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You are looking for valid job opportunities, but how would you approach an HR recruiter? Do you shoot off an email praising yourself and suggesting that they would be lucky to get you on board, or would you instead strategize and try to approach it differently?

If you are still wondering how to go about it, read on.

How to Approach HR Contact for a Job?

Social Media

Use LinkedIn, as this portal does what an email doesn’t! It shows you how to link and network with others, and you can search for the HR recruiters and see if you have any connections in common.

Use these connections to the optimum, read up on the recruiter’s profile, and get more information about them and who to approach to land that dream job.

You can also use other professional social media websites to discover HR contacts.

Refine Resume

Streamline that resume, update it, and ensure that the profile matches what the HR recruiter is looking for. Of course, your resume needs to be overhauled and given a new fresh look, one that will prove to attract HR’s attention.

Contacting the HR

Once you have gotten all the info you need, the question arises on how best to approach HR. The best way would be through a shared contact.

If you do not have any contacts in common, cold emailing is your best option. But it would help if you were careful when emailing the HR and try not to sound too sales like, or overhype yourself.

Just communicate that the current job sounds like something you’re looking for and make the point why you would be a good fit. Try to avoid saying desperate, as this will impact HR’s decision.

That’s it. Discover your contacts and start getting in touch!

Knowing when to talk to your HR and when not to can make all the difference; it’s something that you need to be aware of, or you could end up searching for a new job.

Often people mistake their HR as a neutral referee of sorts, or worse, a counsellor.

The Nature of HR

Granted, given the misinformation that’s put out regarding HR, it is often hard to overcome the assumption that HR is an in-house counsellor when, in reality, they are anything like that. HR is there to ensure that employees can function optimally and seek ways to improve.

When to Approach HR?

While there is a slight overlap, the primary function of HR is to increase productivity while retaining and promoting talent and skill within the company.

It would be best to approach your HR should you have some pertinent questions or need to raise issues that impact your performance. Here’s when you approach your HR –

Harassment at Work

You are sexually harassed, which impacts your performance, apart from causing you to be stressed out. You need to approach your HR right away, raise this issue and ask it to be resolved right away.

Getting Information

You are not aware of all the benefits you can avail yourself of as an employee. You can approach your HR and ask them to explain the same; they must disseminate information regarding employee benefits from health to legal to all the employees.

To request a meeting, raise these issues, and request more information.

Workplace Discrimination

If you are facing discrimination based on your religion, gender, caste or skin colour, any discrimination issues must be brought to your HR’s attention right away.

So if you are facing these issues at your workplace, it is in your interest to raise them with your HR so that the issue can be resolved amicably.

The Top Things Your HR Manager Will Not Tell You

How often have you walked up to your HR manager and conversed with him? More often than not, the answer would be a resounding “no”, for the fact remains that there is a certain disconnect between HR managers and employees worldwide.

And this is not something new, but just that, of late, companies have started streamlining their operations, including evaluating their employees based on their performance, resulting in more workers being fired.

Time is money, and if a company feels that a particular employee has underperformed, their position would soon be terminated.

And the person, who gets to do the deed, is the HR manager, which is why a call from HR asking you to come over to see them is enough to give many an anxiety attack.

Here’s what an HR manager would never tell you at any point in time

• Details regarding your personnel file
• Discuss how others view you in the company
• Whether you will be let go in the near future
• About what your future role would be
• About your performance

The last is never discussed unless your promotion or imminent termination is there on the table, so it makes a list. These are things that no HR manager would generally discuss with the employees, and the problem is apparent right away.

A worker may underperform for various reasons, starting from lack of adequate experience and health issues to personal problems.

So if there is a chance to get an employee to perform better, then the HR manager and the company would be better off by addressing the root causes rather than just issuing the red slip.

Math can be a tasking experience for students. Many people loathe the subject because of the complicated equations and highly theoretical concepts due to difficulty in comprehending them.

The truth is, math can be an exciting and logical subject and dedicating yourself to it will benefit your analytical skills in the long run.

Here are a few tips to follow if you want to fall in love with Maths.

Make it more interactive:

When you use all your senses to solve math problems, your brain activity ticks and your logical reasoning helps you solve problems faster. Use flashcards or engage in a conversation with your teacher when you face issues.

Try to apply what you learn in your daily life:

It becomes easier to solve sums when you incorporate math into your daily life as practice makes you perfect. Try to do sums that have a real-life element in them, or ask your teacher to make some for you.

Also, sit and analyse how Maths helps you through every day in small ways.

Rewards

Set yourself goals when you sit to practise Maths. When you achieve that goal, help yourself to a reward for completing your studies.

As a result, you become even more enthusiastic about solving math problems and equations. Candy treats, outings, or binge-watching a favourite tv show after finishing chapters will surely multiply your love for the subject, and you will look forward to studying it again and again. Just remember not to overdo it.

Make your learning more creative:

Incorporating colourful illustrations and diagrams in math problems will keep your brain more focused and kill the boredom. Try to memorise formulae creatively and be assured of better results.

Math apps:

Interactive, fun and portable apps specially designed to help you learn Maths makes it a fun-filled experience. Digital education appeals to the youth as there are no restrictions to knowledge.

Use your imagination:

If you feel that you are losing interest in a particular sum or chapter, incorporate imaginary characters or situations to make them more attractive.

This will also enhance your visualisation and help your concentration level.

If you feel like Maths is not your cup of tea, try these tips, probably you will soon feel differently. There’s no harm trying.

We all live by a deadline. And submissions can be nightmares with so much on our plate already. Late project submissions can significantly make your business suffer and get you on the bad books of your employers. So managing your workload becomes crucial.

This also helps save you from the stress and exhaustion of the work burdens which may keep you from focusing on other aspects of life.

Here are a few tips on managing your workload well.

1. Prioritize:

You’re one person, you can only do limited work, and you won’t be able to complete every task on time because you’re not a superhuman. So it becomes crucial to segregate your tasks by importance and urgency.

Focus on the work that requires to be done first. This will help you stay organized and reduce your stress.

2. Create a time limit:

The more time you spend on a task, the less productive you are. You can’t spend 6 hours on a task that requires just an hour for completion. Time your tasks.

Create the time limits, set alarms if necessary. Doing this helps meet deadlines better. Don’t spend more than a stipulated amount of time on a particular task.

3. Stop being a perfectionist:

It is nice to be perfect with a task but it is equally stupid to spend a large amount of time on one particular task while leaving all other tasks incomplete. You need to set a certain bar of acceptability for your tasks and just complete them.

That alone will help you create value in your work. That of course doesn’t mean your work should be mediocre or substandard. Just avoid being too meticulous with your tasks. This will help you save time.

4. Be disciplined:

It is tempting to be partying with your friends but if you do that at the expense of your work, it will make your work suffer.

You need to maintain your focus and be determined to complete a particular task before you decide to indulge yourself.

5. Take Help

You’re not a superhero. If your computer crashes or your internet isn’t working, stop trying to waste time fixing it when you can get it done by a technician in much lesser time.

This time can be spent completing your work instead.

These tips will surely help you work better.

Tiny little things can affect the job seeker’s mind and interest in working with a particular recruiter. The recruitment process is also crucial as many candidates are discouraged by unsuitable procedures and search for other opportunities.

The Different Factors behind Applying to a Job Post

There are many factors an aspiring candidate considers when applying for job posts. Let’s see what they are:

Relevant Opportunities

The candidate must be able to identify the relevant opportunities the job will provide. The more options you can reveal to the candidate, the higher are his chances of joining and fewer threats of turnover.

The job interview and other interactions over the phone or Skype should disclose the candidates’ opportunities once they join your organization.

Real-Time Feedback

Many companies cause a lot of delays in their recruitment process. They take weeks to contact the selected candidate and never reach out to the rejected ones. But the present generation of job seekers is not ready to wait.

They will start looking for other opportunities if you do not get back to them within 2 weeks of the interview. You should communicate with the candidates properly and prevent keeping them waiting.

Current Competition

Many resumes will find their place on the HR table before a person is picked to fill a job position. According to Glassdoor, every corporate job vacancy receives around 250 resumes.

But only a few out of them are called for the interview, and only one gets chosen in the end.

It makes candidates feel the urge to check out the competition. They want to stack their profile against the other job seekers to discover their chances of getting the job.

Many online job portals can compare one candidate’s skills with the other job seekers who applied for the post.

Job seekers often have different expectations. While organizations may look at hiring the best talent, appreciating good work, respecting employees and ensuring good work ethics go a long way in employee retention and meeting organizational goals.

Your smartphone can help make your business enterprise successful so you can generate maximum profits.

Here are a few apps that can help you achieve your targets and organize the things around you.

Apple Pay/ Android Pay

You can’t carry those numerous credit cards everywhere. It is inconvenient and time-consuming. Online wallets can make your transactions much easier.

Apps like Apple Pay, Android Pay, PayPal and more have your card information saved on their domain, and you need to tap on your device to make any payment you need.

Also, the cashback and attractive deals help you save up quite a bit!

RoboForm/LastPass

Your data needs to be kept safe from identity theft to secure your business. Apps like RoboForm and LastPass help store your login information and protect it from leaks.

If you use one password for every account, hacking into your domain can become even easier.

Shoeboxed

Keeping an account of your expenditure and revenue is easier with receipts. But when you’re bombarded with several receipts, managing them can be a total nightmare.

Shoeboxed helps organize your online receipts into one place, so calculation and IRS submission are much easier.

Google Calendar/ iCalendar

You need to manage your schedule well to run your business successfully. Apps like iCalendar and Google Calendar help sync tasks between various devices and store a lot of information, including notes, phone numbers, and reminders.

These apps help to rule out heavy diaries, notepads and planners.

If you want to get all sorted and organized, install these apps right away.

 

With the current recession of the economy and higher unemployment rates, there has been a rise in low-wage professions that leave the citizens exhausted and sweating themselves over measly wages.

With an expected growth in the respective sectors, there might be a ray of hope.

Here is a list of the 7 lowest-paid professions.

1. Food preparation and serving workers:

Despite food being an indispensable entity, this vocation has the dubious distinction of being one of the lowest-paid occupations.

Having minimal education as a prerequisite, these jobs have long work hours, require tedious efforts and reward a very low paycheck.

2. Dishwashers

Working as stepping stones for those aspiring to be in the serving industry in the hospitality sector, these jobs are highly popular and yet have extremely low pay packages.

3. Cashiers

Cashiers are required in every business venture- be it stores, restaurants or malls. Their job requires extensive calculation skills, at least a high school degree, presence of mind and an organizational facet.

Yet, it remains a low-paid occupation despite its essential role in the working of an establishment.

4. Hosts and hostesses

Although this job seems to be a piece of cake, it isn’t. They don’t just smile at the door but take reservations, direct you to the bathroom, and sometimes work as cashiers.

All of this needs to be done with a compliant face and in an attractive outfit, they have to afford for themselves.

5. Personal and home-care aides

From handling irate patients to cleaning soiled bed sheets and other exhausting activities, these professionals rely solely on the feeling of fulfilment they get by helping the disabled while earning a low salary.

However, the field is expected to have a rise in wages soon and its demand is increasing.

6. Bakers

Although bakery products, cakes and pastries and bread are indispensable and enjoyed by one and all, bakery professionals earn some of the lowest wages despite working endlessly.

They require stamina and energy and they are not rewarded fully for it.

7. Vehicle and Equipment Cleaners

This vocation involves tremendous physical exertion, sweating and long hours. Despite that, it is considered a low skill and the pay is minimal.

So, these were some of the lowest-paid jobs comparatively.

 

Smartphones are becoming exceedingly common by the day. But what if I told you that you could use your smartphone for building your skill set and not just for surfing through Facebook and Instagram?

Here are a few ways to utilize your smartphone to harness your potential and be a winner at the workplace.

Manage your to-do list

To survive your workload and prevent backlogs, have a nicely prepared to-do list on your smartphone so all your tasks can be accomplished in the stipulated time with the tasks on priority addressed first.

There are a lot of applications which will help you.

Use your smartphone to buy supplies.

You can save a considerable amount of time on grocery shopping or any shopping for that matter by using apps for buying your supplies.

You can order while on the go and get them delivered to your doorstep while you focus on other important work.

Enhance your knowledge

If you surf through the Play Store, you will find apps that will enhance your knowledge through quizzes, games, listening, reading and writing practices and other challenges. This significantly improves your cognitive skills.

Multitask

It isn’t easy to manage different projects simultaneously, so you need to organize them well to prevent any mix-ups.

Apps like Basecamp help sort your projects with different lists for all the projects, and it also syncs information from different devices so you can access any project on the go.

Always keep your data handy.

You can’t depend on your computer device for handling your data anymore. Storage devices, too, are cumbersome to carry. They can crash, and you won’t access them everywhere.

So you can use apps like Google Drive and Dropbox to store all your important files and images, making you immune to data crashes.

Your Playstore is a treasure trove of unique and valuable apps.

Your smartphone can be of a lot more value if you utilize it properly.