In the digital world where 38% of workers quit their job because of email fatigue, business leaders and managers hardly find time to think about employees' career development. Regardless of how caring your organization is, it’s important for you to figure out how to achieve your career goals and put yourself in a position for long-term growth. Managers hardly find time to think about employees' career development. Regardless of how caring your organization is, it’s important for you to figure out how to achieve your career goals and put yourself in a position for long-term growth.
To get what you want in your career, you must learn to identify your strengths, and weaknesses, and uncover blind spots. Remember, there are no shortcuts when it comes to achieving sustainable growth. Only perseverance and hard work will help you master the skills and experiences you need to thrive in the workplace.
First and foremost, you need to realize that you’re living in a do-it-yourself career development era. Organizations either don’t offer formal training or their training programs are not given due attention. It is probably because employees change jobs frequently. As a result, organizations hesitate to invest in people who are likely to leave.
Korn Ferry revealed that developing others is not at all on the priority list of managers.
However, there are companies that treat personal development as a major company initiative.
If you think you have skill gaps and blind spots that can make it hard for you to grow, it’s time to take some concrete actions and put your career on the right path.
In this post, we will explain how you can take control of your career. Let’s get started!
Define Your Success
If you want to achieve something in life, be sure to have a clear picture of your goals. In other words, define your job goals and success metrics. It’s best to write down your key performance indicators, and then consult with your manager or boss to see if they agree to your plan. It would be a good approach to involve your employer in your career development planning.
Fix Your Blind Spot
Successful people know the significance of solving their blind spots. You can’t master the art of getting what you want unless you learn how to learn and adjust. Your boss is probably the right person to help you identify your weaknesses or areas where you need to improve.
If your superiors aren’t proactive in giving regular feedback, be the first to start the conversation. Seek guidance after every meeting or presentation. Keep things simple: work on one area at a time. Listen to your peers and friends when they offer some advice.
Learn in a Systematic Way
It’s always a good idea to keep things organized. For example, when you seek feedback, keep a journal. Prepare a list of top competencies or skills that you want to develop. And then rate yourself on each of them with the help of your manager or career development coach.
Let’s explain this with an example. If you’re a marketer, you might give yourself an A in trade marketing, a B+ in advertising development, and a C in brand development. Now, you should be focusing on the Cs to close skill gaps. Experts in those fields can help you learn quickly and the right way. So, don’t hesitate to reach out to people who previously held your position.
Let Your Presence Be Felt
One of the best things you can do as an employee is to increase your visibility with the C-suit. In some workplace environments, employees find it hard to get noticed by seniors through their direct work. So, you should watch out for volunteering opportunities or other business initiatives where you can prove yourself.
So many workers overlook the importance of taking part in company events. Don’t be one of them. Let your seniors witness your ability to perform outside your traditional job role.
Adapt Quickly
Your company might need experts in areas of increasing importance. For example, your company may be introducing a new technology to streamline its various business operations. If you’re good at learning and implementing new technologies, you should come up and play your role and help your managers. If your company is facing an emerging issue, you can stand up and propose solutions. Your interest and willingness to solve your company’s problems will surely bring you promotions and other career opportunities.
Get Clear on Your Next Step
Visualizing your entire career path with clarity is only the first step. Whether you want to get that promotion you’ve been striving for or planning to start your own business, identify the pathway to get from where you’re right now and where you want to be. Here is a simple practice to do so: put yourself at least 5 years into the future and write down your resume as you envision it.
Get Help
It is a good idea to see things both from your perspective and others’ perspective. If you’re not confident in your career direction, seek mentoring. The perspective of an expert career development coach is invaluable. Therefore, try to find a mentor who could guide you and bring clarity to your vision.
If you know someone who has what it takes to provide objective guidance, reach out to them. Focus on building a good relationship rather than bombarding them with non-stop questions. Find opportunities to have quality discussions over coffee or at the company’s lobby. This is how you build relationships organically.
Final Thoughts
It might take you some time to learn the art of getting what you want in your career. Also, strong functional skills take time to develop. Besides, you’re likely to face plenty of resistance, both internal and external, to achieve what you want. All you have to do is stay committed to your goals and keep going.
Your skill set is your most precious career capital. So, take time to develop them. Lack of clarity or jumping from one job to another too quickly wouldn’t allow you to develop the functional expertise you need to have a remarkable career. You’re more likely to succeed in this DIY world if you take initiative and stick to your well-thought plan.
“The key to success is to start before you are ready.” - Marie Forleo
How to Avoid Most Common CV Mistakes
So, you’re looking to land your dream job. Understandably, it’s hard to get a job that meets all of your requirements and preferences. Isn’t it? Recruiters usually receive tons of applications when they post a job. They have to scan through a pile of CVs and resumes to shortlist candidates, and most are filled with CV mistakes.
Is your CV powerful enough to help you stand out from the crowd? If not, it’s high time to take a step back and work on the basics. For example, analyze your current CV and see if you’re making mistakes that are stopping you from getting a good job.
In this blog, I’ll identify some of the common CV mistakes and how you can avoid them to make a good first impression on recruiters. But before we dig deep, let’s quickly define what is a CV and how it is different from a resume.
What is a Curriculum Vitae (CV)?
A CV is a long document that you use to showcase your academic and professionalachievements. Your recruiter should be able to find all the information they need to verify your skills, job experience, or qualification. While a resume is a short one-page document that highlights key facts, a CV is a more detailed document that presents the whole course of your career.
8 Common CV Mistakes and How to Avoid Them
1. Spelling & Grammar Mistakes
Let me start with the basic ones. It’s pretty obvious that submitting a CV with grammar or spelling issues showcases that you don’t pay attention to small details. So, before sending your CV to a recruiter, be sure to double-check everything.
A survey of 379 recruiters revealed that CVs with typos and grammatical errors were an instant deal-breaker for a staggering 79% of respondents.
2. Exaggeration is a CV Mistake
Sometimes it feels like a good idea to boost your academic grades or exaggerate the truth just to impress potential employers. Here is the deal: don’t lie or exaggerate facts on your CV. It could cost you the job. The best strategy is to be who you are and be honest about your skills and experience.
3. Poor CV format
Most candidates use a chronological CV format. However, it’s not always the right choice. You should select a CV format based on your situation. For example, if you have employment gaps, a skill-based format will be a good choice.
When people submit their CVs, the first thing recruiters see is the CV format. So, be consistent throughout the CV. Font changes halfway or typos can reflect badly on you.
Here is another tip: try to make your CV scannable, professional, and clean. For example, use suitable fonts like Calibri or Arial that are supported by most word-processing software.
4. Generic Language
Do you think it’s a good idea to have a CV full of cliches? Your objective should be to stand out. This goal can’t be achieved when candidates use CV cliches and buzzwords. Recruiters don’t find any attraction in those vague, unimaginable phrases that show no real value. They have probably read those generic phrases thousands of times. So, try to avoid them. Instead, use simple language without stuffing your CV with heavy words.
5. Use of Old-fashioned ‘Objective Statement’
We often see an objective statement in CVs. However, you need to pay attention to outdated CV writing practices. Objective statements don’t help recruiters because candidates don’t write original statements. Here is an example of a generic statement: “A passionate individual with 5 years of experience in digital marketing seeking full-time employment with a reputable employer.”
Hey, your CV is all about you. Therefore, focus on how your skills can help employers achieve their business goals. The right way is to write a summary explaining how your experience has helped your previous employers. For example, if you’re a digital marketer, write in your CV summary how much revenue you have generated for your clients.
6. Not Taking Time to Customize CV for a Job
How much time will it take to customize your CV to make it more relevant to the job you’re applying for? We’re not sure about the time you need to update your CV, but one thing is for sure: you have to show the recruiter that you have the skills and experience you need to step into the job and succeed.
Your CV might get rejected by the applicant tracking system (ATS) if you haven’t mentioned the required skills and qualifications in your CV. Bots are quick when it comes to candidate screening. So, make sure your CV passes through the ATS. Besides, you can afford to use a generic CV when it comes to signing up on a database or when attending a job fair.
An increasing number of organizations use ATS to automate their recruiting processes. So, take into account how applicant tracking systems work and how to use relevant keywords to increase your chances of getting shortlisted. Spell out all the abbreviations and acronyms in your CV. This also makes things easier for human readers.
7. Including Past or Current Earnings
It’s not a good idea to mention anything about your past or current income or salary expectations unless the job advertisement requests you to do so. Leave that part to the interview or negotiation stage. That’s where you should openly talk about your salary expectations.
8. Writing in the Third Person
It is another common CV mistake when people write their CVs in the third person. Since you want to minimize the distance between you and your recruiter, write in the first person as if you’re talking directly to the recruiter. Try to drop personal pronouns wherever possible.
Final Thoughts on CV Mistakes
So, are you ready to create a memorable CV for your job-hunting campaign? Remember, your CV is your first chance to stay ahead of the competition. Let your recruiters know that you’re serious about the job you’re applying for. Employers receive hundreds, if not thousands, of job applications every day. A great CV can put you at the top of shortlisted candidates.
How To Stay Focused In A Connected World
Undoubtedly, we’re rapidly moving toward a fully connected world at an unprecedented pace. From mobile work environments to smart homes, technology is reshaping the way we work and perform our day-to-day things. Most organizations have already realized the numerous benefits of hyper-connectivity as it leads to improved collaboration, agility, and productivity.
People go online to work, play games, buy their favorite products, and spend quality time. Everything is at the tip of your fingers. For instance, you can control your devices at home whether you are at the office or miles away from your city. The growing trend of remote work is making it possible for people to get rid of geographical boundaries.
You can stay home and work with a company that is thousands of miles away. The new digital era is simply accelerating innovation and disruption in every walk of life. Companies are creating new business opportunities, discovering new audiences, and creating new business models.
While most of us understand how hyper-connected is beneficial to businesses and daily life, it’s critical to address the negative impacts of an excessively connected environment. For example, it is becoming increasingly difficult for workers to stay focused.
We have so many things around us that can distract us. Take your smartphone as an example. Whether you’re an employee or run your own business, you have to maintain a work-life balance.
In this blog post, we’ll find out how to stay focused in a hyper-connected world. We’ll cover the following:
Blog Summary
What is a hyper-connected world?
Living in a hyper-connected world - Key Stats
Common workplace distractions
How to Stay Focused
Staying focused during the pandemic
Let’s get started!
What is a hyper-connected world?
Simply put, being hyper connected means that everything is communicating from your dishwasher to the fuel sensor. It is an environment where information sharing is streamlined from people to people, people to machines, and machines to machines. When we say machines, it refers to every device that can be connected to the internet: home appliances, industrial equipment, vehicles, computers, medical devices, etc.
Here is what Wikipedia tells us about hyper-connectivity:
“Hyper-connectivity is a term invented by Canadian social scientists Anabel Quan-Haase and Barry Wellman, arising from their studies of person-to-person and person-to-machine communication in networked organizations and networked societies. The term refers to the use of multiple means of communication, such as email, instant messaging, telephone, face-to-face contact and Web 2.0 information services.”
Living in a hyper-connected world - Key Stats
We regard our smartphones, computers, and tablets as indispensable both personally and professionally. But they can seriously affect our ability to stay focused. Spending too much time on social media and email reduces engagement and productivity at work and home.
Here are some important stats to consider:
An average manager spends 16 hours a week attending unnecessary emails and meetings.
According to a global Gallup survey, only 13% of employees are engaged at work.
Not sure what the word “engaged” really means in this context? The term “engaged” is defined as being psychologically committed to work and contributing to the organization.
Workfront surveyed 3,750 knowledge workers. It found out that, on average, workers are interrupted by email, instant messages, and other digital distractions nearly 14 times per day.
According to a survey from Adobe, average US office workers spend more than 3 hours each day keeping up with emails.
ResueTime analyzed data from 50,000 workers, showing that the average knowledge worker checks in with communication tools every six minutes. It also found out that 40 minutes was the longest amount of time an average worker could go without checking emails during work. Surprisingly, nearly half of the workers never get 30 straight minutes of focused work.
Udemy conducted a survey of 1,000 workers in 2018. It found out that 36% of Millennials and Generation Z say they spend 2 hours or more checking their smartphones during a workday. 56% of them said they couldn’t make it through a day without checking their social media.
A survey from Tata Communication shows us that people in Europe and Asia spend an average of more than 5 hours on the internet a day.
A productivity specialist, Geraldine Markel says, "when you are distracted or interrupted, you lose your focus, and you feel frustrated and irritated when you don't complete tasks with accuracy or completeness. Distracted workers have lower morale and loyalty and higher fatigue. People who work in a state of constant interruption report higher levels of stress."
Common workplace distractions
Whether you’re working in a busy office or from home, distractions are an inevitable part of our professional lives. A study found out that a typical office worker gets interrupted every 11 minutes.
It’s important to note down that our brains need 25 minutes to refocus on the original task.
Udemy conducted a survey and found out that workplace distractions negatively impact workers’ performance, potential, and productivity. When people get distracted often, they tend to work faster. Which ultimately affects work quality and leads to stress and anxiety.
Research from Michigan State University tells us that a short interruption like silencing the buzzing smartphone can have a negative impact on your ability to complete a task. It found out that an interruption of about three seconds doubles the error rate. Let alone the brief interruptions like checking out your Snapchat or text messages.
Before we dig deep into strategies to improve focus in a hyper-connected environment, let’s take a quick look at common distractions that can seriously kill your productivity or ability to efficiently perform the task at hand.
Smartphones
Background noise
People interruptions
Multi-tasking
Emails
Meetings
Social media
How can you deal with digital overload? What are the strategies to live in a hyper-connected world while staying focused and productive? Let’s get down to answering these questions.
How to Stay Focused
Digital overload is turning out to be the single biggest workplace problem. Everybody in your team and organization is likely to be bombarded with notifications and messages every day. And in case you’re prone to put off tasks until the last minute, diversions are only a click away.
To stay focused, all you have to do is learn how to control the digital overload rather than letting it control you. But what does it take to conquer digital distractions?
Alexandra Samuel, a technologist, and Larry Rosen, a psychologist came up with two different solutions.
Rosen is of the opinion that we should pull away from technology to regain focus. In other words, we should limit the time we spend on our devices by taking breaks and doing other things like meditation and exercise.
Samuel, however, thinks differently. She recommends that we should embrace technology and manage information overload.
These are two entirely different techniques to deal with hyper-connectivity. But it will help you start your journey toward a more focused and dedicated worker or household.
The following are some of the most effective strategies to consider:
Restrict what comes your way
Technology itself isn’t a problem, but the way we use it can be problematic.
First of all, you need to understand what’s important in your life and whatnot. If you can’t resist looking at your phone all the time, whether at the office or evenings at home, you’re not alone.
But it’s high time to set clear priorities and use technology correctly. With so much work, communication, and socializing taking place, turning off your devices is not a viable solution. Nonetheless, we can certainly minimize our digital overuse by restricting the flow of information. For example, you can control what emails should reach your inbox. After all, you don’t work for your inbox.
Some tools can help you make online communication more productive and focused. But first, you have to realize that you don’t have to check out all of your emails or things going on in your social media. In other words, filter out the noise.
People who successfully restrict what comes to their inbox are likely to be more effective at communicating with clients and colleagues. Email tools like Gmail and Outlook enable you to filter messages. Use them to ensure that only essential messages reach your mailbox.
There are emails that you don’t have to see immediately. Here is a quick tip: set a short-term, autoresponder explaining what you’re doing and when you will be back. For example, “I’m stepping away from my inbox to complete this task. I’ll be back in 30 minutes.”
Multitasking is not always a good idea
We like to multitask. It’s possible to do two or more things at the same time. For example, you can walk and listen to music simultaneously. But doing multiple things at the same time can hurt your performance and the quality of your work. For instance, looking at your Facebook during a meeting or conference call will impact your ability to focus on things that matter the most.
Earl Miller, an MIT Neuroscientist, states that multitasking causes mistakes, ruins productivity, and impedes creative thought. Therefore, it’s advisable not to multitask and focus on one thing at a time. That’s how you get things done quickly and correctly.
Strengthen your attention management skill
You must learn how to control your attention because it will determine the life you live. In today’s digital world where so many things are interconnected, distractions are everywhere. So, it’s critical to practice controlling distractions and being present in the moment.
Pro Tip: Be intentional instead of reactive.
Digital addiction is a common condition. Instead of using technology to streamline our lives, we get hooked by it. Digital devices steal our attention and make it hard for us to direct our attention to important things. Improving your attention management skill will help you stay away from distractions and have control over your priorities and time.
Control your environment
When it comes to working, you should set boundaries with others whether you’re working from home or in an open-office setting. It would be a good idea to put up a “do not disturb” sign when you need to focus. If your environment makes it hard for you to focus, try to work in a different part of the office or home. Letting your colleagues and family know that you have to do heads-down work can be helpful.
If you’re using productivity or automation tools to get your work done, use the “do not disturb” feature to avoid distractions. Most mainstream workplace tools offer this feature.
Turn off notifications
Let me say it again: technology is here to serve you and not the other way around. The good news is that it’s not hard to control your devices. For example, turn off notifications or put your devices on silent when you need to focus on important things.
Remember, notifications are designed to steal your attention. Take social media as an example. Social networking sites want us to stay online all the time. Non-stop stream of our favorite content can be hard to resist. So, keep your phone out of your sight.
People often think notifications are not that distracting because those notifications’ sounds last for only a few seconds. But when we get distracted, it becomes difficult to regain the focus and get back on track again.
Take phone-free breaks
Most workers turn to their smartphones during breaks. Studies tell us that employees who use phones on breaks feel less productive and restored after getting back to work. In 2019, a study was conducted to explore what makes workers happy. It found out that less happy employees are more likely to spend time on social media during lunch breaks.
Another study explored the effects of breaks on regaining vitality at work. According to this study, people who take quick breaks without their phones feel more energized and less emotionally exhausted than people who spend their breaks staring at screens.
Therefore, make sure you or your team adopt positive break habits such as moving around, meditating, or talking with colleagues.
Automate
It’s a brilliant idea to fight fire with fire. If hyper-connectivity is making your life a mess, use technology to resolve the issue. Apps like Feedly or Flipboard can help you find the most relevant information on social media and blogs. Automating some of your online work can make your life easier.
For instance, tools like Hootsuite can help you schedule posts or reach multiple platforms from one place. We’ve already talked about email filters.
Coexist with technology and still have inner peace
The hyper-connected world is here to stay. But we must practice how to disconnect on a frequent basis. Prioritize spending time with family and friends. Also, schedule some time alone every day to reflect and re-energize.
Instead of sending text messages and pictures, try to interact with real people. If you’re a business leader, engage your team and teach them how to co-exist with technology while losing your inner peace and focus.
It’s possible to find your inner peace in a noisy world full of digital distractions.
While new work management and productivity tools help us save time and expand our creativity, workers are becoming more and more dependent on technology.
Constant stimulation in the form of digital media is killing our creativity and productivity. Don’t let that happen to you or your team.
Convert hyper-connectivity into Hyper-productivity
Virtual meetings, interviews, and video conferencing are inseparable components of today’s work environment. However, the rise in the use of communication tools doesn’t necessarily boost employees’ productivity.
To convert hyper-connectivity into hyper-productivity, organizations have to come up with the right mix of technology, workspace design, work practices, and management styles. For example, a combination of talent management solutions, best HR practices, and face-to-face interactions can help HR leaders and managers achieve excellent results.
Let’s say you’re a recruiting manager. When you automate most of your repetitive or time-consuming tasks, it becomes easier for you to focus on the most important things like building relationships with top talent. A tool like Wiggli can help you stay focused on your main business objectives: finding the right talent in a cost and time-efficient way.
More tips
Here are some more tips for avoiding distractions in a hyper-connected world:
Batch-check everything. Instead of spending all of your day checking notifications and emails, batch check your social media and emails.
Rank tasks in terms of their importance and then focus on what’s crucial.
Practicing good social media hygiene will help you avoid unwanted distractions. For instance, unfollow people or pages that no longer deliver valuable content.
Putting yourself in a new environment can help you regain your focus and creativity flow.
Give your full attention to one task and take breaks when feeling exhausted.
Do not let the mind veer off in its own direction. Learn how to control thoughts and get your focus back to where you want to.
How to stay focused when working from home
Remote working seems like a dream until you face the challenge to stay focused due to distractions. Some distractions are easy to avoid when working in an office setting. But it can be a real challenge to draw a line between professional and personal life at home.
The most successful and effective remote workers set up clear boundaries and don’t violate them. The following are tips for staying focused when working from the comfort of your home:
Establish working hours to avoid a chaotic schedule
Explain to your family, friends, and others your work-from-home policy.
Get organized by scheduling your work and creating to-do lists.
Designate a specific space for a home office.
Final Thoughts
From an organizational perspective, leaders must help their workers create a more positive digital culture that encourages creativity and happiness. Whether you’re an individual worker, a team, or a business leader, learn to stay focused.
Make the right use of technology and excessive connectivity. Minimize distractions coming from outside sources. Control what’s coming your way. Gardening your attention in today’s digital world is more important than ever. As a business leader, give your team the tools they need to stay focused on things that really matter.
