So, about This Gap in Your Resume ...

So, about This Gap in Your Resume ...Gap in Your ResumeSo, about This Gap in Your Resume ...Its happened to most of us You werent collecting a paycheck for awhile because, well, you werent working, for one reason or another. And as you list your work experience in typical reverse chronological order on your resume, theres this time gap that a potential employer will ask you about if youre called in for an interview.But dont go into the interview unprepared be ready to explain the gap. Even if the interviewer is not bothered by the gap but wants to see how you answer the question, you need to answer in such a way that it will not derail your chances at landing the job, and maybe even enhance them.There are two primary reasons why there might be a gap in your employment track recordYou stayed out of the workforce by choice, orYou were let go from a job and didnt get another one for awhile.Now, how might you answer if an interviewer calls you on this gap? Here are explanations for both situationsYou stayed out of the workforce by choiceTypically, this kind of gap involves something personal in nature. Without going into painstaking detail, explain the reason. For instance, you may have taken care of a sick relative, had a medical issue, or taken an extended vacation. By law, U.S. employers cannot ask you about your personal life, but if you volunteer the information and it alarms the employer, it might make them wary of hiring you (though they would never admit that as the reason for denying you the job). Explain the gap factually, but briefly. Hold back the urge to volunteer details best left private anything that might create an impression in the interviewers mind that you are unsuitable for the job. Then, explain what you learned from the experience if it will help improve your chances at landing the job. For instance During that time, I developed practical skills for dealing with difficult people, which paid off in my next job as a customer service representa tive in a high-volume call center at ABC Company.You were let go from a job You had taken a job you were qualified for and approached it with great enthusiasm, only to be let go after three months because of a personality clash with your boss. Listing the tenure may be enough of a red flag for the hiring manager, and maybe three months wasnt a sufficient amount of time to note any accomplishments on the job. Regardless, explain it with just the facts and focus on what you did accomplish if anything and how the experience prepared you for the job youre being interviewed for. If you were laid off as part of a business decision to cut expenses, turn that into a positive by explaining how the layoff caused you to rethink your career goals and how your skills and background will be a good fit for the job youre being interviewed for. (Note If you omit a previous job on your resume and a new or would-be employer asks you to fill out an application, its best to err on the side of full dis closure and include that job on the application. And, mention it to the hiring manager before you sign an offer since some employers should they investigate the gap might equate an omission with lying about your background.)Of course, every situation is different. But if you follow these general guidelines, you can change that resume gap from a potential hindrance to a help.Everyone has a resume gap at some point. A potential employers chief concern is that hiring you wont turn out to be a mistake. Help them along by showing that you were productive during your downtime, learned new skills, and are now 100% ready to go.

Using Metrics to Measure Business Performance

Using Metrics to Measure Business PerformanceUsing Metrics to Measure Business PerformanceYou cant manage what you dont measure is an old management adage that is still accurate today. Unless you measure something, you dont know if it is getting better or worse. You cant manage for improvement if you dont measure to see what is getting better and what isnt. This article introduces you to some fundamental terms and approaches for measuring business activities. Definitions To begin, well define a few of the terms. We are using measure as a verb, leid a noun and benchmark as a noun, not an adverb. Measure The verb means to ascertain the measurements ofMeasurement The figure, extent, or amount obtained by measuringMetric A standard of measurement.Benchmark A standard by which others may be measured. So we collect data (measurements), determine how those will be expressed as a standard (metric), and compare the measurement to the benchmark to evaluate progress. For example, we measure a number of lines of code written by each programmer during a week. We measure (count) the number of bugs in that code. We establish bugs per thousand lines of code as the metric. We compare each programmers metric against the benchmark of fewer than 1 defect (bug) per thousand lines of code. What to Measure Measure those activities or results that are important to successfully achieving your organizations goals. Key Performance Indicators, also known as KPIs or Key Success Indicators (KSIs), help an organization define and measure those activities that support making progress toward goals. KPIs differ depending on the organization. A business may have as one of its KPIs the percentage of its income that comes from returning or repeat customers. A Customer Service department may measure the percentage of customer calls answered in the first minute. A Key Performance Indicator for a development organization might be the number of defects in their code. You may need to measure se veral things to be able to calculate the metrics in your KPIs.The department will need to measure (count) how many calls it receives to measure progress toward a Customer ServiceKPI. It must also measure how long it takes to answer each call and how many customers are satisfied with the service they received. The Customer Service Manager can use those various measures to calculate the percentage of customer calls answered in the first minute and to gauge overall effectiveness in answering calls. How To Measure How you measure is as important as what you measure. In the previous example, we can measure the number of calls by having each Customer Service representative (CSR) count their calls and tell their supervisor at the end of the day. We could have an operator counting the number of calls transferred to the department. The best option, although the most expensive, would be to purchase a software program that counts the number of incoming calls, measures how long it takes to answer each, records who answered the call, and measures how long the call took to complete. These measurements are current, accurate, complete, and unbiased. Collecting the measurements in this way enables the manager to calculate the percentage of customer calls answered in the first minute. Also, it provides additional measurements that help him or her manage toward improving the percentage of calls answered quickly. Knowing the call durations lets the manager calculate if there is enough staff to reach the goal. Knowing which CSRs answer the most calls identifies for the manager expertise that can be shared with other representatives. How to Use Measurements Most often, these measurements are used as part of a Continuous Improvement Plan like the Shewhart cycle. Similar plans are used by many companies in different industries and given different names, but the goal is the same - to measure the key factors and improve them.Building Operating Management Magazine Measure, Imp rove, RepeatRAND Arroyo Center Define-Measure-Improve It is important that you communicate your metrics both up and down the organization. Your boss wants to know whats going on, but your employees need to know also. They are not motivated to improve unless they know how they are doing. Also, most of the suggestions on how to improve will come from them. Post team and individual results, either online or by hanging charts on the wall. Use pie charts, line charts, key driver charts, and other graphs to quickly, easily, and visually communicate the metrics. Review your metrics and use them to guide your decisions. With your metrics in place, you can tell which strategies are working and which arent. If you make a change, you use the metrics to tell you whether the change improved things or not. When the metrics show improvement, share that success with everyone. Tell your staff. Tell your boss. Tell the guy you meet in the hall. And dont forget to reward the people who were responsibl e for the success, even if its just a verbal pat on the back. Measure to Manage Measure whats important.Publish your metrics and benchmarks.Reward people for exceeding their goals.And then keep tuning the metrics. The Bottom-Line The art and science of developing key performance indicators are beyond the scope of this post, however, measuring activities and outputs is a fundamental step. And although you cannot manage what you do not measure, be careful that your measurements emphasize certain activities over other equally important but unmeasured activities. Updated by Art Petty

How to spring clean your body with health checks

How to spring clean your body with health checksHow to spring clean your body with health checksThe 21st of March is the first day of Spring and we spoke to Dr. Elizabeth Kershaw-Yates, GP and one of the medical team atTheOnlineClinic,to ask what we can do to have a full spring clean of our bodies.Dr. Elizabeth Kershaw-Yates told us what we should be checking for at different stages of our lives, and when.Follow Ladders on FlipboardFollow Ladders magazines on Flipboard covering Happiness, Productivity, Job Satisfaction, Neuroscience, and moreIn your 20sWomen in the UK should be getting screened for cervical cancer from the age of 25 (or 20 in Scotland). Women should do this every three years, up to the age of 49, and every 5 years after that.For men and women in their 20s, sexually transmitted infections are one of the biggest health risks. People who are sexually active should get annual STI tests and if they have unprotected sex or have multiple sexual partners they should be tes ted more frequently.Remember that many STIs are initially symptomless but may cause infertility, severe complications, and can even be life-threatening if left untreated.In your 30sHigh cholesterol can become a problem during your 30s. It can lead to the arteries narrowing, stroke, and heart attack.Its a good idea to start having your cholesterol checked every five years after the age of 35. If you smoke, have diabetes, or are very overweight you should be tested more regularly. If you discover that you do have high cholesterol you can begin to make lifestyle changes to prevent the condition from developing any further. To find out more about reducing your cholesterol, visit the British Heart Foundation website.In their 30s, women should also get into the habit of checking their breasts for abnormalities or lumps at home. To find out details of how to do this, visit Breast Cancer Care UK.In your 40sPeople over 40 should also get their blood pressure checked every five years. If you r blood pressure is too high, you can begin to make lifestyle changes to avoid further complications.From your 40s onwards, your risk of developing diabetes begins to grow. From the age of 45 onwards, its a good idea to get checked for either diabetes or pre-diabetes (which is where your blood sugar is high and could develop into full-blown diabetes).People who are particularly at risk of developing type 2 diabetes are People closely related to someone with diabetes People of South Asian, Chinese, African-Caribbean or black African descent People who are overweight or obeseIn your 50sUrinary symptoms can begin to be a problem in men over 50. Some symptoms can indicate cancer so talk to your GP about getting tested if you are concerned. There is no routine NHS screening service offered for prostate cancer, but you can be tested for it for free.Osteoporosis a common side effect of the menopause where the bones weaken can become a problem for women in their 50s. If you are underweig ht, smoke, drink, and/or dont regularly exercise, you are particularly at risk of osteoporosis. A DEXA scan tests for this it is painless and quick and assesses bone density.Women between the ages of 50 and 70 are also offered a free breast screening every three years of breast cancer.In your 60sPeople over the age of 60 are entitled to a free NHS eye test. The NHS recommends that you have your eyes tested every two years.The risk of bowel cancer is higher for both men and women in their sixties so the NHS offers free home testing kits to people between 60 and 74 (or 50 and 74 in Scotland).Men who are 65 can also be tested for abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA), a condition in which the main blood vessel leading away from the heart becomes swollen.70s and olderThe NHS does not invite people over 70 for routine screening tests however that does not mean you are ineligible for free tests. Instead, it is up to you to put yourself forward for screenings and check-ups. Talk to your GP if you notice any new symptoms or changes to your body if you are concerned.GPs will regularly enquire about memory issues in patients over 70 and will offer tests if you have any concerns.As well as being aware of the particular health risks that can affect your age group, its also a good idea to have regular check-ups with the dentist and to have any unusual skin growths or moles looked at by a doctor.This article originally appeared on Your Coffee Break.You might also enjoyNew neuroscience reveals 4 rituals that will make you happyStrangers know your social class in the first seven words you say, study finds10 lessons from Benjamin Franklins daily schedule that will double your productivityThe worst mistakes you can make in an interview, according to 12 CEOs10 habits of mentally strong people