Why CV Templates and Free CV Samples Are Obsolete
Author: Peter Whitehead
These days, employers are far more likely to read a CV from a recruiter, re-formatted on their screens, than to receive an exact copy of the original by post. Here are some great tips on designing the perfect online CV for the modern jobs market.
How NOT to create a CV:
When Jonathan graduated, he knew exactly what he wanted his new CV to do: get him a job designing web sites in London. So he studied all those free CV examples and templates on the web and then went to work creating an eye-popping CV he was sure would snag the job of his dreams. He sent it off to recruitment agencies, job boards and a few targeted companies. Then he waited. And waited.
Once upon a time, this might have been a good strategy. Job seekers were encouraged to select a CV template from dozens of examples. Then, they'd spend hours if not days fitting their data into the template to create a CV with equal parts impact and information. Even today, the web is full of free samples and examples that illustrate the old way of doing things... a way that pretty much ensures your CV will not produce the results you want.
CV Templates: The Dinosaurs of Job Search
It is not common knowledge yet that spending time on beautifully designed CVs is not the best use of a your time! These days, when a CV is sent to major recruitment agencies, the initial eye appeal no longer matters because the document is processed before anyone in a decision-making role even sees it.
The key information contained in the CV is extracted, reformatted and placed in a database where it can more easily be searched and accessed by recruiters and hirers. So everything but the raw information is discarded: the CV template you so carefully selected, the headings, subheadings and formatting, the design layout... everything but text is removed during extraction and reformatting.
Jonathon, being a recent grad, had never done a CV before so he didn't realize his CV would end up this way. He contacted a friend in the recruitment industry who told him most of the UK job market is converting to online CV templates.
What you SHOULD do instead:
Here are a few tips to help you get ready to build your online CV:
If you don't have a CV yet, concentrate your efforts on compiling key information about your skills, experience and training. You'll need specifics like:
1. dates of jobs and schooling,
2. names of companies,
3. your job titles and responsibilities for each job,
4. achievements and accomplishments at each job,
5. transferable skills you have acquired,
6. professional associations you belong to,
7. published works,
8. any security clearances you've obtained,
9. complete, current contact information.
If you concentrate of having great content like this in your CV and don't waste too much energy on fancy design, you'll get far better results in the new market of online CVs. Good luck!
These days, employers are far more likely to read a CV from a recruiter, re-formatted on their screens, than to receive an exact copy of the original by post. Here are some great tips on designing the perfect online CV for the modern jobs market.
How NOT to create a CV:
When Jonathan graduated, he knew exactly what he wanted his new CV to do: get him a job designing web sites in London. So he studied all those free CV examples and templates on the web and then went to work creating an eye-popping CV he was sure would snag the job of his dreams. He sent it off to recruitment agencies, job boards and a few targeted companies. Then he waited. And waited.
Once upon a time, this might have been a good strategy. Job seekers were encouraged to select a CV template from dozens of examples. Then, they'd spend hours if not days fitting their data into the template to create a CV with equal parts impact and information. Even today, the web is full of free samples and examples that illustrate the old way of doing things... a way that pretty much ensures your CV will not produce the results you want.
CV Templates: The Dinosaurs of Job Search
It is not common knowledge yet that spending time on beautifully designed CVs is not the best use of a your time! These days, when a CV is sent to major recruitment agencies, the initial eye appeal no longer matters because the document is processed before anyone in a decision-making role even sees it.
The key information contained in the CV is extracted, reformatted and placed in a database where it can more easily be searched and accessed by recruiters and hirers. So everything but the raw information is discarded: the CV template you so carefully selected, the headings, subheadings and formatting, the design layout... everything but text is removed during extraction and reformatting.
Jonathon, being a recent grad, had never done a CV before so he didn't realize his CV would end up this way. He contacted a friend in the recruitment industry who told him most of the UK job market is converting to online CV templates.
What you SHOULD do instead:
Here are a few tips to help you get ready to build your online CV:
If you don't have a CV yet, concentrate your efforts on compiling key information about your skills, experience and training. You'll need specifics like:
1. dates of jobs and schooling,
2. names of companies,
3. your job titles and responsibilities for each job,
4. achievements and accomplishments at each job,
5. transferable skills you have acquired,
6. professional associations you belong to,
7. published works,
8. any security clearances you've obtained,
9. complete, current contact information.
If you concentrate of having great content like this in your CV and don't waste too much energy on fancy design, you'll get far better results in the new market of online CVs. Good luck!
Executive Resume Writing: Get the Top-Level Job You Deserve
Author: Heather Eagar
Securing a top-level job (executive, senior manager or senior professional) may seem like an impossible task, especially if this is your first time applying for one. But if you feel that you're ready to take that next step in your career, you can certainly get the job you want - you'll just have to put in the necessary work by creating a great resume.
Undoubtedly, a resume for an executive-level job is different from one for a lower-level position. So before you send off your application for the position you're eyeing, you should take some time to develop strategies that can help you write a standout executive resume. Here are some ideas to get you started ...
Use an Executive Profile
While you may be used to using an objective as an introduction to your resume, for executive jobs it is a good idea to create an executive profile. It serves a similar purpose in explaining why you're applying for the position, but also goes one step further to summarize your key qualifications.
The executive profile is typically much longer than an objective, sometimes spanning up to a half of a page. In the profile, you can highlight 4-6 specific skills or qualifications that are each followed by examples of these skills. For instance, one qualification may be that you're "effective and wholly accountable in high-profile executive roles." Beneath this qualification you can note the reasons why this is true. By doing this you'll be able to highlight your standout abilities without forcing the employer to sift through the resume to find them.
Show Them You're a Complete Package
As an executive you are expected to showcase leadership and strong decision-making skills at all times. You need to prove you are a visionary who can help the company grow. Also, you must have integrity, charisma, and the ability to communicate with individuals at all levels in the company. In other words, you should be the complete package.
A good way to express that you are is by creating an achievement-oriented resume that focuses on specific instances at your previous employers that show off some or all of the above criteria. You may have taken a chance on a retail product that others were unsure of, but your risk-taking made the company record profits. Or you may have masterminded and implemented a new team to manage internal conflicts that was so successful that turnover decreased by 30 percent. Whatever details you choose to highlight when summarizing your experiences at previous employers, you should also tailor them to match what the specific employer is looking for in an applicant.
Believe You Belong There
It may seem a bit intimidating to take steps toward higher-level positions, but fortunately for you no one starts at the top - you are not the first to try this. So see yourself in that great job, making confident decisions, and catapulting the company into a new stratosphere. Your positive attitude will serve you immensely in writing your resume as well as interviewing.
Submitting your executive resume is only the start of your journey in securing a top-level job. But by creating a very thorough, very informative, and very professional one, you can at least know that your dreams are that much closer to being realized.
Securing a top-level job (executive, senior manager or senior professional) may seem like an impossible task, especially if this is your first time applying for one. But if you feel that you're ready to take that next step in your career, you can certainly get the job you want - you'll just have to put in the necessary work by creating a great resume.
Undoubtedly, a resume for an executive-level job is different from one for a lower-level position. So before you send off your application for the position you're eyeing, you should take some time to develop strategies that can help you write a standout executive resume. Here are some ideas to get you started ...
Use an Executive Profile
While you may be used to using an objective as an introduction to your resume, for executive jobs it is a good idea to create an executive profile. It serves a similar purpose in explaining why you're applying for the position, but also goes one step further to summarize your key qualifications.
The executive profile is typically much longer than an objective, sometimes spanning up to a half of a page. In the profile, you can highlight 4-6 specific skills or qualifications that are each followed by examples of these skills. For instance, one qualification may be that you're "effective and wholly accountable in high-profile executive roles." Beneath this qualification you can note the reasons why this is true. By doing this you'll be able to highlight your standout abilities without forcing the employer to sift through the resume to find them.
Show Them You're a Complete Package
As an executive you are expected to showcase leadership and strong decision-making skills at all times. You need to prove you are a visionary who can help the company grow. Also, you must have integrity, charisma, and the ability to communicate with individuals at all levels in the company. In other words, you should be the complete package.
A good way to express that you are is by creating an achievement-oriented resume that focuses on specific instances at your previous employers that show off some or all of the above criteria. You may have taken a chance on a retail product that others were unsure of, but your risk-taking made the company record profits. Or you may have masterminded and implemented a new team to manage internal conflicts that was so successful that turnover decreased by 30 percent. Whatever details you choose to highlight when summarizing your experiences at previous employers, you should also tailor them to match what the specific employer is looking for in an applicant.
Believe You Belong There
It may seem a bit intimidating to take steps toward higher-level positions, but fortunately for you no one starts at the top - you are not the first to try this. So see yourself in that great job, making confident decisions, and catapulting the company into a new stratosphere. Your positive attitude will serve you immensely in writing your resume as well as interviewing.
Submitting your executive resume is only the start of your journey in securing a top-level job. But by creating a very thorough, very informative, and very professional one, you can at least know that your dreams are that much closer to being realized.
Deciding Between Permanent Or Contract Work
Author: Peter Whitehead
Contract work has grown enormously as an alternative to traditional staff jobs. Those facing a job search are often tempted to explore the possibility of controlling their own destiny and flying on their own.
It's important to consider the highs and lows of both work models in order to conduct the most focused job search. Prospective contractors should review not only the pros and cons, but also evaluate their own personality to determine if it's the best fit.
The World of Contractors
A major attraction for contractors is that they typically earn better pay than permanent employees doing similar work. Contractors earn more because they are temporary and the company isn't obliged to take on the burden of benefits, health/unemployment insurance, or paid vacations for them.
Another big draw for contractors is the flexibility of their schedules. Contractors can take on work when they wish and arrange breaks, vacation or travel as they please.
Hiring contractors is often seen as a more attractive option for employers, especially if they are not in a position to add to the head count of permanent staff.
Good contractors are always in job search mode, actively engaged in networking and armed with an updated CV. Contractors can stay a step ahead of permanent employees caught unawares by layoffs and facing the stress of having to quickly rework an antiquated CV template and rush into an unexpected job search.
Office politics and intrigues are less likely to affect contractors.
Contractors are exposed to varied settings and work personalities, honing their ability to adjust to diverse groups and cope with projects at different stages.
The Permanent Solution
A key shortcoming in contract work is the lack of job security compared to permanent employees. In cases of company restructuring, permanent employees may have more job security although there are cases where contractors outlast the regular staff.
Permanent workers receive company benefits and/or incentives unlike contractors. If contractors miss work, they're not paid and their absence is less likely to be excused. If they turn down a job, contractors risk being passed over the next time.
Permanent staff enjoy periodic pay rises, evaluations and promotions; this is far less common with contractors. Because they are temporary, contractors find it difficult to move into management roles. Companies are more likely to invest in training and retaining their permanent employees.
Permanent workers have a fixed place of employment while contractors must go where the jobs are. Contractors may need to commute on demand unless the project can be done off site.
Another negative aspect of being a hired hand is that contractors are not usually given much ownership of a project. Unlike permanent staff, their opinions may not count as much and they may not even be around to see the end result.
Contractors are less likely to be trusted with confidential projects and could lose out on more interesting work to permanent employees who get first pick.
What's Right For You?
As you update or create your CV and embark on your job search, take a long, honest look at your personality.
Those who prefer the security of an established job, benefits, and promotions may be more likely to thrive in a permanent position.
On the other hand, if you have the self-motivation and drive to handle a variety of projects and settings, the commitment to update your skills, and the fiscal discipline to manage a business, then you may enjoy contract work.
Other variables such as age, experience, family and financial commitments will help you decide how to focus your current job search.
Note that there are exceptions to the above list of pros and cons. There are contractors who outlast permanent staff, permanent employees trapped under the yoke of autocratic management, and layoffs that might axe a senior employee while retaining one or more contractors.
The Key to Your Job Search: Your Online CV
Even if you're not currently in job search mode, you should always maintain a current CV. While numerous CV templates are available, they all use a different format and recruiters often struggle to decode them in order to assess a candidate. By creating a great online CV, both contractors and traditional workers can leverage a format preferred by most leading UK recruiters.
Contract work has grown enormously as an alternative to traditional staff jobs. Those facing a job search are often tempted to explore the possibility of controlling their own destiny and flying on their own.
It's important to consider the highs and lows of both work models in order to conduct the most focused job search. Prospective contractors should review not only the pros and cons, but also evaluate their own personality to determine if it's the best fit.
The World of Contractors
A major attraction for contractors is that they typically earn better pay than permanent employees doing similar work. Contractors earn more because they are temporary and the company isn't obliged to take on the burden of benefits, health/unemployment insurance, or paid vacations for them.
Another big draw for contractors is the flexibility of their schedules. Contractors can take on work when they wish and arrange breaks, vacation or travel as they please.
Hiring contractors is often seen as a more attractive option for employers, especially if they are not in a position to add to the head count of permanent staff.
Good contractors are always in job search mode, actively engaged in networking and armed with an updated CV. Contractors can stay a step ahead of permanent employees caught unawares by layoffs and facing the stress of having to quickly rework an antiquated CV template and rush into an unexpected job search.
Office politics and intrigues are less likely to affect contractors.
Contractors are exposed to varied settings and work personalities, honing their ability to adjust to diverse groups and cope with projects at different stages.
The Permanent Solution
A key shortcoming in contract work is the lack of job security compared to permanent employees. In cases of company restructuring, permanent employees may have more job security although there are cases where contractors outlast the regular staff.
Permanent workers receive company benefits and/or incentives unlike contractors. If contractors miss work, they're not paid and their absence is less likely to be excused. If they turn down a job, contractors risk being passed over the next time.
Permanent staff enjoy periodic pay rises, evaluations and promotions; this is far less common with contractors. Because they are temporary, contractors find it difficult to move into management roles. Companies are more likely to invest in training and retaining their permanent employees.
Permanent workers have a fixed place of employment while contractors must go where the jobs are. Contractors may need to commute on demand unless the project can be done off site.
Another negative aspect of being a hired hand is that contractors are not usually given much ownership of a project. Unlike permanent staff, their opinions may not count as much and they may not even be around to see the end result.
Contractors are less likely to be trusted with confidential projects and could lose out on more interesting work to permanent employees who get first pick.
What's Right For You?
As you update or create your CV and embark on your job search, take a long, honest look at your personality.
Those who prefer the security of an established job, benefits, and promotions may be more likely to thrive in a permanent position.
On the other hand, if you have the self-motivation and drive to handle a variety of projects and settings, the commitment to update your skills, and the fiscal discipline to manage a business, then you may enjoy contract work.
Other variables such as age, experience, family and financial commitments will help you decide how to focus your current job search.
Note that there are exceptions to the above list of pros and cons. There are contractors who outlast permanent staff, permanent employees trapped under the yoke of autocratic management, and layoffs that might axe a senior employee while retaining one or more contractors.
The Key to Your Job Search: Your Online CV
Even if you're not currently in job search mode, you should always maintain a current CV. While numerous CV templates are available, they all use a different format and recruiters often struggle to decode them in order to assess a candidate. By creating a great online CV, both contractors and traditional workers can leverage a format preferred by most leading UK recruiters.
Negotiating a Pay Rise
Author: Peter Whitehead
There are no shortcuts to effective negotiations and no amount of expert careers advice will guarantee you a raise. The most productive route is to simply construct the most solid case possible effectively reasoning why you should get a pay rise. The case is important because it is not only how you will convince your manager but it is the information they will use to convince the people above them. One surprising statistic is that 45% of bosses actually admire workers who fight for more money, and various managers explained that compared to employee unhappiness or bullying, pay is actually an easy problem to solve; so be brave, be prepared and make your case.
Stick to your company's policies
Most companies address the issue of pay negotiations as part of their appraisal procedures, with any pay rises linked to an annual performance review. Mastering your company's assessment process is vital to your chances of getting a pay rise. If you are set various objectives throughout the year, then make sure you not only meet and exceed these but that you get all the evidence required to prove it as well. If your company does have a set process for addressing pay then asking for a pay rise at another time can often be met with the response that you should wait until the dedicated time.
Benchmark your position
It is essential if you are going to negotiate a pay rise that you have evidence. One of the best ways of getting this information is by benchmarking your salary against others. This means that you should get information from a range of sources about what level of salary is paid for your type of job in other companies and other industries - general sites such as Paywizard can be useful for this but you can also talk to trade associations and recruitment agencies, or even just look for adverts for similar jobs. The other aspect of benchmarking is to compare your salary to others within your company. If you're paid less then you might have a case.
Reasons for a raise
One of the main reasons that people ask for a raise is that they feel that they are currently underpaid - perhaps your benchmarking exercise found that you get a lot less than other people in your company for no perceivable reason. Another reason is being able to prove that you are working to a very high standard - in this instance, start with your job description or objectives and show how you are going above and beyond these. It might be that you feel that your role has changed and that you are now doing the job of colleagues who have left, or that you now need and have a different set of skills to do your job. Don't approach the meeting simply with a list of the things you do - the key is to show how you go beyond that which is expected of you.
An issue of equality
Although there has been much done in recent years to combat inequality with legislation such as the Equal Pay Act, there is no doubt that wage inequality still exists based on factors such as ethnicity, disability and gender. As an example, women currently earn 17% less than male counterparts (42% less based on part-time work). If you feel that you are being discriminated against then you need to collect evidence through benchmarking and then in the first instance informally approach HR - take a colleague or union representative if it makes you feel better. Don't forget that although the law forbids inequality, employers are still allowed to pay different rates based on a range of criteria, so establish the facts before contacting your lawyer.
A question of timing
Timing your negotiation is a political hot potato. If you pick the wrong time (when a company is experiencing financial difficulties, when you are in the middle of a big project, when your line manager is in a bad mood) then you can ruin your chances of a successful negotiation. Good times to broach the subject are when there are significant changes in your work - perhaps a colleague has just left (meaning you will have to take on a greater responsibility for their workload), you are embarking on a big new project, or if your job is changing in any way.
Making your pitch
Your negotiation should be undertaken as a formal process. Arrange a meeting with your line manager or someone from HR and give them an idea of what you want to talk about. If you knock on your boss' door on a Friday afternoon then your request might be received with less enthusiasm. Your negotiation should proceed with you presenting your case and backing it up with as much evidence as you have gained during your research. Although this is an important subject, don't let it become emotional or it may seem as if you're trying to use guilt to make your case. Equally, don't get angry: you might just have to go through with any threats you make.
Basic strategy for negotiating
Don't forget that in all negotiations you should start with a figure higher than you would actually be happy to settle for - with the expectation that a company might meet you halfway. You should also give yourself time to consider any offers that are made regarding your salary. Taking a night to consider your response shows you are thinking things through and acting professionally.
Tie your negotiation to future actions
A strong method of negotiating your pay rise is to explain that you would like to earn more and that you want to take on a greater range, or amount, of work. You might be able to offer to take on another project or the responsibility for looking after other staff members. If you are saving your manager a headache then this technique is even more effective. Explain how if the extra role goes well then it would be reasonable to increase your salary.
Dealing with a 'no'
Not all negotiations are successful and it could be that you end up faced with a no, rather than the few extra noughts on the pay check you were hoping for. If you find yourself in this situation all is not lost. Providing you have made your negotiation in a formal and professional manner then the company should give you reasons as to why they're saying no. If they don't, ask for them. This gives you the reasons that you can work to overcome when you negotiate again in the future. You might also have found that with your benchmarking information, you know that there are better companies to work for. It's important that in all of your negotiations you keep careful notes and copies of emails and letters sent because if you are still unsatisfied with the answers, you can turn your negotiation into a grievance which you would raise formally with HR.
Don't forget other benefits
Even if a company refuses you a pay rise you might still be able to improve your overall employment package without increasing your actual salary. Employers are often less protective about benefits and if they refuse to increase your salary then you still have company cars, travel loans, sabbaticals, pensions, health benefits and club memberships that you could negotiate for. These can be a useful loophole if an employer is worried about setting a precedent and having to increase other employees' salaries.
There are no shortcuts to effective negotiations and no amount of expert careers advice will guarantee you a raise. The most productive route is to simply construct the most solid case possible effectively reasoning why you should get a pay rise. The case is important because it is not only how you will convince your manager but it is the information they will use to convince the people above them. One surprising statistic is that 45% of bosses actually admire workers who fight for more money, and various managers explained that compared to employee unhappiness or bullying, pay is actually an easy problem to solve; so be brave, be prepared and make your case.
Stick to your company's policies
Most companies address the issue of pay negotiations as part of their appraisal procedures, with any pay rises linked to an annual performance review. Mastering your company's assessment process is vital to your chances of getting a pay rise. If you are set various objectives throughout the year, then make sure you not only meet and exceed these but that you get all the evidence required to prove it as well. If your company does have a set process for addressing pay then asking for a pay rise at another time can often be met with the response that you should wait until the dedicated time.
Benchmark your position
It is essential if you are going to negotiate a pay rise that you have evidence. One of the best ways of getting this information is by benchmarking your salary against others. This means that you should get information from a range of sources about what level of salary is paid for your type of job in other companies and other industries - general sites such as Paywizard can be useful for this but you can also talk to trade associations and recruitment agencies, or even just look for adverts for similar jobs. The other aspect of benchmarking is to compare your salary to others within your company. If you're paid less then you might have a case.
Reasons for a raise
One of the main reasons that people ask for a raise is that they feel that they are currently underpaid - perhaps your benchmarking exercise found that you get a lot less than other people in your company for no perceivable reason. Another reason is being able to prove that you are working to a very high standard - in this instance, start with your job description or objectives and show how you are going above and beyond these. It might be that you feel that your role has changed and that you are now doing the job of colleagues who have left, or that you now need and have a different set of skills to do your job. Don't approach the meeting simply with a list of the things you do - the key is to show how you go beyond that which is expected of you.
An issue of equality
Although there has been much done in recent years to combat inequality with legislation such as the Equal Pay Act, there is no doubt that wage inequality still exists based on factors such as ethnicity, disability and gender. As an example, women currently earn 17% less than male counterparts (42% less based on part-time work). If you feel that you are being discriminated against then you need to collect evidence through benchmarking and then in the first instance informally approach HR - take a colleague or union representative if it makes you feel better. Don't forget that although the law forbids inequality, employers are still allowed to pay different rates based on a range of criteria, so establish the facts before contacting your lawyer.
A question of timing
Timing your negotiation is a political hot potato. If you pick the wrong time (when a company is experiencing financial difficulties, when you are in the middle of a big project, when your line manager is in a bad mood) then you can ruin your chances of a successful negotiation. Good times to broach the subject are when there are significant changes in your work - perhaps a colleague has just left (meaning you will have to take on a greater responsibility for their workload), you are embarking on a big new project, or if your job is changing in any way.
Making your pitch
Your negotiation should be undertaken as a formal process. Arrange a meeting with your line manager or someone from HR and give them an idea of what you want to talk about. If you knock on your boss' door on a Friday afternoon then your request might be received with less enthusiasm. Your negotiation should proceed with you presenting your case and backing it up with as much evidence as you have gained during your research. Although this is an important subject, don't let it become emotional or it may seem as if you're trying to use guilt to make your case. Equally, don't get angry: you might just have to go through with any threats you make.
Basic strategy for negotiating
Don't forget that in all negotiations you should start with a figure higher than you would actually be happy to settle for - with the expectation that a company might meet you halfway. You should also give yourself time to consider any offers that are made regarding your salary. Taking a night to consider your response shows you are thinking things through and acting professionally.
Tie your negotiation to future actions
A strong method of negotiating your pay rise is to explain that you would like to earn more and that you want to take on a greater range, or amount, of work. You might be able to offer to take on another project or the responsibility for looking after other staff members. If you are saving your manager a headache then this technique is even more effective. Explain how if the extra role goes well then it would be reasonable to increase your salary.
Dealing with a 'no'
Not all negotiations are successful and it could be that you end up faced with a no, rather than the few extra noughts on the pay check you were hoping for. If you find yourself in this situation all is not lost. Providing you have made your negotiation in a formal and professional manner then the company should give you reasons as to why they're saying no. If they don't, ask for them. This gives you the reasons that you can work to overcome when you negotiate again in the future. You might also have found that with your benchmarking information, you know that there are better companies to work for. It's important that in all of your negotiations you keep careful notes and copies of emails and letters sent because if you are still unsatisfied with the answers, you can turn your negotiation into a grievance which you would raise formally with HR.
Don't forget other benefits
Even if a company refuses you a pay rise you might still be able to improve your overall employment package without increasing your actual salary. Employers are often less protective about benefits and if they refuse to increase your salary then you still have company cars, travel loans, sabbaticals, pensions, health benefits and club memberships that you could negotiate for. These can be a useful loophole if an employer is worried about setting a precedent and having to increase other employees' salaries.
Making a Hobby a Career
Author: Lily Morgan
A hobby is an activity that we do because we truly enjoy it. It can be anything at all from acting to painting and even teaching. For most people a hobby is simply a relaxing way to pass spare time by doing something enjoyable. However, for many a hobby may double as a job or additional line of income. It can be difficult to know when to turn a hobby into a profession. For some it may be quite the risk to give up a regular day job in order to pursue hobby interests as a career. Make no mistake, there is plenty of reward associated with risk when it's well thought out and developed.
Start out small. If you are still in the beginning stages of deciding to turn your hobby choice into a career, tread slowly. For example, if you are a musician perhaps you will begin by teaching lessons to students part time in order to see if you receive enough demand for full time opportunities. Most people do not start out in their hobbies with the intent to make money but if the opportunity presents itself, it may be worth looking into further. Even the artist who enjoys doodling or playing with computer graphics has many ways that they could offer services to others.
If you find that you spend more time in thought regarding your hobby ventures then perhaps you should consider turning it into your main source of income. Art, writing and decoration are hobby interests that many people also make a fine living at. Consider the ways your hobby skills could benefit others. It's just a matter of making yourself known to those who may be interested in what you can do for them. Most hobbies are based on creative interests. Since we all differ in our creative skills, chances are good that someone will be pleased to discover what you can do.
It can be difficult making the transition from a daily job where you answer to someone else to working for yourself. Start off with part time in order to develop a clientele while maintaining a steady income elsewhere. Build a promotional website and advertise it to those who will have the most use for your service. Chances are high of finding many options online for marketing your hobby talents and even landing a job performing just that. Search job listings too for there are many freelance opportunities available for those who wish to work with their hobby.
Marketing is essential for drawing in those who seek what you can do. By making yourself known and available you stand a better chance of turning your hobby into full time success. Run a website, print up newsletters and use hobby related groups and sites as a basis for networking. Often the best way to secure a job is through word of mouth or others that you share the hobby with. Making contacts with other hobby enthusiasts is absolutely necessary for furthering your career goals. Making a hobby into a career is a challenge but it is often more than worth the risk.
A hobby is an activity that we do because we truly enjoy it. It can be anything at all from acting to painting and even teaching. For most people a hobby is simply a relaxing way to pass spare time by doing something enjoyable. However, for many a hobby may double as a job or additional line of income. It can be difficult to know when to turn a hobby into a profession. For some it may be quite the risk to give up a regular day job in order to pursue hobby interests as a career. Make no mistake, there is plenty of reward associated with risk when it's well thought out and developed.
Start out small. If you are still in the beginning stages of deciding to turn your hobby choice into a career, tread slowly. For example, if you are a musician perhaps you will begin by teaching lessons to students part time in order to see if you receive enough demand for full time opportunities. Most people do not start out in their hobbies with the intent to make money but if the opportunity presents itself, it may be worth looking into further. Even the artist who enjoys doodling or playing with computer graphics has many ways that they could offer services to others.
If you find that you spend more time in thought regarding your hobby ventures then perhaps you should consider turning it into your main source of income. Art, writing and decoration are hobby interests that many people also make a fine living at. Consider the ways your hobby skills could benefit others. It's just a matter of making yourself known to those who may be interested in what you can do for them. Most hobbies are based on creative interests. Since we all differ in our creative skills, chances are good that someone will be pleased to discover what you can do.
It can be difficult making the transition from a daily job where you answer to someone else to working for yourself. Start off with part time in order to develop a clientele while maintaining a steady income elsewhere. Build a promotional website and advertise it to those who will have the most use for your service. Chances are high of finding many options online for marketing your hobby talents and even landing a job performing just that. Search job listings too for there are many freelance opportunities available for those who wish to work with their hobby.
Marketing is essential for drawing in those who seek what you can do. By making yourself known and available you stand a better chance of turning your hobby into full time success. Run a website, print up newsletters and use hobby related groups and sites as a basis for networking. Often the best way to secure a job is through word of mouth or others that you share the hobby with. Making contacts with other hobby enthusiasts is absolutely necessary for furthering your career goals. Making a hobby into a career is a challenge but it is often more than worth the risk.
5 Strategies To Prepare You Better For Your Job Interview
5 Strategies To Prepare You Better For Your Job Interview
Author: Nalin Wickramasuriya
There are a host of practical steps that you can take to enable yourself to prepare better for your interviews. By preparing properly for your interview, you will control your nerves and allow yourself to sell yourself better at your interview. Below are a list of not-so-obvious quick wins:
1. Prepare to Arrive on Time
Arriving late for your interview is career suicide, yet it is surprising how many candidates fail at this early hurdle. You can easily place yourself in the top 90%, by actioning a few simple tasks.
Create a folder into which you will place all the documents that you have been asked to present on the day (identification, qualifications, etc.) That way you won't be looking for them all over the house on the morning of the interview.
Download a map of your route and of the interview setting and place the printout in your folder.
Mentally - or even practically - rehearse the route you will take from your front door to the interview room and try to anticipate any possible problems and work out what your secondary plan will be. So if the train is cancelled, what will you do? If the traffic on that route is heavy, what will you do?
Even if you don't need to use these plans, taking this time will help to alleviate many of the interview anxieties that may be at play in your mind as you realize that there is always another way.
2. Anticipate Questions Through Your Research
Analyze the company that your are applying for and their competitors. Ensure that you have a handle on the products and services offered by both your company and their competitors.
The interview panel will primarily be trying to find out about three aspects of your candidacy. They want to know about your level of competence, drive and team play. So, their questions will be designed to help them work out how competent, driven and team orientated you are.
So, whilst you are reading about the company, keep in mind how you might use this information in an answer to a question that they may throw at you. With the internet, you can now find out a huge amount about a topic in a relatively short space of time. Download the company reports. Find out about the people there, the markets they serve and the products and services they offer. Try to figure out what problems the company is facing and work out how you could help solve them.
Then, get prepared to turn the conversation to these areas in your interview, so that you can highlight what an asset you could be to their company.
3. Dress to Fit in
You should dress as smart as you can afford. I would always recommend a suit as it is always better to overdress than underdress at an interview.
For men - wear a dark blue suit, with a blue or white shirt and a patterned tie. Ensure that the suit fits properly - this is the most important aspect of the suit. Wear a belt, black socks and polish your smart, black shoes. Clip your nails and organize a haircut for a week before the interview.
For women - ideally wear a suit. You should aim to be conservative with the style of your attire and a useful rule is to only show the skin over your face, neck, hands and lower calves. Ensure that your suit fits properly. The color should be dark, but chosen to suit your skin tone and hair color. Wear smart, medium heeled shoes. Apply your make up with subtlety. Wear a minimum of jewelery and don't use a perfume that is overbearing.
4. Body Language
Remember that 90% of your communication, will be conducted non verbally. You should control this is much as possible.
The two aspects of body language, which correlate most strongly with a positive outcome at interview are eye contact and smile rate.
Ensure that you maintain eye contact. When candidates are nervous, they tend to look away. Display your confidence and honesty through your ability to maintain eye contact with the interviewer. If there is an interview panel, reserve the majority of your eye contact for the panel member who asked you the question, but glance at the other panel members from time to time. If there is only one interviewer, then try to look at their eyes for 80-90% of the time. Don't stare at them incessantly, or they may feel uncomfortable! If you find it difficult to look at somebody's eyes, then look at their nose or ears. If you are more than 1 meter away - they won't be able to tell.
Smiling conveys a likable and trustworthy personality - both of which are aspects of your candidacy that you want to put across. Candidates often forget to smile when they are nervous, so if you can focus on this action, you will elevate your chances of success greatly. Remember to smile with your teeth exposed.
When shaking the hand of the interviewer, remember to achieve four outcomes - a firm hand grip, eye contact, smile and say your name confidently - clearly and at a natural pitch (not too squeaky).
Sit upright on the chair and lean forward slightly to convey energy and interest. Sit with your back against the back of the chair to give you stability - candidates sitting at the edge of the chair have been known to fall off (ouch!) or physically rock back when they are given a difficult question.
Nod your head from time to time to convey interest and your ability to listen well. Keep peripheral movements to a minimum - resist the temptation to "talk with your hands". Keep these movement to a minimum. Don't fidget. Plan to keep your hands on the desk or on your lap, if this helps you to stop playing with your hair or swinging your arms about.
5. Attend to Your Voice
Candidates often don't think about their voice in an interview, so here again is another opportunity for you to move ahead of your competition in a relatively easy way.
Your goal is to talk CLEARLY. Nervous candidates typically talk too fast and too quietly. Aim to talk loud enough for them to hear you at the back of the room. Talk slowly enough so that an elderly aunt could follow you. We typically talk at about 220 words per minute.
Radio newsreaders are trained to talk at about 150 words per minute - so aim to talk at about 2/3 of your normal speaking speed. Use pauses to emphasize important points.
Author: Nalin Wickramasuriya
There are a host of practical steps that you can take to enable yourself to prepare better for your interviews. By preparing properly for your interview, you will control your nerves and allow yourself to sell yourself better at your interview. Below are a list of not-so-obvious quick wins:
1. Prepare to Arrive on Time
Arriving late for your interview is career suicide, yet it is surprising how many candidates fail at this early hurdle. You can easily place yourself in the top 90%, by actioning a few simple tasks.
Create a folder into which you will place all the documents that you have been asked to present on the day (identification, qualifications, etc.) That way you won't be looking for them all over the house on the morning of the interview.
Download a map of your route and of the interview setting and place the printout in your folder.
Mentally - or even practically - rehearse the route you will take from your front door to the interview room and try to anticipate any possible problems and work out what your secondary plan will be. So if the train is cancelled, what will you do? If the traffic on that route is heavy, what will you do?
Even if you don't need to use these plans, taking this time will help to alleviate many of the interview anxieties that may be at play in your mind as you realize that there is always another way.
2. Anticipate Questions Through Your Research
Analyze the company that your are applying for and their competitors. Ensure that you have a handle on the products and services offered by both your company and their competitors.
The interview panel will primarily be trying to find out about three aspects of your candidacy. They want to know about your level of competence, drive and team play. So, their questions will be designed to help them work out how competent, driven and team orientated you are.
So, whilst you are reading about the company, keep in mind how you might use this information in an answer to a question that they may throw at you. With the internet, you can now find out a huge amount about a topic in a relatively short space of time. Download the company reports. Find out about the people there, the markets they serve and the products and services they offer. Try to figure out what problems the company is facing and work out how you could help solve them.
Then, get prepared to turn the conversation to these areas in your interview, so that you can highlight what an asset you could be to their company.
3. Dress to Fit in
You should dress as smart as you can afford. I would always recommend a suit as it is always better to overdress than underdress at an interview.
For men - wear a dark blue suit, with a blue or white shirt and a patterned tie. Ensure that the suit fits properly - this is the most important aspect of the suit. Wear a belt, black socks and polish your smart, black shoes. Clip your nails and organize a haircut for a week before the interview.
For women - ideally wear a suit. You should aim to be conservative with the style of your attire and a useful rule is to only show the skin over your face, neck, hands and lower calves. Ensure that your suit fits properly. The color should be dark, but chosen to suit your skin tone and hair color. Wear smart, medium heeled shoes. Apply your make up with subtlety. Wear a minimum of jewelery and don't use a perfume that is overbearing.
4. Body Language
Remember that 90% of your communication, will be conducted non verbally. You should control this is much as possible.
The two aspects of body language, which correlate most strongly with a positive outcome at interview are eye contact and smile rate.
Ensure that you maintain eye contact. When candidates are nervous, they tend to look away. Display your confidence and honesty through your ability to maintain eye contact with the interviewer. If there is an interview panel, reserve the majority of your eye contact for the panel member who asked you the question, but glance at the other panel members from time to time. If there is only one interviewer, then try to look at their eyes for 80-90% of the time. Don't stare at them incessantly, or they may feel uncomfortable! If you find it difficult to look at somebody's eyes, then look at their nose or ears. If you are more than 1 meter away - they won't be able to tell.
Smiling conveys a likable and trustworthy personality - both of which are aspects of your candidacy that you want to put across. Candidates often forget to smile when they are nervous, so if you can focus on this action, you will elevate your chances of success greatly. Remember to smile with your teeth exposed.
When shaking the hand of the interviewer, remember to achieve four outcomes - a firm hand grip, eye contact, smile and say your name confidently - clearly and at a natural pitch (not too squeaky).
Sit upright on the chair and lean forward slightly to convey energy and interest. Sit with your back against the back of the chair to give you stability - candidates sitting at the edge of the chair have been known to fall off (ouch!) or physically rock back when they are given a difficult question.
Nod your head from time to time to convey interest and your ability to listen well. Keep peripheral movements to a minimum - resist the temptation to "talk with your hands". Keep these movement to a minimum. Don't fidget. Plan to keep your hands on the desk or on your lap, if this helps you to stop playing with your hair or swinging your arms about.
5. Attend to Your Voice
Candidates often don't think about their voice in an interview, so here again is another opportunity for you to move ahead of your competition in a relatively easy way.
Your goal is to talk CLEARLY. Nervous candidates typically talk too fast and too quietly. Aim to talk loud enough for them to hear you at the back of the room. Talk slowly enough so that an elderly aunt could follow you. We typically talk at about 220 words per minute.
Radio newsreaders are trained to talk at about 150 words per minute - so aim to talk at about 2/3 of your normal speaking speed. Use pauses to emphasize important points.
Are You Underpaid?
Are You Underpaid?
by Kim Lankford
Are you making as much money as you should be?
If you've been pondering this question, you're not alone. A 2006 survey by staffing services company Randstad USA and Harris Interactive found that 39 percent of employees surveyed believe their salary is lower than market rates, up from 28 percent surveyed in 2005. Meanwhile, 50 percent of employers think the salaries they offer are on par with the marketplace, up from 42 percent in 2005.
So how do you figure out if you're really underpaid? Here are six steps to help you determine whether you're getting what you're worth.
Use the Tools
Several resources let you see how your pay stacks up. For example, our Salary Wizard can give you a general idea of where you stand. The Personal Salary Report provides information based on company size (larger employers tend to pay more), experience, advanced degrees, location, specific industry and other factors.
In addition, most trade associations conduct salary surveys, which tend to go into greater detail for your specific occupation.
Keep One Foot in the Job Market
"The best way to know your value is to be on the market" -- even if you aren't looking for another job, says Lee E. Miller, author of Get More Money on Your Next Job. You'll get an idea of which skills are valued, what other employers are offering and where your company stands as well as make valuable contacts. And if the offer's good, you might want to change jobs after all -- or use the offer to negotiate a raise where you are.
Get Friendly with Recruiters
Recruiters are some of the best sources of information about the job market, especially if they specialize in your industry. Since they're working with employers, they know exactly what price range companies can offer as well as the skills they're looking for.
But you generally need to build a relationship with the recruiter first, which means helping them out even if you aren't looking for a new job yourself. "If you give them the name of someone who might be interested, then recruiters will call you, because you've become a good source of information for them, and they'll be more likely to share more information with you," Miller says.
Talk with Your Predecessor
It may be awkward, but try to talk with the person you're replacing. Even if he isn't willing to reveal his salary, you may still get some good insight into how fairly he thought he was being paid, especially if he just completed a job search and switched to another employer.
"You always ask to talk with your predecessor, whether or not they are still with the company," says Emory Mulling, chairman of outplacement and executive coaching firm The Mulling Corp. "If the company doesn't want to give out the name of the predecessor, that's a message."
Recall Your Hiring Circumstances
Did you accept the first offer? That could be a red flag. "Rarely will recruiters make their best offer as their first offer," Miller says. "They expect job candidates to negotiate." And remember: You can negotiate salary, benefits, a signing bonus, equity or a flexible schedule.
Network through your professional association, and talk with people who work or worked with the company to find out which strategy likely will be most successful -- some companies are known for higher-than-average pay, while others may not have extra cash but will negotiate on flexibility.
Miller also recommends asking about training, which tends to be important long-term. "That increases your value in the future," he says.
Is Pay Really the Issue?
Finally, step back and examine why you feel you're underpaid. Sometimes the issue goes beyond money. "One of the reasons some people feel like they're underpaid is if there's too much personal cost to what you're doing," says Karen Wright, president of Parachute Executive Coaching. "If you're doing the completely wrong thing, no matter how much you're being paid, it's never truly going to be enough."
Wright recommends thinking about what will make you happier. It may be more money, but it may also be a shorter commute, flexible hours, a less-stressful company or a different boss. It helps to know you're being paid fairly, but you'll be a lot less worried and resentful if you actually like your job.
by Kim Lankford
Are you making as much money as you should be?
If you've been pondering this question, you're not alone. A 2006 survey by staffing services company Randstad USA and Harris Interactive found that 39 percent of employees surveyed believe their salary is lower than market rates, up from 28 percent surveyed in 2005. Meanwhile, 50 percent of employers think the salaries they offer are on par with the marketplace, up from 42 percent in 2005.
So how do you figure out if you're really underpaid? Here are six steps to help you determine whether you're getting what you're worth.
Use the Tools
Several resources let you see how your pay stacks up. For example, our Salary Wizard can give you a general idea of where you stand. The Personal Salary Report provides information based on company size (larger employers tend to pay more), experience, advanced degrees, location, specific industry and other factors.
In addition, most trade associations conduct salary surveys, which tend to go into greater detail for your specific occupation.
Keep One Foot in the Job Market
"The best way to know your value is to be on the market" -- even if you aren't looking for another job, says Lee E. Miller, author of Get More Money on Your Next Job. You'll get an idea of which skills are valued, what other employers are offering and where your company stands as well as make valuable contacts. And if the offer's good, you might want to change jobs after all -- or use the offer to negotiate a raise where you are.
Get Friendly with Recruiters
Recruiters are some of the best sources of information about the job market, especially if they specialize in your industry. Since they're working with employers, they know exactly what price range companies can offer as well as the skills they're looking for.
But you generally need to build a relationship with the recruiter first, which means helping them out even if you aren't looking for a new job yourself. "If you give them the name of someone who might be interested, then recruiters will call you, because you've become a good source of information for them, and they'll be more likely to share more information with you," Miller says.
Talk with Your Predecessor
It may be awkward, but try to talk with the person you're replacing. Even if he isn't willing to reveal his salary, you may still get some good insight into how fairly he thought he was being paid, especially if he just completed a job search and switched to another employer.
"You always ask to talk with your predecessor, whether or not they are still with the company," says Emory Mulling, chairman of outplacement and executive coaching firm The Mulling Corp. "If the company doesn't want to give out the name of the predecessor, that's a message."
Recall Your Hiring Circumstances
Did you accept the first offer? That could be a red flag. "Rarely will recruiters make their best offer as their first offer," Miller says. "They expect job candidates to negotiate." And remember: You can negotiate salary, benefits, a signing bonus, equity or a flexible schedule.
Network through your professional association, and talk with people who work or worked with the company to find out which strategy likely will be most successful -- some companies are known for higher-than-average pay, while others may not have extra cash but will negotiate on flexibility.
Miller also recommends asking about training, which tends to be important long-term. "That increases your value in the future," he says.
Is Pay Really the Issue?
Finally, step back and examine why you feel you're underpaid. Sometimes the issue goes beyond money. "One of the reasons some people feel like they're underpaid is if there's too much personal cost to what you're doing," says Karen Wright, president of Parachute Executive Coaching. "If you're doing the completely wrong thing, no matter how much you're being paid, it's never truly going to be enough."
Wright recommends thinking about what will make you happier. It may be more money, but it may also be a shorter commute, flexible hours, a less-stressful company or a different boss. It helps to know you're being paid fairly, but you'll be a lot less worried and resentful if you actually like your job.
For Job Security: Make yourself Too Valuable to be Downsized
For Job Security: Make yourself Too Valuable to be Downsized
Author: Frances Christ
Becoming a highly efficient and productive computer user doesn’t require advanced skills and hours of training. Just learning and applying the following tips can boost your productivity immensely.
Learn to use keyboard shortcuts.
The fewer times you take your hand off the keyboard to use the mouse, the quicker and smoother your work will go. Try these shortcuts, and copy and post your favorite ones near your computer:
Ctrl+end – go to the end of the document or spreadsheet
Ctrl+home – go to the beginning of the document or spreadsheet
Ctrl+N start a new blank document or spreadsheet
Ctrl+S save
Ctrl+P print
Ctrl+W close a document or spreadsheet
Put the commands you use most often onto the toolbar.
Right click anywhere on the toolbar, click on “Customize” in the Quick Menu, and click on the “Commands” tab at the top of the Customize window. In the left pane (under “Categories:”) scroll until you see the name of the Menu under which the command appears and click on it. In the right pane (under “Commands:”) click and drag the appropriate command and drop it in the toolbar. Click on Close.
(To remove a button, Press and hold the Alt key while you click and drag the button anywhere on the screen. To reset the toolbar to the original buttons, right click anywhere on the toolbar, click on “Customize” in the Quick Menu, click on the Toolbars Tab at the top of the Customize window and click Reset.)
Make shortcuts for standard blocks of text
You can create shortcuts for standard sentences or paragraphs, formatted blocks of text, long proper names, etc. Type and format the text, and select it, then click on Tools in the Menu Bar and click on AutoCorrect Options. Click on the AutoCorrect tab, and under Replace: type in a shortcut to stand for the block of text (I recommend that you begin all shortcuts with a forward slash). Click the Add and Close.
Now, type the shortcut and press Enter – and your block of text will appear. Keep a list of the shortcuts you create posted next to your computer.
Some uses for this feature:
Your signature block
The standard opening of an email or a letter
The standard closing of an email or a letter
Any boiler-plate text
Names of companies, clients, schools, etc, you often have to type.
With a little planning, you can knock out typical letters or emails simply by typing in a few keyboard shortcuts!
Record Macros
Record any series of often-used steps as a macro which is set to run by typing a keyboard shortcut. For example, if you often have to set up your document or spreadsheet for printing by going to the Page Setup window and selecting orientation, adding headers or footers, etc., you can write a macro to do all of these steps.
Click on Tools in the Menu Bar, click on Macro, click on Record New Macro. In the Record Macro window, type in a name for the macro, and click on the Keyboard button. In the Press new shortcut key box, type in a shortcut (for example, hold down the Ctrl key and press a key, such as the period). Click on OK.
You are now recording: follow the steps exactly as you want them to be performed. When you have finished all the steps, click Tools in the Menu Bar, click Macros, click Stop Recording.
To run the macro, press the keyboard shortcut. (again – keep a list of your shortcuts posted by your computer!)
Create Templates
Create templates – or forms with fill-in-the-blanks – for any documents or spreadsheets you use often. For example, you can create a template for a fax cover sheet, leaving out the information that will be different each time you use the cover sheet. Or create a spreadsheet with all of the formulas and formatting in place, leaving out the numbers that may be different each time you use the spreadsheet.
To create a template, type and format the document or spreadsheet exactly as you would like it to look, leaving any changeable information blank. Click on File in the Menu Bar, click on Save As. In the Save As window type a name into the File name box, and in the Save as type box, click on the drop down list and select “Document Template” (Word) or “Template” (Excel).
To use a template, click on File in the Menu Bar, click on New, and double-click on your template.
These techniques will greatly increase the amount of work you can accomplish in a given amount of time. What company would want to lose their most productive worker?
Author: Frances Christ
Becoming a highly efficient and productive computer user doesn’t require advanced skills and hours of training. Just learning and applying the following tips can boost your productivity immensely.
Learn to use keyboard shortcuts.
The fewer times you take your hand off the keyboard to use the mouse, the quicker and smoother your work will go. Try these shortcuts, and copy and post your favorite ones near your computer:
Ctrl+end – go to the end of the document or spreadsheet
Ctrl+home – go to the beginning of the document or spreadsheet
Ctrl+N start a new blank document or spreadsheet
Ctrl+S save
Ctrl+P print
Ctrl+W close a document or spreadsheet
Put the commands you use most often onto the toolbar.
Right click anywhere on the toolbar, click on “Customize” in the Quick Menu, and click on the “Commands” tab at the top of the Customize window. In the left pane (under “Categories:”) scroll until you see the name of the Menu under which the command appears and click on it. In the right pane (under “Commands:”) click and drag the appropriate command and drop it in the toolbar. Click on Close.
(To remove a button, Press and hold the Alt key while you click and drag the button anywhere on the screen. To reset the toolbar to the original buttons, right click anywhere on the toolbar, click on “Customize” in the Quick Menu, click on the Toolbars Tab at the top of the Customize window and click Reset.)
Make shortcuts for standard blocks of text
You can create shortcuts for standard sentences or paragraphs, formatted blocks of text, long proper names, etc. Type and format the text, and select it, then click on Tools in the Menu Bar and click on AutoCorrect Options. Click on the AutoCorrect tab, and under Replace: type in a shortcut to stand for the block of text (I recommend that you begin all shortcuts with a forward slash). Click the Add and Close.
Now, type the shortcut and press Enter – and your block of text will appear. Keep a list of the shortcuts you create posted next to your computer.
Some uses for this feature:
Your signature block
The standard opening of an email or a letter
The standard closing of an email or a letter
Any boiler-plate text
Names of companies, clients, schools, etc, you often have to type.
With a little planning, you can knock out typical letters or emails simply by typing in a few keyboard shortcuts!
Record Macros
Record any series of often-used steps as a macro which is set to run by typing a keyboard shortcut. For example, if you often have to set up your document or spreadsheet for printing by going to the Page Setup window and selecting orientation, adding headers or footers, etc., you can write a macro to do all of these steps.
Click on Tools in the Menu Bar, click on Macro, click on Record New Macro. In the Record Macro window, type in a name for the macro, and click on the Keyboard button. In the Press new shortcut key box, type in a shortcut (for example, hold down the Ctrl key and press a key, such as the period). Click on OK.
You are now recording: follow the steps exactly as you want them to be performed. When you have finished all the steps, click Tools in the Menu Bar, click Macros, click Stop Recording.
To run the macro, press the keyboard shortcut. (again – keep a list of your shortcuts posted by your computer!)
Create Templates
Create templates – or forms with fill-in-the-blanks – for any documents or spreadsheets you use often. For example, you can create a template for a fax cover sheet, leaving out the information that will be different each time you use the cover sheet. Or create a spreadsheet with all of the formulas and formatting in place, leaving out the numbers that may be different each time you use the spreadsheet.
To create a template, type and format the document or spreadsheet exactly as you would like it to look, leaving any changeable information blank. Click on File in the Menu Bar, click on Save As. In the Save As window type a name into the File name box, and in the Save as type box, click on the drop down list and select “Document Template” (Word) or “Template” (Excel).
To use a template, click on File in the Menu Bar, click on New, and double-click on your template.
These techniques will greatly increase the amount of work you can accomplish in a given amount of time. What company would want to lose their most productive worker?
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