Yom Kippur provides a welcome break from work

Yom Kippur provides a welcome break from work My earliest memory of Yom Kippur is one of my dad writing a note for me to give to my second grade teacher: Please excuse Penelope from school tomorrow. She is Jewish. Maybe if there had been other Jews at my school, the note would have had more context. But my dad was apoplectic about the fact that Christmas was an official school holiday and Yom Kippur was not, and he would explain nothing. So I tried, as best as a seven-year-old-could, to explain to the teacher that Yom Kippur is the most important Jewish holiday. I said: Its so important that we dont even eat. Now that Im in charge of my own fridge, I havent fasted in years. But I still take the day off to go to synagogue, and I still find myself explaining the holiday to the uninformed: Its a time to mourn the dead. Its a time to be thankful for being alive and to try to figure out how to be a better person next year. Even if Jews neglect Judaism in their day-to-day lives, most show up to synagogue for Yom Kippur. Some Christians may relate they may not say the rosary every night, but they never miss Christmas mass. As a kid, I considered Yom Kippur an interruption of my secular life. When other kids asked about my absence, I told them I was at home sick or had a very long dentists appointment so no one would know I was different. As an adult, there are always more Jews in my office than there were in my grade school, but at the office I have found new problems with Yom Kippur. The first year that I didnt live with my parents I felt rebellious: I worked on Yom Kippur. But that day it felt bad. I told myself that it would be okay if I spent time at work thinking about how to be a better person the next year, but I ended up thinking only a few minutes, locked in a stall in the back of the bathroom. By the time my career progressed to management jobs, I knew I would feel bad if I didnt go to synagogue, but sometimes I still skipped Yom Kippur. I worried: What if a meeting was held and since I wasnt there someone delegated all the grunt work to me? I neednt have worried all meetings were postponed out of respect to the number of Jews who were out of the office, except for me, who showed up. I didnt learn my lesson. I worked on Yom Kippur the year I was supposed to give my first presentation to senior management. The printer broke. The presentation was postponed. No one cared. I fasted the rest of the day at my desk. Another year, my reason for ditching synagogue was less career-driven and more water-cooler-driven. The O.J. verdict was going to be announced, and I didnt want to miss the communal fun of hearing the verdict at work. I imagined highly-charged debate, or at least a lot of shouting. So I stayed at work, where reaction to the O.J. verdict hoopla was anticlimactic and short-lived. After that, I usually took a day off with all the other Jews. I came to enjoy the Yom Kippur chatter in the office among Jews because during the rest of the year, Jews are mostly secular and so is the chatter. Yom Kippur would be more convenient if it fell on Christmas (everythings closed, Jews have nothing to do a great day to fast!) but I realized that the Yom Kippur interruption of work would not derail my career, it would only derail my weekly schedule. This last Yom Kippur, which fell on Sep. 27, two and a half weeks after the terrorist attacks, I discovered something new: Yom Kippur gives me a peaceful time that I would not otherwise allow myself at the expense of work. People are still shaking from the World Trade Center attacks and the looming threat of our country at war. We are all expected to get back to work and be productive while a necessary process, it is one that feels abrupt. Yom Kippur gave me a break. So I did in that time what that time is set aside to do. I mourned those who died. I gave thanks that I was alive. I thought of how to be a better person next year. Some will call me on the fact that I only lean on my faith when I need it most. But this tragedy has made many of us revisit, reassess, and most of all, re-appreciate. For years I looked at Yom Kippur as an inconvenience I always felt I would be missing something at work. This year, the timing could not have been better, and I realize I would have missed out on something more had I gone to the office.

5 Behavior-Based Interview Questions You Should Use CareerMetis.com

5 Behavior-Based Interview Questions You Should Use Today’s competitive job market demands a new method of recruiting. Hiring managers have to be able to look beyond a resume and experience-based questions to really gauge a candidate’s character and see whether they truly embody qualities consistent with the company’s culture.By incorporating behavioral-based interview questionsinto your hiring process, you gain a more insightful view of each candidate and are able to make a final decision based off someone’s full range of skills, experience and personality.evalThere are a lot of things to account for when interviewing candidates. First and foremost, people are usually nervous meeting face-to-face. In a hopeful employee’s mind, this is a “make it or break it” deal, and while some people will be putting their absolute best foot forward, others may find themselves tongue-tied and unable to truly demonstrate their value to you.It’s your job to ensure that the company hires someone who isn’t just qualified to perform the job but also enhances office culture. You don’t want someone who will simply show up, work and leave. You need an employee who leaves an impression on their coworkers and truly contributes something unique to the workplace.These 5 behavior-based interview questions lay an excellent framework for discerning a candidate’s strengths, weaknesses and strongest personality traits. Even the most nervous prospect will have the opportunity to showcase their potential by responding to these questions.#1 â€" Can you tell me about an experience at a previous job where you didn’t get along with a coworker? What happened, and what action did you take?evalIt’s not uncommon to ask employees about how they’ve handled conflict in the past, but this question goes a step further by asking the candidate to recount a specific experience and describe specific measures they took to resolve a problem. The first factor you’ll want to consider when evaluating a candidate’s response is how they describe the coworker in-question.Rather than speak in a derogatory tone or insult their past coworker, a good candidate will list the characteristics or actions the coworker took that displeased them. They will focus more on the problem and how they resolved it rather than how someone else caused it.The ideal answer will demonstrate a candidate’s ability to maintain composure and come up with solutions to problems in unfavorable conditions. You will also be able to tell whether this person is more likely to seek out results in any situation rather than cast blame and ignore responsibility.#2 â€" Can you describe a time you struggled to build a relationship with someone? How did you overcome it?Communication is key, especially when you don’t see eye-to-eye with someone you have to work with. Whether it’s a customer, client or coworker, the ability to empathize and adjust social approaches is important in the workplace.evalDuring a behavior-based interview, you should seek to u nderstand how the candidate responds to a variety of social situations and how willing they are to branch out of their comfort zone.If they had to work with a boss who wasn’t very affable, for example, they should explain how they went out of their way to find common ground, always be friendly and start conversations.#3 â€" It can be a challenge to meet everyone’s expectations when you’re working with a high volume of clients. How do you prioritize customers’ needs?This question provides a twofold look at the candidate’s behavior and values. First and foremost, you’ll be able to discern which qualities they find most important when it comes to customer service.Second, you’ll get an idea for how well they multitask. We all know you can’t make everyone happy, and if a candidate is stretched too thin, a good response would demonstrate their willingness to go the extra mile and assist a client as well as ask for help when they’re overbooked.evalA strong candidate will seek to provide optimal customer service independently, but they will also recognize an inability to fully meet a client’s needs and eagerly refer them to the best resource or personnel.#4 â€" Tell me about a time you were under a lot of pressure. How did you adapt, and what did you learn from the experience?This question assesses an ability to adapt. Flexibility is important when it comes to work, especially if you tend to have rotating responsibilities in a position. The candidate may share answers relating to their personal life or stick to their professional experiences. Either route is fine, but make sure they clearly identify a time that they were stressed.Professional vulnerability demonstrates confidence and honesty; if they admit that they cracked under the pressure but can explain how they rebounded and now have a better understanding of their limits, great.You can expect to hear a wide range of answers to this question including adopting personal coping strategies, reac hing out to a trusted coworker or supervisor or even seeing a therapist and learning some new techniques for dealing with stress. The most important takeaway from this question is the candidate’s willingness to learn from tough situations and adjust their thinking and reevaluate their priorities as needed.eval#5 â€" Tell me about an important goal you’ve set for yourself. How did you ensure you achieved it?Time management is important, but so is personal growth. Rather than asking about how a candidate accomplished a work deadline (a situation most applicants have rehearsed), this question aspires to understand some goals that are important to the individual. Maybe they vowed to lose weight and came up with a diet plan and workout routine. They could have decided they wanted to accomplish more during the day and started identifying three main objectives every morning before work.Based on the response to this question, you can learn more about what the client values in their own life and how well they’re able to effectively adjust and manage their time.The Importance of Behavior-Based InterviewsBehavioral interview questions identify a variety of core strengths and values. A good candidate will be able to provide concrete examples of past work and personal experiences to highlight their strengths. The answers will demonstrate both capability and willingness to cooperate and adjust to new situations.If you find that the questions take the client back, don’t be shocked. While behavior-based interview questions are becoming more popular, many applicants are still unfamiliar with them and tend to only practice the staple questions like, “Tell me about yourself” and “What makes you a good candidate for this role?”Using questions like these will help you tailor your interviews to spotlight the specific qualities and values you need in a new hire. You’ll gain valuable insight into a candidate’s real work experience, their motivations and characteri stics you can’t find on a resume.

Are you afraid to ask for support - Margaret Buj - Interview Coach

Are you afraid to ask for support We all need help and support  at one time or another especially when were facing a job interview, whether for an external job or an internal promotion. Yet, most of us hang back, fearful of admitting our weakness or concern to a friend or a professional. Many of us would rather handle the matter on our own. We buck up, stiffen our upper lip, dig in our heels, and go for it. But theres no benefit in going through a challenge without support. Others have travelled the course before us so why not use their road map? You might be surprised at how people want to give you a hand, an encouraging word, or a name or contact you can refer to. Practice Leads to Progress For some people practice makes perfect as the saying goes, but for the majority, practice leads to progress. You learn along the way. Let’s assume youve landed a job interview and you feel worried or anxious about it, talk to someone in the know who has experience in this area. Meet them for lunch and ask questions, take notes, and perhaps ask that individual to do a practice interview with you. If you don’t know anyone like that, find a professional. It can make all the difference between walking into the meeting with the jitters or showing up with confidence and enthusiasm. If you’re applying for a job within a different department, do your research. Find out about the projects you’d be working on, challenges they are facing etc â€" before your interview. The same applies to any other area of your life â€" if you wanted to get very fit for example, you know you could get better and quicker results with a help of a personal trainer. Yet every day I see people who’ve been struggling for months to get a job or get promoted just because they don’t allow themselves to get any support. But I can’t afford it… I’ve spoken to people who’ve been out of work for months, and they won’t get any help because they ‘can’t afford it’.  They won’t spend £200 or so to get help in finding a job soon, yet how many thousands of pounds/dollars are they missing out on by not working for months or staying in the same unfulfilling job for too long? People always have the money for  things they want.  If I’ve waited until I had the money to pay for a coach, I’d have never got the results I had in my business. Personal feedback and advice from someone who’s experienced in the area you need help with is just not something you can get from free materials available on the internet. And the more you pay, the better results you get as the more invested you are. When I paid my previous coach  $300 per hour, I’d made sure I’ve implemented all the actions and advice. I might not have been that committed if I’d only paid, say, $50 per hour… We all need coaches and mentors if we want to succeed. Bill Gates has one in Warren Buffet, Saint Laurent had one in Christian Dior. Aristotle had one in Plato, who had one in Socrates â€" and the list goes on. All the successful business owners I know have coaches. What about you? If you’ve had a mentor/coach, what were the results? If you have not and you are still struggling with whatever problem you have â€" why not? I’d love to hear your comments!

Tips For Writing a Work Experience Resume

Tips For Writing a Work Experience ResumeIf you are looking for resume writing for work experience, you may want to read this article. It will help you learn the basic resume format and find out if a work experience resume is right for you.This is the first step in applying for a job, how to write a work experience section. This section must be included on your resume if you have any work experience. You should make sure that it is listed somewhere where a potential employer can find it. Otherwise, they may ignore it when you apply for a job.There are several things you can include on your resume if you have work experience. This is a good way to show how you can help the company as well as what you have done in the past. However, it is not mandatory to include this section on your resume. Many employers are satisfied with a job description without this section. To get the employer's attention and find out if you would be a good fit for the job, include this information on your resum e.The skills section of your resume must include your work experience if you want to include a work experience section on your resume. This section must clearly indicate what skills you can offer to the company. It must also be comprehensive in showing your skills and accomplishments. You must also provide information about the employer's requirements, if you can provide them. In this way, the employer will know whether you have the skills needed for the job or not.Include a summary of your work experience and indicate the length of time you have been working for the company. You must also state the names of the employers so that the employer can contact you if you are interested in working for them. Include the following information: name, address, phone number, e-mail address, type of work, the location, whether you are self-employed person, and what your pay rate is.If you have any job that you have held as an independent contractor, a freelance writer, a teaching assistant, a nu rsing assistant, or any other type of work experience, write in the 'Other' field to indicate this information. This will enable you to work for other companies. Do not forget to indicate this on your resume if you wish to do that type of work.If you have not had any work experience, write 'No' in the work experience section. It is not necessary to indicate this. If you are self-employed, you may still have some work experience but it must be from another company.Resume writing for work experience is an important part of the job application process. You must include it if you have any work experience. If you have not had any work experience, simply write 'No' to indicate that you do not have any work experience.

Get a Json Resume Writing Help For Well Created Workplace Resumes

Get a Json Resume Writing Help For Well Created Workplace ResumesJson resume writing is the work of a professional writer who has taken his/her own time to prepare a well structured and thorough resume. They should make it well-defined so that prospective employers would not be confused when they come to know about the various fields, professions, levels and specializations. These things are essential so that the potential employee would have a clear idea of what he/she is going to get when he/she approaches a company and what position would be assigned to him/her.As the workforce is often left with an important question mark hanging in the air - 'how does one write a resume', there are plenty of online sources that can assist you in your quest for becoming a skilled Java SE developer. One of the best ways to do it is by following Json resume writing tutorials. You will need to select the format of your resume in accordance with the particular requirements of the job. Therefore, it w ould be advisable to get in touch with a suitable expert in this line of business.Json resumes contain a lot of information and specifications and there are several formats that can be customized according to the working environment. All this will help you to highlight the information that you can provide to prospective employers. In order to present yourself in the best possible manner, the resume should show your practical skills that would contribute to your success.Among the most valuable factors to be remembered are your excellent job history and your expertise. It is very important to mention all the required qualifications here so that you can make the best use of your time while preparing your resume. What you may not realize is that many employers are being trained by recruiting agencies and colleges are providing them with the very basic modules, so that they can turn to professional help when they have a specific demand.Another effective mode of resume writing is article writing. While choosing the best editor to work with, remember that it will not be as easy as it seems. You should check out for such useful tools as grammar, spelling, punctuation, etc.Although it is a good idea to hire a professional resume writer to assist you, it is not possible to make a decision regarding this without taking into consideration the whole process of hiring a professional. Online sources are quite popular these days and there are several individuals who offer their services. However, if you want to avail the assistance of a talented individual, it is advisable to search the net first.If you want to provide an attractive picture to prospective employers and impress them with your talents, consider some of the proven and tested ways of resume writing. There are numerous directories on the internet which can prove helpful in presenting your particular skills and achievements so that you can make the best use of the availability of time.

Heres What I Know About Words to Use Instead of I when Writing a Resume

Here's What I Know About Words to Use Instead of I when Writing a Resume A History of Words to Use Instead of I when Writing a Resume Refuted Our research paper writing assistance includes many added benefits! It's hard essay realize the simple fact that when you graduate from mr price business program and begin studying in legal, you're on your. A great method to prove that you're organized is to compose a well-organized resume. All the work ought to be used in compliance with the ideal policies and applicable laws. Words to Use Instead of I when Writing a Resume at a Glance There's no reason writing a resume needs to be an exercise in locating the absolute most cliche words and using all of them in the exact document. To allow you to find the most suitable words, utilize this compiled list of language. There aren't any errors of fact. There aren't any spelling errors, zero typos. The most significant thing you need to know is that nobody could ever know that you relied o n our assistance. You and each person that has ever written a resume has used the word ambitious at some point or another. You just have a brief time to produce an impression with your resume. Consider all the next. Words to Use Instead of I when Writing a Resume Help! Resume plays an essential function in getting good jobs. Employers would naturally expect you to revolve around the latest experience leaving out unnecessary details of jobs which you had 10 decades ago. You have to write the full reflection in your words only. Power words are used for many reasons. Utilizing power words is the secret to success, but it isn't the conclusion of the resume-writing story. More precise words may also add a little formality to your actions, she states. Vital Pieces of Words to Use Instead of I when Writing a Resume Employers look through hundreds of resumes and could spend only a couple of seconds reviewing them. Use the appropriate Words Computers are often utilized to deci de on the resumes to be looked at by searching for keywords that were picked by the hiring manager. Resumes should demonstrate what you could do and not what you cannot do, states Harrison. Introducing Words to Use Instead of I when Writing a Resume For instance, if there is how you would like to highlight, look at using boldface. Be certain to design elements to your benefit. Employing common small business terms like wheelhouse or go-to person has the ability to look like the ideal approach to acquire your qualities across efficiently. Expert Stay away from the term expert, if you don't truly are, states Bensusen. Work experience is just one of the main information given on a resume. The attractiveness of Social Media is you could access people you otherwise might not. The Benefits of Words to Use Instead of I when Writing a Resume There are a couple of explanations for why you should put us at the surface of your list. Do research on the business and the place to mak e sure that you include the essential info. If needed, utilize another page. List info in a words way.

My Job Search Lessons - Work It Daily

My Job Search Lessons - Work It Daily This is a true story as told to JustJobs Academy which houses career interviews and job search advice for professionals in any industry. Visit to read about how to tame your ego and ask for feedback on the job. My current title is Director of Marketing. I work for a privately held hotel group that owns and operates 17 properties under five different brands that are recognized nationally and internationally. I was offered my position after being in the job market for more than two years. Even though I enjoyed my previous employer and co-workers, I became frustrated with my former job when I realized there was little chance for me to move up the proverbial ladder. I reached out to friends I had in the hospitality industry and took my time conducting my job search. Before accepting the job I have now, I received six offers, which I turned down. With the help of my industry contacts, I was able to find the group I work for now and ensure that I would have opportunities to move into other positions in the future. The technology I relied on most heavily during my job search involved social networking sites. Since I was actively employed during the two years I looked for my current job, I was rarely available to discuss other opportunities during traditional business hours. I easily managed to keep in touch with people using networking sites, however, and received information about companies that were hiring regularly. As an added benefit, I had the chance to learn about some of the individuals with whom I’ve conducted business for years, but never had the chance to meet face-to-face. I’m not sure I would have befriended many of these contacts on a social networking site before entering the job market because I just didn’t think of them when I visited these sites in the past. I’m glad I did, though. I feel like the strength of my relationships with most of them has increased and I’ve come to look forward to hearing from them in something other than a work context. If I decided to look for a job as a Director of Marketing with another company, I would separate myself from other candidates by discussing the success I’ve had marketing different brands of hotels in unique ways while adhering to the guidelines dictated by the owners of the brands. My ability to satisfy my company’s shareholders as well as the companies that allow us to use their brand names in exchange for a fee, would distinguish me from others applying for the same job. I still use social networking sites to connect with professionals in my field even though I’m out of the job market. I believe these sites along with the prolific use of the phone are the most effective tools to help anyone trying to find a job in the hospitality industry. While I searched for a new job, I had the displeasure of participating in an interview that was an absolute, positive disaster. I agreed to interview for a senior level marketing position that was vacant within a hotel group that owned more than 200 upscale properties, but did not know the name of the person who was going to conduct my interview. When I arrived at the scheduled time, I found myself being interrogated by a person I’d shared a major with in college â€" our major was hotel administration. We hadn’t gotten along while at Cornell and we didn’t get along in my interview. We ended up spending two hours arguing about issues we’d disagreed on twenty years earlier which, apparently, are issues we still can’t agree on now. We only stopped our heated discussion when my interviewer’s boss entered the room and told us to lower our voices. It was embarrassing. I learned to always keep my voice low no matter how passionately I feel about something and to not reignite whatever issue burned down the bridge of friendship between me and someone else from this experience, no matter how tempting it may be to do so. The most important thing I’ve learned on my own about the professional job search process is that it never ends. Even though I’m content with my current job, I still exchange information about opportunities with my contacts all over the world. I remain up-to-date with this information because I don’t know when I’ll be looking for another job in the future. I feel I need to be prepared at all times, especially because people are not traveling as much as they used to in today’s economic climate. Even though my school has a great career services program, I did not use it during my most recent job search and probably wouldn’t in future ones either. If I could redo one event from my professional past, I would not have left a job I had working for a museum in Boston, MA, after graduating from college. I left my fundraising position because of a conflict with a co-worker. I still regret my decision now, more than 20 years later. I thought I was making some dramatic point by tendering my notice, but all I really did was succeed at acting like a spoiled child. Even now, I feel foolish for letting my emotions and personal opinion of someone else justify one of the poorest decisions I’ve made during my career. I hadn’t learned that I don’t have to like everyone I work with, or be liked by them, to get a job done and done well. I hadn’t yet experienced the reality that sometimes differences between people actually help to get something accomplished more effectively that it would get done under different circumstances. I wish I had stayed at the museum; I still love long enough to learn these critical lessons and many others. Job search lessons image from Bigstock Have you joined our career growth club?Join Us Today!