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Survey Millennials are really terrible at tipping

Survey Millennials are really terrible at tippingSurvey Millennials are really terrible at tippingDont expect to get a generous tip from a Millennial - they are the stingiest tippers in America, according to a new survey of 1,000 adults from Creditcards.com.1 in 3 Millennials leaves less than 15% tipThis may be bad manners to you, but for waiters and servers, its a paycheck. Restaurant staffers often rely on tips for income in America. In return for your restaurant experience, the standard tip should be around 15-20% for a sit-down meal, according to etiquette experts. But many Millennials ages 18 to 37 are not paying that. The survey found that almost two-thirds of Millennials typically tip below the standard 20% suggestion for restaurants tips. One in three left below a 15% tip.In fact, many are skimping on the tip entirely. Ten percent of Millennials admitted that they routinely left no tip. In general, fewer Americans are going out to eat and drink. More than half of all America ns prefer staying in to socialize.Whatever your reason, if you are going out to eat a meal, err on the side of generosity with your tip.It may just be etiquette to you, Matt Schulz, senior industry analyst atCreditCards.com said. But its food on somebody elses table.

Learn How to Balance Work and Home Life

Learn How to Balance Work and Home LifeLearn How to Balance Work and Home LifeProject management can be a highly stressful career, especially at start-up and closure - the two busiest points of a project. And the part in the middle, execution, can be pretty full on too. In fact, every part of the project life cycle has its ups and downs When youre at home youre preoccupied thinking about work and when youre at work youre thinking about all the things at home that need to be done. Its hard to stay focused on the job at hand when youre splitting your brain in half like that. Thats why knowing how to keep a balance between doing whats needed to get your project done and staying mentally and physically healthy is so important. What Is Work/Life Balance? Simply put, its ensuring that life doesnt get in the way of work and that work doesnt stop you having a life. The term isnt the clearest many people, myself included, have work so intertwined with life that its almost impossible to s ee where one ends and the other begins. This is the case with many entrepreneurs and business owners. But its the best term we have Here are some (slightly unconventional) work/life balance tips that you can use to suit your lifestyle as a project manager. Surround Yourself With Experts Construct your project management team to include all the key roles you need to get the work done. When youve got all your important project team roles filled, you can delegate work more effectively and you know they have got the tasks covered. This gives you more confidence and - bonus - you dont have to do the work yourself Anything you can do to offer yourself more breathing time in the week is a good thing. Track Your Projects When you know how to track your projects, you arent rushing around trying to find the latest status or put together project reports at the last minute. Its easy to stay on top of your work. Having systems that keep you organized goes a long way to untersttzungsang ebot your work/life balance. Work takes longer when it isnt structured. The more structure, processes, and organization you can build into your work time, the easier it will be to walk away at the end of the day to enjoy your life time. Use the right project management tools to get the job done and youll save a lot of time. Learn From Your Mistakes Making the same errors at work time after time is soul destroying, but also a total waste of energy. Schedule time for a lessons-learned meeting and document what comes out of it. Then learn. Dont make those mistakes again. Take some time to implement what you discovered through the lessons learned process and tweak your project to take advantage of that new knowledge. Improve your processes, improve how you do what you do and then youll find you have more time in the day for the good stuff. Go Home on Time Whether you work from home or in an office, make an effort to leave on time. The days of the hero project manager, staying al l night to fix a problem, are long gone. Management scientists acknowledge that those ways of getting work done are inefficient in the long term. Plus, it sets a terrible example for your staff and project team. Presenteeism isnt a good trait to be encouraging in them if you want to avoid your team burning out. Judge your teams productivity by their results, not the number of hours they spend at their desks. That goes for you too. Embrace Flexible Working I know that sometimes you have to work outside of core hours - it comes with the job. And its highly probable if you work with an international team. Someone has to chair that call with Sineu-agrarpolitikore at 9 pm, and it might as well be you. However, that doesnt mean you have to sacrifice your personal time. Just play it flexible. Perhaps youll schliff earlier a different day so you can catch your childs soccer game. Or perhaps youll start a little later one day so you can take the kids to school. Youll need a supportive o ffice culture to make flexible working a success because if your manager is dead set against it, youll find it hard to convince those up the hierarchy that you are getting all your work done. But keep trying. Being flexible is probably the most important way to manage a work/life balance. Learn How to Deal With Stress This is an important work/life balance tip. Learn how to deal with stress as a project manager. Everyone is going to have a different approach to dealing with their personal stressors, so work out the best coping strategies for you. That could be taking a proper lunch break, going for a walk, exercising, craft, spending time with pets, whatever. When you know what your go-to destressing activities are you can plan to do them whenever the work part of your work/life feels a bit out of kilter. Build Gaps In Your Day One of the easiest ways to feel that your work/life balance is correct (or at least good enough) is to build downtime or gaps into your day. This giv es you a chance to catch up mentally, and perhaps slow down a little as well. You can do this during the working day too. Dont schedule project meetings back to back. Build in a little gap between each meeting. Your attendees will appreciate that too it gives them time to grab a drink, take a comfort break or check their messages before the next working session starts. While you cant exactly pop to the gym in the few minutes between each meeting it will help you gather your thoughts. That helps you feel as if you are staying on top of the work and in turn that makes it easier for you to leave at the end of the day, switch off and do something fun instead. Settle for Good Enough I know youd love your project to be perfect. But does it really matter? Does it really make a difference if your business case isnt formatted perfectly when the only ones who are going to see it are execs who will skim read anyway? A great tip for getting more balance at work is to give up on being perfec t. Sometimes its true, you do need the work to be perfect. You cant hand over a mobile app to a client when the code is full of bugs. What you can do is learn to look for the tasks that just need to be completed to a good enough standard. Thats where you can strip out some time in order to win it back to do other things. Have Fun The more you can make work feel like fun, the less it will feel like a chore. Most of ansicht work/life balance tips are about finding more time to do the cool stuff you want to do with your friends and family. But what if work was part of the cool stuff? Wouldnt that make your life a little bit better all round? Think about how you can make your project team work better together. Look for ways to motivate your project team so that you can all feel good about being at work. Finally, on this point, remember that it is still all about balance. Even if work is a really fun place to be, you still need time away from the office to concentrate on other intere sts and build a life for yourself away from your team. Use these work/life balance tips for project managers to try to improve the way you feel about your job and your personal life. The key is to try to maintain a balance. Sometimes the balance will be more in favor of work. Sometimes more in favor of home, and sometimes it will be relatively equal. It will fluctuate due to the demands of your job and your personal life, and as long as you feel that its OK for now, thats good.

How to Deal With a Difficult Client at Work - The Muse

How to Deal With a Difficult Client at Work - The MuseHow to Deal With a Difficult Client at Work Whetzu sich youre fresh out of school or a seasoned veteran of the working world, receiving a tongue lashing from a difficult client is never easy. And while your instinct may be to hide under your desk to duck and cover, eventually youre going to have to face the music (and your client), and thatll require some finesse.Fortunately for you (and not so much for me), Ive had my share of angry clients to manage. And over the years, Ive picked up a few useful strategies to help divert people off the warpath and on to friendlier territory.Step Away From the EmailIf youre anything like me, your first instinct when responding to an angry client might be to protect yourself from the fallout by using email as a shield. While this is only natural, the results can be disastrous. When you speak with someone, your inflection and tone of voice can help ease his or zu sich nerves- but no one can pick t hat up over email. Also, you cant control how someone will read what youve written, so your intentions might get completely misunderstood, pushing a situation into dangerous territory.A perfect example of this welches when I had been corresponding with a client via email for several days, when she suddenly expressed frustration over something wed already discussed several emails before. Instead of picking up the phone and walking her through what wed already discussed- professionally and courteously, of course- I responded via email. Now, what I said via email and what I wouldve said over the phone were exactly the same, yet she read it as being curt and condescending. Whats worse, she forwarded it to my boss and complained to him directly.This raises another important reason to avoid email when handling angry clients- you never know who theyll forward your messages on to, and how those individuals will interpret the conversation. Bottom line, whenever possible, have these tough con versations in person or over the phone.Let Them Know Youre ListeningWhen I first started out, I thought I welches the queen of multi-tasking. So when a client called to complain about a transaction he claimed I had botched, I was convinced I could investigate the issue while he was still on the line.Boy, was I wrong. After a few minutes, the line went silent, then my client nearly screamed at me, Are you even listening to me? I can hear you typingI was horrified, but I then realized he was right. Although I thought I was just being efficient (and trying to cover my you-know-what in the moment), his perception was that I didnt consider his issue urgent enough to stop what I was doing and hear him out.After that, I made a point to always stop whatever I was doing at the first sign of trouble, making sure my clients knew they had my full, undivided attention. Even if that means you need to go to a conference room or hush your colleagues for a minute, do it.Let Them VentOne of the most difficult parts of angry-client interactions is biting your tongue and resisting the urge to defend yourself, get your side of the story in, or point out to an angry Ms. Smith that actually, she was the one in the wrong.I made that mistake once, and only once.A client called, completely irate that Id spoken to her assistant about her account, claiming shed never given me permission to discuss her personal affairs with anyone but her. I responded by politely reminding her that shed given me written authorization only days before. Did she believe me? No- she immediately denied it, hung up on me, and promptly called my manager to complain.Although she did, in fact, provide the authorization, it was a mistake on her part, and my pointing it out just made matters worse. As I learned, an angry client is often an irrational one in the heat of the moment, so calling her out on her mistakes wont win you any goodwill. In fact, itll probably do the opposite.So now, even when I know Im right, I bite my tongue- at least at first- and just listen while my clients blow off a little steam. Remember that cooler heads will always prevail.Acknowledge Their Frustration- Then ApologizeThis is conflict resolution 101, but its in a textbook for a reason. Whenever an issue arises, one of the first steps toward diffusing the situation is acknowledging the elephant in the room- even if your client is the only one who sees it.A while back, I had a client who was nearly demanding my dismissal because he was convinced hed instructed me to do one thing- when in fact hed done the opposite. He reamed me out for a bit, and when he finally stopped to take a breath, I simply acknowledged there was an issue we needed to discuss, and apologized for the frustration it had caused him. To my surprise, he immediately deflated, and before I knew it, he was speaking in a civilized tone. Soon after, he even praised me for a job well done.Validating your clients concerns helps alleviate their need to fur ther justify their anger, and moves you one step closer toward a mora civilized discussion. Figure out whats chafing your client most, acknowledge it, and genuinely express your regret for the inconvenience. Youll be amazed how far these simple steps will advance your discussion.Kill Them With KindnessSprinkling some genuine kindness throughout your talks with an angry client can be pretty tough, given youve already let them vent and apologized for the flub. But this is the magic ingredient. Without it, neither of the other tactics will solidify, and youll find yourself back in a screaming match- and probably in your boss office- in no time.Case and point I had a client upset over the performance of her financial portfolio, and was asking for additional information (while complaining about everything under the sun along the way). I did everything right- I listened to her concerns, I gave her my undivided attention, and I apologized. But heres where I messed up I did it with resentme nt in my voice, not kindness or empathy. The result? All she remembered from the conversation was that I was condescending, and the fact that Id actually resolved her issue was completely irrelevant.Cinch the resolution by expressing all of your communication with your client, both written and verbal, as if she was the person you respected most in the world- someone youd be careful not to offend. Suck it up, be as nice as you possibly can, and youll assure that your prior efforts to calm her down wont be undone.Know When to Bring in the Big GunsThere will be times, however, when theres really nothing you can do to mollify your client, and thats when its time to call for reinforcements.There are a few key signs that will indicate you might need help. First, if your client is constantly calling into question your authority or experience, she could be hinting that she wants to speak with someone more senior. Thats fine- when a client feels an error has been made, a natural reaction is to seek out the most influential person she can find to acknowledge and resolve the issue quickly.Another signal its time to bring in the boss is if you feel the discussion is becoming personally offensive (or you think you might lose your cool). In my experience, whenever voices are raised beyond a conversational tone, or profanity is used beyond what Im comfortable hearing, thats when I know its time to loop in my boss. And dont feel bad calling in the big guns- thats what theyre there for. The old saying, the client is always right only goes so far, so you should never feel like you have to endure a hostile conversation.Last but not least, remember, theres safety in numbers. Whenever a situation looks like it might be getting out of hand, its always a good idea to bring someone in to help handle the situation. In fact, it will provide valuable backup in the event something even more serious (like a lawsuit) transpires.Quieting an angry client means walking a delicate tightrope be tween action and intention. But start by showing your clients youre truly committed to helping them out, and chances are theyll ease up, allowing you to take the steps necessary to assure the issue wont arise again.

5 Great Tools to Turn Your Resume Into a Visual Masterpiece

5 Great Tools to Turn Your Resume Into a Visual Masterpiece 5 Great Tools to Turn Your Resume Into a Visual Masterpiece Word is thatrecruiters spend roughly sixseconds screening a resume.A visually appealing resume could be a great way to hold a recruiters limited attention span and increase your chances of landing in the selected tray.Visual resumes are especially perfect for professionals in creative fields, as theygive job seekers the chance to demonstrate their skills and abilities.There are various tools that can help you convert your resume into a visual masterpiece thatwill have recruiters knocking downyour door for job interviews. Lets take alook at them1. Visualize.meVisualize.me is simple and very easy to use. It imports data from your LinkedIn profile and uses that data tobuild a visual treat. You can choose from a variety of styles, themes, and colors.This website also helps you share your profile on most social networking sites. This tool allows you to creatively proje ct your ingenuityvia a well-designed visual resumeExample of a Visualize.me visual resume.2.VenngageVenngage is very similar to Visualize.me., in that it allows you to create infographics for free. Venngage allows you to add various widgets to your infographic, such as charts, maps, pictograms, icons, and image frames.Sample Venngage infographic resume.3.SlideShareThrough its Professional Journey feature,SlideShare allows you to create stunning resumes with amazing graphics by importing data from your Linkedin profile. All you need to do is pick a template and publish your journey. You can also convert your resume or CVinto a powerful presentation with SlideShare.SlideShares Professional Journey feature.4.ResumUpResumUp lets you import your data from a social networking site like LinkedIn or facebook incto create your visual resume. The companysunique templates not only draw the attention of recruiters, but also showcases all yourrelevant professional information at a glance. With R esumUp, you canpresent your qualifications to recruiters and clients in a modern way.A ResumUp resume template.5.VisualCVVisualCV introduces audio and video elements to your online resume, which brings a whole new dimension to your self-presentation.You can also use VisualCV to create multiple resumes with different privacy settings to suit different positions. However, only the basic services in VisualCV are free. You may need to spend some money to craft your perfect resume, but doing so may very well be worth it.Sample VisualCV resume.Master the art of closing deals and making placements. Take our Recruiter Certification Program today. Were SHRM certified. Learn at your own pace during this 12-week program. Access over 20 courses. Great for those who want to break into recruiting, or recruiters who want to further their career.

Top Guide of Information Technology Resume

Top Guide of Information Technology Resume Whispered Information Technology Resume Secrets Working in IT requires technical savvy, but in addition it entails working closely with individuals who have an extremely rudimentary comprehension of the technology they use daily. My research also indicated it would be reliable and quick. Your resume is the best place to outline your particular accomplishments and relevant competencies. Information technology is an increasing field. Within the tech field, there are several distinct sub-fields with slightly different necessary skill sets. If you the provider uses Cisco products, for instance, your CCNP, CCNA or CCiE certification ought to be at or close to the surface of the list. Then create a separate Technical Skills section of your resume where you are able to list each one of your skills in 1 place. Some might start looking for expertise in a particular language or program, while some might start looking for more general skills. Key Pieces of Information Technology Resume Exactly like educational attainment, the more languages youre able to master the better your odds of landing the job. As a result of its increasing popularity in the past few years, plenty of human resources professionals claim an objective statement can be handy for identifying the most suitable candidate. The applicant also indicates they can take care of the preskoranvers of being responsible for a significant budget. For example, if you created a program for a regional non-profit to deal with donor info, thats something whichs pertinent to include on your resume. Whats Really Going on with Information Technology Resume IT (Information Technology) managers are liable for the hardware and software that enables a business to work. The aim is to make sure that information technology adds the utmost value to our company in order to facilitate the success of our business enterprise. For agile strategies to be successful, the business and IT has to be equally committed to the procedure. Offers hardware and software installation skills to make sure the firms success. Make your resume universally understood by employing industry-recognized terminology and explaining whatever recruiters might come across confusing. Resume parsing software lessens the manual efforts of the men and women in HR department. It is imperative to use resume parsing software, as its cost-effective for any organization. Also, look at adding proficiencies in different applications also. Up in Arms About Information Technology Resume? Besides listing your abilities, you are probably going to must describe them. You have to offer relevant, concise info. You should also make bulleted lists to neatly summarize key info. Our site provides custom writing help and editing aid. The Basic Facts of Information Technology Resume Communication is important to this position since they are predicted to advise businesses or the company on techno logy and the way it can help them perform much better. Technology is quite a wide topic. By placing all the info on Work Experience in the center, the Hiring Manager might have to go through the Objective ansicht and Strengths sections. Choosing the proper professional resume writers will be helpful for getting bulks of assignments. Furthermore, you can find out more about IT careers on Monster. Work experience is a critical part of your resume, but nevertheless, it should not feature a thorough collection of all of the jobs that youve held (particularly if youve worked in the business for years or had many jobs). The Foolproof Information Technology Resume Strategy You will also need to highlight your skills during interviews also. Soft skills are interpersonal skills like leadership and the capacity to effectively communicate. Technical skills turn you into a valuable commodity for potential employers and has to be suitably highlighted to demonstrate your worth. Different soft abilities or non-tech skills might also be required. The important thing is to study the work description. It is to list skills that will help you land the job. Trying to find a work career is a tough issue to do. In case you have any certifications pertinent to the job, make certain to add them alongside your degrees. Youre great for the job. Dont be scared to accept the additional work your boss may notice and it might lead to future career opportunities.

Are You Coming Across Well to Your Colleagues

Are You Coming Across Well to Your Colleagues Dont be that guyWeve all said it before perhaps even at the office water cooler whentalking about the clueless boorishness of some scandal-plagued celebrity of the day, or maybe someone closer to home, like Lloyd in marketing.Andsometimes, we get that haunting feeling that maybe, just maybe, wearethat guy in some peoples eyes.How do I come across to my kollektivmates? Our clients or customers? Our third-party vendors?This are all probably questions youve asked yourself at least once.Now, suppose we found out the cold, hard truth. Is there any way we can use that knowledge to improve our work relationships? Can weprofit from a clearer understanding of how our colleagues see us?PI Midlantic senior consultant Melanie Wood would answer, Yes. Her firm coaches business leaders on how to more effectively leverage their human resources by using, among other tools, the Predictive Index, which the company describe s as an objective assessment based on certain fundamental assumptions of behavioral psychology.Recalling the dismay of a client of hers who having taken the Predictive Index Behavioral Assessment realized that she may be coming across to coworkers in a negative light, Wood explained in a March 22 article that, in fact, finding ways to tap into the way you are truly perceived by others can be an invaluable growth opportunity, notlage to mention a powerful engagement tactic when you involve your team.Assess YourselfTo make the most of this growth opportunity, you should start by honestly assessing yourself, Wood advisesHow do you deliver messages? Can you be abrupt and direct? Are you overly verbose? Do you provide clarity, or are you vague, expecting others to fill in the blanks? Do you talk with your team or at your team? Do you criticize/point out issues privately or publicly? Do you acknowledge the good things your team members do, even if it is well within the scope of what is expected? If you do acknowledge them, is it via email or face-to-face?How Do You and Your Colleagues Differ From One Another?Secondly, you should assess the differences between you and your team members and colleagues.Were so comfortable with who we are we have no concept of how we come across to others, Wood explains in a phone conversation, noting, for example, how misunderstandings can crop up in a work environment where a manager or team member who is naturally blunt communicates with a more indirect or diplomatic individual.Empathetic team members want to collaborate, not to be told what to do, Wood says.These team members dont want to be seen as pawns in the game, but rather as players on the saatkorn team.At the same time, more direct, task-oriented personalities usually see bluntness as a sign of respect for the other persons valuable time as a fellow team member.The key is in adjusting your approach in a way that respects your differences.Dont change who you are, just chang e the way you talk to your colleagues to have a more successful workplace environment, Woodsays.Gather FeedbackThirdly, Wood counsels that you must gather insight and perspectives from peers and team membersReach out to team members and/or friends and family and have an honest conversation about your style. Explain that your ultimate goal is to more thoroughly understand how your style is perceived and ways in which you can develop as a person and team member. Do not rely only on those with whom you connect or whom you know well. Sometimes, those people we do not fully understand can provide the most perspective.You shouldnt expect everyone to think or communicate like you, nor should you stifle your personality or your natural approach to problem solving.Assess, Assess, AssessIts all aboutrespect, honest communication, and ongoing evaluation, which leads to Woods fourth and final point You really need to take a month or so to continually assess how youre doing before gathering toge ther your team to reassess your progress.While the Predictive Indexs categories can be particularlyhelpful, Woods advice is invaluable regardless. Personality dynamics in any office environment will have a tremendous impact on corporate culture, productivity, and ultimately, your brands perception. The sooner you break the ice and dive into the differences in how you and your colleagues communicate, the sooner you can appreciate and be effective alongside them.Clayton Ramsey isclient service manager at PI Midlantic.

5 Job Search Tactics You Cant Afford to Skip

5 Job Search Tactics You Cant Afford to Skip5 Job Search Tactics You Cant Afford to Skip4Job searching has taken on a new dimension since the changes in the economy. With more job seekers than open jobs, there are a several job search tactics you cant afford to skip. By overlooking details in your job search, you may be costing yourself a job.A great way to get your foot in the door is by getting on the recruiters radar. With many jobs not being publicly advertised, getting yourself noticed by the hiring party is important. By not skipping important steps in your job search, you can increase your chances of finding hidden openings and landing an interview.Job Search Tactics Not to SkipBe Searchable on GoogleIt sounds clich to keyword search yourself on Google. However, if you cant find yourself on Google, how will the recruiters? Make your LinkedIn page, Google+, About.me, and other social media accounts searchable on the web to increase your chances of being found.Be a Match for the JobSending your resume to every open job is bad advice. Before you apply to any job, make sure your qualifications, experiences, and skills match the requirements stated in the posting. If you arent a match, move on and use the time to find other opportunities that offer more potential for landing the job.Dont Wait, Be QuickJob postings arent open forever. Depending on the job, the company, and the type of candidates being targeted, a job is generally open from a few weeks to a month. If you find a job opening that you are qualified for, dont wait to apply until tomorrow. The sooner you get your application in, the better especially as some companies close the posting after obtaining a certain amount of resumes.Use Your NetworkBuild your network and continue to grow your network throughout your career. A job search is not always planned, so being prepared is half the battle. Additionally, many open jobs are not advertised, but spread through word-of-mouth and employee referral prog rams. Through your network, you can find these hidden gems.Get on LinkedInRecruiters and HR professionals are using social media, most notably LinkedIn, to find and research candidates. If you dont have a profile, you may be hurting your job search. Create a profile, keep it up to date, and harness the power of social media in your job search.Knowing how to effectively job search is important in finding and landing a job. By being searchable for HR professional and recruiters, job seekers can greatly increase their job search success. Remember, the small details matter to those looking to fill jobs.Readers, what job search tactics do you use to make job searching more successful? Share with us in the comment section below

When Companies Merge, Do Resumes Fall Through the Cracks

When Companies Merge, Do Resumes Fall Through the CracksWhen Companies Merge, Do Resumes Fall Through the CracksIn an era of consolidation, hiring software collates every applicants resume. Just make sure you stay at the top of the pile.What happens to your resume when you apply to a company that then goes through a merger or acquisition?Lets say you applied for a job at Merrill Lynch in early September 2008. By mid-September, Bank of America welches in advanced talks to buy Merrill Lynch. Would your resume be transported to Bank of Americas ATS (applicant tracking system) software once the sale was final?Do companies in such circumstances merge their ATS databases, or do both parties retain autonomous systems? Should you reapply to Bank of America, and if so, when? And how?To unravel the mystery of what happens to your resume under these circumstances, Ladders spoke with Matt Sigelman, CEO of Burning Glass, in Boston, which produces resume-processing and data-extraction technologies used by HR departments and recruiters to sort candidates. (To understand how ATS technology screens and sorts candidates, please read Resume, Meet Technology Making Your Resume Format Machine-Friendly.)Sigelman and Burning Glass have helped a number of client companies combine ATS software in the wake of a merger or acquisition.An unwieldy systemThere are better options for merging data systems than was once the case, Sigelman said. As recently as a few years ago, monolithic ERP (enterprise resourcing planning) systems held a companys data store, including any resumes it had acquired.In the days when ERP was king, the consensus would have been that two merging companies would have to be on one shared system, with all data in one place. Thats where ERP systems wound up becoming so popular this theory that you want all data in one place, Sigelman said.The result was typically a well-ordered system in which all parties operated under the same processes and procedures. The tradeoff was unwieldy data storage infrastructure that was difficult to maintain and had trouble transferring resumes and other data between the various parts.I think a lot of companies wound up trading order for efficiency, Sigelman said. You invest $20 million in an ERP implementation, and you get a whole lot of heartache at the end of the day.Separate but equal dataWhat changed the game? The advent of XML (Extensible Markup Language), a data-markup language that aids information systems in sharing structured data. Today, XML attaches software code to documents and files to make the transfer of data easier.Instead of two systems merging into one with the same processes and procedures, companies undergoing mergers can now opt for the most efficient method to maintain separate ATS software and still share resumes in a common applicant pool.Candidates can be considered for positions in various company units without the need to combine ATS software and without the need to standardize data coming from disparate ATS databases.Will my resume be lost in the shuffle?Your resume is safe, Sigelman said. From what hes seen, most companies are careful with their data stores.The state of the art is to make use of such data, to recognize that such data represents a real asset to a company, whether its current job applicants or the resumes a company has received in the past, he said.In short, job seekers likely neednt worry about reapplying to an acquirer when going after a job at the acquiring company.In the end, it doesnt hurt to send your resume again, Sigelman said.The ATS will alert the recruiter to the existence of prior versions. Just be careful they dont contradict each other.

How to Email Your Cover Letter the Right Way

How to Email Your Cover Letter the Right WayHow to Email Your Cover LetterHow to Email Your Cover Letter the Right WayI always say the best post topics come straight from real job seekers (like you). And this week, my idea came from a former co-worker who recently went through the whole job search process. She had two questions Whats the best subject line for an emaille in response to a job ad? and Should you attach the titel letter to the email, or copy and paste it into the body of the email? I always wondered this myself, so I did some research and heres the consensusBest Email Subject LineJane Johnson resume for sales service positionIts straightforward and informative. It tells the recipient who you are, what youre sending, and why youre sending it.This isnt a concrete formula, however. Since some job ads require you mention a job posting ID number when you apply, you should substitute the name of the position with the number. Example Jane Johnson resume for Job 5527.Best Way to Include Your Cover LetterCopy and paste your cover letter into the body of the email.Why is this the preferred method? Three reasons 1) It gives the recipient one less attachment to open, 2) It gets to the point faster than writing the awkward here is my resume and cover letter mumbo jumbo, and 3) It gives you the ability to make an impact as soon as the recipient opens your email. However, if you send your cover letter out usings cover letter builder, the application will paste a copy of your letter in the email and add one as an attachment. This way, employers can see your value up front and have the option to save the attachment too.Need to build a cover letter?Pongos Cover Letter Builder provides over a dozen cover letter templates with fill-in-the-blank sample text, best practice advice, and samplephrases to help you get started. You can even email your cover letter directly from your account.Build your cover letter todayIn this case, some of the typical cover letter rules wou ld not apply. While a regular cover letter would include To and From addresses, email requires a different format. Skip the To and From but include the date, reference line, greeting, body, professional closing, and signature. Heres an example of what an email cover letter would look likeBe sure to attach your resume to your email. And as always, refer to the companys job posting and apply, using whatever guidelines they specify. Adhering to the employers guidelines will not only ensure your documents get to the right place at the right time, it will prove that you pay attention to details and follow instructions