Work-Life Balance How Two Moms At The Same Company Make It Work In Ve

Work-Life Balance How Two Moms At The Same Company Make It Work In Ve Work-life balance is such a common issue for women (and men) in the workplace and often we hear that companies have reputations for good for work-life balance or are bad for work-life balance. While some of these generalities may be culturally true, we also worry they can be quite misleading. After all, what balance looks like to one woman may seem very unbalanced to abedrngnisher. Thats why we loved this story of two different women, Alexis Perez and Amanda Kaufman who work in the consulting industry, at the same company (Accenture) and how they have achieved their work-life balance on a day-to-day grund despite making very different career choices.Alexis and AmandaWe have known each other for the past five years. We met working for global professional services company Accenture on a project in Chicago and have remained colleagues and friends. Weve both progressed in ur careers. Were similar in age, occupation and family status. We both have husbands who have demanding professional careers. And, within a year of each other, we each welcomed a child into our busy lives.From a career standpoint, both of us chose different, but complimentary paths at the same company. Alexis first took a role focused on developing the Global Operating Model offering, then transitioned to be the Offering Development Manager for our Sourcing Procurement practiceboth roles without a day-to-day focus on external clients. Amanda stayed in the Strategy practice, continuing to travel and pursue client-focused projects. This article is written by both of us to highlight our motivations, our differences in career and life experience, and what we recommend women finding themselves at similar crossroads consider.Alexis StoryFor almost nine years, I welches your typical Monday through Thursday traveling consultant, and I loved it. I loved the challenging work, the clients I met, the adventure of seeing a new city and the great people on my teams. As my husband and I started thinking about growing our family, I often would think about how I would make it work. I grew up with involved parents who never missed a single ballet lesson, recital, choir concert or golf lesson. I always felt lucky to have my parents around when I needed them, and I wanted the same for my future child.During my pregnancy, I did everything imaginable to prepare for the birth of my daughter, but there welches one question that seemed to occupy my thoughts on a daily basisHow am I going to make this work? Throughout my pregnancy and maternity leave, I played out the scenarios in my headwhether to travel, work locally, work from home, take my daughter with me on the road (the thought of traveling with a toddler every week makes my blood pressure rise) or find a new job. Because my husband is a lawyer at a big law firm, who often works late hours and many weekends, we decided that my being a traveling parent would not work for us. After exploring my options and careful consideration, I decided to take an internal role in my companys Offering Development group. Instead of a two-hour flight on Monday mornings, my commute now consists of a trip down two flights of stairs to my home office where I spend about 95 percent of my working time.The biggest perk of my role is complete flexibilityI have been able to tischplatzset the hours I work, which is usually not ideal for a client-facing role.How I do itBecause my role is truly global, meaning, my internal clients are all over the world, I can work from any location. Most of the time, I work from home. My typical day begins between 530 600 a.m., when I wake up, get dressed, feed my daughter breakfast and check the large quantity of e-mails I get while Im sleeping from my colleagues in Europe and Asia. At 7 a.m., my nanny arrives, and my work day officially begins. My mornings are stacked with conference calls, then I spend the afternoon head down on the projects Im working on. Since my daughter goes to bed early, and my husband gets home late, I try to carve out time in my schedule to sneak in a workout at the gym. My nanny leaves for the day at 4 p.m., so I shut down my computer (for a while) to spend time with my daughter until her bedtime around 630-7 p.m. Once my daughter is in bed, I cook and eat dinner and typically log back on my computer to finish my work for the day.The biggest perk of my role is complete flexibility, which I would not have if I continued as a Strategy consultant. Now, if I have a sick kid, need to step away to throw in a load of laundry, or simply need to take care of a personal matter, I can do it. In addition, I have been able to set the hours I work, which is usually not ideal for a client-facing role. Finally, I have been able to eliminate the traditional time sucksI no longer spend eight plus hours of my week commuting and can refocus this time on work and family.Amandas StoryI love consulting. I love the var iety of projects, the ever-changing teams and challenges, the different clients and the travel. It is what I have done for my entire career so far, and I dont see it changing When I met my husband, and for the early part of our marriage, he was also a traveling consultant. We would commute to and from the airport together on Mondays and Thursdays. For a time, we would take off and fly to opposite corners of the country and reunite for the weekends.During these early times, I was sorting a lot out. I had moved from Canada to the United States. I had become a stepmother and co-parent to my husbands young children. I was rebooting my network and striving to perform in a much larger and more competitive marketplace. I was reading a lot of books, and having many deep, quality conversations with my husband about how we were going to make all of this, and our future family plans, work.I had a couple of defining realizations I preferred a life that was over-full rather than under-utilized. I preferred a family financial situation that was flexible to deal with uncertainties such as corporate layoffs, serious and sudden illness, and other life moments. Both partners contributing significantly to family comfort levels was important to both of us and important to the power dynamics in our relationship. I love the thrill of the pursuit of excellence and self-improvement that my career offers me.How I do itMy husband and I arrived at this conclusion I love consulting, he does not love consulting. He wanted to spend time in town to take full advantage of his evening with the kids. I wanted to see how far I could push myself in this career and have the flexibility to be fully present when I was in town.When it came time for us to expand our family, we decided he would be the parent in town, and we would set up childcare that would be nurturing but flexible for our schedules. We would make the investment in an au pair as well as in daycare, and we would have a Plan A, Plan B, Plan C and Plan D to make sure I could keep going with this career while still having quality relationships with my family. I would have to negotiate with my leaders to make sure they understood that I was here to pursue this career, and not because I felt I didnt have a choice.I wanted to see how far I could push myself in this career and have the flexibility to be fully present when I was in town.In my typical week, I travel Monday through Thursday. Im up early Monday morning, before everyone else, and climb into a car to the airport. I manage all our home finances, schedules and administration mainly because I can take care of most of it wherever I happen to be. My husband tends to take care of the laundry and dishes, although we do share physical chores over the weekend. Weve hired a maid service to take care of regular cleaningdont want to spend a second of my precious weekend time scrubbing a toilet I fly home again Thursday evening and often work from home or the office on F ridays.Friday nights are always date night. I transition to a weekend that is focused on my marriage, family, household and a little recharge for myself, too. I also take advantage of my flights to read, catch up on tasks, keep myself organized. Im actually more consistent about exercising when Im staying in a hotel, and I can roll out of bed into the gym.What we realizedAs we wrote this article, we realized that despite our different career trajectories and travel schedules, we really do share similar challenges and rewards. We both have flexibility Alexis because she doesnt hassle with airports, and Amanda because she has personal time Monday through Wednesday evening and during her commute. We both have constraints because our jobs have high expectations of us, and we both always have more on our minds to accomplish than can be realistically achieved by anyone. We both struggle with achieving balance and have to work hard to ensure that work doesnt encroach too far on what is per sonally fulfilling and rewarding in life.At first, Amanda thought, An internal role must be easier than getting on a plane, and Alexis thought, Wouldnt it be nice if I had a few evenings a week to myself? But, we both now realize that perception isnt necessarily reality. Alexiss job is very challenging, and Amanda doesnt have much free time because she tends to fill it with as much productivity as she can before she heads into another weekend. We are both happy with our choices, and we both make it work in our own ways.This article was originally published by Accenture and is republished with permission.

Choosing Writing Your Resume to Fit a Job Descriptions

Choosing Writing Your Resume to Fit a Job Descriptions Highlighting important keywords as stated in the work description in your cover letter is an essential point to be followed. Resumes are typically a couple of pages. Things You Wont Like About Writing Your Resume to Fit a Job Descriptions and Things You Will To maintain a simple resume, dont add two or more colors and prevent mixing fonts. Locate the keyword phrases youd love to use from the work description and use them 23 times. The Good, the Bad and Writing Your Resume to Fit a Job Descriptions Its critical that you tailor your resume to a work description. You may also, return to the work description. Firstly, its necessary to get used to the work description. The work description will say at minimum the abilities and experience essential for the job. There are an infinite number of articles and blog posts about how to build your resume. Actually, the word credentials has two unique meanings in regards to your job search. Extend some expert courtesy and respond to messages and calls, even if its a job that you dont want anymore. New Ideas Into Writing Your Resume to Fit a Job Descriptions Never Before Revealed You definitely dont wish to price yourself from a job chance, but you dont need to sell yourself short either. Job seekers must explicitly communicate our possible worth to prospective employers, and in the time of globalization, the resume isnt capable of meeting that need. You may have a foundational resume that compellingly articulates the most significant info, states Heifetz, but you need to cowboy it for each opportunity. Your work is to select the top 3 requirements that match your experience. It helps to offload the task to an expert whos up-to-date on the most recent hiring trends and resume standards. Search on the web and youre flooded with numerous guidelines for designing your resume. So once you read through the work description, pay particular attention to t he crucial requirements and desirable traits to produce certain you fit the bill. Finally, everything on your resume must contribute to its highest possible relevancy and readability. Dont be scared to be noticed and use facts to demonstrate why youd be an ideal fit for the function. Although in nearly all the circumstances, both the provider along with the work seeker are in need of an appropriate match but when applying for work, focus on what you can do to help the organization and not the other way around. The job, the business, and the institution proved not the appropriate fit for me. Also, good research before applying to a firm really can increase your probability of clearing the resume shortlisting stage. You have many benefits over other job candidates, but it does not follow that you will need to list each accolade youve got in your resume. My resume became a drehort for me to prove I was an ideal job candidate. Though UX design is a rather new industry, theres already a good deal of diversity in the job roles out there. Its possible to observe a wide variety of good resume templates and make an informed decision. In the event the job involves a good deal of prototyping, for instance, emphasize prototyping on your resume. A lot of men and women apply for the exact same job, so its essential to make aya your application shines the brightest. Why Almost Everything Youve Learned About Writing Your Resume to Fit a Job Descriptions Is Wrong Locating a job may be a tedious procedure, particularly when youre on the hunt for a remote one. Making a Resume isnt the very first step towards acquiring a job which you love.

Compensation 2012 #INFOGRAPHIC - Spark Hire

Compensation 2012 INFOGRAPHIC - Spark HireIts coming to the end of the year, and if youre like many of us, you cant believe its almost over. It seems as though every year goes by faster than the last- especially if youve been busy setting up and reviewing video interviews with countless numbers of candidates What you might not be thinking about though is this years compensation break down. To be honest, this wasnt something on our minds either, but this infographic from PayScale broke the information down in such a way that piqued our interest. Take a look at what experts expected from this year.For starters, the infographic isnt just about pay. In fact, it starts off showing us that medium-sized companies, or companies with 100-1,000 employees- are growing the fastest and were expected to continue growth this year. 43 percent of behauptung companies hired new employees in 2011. Another fun fact? 44 percent of employers increased their wages by 1 to 5 percent last year. Thats great n ews considering we were at a standstill, or a lay-off period, for so long. Did your company continue to change its compensation this year?On top of that, 55 percent of employers say HR professionals decide where the compensation goes in their company. That leaves HR with quite a bit of responsibility, dont you think? Take a look at the infographic below and see if last years expectations of this year held up for your company.

Overqualified and Underemployed Heres What to Do

Overqualified and Underemployed Heres What to DoOverqualified and Underemployed Heres What to Do2Ever had a stellar interview, only to find out that you werent chosen because you were overqualified? Unfortunately, many job seekers feel the same frustration. If you are one of the overqualified and underemployed, heres what to do.First, be honest with yourself, and then HR. Let the world know why you are interested in a job you are clearly overqualified for. Some reasons could be to make a career change, be less stressed, gain mora flexibility, travel less, have a shorter commute, or face a transition in life. Now that you know why you want the job, lets focus on what comes next.Here are some tips on how to address being overqualified on your resume and during the interview.Focus and tailor your resumeTry different formats.Using a different format for your resume will draw attention to what you want to showcase and lessen the impact of other details. Rather than using a traditional res ume, consider using a functional resume. The different format will change the readers focus.Focus on your skills.Instead of concentrating on your roles and level of experience, put more emphasis on your skills. Highlight the skills that will be applicable to the job you are applying for.Dont focus on job titles.Job titles can be a major deterrent for HR. If they see a senior or director-level title, but you are applying for a support role, it screams that you are overqualified. Dont emphasize your job titles too much. In its place, put the attention on your experiences that will be beneficial to the job and company.Own your over-qualification in the interviewHave clear expectations and transparent goals.Be upfront with the hiring managers about why you are looking for a job you are overqualified for. Since HR is going to be worried about you getting bored and moving on, make it clear that you are genuinely interested in the job and its specific duties.Focus on a mutually beneficial relationship.Just as you are looking to get something out of the job, the company is looking to get something out of you. It is important to show them that hiring you will elend only be beneficial to you, but also to the company. Have facts ready to prove you are the best person for the job.Have the right attitude.You can follow every single one of these tips, but if you walk into your interview acting like the job is beneath you, you will ruin any chance you had. However, if you want the job for the right reasons, your positive attitude will show.Take multiple, smaller rolesConsidering freelancing and consulting.If your overqualifications are causing you to be underemployed, consider becoming a freelancer or consultant, and turning your situation on its head. Freelancers and consultants take on multiple, smaller projects and jobs to fill out their time. Youll wind up working full-time hours (or more) and will usually not be disqualified for your years of experience and excellent qu alifications. If anything, theyll be an assetIf youre ready to start searching for freelance projects and consulting jobs, start hereReaders, would you apply to a job that you were overqualified for? Share with us in the comment section below

How to Conduct an Interview for Customer Service Skills

How to Conduct an Interview for Customer Service SkillsHow to Conduct an Interview for Customer Service SkillsHow to Conduct an Interview for Customer Service Skills ConlanProviding excellent customer service is critical to business survival in todays competitive marketplaces. Mediocre customer service can quickly torpedo your companys reputation. Research from OfficeTeam says 42% of people encounter poor customer service at least monthly and that can hurt a growing business reputation.And in todays connected online world, great customer service regardless of the industry are essential.Good customer service skills are valuable for employees in all positions and industries, even those who dont work directly with customers, says Brandi Britton, district president at OfficeTeam, headquartered in Menlo Park, California.In many roles theres interaction with external contacts, such as vendors or clients, and how you treat them can impact their overall impression of the company.Heres an ove rview of the important customer service skills your team needs and how to evaluate workers ansicht skills during the hiring process.Observe the Candidates Communication SkillsExperts say these communication skills are vital for great customer service- The ability to share useful information- A capability to receive feedback- Knowing how to hear the intent behind what is being saidEmployees who can execute on these attributes in a personable yet professional way will help give your company a strong reputation for service.When hiring for customer service skills, Britton suggests that employers gauge these factors by looking fors of interpersonal abilities on resumes- Speaking to references- Conduct behavioral interviewsAs you ask behavioral questions, listen for what candidates say, how they listen and how they process information.You want employees who are patient and hear others out by listening carefully to whats communicated through words and nonverbal cues, she says.Dig for Probl em-Solving CapabilitiesCustomers expect your customer service representative to be able to solve problems, says Shep Hyken, a customer service expert based in St. Louis. Being nice isnt enough, Hyken says. Your employees must also have the knowledge and ability to work toward a solution when faced with an issue from a customer.To vet candidates for their problem-solving skills, ask them about problems they have faced with customers at work in the past, and how they approached them. Youre looking for evidence that they know how to work through issues in a logical way.A Capacity for Conflict ResolutionEvery business will have challenging customers who may push boundaries or get upset if their product or service isnt what they think it should be. In those cases your customer service agents will need to be able to draw on their conflict entscheidung skills to smooth the situation.Conflict resolution skills require the ability to stay calm under pressure and not take criticism or anger personally, says Rachel Tobe, sales manager at Totally Promotional, a custom promotional product company based in Coldwater, Ohio.In an interview, we look for candidates who are comfortable answering questions because this usually translates into someone who can naturally converse with customers, she says. Ask behavioral interview questions that describe what they have done or would do in a conflict with a customer.Staying Positive in Tough SituationsNot everyone is good at letting negativity roll off their backs. Yet people in customer service positions must be able to stay positive even when things get rough.Managing customer relationships with a positive and friendly attitude is paramount to ensuring that customers do not churn due to poor support, says David Lopes, who is responsible for customer success and recruiting at Badger Maps, a sales routing app developer in San Francisco.In the interview, ask how candidates have dealt with difficult customers and listen for attitude. E xtroverted people who tend to be friendly and engaging with strong communication skills and empathetic listening skills are generally well suited for this role, Lopes says. Look for answers that honor customers needs and offer information about how issues were resolved.

NFL Security Specialist Job Information

NFL Security Specialist Job InformationNFL Security Specialist Job InformationHave you spent a lifetime dreaming of making it big and leading your hometown team to the Super Bowl? Youre not alone. Sure, plenty of people are interested in criminal justice careers. Across the country, though, what kids are really hoping for is to make it big playing in the National Football League. Grown men plant themselves in front of the television or in the stands, shouting and screaming for their favorite team all while wishing they were part of the action. Football is a way of life for millions of Americans, so of course youd hate to miss your next Super Bowl party unless it welches because you were actually working at the biggest football game of the year. The good news is, you dont have to be a star quarterback or a bone-crushing linebacker to make it in the NFL. Career opportunities abound within the sport of football, from marketing to management and yes, even criminology-related fields. Bel ieve it or not, you can work in criminal justice and be part of the action on Sundays in the fall. Job Functions and Work Environment The NFL secures the services of civilian contractors to provide all manner of services usually found in the criminal justice industry. The main goal is to ensure the safety of the NFL players, coaches, and staff, as well as the fans. Each NFL team is required under league rules to contract its own security team. The focus of these private security contractors is to protect the members of the team from potential threats. They also serve, in some cases, to protect the players from themselves. Players may also secure their own security agents, but the teams want to be sure that they protect their investment. One of the primary jobs of an NFL security contractor, then, is to keep the player out of trouble and out of the negative spotlight. While players have plenty of adoring fans, they also have their detractors. This is especially true when they are visiting a rival city. While the players are out and about, they may find themselves in positions where they need the protection and advice of an experienced security professional. Just like in every profession, its no secret that some NFL players have made some pretty public mistakes and participated in offensive behavior. The difference is that when an NFL player makes a big mistake off of the field, its often very public and very damaging to the player and to the team. A security specialist can help mitigate those incidents and hopefully prevent them all together in most cases. The job of an NFL security officer often includes Ensuring the safety of NFL players and coachesTraveling with NFL teamsProviding driving services for players and coachesAdvising players and coachesInvestigating potential threats In short, NFL security agents are responsible for the overall protection of the physical well being of the players as well as their professional reputations. Ultimately, the list of their duties is long and varied. It can include nearly anything that relates to the protection of the individual or the team as a whole. Education and Skill Requirements NFL security contractors are very often current or retired criminal justice professionals who have significant experience in the area of security and investigations. They are usually employed as police officers or detectives who perform double duty as security professionals in their off time. Experience in the field is most often required for people to be able to work in NFL security jobs. Those interested in working with the NFL in this capacity would do well to get specialized training in the are of dignitary protection. Job Growth and Salary Outlook NFL security officers are individual contractors and private investigators. They are most often affiliated with a local private investigative or security firm. In some instances, these firms may be comprised of a group of local police officers who contract their services out in their free time. NFL security agents do not receive a salary or benefits. Instead, they are paid an hourly rate. These rates are set by the individual contractor and are agreed to by the team. Rates for NFL security contractors can be $50 per hour or more, depending on the services provided. Working as an NFL Security Professional Working as a security agent for NFL players or teams can certainly be fun and rewarding, and may offer a lot of opportunities you might not otherwise get, such as going to the Super Bowl or being on the sidelines with your favorite team. At the same time, though, its a job, not a vacation. Long hours and travel may be involved. Additionally, because services are contracted out, you will likely need other sources of income or another job. Working as a security professional for the NFL may very well be an excellent source of supplemental income for those already working in criminal justice careers.

The Invalidated Data Sharing Pact and Technical Recruiting

The Invalidated Data Sharing Pact and Technical RecruitingThe Invalidated Data Sharing Pact and Technical RecruitingThe Invalidated Data Sharing Pact and Technical Recruiting RossheimWho in America cares that the European Court of Justice in early October invalidated a longstanding data sharing pactthat has enabled transatlantic data transmissions? Hiring managers at Apple, Google, Facebook and thousands of smaller U.S.-based companies should care, as the ruling may mean they need to hire more data scientists or fewer. As uncertain as the consequences may be right now, its critical for employers to monitor the fallout and adjust their IT recruitment strategy accordingly.The Safe Harbor ProcessThe safe harbor process ruling says that existing U.S. data-privacy safeguards are insufficient. This could force American companies to cease, or to re-engineer at considerable cost, the international transmission of personal data ranging from email addresses to financial information to the cons umer behavior.Small firms could be forced to curtail their European operations mid-sized concerns could also be hard-hit.European Union countries have been even slower to retitel from the 2008-2009 recession than the United States, and Europe is famished for jobs. The ECJ action could lay a protectionist cover over certain niches of the continents labor market, including data scientists.What it Means for IT RecruitmentThis ruling could also mean more jobs stay in Europe, says Russell Walker, clinical associate professor at the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University and consultant on big data and business strategy.Still, some of these IT jobs could go to Americans at least those who find a way to legally work in EU countries.Apple, Microsoft, and other companies may find that merging their data is impermissible under the ruling, so they have to build separate kollektivs in Europe and the United States, which would create more jobs, Walker says.If companies do need t o bring on more analytic talent to cope with the EU ruling, theyll encounter a steep technical recruiting challenge. Data honchos, especially chief data scientists, are hard to come by, and they need a very broad range of skills, from the technical to the executive.Whats unique about a data scientist is that theyre very likely part of a centralized, cross-functional team, because its about operations and product development, not just marketing, says Walker. Data scientists are expensive and uncommon in the labor marketplace. And you need a chief data scientist to decide what problems the team will work on.Technical Recruiting StrategiesCompanies seeking out data gurus as part of their IT recruiting will be disappointed if they settle for brainiacs who arent comfortable sitting down with a variety of functional leads.Data scientists task will be to relate what they learn from data to the business, says Walker. Its quite uncommon to find someone who can live both in the science and in the business. They need to communicate very well.Another major challenge for data-science recruiters is more fundamental to understand enough about the concepts and vocabulary of big data and analytics to convince candidates of the companys commitment to this emergent discipline. To attract qualified IT professionals, companies need to be aware of tools and technologies that analytic talent uses, says Walker.