The Most Important Soft Skill You Might Not Be Developing

The Most Important Soft Skill You Might Not Be DevelopingThe most important skill peopleattempting to address the skills gap tend to miss is actually problem solving googletag.cmd.push(function() googletag.display(div-gpt-ad-1467144145037-0) ) Employees Improve Your SkillsAs many as 77% of employers are determining their new hires based on soft skills like problem solving, communication, and ethics. They know that without these kinds of skills, on-the-job training is mora difficult for managersand colleagues alike.If you are good at problem-solving, then you know how to learn independentlyyoull improve and develop as an employee no matter what context youre working in. When you get frustrated, you turn that into motivation to find the answer instead of giving up. You know how to maintainyour problem-solving muscles so that they that kick in whenever the going gets tough.In order to improve your abilities, Tim Murphy, founder of ApplyMate, recommends exercise books that give you brai nteasers or word problems to solvethese arelow stakes opportunities to build your skill set.EmployersFind and Nurturethis Important SkillAs an employer, Pomeroy recommends developing screening protocols for job applicants, liketests that ask prospective hires to solve real problems theyre likely to face on the job. Hiring managerscould even build in a collaborative component by asking them to talk through issues with current employees.If youre looking at your current employees and noticing crucial deficits, consider offering employee training with personal coaches or monthly professional development presentations. You can give your employees agency to identify and address their own areas for improvement. In addition, allowing them to give presentations in groups or alone will build their sense of self-sufficiency. Prioritize problem solving, and youll cultivate a workforce that knows how to work together and independently eventually theyll solve problems before they happen.How to Id entify and Train the Skill That Matters MostRead More at TalentCulture World of Work

Note to Recruiters on LinkedIn What, Why, and How for Job Seekers

Note to Recruiters on LinkedIn What, Why, and How for Job SeekersPosted on December 6, 2018June 13, 2019 by Jon Shields Job searching isnt just about responding to job postings or attending networking events. Recruiters are looking online for the perfect people to fill vacant jobs people that may or may leid be job searching for openings that might not be posted publicly. Most recruiters use LinkedIn to search for candidates, who in turn can use the LinkedInNote to Recruiters feature to discreetly signal their availability and interests.How to find Note to Recruiters on LinkedInThe LinkedIn Note to Recruiters feature is found under the Career Interests section of your LinkedIn profile.After youve written your LinkedIn profilecontent and optimized it for recruiter search, the next step is to head to the Career Interests section.Optimize Your LinkedIn ProfileThe Career Interests section is on your private Dashboard between your Introduction Card (photo, name, summary, et al.) and eithe r your Articles Activity (if you are active on LinkedIn) or your Experience sections.The Note to Recruiters feature is hidden when you first enter the Career Interests section. To enable it, you must turn on the Let recruiters know youre open option.Once this switch is turned from off to on, the Note to Recruiters will be available.Be sure to fill out the entire Career Interests section, not just the Note to Recruiters.How do recruiters binnensee the LinkedIn Note to Recruiters?LinkedIn offers a product to hiring companies and individual recruiters called LinkedIn Recruiter. The information you share in the Career Interests section can be found inLinkedIn Recruiter searchresults.When you fill out the Career Interests section your profile gets a badge that says Open to new opportunities within the search results. Recruiters hover over this badge to see an introductory statement that is your Note to Recruiters.What to write in the Note to Recruiters box on LinkedInYour Note to Recrui ters can only be 300 characters long. This isnt the best distributionspolitik to summarize your experience or make a sales pitch thats what your LinkedIn summary and profile are for. Use the Note to Recruiters to share things that arent obvious based on your profile.Note to Recruiters examples includeSpecialization changes and interests No longer interested in sales, Want to focus more on B2B instead of B2C, Looking for opportunity to lead a team, Ready to transfer my skills into the tech spaceDeal breakers Series A startups only, Downtown only, Not interested in Amazon jobs, Only interested in senior management or director-level opportunitiesPotential Hurdles Not relocating until next April, amtsstube must have an elevatorDont overthink it.This short section is unlikely to make or break your chances of getting an interview. A recruiter wont be wowed by accomplishments, skill lists, or accolades jammed into this section. This is more about helping them send better matches and maki ng the most of everyones time. Recruiters are excited to work with someone they know how to place.Wow them instead with a LinkedIn profile optimized for the types of jobs you are most interest in. Check out JobscansLinkedIn Optimization tool for custom tips and insights.Facebook Commentswpdevar_comment_1 span,wpdevar_comment_1 iframewidth100% important

How to Develop Professionally in Companies Without Formal Programs

How to Develop Professionally in Companies Without Formal Programs Regardless of whether or bedrngnis an employer provides a formal employee development program, every individual is responsible for their professional advancement. Your organization might not have the budget to send you to conferences or pay for certification tests, but that does not mean you can afford to ignore development altogether.Here are a few tips to help you advance your skills and career, even when you dont have access to formal training programs.Make a PlanIf youre taking professional development into your own hands, you must have a plan. Start by creating a road map as if you were required to fulfill a development plan. In addition to goals, checkpoints, and action items, your plan should include buy-in from your boss, if possible.Once youve created a plan, make koranvers to hold yourself accountable It can be easy to dismiss deadlines if you dont have a supervisor looking o ver your shoulder, but completing your development goals on time will keep you focused on advancement. If you need some help staying accountable, share your plan with others. Youll be more likely to stick to your career road map if your boss and/or coworkers know youve set a deadline for yourself.Ask for Stretch AssignmentsIf youve received support from your boss concerning your professional development plan, request challenging assignments that are outside of your comfort zone and normal duties. Taking on new projects shows your initiative and willingness to learn, which are attributes companies look for in their kollektiv members.Stretch goals are not something to be afraid of. These assignments will be difficult and will challenge you professionally, but not succeeding on a stretch assignment the first time does not mean that you have failed. Instead, itmeans that you have learned the skills you need to develop in order to succeed the next time around.Identify a MentorA good way to figure out where you want to go in your career is to identify a person in a similar role who is doing what you want to do, is respected in a way you want to be respected, or holds a position you want to have in the next few years. Once you find that person, you have two options study them so that you can learn from their habits and interactions, or try to establish a mentor relationship with them.What youll likely find is that your mentor (or role model) not only excels at their own job but also fully understands how their job relates to other jobs within the company. When you know the ripple effects of your job, it helps you make better choices. Understanding how your work impacts others will make you more mindful of other peoples time and responsibilities.Join a Professional OrganizationAnother way to refine your skills is to join a professional organization within your field. Such organizations are helpful because they often provide training components that you might not be ab le to find at your current company.If you feel underqualified for a training session, go anyway. Attending developmental sessions that you think are slightly above your knowledge level is beneficial. One of the biggest blind spots for young professionals is that they dont know what they dont even know By joining a professional organization, you will learn things that you might not come across in your current role but will prove helpful in the future.Creating your own professional development plan in a company without formal development opportunitiescan be daunting. However, if you want to impress decision-makers at your company and propel your career forward, self-improvement beyond your daily tasks is necessary. If you start with a plan, find a mentor, ask for challenging projects, and join a professional organization, youll collect new skills that will be beneficial to your career in both the near and far futuresMeghann Isgan is the team success manager at Readers.com.