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What is online reputation management?

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What is Online Reputation Management & How to Improve It: Full Guide!

If you have any business, then I am going to tell you about What is Online Reputation Management & How to Improve It, so if you want to know about it, then keep reading this article. Because I am going to give you complete information about it, so let’s start.

As you all know, A bad review can be the death of your business. As the saying goes, everybody has a bad day once in a while – but those who are out to spread malicious rumors or consider themselves a source of moral judgment typically aren’t worth trying to please in the first place. Instead of continuing to engage with online bullies and their negative energy, product managers should keep this one simple piece of advice in mind: If you can’t say something nice about someone, don’t say anything.

To prevent customers from posting negative reviews online, it’s essential to have an online reputation management strategy in place before a potential crisis arises. By planning, your company may be better able to respond rapidly and effectively when things aren’t going well.

What is Online Reputation Management

What is Online Reputation Management?

Online reputation management and repair has been one of the fastest-growing subsets of digital marketing in recent years. Based on my experience working with numerous businesses who’ve contacted us to help fix their reputation, it’s evident that those shops that proactively invest in building an online presence are much more likely to gain a more significant following and a more substantial reputation than those that neglect these efforts of theirs.

If you are considering creating a business or if you happen to have one, we recommend reading up on the importance of digital marketing to enhance your current and future reputation not only online but offline too. Online branding is just as crucial for businesses owned by individuals as it is for those owned by major corporations. An individual’s online reputation must be monitored through social media and positive press to protect their identity.

What is online reputation management?

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Two cycles of online reputation

The Internet is our first stop for everything

The Internet is our first stop for everything

Other people are creating your reputation for you

While it’s comforting to think you have significant sway over what others think of you, very little of your online reputation is under your control. In fact, your reputation is mostly determined by what strangers on the internet think and say about you when they find you online.

However, there are things you can do to influence how people feel about you or your business. These efforts do take time (if you take the DIY approach) or money (if you hire someone to manage your reputation for you), but being able to steer the discussion about your name is worth it. The worst thing you can do is to leave your reputation up to the whims of the internet.

Online and offline are blending

Online and offline are blending

With each passing day, the online world becomes more and more enmeshed with the rest of our activities. From smartphones to smart TVs, from the “Internet of things” to the self-driving cars of the future—you are living each day increasingly online, even if you never touch a computer.

Your online reputation is forever

If someone writes something negative about you online, it can put you at a serious disadvantage over the long term—especially if you’re not aware of it. You might never know why you didn’t get that apartment you wanted, or why a job offer never materialized after that phenomenal interview.

Your online reputation is forever

For the same reasons, you also need to monitor things that you post yourself. Thanks to social media, even posts from decades earlier can come back to harm you. Consider the following examples, all vastly different:

Passanger airplane flying above clouds in evening.

Case Study: United Airlines

One company that understands this better than most is United Airlines, which is still trying to find its footing after being deemed “evil” on social media. In 2017, video of United Airlines security personnel violently dragging a passenger off of an overbooked flight went viral, generating over 1 million mentions a day on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter in the immediate aftermath. This social media storm ignited national outrage and caused United’s stock to quickly lose more than 800 billion in market value. While the stock has since recovered, the company’s reputation remains tarnished and continues to serve as fodder for late-night comedians.

Online reputation management first steps

man at a computer

Our in-depth guide to how online reputation management works, the major tactics involved, and how to build a strategy that works for you. The ultimate resource for anyone looking to roll up their sleeves and put together their own plan.

social media danger sign

Using real-world examples, we show how social media missteps have harmed people’s reputations. We then provide advice on how to avoid a similar fate, including simple steps you can take to protect yourself on social media.

typing on a laptop

Businesses often ask if there’s a way to delete misleading, negative reviews. In this guide, we go over the situations where removal might be possible, and we provide advice on how to solve the problem in cases when it’s not.

worried woman looks at computer screen

Not sure where to start with online reputation management? In this guide, we provide a handful of easy-to-implement tips that will put your online reputation on a much surer footing. We also explain strategies that don’t work and are best avoided.

woman looks at computer

If you run a business and aren’t sure how best to use customer reviews to build your online reputation, this guide is for you. We go over the do’s and don’ts of online review management, how to get more positive reviews, and how to avoid getting negative ones.

Questions or concerns?

Fill out the form to schedule a consultation

Fill out the form to schedule a consultation

Fill out the form and we will get back to you shortly

Fill out the form to schedule a consultation

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Fill out the form and we will get back to you shortly

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More information

Online reputation management first steps

man at a computer

Our in-depth guide to how online reputation management works, the major tactics involved, and how to build a strategy that works for you. The ultimate resource for anyone looking to roll up their sleeves and put together their own plan.

social media danger sign

Using real-world examples, we show how social media missteps have harmed people’s reputations. We then provide advice on how to avoid a similar fate, including simple steps you can take to protect yourself on social media.

typing on a laptop

Businesses often ask if there’s a way to delete misleading, negative reviews. In this guide, we go over the situations where removal might be possible, and we provide advice on how to solve the problem in cases when it’s not.

worried woman looks at computer screen

Not sure where to start with online reputation management? In this guide, we provide a handful of easy-to-implement tips that will put your online reputation on a much surer footing. We also explain strategies that don’t work and are best avoided.

woman looks at computer

If you run a business and aren’t sure how best to use customer reviews to build your online reputation, this guide is for you. We go over the do’s and don’ts of online review management, how to get more positive reviews, and how to avoid getting negative ones.

Questions or concerns?

Fill out the form to schedule a consultation

Fill out the form to schedule a consultation

Fill out the form and we will get back to you shortly

Fill out the form to schedule a consultation

Fill out the form to schedule a consultation

Fill out the form and we will get back to you shortly

How we use cookies

Functional cookies

These cookies show you the correct phone number, check to make sure fonts are loaded, find language-specific resources based on your IP address, provide you with live chat when available, and otherwise allow for smooth navigation on our website. Our website cannot work properly without these cookies.

Marketing cookies

We use common marketing cookies offered by third-party vendors including Google, Facebook, and Bing. These cookies allow us to measure the effectiveness of our marketing activities and improve our website by anonymously tracking the types of interactions users take on our site. These or similar cookies are used by the vast majority of sites on the Internet.

More information

Resources:

https://www.oflox.com/blog/what-is-online-reputation-management/
https://www.reputationdefender.com/what-online-reputation-management#:~:text=Online%20reputation%20management%20(ORM)%20means%20taking%20control%20of,allow%20you%20to%20put%20your%20best%20foot%20forward.
https://www.reputationmanagement.com/blog/online-reputation-management-guide/
https://www.reputationdefender.com/what-online-reputation-management
https://adespresso.com/blog/online-reputation-management/

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The ultimate psychological guide to burnout recovery

goal hierarchy

The ultimate psychological guide to burnout recovery

As a passionate entrepreneur, your business means everything to you. But it’s that high-achiever “I-can-do-everything” personality that makes you particularly prone to job burnout: working exceptionally long hours, taking on heavy workloads, and putting huge amounts of pressure on yourself is par for the (entrepreneurial) course. All the more reason you can benefit from a burnout recovery plan.

We’re here to teach you how you can recover from a state of burnout. We’ll provide you with three goal-based tactics to shift your motivation and get on the path to burnout recovery as soon as possible. The recovery plan includes three steps, best remembered by the 3 Rs: Reorganize, Reframe, and Rebalance.

As always, these methods are based off of established academic research. Our team of PhDs have gone through a number of papers in the psychology and neuroscience fields. The recommendations come from theories on the psychology of goal-setting, motivation, self-control, and willpower.

How to know when you’re in need of a burnout recovery plan?

Job burnout is a real problem nowadays. Job stress costs the U.S nearly $300 billion a year through employee turnover, decreased productivity, absent employees, as well as medical, legal and insurance fees. It’s estimated that over 46% of employees have experienced or are currently in a state of job burnout.

We can all agree, then, that burnout is dangerous (both in terms of personal well-being and business success). So, first question is: How do you know if you’re burnt out? What does that even look like?

It’s common to feel tired after a long day, or to feel you need a couple extra days off after a month-long sprint to a deadline. But constantly being tired, feeling emotionally drained, having a lack of enthusiasm about the work you’re doing, and feeling cynical could be signs of something more serious.

download app

Whether you’re at risk for job burnout or overcoming it, this plan is for you (even if it’s for a later time down the road). The 3 main signs of burnout mentioned above (exhaustion, cynicism, and inefficacy) are best dealt with through three steps of goal-setting tactics. These help shift your motivation and realign your purpose to get you back on track:

You’re probably wondering, “what do my goals have to do with burnout recovery?”. Effective goal-setting underlies the fundamental aspect of your motivation and keeps stressful situations at bay. If you don’t set goals in positive, attainable ways, it will take us into a cycle of stress and negative emotions, hindering your decision-making, breeding a lack of creativity, and eventually making you feel mentally exhausted and burnt out.

Many of us are aware of the importance of goal-setting in terms of productivity, but now with this framework you’ll learn how you can take advantage of attainable goal-setting to aid your burnout recovery.

What does burnout look like?

Burnout doesn’t always appear as painful desperation. Some signs of burnout include feeling cynical about the way your life is going, the conviction that nothing you do matters, and a pervasive sense of helplessness. You might say:

Burnout often causes you to feel as if the entire world is against you. You might think that your situation is “rigged,” and that you’re being crushed under the massive weight of that horrible thing we call “life.”

But even after years of grinding, you might feel as if you’re still stuck in the same place. Your passion, enthusiasm, and charm get sucked into a black hole, traded for cynicism, pessimism, frustration, and constant, crippling self doubt.

Making sure you’re not overworking can be step 1 in avoiding burnout. Keep track of your work hours with Toggl.

Your story is probably a lot like that of Mr. Incredible–once the hero, your rosy world suddenly got swapped for a colorless cubicle. You’ve woken up from a simple dream, and found yourself working for corporate machines who care about nothing except the best ways to maximize profits. Instead of helping others, your time is spent helping them squelch as much cash as possible out of the little guys.

New York magazine eloquently describes it as “a problem that’s both physical and existential, an untidy agglomeration of external symptoms and private frustrations.” (Basically, you can feel burnout in your body as physical exhaustion, and suffer from the brain fog it causes as well).

9. Seek professional support through therapy

Therapy is a wonderful space to assess what burnout looks for you, what components of burnout are particularly challenging for you, and what factors are contributing to your experience of burnout. For example, if you notice that your detachment is impacting how you show up for work or home, you can work on strategies to improve interpersonal concerns.

These strategies may include steps to protect your energy. For example, delegating tasks if possible and working on communication such as setting boundaries with respect rather than with irritation. A therapist can also help you sort through and address the factors impacting burnout, since each factor might need a different approach.

The experience of burnout feels pretty awful – but burnout is treatable, and the recovery process can be deeply empowering! Working with a vetted therapist is the right next step.

Through recovery, you can become more in touch with your values and goals, feel more confident in your ability to manage stress, and learn to implement practices that will help you play the long game well. While burnout generally is temporary, the growth you experience in being intentional about treating it can be lasting!

Snehal Kumar, PhD

Resource:

https://psychologycompass.com/blog/burnout-recovery-guide/
https://toggl.com/blog/recover-from-burnout
https://blog.zencare.co/recovering-from-burnout/

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How to network: 17 tips for shy people

6 listen to be heard

Start with what you know

2 start with what you know

“You can do a significant amount of valuable networking without ever making a cold call,” says Lynne Sarikas, director of Northeastern University’s MBA Career Center. “Start with a known instead of an unknown to demystify the process. This helps a shy person over the hurdle.” After a few successful conversations, you’ll feel more confident.

Once you acquire a smidge of courage, expand to people who graduated from your alma mater. Your alumni network is a gold mine of connections. That’s why it exists. Contacting an alum out of the blue shouldn’t feel like a cold call. After all, they joined this network to make — and take — calls just like this.

How to Network Effectively

How to Network Effectively

Making connections and maintaining relationships with the people who support you throughout your career can be the key to success for most individuals. By effectively building a network of colleagues, business associates and more, you are ensuring that whenever you need a new client, a new job, or to develop your skills further, you can call upon your network to help you.

Networking is perhaps more crucial than ever, as an established relationship can make you stand out against the competition. For anyone who has ever worked as an intern at a large organization, one of the best pieces of advice you’ll receive is to network, network, and network more while you’re there. Take advantage of the access you’ve been given, go out of your way to meet other intelligent individuals and build up a network of contacts so that when you leave (or if they do first), there is a foundation for a relationship in place.

This guide will teach you about the different categories within your network of contacts, how best to utilize some of the newest features on LinkedIn and lastly why face-to-face networking also known as in-person offline networking is still the best.

How to Network Effectively: Networking Categories

Back when snail mail was the main form of business communication, it could take days to establish a connection with someone from another company. With the advent of the telephone, professionals gained the ability to just pick up the phone and call someone to make that contact. Today, technology has in many ways made even telephones unimportant. With only a person’s name, you can Google them, look at their LinkedIn profile, their Facebook information and if they tweet then their Twitter stream. The availability of information on people has drastically improved, but it doesn’t detract from the importance of old-fashioned offline networking. If you ask ten different people to define networking, you’ll get ten different answers. But according to The Oxford Dictionary, a network is “a group of people who exchange information, contacts, and experience for professional or social purposes.”

“The real definition of networking to me is building relationships before you need them,” says Diane Darling, an expert on the topic and the founder and CEO of Effective Networking, Inc. based in Boston. “It’s difficult because we tend to only do things in life when we need to. But if you’re running a marathon, you don’t wait until the morning of the race and then just go out to run. On that day of the race, you remember all of the time and hard work you put in ahead of time while training to get to that point. With networking, when you really need a job or new clients, empowering your existing contacts is the key to getting you there.”

When considering your contacts, Darling recommends that you think of them as five different subgroups within your network, try not to interconnect and view it like an inverted pyramid.

2. Network: Your friends and family network, alumni network (example: University of Florida alumni), or business network, these are specific sub-groups but people you trust. They should rarely go over 200 contacts, and to determine if someone is in your network, consider if they would immediately return your phone call. If they get back to you, then they are in.

3. Inner Circle: Ideally about 50 people who can rotate annually and give you candid career feedback about your career. Darling likes to put together a survey at Surveymonkey.com every two years so these people can give her honest thoughts without fear of offending her.

4. Personal Board of Advisers (PBA): 5-6 individuals you are particularly close with and who should be your go-to network for advice that not only touches on your career, but on you. How are you doing as a person?

While networking has always been vital to business relationships and growing a client base, it’s never been quite as easy as it is now. While face-to-face-interaction remains the best form of networking, you no longer need to rely on snail mail or even phone calls to interact and create a group. With social networking sites, you can research and connect with other professionals easier than ever. And the leader is LinkedIn, a seven-year-old business-oriented social networking site. As Darling notes, it’s called hybrid networking, so taking the online to the offline (digital relationships to face-to-face meetings).

Launched in May 2003, LinkedIn has seen its biggest growth the last few years. It has gone from 30 million members and 200 employees in early 2008 to over 75 million worldwide members and over 600 employees, according to company spokesperson Krista Canfield. Additionally, a new member signs up for LinkedIn every second of every day, and the users span 200 countries worldwide.

Find a Higher Purpose

Another factor that affects people’s interest in and effectiveness at networking is the primary purpose they have in mind when they do it. In the law firm we studied, we found that attorneys who focused on the collective benefits of making connections (“support my firm” and “help my clients”) rather than on personal ones (“support or help my career”) felt more authentic and less dirty while networking, were more likely to network, and had more billable hours as a result.

Further Reading

How Leaders Create and Use Networks

Any work activity becomes more attractive when it’s linked to a higher goal. So frame your networking in those terms. We’ve seen this approach help female executives overcome their discomfort about pursuing relationships with journalists and publicists. When we remind them that women’s voices are underrepresented in business and that the media attention that would result from their building stronger networks might help counter gender bias, their deep-seated reluctance often subsides.

Andrea Stairs, managing director of eBay Canada, had just such a change in perspective. “I had to get over the feeling that it would be self-centered and unseemly to put myself out there in the media,” she told us. “I realized that my visibility is actually good for my company and for the image of women in the business world in general. Seeing my media presence as a way to support my colleagues and other professional women freed me to take action and embrace connections I didn’t formerly cultivate.”

Many if not most of us are ambivalent about networking. We know that it’s critical to our professional success, yet we find it taxing and often distasteful. These strategies can help you overcome your aversion. By shifting to a promotion mindset, identifying and exploring shared interests, expanding your view of what you have to offer, and motivating yourself with a higher purpose, you’ll become more excited about and effective at building relationships that bear fruit for everyone.

Source:

https://www.cio.com/article/230572/how-to-network-17-tips-for-shy-people.html
https://www.inc.com/guides/2010/08/how-to-network-effectively.html
https://hbr.org/2016/05/learn-to-love-networking

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The Best Code Snippet Plugins for WordPress

Ein eigenes Plugin zu erstellen und in diesem alle benötigten Code Snippets unterzubringen ist die sauberste und universellste Methode. Sie eignet sich für alle Arten von Code Schnipseln und ist immer die beste Wahl.

WP Product Review Lite plugin download with animated shopping images in blue and yellow

The Best Code Snippet Plugins for WordPress

There’s a running joke among programmers that software development is 10-20% knowing how to code and 80-90% knowing how to search the internet for an answer or code snippet. Thankfully, lots of people post those code snippets on their websites for others to use and modify. If you’re one of the helpful coders who figures out problems and wants to share the resulting code, we have a slew of WordPress plugins here that can help post those code snippets in an easy-to-read and copy format.

Whether you want to display code in a single block for your readers or in-line as part of a discussion where you can point out specific elements of the code, there’s a plugin for you. You can handle this manually by adjusting your functions.php file, but even though we often suggest a manual approach to some things in WordPress, plugins are definitely the way to go for this feature.

Our Top 4 Code Snippet Plugins for WordPress

1. SyntaxHighlighter Evolved

syntaxhighlighter evolved code snippet display

One of the standards in this arena, SyntaxHighlighter Evolved is simple to use and install. We have a full guide on how to get it installed and set up on your site. Basically, you can paste the code into the empty field, and the plugin takes it from there. It will display that code fully highlighted and formatted for your readers. You can adjust various settings such as color and formatting in the settings of the plugin.

They can also click into the displayed code snippet and copy it for their own use. Also, when the code block is clicked, it displays a plain-text version of the code that makes copying and pasting easier on the user’s end. The last thing someone who is looking for code needs is to have to reformat it and debug it on their own.

The plugin also runs with various shortcode parameters, meaning that you just need to insert a shortcode into a post or a page, then adjust various elements on a per-snippet basis. If shortcodes aren’t your thing, then you can make sure to use the custom block for the Block Editor. It’s easy, quick, and simple like most other custom Gutenberg blocks.

2. Code Snippets

code snippets

When you see a plugin simply called Code Snippets, there’s a good chance you know what it does. And hopefully it does it well. Lucky for all of us, Code Snippets actually does display code snippets well. One of the standout features of this plugin is that not only are the displayed lines of code formatted to read and copy easily, it comes with a custom field for a code description so that you can easily track what snippets do what (and so your readers can get a full description, too).

We appreciate that this plugin gives you a full list of all code snippets on your website (those that are created with this plugin, that is), so that any updates or edits that need to be made are quick and easy without having to search and find which post or page contains it. That also lets you use the same snippets in more than one location and upkeep only a single instance of it.

3. Enlighter – Customizable Syntax Highlighter

enlighter

Powered by EnlighterJS, the similarly named Enlighter plugin gives you a lot of control over how your code snippets display on your site. A big plus to this one is how you can add code in-line rather than in its own block. Most of the code snippet plugins only allow for block formatting. (Or editing through an actual Block Editor block.) This feature helps a lot with readability for your posts and explanation so fthe code, as well as lets you more easily include only part of a complete snippet in context of a particular line, function, or phrase.

Additionally, this is one of the few plugins that has a “generic language” highlighter, meaning that if you put in a snippet and the plugin can’t tell if that is from PHP, HTML, JavaScript, or something else, it will still highlight it as well as possible, meaning that it won’t appear simply as plain-text. This alone makes Enlighter worth checking out because of how readable it makes every line of code you put on your website.

4. Syntax Code Highlighter

syntax code highlighter

Code Syntax Block uses the Prism syntax highlighter to render code snippets in your WordPress posts and pages. Going through the Block Editor, you just need to paste in the code that you want displayed and fiddle with some of the settings in the right sidebar, using metaboxes and details. This helps make it easier to label and identify what code snippet the user is looking at.

With this plugin, you don’t have to rely on any preset styling to colorize the highlighted snippets. While the plugin does include presets, you can alter the code’s color setting using CSS in a file included with the plugin. That level of customization is nice when your site is going for a particular aesthetic or you focus on a particular development type. By using CSS to adjust the displayed code blocks, you can give the users coming to your site the best experience possible, both from a display standpoint and usability.

Rich Snippet Plugins for WordPress

Keep in mind that these plugins will insert the schema markup needed to show rich snippets in the search results, but they don’t guarantee that your post will show rich snippets. These plugins simply make your website content eligible to be chosen for a rich snippet. And at the end of the day, Google makes the final call for which websites earn rich snippets.

1. Schema – All In One Schema Rich Snippets

All In One Schema Rich Snippets will provide all the accurate information Google needs to see on the back end of the search results. This includes the common schema markups like photos, star ratings, prices, authors, and more.

Once you install this plugin, you will have a new option in the admin area called Rich Snippets, where you can customize the plugin for further use. While editing in the Gutenberg editor, you can configure a post to insert more information for search engines. As you start editing, you will see an editor screen where you can select if the post is a product review or something else from a drop-down menu.

All In One Schema.org Rich Snippets

2. Taqyeem

Taqyeem is an attractive and powerful WordPress plugin that adds a modern review system to your WordPress site. This plugin supports microdata on custom posts types along with more traditional blog posts and webpages. With Taqyeem, you can also add a review and rating system to your WordPress posts, pages, and custom post types.

This is a highly customizable WordPress plugin that you can modify to change fonts, images, colors, and styles to match your theme. It offers you more than 500 Google font options, typography options, and more.

Taqyeem Review Plugin

3. Schema & Structured Data for WP & AMP

Schema & Structured Data for WP & AMP is one of the highest-rated rich snippet plugins for WordPress. With more than 35 schema types, you can markup virtually any piece of content with rich snippet schema from blogs to videos.

One great option with this plugin is your ability to add the schema markup conditionally. That means you can include and exclude content from the using the conditional display fields. If you’ve used a schema plugin in the past and want to switch to Schema & Structured Data for WP & AMP, you can import the data from those plugins.

Schema and structured data for wp and amp the number one schema solution

4. SNIP: Structured Data Plugin for WordPress

With this premium WordPress plugin, you can set up your own custom rich snippets code or just edit the pre-installed ones. This plugin supports several snippets: reviews and ratings, people, products, businesses and organizations, recipes, events, and music which means SNIP will be a smart choice for a website in virtually any industry.

snip webpage that features a red background that reads eye-catching search results with an arrow pointing to the words more traffic

5. WP Review Pro

wp review pro the number one all in one solution for creating a website.

The 19 rich snippet markup styles are designed to help you stand out in Google search results no matter what type of content you publish — videos, recipes, or even reviews. WP Pro comes with multiple rating systems, such as stars, percentages, and bars that make a statement in the SERP.

6. kk Star Ratings

kk Star Ratings is one of the best rich snippet plugins for star ratings. What’s exciting about this plugin is its flexibility. You’ll have full control over your rich snippets including where they are enabled or disabled, how many times a single user can rate your site, and customize the look of your rich snippet if you’re awarded one.

Fazit

Die technisch sauberste Variante ist die Erstellung eines eigenen Plugins. Es spricht nichts dagegen, alle benötigten Code Snippets in ein Plugin zu packen. Mit einem Plugin bist Du unabhängig vom Theme und das Plugin lässt sich problemlos auch auf anderen Websites einsetzen.

Die zweite Wahl ist die Verwendung eines Child Themes. Die Lösung ist genauso sauber wie mit einem Plugin. Wenn sowieso bereits ein Child Theme in Verwendung ist, spart diese Variante etwas Arbeit. Wenn das Code Snippet an sich überhaupt nichts mit dem Theme zu tun hat ist diese Lösung nicht ganz so schön, weil der Code nicht sauber getrennt ist.

Die Verwendung des Code Snippets Plugins ist extrem komfortabel, aber ich schätze das Plugin als sehr hohes Sicherheitsrisiko ein. Es ist für mich absolut nachvollziehbar, wenn Du dieses Plugin einsetzen möchtest – ich persönlich würde es nicht machen.

Sources:

https://www.elegantthemes.com/blog/wordpress/best-code-snippet-plugins-for-wordpress
https://blog.hubspot.com/website/rich-snippets-wordpress-plugins
https://wpwissen.com/wordpress-code-snippets-einbinden/
Wordpress snippets

kk Star Ratings is one of the best rich snippet plugins for star ratings. What’s exciting about this plugin is its flexibility. You’ll have full control over your rich snippets including where they are enabled or disabled, how many times a single user can rate your site, and customize the look of your rich snippet if you’re awarded one.

snip webpage that features a red background that reads eye-catching search results with an arrow pointing to the words more traffic

8 Best Rich Snippets WordPress Plugins for 2022

Marketer in an office setting adding rich snippet schema and markup to her website

rich snippet SERP example of Jollof Rice Recipe

These are rich snippets:search results that have been optimized to display more details about a website than the average search result. The details that make these snippets “rich” include images, ratings, locations, and more.

Like any featured snippet, you have to “earn” rich snippets. Thankfully, there’s plenty of opportunity. According to Ahrefs, about 12.29% of search queries have a featured snippet — that includes rich snippets, like the ones pictured above. And that opportunity will continue to grow as search engine algorithms become more sophisticated in the way they determine search intent.

Grow Your Business With HubSpot

Rich snippets are important to earn because they can improve the visibility of your posts and help drive more traffic to your WordPress site, especially if you review products regularly. By displaying star ratings for products right on the SERP, rich snippets can be effective in bringing extra traffic to review posts..

To help improve your chances, use a WordPress plugin. Rich snippet plugins will help simplify the process of structuring the necessary data on the back end of your site so you can start earning rich snippets on SERPs.

Our Top 4 Code Snippet Plugins for WordPress

1. SyntaxHighlighter Evolved

syntaxhighlighter evolved code snippet display

One of the standards in this arena, SyntaxHighlighter Evolved is simple to use and install. We have a full guide on how to get it installed and set up on your site. Basically, you can paste the code into the empty field, and the plugin takes it from there. It will display that code fully highlighted and formatted for your readers. You can adjust various settings such as color and formatting in the settings of the plugin.

They can also click into the displayed code snippet and copy it for their own use. Also, when the code block is clicked, it displays a plain-text version of the code that makes copying and pasting easier on the user’s end. The last thing someone who is looking for code needs is to have to reformat it and debug it on their own.

The plugin also runs with various shortcode parameters, meaning that you just need to insert a shortcode into a post or a page, then adjust various elements on a per-snippet basis. If shortcodes aren’t your thing, then you can make sure to use the custom block for the Block Editor. It’s easy, quick, and simple like most other custom Gutenberg blocks.

2. Code Snippets

code snippets

When you see a plugin simply called Code Snippets, there’s a good chance you know what it does. And hopefully it does it well. Lucky for all of us, Code Snippets actually does display code snippets well. One of the standout features of this plugin is that not only are the displayed lines of code formatted to read and copy easily, it comes with a custom field for a code description so that you can easily track what snippets do what (and so your readers can get a full description, too).

We appreciate that this plugin gives you a full list of all code snippets on your website (those that are created with this plugin, that is), so that any updates or edits that need to be made are quick and easy without having to search and find which post or page contains it. That also lets you use the same snippets in more than one location and upkeep only a single instance of it.

3. Enlighter – Customizable Syntax Highlighter

enlighter

Powered by EnlighterJS, the similarly named Enlighter plugin gives you a lot of control over how your code snippets display on your site. A big plus to this one is how you can add code in-line rather than in its own block. Most of the code snippet plugins only allow for block formatting. (Or editing through an actual Block Editor block.) This feature helps a lot with readability for your posts and explanation so fthe code, as well as lets you more easily include only part of a complete snippet in context of a particular line, function, or phrase.

Additionally, this is one of the few plugins that has a “generic language” highlighter, meaning that if you put in a snippet and the plugin can’t tell if that is from PHP, HTML, JavaScript, or something else, it will still highlight it as well as possible, meaning that it won’t appear simply as plain-text. This alone makes Enlighter worth checking out because of how readable it makes every line of code you put on your website.

4. Syntax Code Highlighter

syntax code highlighter

Code Syntax Block uses the Prism syntax highlighter to render code snippets in your WordPress posts and pages. Going through the Block Editor, you just need to paste in the code that you want displayed and fiddle with some of the settings in the right sidebar, using metaboxes and details. This helps make it easier to label and identify what code snippet the user is looking at.

With this plugin, you don’t have to rely on any preset styling to colorize the highlighted snippets. While the plugin does include presets, you can alter the code’s color setting using CSS in a file included with the plugin. That level of customization is nice when your site is going for a particular aesthetic or you focus on a particular development type. By using CSS to adjust the displayed code blocks, you can give the users coming to your site the best experience possible, both from a display standpoint and usability.

Wrapping Up with Code Snippet Plugins

Regardless of the reason why you need to display code snippets on your site, the plugins out there offer you a large amount of customization, robust feature sets, and ease of use to get those solution to brain-breaking coding problems online. Like we said earlier, a large part of being a software developer is the ability to seek out the answers online for problems that have already been solved. With any of these plugins, you can do your part to pay it forward. Have a big breakthrough, and then toss the code online. Someone out there will thank you for it. And even if they don’t, your code snippet still helped.

By B.J. Keeton

B.J. is a content creator for Elegant Themes from North Alabama. He is a runner, runner, gamer, and all-around geek. When he’s not digging through WordPress to find new topics, he manages Geek to Geek Media for funsies in his free time and even DMs a couple of D&D games each week.

Sources:

https://blog.hubspot.com/website/rich-snippets-wordpress-plugins
https://www.elegantthemes.com/blog/wordpress/best-code-snippet-plugins-for-wordpress
https://www.elegantthemes.com/blog/wordpress/best-code-snippet-plugins-for-wordpress

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Uncategorized

Employee benefit

Employee clubs, activities & gifts
There are heaps of possibilities when it comes to this category of the employee benefits package: knitting clubs, running groups, (video) game nights, Secret Santas, anniversary gifts, you name it.

12 Types of Employee Benefits Every HR Practitioner Should Know

What are employee benefits?

Employee benefits cover the indirect pay of your workforce. This can be health insurance, stock options, or any myriad of things offered to employees. While two jobs can offer the exact same salary, they can vary greatly in terms of benefits, hence making one offer a better financial proposition than the other. This highlights the importance of employee benefits in a job offer.

Some employee benefits are country-specific. In the US, for instance, health insurance is a key component of employee benefits packages and in France, many employees get restaurant vouchers for every workday.

Providing fair, performance-based compensation is an inextricable part of human resource best practices. Compensation and benefits go together, with the former covering your employees’ salary. For an in-depth article on this key element of Human Resource Management, check out our full guide on Compensation and Benefits.

What are employee benefits?

This employee benefits definition points to examples of job benefits such as insurance (including medical, dental, life), stock options and cell phone plans. But, employee benefits can be much more than these, from training opportunities to startup perks (let’s not focus on the notorious ping pong tables, though).

Benefit packages take a lot of time out of many HR professionals’ time. And with good reason: they’re one of the most basic employee engagement and retention strategies, and they support talent attraction as well.

The numbers speak for themselves about the importance of employee benefits. Extensive research by the Society of Human Resource Management (SHRM) indicates that 92% of employees consider employment benefits as important for their overall job satisfaction (in itself, a great element of retention and productivity). Almost one third of employees also cited work benefits as the top reason of looking for a job outside their organization; and for choosing to stay at their job, too.

Benefits are also among the top driving factors candidates look for in job ads – 63% of job seekers surveyed say they pay attention to what benefits a company offers. This means that offering benefits, and mentioning them in your job ads and careers page, is a great part of your employer branding efforts.

Employee benefits also help you take care of high-performing employees without the need to keep investing in exceptionally high pay raises. All employees should get paid enough to pay the bills and live comfortably, but they might accept less pay if they have strong health insurance, flexible hours and other benefits important to them. The practice of employees giving up a part of their salary for benefits is called salary packaging, and may also result in tax deductions or other gains for either party.

Need to build your company brand?

More Company-Provided Employee Benefits

Dental Care Plan Coverage: Companies with dental care benefits offer insurance that helps pay a portion of the cost of dental treatment and care. Depending on the company’s policy for dental care benefits, dental coverage includes a range of treatments and procedures.

Paid Holidays: The law does not require employers to provide their employees with paid leave for holidays. However, many employers make sure that their employees get time off for holidays (paid and unpaid) or provide overtime pay for those willing to work on a holiday.

Pay Raises: Some employers increase wages for everyone by a certain amount each year to keep up with inflation. There are also different types of incentive pay that allow employees a chance to earn more on a merit system. A common type of incentive pay is commission. Inside sales or customer service employers frequently try to motivate employees to upsell customers for a commission.

Severance Pay: Employers are not required to provide severance to employees that they lay off due to downsizing or redundancies. However, many employers want to help these employees who they would otherwise want to keep if their budget permitted. Therefore, they choose to offer severance pay and benefits to these employees.

Breaks and Flexible Schedules: To attract top talent, some employers offer flexible paid work schedules that include 30-minute (or longer) breaks for rest, fitness, and recreation. Also, employers may compensate employees for meals and events that include face-to-face time with prospects and customers.

Hazard Pay: Jobs in security, construction, military, and other dangerous professions usually provide hazard pay to any employees that must work in unsafe conditions. These may include extreme weather, dangerous equipment, violent environments, or working at extreme heights, for example.

College Debt Assistance: Because of the growing student debt crisis, some employers are granting debt repayment assistance. There are no current laws requiring employers to do this, but it is a great perk for employees struggling to make ends meet as they begin their professional careers.

Authorship:

https://www.aihr.com/blog/types-of-employee-benefits/
https://resources.workable.com/tutorial/employee-benefits-guide#:~:text=Here%20are%20the%20top%2010%20employee%20benefits%20worldwide:,Gifts%2010%20Company%20equipment%20(including%20vehicles,%20laptops,%20phones)
https://www.thebalancecareers.com/types-of-employee-benefits-and-perks-2060433

Categories
Uncategorized

Changing jobs

If weighing the pros and cons of changing jobs has left you more determined to leave than ever, what should you do next? Below we’ll dive into steps to take to ensure you leave your role and company on a positive note while getting ready for a job change.

changing-jobs-blog-1

Managing Yourself: Five Ways to Bungle a Job Change

The average baby boomer will switch jobs 10 times, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The worker as free agent—a concept popularized in the 1990s—remains a reality regardless of economic conditions, making it incumbent on all of us to take greater control of our own careers. The corporate ladder is still being disassembled like a Jenga tower, and even the CEO position is no longer a terminus. As one independent financier we interviewed put it, “[T]here are no final destinations. [Your career] is a process of continuous development.”

But while job moves are just about inevitable, they are seldom easy and nearly always emotionally fraught—and too often they lead to a noticeable decline in performance, in both the short and the long term. For instance, in previous research we found that star equities analysts moving to new investment banks experienced drops in performance that lasted as long as five years. People who switch organizations—whether they’re wide receivers changing football teams or general managers going to new companies—all face similar problems. It’s not just about the learning curve. Moves of all kinds entail significant internal and external challenges and transaction costs: upheaval in your home and social life; potential relocation expenses; adjustments to new cultural and political norms; navigation of unclear expectations; and the need to learn a new canon, skill set, and jargon.

Debating the merits of a particular offer might seem like a luxury when jobs are scarce. And of course there are times when you have no choice but to accept a less-than-perfect fit for financial reasons. Even so, a job is never just a job. This is your career we’re talking about. The occasional misstep can be forgiven, but a careful and conscious assessment of the risks and realities will help you avoid making too many mistakes or ones that amount to a major setback.

The Most Common Missteps

To identify the most frequent job-hopping errors, we analyzed data from three research streams: a survey of executive search consultants, a survey of HR heads at multinational companies, and interviews with C-level executives around the world. (See “About Our Research.”)

About Our Research

For this article, we conducted a survey of 400 executive search consultants from more than 50 industries, interviews with more than 500 C-level executives in 40 countries, and a survey of HR heads at 15 multinational companies.

The search consultants had extensive experience placing the best and brightest: In our sample, 67% had 10-plus years of experience, and 70% recruited for stars at the senior-executive level or higher. We asked the consultants to name the most common mistakes people make when contemplating a job change and the reasons for those mistakes. We posed similar questions to the HR heads. The interviews with executives were conducted by students in Boris Groysberg’s 2008 class Managing Human Capital.

The consultants referred to a total of 738 mistakes. The top five kinds discussed in this article represent nearly two-thirds of them: We had 127 references to not doing enough research, 117 to leaving for money, 104 to going “from” rather than “to,” 76 to overestimating yourself, and 60 to thinking short term.

The smaller survey of HR heads matched the consultants’ feedback almost perfectly. Out of a total of 15 responses, not doing enough research was mentioned five times; leaving for money and going “from” rather than “to,” three times each; overestimating yourself, twice; and thinking short term, once.

The job-change mistakes we outline in this article are by far the ones most commonly cited by the search consultants; the themes are echoed in the HR heads’ survey comments and in the executives’ stories about their best and worst decisions. The mistakes are: not doing enough research, leaving for money, going “from” rather than “to,” overestimating yourself, and thinking short term. They follow predictable patterns and persist throughout the course of a career.

These mistakes are not independent of one another; they play out as a system of maladaptive behaviors, dissatisfaction, unrealistic hopes, ill-considered moves, and more dissatisfaction. Fixating on money, for instance, can obscure the need for research. Overestimating yourself can cause you to ignore a bad fit—a problem that research might have helped you anticipate. Some job seekers make all five mistakes at once: Because they overvalue themselves, they feel unjustly treated at year-end review time and leave for the first company that promises a signing bonus, without doing due diligence on the firm’s long-term prospects.

The executives we surveyed and spoke to were not young, untested managers. We zeroed in on seasoned individuals (mostly in the C-suite) with substantial experience making hiring decisions of their own at the very highest levels. But, as one search consultant reminded us, many successful people haven’t looked for a job for years—sometimes decades—and thus are surprisingly ignorant about job-market realities. In the words of another consultant, “They assume that companies will be as flexible about having them learn new areas of business as they were when they were young.” They have unrealistic expectations about how long it will take to find a job, and if they’re high up in the hierarchy, it may have been some time since they received truly honest feedback about their strengths and weaknesses. That’s one reason they stumble into such predictable traps. (The blame doesn’t fall solely on the recruits, though. Companies chase these stars, hoping to simply plug them into an existing org chart. Too often, they are minimally strategic in their selection and even less strategic in integrating their new hires.)

Mistake 1: Not doing enough research.

Second, they don’t pay enough attention to a potential employer’s financial stability and market position. Executives who would scrutinize the balance sheet of any firm they might acquire nevertheless assume that companies offering them a job must be on solid ground. Yet plenty of businesses will hire for senior jobs even when they know there’s trouble ahead, so it’s up to the applicant to assess how likely it is that the new job will still exist in six months.

Fourth, recruits assume that the official job title and description accurately reflect the role. But companies have been known to sweeten a title to attract top talent. Additionally, in a badly managed organization, people may find themselves in ill-defined jobs that have little relationship to their formal titles. One executive described his worst career move as leaving one company for a much smaller firm, where he was given the CFO title even though the bulk of his duties were really those of a COO. He found it hard to establish the credibility he needed to get the job done, given the misalignment of his tasks and title. Job candidates frequently fail to press potential employers for such specifics, including how their performance will be measured. Without that information, the success of any move depends on the luck of the draw.

When changing jobs/careers is a good option

  • You dread getting up in the morning. Does the thought of getting out of bed to go to work leave you feeling anxious, stressed, or with a case of "the Mondays"? It may be a good time to start to think if this is the right job or even career for you. As many who have or have had this feeling know, it doesn’t go away without making meaningful changes in your life.
  • You lack interest in the role. Perhaps it has become "old hat" for you and you could do this job with your eyes closed. You’re feeling bored and no longer motivated to do more than the basics of the job. You’re no longer passionate about it. It might be time to seek out a new opportunity — and new challenges — to get you out of your comfort zone.
  • There are no career advancement opportunities. Advancing in one’s career is often an important motivational factor. Perhaps you want to be a manager but there is no path to do so at your current company. Or you have plateaued in your role and there are no paths to increasing your impact within the organization. Whatever your career goals, if you cannot see a clear path to getting to your dream job, this may no longer be the right fit for you.
  • You’d like more compensation. Do some research here so you know what your peers in similar positions are making. Sites like Glassdoor and ZipRecruiter can help you identify what the average salary for any given job title might be. You may find that you are underpaid for the average or that you are at the top of the pay scale for your particular role. Either way, having this information will give you better insight into if more compensation is possible if you were to leave your current job.
  • You no longer align with the company’s values. Perhaps there has been a restructure or a change in leadership and you find that you are no longer aligned with the company’s mission, purpose, or vision. To increase your own clarity on this, a great place to start is by looking at what you value. Identify 15-20 values that you hold personally or professionally. Narrow those down to the 4-5 core values that overlap both aspects of your life. This can help you look for gaps between your company’s values and your own. This will also help clarify what types of companies you would like to work for in the future.
  • Your job is impacting you personally. Whether it is a lack of work-life balance, work stress coming home with you, or your relationships are affected, it may be time to consider a change. One way to notice if this is the case for you is to check in with your body. Are you not sleeping, having headaches, or gastrointestinal issues? All these can be signs that something is off and needs attention. A significant change in your work environment may be warranted.
  • You haven’t been in the role for long. There is no exact right amount of time to stay at a job. But if your resume shows a new job every few months or every year, companies may not see you as a competitive candidate. This is in part because they may want someone whom they can invest years and resources in. They might assume that if you have a pattern of job-hopping, you will not stay put at their company for long either. That might make them hesitant about investing in you as a new hire.
  • You’re feeling emotional. We all have bad days from time to time and may feel more emotional than normal about the job or a situation at work. But making a life-changing decision when you feel emotional may not be wise. A different part of our brain gets activated when we process emotions than when we are making logical decisions. If emotions are clouding your decision-making process, take a step away from the situation. This will give your brain a moment to calm down and think through what the right step is at this given time. It may be to change jobs, but it may not be. You will appreciate later giving yourself space to think through this decision.
  • You have no plan. Sometimes quitting your job without a plan or new position to go to can work out. But there’s some truth to the classic career advice, “It is easier to get a job when you have a job.” There is some truth to this. In part, this is due to companies seeing that another company has invested in you and in some ways is vouching for you. Potential employers may also want to know why you’re currently unemployed — which can require tact when answering. Sometimes, staying put until you have a job offer in hand can be the best career move.
  • You have no savings. Many Americans live paycheck to paycheck and do not have savings for unexpected costs. If you plan to quit your job but have nothing lined up next, you may end up more stressed than you were in your role. Finding a new job can take time, so being mindful of what you can afford to do is an important factor that shouldn’t be overlooked. When looking at your finances, don’t forget to plan for healthcare coverage, too.

Communicating this with your employer

  • Do it in person. Different generations have different preferences for communication. A Slack message or email might be good for some situations. But when you are relaying sensitive information, as is the case with putting in your notice, a face-to-face meeting is better.
  • Decide on a timeline for your last day. While two weeks’ notice is the most common amount of time to transition out of a role, take into account any projects or deadlines that are coming up. You want to give as much time as possible for your employer to transition your role to someone else. Depending on your new job’s timing, you may be able to help a bit longer.
  • Help with the transition. There is a good chance that you had tasks you are responsible for when you gave your notice. If possible, continue to work on those projects and offer to help transition them to other team members. This can go a long way in fostering goodwill with those still at the company.
  • Offer constructive feedback. It is standard for companies to have an exit interview for those leaving the organization. Use this time to offer targeted, constructive feedback. They will often ask your reasons for leaving. Be honest but also tactful in your responses. You may help the next person in your role with your answers.
  • Offer thanks and gratitude. The time you have spent in this role has impacted your and your colleagues’ lives. Honoring the time spent together will help everyone cope with your upcoming exit. Additionally, keep in mind that you may want to keep in contact with your colleagues for networking purposes. Those relationships may help when you’re ready for the next opportunity in your career.
  • Celebrate! You successfully navigated leaving one job for another opportunity. Celebrate this win with friends and family. Soak it in and enjoy the weight that is lifted from your shoulders when that job offer is finally in hand. This feeling will not last forever so give yourself permission to lean into any feelings you may be having.
  • Build (or rebuild) healthy habits into your routine. This is a time to take advantage of looking at habits and re-investing in healthy lifestyle choices. It will mean different things for different people. By identifying what is important for your mental and physical well-being, you can plan ways to stay on target with them as you move forward. You essentially have an opportunity to reset your daily routines and focus on those that are important to you.
  • Set yourself up for success. As a new role can be anxiety-provoking, develop questions you can ask your colleagues about when you start. Try asking them about good places for lunch near the office, their experiences with managers, or even their insights about the company. Having questions ready to go in your mind can help avoid awkward moments in the office.
  • Dial in on your personal brand. This is a great time to think about what your personal brand is and what you want it to be. To do this, reflect on what your current personal brand is. Next, identify what your ideal brand is. What are the gaps between how you are currently seen and how you want to be viewed by others? Finally, focus on how to impact or change those aspects that do not reflect how you would like to be viewed moving forward. Keep in mind that it’s often the subtleties that matter. These include how we interact with others, our clothes, our online presence, or nonverbal communication.

The first few weeks

  • Pace yourself. Starting a new job can be overwhelming. While the desire to prove yourself in the new role can feel like pressure, remember that no one is expecting you to know everything right off the bat. You will inevitably make mistakes and have to master some new skills to do your job well, no matter how much you prepare for the role. Give yourself permission to learn and grow without the pressure to be perfect.
  • Lay a foundation. Gather information about the role, your colleagues, and the new company as a whole. The more of this information you take in now, the better position you will be to do your job effectively later. Schedule one-on-ones with your new colleagues to understand their roles in the organization. Go through old documents or information left by the previous person at your job or given to you by those on the team. Be a sponge and soak up as much knowledge as possible.
  • Establish clear expectations with your manager. As you gather information, be sure to check in with your boss about their expectations. Are there items they want you up to speed on faster than other things? Are there timelines you need to be aware of?

Beware of cognitive bias

Confirmation bias is the tendency to favor information that confirms what we already believe, like noticing and buying into stories that align with our current views. As Mark Mortensen points out, there are several types of confirmation biases, such as giving more credence to information that’s linked to a recent memory, so it’s important to identify and counter these biases before making life-altering decisions such as a career change.

One coaching client of mine who fell victim to confirmation bias was Yuri, who accepted an offer to join an HR benefits startup after being courted by its CEO. Yuri was asked to take over the finance function while the finance director was on leave. Yuri saw this as an opportunity to gain startup experience and make a big chunk of change to help pay off his law school debt. Six months later, disillusioned and disappointed, Yuri left the company. The problem was that he had convinced himself of the enormous financial potential of joining a startup, believing that the company would get acquired or go public to make his stock options worth multiples of their original value. Because he bought into what Mortensen calls “confirming evidence,” Yuri overlooked a clear warning sign: replacing someone who still worked at the company. Yuri also neglected to request details on defining his role and success criteria, and didn’t negotiate accelerated vesting of his stock options.

Seek an outside perspective

How can you understand an organization’s true commitment to employee development and determine whether it walks the walk, with a purpose bigger than its tagline? To learn whether a company’s values align with your own is difficult without first talking to people who already work there. Before accepting an offer, make it a priority to network with employees who work for the company you’re interested in joining, and get their view of what it’s really like on the inside.

Once you reach a tentative decision, discuss your decision-making criteria with people you know will challenge your assumptions, rather than relying on those who share your views. Look for individuals who have no vested interest in your ultimate choice, and tell them that they can help you most by being entirely honest.

With some thought and planful action, career regret doesn’t have to be a forgone conclusion. Lay out a roadmap for your decision making with clear criteria linked to your career goals, be aware of your assumptions and biases, and ask the right people the right questions before accepting a new position. Recognizing and discussing the realities of your role, responsibilities, and relationships up front can help you avoid a painful career misstep.

Sources:

https://hbr.org/2010/01/managing-yourself-five-ways-to-bungle-a-job-change
https://www.betterup.com/blog/changing-jobs
https://hbr.org/2022/05/switching-jobs-heres-how-to-make-sure-you-wont-regret-it
Changing jobs

This work-life balance isn’t just about the 9 to 5 grind; it’s also the amount of time you spend in bumper-to-bumper traffic jam commutes and even after-hours and holiday work. Again, it’s important to consider your personal priorities and commitments and think about how a new job could affect them.

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When To Change Jobs: Reasons, Considerations, and Steps

Developing your skills, taking on more responsibility, and setting new goals can all contribute to a positive work experience. If you feel like you might better challenge yourself or be happier in a new role or at a different company, it might be time to search for a new job. Knowing when to change jobs can help you identify if a new position can boost your motivation and support your career goals. In this article, we discuss when to change jobs, what to consider before a career change, and steps you can follow to change jobs.

A job change is when an individual decides they would prefer to work at another company, in another role, or in another career completely. There are several reasons people change jobs, like wanting a higher salary, looking for greater fulfilment, or seeking new challenges. A job change is an opportunity for people to learn new skills and explore different career opportunities.

You feel apathetic

Apathy is the feeling of losing or lacking interest in a particular subject. Your job should make you feel interested and motivated to reach your goals. Some indications that you may be feeling apathetic at your job include:

This can be especially obvious if your job is in a field you feel passionate about. If you had a great deal of enthusiasm working with others, completing tasks, and performing well, a prolonged sense of apathy can tell you it might be time to look for a new job.

You think you could contribute more

Your individual contributions often keep you motivated at work. If you believe you’ve mastered your tasks and you continue to perform them without added responsibility or recognition, you might want to contribute more to an organization. You may also feel this way if you’re only using a small subset of your skills instead of all the skills you’ve developed on the job. Talk to your manager to see if there are opportunities for you to contribute more, and if that’s not possible, consider a new job where you can develop your skills, learn new ones, and perform more challenging tasks.

You feel less happy going to work

Morning routines are essential to arriving to work on time and motivated to complete your daily tasks, and a good job should increase your motivation to wake up and start your day. If you go to work simply because of the need to make money rather than because you feel encouraged and happy, you may want to consider changing jobs. Seek a job that makes you want to get up and go to work in the morning.

You feel your job is affecting your personal life

Work stress is a completely normal experience. However, if you stress about projects, conversations, or upcoming deadlines constantly at home, consider a job change. Work stress at home can cause other conditions, like anxiety and depression, so it’s important to think about your mental health and work-life balance when deciding whether to stay in your job or find a new one.

You brainstorm new career options

Almost every employee thinks about their next steps or other jobs. However, if you’re constantly brainstorming what else you can do, consider changing positions. It’s good to have career goals, but if you think about new job possibilities more than you do your current job, it might be time to search for something different.

You feel less confident

It’s important to have managers who make you feel confident and appreciated for your work. If the feedback you receive is affecting your self-esteem, you can pursue positions with more supportive team members and supervisors. Experiencing doubt in your performance, especially in a role that you always excelled in, might show that it’s time to explore other options.

What to consider before a career change

Before deciding if a career change is the best option for you, carefully think about your background, education level, and skill set to ensure you’re making the right choice. Different factors to consider before pursuing a career change include:

Education level: If you’re interested in a position that requires advanced education, consider staying in your current role and attending courses until you earn the degree needed to work in your ideal career.

Financial stability: As you prepare for a new role, determine if you’re financially stable enough for a career change. Evaluate your finances carefully to ensure you’re not undergoing a significant pay decrease that could affect your finances.

Career tools and guidance: Use online career tools to locate jobs that better meet your needs and help you quickly find a new role. You can work with a recruiting company or career centre to help you prepare an impressive resume.

Why Do You Want to Change Jobs

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90% of people will change jobs simply because of the increase in salary – but the bigger salary isn’t the only thing you should be looking at. Benefits, such as annual leave, free parking, subsidised lunches, and PF contributions should all be considered too. These may not be included in your salary, but they offer obvious financial benefits.

Another popular reason for wanting to switch careers is unhappiness with their present career. This could be due to changes in your industry, incompatibility with your colleagues, a desire to have a job that matters, or simply a desire to try something new.

Whatever your reasons, you need to consider whether changing your job will help you achieve your long-term goals and how it will fit into your current priorities in life. Knowing what you want will help you to find a new job or career that is aligned with your desires.

For example, if you’re looking for more flexibility, getting a career in a skilled trade such as gas engineering could be a good fit, as you could opt to start your own business and choose the hours you work along with the types of jobs you will work on.

What Kind of Work Environment Do You Want to Work In

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Are you a people person – or do you prefer to work alone? Do you enjoy a varied and interesting workday that is split across multiple locations – or would you be happiest working from home? Do you hate the endless drama of office politics – or do you enjoy watching the Machiavellian intrigue behind the scenes?

There are no right or wrong answers to these questions, but knowing what kind of working environment you want is important. After all, once you make the switch, this environment will be a major part of your daily life. More than just fitting into a new professional atmosphere, you need to know if this is the right environment for you to thrive in.

Many people in office jobs find themselves attracted towards jobs that offer a more varied working environment, such as plumbing or gas engineering. These skilled jobs offer a lot of variety in work environment through visiting different homes and workplaces, making every day different.

Easing the Transition

While switching careers might seem overwhelming, you owe it to yourself to do something that you enjoy. As you plan your change, consider ways that you can facilitate the process and acquire the skills necessary for the transition. A graduate degree is often a great way to further your skills and shift your career trajectory in a different direction.

Additionally, Northeastern offers programs designed specifically for career changers: Computer Science Align and Data Science Align. These programs are for students who have an undergraduate degree in an unrelated field and are seeking to begin a career in the field.

Regardless of the career that you choose, pursuing a graduate degree is a great way to gain the skills, professional relationships, and hands-on experience necessary for a smooth transition and lasting success.

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About Shayna Joubert

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Did You Know?

Northeastern University Graduate Programs

Sources:

https://ca.indeed.com/career-advice/starting-new-job/when-to-change-jobs
https://www.skillstg.co.uk/blog/what-to-consider-when-changing-jobs/
https://www.northeastern.edu/graduate/blog/6-signs-time-change-careers/
Changing jobs

“So a key element of Planday DNA is change. We are not unique in this respect. We as a company – and as individuals – do not stand still because the market we are operating in doesn’t: powering the global shift-based workforce is a big challenge, and one that will not be met standing still.

A workplace

7 Steps for How To Decide Whether To Change Jobs

Your job should offer a sense of contentment and the feeling that you’re on the right path. Whether someone likes their job or they’re feeling dissatisfied, moving on to something new might be beneficial. If you’re contemplating changing jobs, there are important things to think about. In this article, we give six signs that it might be time to change jobs, explain important things to consider first and describe seven steps for how to decide whether you should make a switch.

Your ideas and contributions aren’t being valued. If you are putting your best ideas and best effort into your work, you want to feel valued for it. If you are consistently lacking this feeling, you might need a change.

Friends and family regularly suggest that you should find a new job. Your friends and family likely know a lot about you. People who care about you regularly reach out when they think something isn’t quite right. If multiple people in your life are saying that they think you should find a new job, it might be a good idea.

Low wages are making it hard to support your cost of living. Cost of living represents how much money a person needs to pay for their basic needs. If your salary or wages do not cover your cost of living, you should look for something else.

8 things to consider before changing jobs

Personal career goals

Your personal career goals represent your aspirations at work—this could be what you want your daily routine to look like or your hopes for your career trajectory. To help reach your career goals, the work you’re doing should align with your desires. You might want to stay in your current job, if keeping it could lead to the next step in your desired career path.

Professional development opportunities at work

Companies often offer training sessions, courses, and webinars to help their employees grow their interpersonal and technical ability. They also typically conduct reviews and offer personalized feedback to further supplement that growth. Professional development and regular feedback reflect a company’s ability to support and invest in their employees. If you aren’t receiving helpful training or constructive feedback, it may take longer for you to reach your professional potential and you might feel under supported.

Upward mobility at work

Upward mobility at work refers to the ability for employees to rise from one position to another. Movements should be vertical, and provide more benefits—which can include an advanced job title, higher salary, greater insurance or retirement benefits, or a more flexible schedule. If there are multiple senior roles or leadership opportunities at your job, then the potential for upward mobility is high. If the position you hold isn’t giving you fulfillment, then working for a company with limited opportunities for leadership or advancement might not be the right fit for you.

Work-life balance

Work-life balance represents the amount of time and energy a person spends on work and work-related tasks compared to the time and energy they can spend in their personal life. 40 hours of work per week is typical of full-time jobs. If someone’s total commute is less than an hour per workday, then each week they have a little over 120 hours for rest, leisure and fulfilling personal obligations. If you are experiencing long hours or long commuting times, your work-life balance may suffer.

Recruiting offers

Professional recruiting is a big industry. You may find that people are contacting you with job offers in your field. Receiving recruiting offers can tempt you to leave your job, especially if the offer includes a new title or better compensation. Getting multiple offers from recruiters likely means that you possess desirable skills, qualities or credentials. If you like your place of employment, you might want to consider speaking with someone at work about how to move up in rank or how to earn higher pay.

Work environment

Ideally, your work environment should promote emotional well-being and professional growth. A positive workplace can encourage high work performance, friendly relationships and collaboration. The overall culture at work should be inclusive, supportive and team-oriented. When a work environment is less than ideal, it can leave people feeling left out or undervalued.

Employee turnover

Employee turnover is the rate at which people leave the company. It represents a loss of talent in a workplace, and it can result from resignations, layoffs, terminations or retirements. Turnover rates vary by industry and region, but there are averages. According to the Bureau of Labor and Statistics, 2.2% of people quit their jobs per month, and 1.4% of people experience layoffs or terminations. A higher than average turnover rate can be an indicator of an unstable workplace.

Job satisfaction

Job satisfaction represents a person’s overall contentment and fulfillment at work. Personal satisfaction varies from person to person, but there are some universal ideals. Job satisfaction is divided into two parts, which are intrinsic satisfaction and extrinsic satisfaction. Intrinsic job satisfaction is a person’s fulfillment with the type of work they are doing. Extrinsic job satisfaction is reliant on work conditions, interpersonal relationships and compensation. A lack in one or both of these elements suggests a need for change.

How to Change Jobs

This article was co-authored by Adrian Klaphaak, CPCC. Adrian Klaphaak is a career coach and founder of A Path That Fits, a mindfulness-based boutique career and life coaching company in the San Francisco Bay Area. He is also is an accredited Co-Active Professional Coach (CPCC). Klaphaak has used his training with the Coaches Training Institute, Hakomi Somatic Psychology and Internal Family Systems Therapy (IFS) to help thousands of people build successful careers and live more purposeful lives.

How happy can you be if your job makes you miserable? Millions of people go to work every day dreading the next 8 hours. This doesn’t have to be you! Believe it or not, it’s possible to enjoy your job and to get paid for it.

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Try to stay at your current job while beginning the search for a new job. The search for a new job can take quite a while — by some measures, one month for each $10k in expected salary. If you’re looking for a well-paying job, that’s a lot of time to be out of work. If your job is truly horrendous and you can’t take it anymore, consider quitting. Otherwise, try to stick it out. Your wallet will thank you, as will your future employer: It’s easier to get a job if you already have a job, as you’re considered "employable."

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Adrian Klaphaak is a career coach and founder of A Path That Fits, a mindfulness-based boutique career and life coaching company in the San Francisco Bay Area. He is also is an accredited Co-Active Professional Coach (CPCC). Klaphaak has used his training with the Coaches Training Institute, Hakomi Somatic Psychology and Internal Family Systems Therapy (IFS) to help thousands of people build successful careers and live more purposeful lives.

Don’t worry if you can’t decide right away. Adrian Klaphaak, the founder of A Path That Fits, says: "Figuring out the right career path might not always happen in one moment, like an epiphany, as much as it might be a growing realization of what fits your personality and your strengths."

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Start keeping a career journal or diary. It may sound cheesy, but a journal is a pursuit that will force you to collect your thoughts and start to be honest about your feelings and aspirations (which is a tough thing to do). Use your journal to collect all your positive thoughts, insights, and leads that you gather over the course of your job search.

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Apply to different jobs online. Applying to different jobs online via jobs bulletins is impersonal and easy, which explains why so many people do it. It’s fine if you apply to jobs online, but you should probably couple your online search with more personal interactions to up your chances of success. The goal is to distinguish yourself from the herd, not blend in!

Sources:

https://www.indeed.com/career-advice/starting-new-job/how-to-decide-to-change-jobs
https://www.wikihow.com/Change-Jobs
https://www.planday.com/blog/why-changing-jobs-is-a-good-thing-for-your-career/

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Best Questions to Ask an Interviewer & Land Top Jobs

Employees who love their jobs naturally recommend their company to their friends and peers. The same is true for people in leadership positions — people naturally try to bring on board talented people they previously worked with. They’ve built relationships, developed trust, and shown a level of competence that made someone go out of their way to follow them to a new organization.

Show Your Interest for the Position

Here are top questions you should absolutely ask an interviewer:

  1. What’s the next step in the interview/hiring process?
  2. How long does your recruitment process usually take?
  3. What are the primary responsibilities of the position?
  4. What would my day-to-day routine look like if I got the job?
  5. What can you tell me about the job apart from what was in the description?
  6. What would I be expected to accomplish in my first month/year on the job?
  7. What is the key to succeeding in this role?
  8. What does it look like during the busiest and toughest times for this role?
  9. Would I need to travel for the position?
  10. What kind of hours are expected for me to perform the role at maximum capacity?
  11. Is overtime expected and/or allowed?
  12. Could you tell me a little bit about the person I would report to directly?
  13. What is the onboarding process like for new hires?
  14. How many people will I be working with?
  15. If I were hired for the position, what would be the ideal starting date?
  16. Do you expect the responsibilities for this role to change in the near future?

Pro Tip: Avoid asking the interviewer yes/no questions. Just as they will save their yes/no questions mostly for the job application, your few questions posed should solicit a detailed response. Also, many of these answers can probably be found online.

“Where do you see yourself in five years?”

Answers to this question go one of two basic ways. Candidates try to show their incredible ambition (because that’s what they think you want) by providing an extremely optimistic answer: “I want your job!” Or they try to show their humility (because that’s what they think you want) by providing a meek, self-deprecating answer: “There are so many talented people here. I just want to do a great job and see where my talents take me.”

Since a candidate cannot compare himself with people he doesn’t know, all he can do is describe his incredible passion and desire and commitment and . well, basically beg for the job. (Way too many interviewers ask the question and then sit back, arms folded, as if to say, “Go ahead. I’m listening. Try to convince me.”)

Rarely do candidates come to the end of an interview feeling they’ve done their best. Maybe the conversation went in an unexpected direction. Maybe the interviewer focused on one aspect of their skills and totally ignored other key attributes. Or maybe candidates started the interview nervous and hesitant, and now wish they could go back and better describe their qualifications and experience.

“What is your leadership style?”

This is a tough question to answer without dipping into platitudes. Try sharing leadership examples instead. Say, “The best way for me to answer that is to give you a few examples of leadership challenges I’ve faced,” and then share situations where you dealt with a problem, motivated a team, worked through a crisis. Explain what you did and that will give the interviewer a great sense of how you lead.

No one agrees with every decision. Disagreements are fine; it’s what you do when you disagree that matters. (We all know people who love to have the “meeting after the meeting,” where they’ve supported a decision in the meeting but they then go out and undermine it.)

Show that you were professional. Show that you raised your concerns in a productive way. If you have an example that proves you can effect change, great — and if you don’t, show that you can support a decision even though you think it’s wrong (as long as it’s not unethical, immoral, etc.).

Sample Questions to Ask at the End of a Job Interview

Questions about the specific job

Questions about the team

Questions for your potential boss

Questions about the company

Questions about the culture

Lees warns that you should take answers to questions about the company culture with a grain of salt. It’s highly unlikely that the interviewee is going to come out and tell you that the culture is unwelcoming, or even toxic. That’s why questions like #22 below can be helpful. They get at company culture without explicitly asking about it and can “help you uncover any unexpected elements about your potential new workplace,” Markman says.

  1. How do you typically onboard employees?
    • If the position will be remote, ask specifically about how remote employees are integrated into the company culture, Markman advises.
  2. What do new employees typically find surprising after they start?
  3. Is there anything that I should read before starting that would help me have a shared understanding with my colleagues?
    • Asking this question not only signals your interest in the position but also shows that you’re eager to have “shared cultural references with the people you’ll be working with,” Markman says.
  4. What’s your favorite office tradition?
  5. What do you and the team usually do for lunch?
  6. Do you ever do joint events with other departments or teams?
  7. What’s different about working here than anywhere else you’ve worked?
  8. How has the company changed since you joined?

Questions about professional development, career paths, and future opportunities

Markman says it’s critical to understand what growth and career development will look like in the job. You want to be sure that you can see yourself not just in the role you’re currently applying for but that there is a career path at the organization that you’re excited about.

Closing questions

Questions to Avoid

You want to avoid asking about salary and benefits too early in the process, Lees advises. “You’re not in a position to negotiate well because you’re still in unknown territory. The time to discuss salary is after they’ve fallen in love with you,” he explains. But what if the interviewer asks you about your salary requirements? This video offers helpful tips for how to navigate that complicated question:

This opportunity to ask questions is one you don’t want to waste. It’s both a chance to continue to prove yourself and to find out whether this job is the right fit for you. Of course, you aren’t going to ask all 38 of these questions. Choose the ones that are more relevant to you, your interests, and the specific job ahead of time. Then write them down — either on a piece of paper or on your phone — and glance at them ahead of time so that they’re fresh in your mind. And, of course, be mindful of the interviewer’s time. If you were scheduled to talk for an hour and they turn to you with five minutes left, choose two or three questions that are most important to you. You will always have more time to ask questions once you have the job offer in hand.

Sources:

https://zety.com/blog/questions-to-ask-an-interviewer
https://www.inc.com/jeff-haden/27-most-common-job-interview-questions-and-answers.html
https://hbr.org/2022/05/38-smart-questions-to-ask-in-a-job-interview

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Study Hacks to Improve Your Memory

Head over to YouTube and searching for a “study with me” video. It’s like having someone there to study with, on tap. Just don’t fall into a rabbit hole of recommended videos while you’re there!

study hacks for exams

20 Study Hacks to Improve Your Memory

We have scoured our brains and the internet for the best study hacks to help your brain remember information. Memory is a muscle. Get it in shape. This well help you to remember quicker and more easily. This will help you in your exams and in your life.

1. Walk Before An Exam

It’s been proven that exercise can boost your memory and brain power. Research conducted by Dr. Chuck Hillman of the University of Illinois provides evidence that about 20 minutes exercise before an exam can improve performance.

study hacks for exams

2. Speak Out Loud Instead of Simply Reading

Although this may make you look a little crazy, give it a go! You will be surprised how much more you can remember when you’ve said it out loud. Warning: Don’t try this in a crowded library!

study methods

3. Reward Yourself With A Treat

There are many ways to integrate a reward system into your habits so you learn how to study for exams more efficiently. Here’s a simple way to motivate yourself to study with Gummy Bears:

Study Hacks Reward System

4. Teach What You Have Learned

The best way to test if you really understand something is to try to teach it to someone else. If you can’t get anyone to listen to you explain the Pythagorean Theorem, why not teach a class of stuffed animals!

how to study for exams

Hacks to boost your memory and learning

14. Get environment savvy

So, if you’re going to be sitting in an exam hall when you’re being tested, then the closer you can replicate an exam-hall like environment during at least some of your learning, the more you’ll get a small boost to memory come exam time.

15. Make it harder

There’s some evidence that a slightly harder-to-read font is actually better for memory, perhaps because it forces your eyes to really take in the words rather than skimming through.

16. Retrieve to re-read

17. Write and flash

best study hacks

If you need to practice remembering anything complicated (like a list of 4 or 5 or more items, or a complex equation or formula), don’t recall it in your head – write it down. It will massively help you recall the whole thing – trust me!

18. Number and flash

If your flashcard has a list on the back, put the number of items in the list on the front – that way you know how many items you’re aiming for in your retrieval practice.

19. Order is important

Take advantage of the primacy effect, which says that things you study early on in a session are more likely to be remembered – perhaps because you’re at your freshest and most alert.

20. Have you got a sore thumb?

As a student, I liked to break up the pattern of predictable study notes or flashcards, especially on topics that could be a little dry, by adding a zany phrase or a joke – even if it was completely unrelated to the material!

21. Freshen up outdoors

22. Catch some zzz’s

Brandon Sanderson’s Advice for Doing Hard Things

A reader recently sent me a video of a keynote speech, delivered in 2020 by the popular fantasy novelist Brandon Sanderson. The title of the presentation was “The Common Lies Writers Tell You,” but its real message was more general.

Sanderson starts (perhaps channeling a young Cal Newport) by pushing back on our common instinct to tell kids “you can do anything you want to” or “follow your dreams.” He argues that these aphorisms inflict a disservice on impressionable minds as they obfuscate the complexity, and frustration, and nuance involved in actually pursuing remarkable goals.

Sanderson then proceeds to details three tips, drawn from his experience as a successful novelist, to help structure any attempt to tackle hard things. I found his advice both interesting and refreshingly blunt, so I thought it might be useful to summarize his three tips here, annotated with some of my own thoughts…

Part 3 – Pick a Study Method That Works for You

List of Study Methods

Mindlessly reading through your notes or textbooks isn’t an effective method of studying; it doesn’t help you process the information. Instead, you should use a proven study strategy that will help you think through the material and retain the information.

Strategy #1 – SQ3R Method

Strategy #2 – PQ4R Method

Effective Study Skills for Students

Strategy #3 – THIEVES Method

Studying Online

Dr. Tony Bates has written a thoughtful and thorough guide to studying online, A Student Guide to Studying Online. Not only does he highlight the importance of paying attention to course design, but he also offers helpful tips on how to choose the best online program and manage your course load.

Listening To Music

You can blast Drake if you want, but you wouldn’t be getting anything done because you’re belting at the top of your lungs while your unfinished essay sits in front of you. Listening to natural sounds, podcasts or ambient noises boost productivity. They provide a soothing background sound that keeps you focused and working. You can listen to lo-fi music as well, which works for me!

During this time of uncertainty, it can be hard to communicate and build relationships with professors or teachers. Communication is a great study hack that I believe has increased my accessibility to resources as well as improved my grades. Use email and attend office hours even if they’re virtual! Whether it’s a teacher or professor, you should communicate and get to know them more.

They are there to help you and increase your learning so take advantage of that! Ask all the questions you have and concepts you don’t understand. You’ll benefit from this and take away more than just what you learned in class.

References:

https://www.goconqr.com/en/examtime/blog/study-hacks/
https://examstudyexpert.com/study-hacks/
https://www.calnewport.com/blog/
https://www.mydegreeguide.com/how-to-study-tips/
https://www.society19.com/study-hacks-for-your-online-classes-you-need-to-try/

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