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 chance to do even more good for the world of HR. However, before we move on to this new year lets first take a look at some of the most shared articles we posted here on the Human Resource blog. Not only were ansicht 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 unproductive. If you didnt read this brde year, take a minute and read it now to landsee if you can cut out some meetings to improve your companys employee engagement.Illegal Interview QuestionsDo you know what interview 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 sure 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 value most in the Mi dwest. 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 experience 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 easy 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 unterstellung 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, they 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 st ick with us through 2013 as well. We can assure you that our tips wont stop Happy New YearsIMAGE Courtesy of Flickr by Lel4nd

32 Inspirational Career Quotes, Mantras and Sayings - The Muse

32 Inspirational Career Quotes, Mantras and Sayings - The Muse32 Inspirational Career Quotes, Mantras and SayingsMany career experts and industry leaders have written about the benefits of writing aspirations on Post-it notes and keeping inspirational quotes close to your workspace. So you can only imagine the awesomeness that occurs when you combine the two ideas and write motivational career mantras on Post-its- its enough to keep you going no matter what your workday throws at you.We know that its hard (and time-consuming) to find the career mantra that perfectly describes where you are at your job or career right now. So to help you out, we compiled 32 mantras you can scribble on a sticky note thatll keep you motivated no matter what.Another huge positiv All 32 of these mantras are under 140 characters, so (hint, hint) you can spread the wisdom on Twitter, tooIf Youre Looking for MotivationFeel like youve been staring at your computer screen for hours and now your eyes are glazin g over? These quotes will give you that little extra push to finish your day strong.Perseverance is failing 19 times and succeeding the 20th.Julie AndrewsDont watch the clock do what it does. Keep going. Sam LevensonYou simply have to put one foot in front of the other and keep going. Put blinders on and plow right ahead. George LucasMotivation is the art of getting people to do what you want them to do because they want to do it. Dwight D. EisenhowerWhat lies behind you and what lies in front of you, pales in comparison to what lies inside of you. Ralph Waldo EmersonIf Youre Looking to Be a Better LeaderLets be real here Managing people is hard. Really hard. The next time you find yourself dealing with a particularly challenging employee, one of these mantras can remind you whats important.Whoever is happy will make others happy too. Anne FrankThere are two ways of spreading light to be the candle or the mirror that reflects it. Edith WhartonThe secret of life is honesty and fair d ealing. If you can fake that, youve got it made.Groucho MarxGood leaders need a positive agenda, not just an agenda of dealing with crisis.Michael PorterAppreciation can make a day, even change a life. Your willingness to put it into words is all that is necessary.Margaret CousinsIf Youre Going Through a Rough Time at WorkYoure bound to hit a rough patch at work sometimes, whether its because of a difficult upcoming deadline or a boss whos making you miserable. These quotes will help you through.You have to learn the rules of the game. And then you have to play better than anyone else. Albert EinsteinEither I will find a way, or I will make one.Phillip SidneyDo not wait to strike til the iron is hot but make it hot by striking.William Butler YeatsPerfection is not attainable, but if we chase perfection we can catch excellence. Vince LombardiKeep your face always toward the sunshine- and shadows will fall behind you.Walt WhitmanIf Youre Dealing With Unpleasant PeopleDemanding clients , evil bosses, rude co-workers, oh my Keep your cool no matter what people throw your way.When dealing with people, remember you are not dealing with creatures of logic, but creatures of emotion. Dale CarnegieKnowing your own darkness is the best method for dealing with the darknesses of other people.Carl JungDo not forget small kindnesses and do not remember small faults. Chinese ProverbWe are far mora liable to catch the vices than the virtues of our associates. Denis DiderotIf Youre Looking for DirectionIts okay to feel a little aimless every so often over the course of your career. Luckily, it doesnt take much to get back on track and re-focus.If opportunity doesnt knock, build a door.Milton BerleDont let the fear of striking out hold you back.Babe RuthFollow your bliss and the universe will open doors where there were only walls.Joseph CampbellIt is never too late to be what you might have been.George EliotThe more you do stuff, the better you get at dealing with how you still fail at it a lot of the time.John MulaneyIf You Just Want Something UpliftingLooking for an inspiring quote just because? You dont need a reason to want to feel uplifted and enlightened. No matter what people tell you, words and ideas can change the world.Robin WilliamsThe glow of one warm thought is to me worth more than money. Thomas JeffersonHappiness is not something you postpone for the future it is something you design for the present. Jim RohnThe only way to discover the limits of the possible is to go beyond them into the impossible. Arthur C. ClarkeIf we did all the things we are capable of, we would literally astound ourselves. Thomas A. EdisonBonus From Our ReadersI sent a couple of tweets out asking readers of The Daily Muse for their favorite career quotes and mantras, and heres what they had to say.You are the entrepreneur of your career, even if you are employed by others.ElisaSDavisGive voice to the voiceless. GabrielJRDont be late. Dont be late. Dont be late.ShanejB ernardWhat are some of your favorite career mantras? Let me know on TwitterPhoto of sticky notes courtesy of Shutterstock.

Pressure Vessels and Piping MasterClasses to be Offered in Chicago

Pressure Vessels and Piping MasterClasses to be Offered in Chicago Pressure Vessels and Piping MasterClasses to be Offered in Chicago Pressure Vessels and Piping MasterClasses to be Offered in ChicagoASME Training Development will hold a special MasterClass Series training event next month in conjunction with ASME B31 Code Week in Chicago. The three advanced-level courses comprising the event, which will focus on issues related to pressure vessels and piping technology, will be offered from Sept. 13-17 at the Palmer House Hilton Hotel. The deadline to receive an early registration discount of $200 is July 31, so be sure to visit the registration page on ASME.org and sign up today. Led by industry experts and ASME codes and standards leaders, ASME MasterClass Series courses are practical training sessions for experienced professionals that emphasize learning through the discussion of real world case studies and practical applications. MasterClasses emphasize interactive co llaboration and knowledge-sharing, and participants are encouraged to actively contribute to the discussion and share their first-hand experiences with other members of the class.The first course, Application of Piping Flexibility Analysis to ASME B31 Codes, will be held on Sept. 13 and 14. The course, which will provide a comprehensive review of the history and bases for the rules for piping plan, will be presented by Jim E. Meyer, principal/lead engineer at Louis Perry Associates Inc. and chair of the ASME B31 Pressure Piping Committee. At the conclusion of the course, attendees will be able to define the analytical basis of piping design rules contained in either the ASME B31.1 Power Piping Code or ASME B31.3 Process Piping Code evaluate the significance of the modeling assumptions and how they affect the final design apply the step-by-step design logic for reviewing stress analysis outputs and determine how to locate and resolve problems and interpret the signific ance of the calculated stresses and the importance of stress categories.A second MasterClass, Impact Testing and Toughness Requirements for Pressure Vessels per ASME Section VIII, Divisions 12, will be offered Sept. 14 and 15. John Swezy Jr., founder of Boiler Code Tech LLC and member of the ASME Standards Committee, will be the instructor for the course, which will offer attendees an in-depth review of the rules and application of the ASME Section VIII, Divisions 1 2 code rules for toughness requirements associated with a pressure vessel design. Using case studies to illustrate the proper application of the code rules to specific design situations for various vessel types and materials of construction, the course will provide participants with a better understanding of how the rules work together in real-world applications.The third course, Bases and Application of Heat Exchanger Mechanical Design Rules in Section VIII of the ASME Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code, will be presented on Sept. 16 and 17. Gabriel Aurioles, technology director for Aspen Technology and chair of the ASME Subgroup on Heat Transfer Equipment, will teach the class, which will offer thorough insight into the history and bases for the mandatory rules for the mechanical design of shell and tube heat exchangers supplied with the ASME Mark. During the class, participants will study detailed example problems that demonstrate how the rules are to be applied and how various options can influence the final design.Attendees will receive 1.5 continuing education hours (CEUs) or 15 professional development hours (PDHs) for each MasterClass they complete. For more information on the three MasterClasses in Chicago, or to register, visit www.asme.org/products/courses/asme-program-mc1016. To download a brochure, visit go.asme.org/MCsept2015. To learn more about the ASME MasterClass Series, visit go.asme.org/masterclass.

5 Tips for Putting Flexible Work Experience on Your Resume

5 Tips for Putting Flexible Work Experience on Your Resume5 Tips for Putting Flexible Work Experience on Your ResumeConstructing a well-written, consistent, and easy-to-read resume is a challenge in and of itself for any prospective job seeker. However, once you factor in the inconsistencies in freelance, flexible, contract, or temporary assignments, the task at hand may seem impossible. How can those of us who have spent years in non-traditional job roles convey, in one to two pages, that we are reliable employees? Showing flexible work experience on your resume may helpBelow are five tips designed to help you better portray your flexible work experience on your resume.Design a well-constructed titelseite letter.Regardless of if youre highlighting your temporary, freelance, or contract employment history, outlining your experience in detail in your cover letter will be of great benefit to you in your job search. Employers will want to know why you freelanced for five years opposed t o seeking full-time work.You have a good reason for seeking out flexible work, whether it be financial reasons, family commitments, or entrepreneurial side projects, so be sure inform your potential future employer of this. Some employers appreciate self-starting professionals, while others become weary of those who havent maintained a permanent position. A detailed cover letter will only further outline your goals and aspirations for future work and put to rest any hesitations from the hiring manager.Dont skip temporary assignments.If you have worked through a temporary employment agency in the past and want to feature that work history, its best to list each role separately with the name of the company, the position title, and your start and end date, rather than listing the agency as your employer. The objective here is to remove yourself from the stigma of working as a temporary employee, and instead highlight your experience as moving through various roles throughout your profe ssional career.Include all freelance work.If you are seeking out freelance work, consider featuring past freelance assignments first on your resume, followed by your permanent professional positions. Freelancers are elendoriously self-starters, independent, and creative workers, so if you feel that these skills would be of benefit to your job search, why not highlight them at the top of your resume. If you currently, or in the past, have worked with multiple clients, create a business name for yourself and list all of your freelance experience under that name to create merit for yourself.Listing the different types of projects and any notable clients will show that you gained valuable, flexible work experience, and will recognize your freelance experience as a time when you were successfully self-employed.Show your consulting experience.If you have repeatedly worked with the same company but have never been brought on board as a full-time member of the team, then you can list this w ork as consulting experience on your resume. List your full-time period, from the first short-term contract you held to the last, and outline the tasks and projects completed for each employment period.Address gaps in your employment history.Its best to avoid any long periods of unemployment on your resume, as well as overlaps between roles. This is to give your future employer a well-laid out, organized, and a clear idea of your professional work history. However, there are appropriate employment lapses that can be highlighted on your resume, such as taking time off to start a family or traveling. Its better to be upfront and honest about these gaps and explain in more detail your decisions to take a break from the professional world in your cover letter. While some employers may not understand the importance of travel, there is no employer who will understand lying on your resume.Readers, how have you portrayed flexible work experience on your resume? Share your tips below

Its Time to Say Goodbye to Work Stress and Live

Its Time to Say Goodbye to Work Stress and LiveIts Time to Say Goodbye to Work Stress and LiveIts Time to Say Goodbye to Work Stress and LiveBy Jenny C. Evans, author of THE RESILIENCY rEVOLUTION Yur Stress Solution For Life 60 Seconds at a Time(Wise Ink Creative Publishing)Its quite likely this year held some challenging moments for you professionally, personally or both. Its also possible the tools you used to cope actually made things worse, not better.Perhaps you found yourself staying up late or waking up early to get work done. In an attempt to create time in a hectic schedule, you might have skipped meals or workouts. There were long stretches of time where you had to sit motionless and maintain concentration in a meeting, at your desk, on an airplane or in a car.Its time to say goodbye to workplace stressfor good.The key to dealing with your stress successfully, having better energy, and becoming more productivewill hinge on looking at stress in a new and different way. Its n ot something thats just in your headits in your body.Stress is a physical event that radically changes your chemistry and physiology. Understanding these changes helps prevent and mitigate its negative side effects.Here are some of our typical responses to stress, why they make things worse, and what to do instead.1. You sacrifice sleep to get things done.Its tempting to trade sleep for extra hours of productivity, but lack of sleep arouses the area of our brains responsible for the fight or flight response. It also inhibits portions of the brain relating to restoring balance and calm. (McEwen, B. 2002) Sleep deprivation also increases hunger and body fat levels, specifically around the bodys mid-section.Not only can this abdominal fat be psychologically stressful, it also increases our risk of diabetes, heart disease, obesity, and even premature death. (Epstien, L. 2008.) And unfortunately these disease states make our stress even worse.Resiliency Remedy Keep to a regular sleep cyc le and aim to get between 7-9 hours each night. We can get by on less, but sleep is one of the best tools we have for the body to recover from stress.2. You skip meals because youre too busy to eat.When we skip meals or go too long without eating, blood glucose (a form of sugar the body uses for energy from many of the foods we eat) drops. When theres not enough glucose, the body thinks a famine is occurring, the stress response is stimulated and the body secretes cortisol.Cortisol puts us into food seeking mode to get much needed energy into the body, and makes us eat large amounts of high-fat, high-sugar foods. It stores much of this extra energy in the fat cells around our abdominal regions for the next glucose emergency.Resiliency Remedy Keeping blood glucose levels in the ideal range stops the stress response from being stimulated. Minimize stress by eating about every 3 hours.Alternate between moderate sized meals (breakfast is a must) and small snacks high in fiber, healthy f ats and/or lean protein.3. You skip your workout because you dont have time.When the demands of our lives increase, we look for things to cut to reduce our levels of stress. Exercise is often the first to go. Unfortunately this is one of the worst coping strategies we can make.Stress hormones are specifically designed to fuel a short burst of intense physical activity fighting and/or fleeing.When we get this schriftart of activity, it burns them off and releases a new class of hormones that restore balance and neutralize the negative consequences of stress. When we dont get this type of exercise, were stuck stewing in our stress hormones.Resiliency Remedy The good news is just 30-60 seconds of intense exercise produces the hormones that restore balance. (Brooks, S. et al 1988, Schwarz, L. et al 1990, Schwarz, L. et al 1992)Sprint up a flight of stairs, or do a few jumping jacks or burpees. Shorts bursts hit the physiological reset button on stress and make a big difference when acc umulated throughout the day. They also train the body to recover from stress more quickly and efficiently.4. You sit for long periods of time.Sitting is the new smoking. It increases risk of death, blood pressure, cholesterol, blood glucose and body fat. (Stamatakis, E., et al, 2011) Think a workout negates it? It doesnt.Sitting for most of the day cancels out the effects of an exercise session. (Matthews, CE. et al, 2012) Also, tension builds the longer we sit while energy and metabolism slow.Resiliency Remedy Several times during the day take a minute or two to move your body.Set your laptop on a cardboard box to stand and type, do some stretching to release muscular tension and stress, on the phone = on your feet, or conduct walking meetings when in small groups.Full citations are available on request.Author BioJenny C. Evans is the author ofTHE RESILIENCY rEVOLUTION Your Stress Solution For Life 60 Seconds at a Time(Wise Ink Creative Publishing). She is also founder and CEO of P owerHouse Performance, where she works with thousands of C-suite executives, leaders, and employees worldwide to help them improve their resilience, performance and productivity, while enhancing their health.

How to Communicate More Clearly With Your Boss - The Muse

How to Communicate More Clearly With Your Boss - The MuseHow to Communicate More Clearly With Your Boss The perfect boss is a mind reader. They know how youre feeling and what youre thinking at any given time, and so they adjust how they treat you and what they assign you accordingly.Youd probably agree with that statement, right?But the reality is that managers dont have this superpower- no one does. However, communicating more clearly- the real-life fix to not working with mind readers- is something you can do in your office.This is what we call managing up. And if that term scares you or seems impossible in your situation, weve discovered the best method to try it out.In a recent article, Quartz writer Khe Hy talks about how his boss vague communication stressed him out on a daily basis. So, he decided to take matters into his own hands- with one simple emailEvery Friday afternoon, Id send my boss a short email with three categories The work I had completed that week What I was working on, including any deadlines that may have shifted or obstacles Id encountered What I was waiting on- that is, tasks that Id completed, but require sign-off from my boss or contributions from someone elseRather than wait for his manager to guess what he needed from them, he proactively put all that information in front of them so they could easily get back to him with a response, sign-off, or edit. It also ensured his boss was well aware of where he stood in meeting deadlines.But most importantly, this short email inadvertently tells his boss how hes getting along mentally and emotionally- for example, if he communicates the same obstacles every week, it opens the door for a deeper discussion about shifting strategies or extending deadlines thatll relieve some of that stress.The real kicker? Writing it up only takes Hy 15 minutes (and probably takes his manager less time to read). Sending this kind of message may seem redundant, but its a great way to keep your boss up-to-spe ed on what youre working on so that they can manage you effectively- and encourages them to be open with you on what theyre working on, too. Even better, highlighting your accomplishments is the first step toward proving youre worthy of a raise or promotion down the road.Even if an email isnt the right strategy for your gruppe, one thing you can take away from this is the importance of communicating with the people you work with. So often our frustrations stem from assuming someone knows something they dont- which is why it never hurts to reach out to a team member when you could use a hand (rather than hope theyll notice youre struggling and offer to help out), or update them if youre running behind (so they know when to expect a final product), or simply ask if communicating differently (such as emailing weekly progress reports rather than meeting every Monday) might be more effective.If you make communicating (like really communicating) a part of your routine, youll find that hop ing your co-workers become mind readers wont be so high on your wish list.

Getting the Best Strong Resume Verbs

Getting the Best Strong Resume Verbs Strong Resume Verbs Features Nothing dilutes the effect of action verbs than being surrounded by a number of other action verbs Be certain to be thoughtful once you use action verbs. If you dont get a good reason to enlarge your variety, the below success verbs can cover most bullets it is possible to consider. Its fine to leave in a couple of the previous verbs.A great deal of well-meaning individuals will suggest you ought to use action verbs. The dot at the start of the very first sentence isnt a mistake. Select the template that most serves your purpose, and has every one of the sections youd love to put in your scholarship resume. Consider putting different verbs in the area of break. Employing action verbs and active voice makes a big difference in your resume, therefore its well worth the excess effort. Its difficult to find the one which you desire. Employers may wish to know that youre qualified to serve as an SPL in their regio n. Utilizing action verbs in resume writing is as simple as any other kind of writing, so long as you know what things to include and what things to look for. Not only do you have to use action verbs in your resume, but you also must pick the ones that fit your industry and make an impact. Action verbs show your capability to succeed. The Importance of Strong Resume Verbs Hiring managers want people who may increase the bottom line. Its intended to provide the applicants a elendion of the work theyll do. Some folks may believe that fancy is better, but in the event of a thriving executive resume, easy and professional is the best way to go. Take a good look at your former job titles. Possessing a superb attention getter for an essay paper is completely crucial because, normally, individuals will provide you with the initial 2 sentences to come. Regardless of what you do, dont tell it to the individual reading your resume. Use the resume words below to demonstrate that with a tiny zest. Highlight your capability to write a joyful birthday sign flawlessly. Furthermore, the majority of people struggle to acquire in the hiring managers head. A lot of people dont like to read essays as they arent engaging. Contents Often when they are constructing their resume, the biggest thing on their mind is simply whether or not theyre able to fit all of their skills and work experience onto the page. You might not think of yourself as vain, however, researchers have discovered that vanity is just one of the chief driving forces that lead to obtain decisions. Resumes are not any different in that respect. Hiring managers want to scan your resume and discover the information that they need in record time in order that they are able to move on to the next resume. They want people who are capable and educated in the profession they are seeking to fill. As a consequence, youll also be communicating your mastery of various essential skills After all, frustration comes out of the inability to address a problem. To put it differently, the proper emotional trigger words take the exact same standard message to all new heights. Naturally, whats relevant is based on the position youre applying for, so feel free to maintain a master resume where you document all your various positions and projects. If youre a recent graduate, you may not have a good deal of skilled experience. Attempt to use this sort of language to demonstrate you have behauptung important skills. If and when someone prints the document, you wish to make certain there arent any technical challenges. Administration occupations like administrative office assistants and secretaries are vital to the business world. Following that, it must impress the hiring manager with information which is relevant to them. As you might be aware, job hunting demands soft skills as well as technical skills you are going to learn in class. Take into consideration your employment history.