Archive for September, 2010
Resume help!
Sep 22nd
If someone could help me out, I’d really appreciate it… I hate and am absolutely horrible at writing resumes…I always use the same words. And when can I delete the summer/part-time type jobs?
Ok so…in the CSA II position I: did all the same as the help desk position PLUS i learned how to manage the servers, walked the data center perimeter, ran backups, learned the payroll process
in the CSA III position: I did all that PLUS I learned how to grant access to Kronos, folder security, Star access, verified user’s epic security - activated them while we still had the right to
So basically….how do I put all that random crap into words that make me sound like they should hire me? Lol
*edit* The spacing looks better before I post it..and I can’t seem to edit it in my post and make it stay that way
*edit again* not like you couldn’t find out who I am, where I live, and what my hobbies are through the I-net…I figured I might as well be less blatant about it lol
Objective-To obtain a security position
Attributes
Proficient in using MS Word and Excel for professional documents
Confident in using MS PowerPoint for presentations
Moderate Knowledge of C++ and Java
Comfortable speaking to various sized groups
Proficient at communicating technological instructions via telephone Work Experience
Knowledge of server management
· Extensive knowledge of Epic
· Comfortable using the SMS tool, Office Communicator, Star, Cerner, Maximo…
· Ability to handle upset, frantic customers
· Familiar with service center processes
· Solve resident’s problems
· Answer phone calls on a four-line phone
· Act as key card security person
· Explained business practices to our customer base
· Handled large sums of money daily
· Stocked shelves and reorganized warehouse inventory · Dealt with customer questions and complaints as they arose
· Handled money daily
· Served 500-1000 food items per day
Why Soft Skill is Important
Sep 22nd
Today’s competitive world has made everyone more concerned about how to find work, and how to excel in the field he has chosen. We all have our strengths and weaknesses; it is vital that we mold and develop those strengths, and overcome those weaknesses.
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To some degree, every person possesses soft skills. However, some may have more of it than others. When you have acquired certain hard skills, which are sets of technical requirements needed for a specific job such as the ability to solve mathematical equations for an engineer and the knowledge to understand computer programs for an IT person, this qualifies you for an interview. On the other hand, once you are in the interview process, it is your soft skills that a prospective employer will be looking into, along with your hard skills. If ten people are being interviewed with the same level of hard skills as you, it is your soft skills that will get you hired.
Soft Skills Determine Your Job Performance
Any person who is equipped with the necessary soft skills will have higher chances of success. In the workplace, you need to be happy with what you do and happy with the people you work for and work with so that you will actually be motivated to get the job done, with excellence.
If you can communicate well with your colleagues and your superiors, differences can be ironed out and issues can be prevented. If you can easily get along with the people in your department or team, you will be more inclined to cooperate and do your assigned tasks. And if you have positive attitude, nothing can dampen your day, and as you know, stressors abound in the workplace, and being able to counter those will help you be more productive.
By possessing soft skills, you can improve your performance at work, and this will eventually catch your bosses’ attention.
Soft Skills Contribute to Organization Performance
Productivity in the organization is determined by our ability to manage time and promote teamwork and dynamism. If you have these skills, productivity level increases. When one individual possesses these soft skills and can increase a company’s performance by 2%, how much more if there are 10 people with the same skill sets? What about if there were a hundred people? Surely, the impact would be so huge.
It is for this reason that employers always give due importance to soft skills; they understand how it can affect their company’s performance and will help them achieve the goals they have set.
Soft Skills Bring Personal Growth and Success
Soft skills empower you. No matter what career path you choose, if you possess soft skills, you can become successful in every endeavor.
A person can become more confident when he knows how to communicate with others, when he knows how to socialize, and how to give presentations. If you know how to manage your time efficiently, take responsibility, or lead a team, you can be more effective and others will look up to you. Additionally, since these are transferable skills, you can bring it with you and apply it with any undertaking, and the results would still be the same- positive.
These soft skills not only help you achieve professional growth, it will also guide and help you in managing your personal life. Soft skills such as empathy and listening, as well as the ability to teach, are considered very important in dealing with family.
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Soft skills are indeed essential, and are considered necessary in any aspect of your life. You can learn the technical know-how in a week, a month, or a year. In fact, employers can hire someone who does not even have the technical skills and knowledge required of the job, and teach him once he is hired. He will learn after given proper training. But soft skills are something you must develop and possess for you to excel because you can be equipped with a high level of technical skills, but if you do not have the soft skills, you will not get anywhere.
http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/GeekLearn/~3/P32YK0RmEPU/why-soft-skill-is-important.html
What are Soft Skills?
Sep 20th
There are many factors that affect a person’s chances of building a successful career. This includes mental abilities, hard work, and soft skills. A person who is intelligent can win the admiration of future employers or superiors; a person who works hard can gain other people’s respect; and a person who has good personal attributes can win the admiration and respect of anyone.
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Soft skills are essential traits and qualities which we all possess, at different levels. These include personality, refinement, habits, communication skills, problem-solving skills, negotiation skills, listening skills, and many others. Some people have better soft skills than others. For example, a person may be better at social interaction than the one beside him; this same person may be able to work well with colleagues, while the other is not. Ultimately, it is honing these skill sets and using them to your advantage that will land you the job or get you that promotion.
Soft Skills Needed to Get Hired
When you are looking for a job, you should be aware that you are competing with countless other applicants who are just as eager to get hired as you. Although you are smart and driven, there are many others with the same qualifications, and being able to stand out is very important for prospective employers to notice you.
Studies show that majority of employers put more weight on the following soft skills: communication, collaboration, leadership, and persuasion. They believe that a team, and subsequently, the organization, will perform better when these skills are manifested in their people. While technical skills are important and certainly necessary for a person to perform their job, employers are also looking into soft skills to ensure that a job is performed well, and contribute largely to the organization’s success. Thus, they always make sure they hire only those who possess these qualities and avoid those who will only be a liability to their organization.
Soft Skills Needed to Get Promoted
Managers and upper management often assess the talents, abilities, and skills of their people. They are constantly making quiet observations on each one, trying to pinpoint which among them have what it takes to handle the responsibilities of a higher position. In fact, managers think about which among their people is ready and able to take their place, because they too will eventually get promoted.
Among the soft skills that your bosses look for are: leadership and management skills, adaptability, drive and energy, motivational skills, communication skills, and interpersonal skills. These skills are necessary in making a person become more effective in a position that requires dealing with a team and leading it, as well as collaborating with other departments. On the contrary, if such skills are not embedded in the individual, this person will not be able to carry out his work as effectively as the one who has them. It will also be difficult for him to earn the respect of his team members, which will all the more contribute to the downfall.
Honing Your Soft Skills
As mentioned, we all possess soft skills; however, some have more of it than others. If you happen to be one of those who need to improve their skills, the good news is that even at this point, you can still do something about it. Yes, you can develop soft skills, and use it to your advantage.
To do this, you need to have the right mindset. Understand and accept the reasons why you need to develop these skills. Then, discover which skills you lack and work on it. For example, if you are often afraid to speak up, then muster the courage to do so, one day at a time.
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Practice is the mother of all skills, and by constantly putting to practice your communication skills, you will eventually improve. You can also attend soft skills training and workshops where you will be able to learn from the experts how to develop these skills in person.
Soft skills are very important in today’s world. If you want to get ahead of the game, you should not underestimate the power of these competencies because your success in the workplace could depend on it.
http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/GeekLearn/~3/z86-hsHuQJU/what-are-soft-skills.html
Resume help please
Sep 17th
I’m a junior in college and looking for an actuarial internship, no exams yet. I know it’s a long shot for an actuarial internship, but ill try anyway.
Any advice on how to improve my resume is greatly appreciated.
Thanks!
Name
Address
Phone,Email
Objective To obtain a position as an actuarial intern.
Exams and Education SOA Course FM/CAS Exam 2: To be completed May 2011
Bachelor in Actuarial Science, May 2012
Central Connecticut State University, New Brittan, CT
Summary
• Extensive computer training, including knowledge of multiple networking environments and business software packages. Knowledge of programming in both Java and C++.
• Demonstrated achiever with exceptional knowledge of mathematics through the Calculus III level, including but not limited to probability, statistics, discrete math, advanced algebra, financial mathematics
• Skilled at learning new concepts quickly, working well under pressure, and communicating ideas clearly and effectively
• Enjoy challenging and engaging activities to utilize and broaden my mathematics and computer skills
• Conversational Spanish skills
Career History and Volunteer Work
Child Care Assistant. YMCA, Some town October 2009-present
• Cared for an average of 15 children per shift, ensuring their safety and solving problems as they arose.
• Exceeded supervisor’s expectations and earning a 90% score on review within first 6 months.
Assistant to the Director of Mortgage Development, Mortgage Company,Anytown.. 2007-2009
• Worked closely with Directors and senior level employees to learn all aspects of mortgage development.
• Proficient in data entry and performed telemarketing calls resulting in achieving monthly goals beyond manager’s expectations. Recorded and updated marketing and financial reports concerning new business proposals.
• Acquired new customers by delivering a strong case and demonstration of East Coast Mortgage Corp. products and personnel. Voted best customer service representative
• Versed in office machinery products such as Encompass, data used by senior management to analyze market conditions and business outlooks.
Chair, Publicity Committee. SUNY Albany Relay for Life, Albany, NY 2007-2008 2007-2008
• Initiated campus wide advertising campaign to recruit new participants. Designed marketing materials which resulted of the addition of 15 new participants.
• Piloted own relay for life team and solicited over $500 in donations towards cancer research. Led team members to raise more than $1,000 collectively.
Memberships and Affiliations
• Member, NSCS, National Society of Collegiate Scholars, University of Albany Chapter. Must rank top 20% in class. 5% of all students nationwide are awarded the Honor.
• Member, Students of Albany Against Cancer.
• Member, SUNY Albany Swim Club.
http://www.actuary.com/actuarial-discussion-forum/showthread.php?t=18905
Trudging Through "Nowhere Road"
Sep 2nd
The economy is on the road to recovery. While the country and the rest of the world are trying to get back on track economically, some sacrifices have to be made. Unfortunately, part of the sacrifice involves millions of workers worldwide.
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Thousands are laid off everyday and fewer companies are willing to open their doors for new employees. As a result, many people are still out of work. The unemployment rate is even set to reach double digits if the trend of rising unemployment continues.
This fact is very devastating for anyone who tries to establish a continuing career until they reach the retirement age. Getting laid off from work because of the economy is not just a “pause” in one’s career but a “reset”. This means almost everyone who was terminated during recession should start over if they want to succeed in their chosen career. Insisting to start from where the career left off is not possible because those positions were already filled during recession. This fact is a little bit challenging but it must be accepted so that success in career can be started as soon as possible.
But the period where the economy starts to pick up and demand for manpower being on the rise is still months away. That means work is scarce and finding a good source of income is difficult. Good thing the government is extending unemployment assistance to 79 months from termination. But it is still better to have a job as personal spending can be increased.
Strategy and Technique as Tools in “Nowhere Road”
Two possibilities can be raised when extensive job search do not yield any expected results: the problems with economy and strategy during job search. Knowing the state of the economy, it is very easy to blame everything on the country’s current status.
But what if the trouble is in the job search as well? This question is very difficult to answer since it presupposes that something is wrong in your job search technique. It might also be possible that you are barking at the wrong tree since you have tried to land a job in a wrong industry.
Whatever the reason is, realizing that something is wrong with your technique or strategy should help you do something to improve your job search. Doing what you can for the economy will not yield immediate result but if you do something for your success can have the expected or even better yield.
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Realizing that the job search technique or the preferred industry is very pivotal during the job search process. This will lead to a complete revamp on the essentials in looking for a job. Resume, cover letter and online information might be changed or edited to improve the chances of employment. Others are also trying to look for a long term solution. Instead of trying to land a job right now, some opted to go on training based on the skills on demand in order to gain employment in a different industry. This option can take months to complete but an additional skill only means an improved chance of employment in various industries.
http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/GeekLearn/~3/AijwwHFCK5E/trudging-through-nowhere-road-.html
Performance Evaluation
Sep 2nd
Performance evaluation is a practice by most, if not every company, in order to maintain output or productivity of their employees. Employees are rated based on what they have done or the stats in order to determine if they can still stay or be warned about performance. Even the behavior and dressing of the employees could be rated by their bosses.
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For this reason, it is always important for the employee to expect evaluations and should have ways in dealing with the results. This situation is always gut wrenching can easily affect the employees future performance.
If your time is up for an evaluation, be prepared as there are so many things that can be said and happen during the evaluation.
A Good Sign: You Are Not Surprised
There are evaluations that could surprise or take you aback with what they have to say. For example, you could be working hard but one of their feedbacks is that you are not providing enough for the company and you are being placed on notice. This might be frustrating and a really bad sign.
On the other hand, you have to be honest on what you have done for the past few months. They could say you are not working enough because the reality is that you are not working at all. Before you enter the room where you will receive your performance evaluation, evaluate yourself and know what you have and have not done.
Asking Questions During Evaluation is Important
Never, in any way, accept their final evaluation if you do not understand their judgment. They should have an honest evaluation and reasoning why the have given you a bad evaluation. Dig deeper to know the exact reason since they should provide an honest evaluation and not just because they do not like you. This type of bias should never be allowed in the workplace and should be uncovered as much as possible.
Evaluation Begets Better Performance
There is only one reason why performance reviews are given out: to push their employees to do better. When your employer provided you a bad evaluation, this should not be taken as a personal assault. Even though it could be a personal assault from your boss, it should be taken still as a challenge since you are pushed for more. This can be disheartening but working harder is a lot better than proving your boss’ point of bad evaluation.
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Taking Notes
This is a small but very neat trick that you can do during your evaluation. If you want to look good or be very professional during your evaluation, bring a small notebook or paper. This is not to intimidate your boss or the reviewer but it can be used to tell the evaluator that you are carefully taking note of everything. If you do not know the person who gives out the evaluation (or he is just vaguely familiar) ask for the exact name and write it down. This provides an idea that you are taking everything down and accepting it like a true professional.
http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/GeekLearn/~3/ioNFQ596R9s/performance-evaluation.html