Category: Uncategorized

ARE YOU EVER TOO OLD FOR AN INTERNSHIP?

Posted on by The Organic Recruiter in Diversity, Hiring, Interviewing, Military, Uncategorized

In the new film “The Intern,” Robert De Niro goes back to the first rung on the ladder to re-energize his career. But what’s great for the movies isn’t always the best move in real life.

by Vicki Salemi, Monster career expert | September 25, 2015

Albeit, this article only mentions the military once, I find this to be a very appropriate way to step back into civilian life for our Veterans.  I met with a very dynamic recruitment manager this week who works for a recognizable social media company who expressed his thirst for great veterans as they have a fellowship (6 months to a year) where the candidates work in different departments based on their MOS (military occupational specialty) or interest with the hopes of bringing them on at the end of the fellowship.

It’s really hard to hire military these days because it is intimidating for the recruiter and hiring manager to understand how they fit based on their profile.  With a little discipline and change of mindset, you can hire the best talent from a great pool of candidates transitioning out.  ~ The Organic Recruiter

Anne Hathaway and Robert De Niro share the big screen in The Intern, out today. In this role-reversal comedy, Hathaway’s character, Jules Ostin, runs an online fashion website, while De Niro’s character, a 70-something widower, re-enters the workforce as her intern after he realizes retirement isn’t all that it’s cracked up to be.

When we think of interns we typically think of college students or recent college grads—ready to roll up their sleeves and learn the ropes.

But older interns are trending, at least in Hollywood. A Tina Fey comedy recently picked up by NBC is a similar play on the theme: An overly involved mom from New Jersey gets an internship at her daughter’s workplace, a cable news network. And in the 2013 movie, The Internship, Owen Wilson and Vince Vaughn played down-on-their-luck career salesmen starting over as interns at Google, where all of their peers are 30 years their junior.

Suffice to say, that the silver screen doesn’t always accurately portray life off screen. So, in reality, would taking an internship have been the right move for the late-career De Niro?

You’re never too old

I believe that there are some instances that pursuing an internship mid-career can make sense. In particular, if you’re looking to start a new career, rebooting an old one (like De Niro’s retired Whittaker or a stay-at-home mom re-entering the workforce) or returning to civilian life after the military an internship is OK.

And in fact, in such cases, an internship can help you open the door to reposition your future.

But you’ll face hurdles

Although you’re never too old for an internship, you’ll have to overcome the stigma of hiring managers to get one. Recruiters are often looking for fresh young talent that they can mold into tomorrow’s leaders—while paying them little to nothing.

That may be the biggest challenge. Once you’ve hit mid-career, your financial obligations have likely blossomed, and many people don’t have the resources to quit their jobs to work for free.

So you might consider the alternatives

Remember that an internship is not  your only option as you re-route your career goals. For instance, you can temp. This way, the company can try you on for size while you get a hang of the industry and company culture and take home a paycheck.

Another option: part-time employment in the field, if you can find a department that is expanding or going through a busy season. This route works well when there’s at least one key transferable skill that’s integral to the job. Try to connect the dots from your former role to your aspirational one. By being strategic about where you apply, working to prove yourself once you’re brought on and continuing to network internally you’ll hopefully be able to make your mark as their next best hire.

Finally, you might consider volunteering on the side of your day job with a relevant non-profit that would help you build the skills you need to make a shift. That way you can keep the paycheck coming while you’re getting the experience you need.

And if you do go the intern route…

Be sure to set your tasks and goals for a fixed period of time. Going into an unpaid internship with an indefinite, unlimited timeframe is not ideal if you’re older. Don’t forget: You’re arriving on Day 1 with a plethora of skills and years of experience, just not within that particular industry.

Act like De Niro’s Whittaker and recognize that you’re likely the low person on the totem pole, having to pay your dues all over again as you learn new skills. Be clear with new colleagues and indicate that you’re not above doing anything assigned to you.

People may feel guilty giving you “busy” or “trivial” work since you’re older, so you should specifically mention you’re there to work on whatever they need accomplished. It’s likely you’ll get higher-level responsibilities quickly.

Impress with your work, and that will help you gain valuable contacts.

Who knows, you may find yourself informally mentoring your younger peers—maybe even your boss—which is a tremendous path toward a fulfilling new job or career

How to actually get an email response from your chronically inundated colleagues

Posted on by The Organic Recruiter in Uncategorized

Are your emails being ignored? A new study reveals what you can do to help prompt a reply.

By Catherine Conlan, Monster contributor | May 11, 2016
Are you including your opinion or perspective on something that pertains to your client?  How clear is your message and want during your emails?  My opinion on your emails today are cut them in half and give them no other option to listen.  Be brief, be bright, be gone!
~ The Organic Recruiter

In 2015, the number of emails sent and received totaled somewhere north of 205 billion—per day. The odds of getting anybody’s attention in that communication whirlwind are, well, challenging. But there are a few ways of improving the likelihood that someone will hit “reply.”

Email productivity company Boomerang recently released a study that analyzed data from 5.3 million emails to find out what was most likely to garner a response.

If it feels like your emails are seemingly sailing off into the ether, use these insights from the study and experts to increase your chances of getting a response.

Get to the point

Part of the reason your recipient hasn’t answered your email could be that they’re buried under a (virtual) pile of messages. Making your email short and to the point can help them focus on a response. “People are busy and should be able to scan it, figure out what you need and deliver solid answers,” Duncan says. If it needs to be a little longer, break up paragraphs and use bullet points to make it easier to scan. Overall, the study found that emails containing 75 to 100 words were most likely to receive a response.

Example: Focus on the action your email is intended to inspire: “Thanks for putting the report together—there’s a lot of great material here. I have two suggestions to make it stronger. Can we meet on Thursday?”

Keep the language simple

The study found that emails written at a third-grade reading level had a 53% response rate, compared to a 39% for emails written at a college reading level. This doesn’t mean you should write with the proficiency of a 9 year old; instead, it’s a reminder that it’s best to steer clear of flowery and unnecessary language. Avoid fussy formatting, too. “The clearer you are with spacing, bulleted text, bold deadlines and simple verbiage, the easier you’ll be understood,” says Peggy Duncan, a personal productivity expert in Charlotte, North Carolina.

Example: Instead of, “The verbiage of your previous correspondence was rife with grammatical inaccuracies; please amend and script another response,” try, “There were a lot of grammar errors in your last email. Please make corrections and send it back to me.”

Strike a positive tone

Apathy will get you nowhere. Emails that were slightly to moderately positive or negative received 10–15% more responses than neutral emails. That said, a toxic email full of negative vibes was least likely to get a response.

Since it can be difficult to tell in an email when your tone tips the scale into point-of-no-reply negativity, err on the side of caution by staying positive. A good way to check how your email sounds is to read it out loud, says Dianna Booher, a communications expert and founder of the Colleyville, Texas-based Booher Research Institute, and whose latest book, What MORE Can I Say? Why Communication Fails and What to Do About It, looks at ways to communicate effectively. “Your ear will tell you when your words sound stiff, awkward or cold,” she says.

Example: Instead of, “Thanks for writing this report. I have some comments for you,” write, “Your report was terrific. I have some suggestions to help you get the recognition you deserve on this.”

Condense your subject lines

The Boomerang study says subject lines of three or four words inspired the most (46%) responses.

Additionally, Duncan suggests making the subject line specific to the message. “If you’re going to discuss unrelated topics, put them in separate messages.”

Booher goes one step further, recommending that you request the desired action in the subject line. People often sort and file emails by their priority, and making them wade through details to find the action line wastes time.

Example: Instead of, “Please look over these April results and get back to me with your thoughts,” write, “April results; please advise by Friday.”

Ask questions

One of the best ways to get a response is to ask a question. The Boomerang survey found that asking one to three questions was most effective. “Be very clear about the result you are expecting,” Duncan says. “What exactly do you need [the reader] to do? And when do you need [a response]?” Including that information makes it more likely you’ll get a response.

Example: “We need to look at some ways to make sure this rollout is a success; when can you meet to talk about it? Let’s address messaging and timing; is there anything else you want to cover?”

Voice an opinion

Including opinions and personal perspectives is a great way to get others to chime in—they’ll either want to agree or tell you you’re wrong. “If you’re providing a list of possible dates for an event, go further and propose which is the best one,” says Alex Moore, CEO of Boomerang. “Likewise, if you’re comparing vendors, make a clear recommendation. Don’t shy away from giving your two cents.”

Example: “Our options for the meeting room include 1 p.m., 3 p.m. and 4 p.m. I suggest we aim for 1, so we can wrap up earlier. Any objections?”

http://bit.ly/bebriefemails