10 Ways to Make the Most of Your First Days on the Job [Ask Away]

10 Ways to Make the Most of Your First Days on the Job Ask Away 10 Ways to Make the Most of Your First Days on the Job Ask Away Every hire should hit the ground running as soon as he/she begins a new job. Ask for more work or start a new project to benefit the company at some point before the end of your 90 days. It is a great way to show your willingness to take the initiative.- Patrice RiceCEO and FounderPatrice AssociatesIts all about establishing a North Star for new hires to follow in the first 90 days. In the first 3 months, new hires should ask what theirspecific goals are and what they need to do to be successful. They need to know what to aim for so they dont feel lost. Asking questions is the mostimportant thing to do if you dont, youll be dead in the water.- Eric SiuCEOSingle Grain My only thing is for new hires not to overcommit and overextend themselves in the first 90 days. Take the time to learn the ins and outs of the business, the people, the idiosyncrasies, and the preferences. Soak up as much as you can during this time, because once you get moving on the daily work, its hard to stop because its too much.Also, dont be afraid to ask questions. Yes, you were hired to do the job, but you dont know everything. Youre not psychic or omnipotent. A question about even the most basic things is better than being silent and getting everything wrong.- Andr LedgisterAccount ManagerSPR Atlanta To show your progress and position yourself for future advancement, write a short note to your boss at the end of each week, just keeping them apprised of everything you did during that week. Come evaluation time, the boss may well use those notes to help write the evaluation. At the very least, youll have all the ammunition when its time to talk about that first raise or promotion.- Barry MaherSpeaker and AuthorBarryMaher.comTry to participate in some non-work-related activities. Is there a group volunteering at a community center or going bowling after work? Yo u dont have to do everything, but try to do something that shows your support particularly if your boss or a company exec is behind the activity.- Joseph TerachCEO and FounderResume Deli Discover how your role is actually measured, quantitatively. Every job has metrics learn what yours are. Track them and discuss them with your boss at least once every 90 days.- Patrick MulveyManaging DirectorCenter for Strategy Execution, Inc.Beware of buyers remorse you join a company and discover immediately that it is not as rosy a picture as you envisioned. Dont complain and dont make any impulsive decisions. All companies are flawed, and that is especially true in this still-challenging market. You need time to determine if the problems are simply due to an unfamiliar environment or are much bigger in scale. When you complain, you risk being viewed as weak, naive, a quitter, or in need of too much hand-holding.- Roy CohenCareer Counselor and Executive CoachCareerCoachNY.comNew hires specifi cally younger or millennial employees should connect with current team members and higher-ups to see what projects they might be able to observe, assist, or even help manage during their first 90 days with the company. Being included as part of the team not only shows that the new hire can take initiative, but that they are interested in learning what the company is working on in an effort to work more successfully during their career. It is imperative that the new hire be genuinely interested in making this effort to ensure they do not look uncomfortable or seem unaccessible to other employees.While you dont want to push a new hire into an uncomfortable situation, they should be willing and able to put themselves out there and prove they are a benefit to the team and the company as a whole. Team collaboration is a building flgel for almost every career across multiple industries, and because of this, it is crucial that a new hire sets the stage during their first 90 days for how t hey will be able to work in a professional environment for years to come.- Heidi ParsontFounderTorchLight HireSuccess starts with planned performance reviews. Good habits start early Talk to your manager about the best way to start an ongoing, two-way dialogue about expectations, performance, and development by conducting performance reviews 30, 60, and 90 days after your start date. By doing this, you will receive early direction, feedback, coaching, and development all of which youll need to succeed and become a high performer in your new role.- Dominique JonesVice President of Human ResourcesHalogen SoftwareTake advantage of all available training resources in the company. Some companies offer video or online training on the intranet or via a learningmanagement system. Pay particular attention to product- and service-related information vis-a-vis what the company sells. If demo units of the companys products are available, find out if you can take one home to try out.- Derek Han dovaSenior B2B Content Marketing Writer for a Wireless Networking CompanyAsk Awayis Recruiter.coms weekly column. Every week, we pose an employment-related question to a group of experts and share their answers. Have a question youd like to ask the experts?Leave it in the comments, and you might just see it in next weeksAsk Away

Ways to Improve Your Communication Skills at Work

Ways to Improve Your Communication Skills at WorkWays to Improve Your Communication Skills at WorkPerhaps the one personal skill that has the greatest impact on your job satisfaction, promotion potential, and career success is your ability to communicate effectively with others. By improving your communications skills at work you increase your ability to achieve success, have your successes noted, and get yourself those promotions you deserve. Here are things you can do to improve your communications skills at work. Get Your Point Across When were trying to get a point across to someone else we often think long and hard about what we want to say. That is the wrong way to go about it. Instead of focusing on what you want to say to get your point across, you should focus on what you want the other person to hear. Heres how to be more effective at getting your point across.? Listen to What People Are Not Saying Many times what your employees do not say is as important as what th ey do say. A manager has to develop the ability to listen to what employees are not saying and dig through that to get to the truth. These two examples will help you understand how and why it is so important to really listen to your employees. Learn to Speak in Public to a Group Some people are reluctant to speak in public or before a group. Managers cant be. You will hinder your career if you are unable to speak confidently in front of a group. Like so many other things, public speaking gets easier with practice. You just go out and do it and each time it gets easier. Get Your Boss to Agree We all expect our boss to agree with us when we present a request, but too often he or she says no. The problem may not be in what you asked for. Instead, it may be in how you asked for it. Here are the things you need to remember if you want to get your boss to agree. Give Positive Feedback Dont ever underestimate the power of positive feedback. We are quick to point out to someone when they make a mistake. Sometimes we forget to acknowledge them when they do something right. Giving positive feedback can be a powerful tool for employee motivation. Heres how to use it most effectively. Give Negative Feedback Properly You always want to try positive feedback first, but there are times that isnt appropriate or effective. When you do need to give negative feedback, there are ways to do it that produce the desired results without creating barriers. Use these steps. Disagree Without Being Disagreeable Many managers andcompaniesfail because they rely too heavily on the people like them and screen out those who disagree with them. Thats why many people surround themselves with people who agree with them, think like them, and erleichterung them. When your company culture allows people to challenge ideas, suggestions, and plans, you create an organization of thinking, committed people. If your company culture does not allow dissent you produce an environment of fear. Not allowing appropriate dissent will kill your company. Heres how to have disagreements without poisoning the workplace atmosphere. Manage Older Workers Effectively The workforce is aging as baby boomer move toward retirement. Gen X managers need to learn how to motivate and manage this talent pool of older workers. It is up to the managers, Gen X or otherwise, to take the lead and create the climate in which these older workers will remain engaged and productive. Heres how to do it. Improve Your Written Communication Too The purpose of business writing is to convey information to someone else or to request information from them. To be effective writing for business, you must be complete, concise, and accurate. Your text should be written in such a way that the reader will be able to easily understand what you are telling or asking them. Whether you are writing a sales proposal, an email to your department, or an instruction manual for a software package, here are th e steps you need to follow to improve your written communications.? Write Better Emails Sloppily written emails waste everyones time and money. Write better emails and your boss will love it, your employees will understand you better, and you will spend less time repeating things in another email or over the phone. Network Better No matter how you look at it, your success in business depends on your ability to successfully network. Some people consider networking office politics and avoid it, but there is much more to it. Successful networking means being able to communicate effectively with your peers and your bosses, but also with your employees. These steps will help you put your improving communications skills to good use to advance in your management career.

Fertility Treatments, Pro Bono & Day Care Land Law Firms on

Fertility Treatments, Pro Bono & Day Care Land Law Firms onFertility Treatments, Pro Bono & Day Care Land Law Firms onWhat do in vitro fertilization, pro bono commitment, a child-care campus, and transparency have in common? Theyre factors that helped four law firms land spots on Fortunes annual ranking of the 100 Best Companies to Work For. These Fortune All Stars are Alston Bird LLP (13), Bingham McCutchen LLP (28), Baker, Donelson, Bearman, Caldwell Berkowitz, PC (50), and Perkins Coie LLP (55). Way to represent BigLaw, but next yearin the spirit of mind-numbing competition and prestige-obsession that only attorneys can appreciatecan you all please try to get into the top 50 or even the top 25?Even though Im slightly disappointed that the firms didnt give me a Top 50 headline, I am impressed by the firm tidbits that Fortune shared. Alston was highlighted for its child-care facility, which serves 110 children and offers subsidized rates for employees earning lower salaries. Alst on also received attention on Fortunes Unusual Perks list for its health plan, which offers $25,000 towards fertility treatments. So basically, Alston is the BigLaw Baby Empire where the stresses of baby-making and reliable day-care should no longer interfere with the precious billable hour.Of course, whats the fun of slaving over billables all day if you dont see the results of your work? Perkins Coie is stepping up by sharing with its staff how the firms work impacts companies success each quarter. And Bingham and Baker Donelson are getting props for their pro-bono efforts. In fact, Baker Donelson has doubled its annual pro-bono hours since 2008.Fortunes best-companies ranking goes beyond the Top 100, though, with various other lists on pay, location and perks. Not surprisingly, none of the law firms made the Work-life balance list, but three of them (Alston, Perkins Coie, and Baker Donelson) made the Sabbatical perk list. Law firms dont need work-life balanceassociates can just t ake a few months off to pick up the pieces of their shattered lives once they burn out Seriously, though, it would be great to see a law firm on the Work-life balance list next year. Taking steps toward addressing the issue and moving forward with solutions would be a great way for a firm to set itself apart.Congratulations to the Best-Workplace law firms. Do a happy dance, and then get back to work2012s list will be here before you know it, and you have goals to meet.Interested in learning more about how Fortune compiles its list? Click here.Fortunes 100 Best Companies to Work For Alston Bird Fortune profile Bingham McCutchen Fortune profile Baker Donelson Fortune profile Perkins Coie Fortune profile Alston fertility perk profile Fortunes Sabbatical perk-list Fortunes Work-life perk-listABA SourceFOLLOW VAULT LAW ON TWITTER VaultLaw SIGN UP FOR VAULTS LAW CAREER NEWSLETTER VAULTS VERDICT

Top 5 Litigation Trends

Top 5 Litigation TrendsTop 5 Litigation TrendsFulbright Jaworski has released the results of its seventh-annual Litigation Trends Survey Report, a detailed situation map of the global litigation scene based on the thinking of senior corporate counsel (in the U.S. and the U.K.) regarding the near-term future prospects for dispute resolution and related matters. Half of the survey respondents believe the legal industry will permanently change the way it does business because of the changing economy. Aspiring litigators would do well to have a look at the findings, which provide an expansive view of the lawsuit landscape not necessarily available to BigLaws rank and file.Here are the Top 5 takeaways from the report1. IP/patents replaced bankruptcy/reorganization as one of this years top 5 litigation areas targeted by companies for increased spending. The other four Regulatory Investigations, Contracts, Labor Employment, and Electronic Discovery.2. 80% of U.S. respondents think the U. S. of Civil Procedure should be modified to limit e-discovery in civil actions.3. The companies most likely to initiate litigation are in the energy, health care, manufacturing and insurance industries.4. More companies are using alternative fee arrangements than last year, including 61% of the largest companies (One in six estimate AFAs account for 50% or more of their billings.)5. The changing economy thus far has made U.S. companies far less willing to inititiate litigation or go to trial than their U.K. counterparts.-posted by brian

The Insider Secrets of Best Resume Fonts Revealed

The Insider Secrets of Best Resume Fonts Revealed The Battle Over Best Resume Fonts and How to Win It The peak of your resume should includecritical search phrases and a fast snapshot of your core strengths, Leavy-Detrick states. Whichever your choice, make sure that you stick to one to keep it presentable versus employing a number of unique fonts that may crowd the webpage and cause you to appear disorganized. A good option for professionals who wish to present their CV some character. Instead, youve got two options. Selecting the proper font can look to be an impossible job, especially because there are dozens and dozens of choices out there. Using resume templates have turned into the most time-effective means of making certain that your resume iseasy-on-the eye. Choosing its a lazy selection. Lighter weight choices will notlage be easy to see in tiny sizes, however, so use a heavier font for resume designs. What to Expect From Best Resume Fonts? As soon as it is enco uraged for the font to be the very same, you are able to boost the size to 14-16. Last, irrespective of which font you use, make certain you size it appropriately. An ideal font can help enhance the look of your resume. Selecting a font thats easy and simple to read is critical. Arial is possibly the most popular alternative for CVs and its clear to see why. If you wish to use a sans-serif font, Arial is one of the greatest options for your resume. Helvetica is considered by many people to be among the greatest all-around fonts. Therefore, if you are inclined to over-edit yourself, Helvetica can be used to fill out your resume. Along with font types, the typical font size also needs to be carefully considered when writing an executive resume. Furthermore, it was inspired by Scotch Roman designs of the 19th century, so should you need to be noticed, you may want to go with something different. Dont make the error of shrinking down the resume font size so that you may squeez e because many words in as possible. Each illustration is listed along with the name of that font. The recruiter may believe the candidate doesnt focus on the finer details. It is not worth the riskespecially for work which requires credentials you dont have. Many candidates utilize an online resume builder to generate attractive resumes which grab the interest of employers. Now, you dont understand how an employer will examine your resume. Employers are interested in concrete skills. They know your objective is to get the job. There are a number of different methods to format your resume. Formatting your resume can be exceedingly tricky. Your resume should seem like an expert document, not just a bit of paper thats been stuffed with as much content as humanly possible. Formatting your resume is a significant step in making a professional, readable resume. Maybe something from the below can help you to cope with a few issues that were unknown or difficult for you previ ously. You have to bring a little more efforts to GET the job that you dream on. What do you need to pay your focus to There are several different things to think about when applying for work, including your experience, skills and how far youre eager to travel. Making sure employers dont need to work to understand words on your resume is the most crucial issue when selecting font. Even when youre on the job, think about keeping a few printed copies in the glovebox of your vehicle. Obviously, the prospective employees with the greatest scores move on, while some are left in the dust. Once it does, its still true that you must hold their focus to make it to the following actions. Again, you would like to make certain that your resume is readable. Be consistent with stylization, and just select one or two to make sure your resume appears professional and simple to read. Needless to say, the best method to discover such assistance is if you have a look into the top rated profe ssional resume writing services reviews. Just make sure, whichever format you pick, which youre targeting it for the job which youre applying to. Needless to say, you will have to use your very best judgment when deciding if it seems bloated. For each work application, pick the layout that most represents you in the context of the job which youre applying for.

What Does Help Resume and Cover Letter Writing Mean?

What Does Help Resume and Cover Letter Writing Mean? For grabbing the work opportunity, its crucial that you compose your letter accurately. The assistance of the job cover the exact same as your and position. You find a job posting from your fantasy employer. When you submit an application for a specific job you have just one chance to be successful. The Appeal of Help Resume and Cover Letter Writing An employer reviews your resume before you buy an opportunity to meet her or him in person. Regardless of what the resume must say, the very first impression is already made. The other detail is that if you write, you ought to be showing genuine interest in the business and the job on offer. It is possible to also enlist the aid of some other set of eyes to be certain everything reads as well as you think it does. Apart from the content on the webpage, the true appearance and feel of the document is likewise an important quality of your letter. A cover letter is an easy bu t necessary portion of business once we are managing an individual, business or agency through mail. When you produce your resume, it has a specific amount of general information regarding you. Knowing about the organization as well as the cover letter generator utilizing the appropriate language for the field let me make the letter relate to the business and stand out. Ok, I Think I Understand Help Resume and Cover Letter Writing, Now Tell Me About Help Resume and Cover Letter Writing Walk into any computer computer software shop and youll discover a number of programs that will assist you with your resume. A good resume simply shows employers you have the abilities and experience that fulfill their criteria. You can get in touch with your writer through our sttze department should you need to specify some vital points to create your work more customized. All our writers pass a considerable procedure to look at their abilities. First paragraph should provide your introduc tion and the reason behind writing the letter. You might be a killer writer, and great at expressing yourself in words, but in regards to grammar, its an entirely different ballgame. When writing a cover letter, bear in mind that its an introduction and not anything more. As much as the value of what it is you are writing, is the way that it is written and presented. Cover Letter It is improbable that someone will read your resume if your cover letter isnt impressive. A cover letter provides you an opportunity to sell your resume to an employer so as to land an interview. The letter below is what you would like to avoid, particularly when youre new to the work market. You have your own cover letter.