How to Tell If Youre Ambitious or Impatient - The Muse

How to Tell If Youre Ambitious or Impatient - The MuseHow to Tell If Youre Ambitious or Impatient Ambition is an admirable thing. Theres absolutely nothing wrong with setting a goal and hustling your tail off in order to reach it- hey, Id even recommend it. But, we all know at least one rolle who crosses the very fine line between ambition and impatience. He clutters your inbox with requests for answers and updates, despite the fact that youve already explained your timeline on multiple different occasions. He expects that big promotion- even though hes only been with the company for two months. And he makes way too many comments about how he would run things if he was in charge. Basically, he makes everybody crazy. Yes, theres definitely a difference between being driven and being obnoxiously pushy. And, dealing with those overly eager co-workers can be a bit of a pain. But, have you ever stopped to consider whether or not you have the tendency to cross that line? Are you coming acr oss as exceptionally motivated or incredibly annoying?Well, its time for a little self-reflection. Ask yourself these five questions to help determine whether youre just one heck of a go-getter- or youre the cause of those office-wide eye rolls. 1. Have I Paid My Dues?This is probably one of the biggest differentiators. When youre ambitious, youre willing to put in the effort and take the necessary steps to achieve your mission. It might take some time, but its worth it to you in the long run. But, when youre impatient, you anticipate your desired result immediately.Whether youre chasing a promotion, a raise, or that open position at your dream company, its important to take some time and evaluate whether or not youve truly earned what you want. Have you excelled in your current position? Have you proven enough value to your employer to warrant a pay bump? Do you actually have the experience and qualifications for that coveted job- or should you hone your skills and get a few mora y ears under your belt?Very few people get what they want right from the get-go, no matter how entitled to that instant gratification you may feel. So, be honest with yourself about whether or not youve truly laid the right groundwork for your goal- or if youre just trying to skip a few steps. 2. How Are Other People Responding to My Efforts?Dont worry- if youre a little fuzzy on whether or not youre acting like a driven professional or an irritating pest, your peers and co-workers will have no trouble cluing you in.Do people in your office tend to look to you for guidance, instruction, or even encouragement? Or, do they blatantly ignore your 18 follow-up emails? Are you friendly with the people you work with? Or, do they scurry out of the break room whenever you enter- for fear youre going to ask them for a status update again? If your co-workers had to describe you in three words, which three do you think they would use?Were not all self-aware. So, pay close attention to how others respond and react to your behaviors to get a better sense of how youre presenting yourself. If youre still unsure, dont hesitate to approach a co-worker youre close to and ask his or her opinion on whether or not you should hit send on email number 19. 3. Am I Being ritterlich and Considerate of Others?Im all for climbing the ladder- but not if it means stepping on other people in order to do so. The best types of people are those who are not only driven and determined, but also conscientious. Have you heard of blind ambition? Its when your focus is so zoned in on your end goal, that you neglect to recognize what else is happening around you. That report you keep demanding from one of your co-workers, even though its not actually due for another two days? Maybe youre failing to realize that hes currently buried under tons of other important- and more time-pressing- projects. Instead of being a supportive team player, youre just adding to his stress with your overwhelming and unreali stic demands and expectations. Needless to say, you dont want to fall victim to the blind ambition trap (although, I do think itd make a pretty awesome kapelle name). So, take some time to think about those who your actions directly affect. If you wind up with a laundry list of people who will be negatively impacted, perhaps its time you reevaluate your approach. 4. Why Do I Need This Now?Listen, we can all be a little impatient every now and then. Its human nature. So, asking yourself to justify exactly why you desire something immediately is a great way to determine whether youre being realistic or just plain pushy. Lets take a promotion as an example. When asking yourself why you feel like you need that step up right now, what sorts of answers do you come up with? If you think things like, Well, Ive been here for three years and I think this position is a logical next step in my career, or I successfully completed XYZ in the hopes of attaining a position like this, youre on the r ight track.But, if the only things that come to mind are simple, empty explanations such as, Well, its here, and I want it, you might be dabbling in pushy territory.5. How Will I Respond to Rejection?Like it or not, rejection is a part of life. Some of the most successful and notable people in the world have experienced more failure and refusal than theyd probably like to admit- although Ill spare you another clich Abraham Lincoln example.As youve probably already guessed, ambitious people dont let stumbling blocks stop them in their tracks. Instead, they pick themselves up, dust themselves off, and try again. Impatient people? Well, theyre much more likely to complain about their unfortunate circumstances, assign blame, and then wallow in their own self-pity.So, although it may seem pessimistic or painful, think about how you would react if you didnt achieve that goal. Would you keep moving forward? Or, would you just feel slighted?Theres a notable difference between being ambitiou s and impatient. But, as vast as that difference is, its actually an incredibly fine line to walk. Its all too easy to transition from motivated and driven to pushy and overly eager.So, keep yourself in check with these five questions, and youre sure to avoid those exasperated sighs and eye rolls from your irritated co-workers. Photo of man looking at watch courtesy of Shutterstock.

How to Reduce Stress in the Workplace

How to Reduce Stress in the WorkplaceHow to Reduce Stress in the WorkplaceAs anyone whos had a stressful job knows, the accumulated effects of too much stress can manifest in different ways, from long I-deserve-this lunches to non-stop Facebooking toplaying home run derby with the office printer.According to research conducted by ComPsych, a provider of employee assistance services, 34 percent of employees say they lose an hour or mora per day of productive work time because of stress. That stress hour is often spent taking care of personal tasks such as finding child care, talking to coworkers, surfing the web or zoning out, said ComPsych spokesperson Jennifer Hudson.How many hours is your company losing to stress?Heres a quick math problem(Take the Number of Your Organizations Employees) X (.34) X (240 work days per year) = How Many Hours a Year of Productivity Your Company Loses to StressOf course goofing around at work at work isnt the only way workers deal with stress. According to various surveys, stress causes people to play hooky from work and, even worse for you, quit their current jobs for less-stressful jobs. Stress also adds to health care costs and increases the number of on-the-job accidents. All of these negative outcomes cost organizations money.The most common causes of job stress are bad relationships with supervisors and coworkers, high workload, poor work/life balance and job security, in roughly that order. These problems sound personal, but oftentimes theyre not. Workplace stress increases when employees face stiff demands but are given little control over their work, have excessive demands that do not match their ability and are not rewarded with compensation corresponding to their effort.Management plays an outsized role in employee stress. In Gallups State of the American Workplace, CEO Jim Clifton wrote, The single biggest decision you make in your job- bigger than all of the rest- is who you anthroponym manager. When you name the wron g person manager, nothing fixes that bad decision. Not compensation, not benefits- nothing.The telltale signs of a stressed-out workplace include workers taking more sick time, higher absenteeism rate, repeated complaints about the same individual or group to HR or management, more accidents and greater lethargy.So how can HR pinpoint the causes of stress?Anna Maravelas is the president of the conflict resolution firm Thera Rising and the author of How to Reduce Workplace Conflict and Stress. To identify stressors within a company she conducts anonymous, hour-long, in-depth interviews with five to eight workers. She uses the data from these interviews to create surveys for the rest of the department or company. The information collected from these surveys helps companies locate their problems.I guarantee you if you ask the average person, they will have two to three hours of issues that theyre holding back, Maravelas said.Executives are often surprised to discover that what they tho ught welches a clash of personalities or personality types was actually a problem with the way the company was structured.For example, Maravelas worked with a company that employed architects and construction workers. The architects thought the construction workers were blockheads, and the construction workers thought the architects were dreamers who were out of touch with reality.A classic personality conflict, right?That was only a small part of it. Turns out the construction workers compensation was tied to bringing projects in on time and under budget while the architects benefitted from innovations that landed their work in architectural digests, which increased their chances of landing better gigs. The construction workers had no incentive to innovate, and the architects fortunes were not tied to finishing jobs quickly and under budget. It would have been shocking if these two groups didnt eventually clash.If youre an HR manager, Maravelas says there are two ways to think abou t stress in your workplace. The first is to look at structural tension. Are everyones roles clear? Are there too many sources of direction? Are there clashing incentives?The second is attitudinal and cultural. Does the company have a culture of appreciation? Are staff meetings being used to acknowledge contributions? Is good work being recognized?Workplaces that make the effort to deal with stress tend to focus on the following areas reducing stressors, implementing stress management programs and offering alternative work schedules, telecommuting, family-friendly benefits and health and fitness programs.Specific tactics to reduce stressors includeGiving employees more autonomyIncreased employee participation in decision-makingTraining managers to communicate betterTheres good news for you and your company contained within those solutions. They all reduce employee stress without sacrificing productivity.According to Gallup, the more hours per day Americans get to use their strengths to do what they do best, the less likely they are to report experiencing stress at work.Reducing stress isnt a matter of giving employees more time off during the year or longer lunch breaks. Its a matter of organizing the workplace to make it friendlier to workers. This is easier said than done. I once spent four months convincing an operations manager to let my staff work from home 2-3 days a week. Managements assumption was that workers goof off when theyre out of sight. And while some workers inevitably will, the company did not foresee that employees would value their jobs even more- and would be less likely to leave- if they received a great perk like telecommuting.We implemented the telecommuting program, and we saw productivity in our department increase. When the company was purchased, and employees fled every other department, our team experienced no turnover. Staff loved working from home. As one staff member told me, I drive an hour to work and an hour to get home. For a few days a week, I get two extra hours, and I use them to go to the gym. So not only did she get to work in a low-stress environment for a few days a week, but she increased the amount of time she spent in a stress-busting activity such as exercise.People want to do good work, and they want to do it in a low-stress environment.Are you doing all you can to let them?Read Related ArticlesBaby Steps to Meritocracy

Mobile Eye Care for the Developing World

Mobile Eye Care for the Developing World Mobile Eye Care for the Developing World Mobile Eye Care for the Developing WorldWe often take the gift of sight for granted until theres a problem. And for many of those eye problems, there are easy treatments optometrists, eyeglasses, contact lenses.If you have access to them.In many developing countries, and even parts of the U.S., access is major problem. One company is coming up with a solution. EyeNetra in Somerville, MA, has created mobile devices for eye tests and care that can go to the patients, where they are, instead of the other way around.The kind of start-up costs you have with an eye care facility can be incredibly difficult, says Vitor Pamplona, co-founder and CEO of EyeNetra. Even just having the machines can be highly expensive. For people in developing countries and rural areas, it can be very difficult to find a facility nearby that can take care of them. For many places, if they only could have the equipment be affordable and mobile, they could do it. Thats where this system comes in to try and take care of this issue.The company uses three main devices, all small and portable enough to be taken anywhere, along with a phone, he says. The first device, the auto-lensometer, takes a picture through the lens, gathering information through eye interaction, which is then put into a cell phone. The device is designed for single vision, progressive lenses, and bifocals. The device curvature also allows the lens to be in the correct location at all times, says Pamplona.The NETRA auto-refractor measures sphere, cylinder, axis and pupillary distance. Image EyeNetraThe second device, the autorefractor, measures cylinder, axis, sphere, and pupillary distance.Its looking inside like a regular display, Pamplona says. Youre looking through two lenses and see the screen of the cell phone play a game and the result is there. The refractor is similar to a binocular, he says, because you want two eyes to be in the same state while measuring.The third device is the phoropter. Set up to check refraction for lenses, its a standalone that doesnt need electronics. And, according to the EyeNetra website, it is light enough to be held by the patient during testing.The system also has record-keeping. We have the software on the back end so, with the servers, we can keep the data for their patient and its secure and integrated, he says.Thinking GloballyIn addition to parts of the U.S., Pamplona says orders have come from 72 countries, including India, Indonesia, and Malaysia.The full system costs $3,000 while regularly it could be around $75,000, says Pamplona. This makes it easier for a medical professional to not only stay in business in a rural setting but possibly dienstgrad less to those who are impoverished as it is.We want to get people back to full performance, he says. Its about the ability to perform, to go into a workplace and be able to take care of your family. There is an emotional aspect to not seeing well, to not having the same level of opportunity. You give someone lenses and now it makes it a little more fair. Everyone deserves that. Eric Butterman is an independent writer.For many places, if they only could have the equipment be affordable and mobile they could do it.Vitor Pamplona, co-founder and CEO of EyeNetra

Customize this Outstanding Events Manager Resume Template

Customize this Outstanding Events Manager Resume vorlageCustomize this Outstanding Events Manager Resume TemplateWriting the Events Manager Resume TemplateCreate Resume Event planners must be extremely professional and patient, even in the most stressful of client situations. A well-written resume for a management level planner will reflect professionalism, organization and a between-the-lines ability to shoulder the stresses of the field. This Events Manager resume template indicates balance in the candidates attributes, including clear organization, communication skills and a track record of success in the role.Resume Template for Events ManagerMarcie StrattonProfessional SummaryDetailed Events Manager with extensive background in wedding and major corporate event planning and execution. Consistent delivery of client satisfaction for ongoing repeat and referral business. Patient yet direct communicator successful in streamlined workflow and efficient facilitation of above-par deli very.Core QualificationsCapterra eTouchesSalesforce.comMicrosoft OfficeEvent AccountingBudgeting and ForecastingContract AdministrationTechnological ExecutionTalent AcquisitionExperienceEvents Manager, August 2009 PresentCityland Regency West New Cityland, CAManage all scheduled events planned and executed on the 420-room luxury resort propertyMeet with clients, event planners, contractors and suppliers to ensure seamless, orchestrated delivery of all requirementsGain prompt contract execution and ensure timely receipt of client monies through professional interaction and consistent communicationEnsure client buy-in throughout the planning process through periodic submission of status reports reflecting accurately positive and expectation-exceeding workflowMaintain responsibility for over $40 million in annual event revenueWedding Planner, April 2005 August 2009Mary-Lou Weddings New Cityland, CAProvided wedding planning service for bridal events of up to 500 guestsEnsured qualit y provision of all event expectations and deliverablesMaintained professionalism and positive attitude in often emotionally-charged situationsDeveloped a consistently building bridal referral network for continued growth of the organizationEducation2005 Bachelors of Arts, MarketingUniversity of California New Cityland, CACustomize Resume

What You Need to Know About Hospitality Resume

What You Need to Know About Hospitality Resume Hospitality Resume at a Glance You want a resume targeting the specific position youre applying for. As stated previously should choose skills that have some relevance to the job that youre applying for. Resume objectives can be a little controversial. Resume objectives are important since they are typically the very first thing a possible employer reads. People with higher demand for affiliation seek close relationship with others, are interested in being liked by other people, enjoy plenty of social pursuits. Which format you select will depend, in part, on the sort of work youve performed and whether you are likely to continue in the exact saatkorn field. If youre changing careers, you wont have an abundance of experience in your preferred field, therefore its great to draw upon your prior experience and your urge to transfer that knowledge. Even if you believe you dont have lots of experience, you truly do. The Secret to H ospitality Resume Career in Insurance There is an assortment of positions in the field at which you can work and earn a career. The very first key section of your resume is known as the Career Objective. You ought to have five objective statements. The smallest details have to be adhered to. Most good job ads include contact information and lots of HR departments will provide you with a contact name if you explain why you desire it. A professional resume writer knows what Hospitality recruiters are seeking and will make certain that all the important information is contained in your resume. There are various work in the hospitality company, and you are going to want to consider which one that you want, because that should be part of your career objective, among the very first regions of the resume youre putting together. It is not an industry for everyone, but if you possess the right skill set and qualities, landing a job in the hospitality industry could be one of the bes t things for your career. The important thing is to concentrate not on what you would like from the employer, but what it is possible to offer them. Demonstrate what youve learned about the business and the distributionspolitik to demonstrate that youre not just utilizing the exact same letter for each application. Utilize your individual address, not your work e-mail, and make certain it is never too casual. Additionally, you could begin a blog that discusses your experiences in the business. Image via Flickr by CoCreatr You most likely have skills which you didnt use at your prior job. In order to make an engaging sales associate resume objective, it is crucial to communicate your abilities and experience. Most Noticeable Hospitality Resume When youre asking for work, your very first purpose is to let employers know your abilities and talents align with the demands of their open position. Youre better off to showcase your skills by your experience or have a short and descri ptive collection of only the important skills needed by the employer. Everyone has desirable abilities and experiences to provide employers including you When youre crafting your resume objective, you should concentrate on particular abilities and experiences which are directly linked to the job. Job seekers starting to compose their resumes should always take a look at the comprehensive resume objective example documents to understand how they need to write relevant objectives according to their qualifications. Charting a career path farther down the accounting road is a lucrative and fulfilling alternative for many. Whenever your job fits into many diverse industries (for instance, administrative assistant), by noting the industry thats of interest to you, you communicate to the employer that you arent just any administrative assistant, youre an administrative assistant who already has a superb comprehension of that corporations industry. Just because your very last job requir ed good communication skills doesnt indicate you have good communication abilities. Some degree of knowledge of the pharmaceutical industry may set you apart from the other applicants in your area. A great deal of employers wish to ensure incoming workers are computer literate. Terrific hospitality employees have strong leadership abilities and have the ability to command projects are make substantial contributions to the customers overall success. Pharmacy technicians play a significant part in pharmacies.

Pros and Cons Surfing the Web at Work - Spark Hire

Pros and Cons Surfing the Web at Work - Spark HireWere all familiar with the quick-clicking that accompanies a manager walking by. Employees rush to browse away from the cupcake recipes, news stories, and sports scores that they are secretly looking at when they should be working. On the one hand, letting employees spend on-the-clock hours on-the-net can be a waste of resources. However, new research suggests that perks like browsing the internet can actually increase employee productivity. As the discussion about company culture heats up, lets talk about the pros and cons of letting employees surf the internet.ConsMany employees do waste a lot of time on the internet. Several studies have shown that workers waste 1-2 hours per day on the internet. Those wasted hours can hurt a companys bottom line, as wasted hours mean wasted money. To put a finer point on the issue, one study showed that businesses might lose $10,000 per employee every year to office distractions and poorly designe d technology. Those sorts of wasted dollars make a compelling case for banning recreational internet use in your company culture.One way to improve office productivity is to implement a web filtering tool to block recreational websites. You could also have your IT Department set up a monitoring system that keeps track of the sites visited on each company computer. Decreasing idle browsing isnt the only perk of unterstellung programs internet monitoring can help protect your companys network from viruses and data loss. The ban on internet use at work could also potentially decrease your companys liability in the event of a sexual harassment or other employee lawsuit, protecting company culture.ProsSurfing the internet at work might turn out to be a perk that is good for productivity. Several recent studies have shown that browsing the internet actually increases employee performance. Taking a short breakspecifically internet browsinggives the brain a quick dose of rest and relaxation , and allows it to return to work with renewed vigor after the diversion.From another angle, some scientists have argued that temptation to use a perk like internet use drains workers energy and productivity. In a paper called Temptation at Work, Harvard geschftsleben School researchers showed that workers who were attempting to delay the gratification of a recreational task (online shopping, reading their favorite blogs, etc.) were more likely to make mistakes while working.An employee who worries all day about whether or not their Amazon order got delivered is likely going to be much less productive than the employee who checks on the order first thing in the morning, and then moves on with their day.So, while perks like internet surfing might appear to cut into your companys bottom line, implementing a looser company culture actually increases productivity.What do you think? How do perks like freedom to use the internet affect company culture? Start a conversation below, or send me a tweet ithinkther4iambIMAGE Courtesy of Flickr by juanpol