hours of required courses and nine hours of electives. The school offers a wide range of possible concentrations through its MBA program, including environmental management, finance, information technology management, international business, marketing and media communications. The program offers a real-world approach to learning that involves flexible scheduling and personal attention from instructors.

Accreditation – Webster University is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission and is a member of the North Central Association.

How to Apply – Students can apply online for the MBA program through Webster University at http://admissions.webster.edu/admissions/graduate/application/app_login.asp. To begin the process, students must provide their names and email addresses to establish an account with the school.

31. Wilmington University

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Quick Data – This relatively new institution of higher education was originally founded as Wilmington College in 2007. The name was changed to Wilmington University a short time later, to better reflect the offerings in undergraduate, graduate and doctorate degrees from the school. This institution, with multiple campuses in Delaware, Maryland and New Jersey, also offers fully online degree programs for students interested primarily in a distance learning option.

What Makes it Unique – Wilmington University was established at a time when online education was already a common offering by institutions of higher education. While this school does offer traditional classes to interested students, it primarily caters to commuting students, either through on-site or online classrooms. The online MBA program focuses on executive skills development needed for work in the global marketplace of the 21st century. The program allows students to hone their skills in both oral and written communication, information literacy, disciplined inquiry and ethics. The program is organized into seven-week sessions, and includes 12 3-credit courses.

Accreditation – Wilmington University is accredited by the Commission on Higher Education of the Middle States Association. The MBA program is also accredited by the International Assembly for Collegiate Business Education.

How to Apply – The graduate admissions process for Wilmington University can be found at http://www.wilmu.edu/business/mba_admission.aspx. Students are required to submit transcripts and a writing assessment with their application.

32. Concordia University – Wisconsin

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Quick Data – Concordia University Wisconsin is affiliated with the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod, and has been since its inception in 1881. It is one of 10 universities associated with the church across the country, and a part of the Concordia University System. The school is located in Mequon, Wisconsin, along the shores of Lake Michigan. The school offers more than 60 undergraduate majors and 14 masters degree programs, including the online MBA program.

What Makes it Unique – The MBA program through Concordia University is flexible and tailored to the adult professional. Students can choose between on-site courses, video-conferencing and independent e-courses. Those who choose to take some course on site can choose from a multitude of campus locations, including nine in Wisconsin and one in Missouri. The MBA program involves 24 hours of core classes and 15 hours in the specialization of the student’s choice. Some of the options include environmental studies, finance, communication, health care management and information systems.

Accreditation – Concordia University is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools. The MBA program is also accredited by the International Assembly for Collegiate Business Education.

How to Apply – Students can apply for Concordia University online by visiting the website at https://www.cuw.edu/Graduate/studies/apply.html. In addition to the application, students are required to submit an essay, resume, personal recommendations and official transcripts.

33. California College San Diego

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Quick Data – California College San Diego has a somewhat diverse history, with beginnings in Scottsdale, Arizona, in 1971and moving to California in 1976. In the early years, the school was primarily known for its health sciences offerings, but in 2003, the school was purchased by California College, Inc., and course offerings were then expanded to include business and technology degree programs as well. The online MBA program is a good example of how this West Coast school has evolved.

What Makes it Unique – The MBA program through California College San Diego is available fully online. The program focuses on organization dynamics, statistics, communication and corporate finance. Students take a course load that consists of pre-selected courses totaling 57.5 credit hours. Courses offer an array of subjects relevant to today’s business environment, including international business, business strategy, leadership and economic analysis. Students also complete a capstone project at the end of their program, which involves a project or thesis designed to showcase the principles students learned throughout their graduate studies.

Accreditation – California College San Diego is accredited by the Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and Colleges.

How to Apply – Application to California College must either be initiated by a visit to one of the school’s campuses or by phone. Information about the admission process can be found at http://www.cc-sd.edu/admissions.

34. Cleary University

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Quick Data – Cleary University was founded in 1883 as the Cleary School of Penmanship by Patrick Roger Cleary. The school has two Michigan campuses; the Livingston Campus in Howell and the Washtenow Campus in Ann Arbor. The school also offers degree programs that are fully online, including their MBA program.

What Makes it Unique – Cleary University is a specialized business university that offers degree programs of all kinds in the business field. The school strives to offer practical education that students can take from the classroom into the professional world through a seamless transition process. The online MBA program through Cleary University offers a number of concentrations, including green business strategy, non-profit management, organizational leadership, financial planning and public accounting. Students can choose between programs that are fully online, and hybrid programs that combine online study with classroom sessions on campus.

Accreditation – Cleary University is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission and is a member of the North Central Association.

How to Apply – Students interested in applying for the online MBA program through Cleary University will find the information they need at https://students.cleary.edu/apply/default.asp. Students will be required to set up an account with the school and pay an application fee before beginning the application process.

35. Georgia WebMBA – University System of Georgia

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Note: This last spot is to award an entire program in Georgia.

Quick Data – The Georgia WebMBA is offered by six different institutions in the University System of Georgia; Columbus State University, Georgia College and State University, Georgia Southern University, Kennesaw State University, University of West Georgia, and Valdosta State University. The online MBA program is similar throughout these institutions, although some admission requirements may vary slightly from school to school.

What Makes it Unique – The Georgia WebMBA consists of 10 core courses and no electives, that are designed to help professionals advance in the global marketplace of the 21st century. The program includes coursework in marketing, finance, organizational management, entrepreneurship and human behavior, among other areas of study. Students who graduate from the program will have a strong foundational MBA to help them advance in any area of the business world.

Accreditation – WebMBA is accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business. Schools that offer the WebMBA are also accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools.

How to Apply – Students may apply for the Georgia WebMBA online through the website of the college they select, but the general process can be started at http://www.webmbaonline.org/apply-online.phtml. Each school might have slightly different admission requirements, so students should check with the school for more specific information.

This post is from MBA Online

Thanks

Jappreet Sethi

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Aug 11

How To Handle One-on-One Interviews?

These are by far the most popular style of interview. You meet one-on-one with a representative of the company, more often than not, the manager you will be reporting to, or, in some cases, a representative from the HR department. If you reach this stage of being offered an interview you more than likely have the right qualifications and skills for the job. So now is the time to determine if you are a good ‘fit’ for the organisation.

These interviews are usually structured. The interviewer may have a list of questions that he/she will ask all candidates in order to compare apples with apples. Bear in mind though, that some interviews are unstructured. In other words, an interviewer may ask questions prompted from your responses, so come armed with examples.

Interview questions will be of a technical and general nature. The interviewer will be looking for specific examples of how you have, and will, handle certain situations in the workplace. To that end you may be asked questions like – “What would you do if faced with….. ?” or “How would you handle a situation where …..?”. Other questions may include “Tell me about yourself”, “Why would you be a good fit for the role?” etc.

The interviewer will be working from your resume and will undoubtedly ask questions about its content, so be ready to answer more in depth questions about your background, skills and experience.

There will be other candidates who are being interviewed so your aim in this interview is to show them that you are the person they need. Talking about your achievements and unique selling points is the most effective way of differentiating yourself from other candidates.

Tips:

Be prepared! Review the job advertisement/description and make notes of areas where you have a lot to offer.
Review your resume and highlight points that you want to elaborate upon.
Look at the achievements in your resume and come up with different examples to demonstrate the breadth and depth of your experience.
Think about the STAR method when answering questions. What was the ssituation, your task, the approach taken and the result. See Understanding STAR for more information.
Try to establish rapport. Be professional, friendly and engaged. Watch your body language. Listen attentively and maintain eye contact throughout the interview.
Research the company. Use the Internet, industry associations, your network, publications etc to understand the company and their products/services. Be ready to ask questions about the company. This shows the interviewer that you’ve taken the time to research them and demonstrates interest.
Always thank the interviewer for their time and remember to follow up with a thank you letter.

This article is contributed by Michelle Lopez of One2One Resumes.

E: [email protected]

W: www.one2oneresumes.com.au

Thanks

Jappreet Sethi

3 comments

Aug 04

How To Handle The Salary Question in Job Interviews

This is one of the most difficult parts of the jobsearch process for many. Go in too high and you may price yourself out of the job, go in too low and you’ll be selling yourself short and be forever kicking yourself.

My advice is to discuss salary in a range rather than a single figure.

Before you can discuss salary, you need to have researched the market to ensure your wants are justified. There are a number of ways you can do this:

Speak to people in your industry or network
Research job adverts. Many indicate a salary range for the position.
Speak to recruiters. They know their industries well and current market rates.
Review salary surveys. Many recruitment firms release annual salary surveys, but remember there are differences in ranges dependent upon your location.

There are a number of things you need to consider in salary negotiations, not just the $ figure. Bonuses, vehicles, parking, leave entitlements, additional superannuation, salary sacrificing, employee benefit schemes such as reduced health insurance, discounted gym memberships, supplemented child care and even family friendly environments, all contribute to the salary package. You should factor these into the package when you are considering an offer.

When asked what your salary expectations are, be justified in your request. Don’t just state a figure and cross your fingers. Give a range rather than a set figure. For example, never say ‘I want $X’, always say something like ‘I am looking for a package in the vicinity of $X to $X. Don’t lock yourself in to one figure.

If you are seeking a salary increase, you should back up the request with a brief justification. For instance, “I am seeking a salary in the range of $X to $X based on the increased responsibilities of this role” and then further back it up with a line or two about your skills, experience and achievements.

When you get an offer, stop, take some time and consider the package. If there are benefits included in the package you will need to do your sums and factor it into the package. I know a lady recently who actually took a $5k drop in salary which on the surface seemed strange, but she actually had an increase in salary because of the day-care arrangements in place in the workplace. It saved her a fortune in out of pocket child care expenses.

Never discuss salary until the employer brings it up. Your aim is to sell yourself, your experience, the value you offer, your past success, before you discuss money. This is not always possible. If you are asked the question, you need to answer it. But let it be the employer who asks, not you.

This article is contributed by Michelle Lopez of One2One Resumes.

E: [email protected]

W: www.one2oneresumes.com.au

Thanks

Jappreet Sethi

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Aug 01

Got A New Boss Again: What To Do?

It is a well-known fact that established teams experience “transition pains” under the leadership of newly appointed managers. The stress levels go up, and both the parties use moves and countermoves to outwit each other. New managers, insecure in their roles, often seek absolute compliance to orders from their subordinates, particularly in their early days.

I’ve always found that the speed of the boss is the speed of the team – Lee Iacocca

In fact, most of the new managers struggle in their new roles initially along with their team members. Is there a way out? , yes of course if you want, you can turn it into a win – win situation for you and your manager.

Some of the common concerns of the team members are:

Will I get along with my new manager?
How do I make sure that my new manager recognizes the contributions I made before he/she arrived?
Will my work style clash with that of my new manager?
What new processes or procedures will my new manager put into place?
Will my performance and development suffer with this change?What changes will my new manager make to the team, my role, and my projects?
How can I build a positive relationship with my new manager?
How can I make sure my new manager recognizes my strengths?

Some of the common concerns of the newly joined managers are:

How can I establish my authority as manager without alienating my new team?
Will I get along with my new team?
Will my work style clash with that of my direct reports?
What are the strengths and weaknesses of my new team?
How can I build positive relationships with my direct reports?
What projects should be our top priority?
Who are the key players, and what are the unspoken rules of my new role?
What are the political “land mines” of my new job?
How do I quickly prove that I deserved this role?

If both sides keep on operating from fear and caution time shall pass, and one of the parties will win at the expense of other, more often than not it is the manager that wins, unless you are very strongly glued to your system, and any amount of pestering does not bother you. And always remember the saying – If you think your boss is stupid, remember: you wouldn’t have a job if he was any smarter.

Most of the times the senior management will support the newly appointed manager. They promise him/her the autonomy & authority to shape the team. I am not sure if this is the best way, and if it works against the interest of everyone. Nevertheless, your new manager has the backing and ears of the higher ups. Make no mistakes about this and the higher ups may give you an occasional ear to let off the steam without any long-term benefits.

So it’s in your best interest to help your new manager succeed because when managers struggle, so do their team members. You don’t need to do a lot to help your manager. The challenge for both the parties is to nurture a strong sense of common commitment to shared goals – rather than one of the blind allegiance to each other’s dictates. By having an open dialogue around your concerns you can change the dynamics. Some of the things which you can do make this a win –win transition are.

Be adaptable
Be open to change
Give feedback on ideas
Help your new manager learn responsibilities of new job.
Help your new manager learn teams shared objectives
Help your new manager learn team’s work methods/ processes
Share your strengths and weaknesses.
Share the top challenges which you are facing
Share what is the support that you are expecting from your new manager.

It’s helpful if you remain open for new ideas and be adaptable. However, that’s not enough. You’ll have a bigger impact if you also provide your new manager with insight into your strengths and weaknesses & offer timely feedback. How about writing a Welcome Letter to your new manager?

Thanks

Jappreet Sethi

The author uses real life stories to demystify the day to day Human Resources Challenges we face at work. His HR Blog – Human Resources Blog endeavours to simplify the HR jargon.

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Jul 28

How Becoming a Leader Can Help You Get a Promotion

Many companies today are looking for leaders, not just managers, to take on greater roles within the organization. As a result, competition for higher-level positions can be fierce. Leaders have the ability to inspire others and foster teamwork, which leads to achieving results. No matter what your current position is, becoming a leader can help you stand out and increase your chances of securing a promotion.

Qualities of Workplace Leadership

A leader is someone who motivates, unites and guides others towards a common goal. Leaders are usually highly effective communicators who are competent, trustworthy and organized. They are also often charismatic and inspirational. In order to be recognized as a leader in your workplace, you should seek to exhibit the following:

Honesty – this builds trust with your co-workers and superiors
Passion – enthusiasm and excitement are positive and contagious, which draws others to you
Commitment – a strong work ethic and discipline make you highly productive and can create a favorable impression of you in others
Goals – by setting and working toward goals you show others that you are able to strategize and execute work to accomplish something meaningful
Humility – giving credit where it’s due and emphasizing the team’s efforts instead of just your own makes people more inclined to work with you and go the extra mile

In addition to the traits listed above, leaders are also adept at planning, strategizing, managing change, solving problems and creatively addressing opportunities and difficulties.

How to Show Your Leadership Skills

Most jobs offer opportunities to exhibit leadership qualities, no matter what the level or job title is. Below are a few key opportunities that you can use to demonstrate leadership skills and set yourself on the path to promotion:

Day-to-Day Work: By developing and maintaining a high standard of quality and productivity in your own work, you show that you’re ready to take on more responsibility. The absence of a good job performance will likely mean that you will be passed over for other opportunities to develop and display true leadership qualities.

Take on a Project: Projects can be one of the best ways to show leadership skills. You can volunteer to participate on projects or create your own opportunities by looking for steps you can take to improve a process or output. No matter what your role is on the project team, you should seek to exceed expectations. Meet or beat deadlines, show yourself to be a team player by giving credit to others when appropriate and offering a helping hand when needed, and produce work or results with excellence.

Assume a Formal or Informal Leadership Role:

If you’re in a supervisory capacity, your leadership quality may be judged mostly on your team’s productivity and quality. By helping your team set and achieve goals, prioritize work and maintain or improve quality, you can show that you’re ready for higher levels of responsibility. Even if your current position isn’t supervisory, you can still exhibit leadership qualities, which can positively influence co-workers and position you as a role model.

By implementing these suggestions, you can develop and demonstrate the leadership qualities that will help set you apart from other employees and can get you noticed when an opportunity for career advancement arises.

This guest post was provided by Jessica Edmondson who discusses online education in the business leadership and management industry.

Thanks

Jappreet Sethi

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Jul 15

5 Ways To Increase Your Productivity

All of face the brunt of higher demands on productivity, most of us have been working regular schedules and the only way to increase productivity is to work extra hours. That’s not a good solution as it will make you a work zombie who will do nothing more than work. Don’t get disheartened there is good news; you can use these 5 simple and highly effective ways to increase your productivity.

As Paul J. Mayer said “Productivity is never an accident. It is always the result of a commitment to excellence, intelligent planning, and focused effort.”

Break down your work into tasks and sub tasks

Most of the successful projects have a common theme; all of them would have been broken down into activities and tasks with owners and resources assigned against each one of them. Ask yourself these questions.

What do you need to achieve?
How will you know if your task is successful – what’s the measurement?
What’s the timeline?
What resources do you need? – People, budget, tools, support etc.
How many of these resources are under your control?

Devil lies in the detail – chart out the process

You have a plan, so what? The next step is break down each of the tasks into process through which they will get accomplished. When a problem is large or complex, and the optimal solution is unclear, charting a process allows you to begin making progress towards a solution even though you can’t visualize the entire path at the first instance.

It will be a good idea to buy flow charting software to help you see the work progress sequentially. Use the software output to communicate your plan to others. Detailing the tasks improves your chances of success and Increases your productivity. A word of caution- Detailing the process is tiring.

Set up a monitoring mechanism

Once you have set your goals and the plan has been broken down into tasks with process steps, the next move is to set up traffic signals and lights to know your progress status. You should know how much time it would take to finish the plan, raise the red flag early by giving progress feedback to all your stakeholders. Deliver all good news / bad news in advance, senior management team hates surprises. Knowing where you stand is a very important aspect of increasing productivity.

Avoid the Activity trap and be focused

Research shows that effective managers focus of one or two key tasks derived from the organizational priorities.They tend to keep away from distractors and allied activities which generally fill up most up of our time. Don’t confuse being productive with being busy, most of the managers take on one or another task to fill the time.Always being busy can make you rigid and narrow-minded. Create free time or have quick breaks in between to get those creative, productive juices going again. If you have spare time go read a book rather than carrying someone else’s monkey on your back.

Manage your time

Plan your time and manage it against a spend plan, in case you have not been valuing your time start doing it now. Time will not come back and this life is only for once. Make the best use of it.

I read somewhere that 85 percent of the things you do account for only 15% of your results, and vice-versa. I think that’s a pretty important observation to increase your productivity. Figure out your largest time wasters and eliminate them to increase your productivity. Time management is the key to increasing productivity. Taking time to plan and set priorities for your life actually frees up more time rather than diving into the muddle of activities.

These five tips will help you in increasing your productivity by accurately scoping out your work and using efficient processes to deliver them. As Shia LaBeouf said “There’s a tendency to mistake preparation for productivity. You can prepare all you want, but if you never roll the dice you’ll never be successful.”

Thanks and be happy !

Jappreet Sethi

2 comments

Jul 03

20 Ways to Kill Your Job Application!

We spend a great deal of time talking to recruiters, employers and human resource staff every week. I recently sent an email asking some of them what they would list as their top 3 peeves when it came to receiving resumes and short-listing candidates. You should have seen my inbox fill up with responses! Many were repeated, so I thought I would share a list of the top 20.

Straight from the mouths of the people reading your resumes:

Rambling! I wish people would get to the point. I haven’t got time to read a novel.
Resumes that are a straight list of duties. Tell us what you did differently, what you did well.
I want people to tell me how they meet my need. If not, I move on to the next resume. Simple.
People who don’t meet the criteria for the role. If you don’t have the essential skills required, then don’t apply. Essential and desirable criteria are listed for a reason.
Career Objectives. OMG, these are so annoying. I don’t want to know what you want. I want to know what you can do for me!
Incorrect contact details. If an email bounces or the wrong phone number has been given, I won’t search for them, I’ll just move on to the next application.
Poor grammar and spelling mistakes. It amazes me how many people apply for a role where written business communication is a major component of the role and send me a resume riddled with errors. These people usually claim they pay attention to detail as well!
An application addressed to someone else. Its obvious they use the same application for every job and haven’t changed the salutation. These usually hit the shredder.
Clutter. Personally, I can’t stand looking at resumes that are jammed so tight and written using the smallest font to get as much information on the page as possible. They are too hard to read and very unappealing.
A cover letter that repeats, verbatim, what is in the resume. Why bother? You’ve wasted my time and yours.
Long resumes. Resumes longer than 3 pages lose me.
When you call a candidate about a job application and they say something along the lines of “Sorry, what job is this about again?” Keep track of your applications.
Resumes without dates for each position. My first thought is “What are you trying to hide?”
I’m sick of reading that everyone is a team player, has attention to detail and can see the big picture. Really? Prove it.
When I ask about salary expectations and get the “What is this role offering?” question in return. You should have an expectation and be prepared to discuss it.
Candidates who can’t make the time for an interview. I spent close to 20mins on the phone the other day with a woman who couldn’t seem to lock in a time to meet. It interfered with soccer practice, music practice, a monthly ‘girls’ movie night, and of course, her current role. If you’re serious about job hunting – make the time to be available for the interview.
Template driven resumes. One day recently I saw 4 resumes, the exact same format, and in some sections, the exact same wording! Write it yourself or get a reputable writer to do it for you.
Resumes that are not in chronological order. It is too hard to follow resumes that jump all over the place.
Trying to figure out locations of positions. People who have worked internationally or nationally need to include this information – I am not an atlas!
Gaps in employment that haven’t been explained. I know you will have a reason for it, but try telling me, I’m not a psychic.

So there you have it …. 20 ways in which to kill your application and lose an opportunity. I hope by sharing these, you will be able to avoid some of these pitfalls in your job search.

This article is contributed by Michelle Lopez of One2One Resumes.

E: [email protected]

W: www.one2oneresumes.com.au

Thanks

Jappreet Sethi

2 comments

Jun 25

How To Crack HR Interview – Using STAR Model

Using the STAR method is one of the most effective ways of getting your message across to potential employers whether in your resume or at interview. Applied correctly the STAR method can significantly improve your job search. It works!

The STAR acronym stands for:

Situation
Task
Action
Result

Following the STAR technique enables you to give employers a clear, concise and informative response which outlines a situation and the part you played. It tells them how you approached the task and the results of your actions. This gives credibility to your claims.

So how does it work?

Situation: Give an example of a work situation you were involved in with a positive outcome. Briefly outline the situation and your role.

Task: Describe the tasks involved. What were your tasks, duties or responsibilities? What needed to be done? What obstacles had to be overcome?

Action: Describe the action you took to address the situation. What did you do? What steps did you take to complete the task? What was the allocation of resources and/or people involved?

Result: Describe what resulted from your actions. What was the outcome? What were the improvements or benefits? How did the situation end?

An example of a STAR response in an interview works like this:

Question: Can you tell me about a time when you increased sales?

Answer: In my role at ABC Pty Ltd I was hired to drive sales by actively reaching new customers. There was also a major problem with declining sales from existing customers. Many were no longer purchasing from us and of those that were, the frequency and volume had significantly decreased. (Situation/Task)

The first thing I did on commencement was telephone all existing customers including those who hadn’t purchased with us in awhile. I introduced myself as a new member of staff and asked them for feedback on our products and service. I catalogued their feedback into an Excel spreadsheet and identified the key areas of concern. I presented my findings to management who were alarmed to find so many customers dissatisfied with the delivery contractors they were using. (Action)

As a result of this, management negotiated a new delivery contractor who promised to deliver on time. I notified every customer, both in person and in writing, and actively sought their business with an assurance of improved delivery service.

In 6 months I had increased sales in the division by 45% (from 26k to 38k) and am proud to say, managed to get all but 3 customers to buy from us regularly again. (Result)

Can you see how this technique is so effective at actually telling the employer not just what you did, but how you did it and the resulting benefits? Applied to your resume, this technique gives instant credibility to your claims.

Think about using the STAR method for your next interview and why not take a look at your resume again. Could it be improved now you understand the technique?

This article is contributed by Michelle Lopez of One2One Resumes.

E: [email protected]

W: www.one2oneresumes.com.au

Thanks

Jappreet Sethi

1 comment

Jun 20

Want to stay on track with your New Year resolutions?

Last week I met up with a former client who I had not seen for some time. He was disappointed with himself because, although he had set himself some career goals for the New Year, everyday stuff had taken over and he had done absolutely nothing about them. I persuade him that all was not lost.

Does this sound familiar? This scenario is commonplace for many of us at some time or another when reaching out for something new and challenging. I have learned that the first thing is not to “beat yourself up”. You did go to the trouble to set goals in the first place and, funnily enough, your disappointment shows that you still care and have commitment. Just take a bit of time to review the goals and recall the benefits they will bring. Of course, if, on reflection, you find that the benefits no longer apply or aren’t sufficient then move onto something else. If other pressures are stopping you moving forward you should think about de-cluttering and creating some space in your life.

Be selfish and say “no” to some people and some commitments. Most of all give yourself credit for what you have achieved and recognise your strengths. If you believe in yourself, so will others. Enjoy the journey one step at a time.

In the best tradition of project management my former client went away to adapt his plan and set revised completion dates whilst keeping to the goals!

So, here’s the thing…………

Write your goals down and keep them in a place where you will be reminded of them every day.
Plan! Plan! Plan!
Get rid of some other unnecessary activities to create time and space for your new goals.
Say “no” to things that are not really important.
Regularly view your goals and remind yourself of the benefits that achievement will bring.
Revise your plans and re-energise the project as and when you feel your energy slipping away.
Recognise your achievements and give yourself proper credit.
Enjoy the journey!

This article is contributed by Dave Partridge and Michaela Partridge from Work’s A Dream

www.WorksADream.com

Thanks

Jappreet Sethi

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Jun 13

Will blasting your resume Help or Hurt your job search?

When you first start looking for a job you’re excited … you jump online and blast your resume off to anything that looks remotely interesting. You are thinking about you … “Hmm, that sounds good, I might like to work in that role …”, hit Send and away it goes!

Perhaps you’ve lost your job and suddenly, with no warning, you’re staring down the barrel of financial struggles and stress. You desperately scour job sites and papers and apply for anything. This seems like a great idea – surely the more applications you send, the greater chance you have of getting another job and putting this stress behind you!

Others adopt a first-in, best-dressed theory – job markets are competitive and you believe that getting in quickly will give you an edge over the competition.

I know of candidates who sit at work, miserable in their job, and in reaction to something that has happened in the workplace, spend a few minutes online frantically applying for anything remotely possible.After a resume-blasting session you feel better … “Well that was a good effort” you think, “I’ve put myself in front of plenty of employers. Surely I will get a job from one of these.”

Did you know that, within minutes of a new job being posted on job search sites, employers and recruiters start receiving applications in their inbox? The problem is however, that most of those applications will be from people who don’t meet the criteria.

Job-searching is a numbers game and the more applications you get out there, the more likely you are to find a position. But your applications must be targeted.

Nobody is impressed by the number of applications you submit, nobody will pat your back at the end of a resume-blasting session and say “Well done Johnny, 30 applications sent”.

Employers want substance. Facts. Figures. Results. They’ve got a problem and they want you to solve it. Employers want to know what you’ve done, how you’ve done it well and the value you can offer them. Generic applications don’t address those needs.

Using a one-size-fits-all resume and generic cover letter will not make an impact with employers. You are wasting not only your time, but the employers’ time as well and ultimately lengthening your job search.

Stop and think about recruitment databases for a moment. Records are kept of positions you apply for: have you ever considered that in 3 months from now if you are still looking for work, people will see not only that you’ve been searching for a while but also that you’re a ‘serial applicant’?

Candidates who take the time to tailor their application to the role have far more chance of being considered as a serious applicant.

“But I need a job,” you cry, “I haven’t got time to be selective and tailor my application.” Understandably you need to secure work and have to be proactively applying for roles, but proceeding in a job search with a generic resume and cover letter is ineffective.Take the time now to work on an interview-winning resume and cover letter. You can use these as your base, so that you don’t have to reinvent the wheel each time you apply.

When you see a job of interest read the criteria carefully – do you meet it? If you do then it’s time to customise your application.

Start with your resume – make sure your profile and areas of expertise (core competencies/skills) are tailored to the role – does it contain keywords from the advert?
How have the company written the qualifications – are yours listed this way in your resume?
Look at the order of information in the advert (usually the order of importance for the employer) – does your application cover these points early in the resume?

Sometimes your resume will only require minor editing – perhaps changing the order of achievements to highlight key areas of importance for this role.

Treat your cover letter as an opportunity to talk about your ‘fit’ for the position.
Tell the employer how you will meet their needs.
Discuss other information that might not be contained in your resume but is relevant to the role.
Talk about the company: a candidate who has clearly done their research is impressive.
Address your letter to a person rather than Dear Sir or Dear Hiring Manager. You can call the receptionist or search online for this information.

Every time you tailor an application save a copy: if you come across a similar role you’ll only need to make minor adjustments.Taking the time to customise your application is well worth the effort. Employers can see that you’ve invested time in the application and you stand out from other applicants. You have the opportunity to highlight points from your past that speak directly to this position.

Don’t be reactive – stop and think about your application and take the time to get it right before pressing Send!

This article is contributed by Michelle Lopez of One2One Resumes.

E: [email protected]

W: www.one2oneresumes.com.au

Thanks

Jappreet Sethi

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Jun 10

What will your body language tell the interviewer?

How you present at interview is so important. But have you thought about how your body language will either support or kill your chances of securing the job?

Being given an interview is exciting and your preparation starts straight away – what you will wear, how you will get there, researching the company, study your resume and rehearse the interview questions.

Very few candidates actually stop and think about body language.

We all know that first impressions count. When you first meet your interviewer you want to be brimming with confidence: a great big smile, firm handshake and an audible “nice to meet you” whilst looking into the interviewer’s eyes. Imagine if you met an interviewer with a tiny little voice which screams “timid”, a limp handshake and someone who looked at the floor or muttered into their shoulder when they spoke … not a good impression and it wouldn’t fill you with confidence about their ability to interview you fairly.

You’ve worked hard to get to interview stage, so put some real thought and preparation into your body language. There is no better way to prepare than to practise. Stand in front of the mirror and see what you look like. Silly as it seems, it’s a great way of finding out how others see you. Video yourself (enlist the help of a friend if necessary), but you need to watch the way in which you present yourself and your message.

Body language is not just the physical aspects, it is also your voice. How do you project message? Do you have an audible voice? (notice your pitch and tone) Painful as it can be, record yourself and then listen back – a great way of modifying your voice. Sometimes when people concentrate on an answer, as happens in interviews, their voice drops down a few notches. Hearing this in yourself and being aware of it can help you overcome the problem at interview.

When I first started recruiting I was amazed at the number of people I interviewed with poor body language. I could never understand how, after working so hard for an interview, they could blow their chances in this way.

One candidate, a lovely woman with an impressive background and the skills my client sought appeared to be the ‘perfect’ candidate on paper. At interview though, she seemed to shrink into herself. Whenever I asked her about an achievement or situation she had handled she crept back in the chair, went red, cocked her head to the side and lowered her voice when answering. These were her achievements – she should have owned them, been proud of them, expanded on them and confidently spoken about them!

Other people give you gruff one-word answers or direct you back to their resume, “Well, it’s all in there if you look at page 2”. I am sure it is a symptom of nerves for most people, but irrespective of the reason, it doesn’t impress interviewers and most certainly doesn’t present you in the best light.

So, how do you make sure your body language is appropriate for an interview?

Body language don’ts

Don’t keep your hands in your pockets.
Never cross your arms – it makes you look defensive.
Don’t hold your handbag/briefcase or portfolio in your lap – it makes you look like you’re ready to bolt!
No slouching – sit up straight and tall.
Never look away from the interviewer when answering questions or when they are talking to you – maintain eye contact.
Fidgeting such as shaking your leg or tapping your foot or drumming your nails on the desk is annoying and distracting.
Staring at the wall or floor – nothing screams disinterest more!
Relax to the point of appearing blasé – leaning back in the chair in a relaxed manner more suited to the lounge at home, or resting your head on your hand with an elbow on the chair.
Don’t rub your nose every time you make a point – some say it is a sign of deceit.
Never lean on the desk and towards your interviewer – it invades their space.

Body language is relatively easy to control. Simply being mindful of it can help enormously.

Have a think about your last interview – do you recognise any of the above points?

Next time you have an interview put your best foot forward, a strong confident voice, loads of eye contact and a professional presentation, to give yourself every chance of being offered the role.

This article is contributed by Michelle Lopez of One2One Resumes.

E: [email protected]

W: www.one2oneresumes.com.au

Thanks

Jappreet Sethi

2 comments

Mar 20

What Are Your Needs In Life?

Needs are a very personal part of our makeup, ranging from a deep desire to be recognized or to be independent.

We do not consciously choose our needs, they emancipate from our unconscious deep within us. Once needs surface they are not optional – they need to be satisfied for us to function best. Wants are choices we make on the basis of what we believe is important in our life to function at peak.

Understanding ones needs is very important as it governs our energy cycle. The amount of energy we have at our disposal is directly proportional to the needs we have satisfied. Keeping your energy high means knowing what your needs are.

How to identify needs?

Let me help you with a simple yet powerful way to identify your needs. Look back into your past and ask yourself what needs were being met when you were at your best. Write down four instances when you really felt on top of the world and elated.

Now that you have identified four instances, concentrate on one at a time and think of a need that was being met. Let your unconscious take over and put down whatever comes to mind. Don’t look for correctness.

When you have compiled a list of your needs, check them against the following question – is this true need for me or do I want it because it looks fashionable. Thereafter freeze your list.

With all this data now you can paint a portrait of your needs. Now plan the actions that you are going to take. For this activity it will be good to work with a friend. Discuss your thoughts and actions with your friend. Your thoughts can be bizarre, serious or outlandish. Don’t worry put a plan to it and make sure to ask your friend to keep on reminding you about your plan.

Now you need to align your goals and objectives to fulfill your needs. Prioritize your needs, start with the top four or five and put a plan which is in your control to meet them. It is important that you take control of your life and do things to change it the way you want. It is stupid to blame others for having unmet needs – take charge of your needs and don’t be a victim of someone else’s design.

What are the benefits of having satisfied needs?

As you satisfy your needs the original wants become less and less important .When your needs are met you will have extremely high confidence, you no longer see others as a benchmark. Your desire to compete is about raising your standards and improving your personal best, rather than being a part of the rat race. The more you love yourself for who you are the more you will love other people and accept them for what they are in their life. You will start seeing wonderfulness in people around you; you will become an elixir of positivity and happiness.

By knowing and accepting what you are and being in the present – not in past or future you discover the joy of life. You have a real high because you see your own goodness and the goodness around you. It’s blissful!

Jappreet Sethi

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Dec 30

Redefine Your Limits – Live to your Full Potential

We are limited by the beliefs we set in our mind, history shows that successful people are able to break these shackles and unleash their potential. The difference is the “ T ” between Can Do and Can’t Do. The “ T ” is your Thought.

Achieving your Potential

Steve Jobs was one of the best examples of breaking free of boundaries set by human mind; he questioned the traditional thoughts and his failure and unleashed his potential to create history.

Steve Jobs said in his autobiography:

I didn’t see it then, but it turned out that getting fired from Apple was the best thing that could have ever happened to me. The heaviness of being successful was replaced by the lightness of being a beginner again, less sure about everything. It freed me to enter one of the most creative periods of my life. [...] Sometimes life hits you in the head with a brick. Don’t lose faith. I’m convinced that the only thing that kept me going was that I loved what I did .We limit our growth by putting limitations and glass ceiling on them and tell ourselves that I cannot go any further.

Where do these Self Limiting Beliefs come from?

These beliefs may have a represented a valid limit in the past, like your inability to write a speech when you were a toddler. As you grow you learn / unlearn skills and progress in life, it would have been logical to move beyond the original limitations set by you. Incidentally for some of us, this does not happen and we continue to hold on to them.

Failures are building blocks of success and not meant to be chains of trauma which will never let you live that way you wanted to live. Life will throw brickbats at you and it may be a different one each time, don’t accumulate all of them in note book, some of them may not repeat. Like Steve Jobs you can make your greatest failure into your greatest success.

Thoughts which ground you to do the same things day in day out and blame destiny for it will never allow you to live fullest to your potential.

The Flea Experiment

Put Fleas in an open transparent jar ,they can jump extremely high and are fully capable of jumping right out of the jar. Then if you put a clear lid on the jar, the fleas jump and bump their heads on the lid feeling the pain. The fleas eventually realize that they are unable to escape the confinement of the jar . Over the next hour or so the fleas give up and only jumps to the brim of the jar. Its a very Intelligent way to adapt to situation and avoid pain.

Later on when the lid is removed the fleas will not jump any higher. It continues to believe that it cannot get out of the jar and stops trying. The barrier has vanished physically but mentally it still present and hard coded.

And further more each flea is totally convinced that it is trying to escape just as hard as they can. But they are wrong! There was a barrier, but it’s no longer there!

So what are your Self Limiting Beliefs?

It is difficult to think outside the set beliefs. We use our beliefs to predict the future as connection is old data and experiences. You must look at things differently, Try to identify your self-limiting beliefs and see how you can break free of them.

How long have you been jumping just to the height that keeps everybody happy, without taking the risk of trying that little bit harder? Occasionally it may be worthwhile to bang your head against the limit; you may discover that the barrier is no longer there.

We all have our self-limiting beliefs, look at things you would want to do but have a coding that you cannot do it. Then re-look at the environment and your resources. Maybe you have acquired new abilities that will make you succeed this time. Knock the ” T ” off.

Jappreet Sethi

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Dec 17

Tips to Make Your Career Development Plan Work

Career Development is a favourite topic on the agenda of employees and their managers. Career development plans are created at the start of the year and then put on back burner till the year end or next formal performance appraisal. What can you do to avoid getting into this trap and use it to propel career growth and pay raise.

The following tips are provided to help you ensure that your career development plans are relevant and reflect the skills and capabilities you want or need to build in a world where change is the only constant!

Does the Career Development Plan work for you?

At the end of the day, it’s your development and your career. You are responsible for proactively ensuring that your development is in line with your own performance expectations or career aspirations.

Prepare in advance

Most of the employees feel that they are in grip of their career and walk in unprepared for the career plan review meetings with their manger. The discussions are generally vague with a lot of feel good factor and no solid action. Knowing your manager very well cannot be the excuse for not having prepared for the meeting.

Is the Career Development Plan still relevant?

The world economy is undergoing major changes and global cycles are shorter and deeper, it may make sense to validate some of your goals against the economic reality, industry needs and your current job responsibility. Don’t get me wrong, it does not mean changing the goals every six months; however it may need alteration for maximum career benefit.

Is the Career Development Plan achievable in time frame set by you?

It is your career and you set the pace for your developmental goals with a timeline, what is the fun in setting goals which are not achievable in a set time and giving yourself a too big a stretch every time. Take a tough look at the time-lines, You can increase the pace over a period of time. My advice would be to start slow and build momentum on the way, A great career is marathon and not a sprint race.

Does it incorporate recent developmental feedback?

You may have gained new insights in your working style which helps you see your strengths and limitations in a better way. In case the recent feedback is important for you to grow in career, make sure you incorporate it in the career development plan.

Do you have a new Manger?

In case you have a new manager it may be good to run your career development plan with him, make sure you tell the current plan has been set in consultation with your old manager and you would review the progress with him quarterly. After a six month period your new manger would have settled down and you should sit review the plan with him intensely. You need to align the thoughts / goals of your manger’s role with the plan.

Make optimum usage of resources at hand

Both time and money are scarce resources in the modern corporate world. Take the time to review your manager’s coaching efforts to date, and see if they are aligned with your career developmental plan. If you wish to make changes to your development plan, you should be prepared to discuss how your manager can best help you achieve any new goals

Make sure that your career plan balances current performance expectations with future career aspirations and challenges you to build on your strengths . Always remember that there will be resources which you want and never get, maybe due to economic factors or your mangers visible or unstated constraints. Make best use of what you have readily available and not what you continue to fight for. Successful people make career out of what they have on hand and seldom squander energy on what they cannot have.

Jappreet Sethi

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Dec 13

How To Set Your Goals This Year

George Harrison said it all when he sang “If you don’t know where you’re going, any road will take you there”…

Goal setting is about fine-tuning the direction in which you want to go in a pre-determined period. In a very important way, it is about taking the locus of control over your life in your hands rather than resigning yourself to fate or destiny. We all know people who blame the destiny for what is happening to them. The idea behind goal setting is not to be one of them.

How To Set Your Goals

Setting goals is one of the easiest things to do. However, most of us don’t do it on time, or limit ourselves to the notoriously failure-prone concept of New Year resolutions. Here are the basic steps to effective goal setting:

Determine what do you want

You should be able to describe to yourself precisely what kind of results you want. Your also need to be clear on how they will impact your life and the lives of people around you. Once you have these points clear in your mind, close your eyes and visualize how you would feel about this success.

Be clear on the implications

Choose your goals freely, but be aware of how much and what kind of efforts are required to attain them. Picture this effort on a day-to-day basis – what can you keep of your present lifestyle, and what will you have to let go? While the destination may be tempting, you need to know what the journey will be like. No matter how desirable the goal is, you don’t want to miss out on the things that are very important to you. Life is a precious, limited commodity and must be experienced in the here and now.

For example – if you want to move on to a fast-track career and adopt a lifestyle that involves responding to all emails in 90 seconds (fastest finger first on Blackberry), be aware that you will be sacrificing sleep, personal space and family time. If your goal is a high-powered, swanky title y, be ready to deal with the stress that comes with it. There are no free lunches.

Determine a time-frame

Things seldom get done if you don’t put a deadline to them. If you are a chronic procrastinator, break your goals down into milestones, set up mini-deadlines and establish the necessary time metrics for their achievement.

To illustrate, many of us are haunted by the feeling that we did not do enough in the last few years of our lives. With such a demon dogging our heels, we will be tempted to hit the dirt track at full speed and try to achieve everything in a year. The chances of burnout are very high in such a situation. Remember that the journey has to enjoyable. Spread your goals out in a way that allow you to have fun while you achieve them.

Map the journey

Rome was not built in a day and not by one person alone, though Caesar gets most of the credit for it. Achieving ambitious career goals is always about leveraging one’s network and garnering support. If your goal is your mission, then you are a missionary – and no missionary achieves his mission without external resources. Your network of resources will amplify your efforts to achieve what you want.

Ensure that the resources you require are available to you, and that they are not based on assumptions. Accept your limitations and know that it is foolhardy to try to do everything yourself. Collaborating with others is the key. Concentrate on things you are really good at and use others’ strengths to support you in your weaker areas.

Are you getting paid for it?

You will often experience frustration and resentment at not recognized if you are not paid enough for the work you do. These negative feelings will hamper you in reaching your goals. If you don’t get paid enough for the goals you seek to achieve, you need to determine if achieving the goal is worthwhile even without the benefit of commensurate monetary compensation.

If you feel that you deserve appropriate compensation for the extra efforts involved in achieving your goals, discuss with your manager what the rewards would be if your hit the target. Of course, this depends on whether the company would see value on you achieving your goals. Your goal achievement would need to be quantifiable if you want to a fair shake for your success.

Measure the success of your goals

Success means different things to different people – there is no one-size-fits-all approach. If you want to sustain the drive to achieve, your goals must be in harmony with your values. This involves summing up what you feel is important in life and checking your goals against these values regularly:

Establish:

What makes you up (what are your values )
What do you want out of this life
What you don’t want to be known for
What do you want to be remembered for after this life is over.

Keep the faith!

Jappreet Sethi

16 comments

Dec 10

The Principles Of Personal Success

Knowing what the ingredients of a successful life are is important in terms of our social, professional and personal lives. Taking these principles to heart will also ensure that we reach obtain the maximum benefit from all relationships that we forge on these three levels.

Here are some of the principles that drive successful people:

Successful people know how to optimize what they have

They fully understand what their strong points are and the value these have in terms of their careers or business success. They know how important it is to develop their skills and leverage their strengths in their growth and development.

They know how to manage their energy levels

Successful people monitor and prudently ration out their energy. They do not depend on stimulants like coffee to get them going or depressants like alcohol to help them wind down.

They are firmly rooted in reality

Successful people spend their time and energy in things that can be controlled, like the present and the future. They know how to avoid impulses that relate to things they cannot control. In other words, they do not allow themselves to become resentful, complain, blame or engage in wishful thinking. They accept the difficult and harsh realities of life and know how to deal with challenging situations.

Successful people take responsibility

They understand that what happens in their lives is based on their own choices, not those of others. This means that they take responsibility for what has happened, is happening and will happen in their lives.

Successful people are consistent in their interactions with people

They know their weaknesses and strengths of character, and this helps them to change how they think, feel and behave with others. This allows people to feel safe and grounded in their presence.

They have a clear vision of the future

They know what they want and what they need to do to achieve it. They identify their goals, determine how to attain those goals and act accordingly.

Successful people know they have personal freedom of choice

They take this fact as a constant given, and not something that they need to earn. At the same time, they fully accept the responsibility that is part and parcel of this freedom. In other words, they feel free to make their own choices but are also completely willing to accept responsibility for the results of these choices.

They have developed the fine art of prioritization

At all stages and in all situations, successful people either know instinctively or reason out what is most important, what comes after that and what should come last.

They have inquisitive minds

Successful people are not satisfied with garden-variety or popular answers to certain questions. They have the ability to see beyond the obvious, discern the intricacies of a given problem and apply lateral thinking in finding solutions.

They are capable of change if the situation requires it

At the same time, they are also capable of remaining firm according to what a given situation requires. This means that they can admit that they are wrong and correct an erroneous course if required. At the same time, it also means that they have the strength of character to stand by their convictions if they know that they are right.

In short, personal success is based on self-awareness, self-acceptance and self-responsibility. A success-oriented mind-set requires great discipline and constant reinforcements. Because of this, you will invariably find success-oriented people attending whatever trainings, seminars, coaching opportunities and counselling sessions to maintain their focus and forward momentum.

Use the above as a check-list to determine if you are on the path of success. If you feel you are not, remember that it is never too late to change course and set sails in the right direction. All the best on your success journey!

Keep the faith!

Jappreet Sethi

2 comments

Nov 29

How To Switch Jobs In A Market Slowdown

All things considered, this is not the best of times for switching jobs in India. This country has seen a fair bit of negative fallout of the economic problems in Europe and the US, and most MNCs in India are tightening their belts on recruitment. If you are looking to get a senior-level job in one of the bigger corporates, you will need to rethink the traditional job switching strategies.

Move Beyond Job Portals

To begin with, move beyond job portals like Naukri.com and Monster.com. In the current scenario, these platforms may not offer you what you are looking for. While they do serve their purpose at certain job levels, they may not be of great help to those seeking high-level placements. In times when good jobs are hard to come by, all you will find on these portals is the jobs that are not being filled because they are less than lucrative.

Remember that the HR departments of most MNCs have their own trusted recruitment routes and networks, and turning to job portals is usually their last option. Even when the occasional senior management job pops up there, your chances of your application getting short-listed are pretty slim. The queue is simply too long.

How To Get Through To Real Decision Makers

If you are looking for a senior management job today, your only real hope is to get face-time with senior decision makers within such companies. If you attempt to do this via the company’s HR department, the odds are heavily stacked against you. As already mentioned, the HR department of this company would already be in contact with the most suitable candidates in their database. You, as a stranger to this database, are therefore a wild card at best.

How do you manage to meet the senior decision makers and bypass the HR route? Tap into your own industry contacts and start working upwards till you get an email ID, a mobile number or a direct line. Remember not to shoot straight for the top. There is no point in talking to the CEO, since he or she will probably not be aware of the company’s managerial needs. Also, CEOs are unlikely to entertain unsolicited calls or emails, which would usually be fielded by their PAs. What you need is a direct line to the head of the department you are aiming to join.

Upgrade Your Resume to Reflect Your Achievements

Sit down with your existing resume and mercilessly edit out everything that looks like window dressing. Forget about your hobbies and club memberships. Never mind your personal objectives or ‘mission statement’. In a job recession, the only things that matter are your abilities to beef up a company’s bottom line.

Succinctly state how your skills can help make a difference to the department in terms of increased sales and greater visibility. Mention your past successes in some detail. Do not forget to include credible references. If you find yourself stumped, using a good resume writing service may be a good option.

Make A Strong Case In Your Covering Letter

Once your resume has been amended, compose a brief, winning covering email, attach your updated CV and send it to your designated ‘mark.’ If you have a phone number, follow up with a call later in the day. Explain that you are eager for a personal meeting to discuss your potential worth to the company. This direct and forthright approach is very likely to get you noticed. It emphasizes the fact that you have courage and conviction, and that you know what it takes to get something done.

Follow Up Strategically

Sending your resume is the start of the game, not the end – the action starts now. Make sure you follow up periodically. Find out if someone else knows the decision maker and get a reference call to him or her. It is all about making your case stronger than that of other possible applicants. However, temper your follow-ups with prudence – you do not want to seem desperate, either.

Networking In Conferences Works

The other way is to increase networking opportunities so that you can bump into senior executives at conferences, seminars and panel discussions. It would work best if your are actively participating in the event, since you could strike strategic conversations. In the course of such conversations, it becomes easy to infer that you would be interested in working for the organization. Often, companies sponsor executives for such events. However, my advice would be to not shy away from investing in an entry ticket. It pays off in the long run.

Jappreet Sethi

3 comments

Nov 26

How To Achieve Career Mastery

You have worked hard at mastering yourself – your habits, your outlook on life, your relationships and your finances. Now is the time to master the course of your career, as well. You achieve career mastery when you can integrate your personal development and growth into your professional growth and development.

There are different elements for career mastery.

Becoming Proactive: The most important aspect of career mastery is going after what you want. This means identifying your goal and taking the necessary action towards it. It will not be easy, which is why you have avoided taking these steps in the past. Getting proactive about your career also means that you will regularly have to overcome barriers and limitations. You do not have to overcome everything at once; all that is required it consistent action
Networking: Obviously, you will need to interact with other people and build your treasury of valuable contacts. If you have not been very successful at this so far, you may have overlooked one very important aspect of connecting with others. You need to understand that to effectively connect with other people, you need to connect with yourself first. In other words, you have to gain a thorough understanding of who and what you are. Once you have this understanding, networking with the right people becomes effortless.
Becoming Informed: Have you put all your time and effort into staying informed about issues related to your current profession – to the exclusion of everything else? This is a mistake, because it closes you off from other career options. Career mastery may involve changing the current story-line altogether. Inform yourself about other professions that may interest you, as well.
Knowing Your True Potential: It is important to know your potential and your strengths and weaknesses. This will allow you to focus on what is feasible and workable in your professional life, and save you the wasted time and effort of Quixotic endeavors.

These principles hold true whether you are working for an organization or self-employed. The idea is to take charge of your career, no matter how and where you are placed right now. Remember that the onus of career mastery is completely on you – the world does not owe you better opportunities. Other people will not promote you in your professional life – only you can do that. Throughout your professional life, you will have to accept total responsibility for right and wrong career decisions.

Here is a fundamental standard to guide you in whatever you do from now on – you will only succeed at something if you love doing it. Successful people do not create and build their careers or businesses for economic reasons alone. They succeed because they love their company, their jobs or their business.

Probably the biggest challenge here lies in knowing what you really love to do. It is difficult to find and attain your true potential when you choose to act solely on the basis of logic and common sense. Peter Senge, the American scientist and director of the Center for Organizational Learning at the MIT Sloan School of Management, has correctly pointed out that adults have little sense of real vision. Most of us have goals and objectives in our lives, but having a vision and following up on that vision is a very different ballgame.

Changing or shifting your career as a professional or an entrepreneur is not easy. You have to master yourself first before you start changing. Career mastery begins with self-mastery. Self-mastery, in turn, begins with uncompromising self-examination, facing up to the immutable truths of one’s abilities and potential, and following through with determined, concerted action.

Jappreet Sethi

1 comment

Nov 22

How To Do A Good Performance Review

The ingredients of a bad performance review are haste, lack of focus, a non-empathic attitude and a mechanical approach to the process. A good performance review obviously calls for a diametrically opposite approach. Here are some tips for managers whose duties include conducting performance reviews of their team members.

Be Prepared: The intention behind a performance appraisal is to have a fruitful discussion based on previous findings. Meaningful preparation for a team member’s annual appraisal includes referring to old emails, memos and other communications as well as mental notes pertaining to his or her performance. This is, in fact, a two-way process. The employee should be asked to complete a self-appraisal against the previously set goals, backing this up with all possible documentation. This reduces potential fireworks and enhances the quality of the discussion.

Set A Positive Tone: A manager should keep in mind that most employees tend to be anxious about their annual performance appraisals. After all, a lot of things that affect them directly depend on it. Reaffirm that the purpose of the meeting is to help both the employee and the organization to benefit from his or her work. The last thing that a manager should do is allow the employee to feel trapped or confronted. The best way to begin is by asking the employee to present his or her self-appraisal. During this, the manager should pay careful and courteous attention while the employee relates key achievements during the year.

Identify Performance Gaps: After the self-appraisal, the manager can proceed with his or her own appraisal of the employee‘s performance. This should focus on whether the employee‘s perceived accomplishments are in line with the performance goals set in the previous year. The purpose here is to identify gaps between the actual and expected performance. The employees should be made aware of how a particular performance deficit or achievement/goal imbalance impacts the organization. Employees tend to agree if they see how their work fits into the larger picture. The manager needs to watch out for signs of defensiveness or any kind of negative reaction, keeping in mind that the objective is not to confront but to find solutions.

The manager should:

Allow the employee to articulate disagreement
Not pass judgments or make depreciating personal comments
Stick to areas that matter
Use praise as well as criticism

Agree On An Action Plan: The employee should be allowed to suggest an action plan first. There should be no spoon-feeding from the manager at this stage. The manager should, however, ensure that the plan is smart, doable and addresses the established performance deficits.

Summarize And Set New Goals: The performance review discussion should lead to the establishment of new goals, or amendments to the previous goals. Again, this is a two-way process which should take into account the employee‘s skills and capabilities. The manager should explain how these goals relate and lead to organizational success, and how business would suffer if the mutually agreed goals are not achieved.

Set A Follow-Up Plan: Even if the conversation has been tense, the manager should ensure that the final summary includes performance strengths. The final task is to set up monthly meetings for following up on the mutually agreed plan.

Annual performance appraisals have their place as a formal system. They serve as a discussion forum that allows all concerned to examine an employee’s performance over the bygone year. However, this process must always be balanced and complemented with abundant recognition and real-time feedback throughout the year.

1 comment

Nov 20

Reharnessing Painlessly After Long Leave

Returning to work after a long leave is not always an uplifting experience. The mind and metabolism are likely to have adapted to a more leisurely pace, and one may have taken active steps to dissociate from work pressures during the period of leave. This is especially true if the period of leave has been an extended one.

Even if the leave was for attending to personal work rather than for pure relaxation, an employee is bound to experience a disconnect from day-to-day work life on returning to it. There may an overload of emails to attend to, and a number of other accumulated tasks – which would have usually been tackled on a day-to-day basis – to address. Many employees also entertain subtle or overt fears of redundancy even before taking long leave. Specifically, they fear that being absent from work for a long-enough time would cause them to be replaced.

Another variant of the redundancy fear is, “What if they have found out that they don’t really need me at all?” This fear is not uncommon in a scenario where companies are actively ‘right-sizing’ their employee force in order to cut costs. The psychological pressure of this fear can cause many employees to feel extremely intimidated during the first couple of days at work after returning from long leave.

Redundancy fears will wane on their own once the employee has got back into a regular work routine. However, the realities of accumulated work remain. Progressive managers will factor in this very understandable phenomenon and allow the employee a couple of days of readjustment to the workplace routine.

All said and done, one should not expect too much from oneself immediately upon returning from a long leave. It is best to schedule important meetings for a couple of days after being back in harness, and to avoid having an overload of commitments waiting to be tackled. A quick email to one’s manager before returning, asking for a day or two of slower pace till one is fully into the workplace routine again, is perfectly acceptable.

Above all, it is important not to squander the energy generated during a period of R&R on work-related worries, but rather to harness and utilize it in a graded manner for optimal and sustained productivity. This will benefit everyone concerned. It makes sense for employees returning from long leave to spare a few hours prior to actually returning to the office in planning the first three days of work.

Jappreet Sethi

5 comments

Nov 10

Indispensible Email Skills For Job Seekers And Employees

If you are about to apply for a job via email, the quality of your emailed covering letter to the potential employer is extremely important. After all, you are marketing yourself. This means that the employer’s HR department will first judge your capabilities by how you introduce and portray yourself. If clothes make the man (or woman), then his or her words make the aspiring employee.

In many cases today, emails have degenerated to offensively abbreviated messages. Job seekers seem to assume that the quality of their emails is not as important as their actual work. The point is that the Human Resources departments of the most prestigious companies today will ignore badly worded emails containing chat-like abbreviations, spelling errors and grammatical bloopers. They are looking for serious, properly educated, well-spoken employees who take pride in their communication skills and will be assets to the company.

Here are some pointers on effective email writing to help you get that lucrative corporate job:

State your business clearly in the subject line. For example: ‘Application for the position of _______’, ‘Response to your advertisement for __________’, etc. In direct email inquiries to you, the company’s HR department will have used a relevant subject line. Simply hit ‘reply’ while answering – do not change the subject line.
Be brief and to the point – Do not bore the HR operative with long introductions. Get to the point. State your name and experience, and express interest in working for the company. End with your complete contact details.
Include your CV and scans of experience certificates and additional qualifications. When it comes to your CV, remember that in most cases, the company’s HR operative is not interested in your future career aspirations.
Run a spell check and grammar check before sending. Most email platforms feature these today. If yours does not, write your email in Word first and run a spell and grammar check. Then copy it into your email window.
Maintain the right tone. Be businesslike and straightforward. Do not use superfluous words or language. Also, ensure that you use technical or business jargon sparingly. While you do need to impress the HR operative at this stage, you do NOT want to exasperate or intimidate him or her.

Nor do these email guidelines apply only to job applicants. In the rapidly globalizing India of today, your language and diction matter in EVERY email, be it an internal mailer or a response to a client. It is simply not good enough anymore to merely be a black belt in spoken English.

Most lines of business communication today begin with an email. The quality of language employed in our written electronic communications can therefore be a make-or-break point in many business situations. Remember that every email you send is, in more ways than one, an ambassador of the company you represent – and also your character certificate, personality profile and visiting card.

Jappreet Sethi

3 comments

Oct 22

Tips On How To Choose The Right Business School

Choosing the right business school is a matter of extensive research. The time you spend doing this research is a very worthwhile investment, so do not take shortcuts. Most business students tend to choose the institute with the best reputation – in other words, ‘A’ grade institutes which have the highest ratings. In terms of overall value, this is obviously a good strategy.

However, the courses offered must also suit you in all respects or you might not be able to finish it. Dropping out because the business school you chose is no longer affordable is also not very helpful. So choose wisely and poll all the options open to you before you make a final choice.

There are many practical factors that you should consider:

Is it affordable? The higher the ranking of the business school, the higher the fees will be.
What are your chances of selection? Go through some of the institute’s previous entrance examination papers and determine how prepared you are for its standards of entry.
How would it affect your personal life? Attending a particular business school may mean that you have to leave your hometown. You may lose touch with your friends or valuable contacts. If you are married, this could be very significant.
What are your career goals? The institute’s syllabus will tell you whether you really need to learn it all. There is little point in acquiring skills and knowledge you may never need.

If you will launch your career only after completing your course, choose the one with the highest rate of job placements. Decide what you are looking for. Make a clear set of career goals. Assess your financial capabilities. Afterwards, shortlist the business schools you are most interested in and visit them personally.

Do not depend on rankings alone – they may not be accurate. You must feel comfortable in its environment. Ensure that there is no discrimination on colour, creed or gender. Calculate your chances of completing your chosen course there successfully.

Career Opportunities

Your final choice of business school must also depend on what kind of career opportunities and scope for personal development are implied. You can gauge an institute’s potential for creating career opportunities for graduating students in many ways:

Check on the diversity of recruiters that visit the business school campus. Find out how many industry sectors they represent.
Find out the percentage of graduates who have secured good jobs within three months of their graduation
Find out if the business school offer its own careers service and how many students benefit from it each year. Poll previous and existing students on whether the business school’s careers services department helped them meet their goals
Find out the effectiveness of the business school’s alumni network. Previous students who have succeeded in their chosen professions are often invaluable career contacts

The business school should have specific programs to help students to identify career objectives and develop career plans. It should also give importance on honing career management skills and give opportunities to implement professional development during the course.

Apart from the academic curriculum, the business school should feature career-oriented workshops and hold regular company information sessions. You should also have the option of individual career counselling sessions with resident career guidance counselors.

Many business schools have their own career opportunities resource centres. These usually operate a regularly updated database of employment options.

Jappreet Sethi

5 comments

Oct 15

How Your Social Media Profiling Influences Employers

A lot of new generation companies are actually looking at the social media profiles of prospective employees and using these as a filter along with resume. Companies are especially interested in the recommendations and endorsements that candidates have on social media accounts like LinkedIn.

A fair amount of recruitment today takes place through recruitment consultants, who are mostly staffed by Gen Y operatives who are extremely savvy about social media, and therefore use them extensively to filter candidate profiles.

Here are some best practices that I recommend to candidates applying for jobs as far as their portrayal of themselves on social media sites is concerned:

Don’t use questionable language on your blog, website or social media account page.
Don’t share links related to adult content.
Don’t post updates about your drinking binges and related escapades on your social media account. If you do, restrict the audience that can view such information.
Don’t make comments or start polls on sensitive topics related to race, creed, religion, gender, politics, etc. Your posts should not give the impression that you have such biases.
Don’t bitch about your company.
Don’t leak your company’s confidential information on social media sites.

Always ensure that you share intelligent, relevant, thought-provoking links which portray you in a favourable light.

Can Blogging Give You A Competitive Edge?

Personal branding experts are now beginning to recommend that candidates start a blog so they can showcase their expertise and knowledge to future employers. The benefits of blogs are that they:

Show initiative on the part of candidate
Demonstrate discipline and ability to multitask if the blog author follows a regular cycle of posting
Demonstrate openness to share knowledge
Demonstrate courage to take stand, which can be inferred from blog posts

All these are some of the key competencies that HR departments look for in senior management candidates, so a blog may help in demonstrating these as inherent traits – especially because one doesn’t get paid to do one’s own blog.

Blogs can be big advantage if you are at a senior level role. C-suite and top management head-hunters take candidates’ blogs very seriously, since they give recruiter an overview of their thought processes.

Tips For Women Candidates With Respect To Their Social Media Profiles:

Get good recommendations from your former managers and colleagues, but watch out for the statements such as “She is very pleasing person”, “My best friend” and “She was a great party organizer”. Instead, your recommendations should reflect your courage, drive and willingness to work hard.

Strictly avoid male-bashing and making comments which demonstrate a negative bias against a particular. Instead, post articles which trigger progressive thinking, talk beyond lifestyles and parties and express your opinions on important topics.

Jappreet Sethi

2 comments

Oct 08

Human Resources Jobs: Skills And Qualities

Human resource professionals are important personnel in an organization. This is because they contribute to the viability and the success of the business through the strategic organization of human capital. While most people think that ‘people’ skills are the main ingredient of a successful human resource professional, one actually needs to have a perfect mix of ‘people’ and technical skills. Most of jobs in human resources entail collecting data, dealing with complex paperwork, analyzing information, and presenting the findings of this information to the top management.

Human resource professionals require a clear understanding of applicable laws as well as of business administration. They also need to be very conversant with the goals and missions of their organization. Because of this, a majority of employers prefer hiring human resource professional possessing a diploma or degree in any field that is related to human resources. The fields that are generally considered as related to human resource include commerce, business administration, industrial relation or any other social science.

Personal Characteristics

Hr Jobs call for a wide range of skills. A background in social sciences and a broad base of business skills and knowledge are particularly important. The best human resources professional normally possess excellent verbal and written skills as well as proficiency with computers and basic Information Technology. Not all HR jobs ask for all these skills; however, it is incumbent upon applicants to learn them as soon as possible after landing the job, or in specific training courses.

Human resource jobs fall in various categories such as selection, placement, recruitment managers, training and development managers, compensation and benefits specialists, labour and employee relations specialists and safety, health and security specialists.

Human resource jobs in the category of selection, placement and recruiting normally call for someone who is a good judge of character, is tactful yet self-confident and has excellent written, verbal and presentation skills. HR professionals in such roles also need to be capable of ‘selling’ the organization, making cold calls and building relationships within and outside the organization.

Training and development specialists’ jobs require persons with excellent verbal, writing, and interpersonal skills. Such people also need a good sense of humour, a fertile imagination, cutting-edge knowledge in training fields and good understanding of the future knowledge needs of the organization.

Compensation and benefits specialists’ jobs require persons with strong analytical and quantitative skills, writing and verbal skills, knowledge of local and state level laws, a flair with statistics and the ability to communicate in plain language the meaning of statistical numbers.

Labour and employee relations specialists’ jobs require, above everything else, persons with high levels of integrity, the ability to speak comfortably with people irrespective of their education levels, negotiation skills and communication skills.

Lastly, health, safety, and security Specialists’ jobs applicants ought to possess outstanding levels of attention to details, honesty, communication skills and familiarity with the various human resources laws at the local and state levels, not to mention familiarity with regulatory agencies concerned safety, health and wellness.

Jappreet Sethi

7 comments

Oct 01

How To Tackle A Difficult Boss

It’s a vexing problem for many – they like their job but just don’t seem to be able to get along with their boss. Obviously, the first impulse of many who have a difficult boss is to hand in their papers and search for another job. Is this always the best decision to take? One of the things you like about your job may be the financial security it brings with it. Is scuttling this security worth it just because of a difficult boss?

There are other ways to handle such a situation. Here are some tips on handling a difficult boss. These tips will not work in all situations. Your boss may be a genuinely unreasonable man, in which case it may be prudent to look elsewhere. However, we often perceive our bosses as difficult only because we are scared of them. Fear closes down communication, which means that resolution of the problem is impossible.

Stop gossiping about your boss. The spoken word has immense power – over you, over those you work with and over the general office atmosphere.

If you have been unable to communicate your grievances directly to your boss, you may have fallen in the habit of bad-mouthing him or her to all who will listen. This creates two problems – firstly, it reinforces your own negative feelings about your boss, making the problem worse. Secondly, it can strain your relations with your boss further because word travels quickly in an office setting. The more you complain to those who cannot make a difference in your problem, and the more slander against your boss you indulge in, the worse the situation becomes.

Communication is the key to resolving most problems in life. If you do not communicate your issues to your difficult boss, he can hardly be blamed for not being part of the solution.

The intangible concept of ‘relationship’ comes into play here. You need to build a better relationship with your boss, and this involves communication. How many times have you approached him or her personally? Muster up the courage to approach your boss and outline your problems diplomatically. Be sure to mention that you are happy with your job, but that you would like to enjoy better professional comfort levels. Be specific about the nature of your problem and ask if there is any way you could help in resolving it. You may be surprised at how open people can be if they are approached properly and sincerely.

If you feel or have been told that your boss has a negative impression about you, strive to change that opinion.

Your boss’ antipathy toward you may be well-founded. You may be under-performing, gossiping about the management or be fraternizing too much with other negative people. Make efforts to correct this course. Drop out of office gossip and groups that indulge in it. Offer to work over-time on a crucial project, and ask your boss if there any areas he or she wishes you to improve upon.

We tend to look at our bosses as super-human people who do not think, feel and react like we do. This is a mistake. In any given situation involving your boss, ask yourself if you would not have reacted in the same manner if the shoe were on the other foot. Once you are able to see your boss as just another human being, you may begin to understand where the problem lies and what you can do about it.

Jappreet Sethi

3 comments

Sep 17

Career Tips For Aspiring Women Achievers

We are finally seeing the entry of women in board-level positions at leading multinational companies. However, the numbers are not stacking up as anticipated – many businesses continue to have a less-than-balanced equation in terms of gender diversity in leadership roles.

Without doubt, it is still an uphill climb for women achievers who have set their sights at the top. After the deconstruction of the women’s liberation mind-set of the late ’70s, there seems to be a lack of both purpose and opportunities. Women realized that Mother Nature never meant to be men, and that their essential femininity is in fact their greatest strength. However, they also discovered that it takes more than strength to break into certain time-enabled silos.

The corporate world – especially in developing countries – still seems to be more geared more towards male domination at the top. Women who deem themselves of suitable caliber to breach these vaults need a clear strategy. Here are some tips for aspiring women achievers:

Chart Out A Clear Course Of Action

Take a dispassionate look at where you are today, and decide on where exactly you hope to land up within a certain time frame. Without a clear goal, all your efforts will be futile. Don’t set your goals without considering your existing or future family responsibilities. The pursuit of your career goals should not entail giving up on other important aspects of life.

Discuss Your Goals With Your Manager Or A Trusted HR Representative

Every company has different nuances wired into its employee growth equation, and you may not be privy to these. It is wise to discuss the way forward with someone who can advise you on your company’s policies and corporate culture. This will clarify your thinking and give you more objectivity.

Evaluate The Challenges

Ask yourself the following questions:

Who else is in line for the promotion you are seeking? What are their abilities and weaknesses?
Who are their connections and how did they build them?
How can you leverage someone else’s abilities to manage your limitations?
What can you do to have your candidature noticed even in the presence of these contenders?

Build A Personal Network Of Influential Men And Women Within The Company System

Construct and grow your network and then leverage your contacts tactfully. While many would view such a course of action as office politics, there is really no substitute for strategic thinking. Arrange to meet these people in formal and informal settings, and offer innovative ideas that will get you noticed. Also establish what their business objectives are, and how you may be helpful in fulfilling them.

Begin To Dress Like A Winner

Women have a much harder time dressing for success than men, and there are fine lines that must not be crossed. If your dress code is rather casual now, you need to gradually adopt a more formal look. The key concept is ‘gradual’, since a sudden change of dress code may proclaim your aspirations and goals too loudly. You do not want to invite antagonism from other aspirants to the higher echelons of company leadership.

Ensure That Your Achievements Are Noticed By The Right People At The RIght Time

This does not mean shouting them from the roof-tops – again, you do not want to antagonize the competition. You can do this more subtle and focused ways:

Copy your manager on a mail thanking a client for awarding you a contract
Schedule a meeting with your business head – ask him or her what would be the best way to build on a recent success
Ask about what achievement awards you may be entitled to, and make sure you send in your candidature
Keep a track of your achievements in your diary and use it for your mid-year or year-end review.

Do not allow yourself any feelings of entitlement. Nothing succeeds like success – it is your triumphs that will get you to the top, not the fact that you are a woman. Above all, beware of token positions that many companies create merely because of political correctness. These are dead-ends from where there is no upward trajectory at all.

Jappreet Sethi

5 comments

Sep 10

Do You Have Healthy Work-Life Balance?

Are you married to your job? Have your family, personal hobbies and social life taken the back-seat? For how long has this state of affairs been going on?

If you do not have a healthy work-life balance, chances are that your stress-levels are on the higher side. You may be able to detect some of the symptoms of stress within yourself – fatigue, recurring headaches, lack of appetite, depression and hopelessness, etc. However, the more dangerous symptoms of work-related stress are likely to be flying below the radar. If you don’t know this by now, wake up – stress can kill you.

Gone are the days when people could draw the line between work and personal life. Modern technology (read Blackberry, laptops and video conferences) has ensured that work follows us wherever we go. This causes us to lose whatever harmony we may have once had in our lives. We forsake our hobbies, give our families the short end of the stick and lose touch with our friends. We do nothing to divert ourselves from work and work-related issues

If you’re currently married to your job because you’re chasing a promotion, remember that losing your work-life balance can actually impede your productivity. The lack of diversion and family time will cause your faculties to overload and slow down. Moreover, you will have lost focus on what hard work is finally all about – creating a better life for yourself and your loved ones. Your absence from your family is therefore not going to increase the quality quotient of your life

Also, don’t forget that the more you put in over and beyond the call of duty, the more will be routinely expected of you. You may soon find yourself shouldering a burden of responsibilities that should ideally be spread over a team. In other words, your hard work may be nullifying the chances of forming and leading a team for your department. This obviously translates into negative career growth.

Losing work-life balance is also a leading cause of substance abuse, nervous breakdowns and various other health-related problems.

Finally, excessive work may also be an escape mechanism. Many people whose personal lives are out of whack tend to bury themselves in work. This is a form of denial which can have serious consequences. The objective in such cases is to postpone or entirely avoid working on such issues. The ultimate result will be that these unresolved issues reach a breaking point. For instance, many divorces take place because of this syndrome.

If you find yourself consistently working harder and longer hours and losing work-life balance, it is time to take a close look at your options. Here are some the questions you should get answers for:

Are you empowered to hire subordinates?
What are your delegation powers?
Is you company open to flexible working hours and/or telecommuting?

However, the onus of creating work-life harmony still falls on you. After all, we cannot blame our employers for giving us work-loads that we seem willing and even eager to take on. If you have not learned to refuse to take on excessive work, you may need counselling to muscle up your assertiveness skills. You should also reinvent your weekly schedule to include a fair and equitable amount of time with your family, with your friends and on your own to pursue your personal interests.

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Aug 20

Tips on Writing A Killer Résumé

I thought it appropriate to pen down some good résumé writing tips that show you how to write a résumé that gets results. The idea is to make your résumé more attractive to present or future employers. Many employees end up feeling that their current employers cannot offer them what they are looking for and proceed to scan the market. Having a dynamic résumé on the Internet is a definite advantage.

Here are some time-tested résumé writing tips. They will guide you in how to enumerate your personal details clearly, succinctly and in the correct order:

State your full name, phone number, temporary and permanent address, and e-mail address
State you educational qualifications, along with appropriate dates for each completed school, college and post-graduate course
State you actual work experience, which should include internships, extracurricular activities, and significant volunteer work
State your skills intelligently. Do not mention skills that have no bearing on the job for which you are applying and give relevant details for those that do
State any academic and professional recognitions and awards conferred on you

Long, rambling résumés are no longer in favour and the single-page format gets the best results with employers. The accent is on short, pithy accounts of a prospective employee’s career to date. The details can appear either in chronological or functional format. In the chronological format, you start with your earliest job and work up to the latest you have held. In the functional format, you group your qualifications and experience under appropriate headings.

Your résumé should not mention your personal hobbies, unless these have direct bearing on your chosen career path. Details of your extra-curricular activities should profile:

Any additional skills you have that increase your profile and on-the-job value
Any experience and qualifications you have gained in a job-relevant area that you excel in

Today’s employers give preference to candidates who have a wide range of professional experience. If you have any experience certificates, mention these in your résumé and include copies of these as separate attachments. If you have held temporary jobs that are in keeping with the job you are applying for, mention these briefly. Having ‘temped’ gives you an extra edge in interviews. It proves that you have had exposure to different work cultures.

Employers also value any evidence of higher social awareness in prospective employees. If you have had a chance to work for a charitable organization, mention the fact in your résumé. This value-adds to by it enormously. Mention details of all charitable work you have done. If you have feedback and commendation letters in this context, include those too as separate attachments.

Your résumé must not only have all the relevant information – it also needs to look attractive. It is often not possible to format online résumés for better appearance. However, in an actual face-to-face interview with a prospective employer, the candidate with a properly composed, well-presented résumé has a clear advantage.

Get a person experienced in page layouts to format your résumé if you lack the necessary skills. Then have it printed out on good quality paper, fold it neatly and enclose it in a right-sized envelope that bear you name and the position for which you are applying.

3 comments

Aug 14

Psychology As A Life And Career Tool

For many centuries, the study of human thought and emotion was not considered a very fruitful pursuit. Not that it hasn’t fascinated many people down the ages – it has. But the most interesting insights into human psychology came not from scientists but from poets and writers. In that respect, it is possible to find interesting observations and illustrations in the works of Edgar Allan Poe, Shakespeare and Milton.

All that changed with the advent of psychology as a serious science. Freud, Jung and Adler broke the ground that has, since their pioneering work, become the venue of intense and abundant research. Since the late ‘50s, men and women have delved deeper and deeper into the mechanics of human thought and behaviour. The result is that we have learnt more in the last six decades than we have since the beginning of recorded time.

Apart from psychology’s primary concern of mental and emotional welfare, it has yielded new parameters for:

Education
Employment
Crime detection and prevention
Market analysis
National security
Marriage counselling
Sports

Psychology, at first seen as a pointless area of research, is now included in many formats of formal education as a required subject. One does not have to be aiming for a degree in mental health or for a job in law enforcement to derive incalculable benefit from its study.

A basic knowledge of psychology gives one a better understanding the driving force behind human relationships, ambitions, expectations and behaviour in general. This is extremely useful knowledge to have in professional life, and gives you an edge in most careers that require you to deal with people at any level. It is no longer just a way of ‘getting in touch with yourself’ or a topic for idle college dormitory bull sessions.

Psychology is an immensely valuable tool in some major aspects of modern social and professional life. In fact, an individual who holds some kind of qualification in psychology is an eminently employable and much sought-after professional. This is because such an individual can reasonably be expected to have evolved employer relations skills, have a keener understanding of workplace dynamics and be better at conflict resolution.

The parameters surrounding qualification in psychology, though exact, are not as rigorous as those for the more clinical area of psychiatry. More than anything else, it calls for intense academic study. Qualification via correspondence courses is now an acceptable form of doing this, and it is possible to earn a diploma, certificate or even a degree online.

Of course, qualifying in psychology is everyone’s objective, and it certainly need not be a part of everyone’s career plan. However, reading some of the ground-breaking contemporary works on this subject can make a decided difference in how one understands the world, the people that inhabit it and the motives that drive them. For those who work in a corporate setting, the two books ‘Emotional Intelligence’ by Daniel Goleman and ‘Games People Play’ by Eric Berne are invaluable fonts of fascinating psychological insights.

Jappreet Sethi

6 comments

Aug 08

Are You A Manager Or A Leader?

It is a known fact that people who do what they are good at are happier people. As a happy adjunct – happier people tend to be better at what they do! Interestingly, the amount of satisfaction that qualified people derive from their jobs depends on whether they are managers or leaders.

“Is there an essential difference?” you may ask yourself. “After all, managers lead people, don’t they?” Technically, this may be true. However, the fact is that managers are people who know how to get things done. They operate best when they surround themselves with people who have vision. They serve a vital and useful purpose, but managers are not necessarily highly creative people. Rather, good managers keep whatever processes already exist running smoothly.

Leaders, on the other hand, are creators. They are people who know precisely what to do, and they operate best when they surround themselves with people who can help them create. In a corporate setting, the act of creation may lie in opening up new business avenues or revamping current ones to make them more profitable.

For leaders, the job they do is a matter of passion, and they have the ability to use their passion to energize others. Observe anyone in your company in a leadership role. On phone calls, in meetings, or even next to the water cooler, they act passionately – and others follow suit. They have a specific vision, a specific game-plan and the capacity to organize combined effort to create something new.

To identify whether you are better at a manager’s job or are indeed leadership material, you obviously need to have a very clearer picture of your abilities. Your company’s employee review is one way of finding out; however, it may not always be an accurate representation of your abilities. If the company review lacks sufficient depth, it may only be able gauge how effective you are at what you have chosen to do. It may not be able to identify leadership abilities.

There are various assessment modules and aptitude tests that can give you a very accurate picture. If you have ever experienced even a twinge of career frustration because you feel you are able to do a lot more, it makes sense to avail of them.

Over the course of our lives, we make and achieve specific career goals because we want to advance ourselves. In the process, it is possible for us to subconsciously convince ourselves that the work we do is good and that we are successful and happy. However, many people in managerial positions find themselves in situations that challenge these assumptions. At such points, they no longer love what they’re doing – and they soon lose their effectiveness.

Are you among them?

One possible reason for this could be that you have frustrated leadership abilities. You may have true passion for what you do, but are stuck in a manager’s position that limits these abilities. At such a point, it is worthwhile asking yourself if you’re in the right job at all. Changing this status quo would require a major change of mindset, because we tend to burrow ourselves into our comfort zones.

On the other hand, the passion that burns in a person with leadership qualities will make him or her challenge the status quo. If you genuinely feel you can do justice to a leadership position, you will muster the courage to ask for one within your company. If this proves ineffective, you will quit and find a job that is equal to your abilities. However, do all you can to establish that your leadership aspirations are not based on illusions of grandeur, but rather on real passion and vision – and the aptitude to back them up.

In the final analysis, both managers and leaders serve a vital purpose in any company’s scheme of things. Both can safely be said to be indispensable in their own right, and no company can function without either. Find your calling and answer to it. The trick is be able to assess your calling accurately.

Jappreet Sethi

3 comments

Aug 01

Tips To Create Time And Harness Energy

Life for corporate employees has become so hectic these days that if they blink, they may miss something potentially important. It is almost impossible to be fully present in the moment with someone constantly on the phone, the report on the desk and the unanswered mail in the inbox. Today, employees’ attention is divided among so many different things that they are engaged in everything, but are never really completely focused on anything.

We zoom ahead at breakneck speeds with the help of modern gadgets, never realizing what we just skipped a traffic signal or that we would really have enjoyed that movie which waltzed out of the cinemas last week. When you max out your to-do list and you struggle to cope up with deadlines, you are forever running to catch up. Final destination – burnout.

We’re told that we need listen to our inner voice even while we’re running around. We need to accepting the white noise of work-related pressure as a given, yet acknowledge our inner voice. Simple? Not quite. In real life, the only time we listen to that inner voice is when our bodies start screaming under extreme work-related frustration. The clinical term for this condition is stress.

Stress remains one of the biggest causes of contemporary lifestyle disorders like hypertension, diabetes and cardiac issues. In a day and age when no one wants to sit at home doing nothing, we often create work for ourselves just to keep busy. We seldom realize that this is an addiction, and that we will suffer withdrawal symptoms later in life.

The Benefits Of A Simplified Life

Creating more physical, emotional and interpersonal space in our lives allows us to view the constant hustle and bustle around and within us with increased clarity. Somewhere along the way, we see ourselves again – and suddenly, we have the space we need to reflect on what we really want to do with our lives. We catch a glimpse of the possible futures we can choose from and make quality decisions about where we want to be in the next five, ten or twenty years’ time.

Also, a simplified life allows us to look after ourselves better. Our stressed-out minds tend to turn our bodies into jails, but now they can become vehicles that take us where we want to go. Finally, we can take advantage of the recent advances in medical science and research on longevity and take some proactive steps to live a longer, more fulfilling life.

People with an overstretched lifestyle use up all their existing resources and then go on to exhaust their reserves, as well. This is why many over-stressed executives turn to substances of abuse to manage the overload. Anything above our natural energy base cannot and will not last long enough.

Question Your Lifestyle Priorities

Answering the following questions will do a lot to kick-start a desire to simplify your life:

Why is my life so busy?
Why do I choose to do so much?
If I continue this way, what will be the result?
What is the price I am paying for this – what am I missing?
What will be my regrets if I die tomorrow – what should I have done rather than what I’m doing now?
How can I go about simplifying my life?

Some Tips

Trust that better things will come if you hold in your mind a clearer picture of what you desire. Start by creating space and time. Cut out activities and thought processes that are not required. You can begin with some of these:

Tasks that are no longer necessary
Things that other people said that you should do
Voluntary positions that you don’t enjoy
Social positions and obligations that take more time than you want to devote to them
Financial goals that tie you down
Ego-driven goals, priorities and agendas

People who devise actual systems and structures with strict discipline are the ones who make their dreams come true. They are the ones we read about in success stories. Do you want to be one of them? If yes, start shedding some of that useless load.

Jappreet Sethi

8 comments

Jul 18

Tips On How to Handle Workplace Conflicts In Style

There is nobody who has not had problems at work, and these problems invariably involve one’s supervisor, co-workers or even boss. Workplace conflicts are common – but the skills to handle them adroitly are not. Many employees react to workplace conflicts the way they would in any social conflict situation – from the gut. This is inappropriate, because the dynamics or workplace relationships – and therefore the consequences of workplace conflict – differ from normal social situations.

There are a number of different factors to consider while handling conflict on the job. Obviously, the first is whether the tussle is with your co-worker (a peer) or your supervisor/boss (seniors). If your problem involves a co-worker and you feel you have a strong case, attempting to solve the problem with the concerned person should be your first approach. If this proves unfruitful, taking it to your supervisor is appropriate. On the other hand, if your issue involves your supervisor, you need to go above their head and place the issue before another member of the company’s management.

A word of caution on reporting a co-worker to your supervisor. Most workplaces have their cliques that often involve someone placed higher up. In the final analysis, humans are social animals, and the herd instinct percolates into all strata of human relationships. Before lodging your complaint or seeking resolution, ensure that your supervisor is not part of the co-worker’s circle. If he or she is, it does not mean that you have to take your workplace conflict elsewhere – however, it does mean that you have to proceed with greater caution. Mentioning the problem in a pleasant, professional and diplomatic manner, eliminating all traces of spite, will usually work.

Your workplace conflict may involve someone higher up, such as your supervisor or manager. If so, lodging your complaint at the same level of the company’s pecking order is usually pointless. This is where the concept of hierarchy is an advantage to you. Schedule a meeting with the supervisor’s or manager’s immediate superior and plan your case in advance. Do not barge into the superior’s cabin without an appointment and launch into a tirade – you may get a hearing, but this approach is unprofessional and will get you nowhere.

The best way to schedule such a meeting is via email or telephone. Ensure that you do not lay out all the details of your workplace conflict at this point. Emails can be forwarded, and one-on-one telephone calls can be turned into conference calls with the touch of a button. The senior may decide to resolve the issue at once and rope the offending party into the discussion before you have had a chance to state your case. This could result in the workplace equivalent of a schoolyard argument, which would achieve nothing.

If you have any proof of unfair treatment (such as emails or memos) print these out before you make your case. You can also note down the time, date and a summary of events when you were harassed. If there is another co-worker who is willing to support your case in person, make sure that this person is available when you meet your senior. At all times before, during and after such an interaction, remain calm and professional.

A workplace conflict with the boss of the company can obviously only be addressed directly with the person concerned. Consider the attempted resolution of your issue with him or her the final test of your diplomacy skills and professionalism. It may be a good idea to scan the job market for other options before taking the problem up with your boss. If your issue involves unmanageable workload, an unreasonably low salary or lack of prospects and your boss refuses to meet you even half-way on it, you should be able to make a dignified exit.

Jappreet Sethi

3 comments

Jul 11

How To Get Yourself Noticed At Work

Have your talent, potential and resourcefulness on the job gone unnoticed while those of other have been rewarded? Have others of equal experience risen on the corporate ladder much faster than you? You have probably not mastered the fine art of increasing your visibility at the workplace. Adeptness at getting noticed at work in a positive way is a major professional resource.

Increasing Visibility Vs. Self-Promotion

This does not mean that you should get busy advertising yourself, which would only make you unpopular. That said, you still need to become more prominent – albeit diplomatically – with the authorities. You do this by indicating that you are ready to contribute to the business in more responsible ways.

Obviously, a great deal of tact is involved in this. The last thing you want is to find yourself labelled as over-ambitious. Getting noticed at work begins with learning more about:

The business
The organization’s objectives
How the organization functions administratively

After familiarizing yourself with these aspects, your credibility quotient when approaching the managerial echelons increased multifold.

Experience Speaks Loudest

However, just knowing how a business works is often not enough – you need hands-on experience, too. Lack of this will show up, especially if an opportunity is given to you to prove yourself on the job. However, it may not be the best idea to experiment with untested management theories in a ‘live’ work situation.

The best way to gain experience is by:

Volunteering for charity work
Participating in a family business
Involvement in local charity or social/environmental improvement work.

Such work gives you a chance to acquire managerial and general people-related skills under non-threatening circumstances.

Effective Communication Skills

The degree of your communication skills has a direct bearing on the image and potential you project. Any business will value the presence of an employee who has good communication skills. These are most evident in one-on-one interactions and written communiqués (such as emails or even memos). The art of effective communication does not depend on getting noticed with the use of impressive words. Rather, it is reflected in your ability to get a point across as concisely, politely and clearly as possible.

Trying to get noticed at work by razzle-dazzling others with impressive terminology doesn’t work. That, and the use of complicated sentences, will only mark you as a snob. That’s not what you need to get noticed at work for.

Improved communication skills are useful while outlining your career objectives to your superiors, too. If you feel that your verbal technique needs working on, find some useful reference material to study and also observe how effective communicators around you handle themselves.

Creative Input – A Sure Attention Grabber

A tactical suggestion at the right time and under the right circumstances can work wonders. To get noticed at work, such a suggestion should not be trite or superficial. It should have a genuine bearing on a situation. If your input is valid in the context of overall business goals, you will get noticed.

A suggestion should not be centered only what you could do to resolve a given situation. A potential manager, team leader or supervisor can never be a one-man/woman show. The ideal suggestion involves team work.

Teamwork And The ‘Common Touch’

Have you taken steps to get noticed as potential managerial material? Well, now your interactions with colleagues will be evaluated by your superiors. You will be judged on:

Your willingness to occasionally get your hands dirty
You ability to take suggestions positively
Your resourcefulness in motivating people in the workforce

These are the traits that you get noticed at work for. The canvas on which you paint your new job profile is the shop-floor, not the director’s cabin.

Keeping Track Of The Highlights

Finally, keep a log of your work – especially the kind performed over and above the call of duty. This is both for your own reference as well as a record on which to make a pitch for promotion. You the right of getting noticed at work by your superiors for your noteworthy achievements. However, make sure that this is done discreetly. Most managers would be more than willing to give you a monthly appointment to review your performance. This is the best time to outline your professional goals, too.

Your objective in getting noticed for possible managerial post in an organization also matters. If the idea is plain one-upmanship, it will show up as a black mark on your record. The idea should always be to be an asset to the company and be justly rewarded for being a valuable resource.

Jappreet Sethi

17 comments

Jul 04

Tips To Build Your Resume

Do you feel that your present job is going nowhere? Do you yearn to spread your wings and soar higher in your career? The way to do it is to build your resume and make it more attractive to present or future employers.

The emphasis should be on gaining new experience. You can do this by concentrating on either value-adding skills that increase your profile and market value or gaining experience and qualifications in an area that you are interested in and feel you can excel in.

Many employees now use their spare time to try their hand at something apart from their daily job. As mentioned above, it may well be something that they have always longed to do under different circumstances. The experience and certification that they gain by branching out like this boosts their resume considerably.

Employers value in a wide range of professional experience in their employees. Experience certificates speak very loudly – the more the better. However, most of us aren’t lucky enough to get wide market exposure in out fulltime jobs. Often, it’s just doing the same thing over and over again till one makes a change.

The Temporary Job Option

If you want to build your resume, you could try your hand some temporary jobs. ‘Temping’ opens you up to many different work cultures and gives you a fresh perspective of the job market. Get rid of the misguided notion that ‘temping’ is for slackers and lazy unemployables. For you, it can be the road to an enhanced career. It can provide you with a decisive edge as far as experience, exposure and knowledge of the marked are concerned.

If you do decide to build your resume in this manner, you obviously need to find something appropriate. You might benefit from using your own contacts. Don’t underestimate the power of word-of-mouth. You can start your search for resume-building temporary work by networking with previous colleagues, family members and friends. Chances are fairly good that something suitable will turn up, either through them or their own contacts.

If you have no contacts of your own, surf the many job sites available on the internet till you find what suits you best. Additionally, scan the paper’s classifieds regularly.

Home-based Work

You can do resume-boosting work from home, too. What you will need are enough spare time after your job and appropriate computer skills. These are:

Reasonable proficiency with Microsoft Word
Reasonable typing skills
More-than-average internet skills
Reasonable diction (vocabulary)

This is the age of the Internet, and the possibilities for building your resume on your own time are virtually limitless. While computer-based jobs are not the only kind available, they certainly pay the best. Other possibilities like writing short stories or data entry may also pay, but they certainly do not help to build your resume.

Doing Social/Charity Work

Today’s managements respect evidence of social awareness and concern in their employees. In other words, if you have a good opportunity to work for a charitable organization, do it. It will look great on your resume. You will greatly increase your resume’s value by adding experience and contribution certificates of this kind. Make sure that you enumerate the details of all work you have done for such organizations, and include feedback and commendation letters if possible.

Championing Your Own Cause

The idea of building your resume is to make sure that you get mileage out of it. For this, you will have to bring your value-added resume to the attention of the management. You have every right to ask for a periodic evaluation with your superiors. These would be the occasions when you highlight your new experience and ask for possible upgrades in your job profile.

If you feel that your present company cannot offer you what you are looking for, go ahead and scan the market. Put your enhanced resume on the Internet and ask around for new opportunities. This does not mean that you should give any indication of this to your present employer. But some jobs are genuinely the dead-end kind, and there is really not much point in building your resume if you do not get the desired rewards from yours.

Jappreet Sethi

4 comments

Jun 27

How to Get Promoted Without Asking

It is time to rise in the ranks in your company, and you are convinced that you deserve a promotion. You could always ask for one, but how would such a request be received by the Powers That Be? Asking for a promotion may not be the best course to take. A wiser and far more effective plan to get a promotion is to get yourself noticed at work for the right reasons. A lot of employees these days have understood this fact and are acting on it.

Mentioned below are some tips that have worked for many employees looking for a promotion. Of course, there are no guarantees – a lot depends on your company, its work culture and the person you report to, as well. In any case, you have nothing to lose by trying these tips out.

One of the best ways to stand our positively from the rest of the crowd – and therefore increase your chances of getting a promotion – is by helping your colleagues. Take time out each week to help someone facing problems. This is a sure-fire way of getting yourself noticed, because very few employees do it. Offer guidance on specific tasks and help them to organize their work better. Going over and beyond the call of duty in such a way will soon get you noticed by someone in management.

Yet another plan of action is to be present at all optional meetings, including online video meetings and business conference calls. Participating in these events – even if you do not always contribute in any significant manner – will get you noticed. Moreover, the information you pick up during such meetings makes you privy to knowledge about the company you work for that other employees are either unaware of or not concerned about.

Similarly, create more recall value for yourself by attending all extra-curricular events that your company organizes. Never miss an offsite get-together or an inter-departmental sporting event.

Needless to say, offering to work as much as possible without sacrificing your current social and family life entirely is a time-tested and proven route to a promotion. Unless you are working for a completely mercenary and exploitative outfit, your consistent presence in the office after official working hours is bound to get you noticed favorably.

Finally, look for opportunities to give suggestions to your department head on how work processes could be improved upon. Make sure that you do not criticize the existing regimen, and steer clear of badmouthing under-performing co-workers. Also, ensure that you make such suggestions in complete confidence. Any ideas that you can pass on to your superior that will help him or her do a better job will get you noticed.

Jappreet Sethi

8 comments

Jun 20

Asked to Relocate? What To Ask Your Employer

Have you been asked by your employer to relocate? If so, you are in a situation which an increasing number of employees are finding themselves in today. There can be any number of reasons why you may have been asked to relocate. For instance, with many companies finding it difficult to manage financially in areas with high real estate costs, a number of them are choosing to relocate to areas from where it is cheaper to operate. If you have been asked to relocate for such or any other reasons, there are certain pointed questions that you should ask your employer before officially agreeing to the move.

Obviously, one of the primary concerns that you will want to address with your employer if you have been asked to relocate will be with regards to your salary. In cases where a company chooses to relocate to an area where operational costs are lower, lower pay for employees may also be on the agenda. It is therefore important that you determine what your pay will be after relocation. As a current employee, you shouldn’t be asked to take a reduction in pay – but there is always a chance that you may be.

Another area of concern in such a situation would pertain to your existing designation. Are you working in management or do you hold a similarly high position? If so, find out if your position will stay the same, or perhaps increase. Certainly, relocating at the behest of your employer shouldn’t mean that you receive a reduction in status or a reduction in salary – but, as already observed, there are no guarantees. In other words, it is essential that you find out as much as you can about your new position before you officially decide to transplant your and your family’s life and household to another city .

Don’t neglect to find out all you can about the duties you will be expected to fulfil after relocating. Since companies often relocate to save money, this may also involve eliminating positions and having the remaining employees assume a larger workload. If you would be expected to perform more duties, you may want to negotiate yourself a higher salary. Don’t forget – these are all questions that you should ask before you make the decision to relocate for your job or not.

Yet another query to place before your employer concerns relocation expenses. You should most definitely establish whether your employer will cover the cost of relocating for you or your family. The financial assistance, if any, may not cover every expense that you are likely to incur, but it may be enough to help cover your travel expenses or the costs of hiring a moving company. Most employers will notify you upfront if they plan on assisting you with the cost of relocating. If yours doesn’t, you definitely need to ask about it.

Finally, take out the time to learn as much about your new location as possible. You will want to focus on points such as the current real estate market, crime rate, availability of civic and social infrastructure such as shopping outlets, medical care, public transport, etc. If you have children, you will want to examine the local school districts, and it would be prudent to scope out the current job outlook for your spouse’s line of work in the new city.

Jappreet Sethi

3 comments

Jun 14

How To Tackle Difficult People at Work

It doesn’t matter how great the organization you work for is. It doesn’t matter how fulfilling the work culture and atmosphere is. There will always be difficult people at work with a different agenda than helping with optimum work performance.

Maybe you cannot understand why people want to be anything other than professional or team-spirited at work. Perhaps you feel that people should not let their personal problems or prejudices intrude on the workplace. But the fact is that we all carry outside baggage into the office. It shows up in ways that others will not fully understand. Any professional environment will feature people with vastly different expectations from the job, each other and life in general.

The factor that causes the most interpersonal problems on the job is insecurity. A co-worker’s insecurity may show up in the form of malicious gossip or slander, a fawning attitude towards the management, inappropriate curiosity about what you are doing, manipulation and plain nastiness. Such symptoms in others tend to grate on our nerves.We assume that they are trying to find shortcuts to success – and we are often right.

Considering the pace at which we conduct our work in the 21st Century, our work culture has become highly depersonalized. To fully analyze why certain people behave the way they do would require the services of an in-house psychologist. In fact, many progressive organizations do offer such services. But how do we protect ourselves from difficult people at work without the benefit of an internal arbitrator?

They come in various shades, and they have different styles and approaches to making their presence felt. To be fair, most of them may not even know how disruptive they can be – then again, some do. However, the sincere and focused always has a bad time with them.

You may, for instance, have come across the typical brown-noser. They seem to have very little personal dignity, or a very strange version of it. Getting and staying in the good books of their (and your) superiors seems to be their main priority. Apart from being a shortcut, this also seems to them to be the best way of saving on effort. Bootlickers are universally despised.

Bootlickers invariably see their tendencies in a very positive light.
To them, it is uncommon and enviable dedication and devotion to those in charge.
This presents a major problem – they are very averse to being told the truth about their tactics.
This state of denial ensures that the problem does not easily resolve itself.

Yes, such behavior in others is disturbing at the workplace. However, you would do well to remember that they rarely get the results they want. Most managers do not mistake subservience for effectiveness. In fact, you should train yourself to ignore the bootlickers. Many enlightened employees have found that getting to know the brown-noser better on a personal basis can defuse the situation entirely.

If you have people around you who maliciously wreck your efforts, that is another matter. These rank among the most difficult people at work. They disrupt the peace and harmony of the workplace. Unable to achieve good results in their own right, they sabotage those of others. In rare instances, it may be out of sheer ignorance. Whatever the case, their influence is extremely negative.

You may find that a critical document has been misplaced
Your Internet connection may have been mysteriously disconnected.
You may not receive the accounts you badly need even though the person responsible for giving them to you is aware of the urgency.
A malicious piece of gossip affecting you may have been put in the ear of the supervisor.

Sounds familiar? If you have such a co-worker in your midst, you know that such a person can cause a lot of damage and is often extremely clever. To him or her, the act of sabotage is a game that must be won. Exposing such an individual can be time-consuming and extremely stressful.

What about the obnoxious guy who pushes his weight around? He is the office equivalent of the schoolyard supremo. His tools of the trade are ridicule, overt and veiled threats as well as verbal and physical abuse. The object of these difficult people at work may be:

To compensate for intellectual deficiencies.
To compensate for inbuilt laziness by using others to do the work meant for them.
To compensate for a lousy personal relationship or a past of abuse.

Again, this person is a highly insecure one and probably has real personal problems. If he really is a problem to you, try confronting him alone and asking him what his problem with you is. The idea is to do this in private. He will feel less defensive if there is no audience. Alternatively, you can bring him to the notice of the management and explain that his behavior is disruptive. You can even get the endorsement of other victims in this.

The chronic snitch is another of the difficult people at work that many of us are familiar with. Whether for personal gain or out of plain mean-mindedness, such persons will not hesitate to sell you down the river. They are usually pleasant and co-operative on the surface. This enables them to obtain inside information and then act on it. Here are some symptoms of such a turncoat in your office:

A personal confidence that damages your professional image at the workplace is leaked to the authorities.
The fact that you have under-performed or made a serious mistake is suddenly the talk of the office.
Someone else gets the credit for a project that you slaved on. Amongst the difficult people at the workplace, these can be the most damaging.

Excessive ambition is another unpleasant trait in certain colleagues. To them, the workplace is the venue for political intrigue or simple personal gain. Co-workers and even superiors exist solely to be manipulated. These extremely difficult people at work are usually power seekers who will stop at nothing. They may employ:

Blackmail to get a personal deal through
Gossip to spread a self-serving rumor
Spurious claims of personal connections to the management

Their ultimate objective is to gain a position of strength. This strength may then used to gain internal political traction (promotions, raises etc) or for financial gain not related to official work. You can confront such people via private memos or in privacy and warn them that you will not stand for their behavior. They are usually spines and easily intimidated.

In any modern work environment, you will encounter these and other troublemakers – be it the chronic latecomer who always has some pathetic excuse, the slob who messes the place up, the workaholic who just can’t stop producing, etc.

The idea in your dealings with such people is not to let your own professional momentum and personal equilibrium be disrupted.

Jappreet Sethi

9 comments

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