Research Millennials Feel They Lack Control at Work

Research Millennials Feel They Lack Control at Work Heres a surprise. According to a new study, millennials cite “lack of control” over their working lives. Sigh. I suppose its easy to dismiss reports like these, I mean who ever felt like they had control when they started out in their careers? Why are millennials so bleeding special? What about everyone else who feels like theyre just a cog  in a giant hamster wheel of business? Trouble is, millennials are critical to large companies (and small), and a whole cottage industry has been built around understanding how they think and behave. What can we do to attract, engage and retain millennial talent? Andy Partridge, Millennial Engagement Consultant, Enviable Workplace: Millennials are hungry for development and want to better understand how to utilise their strengths, rather than focus on their weaknesses. They want to understand what they do well, and what comes naturally to them, and to work out how to best achieve their goals using their strengths. They want to understand themselves so they can do great work. Flexibility entrepreneurship Nearly half (48%) of millennials feel they ‘lack control’ at work, with 18-34 year olds keen to get more flexibility in their working lives, according to new research from St. James’s Place Academy. The prolonged squeeze on younger people’s earnings is also reflected within the research, with 17% of young people feeling that an increase in earnings would be one of the greatest benefits if they could run their own business. The research reveals that millennials are the most entrepreneurial generation in the country, with 82% of 18-34 years olds hopeful of running their own business one day. The drive to start their own business is almost 10% higher amongst millennials than in the older generations surveyed. Brenda Wong, Community Manager, Debut: It is heartening to see the millennial generation take back the control they sorely crave. Young people are continually battered by their circumstances, with increasing student loans, soaring rents and an economy ruled by austerity. It is therefore unsurprising that millennials would be attracted to venturing out on their own as they may feel there is no employer that could fulfill their work needs. If businesses are truly interested in retaining their millennial workforce, they would do well to listen to them. Feed their entrepreneurial spirit by allowing them time for side projects. Introduce a flexible working scheme. Encourage wage transparency, and implement a clear salary structure. In reality, millennials arent so different from other generations. After all, who wouldnt want financial control, autonomy, and purposeful work? Research findings The research also reveals some interesting insights into the thinking of young people towards entrepreneurship: 16% of millennials want to set their own hours by running their own business, while 14% want the chance to work from wherever they like; 49% of millennials are attracted  to the idea of running a business where they advise people on their savings and investments â€" significantly more than the 33% of 35-54 years olds or the 16% of 55+ year olds who were asked the same question; 32% of millennials say attracting customers would be the hardest thing about running their own business, followed by managing the business finances (28%); 1 in 10 (7%) millennials would be more likely to change their mind about running a business if they had an inspirational role model, whilst nearly 5 in 10 (47%) said financial certainty was the most crucial factor; A quarter (25%) of millennials felt a loss of income would deter them, followed closely (21%) by fear of failure. Adrian Batchelor, Academy Director at St. James’s Place Academy: “Our research reveals a clear appetite amongst millennials to start their own business, partly due to the frustrations felt within the workplace. As young workers have been hardest hit by the wage squeeze since the financial crisis, it’s no surprise they yearn for greater autonomy and reward for their hard work. “It’s never been easier to strike out on your own, and we think starting a business should be high on young people’s lists for 2017.”

On the Job by Anita Bruzzese Got Charisma

On the Job by Anita Bruzzese Got Charisma Martin Luther King, Jr. Bill Clinton. Oprah Winfrey. John Kennedy. When you think of such people, charisma is probably a word that comes to mind. Were they born with it? Or did they learn it? Most studies agree that charisma is a combination of factors. You may be born with traits that lean you toward being charismatic, but many of the charismatic attributes shown by the people listed above also werelearned and developed throughout their lives. And you can learn them, too. Over the years Ive talked with many leadership and behavior experts, and theyve offered their insight into how anyone can become more charismatic. Among their suggestions: Be disciplined. You must train yourself to be totally focused when another person is speaking. You cant be darting glances around the room, answering a text message or thinking about your busy schedule. This is not often easy to do when there aremany distractions, so its something you have to practice. Charismatic people often are described as making the speaker feel that he or she is the only person in the room. Convey the right message.Enter a room with your head up and your shoulders back. Make eye contact and work to eliminate speech patterns that include uh or you know. Try to mirror the body language of the person you engage in a conversation. That helps others feel more comfortable with you and establishes a quickerrapport. Nod your head at times while in a conversation to show youre listening, or add me too when appropriate. Always be prepared.Who will you meet today? What will be the topic of conversation? Learn to take apositive mindsetfor whatever is coming up. Instead of dreading a networking event, for example, think of it as a chance to learn something new or(read more here)

Gradudates, Heres How to Get References for Your First Job

Gradudates, Here’s How to Get References for Your First Job Once you graduate from college, you get into a job market that’s more confusing than you ever thought possible. First of all, you have to create perfect resumes and cover letters, hunt for suitable job positions, and wait patiently for the call that will determine your career path. Here is the most confusing thing: every recruiter asks for references. Without any real work experience, how can you provide relevant references? Aren’t the good grades enough? Unfortunately, they aren’t. Now that we got that out of the way, let’s see how you can get real references after graduation. Benefit from your internships: As most other graduates, you’ve probably gone through some internship positions that didn’t seem relevant to your future career. Guess what: they were! Although internships don’t pay much (or pay nothing at all), they are very important when it comes to getting the first real job. When the organizations that had you as an intern open new job positions, you want to be one of the applicants. List some of your superiors as references, and you’ll most likely get into the shortlist. You don’t have to wait for these organizations to start accepting new candidates; you can submit your resume after graduation. In addition, you can benefit from your good relationship with the superiors in another way: ask for letters of recommendations and include them in the reference list for the positions you apply to. Include your favorite professors: Since you’re just starting to make the first steps on the job market, it is safe to include some of your professors on the reference list. Although most recruiters look for at least one supervisor reference in the applications, they will appreciate an addition of a reputable professor. Don’t wait too long before you ask for permission to include some of your professors in the list. They contact many students on a daily basis, so you should act while the relationship is still active and their impressions are fresh. Consider connecting with alumni mentors: When you graduate, you will have a chance to become part of an alumni network that can contribute towards your professional success. If your school has a program that matches students with alumni with experience relevant to their interests, you already have few contacts that can be used as references. If not, try to become part of the community and connect with members who can be useful for your job application. One wordLinkedIn: When you aren’t anywhere near to a well-established business network, LinkedIn is the place to start. This service is getting more social than ever, so you can ask some of your contacts if you can include them in your reference list. Make sure to connect with your former professors and employers (if you’ve had on-campus jobs and internships). Become part of groups relevant to your career goals; join the discussions and hope that the right people will notice you. Arrange meetings: Ask every professional you know to meet with you. Of course, you mustn’t be too intense, but you can ask for a relaxed meeting and explain the vision you have about yourself. Many successful people are thrilled to help recent graduates find chances for success. Do not beg for them to hire you in their companies! Be casual and ask if you could include them in the reference list. You can also ask for some recommendations of other people you can meet with. Reaching out is the key to success. If you stay in your safe spot of anonymity, your journey towards the first job will be longer and more difficult. Extra Tips: What to Do With the References You gathered some contacts you can include in the reference list? That doesn’t mean your networking should stop. You need to preserve the relationship with these people and make them aware of the possibility to get a phone call. The last thing you would like to occur is a potential employer calling someone who has completely forgotten about you. Pay attention to these tips once you have a list of potential reference contacts: Choose them wisely! Not everyone will be willing and able to provide a recommendation for you. Your job application should include references of people that feel comfortable to put in a good word for you. Prepare them for the call: If you expect a hiring manager to consider you among the most successful candidates, then you should prepare your references to anticipate a call. Tell them who the call will come from, and what position you’re competing for. Be thankful: Don’t forget about your contacts after the entire procedure. Make sure to follow up after they talked on your behalf. Show you’re grateful for their collaboration, no matter whether you got the job or not. References need proper care. If you want people to recommend you as a true professional, you need them to create and maintain a flawless impression of you. Author: Maria is a freelance writer and a contributor to educational portal, ScholarAdvisor.com. Maria is an expert in writing, editing, social media and education technologies.

How to Start Your Very Own Website

How to Start Your Very Own Website Websites have revolutionized the way we shop for things, as well as how we consume information on a regular basis. Most people don’t realize that you don’t need to be inherently tech savvy to run your own blog or online store. To successfully launch a website, just follow the steps below: Pick a domain name The very first step to take is to come up with a domain name for your brand or company. Your domain name is the address that people can type into their browser to access your website. Tips when choosing a domain name: Choose a secure domain name that is easy to pronounce so that it’s easy for people to remember Go with a .com domain if available Avoid spelling mistakes or hyphens Choose a brandable name if possible The first step once you’ve decided on a domain name is to use a domain registrar to find out if the domain name you’ve chosen is available. Once you’ve found a domain name that’s available, simply buy it from your desired registrar. Now it’s time to find a hosting provider to host your new website. Pick a hosting provider A web-host is going to be the company that “hosts” your website to ensure it’s accessible at any time for readers to access it. There are many hosting providers to choose from and they all essentially will do the same thing. Hosting is also quite cost effective and you can usually find a good host for around $100 per year. Two hosting companies that I personally recommend are HostGator or BlueHost. Install a Content Management System (CMS) Unless youre a web designer or are a proficient coder, youre going to want to opt for a CMS system that will make designing your website super simple. If your non tech savvy like me, I’d highly recommend using either WordPress if youre looking to create a blog, or Shopify if your looking to create an online store (or you want to sell products through your website). WordPress Installing WordPress is quite easy and takes very little time to set up. Simply log into your new hosting cpanel (your hosting account) and look for the Quick Install or WordPress icon. Most hosting companies have WordPress built into them for easy installation. One thing I will say is WordPress does have a bit of a learning curve. It may take you 30 minutes or so of playing around with the software to figure it out completely. That being said it’s pretty easy to learn and theres hundreds of YouTube videos that explain how to use it. Shopify If youre building an online store or youre going to be selling products through your website, I’d recommend going with Shopify. This is essentially a platform built with the non tech savvy in mind to help you build your own online store, quickly and easily. They have a ton of tutorials to walk your through the process of creating your own digital store. The only downside is they charge a monthly subscription fee but you can start for free with their 14 day free trial.   You can also read these Shopify reviews for a better view and feedback about Shopify. Pick a theme If you opt for WordPress, you’ll need to pick a theme for your website. Your websites “Theme” is essentially a pre-packaged template for your website. Some themes have page builders that allow you to completely customize your site by dragging and dropping different aspects into your websites design and other themes already come pre-designed. You can download free themes inside WordPress by going to the Appearance tab. You can also find a ton of amazing themes for purchase at ThemeForest. Write your first post Now that you’ve picked a theme, it’s time to start blogging!

Could Your Organization Be More Organized - CareerMetis.com

Could Your Organization Be More Organized The simple answer is probably ‘yes’. The longer answer isn’t really as complicated and overwhelming as you might imagine. Yes, running a business, whether it’s a large and complex enterprise spanning different nations or a small store sitting on a street corner, is a difficult task.There are many different variables to consider, and it becomes harder and harder to keep the entire operation organised as you grow and expand further and further.Source- Pexels.comNonetheless, organisation could make running the whole operation far easier, cheaper and more effective. Most importantly, it doesn’t involve starting your business from scratch.evalIf you’re wondering how you could start to make your organisation more organised, then here are some top tips to take on board.1. Get your employees in shape.Your employees are the cogs which keep your company turning, but they’re still people, at the end of the day. People make mistakes, they tire, and they might often lose cohesion as a unit. That’s why running a business like clockwork is so much harder than running a watch like clockwork.You need to invest some time and money into ensuring that your workers are organised, professional and understanding of their role within the company.When people lose focus of the objectives and the importance of each sector within your business, that’s when organisation starts to fail and structure is harder to recover. You need to be pouring time into training your employees, first of all.They need not only the expertise involved with gaining a qualification which got them into this job, but the expertise required to perform the specific role effectively. Don’t let any of your employees fall under the radar, and ensure that you keep every individual worker on track.2. Don’t get payments wrong.An organised business must be professional in order to maintain its structure both in terms of an impressive image and an efficient operational structure behind that image. Gett ing payments right, whether they’re payments to your employees or other businesses on which you rely for supplies, is crucial to upholding the organisation of your company.Photo Credit â€" Pexels.comYou could look into checks for quickbooks if you’re using accounting software but want to ensure company payments are organised accurately for employees or perhaps other businesses. If you want to avoid issues with your suppliers or employees within the company, it’s vital that your business gets payments right.3. An organised office.evalThere’s a chance that everything has become a little messy in your business because the workplace is messy. Your employees might feel a little overwhelmed, stressed and unproductive because the environment in which they’re working is unorganised.Photo Credit â€" Pexels.comWe feed off our surroundings, which is why it’s very important that your business strives to keep its office area clean, decluttered and vividly-designed so as to keep your workers’ minds alert, active and tidy.4. An organised plan.At the end of the day, your business may simply have lost sight of its objectives. It may be time to take another look at the business plan and make any chances where needed. If objectives are outdated or unfocused, then your workforce will become unforced, as they’ll no longer know what the next big goal for the business is.Organisation depends on reinventing your business as it grows.

Running a Successful Coffee Shop [Infographic]

Running a Successful Coffee Shop [Infographic] In the age of #instacoffee, it’s more important than ever for coffee shop owners to stay on top of their social media game. The new norm for today’s social media savvy coffee drinkers is to snap, share and tweet their cuppa before even taking their first sip. This handy infographic from Espresso Works outlines the ways in which you can use social media to get more feet in the door. When it comes to social media, the most important things are consistency and creativity. Due to the way social algorithms operate, posting regularly is key to remaining visible on your fans’ timelines. It is also crucial to make sure that the content you’re posting is unique, polished and expresses the personality of the café itself. You’ll want to share posts, images and videos that reflect your coffee shop’s unique atmosphere and delicious brews. In-store promotions are another great way to drive footfall, however you need to take care to be deliberate in how you run them. Don’t offer promotions that will completely erode your margins as in the long-run this could kill your business. Be sure to tie your social activity in with in-store promotions in order to encourage customers to call in. Leverage your social media platforms to highlight current offers, you could even create online-only offers to further incentivize customers to follow you online. The below infographic will show you how to join the dots between your social media output and your promotional campaigns. With more and more coffee shops popping up on every street, it can be hard to stand out from the crowd. Read the full infographic now and learn how you can use social media to stand out from the crowd.

Resume Writing Jobs - Online or Offline?

Resume Writing Jobs - Online or Offline?There are numerous writers of resume writing jobs available online. If you have good taste and the inclination to write, there is a good chance that you can find someone to write your resume for you. However, you may find yourself still wanting to do some searches of your own for good writers.Finding a quality writer is not that difficult these days as most people prefer to have their resumes printed rather than having to rely on the paper resumes that are so common these days. However, it is good to know the fact that there are good writers that can easily write a nice resume for you. There are various ways to find these writers.First of all, you can search through your favorite search engine. You can use the keywords 'resume writing job' or similar words that are usually used when it comes to resume writing jobs. Once you find a writer who has a good track record of being able to write a good resume, you can contact them. If they are really g ood, they will answer your call and let you know if they can write a resume for you.Another place where you can look for writers is the well-known magazines like Elle and Marie Claire. These magazines normally run interviews of professionals who can write good resumes. The interviewers usually ask these professionals if they can write for their client and they are only expected to write a few questions about the company and its past clients.The best thing about such magazines is that you can follow up with these professionals after reading their articles. It also gives you an idea about the quality of the writers, their styles and also what other clients they have written for in the past. Another good thing about these types of magazines is that you get to read and learn more about the life of the professional writers too.Apart from using the 'online' method of finding a writer, another option is to use the 'job and career forum'. If you are in any way a member of such forums, chanc es are you will get to meet some other writers and this can prove to be very beneficial for you. You can discuss your requirements with these writers and you can even pitch your ideas to them.You can also see how different personalities interact with each other. In most cases, such interaction can go a long way in helping you identify which writers you want to work with in the future. You can also make use of forums that can help you create a business plan or your resume.So, if you want to know more about the online and offline options that can help you get a resume written for you, then you should look into your options for your needs. You can get more of these options if you search for them on the internet and you can compare the payouts of different writers.