Analytical Skills How to Grow Yours

Analytical Skills How to Grow Yurs Our complex brains have the ability to think logical thoughts and feel emotional reactions. However, there are instances when too much information deters ur ability to make good decisions. We can become overwhelmed with information and ur brains are too cluttered to process it and make decisions we wont regret later down the line.You may have heard the term, analysis paralysis. Its very real, and it refers to a mental state when youre faced with an endless supply of information, so rather than taking action, you feel stifled and cant make a decision. You feel stuck literally paralyzed. According to the Oxford Dictionary, this term gained popularity during the 1970s when The Times (British daily paper) referenced it. Before that, business strategists used a variation of the term to describe decision-making processes and the challenges associated with sifting through endless amounts of data.Today, we struggle with even more information than what was available decades ago. The constant buzz of our digital devices, social media temptations and the flood of news can contribute to feeling as though were drowning in our thoughts. We never get a break, and even when we do take time to relax, we often find ourselves scrolling through our news feeds, not even digitally detoxing.We may find ourselves at work filtering through multiple emails while running from meeting to meeting (often texting or responding to an email en route). After a long day, we take one last peek at our phones from our beds to make sure we have not missed the latest news or Instagram comment. And then, finally, we go to sleep.Since our brains are continuously processing information, how can we ensure that were making the best decisions?Our professional success often depends on our sound cognitive abilities. For example, in business settings, our jobs require us to be schwierigkeit-solvers orinnovators with solid critical thinking skills. But without clarity of th ought, we may not make favorable decisions that advance our work.So how do we efficiently analyze a problem or situation and come up with the right solution? And how do we avoid information overload in the process? We need to sharpen our analytical skills.Fortunately, analytical skills can be learned and strengthened.What are analytical skills?Analytical skills refer to the ability to collect and analyze information, solve problems and make informed decisions. They involve data analysis, critical thinking, creative approaches, and other important skills. Having these skills can help solve a companys problems (and your own), increase productivity levels and, therefore, benefit both yourself and the company for which you work.Because employers look to hire people with the ability to investigate problems and find solutions in a timely, efficient manner, its important that you can talk about these skills in an interview.How can you improve your analytical skillsHere are foursteps you ca n take to hone strong analytical skills.1. Prepare Your Mind by Emptying Your Head First Thing in the MorningStarting tomorrow and for the next 30 days, get up 25 minutes early, shuffle your feet to a writing desk, grab a pen and paper and write. Do not edit what you write what comes out of your head and onto the paper should be stream-of-conscious, long-hand writing. The key is to fill out three pieces of paper (front and back) that act as a container for unproductive thoughts that may distract you throughout the day.Better known as Morning Pages (developed by Julia Cameron, author of The Artists Way), this process will help you empty the clutter in your head, broaden your perspective for the day and ignite a little creativity. This process is a commitment. But youve got nothing to lose (other than 25 minutes of sleep time) and so much to gain an analytical skill test thatll help you insolving day-to-day issues.2. Make an Appointment with Yourself to ThinkBlock off your calendar f or dedicated thinking time every day. During this time, you can sit at your desk, take a walk or relax in your car with the windows down. Wherever you are, allow your mind to target one difficult problem you are trying to solve, and do some reasoning.Or, with a pen and paper, create a list detailing the pros and cons of yourdifficult problem. Alternatively, take a blank piece of paper, write down the problem on the left side of the page and the desired result on the right side of the page. In the middle of the sheet, jot down as many possible solutions as you can come up with to problem solve. Whatever method you choose, this dedicated time willallow you to think productivelyand visualize solutions. Its ananalytical approach thatll have yousolving problems in no time.3. Seek out a Colleague to Help You Analyze a SituationThis isnt so much taking an analytical approach rather, its asking a coworker for help, perhaps by offering their own analytical approach you just have to listen. We can often forget that our colleagues are valuable resources. When you are working through an obstacle or idea that youd like to solidify, schedule time with a colleague to can gain a different perspective. You may also leverage that colleaguesadvice to help you think through the issue. Before asking for help, however, be clear on your issue and the questions for which youre seeking help. For example, do you want them to offer advice? Or do you want them to ask you questions that will help you clarify the situation? Either approach may help you spark a creativethought you had not considered previously.4. Use LinkedIn.While some aspects of social media can be distracting, on the positive side, resources like LinkedIn are a great tool for tapping into a wealth of experts. If youre part of a professional group on LinkedIn, post your question or problem on that groups page. LinkedIn users are usually willing to offer advice, and you will build your professional network during this pro cess.All kind of professions require an analytical mind and the ability to think logically. Companies large and small not only require these strengths, but they value them and reward those who boast them.Whether youre dealing with time-management issues or overwhelmed by the influx of continuous data on a daily basis, making a few conscious steps to get in the appropriate analytical mindset is key to overcoming analysis paralysis. With some critical thinking, youllbe able to fine-tunestrong analytical skills, start reasoningmore before decision making, and problem solve like Sherlock Holmes.--Yon Na is a leadership and organization development professional with 20 years of corporate experience. She has worked with some of the most admired companies on the planet Warner Bros. Entertainment, The New York Times, Microsoft, Johnson Johnson.As a leadership development professional, Yon has helped hundreds of individuals fine-tune their unique talents through coaching and facilitating wo rkshops. To learn more, please visithttps//yonnaphd.com

The Most Incredibly Neglected Solution for Writing Resume + Dealing with Emails

The Most Incredibly Neglected Solution for Writing Resume + Dealing with Emails The Writing Resume + Dealing with Emails Chronicles Listen, it is a pitch emaille. Follow-up email may be one of the most difficult varieties of email to write. If you only have a few follow-up emails to track, a spreadsheet might be sufficient. A specialist email varies from a personal email in lots of ways. Youre going to landsee an ideal email cover letter sample. Your letters have to be concise and focused, and that means you make your point clearly and definitively, in addition to politely. A well-written cover letter is able to help you secure a work interview and will demonstrate the hiring manager why youre a strong candidate for the job. Writing Resume + Dealing with Emails - the Story Unclear requirements or missed emails have an effect on the timetable of an undertaking. Cover Letter Examples Your cover letter is just one of the most crucial portions of your job application material s. Utilize Spectimate and youll never forget a deadline again. End with a closing The final step is to incorporate a suitable closing by means of your name. A History of Writing Resume + Dealing with Emails Refuted Attempt to concentrate on whats being concerned rather than shifting to other subject matters that arent relevant. One of the greatest methods to tackle any daunting writing project resumes included is to begin with a little step. A lot of people now utilize email as a key means of communicating with friends, loved ones, co-workers and others that are important to each of us for different factors. One of the absolute most important and intimidating measures in the work search procedure is writing a solid resume that gets the attention you need and need.

international womens day

international womens day International Womens Day is a global day celebrating the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women. Were using this day to celebrate women in tech whove made great strides to conquer gender parity and forge technology thats changed the way we live our lives today. Click here to landsee a list of companies we think are making the working world a better place for women- better yet, follow them on PowerToFly and make your voice heard by following companies that care. Related Articles Around the Web International Womens Day 2018 History, strikes and celebrations ... International Womens Day 2018 What you need to know International Womens Day 2018 One of the biggest challenges in alfruchtwein all industries today is achieving gender parity. Gender diversity provides huge benefits in the wo rkplace. pWhile some industries have made significant advancements in gender diversity, some industries lag further behind... and the construction industry is well-known for being in the latter category. If someone says, construction workers, youll likely picture a group of men in yellow hard hats analyzing an architects plans or laying bricks on top of a scaffold. And men at work signs only help to reinforce this image.pThis stereotype is rooted in reality. When was the last time you actually spotted a woman on a construction site? Or hired a female plumber or carpenter? Your answer is most likely never. In fact, the Bureau of Labor Statisticsreports that only 3.4% of the total of 8.3 1000000 construction employees are women.pBut the construction industry has a lot more to offer than steel-toed boots and hard hats, and it needs women to help advance the industry in this era of rapid change. Here are 5 reasons why women joining the workforce or looking to make a pivot should consider a career in construction.h21. Fuel Innovation/h2pNot only is diversity the socially and morally right thing to do, but it is also actually an excellent business strategy. pResearch presented in the Harvard Business Reviewshows that diverse teams develop more innovative ideas. This is further supported by a study conducted by Gallupon the performance of gender-diverse teams versus single-gender teams, which found that the difference in backgrounds and perspectives led to better business performance and problem-solving. h22. Capitalize on Demand/h2pThe construction industry is currently experiencing a labor shortage. The industry itself is booming and projected to be one of the fastest-growing industries, with total spending projected to exceed $1.45 trillion in 2023/a. However, most construction companies are unable to meet the rising demand. pAccording to the Associated General Contractors of America/a, more than 80% of contractors are experiencing diff iculties filling hourly craft positions that represent the bulk of the construction workforce.pAnd demand isnt limited to individual contributor roles. Given the industry boom, there are a number of open stable and high-paying roles (any project managers out there?) waiting for the right candidateh23. Leadership Opportunities/h2pAccording to the Bureau of Labor Statistics/a, women compose only 7.7% of the total 1 million managerial positions in construction.br/pBut given the highly collaborative nature of construction work, more women in leadership roles would help drive innovation and enhance productivity.Furthermore, as a woman in construction in a leadership position, youd have the unique opportunity to drive change for the industry and make it a more attractive option for other women.h24. High-Income Potential/h2pSalaries for many skilled positions in construction are on the rise, making a construction career a prime choice for women looking for a high-paying job,pThe 2018 Const ruction Craft Salary Surveyconducted by the National Center for Construction Education and Research revealed that salaries for many skilled craft areas are increasing. Project managers and project supervisors topped the list at $92,523 and $88,355, respectively. The next set of highest-paying jobs include those of combo-verstrker welders ($71,067), instrumentation technicians ($70,080), pipe welders ($69,222), power line workers ($68,262) and industrial electricians ($67,269). Of the 32 categories of workers in the survey, 19 positions earned an average salary of $60,000 or higher.h25. Sense of accomplishment/h2p The construction industry can give employees a unique sense of achievement. Yes, the job is stressful and the work can be demanding, but nothing beats the feeling of being able to build something from the ground up. pHow many professionals in other industries can point at a school, a hospital, or a skyscraper and say I helped build that?pThe construction industry has a long way to go in combating gender bias and supporting women in the workforce, but given the current demand for workers, theres no better time to pick up a sledgehammer (figurative or literal) and smash the gender stereotypes plaguing the construction industry.

help teen find a job

help teen find a jobhelp teen find a jobBlack Friday and holiday shopping are just around the corner and tis the season that a lot of part-time jobs that are perfect for teens pop up Since your teen is new to the job search game, why not give him the giftstoff of knowledge to aid them in his job search. Here are a few ways you can give your teenager a leg up in finding hisfirst job.Think holidayA lot of seasonal help is needed during winter time so brainstorm with your teen on local stores that will need help during the holidays. You want your teen to enjoy their first job, so ask her to name her favorite retail stores and encourage her to not only look online if there are openings, but visit the actual store. Besides retail positions at the mall, your teen might like helping out at a Christmas tree lot or a pop-up ice skating rink. Create a simple resume and practice interview questionsfruchtwein of the jobs your teen applies for wont need a resume, but it is a good exercise for you r teen to reflect on his skills. Have him think about his accomplishments in school and extracurricular activities. Find ways to highlight his communication, organization and customer service skillsprobably the most important skills hell need for the roles he wants. After your teen has fleshed out a simple resume, have him take a look at the description for the job he wants. Some good questions to ask your teen areHow do your skills apply to the job? What do you find interesting about the role?Why should they hire you?Encourage their entrepreneurial sideYour teens first job doesnt have to be in retail Does she have a creative side? She can show off her crafty side by creating homemade gifts or Christmas ornaments and selling them on a site like Etsy. Your teen can even turn daily chores into a money-making business. Suggest asking if the neighbors need the snow shoveled off of their driveways for a small fee. Teens can also offer babysitting or pet sitting services for local familie s. There are plenty of seasonal part-time jobs for your teen, and if youre stumped on where to departure just check online. An easy place to start is simplyhired.com, where you can type in keywords like, holiday job or seasonal job and your location to find jobs in your area. It takes the stress out of job searching and you can discover new jobs for your teen that you didnt think existed.

Is Your Resume a Time Capsule

Is Your Resume a Time CapsuleIs Your Resume a Time CapsuleIn a competitive job market, youre only as current as your resume. Dont let sentimentality lose you opportunities.When is the last time you had to write a resume? Three years ago? Five years ago? Most people dont give much thought to their resume until they need it.When dealing with job loss, many people find themselves trying to write their resume for the first time in decades. They pull it out of a drawer or a file, and it is as dated and out of touch with vermodern times as a time capsule would be. When we dig up a time capsule, we are amazed at how far things have advanced how ancient those inclusions are. The same is true for a resume. Its interesting to read, but that content is often comparatively ancient in todays world.The trick is letting go of those treasured bits of history and thinking about your resume as todays news.A resume is a marketing document for your career. It is akin to a billboard or a movie trailer it has to communicate intriguing and important information about your career quickly. Many people pull out their old time capsule and just add the newer information to it. They dont think about relevance or value of the older information. A resume cant include everything youve ever done, and it shouldnt try. Employers are simply interested in what you can do for them today.What to keep? What to toss? Executives experience may stretch back to the Nixon era, when the world was different Business was different, technology was different, and economics were different. The experience gained in the early years of an executive career is foundational in nature and does not need to be detailed on a resume. Employers are interested in the most recent 10 to 15 years of experience because that is what is relevant to their needs.Indeed, all information included on a resume should be evaluated for relevance. For example, three accounting classes taken in 1981 are not going to be a factor that sway s a recruiter or hiring manager in 2009. Many people have emotional attachments to achievements or bits of their past and have a hard time letting go of that information when it is time to update a resume. Even asking the question Is it relevant? does not always help make a wise decision on inclusion/exclusion of information because everything is relevant for the person to whom that information belongs.A few simple guidelines to help you keep your resume a lean, mean marketing machineHow old is it? If the information is older than 15 years, scrutinize it carefully for relevance. It may have played a large role in building your career but is it relative now?Is it in a different industry? People change entire career fields during their lifetimes. Is past experience in a different industry going to help you with your career target of today?Is it fairly common or something that is understood? There is no need to list basic information like attended biweekly meetings. Including such info rmation is just a waste of space.Is the technology in use today? Most people at advanced career levels worked with earlier versions of software, but is it really necessary to include that you have background in Windows 3.0?There are hundreds of what-if scenarios for deciding to include or exclude information, and often you will find conflicting opinions.Lets say you were an Eagle Scout in your youth. You may ask 10 recruiters whether they find such a nugget of information useful five might say yes, and five might say no. Since this piece of information would often have a high emotional value to you if you held it, it may be difficult to decide to include it or not. Generally, if in doubt, leave it out. You can always bring it up in an interview or conversation if it would be relevant.Employers and recruiters do not want to read time capsules. They want to read billboards and news releases about your career. They want to know what you can do that will help them meet objectives and im prove processes today. Dont let your emotional ties drag down your job search.

Why Your Resume Should Rarely Exceed 2 Pages

Why Your Resume Should Rarely Exceed 2 PagesWhy Your Resume Should Rarely Exceed 2 PagesExplained Why We Cut Down Your Resume to 2 PagesThere are so many nuances when it comes to writing an effective resume for todays market that its hard for anyone other than a trained professional writer to keep track. Between the evolving needs of employers and their growing reliance on recruitment technology, resume writing has become both an art and a science.In this series, our goal is to explain some of the common changes resume writers make and why they are in your best interest.Why your new resume is two pages longIf your old resume had accumulated a few extra pages over the years, it can be a shock to find your entire career summed up in only two pages. However, this is exactly what recruiters are looking for.The reality is that most recruiters spend less than 10 seconds reviewing a resume before deciding if a candidate should receive further consideration. With so little time to make the right impression, its important to present a succinct document that highlights the relevant parts of your skills, experience, and education.To achieve this ideal resume length, your writer may reduce jobs older than 15 years to the bare essentials your job title, the company name, and its location. In other cases, jobs you held that fall outside of this 15-year window or that are unrelated to your current goals may be omitted entirely.Part of a professional writers job is to treat your resume like a marketing document, carefully curating its content to rckendeckung your goals. Rather than providing an endless list of everything youve done for the past 25-plus years, a resume writer aims to highlight your qualifications and downplay or remove information that does not support your candidacy. When your resume is written with a specific goal in mind, its easier to eliminate unnecessary details and achieve the optimal page length.Why two pages? Why not one?Given the incredibly short amo unt of time recruiters spend reviewing resumes, you may wonder why your resume wasnt reduced to simply one page. Well, a 2018 study found that recruiters actually prefer two-page resumes over one-page resumes, on average. According to the study, when compared with single-page resumes, two-page resumes increase the amount of time recruiters spend reviewing the applicant and can ultimately improve the candidates likelihood of getting hired. One page is simply not enough space to provide a strong career narrative, outline all of your relevant skills, and provide proof of your qualifications in a visually pleasing manner.Its a careful balancing act Too little information on your resume, and recruiters may not be convinced of your value. Too much information, and recruiters may lose interest in your application before they can properly assess your qualifications. Trust in the fact that your professional resume writer is trained to know the difference and provide just the right amount of information within those two pages to impress an employer with your career narrative and the value you bring to the table.Exceptions to the two-page resume ruleThere are a few exceptions to this rule, of course. For example, if youre making a major career change, your resume may be reduced to one page that highlights the skills and parts of your experience that are relevant to this new job goal. On the flip side, if youre in an academic or scientific field or pursuing a job within the U.S. federal government, your resume will require more than two pages to meet the application requirements of those industries.Recommended ReadingHow to Skillfully Combat Ageism During a Job Interview6 Ways You Can Overcome Ageism During the Job SearchHow to Set the Stage for a Successful Job Search

Land a Job Thats a Step up With a Top-Notch Resume

Land a Job Thats a Step up With a Top-Notch ResumeLand a Job Thats a Step up With a Top-Notch ResumeWhether youre looking to get promoted internally or want to find a new job, you know youre ready to take a step up in yur career. All you need is a resume to reflect that. How can you communicate your skills, experience and accomplishments in a way that will persuade hiring managers youre up for the challenge? Follow these tips for effective resume writingKnow what youre looking for.If you want to get promoted internally, then you already know what you want. However, if you want to make a move, its important to define what youre seeking in your target job. So ask yourself What are my priorities in terms of level of responsibility, salary and location? What skills and abilities do I currently have that are necessary for this kind of punkt? Are there any weaknesses, challenges or gaps to overcome? Figure them out, write them down, and use the information as a guide when writing your resu me.Emphasize the right experience.When youre applying to a position at a higher level than where you are currently, its important to focus on the right areas of your background. For instance, if youre an administrative assistant, perhaps most of your job involves communicating with customers and keeping your manager organized. However, if you want to take a step up and become an office manager and youve trained new staff members in the past then underscore this experience.Highlight your track record and achievements.Facts and figures are the best way to convince a hiring manager you have what it takes to perform the job. So, during the resume writing process, make sure youre not simply focusing on the projects youve worked on and the responsibilities youve handled. Instead, market yourself by promoting the outcomes of all your hard work by quantifying them with numbers, percentages, dollar amounts and other figures. Just make sure you choose the ones that are most relevant for the position youre applying to.Be clear and succinct.One of the biggest mistakes candidates make, especially those with a lot of experience, involves covering too much information. But you dont need to include every job title or task youve undertaken. Hiring managers are busy and only take a few seconds to scan resumes. Therefore its important for yours to be well-structured and concisely written so it quickly communicates the value you offer and why you can succeed in a higher-level position.Want more assistance developing a high-impact resume that gets results?The resume writing experts at ResumeSpice can deliver. When you work with us, well help you polish your resume or create a new one from scratch that sets you up for success and the career advancement you want. Find out how with a call to our team at 832.930.7378.