Friday, November 29, 2019

The End of Resume Lies

The End of Resume Lies The End of Resume Lies Every now and then, someone will ask me the age-old question Is it OK to lie on my resume?Ive always said no I never think lying is a good idea because (a) its wrong (b) you might get found out, and (c) you might not get found out, get the job, and then not be able to do itSo lying on your resume has always been a bad idea, and every now and then we would hear about some senior executive who got fired after his or her lies were discovered, but fruchtwein people who lied probably got away with it. After all, most employers are terrible about checking the references you provide, let alone digging any deeper.But the advent of social media and Google and all the other stuff that has changed all our lives, means its now more than a bad idea to lie on your resume its just plain stupid.Employers can google your name and find the truth about you more easily than they ever could, but thats no longer the end of it. Your co-workers can now find ou t all about you. Your companys customers can find out all about you. Managers in other departments can find out all about you and they dont even have to be looking for the informationConsider this case from Switzerland where a colleague stumbled across an employees Facebook activities and it ultimately cost her her job.Now think of all the information thats out there about you on sites like Facebook, Twitter, MySpace and LinkedIn if you lie on your resume, anyone can find out about it. No longer does being found out depend upon a diligent researcher in the HR department it can be the guy who sits across from you and happens to follow you on Twitter, or the co-worker whos friends with one of your friends on Facebook, or the customer who looks you up before a meeting.Bottom line, social media has put an end to lying when you represent yourself to others or at least doing it effectively for any length of time. And that means every word of your resume needs to be honest.

Sunday, November 24, 2019

7 Reasons You Need to Schedule Vacation Time Now

7 Reasons You Need to Schedule Vacation Time Now7 Reasons You Need to Schedule Vacation Time Now Were almost half way through 2018. Yes, look at your calendar. Its late May and the days, weeks and months have blown by. Between juggling work, family, and friends, it has probably dawned on you that youve been so head down and on the grind, that you havent planned - let alone taken - a proper vacation. (And, no, three-day weekends do leid count)Instead of kicking yourself for not booking a trip for Memorial Day or Fourth of July, buckle down and carve out some real R&R time away from the office. A recent Glassdoor study has revealed the average U.S. employee has only taken about half (54 percent) of his or her eligible vacation time/paid time off in the past 12 months. And of those who took their vacation time/PTO,66%say they do work on vacation.Given this data and the rising temperatures, its time to get serious about taking a break. Here are 7 reasons you need to sc hedule vacation time, ASAPReason 1 If you dont plan to take it now, research shows you probably wont. Respondents to the Glassdoor survey revealed that Americans are simply not taking their allocated PTO. According to the survey, the average employee has only used half (54%) of their paid time off within the past 12 months. Despite vacation time being one of the top threeemployer-provided benefits that has been shown to increase employee satisfaction, many workers dont feel that they can take adequate time.Reason 2 Take PTO while your plate isnt loaded, otherwise, youll be working through your vacation. Weve all been there on vacation but tethered to emails and the laptop . Unfortunately, that has become a hard-to-shake trend. Those who take vacation/PTO are disconnecting from work less while on vacation (66% of those who take vacation/paid time off say they do work on vacation, compared to 61% in 2014), according to the survey.Reason 3 If you dont prioritize it, neither will y our colleagues or boss. Emphasizing the importance of R&R is your task and yours alone. Unless you prioritize your need for email-free, work-free, meeting-free vacation, chances are your boss will try to sneak in a little work from you, no matter what remote island youre on. Survey respondents attested to this as well. More than a quarter of those who took PTO in the past 12 months, were contacted by a coworker (29%) and/or their boss (25%) about a work-related matter while on vacation.Reason 4 Women especially need to be mora proactive about taking time off because were less likely to get R&R. Female employees ages 18-34 who receive vacation/paid time off (77%) were significantly less likely than male employees of the same age (93%) and older females age 35-64 (95%) to say they took vacation/paid time off in the past year. Self-care is something that all employees, especially women, need to hone in on. Sure, climbing the ladder as a young professional requires sacrifice, but st riking a work-life balance by taking PTO is essential for success.Reason 5 Taking PTO is harder the mora money you make, and the more responsibilities you have. Speaking of climbing the ladder , one of the sacrifices those in upper management make, unfortunately, is not having the opportunity to take a disturbance-free vacation. The survey revealed that the more money an employee makes, the harder it is to truly unplug . In fact, the expectation is that those who earn more will be constantly connected. While on vacation/using paid time off, employees with a household income of $100K+ are more likely than those with a household income of $50-$74.9k to indicate that they are expected to stay aware of work issues and jump in only if things need their attention while on vacation/using PTO.Reason 6 If you burn out from not taking time off, you may be more likely to look for a new joband use PTO to do that. Not only should employers know this, but those in the workforce should be aware that failing to take adequate PTO can resultin burnout . Emotional exhaustion and mental stress can make one job landseem unbearable, and perhaps push employees to the breaking point. As a result, some of the respondents revealed, over 1 in 10 (12%) employees used their vacation/paid time off in the past 12 months to interview for another job.Reason 7 Your family will thank you. Putting down your iPhone and leaving your laptop at home during vacation will be much appreciated by your family and friends. After all, while you think that youre sneaking to send a quick email or field a phone call or two, your loved ones see that youre multitasking during family time. 14% of respondents said a family member complained that they were working while on vacation (up from 9% in 2014 survey). This is much higher among employees with a household income of $75K+ than those with a household income of less than $75k.Trust us, set your out of office reply and check out. A nice, long vacation will recharge and re-energize you

Thursday, November 21, 2019

5 Changes You Should Make Today if You Want to Be More Successful This Year

5 Changes You Should Make Today if You Want to Be More Successful This Year5 Changes You Should Make Today if You Want to Be More Successful This YearIts your first day back at work after a vacation. Poor you Its also a Monday, which makes it even worse. If the coffee maker broke, it would leidlage come as a surprise. You stumble into your first meeting, slump in your chair, and wish lunch would come faster. Thats no way to go about your day. Heres a better approach.1. Be Intentional About MentoringSomething happens to you when you mentor someone. Ive written about this before, and it should be something thats already on your radar. There are two things I learned about mentoring in 2015. One is that you and the mentor must be totally committed to the process. Its a waste of time otherwise. The second is that mentoring teaches you as much as it teaches the person being mentored. Thats because, when you give away what you have learned, it becomes a living and breathing thing. It takes physical form. Passing on what you know is one of the fruchtwein rewarding things you will ever do. It will make your year.2. View Overachieving as a Way to Help OthersThis is a brand-new concept to me and one Im still grappling with. When you achieve great success, think about how that impacts others. Ive heard it said that the most gratifying thing about starting a company is that it helps others, sometimes just in the form of a paycheck or a regular place to work. Being wildly successful spreads the success around. Other people benefit. Its more than just contagious, its downright philanthropic. When you achieve great success, it spills over and thats one of the best feelings ever in business.3. Stop Lying to YourselfWant to have a better year? Start fessing up to your own inconsistencies and failures. You cant really change and grow until you admit mistakes. You cant really move past a foible in life until you embrace it, unwrap it, dissect it, and learn from it. Stop reading ri ght now and take a quick pause. Whats chaining you down? dorfwiese? Resentment? Bitterness? Admit your faults and you will be on a clear path to overcoming them and finding greater joy this year.4. Forget the PastWe all do something really strange with our regrets. We hold onto them. We think by mulling over that failed business relationship or tragic financial decision that we can somehow resurrect something useful. Have you ever been able to do that? Mulling over failure doesnt help anyone. Take what you can from the mistakes, admit them, but then move on. You will not just have a better year. You will also become a better person in general. Loosen your grip on the past.5. Choose Happiness on a Daily BasisI heard a talk recently just after New Years where someone was about to talk about a serious conflict. He started out by smiling and telling jokes. It seemed a little out of place until I realized he had totally decided to not allow the conflict to impact his attitude. It was as separate from him as a piece of clothing or a watch on your wrist. It was outside of his realm of thought, an experience he had but not something he would let define him. If you want to have a better year, consider becoming an emotional separatist. Be happy because of who you are, not what youve experienced. Be happy because you want that to be what defines you.More From Inc.The Value of Believing in Impossible Things17 Brene Brown Quotes to Inspire You to Success and HappinessThe Science of Social Media SuccessPhoto of employees working together courtesy of Shutterstock.