Wednesday, November 27, 2019

This is the best day of the week to work remotely

This is the best day of the week to work remotelyThis is the best day of the week to work remotelyWhats the best day to work from home? Every day, some of us would like to answer. Or if thats an impossibility, what about extending our weekend with a Friday or Monday option to work from home, we would like to tell our skeptical superiors.But if you want to successfully negotiate for a remote day of work, listen to Shari Buck, an executive who recently made the case for Wednesday, citing how her company has instituted this midweek remote work policy. Writing for Quartz, Shari Buck, the co-founder and chief product officer atDoximity, said that Wednesday gives employees the flexibility of staying at home along with the accountability of knowing that the work week is not yet done.Wanna WFH? Choose WednesdaysIt breaks up the week nicely two days in the office, one day working remote, and then two more days back in the office, Buck writes. This leads to a consistent workflow that balances a number of planning meetings early in the week, a productive Wednesday working from home, and two equally productive and collaborative days on the tail end of the week.In other words, picking Wednesday is a win-win for employers and employees. It gives you the reward of a work-from-home day without office distractions while still communicating to your boss that youre engaged with your job.WFH Wednesdays have boosted work-life balance for all of our employees. At the same time, they have kept our business productive and on a path of positive growth for nearly a decade, Buck wrote.She is not alone in advocating for the use of Wednesdays. One employee successfully negotiated for a Wednesday work-from-home day in her employment contract to lessen the pain of a long commute.I have a one-hour commute (45 miles) each way, which is why I negotiated for a work-at-home day when I was hired, Sharon Glazer, an academic medical center employee, said. Wednesdays are good because I like to break up the week. Although I am working, my day is so much more relaxed, not to mention two hours shorter, that its like a mini-weekend.A one-day relief from commuting may not seem like much, but every minute counts when it comes to your job satisfaction. One study found that a 20-minute increase in a workers round-trip commute time felt like a 19% pay cut to employees. Give yourself a midweek pick-me-up and ask for that work-from-home Wednesday.

Friday, November 22, 2019

Is Your Functional Resume Keeping You Unemployed

Is Your Functional Resume Keeping You UnemployedFunctional Resume Keeping You Unemployed?Is Your Functional Resume Keeping You UnemployedRecruiters and headhunters throw them out, employers get frustrated by them, and many job boards wont accept them. So why are some job seekers still using functional resumes? Because for a long time, functional resumes were widely considered the best way to camouflage employment gaps or a lack of experience. These days, it seems theyve become more like a flashing neon sign that screams, Im trying to hide somethingAward-winning resume writer and career strategist Barbara Safani thinks functional resumes should be renamed dysfunctional resumes. She says ... if youve been leaning towards creating a functional resume to position yourself in front of a potential employer, you are probably headed in the wrong direction.A purely functional resume emphasizes your skill sets rather than your employment history. When functional resumes became popular, the ide a was to impress readers with your skills and strengths before they found out you hadnt worked for 10 years, or that youve never actually worked in the field youre targeting (not that theres anything wrongor unusualwith either scenario.)Unfortunately, for functional resumes to work, employers would actually have to read them. But they dont. Usually, they start off with a 10-second scan to quickly look for things likeObvious typos or errors,Where youre from,Whether you have relevant qualifications,Your past job titles,The level of responsibility youve reached, andWhere and when you acquired your experience.A functional resume hides those details, which forces the reader to hunt for the desired information. But will they? Not according to executive recruiter Brad Remillard, whos conducted more than 50,000 interviews in the past 30 years. He says simply I dont read them. It is obvious when one has a functional resume they are trying to hide something and Im rarely going to take the tim e to attempt to figure it out.One other problem with functional resumes? Job boards and applicant-tracking systems might not be able to figure out how to store the data, since the usual sections are missing or out of order.Your Best Bet? Chronologicalwith a Functional TwistTo ensure readers can find the information they want on your resume, you need to include a reverse-chronological listing of your past jobs. But first, borrow a little of the functional flair by opening your resume with a Summary of Qualifications that spotlights your most important skills, credentials, and accomplishments. This font of combination, or hybrid, resume is a good idea for most job seekers.Having gaps in your resume is not a deal breaker. But trying to hide those gaps in a functional resume may be. Instead, use a combination resume, write a killer cover letter, and put your network to work for you

Thursday, November 21, 2019

What Does It Mean to Be Scammed by a Job

What Does It Mean to Be Scammed by a JobWhat Does It Mean to Be Scammed by a Job4Perhaps one of the biggest fears job seekers have when looking for flexible work is job scams. And rightly so, since the words job scams and work from home seem to go hand in hand. But there are various types of ways to be scammed by a job, and its important to know the differences.Below are three ways in which you can be scammed by a job- and tips to help you know what to look for to prevent becoming a victim.1. You lose money. Youve been looking for a flexible job for a little while when you come across a job listing that sounds like it was written for you. The job duties are right up your alley, the benefits are amazing, and you can work from home After going through rounds of interviews, youre asked to purchase a company laptop in buchen to work remotely. You send in your cash- and never hear from the company again.Losing money is by far one of the biggest ways to be scammed, and unfortunately, job s cammers are very good at getting you to part with your hard-earned cash. Other scenarios include being asked to deposit a check for the company (and then having your money stolen from your account), or sending in money for training, supplies, etc.Bottom line you should never have to pay to get a company to hire you. If youre asked to pay for something, do some research on the company to see if they have any complaints filed against them with the Better Business Bureau.2. You become the victim of personal identity theft.Youre in the home stretch for a telecommuting job that you want. As part of the protocol, youre asked for your social security number and other personal information, such as your address. You give it- and now youre at risk for having your identity stolen.Personal identity theft is one of the harder scams to avoid. After all, if youre hired for a job, you will be asked for your personal information for tax purposes. But if youre early on in the job interviewing process , you might want to think twice before giving out the information. Do more research on the company to make sure it is legitimate. And always go with your gut if something just doesnt feel right, chances are you might be in the middle of a job scam.3. You waste your time applying for fake jobs.Youve been job searching for a long, long time, and youre ready to call it quits on your dreams of flexible work- and work-life balance. But then youre asked to do an interview with a company youve only dreamed of working with, only to discover that its a job scammer pretending to work with that company.Wasting your time applying for fake jobs might not hurt you financially, but it definitely impacts your ability to trust in the future. Couple that with people who will tell you, I told you that all work-from-home jobs are scams and it might make you want to throw in the towel.Although it can be hard to continue looking for a flexible job after youve been the victim of a job scammer, you should know that the number of companies offering flexible work options continues to grow by the day Try using niche job search boards (like ) or contact companies that you want to work with directly. Either way, youll be assured that you wont come across any scams in your quest for flexible work.Being scammed is never an easy thing to go through, but it shouldnt deter you from finding meaningful work that affords you flexibility and freedom Simply be aware as you job search, and remember the golden rule if it seems too good to be true, it almost always is.Readers, have you been scammed by a jobwhile searching for flexible work? Let us know what happened in the comments below