It was the last day of the working week

It welches the last day of the working week, so I thought it wouldnt hurt if I kicked off those uncomfortable (working) shoes and slipped them under my desk. I wouldnt be alarmed when one of my colleagues noticed it and teased me (as an office scrub). I looked at my desk, amazed at the myriad of applications. It welches a source of joy many months ago, as there was a pile of birthday greeting cards on one side. (I wasnt expecting my workmates to show their thoughtfulness, even if I suspected it the weeks leading to my special day.) It would offset the computer and other stuff, which kept on reminding me that there would be a task coming up every few hours or so. How could I forget the drawer? My workmate told me that a blow dryer would fit into it, which almost prompted me to ask her if a female ex-colleague once occupied it. But I bit my tongue.There would be another use for my desk, which could function as a canteen. Mornings would be incomplete without a cup of coffee, and then a sandwich and soda several hours later. I was told that what I consumed at the desk would give me my workmates an impression of me. It wasnt different from my routine at the university, which meant it was hard to let go of certain habits. (I almost forgot the chips, which would appear on the desk every few weeks or so.) I havent asked my colleagues about it, as I was rather mindful about my responsibilities. The breaks would be short conversations.Recalling my worst impressionsI overheard my boss asking one of my colleagues about an applicant, who came (into the office) last Monday. I became quite uncomfortable, as it recalled the first time I stepped into the office. I was a nervous wreck, while I made my way here. I skipped the cologne, but I wondered if I would smell or not. I also looked at my suit, opting for colors that wont call their attention. (I was tempted to use that eye-catching necktie, which had small figures of Sponge Bob all over. I decided to reserve it for another occasion.) And I made koranvers that there wont be any trace of weirdness in my appearance.My first glance at the office gave me trepidation. Would I fit in? It was hard to tell, even during the interview. (I made sure that my skills were the ones that my boss-to-be was looking for.) The first day in the office nearly turned me into a nervous wreck, as I did my best not to make a blunder. It took me a few weeks before I settled into my desk.This was how we used to workI smiled when I recalled what I browsed (in the magazines) last weekend. It was a series of old photos, which showed how work was used to be.Making Easter eggs would be a challenging task, such that there wont be varieties. (It would required additional hours, which could be more exhausting to the ones doing it.) Scrubbing at a steamie wasnt a nice sight at all, which reminded me of the washer and dryer. (I took it for granted.) And then calculating wages in an accounting office during the 1950s. It would require stand ing and bending (of the torso), which seemed to be good for anyones health. I would need to stand up (from my desk) in a moment or two.There would be a few hours left before we leave the office. And I havent figured out my weekend plans.

Why Do You Want To Work Here Heres The Best Way To Answer

Why Do You Want To Work Here Heres The Best Way To Answer Picture this Youve been interviewing for a role you really (REALLY) want at a company you have admired for years. Youre nearing the end of an all-day interview marathon and are feeling confident. Then you get hit with it. The all-too-common interview question that surprisingly trips people up Why do you want to work here?This is often the last job interview question you may be asked by interviewers, which is why its critical to have a strong answer. Heres the clincher if youdontget asked it, you should still proactively share this information toward the end of an interview. Why? It reinforces your desire for the role, and a potential employer alwaysprefers to hire a candidate who is excited and motivated to work for them. Now that we knowwhythis is such a key question lets break downhowto answer it. How to Answer Why Do You Want to Work Here?Heres a 5-step guide to answer this question1. Being completely honest, ask yourself, Why do you want to work here?Spend some time really thinking about this. Acceptable answers (for you to share with yourself) I legit hate my job and need something new. I hear the company pays a ton of money. This has been my dream company for years. I really like the products. The office is close to my home. I love the manager and what the gruppe stands for. I need to change my career ASAP if I ever want to reach my long-term career goals.No answer is wrong so long as its honest (for now).Tip I suggest to my clients to do all interview prep in writing, and this is no different its been proven that the act of writing something down helps us remember it. Plus, its one of the best ways to organize your thoughts. So, actually put pen to paper (or fingers to keyboard) and write this out.2. Go through this list.Its time to refine this hopefully honest list. Ask yourself what the appropriate way to share is. Whats not appropriate? You probably dont want to mention the salary or proximity of the office to your home as your primary motivation in the interview. However, working in how its always been your dream to work at the company can be a point in your favor.Since you have this written down, actually mark what works and cross off what doesnt.3. Match your desires back with the goals, values, and general knowledge of the company.You know all that research youve done on the company? (Tip if you didnt do any research on the company mission, you should probably auszeit on this prep-work and start there.)That doesnt just mean sitting idly in your computer search history. Heres one of the ways we apply it Recall what the employer valued, what their goals are (even better if you know about the goals of the employees, kollektiv, or department with which youre interviewing) On your same written notes of why you want to work there and just like youre doing a matching exercise that your daughter may do in grammar school do that with your notes.4. Identify themes.Now that y ou know what is really driving you and have a clear understanding of what the company values on the same page, the goal is to match your reasons with things that the company values so that you can articulate why youd be a good fit for the job.And since it wont be effective to laundry list everything, lets create themes. Aim for 3-5 themes. For example, one could be the fact that you and the company are aligned on where you think the industry is going or a trend in the marketplace, another could be your experience and skill set that directly matches the opportunity, and a third could be the fact that youd be working with a team that understands the art form that is the juggling act of being a working mother and values all associates bringing their whole selves to work.These 3-5 themes become your answer You can elaborate or share an example or two if it makes sense, but you need to be able to confidently express unterstellung things in a succinct manner.(Which brings me to.)5. Practi ceNope, youll never escape this piece of interview prep work. How to practice for this specific question? Review your notes and practice articulating them. Be able to do this in the form of a question-answer as well as a proactive comment in case you dont get asked this question.After doing this final bit of prep work youll be walking out of your interview day knowing you rocked it, shared your experiences, and explained why you want to join the team.Templates for Responding to Why Do You Want to Work Here?So, howexactlydo you respond to Why do you want to work here? Try these sample responses to start off your answer. I really admire X company because of... My background in X aligns well with your mission of... X publication recently featured an article on Y, which ties in well with your organizations goal of... Its always been my dream to work with your company. I admire your work with/initiative on...A Final NoteAs with an aspect and stage of the hiring process, its important to tailor your response to the company and position. Avoid generic responses that could apply to arange of jobs and organizations. As discussed above, do your best to work in different facts and aspects of the company you admire, as well as your own qualifications. Doing so helps the interviewer see that you truly care about the job and arent just applying because youd be satisfied anywhere. While you may well thrive in a variety of settings, you want to convey that theres something particularly special about this one.--Jane Scudder is a certified coach, facilitator, and workplace leadership consultant based in Chicago, IL. She helps individuals and group navigate their careers, teams, and personal lives. Find out more atjanescudder.com.

Studying aint what it used to be - its better

Studying aint what it used to be - its better Studying aint what it used to be its betterPosted April 13, 2015, by Marni WilliamsThink back to when you were last at TAFE or university. If it welches mora than 10 years ago, then its quite possible that memory involves a suited figure standing down the front, wrestling with an overcrowded PowerPoint thats crying out for a graphic designer, and some of the longest hours of your life. Maybe you loved every minute of those lectures sure, Ill never forget the time one of my lecturers decided to start our modern art course with a Dada performance that involved him wearing a bucket on his head but maybe youre also remembering all those times you nodded off in the dark, the frustration you felt at not being able to ask potentially embarrassing questions before the lecturer moved on to the next topic, or those awkward silences in tutorials when it was clear no one had done the reading. If this is your impression of tertiary education, th en youre certainly not alone. But if you think thats what you have to endure in order to get qualified these days, then I have good news for you youre behind the times.Todays students have demanded changeWhen does change start to become real? When the consumer demands it. Everyone these days expects technology to make their lives mora convenient and their experiences to be richer, and that includes their education. Add those expectations to the greater prevalence of degrees and the increased competition in finding a job after graduation, and the old methods start to look just a little too dusty. The academic-led New Media Consortium has been tracking developments in education for over two decades, and their latest NMC Technology Outlook for Australian Tertiary Education indicates weve reached a tipping point As the workforce has evolved, calling for a mix of highly technical and communication-centric skill sets, student expectations of the traditional university degree are changing . There is less perceived value in large lecture hall courses and a greater emphasis on campus experiences that invoke more hands-on, immersive learning experiences that either simulate the real world or are part of it. I guess we all figure that if an algorithm can plan the perfect road trip, and we can tour the worlds museums or find our ancestors birth records from the comfort of our living rooms, then maybe traditional study has some catching up to do. But has it caught up? On one hand, the NMC suggests it has Over the past several years, there has been a shift in the perception of ansprechbar learning to the point where its value is now well understood, with flexibility, ease of access, and the integration of sophisticated multimedia and technologies chief among the list of appeals. However, delivering courses online is really only the beginning todays technology is about much more than improved delivery methods. Ive been tracking some of the most important changes that are making their way into the tertiary sector and some of them are so exciting they might just make you want to give it another go. And I promise you, were well past PowerPoint.5 game-changing trends in education1. Open learningOpen learning is all about getting resources and research out to as many people as possible, for free. While the term encompasses developments in sharing such as Creative Commons and the increase in open online journals, the hottest word on everyones lips in 2012 was MOOCs (Massive Open Online Courses). unterstellung hugely popular free online courses may not have brought traditional university models crashing down, but they certainly have given them cause to consider making their content more available. The NMC report says open content is considered to be an extremely important topic in Australia and the government has even published guidelines and stipulated that certain government-funded research must be made accessible to everyone. Some open-access pionee rs include La Trobe University, which has piloted a program using Wikiversity and the Wikimedia Foundation Projects, and Adelaide University, which has transitioned its science textbooks from print to open-source. Want to find open educational resources? Check out OER Commons.2. MLearningIf we shop, bank, socialise, read and work from our mobile devices, then why shouldnt we be able to learn from them in a formal way? It seems mobile learning is already making its way into our hands, as the NMC reports All three of these projects expert panels a group of 145 acknowledged experts strongly agree that mobile learning and online learning, in some form, will likely tip into mainstream use within the next year. Mobile learning not only allows learning to take place easily off campus and on-the-go, it allows students to work it in with traditional methods on an individual basis. For example, mobile learning has been used by Curtin University to deliver individual polls during class, testing each students understanding of the content in real time. Practical lessons are also benefiting Dr Peter Teasdale at Griffith University has developed an app called H2GU to allow his students to collect and test water samples while in the field and medical students at the University of Melbourne are even managing patient records via their mobile devices while they make their rounds. As universities and TAFEs develop apps and make their existing sites mobile-friendly, stand by for more palm-based pedagogy.3. Rich content for the flipped classroomThe concept of the flipped classroom is the next big step from blended learning, and, when combined with rich content such as audio and video, this reversal of the traditional lecture is proving to be popular with students. Where blended learning allows students the flexibility of learning in their own time, the flipped classroom goes one step further it not only provides online resources for students, it requires them to direct th eir own learning outside of class, leaving class time only for personal interactions such as practical training and discussion. The School of Nursing and Midwifery at the University of Western Sydney has turned to the flipped classroom model in order to dedicate one hundred percent of face-to-face time to clinical practice. And for the Australian National Universitys McComas Taylor, flipping his Sanskrit lessons over to an e-textbook has left more time for speaking (and chanting) in the classroom. The inclusion of rich media has been a key development here McComass students can replay snippets of video and sound recordings of individual Sanskrit words as they are spoken, allowing them to see and hear them over and over, in their own time, slowing them down to each syllable until they can understand and replicate them in class. McComas e-textbook has been so successful that he can now claim to be the only academic to export the teaching of Sanskrit to students in India And with a ll his rich media delivered in a mobile-friendly way, he has even reduced the time that needs to be spent on revisions as he has found his students remember almost all the