5 Trends That Are Currently Shaping Workplaces

5 Trends That Are Currently Shaping Workplaces5 Trends That Are Currently Shaping Workplaces Workplaces are constantly evolving. For ages, the most common office layout gave each employee his or her individual workspace, whether it was a cubicle or a standalone office. In the new millennium, the trend moved toward open-concept workplaces , with everyone doing their work in a wide-open room and sometimes even at one giant common table. In recent years, mora geschftliches miteinanderes have been reverting to individual workspaces or a mix of common spaces and individual spaces to remedy the productivity concerns of putting everyone in the same room.Fluctuations in workplace trends occur constantly as individual businesses decide what works best for them and their employees. While the isolation vs. collaboration argument is a classic workplace design conundrum, not all fluctuations are driven by these push-and-pull debates. New trends emerge every year to trigger a wa ve of evolution in the modern office environment. Here are five of the trends that are shaping workplaces in 2017.1. An emphasis on creating superior candidate experiencesAccording to Dr. Andrew Chamberlain, Glassdoors chief economist, 2016 saw 180,000 new jobs a month in the United States. That statistic shows that the job market hasnt just recovered from the 2008 economic collapse but is booming. The growth in the job market means that employers are now competing for candidates instead of the other way around. As such, its become mora important for employers to offer convenient and engaging candidate experiences. By implementing faster and more intuitive online applications, supporting non-traditional application strategies (such as video resumes), and stressing personal communication with applicants, employers are going to greater lengths to win over top-tier talent. Employers are also working to sell their workplaces to potential hires more than they have in the past by showcasing the workplace outside of the interview room and introducing candidates to team members on the spot.More employers are becoming conscious of the fact that spending an entire day at the office- usually sitting at a desk and in front of a computer screen- is not ideal for employee health, morale, or innovation. There has been a drive to create workplaces that promote wohlbefinden in multiple ways, from trading out old furniture for ergonomic alternatives to doing away with fluorescent lighting. Many companies have also instituted workplace wellness programs , which make health coaching, clinical care, and other health services available to employees. Dont be surprised to see more on-site company gyms over the next few years.3. Shrinking office spaces growing remote workforcesBetween the gig economy and the evolution of technology, businesses are either contracting out more responsibilities or giving employees more freedom to work remotely. These factors create another workplace trend the shrinking office space. More businesses are finding that they can save money by expanding their remote workforces and consolidating office space. Especially in big cities where rent prices are high, this strategy can deliver huge savings while also giving workers more flexibility in where to work and how to structure their schedules. Not all companies are willing to go this route and some, like companies that meet with clients and customers in person on a regular basis, cant. However, for many companies, embracing technology and allowing employees to work remotely has opened up new avenues for success.Millennials have been taking up an ever-increasing role in the workplace over the past few years, and even the members of Generation Z have begun joining the workforce. For the most part, people from these younger generations have had minimal reason to adopt formal or semi-formal wardrobes in their lifetimes. Millennial men, for instance, dont wear suits and t ies. Its more common to see a millennial male in the workplace wearing a polo and khakis, but even that wardrobe might be a bit formal going forward. Between remote workers and younger employees who have never dressed formally in their lives, the idea of a business formal wardrobe is slowly going the way of the dinosaur. Accelerating this trend is job searchers who have more power thanks to the burgeoning job market and have the means to make their voices heard. While a business casual dress code that allows employees to wear jeans and t-shirts isnt likely to be a make-or-break factor for candidates in 2017, it will certainly be seen as a perk.5. A return to more traditional workplace benefitsFor a few years, it was common to hear about unusual or exotic workplace benefits - especially at big corporations trying to attract the best and the brightest. Employers have experimented by offering their candidates everything from gym memberships to charitable donations made in their names. Such perks seemed attractive at first but have mostly turned out to be little more than gimmicks according to employee accounts. At the end of the day, most job searchers want the perks that will have the most noticeable long-term benefits for themselves and their families. Regarding the benefits that actually accomplish those goals, employers havent found anything that job searchers want as much as health insurance, retirement savings, and ample paid vacation days . More and more businesses are returning to these benefits, having learned the mantra If it aint broke, dont fix it.Remember that nothing is static when it comes to workplaces or hiring. Technology, the economy, and even social psychology can take something that is on-trend in the workplace one year and renders it obsolete the next. Candidates today expect more out of their employers than they once did, and that expectation includes things like wellness, attractive benefits packages, flexibility, and work-life balance . Taking these trends into account for your own workplace can go a long way toward helping you attract the best candidates.Michael Klazema has been developing products for criminal background check and improving online customer experiences in the background screening industry since 2009. He is the lead author and editor for Backgroundchecks.com . He lives in Dallas, TX with his family and enjoys the rich culinary histories of various old and new world countries.

6 Ways High School Students Can Prepare for Careers in Sports

6 Ways High School Students Can Prepare for Careers in Sports6 Ways High School Students Can Prepare for Careers in SportsUse your passion for sports to prepare for a career in the field by taking advantage of a variety of ways to gain important skills and knowledge. Opportunities are numerous for high school students who know where to look and how to employ the right strategy. By participating in the right activities in school and in the community, you can gain valuable experience for when you land on a college campus. Six activities all present pathways to careers in sports, so position yourself for success by involving yourself in as many of them as possible. 1. Playing on Sports Teams Leverage your athletic experiences by staying in contact with coaches and other leaders who may be able to boost your career later. Plus, you will learn all about winning, losing, kollektivwork, overcoming adversity, the value of practice habits, and many other life lessons that will inform your professional career. Even if you are pursuing a career in an area such as sports marketing, youll have a better chance for success if you have your own experiences as an athlete to draw from. If your true passion is coaching or scouting, advance as far as you can as an athlete. Coaches and scouts are almost exclusively always former players- especially at the highest levels. 2. Being a Student Manager Not every student who wants to play high school sports has the ability to make a team, but there are other ways to launch a sports career.A student manager in high school can gain valuable knowledge and experience and possibly parlay that into a student manager role in college or another sports-related opportunity. Regardless of the type of sports career you pursue, the experience you gain working with and supporting athletes and coaches provides you with industry knowledge and experience to help you get a foot in the door. 3. Following the Business Move beyond rooting for tea ms and to start studying the business of sports. Being knowledgeable about a particular sport or sports, in general, is about more than being able to recite statistics or break down game film. Teach yourself about contracts, salary caps, and collective bargaining agreements involves players associations and team owners. High-profile elements of the business of sports are regularly covered by major news organizations such as ESPN but dig deeper to learn how minor league franchises generate revenue and make themselves a part of their local communities. The more business knowledge you possess, the more impressive youll be when you get an interview. 4. Volunteering Many high schools require community service hours for graduation, so use the opportunity to coach kids, organize a fundraiser for a team or league, or volunteer at a community sports event like a 10K run.These activities mirror much of the work that is involved in sports-related careers and provide valuable industry exper ience for when it is time to apply for that first job. Entry-level jobs in sports often involve college teams or minor league teams in small communities where budgets are tight. Strategies volunteers use to generate revenue and draw interest serve as good starting points for these lower-level jobs. 5. Connecting Other Careers A job in sports does not have to be connected directly to a sports team. Almost any field connects to the sports industry, so apply your knowledge and experience in another area to your passion for sports. Professional sports teams or leagues and college or university athletic departments all need professionals to run business operations or conduct marketing initiatives. You could work for an independent marketing firm, for example, that caters to sports franchises. Medical students can specialize in sports medicine and work directly for teams or work independently to treat or consult with teams or athletes. Physical therapists operate similarly. Sports age ncies hire lawyers, and many agents also have their law degrees. Teams also regularly hire lawyers to handle contract details. Careers in print or broadcast journalism put reporters and photographers close to action covering sports. 6. Officiating Umpires and referees are viewed as leadership positions and always look good on a resume. Officials run the game, have to make quick decisions under pressure, and need the people skills to navigate disagreements with coaches or players. Work hard at the craft of officiating and try to move up the ladder to higher-level leagues as you gain experience.Another bonus is that when you get to college you can put your skills to use as an official at your universitys intramural sports program. Those who find they have a knack for calling games even can pursue careers as officials by training to work college or professional games.

The 10 Commandments of Good Resume Writing

The 10 Commandments of Good Resume Writing The 10 Commandments of Good Resume Writing Resume Writing The 10 Commandments1. You will write more than one resume, targeting each one at a specific audienceThis is the golden rule of resume writing.You must tailor each resume for every position that you are applying for. For instance, lets assume youre applying to become a waiter, a secretary, a construction worker, or a salesperson. (Note Click those links to view a WELL TARGETED resume sample).Each of these positions will need a different resume because they require different skill sets.If you have minimum work experience, youll need to highlight different aspects of your job responsibilities to appeal to each individual hiring manager. For instance, a hiring manager for a construction company may be more interested in how much you can lift, how reliable you are, and whether you can learn new skills quickly.A hiring manager at an office may want to know what software you can use, what tr icks you use to be efficient, and whether you have writing skills.To figure out what skills the hiring manager is looking for, readthe job description they wroteCAREFULLY. Theyve probably listed all of the specialized skills you need to perform well. Simply include those specific skills on your resume (if you have those skills) and youre set.Youll need to get creative with your work experience and demonstrate how the skills you currently have are transferrable into an unrelated position. In this way, you can write a tailored resume.(NOTE The Applicant Tracking System (ATS), which is software that can read your resume, will also reject your resume if it seems irrelevant to the job you applied for. This is abedrngnisher major reason you should tailor your resume.)2. You will write descriptive bullet points that begin with action verbsWriting in complete sentences will force you to be descriptive. The worst resumes are filled with boring, bland, 2-4 word descriptions like, Cleaned tabl es, Wrote reports, or Dealt with customers.Each sentence should begin with an action verb, preferably one that best describes the your responsibility. Some action verbs are better than others. Use this epic list of action verbs to find just the right action verb for your bullet pointFor instance, the verb phrase Managed 6 employees is better than Told 6 employees what to do.Here are some other excellent verbs you can useUseVerbs Like These To Start Your Bullet PointsManagedTrainedSavedDevelopedCreatedSoldArrangedPreparedAssistedBasically, if its a verb and it sounds good, use it. On the other pfoteDont Use These Words to Start Your Bullet PointsPronouns(I, you, we, us)Adverbs(Quickly, smartly, intelligently, efficiently)Adjectives(Massive, huge, small, smart, quick, efficient, intelligent)3. You will quantify your resume to the best of your ability, adding numbers to describe your experienceAdding numbers to your resume makes them more descriptive and specific, which will catch the hiring managers attention. Numbers also allow you to show off your achievements and abilities that others may bedrngnis have.The rule of thumb here is this if the duty you performed can be described in numbers, do so.Browse these perfectly quantified resumes for a taste of how your resume should lookExample 1Example 2Example 3Still elend sure what we mean, or how to do it?In the following examples, weve written each job description twice to show an unquantified resume description versus a quantified one.Administrative AssistantUnquantifiedWrote reports for the direct manager, summarizing incoming data and suggesting courses of actionQuantifiedWrote three 1,000-word reports per week for the direct manager, summarizing incoming data and suggesting courses of actionWaiterUnquantifiedServed food and drink and took orders in a fast paced restaurantQuantifiedServed in a 300-seat restaurant, handling up to 5 tables at a time in a fast-paced restaurant/rg_quoteBartenderUnquantifiedUpsold wi ne by using knowledge of wine and entrees to entice customers into purchasesQuantifiedUpsold $250 in wine daily on average by leveraging knowledge of hundreds of wine brands and matching them with entrees to entice customers into bigger purchasesManagerUnquantifiedManaged and trained new employees to successfully open a new branch of our office while maintaining company standardsQuantifiedManaged and trained 6 employees, successfully opening a new branch of our office while maintaining company standardsOther items that can be quantified includeCustomer satisfaction ratingsNumber of customers served dailyThe size of your company/establishmentTotal yearly/monthly/daily salesHow much you outperformed your co-workers byHow much money you saved the companyUsing action verbs and quantifying will make your resume Achievement Oriented. The above two commandments have only been a taste we have an in depth about how to write an achievement oriented resume if youd like to deep-dive into this concept.4. You will not include a section about your hobbies and interestsIncluding a section about your hobbies and interests is widely regarded as a newbie mistake. The company is interested in what skills you have that can help them earn more money, not whether you can juggle or swallow swords (unless you are applying to a circus, then these skills should definitely be on your resume).For more ideas regarding which abilities are appropriate for your resume (and which are not), check out our skills for resume guide.If your hobbies, interests, and side projects do coincide with what the company is looking for, then you should include them in your Additional Skills or Qualifications Summary section.5. You will not leave any glaring gaps in employment historyIf you have periods of time where you were not working professionally, avoid revealing those gaps on your resume at all costs.There are a number of ways that you can accomplish this. The first is with resume formatting.The first format you can use is called a Functional Resume, which leaves off work dates altogether in favor of simply listing your most relevant qualifications.VIEW Functional Resume Example Writing TipsThe other format you can use is called a Combination Resume, which splits your resume into two sections. In one section, your work experience will still be written in reverse-chronological order. Then, once you reach your gaps in work experience, you again simply list your qualifications and ignore dates altogether.VIEW Combination Resume Example Writing TipsFinally, you canleave months off of your resume entirely. If you worked from June 1, 2013, to February 1, 2014 simply leave off writing June and February, which will show that you worked from 2013-2014. If pressed in your interview, tell the truth.The point is to get your foot in the door.6.You will pay attention to professionalismThis mainly concerns your contact details section.The 3 DONTs of ProfessionalismDont include your nicknam e. We once received a resume from Joey The Hammer Perkins. It was ineffective.Dont include a picture of yourself on your resume. If you are an actor, then you will need to include a professional headshot. For all other industries, including a picture of oneself is considered extremely unprofessional.Dont label your saved document I hate resumes, which we have also seen. It seems that sometimes people forget that the other party will see the file name.The 3 DOs of ProfessionalismUse a professional email address. For instance,clowns_of_furygmail.com is hilarious, but were afraid it doesnt exactly smack of professionalism.Make sure you resume is saved with your full name and the word resume. Example Joe Brown Resume Include the position youre applying for if you know it. Example Joe Brown Resume WaiterBe 100% sure that your contact details are correct. Not being able to contact you for an interview is the height of unprofessionalism.7. You will format your resume so that it is aesthet ically pleasing and legibleFollow these 10 simple rules to make an aesthetically pleasing resume. Or, simply download some of the best resume templates on the web from our website for free.The 5 DONTsof Resume AestheticsDO NOT usefont below size 10DO NOT usecrazy font stylesDO NOT write a Wall of Text (no spacing, too much text, too much information)DO NOT use bright colors that are difficult to readDO NOT include imagesThe 5 DOS of Resume AestheticsDO leave spaces between your work experiences to make reading easierDO bold your headersDO italicize sub-headersDO create columns to save space and use more of the pageDO use bullet points to list job descriptionsIn addition, you can read our long and detailed guide about how todesign an aesthetically pleasing resume.8. You will not lie on your resumeGetting caught for resume fraud will follow you for the rest of your career. Its tempting to embellish or outright lie on your resume, as you can get higher paying jobs and well-salaried pos itions by claiming credentials or skills that you do not have.In all likelihood, you will get caught, because it will be obvious that you do not know how to competently do your work properly. (That is, unless you are Frank Abagnale, the fraudster portrayed in the blockbuster movie Catch Me If You Can).Many people are tempted to lie on their resume because they falsely believe that their work experience and education histories are insufficient. In reality, many companies are willing to take risks on employees that have the basic skills and attitude to do the job.For instance, if a company says in the job description that they require 2-3 years of experience in a position, that number actually represents their ideal candidate, not a hard and fast rule.9.You will not repeat any bullet pointsYour resume should be formatted with your most recent work experience towards the top, and least recent towards the bottom (reverse chronological.) That means any bullet points towards the top means that you know how to do that job responsibility already. Theres no point in repeating it again towards the bottom.Its redundant, and unnecessarily lengthens your resume.10. You will not make any grammar or spelling errorsEven a stellar resume is easily destroyed by simple grammar and spelling mistakes. Because its such an important document, mistakes immediately set off red flags in the hiring managers view.The thinking is, if you cant take the time to correct basic mistakes, then you might also be a low quality worker.Take these steps to make sure your resume is error freeRun spell checkHave two friends or family members look over itLook over it yourself