How to Go From Good to Great - The Muse

How to Go From Good to Great - The MuseHow to Go From Good to Great Were in the second quarter of 2015, and for many people, this means that the years first batch of performance reviews are coming soon. Ironically, the experience you want most from your review is often the hardest to prepare for Positive feedback. Just like the grade school days of gold star and A+ stickers, its so good to hear Youre doing great No issues Keep it up on the job. But you absolutely cannot let your good work stop there.My boss at MTV Networks had an approach to reviews that has been tattooed on my brain for the last nine years. He was one of those 40 Under 40 types who had performed well at every stage in his career, including having been one of the youngest-ever partners at a major consulting firm. One day, I asked him how he stayed motivated to get better and he said, I want a win every quarter. I took that to mean that he wanted to look at his work every three months and make a strong case for the va lue he had contributed to his company. He must have been hearing good job along his path, yet he committed himself to turning that good into great.If its worked for him, it can work for all of us. Here are three easy steps you can take to make the most of positive feedback- at your review or anytime.Document ItAs you receive positive feedback from your managers, gruppe members, and clients, be koranvers to keep track of it on an ongoing basis. Make a brag folder to file accolades in your inbox (more on that here). If you got the feedback in conversation, jot down what the person said and email it to yourself.The benefit of documenting good feedback is that over time, youll start to notice what your specific strengths are. You can use them to make the case for raises and promotions, but more importantly youll see where to invest more energy to become great. For example, you may have a knack for writing. Push yourself to become a master by taking a course in copywriting, grant writing , or something else related to your field.Connect ItWhen youre filing your brags, keep an eye on how your company is performing overall so that you can align your performance to corporate progress. For example, if your company set goals around efficiency and accuracy, make sure youre the one whos consistently finishing your projects on time. It shows that youre not just interested in doing good work, youre interested in doing the right work- work that will impact the companys bottom line.Better yet, ask your manager about longer-term goals that may not have been shared with your whole team yet, then aim your performance at those metrics. Like hockey great Wayne Gretzky said, skate to where the puck is going to be. Beat ItOnce you get good feedback, ask yourself WWJD- or, what would (Michael) Jordan do? The best basketball player in history could have stopped after his first championship, or his first three. But he pushed himself and his team to six championships, the most wins in a season, and 10 individual scoring records. What would it take for you to do your tasks faster, better, or with bigger impact?As a personal notenzeichen At Bureau Blank, my team is responsible for writing the project briefs that that we use to understand the challenges our clients face. When I first started writing them five years ago, it would take me up to two days to complete one and feel good about it. I was getting good responses from my team and my clients, yet I knew briefs shouldnt always take that long to do. I challenged myself to find ways to make the writing process shorter. One improvement was to develop templates. Now, for me or any member of my team, a strong brief can get wrapped in about two hours.In an era when companies needs are evolving so rapidly, its important to be your own motivator. If you use positive feedback to push yourself to peak performance, not only will you beat complacency, youll always be prepared to answer What have you done for me lately? and cr ush it.Photo of gold stars courtesy of Shutterstock.

Rescuing Your Résumé From a Hiring Black Hole

Rescuing Your Rsum From a Hiring Black HoleRescuing Your Rsum From a Hiring Black HoleYouve applied to a super-looking job online and dont hear anything back, or the recruiter who was in hot pursuit last week has dropped off the face of the planet. Or what about the interviewer last month that was supposed to get back to you immediately? Whats going on?These are some of the reasons applicants fall into a hiring black hole. But mora importantly, here are also tips on how to get outThe application pit. The average job posting receives 50 to 100 applications, according to Sources of Hire 2013 Perception is Reality, a recent CareerXroads survey. It isnt unusual for some jobs with some employers to receive more. Companies do have applicant tracking systems and many will send an automated message to indicate your application was received. But for some recruiters, the sheer number of applications and rsums to review has made it increasingly difficult to respond to each applicant. Other reas ons you arent hearing anything include that the job has been put on hold, the time frame for hiring has slipped, there are other burning issues in the department or company that need to be addressed first, or maybe the employer was just fishing to see what type of talent was available. These varying and difficult messages seldom get passed along to applicants and as a result, you hear nothing. Rude, but true.The best way to fix the void is by taking matters into your own hands. Dont expect a response. Instead, you could call the menschenwrdig resources department and ask where they are in the review process (that is, as long as the posting didnt say, no calls please). Also ask when you can follow up to see if you are being considered and always verify your materials were received. Another option is to find someone you know inside the company and ask what he or she knows about the position. Be koranvers to let your contact know that you have applied and ask if he or she would be will ing to forward your rsum along to the correct person.The M.I.A. recruiter. A third-party recruiters job is to screen and present qualified candidates to the contracted employer. Remember, the recruiter is paid only if they fill the position, therefore, it is in the recruiters financial best interest to only speak with people who are truly qualified and meet the posted requirements. If the recruiter drops you like a hot potato, it could be due to several reasons, similar to those mentioned above the job has been put on hold, the requirements of the position changed, the company promoted someone internally or the company isnt responding to the recruiter. A lack of contact doesnt necessarily mean you are out of the running. Consistently following up with the recruiter, perhaps even varying your contact between phone and email, is the only way youll know for sure what is going on.The indifferent interview. You would think if a company dedicated time and resources to call you in for an i nterview, they would at least have the courtesy to let you know the outcome. Sometimes things slip through the cracks. Or, more likely, the job was put on hold. Dont give up and dont assume anything. Persistently and politely follow up with your contact at the company and inquire about the status of the job.Dont Take It PersonallyAs much as you may take personal offense to an employers lack of communication or perceived lack of common courtesy, never let it show. In the majority of cases, the representative from the company or recruiter is not against you personally, even though it may feel this way. This is business and at the end of the day, people take their marching orders from the leaders. Often, these commands do not take human factors into consideration as much as they should. Companies operate to make money, not fill open job requisitions. And this is the very reason HR and internal recruiters have such a difficult time meeting conflicting interests. They would love to respo nd to you, but there are usually extenuating circumstances that make that unrealistic. Give them a break and take accountability for finding out the status, by circumventing the process and being persistent.Hannah Morgan is a speaker and author providing no-nonsense career advice she guides job seekers and helps them navigate todays treacherous job search terrain. Hannah shares information about the latest trends, such as reputation management, social networking strategies, and other effective search techniques on her blog, Career Sherpa.

Entry Level Construction Equipment Operators Resume Template 2018s Top Format

Entry Level Construction Equipment Operators Resume Template 2018s Top FormatEntry Level Construction Equipment Operators Resume Template - 2018s Top FormatConstruction equipment operators are always in demand in busy urban areas and cities with growing populations. A gold-standard resume is the foundation for gaining this type of secure and potentially lucrative employment. Follow our tips to ensure yours hits the mark.Concentrate on demonstrating all of your construction-related skills on your resume, drawing special attention to machinery and equipment that youre already qualified to operate. If you dont have this certification yet, convey your enthusiasm to expand your construction career by learning to operate specialized machinery and equipment. Former employment involving manual labor such as warehouse or loading bay gigs is also beneficial to have on your resume.Our entry-level construction equipment operators resume template serves as an excellent guide to building your ow n great resume. Create ResumeBella Farmer100 Main Street, Cityplace, CA, 91019 C(555)322-7337 example-emailexample.comObjectiveSeeking a long term, full time location where I can utilize my skills and experience. I am interested in growing with a company and am willing to take on new challenges to meet the companies long term goals.HighlightsRough CarpentryMetal Stud FramingDrywallLabor ForemanMaterial ReceivingRoofingPaintingLandscapeLabor Pick upGeneral ConstructionExperience06/2012 to 09/2013Rough Terrain abspaltung Lift Operator Labor Foreman Palm Dessert Custom Drywall Littleton, ColoradoOperated fork lift to lift and move materials and large objects.Loaded proper materials while abiding by all safety and legal standards.Monitored vehicles as they entered, unloaded and exited the job site to maintain a safe, efficient work area.Directed and supervised building clean upManaged labor forceMaintained materials yard04/2008 to 06/2012Laborer R. B. Taylor Construction Elk Grove, Ca liforniaGeneral labor pick upLandscape sprinklers, sod, planting, removalInterior Exterior paintingLight plumbingLight electricalTrim CarpentryMold remediationGeneral repairsForeclosure turnoversDemolitionAccomplishmentsPromoted to Labor Foreman after 6 months of employment. Completed jobs from start to finish on time and under budget. Appointed by supervisors for special tasks and large scale projects. I have an excellent safety record.SummaryHard working and dedicated Rough Terrain Fork Lift operator with 3 years in heavy equipment operation. Certified in scissor lift and boom lift operation. Highly motivated to produce quality work on tight deadlines and with safety in mind. I have a wide range of construction experience spanning many trades.ReferencesReferences available upon requestCustomize ResumeMore Construction Resume Templates