Connect with Colleagues
Form a group in your organization to brainstorm and discuss ideas on increasing workplace efficiency. Collective knowledge connects ideas at a faster rate. Attend relevant seminars, and share your experiences with colleagues to gain a better output of analysis. Contribute your expertise with others and you will gain recognition as well as confidence.

New Year- New Plan

Having a positive work environment is extremely important if you want to give your best at work. If you are working in a negative environment, it not only brings down your productivity but also has an effect on your motivation level. While most of us hope that we will be provided with a healthy and positive working environment, not all of us are that lucky.

Sometime you might find yourself trapped in a negative environment which is detrimental to the quality of work and the management might not be doing anything to change the circumstance. So what can you do in such circumstances? It is not an option to leave the job as the job market in US is already tough and those who have a job want to keep holding on to their jobs. The best option in such a situation is to make some effort of your own to create a positive working environment which will boost your productivity.

Here are a few tried and tested methods which can help in building a positive atmosphere, minimizing negativity and boosting your overall morale:

Establish Trust:

The most important aspect of having a positive working relationship is establishing a bond of trust between yourself and the other employees. If you lie to them and act as an office gossip no one will be able to trust you and as a result you have to work in a negative environment where no one trusts you and will not share anything with you. Try to be as honest as possible and do not gossip about your colleagues as it creates a negative impression on others.

Be Positive when Communicating:

When you are discussing a presentation or brainstorming an idea, make sure that you listen to what others are saying and be positive in communicating in them. Do not give a negative comment on every idea and if you have to shoot down an idea, be polite and explain why you think it will not work. Keep all your team members in the loop and let them share their thoughts as well.

Share Credit:

When the entire team works on something, everyone should get the credit and if you try to get all the credit for yourself, you will make more enemies with every group assignments. Not only does that make others hostile but also creates a bad impression on the superiors as the employers like to have team players in the company.

Bond with the Co-workers:

When you are working in a professional set up, you end up spending more hours at work than you do at home. There are many people who like to keep to themselves as much as possible and do not socialize at all, as they think that they are better off remaining neutral. However, this is the wrong approach as you can make many friends at work which can help you in taking stress out of your life. You can take small breaks during the day to chat with them and feel rejuvenated afterwards. However make sure that you do not disturb any of your co-workers and only go to chat with them when they are also on a break.

Don’t Play the Blame Game:

No one likes a co-worker or a manager who cannot accept his fault and take responsibility for his actions. So if you make a mistake, do not try to pin it on your juniors or colleagues. Just accept that it was your fault and promise never to repeat it again. After all, everyone is human and nobody can be perfect all the time. Accepting your mistake and owning up to it speaks strongly about your character and will win you the respect of your colleagues.

Be Appreciative:

When a co-worker performs well you should appreciate and encourage him rather than feeling envious. Hard work and special achievements should be recognised and due credit should be given. So always be thoughtful and appreciative of others and you will also be appreciated for your work.

Help Your Colleagues:

One of the best ways to make sure that you are working in a positive environment is to foster a culture of helping out your colleagues when they need your expertise and getting their help when you are stuck at a particular job. By helping each other, co-workers enhance the overall performance of the team and create a positive impression on the bosses.

Decorate your Cubicle:

Sometimes all the negativity that is surrounding you can be because of the physical environment you are working in. Sitting in a standardized cubicle all day long can be depressing and a source of negative energy for many people. You can address this issue by changing the look of your cubicle and turning it into a more pleasant place for you to sit. Put framed pictures of your loved ones beside your computer and place a small plant near your table so that you can feel relaxed and more energetic when you are working.

Celebrations can do Wonders:

Many people do not include their co-workers in celebrations as they consider it against the professional norms. However, by simply bringing in a cake to celebrate your birthday, you can bond with the co-workers and enjoy the time you spend talking to them. Such small acts break the monotony of the day and help you in promoting a positive environment.

Last Words:

The place where you work needs to be a positive and welcoming environment otherwise you might hate getting up in the morning and dread the 8 hours you have to spend at work. By following these simple tips you can enjoy your work by eliminating the negative energy from your working environment.

Find more work related tips and information on the Virgin Islands’ #1 job portal. Caribbean Jobs.

Improving Public Speaking Skills:

Speaking in front of a live audience is a scary thought for most of us but it does not have to be that way. These tried and tested pointers will not only help in improving your public speaking skills but also assist you in giving presentations during staff meetings.

Learn From The Best:

The best way to improve your public speaking skills is to learn from those who are considered great public speakers. They can be your superiors, colleagues and even famous personalities such as leaders, politicians and other icons. By keenly observing their style, you can learn a lot about what to do and what not to do when addressing a large gathering of people. Try watching the videos of famous people delivering speeches and observe their method. You do not have to exactly copy the style of one single person since the purpose is to achieve a sense of different styles of delivering a speech or addressing the audience.

Look Your Best:

It is very important to look good when you appear for public speaking or a presentation. People do and will notice what you are wearing and how you are wearing it. If you are dressed improperly or lack neatness in your overall appearance, the audience will notice and the fact that they are criticizing your wardrobe or dress sense will serve as a blow to your self confidence.

Know Your Material:

When you are supposed to address a public meeting or a gathering the worst mistake that you can make is not being fully appraised of the material. As a general rule, if you do not know the subject inside out you must not engage in speaking in front of an audience. The audience is bound to ask all sorts of questions at the end of the presentation or the speech and if you fail to answer even one of them you lose all your credibility.

Keep Practicing:

The best way to deliver a good speech or put up a great presentation is to keep on practicing. The more you practice the more easily you will be able to accomplish the task as you will iron out the kinks in your speech and polish it off nicely. You can practice alone, in front of the mirror or even better if you can get your family and friends to sit as the audience and ask questions. This will help you get better prepared for the question and answer session.

Stay Calm:

The most important thing is to remain calm when delivering a speech or giving a presentation. Even if you forget a sentence don’t panic. You don’t have to say the exact words and you can always substitute with something right there and them. It is important that you maintain a calm facade and do not let the crowd know that you are nervous. If you act calm and controlled, soon you will actually start feeling calm and composed.

Maintain Pace:

The pace at which you talk plays an important role in ensuring your success or failure. Try not to talk too slow or too fast as the audience will lose interest in both cases. If you are talking too fast the audience will face difficulty in understanding what you are saying and if you talk too slow they will get bored and stop paying attention to what you are saying. The key is to maintain a pace at which you can keep the listeners engaged and engrossed.

Make Eye Contact:

It is pertinent to make eye contact during the presentation or speech. Looking at the back wall of the auditorium or avoiding the eye by focusing on other things fails to do the trick. When you are speaking you need to look into the eyes of the audience to engage them. If you fail to do that the audience soon feels that you are nervous and are not well prepared for the task. Make sure that you do not keep looking at one or two individuals only but try to a large number of people in the audience. It is also important to keep the eye contact short, but not too short and certainly not too long. 

Be Concise:

Keep it short and to the point. Long presentations and speeches not only bore the audience but they also fail to make the point. When you start talking you get the attention of the audience and you have the chance to engage them right then and there. If you start blabbering and talk about things that have little of value to add to your speech, the audience loses interest. Keeping it short and concise lets them retain the information you just provided and hence is more effective.

Know Your Audience:

The most important part of speaking in public is to know your audience and then cater to their needs accordingly. If you are speaking to a group of executives your tone, style and vocabulary would be different to that you use when addressing a group of interns. So, know your audience and then prepare accordingly.

What To Avoid When Speaking In Public:

There are a few things that you should avoid when speaking in public as they can be fatal mistakes. Some of these are:

Self Praise & Bragging:

Nothing offends the audience more than self praise and bragging. If you are good you will receive praise and the success of your speech or presentation will be a testament to your capabilities.

Stammering:

Nothing can be worse than stammering during the presentation or speech as it completely ruins the overall effect and ruins your confidence. So keep practicing the speech till you get it right.

Trying To Be Someone You Are Not:

This can be the worst mistake ever. If you are not good at cracking jokes do not try to do so during the presentation. Sometimes a light hearted comment helps the presentation by breaking the ice but if you make a bad tasting remark it can do irreparable damage. So just try to be yourself rather than trying to be someone that you clearly are not.

During the entire job hunting process, the most significant and tricky stage is the interview. Candidates feel anxious and nervous before and during the interview process and cannot rest unless they have heard back from the company. For some this phone call brings a sense of achievement with the news that they have been selected for the job, but many receive no calls at all conveying that they have failed to land the job. There might be many reasons why a candidate fails to get the job, most of which are related to the interview process. Many candidates are under the impression that they did well in the interview and are devastated when they are rejected. The fact is that most of the candidates have no idea that during the interview session they might have committed some grave mistakes which cost them the job. These mistakes are so common that most of the candidates repeat them over and over again without realizing the damage they are doing to their career. If you think you are one of those candidates, there is no need to panic as we have identified some of the most common mistakes made by candidates during an interview so that you can avoid them in the future.

Most Common Interview Mistakes:

A lot of people make some serious mistakes during the interview which end up turning a job opportunity into a disaster. In order to avoid making these mistakes we first need to identify these mistakes. Some of the most common mistakes by a candidate during an interview are:

Being Late

A lot of candidates fail to appear for the interview on time and think that they can get away with a lame excuse. Nothing throws the interviewer off like coming late to an interview and then failing to apologize. If you are filing to arrive at the job interview on time, it gives the interviewer an impression that you are not taking the job opportunity seriously and hence is not someone they were looking for. So to make a good impression during the interview you should be there on time. If you fail to do that apologize for the delay and reassure the interviewer that this is not a habitual practice.

Dressing Inappropriately

Dressing right is the most important part of an interview. Assuming that a casual dress might do for your interview is a big mistake. If you have any doubts you can do a little research regarding the company culture and find out what kind of dressing is expected. Nevertheless it is better to be overdressed rather than being underdressed. Also, try to keep the accessories to a minimum so that you look professional.

Being Unprepared

Some candidates show up for an interview without even the slightest preparation and as a result fail to answer any tough questions asked by the interviewer. Not researching about the company you are applying to can also be fatal for the interview. Make sure that when you are appearing for an interview you know what kind of work entails the job that you have applied for and you have a general idea of the company’s background.

Talking Too Much Or Too Little

Talking too much or saying next to nothing is also a mistake we have seen during an interview. You should answer a question completely and then let the interviewer proceed to his next one. Blabbering uselessly and interrupting the interviewer creates a bad impression. Similarly, answering the questions in monosyllables and nor elaborating on anything also leaves the interviewer dissatisfied, thus minimizing your chances of getting a job. It is also important to ask important and well thought questions related to the job. Asking silly questions or not asking any questions at all is not the right approach also.

Badmouthing Your Employer

Nothing raises the red flags more than badmouthing your former employer in front of the interviewer as it points towards a lack of professional maturity and failure to take responsibility. Trying to justify your reasons for leaving the previous employer by criticizing him is a bad idea and should be avoided at all costs. Even if your boss actually was a horrible person, there is no need to share that with the interviewer. Keep your reasons for leaving the last job and your views about your previous boss professional.

Lying

You should never lie during an interview or provide false information on your resume. If you are qualified and skilled enough for the position you have applied for, you will get the job. If however you feel like you are not qualified for the job then you should not apply in the first place, no matter how desperately you want the job. Lying in the interview certainly diminishes your chances of getting the job. Be open about your weaknesses and strong points. When you state you weaknesses make sure that you also point out what steps you have taken to address the particular weakness and how far have you succeeded in the effort.

Lacking Enthusiasm

Appearing disinterested and bored during the interview is one of the most fatal mistakes that can ruin your chances of getting selected for the job. Show the employer that you care about the job and are excited at the prospect of joining the company. If the interviewer senses that you are not interested in the job, he will not call you for a second interview.

Asking About Benefits Too Soon

Bringing in the salary questions too soon and repeatedly raises the red flags as the interviewer senses that you are not very interested in the job as much as the benefits and the money involved in it. You should wait for the interviewer to bring up the salary negotiations as he will definitely ask you about the expected salary range before the interview session comes to an end.

Concluding Thoughts

The entire job hunting process from writing your resume to showing up at the interview and the follow up after that requires a lot of effort and skill. In order to get the job you have to make sure that during all these steps you have put up your best performance. Make sure that you do not make any of the mistakes mentioned above and you will most definitely succeed in the interview process.

Additionally, you must make sure that you give attention to detail, about you. Your nails, your shoes, the cleanliness of your clothes, all these are things that a potential employer will definitely look at. Like it or not, but your appearance can actually set the tone for the interview in the first few minutes and help the interviewer form an opinion about you, which can enhance or diminish your prospects of getting the job.

According to reliable research, many interviewers make up their minds about you during the first 15-25 seconds of the meeting. Keeping that in mind, here are some do’s and don’ts to consider when going for an interview.

Your Clothes – the first impression

Common sense tells you that the first thing that interviewer is going to note about you when you enter the room is your outfit. It goes without saying that you must dress professionally for an interview and for any other interaction you may have with a potential employer such as training or internship etc. You cannot show up in jeans and a shirt or flip flops; if you give an unserious impression about yourself, then you will be treated in the same manner as well. Make sure your clothes are properly ironed and are clean, free of any stains or marks. Also check to see that none of the shirt buttons are missing and no other repairs are needed. Get the suit ready to be worn, the night before the interview.

Hair & Make up

Your hair should be combed properly, and neatly styled. This goes for both men and women. Women must take special care not to have their hair coming onto their face and into your eyes. It is alright to leave your hair open if you feel that it will stay in  place. However, if you know your hair type tends to get untidy, then its better to tie it in a pony tail. For men, it is important that your hair is combed properly so it doesn’t give an untidy or uncouth impression either.  Men should shave before they come for interviews since that give a neat look in itself.
Make-up for women, although is important, care must be taken that it is not over done. A bit of light eye shade, a neutral lip-gloss or shine along with very little blush on is just perfect to give a good impression.

The appropriate fragrance

Smelling good is very important in giving a positive first impression. However, both men and women must make sure it is not over done. You  must not be reeking in perfume. That might cause a headache for those that are interviewing you and that will definitely work as an instant turnoff. So, it is always better to keep a balanced approached when spraying on perfume.

Shoes

Make special effort to ensure that the shoes you wear are professional, in line with your outfit and clean from top and bottom. Nothing can leave a worse impression than a person wearing dirty shoes to an interview. For ladies, wear comfortable shoes that are also professional. For men wear decent neutral shoes that give the impression that you are serious about working. Wear comfortable yet stylish shoes since you are going to be working for 8 hours straight and you should find yourself being comfortable.

Additional adornment such as jewelry

Simplicity can go a long way when it comes to jewelry and other adornments. Wearing a lot of ornaments makes you look unprofessional and is distracting for the interviewer. Tattoos are a big no no. Overly gaudy watches for men and thick gold bangles etc for women definitely give a negative impression. It is better to simply avoid wearing any jewelry, rather than wearing low quality things that ruin your overall look.

Before you are ready to leave for your interview, give yourself a final check in the mirror to ensure you are all set. Carry yourself as well as you can. Put your best foot forward and see wonderful opportunities open up for you. Best of luck!

No matter how perfectly things at a certain time may be going, a small blunder can lead to unwanted results. An example of this is clearly found : In his enthusiasm over the passing of the health-care bill, Vice President Biden made a gaffe in front of millions of ears that almost overshadowed President Obama’s signing of the landmark legislation.

One should always be careful of tongue slips as they can cause a lot of problems for employers and employee. Verbal errors can still be recovered, depending on the intensity of the mistake.

Here are some thought provoking informative ideas for you given by the known Grenny, that can help you recover verbal mistakes that you may end up making at work.

The Mistake: You said something that was right, but should not have been said about the boss.

Damage Control: Apologize as soon as you can and make sure you say it will never happen again. 

The Mistake: Saying something harsh about a co worker and she heard you.

Damage Control: Apologize to the co-worker, and involve her with your project, if possible right away. Don’t deny or lie about something that you said. That could further complicate things and make an irreversible dent in your reputation. The damage control needs to be larger than the damage. Keep that in mind while at the same time making sure not to make the same mistakes again.  

The Mistake: Saying something that was not your place to say in the first place.

Damage Control: In this instance you need to do the same as you did in the first situation – you must apologize. If something you said has caused you to lose a client or has caused embarrassment to the company or someone in particular, apologize as soon as you can and make sure you follow up with the right attitude.  Being able to survive in today’s day and age is very critical. Chances should not be taken with things that can be cause for great concern for your future.

• Optimistic Thinking
To think positively means to replace negative thoughts with positive ones. That in turn makes you feel you are capable of accomplishing whatever you set yourself out to. Optimistic thinking, if maintained, can lead to positive actions which in turn bring about the desired positive results. Being aware of your inner feelings and knowing how to turn them into positive thoughts can give you the self confidence to trust your actions. You are your best mentor and only you can help yourself to succeed or cause yourself to fail. With this little change in attitude and a more self supportive approach, you will be able to move towards success within no time.
• Act Positive
Even more important than thinking positive is to convert those positive thoughts into action. Action is the key to developing self-confidence. The more positive you are about life, the more positive your self image will be, and your self confidence will grow with it. If you have faith in your self and your thoughts, then your actions will reflect that optimism and self-confidence in a very apparent manner.
• Set Reachable Goals and Work Diligently to Achieve Them
Set small and reachable goals, that are manageable and still bring about the results that you are looking for. People often make the mistake by setting lofty goals, and when they fail, they get discouraged. Plan for much more achievable goals so that when you reach them, you feel satisfied and accomplished, and consequently then move to bigger and higher goals. A lot of small accomplishments are better than no high accomplishment. Knowing how to set goals is half the battle of achieving them.
• Be Kind And Helpful
Showing respect and kindness to others is a good way of helping others while at the same time it works to improve your self image and what others think of you as well. Volunteering also helps to improve your self image. Also, patience and gratefulness are important traits and, if developed in your personality, can bring major changes in your sense of confidence. In all, it pays off to be good to others.
• Be Organized
One of the best things you can do to ensure that your performance at work is worthy of note, is to make sure you are prepared and organized all the time. It can be very hard to perform well, when you are not prepared for the job in advance. Brush up your skills, improve on proficiencies and make sure you complete assigned tasks in time. Be critical of yourself all the time and make sure you reward and punish yourself when necessary to do so in order to improve your performance.
• Let Your Knowledge Empower You
Empowering yourself, through knowledge and awareness, is one of the best strategies for building self-confidence and maintaining it. Learn from your mistakes and those that surround you. Knowledge is power, and this power can be on your side if you try. Having the knowledge and applying it in the right place can be a great self-confidence booster; it can lead to possibilities that you never thought existed and can help you advance in ways more than you expected.

Following these simple rules regularly can work wonders for you. If you want to change your situation, the best place to start is with your self-confidence. You can be sure that’s the way to go.

Job-seeker query:

After working in the same field for over seven years, I recently lost my job to down-sizing. It has been a few weeks and I have still not found anything. I am sending my resume to many different companies but have not heard back from anyone. Meanwhile I know that in the near future before I get a job, my new employer will ask for references from my old job.

My question is, how can I ask my previous employers to send an encouraging letter of reference to potential employers?

Career Post Team’s Response:

Dear Job Seeker,

It goes without saying that one of the most important assets for a job-seeker is the professional references. The importance of a good reference cannot be over-stated. A little courtesy and carefulness is called for when you are trying to ensure that your references are prepared to give the best possible recommendation of your abilities.

Here are the things that you should keep in consideration whenever you seek a reference for your resume:

• Ask only those people to write a reference that you know will give a positive and constructive reference about you. Know if your reference writer thinks highly of you and will reach out for you.

. Always take permission and inform the person who will be writing the reference before putting their name in your reference list.If your potential referee does not respond positively and with enthusiasm, you should not add them in your reference list and find someone else to fill the place.

• Get proper permission before naming someone as a reference in your resume. Even if you are sure that the person would agree to refer you, it is still essential to ask his/her permission beforehand.

• Always provide your referee a copy of the position  and its description that you applied for and the latest copy of your resume.

• It is common sense and good mannerism to always thank your referee for letting you add his/her name in the list of references in your resume. Also, always be ready to return the favor in a suitable manner.

• Keep in touch with your referee regarding any progress in your job search. Your reference may be a good guide and may even look out for a good job for you.

All in all, the practice of reference and background checking at the discretion of the owner is in place. Always make sure that you and your reference person agree on your work history and your personal relationship. Letters of recommendation and mentioning of references in the resume can lift up a candidate to a top choice of the potential employer.

Best of Luck in all your endeavors!