Tip #607- Four Resume Tips to Land the Job Interview

Last week, Gallup reported that U.S. job creation held steady at an eight-year high in June. The Job Creation index score remains at its high of +33. 

 The score represents 44% of employees who say that their employer is hiring employees and expanding the size of its workforce. More good news-Gallup also reported that its U.S. Jobs Rate was the highest in June at 46% after six years of measurement. This rate is a half percentage higher than June of 2015 from which one can glean that an underlying increase in full-time work beyond changes in seasonal employment.

An uptick in hiring could result in an increase in job opportunities for you. Here are four tips to follow when updating your resume to help reel in the response you want from recruiters.

1.     Make it shine. Dale Carnegie’s third Human Relations principle, ‘Arouse in the other person an eager want,’ reminds us to entice the person qualifying us for a job interview opportunity. This means that instead of using verbose language, keep it simple and succinct when describing the responsibilities of each of your professional roles. It is absolutely critical that your resume be free of all grammar and spelling mistakes because the perception is, “If this candidate’s resume is sloppy, I can’t imagine what her work product is like!” Be sure to have a mentor or friend with strong English skills review your resume to ensure it is seamless, spelled correctly and free of grammar mistakes.

2.     Forgo funky fonts. Dale Carnegie said, “There is only one way… to get anybody to do anything. And that is by making the other person want to do it.” If your resume is difficult to read, it deters the hiring manager from thorough review. The easier it is to read and understand—for example using sans serif fonts and bullets; bolding job titles to divide sections, etc. the more likely the person reviewing it will allow ample consideration of your prospective candidacy.

3.     Use a professional email address. Dale Carnegie’s 19^th Human Relations principle is, ‘Appeal to nobler motives.’ You can pump up others’ professional perception of you by making minor modifications such as using a professional, non-derogatory email address. For example,BeachBody911@gmail.com may send the wrong message to the hiring manager. Create a new email address specific for job searching if you currently use an unprofessional one.

4.     Fill in the gaps. Recruiters question unexplained gaps within the resume’s timeline. If you have a gap of four or more months between jobs, they may assume you were actively hunting, but no one wanted to hire you—so why should they? Use the gaps as an opportunity to show how you used the time. For example, taking a sabbatical; volunteering for worthy causes such as missionary work; traveling; attending courses and pursuing personal projects are great gap-fillers. They show interests and causes that are important to you, and send a message that you have attained a healthy work-life balance.

By: Liz Scavnicky-Yaekie

Tip #606- Three Stellar Service Steps from Sailing the Seas

Despite dozens of deranged cruise ship stories—from crashing into a giant rock to dozens of onboard illnesses, millions of Americans continue to cruise.  In fact, the number of passengers carried by the cruise industry has grown year-on-year and is expected to exceed 24 million in 2018.  If you’ve cruised before, you most likely have experienced stellar service and as long as you weren’t seasick, plan to cruise again.

If you’ve never cruised, or it’s been a while, here are three simple service tips from cruising you can use to exceed your clients’ expectations. 

‘Arouse in the other person an eager want,’ which is Dale Carnegie’s third Human Relations principle. From the second you board a cruise ship, you are enticed with a plethora of food and drinks; activities abound before the ship even sets sail and a teeming itinerary with fabulous places to see and things to do. Each person with whom you come into contact isexcited to see you!  The entire staff and crew understand that they are there to serve, and are eager to do so.

When you meet with an existing customer or new prospect, are you excited to see them?  Instead of being inwardly nervous, set your sight on the person in front of you.  Asking questions and speaking with enthusiasm will enable you to arouse in them an eager want.

‘Smile,’ is Mr. Carnegie’s fifth Human Relations principle, because it says, “I’m happy to see you.  Things are under control.  I care about you.”  On a cruise ship, everyone from the housekeeping attendant to your super server usually smiles.  Even when a guest is continuously disgruntled—as was the case on my last European River cruise, the waiter in this case resumed his smile after listening to the umpteenth complaint and offering another satisfying solution.  Sometimes it feels unnatural to smile when you are frustrated, but the result of smiling is worth the little investment of two lips and one, strong positive attitude. 

Dale Carnegie said, “Most of the important things in the world have been accomplished by people who have kept on trying when there seemed to be no hope at all.”  No matter what happens, remember that challenging customers are not a problem.  Rather, they present an opportunity for you to problem-solve, smile and learn!

‘Remember that a person’s name is, to that person, the sweetest and most important sound in any language,’ the 6^th principle.  Why should the hospitality industry be one of the few in which it is common to hear a salutation with our names?  Hearing our names makes us feel important because it means the other person took the time to first learn and remember them.  If you struggle with remembering names, there is a simple formula for remembering names taught in the Dale Carnegie Course for Effective Communications and Human Relations Skills—along with a boatload of other stellar customer service and sales tips.

By: Liz Scavnicky-Yaekie

Tip #605- Three Reasons to Make Mentoring a Priority

Who is your all-time favorite teacher?  Most likely, it was someone who took a sincere interest in you and cared deeply about you.  This mentor understood your goals and dreams, and did everything possible to help you attain them.  You probably still remember his or her wise adages which you apply in your current professional role.

 

It's unfortunate that for most working Americans, mentorship stops after high school or college graduation.  As Gallup reported, "Schools alone can't be the sole source of mentorship...We desperately need workplaces all over the U.S. to step up and offer mentors and internships on a scale like never before." Here are three reasons to make mentoring a priority in your organization.

Mentors help mentees see 'the forest through the trees.'  It's inevitable to encounter challenges at every rank of any organization.  Sometimes, those struggles hold employees back-they become hung up on what went wrong or are so intently focused on trying to solve one micro problem, that they cannot see the big picture and subsequent realm of solutions.  Dale Carnegie said, "Praise the slightest improvement and praise every improvement."  Mentors help put setbacks into perspective and offer new ways of approaching challenges. Equally important, mentors positively reinforce what mentees are doing correctly by praising a job well done.  Both actions are necessary to excel in all roles.

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Tip # 604 - 4 Common Pitfalls to Avoid When Engaging a Multi-Generational Workforce

The rise of technology and Internet access have forced massive change in the workplace. But perhaps it's the Millennial worker that has caused the most tension in the workplace. The generational divide at work has never been deeper and more daunting than it is today. Here are today's most relevant challenges with engaging a multi-generational workforce and how best to resolve the challenges.

1) Varying Viewpoints 

Most notably, each generation has a very different perspective when it comes to work. Baby Boomers define themselves by the work they do, often using tangibles such as titles, salary, and cars as indicators of success. Millennials take a much more fulfilling approach to work, often looking for more work-life integration and leaning into technology to work smarter. 

Baby Boomers evaluate hard work by how much time is invested in the work (i.e. tenure). Millennials define hard work by how much of their heart they put in the work (i.e. passion). Baby Boomers take pride in the loyalty towards their employer. Millennials take pride in their personal brand, the skills they gain, and the free-agent approach to their career. Generation X typically shares the views of Baby Boomers or Millennials or has a variation of these views.

These varying viewpoints of work can cause heavy friction between employees and force a leader to exhaustively cater to both expectations. 

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