5 Signs That Its Time to Fire a Freelance Client

5 Signs That Its Time to Fire a Freelance Client5 Signs That Its Time to Fire a Freelance ClientOne of the hardest decisions youll ever have to make as a freelancer is when to let a client go. Even if the company in question is a pain to deal with or the project is less than exciting to work on, its hard to walk away from money, especially when you work for yourself and dont have that guaranteed paycheck coming in every two weeks. However, I can tell you anecdotally that Ive never met a successful freelancer who hasnt had to part ways with a client before. Its the nature of the game no gig is forever, and sometimes, youll be the one to decide that the job no longer meets your needs. How to Know When Its Time to Go The trick is to know when its time to go and to make the parting as pain-free and professional as possible. Go about things in the right way, and youll free up time for more worthwhile investments, while still maintaining the goodwill of your former client which you wa nt to do, because its a small world, and you never know when youll see them again, or whether theyll turn out to know people at your next big project. But, first things first How do you know when its time to fire a client? The following, separately or together, are pretty good signs that your association might have outlived its usefulness. Youre Not Making Enough Money Whats enough money? Rates are leidoriously hard to set, and often vary widely from client to client, but a good rule of thumb is that your hourly rate as a freelancer should at least equal what you made as a full-time employee (taking into account things like health insurance and paid time off, which youll now have to cover for yourself). If you find that youre working all the time and cant make your overhead, or youve worked for the saatkorn client for several years and never received a rate increase, chances are, youre underpaid. The first step, obviously, is to ask for more money, but if that doesnt work, its t ime to start quietly shopping for a replacement client, or looking into increasing your hours with other existing contracts. Once youre sure youre not putting yourself in a worse spot by pulling the plug, go for it. You Wouldnt Use the Work Youre Doing in Your Portfolio Every freelancer has a story (or five) about a job they took solely for the money and would just as soon forget. Thats nothing to be ashamed of. Every gig cant be something youd pick for your highlight reel at the Oscars. However, if you find that the work doesnt boost your personal brand, or worse, that youd just as soon no one knew you worked for these people, its time to think about whether the job is a good fit for your personal goals and values. You Cant Communicate With Your Primary Contact Person Ever talk to someone and feel like one of you is using a translator and not a very good one? Sometimes, for whatever reason, people just cant express their ideas to one another. Maybe one party has a listeni ng problem, or there are different communication styles at play. Whatever the reason, if you find yourself unable to get your ideas across to one another, eventually, it might be time to call it quits. You Feel Disrespected or Abused by the Client It takes all kinds to run the business world, and some of those folks, by default, are going to be not-nice people. The good berichterstattung is that you dont have to deal with them ever. Theres no excuse for abusive behavior like name-calling, yelling, or inappropriate language or actions that make you uncomfortable. If the client engages in any of these activities, whether or not they meet the legal standard for harassment, you should part ways immediately. On a related note, if your client is treating you more like an employee than a contractor you may need to take some steps to clarify your work relationship. You Have a Better Offer As a culture, we value loyalty, and we show that by punishing people who demonstrate it. Im on ly sort of kidding. While you never want to leave clients in the lurch, you need to remember that youre in business. If a current client wont pay you what youre worth, isnt a good fit for your CV, and/or isnt fun to work for, its completely OK to move on to a situation that works better. Your first loyalty needs to be to yourself, your business, and your family. How to Quit a Freelance Job Whatever the reasons why, once you determine that you no longer wish to work for these folks, do things the decent way and resign with professionalism, just as you would from any other job, freelance or full-time. Give them plenty of notice, in writing, abiding by the terms of your contract. Dont get into the weeds with all the reasons why youve decided to quit. If youve really decided to go, now is not the time to talk about the poor pay rate or the unreasonable hours. All you need to do is to let them know that youre not going to be working for them anymore. Especially if youre really overwo rking for them, its a good idea to take a look at some sample resignation letters, before you sit down to write your own. Keep your note short, sweet, and professional, and youll never have cause to regret it later.

Interview questions candidates should ask

Interview questions candidates should askInterview questions candidates should askThe questions you ask during an bewerbungsgesprch often determine whether you get the job.Weve all been there. Its the point in the job interview when youve answered every question thrown at you in a pointed, authoritative, relevant manner.Now, do you have any questions for me? the interviewer asks.This is the make-or-break moment of the interview, say experts, especially in a market with mora candidates than jobs. Its your chance to demonstrate your insight into the organization at which youre interviewing, your industry acumen, your communications and people skills, and your desire for the job.The worst thing you could do in an interview - other than passing gas - is to say, I dont have any questions - youve answered them all, said Mitch Beck, president of Crossroads Consulting, an executive search firm and employment agency. Who wants to work with somebody who doesnt have any inquiries about the company? It shows that you have no brains.Its your last chance to win over the interviewer, and this scenario puts pressure on the candidate to enter the interview prepared to ask thoughtful, focused questions of their own, said Cheryl Palmer, a certified executive career coach and the founder of Call to Career, a firm that provides C-level executives with career coaching and resume- writing services.Thats your last opportunity to really show to that employer, Yes, Im the best candidate for the job, Palmer said. I always advise people to do their homework and to work any information theyve gleaned from their research into their questions so that they really come across as well-prepared candidates.Good questionJ.B Bryant is president of Strategic Alignment Group, a management consultant that helps businesses identify their competitive advantage. He said job hunters should look at the questions they ask during an interview as their opportunity to create a distinct competitive advant age.Something has to set you apart, more so, maybe, in this economy, because the employers are churning through so many potential people, he said.A safe way to impress an interviewer is to know everything there is to know about the company, the industry and the interviewer themselvesKnow everything you can about a company before you interview, Beck said. Do a simple thing like Google the rolle you are going to interview with.The questions you bring to an interview help the employer determine whether you are a good fit for the company, but they also help determine whether the company is a good fit for you.Prospective employees may be tempted to take any job port in an economic storm, especially if they have been job hunting for an extended period of time, but a bad fit wont benefit anyone in the long run.I think its helpful for candidates being interviewed to come up with good, thoughtful questions that are going to accomplish two purposes, Palmer said. They need to be able to demons trate to that potential boss that they have really thought about the job and have some good, probing questions. But they also need to ask questions that will help them determine whether or not this is going to work out.Beck went further, emphasizing that the interview is the prospective employers opportunity to convince you that the company will be a good fit for your needs. The interview is also a chance for the job seeker to turn the tables and get more information out of the employer.Remember that an interview is a two-way street, Beck said. You have to convince the person who is interviewing you that they need to hire you. But remember Youre not there to beg. They need to convince you just as much as you need to convince them.Accordingly, one of the most important questions to ask during an interview relates to expectations, Bryant said.In my experience, expectations are not communicated very clearly, he said. Most people - at every level - come in, and there seem to be an awf ul lot of assumptions being made, both on the new employee side and on the employer side. You hear people say that it takes six months to get integrated into a company and to really be productive. Well, it doesnt need to. If you dont ask anything else, find out what the expectations are.Bad questionWorse than silence are bad questions that a prospective employer can not answer demonstrate your ignorance or worse, offend the interviewer that it eliminates a job seeker from consideration.There are some questions that have always been taboo during an interview - rushing into questions about salary, for example. But have any questions become no-nos since the economic downturn? No, experts said. The rules are pretty much the saatkorn as always.The rules are the same - its just that ( the questions) count more than ever before, said Call to Careers Palmer. Thats not to say that it was OK to ask about salary ( during an interview) before and now its not. It simply means that everything i s much more serious because of the competitiveness of the job market. So, things that an employer might have overlooked before are really, really going to be a big deal now because you have so many qualified candidates looking for the same position.Stay away from questions that arent going to help you any, said Crossroads Consultings Beck. Getting into somebodys personal life is really of no interest. Asking whether someone is pro- or anti-Obama is not a good question to ask. I would stay away from questions about salary. I would stay away from questions about benefits. You want to ask questions that are relevant to the job and to the opportunity that you are being presented with.Bryant said its important for prospective employees to use their intuition to help determine which questions will resonate positively with interviewers.You need to feel out the personality of the person youre interviewing with, said Bryant. Are you going to ask, Are there any discipline issues with my (pote ntial) direct reports? before you even get the job? That might be seen as meddling. But, Where did my predecessor leave off? Thats perfectly acceptable to ask in an interview.

7 signs you work with a toxic achiever how to cope

7 signs you work with a toxic achiever how to cope7 signs you work with a toxic achiever how to copeToxic achievers pose a serious dilemma for business owners, managers, and supervisors. On the one hand, they get the job done - quickly, and more successfully than their peers. So, their work production or sales numbers look great. But, on the other hand, they create major headaches due to the way they relate to others, their negative conflictual attitude, and their propensity to frequently want exceptions to company policies and procedures.Follow Ladders on FlipboardFollow Ladders magazines on Flipboard covering Happiness, Productivity, Job Satisfaction, Neuroscience, and more7 signs of a toxic achieverHow do you know if one of your team members is a toxic achiever, or just a pretty good producer who can be irritating to work with? Let me describe some common characteristics.Toxic AchieversAre brighter, faster, and more productive than anyone else in their area within the organizat ion.From a production point-of-view, they are top dog (They know it. You know it. The management knows it. And they use this stelle to their advantage.)Relate to others in a condescending, brusque manner, flaunting their productivity as a reason to be treated as special.Toxic achievers are good at what they do and they are not shy about reminding others of their performance history. They freely share their advice with colleagues (even when it is not asked for), and are loath to receive input from colleagues.Can be angry, vindictive, and destructive with their words.These individuals can chew you up and spit you out in one motion, either in private (if youre lucky) or in front of your peers and supervisor.Have no compunction about using others to help them accomplish their goals. In their mind, since they are so successful, it makes sense for others in the organization to serve them so that they can become even more successful.Believe they are above the rules.Rules, policies, and pro cedures are for muster employees, not high achievers like them. Standard procedures and paperwork just get in the way of them being able to achieve more, so they should be able to go around procedures or have someone else go through them for them. (This includes paperwork, expense reports, how vacation time is calculated, or going through the correct channels to request resources.)Create frequent turnover in staff around them.Whether it is their administrative assistant, clerical support for the team, their colleagues, their supervisor, or others in departments that have to collaborate with them - a revolving door of staff develops around the toxic achiever. Nobody wants to work with or for them for long.Produce conflict among their supervisor and managers - about how best to deal with them.Eventually, heated discussions occur between the toxic achievers supervisor and other department heads or high level managers. Often the high level managers want to keep them because their prod uction numbers are so high (and they dont have to work with them on a day-to-day basis).How to deal with a toxic performer at workToxic achievers are like a large black walnut tree - it produces pounds and pounds of walnuts but nothing else can grow near the tree due to the toxicity of its leaves and root system. They produce but nothing else lives.Ultimately, you must get rid of the toxic achiever if youre going to have a healthy organization.Until they are gone, chaos and conflict will continue (they will create it) and they arent going to change without a dramatic life changing experience (so dont hold your breath for that).One of the main reasons toxic achievers have to go is because the work environment will not heal and become healthy until they are gone (kind of like having to get a splinter out of your finger). No other course of action works. They are who they are and they bring the associated positive and negative results with them.Rarely is the survival or the organizati on dependent on them (unless they have core knowledge or key relationships necessary for the existence of the company) - its wise not to let them get to that point of power.It is important to note that expelling the toxic achiever from the system requires documenting their negative impact on non-productive areas, such as their unwillingness to follow rules and procedures, or their inability to work collaboratively with others. Otherwise, you are setting yourself up for a lawsuit once they are dismissed.ReliefOnce the toxic achiever is gone, you and those who worked with them will begin to realize how poisoned you felt and how much better life at work is with them gone (while allowing them to poison some other place).This article originally appeared on Appreciation at Work.You might also enjoyNew neuroscience reveals 4 rituals that will make you happyStrangers know your social class in the first seven words you say, study finds10 lessons from Benjamin Franklins daily schedule that w ill double your productivityThe worst mistakes you can make in an interview, according to 12 CEOs10 habits of mentally strong people

Why you need a time machine to make big decisions

Why you need a time machine to make big decisionsWhy you need a time machine to make big decisionsKnowing the right thing to do provides no advantage unless you actually do it. Our research on scaling uncovered all too many kollektivs and organizations where people were well aware of the pitfalls ahead and could list the steps required to spread some brand of excellence as an organization or change program expanded. Yet they still screwed-up and failed to act on what they knew often suffering from a deadly combination of illusion, incompetence, and impatience, symptoms of what my co-author Huggy Rao and I call a scaling clusterfug.Nobel winner Daniel Kahnemans favorite approach for making better decisions can help you and your team avert such fiascos. This might sound weird, but its a form of imaginary time travel. It is called a premortem. Kahneman credits psychologist Gary Klein with inventing the premortem technique and using it to help many project teams avert real failures and the ugly postmortems that often follow.A scaling premortem works something like this When your team is on the verge of making and implementing a big decision, call a meeting and ask each member to imagine that it is, say, a year later. Split them into two groups. Have one group imagine that the effort was an UNMITIGATED DISASTER. Have the other pretend it was a ROARING SUCCESS. Ask each member to work independently and generate reasons, or better yet, write a story, about why the success or failure occurred.Instruct them to be as detailed as possible and, as Klein emphasizes, to identify causes they wouldnt usually mention for fear of being impolitic. Next, have each person in the failure group read their list or story aloud and record and collate the reasons. Repeat this process with the success group. Finally, use the reasons from both groups to strengthen your scaling plan. If you uncover overwhelming and impassable roadblocks, then go back to the drawing board.Premortems spur pe ople to use prospective hindsight, or, in grammatical terms, to think and talk in future perfect tense. So, instead of thinking We will devote the next six months to spreading patient-centered care, travel to the future and think We will have devoted six months to spreading patient-centered care. Now comes the critical element You imagine that a concrete success or failure has occurred and look back from the future to tell a story about the causes. For example, in 2001, Xerox CEO Anne Mulcahy and her team wrote a make-believe 2005 Wall Street Journal article about the companys resounding success. This mock article listed performance metrics and quotes from experts about the specific steps that Xerox had taken to achieve a stunning turnaround during the prior four years. This look back from the future motivated and guided them over the coming years as they brought back Xerox from the verge of bankruptcy and transformed it into a viable company.Pretending that a success or failure has already occurred and looking back and inventing the details of why it happened - seems almost absurdly simple. Yet renowned scholars including Kahneman, Klein, and Karl Weick show that this approach generates better decisions, predictions, and plans. Looking back from the future helps people overcome blind spots, especially to bridge short-term and long-term thinking (a hallmark of successful scaling, as I discuss in this earlier LinkedIn piece). Weick shows that it is far easier to imagine the detailed causes of a single outcome (such as a horrible failure) than to imagine many possible outcomes and try to explain why each might have happened. In addition, analyzing a single event as if it HAS already occurred rather than pretending it MIGHT occur makes it seem more concrete and likely to actually happen, which motivates people to devote more attention to explaining it. Indeed, experiments by Wharton Business Schools Deborah Mitchell and her colleagues showed that prospective hi ndsight, or imagining that an event has already occurred, increases the ability to correctly identify reasons for future outcomes by 30%.Looking back from the future also dampens excessive optimism, especially if the imagined outcome is a failure, mediocre, or falls just short of being as wonderful as expected. Kahneman and many other researchers have found that most people overestimate the chances that good things will happen to them and underestimate the odds they will face failures, delays, and setbacks. He adds in general, organizations really dont like pessimists and when naysayers raise risks and drawbacks, they are viewed as almost disloyal. Kleins research and work with leadership teams indicates that premortems undercut the damn-the-torpedoes attitude often assumed by people who are overinvested in a project. In the hands of a skilled facilitator, a premortem creates a competition where members feel accountable for raising obstacles that others havent. Klein says The whole dynamic changes from trying to avoid anything that might disrupt harmony to trying to surface potential problems.As well-orchestrated premortem can also shatter illusions that everyone on a team concurs with a decision that is about to be made or that everyone believes an effort is going well and will continue to do so. Powerful and overconfident leaders often reward people who agree with them and punish those who are brave enough (or perhaps dumb enough) to disagree with their delusions. The resulting corrosive conformity is evident when people dont raise private doubts, known risks, and inconvenient facts.Klein describes a premortem with a Fortune 50 company where a senior executive imagined that a billion dollar environmental project had failed because the CEO who championed it had retired and the new CEO wasnt committed to the projects success. This possibility had never occurred to the CEO was pushing the project. Similarly, when Huggy Rao ran a premortem with an executive tea m that was on the verge of launching a company-wide innovation project, the Senior Vice-President in charge admitted the team had just raised numerous roadblocks and ticking time bombs that they never had mentioned before even though they had been planning the roll-out for months. In a proper premortem, voicing such impolitic bad news and risks is safe, expected, and encouraged.Finally, in addition to imaginary time travel, another way to reduce the risk of scaling culsterfugs is to pretend that, rather than working on your own scaling project, you are coaching someone else. Ask yourself and your team something like If you were advising another team in the same situation you are in right now, what would you tell them? Harvards Max Bazerman demonstrates that people are less prone to irrational optimism when they make predictions about the fate of others projects or businesses rather than their own. Bazerman observes that, when it comes to home construction or renovation projects, mo st people estimate that their friends projects will run 25% to 50% late and over budget. But those same people estimate their own projects will be completed on time and near the projected costs.The world needs dreamers and their dreams. Without them, there would be no new and wonderful inventions and there would never be any inspired new ideas to spread far and wide. But dreams of what is possible are best balanced with hard facts and realistic projections about what is probable. Looking back from the future and imagining that you are giving someone else advice increase the odds that the dreams you choose to chase do, in fact, come true.Thisarticlefirst appeared on LinkedIn.

The Biggest Myth About Block Letter Template Exposed

The Biggest Myth About gruppe Letter schablone Exposed Block Letter Template Can Be Fun for Everyone Before starting writing, decide which layout you would like to use. If you are in need of a template featuring lager-style letters, youve definitely come to the correct spot. The conventional gruppe style is a favorite choice because its the simplest layout to format. Semi-Block The least used style is known as a semi-block. The Foolproof Block Letter Template Strategy The inner address begins one particular line under the date. When youre finished, the letter should resemble a professional small business letter. A block letter could be put to use as a template letter, one thats used for all correspondence of a particular nature or type. Most professional small business letters incorporate a letterhead that is comprised of your name, address, contact number, and email address. Choosing Block Letter Template Is Simple Decorating Cardboard Letters for your Home There are th ose who do not enjoy the distressed appearance of cardboard letters. Everything else stays the same as a conventional block style letter. As can be viewed, block letters are much simpler to read. The picture is an instance of block letters in contrast to cursive letters. These sheets are supposed to be employed with any Wooden Pattern Blocks. The paper ought to be a mid-weight paper. Its possible to print on regular paper or cardstock, based on how sturdy you require the letters to be. All About Block Letter Template All business correspondence ought to be on company letterhead, and the shape of the remainder of a business letter is standardized. Each business letter example must be with the identical one-spaced. You write most business letters with the aim of finding the reader to react. Writing an excellent business letter can take some time and energy. Some research might be necessary to discover the name (LinkedIn, the businesss website, even Google search are all wond erful tools). It is identical if youre submitting your resume to an organization. Conciseness geschftlicher umgang people are really very busy and they just dont wish to handle the hassle of reading the unnecessary information or lengthy messages. The Block Letter Template Game Before you begin with form letters, you should ensure youve got a database already setup including all the fields you want to include. You can also locate a couple of image filesA that you may not have the ability to utilize for much more than reference. Its the least formal of all of the formats shown on this page. Make certain you use a skilled and suitable business letter format, like the conventional block format. Its possible to click Type New List if youd like to make the list inside Word itself. You simply need to click the print option, and you are prepared to fill your form or CV. You will notice options for many forms of documents. You have the choice of occluding your fax number also. T he Fight Against Block Letter Template Both are critical for producing the expert look thats the foundation of any suitable business letter. There are three sorts of business letter format that are acceptable for a work acceptance letter. Whether you write out a work acceptance letter on stationery or you compose a work acceptance email, there are a few vital components that has to be included in the body of the letter. Total block style business letters have a formal look, however they may be used in informal small business situations along with formal ones. A work offer acceptance letter is something that you can provide to some other employer as soon as you have made the choice to take on a job thats been offered to you. You should have a word or two that youre clear on the precise salary youll be making a specifically mentioned the benefits you are going to receive. State which you think youre a best candidate for the job. Allow it to be crystal clear that youre pleased t o accept the work offer and reiterate your employment start date. What You Dont Know About Block Letter Template A 2 weeks notice letter is basically the exact thing for a resignation letter. If youve enclosed any documents together with the letter, including a resume, you indicate this simply by typing Enclosures beneath the closing. If you would like to learn more about an official letter format, keep reading this report. Also, somebody isnt considered an excellent writer should they do not write concise, specific and meaningful sentences. Block Letter Template Explained As stated above that notarized letter can be written for a number of factors. A notary is the person who will notarize a document or letter, so you must come across a notary in your region. This document is critical as it permits you to reiterate your comprehension of some critical elements of interest to the new position. After signing, you also need to include enclosures if needed.

Verizon + PowerToFly Present A Webinar on Being a Female Tech Sales Leader

Verizon + PowerToFly Present A Webinar on Being a Female Tech Sales Leader Many of us rely on Verizons services everyday and now is your chance to meet the women that make it all possible and learn more about joining the team yourself. PowerToFly would like to invite you and a select group of women for an exclusive webinar with some of the female sales leaders behind one of the worlds tech giants.Verizon is looking to build a diverse and inclusive sales team that will be spread out all over the country, from NYC to LA and pretty much everywhere in-between Our diverse and experienced panel will discuss their histories in technology sales, share advice on overcoming career hurdles and discuss their workplace culture, especially when it comes to diversity. We will also open up the webinar for questions from you, whether they are on sales strategy or workplace environment, and share information about how you can join these amazing women at Verizon.Panelists will include Debika Bhattach arya, Vice President - Global PreSales SolutionsGabriela Godoy, Senior Manager Pre-Sales SolutionsHeather Nevill, Senior Manager Advanced Technology Solutions ArchitectureAbout VerizonThe digital world promises consumers a better, more connected life, and were the ones delivering it. We make it possible for people to stay in touch and businesses to connect with their customers. Were also bringing technology and hands-on learning opportunities directly to kids who need it most. Our goal is to inspire tomorrows creators to use technology to build brighter futures for themselves, their families and the world.Register now to claim a spotPassword POWERTOFLYAbout our webinarsAll RSVPd attendees are welcome, regardless of race, color, religion, national origin, gender identity, pregnancy, physical or mental disability, or age. One of the biggest challenges in almost all industries today is achieving gender parity. Gender diversity provides huge benefits in the workplace. pWhile some industries have made significant advancements in gender diversity, some industries lag further behind... and the construction industry is well-known for being in the latter category. If someone says, construction workers, youll likely picture a group of men in yellow hard hats analyzing an architects plans or laying bricks on top of a scaffold. And men at work signs only help to reinforce this image.pThis stereotype is rooted in reality. When was the last time you actually spotted a woman on a construction site? Or hired a female plumber or carpenter? Your answer is most likely never. In fact, the Bureau of Labor Statisticsreports that only 3.4% of the total of 8.3 million construction employees are women.pBut the construction industry has a lot more to offer than steel-toed boots and hard hats, and it needs women to help advance the industry in this era of rapid change. Here are 5 reasons why women joining the workforce or looking to make a pi vot should consider a career in construction.h21. Fuel Innovation/h2pNot only is diversity the socially and morally right thing to do, but it is also actually an excellent business strategy. pResearch presented in the Harvard geschftliches miteinander Reviewshows that diverse teams develop more innovative ideas. This is further supported by a study conducted by Gallupon the performance of gender-diverse teams versus single-gender teams, which found that the difference in backgrounds and perspectives led to better business performance and problem-solving. h22. Capitalize on Demand/h2pThe construction industry is currently experiencing a labor shortage. The industry itself is booming and projected to be one of the fastest-growing industries, with total spending projected to exceed $1.45 trillion in 2023/a. However, most construction companies are unable to meet the rising demand. pAccording to the Associated General Contractors of America/a, more than 80% of contractors are experienci ng difficulties filling hourly craft positions that represent the bulk of the construction workforce.pAnd demand isnt limited to individual contributor roles. Given the industry boom, there are a number of open stable and high-paying roles (any project managers out there?) waiting for the right candidateh23. Leadership Opportunities/h2pAccording to the Bureau of Labor Statistics/a, women compose only 7.7% of the total 1 million managerial positions in construction.br/pBut given the highly collaborative nature of construction work, more women in leadership roles would help drive innovation and enhance productivity.Furthermore, as a woman in construction in a leadership position, youd have the unique opportunity to drive change for the industry and make it a more attractive option for other women.h24. High-Income Potential/h2pSalaries for many skilled positions in construction are on the rise, making a construction career a prime choice for women looking for a high-paying job,pThe 201 8 Construction Craft Salary Surveyconducted by the National Center for Construction Education and Research revealed that salaries for many skilled craft areas are increasing. Project managers and project supervisors topped the list at $92,523 and $88,355, respectively. The next set of highest-paying jobs include those of combo welders ($71,067), instrumentation technicians ($70,080), pipe welders ($69,222), power line workers ($68,262) and industrial electricians ($67,269). Of the 32 categories of workers in the survey, 19 positions earned an average salary of $60,000 or higher.h25. Sense of accomplishment/h2p The construction industry can give employees a unique sense of achievement. Yes, the job is stressful and the work can be demanding, but nothing beats the feeling of being able to build something from the ground up. pHow many professionals in other industries can point at a school, a hospital, or a skyscraper and say I helped build that?pThe construction industry has a long wa y to go in combating gender bias and supporting women in the workforce, but given the current demand for workers, theres no better time to pick up a sledgehammer (figurative or literal) and smash the gender stereotypes plaguing the construction industry.

Information Security Analyst Tech Job

Information Security Analyst Tech JobInformation Security Analyst Tech JobCyber attacks and data breaches are becoming more and more common. The infamous Sony Pictures hack in December 2014 lead to a big scandal, ending in a Hollywood film (The Interview) having its release canceled. Thats the amazing impact that a cyber attack has had on a very large business. Due to this increase in cyber attacks and data breaches, companies are more vigilant about their data security. Therefore, there is a greater demand to keep sensitive information safe and secure. This is where information security analysts enter the scene. Information security analysts have a negative unemployment rate as of 2014 you read that right, a negative unemployment rate. And the jobs are still being created. Just for reference, the US national average unemployment is 5.5 percent as of April 2015. What Is an Information Security Analyst? A security analyst is an individual that is responsible for preserving and mai ntaining the security and secrecy of digital data for a company. An information security analyst has knowledge in every aspect of information and world wide web security within the system of the company. Part of an information security analysts responsibilities include Providing staff training on proper information management.Adopting security measures whenever the company is sharing important information online and in the office.Reviewing flaws in the companys security system with business administrators and IT professionals.Recommending necessary changes or upgrades to improve the companys IT security systems. Skills These are some skills security analysts should have Quick problem-solving skills.An analytical mind with the proper understanding of various computer systems.Knowledge of security standards, industry rules and regulations, and emerging security threats in cyberspace.The ability to create, test, and execute network disaster recovery plans and policies.The skills to determine risks for data processing systems using testing.A strong ability to install firewalls and other data encryption or security software. How to Become an Information Security Analyst In reservierung to become an information security analyst, you will need a bachelors degree in computer science, engineering, programming, or any other field related to internet system security. Some companies and organizations prefer those with expert knowledge of internet and information security. One can obtain such experience through a training program in networking and system security. A few higher positions in this field may require further education qualifications such as a Master of Business Administration in Information Systems. Certifications There are a lot of professional certificate courses available to become an information security analyst. These include the International Information Systems Security Certification Consortium, otherwise known as ISC2. It is a nonprofit orga nization that provides certification programs in the field of Information Security. A senior level job in this field requires at least five years of working experience in similar fields like software development and network security. Due to the influx in the number of cyber threats, companies nowadays are looking for new ways to protect vital information As a result, the need for information security analysts has increased greatly. Income Since the occupation is currently in demand, the median salary for an information security analyst is $86,170. The US national median salary as of 2012 was $34,750. With a negative unemployment rate and constant job growth at this time, an information security analyst is a great career path to take if youre interested in a career in technology. Conclusion Hacking is now front-page news and can cost companies millions- maybe even billions of dollars. Everyone is looking to increase their security systems and its only going to continue to gro w as hackers find other ways to bypass ansicht systems. Looking ahead to 2022, the field is supposed to grow 37%- much faster than average in the US. The last thing any company wants is to be the next Sony Pictures. To learn more about information security analysts, look to the BLS.

4 anti-resolutions that you can actually keep in 2018

4 anti-resolutions that you can actually keep in 20184 anti-resolutions that you can actually keep in 2018New Years resolutions are seen as an opportunity to start new habits that will finally get us the ideal career and life we want to live. But what about our current habits that have been holding us back? To address these bad old habits, consider pledging your allegiance to anti-resolutions this year.Identifying career-ending patterns of behavior can be just as useful as creating new ones. Sometimes, creating a list of donts can even be easier to complete. Having a list of things youre not going to do is easier to achieve, Mike Vardy, author of The Front Nine How to departure the Year You Want Anytime You Want, told Fast Company. If I know what I dont do, its easier to live intentionally.Heres a list of easy anti-resolutions you can follow in 2018 to have a more productive, fulfilling career.1) Dont use your technology mindlesslyTechnology allows us to be connected to our colleague s across time zones at any hour of the day. But our devices are built to be addictive and distracting. If we are not mindful about how we use our smart devices, they start to use us.To be mindful about how you use technology, be thoughtful about when you actually need to use your device and when you are using it as a social crutch. When used mindlessly, technology can undermine work relationships.Consider putting away your laptops in meetings. When you stare at a screen, it makes it seem like you are not paying attention to what your colleague is saying.In fact, the mere presence of a phone can make employees feel like you are not interested in them or their professional development. Employees reported a higher mistrust in bosses who held their phones in front of them, according to one study.2) Dont be rude to that one co-workerWhen you are rude to that one co-worker, the whole gruppe suffers for it. Rudeness rattles our self-confidence and can lead to careless errors. One studyfoun d that doctors and nurses who heard rude statements about their competence were more likely to make serious errors that would result in the wrong diagnosis for patients.One small act of incivility can also have an outsized impact on our moods. Witnessing rudeness at the beginning of our days has been found to ruin the rest of it, according to a study published in the Journal of Applied Psychology. Researchers found that people who witnessed rudeness psychologically withdrew throughout the day and reported poorer progress towards their goals.So next time you are tempted to snidely remark on your co-workers project, hold your breath. Being nice to your colleagues and clients is not just the polite thing to do, its also critical for your productivity and your teams success.3) Dont make avoidable networking mistakesTo take your career to the next level, you need to be networking with clients and colleagues. Unfortunately, too many of us make easily avoidable mistakes in our networking a ttempts.But these mistakes can be remedied. If youre socially anxious, try conversation hacks that will make you the most interesting person in the room. If your networking emails are going unanswered, think critically about the subject lines you write, the punctuation youre using, and the demands you are making.4) Dont be a work martyrWork martyrs are willing to die on a battlefield for their jobs. They are the group most likely to forego vacations and breaks while working. But does that actually help them succeed? Research says that overworking yourself wont actually make you more productive.People who take frequent breaks report higher job satisfaction and increased productivity.Employees who take vacations not only get the restorative benefit of time off, they are also more likely to get raises.For the sake of your career and your mental health, consider leaving your work martyr impulses behind in 2017.Carry only good energies into the new yearThese anti-resolutions are an incom plete guide to help you brainstorm your own personalized list. As you groe nachfrage an inventory of your own work habits and pet peeves, consider what habits invigorate you and what behaviors make you feel burnt out. This should help you decide what you can carry with you into the new year and what should be left behind.

Investing In Credentials

Investing In Credentials Investing In Credentials INVESTING IN CREDENTIALSMost companies help employees cover costs to obtain professional certifications63% Full support31% Partial support7% No support at allA majority also pitch in toward fees to maintain credentials once earned65% Full support30% Partial support6% No support at allBusinesses benefit, too41% Increases productivity30% Boosts retention efforts11% Brings in additional revenue11% Contributes to succession planning7% Enhances information sharing1% OtherResponses do not total 100 percent due to rounding.