How to Be Constructive Confident Without Getting Labeled Office Bitch

How to Be Constructive Confident Without Getting Labeled “Office Bitch” Unfortunately, most women in the workforce know all too well how difficult it can be to find your voice. Even the most powerful professional women struggle to speak up, share their ideas and assert themselves at work. While some may genuinely lack confidence, many are actually quite sure of themselves, but fear their confidence will be perceived as a bit “too much,” and they’ll be labeled as aggressive.  Virtually every professional woman faces this dichotomy: how not to be perceived as difficult or a doormat. It’s extremely frustrating, considering that our male counterparts don’t have this problem. When men communicate, it’s acceptableeven desirable and influentialfor them to be assertive and self-confident. It’s considered an attribute, rather than a flaw. But, women who don’t balance their confidence at work with healthy dose of modesty often face a backlash effect where they’re perceived as less likable â€" a  negative reflection on their personality. When we’re asked to provide feedback about our peers, our supervisors or organization, this can feel especially daunting because we don’t want to hurt anyone’s feelings or come across as mean.  But, we must overcome the fear of being seen as “bitchy” simply for being honest and genuine in our opinions. Instead, we must learn to give feedback in a confident, constructive manner, in a way that inspires positive change, without downplaying our own role or diminishing that of others. Here are some tips: Be direct, but also constructive. This is the difference between saying, “That was an awful presentation,” and “That presentation was really unclear and needs a lot of work.” Being upfront and honest are important.   But it does no one any good to be hurtful when it in no way helps the situation. The goal of giving feedback is for the individual to improve. But if your feedback doesn’t leave room for improvement, they’ll feel demoralized rather than motivated. Ditch the compliment sandwich. I’m on a personal crusade to end this practice of tucking a complaint between two compliments because it’s ridiculous. We’re all adults, and we don’t need to be soothed and coddled. The compliment sandwich doesn’t make the recipient feel any betterit makes YOU feel better.  Often the recipient misses your constructive criticism altogether, or they dismiss it because you said other, nice things, so it must not be that big of a deal. Cut to the chase and be clear. Give feedback frequently. Just like riding a bike, the more you give feedback, the easier it gets. Especially if you’re in a leadership role, make sure that your employees know where they stand on a day-to-day basis. Ask yourself: if an employee were to ask for a raise and you’d decline, would they know why? If the answer is no, you’re not doing a good enough job at giving feedback. Everyone deserves to know about their strengths, what they can work on to improve and to have a trajectory for continuous growth. When women feel forced to stifle our opinions or to temper our presentation out of fear of being labeled as “mean,” we undermine our own ambition and likelihood of success. And, any workplace culture that allows this dichotomy and double-standard to persist is robbing itself of valuable insight that could have a substantial impact on business performance. Women must feel comfortable giving feedback, and confident that their input will be heard and not ignored. Otherwise, companies risk losing out on the engagement and impact of a potentially very large segment of their workforce. No company can afford to sacrifice that competitive advantage. Your feedback is vital to the success of your peers and your employer. Finding your voice and learning to give constructive, honest input makes you a better employee and a valuable asset in your company’sand your ownfuture. This guest post was authored by Carley Childress Carley Childress is CEO of  Macorva. Carley comes to field of employee engagement from an engineering background focused in  software development and business management. Having worked for companies both big and  small, she is passionate about bringing startup levels of engagement to established companies  by developing software solutions that bring together global engagement strategies and local  action.  

BDO Profession Levels - Tips on How to Gain XP Quickly

BDO Profession Levels - Tips on How to Gain XP QuicklyThe BDO profession levels have become one of the most talked about issues in the community. For those who are new to the game, it is natural that they would be concerned about this issue and their profession progress. What exactly does this mean and how can you avoid this problem?When you reach level 10 you will be given three skill ranks that you can use to enhance the weapons you build for your character. For each skill rank you get, you will gain a skill point that you can use to buy an option or skill from a skill tree. This is a little different from the usual game where skill points are the equivalent to dollars in order to buy a skill. Here we are going to talk about the different skill trees and how they work.There are actually two profession trees to look at. The first is the melee tree and the second is the caster tree. These two trees are very different and each has specific options. However, as you make more skill rank s you will eventually want to expand into the other trees and be able to do certain tasks such as kill mobs for loot.The melee tree has options to build professions around war machines. These include swordsmen, axe wielding warriors and so on. They may also want to use ranged professions for hunting down rare monsters. Both classes have the use of a shield in order to block attacks.The caster tree is for the rogues who may want to explore professions that focus on evading enemy attacks. There are a few classes in the game that specialize in this type of combat such as monks and wizards. Having the ability to heal will be helpful when using melee professions but more importantly to the assassin, which will allow him to evade attacks easier.Two very useful professions are the gunslinger and the rogue. Using these will help you build up their strengths while focusing on dodging attacks and finding weak spots on enemy mobs.The trick is knowing when to use what trees. For example, having enough skill points in the caster tree may allow you to build some really good armor for your character. It will be nice to have a lower skill point in this tree though since it will be used for gathering resources instead. The only thing to remember when using this strategy is that you will need to build up to the skill rank for that profession before expanding on the next skill rank.These are just a few things you can do to avoid losing experience while leveling up in BDO career levels. There are several more things you can do but this is a very simple way to avoid losing your own skill points. It will also allow you to gain more XP faster in the long run if you want to be a specialized character that is focused on melee.

Writing Resume Goal Statements

Writing Resume Goal StatementsPeople who are looking for a job with an accounting firm may find that they have to write resume goal statements. The goal statements are actually very common with many companies, but if you know how to write them, you may find that it is easy to get the job.One of the best ways to do this is to organize your goals in a logical manner. You do not want to just come up with something at random and call it a goal statement. It will be much better if you write out your plan.Before you start thinking about writing your goals, you should decide what you really want to achieve. This can be difficult because of the amount of stress we place on what others think we should do. However, you should keep your goals in mind while you write them. If you begin to see your life in a different light than you originally thought, you will have difficulty staying motivated. This can prevent you from reaching your goals.The first goal you want to focus on is to improve your c urrent knowledge about accounting. After you determine your goal, you will need to choose the type of subject matter you will cover. You may write about an aspect of the firm's practices, or you may even find a book that you would like to read about.Once you have decided on your topic, you will want to find the most important goals that relate to your topic. They will help to tell the reader what you will cover. Then you will be able to put together a coherent statement that will be useful to the employer.The next goal you will need to focus on is the progress that you have made in the last year. What you will do during the next year is important. Even if you have started to work full time, you still have not met your goal of being fully employed. You should write about the progression you have made in the past year.Another important part of goal statements is the time frame you are going to cover. By doing this, you will be able to include things that are going to happen in the fut ure. It is good to use past and future statements together to make a single statement that describes your career goals. You should also give a date that you think will be when you will reach this goal.If you find that your goal statements are confusing, it is possible that you need to look at other sections of your resume. Instead of going back and forth on what you should say, you should ask someone else to do it for you.

LinkedIn Invites When a Potential Connection Quickly Becomes a Disconnect

LinkedIn Invites When a Potential Connection Quickly Becomes a Disconnect I receive a lot of invitations on LinkedIn and while I am happy to accept most of them, sometimes the invite process is so poorly managed that the last thing I want to do is connect. Since I seem to see the same LinkedIn  networking mistakes  repeated over and over, I decided to post them here. Here are my top four.Not enough information. I recently received an invitation from someone that read I would like to introduce myself. That was it. I searched their profile but all that was listed was company names, job titles, and employment dates. Please do not make me work so hard. Just give me the facts. Create a branded, detailed profile and explain to me what possible synergies we might have.Expecting too much too fast. Sometimes I receive invitations from people asking me if I know of any job openings. I dont even know you yet. If you take the time to get to know me first and prove your value to an employer I will certainly open up my network and help you if I can.Just plain laziness. Frequently I receive invitations that were simply copied and pasted from a LinkedIn boilerplate template. How can you send me an invite that reads you are someone I know and trust when I have never met you? Please respect me enough to send me a personalized invitation that explains why we should connect.Unwillingness to share. Some people send me invitations to connect so they can mine my database, yet their contacts are protected. I think the concept of  sharing  was covered in kindergarten. If you have no intentions of creating a reciprocal relationship, dont bother sending me an invitation.Two great books for understanding the mechanics and nuances of LinkedIn are  Im on LinkedInNow What???  and  42 Tips for 24 Hour Success on LinkedIn.  Study up and create a LinkedIn strategy that includes thoughtfulness, respect, and fairness and in no time you will be increasing your network exponentially and building meaningful connections.

4 Tips for Landing Your Dream Internship - Career Advice Blog for Millennials

4 Tips for Landing Your Dream Internship - Career Advice Blog for Millennials 4 Tips for Landing a Great Internship Internships can be incredibly important for a college student. If you’re an intern at the right place, you’ll gain experience you can’t get in a classroom setting. Securing a paid internship is even better it’s hard enough to make money as a college student, so earning money and gaining relevant job experience is a double win. Personally, I’m a huge advocate of internships: My editorial internship during my last year of college helped me land an amazing job right after graduation. Luckily, I had other relevant work experience prior to submitting my internship application. But what if I didn’t? 4 Tips for Landing a Great Internship If you don’t have prior job experience, it doesn’t have to be a dealbreaker. Here’s how to apply for and land your dream internship. 1. Tailor Your Cover Letter and Resume Yes, it’s still possible to personalize your cover letter and resume even when you don’t have tons of on-the-job experience. When it comes to a cover letter, each paragraph needs a main focus. In the first paragraph, talk about yourself: who you are, where you’re studying, how you found the job and mention any connections you may have to the company or internship. For the second paragraph, talk about why you’re a good fit for the company and internship. Incorporate key responsibilities and requirements listed in the job posting and connect any personal experience you have in the field. In the third and final paragraph, talk more about your own personality traits and skills and how they benefit you in the workplace. End the cover letter with your contact information and when you’ll get in touch. When creating a resume, keep in mind any of your important classes, volunteer work or extracurricular activities. Write down why you pursued them and what you learned from each experience. It’s also important to tailor your resume to the internship you’re applying for. Your resume for a social media internship would look much different than one for a financial firm regarding what relevant experience you’d want to include. 2. Make the Most of LinkedIn LinkedIn is a social network college students can easily overlook. Building a strong LinkedIn profile can help you stand out among your classmates. If you haven’t already, create a free profile and make sure everything is up to date. Include any relevant career experience, whether it was a paid job or not. You could also list relevant coursework or skills you learned in college, such as your proficiency with certain programs. In need of a professional headshot? Whatever you do, don’t use a selfie as your profile picture. Have a friend take one for you, or see if your school’s career services center offers a free headshot service mine did! Now that your profile is updated, it’s time to make connections. Start with fellow classmates, professors and any co-workers, then look for companies you’re interested in and follow them. It’s important to build out your network with connections you already know before adding connections you’ve never met before.   Introduce yourself to anyone you haven’t actually met with a brief message on why you want to connect. 3. Research the Company Interviewing for an internship requires a little bit of research beforehand. Look into the company you’re interviewing with know its basic information, goals, values and culture. When researching the company, come up with a few questions to ask. This could be anything from what the company’s strategy is, to examples of projects past interns worked on. Take note of the environment too. If you’re interviewing with a casual startup company, you might not want to go decked out in your finest formal business attire. When I was interviewing for internships, I had multiple different outfits depending on the company. I had my business outfit for formal workplaces and a more casual, yet still professional, dress and flats for more laid-back companies. Showing up with the right outfit on shows you’re on top of your game and know how to fit in.   4. Always Follow Up I learned this lesson the hard way. I went on an interview that went really well but waited a few days to follow up I was told they were choosing another candidate because I had waited too long. After that, I made sure to follow up with anyone I interviewed with on the same day. It doesn’t have to be anything complicated just send a quick email thanking them for their time and that you look forward to hearing from them. This gesture is small, but so important. Similarly, a lot of people apply to jobs on LinkedIn and other job board websites, and never follow up. If you submitted an application online and didn’t hear back, try to find out who the hiring manager or human resources person is and contact them via phone or email. It could mean the difference between getting called in for an interview or not.   Armed with these tips, you’re ready to apply for your dream internship. Good luck! Jacquelyn Pica is a writer at The Penny Hoarder. Find her on Twitter @JacquelynTPH.

How to Get a Resume Writing Service in US

How to Get a Resume Writing Service in USAre you looking for the best resume writing service in US? There are many companies that provide services in the US but the only problem is that most of them do not have a lot of experience or know how to do what they are supposed to do. This is why you should look for the best resume writing service in the US. There are so many available these days, where is the need for you to wait until you get lucky enough to hire the right company to do your job for you?You just need to select a company that can take care of your resume in a professional manner. In order to do this, you need to look at the features that a resume writing service offers its clients. The first feature to look for is their style and presentation. Try to find a resume writing service that is able to provide an attractive resume style and one that offer information in a clear and easy to understand manner.You should also search for companies that offer their clients the facilit y of conducting their research through various resources. There are so many websites that will give you this opportunity. Make sure that you select the website that provides the best resume writing service in US. You can also find websites that can show you some of the other things that a resume writing service should have.The website must be able to provide you with templates that are simple and easy to use, it must include a resume service which allows you to create a personal resume and set the format according to your needs. It is important that the personal attention given to you by the writer must be done with professionalism.The resume writing service must also be able to create custom resumes and customize it according to your requirements. This is important because the resume must reflect your personality and a personalized resume will reflect that. When the writer gets to know more about you, he can customize your resume according to your interests and personal needs.If yo u think that you need some personalized samples for your resume, you can also get them free of cost or you can pay for it. It is also important that you must find out if the writers have any editing skills to make your resume as a personal touch. Make sure that you must opt for a professional resume writing service in US that has the expertise to give you the best resume writing service in US.The above mentioned points are the most important things to look for while hiring a resume writing service in US. This will help you get the best resume writing service in US and will not only allow you to get the job but will also help you to get the best salary for doing the job.

Millennials Wont Unplug So Stop Pressuring Them

Millennials Won't Unplug So Stop Pressuring Them In a scene from the recent summer beach read “Love and Miss Communication”, a young millennial workaholic lawyer on the verge of partnership named Evie gets fired from her job for sending too many personal e-mails while at work. Then she discovers, on Facebook, that the man of her dreams is very much in love with … someone else. And so she swears off the Internet for a year. Needless to say, good things happen. But there’s a catch. Problems come with the things that don’t happen. For example, Evie misses a close friend’s party because she didn’t check Facebook. She grows increasingly isolated, and her friends feel insulted. The urge for the first generation to come of age in the new millennium to stay connected is strong. According to Boston Consulting Group, 37% of younger millennials (ages 18 to 24) said that they feel as if they are “missing something” if they are not on Facebook or Twitter every day, compared with 23% of non-millennials. Those concerns are valid and should not be ignored. Unlike previous generations, the vast majority of their social plans are made online. Ditto for the humble brags. Friends cheer each other on, which can be a great motivator. The reality is that millennials are digital natives. They take their devices to bed, text in almost any situation, and constantly check social networking sites to stay in the loop. Rather than putting a negative spin on their social media-centered culture, it may make more sense to encourage them to leverage it. Bob Pearson, president of digital marketing and communications company W20 Group, says there is simply no reason to pressure millennials to unplug, even at work. “That is a myth that companies don’t expect you to be online and do some personal social stuff,” says Pearson, who blogs about millennials with his 19-year-old daughter. “We just have to embrace that when (millennials) have downtime, that is what they do.” For example, Pearson’s daughter Brittany sends her co-workers Snapchat messages as they are working, even if they are right near each other. Crowdsourcing Feedback Allowing younger workers to be in touch at work can be advantageous. Their real-time connections provide crowdsourced feedback along with constant information that can be useful on projects. Even though millennials may be connected to work more, they also are connected to their social world, which can make work more enjoyable, keeping them more productive. Blurred lines aren’t always so bad. But some worry about the health effects of all this connectivity. “If employers want to improve the health of their employees, including millennials, they should consider encouraging them to unplug when they leave work,” says Terri L. Rhodes, chief executive officer of Disability Management Employer Coalition, an employer-based non-profit organization. “We still do not know the health effects of texting, the constant use of thumbs and the effect on arthritic thumb joints. There is also growing medical concern about neck problems from always looking down at devices.” As for Brittany, she does have a pang of jealousy for older unplugged folks. She talks wistfully about leaving her phone at home, at least when she goes to the beach. But she does not. In fact, the urge to unplug seems to come and go in an instant â€" almost as fast as the constant buzz calling her back to her devices.