What Company Clues Can You Pick Up at the Interview

What Company Clues Can You Pick Up at the Interview Before a job interview, most candidates are aware of the standard pre-interview preparation that’s expected of them. Researching a company and its management online has long been a prerequisite for a successful interview, not just to inform the applicant of the kind of company to which he or she is applying, but more importantly, to prove the applicant’s interest in the company to the employer prior to the interview. Still, this only gives the job seeker a small snapshot of the employer. After all, anything can be made to look good online with a good photographer and copywriter, and what employer would publish something on their website or social media that didn’t paint them in their best light possible? For most job seekers, however, what a company truly has to offer reveals itself at the face-to-face interview. Considering that accepting a job is an integral step on an employee’s career path, it’s in a candidate’s best interest to know what signs to look for, and what they signify. Here are a few bits of information about an employer that can be gleaned during the interview process, and how they may affect you as a future employee. The office As you approach the office for the interview, take note of your surroundings. Is it in a nice neighborhood? Is the building well-maintained? Is the office décor attractive? Surely there are plenty of examples of successful companies in declining neighborhoods or boasting shabby-chic décor, but the majority of the time, a successful company will take pride in its office’s appearance, and vice versa. Once you arrive, take note of the amenities. Are there snacks and beverages available? Is there a comfortable breakroom for employees to relax during lunchtime and breaks? Are the bathrooms clean? Is there ample security should you decide to work late? Remember that you will probably be spending more waking hours at work than you do at home. Therefore, a company’s office plays a far bigger role than just a building to house your desk and computer. Working for an employer that offers its employees comfortable, well-maintained surroundings and amenities will yield much greater employee satisfaction than those with less comfortable or attractive surroundings. The employees During the interview, make an effort to interact with as many people as possible. How are you treated by the receptionist? How about the individual(s) performing the interview? Are they friendly and upbeat, or do they appear overly busy and inconvenienced by your presence? Most importantly, take note of other employees around the office. While your interaction with them will probably be limited, do they appear friendly in their interaction with each other, or overwhelmed by the burden of work? Keep in mind that these will be your coworkers with whom you’ll spend 40+ hours a week. They can become lifelong friends, or cause you endless hours of frustration. While you may not be able to tell this from your first meeting, you can at least get an idea of the company culture and whether the employees will make for a positive work environment. The interview The interview itself isn’t just a chance for the employer to evaluate you, but for you to evaluate the employer. A candidate can tell a lot about a company’s management simply by the preparation and professionalism with which they conduct an interview. Was the interviewer on time, or did they keep you waiting? Did they seem relaxed and prepared, or frustrated and overwhelmed? Did they seem interested in your answers, or did they appear eager to wrap up and get somewhere they’d rather be? Whether or not you would be working directly with the person who interviewed you, you would certainly be working with the management team this person represents. Should you get the feeling that the interviewer is inconvenienced, rushed or simply not welcoming, chances are you’ll recognize these reoccurring traits as an employee. The parking lot This one may seem a bit superficial, but as you exit the office parking lot, make a note of the employees’ vehicles. Are they relatively new and well-maintained, or old and in poor condition? While you obviously can’t judge an individual’s talent or work ethic by the car they drive, one could argue it’s easier to judge a company’s success as a whole by the cars in its parking lot. Obviously this will depend a great deal on where the company is located, as owning a new car in New York City will put you in a whole other income bracket than owning one in a small Midwestern town. Whether or not you subscribe to this theory, the fact remains that if public transportation isn’t available, an employer that doesn’t pay its employees enough to perform routine car maintenance probably won’t rank very high in employee satisfaction. Job seekers who are just starting their career often make the mistake of focusing solely on impressing the employer in the interview. While this is important, they may overlook the fact that the interview is the opportune time to gather information essential to determining future work satisfaction. Unless you know someone who works at the company or have done business with them in the past, the interview will be your only direct interaction with the company that may serve as your future employer for years to come. Keep your eyes and ears open throughout every step of the interview process as if your future depends on it, because you’ll soon find out it does.

Film Review Obvious Child (2014)

Film Review Obvious Child (2014) Three years ago, Paul Feig’s Bridesmaids finally proved to mainstream Hollywood what we’ve all known for years (and what it used to know, but forgot):  Funny women exist, and they can lead films. Lately, there’s been an uprising of films made by women, telling women’s stories, and being funny enough to escape the dreaded “Girls’ Movie” label and just be known as “Comedies”. Last year brought us Maggie Carey’s The To-Do List and Lake Bell’s look at women in the entertainment industry, In A World. Now, first-time director Gillian Robespierre’s Obvious Child has stepped in to raise the bar and ask if you can tell jokes and handle serious subject matter. The result is a surprisingly warm and human approach to a subject which is rarely touched in films, let alone handled with respect. Obvious Child tells the story of Brooklynite comedienne Donna Stern (Jenny Slate), who loses her boyfriend and her job in the same week. In the desperate spiral that follows, she has a drunken one-night stand with business student Max (Jake Lacy), the end result of which is a “+” sign on an EPT test. Donna makes the decision to abort the pregnancy, but circumstances keep shoving the easily-likeable Max into her life, and the other important choice she must make is what to tell him, if anything. Abortion isn’t a topic which gets mentioned in mainstream films, especially not in the past ten years. Remember that Ellen Page’s Juno was talked out of her abortion by a protester, and in the pregnancy comedy Knocked Up, they refused to even mention the word. (“Rhymes with ‘schmabortion’” was what they went with.) This is why it’s so nice to see Robespierre’s film treat the subject with a great deal of warmth and humor. Most of what makes Donna a great character is Jenny Slate’s resolution to portray her as someone who is a little lost, but never as someone weak. She refers to herself in her stand-up act as a “human female”, and from the opening monologue we are made perfectly aware that this film unashamedly revolves around the “human female” state of being, as frustrating as it may be. Similar to the Coen Brothers’ Llewyn Davis, Donna’s on-stage monologues are revelations of bitter honesty which bounce between “funny ha-ha” and “funny awkward” , sometimes within the same line. It’s an extremely complex character development device, and to the credit of Slate and Robespierre, it works 99% of the time. Obvious Child does go out of its way to highlight Donna’s support system and its own supporting cast, headed by her parents, Jacob and Nancy (Richard Kind and Polly Draper), and best friends Nellie and Joey (Gaby Hoffman and Gabe Liedman). In fact, almost everyone who learns of Donna’s decision is helpful and supportive. I spent most of the film waiting for some conflict to arise, but it never does. One could accuse the film of taking a rose-colored glasses approach to this aspect of the story, but I don’t think the film would be better served by showing someone getting angry or being disappointed in Donna. In this particular case, it shows a woman who is confiding in people she trusts not to judge her, which is the most realistic portrayal possible. Unfortunately, many of the side characters aren’t as well-developed as Donna. She and Max are interesting people surrounded by a sea of one-notes. This is most obvious whenever we are introduced to a stand-up comedian who is not Donna. They fall into the trappings of “Gay Comic” “Black Comic” and “Douchey Guy,” becoming plot points that occasionally break the films pacing, and very little more. This is a minor complaint, however, as the majority of Obvious Child revolves around two lives, the rest is extra trimming. Obvious Child is more than a good film, it is an important one. In a male-dominated film industry, it is a film which presents a topic which makes most people feel uncomfortable in the most natural and relatable way it possibly can. More than that, it features multiple women sharing their stories on-screen, with a primary theme of “it’s more common than you think.” As what Donna would describe as a “human male”, most of the bodily humor fell flat for me, but I can respect that female comedians should get just as much right to their gross-out jokes as men do. I can also appreciate how it revels in its romantic-comedy status while simultaneously mocking all the essential rom-com tropes. Obvious Child is a funny, smart film deserving of success, and also represents the kind of voice that we need more of in the movies. Hell, it’s just the kind of movie we need more of. RATING : Martin Schneider is a film critic for the Current Releases section of SomethingAwful.com, his other works can be read here. Follow him on Twitter @SchneidRemarks. Opinions here do not reflect those of Ms. Career Girl or its affiliates.

Personal Branding Interview Zac Bissonnette - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career

Personal Branding Interview Zac Bissonnette - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career Today, I spoke to Zac Bissonnette, whowrites about personal finance for DailyFinance.com, and is hte author of Debt-Free U: How I Paid for an Outstanding College Education Without Loans, Scholarships, or Mooching off My Parents. In this interview, Zac talks about his book, why a brand name education might not be the best solution, and more. Why did you decide to write Debt-Free U? Why now? I wrote Debt-Free U because I believe that student loans are the next great consumer financial crisis in America and I want to help as many people as possible not be part of it. In recent months, weve seen increasing evidence that the student loan problem is blowing up into a crisis. The Chronicle of Higher Education recently reported that of student loans that entered repayment in 1995, 20% have since defaulted: thats a higher default rate than just about any other kind of loan out there. So while student loans have always been a bad idea for undergraduate education, theres an urgency to it now that people can see and will maybe make them more receptive to it. When homes were going up 10% per year, retirement accounts were going up 15% per year, and no one ever lost a job, it was hard to convince people that student loan debt was dangerous. But I think that, tragically, people are more receptive to that message right now. Debt and an amazing education (Harvard) or financial freedom and a fair education (community college/public school)? Which would you recommend? First, Harvard and a few other top colleges have huge endowments and their students very rarely graduate with any significant debt. Students accumulate the most debt at the sort of second- and third-tier private colleges like, no offense, New York University. I hear from more NYU grads with excessive debt than from any other school by a factor of five, I would say. So Harvard vs. a public college tends to be kind of a false dichotomy. But to answer the larger question, heres the bottom line: the biggest decider of the quality of the education a student receives is the student and what he decides to do at the school. Almost any college has the resources to provide tremendous value to an ambitious student and its entirely possible to go to the best colleges and learn absolutely nothing; Ive talked to many people whove pulled off that impressive feat. What strategies do you use to pay for college without going broke? The first is this: before you take out a single student loan, do everything you possibly can to lower the cost of college: that might mean attending a less expensive college, starting at a two year college, or living off-campus with friends to save money instead of staying in the dorm. But heres the little secret of college: its actually not as expensive as all the hype would have you believe. According to FinAid.org, tuition and fees and room and board at the average public four-year college in America and most families will get a $2,500 tax credit. If you spread that cost out over the course of a year which you can at most public colleges were talking about a total of $244 per week. And again, that includes room and board. If a kid works and parents cut their costs, most families can cash flow that without looting savings. And if youre lower income, youll get some financial aid that will reduce the cost. Why do you say a brand name diploma wont help a student become more successful? When I look at all the data on that and theres actually been quite a bit of research on this that I explore in the book its pretty clear that the overwhelming majority of the earnings premium that grads of elite colleges enjoy is a result of selection bias. That is, they were smarter than students at less selective colleges before they got there, and would have earned more money. One study actually found that students who got into elite colleges but went to less selective colleges earned the same amount of money as students who went to elite colleges. What will determine whether your kid is successful is his intelligence and work ethic not a sheepskin. What about your book do you think will surprise readers the most? I think theyll be surprised at how backed up by data and research it is. A lot of the college advice out there is really just opinion. But I always tell people: you dont have to believe my opinion on any of this. College is way too big of an investment to believe anyones opinion about anything. What I do with the book is guide people through the research on on picking a college and the lifestyle outcomes that are associated with student loan debt, and you can make up your own mind based on that. Theres no leap of faith required here. Zac Bissonnette writes about personal finance for DailyFinance.com, Aols financial news and analysis destination. His book Debt-Free U: How I Paid for an Outstanding College Education Without Loans, Scholarships, or Mooching off My Parents will be published by Portfolio/Penguin on August 31st. Zac writes for The Huffington Post, WalletPop, The Daily Beast, and other outlets. Hes been featured in The Washington Post, USA Today, The Wall Street Journal, and US News World Report. In his spare time, Zac is an art history major at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst.

Business Cards Everything You Ever Needed to Know [INFOGRAPHIC] - Classy Career Girl

Business Cards Everything You Ever Needed to Know [INFOGRAPHIC] Did you know that 72% of people judge a company or a person based on the quality of their business card? The value of having a good business card doesn’t look like itll be disappearing anytime soon. Even with advances in technology, the humble business card continues to thrive. Before your card hits the printer, make sure to include all the crucial elements. There is some debate about whether adding a photograph to a business card is a good idea or not. Some believe it’s a bit over the top, while others see it as the perfect way to stand out. One way to look at it is that people remember faces, not cards. If you have a great chat with someone at a conference, your business card will still likely get lost amongst the others. However, if you have a photo on your card; they may remember your face and get in touch with you. [RELATED: Heres My Card: 5 Easy Tips to Business Card Etiquette] Another important thing to keep in mind is that not all business occurs at conferences. Always have a few cards on your person in case you meet someone on vacation or at the store. Another thing to remember is that there is no need to give a card to every single person you meet as it’s a sure-fire way for them to end up in the trash. A good rule of thumb is to give a card to anyone you shake hands with over the course of the day as this generally means you’ve made at least some sort of connection. Check out the full infographic below for more information on the above and additional information about business card etiquette around the world (for international business!). This infographic from Colourfast takes you through everything you need to know about the power of creating and using a good business card. Business Cards: Everything You Ever Needed to Know [INFOGRAPHIC]

6 Things to Consider Before Hiring Remote Employees for Your Company CareerMetis.com

6 Things to Consider Before Hiring Remote Employees for Your Company Remote work is considered to be the future of work.According to Owllabs, about 16% of global companies are fully remote with no headquarters or physical office. Not only that, there are currently about 40% of companies in the world that allow their employees to decide if they want to work remotely or not.Owllabs State of Remote Work 2018evalWhat this means is that more and more companies now allow their employees to explore the remote work option. The reason is simple. Since technology makes everything seamless, creating a remote working environment is a sure-fire way to get the best hands to complete tasks and projects at an efficient cost.When hiring remote employees, companies face a lot of problems. As an employer, you’re likely to encounter such too. In this post, you’ll learn the six things to consider before hiring remote employees for your company.Let’s get started.Who is a Remote EmployeeA remote employee is a professional whose style of work allows operation outside a traditional office environment. It is based on the concept that work can be done anywhere. It does not need a specific location for successful execution.These days, many people subscribe to the remote working experience because it presents numerous health gains and lifestyle flexibility for them. In fact, a remote employee can study, travel or pursue another passion on the side.So, how do you benefit from hiring remote employees for your company?Why You Should Consider Hiring Remote Workers for Your BusinessAccording to a two-year study by Stanford Professor Nicholas Bloom,there is increased productivity among employees who work from home. This is because people who work remotely are more likely to complete their full shift. Also, they are less likely to be distracted from work.Why working from home is a future-looking technologyevalWhen you hardly see employees and co-workersface-to-face, distractions and interruptions will be minimal. Not only that, office politics and workplace bullying will cease to exist. And, commuting-related stress will disappear.Aside from that, the process of sourcing for and retaining the best talent is difficult with a typical work environment. Firstly, the human resource personnel puts out an advert and a pool of applicants indicate interest.After this, they begin the stressful process of sifting, selection, and interview. In most cases, human resource personnel is usually overwhelmed when employee fatigue arises at the end of the day. The smart ones, on the other hand, prevent this by creating a succession planfor their company.By hiring remotely, you can boost employee loyalty and love for the job they do. This is because of the flexibility and the relative work-life balance attached to it. In the long run, you’ll have a bunch of employees who are satisfied with what they do.evalAs a business owner, hiring remotely also helps you to reduce the overhead and bottom-line costs. You can save the cost of renting an office space, f urniture, equipment, and utilities. As a smart employer who wants to build a remote team, the first question you should ask yourself is: how do you hire the right candidate?How Not to Hire a Remote EmployeeRemote hires have a bad rep. Most employers imagine them as an obstacle, but do you care? You have to get past them hoping to get it right.Looks might be deceptive. In traditional hiring, sometimes looks tell if a candidate is right or not. At that time when your instinct tells you the candidate is right, your emotions might skip hiring steps you’ll pay for in the future.When hiring remotely, never assume. Do a skill assessment.This will clearly point out if the individual can fit into the role and deliver the responsibilities required of the position. You can employ a culturallyfit but slightly skilled person for an in-office position where you ensure he shadows a person who is skilled to put him through for some time. However, it will be the wrong hire if it’s a remote posit ion.Also, consider having a video interview with the remote employees via Skypeor Zoom if possible. This will help you put a face to the name and also visualize organizational and behavioral traits that may be important for the position.Things to Consider Before Hiring a Remote EmployeeBefore hiring a remote employee for your company, here are six things to consider and put in place in your company.1) Seek the Candidate’s MotivationevalEveryone has a motivation. When someone applies for a remote job, there is always a reason for that. Ask your employees why they decide to work remotely so that you can appropriately decide if the position is a good fit for them.evalWhen you ask them the motivationfor seeking a remote job, it helps you to know the kind of personality and character they have.Some of the questions you can ask to have an idea about the candidate’s motivation include:Have you ever worked remotely before?What are your thoughts about remote work?If you were to choose be tween a remote and in-office job, which would you go for?‘How do you cope with the loneliness that comes with remote work?2)Identify Their Soft SkillsEmployee’s attitude towards work is important. You can never know this unless you’ve had the person worked on a past project. Getting people to work remotely requires some extra skillsaside from the ones required for the role.Some of these include the ability to meet deadlines and manage time. Others are handling little tech glitches and excellent communication skills.Say, for example, you want to hire freelancers to help out with content marketing for your brand. You need to look out for those who have soft skills that will aid them to perform optimally in that role.Some things you could check out for include:Knowledge of Search Engine Optimization When you’re flexible with your remote employees, you give them more freedom to perform optimally for your organization. While it’s recommended that you should have working hours t hat your remote workers must adhere to, you should also be flexible with them in some instances.For example, if one of your remote employees has a family emergency or health issue that they need to attend to, you should allow them to cater to it. When you allow them to do things like these, they’ll naturally love to work with you and be even more dedicated to your company.4) Lure Them With PerksJob seekers frown at the idea of remote work because they believe it’ll hinder them from some job-related perks. That’s where their motivation lies. Attract applicants to your company by listing what makes your company different in the job description.Is it the full employee benefits like health, dental and vision, charitable course or paid-time-off policy?One company that does this really well is Zapier. It clearly states the numerous perks for employees who work with them. That way, anybody who wants to work as a remote employee knows what is in it for them before applying.Zapier perk s for remote employeeseval5) Test The ApplicantsBefore any applicant starts off fully on your team, put them on a small project to ascertain what the portfolio communicates. It’s easy to put excellent time management on paper.If the applicant proves himself worthy of the position with excellent communication, time management, and meeting deadlines, that’s when you can fully place them on your payroll.For instance, if you want to hire someone who can take care of all the in-house graphics for your company. You can ask them to design a simple Infographics illustrating what your company does with tools such as Canva.This way you can evaluate them better and see if they’ll be a good fit for your company in the long run.6) Look WorldwideRemote hire provides the freedom to hire across continents. Don’t limit your eagle eye to the walls of your country or locality. Look worldwide using social media channels.There are some websites that house specific talents. Some equip applicants with adequate technical skills and furnish them up for hire. Utilize these platforms to get in touch with high-quality remote job candidates.You can use popular freelancer platformsto scout for talented remote employees who will work with your company.ConclusionYour first step to managing a successful remote company is to hire the best brains in your niche. The right hiring decision will bring the best output for your company.With the tips shared in this post, you won’t have to bother about searching for or retaining employeesâ€"they’ll automatically find the job satisfying and suggest referrals to your talent pool.