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November 16, 2015 1 Comment

6 Principles for Effective Time Management

Close up of an alarm clockWhether you are job searching, studying or working, time management and efficiency are always a challenge. In an excellent article on this topic, Eric Barker interviews Dan Ariely, a well-known Behavioural Economist and expert on irrationality, on his research into the mistakes we make when we try to manage our time.

Ariely points out that:

1) The World Is Working Against You

More than ever, we are faced with multiple challenges on our time: advertisements, shopping, chatting, and breaking news all just a notification away. Ariely compares them to thieves with plans to steal our time and attention:

It’s like we’re surrounded by scheming thieves: thieves of our time, thieves of our attention, thieves of our productivity.

Ariely compares these distractions to the tactics of a pickpocket:

“I have a friend who’s a magician and he pickpockets people in his show. He said when he started he used to tap people to distract them. He’d tap them, they would lose their concentration and he could take their watch. He said now he realizes that merely asking people questions is enough to make them lose the ability to focus.”

The bottom line is that if you don’t make a deliberate effort to eliminate distractions, your precious time will be lost.

2) Control Your Environment

How to eliminate distractions? Take control.

One of the big lessons from social science in the last 40 years is that environment matters. If you go to a buffet and the buffet is organized in one way, you will eat one thing. If it’s organized in a different way, you’ll eat different things.

Banish distractions and control your calendar. Research has shown that productive employees work in environments that have fewer distractions – More privacy, personal space, control over their physical environments, and freedom from interruption.

[Ariely provides some tips for managing your calendar here: VIDEO: How to Better Manage Your Calendar]

3) Write more down

Ariely points out that most people don’t write down the things they need to do, despite the fact that once something is written down, it’s more likely to be acted on. Tools such as reminder apps on a mobile phone, notes, or post-its work well, however keeping a detailed calendar works best.

Scheduling items into a calendar does ensure that you make the time to get them done, rather than wait for an opportune moment. Schedule blocks of time for all key activities and make sure to focus on your real priorities.

4) Timing is everything

Confirming what we all should know by now, Ariely acknowledges that our productivity levels are not consistent throughout the day. His research suggests that

…it turns out that most people are productive in the first two hours of the morning. Not immediately after waking, but if you get up at 7 you’ll be most productive from around from 8-10:30

This window of time is the one where the most important and productive tasks should be done. However, Ariely’s research has found that we often waste that valuable time attending to what’s right in front of us, like Facebook and Email. Scheduling important activities into that window of time might be an effective strategy, ensuring that the time is protected.

5) The biggest time wasters

Ariely’s research identified the 4 biggest time wasters:

  1. Meeting are often scheduled as a matter of routine rather than priority, and are often prioritized unnecessarily. Don’t work around your meetings – instead, schedule meetings around your work tasks.
  2. Email can be a major time waster. Set aside a limited block of time for picking up emails, and switch off email while you are focusing on priority activities in your calendar.
  3. The idea that multitasking is an efficient or productive behaviour has been widely challenged. Setting a schedule, sticking to it, putting aside the distractions and doing one thing at a time is a highly effective way to get things done.
  4. Ariely points out that we often engage in “structured procrastination” – wasting time getting the easy (often more fun) things done first, with the hope that it will help motivate us to focus on those tasks that demand “deep work”.

So making to-do lists and crossing them off is an example of this. Because those things are easily measurable, they make us feel as if we’re achieving things. But real achievements take time. Progress is not always linear. Big projects aren’t always immediately rewarding. Things that are really complex don’t give us the same sense of momentary enjoyment but those are the things that give us the real sense of achievement and progress once we get to them. But I don’t think we get to them enough.”

6) Don’t consider email a break

Ariely suggests that:

People think that checking email refreshes them. It doesn’t. If you want to get refreshed, close your eyes, meditate, breathe deeply, or think about some things that are important. The reality is the right way to do things is shut your email down and focus on what you’re doing.

Bottom line:

  • prioritize.
  • Keep an up-to-date calendar with your priorities scheduled in.
  • Focus on your important tasks in the morning, when you are most focused.
  • Work on one task at a time.
  • Keep distractions away, including email, which you should check only at specific times.

By Karin Lewis Filed Under: Career Voice: Blog Tagged With: calendar, distractions, efficiency, email, schedule, time management, workplace behaviour

October 26, 2015 Leave a Comment

Not-to-be-missed Resume Tips from a Top Recruiter

Business man looking at smart phoneAn excellent article caught my eye recently. Written by a top recruiter who has worked with a range of sectors, it focuses on the mistakes that job seekers make on resumes which most get noticed by recruiters. It’s well worth reading the entire article — especially if you are looking for work in the IT sector — however, I would like to point out a few key points which, from my experience, are particularly true and somewhat universal for all job seekers.

1. Don’t bother with paper.

The recruiter plainly says “I hate paper. I do everything online.” She later suggests that resumes should be emailed, not faxed, nor hand-delivered. Stay away from using an outdated approach that inconveniences the recruiter — insisting on handing a paper copy of your resume to the employer in person might make you stand out, but not in a good way.

2. Make sure to include all the important keywords.

Besides the convenience of not having to deal with paper, the recruiter’s main reason for insisting on electronic resumes, is that she searches the resumes electronically for certain keywords. Keep in mind, though, that it isn’t enough to simply list the keywords — make sure that the words are included in the relevant work experience, so the recruiter can understand how and when those skills were used.

3. The recruiter will focus on your recent work experience

Expect the recruiter to be curious about why the last job ended and whether your recent experience is relevant to the job to which you have applied. She also will focus on career progression — have you moved upwards in your career? Is it clear how the job to which you are applying fits into your career path?

Interestingly, while she is interested in what you have done over the years, she mentions that she doesn’t mind a gap in your resume. It’s all in how and whether you explain yourself:

I don’t mind gaps so long as there’s a sufficient explanation. Oh you took three years off to raise your children? Fine by me, and might I add: #respect. You tried your hand at starting your own company and failed miserably? Very impressive! Gap sufficiently explained. Whatever it is, just say it. It’s the absence of an explanation that makes me wonder.

4. Share your online profile

The recruiter mentions that she particularly enjoys reading up on candidates online, if you share links to your personal websites or social media profiles. So make sure to include your LinkedIn URL, blog, Twitter handle or other relevant (and appropriate, of course) on your resume.

5. Try not to be too boring

If you have something to share that makes you more interesting and perhaps helps the recruiter better understand who you are, share links to them. Try to be a little creative on your LinkedIn profile — share some personality together with all that valuable information. Remember to stay professional in your tone, though — for example, she warns against writing in first person, recommending that you:

…eliminate pronouns (e.g. my, I, she, he) from your resume altogether. Instead of writing “I helped increase overall sales by 300% by breeding rabbits in my garage,” eliminate the “I” in that sentence. Go through your resume and remove all the pronouns and rewrite the sentence to make it sound like a bullet point. By “past tense” I mean that your resume should always be voiced from the perspective of something you already did, not something you’re currently doing.

Bottom line: “recruiters move quickly”

When prescreening candidates, recruiters rush through resumes.

Total time it takes me to do all of above: < 25 seconds.

By Karin Lewis Filed Under: Career Voice: Blog Tagged With: find work, job search, jobsearch, recruiters, resume, tips

October 5, 2015 Leave a Comment

Do You Have the Skills that Canadian Employers are Demanding?

Series of icons representing various skillsWhether you are rethinking your career, writing your resume, or preparing for an interview, the importance of knowing the skills that employers are demanding cannot be underestimated. Skills are the lens through which employers focus on candidates. Ultimately, if the employer doesn’t think you have the skills that they require, you will not get hired.

What does this mean for you, the job seeker? It means that you will benefit from investing time in learning about what specific skills that employers need — read job postings, speak to employers and employees in you target companies. Don’t assume that you know what they want. It also means that you need to be clear to employers about the skills that you have — in resumes, LinkedIn profiles, cover letters and when you network.

Earlier in 2015, Workopolis surveyed 256 Canadian employers about their hiring plans, and gathered some useful information for job seekers. Most interestingly, the 2 in 3 employers surveyed admitted to struggling to find candidates with the backgrounds they require.

What do Canadian employers say candidates are lacking?
Experience – 38%
Soft skills – 29%
Technical skills – 23%
Education – 4%

Interestingly, education wasn’t as important as experience. Another interesting finding is that soft (personal) skills valued even more by employers as hard (technical) skills. The Workopolis report is well worth reading — it also outlines the 10 most sought after skills in job postings specific to these 10 popular sectors:

  • Accounting / Finance
  • Admin/Clerical
  • Arts / Media
  • Engineering
  • Hospitality and food service
  • Human resources
  • Manufacturing
  • Marketing
  • Skilled trades
  • Technology and Digital Media

By Karin Lewis Filed Under: News & Highlights Tagged With: 2015, canadian employers, employability, find work, job search, job skills, skills, soft skills, technical skills

September 14, 2015 Leave a Comment

The Challenge of Being Noticed by Employers – Find your authentic, confident voice

Woman smiling and talking through a megaphoneEver wonder why you don’t hear back from an employer once you’ve submitted your application? Employers are sorting through hundreds, sometimes thousands of resumes and LinkedIn profiles that are sent after each posting.

“I want to say, ‘Why do you work so hard to make your resume and your LinkedIn profile sound exactly the way every single other job-seeker’s resume and LinkedIn profile do?’”, says Liz Ryan, a former Fortune 500 Human Resources Senior Vice President.

Another sign of employers’ growing frustration is the number of recent articles that list words you should never use. Stephanie Vozza’s article in Fast Company suggests that candidates “…stay away from these buzzwords… because you sound like everyone else. These words almost lose their meaning the more that people use them.”

The problem, of course, is that employers use those buzzwords in their own job postings. Effective job seekers know that they have to show those employers that they have the skills and characteristics that those employers demand.

So, what should you do, to be noticed?

The bottom line is to be as honest and confident as possible – don’t undersell yourself.

1. Prepare interesting accomplishment statements

Make sure to share enough detail on your resume and LinkedIn so that you are able to give readers a genuine sense of the depth of your responsibilities. This works well in interviews, as well. Replace uninteresting mundane details with accomplishment statements that follow what Google’s SVP of People Operations, Lazlo Bock, offers as an effective formula:

“But how do you make your accomplishments stand out? There’s a simple formula. Every one of your accomplishments should be presented as:
Accomplished [X] as measured by [Y] by doing [Z]. In other words, start with an active verb, numerically measure what you accomplished, provide a baseline for comparison, and detail what you did to achieve your goal.”

Find examples that demonstrate your strengths and be ready to share them at interviews. Bock offers a number of excellent examples for candidates, which are worth checking out on his LinkedIn post.

2. Choose a likeable LinkedIn photo
Authenticity is also conveyed through the use of a good profile photo that is not too serious or formal, but rather projects a genuine, likeable yet suitably professional image. Dress as you would for an interview, and make sure to look toward the camera. Also, make sure the picture is current. You don’t want potential employers to notice when you walk into the interview, that you look 10 years older than your photo. Lydia Abbot, writing for LinkedIn, offers some useful tips for a good profile photo.

3. Demonstrate your strengths
Rather than simply listing your strengths, demonstrate them. Upload LinkedIn photos, web links, samples of work and other audiovisuals that showcase your work. Link to them on your profile. Gather good LinkedIn recommendations and professional references. Be active on LinkedIn, especially by participating in groups where employers might notice you. Volunteer, and make sure to point it out in your profile and resume.

Bottom line:

To stand out from other candidates, work on ensuring that in every interaction with potential employers – whether they find you online, talk you on the phone, read your resume or meet with you in person – you are able to come across as an impressive, compelling yet genuine person.


By Karin Lewis Filed Under: Career Voice: Blog Tagged With: authentic, be yourself, find work, interview, job interview, job search, linkedin, no buzzwords

September 7, 2015 Leave a Comment

Job Searching with Disabilities — Why networking isn’t always beneficial

Closeup of Female Applicant Completing FormBy far, one of the most common pieces of advice given to job seekers is: NETWORK. When employment professionals suggest that job seekers network, we mean that one should reach out anyone and everyone who may have any connection to an employer that may be looking to hire. Spreading your name, experience and connections around by word of mouth, LinkedIn, or other forms of social media can often provide valuable leads, even if they don’t land a job immediately. LinkedIn, the most famous business professionals’ site, with over 350 million users, is the pure definition of Networking.

However, while networking can work wonders for many, it isn’t necessarily the case for everyone.

In my experience working as a Workforce Specialist and Job Coach, often with individuals with various disabilities, I have seen cases where networking came in very handy, and cases where it was not helpful in the least bit.

An example where networking has been useful is one where a young woman with Asperger’s Syndrome was able to find employment at the law firm where her mother was employed. This was ideal for her, as she had her mother around as a support if she needed. She was given tasks to complete that she enjoyed and excelled at. Often, those tasks were ones which other employees did not enjoy, or do well at, such as paying attention to details when filling or recovering lost documents.

However, there are many individuals who, due to a variety of reasons, will not benefit from networking to find employment.

An example of such a case is another young man with Asperger’s, who came to an employment program looking for work. He had certification in his field along with recent work experience. The individual handed into his Workforce Specialist a long list of his circle of friends, acquaintances and names of companies where he was interested to work. The staff who were assisting the client contacted the relevant companies, however, none of them were interested in meeting with the client to discuss the possibility of employment.

The problem was that the contacts that our client presented only knew him in a social setting, and did not know of his tremendous skills and talents that were truly valuable in the workforce. They simply were not open to the idea of giving him a chance to show what he was capable of.

Using the services of a professional agency though, was a wonderful way for the client to get introduced to an employer who did not know him. The employer that he was sent to was from a very different social and religious background, and the client was simply introduced to the employer for an interview based on his knowledge, skills and motivation to do a great job.

The employer was impressed by the client’s sincerity and professionalism and hired him, and this turned into a successful working relationship. This is not to say that problems did not arise; they did, but job coaching was implemented and then slowly phased out. Frequent contact has been maintained between the job coach and the employer, just to check in with one another and prevent miscommunications wherever possible.

The point is, that in this case, and many others, it is simply best to look for work where others do not have pre-conceived notions about an individual. Each individual has a myriad of talents that should not be overlooked. Sometimes even the individuals themselves might not realize what they are capable of. They might require an employer or agency which is willing to take a chance, and provide them with the opportunities they need to grow, learn and make mistakes when needed, just like any employee in the workforce.

Making use of community agencies who provide support such as helping to gain experience through volunteer work, providing workshops dealing with common pre-employment and employment issues, and offering job coaching is a really great way for individuals to boost their chances of reaching their employment goals. Sometimes, letting an agency do the networking just makes more sense.


Written by Galya Ouanounou. Galya is member of VRA and CVRP with extensive experience working with youth and adults with a variety of special needs. At JVS, Galya has worked in many different programs, especially with the Disability Services Department, including Ability Works, the Asperger’s Job Readiness program, Path To Work, two high school programs (with focus on co-op programming and pre-employment workshops), as well as with the joint JVS/JF&CS program.

By Karin Lewis Filed Under: Career Voice: Blog Tagged With: Asperger's Syndrome, disabilities, disability services, Galya Ouanounou, job search, networking

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