9 Questions to Ask Candidates About Career Change

9 Questions to Ask Candidates About Career Change It’s both the worst and the best time of year to be thinking about changing careers. The new year is only just behind us, so a change is likely to seem appealing, yet winter means we’re getting less sunlight and less likely to have a positive attitude towards work. However, your candidates probably have very valid reasons to be considering a change. If your candidate is considering  one of these points it doesnt mean  they will completely up-sticks, but if they are answering yes to at least three of the following indicators, you might want to speak to them about why they are consider changing jobs and what you can do to help them  pursue a more positive working life. Some of these problems can be solved without moving jobs;  they may just need a good chat with you to help them decide. Here are the 9 questions you should be asking your candidates who may seem a little unhappy in their current job or if they have asked you to find them something else. 1. Are you checking job alerts every day? If your candidate is  searching for a job at their favourite brand  then alarm bells should start to ring. It’s not a surprise really, as many of us like to check job vacancies every morning. It can just be an ego-boost, but it can also show them the types of opportunities outside of their current role, suggesting they might want or need a change. 2. Are you bored? How long are your candidates spending on the internet  a day? A survey of British workers suggests that 33% do not find their jobs fulfilling and 37% think their job is ‘meaningless’, so theyre not  alone. There is, however a difference between the general boredom that comes with working 8 hours+ a day, and actual “I can’t do this anymore” boredom. If it’s the latter, a career change for them might be a good idea. 3. Do you have any work friends? This can be a huge dampener on anyone’s day-to-day attitude. As most people spend a lot of their life at work, not having a friend they can rely on, can leave them feeling unappreciated and lonely. True, not everyone has the same social needs, but it definitely helps. Despite what you might think, the power of social relationships is more valuable to humans than a high salary. According to The Atlantic, “if you have a friend that you see on most days, it’s like earning $100,000 more each year” and a report compiled by Gallup suggests that those workers with a ‘best friend’ at work were seven times more engaged than those who didn’t. But don’t fret; you can suggest these  6 easy steps to making friends at work. 4. Are you being overworked? How often are your candidates left feeling too overwhelmed to function? A 2016 report suggests that 19% of UK workers feel overworked, and one third feel miserable in their jobs. If their work life balance is being hindered by work related stress, the ‘life’ aspect often gets absorbed by working overtime, and looking after themselves  goes out of the window. If your candidate is desperate to claw back their free time they may need to address this problem with a manager first. If nothing comes of it, it’s ultimatum time: “either things change or I leave” and you might be able to help them make that change. 5. Do you dread going in every morning? It can be difficult to get out of bed a lot of the time, no matter how much someone enjoys their job. But when it’s every day, it’s probably not a good sign. 6. Has something changed? a) In their life? Has something recently changed in your candidates life leaving them questioning their position in their company? Has an adjustment in their lifestyle opened their eyes to new ways of finding happiness, and this job doesn’t quite fit with that? Perhaps they’ve found something new that they’re passionate about and that they’d like to pursue, leaving little room for ‘wasting’ their energy on a job that doesn’t align with their values. b) In the company culture? Has the company been bought out and therefore undergone a change in its practices? Has staff morale changed since a new external manager joined? Perhaps their trust has been shaken by a foreign investment that conflicts with their ethics. If this, among other issues, is getting your candidate down, then a change for them could be worth considering. 7. Are you using the right skills? Does your candidate feel invisible or under-appreciated? Have they been sidelined and given tasks beneath them? The aforementioned 2016 report shows that 1 in 8 people believe that their job happiness would improve with an increase in thank-yous. Firstly, you need to tell your candidate that they need to speak up â€" talk to HR if they don’t feel comfortable telling a line manager. If nothing changes, then they will ask you to help them look for a new job. 8. Is the commute getting you down? When your candidates free time is eaten away drastically by a long and/or stressful commute, feeling motivated and engaged at work can be a real struggle. An  ONS report shows that, holding all else constant, commuters are unhappier in both their jobs and life in general, as well as having higher anxiety levels. Your candidate shouldn’t necessarily expect that a new job with an easier commute will fix everything â€" there could be aspects from their previous job they end up missing. But, if this is a factor on top of other points, then a change could be feasible for them. 9. If you were headhunted today, would you accept? Obviously, this depends on the type of job, but if your candidate is being head-hunted, it’s generally because they appear to be a good fit for the position in the first place. If it’s just that quitting their current job is a hassle and involves leaving their comfort zone, then a career change could definitely be on the cards. If that is all that’s stopping them then this could be their wake up call.

Basic Steps to Creating a Medical Billing Resume

Basic Steps to Creating a Medical Billing ResumeA medical billing resume is the first thing you should write when applying for any medical job. And with the many types of jobs that exist in the health care industry, it is important to realize that your resume will need to fit the specific needs of each type of position.It is important to remember that when someone reads your resume that your billing experience must be related to a billing position. You cannot leave out everything about the billing job that you may have had and then expect to get a call for an interview. Asking all of the questions you want to answer is the best way to do this.The very first section of your medical billing resume should highlight what the job requires of you. Being aware of what the company or organization requires of its employees is the best way to figure out what type of position you would like to apply for. Then start listing your expertise or abilities relating to the job description.You will wan t to make sure you list your main responsibilities, and then list the additional duties that you have performed in the past. This will help to provide the reader with a clear picture of your professional goals and abilities. If the reader can easily identify what skills or capabilities you possess, they are much more likely to think you are well suited for the job. They will also be able to tell right away if you are not a good fit for the job.The second section of your resume should list your major job responsibilities, and then a brief summary of each of your individual roles. You will want to carefully detail your responsibilities with each role. This will allow the reader to clearly see how many duties you are responsible for. Doing so will provide the information they need to know if they are hiring a new professional to replace an existing one.Finally, describe your customer service skills and communication skills as these are usually listed first on the list of responsibiliti es. This allows the reader to quickly see your customer service abilities and your ability to communicate effectively in a non-threatening manner.Writing your resume is very easy once you get the basics down. The key is to stay organized and make sure the information you write is organized and factual. Just be sure to keep it as short as possible to fit the page.A medical billing resume should only take a few minutes to create. By making sure your resume includes all of the relevant information, it will be easier for the reader to quickly identify you as a medical professional. Take some time to write it, and then submit it to medical organizations in order to improve your chances of being called for an interview.

Weekend videos - The Chief Happiness Officer Blog

Weekend videos - The Chief Happiness Officer Blog Mark Hurst emailed me some apetizers for the upcoming EureGEL conference. Seth Godin talks about broken things at GEL06. Jimmy Wales explains Wikipedia at GEL05 I cant wait to go GEL looks excellent! Oneopenwindow is a pretty cool project which aims to collect lots of videos of people telling cool stories and sharing their knowledge. My absolute favorite video on the site so far is Brad Blanton explaining how to achieve enlightenement in three minutes. Guaranteed. Though the site is in danish, this video is in english and you can find the link at the bottom of the front page. Its hilarious check it out! You can also find 12 short videos of me telling stories about happy companies (in danish). And over on youtube theres a video of me doing a 6-minute peach-kucha presentation on happiness at work at Reboot8 (in english). Thanks for visiting my blog. If you're new here, you should check out this list of my 10 most popular articles. And if you want more great tips and ideas you should check out our newsletter about happiness at work. It's great and it's free :-)Share this:LinkedInFacebookTwitterRedditPinterest Related

Want More Than the Average 2.9% Salary Increase in 2018 Heres How

Want More Than the Average 2.9% Salary Increase in 2018 Heres How According to the 2017/2018 Mercer US Compensation Planning Survey, the average salary increase budget is expected to be 2.9% in 2018, remaining flat from 2017. So how can you  be perceived as  a top performer in 2018? Here are some tips.Document your accomplishments regularly throughout the year Keep track of all the projects you manage. Upon completion of each assignment, write a note to yourself detailing your contribution and how your efforts helped the company make money, save money, save time, grow the business, or retain customers. Quantify your accomplishments with dollars, percentages, and other appropriate metrics. Actively seek out opportunities to improve efficiencies and profits regardless of the task at hand. By showing and quantifying your specific value add, you build a better business case to support the requested salary increase.Become hard to replace Create opportunities to diversify your experience by offering to learn how to perform tasks that support your main ro le and make you more efficient at what you do. An alternative strategy is to become a subject matter expert in one specific aspect of the job so you are seen as the go-to-guy for a particular type of information. No want wants to lose the go-to-guy because then they have to do it themselves.Take on tasks that no one else wants to do This does not mean taking on grunt work. It might just mean mastering a new technology that no one else feels comfortable with or taking on an assignment that is outside of the traditional scope of the job. Employees who demonstrate this level of flexibility tend to get more flexibility from their bosses on other issues, including compensation.Accept high profile assignments close to review time Since it is easier for people to remember what has happened most recently, why not take on an important assignment to coincide with an upcoming review? The project is bound to become a focal point of the performance review discussion and the boss can quickly reme mber and document the achievements relevant to the project.Your success negotiating a salary increase or promotion hinges on your ability to discuss the increase in terms of what is fair and reasonable. By including some of these ideas into your career management strategy, you can keep the conversation focused on measurable achievements and build a compelling business case for the requested pay raise.

Counter-intuitive Advice Talk to People Who Cant Help You -

Counter-intuitive Advice Talk to People Who Cant Help You - You dont know enough to know what it is you dont know. Does that describe you?   I bet that it does about some things.   Hopefully, there are areas about which you can confidently say you know a lot, but for most of us, especially in our high tech, ever changing world, there is always more to learn.   How many are experts in everything?   I would challenge you to find someone who could give you good advice about anything you might ask. As part of my work for Keppie Careers, I keep a close eye on career and resume trends by reading books, blogs and keeping in touch with my advisory board of professionals in an array of industries.  Ã‚   When Im not writing resumes, coaching, blogging and reading, in the spirit of  practice what you preach, I also  frequently  meet people for informational interviews. I attend Chamber of Commerce meetings, visit close-contact networking groups and seek out an array of networking opportunities.   It is amazing to me how our   need for networking (as entreuprenuers and as job seekers) has spawned a whole industry of people for whom networking is actually their business! Ive been to coffee with real estate professionals, a dentist, investment advisors, life coaches, travel professionals, vitamin sales people, photographers and a salesperson trainer, just to   name a few.   It never ceases to amaze me how much we have to share with each other, and the possible touch points between our businesses or our networks.   Taking the time to meet these professionals offers me the opportunity to share information about my business, but more importantly, I have a chance to learn about programs, events and opportunities I might never have considered.   I also try to share something that will help them and offer to be a resource. In a recession, it is even more important to expand our circles when  job seeking.   Some lessons: Never underestimate the possibility for really interesting common ground.   Some of the meetings Ive least felt like getting up at  6 a.m. to attend have been the most productive in terms of what Ive learned. Just because someone isnt in your field doesnt mean they dont have useful information for you.   (Or you for them.) Our lives intersect in so many points.   Think of someone you consider least likely to be able to share good information with you for your search.   Meet for coffee.   You may be surprised! Open your eyes to the opportunities!   Seek out places to meet new people.   Join an organization, a new health club or take a class.   Google networking opportunities, (your city) and see what comes up!   Then, dont just attend, be an active participant. I attended a great meeting last night.   Its a networking group for women and is held at a home over dinner.   We all shared information about our businesses and there was time for chit-chat.   It was up to all of us to see how we could help each other.   I could have done my elevator pitch, listened to everyone elses, and left.   That wouldnt have been networking, though.   That would have been attending an event.   I challenge you find a new place to meet people and engage them.   You never know how you might be able to help each other.   Networking, or netweaving, is all about giving and getting.   I was a lot of fun for me to be able to connect several of the women at the event last night to other contacts in their fields, even though we had no obvious professional commonalities.   Engage ask questionsbe able to explain who you are and what you do.   Dont underestimate the value of every connection.   Everyone knows someone who knows someone who knows something.   Inserting yourself as part of the chain is a great step in the right direction! Networking sounds too hard? Even if you are shy, you can learn how to be effective at networking!   Keppie Careers will help you.   Need a great resume?   Mock interview?   Contact Keppie Careers.   We advise, encourage and enlighten job seekers and offer a toolbox of practical tips and support.

Resume Writing Guidelines

Resume Writing GuidelinesIn resume writing, hiring managers go through a series of screening stages which are not only good in promoting the best applicant but also help him to take a different look at the job and also helps him assess the whole picture. Nowadays resume writing has become a necessary component to enable a candidate to get a wide variety of jobs.There are various ways that the applicants can take to help in resume writing. Some of the common tips are given below. This article is meant to be informative so that you may know what may be useful for you in resume writing.You need to get in-depth information about the work experience that the applicant has during the time that he was working. The idea is to evaluate the kind of company and position where the applicant was engaged. If you are not acquainted with his work history, then you need to ask him the questions pertaining to the work history. In order to assess the quality of the work history, you need to discuss abo ut the overall atmosphere or environment that he is part of, whether it is a hostile or a non-hostile environment and the kind of responsibilities that he is asked to deal with.When you have written the written work history, your next step would be to compare his resumes with each other. You need to see whether there are any significant differences between the two so that you can make a final decision of which of the two should be accepted for the interview.The next step would be to gather all the vital information about the employee. The most important piece of information that you would want to gather is the license that the person has. Some of the information that you need to include in your resume to include the position in which the person has been engaged, the type of work that he does, educational background that he has and the amount of compensation that he has received.Incase, you do not know much about the job that you are looking for, you can consult the search engines an d try to find the details from the website. You can also write an online job application form and see if the information you have given about yourself is accepted by the employers or not.Well, now that you know some of the useful things to keep in mind while writing a resume, you can start writing your resume. Remember that resume writing is a tedious process, but if you follow the guidelines given above, you will be sure to land a few interviews.

Kanye West Book Quotes About Money

Kanye West Book Quotes About Money A 200+ page ebook filled with Kanye West quotes recently debuted on the Internet, and â€" unsurprisingly â€" it’s replete with colorful commentary on finances, success, and celebrity. The World According to Kanye, an unauthorized book compiled by writer Herbert Lui, specifically mentions money 24 times. Here are some of Yeezy’s more insightful and/or pointed musings about finances from the book. 1. “Anyone that’s creative understands that there’s no amount of money that can be given to them to make them not want to, or have to, create. There’s no check out and there’s no cheque to stop you from [sic] creative. No pun intended when I’m saying no check.” 2. “We don’t run anything; we’re celebrities. We’re the face of brands. We have to compromise what we say in lyrics so we don’t lose money on a contract.” 3. “So many people talk about their investments or how much money they have but there’s so many rich people who spend a lot of that trying to buy a piece of happiness.” 4. “One of my courses was piano. I actually went to college to learn how to play piano. Talk about wastin’ some money.” 5. “The only luxury is time. The time you spend with your family.” Well said, Kanye, because your $880 tattered sweaters definitely don’t look like luxury items to us.