Are You Smarter Than a Spell Checker Part II

Are You Smarter Than a Spell Checker Part IISmarter Than a Spell Checker Part IIAre You Smarter Than a Spell Checker Part IINo spelling errors is one of the first rules of resume writing. Yet the English language, with its non-standard spellings and exceptions to every rule, seems cruelly designed to thwart our efforts. Take for instance the words Loose, Lose, Choose, and Chose.Despite their similar spellings, loose does notrhyme with choose. No, no, no. Loose rhymes with goose, noose, moose, and caboose. So therefore, it follows that lose must rhyme with nose, rose, and close. Wait, what? How silly of me. That would make too much sense. Lose rhymes with, well, choose. (Aint no spell checker gonna help you with that one, either.)Thanks to this particular phonetic glitch, I have a spam folder full of emails declaring things like Loose the fat with acai berries They fail to mention where the fat goes once you turn it loose. (I cant help but picture it orbiting around me like the moons of Jupiter.) But the loose/lose thing is just one example. Take this quiz to see how well you can recognize the right choices among these 12 other commonly misused and/or misspelled resume words. QUIZChoose either a or b to complete each sentence. The answers appear below (dont peek).1.a)adviseb)adviceThat was lousy _____ you gave me about the stock market, Martha.2.a)moral b)moraleSincere praise from management is good for employee _____.3.a)definitelyb)definatelyWe can _____ find asuitableposition for you in the Payroll Department.4.a)ocassionallyb)occasionallyHis supervisor _____ requested that he work late when a critical deadline was approaching.5.a)Ceasarb)CaesarThe four customers at Table 12 all ordered a _____ Salad with their lunch.6.a)categoryb)catagoryJobs that fall into the part-time _____ can range from a few hours a week to 30 or more.7.a)rationale b)rationalHe reacted instinctively, without taking time to go through a _____ thought process.8.a)consensus b)concensusThe union is hoping to reach a _____ with management before the contract expires. 9.a)ect. b)etc.Our ideal candidate must have solid computer skills (e.g., Word, Excel, Dreamweaver, _____).10.a)fluxuates b)fluctuatesThe workload _____ seasonally, with more customers in the summer than the winter.11.a)liaison b)liasonBobs advertising experience made him the perfect _____ between clients and copywriters.12.a)restaurantsb)restarauntsFood service can be a lucrative career option, but _____ typically require odd work hours.*5 isnt really a typical resume word, but itsmy pet peeve so I snuck it in ) ANSWERSThe correct answers areb) adviceb) moralea) definitelyb) occasionallyb) Caesara) categoryb) rationala) consensusb) etc.b) fluctuatesa) liaisona) restaurants

Be Competitive in Your Career Without Being Mean - The Muse

Be Competitive in Your Career Without Being Mean - The MuseBe Competitive in Your Career Without Being MeanTheres no way around it When trying to advance your career, you need to be your own biggest advocate- and that means being self-confident, assertive, and competitive. But the unfortunate truth is that sometimes, people can misconstrue sincere ambition for serious aggressiveness. Women in particular are held under an especially critical lens in this regard- I know Ive been unfairly called out before.But Ill tell you this- I never wouldve made it to this point in my career if I had given up on being competitive. Man or woman, the key is learning how to balance that competitive drive with consideration for others. Throughout my career, Ive learned three ways to find that sweet spot between ambition and humility. 1. Compete Against YourselfNo matter how cutthroat your company is, the workplace isnt a reality show- you dont have to beat out all of your peers in order to win. Even if there are multiple people with the same title as you, its bedrngnis likely that your company hired you all with the expectation of one part coming out on top. Recruiting and hiring is an investment that takes time and money, so if a company hires for multiple positions, it usually means that theres plenty of work to go around. Read Theres room for everyone to succeed. So rather than thinking Im going to beat so-and-so, tell yourself, Im going to set my own career goals, and then work to achieve and surpass them. Youll want to check in with a supervisor to make sure that your goals are realistic and attainable, but once you have a good set established, youve got a clear path and a concrete objective to work toward. And instead of comparing yourself to others, youll be focused on building yourself up- which will lead to much more positive and enjoyable time spent at work. 2. Lend a HandBelieve it or not, one of the best ways to stay competitive at work is by helping your colleagues- e specially if theyre struggling. Coaching and advising folks is truly a win-win. Think about it Not only will you get that warm and fuzzy feeling that comes with doing a good deed, but its also pretty hard for someone to accuse you of ruthlessly clawing your way to the top if youre helping others along the way. Bonus- if your superiors come to think of you as a mentor, youll have a leg up when it comes time for them to promote folks to management positions.A great way to gain mentorship experience is to reach out to new hires in the office. Think about how scary it was when you started- you probably couldve used someone to show you the ropes, and the newest members of your team probably feel the same way. When you first begin to cultivate a relationship like this, make sure that you really listen to the person youre speaking to closely- then sympathize with his or her concerns while offering proactive solutions. Often, all it takes for someone to reach their potential is a great ment or. And when you help boost a team members performance, it reflects back positively on you. Who knows? You may even build the foundation for a long-lasting professional relationship.3. Own Your Accomplishments- Without Shoving Them in Everyones FaceWe all know that person who carries a list of achievement in their back pocket Theyre always going on about their killer sales numbers, their latest raise, their SAT score from all those years ago. And Im pretty sure we all find that person incredibly obnoxious. Sure, when you do something amazing at work you want people to know, but that doesnt mean you stand on your desk and shout it, or reply all to a company email. However, at the end of the day, no one will notice your efforts if you dont speak up. You have to advocate for yourself if your career is ever going to progress, and letting people know you did a kick-ass job is totally acceptable- as long as you do it in the right setting. And, as you probably know if youve worked in more than one place, the right setting depends on your team, your manager, and your company culture. For some, it makes sense to let your team know via HipChat or Slack (celebratory GIF optional). For other offices, the appropriate time is during a one-on-one with your manager. And if thats the case for you, lead the conversation by sharing which accomplishments youre most proud of and why. This is helpful on a couple of different fronts- it serves as a great outlet for you to prove your value, and also allows you to verify that your definition of success and your boss are both in sync. After discussing your strengths, bring up what you want to improve on and how you plan on accomplishing that. That way, your supervisor will be impressed not only with your performance, but also with your drive to learn and grow.Ill admit it- focusing on succeeding while remaining likable is like walking a tightrope, especially in the beginning of your career. Take it too far and youll alienate your co-wo rkers and burn bridges. Keep a low profile, and youll be overlooked and underappreciated. But as long as you handle it the right way, you can still come off as an impressive person without tearing others down. Photo of runner courtesy of Shutterstock.

The best list youll ever make to be more effective

The best list youll ever make to be mora effectiveThe best list youll ever make to be more effectiveWe all have to-do lists, project objectives, metrics and planners to help keep us on track in our daily lives. Each year we platzset high expectations and even with these tools we find ourselves frustrated because we dont have the structure, systems, or accountability in place to achieve our goals. Couple that with doubt and indecision and you have a perfect recipe for anxiety. In the worst case this leads to action paralysis.Lets talk about the best case. fruchtwein people know what they need to do to be happy, effective and thrive just not how to do it or what to do with doubt and fear. We spend enough time telling ourselves how we are not equipped to succeed and armoring up against failure by being risk averse. We wallow proficiently on what it is we need to do but spend less time feeling what it would be like to actually live the dream and executing a plan to get there. Guarding ag ainst danger is how we have evolved as a species and not become extinct.We are Jedis at searching the environment for danger. We are not innately good at promoting ourselves into opportunity. Opportunity isnt essential to stay alive. Staying safe is. Lets reverse the pattern.The purpose of creating this list is 1) to give you definition around the areas where you thrive so that you can spend more time there especially when challenged, and 2) to build self-awareness around opportunities for growth that increase your executive presence and effectiveness.The best list youll ever make to be more effectiveCreate two columns, side by side, on a sheet of paper numbered one to 10. A word document is good for this exercise so that you may modify it as time goes on.FIRST COLUMN Label this I AM THISThink of a time from your childhood when you were at your very best happy, included, a star.Write down 3 words that describe who you were in that situation.What were you doing, thinking and feeling and how were you behaving? Examples Listening, Planning, Being Vulnerable, Compassionate, Gentle, Strong, Tenacious, Resourceful, Confident, Capable, Open.Think of a time professionally when you were at your very best and write down 3 words that describe what you were doing, thinking and feeling and how you were behaving.Think of a peak personal moment where you felt appreciated, respected, effective and write down 4 more words that describe who you were in that situation.SECOND COLUMN Label this NOT THATNext to each entry in Column 1 write what you are doing when you are NOT at your best specific to the corresponding behavior beside it. This should reflect what you exhibit or the feel when you are NOT leading from that point of strength. If your point of strength is Tenacious what are you doing when you dont feel that? Weak? Ineffective? Examples for NOT THAT words are Threatened, Criticized, Afraid of ____, Distracted, Losing Control, Abandoned, Disappointed, Challenged.The list on the left is who you truly are at your core. This list on the right is what happens to you when you dont feel that way. Knowledge is power so be honest when you create the list. Now when you feel one of the negative feelings or exhibit one of the negative behaviors from the second column revisit the first column to see precisely what you need to focus on to get back to a position of strength. For more career strategies get the FREE report 31 Success Practices for Leaders in the High Stakes Corporate World.https//www.maryleegannon.com/31-success-practices-for-leadersChallenging situations occur in everyones lives that often impart feelings of despair. Fear can set in followed by repeated defensive behaviors that draw you away from your ability to thrive in your career, goals and relationships with confidence.Post this list where will you will see it every day to remind yourself of where your strengths lie and what to focus on when negative feelings or behaviors surface.Next time yo u are feeling anxious look at this list and the correlating positive word that is at your core. That is the very thing you want to reflect on, meditate on, create a plan around. Now you have an actionable strategy to reverse the negativity