What to consider when you work for family -

What to consider when you work for family - Have you thought of going into the family business? As the trend toward entrepreneurship and  side businesses  grows and more and more people pursue employment in areas that fall outside the realm of the traditional job, family businesses may become more appealing options for those seeking to stake their claim in an entrepreneurial economy. However, you dont have to be an alumni viewer of the television show  Dallas  or watch  Pawn Stars  to know that working with family can be tricky at best and  toxic  at worst. Here are nine things to keep in mind when making a decision to join the family firm: 1. Understand your skills and the expectations of the role. If your family business is small, it isnt likely to have a human resources officer overseeing job descriptions and helping to provide hiring guidelines and expectations for employees. Its your job to make sure you dont inadvertently step into a role thats not well suited to you â€" or is over your head. If youre right out of school, you may not be ready to navigate the nuances necessary to serve as the chief marketing officer, even if you know a lot about social media. If youve been an artist as a hobby for years, it doesnt mean you are qualified to take on an art directors role. Be realistic about what you can and cannot do and make it clear to your colleagues. 2. Define your role and job â€" in writing. If the work environment is casual, you may need to ask for a definition of your job in writing. Its important for everyone to understand what you are hired to do, and having it in writing means theres no room for questions later. 3. Set specific goals. Part of that job description should include targets you are expected to achieve. Do not assume anything. Just as you wouldnt want to drive aimlessly without a road map, dont allow yourself to get into a situation where youre assigned a job without goals or specific expectations. Be sure you have benchmarks you intend to achieve, and youll be better able to position yourself for a raise, promotion or to market yourself for another job down the road. 4. Use best practices that worked in other jobs. Youve likely worked for other people in various situations and learned how to address problems and avoid conflict. Use all of that experience to your advantage, and follow best practices that served you well in the past. For example, if you found that ccing your boss on key email correspondence was useful, continue that practice, even if your boss also happens to be your mother. Dont hesitate to lead by example and to recommend others follow similar practices. 5. Dont make decisions or take action beyond your authority. If Dad/your boss isnt in, and a situation comes up that you would never have handled yourself as an employee elsewhere, think twice (or three times) before making a final decision about it yourself that could be a big  mistake. Perhaps you have more leeway and flexibility in some family businesses, but know where to draw the line and dont cross it, or you may find yourself out of a job and disowned! 6. Tap into the inside scoop you know about your co-workers. If Uncle Chuck is a hot head and starts arguments at every family event, dont expect it to be smooth sailing in the workplace. If Sister Sally is passive aggressive and somehow always avoided pitching it at home, its likely those character traits will carry over to the family business. Dont be blindsided or surprised when your colleagues act like themselves at work. As a family member, you have the advantage of insider information, so you may be able to avoid conflict or smooth over difficult situations based on how you know people are likely to respond. 7. Expect conflict. When you work with family members, expect it will be tense at times. Especially if there are challenges at home, be prepared for things to be rockier than usual at work. Keep in mind, conflict isnt always a bad thing, and you can always agree to disagree. 8. Communicate. As in any job, the best communicator often comes out ahead. If you are concerned about how something is being handled or you have an idea to address a problem, make sure you let your colleagues know. 9. Continue to improve your marketable skills. Make sure you maintain a  competitive edge  in your profession by staying up-to-date on the latest trends and skills youd need to get a comparable job elsewhere. Nothing screams nepotism more than an employee who could never land the same job at a business not owned by his family. Even if you love your job and would never consider leaving, keep a close eye on the skills other firms and organizations would expect you to have and make sure you do what you can to accomplish goals you could tout outside of your family business. More advice: Help! I dont want to recommend my friend for a job Quitting your job? Do this first Is your boss out to get you? Originally written for AOLJobs.com.

Unusual Article Uncovers the Deceptive Practices of Writing Action Sentences for Resume

Unusual Article Uncovers the Deceptive Practices of Writing Action Sentences for Resume Then use the STAR method to spell out the context of your work, your actions, and the way in which your actions had positive influence on the organization. There are pros and cons for each option, and at times you've got to base your decision on the quantity of information you will need to acquire across. Your name ought to be the most significant text on the document for effortless identification. The Debate Over Writing Action Sentences for Resume Choose a catchy action verb. An accomplishment section is a significant add-on to your resume. You could also construct the sentence by noting the action first prior to presenting the issue and the outcome. Writing in complete sentences will make you be descriptive. Employing action verbs in resume writing is as simple as any other kind of writing, so long as you know what things to include and what things to look for. Be certain to be tho ughtful once you use action verbs. The most suitable action verbs also get rid of the demand for adverbs, and sometimes, adjectives. Resume Keywords are centered through your base abilities. Employing slang contributes to a tone that's unprofessional and, often, immature. For example, a hiring manager for a construction company might be more interested in how much you are able to lift, how reliable you're, and whether you are able to learn new skills quickly. Based on your degree of experience and the jobs you're applying for, what you decide to concentrate on in your resume summary can fluctuate. A resume summary can be called an executive summary, particularly for upper-level positions. You have to make sure your resume summary statement concisely demonstrates why you're a perfect candidate for the particular job and business. Writing Action Sentences for Resume - the Story Make certain it's not likely to hurt your odds of finding the job. You have to tailor each resum e for every single position which you're applying for. A strong summary statement at the peak of your resume can increase the probability of them noticing what you've got to offer from the beginning. Prioritize the info supplied for each position starting with the most relevant and important details in connection with the job which you are applying for. A summary statement is a brief expert introduction that you may increase the peak of your resume. A Key Skills section, on the flip side, is listed at the very top of a resume. Below, you will locate a list of resume examples that may aid you with your work search. Resumes ought to be brieftypically a couple of pages. You don't have to use complete sentences. More precise words may also add a little formality to your actions, she states. You wish to include actionable and strong words. The words you opt to utilize in your resume are an essential way to prove your strengths. Life After Writing Action Sentences for Resume No matter where you include your skills section on your resume, you can be confident that the hiring manager will find it and definitely likely to ask about doing it. Your resume must prove clearly and concisely that you're the suitable candidate for the work prospect. At this point you have a list of accomplishments which are relevant to the function. If you're unsure about your very own past accomplishments and results, speak with your former boss or coworkers and attempt to assemble data.

New Boss, New Career Opportunities - Work It Daily

New Boss, New Career Opportunities - Work It Daily The one thing you can count on in business is nothing ever stays the same. That goes for the boss, too. Bosses come and they go even when your job remains in place. In some businesses, they come and go so fast they feel like a hit and run. While it would be nice to have some stability, it’s not something you can count on. Moreover, you can actually use it for boosting your career. You can look at the boss turn-over as a career growth opportunity. A new boss is a time when the board is wiped clean and a new working relationship has yet to be developed. If your previous relationship was rocky or you performed some career limiting moves, this gives you an opportunity to recreate who you are to that new person. Even if the new boss is someone you already know, you are both new in this relationship and you have a chance to rethink how things will go. The key is to “think” about your next actions. Here are some smart career moves when you get a new boss: 1. Educate Them On What You Do This is like the reverse of learning a new job. You can’t assume the new boss knows the details of who does what. They have a learning curve, so make sure you help them understand your job. Among the things you can share are your primary deliverables, results, current performance, what you are working on and are slated to work on soon. 2. Don’t Compare Them To The Previous Boss They will resent the comparison. They will also more than likely want to do things differently than how it was done. Even if the previous boss was a felon, don’t pass on bad gossip to the new one. The assumption is if you freely share your opinion of that person, you will do it to the new one as well. It doesn’t win points. 3. Time Your Requests And Decision Making If you hit up a new boss for things like time off, vacations, raises or even process decisions you will come off as unsaavy. Obviously, if there is a big decision that affects the business, you shouldn’t hold off. Be prepared with a recommendation for a decision, your rationale and any critical timing. Aside from that, allow the learning curve to take place and bring these topics to them in small doses. 4. Time To Shine If you were doing less than stellar under the previous boss, now is the time to hit the “reset” button on your performance. If you can make strides in the areas of improvement now that you are with a new boss, the new boss will trust their own observations of you more than anything passed on to them. If you need to get a mentor to help you understand what you should be doing, now is the time to get that person lined up. It doesn’t have to be public knowledge that you have a mentor. A mentor can help your career whether it is how to navigate the political landscape or how to improve your performance. 5. Learn Your New Boss Some people think the new boss will yearn to hear all of their pent-up improvement suggestions. Like all people, they will only want advice if they ask for it. Learn how your new boss likes to learn and take in new information. How do they want to run the department? Loads of details or only the top level information? Again, you can’t make assumptions about the new boss based on any of your history. Ask them questions about what they will want to know from you and then deliver. 6. Be Ready For Change Even when a peer ascends to the throne, things will change. Every boss will tweak things, sometimes making huge changes and other times only minor. Your willingness to actively embrace those changes can mean the difference between a successful working relationship and career or being advised perhaps you’d fit better in another group. Just like starting fresh with a new job, a new boss can be a time to start over again and create real career momentum for you. You don’t have to hang on to your old stories. You can rewrite your career each and every time a new boss comes along. Photo Credit: Shutterstock Have you joined our career growth club?Join Us Today!