Five rude emails you send without realizing it

Five rude emails you send without realizing itFive rude emails you send without realizing itEven the most likeable and well-mannered among us can still look like jerks in an email. Writing an email that comes across just like you do in person is a fine art.During a conversation, you adjust your tone, facial expression, gestures and posture in order to fit the mood of what youre conveying. You do this because people tend to be much mora responsive tohowyou say things than towhatyou actually say.Email strips a conversation bare. Its efficient, but it turns otherwise easy interactions into messy misinterpretations. Without facial expressions and body posture to guide your message, people look at each word you type as an indicator of tone and mood.Most of the mistakes people make in their emails are completely avoidable. The following list digs into these subtle mistakes and hidden blunders.Ladders is now on SmartNewsDownload the SmartNews app and add the Ladders channel to read the late st career news and advice wherever you go.The compulsive CC And Reply AllCCing people all the time is one of the most annoying things you can do via email. Id say its the most annoying, but this honor is bestowed upon the excessive reply all. If someone sends an email to you and a bunch of other people, do you really think every recipient needs to get another email from you saying thanks? They dont, and when you do this, it sends people climbing up a wall.The trick for knowing when to CC someone is to treat your email as if its an in-person meeting. The question then becomes this Would it be necessary or helpful to have this person come to the meeting? If the answer is no, then dont waste his or her time with an email. As for reply all, just dont do it. Even if someone else in the thread replies all, youre still annoying everyone to death when you join the fray. If you have something to say, its better to send this directly (and privately) to the original sender and let him or her d ecide if the group should know about it too.The way-too-briefAll too often, the cause of email conflict is an imbalance between the effort in the initial email and the effort in the response to that email. When someone types up a detailed paragraph outlining important issues, they expect you to respond carefully. Sending back Got it or Noted just doesnt do the trick. Without knowledge of your intent and tone, brief responses come across as apathetic and even sarcastic to the receiver. This is unfortunate because this is rarely the senders intent.The best way to avoid being misinterpreted in a brief response is to share your intent. Even responding with Im a little busy but should be able to read it later this week comes across much better than Got it, which a lot of people will interpret as indifference.The URGENT subject lineSubject lines that say URGENT or ASAP show complete disregard for the recipient. If your email is that urgent, pick up the phone and give the person a call. Ev en in the rare instance when an email actually is urgent, labeling it as such in the subject line is unnecessary and sets a strong, negative tone.The key to avoiding URGENT subject lines is twofold. First, if the issue is best dealt with in any form other than email, then thats how you should be dealing with it. Second, if this is not the case, then the issue lies in your ability to create a strong subject line. After all, people check their email frequently, so as long as your subject line catches their eye, it will get the job done. Instead of labeling the email as urgent, ask yourself why the email is urgent. The answer to this question is your new subject line. If a client needs an answer today, then simply make your subject line Client Needs Response Today. This maintains the sense of urgency without setting a rude, desperate tone.The Debbie downerSending emails that consistently tell people what they do wrong and what they shouldnt be doing really takes a toll. Even if you are trying to offer constructive criticism, you need to avoid negativity in your emails at all costs. Since people are unable to hear your tone directly, they read into the connotations of words and create a tone in their head as they go along. Negatives become especially negative in email form.Whenever you find yourself using negative words like dont, cant, wont or couldnt, turn them into positives. Making this change transforms the entire tone of the message. For example, instead of saying, You cant complete reports like this in the future, say, Next time you complete a report, please When you must deliver negative feedback, dont do it in an email. Just hop on the telephone or walk down the hall.The robotIts easy to think of email as a way to get something done quickly, but when you do this to the extreme, you come across as inhuman. You wouldnt walk into someones office and hand them a report to do without acknowledging them somehow. Jumping straight into the nitty-gritty might seem like the most effective thing to do, but it leaves a lasting negative impression.Fixing this one is simple. Just take an extra second to greet the person youre writing to. You dont have to ask your recipient about his or her weekend. Just a simple acknowledgment of the individual as a human being is all it takes. This keeps the tone much more respectful than it would be if you were to simply send assignments.Bringing it all togetherThe trickiest thing about emailing is making certain that people perceive your message the way you intend them to. You must be socially aware to pull this off. That is, be willing to take the time to consider how things look from your recipients perspective before you hit send.Travis Bradberryis the co-author ofEmotional Intelligence 2.0and the cofounder ofTalentSmart.This article first appeared at LinkedIn.

Top Six Workplace Fears

Top Six Workplace FearsTop Six Workplace FearsLets face it, when it comes to finding or holding onto a job these days, it pays to prepare for the unexpected. When we meet with clients who are in the process of looking for a job, we see a lot of underlying stress about finding a good one but there are other stress factors that happen even after they have found a job.The fear of being fired ranks as the number one workplace fear for employees.But its bedrngnis the only one. Many younger people also experience a sense of disappointment when work doesnt live up to their expectations.Graduatesstart their career in law or finance expecting a high-flying, glamorous life-style, and end up despondent when they are filling in spreadsheets until 2am.Here are some of the most common workplace fearsWorking in fear. When you work in a fearful environment, you know it because you feel anxious about going to work. You have aggressive and/or bullying bosses. They might not even be loud. In fact most aggressive bosses are very quiet and able to manipulate people. The problem with a fearful environment is that people stop being creative it becomes survive instead of thrive.Im never going to make it. Most young people come into an organization after graduating from college with very big expectations and soon find themselves disappointed with the day to day drudgery of their first job. They get this underlying fear that life will never live up to their expectations.Fear of being shouted at. People get into their jobs for the most part because they are good at what they do. We see a lot of managers who get promoted but have no clue how to manage people. This can quickly turn into fear because they themselves are afraid of being shouted at or they become the bully and use shouting as a way to control people. In both cases they might get immediate results but over time they destroy a sense of self and ruin creativity.Fear of retaliation. Every organization has its political side and can be very detrimental. One of the biggest fears for new hires is not being part of the group. Good organizations help to build those relationships through team building. Yes, some people really hate these two words but it does help build relationships for the newbies and helps them establish a friendly work environment where they feel part of the cool kids.Being seen as a slacker. Unfortunately this has been going on for many years. There are people who are afraid to take a lunch break or even go to the bathroom for fear of being seen as a slacker. Thankfully, there is a new culture taking place within organizations zustrom by young people that recognize the importance of taking breaks and fostering a healthy work schedule.What are some of your workplace fears? We would love to hear from you in the comments below

How to Improve Your Cover Letters Scannability

How to Improve Your Cover Letters ScannabilityHow to Improve Your Cover Letters ScannabilityIf youre like most people, youve written many of your deckblatt letters in traditional paragraph style. The first paragraph is an introductory one, stating your interest in the job opening and where you learned about it, while the middle paragraph(s) will mention your selling points - the skills you can offer. In the final paragraph, you typically request an interview, state your resume follow-up intentions, and thank the employer for taking the time to consider you. The thing is, these blocks of text can be less than reader-friendly - especially if the paragraphs are long and wordy. Tech hiring managers are an especially busy bunch, and they receive a lot of responses to job ads. They dont want to comb through long paragraphs to find the information they need, so if your titelseite letter looks like a daunting read, it might automatically end up in the reject pile. Here are some suggestions t o make your cover letter more readable and make the most important information about you stand out Use Bullet Points in Your Cover Letter Bullet points are a great way to offer some visual appeal to your cover letter by breaking up the text and creating additional white space. They can also make it easier for the employer to scan through your selling points and absorb the most important information about you. On the other hand, it can help you with writing the cover letter, as the bullet points may not require as much writing as a traditional cover letter does. Tips for Effective Use of Bullet Points in Cover Letters Use bullet points in your second paragraph, where you list what you can bring to the table for the employer.Use full sentences in your bullet points. As an option, you can start each point with a key motto that states one of the jobs requirements - pulled straight from the job ad - and then lead into a brief explanation about how your experience meets that requi rement.Do not use bullet points to repeat what youve included in your cover letter bullet points are more about stating achievements and how you meet the employers needs, rather than what your responsibilities were in previous positions. Keep your bullet points concise. The whole point of writing a cover letter in this style is to reduce the amount of text that a hiring manager sees - short and to the point. If you keep a large mass of text and put a bullet point next to it, youre missing the point. In general, your bullet points should mirror the language used in the job ad. It will help demonstrate exactly how you meet the requirements and what you can offer the employer. Keep Cover Letter Paragraphs Short As for the other paragraphs in your cover letter, make sure they are brief. You want the letter to look as easy to read as possible, so each paragraph should be a maximum of two or three sentences long. Also, your entire cover letter should not be more than three to five par agraphs long - on the shorter side if you include the cover letter in the body of an email. Read Your Cover Letter Aloud Dont worry - you dont have to read it to another person (unless you want to). Read it aloud to yourself. It will help in editing your own writing because many things sound great in your mind, but are strange or disorganized when read aloud. Reading your writing aloud helps take your own mind out of the equation and makes your speaking voice a fresh reader.

Customize this Outstanding Tutor Resume Example 3

Customize this Outstanding Tutor Resume Example 3Customize this Outstanding Tutor Resume Example 3Sample Tutor ResumeCreate Resume SKILLS Degreed and experienced writer/editor, experienced English/writing teacher, trained understanding of computer applications and technology, excellent verbal communication, hard-working team player EXPERIENCE Part-Time English/Writing Tutor, Sylvan Learning Center, Austin, TX (achter monat des jahres 2006 November 2007) Tutored students from 6th grade through high school in English and writing to improve their reading, writing, spelling, and grammar skills and help them become better communicators both in and outside class After School Director/Teaching Assistant, Paragon Prep Middle School, Austin, TX (October 2006 -August 2007) Led the Paragon After School program of 30 to 40 students by helping them with homework, creating and directing recreational activities, and disciplining as needed Assisted teachers by providing educational support for students and supervising classes Writing Tutor Newsletter Editor, Del Valle High School, Del Valle, TX (August 2004 August 2006) Tutored students individually and in groups to improve their English and grammar skills, become more adept writers, and pass the written portion of the English TAKS (Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills) test Collaborated with teachers and students on writing Del Valle newsletter Conducted final edits for newsletter Sales Writer, Blast Express, Austin, TX (January 2003 July 2004) Wrote and edited documents- including proposals and reports- for the sales department and maintained company database Trained new employees in the sales department Part-Time Contract Editor/Transcriber, On the Record Reporting, Austin, TX (January 2001 December 2002) Wrote, edited, and transcribed recorded court proceedings using a multi-channel transcribing machine and computer Internet Communications Manager, Pagewise.com, Austin, TX (September 2000 December 2002) Authored, edited, and published original work on the web site Edited work of fellow employees Publications Manager, Pro-Ed Publishing, Austin, TX (February 1997 September 2000) Conducted initial print copy edits of academic articles published in Pro-Eds journals Supervised final edits, incorporating layout proofs onto hard disk Collated journal contents, ensuring the presence and correct order of written elements EDUCATION University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill BA in Journalism (News-Editorial Writing Concentration), December 1996 REFERENCES Available by request HONORS 2006 Finalist, Screenplay Festival (Comedy Genre), for The Three DetectivesCustomize Resume

Job Training to Set You Apart From the Competition

Job Training to Set You Apart From the CompetitionJob Training to Set You Apart From the CompetitionWhen you were a child and wanted to learn how to tie your shoes, ride a bike or recite the alphabet, you most likely needed a little bit of help to achieve your goals. Parents and teachers were available to put you through your paces, provide instructions and to train you in the fine art of ABCs and wheelies off the curb. Entering the job market isnt all that different than learning how to tighten the laces on your first pair of sneakers. In todays competitive job market, candidates will often have certain foundational certification or skills requirements. In addition, advanced training in critical areas can help give you a leg up on the employment seeking competition. Not all training is created equal, however. Here we break down a few fundamental aspects of job training to set you apart from the competition.Communication SkillsIn todays increasingly interactive world, even the most d esk-centric job will likely require advance communication and interaction with customers or peers. Whether shooting off an email over that complicated HR scenario or leaving a concise message for the latest restock order, the ability to clearly and efficiently communicate is an asset to employers and employees alike. Getting this training is often times an on-the-job type of deal. Various online courses, however, do offer advanced communication skills workshops. Learning how to structure sentences for the most impact, how and when to use colloquialisms and strategies for getting straight to the point without appearing rude or curt, can all give you a heads up in your job search, whatever your chosen field may be.Tech SkillsIts hard to envision a modern business that doesnt use technology to help interact with customers or streamline their money-making endeavors. It would only make sense, then, that businesses would have a preference for candidates that come pre-loaded with a host of technological certifications or skills. The trick to training in this category is to determine which types of programs or technology will be most utilized in your chosen career field. For some job-seekers, advanced training in word processing suites may be more than enough to make the hiring managers eyes light up in appreciation. Other companies or positions may require advanced programming or database knowledge before theyre impressed. Leadership SkillsMaybe youve been told that youre a born leader or manage to exude confidence in every scenario. Without specialized training designed specifically to hone these skills for the job place, however, claims that youre above average in the leadership department are likely to fall on a hiring managers deaf ears.Dont presume, either, that just because the position doesnt call for supervisory experience that the ability to lead a team wont be a trait your company values. Savvy businesses seek out employees for the long term and are constan tly on the lookout for candidates to innovate and who may be future heads, chiefs, and executives. Brush up on your leadership skills with a little outside training and help your prospective employer picture you in the managers or c-suite, eventually.

References for a Resume Tips

References for a Resume Tips The Hidden Gem of References for a Resume Dont let one bad reference check make you lose out on a good job prospect. Site visitors can search by place, job title or company in some cases. Now that youre schooled on how best to list reference on a resume, know your resumeand your referencesmay have to be altered slightly as you make an application for different jobs. Following your interview, your references could be a crucial component on whether you get a job offer from an organization. Also, share with them a copy of the resume youre submitting so they can be on the exact same page if and as soon as the hiring manager calls them up. Perhaps youre looking at a digital employee to save on office equipment and other prospective savings. Occasionally its a simple option to leave a provider. Search for Jobs that Match Once somebody decides the job he or she would like to do, the next step is to search for jobs online. The ideal time to search for a job is when youve got work, but it doesnt signify that its simple to look for work as youre employed. Highlight your achievements that youve gained previously in similar sort of job. If youre talking about a present job, they ought to be utilized in the current tense. The most essential part of obtaining a job is having the ability to sell yourself to an employer. If youre asking for plenty of jobs you dont have to allow them to know about each application. The muster practice in recruitment is to get in touch with references the identical week as the work interview. When used by employers, references might be critical part of the interview procedure. If you are able to, select references that are ready to talk specifically about your qualifications for the job for which youre applying. New Ideas Into References for a Resume Never Before Revealed If youve been asked for a certain number of references, it is a good concept to deliver a couple more than requested. When cho osing your references, think about the message youre attempting to convey. Then provide a brief rundown of what you are presently doing. In a nutshell, the key to reference success is to prepare beforehand, choose those who will speak highly of you, and make it simple for them to achieve that. Character references can show youre the sort of person employers want to get. For instance, if youre going into the work market for the very first time, you might just have to list three references. Remember that the aim of the resume is to secure you to the interview stage. Only submit your references if youre asked to. The references can be in two sorts of formats. Second, your references may not wish to openly share private information. Formatting your resume references is a comparatively straightforward task. Another reason why its not a great concept to put references in your resume is that you could be identified as an older candidate. In reality, occasionally its a poor concept to include resume references. When youve selected your references, make certain that they are well-prepared to aid you. Youre also likely to need to understand how to choose and request references. Sometimes prospective employers will say how many and what sort of references they want. After the interview, the prospective employer will probably request references. Make certain you let your employer know you have references available upon request. When you should provide references to a prospective employer, the ideal way to do it is to create a reference page you are able to share with them. Because you might be sending your reference sheet with your resume, its advisable to use the exact same font on both documents. Ask each reference if theres any information they dont want listedthis will help safeguard your contacts private info, Nolan states. Developing an individual reference page is helpful for a couple reasons. Quite often, a reference list is requested in the on-l ine application practice. The range of references you list is dependent upon your career level. It is essential that you know yourself.

Top Spark Hire HR Posts of 2012 - Spark Hire

Top Spark Hire HR Posts of 2012 - Spark HireThe new year is upon us today and to that we say Happy New Year Last year was a great one all around, but this upcoming year is a perspektive to do even mora good for the world of HR. However, before we move on to this new year lets first take a look at some of the fruchtwein shared articles we posted here on the Human Resource blog. Not only were these articles shared the most, but they were shared many times on all social media outlets including LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, Stumble, etc. So without further ado, lets take a look at the most shared articles on our Human Resources Spark Hire blog from 2012.Can Cutting Out Meetings Improve Employee Engagement?Does your company conduct more than one meeting a week? Do meetings take over your employees productivity? If so, then you may be inadvertently hurting your companys employee engagement. Not only that, but most of the time company or department meetings can be very unproductiv e. If you didnt read this last year, take a minute and read it now to see if you can cut out some meetings to improve your companys employee engagement.Illegal Interview QuestionsDo you know what bewerberinterview questions are off limits in a job interview? It seems as though many HR readers took a liking to this post last year. Perhaps its because if hiring managers ask job seekers the wrong questions, they could face legal issues. Certain things like religion, race, gender, and health have no place in the interview process. Read up on what questions are illegal and make koranvers you avoid asking them in your hiring process.The Top 5 Job Skills Employers Want INFOGRAPHICDo you know what job skills you look for most in a job seeker? According to one of our most shared articles from 2012, at the top of the list is collaboration and team work skills. However, the most desired job skills differ by region. What employers want on the east coast is a bit different than what employers va lue most in the Midwest. Take a quick look at this infographic we posted back in December and see if what you desire most from job seekers matches up with the majority of employers in your region.What is Candidate Experience?We werent very surprised that this article made it on the most shared list of blog posts. Its crazy how many employers are unaware of what the candidate experience is. On top of that, candidate experience is so important in the hiring process as well as overall employee retention. If you arent quite sure what the candidate experience is yet, then be sure to read this post before you decide to stop into the new year.How to Create a Great Candidate ExperienceNow that you know what the candidate experience is, start working on creating a great one for your job seekers and top talent Supplying a poor candidate experience can send top talent running the other way. Not only that, it can send your current employees running for the door as well. A poor candidate experie nce leads to poor hiring and poor employee retention. Be on the ball this year and start working on creating a great candidate experience for your candidates and employees.Common Interview Questions Job Seekers Will AskSeasoned employers and hiring managers are likely ready for any questions job seekers throw at them. Or are they? With the job market picking up slightly, job seekers have more room to be picky in the company they choose to work for. A job interview is a chance for you to learn about the candidate, but its also their chance to learn about your company. Savvy job seekers will have some great questions for you, so be sure you are ready with some answers. (And not generic ones)Staying Engaged With Your JobAs another year starts, are you asking yourself why you are still working in this job? Youre not alone. However, instead of running to the job boards (Spark Hire first, of course) try and re-engage with your current position. Its easy to get bored, but it may also be ea sy to remember why you loved this job in the first place. Take a look at how you can stay engaged with your job before you walk into the new year bored.5 Best Interview Questions to Ask Your CandidateYou may have your interview process down to a science by now. However, some hiring managers may be starting the new year with a new job. Is recruiting new to year this year? Are you looking for some new questions to pose towards job seekers? Then take a look at these 5 interview questions you should be asking job seekers in the job interview.The 7 Habits of Highly Effective ManagersEvery manager wants to be a good manager- or at least they should The thing is, good managers seem to have some things in common with each other. If one of your new years resolutions is to be a stellar manager, then take a look at these 7 habits that great managers share. If you dont already possess these habits, then get to them4 Tips for Hiring Long-Term Employees Its no secret that when companies hire, the y want to hire for the long-haul. In other words, you want to hire long-term employees that are going to stay with the company for at least a couple years. Otherwise youll have to jump on the hiring bandwagon countless amounts of times. Thats why we came up with these four great tips hiring managers can use to hire long-term employees. Take a look and start implementing them into your own hiring process.Importance of Employee Appreciation InfographicLastly, it should be no surprise that this was our most shared post of the year 2012. If you kept up with our posts in 2012, then you may have gathered that employee appreciation is important. In fact, its one of the most important aspects within a company. More than anything employees want to feel as though their work is appreciated. Take a look at this infographic from last year to see just how important it really is.So there you have it hr pros, our most shared blog articles of 2012 If you thought those articles were helpful, then be sure to stick with us through 2013 as well. We can assure you that our tips wont stop Happy New YearsIMAGE Courtesy of Flickr by Lel4nd