How to Ask for a Wage Hike Without Being Accused of Entitlement

How to Ask for a Wage Hike Without Being Accused of ‘Entitlement’ There’s an imbalance in how much we’re getting paid â€" and it’s not just that the mass of people are working their socks off to get by while fat cats accumulate more wealth than they could ever need. The imbalance is that a surprising 7 in 10 of us will be successful when we ask our boss for a raise â€" but only one in three of us are bold enough speak up. Part of the problem is that, as a generation, we’ve been shamed into thinking that it’s rude to ask for more. We’d rather work fifty-hour weeks, fifty weeks a year than risk being labeled ‘entitled’ for working conditions that give us room to live our lives. So if you suspect you’re earning less than you deserve but don’t feel it’s appropriate to speak up, the first person you have to convince is yourself. Do your research You may never come to a satisfactory answer to the value of giving one-third of your waking life to your employer. But you can at least figure out if other people who do similar work to you are getting paid more. In fact, there’s a website for that: Payscale. Or Salary.com and Glassdoor might also clue you up. Look for people in roles similar to yours, but bear in mind not just the pay and the hours but the perks, the out-of-hours work, and the unique value that you bring to the role. If you have more experience and qualifications in a near-identical role to someone who’s paid the same as you, then you’re underpaid. You are literally ‘entitled’ to more than you’re earning, not in the modern sense of ‘disproportionate sense of entitlement,’ but in the literal sense that you have a right to better pay. The next person to convince is your boss. Making an approach It’s no use waking up feeling undervalued, Googling the salaries of your peers, and then turning up to work with an expectant grin on your face. Getting a raise requires work by itself. Spend some time evaluating the way that you communicate at work. Without showing-off, be vocal about the value that you bring to the team. Request a one-on-one with your boss so they can give you feedback, and you can make sure they know just what a good job you’re doing. Remember, your boss hasn’t seen your resume since your interview; they may have forgotten your true potential. And don’t rely on what you already have on paper. Increase your value by investing time in further personal development. Take night classes or development opportunities at work. A great way to flag this up to your boss is to ask them to recommend courses or subjects to brush up on. Your employers are more likely to want to bump up your salary if they feel they are investing in something that will continue to pay off for them, rather than bribing you not to quit. So talk about your role within the team and your eagerness to fulfill your potential within that company. It shouldn’t become an us vs. them scenario. Keep trying If you ask for a raise every Monday when you show up at work, your boss will soon get sick of you. But if your first effort to get what you want fails, be prepared to work at it. Negotiate. Find a middle-ground that you’re prepared to accept, even if that means accepting perks rather than a cash bonus. Figure out what you can offer and what your boss needs. You don’t have to be sly about this: literally ask them, What do I need to work on to improve my salary here? Then, three months down the line, prove to them you’ve worked on it. In fact, prove it to them in your performance every day of the week. Worker remuneration will never be 100% fair. But it can be better. To improve your salary, start working through this new visual resource from resume.io. Because, as they say, you’re worth it. About the author:  John Cole writes on behalf of NeoMam Studios. A digital nomad specializing in leadership, digital media, and personal growth topics, his passions include world cinema and biscuits. A native Englishman, he is always on the move, but can most commonly be spotted in the UK, Norway, and the Balkans.

What Are Resume Samples?

What Are Resume Samples?Recruiters all over the country will tell you that they cannot help but receive resumes from job seekers. They are overwhelmed with the number of applications and with the time constraints for job hunters. The only real way to improve your chances is to have a great resume that will put your resume ahead of all of the others.To create a good resume takes time and effort. It is not something that can be learned in one day. There are many different ways to organize a resume, such as using headers, footers, bullets, or even the color of the paper. With a lot of sample resumes online you can get an idea of how others use them and what they have done to improve theirs.Many people feel that what's resume should be completely different from the other person's resume. No matter how good a resume is you still have to make sure that it is unique to you. However, there are many sites that offer to give you samples of other people's resumes.All resumes will need to have a few different things on them. This is because the job position may not only be hiring you, but it could also be doing background checks. It would be useful to have all of these things in one place.Before you decide which site to go with, you will want to look at what is on the site that most appeals to you. A good place to start would be their sample resumes, or simply taking a look at what is available on the internet. You can also search the web for great deals on resume samples.The great thing about these sites is that they will give you a list of the top companies. If you are going to get a sample from one of these, you may not have to pay more than a hundred dollars. You will be able to choose the style and make-up of your resume, then include all of the information in the main part of the resume. Your name, address, email, phone number, title, and even a couple of your accomplishments will be included.To find the samples, all you have to do is go to your favorite search engin e and type in the name of the company, then click on the blue search button. Be sure to put 'resume samples' into the search box and see what comes up. Many companies will have pages on the site, and some will have samples on each page.In order to get the best deal on resume samples, you will want to make sure that you look at what is offered on the internet. Try several sites, and compare them side by side. Choose the one that you think will give you the best service. You can save money and have a quality resume without having to take on the company to do all of the work for you.

Why Does Preconception Health Matter

Why Does Preconception Health Matter Preconception health is the health and lifestyle habits of a woman before she becomes pregnant. This includes understanding how certain chronic conditions, such as diabetes or hypertension, and habits such as smoking can affect your health and your baby’s health throughout pregnancy. Learning about these conditions and any health concerns will better prepare you for a healthy pregnancy. Because birth defects occur in approximately 5% of pregnancies, preconception health is important for all women who are thinking about having a baby. What Affects Preconception Health? According to the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, preconception health includes analysis of many factors including: Immunization history Nutrition and diet Tobacco, alcohol and substance use Medications and radiation exposure Undiagnosed or poorly managed chronic conditions Risks of occupational and environmental exposure Family history of genetic disorders Mental health Social issues How Can I Make Sure My Body Is Ready for Pregnancy? After having a preconception visit with your doctor, it is important to make necessary changes as advised in your meeting to ensure the best possible pregnancy. Some of the most commonly recommended changes include: Stop smoking, excessive drinking and the use of other substances.   Drinking while trying to conceive may increase the risk of miscarriage, while smoking may cause fertility issues and may delay the ability of women to get pregnant. Collect information on your family medical history.   Understanding your family medical history is essential when seeking more information about your pregnancy. A history of a genetic disorder may prompt your doctor to suggest genetic carrier screening, a screening test used to analyze the risk that your child may be born with a genetic disorder. Take 400 mcg (micrograms) of folic acid every day.   Folic acid is an essential B-vitamin that, when found in sufficient amounts one month before and during the entire pregnancy, may help reduce the chance of brain and spinal birth defects. Maintain a healthy weight.   Women of reproductive age who are overweight, obese, or underweight, are at a higher risk of complications during pregnancy. Maintaining a healthy weight is essential to your health as well as the health of your developing baby. Take care of your mental health.   Poor mental health before conception has been linked to low birth weight, pregnancy complications, and has been observed as a possible risk factor for non-live birth. If you are experiencing feelings of sadness, anxiousness, worry, or stress that do not go away, talk to a healthcare professional about what you’re feeling and about possible treatment options. Consult Your Doctor If you are of reproductive age, sexually active, and trying to start a family, consult your doctor about preconception health care. Each woman is unique. Some women may need more time to prepare their bodies for pregnancy than others. Proper preconception care and good preconception health can improve fertility, your ability to get pregnant, and may reduce or eliminate the risk of health complications from developing in you or your child. Resources: http://www.acog.org/Resources-And-Publications/Committee-Opinions/Committee-on-Gynecologic-Practice/The-Importance-of-Preconception-Care-in-the-Continuum-of-Womens-Health-Care http://www.cdc.gov/preconception/planning.html https://www.womenshealth.gov/pregnancy/before-you-get-pregnant/preconception-health.html http://www.cdc.gov/preconception/careforwomen/exposures.html http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/health/news/11402397/Women-who-drink-while-trying-for-a-baby-risk-miscarriage.html Title Image Source

5 Ways Graduates Can Stand Out from the Competition

5 Ways Graduates Can Stand Out from the Competition In today’s competitive job market, having a degree and doing good work unfortunately may not be quite enough to land you  the  job you want after you graduate. In order to get yourself one  step closer than other graduates to your dream job, you have to stand out from the crowd and make a good impression on your potential employers. Here are 5 tips to help you set yourself out from your competition. 1. Build soft skills Yes, for some careers you will be  required to have achieved a good degree in a specified  area, however a lot of the time employers are looking for more than just a great set of exam results in their prospective employees. Instead of merely  looking at academic scores, employers look for candidates that suit  their company culture and they feel will fit in well with the team. They want candidates with personality and the right combination of soft skills,  in areas such  as interpersonal and leadership. Therefore, in order to stand out from  the pack and show your uniqueness, try to market your strengths and let your personality shine through. 2. Develop  your professional presence Research the leading professional organizations in your field of study and join them. Many of these organizations not only can provide you with information about the field, but they can also offer career advice and even mentors to help you with your job search. In addition, if you do not have a LinkedIn profile, do yourself a favour and sign up now! Having a presence on LinkedIn automatically makes it easier for employers to check out your professional background and some hiring managers wont actually consider applicants who do not have a profile. Make the most of LinkedIn by listing all of your past experience and skills and a summary outlining why you are such a great employee! Its great for building a professional network by connecting with people in your desired industry, maintaining contacts and following organisations you are interested in. LinkedIn is a great place to find out about jobs, as well sharing your existing experience, so be sure to keep your eyes peeled in groups, company pages and the jobs section for all the latest vacancies.   Other social media platforms such as Twitter and Facebook can also be great for networking and finding out about job opportunities. 3. Break some rules Many college students have no idea how to write a good resume and cover letter. Most use the same resume template and end up having resumes with similar format, including headings and the choice of words, so as tempting as it is, its probably best to steer clear of the  ready made templates online. To make yours stand out, you should break the mould and be creative. This doesn’t mean that you have to sacrifice the focus and readability of your resume. Just make your cover letter and resume are interesting and concise. Grab your potential employer’s attention by breaking a few rules! If youre applying for a creative industry, you may wish to opt for something a bit out-of-the-box or visually impressive that will really make it stand out from others. 4. Get business cards You may think that business cards are out-dated because we are in a digital era. Well, not really. Business cards are still the currency of business relationships. Some colleges even offer free or deeply discounted business cards to students. Even if yours doesn’t, you can get one done and printed at a very low cost.   Business cards are great for networking and dont ever underestimate the value of your industry contacts when on the hunt for a career opportunity! Make sure you attend networking or industry events when you can and distribute your business cards to those who you would like to stay in contact with. Make sure that you list any social media accounts that you have on there, as well as an email address/ phone number, so people are free to  connect with you in whichever way they feel fit. 5. Be your own PR agent Once you are out of school, you are responsible for marketing yourself. Keep your resume and business cards with you all the time because you never know when opportunity will knock. Be ready to showcase yourself and make the most of any opportunity you have to build your network.   If you havent already, you may want to clean up your social media a bit or create new accounts for professional use, as employers will frequently turn to these profiles to check out an applicant. Image Credit: Shutterstock

Benefits of Using a Marketing Resume Template

Benefits of Using a Marketing Resume TemplateA marketing resume template is basically a detailed outline of the main points to be discussed on your resume. It should clearly show you how you can get the job you want. A marketing resume template can easily come in many formats, like Microsoft Word document, LaTeX or Word processor documents.Marketing resume templates are not just a simple text file - it comes with enough information to completely describe your work experience, achievements and accomplishments. There should be no need for you to fill out blank spaces, change the information for your resume's or return to it for clarification. All these points should be clearly presented on your resume.Marketing resume templates contain a lot of information that people are not interested in when they are applying for jobs. A single word, sentence or paragraph can destroy your chances of getting the job. You need to know this if you are going to make use of a marketing resume template. A resume in this format should focus on the most important information which will help in determining your worthiness of a position.A marketing resume template can be found on the internet in several formats, so that it can be easily read. One such format is the PDF. This format makes it easy for the reader to view, read and understand. In PDF format, you will find an outline of your educational background, previous positions you held, activities which are of interest to you and your interest areas.A resume may look good, but it does not do much to help the marketer's job, especially the modern marketer. This is because people are constantly changing their minds about who to hire and when they have time to actually respond to a resume. A marketing resume template keeps things more interesting by looking at every single point of your resume as soon as it is finished. The writer can continue with the rest of the task and the applicant will start writing more effectively after that.Mark eting resume templates are not only meant for people who are planning to become a marketer. It can also be used by entrepreneurs, college students, even the unemployed. This helps them to refresh their ideas and skills for the future. With the help of a marketing resume template, a person can come up with a truly comprehensive summary of his or her capabilities.Marketing resume templates can be seen on the internet and can be downloaded for free. Once the writer has finished making a resume, he or she can download it and print it out. The best part is that these resume examples are printed from Word formats so that you do not have to pay for a printer!To create a professional looking resume, using the tips and guidelines found on marketing resume templates, is the best way to go about it. You can buy a variety of quality templates online for very reasonable prices. If you find yourself confused about how to make a great resume, you can also try the marketing resume templates before getting into the technical details of the template.

Proper care and feeding of your references - Sterling Career Concepts

Proper care and feeding of your references Proper care and feeding of your references This past week was International Update Your References Week sponsored by Career Directors International (CDI).Professional references can be easilyoverlooked and not keptcurrent so this is a great reminder toreview your list (mental or printed) of your professional references. If you havent secured one from your most recent position, this is a great time todo so. Threemore thoughts on the matter: LinkedIn is a great tool for keeping current with your references. If you havent already, ask your references to post a testimonial to your LinkedIn profile. Your status line on LinkedIn is also a great way to keep your existingreferences up to date with your current projects and areas of focus. If youre activelyjob searching, send a copy of your current resume to each of your professional references with a note detailing your targetposition and that you appreciate their willingness to serve as a reference. This keeps you in the forefront of their mind, brings them up to date on your background,provides perspective for any potential inquiries by sharing target specs, and facilitates a value-added and relevant reference call. Think outside of the box. Do not limit your thoughts toformer bosses. References can be colleagues just as easily as they can be managers. Colleagues who worked side by side with you or who were in the trenches with you can sometimes have much more detailed, hands-on knowledge of your strengths and abilities. Lastly, take a look atCDIs page here for expertanswers to 12 of the most commonly asked questions aboutprofessional references. Proper care and feeding of your references Proper care and feeding of your references This past week was International Update Your References Week sponsored by Career Directors International (CDI).Professional references can be easilyoverlooked and not keptcurrent so this is a great reminder toreview your list (mental or printed) of your professional references. If you havent secured one from your most recent position, this is a great time todo so. Threemore thoughts on the matter: LinkedIn is a great tool for keeping current with your references. If you havent already, ask your references to post a testimonial to your LinkedIn profile. Your status line on LinkedIn is also a great way to keep your existingreferences up to date with your current projects and areas of focus. If youre activelyjob searching, send a copy of your current resume to each of your professional references with a note detailing your targetposition and that you appreciate their willingness to serve as a reference. This keeps you in the forefront of their mind, brings them up to date on your background,provides perspective for any potential inquiries by sharing target specs, and facilitates a value-added and relevant reference call. Think outside of the box. Do not limit your thoughts toformer bosses. References can be colleagues just as easily as they can be managers. Colleagues who worked side by side with you or who were in the trenches with you can sometimes have much more detailed, hands-on knowledge of your strengths and abilities. Lastly, take a look atCDIs page here for expertanswers to 12 of the most commonly asked questions aboutprofessional references.

This Is What The Ideal Health Professional Looks Like - CareerAlley

This Is What The Ideal Health Professional Looks Like - CareerAlley We may receive compensation when you click on links to products from our partners. Are you thinking of moving into the health profession? Perhaps youre already in the health profession but you want to be sure youre doing all you can to be the best. Here are a few characteristics you can expect to find in the ideal health professional: Healthy Attitude And Mindset The ideal health professional will have a healthy attitude and mindset. Whether youre a nurse, doctor, midwife, or even a receptionist in a doctors office, you should be a healthy person. You should eat right most of the time and make sure youre setting a good example for others. Quick Thinking A health professional is always quick thinking. The quick thinking of somebody in a health role can literally be the difference between life or death. You may need to rush somebody through to see the doctor/nurse if they appear to have a more serious condition than first thought. You may have to react to somebody falling, fainting, or having another reaction to treatment. Can Endure Long Days (On Their Feet Most Of The Time) Enduring long days on your feet is usually the norm as a health professional. It will be rare you get the chance to sit down, and when you do, you need to make the most of it! A Good Knowledge Of All Things Health Health finance is something that many health professionals dont bother learning about, but it can be just as important as any other aspect of the health industry. Take a look at the infographic below for more information on health finance in 2016: credit to The George Washington University Online Healthcare MBA Program We are always eager to hear from our readers. Please feel free to contact us if you have any questions or suggestions regarding CareerAlley content. Good luck in your search,Joey Google+