Flexitime What you need to know

Flexitime What you need to know by Amber Rolfe All work and no play? Flexitime might be for you…  Regardless of your occupation, having the ability to organise your working hours in a way that suits you, whilst not compromising your hours and standard of work, could be the easiest way to maintain a steady work-life balance.Here’s a quick rundown of everything you need to know about working on a flexitime basis:What is flexitime?Flexitime (AKA flexi time) is a flexible way of working which allows employees to fit their working hours around their individual needs, and accommodate for other commitments outside of work.They do this by communicating with their employer to create an adaptable work schedule that’s different to the set timings of the standard working day (e.g. ‘9-to-5’). This may involve working from home, or adjusting starting and finishing times around the core hours (e.g. ‘10-to-4’).It would then be up to the employee to choose when they work (with their employers permission), pro vided that the total hours add up to the amount required by their contract.What is work-life integration?  How to: Achieve a work-life balanceCan I work flexitime?Although traditionally associated with parents or carers, anyone who has worked with their current employer for at least 26 weeks is entitled to apply for flexitime work.Many employers even offer flexitime as part of their employee benefits.If it isn’t currently offered in your workplace, you’ll need to make a statutory application, which will then need to be approved by your employer before the change is permitted.How do I qualify for flexitime?The flexi time policy youll need to adhere to is usually specific to your workplace, and dependent on your employer.As well as adhering to the legal requirements, you must also exhibit a high level of self-motivation, and be able to manage your own time effectively.The way your hours are tracked will be up to your employer, but it is generally based on the use of time managemen t software (AKA flexitime software), combined with a level of trust.What kind of industries allow flexitime work?Workers in any industry can request to work on a flexitime basis, as long as they adhere to the above requirements.Your employer has a legal obligation to consider your request under any circumstances, and although they can refuse, it must be justified with good reasoning (such as extra costs which might be incurred, or specific reasons for set business hours).Are there other types of flexible working?In addition to flexitime work, there are other ways to alter the way your work schedule is organised, and some involve reducing your working hours as well as changing your shift patterns. These could also be used in conjunction with flexitime schemes. Here are a few examples of flexible working:Job sharing A role is split between two employees, resulting in a shared workload. Tasks would be allocated to each person, and the reduced amount of work would allow each of them to work more flexibly.Working part-time The amount of hours worked are reduced, often by cutting down the amount of days or by making each day shorter.Working from home If possible, an employee might be able to do their work from home instead of traveling into work every day (although they might still work the same hours).Compressed hours The employee works the same amount of hours, but within fewer days.Annualised hours The hours an employee works must equal to a certain amount yearly, but can be worked flexibly, and alter dependent on when the busiest times are.Staggered hours The start time, finish time, and break time is varied.Shift swapping Employees organise shifts amongst each other, and swap hours between them to make sure they work best for each individual person.In all of these instances, the amount of flexibility you have will be greatly dependent on your individual role, responsibilities, and working environment. How to: Find remote workWorking hours: What you need to knowWhat are the benefits of flextime?There are many advantages of using flexitime, and it has the potential to benefit both the employee and the employer.Employees might choose to work on a flexitime basis to avoid a long or busy commute, to allow time to work around childcare, or even to maintain a steady work/life balance by giving themselves time for their own hobbies or sports.Employers often offer flexitime work to increase staff retention, and broaden their recruitment opportunities. As it can also result in happier employees, companies who utilise flexible working hours could benefit from a boosted morale and higher level of productivity within the business.  How do I work flexitime?If you think working on a flexitime basis could make your life easier, and would be possible in your field of work, read more about how to ask for flexible working hours.Need a more flexible position? View all current vacancies now.  Find a job What Where Search JobsSign up for more Career AdviceSign up for moreCareer Advice Please enter a valid email addressmessage hereBy clicking Submit you agree to the terms and conditions applicable to our service and acknowledge that your personal data will be used in accordance with our privacy policy and you will receive emails and communications about jobs and career related topics. Flexible working Work-life balance

How to Select a Certified Federal Resume Writing Service?

How to Select a Certified Federal Resume Writing Service?When you are seeking a certified federal resume writing service, you will want to do your research to ensure that the company you select has the proper credentials. Your goal should be to find a company that can produce a high quality resume that stands out in an increasingly competitive resume market.Federal agencies have always been at the forefront of staffing efforts. The government is constantly on the hunt for qualified individuals that can perform a wide variety of positions. Therefore, you should always remember that these positions are filled in large numbers, often requiring individuals with a wide range of skills. As such, the demand for resumes with a resume writing service attached can be great.So what do you need to know? After you have done your homework, the next step is to identify which type of resume writing service is going to be best for you. This may require looking through a list of companies or you may w ant to conduct a search yourself to determine which service is right for you.There are dozens of companies out there that focus solely on hiring only qualified candidates and ensuring that they have the necessary credentials. These companies will provide you with written resumes and cover letters that you can send to many different government agencies. In addition, they will also provide you with a resume writing service that can help you create a resume that will provide you with the maximum amount of exposure in a short period of time.There are a number of federal agencies out there so you will want to make sure that you have everything in order before submitting your resume. If your resume is not complete it may not get passed along by the agency, which means that you may get no response at all. You also do not want to get an offer from an agency, only to have them decline the position because you did not follow their guidelines.Remember that a professional resume should contain the most current information about you. You should ensure that you list all of your jobs that include your education, certification, experience, and any certifications that you have received in the past. These are the credentials that will provide the agency with a better picture of what you can accomplish in the role that you are applying for.After listing your education, experience, and certificates, you should then create a brief biography about yourself. The reason for this is to ensure that they know exactly who you are and what you can bring to the table. If you try to fit too much information into a one page resume, you may not get enough attention from the potential employer and therefore you will not be hired.When you have decided which service you will use to produce your resume, the next step is to compile your qualifications and be prepared to submit your resume to a number of different federal agencies. Make sure that you check the qualifications and certifications that are listed on the agency's website to ensure that they are comparable to your own. If you get approved for a job, it is important to make sure that you do not repeat the mistakes that got you denied in the first place.

How to Succeed at Your New Job

How to Succeed at Your New Job Jodi Glickman is the author of “Great on the Job: What to Say, How to Say it” and she offers readers a step by step guide to success by saying the right things.   Glickman offers scripts for getting things done at work, asking for help and managing priorities.   They’re good scripts; as a manager, I can vouch for her expertise in guiding workers toward more successful outcomes.   Here’s her formula for success when you’re new on the job. Her strategy consists of five skills; together, they spell LEARN. First, L is for LEARNing new skills continuously.   If you’re not developing new skills on the job, you’ll start to stagnate.   Even if you’re good at what you do, you’ll be assigned to the same repetitive tasks forever.   We know from experience during this recession that generalists survived longer than specialists.   They simply had more options for making a contribution to the company, and they had positioned themselves as willing to learn and grow to make the team stronger. E is for EXCEL.   If you know you’re good at something, Glickman says, you should take every opportunity to offer your expertise to the team. This is especially true if you’re good at something people don’t like to do.   Offering to proof a large and complex document or to organize an event is a way to make friends among your team members or develop a great reputation with people you don’t know well.   A is for ASSIST.   Helping out team members before being asked is a sure way to make friends and create good career karma.   Offer to help with a last minute assignment or a project that seems to be overwhelming someone else.   At the very least, Glickman suggests, could you run and get coffee or dinner for them if they have to work late?   Imagine your delight if someone helped you when you needed it most, with no expectation of return.   You can take the initiative to pay it forward. When offering to assist, Glickman stresses that you must be specific in your offer.   Simply asking what you can do to help can actually backfire.   Sometimes, managers or team members won’t have time to assess your skill level and make a thoughtful assignment.   In that scenario, you’re just adding to their workload.   Try this instead: “Jennifer, would it be helpful if I followed up with the customer to see if they’ve set a date for the meeting?” R is for REDIRECT. Saying “no Thanks” to an assignment, especially when you’re new on the job, is an advanced skill â€" don’t try this at home.   But Glickman makes the point that you should try to ask for assignments or tasks that expand your skills â€" or risk being stuck in a repetitive or entry level rut. Here are some of the scripts she suggests to redirect work. “I’ve been reviewing my workload from the past few weeks, and I’ve been doing a lot of X.   I’d like to take on some Y or Z, if that’s OK with you.”   Or this: “I’ve done over 15 X over the past few months, and I think I’ve got that skill down pat.   I’ve been working on learning the Y, and would like to help out on the next Y project, if that seems to work for you.” N is for NETWORK.   Ask for assignments with people who have influence in the company or have something to teach you.   Sample scripts: “I’d really like to work with Jim or Mary on creating a marketing plan; let me know the next time they need some help with a project.” “Beverly â€" if you need some help next time on putting together a proposal, I’d be happy to help out.” “If your ship doesn’t come in, swim out to it.” Jonathan Winters

Best Companies for Women Seeking Executive Positions

Best Companies for Women Seeking Executive Positions You are a woman seeking out the best companies to pursue an executive position.But you have a problem. You are aware that there are still forms of institutionalized gender bias in the workplace.It could be a company’s culture. It could be that they still ask for salary history during an interview and base their offer off of previous, unfair, and gender-biased wages.You need to find a company willing to invest in the future of achieving gender equality in the workplace.Read the recently posted list of Top 1000 Companies Worldwide for Millennial Women in 2018, presented by Mogul, the women-only tech platform that enables women worldwide to openly share knowledge with each other. Century-Old Global Companies Investing in Gender EqualityCompanies like Philips (1891), Mars (1915), and Kraft Heinz (Kraft 1903 Heinz 1869) were founded during times when women did not even have the right to vote in the USA!Statistically, the only time companies saw an influx of women into the workplace was during and after a major war that required men to leave jobs. Even still, women were never given leadership positions.These same companies that existed during major wars, the Suffrage Movement, the Civil Rights Era, and the 1970’s Equal Rights Amendment movement, are now investing in the future:PHILIPS“At Philips, we strongly believe that diversity is a requirement to remain a high performing organization. We are stepping up to improve our inclusiveness to leverage the full potential of our employees whilst better serving our increasingly diverse customer base. We are taking intentional actions to empower the career growth of women and increase diversity in leadership positions. As such, we are proud to be named on Mogul’s 2018 diversity award list in recognition of our progress.” - Ronald de Jong, Chief HR Officer, Royal Philips“One of the greatest opportunities we have to future-proof the success of Philips is to harness the diverse nature of talent that exists within t he Millennial generation. We have started to see grassroots movements in the company, whereby groups of energetic millennials are stepping up and leading innovative and scalable change. We are honored to support and fuel their passion for making a positive difference in the world.” - Cynthia Burkhardt, Global Head of Talent Acquisition, Royal PhilipsMARS“At Mars, every one of us is unique and every one of us matters.” - Michelle Thomas, Global DI Director“We believe that inclusion unlocks diversity. When Associates feel included, they want to stay and grow with us. Some companies count people. We are very intentional about making people count.” - Michelle Thomas, Global DI Director“Everyone in the organization is a leader. From the bottom to the top, it’s everyone’s responsibility to create inclusion. Inclusion is a way of being, and how you show up every day.” -Michelle Thomas, Global DI DirectorKRAFT“At Kraft Heinz, we believe that our culture of Ownership Mer itocracy helps us attract a diverse talent base. Diversity in our workforce creates an inclusive work environment and allow us to lean into Our Vision: To be the Best Food Company, Growing a Better World.”Given these companies are now global brands in a global company, the opportunities for women seeking executive positions is looking better than ever.At the current time, only 11% of women hold the highest paying jobs in corporate America. However, US companies and others worldwide in this Top 1000 list are looking to simultaneously create cultures that support the development of female talent.Resources will be provided so that women who want to become the executives of tomorrow will be afforded the same opportunities as men!

Writing Resume PPT

Writing Resume PPTFor many of us who are starting the corporate ladder or who have had a spell on the lookout for a new job, the prospect of writing resume ppts can prove to be a bit daunting. However, with some practice and a bit of luck, you will be able to compose a strong resume.As you continue your search for a job in the next few months, your resume PPT or resume paper, as it is commonly referred to, should not only highlight the strengths of your work experience, but also be eye-catching enough to make an employer take notice. This means that you must use a lot of creativity and imagination to make the resume appealing.If you are about to write a resume PPT, there are many tips that can help you immensely. The first step is to determine what your objective in writing the resume is. Knowing this ahead of time is very important because this will guide you throughout the entire process of composing your resume.There are different ways of determining what your objective may be. So me employers may ask you what your goals were when you were working for them, while others may ask you whether you have a job in mind. Once you have defined the objective, the next step is to come up with your resume essay.If you are about to write a resume PPT, then you have the opportunity to break down each section of the resume into its own. This will make the creation of the PPT more manageable. Moreover, you will be able to find the parts that will need to be highlighted and put together. This will simplify the entire process of composing the resume and allow you to concentrate on the task at hand.The next thing that you need to keep in mind when you are about to write a resume PPT is the amount of space that you need to giveto each section. Since the purpose of a resume is to grab the attention of your reader, it is important that you let the information speak for itself. However, you need to tell them why they should be interested in reading your resume. Be creative and allo w your imagination to get the best of you.Finally, do not forget to include your contact details on your resume. Even if you are a native English speaker, if you do not state your name on your resume, chances are high that the reader will forget about you once he/she looks at the resume. With a little bit of practice, it is possible for you to add your name to your resume without even thinking about it. You can always skip putting your contact details on your resume if you do not feel comfortable doing so.With practice, writing resume PPT becomes easier. The more you practice, the better you will get at writing it. Keep practicing and you will be writing your resume like a pro in no time.

Commitment and Your Career Where Do You Draw the Line

Commitment and Your Career Where Do You Draw the Line Theres a hot debate going on over at Jerry Albrights blog over a tweet by Dan Schawbel stating that you have to be as committed to your social media profile as you are to your husband or wife.   Some disagreed with the analogy.   Frankly, I think its all overblown and Dan was just trying to say that a strong brand, like a strong marriage needs constant attention. I actually think Dans tweet was spot on and shows a great deal of maturity because whether you are in a good relationship or a good career, you should be working hard to keep it vibrant. But likewise, if you are in a bad relationship or a bad job, I think you should be working just as hardto get out of it.Many of the responses on Jerrys blog came from married people who said that marriage takes an enormous amount of commitment and hard work. And I think thats a fair statement from people who are in marriages that at their core are good, solid, and reciprocal relationships. When a relationship is strong at its core, the work comes from dealing with the natural give and take of the uniondeciding who will cook, clean, and take care of the kids, how money will be spent, or who will put their career on the back burner for the other. Sure there are hiccups along the way and times when the quality of the relationship is tested, but if both people are working towards the same goals and respectful of each others needs and feelings they can generally work on the relationship each and every day.Yet no one seems to talk about the marriages that just dont work regardless of how much work you put into them. So many marriages are dysfunctional because there is some pattern of abusephysical abuse, mental abuse, substance abuse, infidelity, or a power struggle over money or sex. And more often than not, those marriages are doomed to fail because the dysfunction started way before the mate came along and until the dysfunction is addressed by the individual the union cant work. So the hard work in those relationships is defined by how hard the abused party tries to get out.A lot of people in terrible relationships never get out. Because its too much work and its just easier to bury your head in the sand. Or because they dont want to disappoint their children, their extended family, or friends. Or because they are too afraid to face the consequences of getting out so they try to convince themselves that things will get better. But there is really no such thing as working at it in these situations. You cant reason with your spouse and say things like Honey, do you think you can ease up on beating me this week since its my birthday or Dear, can you cut back on your Ambien, Percoset, and Gin Tonic cocktail this week so we can have a peaceful family meal for a change. Because nine times out of ten the dysfunction is much stronger than you are.I think the same analogy holds true for relationships at work. Corporate America is a tough place. Not every business transaction will go smoothly and not everyon e will embrace all of your ideas. At times the workload can seem overwhelming, even unbearable and people you work closely with might start getting on your nerves. But if you believe in the company, the corporate vision, and the departments mission, and if you inherently enjoy what you do, you will figure out a way to make it work and you will ride out the turbulence that is a natural part of most peoples work experience.But you may also find yourself in situations during your career where there is dysfunction in the company or department or you may feel that your values are inconsistent with those of your employer. Or you may have a boss that alienates people, is a tyrant or a bully, or suffers from his/her own struggles with abuse or addiction. Like the marriage situation, it is generally hard to get these people to change no matter how hard you work at the relationship. Again, in these situations, the hard work comes from trying to get out. Which like a marriage is not easy to do due to the need for financial stability or the feeling that you will be letting family and co-workers down. The easy way out is to do nothing and suffer silently while the situation eats away at your well being and self esteem. But eventually, you will have to get out.Commitment is important in anything whether its a marriage, a job, or your social media strategy. But sometimes you have to decide when its time to cut your losses and move on.

Summary Sunday Up Your Interviewing Skills

Summary Sunday Up Your Interviewing Skills This week, youll find advice to improve your interviewing skills, because, yes, youll  need to up your game. The process is taking longer and youll be invited back at least several times to meet with different people. Youll also find help to update your LinkedIn profile based on the new user interface. Youve invested a lot of  time and energy throughout  your job search to make the right impression and get noticed. Landing an interview doesnt mean you can relax. INTERVIEWING There’s Only One Interview Question That Matters by Laurie Ruettimann This article is written to address HR/recruiters, BUT, it is extremely helpful to job seekers too! And Laurie includes advice for job seekers at the end. If you understand how recruiters think, youll be much better at interviewing (and the whole job search process). This LinkedIn Recruiters Tips For Showcasing Soft Skills On Job Interviews by Brendan Browne | Fast Company It isnt enough to have the specific technical skills and exact experience. Soft skills mattera lot! Employers like us still want to hear about your achievements, of course, but you’ll also need to be ready to share experiences that demonstrate how you’ve been able to adapt, persevere, and manage change. That’s the kind of candidate companies will be looking to hire in the months and years ahead. Brendan Browne,  VP of global talent acquisition at LinkedIn LINKEDIN 9 Facts About LinkedIn Lite Profile vs. The LinkedIn Profile We Knew by Bob McIntosh | Things Career Related If you have the new LinkedIn interface/skin/UI, then you want to read this article and modify your profile accordingly. Luckily, Bob McIntosh walks you through what you need to know! MENTIONS One of the greatest honors is to have others recognize your work! I am thrilled to be mentioned on these two lists! The Best 55 Job Boards and Blogs Everyone Needs to Know by Betterteam 20 Career Pros You Need To Follow On Twitter by Red Branch Media