5 Brown Bag Lunch Topics for New Employees

5 “Brown Bag” Lunch Topics for New Employees Short on time, but have a lot of information to cover for your new hires? The woe of bosses after a hiring spree is how they’re going to impart all the relevant information without losing valuable time. That’s where this fun, yet valuable, idea comes into play. A “Brown Bag” lunch is an informal meeting where employees can eat while learning something newâ€"from a fellow employee, a speaker or company leader. This makes it an effective way of sharing new information with employees without taking away from their hands-on training time. Connect with your new hires, while giving them all the details they need to know, with these “brown bag” lunch ideas. 1. Career growth opportunities in your company The best way to encourage your employees to stay in your company is to show them what happens if they do. This talk is best given by someone who’s worked their way up internally, or just got a promotion. Ask the person to tell a compelling story first, and then give more examples of new positions that are being created. Don’t forget to have your speaker touch on some of the attributes that led to their promotion, (initiative, diligence, etc.) and let employees ask questions. 2. Take advantage of mental health benefits Physical health benefits are often referred to when sharing information about the company health plan, but all too often, mental health benefits are left out. A brown bag lunch is a great way to discuss the company’s ability to help employees with mental health issues. Be sure to include information about what mental health resources are available with their health insurance. The survey Fighting Fear: The 7 Billion-Dollar Price Tag found that people treat common mental health issues, like fear of failure, with a variety of treatments, such as counseling, hydrotherapy and exposure therapy. Knowing that the company health coverage pays for or financially assists with treatments like this will be hugely helpful. 3. Company health initiatives: How to get involved If your company has health initiatives, now is the time to tell your new hires exactly how to get involvedâ€"especially if the initiatives involve rewards for hitting specific goals. If your company doesn’t have any health initiatives, use your brown bag lunch to brainstorm ideas. New employees are a great resource because they may have had experiences with this at the job they came from or at another company. 4. How their job affects the company According to a recent study, 53 percent of employees want more insight into the way their position affects their company. During your Brown Bag lunch, start by talking about how the company works, introducing new hires to different departments and leaders. Then discuss how various positions work together or independently to hit company goals. Don’t forget to share some of the organizations’ top-level priorities, which will also give them greater insight into how they can help in the future. 5. How to suggest an improvement This seems like a no-brainer, but you as the boss are intimidating, and your new hires may not know who to go to if they’ve got a great idea, but are too nervous to tell you. Treat this session like a verbal “contact list” run-down. For ideas pertaining to product, go to this person; for ideas in marketing, talk to this person; etc. Print and handout a list of these people as well, so your new employees can refer back to it, rather than having to ask you or another manager. Once you’ve established the kind of topics you’re looking for at the first few sessions, offer the planning of the next session to a younger manager. This gives them plenty of opportunities to grow and reiterates that you invest in your employees. About the author:  Caroline Davis  is a professional blogger, focused on business, culture and health. She uses her experience working in a startup environment to provide tips and advice for small businesses. She regularly writes for  CarpeDaily.com  in addition to other industry blogs.

Best LinkedIn Recommendation Examples (And How to Get Recommendations) - Career Sidekick

Best LinkedIn Recommendation Examples (And How to Get Recommendations) - Career Sidekick Best LinkedIn Recommendation Examples (And How to Get Recommendations) LinkedIn / https://www.edenscott.com/blog There are 450 million users on LinkedIn, and one of the best ways to stand out is to get LinkedIn recommendations.You may also be asked to give someone a LinkedIn recommendation, so in this article, Im going to give you some of the best LinkedIn recommendation examples out there so you can write your own with confidence.Then, Ill show you how to get LinkedIn recommendations of your own to boost your profile, impress recruiters and hiring managers, and get more interviews.Lets get startedWhyRecommendations Are The BestWay To Improve Your LinkedIn ProfileSo, heres the most powerful thing you can do to improve your LinkedInYou need to get great recommendations written on your profile. There is no betterway to stand out and impress viewers on LinkedIn. (Ill explain why in a second).If you use my method it will be easy and should take less than 15 minutes total. It just takes a tiny bit more effort than most quick-fixes on LinkedIn. Which is why most people dont do it, and why youll lookgreat if you do.I think most people dont do this because its intimidating if youve never done it. Or if youre not sure how to ask friends and colleagues.SoIll walk you through exactly what to do and Ill reveal theexact word-for-word message you can send to get results.First, what areLinkedIn Recommendation? And why do we want recommendations instead of endorsements?Best LinkedIn Recommendations ExamplesHere are some of the best examples of LinkedIn recommendations for you to copy.This is what you should aim for if youre trying to get people to write recommendations for you (you can show them these as an example). This is also what you should emulate if youre trying to write a recommendation for someone else.This first LinkedIn recommendation example is from my profile:This is one of the best formats to use in a LinkedIn recommendation. I call it the before and after. He talks about struggling before working with me, and how much better it was after he worked with me.This is a classic format for any testimonial (on LinkedIn or elsewhere) and is a good example of an effective LinkedIn Recommendation.Lets look at one more example nowThis next Linkedin recommendation is one I wrote for a colleague:This LinkedIn recommendation is an example of how to write a LinkedIn recommendation for a more senior colleague.You can give and get LinkedIn recommendations from people more senior than you, more junior than you, at your same level, etc. There are no rules. Id aim for having a variety on your profile for example, one former boss, one former colleague, and maybe someone you trained/mentored/led.As a final note about these examples above The best LinkedIn recommendations for you will depend on your industry. So along with looking at the two examples above, Id recommend going out and finding a few examples from your own industry (by searching LinkedIn and browsing profiles).LinkedIn Recommendations vs. Skill EndorsementsEndorsementsare asso ciated with the skills you list on LinkedIn. Someone can endorse you for a skill, and a tiny box with their photo appears next to it.When LinkedIn introduced this a few years ago, everyone loved it. It was great to have those boxes filled out. It gave you credibility.Unfortunately theyve become somewhat meaningless. You can endorse someone for any skill, without even knowing the work they do. I get endorsed for contract recruitingall the time and Ive never been a contract recruiter in my life. Its just junk at this point.Recommendationsare completely different. Recommendations are a note that someone took the time to write, not just a button they click. Theyre written by people who know your work. Each recommendation willshow up under a specific job, and in a recommendations section lower down on your profile.Heres an example of how it looks:Which do you think is more impressive? Which one will get read (and not just skimmed). I can tell you that recruiters will stop and look if you have recommendations. Its one of the few things that will stop someone from skimming andturn them into a reader.Now that youre hopefully convinced, lets talkabout how you can get great recommendations for yourself in under 15 minutes.How To Ask For LinkedIn Recommendations Steps Example ScriptStep 1:Write down a list of 10 people who know your work somewhat well. It can be previous bosses and managers. It can also be other colleagues you worked with, or even someone youtrained, managed or supervised. If youre a freelancer it can be a client.If youre a recent graduate or entry level job seeker, you can use professors, classmates you worked with on a project,people from internships, or from groups/organizations you were a part of.Think for a bit. I know its not easy to come up with the names but sit down with a pen and try. Youll be surprised what you come up with.Step 2:Take that list and contact them through LinkedIn or email. If youre already connected on LinkedIn, thats probabl y easiest.Heres the word-for-word example I would use to get LinkedIn recommendations:“Hi ____. I’m working on improving my LinkedIn profile and one of my goals is to get a couple of recommendations from colleagues that know my work well. Would you be able to write me a LinkedIn recommendation in the next couple of days to help me improve my profile? I could do the same for youif you’d like, just let me know.”Will This Work Every Time?No. But itll get you a good response rate (it should be over 50-75% if you ask the right people). And the best part is that its risk-free. Youre asking in a friendly way while staying professional, and wont ruin any business relationships. Its a win-win and the payoff ishugeEven getting one or two recommendations on your LinkedIn profile will grab the readers attention and stop them from scrolling past. Which means recruiters will spend more time on your profile and will be more likely to get in touch.Or if you message them, theyll be a lot mor e likely to respond.The only other snag you might run into: Not everyone knows how to leave a recommendation.So if you email someone and they arent sure how to do it, tell them to go to the top section of your profile, hover their mouse over the little downward arrow, and then click recommend.If you want to see how itlooks, check outthe YouTube video I created about the subject. This link will start the video at the exact spot where I show it (3:08).WhatTo Do Next:So your job now is to go build your list of 10 people and get started. Coming up with the listand sending out messages should only take 10-15 minutes and you will have these recommendations on your profile forever.I have six recommendations on my profile and its the best thing Ive ever done for myself on LinkedIn.Go try it now, and if you have a question leave a comment below.

Top 10 Recruiting Movies of All Time

Top 10 Recruiting Movies of All Time Unless youre talking about short videos presented by head hunters and military recruiters, there are very few Hollywood movies about recruitment. However, when one is on the cusp of selecting a career and or field of study in college, watching inspirational films about real life persons can do a lot to inspire. This list of top 10 movies will include films about technology geniuses, men and women with dreams and purpose, fighting apathy and corruption and even a look into a future society: 1) Tucker: The Man and His Dream: This 1988 biography film of Preston Tucker was directed by Francis Ford Coppola and starred Jeff Bridges. Set after WWII, Tucker challenged the big 3 automobile makers in trying to develop his 1948 Tucker Sedan. Uplifting elements include that he was a man who could not be bought, bullied or broken. 2) The Pirates of Silicon Valley: A 1999 movie starring Noah Wyle as Steve Jobs and Anthony Michael Hall as Bill Gates. Based on the book Fire in the Valley: The Making of the Personal Computer, this film tells of the relationship of the 2 technology giants through college, founding businesses, and building global empires. RELATED:  Life Lessons by  Steve Jobs 3) Enders Game: A totally Sci-Fi movie, made in 2013 and set in a futuristic society, brilliant strategies are displayed by Ben Kingsley and Harrison Ford while preparing for a future alien invasion. Asa Butterfield, a young man with untapped genius plays the man to lead them, Ender Wiggin. 4) The Recruiter: Hooray! A real recruiting film by Propeller Films. This movie is based on the life of Los Angeles Sgt. 1st Class Clay Usie, one of the most successful Army military recruiters ever. The movie deals with 4 teenagers for a 9 months period of time in LA from finishing high school as students to becoming soldiers. RELATED:  How the Swedish  Army  Uses Social Media to  Recruit 5) Norma Rae: Sally Fields acting is inspiring in this true story of Norma Rae who took on the Union big boys. 6) Stand and Deliver: Facing apathy with little to no support, this inspirational true story about transforming gang members from the ghettos to mathematical aces is truly amazing. Edward James Olmos won the best actor award for his portrayal of James Escalante. This movie was added to the National Film Registry of the Library of Congress in 2011. 7) Erin Brockovich: Righting wrongs, this true story of Erin Brockovich cutting through legalese is another win for the good guys. 8-10) Diner, Tin Men and Avalon: Director Barry Levinson made a trilogy of movies (set in Baltimore, MD) that were all semi-autobiographical, dealing with life from 1914 to 1963. All 3 warrant a place on this list: Diner 1982 movie about the 1950s for college buddies starting the journey to adulthood with a diner being a meeting place. Tin Men 1987 movie set in the 1960s about aluminium siding salesmen debating issues about professions, the phoniness of sales and material gains. Avalon 1990 movie but historically set after WWII with Jewish immigrants coming to America.  Working their way from manual labor jobs, to respectable sales jobs and then opening their own business depicts the American Dream.

Working How It Can Help Your Family - Classy Career Girl

Working How It Can Help Your Family Moms rule. Whether you work the traditional 9 to 5, work at home with your kids, or own your own business, moms make the world go round. In today’s world, many families don’t have a choice about whether or not mom (or dad) can stay home with the kids. For most families, a two-income structure is the only one that will allow them to put food on the table, a roof over their heads as well as afford other essentials like band uniforms and a hockey facemask. Many moms work the traditional 9 to 5, but a growing number are entrepreneurs who own their own businesses, freelance full time or piece together side hustles into a full-time gig. Thankfully, the number of women-owned businesses is on the rise: up to 29% in 2015. There will be no “mommy wars” here. Whether you work inside or outside of the home, you are some of the most important people in our society â€" the moms who are raising the next generation. However, lots of moms who work outside of the home do have a nagging or sometimes even overwhelming guilt about it. Shouldn’t they be home full time? Shouldn’t they do every drop-off and pick-up? Shouldn’t they be the one putting the  baby down for every nap and feeding her every bottle? Relax. The answer is a resounding “no.” Here is a look at why working is good for both moms and their families. Working: How It Can Help Your Family 1. Setting Your Kids up to Succeed The “working mother effect” shows that kids of working moms have better prospects. A study from Harvard University concluded that daughters of working mothers earned more and climbed higher on the corporate ladder than their counterparts who had stay-at-home moms. It’s good news for the boys, too. Sons of working moms were more likely to spend time on housework and child care. [RELATED: 3 Important Values These Moms Taught Their Daughters] 2. Working Forces Your Time Together to be Intentional Moms who work recognize the time they do spend with their children is precious, so they are intentional with those special hours. Many moms who feel guilty about heading to work find that turning off their phones and turning their full attention to their children when they can is a great way to overcome that guilt. You may “only” have three hours between school pick-up and bedtime, but those three hours are going to be golden. How? Read together, cook dinner together and color. If you don’t have time to take your kids to the local park, consider building a playground at home! Kids spend 50% less time playing outside than they did in the 70’s, and outdoor activities are incredibly important for kids to develop their sense of self, physical and social skills. 3. Examples of Teamwork and Smashed Stereotypes   Hello, it’s 2016. Why is the pressure still on mom to do it all around the house and in the workplace? Instead, as a working mom, business owner, and entrepreneur, you are exhibiting to your children that women can pursue any line of work they wish. Further, if your partner is on board with your professional goals, and they should be, then you are showing your children the importance of teamwork, professional development and support, no matter one’s gender. That is a lesson that will last a lifetime. 4. Bringing Home the Bacon: Additional Financial Security   Let’s not pretend as though the benefits are all emotional, mental or personal. There is also the paycheck to consider, and it should be seriously considered. Your time away from your family needs to be worth it, so make sure to ask for the salary you deserve and expect raises comparable to others in your field. When you are able to buy a home, provide for your children and provide the security that comes with a stable income, you’ll know working is good for your family. Beyond the paycheck, work gives you an outlet to interact with adults and utilize your skills and academic background â€" as well as get a break from the baby bottle brush and laundry room. While some might argue you are just as likely to turn into a referee at work as you might at home with your kids, embrace that. Enjoy this break from child care because it will allow you to come home ready to spend some quality time together. Moms are subject to a lot of criticism and unsolicited advice. Ultimately, though, all of that advice is not as important as what is best for you and your family. So, go ahead, mom â€" work it!

10 Tips To Help Strengthen Your Personal Brand Through Social Media - CareerMetis.com

10 Tips To Help Strengthen Your Personal Brand Through Social Media If you want to stand apart from the competition within your industry, social media can be apowerful tool to help you establish a personal identity and build your reputation. In order to be successful at it, you need to put forth continuous effort along with the right mix of tactics.Below are 10 effective tips to help build your personal brand with social media.1) Define your goalsevalIn order to know which social media platforms your efforts should be going to, you need to set goals. Are you looking to launch a new business? Differentiate your brand from the competition? Boost profits through increased sales? Once you have determined the goals you are looking to accomplish, you can begin formulating your strategy.As an example, you may be looking to showcase your skills in the hopes of landing a new job. In this instance, you would want to put your focus on your LinkedIn profile.If you are looking to expand your reach to a wider audience, you would want to work on optimizing your pro file on Twitter by creating content to help drive interaction.If you are a photographer, then Instagram would be your ideal platform and so on. 2) Come up with a brand statementA brand statement is one that briefly and clearly defines you as a brand. To be successful in today’s business climate, you must be specialized in something. When coming up with your own unique brand statement, you want to clearly express the following: What value you provide To really grow your personal brand this day in age, you have to be social. Every day you should be sharing and producing content. You want to also make sure you are engaging with your audience through discussions, questions, comments, replies, etc.This will not only help build your relationship with your audience but also strengthen the loyalty they have towards your brand.4) Have a content strategy in placeJust as businesses have a branding strategy, your personal brand requires an effective content strategy. The focus of your strateg y needs to be on creating valuable and engaging content on a consistent basis that resonates with your target audience One, create a content calendar filled with your posts and the times you want them to go out. Two,schedule your social media posts with a scheduling tool. By doing these two very important steps, you will always have content in the queue and you will never have to worry about forgetting to post it.5) Ensure brand consistencyFor your personal brand to come across as more impactful, you want to make sure you are being consistent in your voice and brand messaging. Here are some additional guidelines to keep in mind when it comes to keeping things consistent:Any colors, logos, and layouts should be consistent across all your accounts.Keep the tone and language in your content consistent. Your website, personal blog and business cards should all have a similar design.6) Invest in YourselfInvesting in yourself and your career is all a part of personal branding and it does have a cost. Here are some ways of spending money on yourself can help boost your personal brand:Hire an editor to proofread your content.Hire a speaking coach.Invest in books that will help you learn a new skill.Attend seminars and workshopsIf you don’t know graphic design, hire someone7) Find and join groups in your nicheTake the time to find professional groups in your area and join them. They are great for networking and building relationships as well as learning. Aside from attending meetings in your area, you want to join online groups too. Here are a few sites where you can find relevant groups for your niche:LinkedIn GroupsGoogle GroupsFacebook GroupsRedditOnce you join a group, you need to be an active participant in order to build up your presence and be seen as an expert among your target audience. 8) Launch a weekly email newsletter.evalEmail marketing is still one of the most effective marketing techniques for strengthening both personal and business brands. Sen ding out a weekly newsletter is a great way to bring awareness to both your brand and content.You will have the opportunity to discuss a wide range of topics as well as market any of your future endeavors to an active audience every week. 9) Create a personal website.Anytime you are applying for a new job or people just want to know more about you, they are going to Google your name. For the power to remain in your hands, you want to make sure you have as much control as possible over what information is shared.Depending on your niche, you want to focus on highlighting your unique strengths and identifying what sets you apart. You can include a summary of your CV, a short bio, any features you have had as well as past employers. You would also want to have a blog here. If you do not have one already, it is time to get one going. Any content you share here should also be shared across all your social media accounts. And lastly, if available, try and get a dot-com domain with your fi rst and last name. eval10) Make valuable connections LinkedIn is a great platform to find other experts in your industry to engage with. Once you’ve found your competitors or any top influencers in your area, analyze their posting habits, networks, as well as the content.Pay attention to how their followers are engaging with what they post and incorporate any best practices into your branding strategy.Here are some other ways to find people to connect with:Attend events (online and in-person).Go to niche forums and contribute to any issues you can offer insight on. Try to guest blog on niche websites.Get interviewed on podcasts and videos.ConclusionCultivating a personal brand on social media will not be easy. It will require a lot of research and thought to do it successfully.Remember, at the end of the day it is not what you look like or where you live, it is about showing people who you are and what you stand for. This is a long-term effort that will require monitoring and adju stment along the way to ensure your personal brand continues to flourish.

What To Do When You Want To Completely Change Your Job [Infographic]

What To Do When You Want To Completely Change Your Job [Infographic] Some people are perfectly content with the job and career that they have. They land out of high school or college and set along a path, working their way up (or not) and never thinking about the what-ifs or the maybes. But other people perhaps want to change their outlook and their future by completely doing a 180 turn and changing their jobs. They might want to enter a new industry or they might want to learn a new skill. Whatever the case, that decision can be alternately terrifying and exciting. It is exciting and inspiring to think about learning something new and finding success. But it’s terrifying and stressful to think about the financial commitment and the lack of security. Before you tender your resignation letter, though, there are some things to think about in order to smooth the process. This graphic explains what to consider and reflect on.

What Does a Review of Best Resume Writing Services Reveal?

What Does a Review of Best Resume Writing Services Reveal?To get a job interview, the resume you submit must have reviews of the best resume writing services. The aim of this is to ensure that the resume you produce has been thoroughly reviewed by the employers, and found to be good enough to warrant employment.Resumes do play an important role in a job interview. Having the job of hiring someone needs to be based on strong and credible evidence of qualifications, both prior to the interview, and during the interview process. A resume must show you have the capacity to do the job and demonstrate leadership skills which will be key factors to the decision on whether or not you get the job.If your resume is not strong or fails to convince the employer about your worth as a candidate, there is a risk that the job interview can be marked as unsuccessful. So it is crucial to get these reviews of the best resume writing services, which are carefully performed.In addition to the standards s et by the employer to show their strong trust in your abilities as a candidate, reviews of the best resume writing services need to show that you know how to construct a good resume. In addition to creating a good resume, you should not only be able to produce the one you intend to submit, but also be able to edit, and improve it as it is submitted. It is vital that your resume is revised as and when it needs to be.The review job will ensure that all your responsibilities, experience and qualifications are correctly listed and are included in a well organized and useful format. Every section of the resume should clearly state what job you are applying for, why you are the right person for the job, and how your previous employment has prepared you for the position you now seek.Reviews will then decide whether you receive a full response or not, or whether your application is declined. If it is, the review service will be able to recommend the company, as well as the jobs you could ap ply for, as the reviewer will have seen the best of your resume.When seeking reviews of the best resume writing services, check the website for how long they have been providing this service. It is a good idea to ask for previous testimonials. Once you have asked for a few and heard positive feedback, it is highly likely that you will find the best resume services in your area.Remember that a resume is a representation of who you are, as well as the people you have worked with, which is the most important part of the job application. The first impression of an employer is the most important and should be on your mind when choosing the services for review.