Friday, May 29, 2020

Alexandra Levits Water Cooler Wisdom Israeli Army Experience Teaches Innovation

Alexandra Levit's Water Cooler Wisdom Israeli Army Experience Teaches Innovation As part of my entrepreneurship tour of Israel sponsored by Vibe Israel, I had the opportunity to learn about the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), or the Israel Army. IDF service is mandatory after young male and female citizens turn 18. When I first heard about this, Ill admit that I didnt necessarily think it was a good thing. However, after seeing what the IDF teaches in terms of critical business skills, Ive come to believe that it provides a great training ground for young professionals heading into the work world - especially those who want to start their own businesses. First, a bit of background.The IDF was officially established in 1948, shortly after the founding of the State of Israel. Its mission is todefend the existence, territorial integrity and sovereignty of the state of Israel; and to protect the inhabitants of Israel and to combat all forms of terrorism which threaten daily life. Preparation for Entrepreneurship In a recent panel, Dov Moran, inventor of the USB flash drive, pointed out that IDF service is a major driver of high achievement. Military service, combined with the continuous external threats to Israel, cultivate a seriousness of purpose and a cultural willingness to accept economic risks, he said. Creating a new business may seem relatively tame when neighboring countries are hostile to your physical survival. Besides this, Israel’s investments in defense technology and commercial products spun off from defense technology have encouraged â€" and even required â€" ongoing innovation. Living with the constant threat of war has spawned a culture of Israeli military research and development, and battlefield inventions havebeen transformed into technologies used worldwide to save lives, guard against cyber-attacks, and simplify mobile communications. One example is PillCam,a capsule with two tiny video cameras that enables visualization of patients’ intestines without the need for endoscopy. The PillCam was invented by Gabi Iddan, an IDF-trained engineer who used miniature missile-guiding technology for the purpose of medical imaging. Infused with this RD spirit, young servicemen and women are ready to launch their careers. How do you approach a complex problem and solve it? We do this in the IDF every day, said Iron Dome innovator Brig. Danny Gold in an interview with Israel Brain Technologies. The Iron Dome is a revolutionary,mobile all-weather air defense system designed to intercept and destroy short-range rockets headed toward populated areas. “Many of the people involved in these types of projects then take their skills to industry. What they learned about putting together complex multidisciplinary solutions serves them well in fields such as high-tech and brain-tech, added Gold.In addition to problem-solving and innovation, these skills include accountability, self-discipline, project management, and interpersonal communication. If you lived in Israel, would you want to serve in the IDF?

Monday, May 25, 2020

Practical Yet Stylish Home Office Design Ideas 

Practical Yet Stylish Home Office Design Ideas   Around 4.7 million  U.S. employees are working from home  no less than half the time. According to the 2017 American Community Survey from the U.S. Census Bureau, the number of regular work-from-home employees from the non self-employed sector increased by 159 percent since 2005. More people are now choosing this set-up instead of working in an office for several reasons. These reasons include schedule flexibility and having more time to spend with family. If you are thinking of working from home, you have to make sure that you have a spot that is conducive for work. If you do not have one at the moment, then it is worthwhile to consider the following design ideas if you  plan to renovate your home  and create a home office. Pick Your Color Wisely A recent report from Forbes stated that the ideal calmness brought by a home office environment may  help you focus more. This can be achieved by incorporating colors that could help you feel calm, like seafoam blue or botanical green. Yet experts from  J Fisher, interior design specialists, suggest sticking to a maximum of two colors at a time, so the room will not look too cluttered. Ideally, you should stick to a single color palette for your entire home office decoration project. Choose A Space With A View You do not need to stare at a blank wall all day like youd normally do in a traditional office setting. Since you re already setting up your workstation at home, you can place your desk strategically where you can see something interesting. It can be somewhere with the view of the garden or in a spot in your house near a great painting. You may also put your desk in an area where you can see the door or another outdoor view, which can actually spark your imagination. Allocate A Big Space For Your Moodboards To give you more inspiration to finish your tasks, you can put up some moodboards in front of your work station. This could be a regular corkboard that you can decorate with anything that you want. You can pin some postcards from the places that you want to go to, items that are hoping to buy, or pictures of the people close to you. It is also the perfect place to pin your to-do lists, so you can easily cross each one as soon as the task is done. Ultimately, your home office should exude an inviting atmosphere that encourages you to do your best. The furniture you put in it must be functional yet decorative at the same time. Most importantly, you must be comfortable in your home office so you can work properly and be productive during the week.

Friday, May 22, 2020

The Personality of the Workplace

The Personality of the Workplace With unemployment levels at their lowest rate in 18 years, finding the right candidate across various aspects of performance and personality can be a challenge. The complexity of the interview process has expanded to focus more on soft skills and cultural fit. Over the last couple of decades, the tech industry has created a widespread shift to place more emphasis on company culture and employee perks to attract and retain top talent. Whether you are hiring someone to join a large team or a startup’s first employee, attention to personality types is necessaryâ€"even as an exercise in self-awareness. While you will not be able to categorize personality types as binary as introvert or extrovert, many people do tend to sway more towards one type or the other. Carl Jung first theorized about introversion and extroversion personality types, and since then various academics have expanded on how to classify personality. From type A, B, C and D to the 16 personality types of the Myers-Briggs type indicator. These types and indicators seem to offer more granularity into how introverted or extroverted any given person is. Introverts and extroverts will have varying skill sets that make some aspects of a particular role more advantageous while simultaneously putting them at a disadvantage in other areas. In business especially, your personality is scrutinized, and your weaknesses highlighted. If you prefer to work alone and find the most productivity at that time or you thrive in collaboration, it’s best to feed the flames of your best self. Extroversion at work Extroverts are typically very charismatic which makes it easier for them to speak in public. This gives them an advantage during the face-to-face interview process. Extroverts often have a positive outlook which allows them to do well in a sales or fundraising scenario. A study actually found that optimistic salespeople sold 37 percent more than their pessimistic counterparts. Networking events and presentations are also a strength for extroverts, but they might have trouble focusing for longer stretches of time. Impulsivity is another area that troubles many extroverts, which is why extroverts should aim to focus on goal setting and tracking. Another thing to watch out for with the extroverted is active listening which can be boiled down from a lack of focus. If you are extroverted yourself, try to give the speaker or interviewer your undivided attention. Introverted yet assertive Introverts working in small groups or starting small businesses become energized by working alone. This can be difficult at the times when working with others is necessary. While many introverts are incredibly creative and contemplative, they have difficulty speaking to groups and meeting new people. Introverts also score highly on self-motivation but require time without distractions to truly thrive. It might behoove you as an introvert to allot time within your calendar where you are in a do not disturb mode. Introspection is necessary to recognize faults and grow within a role, company or relationship and this is an exercise that comes naturally to introverts. While extroversion has been rewarded in the workplace for decades, many people are beginning to see how great introverts are to an organization. While recognizing any given person’s strengths and weaknesses is essential to find the proper role within the workforce, it is also essential to understand the complementary nature of personality types. It takes a team comprised of varying personality types to deliver a great product or service. The key to unlocking any team’s potential is to find the best possible combination of personalities for the highest possible performance. Implement tips from the visual below from Fundera when considering the strengths and weaknesses of introverts and extroverts. About the author:  Meredith Wood is Editor-in-Chief at Fundera. Specializing in financial advice for small business owners.  Passionate about tech, entrepreneurship and all things social.

Sunday, May 17, 2020

3 Simple Ways to be More Likeable at Work

3 Simple Ways to be More Likeable at Work 3 Simple Ways to be More Likeable at Work When you think about how many of our waking hours are spent at work in the company of others, it makes you realize that your work time is a huge chunk of your life that you can either spend being happy or spend being miserable. Part of being happy at work is having good working relationships with you co-workers. It really helps a lot if your work colleagues like you and get along well with you. I bet that you know of at least one person at work that just about everyone likes. No matter what sort of mood the room is in, when that well-liked person walks in the whole mood of the place can be instantly lifted. People stop frowning and switch to wearing a smile and your day has been made just that little bit better by their mere presence.We all know people like this, but what if we ourselves could become more like them? What if we became that someone who makes everyone else feel happy, cheerful and motivated with our cheery smile and our positive attitude? Want to give it a try?Here a re some simple things we can do during our hours at work that will help us not only become more well-liked by our work colleagues but also happier in ourselves too.Take care of the little thingsIt is often said that it is the little things in life that matter. So doing small but meaningful tasks can go a long way to making everyone more happy in their work. For example, show someone that their ideas and input to a meeting was greatly appreciated by following up with a quick email thanking them for their contribution. Highlight one particular idea or suggestion and complement them for it. The next time you see that person in the corridor they will surely have a big smile for you and be happy to see you walking by.Treat your co-workers to something inexpensive yet meaningful. If your office is forever running out of coffee, then next time you go grocery shopping, add a jar of the good stuff to take to work and share with others, or pick up some chocolate treats or cake that you can pe rk everyone up with. You will be remembered and appreciated for your kind gesture.If you can try to pick up on and recognise all the small things that your colleagues are doing, then it will make your workplace atmosphere so much better. All it takes is a little bit of effort to notice what others around you are doing, which in truth you should be aware of anyway, then complementing them on their efforts. People will notice too, and in turn they may start to reciprocate by flattering and praising you on your efforts. It all makes for a happy environment where you spend a good part of your time each day.Find out about your colleagues passionsYou will find that everyone will love to talk to you about their passions and interests. Make your break times meaningful by grabbing a coffee and giving one of your co-workers a chance to get enthusiastic about their interests with you. Remember to listen. You may not have enough time on your break for an in-depth conversation so let your collea gue speak and elaborate on things they enjoy the most. The worst-case scenario here is that you may not share the same interests as your colleague, but knowing that you only have 15 minutes before going back to work will encourage you to keep going. In turn, your colleague will appreciate that you took some time to listen to them and hear them out. After all, what is 15 minutes out of an 8-hour work day? You never know â€" you may even learn something valuable from your exchange.Tomorrow is another day, so you can go and find another colleague to chat to during your break. You may find two different people have a shared interest at work and never knew! You could introduce them to each other and then you will have made two enthusiasts very happy. A great way to spread the love!Do your co-workers a favorYou know what will really make you more likeable at work? Doing your co-workers little favors, especially when you notice they are stressed, super-busy or are stuck trying to work o ut a problem. Doing small good deeds for your workmates can really help them out, but what it will also do is to make them appreciate your time and effort spent helping them. The next time you find yourself in need, your work colleagues will be more than happy to help you out.You can see that Jackie is busy with an important phone call, but she also needs to get 30 copies of an agenda made for a meeting in ten minutes. Offer to do the copying for her so she can finish her call and still get to the meeting on time with the agendas. You notice that Tom is having difficulties formatting a spreadsheet. Offer to help if this is something you can do quickly and easily or send him some useful links via email to YouTube videos on the subject to help resolve the issue.Become a master of the little favour. Look for opportunities to do small good deeds for others. Wherever you go you will be greeting with warm smiles and enthusiastic greetings. It is a great way to make yourself more likeable at work and a fantastic way of getting others to help you out of a tight spot too. previous article Free Yellow-Dark Grey CV Template | Modern Mustard Splash next article Free Resume Design for the Ladies | Simple in Pink you might also like6 Online Gigs You Can Do During Coronavirus Outbreak (To Offset Your Lost Income)

Thursday, May 14, 2020

How to Prepare, Get Fit, and Purposefully Shift into New Careers with Kerry Hannon [Podcast] - Career Pivot

How to Prepare, Get Fit, and Purposefully Shift into New Careers with Kerry Hannon [Podcast] - Career Pivot Episode 6 â€"How to Prepare, Get Fit, and Purposefully Shift into New Careers with Kerry Hannon Kerry Hannon In this episode, Marc interviews Kerry Hannon, a nationally-recognized expert on career transitions, personal finance, and retirement. She is a frequent radio and TV commentator, and a sought-after keynote speaker at conferences across the country. Kerry is currently a columnist, and regular contributor to the New York Times. She is AARP’s jobs expert and Great Jobs columnist. Kerry is also a contributing editor and Second Verse columnist at Forbes, and the PBS NextAvenue.org expert and columnist on personal finance and careers. She is a contributing writer for Money Magazine. Kerry is the author of 10 books. Marc and Kerry discuss several topics, including ageism and how to shift around it, the power of purpose over paycheck, and the preparation it takes to shift a career without driving into disappointment or disaster. Download Link| iTunes | Stitcher Radio|Google Podcast| Podbean | TuneIn | Overcast Key Takeaways: [3:32] What are the biggest challenges for job-seekers over 50? What employer concerns do they need to combat? [6:12] If you haven’t done a resume in 20 years, you have a whole new set of skills you need to ramp up for yourself, to prepare for an interview. You need to learn to “brag.” [7:42] Kerry traveled for three years researching her book What’s Next? She found people who had great conviction and courage to make dramatic shifts with meaning. [8:35] We reach a stage in our lives when initial goals have been met, there have been losses or health problems, and we ask what we should be doing with our life. [10:28] Nothing is forever. People who have made career shifts may choose to change again after five or seven years. [13:55] Find ways to get lean and mean. If you’re financially fit, possibilities open for you to try new things, to take on jobs at a lower salary, and shift into new areas of work. [14:47] People who have successfully changed careers may prepare for years to move into their new line of work, including adjusting their spending to a stricter budget. [16:13] Kerry strongly recommends physical fitness. Walk a mile or two regularly. Eat nutritiously. When you’re fit, you bring positivity. You show that you’re up to the job. [17:45] Spiritual fitness is also important. Find a place to center yourself, de-stress, and focus, so you can prepare to move down this path. It will help you. [19:00] Shift slowly. Prepare for a change. Look where you want to shift. Network with people doing those jobs. Ask how they got there, how they do their jobs, what they love about it. People love to talk about themselves and their work. [20:00] Find out if you need additional skills or certifications to qualify for the work. Get those before shifting. Moonlight a job before you shift into it, so you are not surprised. [26:10] Kerry shifted from full-time columnist to book author and career expert when she found she had achieved everything she wanted, and was miserable. So she carved out her own new path. She is always learning something new, and working harder than ever. Mentioned in This Episode: Careerpivot.com Contact Marc, and ask questions at: Careerpivot.com/contact-me Contact Kerry: Kerry@KerryHannon.com Website: Kerry Hannon Twitter: @KerryHannon Read Kerry at PBS Next Avenue New York Times Forbes Money Magazine AARP What’s Next? Follow Your Passion and Find Your Dream Job, by Kerry Hannon Take a moment â€" go to iTunes. Give this podcast a review! Marc Miller Like what you just read? Share it with your friends using the buttons above. Like What You Read? Get Career Pivot Insights! Check out the Repurpose Your Career Podcast Do You Need Help With ...

Sunday, May 10, 2020

Trends in Executive Resume Writing - Hire Imaging

Trends in Executive Resume Writing - Hire Imaging Barb Poole will be moderating and presenting in a free Executive Résumé Writing panel for members of Career Directors International on Tuesday, April 20th at 4:00 PM Eastern along with Laura DeCarlo (ACECS, LLC), Cheryl Simpson (Executive Resume Rescue), and Susan Guarneri (Resume-Magic.com/AssessmentGoddess.com). This call-in event titled, Trends in Executive Résumé Writing, is an free opportunity for members of CDI to listen and speak to these accomplished résumé writing professionals directly. If you are a member of CDI, please note the date on your calendar and check www.careerdirectors.com for more information about how to listen to and call in to this free teleclass on the current direction of Executive Résumé Writing.

Friday, May 8, 2020

A Review of the Best Resume Writing Services by the Firearm Training Institute of San Diego

A Review of the Best Resume Writing Services by the Firearm Training Institute of San DiegoBest Resume Writing Servies 2020 by the Firearm Training Institute of San Diego is the type of resource that anyone wishing to improve their resume should look into. This article will discuss the main reason why this guide is worth using. It will also go into some other information regarding this book so read on!The most important thing a person can do to improve their resume is to make sure they write it correctly. This is where this guide comes in. The writing skills of this guide can be compared to what you would find in many of the online curriculum and training programs. Most online programs can boast about being able to improve someone's resume but none can come close to the amount of assistance provided in the writing services provided by this guide.The Firearm Training Institute of San Diego makes an excellent resource because of the amount of resources they provide. They have an extens ive amount of information and resources listed on their website to help you.The information provided is amazing and does not skimp on the quality of the services that they provide. Because of the fact that this is a consumer guide, it will make sure to help you understand everything that is included with your purchase. They are going to tell you what you need to know about what should be included on your resume and how to properly format it for you to see.It will also tell you what kind of professional writer is needed for your resume. In most cases, it will tell you that you will need a resume writer for a higher price, but it is well worth it in the end. The fact that this book can do this on your behalf is incredible.The services provided by the Fireson Training Institues are unlimited. You can find a high level of expertise in this guide, which means you will never have to worry about finding the right fit for your needs. If you are a beginner or an experienced student looking t o get a better grasp of the kinds of things you need to include on your resume, then this book is going to be a huge help to you.Because of the overall usefulness of this book, it will be worth the investment you make. After all, this is a guide that will teach you everything you need to know about what you should put on your resume and how to properly format it so that it will actually look good.You don't have to worry about having a poorly formatted resume because they will be designed to help you do that. They will help you produce a high quality resume that no one else can.