Friday, November 29, 2019

Office romances at lowest level in 10 years, but employee-boss relationships up 47%

Office romances at lowest level in 10 years, but employee-boss relationships up 47%Office romances at lowest level in 10 years, but employee-boss relationships up 47%CareerBuilders yearly Valentines Day survey produced some startling findings, given the ongoing post-Weinstein era were currently in - although office romance has dropped to its lowest level in 10 years - 36% of employees fess up to dating someone they work with, down from41% last year and40% back in 2008 - employee-boss relationships of the same nature are at 22%, up from 15% the year before.Harris Poll carried out the research for CareerBuilder,surveying 809 full-time employees who werent working for the government or themselves, and were age 18 and older.Who is romantically involved with whom at workEven though nearly a third of employees who began dating at their places of employment were in itfor the long haul - 31% of them eventually tie the knot- others keep their office love life quiet, with 41% of workers c laiming they havent told any coworkers.A staggering 25% of men and 35% of women had office romances with someone who was higher up on the corporate ladder than they were.But for some employees, dating flings arent a one-time thing 15% of women and 20% of men say theyve dated a coworker twice or more.Caution rough dating waters aheadBut this can prove to be tricky territory - while 6% of employees (3% of men and 9% of women) have ditched their jobs for new ones after an office romances went sour, 24% have engaged in an affair where one worker was married.Overall, men and women reported dating someone they work with at nearly the same rates, with 37% of the former and 35% of the latter saying they have.Rosemary Haefner, chief human resources officer at CareerBuilder, commented on the findings in a statementOffice romance is experiencing a dip and whether its impacted by the current environment around sexual harassment or by workers not wanting to admit the truth, the fact remains tha t office romance has been around forever and will continue to be To avoid negative consequences at work, its important to set ground rules within your relationship that help you stay professional in the office and keep your personal life private.While CareerBuilder offers guidance on managing a romantic relationship at your job, wed like to offer more tips on what to do if youre currently in one of your own, and how to proceed if you find out about an affair at work.

Sunday, November 24, 2019

Speak the language of your audience or dont speak at all

Speak the language of your audience or dont speak at allSpeak the language of your audience or dont speak at allLets get down in the weeds for a second about social-media marketing.I cannot tell you how many times a day I hear the words, We need to be on Facebook. We should be posting more on Twitter. We should show people our culture on Instagram.Nobody cares.Thats the cold, honest, brutal truth.Nobody cares about your culture?- ?unless you have the best, most unique, knowledgeable, entertaining, orsomethingculture.Nobody cares about the 5 Ways to Create an Effective Marketing Strategy blog that you posted, for the first time in six months?- ?unless those 5 Ways are in some way different and very unique compared to everyone elses 5 Ways.Nobody cares where you and your team went to eat for lunch?- ?unless where you went to eat welches somewhere super cool, and everyone on your team created food art, and each food art recipe can be found on your website, along with a step-by-step guid e on how to create said incredible food art at home.Unless you are doing something different, or informative, or valuable to the audience you are looking to reach, nobody cares. Except your mom. She will probably hit Like.It is astounding to me how many people think the simple act ofhavinga Facebook page or a Twitter handle is, in any way, effective. Thats like thinking your purchasing a personenname tag at a networking event is going to bring you leads.What are people going to do? Walk up to you, you there sitting in the chair in the back room not talking to anyone, and say,Oh I see your name is John Can I purchase whatever it is youre selling, John?Please tell me you realize how ridiculous that sounds.And yet this is the mentality the majority of people, brands, businesses, and so-called thought leaders have when it comes to using social media.If your strategy is to post seven times a week, youre doing it wrong.If your strategy is to use photos instead of text, youre doing it wron g.If your strategy is to be on social media, youre doing it wrong.That is not a strategy. Thats you raising your hand and saying Present in a classroom with nobody asking if youre even there in the first place.I say this?- ?and am saying it the way I am saying it?- ?with a positive intentionStop wasting your time on social media if you arent going to do itright.Social-media marketing is no easier than hustling table to table at a product expo, or going door to door handing out flyers. Youre dead wrong if you think social media is some sort of magic tool where you create a page, post three photos (with horrible lighting and no artistic flair whatsoever), and wabam?- ?youve gone viral.Maybe its a generation gap.Maybe its shiny toy syndrome?- ?we constantly hear about the wild success stories, but never about the millions of people who fail.Maybe its an overabundance of social-media thought leaders all regurgitating the same garbage.I dont know.But what is absolutely mind-boggling to m e is how many people, businesses, brands, and all the rest think that social media is this magic wand. You wave it once or twice and then its all good. No need to spend any real time mastering it. No reason to invest money or resources into doing it well. Just post a few pictures of team members at a BBQ and call it a day. People will see an active Facebook page and love itSigh.No. They wont love it. In fact, theyll hate it. And they wont tell you.Because they wont even notice you.Because theyve already scrolled past and are too busy reading another Kardashian headline.There is no difference between social-media marketing and marketing.A good marketer knows that marketing is marketing.Hustle is hustle.You either understand your audience and you go where they are?- ?and you speak their language?- ?or you dont. Maybe theyre on Instagram. Maybe theyre on Reddit. Or maybe they frequent southern rodeos instead and thats where you need to be selling your handcrafted belt buckles.Point isT he entire conversation about whether to be on social media or not has nothing?- ?and I mean nothing?- ?to do with social media in itself.It has to do with where your audience is, and what they are lookingfor.What do they need help with? What are they searching Google trying to find?Once you know what theyre looking for?- ?give it tothem.For free.And then again.And again.And again.Every single day for years and years until they become so loyal to you that no matter what paid upgrade you offer them, theyll take it.Not because you ran a great banner ad or you had some well-crafted sales copy. But because they know you provide them great value, every day. Youve become part of their lives. You, and your brand, make them better.Thats how you build something ofvalue.This article originally appeared on Inc Magazine.

Thursday, November 21, 2019

Sample Summer Job Thank-You Letter

Sample Summer Job Thank-You LetterSample Summer Job Thank-You LetterSummer jobs can be hard to come by, depending on where you live. If you have been talented, ambitious, and fortunate enough to be hired for the summer by an employer, at the end of the season you need to write a thank-you letter for the opportunity. Why Write a Thank-You Letter for a Summer Job This is a matter of more than good manners leaving on a positive note will help to ensure that your employer will provide agood job referencefor you, if called upon to do so. In this thank-you letter, you should also express your hope that your employer will consider you for futureseasonal work. No one can predict what their local job market will look like in nine or twelve months. Even if youthinkyou have no desire to work there ever again, it is prudent to keep your options open in case you find yourself in need of a summer job in the future. What to Include in a Summer Job Thank-You Letter Before you begin to write your summer job thank-you letter, sit down and think about the things you appreciated and enjoyed about the job. Were there fellow employees who were helpful and fun to be around?Were you challenged (in a good way) by your daily work tasks?Were you impressed by your employerswork climate, geschftsleben mission, or success in providing excellent customer service to its clients? Once youve listed a few things that you enjoyed about the job, be sure to mention these in your note. Remember, too, that this letter needs to be positive and upbeat if you had grievances about the job, this is not the place to air them. If applicable, you may also use your thank-you letter toask whether the employer would be willing to serve as a professional referencefor you in future. This is a particularly smart thing to do if the summer job is in any way related to yourfuture career goals. For example, a camp counselor who wants to be a teacher should definitely ask the camp for a referral, since the su mmer experience involved working with children. Be sure to include your contact information (schmelzglas and phone number) so that your summer employer knows where to reach you if future job openings arise, or if they receive requests for referrals from hiring committeesthat you may apply to after graduation. Sending a Summer Job Thank-You Letter Below youll find an example of a thank-you letter designed to thank your employer after youhavecompleted a summer job (with hopes of working there again). You can use this sample as a model for your own letter, tailoring it to reflect your own individual circumstances. If you send it via email, list your name and thank you in the subject line of the message. List your contact information below your signature when sending a thank-you email message. Summer Job Thank Your NameAddressCity, State,Zip CodePhone NumberEmailDateManager NameTitleOrganizationAddressCity, State, Zip CodeDear Mr./Ms. Last Name,Thank you so much for giving me the op portunity to work as a summer counselor at Sunshine Camp for Kids this summer. I worked with some excellent fellow counselorsand met someinspirationalchildren.As a supervisor, your constant assistance and advice were invaluable. I always felt I could turn to you if I had any questions or concerns.Once again, thank you for such anoutstandingopportunity. This job has only increased my desire to work with children andtopursue a career in education. I am already counting down the days until next summer, and hope I can serve Sunshine Camp as a camp counselor once moreSincerely,Your Signature(hard copy letter)Your Typed Name Expand More Tips for Writing Thank-You Letters Even after your days as a seasonal / summer employee are over, youll find that the abilityto write employment-related thank-you letterswill be an essential professional skill that you will need on frequent occasions. After you complete a personal interview for your first full-time job, youll need to pen a thank-you let ter (here aresome tipsfor writing, timing, proofing, and sending individual and group job interview letters). The same holds true for when youve been given an internship opportunity, an informational interview, or even assistance on a project from a colleague or supervisor thesethank you-letter samplesdemonstrate the many instances in the business world where it is considered good form to write a formal expression of your gratitude. How to Write the Best Thank-You Note Keep it Positive Even if this wasnt the best summer job, keep your thank-you letter positive.Mention the Details Share examples of valuable learning experiences or skills you gained.Stay Connected Taking the time to say thank you will help you stay connected with the company for future employment opportunities.Add the Job to Your Resume Add the job to your resume, while the details are still fresh in your mind.