How Interviews at Startups and Big Companies Differ

How Interviews at Startups and Big Companies Differ Picture this scene. You’ve just been invited for an interview with a super hot startup. Eager for  the chance to latch onto the next Google or Facebook, you spend the next two weeks gearing  up for the interview of your life.  You rehearse your life story until it comes off like a TED Talk. You practice behavioral questions  so much that you start having nightmares that begin “Tell me about a time when…” And you  memorize dozens of business frameworks for solving any case until you can’t remember  whether it’s the 4 P’s or the 5 Forces or the 45 P Forces. And then you walk into the office and the first thing that happens is a Nerf dart hits you squarely  in the head. To add insult to injury, half the people scheduled to interview you that day haven’t  shown up. And when you finally get a chance to meet the big boss, he leans back in his fancy, ergonomic chair and… doesn’t ask you about your life story. Or a time when you influenced a  team. Or how much revenue a new product launch would generate.  Instead, all he says is: “So, what can you do for us?” That’s when it finally dawns on you: interviewing at a startup is most definitely not like  interviewing at a big company.  To understand why and to save you from a similar fate, let’s explore three major differences  between startups and big firms and, specifically, how they influence your interview experience. HR-led hiring vs. CEO-led hiring Any large firm worth its salt is going to have a well-developed HR function. Because no matter  how egomaniacal the founder, he/she just isn’t going to have the time to interview dozens of  people a week AND keep the company running. Which means that you can expect your  interview to be run by seasoned professionals the implications of which we’ll explore in the  next section.  Meanwhile, that hot startup is likely not to have the same kind of HR machinery in place. Sure,  they might have a recruiter or even a team of them. But anyone who’s worked in a startup  knows that startups are, at best, benevolent dictatorships, not meritocracies. So no matter how  much HR theory and research those recruiters have at their disposal, ultimately, what the CEO  says, goes. Because, as any startup founder will tell you, “talent is my competitive advantage” and so they’ll want to oversee every last hiring decision personally. Machine interviews vs. bespoke Interviews When you’ve got experienced HR pros in charge of hiring as you do at big companies, the  interview process often becomes machine-like, for better or worse. Because the sheer number of  interviews is so great and because research suggests that a completely uniform process (e.g.,  every candidate gets the same exact questions) is the most effective and legal, non-discriminatory approach, you can expect a relatively standard set of questions, just as in our  opening scenario.  On the other hand, when the CEO’s in charge, she may be ignorant of HR best practices, thinks she knows a better way (noticing a trend here?), or both! The result is a bespoke process that’s  cut from the founder’s own cloth, even if she’s not doing every single interview. Whatever she  believes to be the most important criterion for success (e.g., “We need people who can handle  the pressure ask them how many golf balls can fit in a 747!”) becomes the governing dogma,  even if there’s little empi rical support for that approach. Passive interviewees vs. active interviewees The result of the HR-led, machine interviewing process is that the interviewee becomes  relatively passive. Since the interviewer has a formal list of questions to cover in a precise  amount of time, there’s relatively little opportunity for the interviewee to take ownership of the  conversation. Instead, the best they can do is prepare exhaustively and be ready for all the  typical kinds of questions.  In startup land, however, a few common factors create a window for interviewees to take  charge. First, the hectic life of a small firm coupled with the lack of formal HR responsibility  means that many interviewers will be winging the conversations, rushing in from an earlier  meeting. Indeed, it’s not uncommon for a startup interviewer to ask 2-3 questions and then turn  the tables over to the interviewee. Secondly, the fast pace of a startup means that the firm isn’t  just looking for pure potential that can be groomed over months of training, as with a big firm.  Instead, th ey need someone who can come in and hit the ground running. So being able to  drive the conversation with your own, active ideas is often better received than sitting back and  passively waiting to answer scripted questions. Vive la difference! So now you know why startup interviews can often seem so foreign to refugees from the big  corporate world. But instead of fretting about this unique approach, why not take advantage of  the difference?  Skip the weeks of ingesting corporate factoids, of painfully rote practice, of memorizing dull  stories of teamwork and business methodologies. Instead, put yourself in the CEO’s shoes and  imagine the huge challenges she’s facing. And then imagine the creative ways you can solve  them. So that way, when she leans back in her chair and asks you what you can do, you can  say, “I’m here to help. Here are three ways that I’m going to help you overcome your biggest  roadblocks. Now let’s get down to work.” Just remember to watch out for those Nerf darts!

Writing a Resume When You Have a Way to Many Jobs

Writing a Resume When You Have a Way to Many JobsShould you be wondering about writing a resume when you have way too many jobs? That is not an easy question to answer. The question of how to write a resume that will not appear as spam also has to be answered. The answer to both questions is the same and that is no one else can tell you what to write except yourself.So let's start with the question of how to write a resume when you have way to many jobs. The main reason why you might need to write your resume when you have so many jobs is because the typical career web site is designed to show you how many jobs you are currently working on or have been working on. If you had a number of resumes to look through, the search engine would show you the ones that were most recently updated.So now you can see that if you are asking the question about how to write a resume when you have way to many jobs, then the answer is simple. You need to make sure that you have updated your resume with a change in employment. You cannot count on the web site, job boards, or the human resources person for such updates. They will probably just post the newest data that was current when you left your current job.You have to rely on yourself and just write your resume the way it was when you first got the new job and simply add to it from there. It is a great idea to make sure that you remember every new job you have since it is part of the interview process that you will be putting your best foot forward.Remember that you are the one that is going to be interviewing you. The employer does not want to interview someone who has all the right experiences and is suddenly old. Make sure that you give them a reason to hire you before they can let you in the door.One of the biggest misconceptions about writing a resume when you have way to many jobs is that it is necessary to include as much information as possible. The truth is that it is not necessary but you should give your prospective employer a clear picture of who you are so that they can decide whether you are the person for the job.Do not include every single detail about each job that you have ever had because some employers are too picky and will only hire people who do not leave a bad taste in their mouth. Make sure that you consider how the person that is interviewing you could have the exact same qualifications but they will not consider hiring someone with less than perfect resume.Sometimes you get different stories about jobs that you have filled out and this is especially true with employment history websites. Make sure that you make sure that your resume makes sense in relation to the work experience and education that you have obtained from all of your past jobs.

Dont Cold Call 8 Things to Do Instead

Dont Cold Call 8 Things to Do Instead I started my recruitment career as a researcher in an executive recruitment agency. Old-school cold calling was all I did, including identifying target candidates via cover stories and then cold calling the prospects later, but is it still as effective? What is cold calling According to the dictionary, Merriam-Webster defines cold calling as: “a telephone call soliciting business made directly to a potential customer without prior contact or without a lead”. Sadly, people just don’t like it if strangers knock on their door (or call them) and try to sell them things that they may or may not need. Cold calling statistics In 2007 it took 3.68 cold call attempts to reach a prospect. In 2013 it was 8 attempts (Source: TeleNet and Ovation Sales Group). It certainly is even more in 2017. Only 1% of cold calls convert into appointments (Source: Keller Center Research Report) 90% of B2B decision makers never respond to any form of cold outreach but 75% of them use social media in their decision-making (Source: Freshbusinessthinking) Inbound leads cost 61% less than outbound leads or  cold calls. (Source: HubSpot) Of course, these are not cold calling statistics specific to recruitment but this still reflects how times have changed, including in recruitment. What has changed? People are fed up with random calls from strangers. Ask yourself: when was the last time that you were pleased when a telemarketer called to sell you an insurance? Do you really think that it’s that different when a recruiter calls someone with whom he never had any previous point of contact? Social media did change the way we communicate with each other. Just have a look around you the next time you are on a bus or train: the majority of people are using their phones while commuting. Of course, we still talk F2F and over the phone but messaging and social media has become an integral part of the way we communicate. A Forbes study showed that Gen Y and Millennials prefer using social media and instant messaging over talking with someone on the phone or in person. They will comprise more than 50% of the workforce by 2020. This trend will certainly only continue. Candidate behaviour has changed as well. Candidates act as consumers would. They want to know who they are dealing with. Consider the following: if you want to buy a car, you won’t only research the car but also the car dealer. In recruitment, candidates can choose which agency they want to work with, and they are fully aware of this. Candidates are researching recruitment agencies. And if there is one that looks particularly good then candidates might consider to only speak with this one agency. Because it is so easy to research both recruitment agencies and individual recruiters, credibility has become a key factor. Candidates want recruiters who are experts in their fields to represent them AND who service them well. If a recruiter doesn’t look after them well enough or if they aren’t credible, then candidates just go to the next recruiter. If the candidate has heard of you or seen evidence of your market knowledge before (e.g. via your blog or LinkedIn pulse posts) then he already ‘knows’ you and is much more likely to trust and do business with you. 8 techniques to do instead: Check who looked at your LinkedIn profile every day. Those people are likely to be interested in what you have to offer and have heard of you already. It would be a wasted opportunity not to get in touch with them. Speak to someone after they accepted your LinkedIn invitation or, even more so, after they sent you an invite. They just told you that they are interested in what you are doing it would be rude to ignore that! This could be either via a follow-up message or a phone call. Build up credibility part I: Write value-adding articles in which you do not try to sell your services. LinkedIn Pulse is a good place to start. And very important: the quintessence of your articles should NOT be ‘use me’ or ‘use recruitment agencies’. That’s not adding value, that’s trying to sell your services at a place where it doesn’t belong. Instead, focus on topics that are of interest to your candidates and clients â€" not subjects that are of interest to you. Build up credibility part II: Be active on social media. Which media depends on your target group. Look where your candidates are or just ask them. Engage in conversations and give advice willingly and for free. Build up credibility part III: Post regular updates on the medium where your candidates are. Share updates and other content regularly. Use pictures wherever you can. And make sure that you don’t advertise too many jobs compared to the number of value adding material that you post. Have a broad spectrum of touch points before you call: The ‘view recent activity’ button on LinkedIn is a great place to start! See what your prospect posted recently maybe you can like it, share it or even leave a comment? Comments are a great way of breaking the ice and it just seems reasonable to follow up with a LinkedIn invite and mention that you saw their post and that you e.g. couldn’t agree more. Of course, the network that you should focus on depends on where your candidates are. Ask for referrals. If it’s appropriate, don’t only get the contact details from the referral but also ask the person who gave you the referral to mention to the referral that you will be calling them. This will a) build positive anticipation and b) you can’t really get a warmer introduction than that. LinkedIn call referrals ‘warm introductions’ and they reckon warm introductions are 37% more likely to win the deal, and the deal size is 23% higher on average. Don’t forget the basics: Pick up the phone to warm candidates and clients  which is your database: make sure you stay in touch with them. A very good way of doing so is setting up a call cycle which ensures that you speak with every candidate and client every couple of months. The first objection of those calls is not to try to sell something but to see how things are going for them. If things are going well, then this is great news. If they aren’t that happy, then you can find out why this is the case and see if there is something that you can do to ease their pain. I am certainly not saying don’t call quite the opposite is true! Recruitment is a numbers game, and more activity leads to more results. What I am saying is: DO call. Do MANY calls. But make quality calls that are more efficient and will bring a higher outcome with less input. About the Author: Claudius has 8 years of recruitment experience and is the director of Open Sky Recruitment, a recruitment to recruitment agency. Connect with Claudius on LinkedIn.

Ten Start-ups To Bet Your Career On

Ten Start-ups To Bet Your Career On Thousands of start-ups appear every year but very few of them actually manage to leave their mark on the business world. Today we’re taking a look at 10 recently successful start-ups that are worth betting your careers on! Inverse Inverse is a news portal that managed to accumulate a lot of success in a very short time. It focus on scientific and technological news and tries to predict what will happen next, looking into new technologies, unique ideas and trends that surface. Mobcrush If you enjoy online games then you are the target audience of Mobcrush, a mobile gaming platform that includes multiplayer and streaming options. It manages to create a community of gamers and has all the content they would be interested in. Giphy If you frequent image hosting sites and like looking for funny images and GIFs then you must have seen Giphy which made a huge splash on the animated image market in the past year. It’s a site and start-up that offers its users a platform to browse and share animated photos in great quality! Brebey Let’s take a trip to Italy in order to look at Brebey, a start-up that focuses on sustainable technologies and more specifically those made with sheep’s wool. They have managed to create amazing thermal insulation felt that benefits the environment greatly. Alodoktor Moving on towards the health and medicine field, we have Alodoktor, a start-up that consolidates and offers a vast amount of data regarding nutritional choices, medical information and the option to directly communicate with medical staff in order to receive instant advice or answers. Belong Have you ever had an awkward meeting with your boss and co-workers, feeling as if you don’t belong? Belong is aiming to simplify such matters by leveraging skills and experience of each person in order to bring the right workers with the correct business, where they belong. The platform they have created identifies the best possible candidates for specific jobs. Cybelangel This was one of the most successful start-ups of 2016, promising to go even further beyond in 2017. It deals with computer security and more specifically target those who illegally and improperly use business data. The start-up analyses a massive amount of data from all over the internet and establish systems to warn companies about their legal rights if they are targeted. Bitgold With the rise of gold value, it was only a matter of time before companies appeared that that made its use easier than ever. In this case, Bitgold is a start-up that wants to make online payments via gold a viable payment method. Through their platform it is possible to make gold transactions. Abalo Publicidad For those looking for work clothes and supplies, here comes Abalo Publicidad, a retail store offering high quality materials and tools for companies and professionals. They had a great success in the past year which only allowed them to increase the quality of their products even further. It is definitely a start-up worth looking into. Wine Outlet Finally, we must not forget Wine Outlet, the most successful start-up to come out of Greece in the last year. The company sells, delivers and provides detailed information about wines. What makes Wine Outlet so appealing is the vast amount of information and variety of wines and the quality and affordable prices they come with.

Resume and Reports and Proposals by Some Excellent Writers

Resume and Reports and Proposals by Some Excellent WritersWhen you are looking for a new job or want to make an improvement on what you have already got, one of the most important things that you can do is get your resume and reports and proposals written by some excellent writers. When you go in for writing jobs, make sure that you get your resume and reports and proposals written by someone who has both the knowledge and skill level that you require. If you are looking for information on how to get your resume and reports and proposals written by some excellent writers, then read this article.Resume Writing Jobs: You can also get a resume written by someone who has good writing skills. This can be done by using the services of a company that has people who have the required writing skills. You can get a professional resume written by these companies. When you go in for this kind of service, make sure that you take the help of someone who has good writing skills.Reports and Proposal s: These services also give you a good opportunity to write good reports and proposals. The report and proposal writer can give you a suitable resume and report to use when you are looking for a job. When you go in for this service, make sure that you get help from the person who has both the knowledge and skill level that you require.Another way to get a good resume and reports and proposals written by some excellent writers is to use the services of a company that has people who have both the knowledge and skill level that you require. You can find out more about these companies and how they can help you get your resume and reports and proposals written by some excellent writers.When you go in for these services, make sure that you look for people who can write the good resume and reports and proposals that you require. These companies have people who have both the knowledge and skill level that you require.You can get a good quality report and proposals written by these people. I n fact, these people can give you a suitable resume and reports and proposals that can help you in your job search.When you go in for these services, make sure that you look for people who can write the professional resume and reports and proposals that you require. These people can give you a suitable resume and reports and proposals that can help you in your job search.These people can help you get a suitable resume and reports and proposals that can help you in your job search. You can find out more about these people and how they can help you get a suitable resume and reports and proposals that can help you in your job search. When you go in for these services, make sure that you get help from the people who have both the knowledge and skill level that you require.

Debating A Career Change 7 Things to Consider CareerMetis.com

Debating A Career Change 7 Things to Consider Everyone gets an itch to try something new at least once in their lives. There’s no shame in it. It’s also unsurprising that many of us fall into a career as a result of never saying ‘no’ when an opportunity crosses our paths. It does mean, however, that many of us reach a point where we realize we might not be doing what we love â€" or, what we set out to do.It might be that instead of working for a large corporation, you’ve now got the itch to go out and build something of your own. This would not be an uncommon story for new startup owners. If that is the case, start by understanding what your current financial position is and how best to invest in a personal venture.evalBefore allowing yourself to worry about the what, when, why and how, let us talk you through the essential considerations when faced with that all too common career change itch.1) Ask yourself whyevalIt’s really important to understand what motivates the change, as this will help you establish whether it’s an impulse move or something worth investing more time and thought into.Do not respond immediately to this emotion. Think about the areas of your work you’re unhappy or unsatisfied with, and work to understand whether these issues can be addressed and resolved. It may be the case that you’re able to reignite your passion for your work once you have completed a particularly challenging and lengthy project, for example.Consider keeping a journal of your daily moods at work, to understand if there are any recurring themes. These will be useful in understanding what your pain points are, as well as understanding where your interests sit. Ask yourself whether it’s the content of your work that is the issue â€" or simply the people you work with.If your ‘why’ is far greater than simply being unhappy with a particular task, team members and so on, then it might be worth taking this one step further into the career change discovery process.2) Complete a self-assessmentThis is a moment to really understand what your skills are, and equally as important, what your interests are.Spend some time analyzing your successes in previous roles and how they can be applied to varied industries. Developing transferable skills throughout your career will make this process a slightly easier one.evalAlso, think about what your core goals are. What do you hope to gain from your work? Consider both the financial and emotional return you hope to gain from your next role. Don’t have a defined set of goals? Get planning. Outlining what you hope to achieve from your career overall will help reign the focus in, identifying the routes available to take in order to reach these defined goals.Things to think about:Salary expectationsNo. of hours you want to workDays per week you want to workIndustries you are interested inLevel of responsibility you want to have in a roleConsult with friends and family for their thoughts, if you’re unable to define your goals yourself. This is not a decision to be taken lightly, and sometimes the people around us recognize our skills before we do.Ultimately, choose a career or discipline that you love. This will be the reason you get out of bed every day, even when your project list is stacked and you’re working against a tough deadline. Passion drives us, so do something you’re passionate about.3) Understand the marketSpeak to an expert and do your research.evalGet an idea of what roles there are in the discipline you want to explore and scan the job descriptions. This will allow you to understand what skills you need for your desired role. You’ll also be able to get an idea of the salary bands for roles and the level you can reach in certain areas of your chosen discipline.A career advisor can talk you through the opportunities available to you, and sense checks your skills against your desired career. Consult as many professionals as you feel necessary to understand the steps you need to take in order to tran sform your career.An expert may also bring your attention to roles you hadn’t considered, taking your skills and interests in mind. They will be able to point you in the right direction for further research and conversations, which may just land you your next role.4) Invest in yourselfNever fall for the belief that you know all that there is to know â€" whether that’s in an industry you’ve been working in for30 years, or 30 minutes.You’ll need to think about whether you’re prepared to go into a role at a lower level, and salary, to what you’re used to. If not, you’ll then need to research the types of training you can complete, potentially alongside your current job, to avoid taking a pay cut.All of this takes time. While you’re in your current job, think about the ways in which you can gain the experience you need with the resources you have around you. Spend time with sister departments and ask to shadow various roles to get a feel for them. The best way you are go ing to get a true feel for a role and discipline is to connect with people.eval5) Allow yourself a trial periodMany people consider a career change as a giant leap, but actually, it’s something that is often much more calculated. Career changes are best taken in calculated steps. Don’t feel you need to dive in headfirst â€" if we let this analogy play out, everyone needs swimming lessons before diving into the deep end!Give yourself some time to really understand the discipline you want to follow â€" and that it is never too late, or too early to decide something isn’t for you.There have been many stories of people who leave jobs, only to return to them in 6 months’ time. That’s okay.A career decision doesn’t have to be final if you’re unsure.evalAllow yourself the time to understand whether the new venture is for you or not. Opting for an internship or a fixed period contract will allow you to get a feel for a job or industry, and give you the chance to draw a line un der the experience if you find it’s not for you.6) Avoid jumping industriesWhen searching for a job, take the benefits and prospects into consideration. These are often the tipping point of tough decisions. You may find that your company or industry still has a great deal to offer you.Jumping industries doubles the impact of how difficult the career change is. Consider where your current unhappiness in your role sits. If it’s not specific to the industry, then consider exploring the various roles within it. The benefit of staying in your industry is the overall knowledge you have acquired throughout the years. This will put you in a better position to jump the department.Having an overall knowledge of an industry acquired over a number of years will set you apart from candidates simply looking for a career change. You will undoubtedly have had the opportunity in your current career to see the impact of other departments in your business on the industry. This will count for a lot when interviewing, and when deciding which role you feel better suited to.7) Commit to it‘Taking the leap’ and deciding to make a move in a different direction is a daunting task. We’re not telling you to commit to the job you choose. We are, however, advising you to give everything you have and commit to the search for the job of your dreams. These itches for something new will keep coming back until you address them.evalOur lives and careers move quickly, don’t allow too much time to pass before you finally pay attention to how you feel. Seek support in family and friends, talk through your options and ultimately, follow your gut.You need to commit your full effort into making this change happen for it to happen successfully. The first step to getting what you want is believing that you deserve it. Knowing how to convey that to a skeptical potential employer might seem tricky, but actually, if you know what you’re worth and what you can bring to the role, the negotiatio n is essentially done for you.It’s not always easy and it might not feel like it’s working at first. At the beginning of every new job, we’re met with questions as to whether this was the right step for us â€" this is only further intensified when changing careers altogether. Trust your instincts, but give yourself time. None of this happens overnight and it’s only natural to feel uncertain.It’s possible to make a career change at any point in your life and at any age when you follow these key steps and thought processes.It’s not an easy thing to do, which is why so many people leave it longer than they’re comfortable with, or never do it at all.Be patient with yourself and give yourself the time to really think about what’s best for you.Don’t let money be the deciding factor, as overall happiness and wellbeing make work something we look forward to getting up to.Let’s face it, we spend most of our lives at work, it should be something we enjoy.

Rethinking capitalism - create shared value - The Chief Happiness Officer Blog

Rethinking capitalism - create shared value - The Chief Happiness Officer Blog Mark Kramer and Harvard professor Michael Porter have just written a fascinating article for the Harvard Business Review, where they argue against the idea that a business should focus exclusively on maximizing its own profits. From the article: Companies? remain trapped in an outdated approach to value creation that has emerged over the past few decades. They continue to view value creation narrowly, optimizing short-term financial performance in a bubble while missing the most important customer needs and ignoring the broader influences that determine their longer-term success. ? Companies must take the lead in bringing business and society back together. The recognition is there among sophisticated business and thought leaders, and promising elements of a new model are emerging. Yet we still lack an overall framework for guiding these efforts, and most companies remain stuck in a ?social responsibility? mind-set in which societal issues are at the periphery, not the core. The solution lies in the principle of shared value, which involves creating economic value in a way that also creates value for society by addressing its needs and challenges. I could not agree more and there is no doubt in my mind that creating shared value means more profits for a business in the long term. It essentially comes back to whether you consider business a zero sum or a non-zero sum game. Us non-zeroers know that collaboration, win-win scenarios and mutual benefit are not only more profitable but also more rewarding and meaningful. It makes us happier at work because we can take pride in doing work that improves our local communities (or even the planet) rather than robbing them. The article goes on to examine a number of areas where businesses can create shared value, including procurement, location, energy use, etc. As for employees, the article says only this: The focus on holding down wage levels, reducing benefits, and offshoring is beginning to give way to an awareness of the positive effects that a living wage, safety, wellness, training, and opportunities for advancement for employees have on productivity. Many companies, for example, traditionally sought to minimize the cost of ?expensive? employee health care coverage or even eliminate health coverage altogether. Today leading companies have learned that because of lost workdays and diminished employee productivity, poor health costs them more than health benefits do. Take Johnson Johnson. By helping employees stop smoking (a two-thirds reduction in the past 15 years) and implementing numerous other wellness programs, the company has saved $250 million on health care costs, a return of $2.71 for every dollar spent on wellness from 2002 to 2008. Moreover, Johnson Johnson has benefited from a more present and productive workforce. If labor unions focused more on shared value, too, these kinds of employee approaches would spread even faster. I wouldve liked to see a much higher focus on employees. The one obvious place to start creating shared value is with the people closest to the business, ie. the employees. In fact, I believe that this is impossible, unless you also create a happy workplace. You can read the article here or watch a 15-minute video, where Porter explains the fundamental concept. Reading the article, I was reminded of this quote from Ray Anderson, the CEO of Interface, the world?s largest carpet manufacturer: One day early in this journey it dawned on me that they way I?d been running Interface is the way of the plunderer. Plundering something that is not mine, something that belongs to every creature on earth. And I said to myself ?My goodness, a day must come where this is illegal, where plundering is not allowed. I mean, it must come.? So I said to myself ?My goodness, some day people like me will end up in jail.? Interestingly, Interface went on to create a green line of carpets that became their biggest commercial success ever. Your take What do you think? Does your workplace create shared value already or does it focus only on maximizing its own profits? Do you see potential in shared value? Would it make you happy, to work in a business that does? Related posts Top 5 Business Maxims That Need To Go Top 5 Reasons Why Green Workplaces Make Their Employees Happy Can You Be Happy Working For An Evil Company? Thanks for visiting my blog. If you're new here, you should check out this list of my 10 most popular articles. And if you want more great tips and ideas you should check out our newsletter about happiness at work. It's great and it's free :-)Share this:LinkedInFacebookTwitterRedditPinterest Related

How Much Notice Should You Give When Leaving a Job

How Much Notice Should You Give When Leaving a Job Almost everyone is faced with the prospect of leaving their job at some point. Whether you have decided to move, change fields, accepted a better offer, or just wanted to quit, the very idea of offering your ‘two weeks’ notice’ can drive fear into the most forthright employee. Even worse, many employees do not know the various options they have for leaving a job â€" especially when you leave for another, more lucrative, position. Deciding how much notice you should give when leaving a job is anything but easy. Before even considering the alternative options available for leaving a job, you must first perform your due diligence. In some cases, an employment contract may exist which specifically details the conditions under which you are allowed to leave your position. These terms must be followed exactly. This information is typically easy to find. If you did not retain a copy of your employment agreement yourself and do not wish to tip off your employer that you may be leaving, you are entitled to a review of your employment file and can easily locate the information. Next, you must consider the nature of your job. Those in unique positions that may be hard to fill or those in management positions may need to consider giving some additional notice. In some instances it can be helpful to discuss your move with a manager to determine what their expectations are. The general rule of thumb is two weeks and most employees tend to stick with these guidelines. Unfortunately, in some cases it may be necessary to leave with less than the typical two week notice. This is especially true when an employee that is leaving to pursue another position which they need to start soon. While an employee has the ability to leave their current job immediately, unless otherwise prohibited, it is often not suggested. When determining how quickly you can leave your current position, always remember the old adage: Don’t burn your bridges. In the employment world, many times specific industries are very small and it is easy to get a bad reputation â€" especially if you leave a position with little or no warning to your employers. Or, in other cases, the employer may ask you to leave immediately. This happened to me. Twice. In both cases, the reasons had to do with the competition and clients (even though I wasnt going to a competitor either time).   When that happens, you have no choice but to leave. I didnt mind. That meant some much needed time off before the next job. Like many facets of employment, how you handle your departure from a current position says a lot about you as a person. By handling an exit with grace and professionalism, you can easily begin to establish yourself as an employee with integrity. It is important to handle every aspect of your departure in a professional manner. From letters of resignation to the goodbye lunch, behaving in a professional way will make you stand out. Knowing how much time to give your current employer is a complex issue. It is one that is best handled by following the guidelines set forth in your employment contract. If one does not exist, be sure to approach the issue professionally and to work as closely as possible to ensure a smooth transition.