Assertive, Aggressive or Afraid

Assertive, Aggressive or Afraid A friend called me the other day, excited and nervous because she had gotten an interview for a job she had recently applied for. What do I ask them, she asked me. What do you want to know I said. How much do they pay, what are their benefits like, what is their vacation policy she answered questioningly. NO! I screamed into the phone. You want to decide if you want this job!   What are the most important things theyd like to see you accomplish within the first 90 days or so, what is the culture of the company, why is the person leaving this positionthese kinds of things. Can I really ask these kinds of questions? she asked me. Holy cow, of course.   And more!   The interview is a mix of exploration and sales. Would you know a good job when you saw one?   Make a list of the things that would constitute a good job and dont forget to include the work environment and less tangible things. Explore what their needs are, who they really are- is there a match!   IF the signs are positive, show that you are interested. A very important part of sales is asking for the sale.   Why then is it so difficult for a job seeker to ask for the job during the interview? Practice asking questions out loud.   Write a script and work from it.   It may not feel comfortable.   It may not even sound like you.   Thats OK. There is a fine line between assertive and aggressive. However, in most cases I dont believe we ever really try to figure out where that line is, we just know we dont want to get near it.   Try crossing the line once, I dare you.   See what happens! If you are looking for more help to confidently interview, here it is!       Just $5.00 Interviewing is tough. But, if you have the right outlook and youve done a good job preparing, it can be so much simpler! This book includes: Steps to prepare for an interview Over 100 Sample questions to practice The best way to structure your interview answer The 8 most dreaded interview questions and how to answer them Questions YOU, the job seeker, can and should be asking during the interview And tons of other stories and examples to help make your interview a less stressful! The one question you need to walk away from the interview knowing the answer to isDo I want this job?

Perfection, The Unknown, and Taking The First Step (along with a Great Giveaway!)

Perfection, The Unknown, and Taking The First Step (along with a Great Giveaway!) #371 by Things We Forget This post is from Jake, aka The Beer Tool Man.  After being virtually introduced to him and seeing that hes a new Etsy shop owner and being knocked out by his shop announcement (seriously its killer), I asked if hed want to share anything with you kids on this here blog. Thankfully, he obliged twofold: with a post and a giveaway! I didn’t want to start typing this because I could not think of the perfect opening line or even a subject to talk type about, but I knew that if I could just start then the rest would work itself out… When typing this (like most things in life) the hardest part is taking that first step and that’s true no matter what you have dreams of doing. I’m lucky enough to be able to help people through this everyday as an admissions officer for a university. When I’m talking with students for the first time they’re anxious about the future, getting into school, how to afford it, classes to take, etc  but it’s amazing how better they feel when I point out that they have already taken the hardest step by asking  for information. It’s all downhill from there.  I want us to dig a little deeper into why taking that initial leap is so hard in the first place. I’ve broken it down into two things: “Unknown” and “Perfect.” First, as humans we hate admitting that we don’t know something, overall it makes us uncomfortable. You think I’m wrong? Just ask a husband to pull over to ask for directions (if people still get lost anymore thanks to GPS). We want to know everything, the unknown is uncomfortable and it’s that simple. The best part is that this is easy to overcome because all you have to do is try. Take baby steps, start doing one thing a day that makes you get out of your comfort zone. Within a week you’ll be addicted, you’ll look forward to new and exciting things instead of being anxious about the unknown. Your life will be better, 100% guaranteed. Next is the dreaded word “Perfect.” I’ve started to try to eliminate that word from my vocabulary and you should too. Face it, there is no such thing a “perfect” and you should never ever try to obtain it. I found a quote recently that I’ve come to live by which states “Done is better than perfect.” When I read this it hit me square in between the eyes.  I’ve always taken pride in the details, but this quote helped me see that trying to make (insert your passion here) perfect was keeping me from doing anything! My new motto these days is currently “Screw it, let’s get started and see where it goes” which is working great. Using this “anti- unknown” and “anti-perfect” thinking I’ve recently started my own company selling “Beer Tools” which are freaking wrench shaped bottle openers?!? Where the heck did that come from? I got the idea one night and instead of stopping myself by trying to design the “perfect” opener I stepped out into the shop and made it. I took the first step and then another and another then before long I had a cool product. I did not let the details slow me down. After some market research (A.K.A. showing off while drinking beers with friends) I found out that people liked the Tools so I opened an Etsy shop within 24 hours. Once the product was on the virtual shelves the marketing and branding quickly followed. Another bonus of the “anti-perfect” thinking is that you will always keep improving; nothing is perfect so you know that it can always get better. That’s what’s helping me and my shop get better every single day. The Beer Tool in action Now that I’ve rambled on for 569 words it’s your turn. I challenge you to do ONE thing a day outside your norm. I’m not telling you to go skydiving (which I’ve done and it’s awesome), but I am telling you to get out there and experience the new. Embrace it. Second, take that first step. Have you always wanted to become a Spanish tutor (my wife) or a life coach (Michelle) or _________? If you’ve wanted to do anything ever, start now!!! Take that step and become the person that you’ve always wanted to be, it’s all downhill from there. Cheers, Jake C. P.S. â€" If you’ve read my nonsense and put it into action I would love to hear from you. Drop me an email at Jake@TheBeerTool.com and let me know how it goes. P.P.S. Wanna win the Beer Tool pictured above? Comment below with your thoughts on my post and/or who youd give The Beer Tool to before 11:59p on Monday 2/6. Michellell pick the winner via Random.org and will announce it here on Tue the 7th. That means The Beer Tool will get to you by Valentines Day! The winner of The Beer Tool is Darlene! Ill be emailing ya soon with the deets. Enjoy, enjoy, enjoy! Jacob Crawley is in his late twenties and calls himself “a guy with a PR degree, too much time on his hands, and a deep desire to make/tinker/create and share his ideas.” He’s lucky enough to be living in historic Savannah, GA with his “overly supportive” wife Kristen and his sidekick Roxie (their Lab/Basset hound mix).

Resume to Transfer Colleges - Steps to Prepare a Professional and Effective Resume

Resume to Transfer Colleges - Steps to Prepare a Professional and Effective ResumeWriting a resume to transfer collges is very important to make a well-rounded and prepared candidate. It gives one a glimpse of a well-rounded person, who is capable to fit into any job requirement.The main aspects that should be kept in mind when it comes to writing a resume to transfer collges are to make the resume as professional and smooth as possible. It is very important that one must not stray from the requirements laid down by the employer.It is very important that one should always keep their resume organized and clean. In the initial stages, one should start from the headings of each section of the resume. One must also make sure that the candidate has clearly defined duties and responsibilities.After preparing the resume, one must follow the format of the job advertisement. This will definitely help in filling in all the gaps and directions of the job in an organized manner.It is very import ant to adhere to the format of the resume, when it comes to presentation. It is very important that one should keep the formatting in mind so that they do not come off as unprofessional.It is very important to remember that while writing a resume to transfer collges, it is very important to make use of the other person's strengths and highlight them in the resume. In this way, it is important to highlight the strong points of the person who is going to present the resume.This can be done in several ways, and one must definitely make use of every way to do this. This will help in a smooth flow of the resume so that it is not messy and confusing for the reader.

Corinthian Settlement CFPB Forces $183M in Loan Forgiveness

Corinthian Settlement CFPB Forces $183M in Loan Forgiveness Over 40,000 former students of the defunct Corinthian Colleges may see relief from their student loans. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau announced Thursday that it had reached a settlement with Aequitas Capital Management, which allegedly helped Corinthian Colleges carry out its predatory lending scheme. Corinthianâ€"which operated over 100 for-profit schools under the brands Everest, Heald and WyoTechâ€"folded in April 2015 amid claims that it had used misleading job placement rates to enroll students. The closure left about 16,000 enrolled students, many of whom had taken out big loans to pay for their courses, without recourse. Current and former students went after the institution, as did regulators. In March 2016, the school was ordered to pay over $1.1 billion for allegedly duping students. The CFPB also gained a $530 million default judgment on behalf of students. However, the students wound up seeing very little money, as the school had already distributed its limited assets through its bankruptcy. In this latest case, the CFPB claimed that private equity firm Aequitasâ€"which is also winding down its businessâ€"had funded or purchased $230 million of high-cost, private “Genesis” loans that both it and Corinthian knew the students could not afford. Aequitas got in trouble in part by helping Corinthian fudge its numbers to make it seem that those Genesis loans were actually revenue received from students, according to the CFPB. That allowed students at its schools to receive federal aidâ€"dollars that ultimately went to the for-profit educatorâ€"under a provision that for-profit schools must get at least 10% of their revenue from a source other than the federal government. If a federal judge approves the CFPB’s proposed settlement, about 41,000 former Corinthian students could be eligible for approximately $183.3 million in loan forgiveness and reduction. The settlement stipulates that all outstanding Genesis loans will be forgiven for the following groups: Students who were enrolled in a Corinthian college when the schools closed in April 2015. Students who had been enrolled but withdrew on or after June 1, 2014. Students who were enrolled but had not completed their courses at the time Corinthian sold about half of its campuses to Zenith Education Group in February 2015; Zenith subsequently ceased operating the schools under the Corinthian brands. As part of the deal, Aequitas also agreed to forgive all of the Genesis loans that were in default for more than 270 days as of March 2017. For any remaining Genesis loans, Aequitas agreed to reduce the principal amount owed as of March 2017 by 55%â€"and forgive any accrued interest, fees, or charges that were 30 or more days past due as of the end of March. “Tens of thousands of Corinthian students were harmed by the predatory lending scheme funded by Aequitas, turning dreams of higher education into a nightmare,” CFPB Director Richard Cordray said in a statement Thursday. “Today’s action marks another step by the Bureau to bring justice and relief to the borrowers still saddled with expensive student loan debt.” This is not the first time the CFPB has attempted to seek debt forgiveness for students saddled with these Genesis loans. In February 2015, the CFPB announced an agreement with ECMC Groupâ€"which purchased some of the Everest and WyoTech campusesâ€"that granted former Corinthian students $480 million in debt forgiveness. And the CFPB’s campaign against predatory student lending is not over. Cordray said Thursday that the agency will “continue to address the illegal lending practices of for-profit colleges and those who enable them.”

Turning Down a Promotion Without Being Punished [Video] - Work It Daily

Turning Down a Promotion Without Being Punished [Video] - Work It Daily By CAREEREALISM Founder, J.T. O'Donnell Recently, an Excelle community member asked me how to successfully turn down a promotion without being punished. (See full question here.) My Response: I see this situation all the time. An over-achieving employee sets themselves up for failure by allowing her boss to equate her value on the job to the number of hours she works. In particular, I see this as a re-occurring issue with young women. They put in tons of extra hours to impress management. The problem arises later in their careers when additional personal responsibilities like relationships and children enter the picture. Suddenly, the focus changes and they want to be paid the same but only do 40 hours/week of work. Unfortunately, they’ve taught management that their real worth comes from their willingness to work 60 hours every week to get things done. This has got to stop! Our actions define our perceived value. Being a work-o-holic sends the wrong message, especially, when you suddenly decide to stop working those hours. After all that time and energy, suddenly choosing to pull back actually results in management feeling like they are the ones being short-changed. I’m not saying you shouldn’t go above-and-beyond every once in a while to show you are a team-player, but far too many employees take this to the extreme, only to burn out professionally, as well as disappointing management â€" the very thing they were trying not to do! Here’s the good news… You’ve been given the opportunity to set things back on course! By accepting the promotion you are giving yourself the chance to address this and get back on track to better work-life balance. I suggest you accept the promotion, but sit down with your boss and explain that you will only take this new role if he is willing to work with you to make the job manageable. Explain how you want to be able to leverage company resources and build expertise to work smarter, not harder. By opening up this dialog, you and your boss can work together to make this promotion effective for the company AND for you. This includes: Considering who can be trained to do some of the things that you do. Identifying areas where the company could be more efficient. Looking for ways to streamline processes. The goal is to define how this expanded roll can be done successfully in 40 hours/week. But, what if it can’t? Well, at least you and your boss will recognize that fact and be able to target a game plan to address it. Maybe this is just what he needs to be able to quantify a request for more staff and/or resources. By addressing this together, you just may help your boss in his job! If you want career success and satisfaction, then you need to find ways to move forward on your terms. Choosing to pass on this promotion indicates you aren’t willing to grow as a professional. Why not take the plunge and start to learn how to do more in the same amount of time? I think you’ll find that once you learn how to move up without stressing out, you’ll find your career soaring to new heights. Tweet Share | J.T. answers questions each week via Excelle on topics ranging from finding your first job, to getting a promotion and managing office politics. You can check out all of her articles here. Excelle is Monster's premier online community for female professionals in the United States. Have you joined our career growth club?Join Us Today!

Every Type of Coworker Youll Ever Have (and How to Handle Them)

Every Type of Coworker Youll Ever Have (and How to Handle Them) Its 630 am on a Monday. You get out of bed, exhausted, and slip on your trusty black work pants, button-down shirt and watch, then head out the door to your car. When you arrive at the office building, you swipe the access card that hangs around your neck, get on the slow elevator and wait as it climbs up to the third floor. Then, you sit down at a cubicle marked with your anthroponym to start your day.As you log into Windows, you pause to think about how the day could turn out. Suddenly, an array of potential characters and thoughts come to mind.Will John talk down to you today as he does every single other day? Ugh, it just gets under your skin. Or, will you run into Kim, who seems to be keeping a tight leash on you ever since the CEO noticed your skills on that last account? Will Tanya burst your bubble with the truth as she sees it?Work doesnt have to be a drab experience filled with negativity and a fight for surviv al. When you were first hired for your job, you were so excited, remember? What happened?You dont have the right tools to dealWhen Brian and Emily start gossiping about what happened at the last happy hour, you must admit that sometimes you go along to get along. Its just easier that way, even if it makes you uncomfortable.The problem is that you need to acquire the right tools for every coworker situation you may face from the gossips to the two who are battling it out for that promotion. You cant control who you will be around at the office, but you can control how you respond when you have the proper mindset and instructions.Weve rounded up the coworkers you might encounter everywhere you go, positiv how to deal with them in a productive way that doesnt hurt your professional reputation (or your rolleal wellbeing).1. The part thats always rightThis type of individual is a dime-a-dozen. They always get the last say in meetings and insist on their opinion. Naturally, others rally behind this behavior because this person exudes confidence. Even if their work is messy or inaccurate, the person thats always right will continue to excel because of the authority they project.How to handle themThis behavior is tough to work with. At first, be patient and see how you get along with this person. If stepping on your toes becomes a pattern, speak with them after youve had time to reflect on what you want to say.2. The control freakMuch like the person that loves to be right, the control freak has a very strong personality. They feel they are important and that they always know the best (and often, only) way to do things. Because of this mentality, others dont get the chance to show their talents because the control freak is too busy interrupting with the right way.How to handle themMaintain your professionalism. If there are too many frustrating incidents for you to deal with, plan a time to speak with this co-worker privately when you are calm. Explain why the situa tion isnt working well for you, and how it can be fixed so that both parties can work well together.3. The martyrThe martyr is always doing way too much work every single day This person keeps their head down and doesnt ask for much in return. Thus, they often are forgotten about when its time for a promotion.How to handle themIf early in their career, guide them and make sure they call attention to the work that they do for recognition and praise.4. The duo that fights for controlThis is two or more employees that are in a fight for power over a situation. One always wants to be in control and right. This duo may consist of two alpha personalities, and they love to one-up each other.How to handle themIf you find yourself fighting for power, then take a step back. Recognize that you can get farther by working as a team. Draw strengths from your co-workers and see these as complementary to yours.5. The queen beeOr, Betty Crocker with a twist. She will smile to your face, but as soon as you turn your head, shell have gossiped about your latest interaction.How to handle themAvoid gossip about any of your co-workers. Its best to stay out of sweeping office drama.6. The role modelThis is a shining star and the person you aspire to be like. If you find the role model in your office, make sure they have all the traits of a true role model.How to handle themTry to emulate their good aspects, recognizing that you also have unique talents also. Ask this person if you are able to shadow them for a day.As I mentioned before, you can only control yourself. One way to expand your ability to handle sticky professional situations? Research and find a career coach that can help.Now over to you. Youve got this.More on coworkers--Gabriella DiDio is tired of the struggles of getting ahead in her career. So, instead of revolting, she created Taupe Shoes an empowering website for women that can help you become stronger through your work dilemmas. Download this quick guide to disc over the 5 most common reasons why your coworker or boss upsets you at work. And you can follow Gabriella on Twitter.

The Bizarre Secret of Writing Numbers in Resume

The Bizarre Secret of Writing Numbers in Resume Want to Know More About Writing Numbers in Resume? The primary reason for writing a cover letter is to grab the interest of a work employer at the exact first glance. The majority of the times your prior work experience will be absolutely the most significant part the resume, so put it at the top. Attempt to comprehend the market of the organization you are asking for work, and identify what schrift of difficulties they could be going through. Know the purpose of your resume Some folks write a resume like the intention of the document was supposed to land work. Understanding Writing Numbers in Resume Create a new expert email address for those who have a novelty email address Its good that you would like to emphasize the work done with that client, but bear in mind, not to reveal confidential information regarding your client. Generally, the quantity of the webpage and the name of the applicant are placed at the peak of each pa ge. To make it simpler, lets use a good example. What to Expect From Writing Numbers in Resume? On top of that, theres a true aussicht it will enhance your chances in a work search. If it comes to resumes, theres no 1 size fits all. To be able to have the ideal opportunity to find work, you would like to seem as professional as possible. Everyone can say he or she excelled at her or his final job. Who Else Wants to Learn About Writing Numbers in Resume? Writing a resume can be an intimidating task. If you would like any additional information regarding my career you are able to go through my resume. Well it is all dependent on whether the job posting instructions specify a specific format. 1 A resume summary is a brief, snappy introduction paragraph that offers a summary of your very best work. The Argument About Writing Numbers in Resume To reach readers, you will need to file your stories to Collections. Writing resumes can be challenging for some folks, and thus dont be scared to find some assistance from the experts. Evidently, not every resume writing service provides an excellent help. What to Do About Writing Numbers in Resume Before You Miss Your Chance Showing what you achieved in a quantifiable way is essential for other forms of jobs, also. Therefore, including a diverse selection of particular skill keywords in your resume is essential to boost the chances your application gets the attention it deserves. Whether there are certain software applications utilized in your industry, be certain to mention them. Whether to use a numeral or maybe to spell out a number for a word is an issue of style. Numbers make an immense difference. In case the number is large and you need to prevent writing everything out, rearrange the sentence in order for the number no longer comes first. If spelling a number would produce the sentence awkward, then set a word or phrase before the number so that it doesnt begin the sentence. Type of Writing Numbers in Resume Adding quantifiable examples to your bullet points will assist the hiring manager understand the assortment of your prior responsibilities, and provide them a better idea about what value you bring if hired. If you dont supply the info necessary for the hiring agency to learn your qualifications, you may not be considered for the job. So lets examine some methods to compose aggressive, up-to-the-minute resumes that genuinely SELL you. The easiest way to express massive numbers is usually best. Occasionally a number should stand out, even if it is less than 10. Page numbers arent required. Two-word numbers ought to be expressed in figures.