Phone Etiquette

Add comment March 31st, 2008

Using good manners when talking on the telephone is very important in order to make a good impression and help set your company apart from others.  Make sure to use these tips with your phone conversations. 

Keep it simple!  Make sure to address the call with purpose, and speak clearly.  Be pleasant. Overall, you want to be professional, yet friendly. 

When answering the phones, it is a good idea to SMILE!  It may seem silly, but when you smile as you answer the phone, it truly makes a difference. 

Taking messages is also very important.  Make sure to take down the date and time of the call, and the name of the person calling.  It also helps to know what the message is regarding, so whoever receives the call will know exactly how to respond.   

Finally, when recording a voicemail box greeting, be professional.  If you are using voicemail box greetings that are inappropriate, you could possibly turn away a future employer or client!

Email Etiquette

Add comment March 28th, 2008

In this day and age, the use of e-mail at work is a daily function.  Being able to communicate effectively through e-mails is vital for companies to save time and money. 

Companies should adapt a system of e-mail etiquette for several reasons.  It shows a level of professionalism, which is important to develop a good image.  In some cases, using proper etiquette when e-mailing protects companies from liabilities and costly law suits.   

There are numerous different guidelines and rules about the proper email etiquette, but here are some tips that apply to several situations pertaining to business related emails. 

• Be brief and to the point
• Check spelling, grammar, and punctuation
• Send responses quickly
• Read the message before you send it
• Use abbreviations and emotions with caution (example: the smiley face)
• Be professional
• Use your company’s customized content / signature

Managing your life

2 comments March 26th, 2008

• Family life: spouse, children, significant other, parents, friends
• Home life: grocery shopping, laundry, cleaning, shoveling
• Work life: 8-10 hours
• Volunteer activities for self, work, or family
• Health, exercise, school, and future planning

 If you are like me, you touch on each of those topics multiple times a day in your waking hours. We spend many hours a day managing our work/life balance. Some days fly by at a speed of light and often we just go through the motions.  

Do you challenge yourself to get through each day with your list of things to do and finish them all?  It never quite happens that way for me- things get moved to the list for tomorrow, then new things get added to the list within the first few hours of the next day. 

If you have a great tip or method to stay on top of things or a resource that makes your life easier, please share it with the rest of us!

Make the Most of Networking Events

Add comment March 24th, 2008

Ever been to an After Hours event with a group of people from work?  I’m sure we’ve all see that group of 6 well-dressed professionals, one hand holding a plate of chicken strips, celery, crackers, and the other hand gripping a glass of wine. Believe it or not, once you get past the food and drinks, these functions are truly meant to be networking opportunities.   

It is important to familiarize yourself with the After Hours events in your city. Identify the events where you feel professionals in your industry will be present. 

Make a point to go there, and talk to as many people as you can. Make a point to separate from the people that you attended with. 

Trade names, stories, and most importantly, business cards. 

Establishing networking relationships is an important aspect of business. Attending these functions without a plan or a purpose, just to say you were there, simply defeats the purpose of attending.   

Remember: every event that you do not network to the fullest, your competition, who may be in attendance, moves that much further ahead.   

March Madness!

3 comments March 20th, 2008

March is a month that brings us green beer, easter bunnies, and hope that springs eternal.  March also brings us the annual NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament.  This is the time of year when upsets happen, buzzer-beaters are commonplace, and in the end, one team will be left standing cutting down the nets.  It is also the time of year to run your company’s NCAA bracket challenge. 

Do’s and Don’ts of your bracket challenge: 

DO- include everybody- this is the time of year where Cathy in Payroll has just as good of a chance to win as Johnny in Sales who plays hoops every Tuesday. I laughed when a couple years ago my payroll manager said she was picking teams from warm weather states- guess who was laughing when Florida beat UCLA to win the title?

DON’T- fill out your brackets at work- this is something that should be done away from work and not on any company time.

DO- make it reasonable to enter. Determine a dollar amount to enter that will be good for everybody in the office- I suggest $5.

DON’T- make it complicated- keep the scoring system simple and easy for all to understand.

DO- have fun with it- it’s a good opportunity for you to talk to your co-workers about something other than work and the weather- office bragging rights are at stake!

DON’T- pick a #16 seed to win a game- it’s never happened in the history of the NCAA tournament.

Enjoy the tournament, pick the winners, have fun with it, but most importantly, do it on your time, not while you’re on the clock. 

How to reach the right contact

Add comment March 19th, 2008

While seeking a new job or career, it’s who you know and how well you know them.  If you find that you don’t know where to start with your search or there are no positions in the paper or online, look around. You might find the right contact in front of you.  

For example, reaching the right person may be as simple is finding out who your relative’s friend works for. You always hear comments that they enjoy their job and work for a company that they speak very highly of. The company offer great benefits and are planning on adding new positions in the next few months.  Ask if you can you use their name as a reference. 

Do your homework now. Why is the company growing their staff?  What type of open positions do they have?  Find out the HR Manager’s name and drop a brief letter of introduction with a resume in an email.  Mention that you heard it’s an exciting time for the company and to please consider this resume as an interest in their future openings. Follow up.   Think about who you know and how well. They might just have some information to help in your job search.

Recruiting and Retaining Talent

Add comment March 17th, 2008

A fellow recruiter once told me, “We find the employee, it’s the company’s job to retain the employee.”  Makes sense. Recruiters are often the sounding board for clients and employees alike.  We accept that.  It’s part of our job.  It is our place to listen, offer advice, and to take any necessary action to ensure both parties are ultimately happy.  However, at the end of the day, when it comes to retaining employees, a recruiter can only do so much.   

It is ultimately up to the client who made the job offer and the employee who accepted the job offer to make things work long term.  If you are a client that experiences a high turnover rate, it may be time to look in the mirror.  What are the reasons for the turnover? Often times, where there’s smoke, there’s fire.  Turnover at a company is bad for the bottom line as well as the company’s reputation.   

If you are an employee that can’t seem to catch on or leaves job after job to work for .50 cents an hour more, it may be time for you to look in the mirror. One of the worst things a job seeker can become is a job hopper. It is important to develop a strong work history, gain experience, and show loyalty.  Money and opportunity will come with time.  The question is- will it be at your current company or elsewhere?  It is up to the client and the employee, not the recruiter, to determine that answer. 

Qualifications Count

Add comment March 12th, 2008

Make sure you are applying for a job that you are qualified for. The quickest way to get eliminated from the ever-important review of your cover letter and resume is to not meet the minimum requirements for the position in which you are applying for.  Review all the necessary requirements and make sure you possess at least 80% of the skills listed.

Making your resume stand out: Tip Four

Add comment March 10th, 2008

Tip Four: Prioritize 

You want to list your best qualities and most valuable assets at the top of your resume.  This will ensure that the employer will notice why you should become a part of their company! 

Making your resume stand out: Tip Three

Add comment March 7th, 2008

Tip Three: Set Yourself Apart 

Include content that will set you apart from the rest of the candidate pool. Use definitive words that truly describe the type of employee you would be. Use specific examples that provide fundamental images for the employer to imagine your strengths, and make your resume memorable!