Well, hello, there lovely peoples. Do you love a good old ‘to-do’ list as much as me? I have a tidy little app called ‘Reminders’ which pops up on all my devices serving as a constant…well… ‘reminder’ of all the things I haven’t done. As I stare at it, the angel perched on my left shoulder gently chides…tick off those pesky items, and you can have that glass of Champers sweetheart. The devil on the other swishes his tail and mutters ‘Nah!…pour those bubbles bitch, the list can wait! Yep, it’s time to kick those ‘to-do’s’ to the curb!
Pour those bubbles sweetheart, the list can wait!
Tired of listening to the two of them bickering, I realised drastic measures were required STAT! Always growing, never completed, my lists an essential element of both work and leisure yet oh! So exhaustive. Well, according to entrepreneur Robyn Scott, it doesn’t have to be like this.
Instead of an endless list of tasks, Robyn has a sweet little trick that will completely change how you think about your to-dos. Her suggestion? Make your tasks emotional – create a few categories that appeal to how doing that task makes you feel. For example: “highly helpful” for introductions and advice-giving, “basic decency” for thank you notes and keeping promises, or “massive relief” for tax returns and booking travel
Alex Cavoulacos’ A Mind-Blowing New Way to Think About Your To-Do List‘ (The Muse) suggests making the emotion dramatic. Alex uses headings like ‘triumphant,’ and ‘massive relief,’ for she finds this increases the allure. She also experiments with fun and fear. States or emotions on her list might be positive, or she’ll use terms like ‘avoids a physical and psychological meltdown,’ and it works for her.
‘Kick my Ass’ – kicks procrastination to the curb!
Well, I adopted their suggestions lovely readers. ‘This Week’, This Month’, ‘Goals’ and other mundane titles that blurred into one endless nag have now morphed into a bunch of fun expectations. ‘Reputation Saving‘ takes care of RSVPs, thank you’s, non-urgent responses. ‘Ass Kicking’ kicks exercise procrastination to the curb and ‘Culture Craving’ creates a ‘must book’ that art, theatre, musical event. ‘Money Grabbing‘ gets the coffers topped up with voucher claims, refunds and tax time preparation. ‘Soul Nurturing’ reminds me to take time for me – a massage, facial, coffee with a friend. And more.
My procrastination significantly reduced, and a satisfying tick against each of my emotionally focused items…oh wait? Did I hear the gentle popping of a Champagne cork?
Hi, there lovely readers! An avid reader who confessed to enjoying the blog’s job-related hints recently asked ‘Does anyone bother to read cover letters these days? You’ve not addressed them in your career management and job search posts, girl?’ Well now I have, read on!
As a career consultant always researching global best practice, I’ve identified that the biggest mistake many job hunters can make is to skip a cover letter when sending off a resume in response to an application. Cover letters can be influential, and a well-written one can grab an interview just on its own merit.
So why aren’t people writing cover letters? Some believe that companies don’t care about them or that, since they’re applying online, they’ll only need a resume. Interestingly some say they read only the cover letter while others go straight for the resume, and still more say they spend more time reviewing resumes and applications that carry a cover letter than ones than don’t. Well then, pays to write that goddamned cover letter don’t you think? Let’s look at what NOT to do first:
What NOT to do:
Don’t send a generic letter – it doesn’t work. In fact, it often turns the employer off for it tells them you didn’t make any effort to tailor your message specifically to the needs of the job, so why did you bother sending one? Oh! And given employers are rating your communication skills when they read your letter, if it is feeble, it diminishes your candidacy in their eyes.
Don’t lose them with your first sentence. Your first line either grabs the reader’s attention or loses it, so let’s avoid beginning with the overused standard – ‘I’m applying for the … job I saw online.’ Boring. Another overused starting line is telling the company you think they are great and how much you want to work for them. Although this fact can be stated in the letter later – it’s too weak to open it. What’ more, it doesn’t help your prospective employer understand how you’ll contribute to their success with the actual skills they seek.
What TO do:
The opening:
A strong opening should immediately focus on filling the employer’s needs. The body of your letter should then serve as reinforcement. Try this:
1) Analyse the job — both the noted and assumed expectations — and determine the most critical skills the employer is seeking.
2) Immediately address how you will meet the employer’s needs by using that opening sentence to emphasise the major selling points and skills that you would bring to the job. One that offers actions and results – the winning formula that will have them taking notice. Look at the difference here:
‘I’m applying to the job opening I found on Seek.’
VERSUS
‘Ten years in senior management with proven expertise in international finance for a Fortune 100 company…’
‘Strong leadership in healthcare administration having improved customer service while reducing costs by 12%….’
These openers are eye-catching, designed to get the employer to see what you can do by addressing their needs right upfront. As the first paragraph is what they will read, it needs to have your strongest selling points in it.
The Body:
Now you’ll want to demonstrate proof that you can perform the duties desired. To develop this ‘proof,’ outline the crucial points that the employer wants by underlining the most critical items from the job advertisement.
Hint – Use your network to gather any inside information on what’s most important to that employer for that job. Many job openings are vaguely written or ask for too many skills when the employer only cares about a few. Networking can help you learn about what points to stress.
And another hint (we’re on a roll here!) Tailor your resume content to the specifics you’ve highlighted in the job ad first. If you’ve included quantified achievements as they relate to the requirements you have (a) met the needs of the ‘I only read the resume’ crew and (b) already identified what you offer for summarising in the cover letter. Handy huh?
Now, before you begin writing, ask yourself ‘What is it that they need me to do in this job to do it well?’ Then consider what you have done in your previous roles. It is this experience you want to emphasise.
The next step is to ask yourself: What were the RESULTS of my efforts on previous jobs, projects, or tasks that I’ve undertaken? The key to composing your letter lies in addressing the duties and skills needed by referencing your abilities to perform them, along with quantifiable results from your past efforts as proof that you CAN do the job.
One more hint – using the criticals you highlighted in the job ad as headlines in your cover letter will help the reader connect your examples with the job’s requirements and make the content easier to navigate. Doing so will also help your application make it through the scan bots looking to find a 70%+ strike rate of keywords (see – that tailored resume came in handy, didn’t it?)
With the criticals addressed, you may have other ‘value add’ experiences or skills that further demonstrate the expertise they seek. E.g. living abroad for two years = international exposure or speaking more than one language = ability to communicate with a broader audience.
Finally, keep your letter concise. Keep the body of the message short, not more than one page. Conclude with the power phrase: ‘ I would like to discuss in greater detail the valuable contributions I’d bring to your organisation.’ Ah! You’re a productive team player and focused on being an asset to the employer – nice!
In summary: Your cover letter must develop enough interest to get the employer to want to turn the page, look at your resume and say, ‘This one’s worth calling in for an interview, let’s do it!’
Well hello lovely readers, welcome to 2020! It’s gonna be a good year, a good decade, don’t you think? And Indulge Divulge is here to help make it so. Designed to nurture in both work and play, this year, the blog will focus on self-love – looking after YOU.
If your inner dialogue is no longer enamoured with the ‘I work longer hours than you do’ badge of honour, isn’t it time to stop, pause and reflect? After all, burnout and the associated mental health issues only benefit your Psyche and Doctor, not you, your loved ones or your employer. Soooo…let’s start by looking at finding a little more self-nurturing balance here, OK?
One of my work colleagues enjoys exercising her artistic muscles. Digital, paint, acrylics, charcoal, pencils, crayons, Instagram layout, you name it. So much so that she consciously puts aside time from her work and a demanding young family to focus on this, her form of self-nurturing. It’s meditative and gives her creative satisfaction, reflecting in her family interactions and work.
Having an enjoyable hobby—whether creating a patchwork quilt for your bestie’s new baby, hitting the ski slopes of Japan’s latest resort or practising pirouettes in ballet class—there are all sorts of well-documented benefits, from lower levels of stress to increased sense of belonging and purpose. As proven by my colleague, hobbies can make you more focused and enthusiastic when you’re on the job, and, depending on the hobby, the associated skills you gain can also make you better at your job.
So, having a hobby that you love can do good things for your life and your job, but what if you don’t actually have a hobby you enjoy? You’re not alone. I frequently hear from transitioning candidates ‘I don’t have any hobbies other than ferrying the kids to and from theirs, my life just feels like all work and no play’. Sadly, ‘all work’ didn’t keep them their jobs now, did it?
There are plenty of people who don’t have or don’t know how to find a hobby. But that doesn’t mean they can’t find one. Whether you’re 25 or 85 years old—it’s never too late to hop on board the hobby train! Here are a few strategies you can use to find a hobby you truly love.
1. Transform existing pleasures into a hobby
Even if you don’t have something that you consider a hobby, you’ll have activities that you enjoy. Chances are, there’s a way to transform these into a full-fledged hobby. I like to ask my candidates what they enjoy doing for fun. Such things as ‘eating’ or ‘watching sports’ could easily be turned into hobbies such as ‘taking cooking classes’ or ‘joining a hockey team.’
Have you watched every stand-up special on Netflix…twice? Try taking an improv class. Is your favourite part of the day playing with your dog? Try volunteering with a rescue organization. Love reading about random pop culture facts on the internet? Try joining a trivia team.
My example? I love writing, and I love to travel. My blog actually originated from a desire to write about my travels. In turn, this means I know how to build websites, and I’m good at helping people articulate their brand in written form – both beneficial to my job. Figuring out how to build off the things you already love to do is the easiest way to find hobbies that you’ll enjoy—making you a better, more well-rounded person and employee.
tidy little app called ‘Reminders’ which pops up on all my devices serving as a constant…well… ‘reminder’ of all the things I haven’t done. As I stare at it, the angel perched on my left shoulder gently chides…tick off those pesky items, and you can have that glass of Champers sweetheart. The devil on the other swishes his tail and mutters ‘Nah!…pour those bubbles bitch, the list can wait! Yep, it’s time to kick those ‘to-do’s’ to the curb!
mundane titles that blurred into one endless nag have now morphed into a bunch of fun expectations. ‘Reputation Saving‘ takes care of RSVPs, thank you’s, non-urgent responses. ‘Ass Kicking’ kicks exercise procrastination to the curb and ‘Culture Craving’ creates a ‘must book’ that art, theatre, musical event. ‘Money Grabbing‘ gets the coffers topped up with voucher claims, refunds and tax time preparation. ‘Soul Nurturing’ reminds me to take time for me – a massage, facial, coffee with a friend. And more.
