The best way to install “fairness” in employee evaluation is to utilize processes and tools to facilitate a standardized Employee Goal Setting process which is designed to set clear standards and objectives for employees to be evaluated, while in theory removing personal or professional bias.  Now, anyone who has worked in a system like this will tell you that it is still not always “fair”; there are always going to be things like personal favoritism and IOUs that affect an employee review. But, that does not mean that companies should not adopt and strive to improve these systems in their own businesses. It is advantageous to both parties, both the employee and the employer, to have a standardized system, so that it is fair.  There will always be disagreements, but having the documentation of job description, goals and calibration will help support the decisions that are made on compensation, promotion, etc.

So what do these Employee Goal Setting systems look like?

At a high level, the best system is one where expectations are laid out and agreed to (by both parties) in the beginning of the year, progress against expectations is discussed throughout the year, and a final assessment of completion of those expectations is delivered at the end of the year.

Let’s take a look at some of the tools and processes that you can use to develop your own system.

TOOLS

Job description. This is a critical tool that is often overlooked. The first step to helping an employee excel in their job is making sure they understand exactly what job they are supposed to be doing.

Goals. Each year, make sure you sit down with your employees and set goals. Goals are the measuring stick by which you can assess an employee’s success for the year. Make sure that the employee’s goals align with his/her job description. Here are some pointers to keep in mind when setting goals:

• Start from the top. Set goals for your entire organization and then set employees goals that follow that direction. Your employees will appreciate seeing how their performance directly contributes to company performance.
• Goals can be quantitative or qualitative. Not every employee goal can be measured for statistical improvement, so sometimes a goal can be assessed with a simple “yes/no” on completion.
• Set time frames. If your Product Development department’s goal is to launch a new product, be sure to set a date by when the product should be launched.
• Identify dependencies. In the above example, if Product Development’s goal is to launch the new product in October, make sure to document that your Sales Department’s goal to sell the new product is dependent on the launch date of the new product.
• Stretch goals. These are goals that are set slightly beyond the existing goal and are used to push peak performance. Stretch goals work most effectively when they are utilized in a system that is tied directly to bonus or compensation increase amounts.
• Tasks to achieve goals. Ensure when setting numerical goals that you and the employee identify a list of tasks or projects that will need to be performed to meet those goals.
• Shared goals. Sometimes in a matrixed organization it will be necessary for teams or individuals to share the same goals, due to different functions or departments working towards the same goals. In other words, if your sales team beats their goals, don’t overlook the contribution of the finance, operations and administrative teams that supported them.
• Goals should complement, not compete. If you manage customer service representatives and give them goals to (1) answer 100 calls per hour and (2) get a 100% customer satisfaction score, that might be impossible.  Make sure the goals set strike a balance and complement each other, but don’t compete against each other so that an employee would have to choose between achieving one or the other.
• Recognize the effort behind the goal. Let’s look at a simplified example, of two salespeople for a company who each have the same $1MM annual sales goal for the same product…  Employee A is selling your product in an existing geographical market, where product and brand recognition is high. They are credited for all catalogue sales that occur, and spend most of the day at home taking orders over the phone from repeat customers.  Employee A easily surpasses his/her $1MM sales goal for the year. Employee B is selling your product in a new geographical market, where the product and brand recognition does not exist.  He/She is spending six days a week out in the field, trying to get prospects to become customers.  Employee B struggles to make 40% of his/her $1MM sales goal for the year. While Employee B did not make the goal, one would have to recognize two things: (1) the two employees’ goals should not have been the same, and (2) Employee B deserves some reward for the amount of effort that went into getting to only 40% of the goal.

PROCESSES

Quarterly goal progress meetings. Track your employees progress against their goals and have them support their progress with evidence.  Listen, evaluate, and make recommendations to help them progress. If your company’s priorities have changed, then you can revise the goals, but it is critically important that you and the employee have an open dialogue about why and agree on the decision. You want your employee leaving these meetings more motivated, not less.

Calibration. After assessing an individual success against goals, you should also benchmark your employees against each other. It can be done at year-end, and is a good way to make sure that effort is being recognized (like in the two salesperson example above)

Article Reference: http://biznik.com/articles/employee-goal-setting-tips-for-an-effective-process

It’s a struggle every working professional knows well: how to balance the demands of life with those of your career. All too often one gets consumed with professional activities – making the sale, finishing the report, preparing for the meeting. You get so involved with the everyday demands of achieving your professional goals that you let your personal goals and relationships suffer. It’s easy to say that career must take priority. After all, without work you wouldn’t have the money to provide for yurself and your family – and these are the ultimate personal goals. So you justify the added hours spent at the office by saying it’s for the good of the family. But at what cost? How much do you miss out on when you let work time spill over into your personal time? Anyone who’s fallen victim to this knows the answer. You miss a lot!

You must learn to balance your personal responsibilities, relationships and goals with your professional ones. They must all live in harmony together. Otherwise, you end up resentful. You grow distant from the people you love, feel overwhelmed by the pressure to keep up the pace, and lose sense of what is truly important. In order to maintain the delicate balance between work and life, try the following:

Learn to Set Limits at Work

This is something most career oriented people have a hard time with but eventually, you have to do it. Otherwise, work ends up running your life and you get completely overwhelmed in the process. Setting limits involves learning to respectfully say no, delegating effectively, and setting time restrictions for yourself.

Treat Personal Time” as Seriously as You Treat “Work Time”

When you tell your daughter you’ll be at her soccer game, treat it like any business appointment on your calendar. It’s a commitment that cannot be shrugged off for something “more important”. You wouldn’t dream of missing a meeting with a client so treat your meetings with your family and friends the exact same way. And while you’re at it, schedule a meeting with yourself! If you’re busy with work responsibilities, make an appointment to take yourself out to lunch or go for a walk. Treat the appointment like any other. It’s a commitment that is not to be missed.

Learn to Compartmentalize

You can’t just physically balance the time spent at work and the time spent at home to achieve balance. You must also balance yourself mentally. When you’re spending time with your family, you can’t allow work to distract your attention. Going to your daughter’s soccer game and talking on your cell phone the whole time defeats the purpose of being there. When you’re doing “personal” activities, be present both mentally and physically. Just like when you’re doing “career” activities. Organize your mental space and keep them separate as much as possible. Don’t bring your work troubles home and when you go to work, don’t bring your personal drama with you.

Re-evaluate Your Priorities

Whenever you feel your life getting out of balance, take some time to consider what is most important. It’s easy to get sidetracked with the unimportant things simply because they are there, demanding your time and attention. Learn to recognize what is important and what is just sucking away your time, energy and attention. Set clear personal and professional goals and simplify your life to include only what is important in helping you reach those goals.

Finding the perfect work-life balance is a lifelong journey. It doesn’t happen overnight. It only happens with serious effort and constant attention.
Article Reference: http://christine-scivicque.suite101.com/work-vs-life-a31352

Remember What Your Boss Likes

If your boss likes having you around, he’s going to keep you around. One trick is to notice his interests and be positive. “A boss can say, ‘I’m going to see the Red Sox this weekend.’ An employee who isn’t thinking will say, ‘I hate that team,’” says Mark Jeffries, communications consultant and author of  The Art of Business Seduction: A 30-Day Plan to Get Noticed, Get Promoted and Get Ahead. Instead, if you know your boss is going on a business trip to Boston, a better approach would be to say, “Hey, maybe you can visit Fenway,” Jeffries suggests.

Pick Projects for Maximum Impact

If your instinct is to jump on everything, you’ll seem desperate and spread yourself thin. “If you say yes too much, your performance will drop,” says Larry Myler, business strategist and author of Indispensable by Monday: Learn the Profit-Producing Behaviors That Will Help Your Company and Yourself. “If you say no, you don’t look like a team player.” Find out what opportunities are most profitable — and visible — for the company and snag those. If you’re overwhelmed, ask about priorities. Then, suggest how to delegate what’s on your plate.

Aim to Hang with the A Team

Don’t make any BFFs your first day. “Take your time and get to know everybody,” says career coach Adele Scheele, PhD, author of Skills for Success and Career Strategies, who suggests focusing on forming alliances with established players. “You have to build strong relationships with your bosses, for it is they who will promote you if they think you are enough like them to belong to their hierarchy,” Scheele says. Still, be pleasant to all. “If you’re new and not friendly, people can gang up on you,” she says.

Make Your Boss Look Good

In school, your instinct was to garner accolades for your work. In business, your goal should be to make your boss get recognized for doing his job well, which he’ll remember come promotion time. “Find out how your boss is judged and how he gets a bonus,” Myler says. Generally, these are financial targets, so do everything in your power to help him hit them.

Be Indispensable

Whether it’s inventing a new program that will save your firm money or becoming a client’s go-to person, put your boss in a position where he can’t afford to lose you. Document your successes. “If you’re only on email, no one knows what your client contact is like,” Jeffries says. “You want to be visible by racing out because you have lunch with a client or vocal by talking on the phone. The trick is to get people to come to the conclusion that you are successful without bragging.”

Employ these strategies to secure a strong foothold in this shaky economy. When the opportunities for getting promoted start to solidify, you could be the first in line to move up.

Article Reference: http://career-advice.monster.com/career-development/getting-promoted/get-promoted-at-new-job/article.aspx

Remember the following advice to help you land a decent first salary:

1. Negotiate

Many fresh grads are grateful for even being offered a job but don’t be afraid to negotiate your salary. Only do so if you feel you truly deserve a more substantial offer.

2. Remember you’re needed

Learn as much as you can about the company that’s offering you the job. You may realize they need you more than you need them, so don’t settle for less than you’re worth.

3. Reframe the contract

If you feel it’s too early to ask for a higher salary, determine an evaluation period after which you can request a raise from your employer. Set the terms of the evaluation before you sign the contract.

4. Compare

Do some research to learn more about how much a fresh grad with your qualifications earns in your industry and in your city.

5. Give yourself some credit

Going into an interview can be nerve-wracking but don’t let that take away from your confidence. Be reasonable but don’t let the “money” discussion intimidate you.

6. Find loopholes

Read your contract and company policies very carefully. You never know where you can find windows of opportunity that can earn you bonuses or commission.

7. Surprise them

Things on paper are static so be sure to highlight your biggest achievements during the interview; show your employers what you’re really worth and what you’re capable of.

8. Shop around

Notify your potential employer that you need a few days to think about the offer so you can follow up with other companies to which you’ve applied. Then you can make a more informed decision.

9. Learn from experience

Your parents, older siblings or professors have a world of experience and can help you decide whether or not your job offer is fair and they can guide you on how to respond.

10. Set a target

Set a promotion goal map for the next 3 years of your career that marks how much you would like to earn by the end of each year. Keep these numbers realistic and relevant so you can achieve them.

Article Reference: http://careeri.bayt.com/en/articles/career-planning/10-tips-help-you-get-good-first-salary

In 10 Reasons to Develop Your Technical Skills, I explained why it’s important to develop your technical skills as an integral part of your personal development efforts.  Strong technical skills can save you time, increase your income, and enable you to extract the most bang-per-buck from your technology purchases.

I promised you an article on the how, so here are 10 things you can do to improve your technical skills, regardless of your current skill level:

1. Read technical books

One of the best ways to improve your technical skills is by reading books.  As a teenager I used to buy computer books at the local bookstore.  Today it’s far better to shop online because you can more easily find the true gems and avoid the lemons.  Visit Amazon.com, search for a book on a particular topic you wish to learn, and check the reviews and ratings.  Look for books with at least 4 out of 5 stars (I usually don’t buy any with less than 4.5 stars).  Take advantage of Amazon’s browsing features to quickly find the best books in any field.

Even when you opt to buy technical books locally (such as for an easy return if it doesn’t suit you), you can still check the online reviews to rule out the bad ones.  Take your time previewing books in the bookstore or online, especially if cost is a concern.  If you can’t understand the first chapter, don’t waste your money.

Although technical books can be expensive and are often padded with lengthy code listings and other fluff, the good ones make up for it with clearly organized, well-edited, well-indexed content.  Books in their second edition or later are a great choice because they’ve already been through at least one round of testing in the marketplace.

2. Read online tutorials

The advantage of online tutorials over books is that they’re accessible, timely, and of course free.  The disadvantage is that they usually aren’t professionally edited, which can leave them lacking in completeness and/or clarity.  However, they often sport other features like abundant interlinking, user comments, and interactive demos.  Sometimes the comments are better than the original information, since they can contain lots of additional tips and suggestions.  I find this is particularly true of reference sites like php.net (a reference site for PHP).

My favorite way of finding online tutorials is to use Google.  If I need a CSS tutorial, I’ll search on CSS tutorial.  I usually find something halfway decent in the top 5 results this way.  Other variations that work well include how to XXX, XXX reference, and simply XXX, where XXX is whatever you wish to learn.

3. Hang out with geeks

If you spend enough time with technical people, some of their knowledge will rub off on you.  Even geeks learn from other geeks, but if you aren’t much of a geek yourself, a great way to accelerate the development of your technical skills is to join a local computer club or users group.  Use APCUG (Association of Personal Computer User Groups) and/or WUGNET (Windows Users Group Network) to find a group near you.  Such groups usually welcome new members of any skill level.  Contact one of them and attend a meeting as a guest to see if you like it.

Once you join a computer club or other geek-ridden association, volunteering is a great way to make fast friends.  These nonprofit associations are frequently in need of volunteers for committee and project work; even if your technical skills are weak, they often just need raw manpower.  When I decided to become active in the Association of Shareware Professionals during the late 90s, I put a lot of energy into volunteering.  I wrote articles for their newsletter and served a year each as vice-president and president of the association.  It was a lot of work to be sure, but I learned a great deal from working closely with the other volunteers.  Many of those lessons have proven invaluable in running this personal development web site.  In fact, writing those articles, which gradually became less technical and more motivational, contributed to my 2004 career switch from software development to personal development.

4. Subscribe to technical magazines

Technical magazines used to be one of my favorite outlets for learning, but I cancelled all my magazine subscriptions years ago.  During the early 80s, I spent many long hours typing in BASIC programs from Family Computing and similar magazines (it took me a long time because I hadn’t yet learned to type).  While I think print magazines are less useful today — the same info can often be found online for free – they’re an inexpensive way to improve your general technical skills, especially if you’re unlikely to push yourself in other ways.  The professional editing and experienced writers are a big plus.

5. Take classes

If group learning is your thing, look for college extension courses and other classroom and workshop offerings in your area.  Periodically I get catalogs in the mail from UNLV, and while I lived in Los Angeles, I received them from UCLA, Learning Tree University, Pierce College, Santa Monica College, and others.

A key advantage of classroom learning is the opportunity to interact with an experienced educator.  Teachers with decades of experience know plenty of educational distinctions you won’t find in books or online tutorials.  And unlike many technical writers, they know how to teach.

If you really want the degree, consider going to college and majoring in a technical subject.  I earned Bachelor of Science degrees in Computer Science and Mathematics.  But given my path after college, these degrees were unnecessary busywork rather than practical skill building.  I started learning to program when I was 10 years old, and while I did pick up some additional distinctions in college, it would have been a better use of my time to skip college altogether and learn the info on my own.  In the long run, I found my math and physics classes far more useful than my computer science ones — my knowledge of the former didn’t become obsolete so rapidly.

6. Create your own web site

Long-term readers of this site know I’m a big fan of experiential learning.  Setting a goal to create a basic web site is a great way to learn practical skills like HTML and CSS.  When you have a compelling reason to learn, your goals will accelerate your learning, and you’ll learn with a focus on practical application.

I learned HTML in 1995 when I wanted to make my first web site.  I created the site as I learned the HTML language, gradually evolving it from the basic “Hello, world” example.  Later I learned CSS, PHP, MySQL, and RSS, so I could do more interesting things than plain vanilla HTML would allow.

Erin learned web programming in the same manner.  She wasn’t a technically adept person when we first met, but attempting to create her first web site got her in motion.  Eventually she started a web consulting practice, creating dozens of small business web sites.  She also built her own sites including VegFamily.com and ErinPavlina.com and generates most of her income from them.  So the simple decision to make some basic web sites eventually led to generating abundant sustainable income from online businesses.  We learned by doing.

7. Build your own PC

If you want to develop better hardware skills, a great project is to build your own PC from scratch.  I did this in 2004 and found it very rewarding.  You’ll save money, learn a lot about how your computer works, and end up with a nicely customized machine that you can easily upgrade.  After all the components arrived, it took me about a day to assemble everything and install the necessary software.  This may or may not be a good use of your time, but I found it worthwhile for the experience.  I still use this same PC today, and it’s plenty fast enough for my needs.

A detailed, novice-friendly, step-by-step tutorial I used can be found at My Super PC.  I used PriceWatch.com to find the best online prices for all the components, which beat local retail prices by about 30% on average.  I remember buying several components from NewEgg.com.

If this project makes you nervous, I wouldn’t recommend it.  But if you feel comfortable researching and selecting components and carefully following assembly directions, it’s a rewarding way to spend a day.

8. Embrace a variety of software

General software productivity improves with breadth of experience, so use many different software programs (online or offline) to improve your overall ability to get things done through software.  I started using software in 1981, and such broad experience makes it easy for me to learn new applications quickly.  I usually dive in and start using them without going through the tutorials or reading the manual.  This saves me a lot of time and makes it easier for me to justify the effort of installing new software and upgrading old software.

When Erin has trouble figuring out how to do something in one of her applications, I’m often able to solve her problem in seconds even if I’m not familiar with the program.  After using hundreds of different software programs, you eventually learn to think like an interface programmer, so you intuit how certain features are likely to be implemented.  Think of it as technical intuition.

Branch out from software myopia, and experience the full richness of using many different interfaces.  You’ll learn a lot about interface design from image editing programs, programming tools, and of course computer games.  The greater the variety of interfaces you experience, the faster you’ll be able to learn and master each new program you use.

9. Learn to program

Programming is the art of instructing a computer to perform a task.  The key to accomplishing this feat is learning to think like a computer.  Programming is one of the most mentally challenging tasks a human being can perform, but nothing compares to the satisfaction of engineering a piece of code to solve a specific problem.  Ask any programmer.

I learned to program in BASIC at age 10 and later went on to learn over a dozen programming languages.  The challenge of developing my logic and analytical skills at such a young age has served me well my entire life, even in seemingly non-technical pursuits.

For example, I tackle many personal development problems with a programmer’s mindset.  How do we define the problem?  What are the possible solutions?  Which solution best meets our constraints?  What are the instruction steps to implement the solution?  Does the solution produce the desired output?  Can we make this solution more elegant or optimal?  I’ve taken the common programming process of requirements gathering, architecture, design, coding, debugging, and optimization and applied it to personal development.

While humans certainly aren’t as precise or predictable as machines — we have major compatibility issues, sometimes even with ourselves — a programmer’s mindset can generate effective solutions to very human problems.  Intuition is a big factor in both personal development and programming, but I like that there’s a structured fallback process that works in both fields.  It’s much harder to use this process in personal development though because we know how a computer thinks, but we’re still figuring out how humans think.

10. Marry a geek

Your final salvation on the road to geekdom is to – gasp – marry a geek.  I shudder to think of the technical purgatory Erin would be wallowing in right now if we’d never met.  I almost cried when I first saw her slogging away on a 10″ monochrome Mac in 1994, and I soon gave her a pity upgrade to a PC with a 14″ SVGA monitor.  I told her that if I die first, she’ll need to marry another geek right away – an easy task for someone with her social skills.

If you aren’t a geek yourself, then do what you can to recruit one into your family.  If that’s too much to ask, at least find a geek you can befriend.  They can really save you in a jam, and they’ll keep you from falling too far behind the rest of the world.

Be kind to your geek friends, and offer them fair value in exchange for their help.  Creative trades are often welcome.  For example, Erin and I are both inept when it comes to fashion and home decorating (my colorblindness certainly doesn’t help), so someone who can teach us how to dress and buy furniture that matches would be a welcome ally.  Right now the best we’ve got is our six-year old daughter.  She’s very sure of herself, but I’m not sure her advice can be trusted.

In case you haven’t noticed yet, geeks are taking over the world.  How many geek billionaires are there now, including the richest person in the world?  Technical skills are of major importance these days, and the technical have-nots are more estranged than ever.  As hockey legend Wayne Gretzky says, “Skate where the puck is going, not where it’s been.”

Reference Article: http://www.stevepavlina.com/blog/2006/08/10-ways-to-improve-your-technical-skills/

2. Take initiative and do what needs to be done , before being asked.

3. Learn the skills you’ll need to advance. Take advantage of on-the-job training, but don’t rely exclusively on that. Consider taking (and paying
for) skill-enhancing courses on your own.

4. Be loyal to your boss, your team, and your company. (Yes, you can be loyal without being a “brown-noser.”)

5. Be patient and don’t expect to be promoted without demonstrating your abilities over time.

6. View the big picture and understand your company’s mission. Find ways to help them accomplish it.

7. Save money for your company by identifying ways to boost revenues, reduce expenses, or streamline processes.

8. Offer solutions to the problems you must take to your boss.

9. Show respect to everyone — superiors, peers, subordinates, and especially customers.

10. Don’t be afraid to say “I don’t know.” If you don’t know something, say so; don’t try to fake it. Find the answers you need.

11. Take responsibility for your actions . If you’re at fault, admit it and take the blame. If you’re wrong, apologize.

12. Never gossip . Gossip can hurt the careers of two people: the person being talked about, and the person doing the talking.

13. Never say “That’s not my job.” Don’t think you are above anything. Pitch in and set a good example, especially if the job is one that nobody else wants to do. Your willingness to do so will be noticed and appreciated!

14. Share the credit . People who share credit with others make a much better impression than those who take all the credit themselves.

15. Ask for help when you need it . Don’t let a difficult task get out of hand. When you need help, ask for it — before things get worse.

16. Keep your dislike to yourself . If you don’t like someone, don’t let it show. Never burn bridges or offend others as you move ahead in your career.

17. Don’t hold grudges . Life isn’t always fair. If you were passed over for promotion, didn’t get the project you wanted, etc., let it go. Be gracious and diplomatic, focus on the future and move on. Harboring grudges won’t advance your career.

18. Be humble . When you’re right, don’t gloat about it. Never say “I told you so!”

19. Make others feel important. Compliment others, emphasize their strengths and contributions, and help them whenever you can. They will enthusiastically help you in return.

20. Join associations and professional organizations (like this forum  related to your career). In addition to helping you learn more about your industry, this can provide invaluable networking opportunities. (Which might come in handy if your employer isn’t promoting!)

Article Reference: http://www.citehr.com/3474-20-powerful-tips-career-growth.html

1. Research.
Find out a little bit about the company you want to work for. Visit the location in person if it is a store or building open to the general public. Visit the company’s Website and talk to anyone you might know who works there. What kinds of products or services does the company make or sell? What types of people work there? What are the typical hours this position requires? What are some of the day-to-day tasks that the job involves?

Make notes of things you want more information about and ask the employer about them at the end of your interview (it’s always a good idea to have a few questions to ask the employer, anyway!). Researching a company and the position make you stand out in an interview. It shows that you are really interested in working there

2. Practice
It sounds funny – and it looks even funnier – but practicing out loud for your interview will help you sound more polished and concise and less nervous in the actual interview. List a few key things you want the employer to know about you, and review common interview questions. Formulate answers to those questions and answer them out loud while looking at yourself in the mirror. This exercise prevents you from rambling in the interview and sounding unpolished and unsure. It also helps you discover what really does make you the best candidate for the job!

3.Dress to Make a Good First Impression.
In an interview, first impressions do matter. The best way to ensure a good first impression is to dress smart. If you are interviewing for a job in an office, it is usually best to wear a dark-colored, conservative suit (for both men and women). If you are interviewing for a job where the dress code is more casual (at a factory or a construction site, for example), nice slacks and a collared button-down shirt with a tie for men and a nice dress or blouse and slacks or skirt for women are usually appropriate. You should avoid wearing excessive jewelry, perfume, and flamboyant clothes. Good personal hygiene is also important.

If you are unsure what to wear, you should always go with the most conservative, professional option. Most experts agree it is better to be overdressed than dressed too casually. What you are wearing tells employers a lot about how serious you are about getting the job.

4. Be Conscious of Good Interview Etiquette.
This list could go on forever – there is literally an endless array of “dos” and “don’ts” for an interview – and not everyone agrees on every aspect of that list. There are, however, some basic “interview etiquette” tips that are important to remember.

Be on time for your interview. This is, perhaps, the most important. Employers expect employees to arrive on time to work. They may see a person who is late to an interview, when he or she is supposed to be showing his or her best side, as someone who will have difficulty arriving on time to work or meeting deadlines if hired.

Be aware of your body language. When shaking hands, make sure your grip is firm and confident. Have good posture, but avoid appearing like you’re as stiff as a cardboard cutout. Even the most experienced professionals get nervous in an interview – it’s normal. However, if you appear too nervous, the interviewer might draw the wrong conclusions about your ability to do the job – especially if it involves interacting with people! Conversely, make sure you don’t slouch – this could give the impression that you are lazy or uninterested in the position. Maintain eye contact with your interviewer to convey confidence. When speaking, be polite and professional and avoid using slang and profanities. The more confident and polished you appear the more likely you are to leave the interviewer with a positive impression of you.

Keep the interview positive. Avoid making negative remarks about any previous jobs or employers. Also, refrain from complaining about any job-related tasks or responsibilities you were given in a previous position. Employers want to hire someone who is positive, enthusiastic, and able to meet and deal with challenges.

5. Be Prepared to Ask the Interviewer Questions.
This is where your research comes in. Employers want to know if you’re truly interested in the position. They also want to know that you have all the information you need to make a decision, if offered the job. It isn’t a good idea to turn the tables and “interview” the interviewer, but it is a good idea to go into the interview with a few questions in mind. This is your chance to ask additional questions about the business, the position, the requirements, and the expectations of the person who will fill the position.

Remember to ask questions that are relevant to the company and position for which you are interviewing.

6. Follow up with a Thank-You Note.
Make sure you let the interviewer know how pleased you were to have the chance to interview with him or her. Immediately after the interview, send the interviewer a thank-you note, thanking him or her for taking time to interview you. This is not only proper etiquette and a common display of appreciation, but it also allows you to reaffirm one or two key points of the interview. It also lets the interviewer know how interested you are in working for the company. Being polite and professional always makes a good impression.

All of this advice comes down to three important things to remember when you’re interviewing: being prepared, professional, and polite is the best way to make the right impression!

–The opinions expressed are those of the author and do not represent the views of EmploymentGuide.com, The Trader Publishing Company, or its approval of the opinions expressed therein.

Article Reference : http://www.employmentguide.com/careeradvice/Interview_Tips.html

The guidelines here apply to both hard copy correspondence and e-mail.

Main differences between e-mail and hard copy correspondence:

Format: your signature block (address, etc.) goes below your name in e-mail, while it goes at the top of the page on hard copy.

E-mail requires a subject line logical to the recipient. E-mail subject lines can make or break whether your e-mail is opened and read. Hard copy can have a subject line too, but it’s on the letter (after recipient’s address block and before “Dear…,” and it’s seen after the letter is opened.

Signature: Of course you won’t have a handwritten signature on e-mail, but don’t forget this on hard copy.

All cover letters should:

Explain why you are sending a resume.
Don’t send a resume without a cover letter.
Don’t make the reader guess what you are asking for; be specific: Do you want a summer internship opportunity, or a permanent position at graduation; are you inquiring about future employment possibilities?

Tell specifically how you learned about the position or the organization — a flyer posted in your department, a web site, a family friend who works at the organization. It is appropriate to mention the name of someone who suggested that you write.

Convince the reader to look at your resume.
The cover letter will be seen first.
Therefore, it must be very well written and targeted to that employer.

Call attention to elements of your background — education, leadership, experience — that are relevant to a position you are seeking. Be as specific as possible, using examples.

Reflect your attitude, personality, motivation, enthusiasm, and communication skills.

Provide or refer to any information specifically requested in a job advertisement that might not be covered in your resume, such as availability date, or reference to an attached writing sample.

Indicate what you will do to follow-up.

In a letter of application — applying for an advertised opening — applicants often say something like “I look forward to hearing from you.” However, if you have further contact info (e.g. phone number) and if the employer hasn’t said “no phone calls,” it’s better to take the initiative to follow-up, saying something like, “I will contact you in the next two weeks to see if you require any additional information regarding my qualifications.”

In a letter of inquiry — asking about the possibility of an opening — don’t assume the employer will contact you. You should say something like, “I will contact you in two weeks to learn more about upcoming employment opportunities with (name of organization).”  Then mark your calendar to make the call.

Page margins, font style and size

For hard copy, left and right page margins of one to 1.5 inches generally look good. You can adjust your margins to balance how your document looks on the page.

Use a font style that is simple, clear and commonplace, such as Times New Roman, Arial or Calibri. Font SIZES from 10-12 points are generally in the ballpark of looking appropriate. Keep in mind that different font styles in the same point size are not the same size. A 12-point Arial is larger than a 12-point Times New Roman.

If you are having trouble fitting a document on one page, sometimes a slight margin and/or font adjustment can be the solution.

Serif or sans serif? Sans (without) serif fonts are those like Arial and Calibri that don’t have the small finishing strokes on the ends of each letter. There is a great deal of research and debate on the pros and cons of each. Short story: use what you like, within reason; note what employers use; generally sans serif fonts are used for on-monitor reading and serif fonts are used for lengthly print items (like books); serif fonts may be considered more formal. Test: ask someone to look at a document for five seconds; take away the document; ask the person what font was on the document; see if s/he even noticed the style. A too-small or too-large font gets noticed, as does a weird style.

Should your resume and cover letter font style and size match? It can be a nice touch to look polished. But it’s also possible to have polished documents that are not in matching fonts. A significant difference in style and size might be noticed. Remember that you can have your documents reviewed through advising, and that might be a fine-tuning question you ask.

Sample cover letter format guidelines:

Cover letters generally fall into one of two categories:

1. Letter of application: applying for a specific, advertised opening. See:

Sample 3.1:  letter of application following personal meeting, hard copy version

Sample 3.2: letter of application for advertised position, e-mail version

Sample 3.3: letter of application for advertised position, e-mail version

Sample 3.4: letter of application for advertised position, hard copy version

1. Letter of inquiry: expressing interest in an organization, but you are not certain if there are current openings. See:

Sample 3.5:  letter of inquiry about employment possibilities, e-mail version

Sample 3.6:  letter of inquiry about internship opportunities, hard copy version

Information-seeking letters and follow-up

To draft an effective cover letter, you need to indicate that you know something about the employing organization.  Sometimes, even with research efforts, you don’t have enough information to do this. In such a case it is appropriate to write requesting information.

See Sample 4.1:  Information seeking letter, hard copy version.

After you receive the desired information you can then draft a follow-up letter that:

Thanks the sender for the information;

Markets why you would be a good job candidate for that organization based on the information; and

Explains why you are sending your resume.

….which means it does what all cover letters should do, as explained at the start above!

See Sample 5.2:  Follow up letter to information seeking meeting.

Sample 3.1 — Letter of application, hard copy version

Sample 3.2  —  Letter of application, e-mail version

Sample 3.3 — Letter of application, e-mail version

Sample 3.4 — Letter of application, hard copy version

Sample 3.5 — Letter of inquiry about employment possibilities, e-mail version

Sample 3.6 — Letter of inquiry about internship opportunities, hard copy version

Sample 4.1 — Information seeking letter, hard copy version

Sample 5.2 — Follow-up letter to information seeking meeting, e-mail version

Article Reference: http://www.career.vt.edu/jobsearchguide/coverlettersamples.html

Step 1

Start with the plan. This must be realistic, with clear achievable goals. If the plan is already in place before you started, review the plan and assess whether, given your resources, you will be able to complete this on schedule. Check to see if there are contract penalties for missing deadlines. That gives you some levers in the company if things get bogged. If you have any computer skills at all, get a project planning software. This will help the whole team see what is happening and what must happen. Careful and thoughtful planning can save your skin.

Step 2

Assign tasks. Identify all the tasks that must be done to complete the job, cluster together related tasks and assign each cluster to one person who will be fully accountable for its completion. Determine the length of time needed to finish the tasks. With each person, draw up a terms of reference to include the tasks and the length of time needed for completion. Make sure the person assigned to the task sign the document to confirm his agreement.

Step 3

Prepare a schedule. Arrange the timing of the tasks into a chart on the computer if you can, or on a wall. Indicate which task must be completed before another can start. Indicate the critical points in the schedule and clarify each one’s commitment to make this happen. Make sure that all the task holders have a clear understanding of the project’s critical path and each individual’s input not just to the project,  but to the other task holders’ completion of their task.

Step 4

Build Slack into the schedule. Remember your previous projects? Will a tsunami hit? How about a suppliers strike or transport chaos in winter or ????? No matter how much you try, there are delays you can’t foresee. So many other things can happen to affect this schedule so make sure you provide, at least, 25 percent extra time for this. Keep in mind the Boeing 787.Dreamliner …..wow…2 years late already?

Step 5

Look at resources available. Make sure you have what you need and it is all allocated and scheduled for your use, no ands and buts or ifs!!! Blindsides are painful! If you have to share resources with other projects, make sure you assess the impact of this on your project and provide the support to mitigate negative impact.

Step 6

Track regularly your progress. Have a white board that informs everyone of progress. Highlight inputs completed. Celebrate critical hurdles. Enable, enable, enable! When you face a wall, think of the next best thing you can do. Schedule meetings appropriately for reporting and for critical intervention. Solve and tackle problems right where it happens. As you keep doing one project after another, start building teams of persons who can work well with each other. This way, you are sure to complete your project on schedule.

In most projects there comes a time when you are sure the world will end, you will be fired, your team will set your office on fire and your family will go home to the mother-in-law. Don’t panic. Now is when you really show what leadership is by calming the troops, focusing energy on solutions and building confidence that all can be salvaged.

Article Reference: http://www.howtodothings.com/business/how-to-complete-a-project-on-time