Should Employers Consider Attitude Before Aptitude When Hiring

Should Employers Consider Attitude Before Aptitude When Hiring There’s been a slew of commentators looking at what makes a good employee â€" personality, attitude, engagement? Whatever you think good looks like for it is plainly not found in first-class degrees, amazing IQ, top-notch coding skills or years of experience. It is claimed that when asked what sets exceptional employees apart business leaders chose “personality”. Is personality more important than aptitude? Psychologist Dr. Carol Dweck of Stanford University has spent her career studying attitude and performance, and her research shows that attitude is a better predictor of success than IQ. She suggests that a ‘growth’ mindset is the trait most likely to help individuals fulfil potential, thrive and succeed: “the hand you’re dealt is just the starting point for development. This growth mindset is based on the belief that your basic qualities are things you can cultivate through your efforts. Although people may differ in every which way in their initial talents and aptitudes, interests, or temperaments everyone can change and grow through application and experience.” What factors  are essential for success? In the 21st century workplace success is predicated on building effective relationships, collaboration, interaction and communication rather than the traditional top-down hierarchy. It’s about know-how and being able to react to change rather than specialisation. The growth mindset enables the versatility and agility that empower those in volatile business environments to marshal their resources, devising innovative ideas and creative solutions. What sets the best employees apart is their willingness to adapt, to embrace new ideas; an attitude that is enterprising, resourceful and proactive. This is something you can develop and hone; Dweck says people with a “growth mindset” enjoy challenges, strive to learn, and consistently see potential to develop new skills. Employers should look for potential rather than purely experience In essence this is about valuing potential rather than replicating the past. An appetite for learning and exploring is essential in order to think beyond the routine; to envisage potential ways ahead and new perspectives, with an open-minded and positive approach to achieving growth in the long term. In organisational terms this requires what Linda Holbeche refers to as “a culture that values learning, that encourages people to cross boundaries”. The problem is, of course, that the recession has made organisations risk averse and conservative. In terms of the growth mindset this is a problem because fear of failure is the great enemy of innovation. Without the freedom to experiment we stick with the tried and tested and that doesn’t necessarily serve us well in a globally connected world where we are constantly confronted with challenge, change and ambiguity. Creativity is incredibly valuable to a business Boosting organisational creative thinking skills pays dividends in terms of the sourcing of productive solutions rather than quick fixes. Creative thinkers learn to examine problems and consider the complexities of a situation while looking for new and different approaches that may lead to new discoveries and world-beating innovation. Dweck emphasises that this is not about how smart you are, what makes a difference in performance is hard work, persistence, enthusiasm and effort. So what can organisations do to help their people develop a growth mindset? This is the 10Eighty approach: Check your assumptions leaders should challenge the standard perspective, keep an open mind and resist the temptation to accept the status quo while willing to consider the options and embrace the possibilities. Value diversity â€" a broad range of perspectives and backgrounds can facilitate innovation approaches and reactions to barriers and challenges. Provide training, development and networking opportunities â€" encourage wide-ranging interaction throughout the organisation, offer work assignments that take individuals out of their usual work environment, let people learn from their colleagues and make knowledge-sharing a reality; these are all ways to help the team broaden their horizons and spark new ideas.

Radio Festival Manchester 12-14 November University of Manchester Careers Blog

Radio Festival Manchester 12-14 November University of Manchester Careers Blog The Radio Academys Radio Festival taking place at the Lowry in Salford and  is a great way to  meet people who work in radio.     Full details of the event are on the Festival website http://www.radioacademy.org/events/radio-festival-2012/ To help students who want to work in Radio, the organisers have released a limited number of special ‘Student Rate’ tickets for The Jeremy Vine Masterclass on Monday 12thNovember at 17:30. See details at :    http://www.radioacademy.org/events/radio-festival-2012/masterclass-with-jeremy-vine/    This means that seats, including access to the drinks reception associated with the event will be available for £20 + VAT, on a first come first served basis (Reduced from £99 + VAT for none RA members and £60 + VAT for RA members). This is a unique opportunity to see someone speaking who is at the top of their game in radio, as well as the chance to mix directly with senior figures from the Radio industry. For those interested please contact the Radio Festival team at  events@radioacademy.org. The offer will only apply to those who can present a current student card.     If youre thinking youre interested but not sure if youre quite up for this kind of networking, my own experience of the Radio Festival is that its really friendly and those who go along are happy to chat about the work they do. All Media

Are you really doing your job

Are you really doing your job Fathers Day is a big deal in our house because we have two dads. We have the boys biological dad my Ex and we have the Farmer. On Sundays, including Fathers Day, we all spend the day together, on the farm, in mostly harmony. It is not perfect. A few weeks ago, my Ex left early because Im so annoying to him. And just this morning, the Farmer and I had a fight that scared the kids so much they cried. But I think we are doing okay. And on Fathers Day I feel particularly grateful for both men, because they work really hard to make sure the kids feel like they have an integrated, stable family. The New York Times says that women go into politics to change something, and men go into politics to be someone. I think this is true for all work, not just politics. I think women are more likely to feel important because they are home with kids, which is why more women than men leave the workforce to be with kids. Men are changing how they parent, but not too much, because theres still this survey from ERE that shows men prefer work to being home with kids. I do not believe we can change things completely. We are who we are. Men and women are different. The more I write about these differences in the workplace, the more I appreciate the differences at home. We all know that if a mom is at the playground with three kids, no one notices, but if a dad is there, people say, Hes such a great dad. I know that Fathers Day is traditionally the day to say how great dads are blah blah. But I have a feeling that the biggest compliment we can say to a dad is that hes showing up. Hes there, reliably, doing his job, and its no big deal. Because dads are expected to do their job. So today my Ex played with the kids while I surfed the web, and I saw that the Farmer posted to his blog about Fathers Day. And he quoted my sons blog, about the farm. And now Im going to quote both those posts. And if you are thinking that you are blogging because you are going to earn money from it, think again. Blogging is about ideas, self-discovery, and growth. And anyone who lives a life about ideas and self-discovery will be worth more in the workplace, no matter who else is reading your blog. So, heres the Farmers post from his blog, that quotes my sons post from my sons blog: Happy Fathers Day! This is my second Fathers Day, but the first where I feel Ive really put in the work. Parenting has more challenges than rewards, but Im thankful to have the opportunity. Shepherd is a budding writer, and updates a blog for family and friends. I thought I would share the following entry from his blog. It made my day. Last year I raised baby tadpoles and set them free as frogs. And this year Im going to do it again. A few days ago, I went down to my grandparents pond with my dad and we caught one very interested toad, but we let it go because the tadpoles are what we want to raise and we will just let frogs and toads be loose. Thats the main thing in project. Its fun to catch the tadpoles in the pond. Me and my dad also caught a leopard frog. Its a not a frog-sized leopard! Its basically a leopard-quick frog thats yellow with black dots, but not poisonous. Two big achievements that me and my dad made were: 1. Catching a bullfrog tadpole with legs. The back row of legs, that is. 2. Another thing we did was we found the tadpole nest. But we didnt take anything from it because it would disturb the nest. Thats where we found a leopard frog, but we didnt catch it. We found the leopard we caught on our way back to the truck. The reason we didnt keep the frogs and toads we caught was because they would probably eat the small tadpoles. I had a great time.

How Not to Stick Out Like A Sore Thumb - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career

How Not to Stick Out Like A Sore Thumb - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career Too often we hear terms in meetings that we don’t understand. Yet, too embarrassed to ask for clarification. Sometimes these are terms that are mentioned by colleagues, managers, vendors and even customers.   Not knowing these terms and the context for using them can risk your credibility. Not speaking the same language can impact your ability to get things done and can alienate you from the group. The risks can be significant. Lives could be on the line. Or at least careers.   If you DONT know the slang … you ARENT in the club. Your ability to communicate with a group using these terms is limited or at best stilted.   Why Learn The Slang? If you are looking to find a new job or break into a different segment of your company or into an entirely new market … learn the slang.  Learn the lingo. Knowing the slang will enhance your ability to maintain credibility. It will   increase your ability to connect and perhaps to secure a job. It will also put others at ease. Theyll know you are part of the same conversation. Whether you are changing roles within your company or whether you are seeking a new role in a new industry … Knowing the Slang is critical.   How to Learn The Slang? Ask the question. When a term is used that you don’t know … either ask about it right then and there and ask for the context. Or depending upon the nature of the meeting make a note of the term and ask for clarification later.  Other options include finding someone on the inside and asking them for guidance. Of course, youll want to make sure they are a friendly contact and open to answering questions. If in doubt … Ask the question! Why? Because its better to be seen as clueless for a few minutes than to be clueless forever for not knowing. A Risk is Taking the wrong action based on your assumption of what you think a term means could be  disastrous. In some industries … this could mean life or death (think Medical care). In others it could just be the death of your career. If in doubt … Ask the question! Acronym Soup Every industry has its own terms and slang.  Every industry has its own lingo. For example in the tech industry, where I have worked for quite a while, there are different terms for meeting requests and the actions to be taken after the meeting. Microsoft uses the term S+ which means SchedulePlus. If you know this term, youve worked with Microsoft for a while and using this term will let others know that you know the lingo. Other companies use the term MR for Meeting Request. This is a simple and obvious mnemonic for an action or request to setup a meeting. Intel uses the term AR for Action Required. And the military uses the term AAR for After Action Report many companies have adopted this term for their business dealings too. The point is that every industry has its own slang, its own lingo. The medical industry, the legal industry, firefighters, teachers, etc. Knowing the slang and lingo for the industry identifies you as an insider. Even if you are new to an industry knowing some of the slang and lingo can help you. Remember, if you DONT know the slang … you ARENT in the club. Your ability to communicate with the group using these terms is impacted.   If you don’t know the slang … youll stick out like a sore thumb.  Don’t stick out like a sore thumb. Take the time the learn the slang to learn the lingo. The career you save may just be your own. Bonus Question What terms are used in your industry and what do they mean? Add them to the comments so we call can be a little more clued into another industry. Author: Jeff   is a veteran in the Enterprise Content Management industry. Over the past 20 years he has worked with customers and partners to design, develop and deploy solutions around the world. Jeff is currently the Director of Strategic Alliances at Winshuttle. He has worked for Microsoft, FileNet (IBM), K2, Captaris, Open Text, Kofax and Kodak. He speaks and blogs about ECM and the Intersection between Social, Mobile and Cloud Computing.

What to Look For When Youre Looking For Resume Writing Services in Marietta GA

What to Look For When You're Looking For Resume Writing Services in Marietta GAWhen you're looking for professional resume writing services in Marietta Ga, there are a few things that you need to keep in mind. There are many, many different services out there, but you want to find one that will meet your needs. You also want to make sure that the writing services in Marietta GA will be available when you need them. There are a few things that you can do to help make sure that you find a company that's right for you.- Make sure that the writing services in Marietta GA will have the capability to be found on the search engines. This may sound like a small thing, but it really isn't. When you are doing research for a job, it's very important that you find a company that will be easily visible on the search engines. This will allow you to get the best quality resumes for your job search.- Make sure that the companies that you are considering are legit. Most of the legitimate ones out the re are legitimate. The reason you want to find the best ones is because they will not only be a legitimate business, but they will also be reliable. They are going to have the potential to provide the most effective and professional resumes possible.- Find out what sort of services that you are interested in. Most services that are available are going to be quite different. That is because each one will have their own unique set of skills that they can use to deliver the best results possible.- Find out what sort of services that you are going to be getting. Different services have different strengths and weaknesses. You want to look for a service that can take care of all of your requirements. You don't want to have to worry about where to send your resume orhow to make sure that it gets noticed.- Make sure that you look at the reviews that the company has received. There are many websites that have reviewed many of the different companies. You want to be able to get a good feel fo r the quality of work that is available. While reviews can be helpful, you still want to make sure that the reviews are from people who have actually used the services in question.- Do some research to see what the company has to offer. This may seem a little bit of a stretch, but you should definitely make sure that the company you are looking at has something that will be of interest to you. You may be surprised at the number of things that they offer. You may find that they have more that you may be interested in.Once you've found the resume writing services in Marietta GA that are right for you, it's time to find out what you can do to get started. If you have already been looking for this type of service, then the first step is to sign up for a free trial to see if you're interested. Then you can make a decision about whether or not this is something that you want to pursue.

3 Actions to Set You Up for a Great Year

3 Actions to Set You Up for a Great Year This is the time of year when people make New Year’s resolutions. But I’m not a fan of those. In fact, I haven’t made a New Year’s resolution in over a decade. Instead, it’s a great time to roll the clock forward to the end of the year and think about the following: Where do you want to be in 12 months? What would have made the year a great year for you? What investments do you need to make now to create those outcomes? Maybe you want to get promoted, or land that important deal, or join a corporate board. But, as the year goes on, things happen that are beyond your control: how well your company is doing, policy changes, possible budget cuts, unexpected family obligations. At some point, change and uncertainty can feel overwhelming and even derail you. What’s in Your Control? To help you get the year off to a great start and stay on track no matter what happens in the environment around you, I’d like to share a concept I’ve recently learned from my friend and fellow executive coach, Anne Miller. That is to cultivate a surfer’s disposition. Surfers have no certainty or control over their surfing environment. After all, we’re talking about the ocean, which bows to no human. Change really is the constant, and you just don’t know what you’ll face from one day to the next, or even one wave to the next. So as a surfer, you have to be able to read the situation and adapt moment to moment. You’ve got to be resilient in dealing with wipeouts and setbacks. You need to be persistent and stay with it. You’ve got to be patient in looking out for the right wave. You have to be brave to get up on that board again and again. Despite those challenges, surfers find huge joy and a feeling of flow in riding those waves. That’s the result of focusing on the things they can control, which are: First, their investment in themselves through practice and training, and Second, the way they react to the things that are not in their control, which is to adapt, persist, show resilience and be patient. All of which adds up to the surfer’s disposition. It’s About You (and Your Response) When it comes to succeeding in our careers, we can all take a page from the surfer mindset and approach. Just like surfers who don’t control the ocean, if you don’t control the situation around you at work, you can still control yourself and your response to what’s happening. It’s the best path to feeling more confident and in control, capturing better opportunities and inspiring others to improve their situation too. Otherwise, you’re likely to feel powerless, swept along, passed over and dragged down in the undertow. Three Actions So here are three actions to help you cultivate a surfer’s disposition and have a great year. When it comes to achieving your goals for the year: 1. Recognize what’s in versus out of your control, and state your goals in terms of what you can control. For example: Instead of setting a goal to “Get promoted”, which you don’t control, you could set the goal to “Put myself in a position to be promoted” or “Make myself promotion-ready”, and Instead of “Convince them to hire me” it could be “Communicate the value I can add”. 2. Focus on doing everything you can do to succeed, which means invest in and work on yourself. For example, would it serve you well to: Learn how to be a better communicator Become a better teammate Work on your personal brand Hire someone to help you rewrite your LinkedIn profile Become more decisive and confident 3. Pay attention to the way you respond to uncertainty and changing situations. Look for the way to reframe the situation so that you can handle it in the best possible way for achieving your goals. The phrase that sums up this attitude is: “This is perfect; all I have to do is figure out why and how. And that gives you the perfect opening to reframe the situation to one that’s more energizing for you. So go ahead and adopt the surfer’s disposition this year.   It’ll help you feel more confident and in control. You’ll have more energy to keep going. You’ll inspire others. And you’ll have a higher likelihood of successfully riding that wave, and enjoying the process. And to help you get your new year off to a great start, I’ll be announcing something special for you on Tuesday. I think you’ll benefit from it and have fun in the process, so stay tuned! Plus, it’s free. Leave me a comment to let me know what investments you need to make in yourself to set yourself up for a great year.

The Top Ten Scary Things Job Seekers Do

The Top Ten Scary Things Job Seekers Do In honor of Halloween, this months Career Collective topic is scary resume and career mistakes. Here are the top ten mistakes I see job seekers make.Inflate their qualifications or lie on their resume. While a resume is not a legal document, it should be an accurate representation of your experience and achievements. I advocate for showing your employment history in the best possible light, buy lying is never wise.Forget to proofread their resume. One of the easiest ways to show an employer you dont pay much attention to details is to submit a resume with a typo. Check, double-check, and triple check your document. Use spell check and ask a few different people to proof the resume before sending it to employers.Send the same generic cover letter to every employer. The cover letter is the perfect opportunity to make a connection with the employer and explain how you can help solve their problems. Dont go vanilla here. Tailor your cover letter to the employer and position you are apply ing to.Neglect to research the company before the interview. With so much information on the Internet there is no excuse for not knowing about the company you are interviewing with. Use Vault, Glassdoor, WetFeet, Jigsaw, and LinkedIn to unearth important information about the companies and people you are interviewing with and dont forget to take advantage of the research resources available at many public libraries.Ask everyone they know for a job. Unless you want your friends and colleagues to stop returning your calls, dont just ask everyone you know for a job. Instead ask for information about a company, a person, an industry, etc. Let your contacts know you value their knowledge and insights. Through these exploratory conversations they may be able to point you in the direction of a possible job opportunity even if they cant help you land that job directly.Neglect to send a thank you letter following an interview. Its not just a courtesy. It is an opportunity to make a second im pression on the person you just interviewed with and remain top of mind. Send the thank you letter within 24 hours of the interview. A few paragraphs with a thank you and a recap of why you are the perfect match for the job can help keep you on the hiring managers short list.Fail to leverage their network. Some people feel that reaching out to their network for contacts means asking for favors. It doesnt. See #5.Snub social media. Imagine being able to go into the offices of everyone you know and look through their Roledex (remember them). Thats what social media sites like LinkedIn and Twitter allow you to do.Complain. Its easy to blame the company or the economy for your job search frustrations. But it wont get you a job any faster. Find a few close confidents you can vent to and dont spread your frustration to others. Keep a journal to help you chronicle your search journey and help get your feelings out.Give up. This is perhaps the scariest one of all. And there are a lot of peo ple out there that have given up. Unemployment benefits wont last forever. At some point you will have to get back in the game. If you have dropped out of the race for several months, getting back in is much harder. Keep at it. Plan job search activities every day. You will be scheduling meetings with friends and colleagues, doing Internet research, building your online network, working on your resume, practicing your elevator pitch, etc. There is a lot to do. Job search is a full-time job. Nows not the time to take a vacation.Read what my colleagues have to say about scary resume and career mistakes here.Where Are the Wild Things, Anyway?, @WorkWithIllnessIs Your Job Search Making You Feel Like a Smashed Pumpkin?, @DebraWheatmanHiding in Plain Sight, @WalterAkanaDont make these frightful resume mistakes, @LaurieBerensonHow Not to Be a Spooky Job Seeker, @heathermundellA Tombstone Resume:Eulogizing Your Experience, @GayleHowardOh, Job Search Isnt Like Trick or Treating?, @careersher paA Most Unfortunate Resume Mistake No One Will Tell You, @chandleeOh no. Not the phone!, @DawnBugniHalloween Caution: Job Seeker Horror, @resumeserviceBoo! Are you scaring away opportunities or the competition? @MartinBuckland @EliteResumesYour Career Brand: A Scary Trick or an Appealing Treat?, @KCCareerCoachHow to avoid mistakes on your resume, @Keppie_CareersSc-sc-scary Resume Mistakes, @erinkennedycprwA Flawed Resume is a Scary Prospect, @KatCareerGalJob Search Angst: Like Clouds Mounting Before a Storm, @ValueIntoWordsDoes Your Career Costume Fit You?, @expatcoachmegan