Alexandra Levits Water Cooler Wisdom 5 Reasons to Encourage Citizen Development

Alexandra Levit's Water Cooler Wisdom 5 Reasons to Encourage Citizen Development Many IT leaders and even CIOs today are missing an opportunity. Their teams spend all day catering to business needs when in fact the business managers can and should be empowered to solve problems themselves. There is an old saying that goes: “Give a man a fish and he will eat for a day, but teach a man to fish and he will eat for a lifetime.” IT leaders who facilitate low code rapid application development knowledge in employees outside IT greatly improve IT’s efficiency and productivity. Unfortunately, they don’t do it nearly enough and spend a great deal of their time rushing around putting out fires with the few resources they have leaving little time for more strategic initiatives. According to Gartner’s IT Glossary, acitizen developeris a user who creates new business applications using development and runtime environments sanctioned by corporate IT. Citizen development is possible because end users now have the ability to build a variety of enterprise applications through model-driven platforms and cloud computing services. As long as users understand the principles behind application design and development, they do not have to learn the programming languages that were necessary in the past. Here are five reasons IT leaders may want to re-consider sanctioning and even encouraging citizen development. IT Demands Have Gotten Out of Hand Most enterprise IT departments do not have enough resources to handle every request that comes in and must therefore prioritize by value to the overall business. This means that often, individual groups like accounting and marketing will have important requests put on the back burner while a short-staffed and overwhelmed IT group struggles to keep up. In fact, though, IT might not even be essential in developing solutions for these requests and is simply acting as a bottleneck. IT Might Not “Get It” Anyway Even if IT was to take on the request, who’s to say that the IT professional who accepts the project fully understands the requirements necessary to develop the most appropriate technology solution? A citizen developer who has deep subject matter expertise could use a low code platformfor rapid application development to more quickly arrive at a solution that meets the department’s needs. See more at Intuits Fast Track blog.

Resume Writing Tips in San Antonio TX

Resume Writing Tips in San Antonio TXWhen it comes to resume writing in San Antonio TX, the importance of hiring a professional can't be stressed enough. There are a lot of great writers out there that would love to have your resume for consideration, but you need to remember that they will do the best they can with what they have. It is worth the investment to make sure that your resume is written by a professional and all of the details are taken care of when it comes to the rest of the application process.The first thing you should do before getting started on your resume is to make sure that everything is completed properly. If you send in your resume without a cover letter or a cover page, then you could be missing out on some very good opportunities. It is important to take the time to make sure that everything is as it should be so that you stand out from the crowd when applying for jobs. Keep in mind that your resume is going to be one of the most important documents in your job search, so it is important to be professional and present yourself in the best possible light.San Antonio is a city that has so much to offer that it is difficult to find a position that does not include a company location. If you want to land a job in the San Antonio area, then you need to make sure that you are included in all of the good places to work. A nice resume will need to have all of the different career choices so that you can put your best foot forward.If you have been thinking about sending your resume to San Antonio TX, then you need to make sure that you have made sure that it is filled out completely. One mistake that you can always make is to send it out and then forget about it. This is something that people who submit resumes to companies all the time end up doing because they do not take the time to read through them carefully and change things accordingly.Resume writing is something that happens behind the scenes. You need to make sure that you understand e xactly what is on the paper before sending it in. If you take the time to get this wrong, then you will spend a lot of time correcting mistakes that will only cost you a lot of time and money.You need to start looking at the different jobs that you would like to apply for in San Antonio TX. Many people choose to send in a resume that is specific to the company that they are interested in working for. Make sure that you are looking at every single listing that you see so that you can make sure that you can submit a resume that is specific to what you are applying for.It is also important to keep your resume updated as you change companies. Because of the constant changes that are taking place, there will be a time when you do not know what type of company you are going to be working for. When this happens, make sure that you are careful about what you put on your resume.The point of a professional resume writer is to help you land a job that will be beneficial to you and your current situation. If you take the time to do the proper things, then you will be able to put your best foot forward. If you are confident in your abilities, then you can tell your prospective employer why you should be hired.

We Talk About Engagement. We Talk About Turnover. Why Cant We Talk About This Marla Gottschalk

We Talk About Engagement. We Talk About Turnover. Why Cant We Talk About This Marla Gottschalk Please note: This post first appeared at Linkedin In this ever-changing world of work organizations â€" Im going to go out on a proverbial limb and vote for stability. Not the type of stability that shoots you in the foot and has the potential to signal an organizational downfall (resting on laurels, complacency, lack of customer connection). Im speaking of the kind of internal stability that allows your organizations engines to really rev and take flight. The kind of security borne of trust and understanding. It lives within the organizations cultural core. The idea may sound a bit esoteric and difficult to grasp. Never the less, discussing its presence is vital. It is essential because great employees do not simply leave bad bosses â€" they run, when possible, from an unhealthy culture. We have wrung our hands over various constructs that swirl around that core; engagement; turnover; commitment; loyalty. However, if we do not first take aim to affect our cultural core, forward progress is stymied. There is a level of stability necessary for organizations â€" and the people within them â€" to thrive. We must address this. Communication = Energy One thing remains salient (at least from my perspective). You cant positively affect your organizations cultural core without bringing your team along. There has to be trust. There must be communication. There has to be the recognition that your people are your organization. How your traditions, mores and accepted processes affect them is critical. These collectively form your culture. People provide the energy to start the organizational engines.  If the mission of your organization is misunderstood or mistranslated, your cultural core â€" so to speak â€" is weakened. Sometimes we simply forget people and we run ahead without them. We forget to ask if they are still with us. Or they were never on board to begin with. Same difference. We all lose. We didnt even bother to ask. Shame on us. We then must circle back with great haste. Creating Safety This kind of stability demands open conversations about how the work is done, the goals and the direction we are traveling. It requires a conversation about growth and career. It also requires planning for the future (competency-wise) â€" even if that future is a tad fuzzy. I would hypothesize that for the period time before great success or innovation, the organization was likely stable in some sense at the core â€" and this provides a sense of safety (ethical leadership, strong teams, adequate resources, etc.) It may seem that successes are borne from one Eureka moment â€" but there was likely a safe core there. People fully understood they were culturally safe and they were free to seek excellence. Even with the whirlwind of activity around  them in the external environment, that built stability was present. Here are 6 elements to keep in mind when building out the core of your team or organization: Examine competencies. Its really nonsense that the notion of competencies is dead for organizations. Whats dead is the idea that these areas of focus remain stagnant. Whats also dead it that we should use these as hammers to drive performance. Instead they should reflect the strategy of an organization and translate into meaningful behaviors. Build trust. Trust comes in many varieties and it needs to be attended to. Trust in leadership, communication and the potential to succeed â€" should be considered. Temper key risks. How your employees view and process risk is an interesting cultural litmus test. When thinking of doing something remarkable or different, what goes through their minds? Excitement? Fear? Obstacles? This dynamic can limit an organizations ability to remain innovative. Examine growth. Does your culture allow your employees to grow and reach across functional lines â€" or does it force contributors to protect their turf? Does your culture reward team players who help others thrive? Moreover, are ideas protected? Conversations are king. You cannot align your team without exploring how they feel about their own aspirations and the environment in which they work. This starts with your core team and cascades throughout the organization. Metrics.  Strengthening your core requires an organization to include a robust set of metrics. Many will be new markers of success. (Remember Marshall Goldsmiths quote: What got who here, wont get you there.) This also requires you to examine the drivers of those measures honestly. From your perspective, how does an organizations core affect work life? Share that below. Dr. Marla Gottschalk is an Industrial/Organizational Psychologist. She is a charter member of the LinkedIn Influencer Program. Her thoughts on work life have appeared in various outlets including Talent Zoo, Forbes, Quartz and The Huffington Post.

7 Different Types of Interviews Every Candidate Should Know - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career

7 Different Types of Interviews Every Candidate Should Know - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career This week I would like to explain the types of interviews that every job seeker should know. Behavioral interview: A behavioral interview is an interview where employers try to find out about your personality, your character, and your soft skills to see if you are a good fit for the position and the company culture. The interview focuses on experience, behaviors, knowledge, skills, and abilities that are related to the job. In this type of interview, you should respond to questions by giving examples from your previous work experience, activities, hobbies, volunteer work, or school projects. Technical interview: A technical interview evaluates your technical skills related to the job, such as your computer skills or your design skills. This type of interview is generally conducted by someone working in a similar position or by someone who is knowledgeable in what is needed for that position and can assess your technical abilities. Case interview: A case interview generally includes a business case that the interviewer or someone else from the company has worked on in real life. This business case usually involves a problem or a challenge that needs to be resolved. In this type of interview, generally employers want to see how you work on a problem and what steps you take to get to the solution. Consulting companies generally use case interviews in their hiring process. Mock interview: A mock interview is a preparation interview for the real one. Usually, a career services office or a recruiting agency conducts a mock interview with you so that you can get used to interviewing and become better prepared for your real interview. A mock interview is a great way to get feedback regarding your interviewing skills. Group interview: A group interview is a type of interview in which you are interviewed with a bunch of other candidates at the same time. Most job seekers find group interviews very intimidating. Don’t worry though! You can learn how to stand out in a group interview from my previous blog post. On-campus interview: An on-campus interview is the one conducted on campus by employers. It’s only for the students of the school where the interview is taking place. For students, it’s actually more advantageous to do on-campus interviews. Since students are in a place that they already know, they generally feel more comfortable during on-campus interviews than when they go to the offices of the companies to interview. Phone interview: This is the type of interview conducted via a phone call. Companies often use phone interviews to screen the candidates and narrow the applicant pool.  Human resources personnel prefer phone interviews to gain basic information about the candidate such as his interest about the job, salary expectations, willingness to relocate if necessary, etc.  If you want to learn about how to ace your phone interviewing skills, you can read my previous blog post.

Writing a Front End Developer Resume With No Experience

Writing a Front End Developer Resume With No ExperienceWriting a Front End Developer Resume is no easy task. Not only do you have to submit a resume that is completely customized for the employer, but you also have to go the extra mile and make sure that the information they receive is all the right things. With a little help, you can get all the right information onto your resume without sacrificing the quality.Do you want to be a web site developer? Great! You can get started with a wide variety of opportunities through a company called 'Netvue'. They are a very large company that has been in the industry for quite some time.If you do have experience as a web site developer then you will be in a position to start learning all the latest skills you can. There are many different ways you can do this, and one of the most popular ways is to take online courses.If you are someone who has never worked with the code before, then it may be a good idea to start out by doing some online less ons, as they will give you the basics of how to use CSS and HTML. This will give you a leg up on the competition.While there are many people who think they can get the right job without having any programming experience, the truth is that there are some skills that are in short supply. To top it off, most of the best jobs require experience. Experience is the number one requirement for many companies.If you do have no experience, don't worry. There are still plenty of opportunities out there. Many smaller businesses just don't have the time or the resources to train someone, so they prefer to go with a person who has already spent time working in their company.Writing a Front End Developer Resume no experience is easy if you know where to look. You can always ask the company you are applying to for a sample of their past work. A good job involves a good amount of content, so you should be able to find a portfolio that shows what you can really do.Even if you don't have any experienc e, it doesn't mean you can't get a job as a website developer. It's about knowing how to pick the right job and knowing how to make a great resume.

How to Pass a Numerical Reasoning Test in Five Easy Steps - CareerAlley

How to Pass a Numerical Reasoning Test in Five Easy Steps - CareerAlley We may receive compensation when you click on links to products from our partners. Numerical reasoning tests are designed to evaluate your ability to deal with numbers. The questions youll see in the test will include everything from diagrams and traditional maths problems, to everyday scenarios that test how you process numerical data under pressure. Youre likely to encounter one of these tests if youre applying for a role in the financial services or administration. So if youre readying yourself to take one, here are five steps to set you on the path to success! Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay 1. Practice, practice, practice Reading up on the test youre about to take is a really smart way to get ahead. You might be able to learn exactly what type of numerical test the organisation youre applying to will set, allowing you to hone your preparation. Taking as many practice numerical tests as you can will help you to identify your strengths and weaknesses, anticipate what to expect on the big day, and ultimately, improve! Understanding the types of questions youll see and the different formats may take time. By practising, you increase your confidence and learn from your mistakes. This will help you answer each question faster. Whether its a mock test or the real deal, ensuring you have everything you need both mentally and practically will really help you get into the right headspace to maximise your chances of success. Tweet This 2. Preparation is everything Whether its a mock test or the real deal, ensuring you have everything you need both mentally and practically will really help you get into the right headspace to maximise your chances of success. On the day, make sure youre as well rested as possible, that youve had something to eat and that you have a glass of water with you. When practising at home, try and find a private space and gather the equipment youll need, such as paper, pen and calculator, before getting started. 3. Read everything through carefully Of course the testing conditions and time pressure make this a little more complicated than it sounds, but its important to take the time to slowly and carefully consider each question. Focus on the question before you begin looking at the data. Ignore the information that is irrelevant to the answer. Read everything through twice before trying to work the answers out. 4. Focus is key An important competency thats being tested is your ability to read through complex information and focus in on whats significant. Drawing out the crucial information and using it to work the problem out shows you have the type of mindset thatll be sought after in financial industries. Photo by Fleur on Unsplash 5. Check your measurements One of the most common mistakes in numerical tests is people getting measurements and currencies wrong. Diagrams and tables can also often be misread when people dont look at them carefully. As with most tests, the key to success is a combination of pre-preparation and applying your focus on the day. Keep this in mind and were sure youll find the numerical reasoning test much more enjoyable, and hopefully simpler, than you first thought. What's next? Ready to take action? Choose the right tools to help you build your career. Looking for related topics? Subscribe and make meaningful progress on your career. It’s about time you focused on your career. Get Educated Contact Us Advertise Copyright 2020 CareerAlley. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy + Disclosure home popular resources subscribe search

How to Break Free From Challenges Holding You Back

How to Break Free From Challenges Holding You Back What’s holding you back from the success you want in your career and life and how long have you been putting up with it? What would it mean to you if you could move beyond it? These questions are fitting to ask yourself on the weekend of July 4th, which is Independence Day in the U.S. Maybe something that’s holding you back from living the life you want to lead is external, like your boss who takes credit for your ideas. Or the job you hate but have to keep doing to support yourself and your family. Or it could be something internal. Perhaps the fear of failure (or success!) that keeps you playing small, or the tyranny of caring what others think and trying to please people. You always have a choice While it’s hard to imagine when you’re in the midst of a situation, the reality is that in most cases you don’t have to struggle under whatever or whoever is holding you back (even if it’s yourself!). You can declare independence and take action â€" the kind of action where you don’t need anyone else’s permission. Which means that struggle is a choice. There is always an action or choice available to you, even if it is simply to reframe how you’re thinking about or approaching the situation. The classic example of this is holocaust survivor Viktor Frankl’s insight in his book ‘Man’s Search for Meaning’ that even when every freedom is taken away, you still have the freedom to choose how you look at the situation. In my case, my declaration of independence has been about leaving behind the parts of myself that aren’t serving me well and replacing them with what helps me move forward. Specifically, I’ve learned to reframe the things I’m afraid of as opportunities to learn and grow. And I’ve given myself permission to do small experiments before I think I’m ready rather than wait until I’ve dotted all the i’s and crossed all the t’s before moving ahead. The key is to choose to take action and do something proactive. There is always an action or choice available to you, even if it is simply to reframe how you’re thinking about or approaching the situation. Conversely, if you don’t or won’t take action, then others are likely to see you as just complaining. Worse yet, they may take advantage of this area of weakness. Like the mean boss who knows you believe you “can’t” quit for fear of never finding another job that pays as well as the one you have. Or the rude colleague who knows you’re too “nice” to call him out on his behavior. So, what might your Declaration of Independence look like? Your Personal Declaration of Independence Putting together your personal declaration of independence will empower and embolden you to move forward into the future you want. It’s simple to create one. Even liberating! Here are five steps to get started on your own declaration of independence. Step 1: Choose what’s most holding you back Choose the thing that is most holding you back in your life and career. An easy way to start is with the questions from that childhood guessing game, “is it a person, place or thing?” Maybe that person is the proverbial mother-in-law (why do they get such a bad rap?!), a “bad boss” or a “frenemy”. And don’t forget to include yourself on the list. For decades, I’ve been my own worst enemy in the form of negative self-talk, perfectionism and procrastination. As for “place”, it could be your office environment, your home town or somewhere else where there are aspects that keep you from being your best. And a “thing” could be that extra glass of wine every night or the sugary “treat” you have at your daily coffee break. Choose honestly and choose just one to start with. Step 2: List all the grievances List all the grievances you have with whatever, wherever or whoever you’ve chosen. Everything that makes you mad, sad or upset and that you no longer want to endure. By the way, the Founding Fathers of America had 27 on their list. So don’t hold back! Step 3: Envision the future you want to have What do you want to be true? Make this an energizing and attractive future. One that you’re prepared to go to battle for (metaphorically, of course). This is your “why”, your purpose. The clearer you are on what it looks, feels and sounds like, the more it will act as a beacon that draws you toward it and helps you make the changes you need to make to make it true. The clearer you are on what your purpose looks, feels and sounds like, the more it will act as a beacon that draws you toward it. Step 4: Identify the change you need to make It could be how you frame the situation you’re in. Are you seeing it from the perspective of glass half empty or glass half-full? What’s a more energizing way to look at the situation you’re in? It could be your habits. What do you do, think or say that could be getting in the way? To what extent could there be a chip on your shoulder that’s driving those thoughts and behaviors that are holding you back? It could be the assumptions you’re making. Can you see things from the other person’s perspective and understand why there may be a disconnect? It could also be the environment you’re in that needs to change. Sometimes it’s just time to move on, especially when you can honestly say you’ve tried everything but nothing has worked. Step 5: Capture your thoughts in writing Whether that’s a one-page handwritten manifesto like the Declaration of Independence from the founders of the United States, a set of bullet points saved in your smart phone or something in between. Keep it where you can refer to it regularly so you can be reminded of your “why” and stay the course. What’s your next move to freedom? On this Independence Day weekend, what do you declare your independence from? What would it take to liberate yourself by taking whatever action you can? And what’s the next step you can take towards the future you want? Leave me a comment below â€" I’d love to know.