For Better or Worse - Millennials are the Catalyst for Workplace Evolution

For Better or Worse - Millennials are the Catalyst for Workplace Evolution The careers/workplace blogosphere is littered with rants and tirades about the generations at work, much of this content circling around Millennials (or Gen Y, as they are commonly called). It’s fascinating, really, the bipolar takes that have been published. Let’s explore the contrasting views: Millennials are entitled, lazy and untrustworthy: Millennials are perhaps disloyal (Forbes), spoiled brats (CNN) who feel they are entitled to six-figure salaries (Los Angeles Times). Or, they simply want to wear flip flops while at work (TIME magazine) and care more about having the freedom to surf Facebook than get paid well (Silicon ANGLE). Millennials are innovative, perhaps the “greatest generation” yet: Conversely, others believe Millennials are a tech savvy generation with an entrepreneurial spirit (Entrepreneur magazine). They will somehow reshape the stagnant U.S. economy and usher us into the future, global economy. In journalist Joel Stein’s piece (published  in Time magazine), he spends the majority of his exposé slamming Millennials, but then goes on to explore how and why Millennials will “save us all” and “just might be the new ‘Greatest Generation.’” Heck, Tom Brokaw (who coined the term “the Greatest Generation”) loves Generation Yâ€"going so far as to refer to them as the “Wary Generation,” which he means as a whole-hearted compliment. Regardless, millennials are reshaping how organizations recruit and retain talent: I’ve dug through the data, and Millennials are not what they have been cast to be. Let’s start with the foundation. Right now, there are three generations in a typical workplace. Each generation provides unique characteristics, qualities and soft skills learned through the environment they grew up in. Together, these experiences should create an effective and dynamic workforce. Judging from much of the literature on the topic, however, this isn’t usually the case. Instead, the time-honored tradition of older generations labeling the younger generation as lazy, spoiled, entitled and the root of all that’s wrong with the world is running rampant. I have found one major difference in the Millennial generation that impacts how they are being recruited and how they are being managed in the work place. The difference isn’t their use of technology, because this isn’t a generational thing. Sure, Millennials have technology embedded in their DNA, but technology is impacting everyone now regardless of age or generation. The difference isn’t even that they are job hoppers, as employees of all ages are having shorter tenures with employers, for a slew of different reasons. The main difference in terms of employment is that millennials careâ€"more than any other generationâ€"about company culture, brand, engagement and transparency: Put simply, Millennials are more willing to pass on a job opportunity or quit a current career if an organization’s mission does not match their own. Pieces such as salary and career development, just as with previous generations, are non-negotiables. But joining in the rank of non-negotiables for many is that organizations are good corporate citizens. This is not to say that previous generations didn’t have the same moral integrity, but rather that this generation is doing something about it because the world is becoming smaller and more connected than ever before. Ultimately, employees are no longer limited to accepting job offers from local or sub-par employers, thus companies are being forced to evolve or risk missing out on top talent. Proof of this can be seen in the struggles of the financial and insurance industries in recruiting the next generation of talent. Essentially, these industries are struggling to replace retiring Baby Boomers with Millennial talent â€" not because they don’t pay well, but because the Millennial generation just isn’t all that interested working within an industry they view negatively. For example, companies with high burn-out rates and poor corporate culture, among other components outside of compensation. So, what does this mean to employers and those across the talent landscape? If companies want to consistently compete for high-quality talent, they need to evolve: Employers need to effectively tell their story to the target audience. In today’s digital age of immense transparency, employers need to be open, honest and authentic. Employers need to consistently and genuinely portray themselves as excellent corporate citizens.   Employers need to show their organizations as fun, exciting, and rewarding places to work. Employers need to run businesses employees desire to be a part of, places they appreciate, trust and respect. Evolving and taking on strategies such as those bulleted above need to be much more than window dressing, especially as websites such as Glassdoor and  LinkedIn, among others, make it remarkably easy for potential employees to see what life is like within the walls of a company before they even apply for an open position. Today’s job seeker isn’t being fooled by flashy websites and well written mission statements. Millennials are a large and fairly unified group of people that employers must figure out how to recruit, manage and retain. However, as the economy slowly begins to recover and thus provide more power and opportunity for job seekers, these organizations are losing Millennial talent in rapid fashion. As retention and recruiting costs increasingly pain these companies, we will see more evolution and adaptation take placeâ€"because the companies who resist will undoubtedly fall far behind their competition.  Author:  Phillip Marquart is Cielo Segment Analyst at Cielo  cielotalent.com.

Getting The Best Chicago Resume

Getting The Best Chicago ResumeWhether you are an individual or a business looking for a job, Chicago resumes are the most relevant of all. The city's competitive career opportunities in advertising, banking, education, finance, healthcare, law, media, real estate, finance, manufacturing, retail, etc. also means there is plenty of jobs for people.With hundreds of corporations in Chicago, there are plenty of opportunities for you. However, they may be in different fields. For example, if you are hoping to work in advertising, you may be applying for advertising jobs that are held at different levels. For example, your current marketing job may be part of a department in a large company and you may be searching for jobs at a smaller company that offers your current career track.Conversely, if you are looking for a full-time position, you will need to have a degree in order to apply to entry level jobs. In advertising, you may want to take the exam for your degree and get on the path to getting your degree. Similarly, the education side of things includes assisting students with their curriculum materials, training, and writing programs.There are career experts in the industry that can help you with these things and this can be quite helpful. Alternatively, if you are looking for sales jobs, you may need to do some marketing. You will need to know what sells, if you are new to the world of marketing, how to market a product, etc. Chicago career services experts are available to help you with your career search.As you can see, the job market in Chicago is diverse and comprehensive. However, even if you are trying to find a job, you must ensure that you consider other factors like salary, work environment, and health insurance benefits. These things will determine whether or not you take the next step.When you are trying to find the right job, Chicago resumes will be very useful in finding the perfect fit. You should use the basic resume format and then customize it to meet your needs. Once you have a basic resume, it is a good idea to compile other things like previous employment and references.If you have specialized experiences and degrees in accounting, legal research, financial accounting, marketing, medicine, computers, etc., you will want to go with Chicago resumes. This will help to ensure you get the job interview that you deserve. Even if you are on the job market, these can be very important factors in your chances of landing the position. Chicago resumes can be effective as well as important when it comes to the interviewing process.Career specialists in the city can be very helpful when it comes to the interview process. If you do not have any references, you can get them. In fact, Chicago resumes can be even more relevant and helpful than any other job seeking resources. In fact, they can be used to leverage and promote your resume to get you the best possible interview.

My Take What Cross-Functional Teams Need to Succeed Marla Gottschalk

My Take What Cross-Functional Teams Need to Succeed Marla Gottschalk Photo by Manuel Nägeli on Unsplash When approaching our work, it is unwise to ignore the elements that provide needed support. These elements combine to create a broad, stable foundation that acknowledges a set of decidedly human-centered needs. Ultimately, these stabilizers are necessary for our work to become a success. Case in point: cross-functional teams. Cross-functional teaming arose from a vital need to deal with quickly developing challenges and opportunities in the external environment. With teams, diverse skill sets are brought together to forge an improved organizational response. However, the supporting elements necessary for this process to function to its best advantage are not always present. To understand this dilemma, we must fully explore the systems that inform or support their work. Clearly there are underlying structures that support teaming. However, much of what contributes to the success of teams, is rarely discussed completely. Here are a few elements I would like to consider, likely critical to the support of cross-functional teams; 1) role clarity, 2) built sense of community, 3) networks, and 4) technology/systems that inform the network. Over the years, Ive observed how these elements have pushed their way to the forefront of leadership concerns. Interestingly, these elements explore both the quality and boundary of connection â€" the very essence teaming. Role Clarity As discussed in this now classic HBR post, psychologist Tammy Erickson schools us on the distinction between providing role clarity and controlling natural and the creative process. Here research revealed that team members must understand their role, their contributing building block so to speak, as their team collectively propels forward to meet their valued goals. Yet, teams are more likely to be successful when we leave room for ambiguity concerning how the work is completed. Examples such as the Hollywood Model â€" which allows the film industry the flexibility to come together, disband and re-convene for different projects. The foundation of the model is built upon a rare collection of supportive elements that provide role clarity, pay stability and fulfilling work. A Sense of Community In the opening pages of Outliers, Malcolm Gladwell tells the story of a small town in Pennsylvania which on the face of things, had defied medical odds. Heart disease was nearly absent in its population under the age of 65 â€" something quite unusual â€" and no one was able to explain this peculiarity. Examining diet, exercise and genetics of Rosetans offered no clues. They smoked heavily and ingested a fat laden diet. Family members living in other areas did not enjoy the same health outcomes. The identified explanation is surprising, even shocking. However, in retrospect it is an element that should have been in the forefront. It was the environment, which influenced well being. It was the very culture of Roseto itself. The built community. When an erosion of that sense of community occurs in a workplace, we sense the loss â€" even if we cannot describe it.   We mourn it. The conversations with colleagues, the support and recognition. Ultimately, this dynamic influences the way in which team members interact with each other, with those across the organization. Networks There are numerous theories of networks within organizations. However, the manner in which networks are built and utilized, stands as one of the most critical concerns within modern organizations. Moreover, as organizations aspire to become more agile â€" how they communicate internally becomes central. Exploring the specific qualities of a network is important. As organizations moved from traditional hierarchies to looser connections, it became evident that the problem of communication wasnt completely solved. In fact as discussed here, networks will always have an informal quality.   (They arent always captured â€" within an organizational chart.) Like organizations networks must also remain agile, flowing and evolving as needed. Organizations must set the stage, to encourage their growth. Technology that Informs the Network While networks help carry out the work, technology platforms â€" and the elements they address informs those networks. Ultimately, the completeness of this set of systems must also be carefully considered. Consider the challenge of communicating key organizational initiatives. We cannot argue that the explanation of those initiatives will affect teaming and the work accomplished by these teams. However, there are often few systems to rapidly share these shifting priorities. Moreover, there is often incomplete information available internally, providing information about potential the team members that might contribute to its achievement. Does your organization provide stable systems to help cross-functional teams? Yes or no. Share that here. Dr. Marla Gottschalk is an Industrial/Organizational Psychologist. She examines the importance of core stability for people organizations. A charter member of the LinkedIn Influencer Program since 2012 â€" her thoughts on work life have appeared in various outlets including Talent Zoo, Forbes, Quartz and The Huffington Post.

Your Personal Brand from Theory to Execution - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career

Your Personal Brand from Theory to Execution - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career It used to be that hiring was limited to who’s local and available. But the advent of the Internet and social media has really made the world smaller and more at reach. Social media has changed the way people see brands, and it has changed the way people promote and market their personal brand. Going on a personal brand communication plan can be challenging and requires planning. You need to know your strategy step by step before executing them. It is not wise to simply jump into the game without having any idea what you really want to achieve. Important to that is the foundation â€" what is your personal brand? Define your personal brand First, it’s about getting to know yourself and what you’re all about. What do you want? What are your goals and objectives? What are your passions? What are you great at? What do you want to achieve? Once you’ve determined these things, you can really start getting a concrete impression of what your personal brand is about and communicating this to others. The values and ethics you carry with you are just as important. You want your audience to align themselves with your brand and vision. The more your audience is able to relate with you, the better for your brand. Establish relationships The relationships you have with other people also define your personal brand. No man is an island, and you really can’t survive in the real world without having any connections or doing any networking. You know what they say: It’s not what you know, but who you know. One of the keys to a successful brand is to establish mutually beneficial relationships with others. And you really have to own these relationships â€" make sure that you always give your hundred percent to all the things you do, so that no one can ever say that you aren’t doing enough. And try to avoid sending a representative on your behalf â€" make sure that you always have the time to network and connect with people yourself. Utilize social media Social media is currently the most popular tool for promoting and marketing your brand, which is why the term “social marketing” has become so popular. But always remember that you shouldn’t use it simply as a marketing tool â€" “social” is basically for connecting and engaging with your audience, not simply selling them your products or services. And though content may help you engage your audience, remember that people continue to enjoy interacting with a real person, not a nameless, faceless creature. If you manage a Facebook page, for example, ensure that the people who interact with you there know who they’re interacting with. You want them to picture a face behind the brand, a real person, someone who considers them and cares about what they think. Make your interactions more personal. Share tidbits of your personal life with them so they can relate with your personal brand. Learn more about your audience and do your best to help them as much as possible. Go the extra mile for your customers, clients or boss. Offer value When you provide value, you’re seen as a resource. This is a much more viral tone than a sales-y one that’s constantly pitching and barking offers. There is a thin line between marketing your brand and pushing your brand down people’s throats. If you’re just looking to sell your products and services every single day, then you’re better off using other marketing platforms and not social media. Social is about engagement. Maybe you can mix in a bit of marketing and promotions, but the main thing you should be doing in social media platforms is talking, connecting, engaging and responding to your followers. Listen to them, help them with their problems, and build a mutually satisfying relationship. Don’t be a brand who’s only determined to sell â€" be the brand who cares about others first. Personal branding and social marketing Utilizing social media for your personal brand is definitely an excellent idea, but don’t just jump head first into your personal brand communication campaign. Make sure you plan ahead, and remember that social continues to be about engagement and connecting. Author: Maria Elena Duron, is managing editor of the Personal Branding Blog, CEO (chief engagement officer) of  buzz2bucks.com  â€"  a word of mouth marketing firm.   She helps create conversation, connection, credibility, community and commerce around your brand.   Maria Duron is co-founder   and moderator of  #brandchat   a weekly Twitter chat focused on every aspect of branding that is recognized by Mashable as one the 15 Essential Twitter Chats for Social Media Marketers.

How to Write a Cover Letter: Follow These Easy Steps

How to Write a Cover Letter: Follow These Easy StepsMany people look at the phrase 'how to write a cover letter' and think it is something they have to know before they apply for jobs. As a matter of fact, writing a cover letter can be as simple as making sure your personal information is correct and punctuation is correct. If you follow these tips when you are creating your own cover letter, you will save yourself some time and money.When people go through a search for jobs, the first thing they do is do a search on 'how to write a cover letter'. It is important that they are able to write a good one as a first impression is very important. Once you get this initial written introduction from your resume, the rest of the process is pretty much up to you. However, keep in mind that if the job does not come, your written letter will.Before you even start interviewing, you should have a general idea of what kind of expectations your potential employer has for the first interview. As muc h as possible, avoid listing all of your qualifications. Instead, list only the points that you feel would be important to the company. This will help your cover letter stand out from other applicants who only include the qualifications that the company requires.There are a lot of different job descriptions on offer. This means that a cover letter is going to need to be created for each job opening. This is the same for both internal and external positions. As a result, you want to make sure that you have your letter finished in advance of the interview. You do not want to start off a cover letter and have it look terrible.You want to make sure that you understand how long an interview will take. Although some interviews are short, others are long. The length of time varies greatly and may be as little as thirty minutes or as long as two hours. As long as you understand the time required, you will be able to outline your meeting in such a way that it is easier for you to remember.As soon as you are informed of the interview date, you should send an email to your reference number to ask how you should prepare for the interview. For example, if it is an internal position, you could send a long thank you note to the hiring manager as well as a letter to them explaining why you are great for the job. On the other hand, if it is an external position, you could ask to call and discuss the role you will be applying for.After you get your interview, it is imperative that you follow up with your cover letter. Make sure you send your thank you notes as soon as possible. As soon as the interview is over, send a follow up email stating that you have received an interview request and that you are happy to review the application. Make sure you send a cover letter in response to the follow up email.Following these simple steps will allow you to write a cover letter in a timely manner. In addition, you will be doing your best to get the job.

Motivation Monday A Reminder, Push Pick-Me-Up

Motivation Monday A Reminder, Push Pick-Me-Up Sometimes we all need a little push, pick-me-up, or reminderthats what todays post is about. Job search is a tedious process.  It often requires you do things you dont like to do- like  forcing you to look deep inside to evaluate your motivation and assets, talk to people, step out of your comfort-zone and more. This week, lets do this job search thing better! Reminder: Networking Is About Building Relationships Networking is the most important job search activity yet most people despise the concept. Networking is about learning about other people. It is about learning new things, acquiring information and being a good listener. (Read why  networking really isnt a waste of time and how to do it right!) Yes, you must be able to summarize who you are and what you do! (Thats your pitch) And yes, you do need to have a purpose for meeting with people during informational meetings (networking meetings). Networking is a long-term strategy, so dont expect to see immediate results. Push: Try New Ways of Networking In order to have success networking, you have to stick with it! Dont fall back on your old ways of blindly applying for jobs as your primary job search activity. Find ways to network more comfortably! Use LinkedIn to search and find people to network with.  Try using Twitter. If you are on Facebook, try using it to let your Friends know you are still searching for your next gig. You do not need to go to networking groups. Networking is best done as a one-on-one activity. If you are an introvert, try the tips in this post. ALWAYS Use the Two-Step method when you apply for a job. ALWAYS! When you find a job, search your network, tell your friends, and find multiple people who work inside the company with the job posting so you can be referred for the job. Is this difficult? Yep. But, it isnt impossible. Pick-Me-Up: Rejection Is A Learning Opportunity If you take each rejection as a personal attack, it will destroy your self-confidence. Youve gotta stop this. A rejection can mean many things: your skills arent the right mix. Your personality wouldnt fit with the team. The company doesnt see how your resume fits the job. These reasons are not personally rejecting you. Honestly, you dont want to work in a job you dont have the skills for. You dont want to work on a team where you dont fit in. Likewise, you dont want to feel you arent able to give all you can. So, instead of feeling rejected, be relieved. OR, embark on the difficult task of analyzing what you could do better to make sure your skills and personality are the right fit. It is up to you to clearly communicate this. And when youve done your research about the company, people on the team etc., you will be better at presenting yourself as a fit and better at assessing whether to job really is a fit for you during the interview.

Overachievers Can You Hurt Your Career - Pathfinder Careers

Overachievers Can You Hurt Your Career - Pathfinder Careers Overachievers: Can You Hurt Your Career? Overachievers exist everywhere. They are usually Type A people who usually can’t say no to anything. Their résumés read like a novel, and they usually exude boundless energy as they immediately raise their hand to volunteer.  A lot. These people are usually in a very involved role in their work, but what makes them overachieve is when they also take on other roles for volunteer organizations outside of the office that end up demanding a huge amount of time as well. As a career management coach, I very much advocate for people to be involved outside the 4 walls of their cube or office. It’s a great way to build powerful network connections and for people to get to know how you work, which can help refer job opportunities your way in the future. But things can get pretty hairy quickly when the overachiever takes on more than they can bite. Here are some signs that it is time that overachievers need to tone it down: You get stressed out. It’s not easy being everything to everyone, and it causes a lot of stress to keep having to keep all of these balls up in the air. Stress is a byproduct of being considered one of the overachievers, and while some people can handle it well, others do not. Be aware of where you fall in that category. You don’t have any time for yourself in order to recharge. You’ll find that time is being spent on all the projects and as your energy wears down, you start to feel worn out and possibly resentful for taking so much on. You need your recharge time so you can do what you do best! Work life balance is a must. You make mistakes. Being tired and distracted means you are not doing the best job possible and errors tend to happen in this matrix. And that does not bode well for your career. You end up being a mile wide and an inch deep. Stretching oneself too thin is something that overachievers struggle with. If you aren’t doing anything particularly well, it’s time to snap back into what you do excel in so you can perform at your best. If you are too good at what you do, it can cause resentment among colleagues and peers. If your name is constantly being mentioned in staff meetings and you are the one person who usually gets all the awards, it might be time to back it off a bit. You’ve arrived, you’ve done good, and now it is time to step back so others have an opportunity to be noticed too. You get distracted / conflicted about what is important. Competing priorities will tug at you every which way and sometimes, you can decide that the wrong thing takes precedence. It is sometimes very difficult for overachievers to really see the big picture when a million things are demanding their attention. If you fall under the description of the overachievers category, it’s time to take a breath, reset, and re-prioritize. And chances are if you are at this point in your career, you’ve already proven yourself anyway. So be kinder to yourself. Your stress level and career will thank you.