The Right Way to Deal with an Employee Resignation

The Right Way to Deal with an Employee ResignationThe Right Way to Deal with an Employee ResignationFace it. Sooner or later, even the best employer has employees resign. They think that theyve found a better opportunity or their spouse has accepted a job out-of-state. They decide to stay home with children or find themselves providing long-term care for a parent. The reasons are endless for what causes an employee resignation. But, each employee resignation poses the employer with the same series of questions. How do you announce the employees resignation? Who needs to know what about the employees resignation? When do you tell your employees about the employees resignation? Should you let the employee post a say goodbye emaille on the company discussion board? What if the exiting employee asks you to write a generic reference letter? Answers to the Questions About Employee Resignation Here are answers to the many questions you may have about employee resignation. An employee ha s just resigned. The norm is that the employee tells you verbally that he or she is resigning from your company. Immediately ask the resigning employee for a resignation letter in writing with their final date of employment stated. This protects you from unemployment claims and otherbei charges of impropriety. Dealing With Employee Resignation An employee resignation always causes some disruption in the workflow, however, if the employee resigning is valued and you decide to let him or her work their final two weeks, they can do a lot to make the transition successful. This assumes that you have assessed that the individual will remain a positive contributor until their final day. They can wrap up loose ends, provide details about ongoing projects, and email friends and coworkers about their leaving. Make sure that you assign employees to pick up the work of the departing employee. They will have a head abflug if they can confer with the person who is leaving to understand the c hallenges and details of their job. These assigned replacement employees also need to binnensee a list of the goals and responsibilities for which the position is responsible. It is to everyones advantage that they understand the context, not just the daily to-dos, of the employee who is leaving the organization. This will enable them to better train his or her replacement when that person is hired. Additionally, if the employee resigning has customer contact responsibilities, they can provide an introduction to the person who will pick up their responsibilities. You might ask administrative employees, and others who have jobs with clear and documentable responsibilities, to create a procedure manual prior to their departure. But, hopefully, you already have these procedures documented and in place. Notification to Coworkers and Customers About an Employee Resignation To notify other employees about an employees resignation, start by telling the employees own department about th e employees resignation. Perhaps call a quick meeting and inform the other employees that the employees last day is in two weeks. Tell them that you will appreciate their help to pick up any loose ends and inform them to whom the various responsibilities have been assigned. Your other employees will also want to know the timeline for the replacement of the departing employee. Generally, good employees are quite willing to perform extra work or work longer hours to fill in, but they appreciate knowing the time frame during which this will be expected. With a trusted, valued employee who will be working out their two weeks notice, send out an email to notify the other employees immediately of the employees resignation. You might say something such as Mary is leaving us to pursue new opportunities at x company. Her last day at our company is March 15. Please join me in wishing Mary tremendous success in her future endeavors. We will hold a say good-bye party at Toms Tavern on Marys las t day which is the 22nd. Please join us to wish Mary success in her new employment and to say good-bye. ExpandOf course, before you send this information out, check with Mary to see if she is comfortable with all of the above. She may even have a personal email address that she wants to share so people can stay in touch. In any case, make sure that you know what she wants to be shared with her coworkers. Maintaining her confidentiality, if that is what she prefers, is strongly recommended. Many of your employees probably knew that Mary was looking and they also know why. Employees like closure when a valued colleague leaves so your graciousness is not only appreciated, it sends a powerful message to the employees who remain. Of course, you will hold an exit interview during which you will become clear about why the employee is leaving. Making counteroffers or enticing Mary to stay is not recommended for employers even if you are losing a seriously valued employee. In her mind, she h as already moved on. You need to look at the situation in the same way. Mary moved on mentally when she started looking for a new job or when she determined the personal response necessary in her life situation. The time to identify and solve problems is before Mary started looking. How to Notify Employees When the Employee Resignation Is Welcome The scenario changes if the employee resigning is not valued or you dont trust the person to carry out their responsibilities successfully during their two weeks notice. In these cases, tell the employee that you will pay him or her for their time, but their services are no longer required. Ask yourself why you continued to employ this individual under any circumstances to avoid repeating your mistake in the future. Firing an employee can be ethical, legal, moral, and appropriate. To announce the employees resignation, send out an immediate email to all employees stating that Mary has left the company to pursue new opportunities effecti ve on todays date. You might add that you wish her success as she pursues her new opportunities. Communicate also, where any of her responsibilities have been reassigned. You may want to add some details about how and when you plan to seek a replacement due to the employee resignation.

Dont gloat The flip side of schadenfreude

Dont gloat The flip side of schadenfreudeDont gloat The flip side of schadenfreudeUnlike Taylor Swift, most of us probably cant make a successful career out of airing dirty laundry about former boyfriends, baes or backstabbers. Instead, we have to pretend not to be gleeful when a work nemesis gets passed over for a promotion, or when the supervisor who stole an idea gets caught in the act. But no matter how tempting it is to have even a temporary moment of Schadenfreude, or celebrating the misfortunes of others, its probably smarter in the long run to find constructive ways to process other peoples work screw-ups instead of gossiping about them.If living well is the best revenge, rising above (instead of gloating) is the best reward. Heres why. In the workplace, where backstabbing can sometimes feel like second nature, gloating about someone receiving their comeuppance can make you look petty and unprofessional. It can also make other people on your team start to avoid you for fear t hat youre counting down the hours until they have their own disastrous moment. So instead of planning a partey after a loathsome cubicle mate falls flat on their face, here are some ways to try to turn it into a learning experience instead.Understand the source of the screw-upLarry Senn, author of The Mood Elevator, has been tracking corporate culture (some say he named it) since the 1970s. He thinks most of us can learn from the failures of others, and even try to help them, no matter how we feel about them.Life lessons are presented to us each day, its just a matter of if we choose to see them. If we clearly see a colleague at work make a mistake, looking at the situation through the lens of, What can I learn from this? is very healthy, Senn says.Its not only important to look at the actual mistake they made, but to find out what their mindset was that created the mistake. welches it a lack of understanding? Was it poor communication? Was it a lack of emotional intelligence in a s ituation? Knowing what was going on inwardly will also help you learn from that mistake, he adds.??Stop. Listen. SupportEveryone knows the feeling of a plummeting mood and negative feelings that come after you realize you made a big mistake, says Senn, but how can you help a colleague after a giant mistake?One of the biggest things you can do for a colleague who messes up is to hear them out and offer support. The first step would be to listen, dont offer advice right off the bat, wait until you can empathetically listen and if they ask for your advice. Then offer it, Senn says.Next up, you can try to offer support.When someone goes through a big mistake at work they often have a very destructive inner dialogue in their head telling them things like I cant believe Im so stupid, I deserve to get fired, this company will be better off without me, how could I let myself mess up that badly? The best way you can support them is to let them know that they are still valued and still apprec iated, he says.But wait until they ask for help or try to talk about the situation before jumping in. Some people need time to lick their wounds before confiding in others. Senn says a great way to help is to offer outside perspective.When we plummet down the mood elevator in poor thinking and negative thinking we often lose perspective so offering someone a more accurate representation of reality is very valuable, he says.Know when to steer clear of the problemBefore you wade into a conversation about mistakes, ask yourself what you hope to accomplish. Sometimes a corporate disaster is so huge that the worst thing you can do is try to help out, since you risk becoming seen as part of the problem.If a project is failing or has failed, the best situation is to stay as far away from it as possible if you are in a large company,Marc Prosser, the Co-Founder of FitSmallBusiness.com, says. A few months after the project is shut down or re-envisioned, very few people will remember who did great work on the project or tried to save it from failure. They will just remember who was involved in the project and that it failed.When something is that big or that bad, staying away may be your best option.If you offer feedback or make suggestions on what might make the project successful, you might get looped into the project because of your enthusiasm or great ideas. Your frenemy may be happy to share the blame with you an expand the number of people responsible, Prosser says.Some screw-ups are so monumental that trying to help will only paint you with the same brush as the person who messed up. If your own reputation is at risk, stay away until you can do something to help them out without tarnishing your own image.Try to assess the potential damage and fallout before offering any help or advice. One way to know when its a good time to step in is to determine whether the dust has cleared completely.After your colleague or frenemy fails, then you should extend the olive bran ch. Offer them a small role in a project which you are involved. In that way, youre offering them a chance to regain their reputation and theyll work hard for you, he says.

Determine Your Help Desk Tier 2 Needs

Determine Your Help Desk Tier 2 NeedsDetermine Your Help Desk Tier 2 NeedsHelp desk Tier 2 sttze staff handle complex technical support questions.While help desk Tier 1 personnel can field questions about basic equipment or network functionality through a phone call or instant messaging chat with users, help desk Tier 2 staff are crucial for solving problems that often need more time and an in-person touch.As organizations become more IT-focused, help desk tickets will call attention to a wider variety of issues. To determine how many help desk Tier 2 support staff your organization likely needs, consider these factorsThe size and scope of your organizationIf your company has fewer than 500 workers, an employee-to-help desk Tier 2 support staff ratio of 181 is likely adequate.If you have between 500 and 10,000 employees, the ratio is around 251. Of course, geography is also a consideration, since help desk Tier 2 staff members probably need to be on site. A 500-person office may requ ire a lower percentage of IT staff than an organization with 100-employee offices across five different cities.Heres how to determine your help desk tier 1 requirements.Changing IT needsAccording to research by Robert Half Technology and HDI, 66 percent of IT professionals believe that technical support centers will need higher IT support acumen in the future. This means your current help desk Tier 2 staff will probably have to expand their knowledge base. Additionally, you may need to hire more help desk Tier 2 professionals with differing skill sets so you can get the benefits of specialization without losing the productivity advantages of speedy service.The role of IT in your geschftslebenIT no longer operates in a silo, as tech-savvy personnel are increasingly involved in critical business decisions that aim to deliver security and performance across the entire organization. As the chief information officer takes a more prominent seat at the executive table, other help desk Tier 2 professionals with business acumen could see their roles change.If youre planning to expand the responsibilities of more tenured or skilled IT staff to help the organization meet new objectives, you may need to consider hiring additional support personnel to ensure the help desk can continue to respond effectively to everyday demands from the business.Do you need to hire more help desk professionals? We can help.REQUEST TALENT

Defining Your Professional Brand and Moving Your Career Forward

Defining Your Professional Brand and Moving Your Career ForwardDefining Your Professional Brand and Moving Your Career ForwardDefining Your Professional Brand and Moving Your Career ForwardReady for the next chapter in your career but dont know where to start? Heres what you need to know. TWEETFor many of us, we finish school (high school, college, or graduate school) and take a job. Ideally it is in our field, but for a great number of us, it is bedrngnis. That BA in History only goes so far if youre not looking to teach, but collaboration, research skills, and an overall work ethic are still valued and suddenly you find yourself in a sales role. Now, its been eight years in sales positions, and you are ready to move forward. Whatever the goal, you need to move forward in your career and you dont have a clue how to start.The first step determine your goal. Are you changing fields? Would you simply like more money or new responsibilities? Do you want to apply your developed skills i n a new way? Is your current role holding you to a tough travel schedule and you would prefer some permanence? By defining your goals, you can begin crafting your professional brand and identifying positions that are in need of someone with your background.Secondly create a checklist of skills. What can you offer a new company or offer your current organization in a different way? This is where you are going to be innovative. Rather than focusing on the defined skills of your current position, consider how those skills could be adapted. As a sales professional, you may have a strong background in building relationships. Perhaps you have lumineszenzdiode teams or facilitated training seminars. You may have conducted some market research to determine new territories or leads. All of this is relevant to your current field, but can be adapted to show your value in a new industry as well. Training experience would be applicable in an HR or education role, or even in any management positi on. Market research and analysis demonstrate critical thinking, and relationship building shows personality and people skills.The third step link those skills to your goal. By doing this, you are able to identify clearly for your target-hiring manager what you offer. Just because the job posting suggests they want three years of HR experience, dont write it off. The question is can you translate sales experience into HR skills?Finally approach your target with this information. If you are seeking a promotion, you may present this to your boss as an outline of the value you offer your company and demonstrate why you should be considered for the next step. If you want a raise, this information can help you to speak to the additional skills they would need to find in a new candidate if you were to leave, again strengthening your argument that you deserve to be paid more. If you are changing fields, you now have a preliminary cover letter developed by showing how you can apply your back ground to a new position or experience. And if you are simply focusing on creating a brand for yourself, streamlining your background into something meaningful and easily represented on LinkedIn or social media, you have created a brand message and career summary.Now you are able to walk into an interview with eight years of sales experience and explain why you are perfect for that Marketing Manager or Recruiter position. You have made your skills generisch and you have answers for people who may need help seeing beyond the job description.

The Advantages of Cashier Description for Resume

The Advantages of Cashier Description for Resume Some employers may search for GED or a high school diploma to be able to find the job. Businesses are often keen to work around school schedules for students in addition to parents. Depending on the place you work, you may have other responsibilities also. Responsibilities will be different in line with the work atmosphere. Ability to supply legible communications. Cashier Description for Resume and Cashier Description for Resume - The Perfect Combination Place your work experience in reverse chronological order Your latest work experience is possibly the fruchtwein relevant. Most standorts supply a flexible schedule, and you can have the ability to choose the hours youre available to get the job done. This job description isnt a guarantee of employment. When you complete all the vital segments and make your resume, you might make changes that are modest as a way to customize it. Cashier Description for Resume Features Empl oyed as a Walmart cashier can be exceedingly exhausting as youre constantly sitting or standing in 1 position and have to handle many demanding customers, sometimes simultaneously. If thats the case, take a couple of minutes to review the cashier resume examples weve written. The Walmart cashier needs to be ready to work at quite quick pace, particularly during holiday sessions when people would have more time to see the store. The cashier in such a situation is going to have to deal with cash in numerous transactions with clients. Cleaning and Maintenance Besides managing clients and transactions, cashier clerks are often accountable for keeping up the presentation of the company. Most cashiers frequently have to spend additional hours at their workplace for several reasons. In some instances, a supermarket cashier might need to take care of exchanges and returns. She helps customers through the payment options available and makes change if needed. Bag Merchandise Cashier cle rks working in a shop or retail establishments will often put the items in a bag for the client to carry out. Customer complaints are a main concern for the majority of businesses so thats why as a cashier you must never turn away a complaint but finds anybody to handle it for the customer. Greeted customers going into the Store. The head Cashier might discover that they are responsible to continue to keep records for the entire shift. The right resume can help you locate a position for a cashier. It isnt likely that you is going to be the only person applying for the job. Cashier career paths may vary. The ideal way to receive a great cashier resume is researching the work description. The ideal thing to do is to be certain you have a resume. Just remember to have time. The reason isnt far-fetched. The 30-Second Trick for Cashier Description for Resume My responsibilities in my job at walmart is to get extensive knowledge over popular electronic items and the way to use them in the event of a customer needing advice on the way to use the item or if and the reason why they should get it. For example, you could attempt sending out a definite number of resumes weekly. Giving future recruiters references on your resume is a wonderful method to prepare trust. Making your resume is important. To produce the cashier duties walmart conventional, you ought to take advantage of typical format for organization letter. From that point, reviewing resumes by utilizing an individual basis receives a lot more feasible. Youre able to summarize earlier work history with a succinct description of your achievements throughout that moment. Youre going to be requested to add capacity about your audience like the name, acquaintance info, abode and aggregation logo.

What to Do If You Hate Your Job

What to Do If You Hate Your Job Article by Sophia DemblingMelissa Thrailkill just isnt sure what to do.Thrailkill is a family law attorney in private practice in Dallas. She loves helping people and being herbei own boss. She relishes leid having to deal with office politics or play nice with people she doesnt like. Shes happy outside of a corporate environment, not dealing with gossip, faking friendships, the typical BS, she says. Im not going to get on the sailboat with the executive director if thats not how I want to spend my Saturday.But shes also not quite happy. Sometimes Thrailkill feels like shes being pulled in a million different directions or being dragged down by formulaic tasks like drafting documents.Even though I may be helping people, its not challenging, she says. Its just annoying. I feel like Im not living up to my potential.It also seems like, no matter how hard she hustles, she doesnt earn enough money to feel comfortable.Sometim es Thrailkill thinks she should give up her solo practice and get a job with an established law firm. Other times she thinks what she really needs is an attitude adjustment. Does she need a change of situation, or a change of mindset? Deciding can be difficult.Many peoples first impulse when they start feeling uncomfortable at their job is to blame others or the work environment, says Lisa Sansom, who puts her masters degree in applied positive psychology to work as a business coach. We dont believe that it has anything to do with us. We think the situation is beyond our control and theres nothing we can do.Thrailkill is well aware of that risk. In my 20s and early 30s, I never thought my attitude welches the problem, she says. Then you mature and have some life experiences and think, Maybe it was my attitude.The first thing you should do when contemplating a job change is take stock of what else is happening in your life. For example, you dont need to add a new job to the mix if yo ure getting a divorce, just lost a parent, or have suffered a financial setback.A lot of people get in such despair and anxiety at those times that they want to quit everything, says Dallas psychologist Delane Kinney. Your brain isnt really online, so you lose perspective.That loss of perspective almost happened to Kerry Wekelo, who is managing director of menschenfreundlich resources and operations at Actualize Consulting in Reston, Virginia. Shaken by the death of someone important to her, she started soul-searching.I was living a lie, Wekelo says she realized. I wasnt happy in my marriage, wasnt happy in my job.Wekelo and her husband divorced, and she contemplated quitting her job to become a yoga teacher. She snapped back to reality when she realized that, financially, that would be a poor decision for a single mom. So she stayed at her job but began exploring how changing her mindset might help her situation.Becoming aware of how you might need to change is a rational first ste pinfixing a bad work situation. The next step is asking someone for advice.In the workplace, consulting a manager or mentor can be useful, Sansom says. She suggests that entrepreneurs in particular have a hauptplatine of mentors people you can talk to on a regular basis who are going to be a sanity check, a business check, the ones who can talk to you when youre struggling with all the things entrepreneurs go through.If Sansom were Thrailkills business coach, she might suggest Thrailkill decide how much she wants to earn, figure out how to set boundaries on her time, and perhaps charge some clients more so she can continue helping low-income clients.Thinking through how you might be able to fix a situation, you can also draw on the red-cape-green-cape approach developed by James Pawelski, Ph.D., one of Sansoms former positive psychology professors at the University of Pennsylvania.Imagine youre given superhero powers, Sansom explains. A red cape allows you to stop all the bad thing s in the world, but it doesnt mean the goods going to get any better. The green cape allows you to make the good things stronger and better, but it doesnt fix any of the bad things. Which do you choose?If youre in a workplace with a micromanaging boss, for example, you could don your green cape and focus on the good of the job perhaps your coworkers, your salary, or the impact your work has on the community. Or you could wear the red cape and try to fix the bad of the job by talking to human resources and studying strategies for dealing with a micromanager. Make an Informed DecisionIn figuring out her job situation, Wekelo looked both within and outside of her company.We are a consulting company, and one of my biggest responsibilities is hiring our talent, she says. I wasnt happy about how we were running our organization, and I didnt ethically feel good about bringing people into our organization.In the course of her attitude adjustment, Wekelo read Leadership and Self-Deception G etting Out of the Box, published by The Arbinger Institute, which was transformative for her.It was about taking accountability for every situation youre in, Wekelo says.In becoming accountable on the job, Wekelo approached one of the founding partners, who is her brother, and suggested ways she thought the company culture could improve. The company adopted her suggestions, the culture improved, and Wekelo was able to stay happily on the job. She went on to write Culture Infusion 9 Principles to Create and Maintain a Thriving Corporate Culture.There might come a time, however, when no matter how much self-reflection youve done or how many adjustments youve made to your attitude, you conclude that a job change is the only right decision, like Lori Cheek did.After earning a masters degree in architecture, Cheek followed the expected career path.I had some of the coolest jobs you can get, she says, including store planning and design for designer Christian Dior. I got flown to Paris, a ll over America. But I was just so dissatisfied. I would get to work every day at 915 a.m. and get in trouble for it. Every day there was this fear factor about what I was wearing, being out too long for lunch. She enjoyed the friends she made on the job, but then got in trouble for socializing too much.Cheek went on to work in sales at a couple of other places great jobs, same problem. I was still super unhappy with the stress and the hours and the fear of it, she says.Cheekdidnt like feeling owned by her employer. I just wished there was more time in the day back then, she says. I didnt want to live for the weekend like that.Finally, when she was downsized from her last job, Cheek decided to pursue an idea that had been percolating in her mind for years. She created the dating app Cheekd, which connects users in close proximity to each other. This entrepreneurial venture turned out to be more expensive than she expected, and shes putting in as many, if not more, hours than she d id at her corporate jobs. But seven years in, shes thriving.Now Im living a lifestyle I love, she says. Im excited to get up in the morning, excited to open my computer.For some people, a change of mindset will be the trick. For others, a new job or career will be right. The key is taking a hard, and perhaps uncomfortable, look at every aspect of your situation before making a decision.A version of this article originally appeared on SUCCESS.comand in the Fall 2018 issue of SUCCESS magazine.

Apply Now to Compete in the ASME Innovation Showcase (ISHOW)

Apply Now to Compete in the ASME Innovation Showcase (ISHOW) Apply Now to Compete in the ASME Innovation Showcase (ISHOW) Apply Now to Compete in the ASME Innovation Showcase (ISHOW)The clock is winding down if you would like to participate in this years ASME Innovation Showcase (ISHOW) the global competition for inventors and entrepreneurs who have developed hardware-led social innovations. Applications for the three events to be held this spring in India, Kenya and the United States must be submitted by Feb. 8.The ISHOW program highlights sustainable and scalable products that are intended to address a social, economic or environmental problem. The first of this years ISHOWs, ISHOW India, will take place on April 4 in Bangalore, India. The second competition, ISHOW Kenya, is scheduled for May 9 in Nairobi, Kenya. The third event, ISHOW USA, will be held on June 13 in Washington, D.C.Three winners from each of the ISHOWs will receive a share of $500,000 in cash and in-kind services , including an extensive design and engineering review by a panel of experts.Finalists for ISHOW India will be announced Feb. 18, while finalists for ISHOW Kenya will be announced March 11. The finalists for ISHOW USA will be announced April 15.To learn more about the 2019 ISHOWs, to apply, or to learn about past ISHOW winners, visit https//thisishardware.org. You can also get updates on the competitions by following the ISHOW on Twitter asmeishow and thisishardware.

10 words you should never use to describe yourself in an interview

10 words you should never use to describe yourself in an interview10 words you should never use to describe yourself in an interviewJob interviews are the time to put your best humblebrag skills to use and show employers why youre the best part for the job. But when interviewers ask questions like Tell me about yourself, or How would your friends describe you? it gets a bit mora difficult to brag about yourself without going over the top.Heres the dealWhile you definitely want to show employers all of the great things that make you perfect for the job, you dont want to risk slipping up and saying anything that makes you come off as, well, a self-righteous jerk. Theres a fine line between qualified and conceited, and you want to avoid the latter at all costs.With that in mind, here are 10 words you should never use to describe yourself in an interview, and what to say instead1. IndependentYou think youre telling interviewers that you dont need anyone to hold your hand through a projec t, that you can get things done efficiently on your own, and that you dont need any micromanaging. But what theintervieweris hearing is that you dontwork well with othersand you might not be the friendliest person to work with.Instead, tell the interviewer that you enjoy working autonomously, but you also enjoy being part of a team, and you can take direction well from others. You dont want employers to think that youre standoffish or not a team player, so its best to avoid describing yourself as independent, a lone wolf, or something of the like.2. IntelligentDescribing yourself as intelligent in a job interview basically tells employers that you think youre smarter and better than anyone else. This is one of those personality traits youd hope for someone else to use to describe you, but saying that you think youre intelligent is a quick and easy way to come off as a pretentious jerk.Instead, describe to interviewers how you think and approach problems. Use terms like fast learner, logical, perceptive, or analytical. Interviewers will be interested to know about your thought process and how you solve problems, but trust us, they dont really care about how smart youthinkyou are.3. ObsessiveYou think that using this word to describe yourself will tell employers that youre passionate and you have a keen eye for detail, but honestly, it just makes you come off as a little crazy. Avoid using any words that could possibly have a negative connotation so you dont end up having to explain yourself and recover from aschwimmbad impression.Opt for more descriptive words to describe your passion for your work. Use words like detail oriented, focused, and excellent timemanagement. behauptung words effectively show your dedication to your job in a much more positive light than saying that youre obsessive, or as the interviewer would hear, psycho.4. LikeableThis is another one of those descriptors that makes you sound a little self-obsessed. Plus, its going to be kind of har d to find examples to backup how likeable you are without sounding like a complete narcissist.To show that youre personable and generally well-liked without sounding hopelessly pompous, use words that you can provide examples for, like team player, enthusiastic, or outgoing. Then, feel free to provide examples of times you hosted company parties, spoke up during meetings, and pitched ideas for projects. This is much more convincing than just claiming that people like you.5. GenerousThis is another one of those words that you should never use to describe yourself. Generosity is a title thats earned, and its one of the highest forms of praise someone else can give you. Claiming for yourself that youre generous will just make you look silly.If you actually do feel that youre a fairly generous person and want to show this to your interviewer, tell them that youre helpful, or willing to lend a hand. Give them examples of your community involvement or participation in any fundraisers or c harities. If you cant provide these examples, its probably not even worth trying to convince others that youre generous.6. HumbleEven though an interview is definitely where you want to put your best humblebrag skills to use, you should never actually brag about how humble you are. Its contradicting, its weird, and it just doesnt work.If this is an aspect of your personality that youre just dying to let your interviewer know about, show them that youre humble through your answers. Even interviews are the time totoot your own horn, you can show employers that youre humble by describing your experiences and stating facts - without bragging about yourself. Let the interviewer do the judging.7. Straight-forwardYou might think youre telling hiring managers that you tell it like it is, you dont beat around the bush, or that you just keep it real. But all the interviewer is hear is that youre abrasive, disrespectful, or just plain rude.Instead, describe yourself as being direct, sincere, or truthful. These descriptors effectively get the idea across without coming off like an inconsiderate jerk.8. Self-disciplinedThe struggle to stay self-disciplined is one that were all familiar with. Its difficult to stay so on-track constantly without needing a break every now and then. So difficult, in fact, that its almost unbelievable.If you really want to get this idea across, show the interviewer your discipline with examples of your projects and their outcomes. The best self discipline yields results, so use your experience to your advantage.9. AdaptableThis one is just redundant. Change is happening all the time, everywhere (except in the White House, am I right?), so its basically a necessity as a human to be adaptable. Dont pat yourself on the back for being something that youre supposed to be.Instead, say that youre good at handling and leading change and adjusting to new conditions. You can also use words like flexible, innovative, or inventive, to showcase your affini ty for adjusting to new methods and ideas, or even creating new ideas of your own.10. SuccessfulJust dont even bring this one up. Saying that youre successful is another one of those terms that makes you come off as super self-obsessed. Employers will be able tojudgeyour success for themselves from reading your resume and listening to you describe your work experiences andprofessional strengths.If youre dead-set on convincing interviewers that youre successful, focus on describing why youre good at what you do and what skills you excel at. You should aim to show your success, not just deem yourself as a successful person.Now you know what words to avoid using when describing yourselfWhen it comes to interviews, everything you say matters. You dont want to risk saying something wrong and leaving a bad impression on your interviewer, especially when youre describing yourself.Use words that showcase and describe the aspects of your personality that you want to show off to interviewers. And whatever you do, dont say anything that will make you come off as pretentious or self righteous.Now that you know what mistakes to avoid when describing yourself, check out these articles onhow to answer the tell me about yourself interview question, how to tell interviewershow your friends would describe you. Good luck at your next interview

How to impress in a job interview (12 crucial things to do)

How to impress in a job interview (12 crucial things to do)How to impress in a job interview (12 crucial things to do)You finally landed an interview for the job youve been coveting congrats Now its time to buck up and blow your upcoming interview out of the water. Easier said than done though, especially if youre pretty new to interviews in general or its been a while since your last job hunt.No matter what the situation, youre likely wondering how can I stand out in the crowd and impress my interviewer(s)?Heres howBe authentic.Although preparation is important, the job is really only the right job for you if its right forbothof you the interviewee (you) and the employer (the company). So being professional but still yourself is the best way to save welchested time and disappointment in your job search because if they hire you it should be based on who you really are, and if they dont move forward with you, it should be because it wasnt an honest match.Dress the part.Whether your e interviewing to flip burgers or run a country, show up dressed to impress. While a suit is no longer the only way to dress well for interviews, it is still a good go-to in most situations. To be totally sure, ask the company before the day of your interview what their dress code is or do a little bit of research on your own aboutappropriate interview attire for different situations. At the end of the day, though, Its always, always better to overdress than underdress.Use first names.There is no sweeter sound than your own name.Studies showthat even patients in a persistent vegetative state react to the sound of their own name thats how powerful this tactic is. Influence the hiring managerand leaving a lasting impression by remembering and using the names of each team member.Bring a copy of your resume.Having a resume to reference makes it easy to share the highlights from your career,ensuresthey align well what you shared on your resume, and demonstrates preparedness in case an i nterviewer doesnt have a copy.Allow the pause.The most impressive candidates control their desire to fill every space with impulsive answers and hesitant ums and uhs. When asked a question, take a moment to think through your response or identify an appropriate anecdote and then begin speaking. The pause is fine and it even shows your ability to be calm and composed.Show interest in the company.Interview the team thats interviewing you by asking questions that allow them to talk about what theyre most proud ofI saw that you have greatemployer reviews. Were you aware of these and why do you think theyre so positive?What wasthe organizations greatest accomplishment last year?What makes people stay at your company?Talk about what you can do for them.Instead of sharing your skills and knowledge in a totally general sense, share how you think your skills and knowledge applies to the role youre applying for and in the organization as a whole. Reference the organizations mission and goals, if youre able to find them online prior the interview, and help them envision you as a team member of the company. This all amounts to tailoring your background to the role and it is at the root of what interviewers want to hear, because it tells them that youre elend just looking for any job, buttheirjob.Be fully prepared to answer any interview question that comes your way. No, theres no way to know for sure what exact questions an interviewer might throw at you, but there are definitelya bunch of common interview questionsyou could use as guide. Being fully preparednot only helps you avoid getting stumped by a question in the interview, but it also helps show that you take this opportunity seriously, that you care enough to put effort into proper preparation, and also to allow the interview to progress more smoothly and enjoyably for everyone involved.Arrive 8 minutes early.Candidates who arrive too early can put pressure on the companys team members to abandon their other oblig ations (OR just let you sit there awkwardly by yourself), and candidates who arrive late might be perceived as unprepared or disrespectful. Arrive in the parking lot or neighborhood as early as you need to, but walk in the front door just 5-8 minutes prior to your scheduled interview time.Never agree to start immediately.Employers want to know that you care about your current employers operations despite leaving the company. If youre currently employed, always mention the notice you have to give and your cognizance of your employers needs when asked how soon you can start.Be positive, courteous and confident.You might do everything else right in the interview, but if you come across as very negative and /or lacking in good manners or confidence, itll make any interviewer second guess whether youve gotthe right personality traits theyre looking for in new hiresthat will make you pleasant to work with.Follow up.Sending a follow-up note or email can keep you fresh on the teams mind and reinforce the fact that youre a courteous and thoughtful person, all great things to do no matter where you are in the hiring process but especially if you were interviewed early in the selection process. Plan that follow-up phone call or email as early as the day of the interview or the morning after.This article was originally published on Kununu.