How to Plan Your Office Party

How to Plan Your Office Party These days, just getting drunk and humiliating yourself isnt the only thing you need to worry about at your work Christmas do. Sadly with the rise of the #Metoo movement, being over familiar with your work colleagues could land you in a whole heap of trouble. Laurie Huspen, the founder of Valuable Resources Co., suggests it can no longer be tossed aside in the name of tradition and fun. She says: The traditional office party is rooted in the very behaviors that recent movements have exposed. To suddenly validate bad behavior in the name of celebrating a successful year runs completely contrary to what we have learned in recent years about overt harassment on many levels. We’ve heard very clearly over the last year that women in particular felt very uncomfortable in the workplace and what many thought was fun was truly harassment. I think we can all celebrate the holidays in better fashion. So how can your company enjoy a holiday celebration for employees without the threat of a law suit? Here are some suggestions To Booze or not It is in a company’s best interest to have an event without alcohol as it reduces the possibility of many negative circumstances occurring. Should alcohol be available, offsite parties might do well to have a cash bar or use drink tickets with each employee only getting a limited number of tickets. If the party takes place in the office, have it confined to limited hours and if alcohol is served, make sure there is plenty of food to go along with it. What not to wear Set a dress code that discourages inappropriate clothing. Companies like to change their parties each year. What may have been a casual cocktail party last year could be a black-tie sit-down dinner this time. Plan a theme that all your employees feel comfortable with. Do games This is a great opportunity to build in a game or event that everyone can participate in. Whether its an end of year quiz, silly awards for staff or a raffle, there are many ways to make the party fun, create good memories and even build camaraderie with just a little creativity. Planning the office party may not be down to you in terms of the venue and timings but setting the standard for your party planners to follow needs to come from you. And if youre worried your employees wont have a good time just as they did in previous years, youd be surprised just how much these little tweaks can work in your favor. Laurie Huspen adds: You might find that the old parties weren’t really all that enjoyable. You may find the majority of employees didn’t really have fun avoiding those who were overserved and obnoxious and dreaded the climate at work the following Monday as people perhaps avoided eye contact after a night of boorish behavior. For most employers, the whole point of a party isnt to flash your cash and spend the companys profits but to say thanks to your staff for their hard work and commitment to your company. Your employees wont really care that there isnt a free bar, or being held at an exclusive venue with top-notch entertainment if they did then they probably shouldnt be working for you. Theyll just be grateful that you thought of them and bothered to do something for them to show them your appreciation. If youve already thrown your office party then keep these suggestions for when you plan the next one, and if you havent, then what are you waiting for?

Learn About the Alison Course Resume Writing Diploma

Learn About the Alison Course Resume Writing DiplomaIf you are considering pursuing an education, a good number of people recommend that you complete an Alison course. This comes from the fact that this particular program will make you a better writer. This might be true for some people but others might not think that it will help.A recent study has shown that people who took this course were able to write a much better resume. This might be an interesting insight but people who were concerned about such a thing might find it difficult to believe that a program could change their resume. On the other hand, they will also find it hard to believe that the program will result in higher rankings on a resume. This is a misconception that needs to be addressed.People who take this course will learn how to write a resume. They will also learn how to construct a more professional looking resume. As a result, people will get better results in terms of their CV. Those people who have received high rankings in their past resumes will also be able to improve their chances of getting a better job.The reason why employers are going to be interested in hiring someone with the right education is because potential employers will see that they have studied for a certain degree. They will also see that they are proficient in the subject matter. By doing this, they will be confident that they are able to provide services that are worthy of paying for.Graduates from this program are in high demand. This is because of the fact that they know how to write a resume and they are good at it. They will also be capable of giving recommendations.Taking this course will also improve your ability to read. This is an important skill that you will need if you want to get better at writing resumes. As a result, people who are taking this course are going to get better results when it comes to resumes.To put it simply, people who do this are going to have great career prospects. They will be abl e to get a job faster and they will also be able to get better pay rates. This is all thanks to the fact that they did an Alison course.Of course, this doesn't mean that there are many jobs out there that are easily available for people who do this. There are plenty of other things that will benefit people with this kind of education. However, it's not hard to see why people would go for this option when it comes to careers.

Office Etiquette When to Tell Your Employer About Your Vacation Plans

Office Etiquette When to Tell Your Employer About Your Vacation Plans Dear Classy Career Girl,   I have been reading your blog daily lately and I find so many useful things that  I can incorporate in  my daily life. Thank you so much for that. Now I have a question. I have a vacation scheduled three months from now and if I get hired, how should I negotiate my vacation with the new company? Should I inform the new company during the interview process or wait and see if I am hired?   I want to be ethical to my future new employer  but I  definitely dont want to have to cancel my vacation!   -Responsible  applicant (with a passport) Sharing Vacation Plans with Your Employer Dear Responsible Applicant, When I was first hired at my current company, I was in the exact same position! I was getting married in three months and I wanted to take three weeks off for my wedding and honeymoon. I recommend that you dont say a word about your vacation plans during the interview. The interview is only the time to put your best foot forward.   When you bring up an issue like this  during the interview,  they  may question how important this job  is to you and how often you are going to be going on vacations in the future. Once you get offered the job and are negotiating salary, that is when you are in the bargaining spot! They have already done a lot of work to review resumes and  interview candidates  and they chose you as the best fit! This is the perfect time to let them know  about your future  vacation plans. In my case, I was so worried about it but  they really didnt care at all. They said that they would work it out and not to worry about it. I can almost guarantee that you will receive a similar response. Good luck on your interview!! -Classy Career Girl Do you have a question for me? Here are 4 easy ways to ask your questions!     Leave a comment here, email me at anna@classycareergirl.com, find me on twitter @classycareer or comment on my Facebook page.   I answer every email and will never share your name (unless you want me to:)

Great Places to Find Job Search Advice

Great Places to Find Job Search Advice You’ve recently decided to look for a new job. Whether you are a veteran in the job market or a first-timer to the job search, looking for a job can be scary. Often, job seekers need advice for their search. There are thousands of resources online, but it’s easy to get overwhelmed. Where is the best advice for your career search?Don’t worry! I’ve got you covered. I’ve compiled a list of some great places to find advice when starting your job search. Happy Hunting!LinkedInLinkedIn is a great place to be not only during the job search but all the time. LinkedIn is a great way to connect with other professionals and build your network. It’s also a great place to get advice for your career search. Your connections can help guide you towards the right job, critique your resume, and help you learn how to optimize your career search.Additionally, your connections may be in positions that you want. What better way to learn about the position than by connecting with someone workin g in that field? I’ve seen the help LinkedIn can bring to the career search in my previous experience as a job seeker. I was able to use my connections to find out more about the fields that interested me.The MuseIf you are anything like me, you like to read anything and everything you can for advice. The Muse is the perfect place for that! The Muse is a great resource for job seekers, new and experienced. They provide information on top companies and jobs they offer.They also offer great career advice articles. There are tons of articles about the job search, covering topics on positions available, resumes, and interviews. The Muse is a great place to prepare for your job search and get the information you need to succeed in your search.GlassdoorWhen applying for jobs, I like to know the company I’m applying for. While looking at the company’s website can give me information about their business, it doesn’t give an inside view of the company's culture. That’s where Glassd oor comes in. They have a growing database of company reviews, salary reports, and interview questions and reviews. The information about the company comes from the people who know it best- the employees. As a job seeker, being able to look up information on the company you’re applying to can be a huge help. You know what the employees' think about the company, salary expectations, and how to prepare for the interview.Find My ProfessionFind My Profession has a ton of resources for job seekers in our Career Advice section. We have been in the game of job searching before. We know the ins-and-outs of the market, and we give you the information to help you succeed. With our wealth of knowledge, we can help you strengthen your LinkedIn, create a great resume, and have an awesome interview.

The Best Resume Skills - Present Yourself As a Positive Force

The Best Resume Skills - Present Yourself As a Positive ForceThe best resume skills are what employers are looking for. It's crucial that you know what to write in your resume as well as what to say in your cover letter. Both of these components will determine whether you get an interview or not.The best resume skills will make you write your cover letter. You have to be able to present yourself in a positive light without saying anything negative about yourself. For example, if you don't like gardening then don't put 'I don't like gardening' on your cover letter. This will come across as insincere and will reflect poorly on you.The best resume skills will let you show how you can help the employer with the skills he or she needs for the job. Show them that you can do the job. Don't be negative about it.You will also want to write an online application. An online application will give the employer a sense of convenience while still giving you the chance to express yourself and showca se your best qualities. This is where a quality resume comes in handy.If you want to get a job at a fast food restaurant or donut shop then you will need to offer a personal recommendation. In most cases, a recommendation from your friends or co-workers is enough. That being said, you also need to write a strong letter of recommendation.Another great resume skills is writing a resume cover letter. You need to include a few statements that will demonstrate to the employer that you are a hard worker. These statements will have them wanting to meet you so they can get to know you better.Those who use the best resume skills usually know that their best chances of getting hired are by writing both. They know that if they aren't convincing enough, they will get fired. The best resume skills to force the employer to want to meet you so that they can see that you can do the job.So, the next time you are in a recruiter meeting, you should use your best resume skills. Don't be afraid to be di rect and let the employer know that you can do the job. Remember, employers always like someone who is positive and someone who can provide something that will make them happy. Just be sure to show your personality through the skills you use.

Executive Job Search Networking Lessons from Expert Connectors and Relationship-Builders - Executive Career Brandâ„¢

Executive Job Search Networking Lessons from Expert Connectors and Relationship-Builders

Many American businesses treat their employees like crap - Pathfinder Careers

Many American businesses treat their employees like crap - Pathfinder Careers Many American businesses treat their employees like crap Treat their employees like crap? Not all American businesses. But many do. With some exceptions. A recent article by Business Insider discussed how one CEO paid employees $2,000 to go on vacation. As a result, employees are happier and more productive. This isnt big news or even rocket science. Of course they are happier. But why do many American businesses treat their employees like crap? The term is turn and burn bosses squeeze what they want out of their employees, and when the staff member leaves (or drops dead), theres a ready labor supply ready to jump in to fill that staff members shoes. But really, how far does that get you? Companies treat their employees like crap many ways, including: Crappy job titles. Companies give employees lower-sounding job titles that dont reflect the employees actual job duties. Real motivation: many employers want to avoid a title upgrade because, of course, that means an immediate employee request for higher pay. (Employer: Gotta keep those costs down!) Crappy management. Management refuses (or ignores the need) to deal with a toxic employee and just lets the situation fester. I dont know if it is because the manager likes to play games pitting staff against each other, or if they simply dont know what to do. Thats why leaders fail. Toxic employees mean that other staff are constantly visiting with their co-workers to complain about the situation, rather than working. So, Boss, how are those productivity levels working for ya then? Crappy handling of layoffs / RIFs (reduction in force). Several friends have suffered getting a pink slip. They werent being laid off because of poor performance; it was an economic decision. Thats fair. The way they were treated was crappy, which involved being told to drop what they were doing, pack their things, and be escorted off the premises. Like a criminal. Up until that moment, they were trusted, productive staff members. Thats just plain and simple- super crappy. Crappy vacation policies. Someone I knew worked at a company that had very stringent vacation policies which didnt provide 2 weeks vacation until after 5 years of employment. He wanted to go on a trip and offered to take non-paid time off. They said no. Please, someone, tell me how tired, stressed out employees who feel under-valued really are going to bust their butts to be top performers? Wheres the motivation? And by the way, is it 5pm somewhere because this is the kind of job that makes people start drinking. Crappy hiring processes. Inconsistent (and often biased) hiring processes often place under-qualified people over people who are perfectly positioned to step in. This results in a perfect recipe for an implosion. Trust me. Crappy succession planning. Similar to above, the pet employee of the supervisor gets promoted while the people who do the day-to-day heavy lifting are neglected. Another ingredient for a crappy work environment. And, theres nothing worse than being handed an empty promise that youre next in line for a higher job title (or even raise), and while you are waiting your turn, the boss reneges. Crappy corporate culture. Going back to the first part of this post about the CEO who paid employees to take vacation many bosses are cultivating a crappy corporate culture. Many people cant quite let go on vacation, let alone actually go on one, because there is a palatable fear of missing out. But after the Great Recession of 2007-2009, people lost their sense of job security. They cant relax because they dont feel like employers have their back. American employers have a lot of work to do to improve how they handle employee relations, and need to take the time to look past their PL statements to realize that treating their employees like crap actually ends up hurting the company in the long run.

Job Related Stress - Symptoms and Resolutions

Job Related Stress - Symptoms and Resolutions Everyone knows about job related stress. But few know how to resolve it or to reduce it. Job related stress can make your life absolutely miserable and its important to get rid of it altogether, or at least get it reduced so it doesnt affect your everyday life. It is estimated that a whopping 62% of Americans feel their work is the major cause of stress in their lives. Yikes! At the same time, stress levels have increased 50% since 2007. These are very significant numbers. Some of the things that induce job related stress are impending layoffs, problems with co-workers or superiors, overtime, no time off, and simply not being in the right job position. Any number of these things can cause physical problems such as things upset stomachs, frequent headaches, sleep issues and even grinding your teeth. More serious health issues are increased blood pressure, diabetes, weight gain and psychological problems. No one wants any of the above mentioned problems. Therefore, its important to make a change. Possible changes include taking time off from work, working out any differences between co-workers and superiors, making sure you are prepared in case there are layoffs, and if you are just unhappy in your position, start searching for another position. Remember, nothing in this world is more important than your health and your well being. A vacation or a job change will affect your income, but its important to understand that its better to make adjustments and rearrange a couple of bills in order to make things easier on you. You dont want to have problems with family or have psychological problems over job stress. If necessary, find a new job. Make the new year count by reducing the stress levels in your life. It is never too late to make changes so that you can live a more balanced, calm life.