Wednesday, November 27, 2019

69.3% think paying bills on time shows someone is well-off

69.3% think paying bills on time shows someone is well-off69.3% think paying bills on time shows someone is well-offData from Comet shows that 69.3% of Americans surveyed think that if someone pays their bills on time, they are considered well-off.Overall, respondents said having an average of $4,177 in their checking accounts and an average of $57,404 in their savings accounts would also land them in this category. But among people who think of themselves in this way, the results varied by generation. Also, taking a larger-scale look at things, 39.1% of people who weighed in think theyre well-off.In terms of how the research was carried out, Comet polled 1,006 Americans between the ages of 18 and 80 via Amazons Mechanical Turk, weighted the data to the 2017 U.S. census for age, and noted that all of the results rely on self-reported data.Heres what it takes to be seen as well-offCheck out the Top 10 responses1) They pay their bills on time 69.3%2) They can afford experiences (travel , concerts, etc.) 67.8%3) They are debt-free 67.1%4) They established a retirement fund 65.4%5) Theyre a homeowner 64.8%6) They established an emergency fund 61.4%7) They have sufficient money for food or essentials 60.8%8) They maintain a stable job 60.3%9) They have an investment portfolio 59.5%10) They have a high leistungspunkt score 58.8%The least popular choice (21)was they enjoy the topic of money at 16.6%.Heres how various generations feelThe infographic approaches this topic from a variety of anglesBut among people who arent well-off, 43.5% said theyd rather have more time with friends and family, and 56.5% would rather have a large amount of money. Among people who are well-off, 59.8% said theyd rather have more time with friends and family, and 40.2% would rather have more money.Furthermore, 36% of people who think theyre well-off agreed that money does buy happiness, while 65% agreed that you can still be a member of this category if you have student loans to pay off.It was great to see that the millennials are planning for their future ($54K in savings) and are on track to be better off than previous generations. This is counter-intuitive from what we hear in the media about this generation, Comet told Ladders.Heres what Americans recommendPeople who think of themselves as well-off shared their thoughts on getting to this point

Friday, November 22, 2019

To Recruit Millennials, View the World as They Do

To Recruit Millennials, View the World as They DoTo Recruit Millennials, View the World as They DoTo Recruit Millennials, View the World as They Do RossheimCongratulationsyur employer branding hasattracted the attention of candidates born between 1981and 1996. Your next challenge? How tosuccessfully recruit these Millennials. Thats the two-step recruiting dance that many businesses will attempt in the second half of the 2010s.Here are some suggestions to help you master the challenge Source candidates where they liveTo recruit and hire top Millennial candidates, begin at the source. For Detroit Labs, that means finding out where their target talent spends time.We go to places where the people we want will be, like user groups, conferences and places where project managers hang out, including community events that we host in our office, says Nathan Hughes, co-founder of the 70-employee Detroit mobile app development firm.But beware the (lack of) diversity trapBut remember, if your sou rcing methods are focused like a laser, your hires may all end up sounding and looking like each other. Thats a strategic error in an era when American and global markets are become ever more heterogeneous.We do have a diverse workforce, but its not what we would like to see, says Hughes. Were not necessarily pulling people from those who arent in the social networks or user groups that we frequent. So we want to add to that mix to adjust it.Sell current opportunities, not future potentialTo persuade Millennial candidates that you provide the career environment theyre looking for, keep in mind that their time horizons are different from Xers and Boomers.With Millennials, we take a shorter-term approach, says Christie Bell, HR director of 80-employee Atlanta accounting firm Porter Keadle Moore. If we talked about the path to mann an ihrer seite and spending a career at our firm, that would freak out Millennial candidates. What they want to hear about is what can they do at our firm i n one or two years.Make candidates members of your communityKeep in mind that Millennials seek a strong sense of belonging, from the moment they express interest in a job. How can you satisfy that need? With frequent and timely feedback throughout each candidacy.As interns, they are evaluated each week, because in our audit practice, for example they move quickly from client to client, says Bell. Our interviewing is relationship based its not about testing young candidates on the spot with technical challenges.What Millennials call benefitsWhen you speak with Millennials about perks, remember what matters to them at this stage in their lives.For Millennials, traditional benefits are an afterthought, says Tracy Tenpenny, a sales executive and partner at Tailored Label Products, in Milwaukee. Their approach to benefits isnt necessarily to break down health insurance and retirement plans. Its about having a wohlbefinden program, playing an active role with sustainability in the commu nity these are of much more value to Millennials.Do assess abilityEnough with the selling. Its time to determine whether your Millennial candidates have what it takes to climb your companys learning curve at the speed you require.Detroit Labs hires candidates who actually lack coding experience but can demonstrate their problem-solving potential, grit and people skills the soft skills.We look at a few specific character traits the ability to deconstruct complicated things into smaller bits and understand and manage those bits, says Hughes. We ask people to go through exercises to show that they can maintain forward progress while under intense pressure. We look for people who reach out to people rather than withdraw.

Thursday, November 21, 2019

How Procrastination Can Help Your Career - The Muse

How Procrastination Can Help Your Career - The MuseHow Procrastination Can Help Your CareerTiming is everything.We treat procrastination as inherently bad, but all it means is delaying something, so why are we so quick to criticize the practice? Yes, it can be terrible and stressful if you always lazily shake off your responsibilities until the last minute. But there are also plenty of situations when you might want to hold off on things for good reason, whether thats waiting for a sale before you make a big purchase or looking at the weather forecast before you head out on a weekend camping trip. Your professional world isnt exempt either. Here are six ways that you can use procrastination to your advantage in your career, plus five ways it can really set you back. If You Want to Expand Your Network1. Procrastination Helps if You Want to Keep Your Options OpenIts OK if youre slower with choosing and RSVPing to fests if youre doing so intentionally. Quality over quantity applies here The meetups you decide to attend should only be ones youve chosen thoughtfully and that youre positive will add value to your life. Take your time signing up for a networking breakfast you only feel meh about if its the first option you got for the upcoming weekend. (Chances are, you wouldnt be missing out on that much anyway.)Holding off on filling up your calendar with just fine events will allow you to have some flexibility when an exciting last-minute opportunity pops up, and itll save you from cancelling on someone last minute. 2. But it Hurts if You Dont Prepare BeforehandYou want to put your best foot forward when meeting new people, and that means knowing how you want to present yourself when you talk about your career, your hobbies, and your life. Practice your elevator pitch so youre prepared with something to fall back on you can choose in the moment whether or leid you want or need to use it. Moreover, make sure you have a solid, clear plan for people to follow up with you, whether thats printing out business cards beforehand or deciding if you want to give out your social media information.3. Procrastination Helps if Youre Refocusing Your CareerWhether youre facing a major career shift or working on rebranding yourself, its hard to network effectively when you dont know what youre aiming for professionally. Consider this How will you be able to determine which relationships are worth building if youre leid sure yourself what youre looking for? Of course, networking shouldnt be entirely self-serving- you dont want to wait until you absolutely need something to start cultivating meaningful relationships that can get you closer to your goals. Its a two-way street, so waiting until you can clearly communicate where youre at will make you that much more valuable as a contact. While you figure out what you want to do next in your career and with your life, it can help to take a breather and hold off on connection-building events. Once youre more self-a ware, when you do meet new people, youll know who to look for and how to present and position yourself for success.4. But it Hurts if You Dont Follow Up QuicklyBeing slow to reach out to new contacts can mean the difference between your next dream job and a missed opportunity. Meet an industry professional who really impressed you at that LinkedIn event last night? Dont take longer than a day or two to follow up with her and strengthen your new relationship otherwise, you risk losing her interest or worse, being forgotten entirely. And its not just worst-case scenarios at stake. The best way to show your enthusiasm is by expressing how your common interests and shared values make the connection a no-brainer, and by doing so in a timely manner.If You Want to Find a Job5. Procrastination Helps if Youre Adding Value to Your ResumeHalfway through with a marketing class or programming certification? If its a big enough value change in your resume, it might be worth it to wait until you s ee the whole program through before you send out applications with the new information on your resume. Likewise, if you just started working on a new skill that would really make your application stand out, hold off on going after the job until you have the the anecdotes to convince your interviewer that your tangible experience makes you the best person for the position. But, if youre in a year-long program thats wrapping up next week, you should always go with your gut on whether or not youre ready to have a conversation about your new experiences. You only get one shot to really impress the hiring manager, and you want to be as appealing as possible. 6. But it Hurts if You Wait Too Long (at Any Point in the Process)Whether thats submitting your initial application to the job posting or sending in a thank you note after the interview, you dont want to miss any of these important steps. If you do, youll not only appear unenthusiastic, but youll also risk being passed over entirely. As Muse writer Kristen Walker says, hiring is a much more emotional process than most of us believe. This added emotional value to any prospective new hire is also known as the human factor. You can easily bring that quality to the table and use it to your advantage with some good timing and enthusiasm, even if youre not 100% qualified for the job posting in mind.7. Procrastination Helps if You Have Other Loose EndsIf youre in the middle of a project at work or have a big trip coming up, consider holding off on your job search until after youve cleaned up other time-consuming things in your life. While its not the end of the world to tell a potential employer that you have an upcoming vacation planned, too many moving pieces all at once can be problematic and distracting in the midst of a search. Applying for a position the day before you leave for two weeks in Costa Rica isnt a great idea. Take some time to tie up your loose ends at home and at work, and youll feel so much better once youre no longer splitting your time and energy between multiple big-ticket items.If You Have a Lot on Your Plate8. Procrastination Helps if Your Responsibilities Require CreativityStressed out about how youre going to come up with the next big idea? Forcing yourself to be creative on a timeline almost never works. The good news is that procrastinating- doing something else while you brainstorm or letting your mind wander during mundane tasks- can help you come up with awesome ideas. Dont sweat it if you dont come up with the next Facebook today, and just remind yourself that with some patience, inspiration will surely hit you.9. But it Hurts if Youre Being Relied OnIf you need to send deliverables to a co-worker for him to meet his deadline, itll hurt your relationship (and maybe even your reputation) if youre the reason hes pressed for time later. Dont put off something because you believe his deadline is in the distant future- you have no idea how much time hell need once he has the work from you. If its something easy (but perhaps boring or tedious), the inclination to put it off is totally natural. But itll feel even better when hes thanking you for being prompt getting to your piece of the project. 10. Procrastination Helps if You Want to Figure Out What MattersWhat you procrastinate on can be a sign of what you do and dont care about. Putting responsibilities off until you absolutely have to prioritize some and perhaps ditch a couple of items could provide clarity for how youre spending your time. If procrastinating gets you to let go of mindless activities that always make it on your to-do list but dont add any value to your life or help your work flow, embrace it. In the long run, itll save you time, and thats what matters. 11. But it Hurts if Youre Already BehindIf youre already in hot water, resist the urge to procrastinate further- it could be a form of self-sabotage. That sense of Im already doomed, so whats the point? could be keeping you fro m delivering great results, even if it does end up just being a fraction of whats expected of you. Plus, digging yourself deeper would only mean more work later, so your future self will definitely thank you if you shave off some of that while you totenstill can.You dont have to (and shouldnt) do everything with a sense of urgency. There are so many situations in which slowing down is just what you need. Understanding why youre procrastinating is the key to knowing if youre doing it for the right or wrong reasons. And that distinction can mean the strategic difference between getting ahead and falling behind in your career.Photo of man procrastinating courtesy of Tom Merton/Getty Images.