This is why employees should write their own recommendation letters

This is why employees should write their own recommendation lettersThis is why employees should write their own recommendation lettersHave you ever gotten a recommendation request from a current or past employee whose work you dont feel comfortable fully endorsing?As a CEO, Ive found such requests can put me in an awkward position. I always struggle with the question of how to respond. Should I say yes and write something lukewarm, or should I try to duck the obligation entirely?Recommendations are tougheven when you want to endorse a person. Sometimes the employee worked with you many years ago or on a team with a number of others, and you dont remember his or her specific accomplishments. And more often than not, the requestcomes with a tight deadline. Do you say yes to that request? Do you say no? Or, do you ask the person to write the recommendation for you?Recently, I got to talking about this problem with another CEO, Josh Sample of Drive Social Media. Joshs company has a great culture and a philosophy aboutopenly transitioning employeesto their next jobs thats very similar to the one at my company, Acceleration Partners. When the topic of helping employees find new roles came up, we spoke about how to handle recommendations.I told Josh that I have sometimes asked people to give me some talking points for recommendations rather than write them out in full, but Ive learned that the strategy can backfire. Some employees have real blind spots, and I can end up with materie Im uncomfortable using.Josh shared how he handles recommendation requests from both current and past employees, and I think his strategy is brilliant.He asks each employee to send him the recommendation as he or she would write it. Once Josh reads it, he makes the decision to sign and send it or to delete it. There is no middle ground each person only gets one shotand knows it from the get-go.Heres why this is such genius.It demands objectivityJoshs strategy is very similar to baseball arb itration, where a player and a team each submits a suggested salary for the year, and the arbiter can only choose one of the two numbers. By doing this, each side has an incentive to be reasonable. If one side is unreasonable, the other side will get its number. This process discourages people from embellishing their performance, making the outcome fairer for everyone.It encourages reflection and self-awarenessOne of the things that has come out of this process for Josh and his company is that people who have taken the time to reflect on their performance sometimes withdraw their recommendation requests. They simply realize on their own that their performance didnt merit praise. This process has led to productive conversations about strengths and weaknesses and to employees thinking more carefully about their next move and where/how they would work best.It helps employees move on or transitionIf an employee wants to make a change, an endorsement from her current employer can be a hu ge boost to her chances of getting hired elsewhere. This is one of the real benefits of an open transition policy. Most people looking for new roles cant provide references from their current employer because they dont want anyone in the company to know they are planning to leave.As a CEO, its always better to have an open-door policy that encourages people to share their concerns about their happiness. Ive found its best for the company and for the employee if I even help them find something that is a better fit. The challenge has been how to move someone along in this process in a way that is efficient and appropriate to the circumstances.Now, thanks to Josh, when it comes time to have the recommendation discussion, I have an approach to use that will save me time while being fair and transparent. And so do you.This article was originally published on Quora.

10 Tips Will Help You Increase Your Job Satisfaction

10 Tips Will Help You Increase Your Job Satisfaction10 Tips Will Help You Increase Your Job SatisfactionAre you weary? No matter how much you love your job, love your employer, and love your life, sometimes you just feel weary. In recent years, work has expanded as fewer employees work harder and longer.Employer expectations have escalated as competition increased. The pace of change is relentless and growing. You struggle to maintain awork-life balance while increasing your job satisfaction and efficacy. These ten tips will help you combat weariness. 01Do Something That You Love Every Day GlobalStock/E/GettyImagesNothing picks up weary like a feeling of accomplishment. Break your big departmental and personal goals down into manageable pieces that you can accomplish in a day.Checking the accomplishments off on your daily list will put a spring in your feet and joy in your heart. You deserve to feel as if you accomplished and contributed every day.

Publishing Resume Examples

Publishing Resume ExamplesWriting / Publishing Resume ExamplesA resume can never fully showcase the extent of your writing and publishing career, especially for freelancers. You didnt just complete a series of writing jobs rather, you built your own business. You probably cant even fit all your projects on one page, but heres what you should highlight. Include Your Best Work Experience Highlight your fruchtwein impressive work experience rather than delivering a laundry list of as many gigs as you can fit on the page. Employers and new clients would rather see a high profile company you worked for, even if the project was less important, over a more intensive project for a small business.Pick writing projects or clients that are most relevant to the job youre applying for. If you are not certain about the details of the role, you may want to include a diverse mix of clients and projects. That way, you can show your comfort with a variety of roles. Consider including a text box wi th a testimonial from an appreciative client.Optionally, you can use a summary section to describe your career or day-to-day work. You can also use this section to highlight qualifications that make you a good for the role you are applying for.Include facts and figures when you can. If you wrote content for a website that gets a million hits per month, that grabs attention. Did your new content for a website increase page views by 50 percent, or did your blog for a client attract 4000 new members to the site? If you wrote a book, you might want to share the rating from review sites like Goodreads. Express action-oriented results when possible. Dont overload your writing examples with excessive detail, and avoid overused and cliched words like professional, creative, driven, and detail-oriented.Include a few links to your best writing samples. Or, alternately, you can include a list of publications where you provided editing or wrote content.Present your whole self, not just your wri ter self. An employer is hiring a human with an array of interests, likes, and experiences, not a bot that churns out content. Include a section on other interests to connect with clients on a personal level. Highlight Your Online Presence For some writing jobs, this can be a significant part of your resume.Direct readers to your website where they can find writing samples, a client list, testimonials, and awards. If you do not have testimonials, consider asking clients who have complimented your work to provide comments/reviews you can share on your website. Viewing feedback from other clients is very compelling to people considering hiring you. On your website, include links to your social media accounts (only if you have a professional presence) where your personality and creativity shine through, and if you think it will enhance a prospective employers opinion of you. In some fields, a high follower count is a plus for editors seeking writers. If you have an impressive numb er of followers on social media, you can mention that on your resume (and in cover letters, too). If you do not have a website, look for free services that allow you to easily establish an online portfolio of your work. ProofreadCarefully For people seeking jobs in the publishing industry or as writers, its particularly important for materials to be free from any errors. Print out a copy of your resume and review it carefully for typos, grammatical errors, and formatting mistakes. As well, take a close look at your website and social media accounts to make sure they are not full of errors. Writing/Publishing Resume Examples Before you start working on your resume, reviewresume examplesto get ideas for how to write and format your own. Here are writing and publishing related resume examples that you can use as a springboard to tailor your own experience, achievements, and skills. Its crucial that your resume makes a good first impression and displays your writing and editing skills. Have someone else review it and proofread as its difficult to catch mistakes in your own writing Freelance WriterProfessional WriterSocial MediaWriter/Copy EditorWriting and Marketing Resume Types and Templates Also review the various types of resumes, including functional, combination, and targeted resumes as well as resume templates you can download to create your own Combination ResumeChronological ResumeFunctional ResumeTargeted ResumeResume With Skills SectionResume with Summary of QualificationsResume TemplatesResume Format