5 Things That Are Doing More Damage To Your Job Application Than You Realize

• 2-minute read •
When you’re searching for a job, it’s easy to spot a good position and just go through the motions of submitting a resume and cover letter without even thinking. But when it comes to making yourself stand out among all the qualified candidates, being on auto-pilot only hurts you. After all, just one little blunder can turn a recruiter off.

To avoid that from happening, we’ve identified five pretty common—but surprisingly harmful—pieces of information that most of us are guilty of including in our job applications. Next time, leave them off—and focus on the information that’ll really make you shine.

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Internet of Things jobs poised to have a big year

• 2-minute read •
Tech had a banner year in 2016 in terms of jobs. Cybersecurity, IT and engineering all continued to grow as industries, and many tech employees got raises. So what’s in store for 2017?

In an article for Forbes, Mike Krell, an analyst at Moor Insights & Strategy, predicts a good year for the Internet of Things (IoT) industry.

So, what exactly is IoT, and does it really have its own industry?

To answer the first question, IoT refers to the connection of devices and items (beyond the usual computers, smart phones and tablets) to the internet. This includes cars, headphones, kitchen appliances and heart monitors. Ultimately, we could find ourselves living in a world where anything that can be connected will be connected.

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7 Things Wildly Successful People Do Before 7:30 a.m.

• 2-minute read •
Successful people come from all walks of life, yet they all have one thing in common: where others see impenetrable barriers, they see challenges to embrace and obstacles to overcome.

Their confidence in the face of hardship is driven by their ability to let go of the negativity that holds so many otherwise sensible people back.

Obstacles do not block the path; they are the path.

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6 Things to Negotiate When an Employer Won't Budge on Pay

• 2-minute read •
You’ve done the research, brushed up your skills and made the business case for getting more pay than you currently do. But there may come a time when your employer won’t budge on the pay it’s offering. If you’re negotiating a new job offer and aren’t prepared to walk away, you’ll have to be flexible and consider negotiating on one or more of these other points.

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Few Things are More Destructive Than an Insecure Boss

Few things are more destructive to a career than a boss who is insecure. Unfortunately, it is a near certainty that most people will encounter one or more such persons along the way.

Seven Traits Of An Insecure Boss
You will know your boss is suffering from an insecurity complex when he or she is engaging in behavior highlighted by these seven such traits:

1. The boss insists on absolute control over everything in the department. He rules with an iron hand, refusing to delegate any real authority. He doesn't trust anyone. He has few allies. Those allies he does enlist are formed into a tight little clique strongly obligated to his authority and dependent on it. They live an uncertain life on a short leash.

2. The boss constantly interferes in the work of his staff. Second guesses are the order of the day.

3. He constantly defends his position. Every question or hint of criticism is treated as a challenge to his worth and authority. He doubts he has the respect of his associates. Those who exhibit a mind of their own are under constant attack.

4. The insecure boss is most often an absolute perfectionist. He will climb the wall when you make a mistake. But look out. When he fouls up, he will blame it on someone else. He has to be right every time.

5. He will resist making decisions. This means endless studies and return trips to the drawing boards.

6. He will frequently remind you who is boss.

7. He finds it next to impossible to laugh at himself, but he is quick to laugh at others.

Seven Actions You Can Take
There are no certain quick fixes, but there are seven steps that will help mitigate the situation and advance your own interests. Actually, insecure bosses can offer opportunities.

1. Be certain you are not contributing to your superior's low self-esteem. Do everything you can to reassure him of your respect for his position and your commitment to helping him do his job.

2. Shore him up at every opportunity. Learn where he feels most insecure--where his hot buttons are--and make a special effort to be
helpful in these areas.

3. When you have to challenge him, and surely you will from time to time, be certain to do it in a positive way. Don't question his authority. Never challenge or criticize the boss in the presence of others.

4. Never go around your insecure boss to deal directly with his boss without explicit approval. Make sure he realizes that you clearly understand the hierarchical relationships. You don't want to become an endangered species because you are seen as questioning his judgement and appealing to higher authorities.

5. Always be sure he gets more than his fair share of credit for your good work. Stay one step behind him when the limelight shines.

6. Find some of his good points and acknowledge them, publicly as well as privately. Remember, your boss may be a pain in the neck to work with, but surely he must have some redeeming features worthy of compliments.

7. Think of your own insecurities and what helps you deal with them. Apply what you learn from this analysis to dealing with your insecure boss.

5 Things You Must Know Before Asking for that Raise

I'm walking through the grocery store the other day with my buddy Wayne. Wayne is looking distraught--gloomy even. I ask Wayne what the problem is, wearing a concerned look on my face.

"Oh nothing, I guess. (here it comes) It's just that I've been working at the firm for seventeen years now, pouring my soul into my job, you know? You'd think my boss would have noticed the hard work and offered me a raise, wouldn't you?"

I could hear the violin musak ringing in my ears as we entered the frozen fish department. I reached into the ice and grabbed a half-pound mackerel and cold-cocked Wayne in the back of the head.

"Ouch!" He exclaimed, while staggering into some canned goods. "What the heck did you do that for?!" "Well, pal, as long as you're dreaming, pretend this fish isn't real." He didn't know what I was talking about. Clearly Wayne's mental wheel was spinning, but his hamster had long since perished.

"Look. You've got two chances of your boss offering you the raise you want--slim and none, and slim is buried up to his neck next to a fire ant colony with honey smeared on his face." I inwardly chuckled at my own humor. "You've got to ask for what you want and negotiate that raise."

That brings us to the topic of this article--negotiating a raise. Let's start with a few key assumptions:

1. You provide value to your company.
2. The company is doing reasonably well financially.
3. Re-read assumption #1.

Here are five things that you absolutely must know before knocking on the office door and asking for that raise:

They won't offer. Know what you want. They don't care about what you need. Talk contribution, not experience. Quantify your value. They won't offer. Many moons ago when I was just a little tyke, cementing my Lego blocks together with play-dough, my daddy gave me a sage, albeit tainted, piece of wisdom. "Son, the more you do, the more the boss will give you to do without increasing your pay. Don't take on too much or you'll end up a sorry so and so" he stated as he kicked our dog. "Goo goo, gahhh!" I replied. I didn't understand it at the time, but old dad was trying to tell me, in fact anyone who would listen, that the boss never rewards what you do. His solution was to do less than he was capable of. Well that just goes against my Tony Robbins-esque audio training, but the point sunk in. You have to ask for what you want. Most of the time, the boss does notice what you do, but she's under pressure every day to reduce costs and return more to the company bottom line. If you're willing to work for X, management will not offer you X+$2,000 (arbitrary number here). Don't fall into the trap that Wayne did. Resolve that you must approach the boss, as difficult as that is to do, and ask for the increase. Know what you want. Ever got up the nerve to ask for a raise, and as you stood their squirming, the big guy said, "Sure." You breathe a sigh of relief. That wasn't so bad. "Starting next week you'll see an extra nickel an hour in your check, and for you, I'll make it retroactive to the beginning of the month." You're understandably upset. How dare that guy offer me only a nickel an hour increase! But you take it, even saying thanks, because you shot your wad of courage just to make the request. You leave humbled, defeated, a broken person. No vacation this year. Grandma's going to have to wait for that liver transplant.

The problem was you didn't know what you wanted and didn't have an idea what you may have been worth. The boss' solution was to offer you a token to make you go away, and it worked. You need to research what others of your job description are making in other companies. If you make less, you've got some ammo. If you make more and think you're still deserving of an increase, maybe what you really need is a promotion. Whatever your situation is, get a specific figure in mind to negotiate to. I'm not suggesting that you go into the boss' office and start blabbing about the figure you have in mind. Just have that figure handy in case the big guy's (or gal's) offer is below what you expect--and be prepared to defend it.

They don't care about what you need. So sorry, but true. Assume that the boss doesn't care about your slipped mortgage payments, or your kid's need for braces, because she can't afford to. She's got a dozen other employees crying the same song. When I convinced Wayne to ask for an offer, he fell into this mistake too. "I guess I should wear my oldest clothes, look really haggard and depressed, like I really need the money, right?" he pitifully proclaimed. When I reached for the mackerel again he knew my answer.

You have to talk about your value to the company--plain and simple. Unless you work for the government, you won't get anywhere with the raise request based on need, and even that's not a sure thing anymore. What have you done to save the company money, or time, or heartache? You're making a sales pitch here, folks, and the product is you. "But how?" you may be thinking. Read on.

Talk contribution, not experience. Look, in today's dog-eat-dog world of increasing business competition, you're value is based directly on what you have contributed, and can contribute in the future to your company. If you've worked twenty years for the same company, I applaud your loyalty and longevity, but guess what? IT DOESN'T MATTER HOW LONG YOU'VE WORKED THERE! Actually it may, indirectly, only insofar as it has provided the knowledge and skills necessary for you to contribute more.

Contribution can be measured by accomplishments, specific things that happened because of you that improved your company's profit position. Multiple-choice test coming up. If you're the boss and thinking about giving a raise to an employee, which of the following two statements will sway you more: a. "I've got twenty-two years working in the bindery department." b. "My improvement projects in the bindery area have saved the company over $250,000 in the last five years alone. Here is the documentation if you'd like to see it."

If you said "b", move to the front of the class. Remember this--you are your value, your contribution, in the eyes of your employer. Years on the job don't mean you deserve anything.

Quantify your value. Notice something else about the multiple-choice test in the last section. The correct answer had at its heart a specific figure of savings. This is critical for you to have in your arsenal of business communication on the job. It has to be reasonably accurate too, so you can back it up if asked to. If you don't document the bottom line improvements you cause for your company, shame on you. Start today. This is critical not only to asking for a raise, but for promotions, avoiding downsizing, and any other reason relating to your career path.

Maybe you're thinking that, hey, some tasks are hard to put a value on because the payback is indirect. Helping on the company strategic plan comes to mind. Assign a value to your achievement anyway, backed up with some logic and circumstantial evidence, and leave it to your boss to tell you that you're wrong. At the very least, relate the value of the activity and say something like, "…and we both know how successful that was for the company."

What you've done is to provide support for your sales pitch and put that support in terms that all management understands--dollars and cents.

If you want a pay increase and you really deserve one based on what you have done for the company, feel free to go ahead and ask. Remember, they'll rarely offer without you making the request, but if you demonstrate your value through specific contributions to the bottom line, you're in a pretty good position to negotiate. If the hapless Wayne can do it, what's stopping you?

7 Things You Must Do in an Interview

When you are looking to make the Big Leap -- the one that puts you closer to the power centers of a business or organization -- the interview process will likely be different from what you've experienced before. The more senior the person or people you're interviewing with, the more definite their ideas are likely to be about what they're looking for. They know that their own continued success depends on hiring the best people.

So how do you prove your readiness for the big leagues? By thinking like a big-league player. This interview will be different from others, but it will be your best chance to impress the decisionmakers, so there are some key points you want to be certain you get across. Here are tips to help you succeed:

Show You Get the "Big Picture"

Any number of interview candidates may possess specific subject-knowledge valuable to a business. But the candidate who goes beyond mere information and displays an ability to use it well is more likely to get the job. Senior executives and managers generally want people who pay attention to and understand the broader view.

Tip: Demonstrate you recognize patterns and understand their importance; that you know how to use and synthesize information.

Find Out What Keeps the Boss Up at Night

Do your homework so you understand not only the job or promotion for which you are applying, but also the job of the senior executive above it. Do you know to whom this person reports, and what the top issues are for your boss's boss?

Tip: Make that knowledge part of your interview conversation. Show an interest not only in the specifics of the job, but in the product and markets for that company. Ask broad questions: "What do you think the potential growth in the Indian market is?"

Look for Answers

Senior managers are looking for candidates who are creative thinkers focused on finding solutions. It is less important that you show you know the details of the problems the organization faces than that you're able to demonstrate readiness to look for options and find solutions.

Tip: Think about problems in the past you've identified and managed to solve. Show readiness to tackle the tough issues.

Show Some Guts

Chances are whoever you're interviewing with got where he is by showing some moxie, and you should too. Top people need and want folks around them who are not afraid to speak up and will confidently assert their ideas. It is the only way to be part of the process.

Tip: Be ready with an example of a time when you weren't afraid to go out on a limb and your actions helped bring about real change.

Show Your Softer Side, Too

Yes, you should speak up and assert your ideas. But there will be times when the folks at the top will want-- will even need -- for you to go along once a decision has been made, even if you don't agree with it.

Tip: Think about past experiences you can discuss to demonstrate you're comfortable with the challenges of a dynamic environment.

Listen

Just as you want to make it plain in an interview that you are not too timid to speak up, you want to make it clear you are not over-confident or intent on dominating the process. Demonstrate you are able to listen without being too eager to cut off dialog.

Tip: Ask questions that reflect the concerns of the questioner in a constructive way. For instance, if you are asked what you would do in a certain situation, resist the temptation to answer before you've asked some questions of your own.

Keep It Positive

If there's one thing senior managers have a universal distaste for, it's whining. Remember, every hiring manager wants to hire a team player who will bring positive energy and real initiative to the job. Be ready with examples of positive suggestions about problems or issues that you took initiative on in order to demonstrate your people skills.

Tip: Steer clear of any criticism of prior managers, even if invited to offer it.