Avoid These 15 Career Mistakes If You Want to Get and Keep a Job

Avoid These 15 Career Mistakes If You Want to Get and Keep a Job If love is a battlefield (and we all know it is, thanks to Pat Benatar), then the career world is a minefield. There’s the resume and interview process, but the dangers don’t end once you’re hired and installed comfortably in a cubicle somewhere. Let’s take a look at some of the most common career mistakes throughout the job cycle, and what you can do to try to avoid them. 1. Before You’re Hired2. On the Job3. On Your Way Out4. Your Future CareerBefore You’re HiredThe clock for potential missteps kicks off the second you decide to apply for a job. Here’s what you should be wary of doing:1. Making blatant mistakes in the cover letter/resume.In many cases, your cover letter is your first chance to make an impression on the recruiter or hiring manager. If you go in with a bunch of obvious errors (or one really egregious one), this suggests that you might be as sloppy an employee as you appear as a candidate. Always check everything thorou ghly for typos, and if possible, have a trusted friend or family member read over any materials you’re going to release to the world.I have a friend who made the most horrible typo possible, accidentally leaving a super-vulgar mistyped word in a cover letter to a company that, shall we say, wasn’t very likely to laugh off such a word appearing in communication with them. Needless to say, he never got a call for an interview at that place. Trust me, it’s worth it to spend the time to write and revise your resume, engineering it down to every word.2. Addressing the wrong person/company.Dear Sir at Widget Company, I was excited to hear about an opening at your company. I’ve always wanted to work at Widgets R Us. I anxiously await your response. [Spoiler alert: no interview forthcoming.]3. Phoning-in the interview.Whether you don’t really want this job after all, or you think you can coast because you’re very qualified, don’t take anythin g for granted. Always bring your A-game to any interview. Even if the job is unlikely to pan out, it’s good practice, and the people who take the time to talk with you about the job will appreciate your engagement and enthusiasm.4. Not following up with a thank you.Whether the interview went awesome or terribly, always follow up quickly with a thank you note. Manners go a long way, and you never know when you’ll come across the same people in the course of a future job search.5. Being too aggressive (or not aggressive enough).The Goldilocks approach works here. Don’t go in, all iron-grip handshake and unblinking eye contact. Also don’t go in looking at the floor and answering only direct questions. Try to find a happy medium where you’re confident, but not challenging every interviewer you meet to a staring contest.6. Talk money too early in the hiring process.As the old saying goes, â€Å"he who shoots first, loses.† If you bring up salary before the company is ready to make an offer, you can come off as mercenary- or worse, you can unintentionally limit your negotiating power after you have an offer in hand. Leave the interview process for getting to know the job and presenting yourself as the best candidate, and keep the negotiating for later. There’s no real upside to discussing money early in the process, and many opportunities for it to blow back on you.7. Not negotiating at all. No matter how grateful you are to get a job, always try to negotiate the best possible salary and benefits. Companies expect this, and as long as your requests are reasonable, it’s a must-do once you have a job offer. If you don’t negotiate and try to build on the initial offer, the only one you’re hurting is yourself.On the JobOnce you’ve got the job, don’t get too complacent- you still need to be careful about making mistakes. This doesn’t necessarily mean that you need to be perfect at all times, and that errors won’t sometimes happen in the course of your job. These are more the situations to avoid in the workplace.8. Making decisions purely based on money.If you love your job but jump ship for the first opportunity that comes along and pays better, you could live to regret that. Make sure that major decisions (like accepting a job somewhere else or deciding to leave) are backed up by a number of factors you’ve considered, including salary, benefits, your overall level of happiness, and your career goals9. Keeping your head down.Working hard is super important, but you know what else is too? Connecting with coworkers. You don’t have to be best buds, but making a nominal effort to get your coworkers can really help you later on. Not only do you get comfortable with people whose faces you see every day, but you never know when an ally will come in handy in the office. Quash those introvert tendencies and make small talk the next time you find y ourself waiting at the copier with â€Å"Tim†¦uh, Something from accounting.†10. Limiting your network to people you work with.It’s great to get to know people at every level in your company (see #9). However, don’t fall into a trap where your entire active network is located within your office’s four walls. Part of the beauty of having a network is getting information and opportunities from other places, so why limit yourself? If your LinkedIn profile is mostly people you see at least four times a week at the watercooler, it’s time to branch out and start making connections with people at other companies.11. Avoiding difficult situations.Challenges are excellent experience builders. Fear of failing can make us more likely to avoid taking on unfamiliar projects and goals, but you could be hurting yourself in the long run to keep things smooth in the short term. You’re unlikely to learn new skills or gain experience if you stick narrowly to your job description. It’ll also leave you with fewer instances where you can point to genuine growth and problem solving skills.12. Not owning up to mistakes.Not wanting to get in trouble with the boss is a pretty valid feeling. However, I’m assuming that you’re human. And accordingly, mistakes will happen at some point. It’s how you deal with those that can make or break your reputation. Don’t be the person who starts looking for someone to throw under the bus when things are going wrong. Be the one who says, â€Å"this is what’s wrong, here’s how we’re going to approach this, and here’s how this will be handled moving forward.†Not only that, but you also don’t want to earn a reputation as someone who trashes coworkers to make yourself look better. If you’re leading a group and others dropped the ball, it shows better leadership skills to take responsibility for the group’s performance a nd move on than to sit there pointing fingers at everyone else.13. Saying yes to everything.This is a tough one. You want to seem like an uber-employee, able to handle everything that comes your way. However part of being that uber-employee is knowing your limits, and being able to manage priorities. Getting overwhelmed is never going to be helpful- not for you, and not for anyone who’s counting on you to do the things you said you’d do.On Your Way Out Oh, did you think that once you’ve decided to leave your job, it no longer matters what you do? Nope, you’re still on the hook. There’s still potential for things to go awry.14. Burning bridges.This popsicle stand may be blown (or about to be), but no matter how resentful or angry you feel about your soon-to-be-former job, it’s in your best interest to be gracious until your last second in the office. You never know who you’ll come across again in the future, so you don’t want th e lingering impression to be, â€Å"Oh, I remember that person. What a jerk!†Your Future CareerThere’s one more mistake you don’t want to make, and this one has nothing to do with what you’re currently doing; it has to do with limiting your future career options.15. Letting inertia get the better of you.Are you still at your job because you don’t want to rock the boat and try to leave? Are you sacrificing career goals in the interest of stability? According to Forbes’s Liz Ryan, this â€Å"falling asleep† is one of the deadliest things that can happen in your career. Always be on the lookout for new opportunities, and find ways to make these opportunities work so that you can take advantage.Taken individually, none of these career mistakes are likely to translate into being career killers. But if you’re more aware of the consequences of even the smallest career pitfalls, you’ll be that more adept in getting right around them.

Avoid These 15 Career Mistakes If You Want to Get and Keep a Job

Avoid These 15 Career Mistakes If You Want to Get and Keep a Job If love is a battlefield (and we all know it is, thanks to Pat Benatar), then the career world is a minefield. There’s the resume and interview process, but the dangers don’t end once you’re hired and installed comfortably in a cubicle somewhere. Let’s take a look at some of the most common career mistakes throughout the job cycle, and what you can do to try to avoid them. 1. Before You’re Hired2. On the Job3. On Your Way Out4. Your Future CareerBefore You’re HiredThe clock for potential missteps kicks off the second you decide to apply for a job. Here’s what you should be wary of doing:1. Making blatant mistakes in the cover letter/resume.In many cases, your cover letter is your first chance to make an impression on the recruiter or hiring manager. If you go in with a bunch of obvious errors (or one really egregious one), this suggests that you might be as sloppy an employee as you appear as a candidate. Always check everything thorou ghly for typos, and if possible, have a trusted friend or family member read over any materials you’re going to release to the world.I have a friend who made the most horrible typo possible, accidentally leaving a super-vulgar mistyped word in a cover letter to a company that, shall we say, wasn’t very likely to laugh off such a word appearing in communication with them. Needless to say, he never got a call for an interview at that place. Trust me, it’s worth it to spend the time to write and revise your resume, engineering it down to every word.2. Addressing the wrong person/company.Dear Sir at Widget Company, I was excited to hear about an opening at your company. I’ve always wanted to work at Widgets R Us. I anxiously await your response. [Spoiler alert: no interview forthcoming.]3. Phoning-in the interview.Whether you don’t really want this job after all, or you think you can coast because you’re very qualified, don’t take anythin g for granted. Always bring your A-game to any interview. Even if the job is unlikely to pan out, it’s good practice, and the people who take the time to talk with you about the job will appreciate your engagement and enthusiasm.4. Not following up with a thank you.Whether the interview went awesome or terribly, always follow up quickly with a thank you note. Manners go a long way, and you never know when you’ll come across the same people in the course of a future job search.5. Being too aggressive (or not aggressive enough).The Goldilocks approach works here. Don’t go in, all iron-grip handshake and unblinking eye contact. Also don’t go in looking at the floor and answering only direct questions. Try to find a happy medium where you’re confident, but not challenging every interviewer you meet to a staring contest.6. Talk money too early in the hiring process.As the old saying goes, â€Å"he who shoots first, loses.† If you bring up salary before the company is ready to make an offer, you can come off as mercenary- or worse, you can unintentionally limit your negotiating power after you have an offer in hand. Leave the interview process for getting to know the job and presenting yourself as the best candidate, and keep the negotiating for later. There’s no real upside to discussing money early in the process, and many opportunities for it to blow back on you.7. Not negotiating at all. No matter how grateful you are to get a job, always try to negotiate the best possible salary and benefits. Companies expect this, and as long as your requests are reasonable, it’s a must-do once you have a job offer. If you don’t negotiate and try to build on the initial offer, the only one you’re hurting is yourself.On the JobOnce you’ve got the job, don’t get too complacent- you still need to be careful about making mistakes. This doesn’t necessarily mean that you need to be perfect at all times, and that errors won’t sometimes happen in the course of your job. These are more the situations to avoid in the workplace.8. Making decisions purely based on money.If you love your job but jump ship for the first opportunity that comes along and pays better, you could live to regret that. Make sure that major decisions (like accepting a job somewhere else or deciding to leave) are backed up by a number of factors you’ve considered, including salary, benefits, your overall level of happiness, and your career goals9. Keeping your head down.Working hard is super important, but you know what else is too? Connecting with coworkers. You don’t have to be best buds, but making a nominal effort to get your coworkers can really help you later on. Not only do you get comfortable with people whose faces you see every day, but you never know when an ally will come in handy in the office. Quash those introvert tendencies and make small talk the next time you find y ourself waiting at the copier with â€Å"Tim†¦uh, Something from accounting.†10. Limiting your network to people you work with.It’s great to get to know people at every level in your company (see #9). However, don’t fall into a trap where your entire active network is located within your office’s four walls. Part of the beauty of having a network is getting information and opportunities from other places, so why limit yourself? If your LinkedIn profile is mostly people you see at least four times a week at the watercooler, it’s time to branch out and start making connections with people at other companies.11. Avoiding difficult situations.Challenges are excellent experience builders. Fear of failing can make us more likely to avoid taking on unfamiliar projects and goals, but you could be hurting yourself in the long run to keep things smooth in the short term. You’re unlikely to learn new skills or gain experience if you stick narrowly to your job description. It’ll also leave you with fewer instances where you can point to genuine growth and problem solving skills.12. Not owning up to mistakes.Not wanting to get in trouble with the boss is a pretty valid feeling. However, I’m assuming that you’re human. And accordingly, mistakes will happen at some point. It’s how you deal with those that can make or break your reputation. Don’t be the person who starts looking for someone to throw under the bus when things are going wrong. Be the one who says, â€Å"this is what’s wrong, here’s how we’re going to approach this, and here’s how this will be handled moving forward.†Not only that, but you also don’t want to earn a reputation as someone who trashes coworkers to make yourself look better. If you’re leading a group and others dropped the ball, it shows better leadership skills to take responsibility for the group’s performance a nd move on than to sit there pointing fingers at everyone else.13. Saying yes to everything.This is a tough one. You want to seem like an uber-employee, able to handle everything that comes your way. However part of being that uber-employee is knowing your limits, and being able to manage priorities. Getting overwhelmed is never going to be helpful- not for you, and not for anyone who’s counting on you to do the things you said you’d do.On Your Way Out Oh, did you think that once you’ve decided to leave your job, it no longer matters what you do? Nope, you’re still on the hook. There’s still potential for things to go awry.14. Burning bridges.This popsicle stand may be blown (or about to be), but no matter how resentful or angry you feel about your soon-to-be-former job, it’s in your best interest to be gracious until your last second in the office. You never know who you’ll come across again in the future, so you don’t want th e lingering impression to be, â€Å"Oh, I remember that person. What a jerk!†Your Future CareerThere’s one more mistake you don’t want to make, and this one has nothing to do with what you’re currently doing; it has to do with limiting your future career options.15. Letting inertia get the better of you.Are you still at your job because you don’t want to rock the boat and try to leave? Are you sacrificing career goals in the interest of stability? According to Forbes’s Liz Ryan, this â€Å"falling asleep† is one of the deadliest things that can happen in your career. Always be on the lookout for new opportunities, and find ways to make these opportunities work so that you can take advantage.Taken individually, none of these career mistakes are likely to translate into being career killers. But if you’re more aware of the consequences of even the smallest career pitfalls, you’ll be that more adept in getting right around them.

Avoid These 15 Career Mistakes If You Want to Get and Keep a Job

Avoid These 15 Career Mistakes If You Want to Get and Keep a Job If love is a battlefield (and we all know it is, thanks to Pat Benatar), then the career world is a minefield. There’s the resume and interview process, but the dangers don’t end once you’re hired and installed comfortably in a cubicle somewhere. Let’s take a look at some of the most common career mistakes throughout the job cycle, and what you can do to try to avoid them. 1. Before You’re Hired2. On the Job3. On Your Way Out4. Your Future CareerBefore You’re HiredThe clock for potential missteps kicks off the second you decide to apply for a job. Here’s what you should be wary of doing:1. Making blatant mistakes in the cover letter/resume.In many cases, your cover letter is your first chance to make an impression on the recruiter or hiring manager. If you go in with a bunch of obvious errors (or one really egregious one), this suggests that you might be as sloppy an employee as you appear as a candidate. Always check everything thorou ghly for typos, and if possible, have a trusted friend or family member read over any materials you’re going to release to the world.I have a friend who made the most horrible typo possible, accidentally leaving a super-vulgar mistyped word in a cover letter to a company that, shall we say, wasn’t very likely to laugh off such a word appearing in communication with them. Needless to say, he never got a call for an interview at that place. Trust me, it’s worth it to spend the time to write and revise your resume, engineering it down to every word.2. Addressing the wrong person/company.Dear Sir at Widget Company, I was excited to hear about an opening at your company. I’ve always wanted to work at Widgets R Us. I anxiously await your response. [Spoiler alert: no interview forthcoming.]3. Phoning-in the interview.Whether you don’t really want this job after all, or you think you can coast because you’re very qualified, don’t take anythin g for granted. Always bring your A-game to any interview. Even if the job is unlikely to pan out, it’s good practice, and the people who take the time to talk with you about the job will appreciate your engagement and enthusiasm.4. Not following up with a thank you.Whether the interview went awesome or terribly, always follow up quickly with a thank you note. Manners go a long way, and you never know when you’ll come across the same people in the course of a future job search.5. Being too aggressive (or not aggressive enough).The Goldilocks approach works here. Don’t go in, all iron-grip handshake and unblinking eye contact. Also don’t go in looking at the floor and answering only direct questions. Try to find a happy medium where you’re confident, but not challenging every interviewer you meet to a staring contest.6. Talk money too early in the hiring process.As the old saying goes, â€Å"he who shoots first, loses.† If you bring up salary before the company is ready to make an offer, you can come off as mercenary- or worse, you can unintentionally limit your negotiating power after you have an offer in hand. Leave the interview process for getting to know the job and presenting yourself as the best candidate, and keep the negotiating for later. There’s no real upside to discussing money early in the process, and many opportunities for it to blow back on you.7. Not negotiating at all. No matter how grateful you are to get a job, always try to negotiate the best possible salary and benefits. Companies expect this, and as long as your requests are reasonable, it’s a must-do once you have a job offer. If you don’t negotiate and try to build on the initial offer, the only one you’re hurting is yourself.On the JobOnce you’ve got the job, don’t get too complacent- you still need to be careful about making mistakes. This doesn’t necessarily mean that you need to be perfect at all times, and that errors won’t sometimes happen in the course of your job. These are more the situations to avoid in the workplace.8. Making decisions purely based on money.If you love your job but jump ship for the first opportunity that comes along and pays better, you could live to regret that. Make sure that major decisions (like accepting a job somewhere else or deciding to leave) are backed up by a number of factors you’ve considered, including salary, benefits, your overall level of happiness, and your career goals9. Keeping your head down.Working hard is super important, but you know what else is too? Connecting with coworkers. You don’t have to be best buds, but making a nominal effort to get your coworkers can really help you later on. Not only do you get comfortable with people whose faces you see every day, but you never know when an ally will come in handy in the office. Quash those introvert tendencies and make small talk the next time you find y ourself waiting at the copier with â€Å"Tim†¦uh, Something from accounting.†10. Limiting your network to people you work with.It’s great to get to know people at every level in your company (see #9). However, don’t fall into a trap where your entire active network is located within your office’s four walls. Part of the beauty of having a network is getting information and opportunities from other places, so why limit yourself? If your LinkedIn profile is mostly people you see at least four times a week at the watercooler, it’s time to branch out and start making connections with people at other companies.11. Avoiding difficult situations.Challenges are excellent experience builders. Fear of failing can make us more likely to avoid taking on unfamiliar projects and goals, but you could be hurting yourself in the long run to keep things smooth in the short term. You’re unlikely to learn new skills or gain experience if you stick narrowly to your job description. It’ll also leave you with fewer instances where you can point to genuine growth and problem solving skills.12. Not owning up to mistakes.Not wanting to get in trouble with the boss is a pretty valid feeling. However, I’m assuming that you’re human. And accordingly, mistakes will happen at some point. It’s how you deal with those that can make or break your reputation. Don’t be the person who starts looking for someone to throw under the bus when things are going wrong. Be the one who says, â€Å"this is what’s wrong, here’s how we’re going to approach this, and here’s how this will be handled moving forward.†Not only that, but you also don’t want to earn a reputation as someone who trashes coworkers to make yourself look better. If you’re leading a group and others dropped the ball, it shows better leadership skills to take responsibility for the group’s performance a nd move on than to sit there pointing fingers at everyone else.13. Saying yes to everything.This is a tough one. You want to seem like an uber-employee, able to handle everything that comes your way. However part of being that uber-employee is knowing your limits, and being able to manage priorities. Getting overwhelmed is never going to be helpful- not for you, and not for anyone who’s counting on you to do the things you said you’d do.On Your Way Out Oh, did you think that once you’ve decided to leave your job, it no longer matters what you do? Nope, you’re still on the hook. There’s still potential for things to go awry.14. Burning bridges.This popsicle stand may be blown (or about to be), but no matter how resentful or angry you feel about your soon-to-be-former job, it’s in your best interest to be gracious until your last second in the office. You never know who you’ll come across again in the future, so you don’t want th e lingering impression to be, â€Å"Oh, I remember that person. What a jerk!†Your Future CareerThere’s one more mistake you don’t want to make, and this one has nothing to do with what you’re currently doing; it has to do with limiting your future career options.15. Letting inertia get the better of you.Are you still at your job because you don’t want to rock the boat and try to leave? Are you sacrificing career goals in the interest of stability? According to Forbes’s Liz Ryan, this â€Å"falling asleep† is one of the deadliest things that can happen in your career. Always be on the lookout for new opportunities, and find ways to make these opportunities work so that you can take advantage.Taken individually, none of these career mistakes are likely to translate into being career killers. But if you’re more aware of the consequences of even the smallest career pitfalls, you’ll be that more adept in getting right around them.

The right of self- defense in international law Essay

The right of self- defense in international law - Essay Example The right to self-defence is specified under Article 51 of the UN Charter. It basically states that â€Å"nothing in the present Charter shall impair the inherent right of collective or individual self-defence if an armed attack occurs against a member of the United Nations, until the Security Council has taken the measures necessary to maintain international peace and security†1. Other details on the exercise of the right are further specified in the article which includes the need for members exercising self-defence to immediately report to the Security Council – actions which do not prevent the Council from taking the necessary action to maintain and restore peace and security. Based on this Charter, this paper shall discuss the following issue: Does international law adequately address the right to self-defence? This paper seeks to provide a critical analysis of the use of this right in international law. This paper is being carried out in order to establish a compr ehensive analysis of this right, as well as its actual applications in relation to nation states. Discussion Article 51 of the UN Charter as cited above provides an acknowledgment of a nation’s right to self-defence. There is however an issue on whether or not, the international laws as a whole adequately addresses such right. The Nicaragua case is one of the landmark cases which set forth a discussion on this matter. In 1909, President Taft ordered that Nicaraguan President Jose Santos Zelaya be deposed from power. This ushered in very unstably times for Nicaragua which saw a huge contingent of marines landing in their country and occupying the railway line to Granada2. During this time, a pro-US government group was formed and in 1914, and the Bryan-Chamorro Treaty was signed. This treaty effectively granted to the US perpetual rights to the canal. This agreement prevented anyone else from building a canal in Nicaragua unless permitted by the US3. A peasant apprising led by Sandino was seen in 1927 against US occupation and against Nicaraguan authorities as well. This prompted the US Marines to withdraw, leaving the National Guard to handle internal security issues and the elections. The head of the Guards, Somoza Garcia ordered his troops to capture Sandino4. Somoza eventually became its President, staying in power as a dictator until 1979. His regime eventually fell with the embezzlement of million in dollars of foreign aid which were directed to the country as a result of the 1972 earthquake5. The Socialist Sandinista (FLSN) movement was against this corruption and started expanding their influence over the country, seeking support from all those interested. The US did not favour this socialist movement and under President Carter’s rule, they established support for the Somocistas, providing material and financial aid to them6. Reagan further continued this aid, also providing support to the Contras or the anti-Sandinista group. Financial an d military support was provided to the group by Reagan, despite protests from Congress. This persisted despite the fact that no Nicaraguan armed attempts against the US were ever reported. Nicaragua argued before the international court that the US essentially supported military and paramilitary actions against Nicaragua, and as such violated Article 2(4) of the UN Charter; Articles 18 and 20 of the Charter of the Organization of American States; Article 8 of the Convention on Rights and Duties of States; Article I, Third of the Convention concerning Duties and Rights of States in the Event of Civil Strife7. Nicaragua demanded reparations for the acts of the US in terms of damage to

Answer four questions Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Answer four questions - Essay Example On the other hand, management accounting innovation is the adoption of new ideas or modern forms of management accounting systems. Management accounting innovations are among the central themes driving modern organisations. These modern organisations manage to prosper and retain its success in the aggressive market environments through stable innovations towards organisational prosperity. This paper will outline the contribution of management accounting innovations towards organisational success. 1. Why Management Accounting Innovation is one of the core themes driving modern organisations Innovations are of many types, and research suggests that distinguishing the difference between them is very essential because innovations have different attributes (Schmeisser, 2010). More so, the adoption processes of innovations are not the same and factors affecting them differ. There are different types of innovation that mainly are technical innovation, administrative innovation, process inno vation, product innovation, radical innovation and incremental innovation. To start with, technical innovation relates to the major work activities that are carried out in an organisation, while administrative innovation relates to the organisational structure and administrative processes inclusive of the management. Thirdly, process innovation contains an organisation’s process in new elements. ... Innovations vary differently in different organisations due to the sise and activities of an organisation. However, in management accounting only two innovations are commonly used. These two innovations are administrative and radical innovations. 2. Management accounting is the core theme in driving innovation in modern organisations In the past decades, management accounting strategies included both decision-making and analysis (Emsley, 2005). These past management strategies are claimed to be the predecessor for the emerging innovation and the latest technologies. The modern accounting represents both the operational and the financial planning and control. Managerial accounting is a very essential tool in an organisation because it provides essential data with which the organisation operates. In other words, managerial accounting can be simply referred to as cost accounting. The management accountants have the role of preparing reports that focus on how well or bad managers and the business unit have performed (Lucey, 2003). The management accountants go ahead to measure these performance measures and the results are compared to plans and benchmarks. Most of these reports provide frequent updates on essential indicators and any arising problem is addressed. The main problems that arise in the reporting field are declining in profitability, global market crisis and other emerging problems. These problems are then solved strategically. Therefore, management accounting analyses the past, present and the future of an organisation’s performance through financial transactions. These summarised outputs are essential in planning the current and future stability of an organisation through