Working from Home

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WFH is a new experience for many employees due to COVID 19.  WFH can be a rewarding and positive experience. It can also be challenging and difficult to not only keep up with your work but to continue creating quality work too.

These five tips should help you establish some ground rules for yourself when working in your environment:

  • Be Disciplined – Create a schedule

Working from home means far more distractions and temptations than usual. There is no traffic to beat, no train to catch. It can be extremely easy to get distracted by household chores, family members and a full refrigerator.

Creating a schedule allows you to know exactly what time you should be awake and working, when your breaks are for your coffee etc. and when lunch is. You may think that you are disciplined enough to not need a schedule, but keeping to it keeps your mind sharp and will allow for an easier transition back to normal working life when things return to normal once more.

  • Location, Location, Location

Choosing the right place to complete your work is crucial. Work typically has less distractions than home; there is always something that you will find at home to do instead if you are in the wrong location. Do not use your bed as your workspace; make sure you are somewhere quiet, with good lighting if possible and away from any other distractions such as a television.

  • Set Priorities

Similar to working life at the office, some tasks are more important than others. Yet without the hierarchical framework of a traditional office, it can be difficult to prioritize tasks and organize your workflow. To-do lists, checklists, etc. are great ways of establishing a list of jobs to complete for the day or for a certain time-frame. Staying in touch with your team or superior is also important. Structuring your day around objectives set by yourself, fellow workers and your boss is crucial to success when working at home.

Just as important is knowing when to stop working for the day. It is dangerously easy to take work home with you when you are working from the kitchen or the living room. Once your allotted work hours are over or your to-do list is complete – stop.

  • Select the proper tools

Work from Home means using your furniture or creating your own desk space. You may not have the spinning, comfy office chair at home. But that doesn’t mean you cannot invest in one and any other equipment you may need that will make work-life just that little bit easier. A comfortable chair that allows your eyes to be at the computer screen level is important. You do not want to be slouched over or craning your neck to see your work. Finally, make sure you have the necessary tools and software at home to allow you to do your work. Without WIFI at home, most employees will not be able to accomplish much. Communicating with your work and supervisor often will allow you to keep updated on what software you need.

  • Practice Self – Care

Working from home tends to lead to fewer sick days and working through illnesses you normally would take off. Staying in tune with your energy levels and your well-being is of great importance, especially in current circumstances.

Job Searching in the LGBTQ Community

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The LGBTQ community offers many resources for members of the community, especially in regards to job searching. While job searching, it is important to understand what resources are available and how to use them. Recently, legislation has been changing to put policies into place to protect the LGBT community in the workforce.

Some questions may arise such as:

Should I disclose my sexual orientation on my resume or in my interview?

How do I know if my employer is committed to equal practices?

How do I read the culture of the workplace?

How do I decide which employer will be right for me?

Searching for a job that will be a right fit for you and provide a welcoming environment doesn’t have to be difficult. So long as you are able to identify your career goals, and you utilize the resources provided to you, you should be successful in your job search. Below are some links to pages providing helpful information for LGBTQ candidates actively on the job search:

 

 

Don’t Bring Your Phone to an Interview

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In preparing for the big interview, you make a mental checklist of everything you need: extra resume copies, business cards, notepad and pen, keys, phone… Phone? Do you need to bring your phone to your interview? In short, no.

First and foremost, you definitely shouldn’t be using your phone during an interview, checking your phone, or have your phone on the interview table. It creates a barrier between you and the interviewer, especially if it is in plain sight or being distracting by chirping throughout your interview. It is best to be turned off or silenced, and tucked away out of sight in a pocket or purse, or not on you at all.

Bringing your phone to the interview can relay a message about you: you aren’t trustworthy, you are dismissing towards the interviewer and the position, or that you just don’t care. The interviewer is looking for a candidate who is genuinely interested in the position, not somebody who would rather check Instagram than set aside 30 minutes of time to have a meaningful conversation.

On a recent episode of 20/20 with Diane Sawyer, interviewers are unsuspectingly interviewing recent graduates that are actually actors. They do a range of different things with their phone in the interview from putting it on the table and not touching it to taking a phone call during the interview. After, the recruiters were questioned on their thoughts about the actors; they described the phones as distracting. They confided that this is an often occurrence, and they dislike giving interviews to people who are distracted by their phones. They advised job seekers to not be on the phone while waiting for the interview and to keep it out of sight as a sign of respect so that the candidate can maintain eye contact and engage in the conversation

Overall, bringing your phone (and sometimes even smart watches) can hinder your chances of getting a job after the interview. Leave them on silent, out of sight, or even leave them at home if you can’t resist the urge to look at it in an interview.

Transferable Skills

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Transferable skills are the skills that will help you to be successful at any job you may have. These are sometimes called soft skills and they include skills like emotional intelligence, communication and working with others. These skills can be attained from experience in different jobs, clubs, extracurricular or cocurricular activities, and volunteering.  Written and verbal communication, teamwork, and workplace adaptability are all great examples of transferable skills, and these skills will give you an advantage in your job search.

Highlighting your transferable skills during an interview can make or break your chances of getting the job, no matter what your previous experience is. Employers look for these skills to know that candidates can excel in the workplace. Employers may still hire candidates that don’t necessarily have experience in the field but still have the skills to be able to perform the job well. What they are looking for is potential; talk about the skills you acquired from experience and how they will relate to the job for which you are applying.

When you search for jobs review the job description and try to match your skills to the position. According to Forbes, these are some of the most common transferable skills that you can begin developing today (Yate,2018):

  • Technical
  • Communication
  • Critical Thinking
  • Multitasking
  • Teamwork
  • Creativity
  • Leadership

We recommend that you improve these skills by taking more demanding roles at your current job, taking any classes or attending workshops that your company may offer, and overall being more aware of your interaction with coworkers and others. It may take some time and effort, but it will be worth it to enhance the transferable skills that you can take with you to any position.

Reference

Yate, M. (2018, February 09). The 7 Transferable Skills To Help You Change Careers. Retrieved from https://www.forbes.com/sites/nextavenue/2018/02/09/the-7-transferable-skills-to-help-you-change-careers/#756b21424c04

 

Remote Work: Is it for you?

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With technology on the rise, remote jobs are becoming more and more sought after. Some jobs have become more flexible with part-time on-site work and part-time work from home options, and other jobs have moved entirely online. If faced with the opportunity, how do you know that remote work is right for you?

The first step in deciding if remote work is a good job for you is to know yourself and in which conditions you work best. Some things to take into consideration may be:

  1. Do you work better in solitude or a busy environment?
  2. Do you have an organized, quiet environment to work in at home?
  3. Are you able to set specific time aside to work throughout the day?
  4. Will you be able to complete your expected tasks from the comfort of your own home?

If you can meet work expectations from your home, remote work may be a viable option for you. If this is something that you are interested in, you can search for remote jobs just as easily as on-site jobs. Using “remote” or “work from home” in a keyword search on any job board will provide you with remote job opportunities.

It may be beneficial to take a remote position part-time to adjust to the new schedule and work setting before committing full-time if remote work is not your best way of working. Remote work may come with different working hours, forms of communication, and expectations and tasks. The job may take some adjustment and structure to be successful, but if remote work is a path you choose to take, you may find more job opportunities than you expected.

Dealing With Illegal Interview Questions

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When interviewing for a job, you should understand your rights as an applicant. You have the right to certain privacies and by law, employers cannot ask you questions regarding specific personal information.

So what can and can’t an employer ask you in an interview? Specifics on age, gender or sex, religion, country of origin, disability, pregnancy, marital or family status, living situation, if you’ve previously applied for workman’s compensation, credit, and financial status are all examples of topics that should not be explicitly asked in an interview (“Illegal Interview Questions- What Not To Ask Candidates”, 2019). If the applicant offers the information on their own, that is at their discretion. The interviewer may ask around these topics in order to be sure that the applicant is available and physically capable of doing the job, but that is the extent that the questioning can go.

Why would an interviewer ask these personal questions in the first place? Some may ask because they want to get to know more about their applicants and they are unaware of what is appropriate and what is not, but applicants are still entitled to privacy rights. Especially in the cases of questioning that may have discriminatory motives, the applicant is not required to answer illegal interview questions.

So, what do you do if an interviewer asks an illegal or inappropriate question? Depending on your personality and comfort with confrontation, there a few ways to handle this situation respectfully and maturely. The simple one—answer the question. For example, if asked about your religious beliefs, you could answer “I attend church, but I prefer to keep my views separate from work” (Doyle, 2019). This way of dealing with the situation is much less confrontational, but still gives up the applicant’s rights to privacy. Applicants are also entitled to not answer these sorts of questions. If an applicant feels uncomfortable or like their privacy is being invaded by the questions, they could simply ask how the information relates to the job being discussed. If it doesn’t, redirect the conversation.

Furthermore, if a truly inappropriate or offensive question is asked, this is the time to decide if the employer is one in which you would like to work. IT is not a good sign if your interviewer is unaware of what questions can and cannot be asked. Pay attention to your impression of the culture at the workplace, and think about if it is one in which you would enjoy to work and thrive.

Although most HR personnel should be familiar with (and using) the appropriate practices for interviewing candidates, it may not always go as expected. If you are an applicant that is educated on your rights, and you communicate effectively, this should be of no issue.

References:

Doyle, A. (2019, March 14). Tips for How to Answer Interview Questions Employers

Should Not Ask. Retrieved from https://www.thebalancecareers.com/how-to-answer    inappropriate-interview-questions-2061334

 

Illegal Interview Questions – What Not to Ask Candidates. (2019, May 22). Retrieved from

https://www.betterteam.com/illegal-interview-questions

 

For more information, check out these helpful articles:

https://www.betterteam.com/illegal-interview-questions

https://www.thebalancecareers.com/job-interview-questions-that-are-illegal-1918488

https://www.thebalancecareers.com/how-to-answer-inappropriate-interview-questions-2061334

Keeping Up with Technology in Your Industry

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It’s no secret how quickly technology has changed over the past decade. This has affected every industry imaginable: medical, business, art, education, etc. As an upcoming graduate or recent graduate, technology is key to understanding what’s happening in your industry and knowing it allows you to keep up with industry standards. Candidates with updated tech skills can put these on a resume and enhance their A2B (Applicant to Business) marketing.

Because technology is changing so fast, it may be intimidating to try to decode and understand all of the facets of what you should be familiarizing yourself with and learning. It is an unrealistic goal to know every system in your field, especially with no experience. Patience is crucial in keeping up with technology because there is always a learning curve.

            Research: A great place to start is to review some job postings to see what skill sets and technology are listed.  Go on indeed.com, monster.com, joinhandshake.com, or any other job search boards, and look through various entry-level and mid-level positions in your field. First, look at the required skills and then the preferred ones.  Take note of your findings, and be aware of the programs or technical skills that you see listed for multiple different positions.

Network: Professors, mentors, and other people you know in your field may be able to give you an idea of what technology you should know before entering the workforce. Reach out to recent graduates in your field and ask them what they needed to learn to be successful in their post-graduation positions. Not every position is the same, and will not require all the same skills. Focus on the ones that are being talked about most among your network and job descriptions, and build your skills around those programs or technologies.

More Research: Once you gather a list of technologies and skills you would like to learn, start a preliminary search among others who already possess this knowledge. Look for YouTube How-To’s, Reddit threads, and Google. You need to conduct a cost-benefit analysis.  Is this software worth the price to learn because it will lead to more employment opportunities, or can I use a free trial to gain some experience and evaluate my plan after the trial?  Any experience with technology can help build your resume and land you an internship where you can gain more skills or even a job.

Every industry is changing due to technological advances, and keeping up with them makes you more marketable as a potential employee. Your A2B Marketing Plan will benefit from your technical skills, and so will your resume.

 

Preparing For An Interview

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Picture of Young woman and recruitment procedure in corporation.

You finally get the call you’ve been waiting for… you landed an interview for your dream job! This is the opportunity you’ve been waiting for, and you really want to nail that interview, but how? How can you be sure to stand out against your competition? Have you created an A2B Marketing plan?

What’s an A2B Marketing plan?

Much like B2B (Business to business) or B2C (Business to consumer) marketing, A2B (Applicant to business) marketing is how you reach the company you’re applying to and convince them that they need you on their team. In other words, A2B marketing is how you market yourself to the company and sell yourself as the best candidate for a job. Here’s how to start your A2B Marketing plan.

Start with research

Researching the company you’re interviewing for is one of the most important steps in the A2B and interview processes. It will give you a better idea of what the company and its employees do, what the goals and values of the company are, and what type of employees and customers the company has. Research the company’s website, social media, and LinkedIn. Doing your research is also expected by most employers. If you show that you’ve researched the company before the interview, it shows you have an interest in the company, and you are serious about the position. Furthermore, it gives you a chance to ask better, more meaningful questions at the end of the interview.

Prepare your Documents

During a job search, your resume is your greatest asset, and it can make or break your chances at a position. In most cases, the resume is the first impression of the candidate, and so you want to use your resume to leave an impression on your reader. For more information on writing a resume, check out this article.

Next, you should create a cover letter. Not all applications require a cover letter, but your cover letter is a good place to outline your A2B skills and let the company know why you’re the candidate they should choose. Just like your resume, it is best practice to tailor your cover letter to the company in which you are applying.

If your application requires recommendation letters, you should reach out to your contacts and provide them with some context about the job. Receiving recommendations can help you stand out from other candidates.

Choose an appropriate outfit for the interview

When deciding what to wear for the interview, it is important to keep in mind that you want to impress the interviewers with your achievements and skills—not your outfit. You should dress sensibly and professionally. There’s no reason to wear any flashy or distracting clothing or accessories to the job interview. Make sure your clothes are clean, wrinkle-free, and fit properly.

Practice

Interviews can be a nerve-wracking experience; and if you come unprepared, it will be evident. Take a moment to draft out some answers to questions like, “Tell me about yourself” and “Why should we hire you”.  Have an idea of what some strengths, weaknesses, and experiences are that you’d like to highlight. Also, think about a few examples that show your work ethic and show your ability to follow through.   Even if these specific questions aren’t asked in the interview, you can use these stories to show how valuable you are, and by telling a story, you are making yourself memorable to those who are interviewing you. Practice telling these stories in a way that show your strengths, and how you can add value to the company. Mock interviews can also be conducted at the Career Success Center if you want extra experience answering interview-type questions. Practice and preparation are two components to a solid A2B promotional plan. By practicing, you become more confident in yourself and you will connect better with the interviewers.

Get to the interview

Much like a job, you should NOT be late for a job interview! Be sure to give yourself enough time to get to the interview accounting for traffic, weather, etc. You want to be there at least 10 minutes early, ready to go. Make sure to bring extra copies of your resume, a notepad, and a pen to the interview. If applicable, you should also have a portfolio of your work with you. Leave your phone out of sight and off (not on vibrate, OFF) for the duration of the interview. Bring your smile, and don’t be afraid to be yourself during the interview. Find tips on the interviewing process here. Good luck on your job hunt!

Other helpful links:

https://usfcollegetocareer.com/2017/08/02/4-open-ended-interview-questions-and-what-employers-really-want-to-know/

https://usfcollegetocareer.com/2013/06/25/10-unconventional-tips-for-job-seekers/

Questions that if you’re a transgender job applicant, you may have

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Gavel On Rainbow Flag

Last time, we provided some resources to help transgender students look for jobs once they’ve graduated. Still, if you’re transgender, you know that there will be questions you have either during the interview process or the hiring stage regarding your workplace rights.

For example, right off the bat, you may be wondering whether or not you should include your preferred name on your job application.

According to Jillian T. Weiss, the executive director of Transgender Legal Defense & Education Fund, using your birth name on a job application is not a legal necessity.

Weiss does say, however, that if an applicant is asked to provide any previous names that they have gone by, on the application, it is likely that the employer will be initiating a background check. In this case, it may be beneficial to be open and honest about your gender identity as omitting the information may be seen as a misrepresentation of yourself.

Depending on whether or not you wish to receive employee health insurance, once you’ve been hired by a company or organization, know that you will have to specify the gender you wish the insurance company to identify you as.

According to Mary Beth Barritt of the University of Vermont, depending on your specified gender preference, you may be ineligible for insurance coverage for certain gender-specific treatments.

But, don’t worry.

According to HIPAA law, a law that regulates the sharing of health information between individuals and their healthcare providers, a patient’s gender identity cannot be disclosed to an employer without the individual’s consent.

With HIPAA law in mind, you may be wondering whether there are other workplace protections in place for transgender employees. The answer is that… it’s complicated.

Under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, an employer cannot discriminate against an employee based on their sex, race, color, national origin and religion. However, Title VII does not explicitly provide legal protections for individuals based on their sexual orientation or gender identity. However, in recent years, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), a federal agency that administers and enforces civil rights laws against workplace discrimination, has fought to expand this protection.

In 2011, the EEOC brought to the 11th Circuit Court United States Court of Appeals a case of a transgender female who alleged unlawful discrimination by her employer, the Georgia General Assembly (GCA).

In her claim, the plaintiff, a transgender female, stated that she had been unfairly terminated from her position at the GCA because she had gone through a gender transition while employed there.

Referencing a Supreme Court decision from 1989, in which, a woman was denied a promotion at work because her supervisor felt that she “did not act as a woman should act”, the Court of Appeals decided that a human being is classified as transgender based on “the perception that his or her behavior transgresses gender stereotypes [and gender-behavioral norms]”. Since, according to the Cornell Law School, The Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment, dictates that, “individuals must be treated in the same manner as others in similar conditions and circumstances”, the EEOC concluded the plaintiff was unlawfully terminated.

In recent years, at least two other cases appealed by the EEOC and tried by the Court of Appeals have come to the same conclusion.

First, in 2004, when Jimmie L. Smith had his employment terminated after he “began to express a more feminine appearance [at work]” and notified his employer he would be transitioning from male to female. The second occurred in 2016, when Jennifer Chavez, a transgender female, was immediately terminated from Credit Nation LLC. for, “sleeping on company time”, although; she had had no previous infractions and company policy dictated measures that worked to correct employee behavior before termination was considered.

The EEOC doesn’t just qualify sex discrimination as unlawful termination, though. According to the EEOC’s official website their definition also includes:

The fact remains that Title VII of the Civil Rights Act and The Equal Protections Clause are up for interpretation by state governments. Despite this, 92% of “CEI rated employers”, provide gender identity protections for transgender individuals, according to the Human Rights Campaign’s Corporate Equality Index.

Society has a long way to go, to ensure everyone has the opportunity to work regardless race, religion, sexual orientation or gender identity but that doesn’t mean we won’t get there.

References:

Price waterhouse v. hopkins, 490 U.S. 228 (1989)., 1989).

Smith v. city of salem, 378 F.3d 566 (6th cir. 2004), 2004).

Glenn V. brumby 663 F.3d 1312 (11th cir. 2011)., 2011).

Chavez v. credit nation auto sales, LLC., 2016 WL 158820 (11th cir. jan. 14, 2016)., 2016).

Title VII of the civil rights act of 1964. (2017). Retrieved from https://www.eeoc.gov/laws/statutes/titlevii.cfm

Barritt, B. M. (2010). FAQ’s for transgender job seekers. Retrieved from https://www.ou.edu/career/pdfs/FAQtransjobseekers.pdf

Fidas, D., & Cooper, L. (2017). Corporate equality index 2017. (). Washington, D.C.: Human Rights Campaign Foundation.

U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. (2017). What you should know about EEOC and the enforcement protections for LGBT workers (examples of LGBT-related sex discrimination claims).. Retrieved from https://www.eeoc.gov/eeoc/newsroom/wysk/enforcement_protections_lgbt_workers.cfm

Weiss, T. J. (4 October 2011). Trans job applications: To name or not to name?. Retrieved from http://bilerico.lgbtqnation.com/2011/10/trans_job_applications_to_name_or_not_to_name.php

 

Job resources for transgender students

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Equal opportunityResume building, interview preparation and cover letter writing are tough beasts to conquer to secure a job. However, there is a less frequently talked about but far tougher beast to conquer when job searching: workplace discrimination.

Yes, even in 2017 discrimination in the workplace on the basis of race, religion, sexuality, and in the case of today’s blog post, gender identity, is still a prominent issue.

Last year, the rate of unemployment for transgender individuals was triple the rate of the general population—at 15% compared to 7.5% for the general population–according to the National Transgender Discrimination Survey (NTDS).

Of the 27,000 respondents for the NTDS, 27% reported not being hired for a position and 73% reported either being fired, passed up for a promotion or simply being harassed verbally or physically at work.

So obviously, there are still strides to be made. Nevertheless, there are resources available to help place transgender individuals with companies that will make them feel welcome and valued. Here’s a few:

360HR: This is a national job coaching firm that partners with employers to build culturally diverse workforces.

All you have to do is fill out an online application providing where you’re located, your resume, your LinkedIn URL (if you don’t have one you should sign up for one) and whether or not you’re able and willing to relocate for a job and 360HR will help find the right fit for you.

Out for Work (OFW): OFW helps students cultivate and enhance their skills, explore career options, master job search techniques and strategies and research employment opportunities.” Interested applicants can access their job boards for free here.

Out & Equal Workplace Advocates: Like 360HR, Out & Equal works with companies—and government agencies—to provide employers with the proper training to ensure lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender employees feel welcomed and valued by their employers. Individuals searching for equal opportunity employers can visit the organization’s job board here.

Transgender Employment Program (TEP): The TEP operates out of San Francisco but has regional offices across the United States. They offer career coaching, job search support, leadership training, community networking opportunities and legal aid.

Human Rights Campaign Corporate Equality Index: Every year the Human Rights Campaign (HRC), which provides legal counsel to those that have experienced workplace discrimination, publishes the Corporate Equality Index (CEI), a tool for measuring best equality and inclusion corporate policies and practices.

By evaluating the following criteria the HRC is able to rate employers of Fortune 5000 companies on a percent scale of 0-100—with 0 being the lowest score an employer could receive.

  • Internal Revenue Service 990 tax filings for business foundations’ gifts to anti-LGBT groups
  • Court cases and allegations against the organization concerning discrimination based on sexual orientation and/or gender identity.
  • Reported cases of discrimination based on sexual orientation and/or gender identity reported to the HRC by individuals or unofficial LGBT groups.

To find out which companies received a 100% rating for this year’s CEI visit: http://www.hrc.org/campaigns/corporate-equality-index

References:

James, S. E., Herman, J. L., Rankin, S., Keisling, M., Mottet, L., & Anafi, M. (2016). The Report of the 2015 U.S. Transgender Survey. Washington, DC: National Center for Transgender Equality.

925Hire, L. D. (2016). 360HR more than recruiting: Understanding ¦ training ¦ succeeding.. Retrieved from http://360hr.co/

Fidas, D., & Cooper, L. (2017). Corporate equality index 2017. (). Washington, D.C.: Human Rights Campaign Foundation.

Out & Equal Workplace Advocates. (2017). Out & equal workplace advocates. Retrieved from http://outandequal.org/

Out for Work. (2017). Out for work: Be educated. be prepared. be empowered.. Retrieved from http://outforwork.org/jobs/default.asp

Trans Employment Program. (2016). Trans employment program. Retrieved from http://transemploymentprogram.org/