The Sky High Success of Southwest Airlines Employer Brand

The Sky High Success of Southwest Airlines Employer Brand Southwest Airlines is a major American airline headquartered in Dallas, Texas, and the worlds largest low-cost carrier. Its also famous for its people-centric approach and above all, its culture. Whats the secret sauce behind the enviable employer brand of Southwest Airlines? Find out in our latest piece with their People  Director, Shari Conway. A servant leader and HR professional in the airline industry for over 20 years, Sharis job is focused on supporting the team members of Southwest. Have a listen to the episode below, keep reading for a summary, and be sure to subscribe to the Employer Branding Podcast. Listen on  Apple Podcasts,  Stitcher Radio,  Google Play  or  SoundCloud. In this episode youll learn: All about the corporate culture at Southwest, and what the three core aspects of that culture are. What talent challenges Southwest are faced with and why they are no different from the likes of Amazon. What Southwests employer brand strategy is and what the words Warrior Spirit, Servants Heart, and Fun-Loving Attitude have to do with it. Why Shari is proud of the work Southwest does with younger candidates. About the hard lessons Shari has had to learn from her journey with Southwest. Connect with Shari on  LinkedIn  and check out the Southwest  careers page!

How to Find the Best Resume Writing Service

How to Find the Best Resume Writing ServiceAustralia has much to offer, and it is important for those of us who want to land a great job that we get as many contacts with Australian companies as possible. This means making the most of your Resume Writing Service by doing a few things that will help you stand out from the rest of the competition.One thing that every Resume Writing Service should do is make sure that they are offering you quality writing. This means that they have no trouble making the job seem easy to complete. Even if it means using some simple tactics to get people to see that they are a professional writer, you can do this without actually resorting to bad grammar or spelling mistakes.What's more, you should be given contact information for past clients who are satisfied with your work. This is not only important for when you send in your resume, but also for future reference. A professional service will also be happy to provide you with samples of their work, so t hat you can see how your resume will look.When it comes to what goes into making a good resume, the most common mistake that Americans make is not including the right information on their resumes. Although not being too specific may be common, it is important to know that it doesn't help. In the same way that you would not be asked to give your full name if you were applying for a job as someone else, you should also be careful not to be too specific. If you put too much detail into your resume, it will hurt your chances of getting the job in the first place.There are plenty of sites where you can find all of the information you need to know about writing a resume without having to pay anyone to write it for you, but many of these services online are simply not as good as other ones. In order to get the best out of your Resume Writing Service, you need to ask for help. You can search the internet to find writing services in your area, or you can even sign up with the Australia Assoc iation of Professional Resume Writers. These sites are registered with the ASX and will have a good reputation.The association is a particular group that focuses on helping writers get work as well as other members. They will ensure that they have professionals that meet standards that are high enough to get people to hire them. Being a member of an association such as this, you will also receive a lot of other benefits that are relevant to professionals.They will also have their annual conference, which can help you gain the knowledge you need for writing a resume and many other aspects of the career. A good Resume Writing Service should have an easy to use website where you can find all of the information you need and an easy to follow style guide. It is also important that the site offers sample resumes as well as example letters and cover letters.The best Resume Writing Service is one that has no problem allowing you to edit your own resume and only send it out once it is as goo d as you would like it to be. It should be offered with samples of other writer's work as well. The company should also have a history of helping people to land the job they want.

Why Job Ad Jargon Scares Off Young People

Why Job Ad Jargon Scares Off Young People Are you looking to streamline your job ad to onboard talent with the right KSA? Well, then you might want to ditch the jargon. Acronyms and technical jargon may be one man’s familiar language, but they will be foreign to many others, especially the young. A study by Business in the Community and the City Guilds Group asked a group of 16-24 year olds to assess the recruitment processes of over 65 companies. The research revealed that confusing and overcomplicated job descriptions were a major hidden barrier for young people, putting them off from applying. Recruiters may feel that using such language exerts a level of professionalism and expertise, but unnecessary jargon only overcomplicates something simple. From CRO, KPI’s, to OTE  an alphabet mess of acronyms, with verbose business-talk simply scares young applicants off.  John Sweeney, who participated in the research explains: “Everyone in my group mentioned the jargon in the job descriptions. It was just things being made needlessly complicated or things being confusingly phrased… just not good communication. “One of the jobs was an entry level secretary but used lots of industry terms, even though it was in the entry level section. It was meant to be an entry level role with training so it was needless to have all these confusing terms in there.” John is not alone, 66% of participants didn’t understand the role they would be applying for. When a job description is so saturated in a clutter of jargon and inflated language, the actual core information becomes lost under a hazy veil of pointless words, rendering the reader clueless of what the job entails. And whilst in most cases a Google search will translate, it often leaves the reader isolated, losing the confidence to apply for a job that seems above them. Some of the most confusing terms frequently used by recruiters for entry level roles include: “SLAs”, “fulfilment service”, “procurement” “KPIs”, “compliance, “mergers and acquisitions”. Googling up some of these terms I’m still none the wiser, but be sure understanding jargon and technical language is not a measure of a young person’s capabilities for a job, and does not serve as a filter system to seek out the best talent. And the problem goes beyond jargon and technical terms, it’s also the vagueness and obscurity of the descriptions. Too many job ads elevate a role through complicated language in an effort to dress-up what is actually a simple set of responsibilities. Among a very wordy job description for a receptionist role found on Linkedin, were the following responsibilities: “Making linkages between activities and priorities” and “Communicate compelling outward facing messages” ‘Outward facing’ meaning external people? And what are these ‘linkages’? Do they mean prioritising activities? Indeed, an advert must rely on effective copywriting to sell whatever it is they want to sell, but would you ever sell a burger by describing it as a Thermally excited bread container of compact, moulded beef? No, you use language that people understand. Thankfully, some companies are listening, making the first needed changes. Barclays were among the 65 companies assessed who as a result have eliminated jargon from their entry level job roles.  Mike Thompson, ?Director Early Careers at Barclays Bank said: “Having had our recruitment assessed we’ve made a number of changes to how we write entry level job descriptions, trying to remove unnecessary technical language. It’s important that we do this to make sure our roles are accessible to a more diverse talent and make our roles attractive to young people. Sometimes it’s easy having been working in an industry for so long to forget how much jargon there is in your industry and how excluding this can be to people who are looking to take their first step. That’s why we’ve committed to removing all technical language and jargon from our entry level roles.” Will you be following the big guys in leaving the jargon? It’s important for recruiters to move away from these old, and out-of-touch ways that could be deterring the best young talent from your job.

Could You Hire Yourself

Could You Hire Yourself Should You Hire Yourself? Writing from the perspective of my boss’s first employee, the idea of hiring myself to start up my own business seems on the one hand the only sensible choice to those who have ideas, but no opportunity to channel them passionately into a job they love. On the other, it seems an impossible task to those without the drive and ambition to see their ideas through to the end. And if they do that successfully, well, surely there shouldn’t be an end, right? SEE ALSO:  5 ‘What The Heck’ Business Ideas That Made Millions 1.             Discipline: Being Your Own Boss Adam Smith, 22, Managing Director of his very own creative web design company in Hampshire. No university degree, no graduate job, just plodding along in a role that he did well in, but not necessarily thriving off. In the background he had a small circle of “clients” he was helping to make websites for, the very first being his driving instructor at 17, bargaining to swap lessons for a design. Then one day last year he threw it all in, barely any money to his name and went for it. Working through the night to build up his idea, the business grew from his bedroom, to an office, to an employee, to another, to suddenly nine months later 215 clients in the bank. OK, so it was never that simple and I won’t pretend to know the incredible energy that would have been put in every step of the way, but it was do-able. With years of working from his bedroom and then no job commitments to excuse his own personal daily grind, discipline to roll out of bed, then back to his bedroom desk, then back to bed every single day, which was what pushed him to success. It wouldn’t be easy but could you do it? 2.             Sacrifices: Goodbye Social Life But most of us barely have one anyway, right? Scrimping and saving is hardly news to students pushing by on baked beans and rice for three years at a time. And for many, graduate jobs still only pay enough to manage food and rent anyway. Similar to those saving to travel, it might mean moving home, begging a minimum rent for your long-suffering parents and avoiding the pub trips at the weekend, but bit by bit your money builds up in your bank. Or in this case, your time and energy starts to pay off. You are essentially making a long term investment with the aim for a fantastic return in the future. Can you sacrifice in the short term? 3.             Ideas: Finding What You’re Good At Competition is fierce in every aspect of life but for business space this is stepped up a notch. How to choose a business market that will fly? First things first, work out what you’re good at. If you choose something half heartedly but think it’ll make money, that’s not good enough. Remember you have to eat, breathe, sleep this idea day in, day out, potentially even for years until it will start ticking over naturally. That’s not to put you off, simply a reality check. Stick to what you’re good at, what you enjoy and find a niche in that sector which puts an exciting twist on it. When you’re passionate about your work, it is no longer your job. How? Get right back to basics. Why will your business exist? What’s the point of your company? What will make it different from the others? How will you make that difference? Who will it make a difference to? Will they want to invest money in it? Why? Until you can answer these questions, your target market won’t be able to either. However, once you can and you wholeheartedly stand by those ideas, your drive to succeed will transform into the drive for your new company. Can you find your niche? I think so. Good luck! Guest Post written by Charlee Owen, Marketing Executive at  Damteq Solutions photo credit: Daniel Ferencak via photopin cc 0

Resume Writing Course in Melbourne

Resume Writing Course in MelbourneIf you're in the market for a resume writing course, you should be aware that there are numerous providers of such courses. But you may have to take your time and read a bit about your prospective course before you select it.It's always advisable to ask some questions first, before you sign up for a resume writing course. If you don't, you will end up signing up for an institution that is of no use to you. This would be like doing business with an auto-repair shop, when you know how to fix your own car!It's just the same case with resume writing schools in Melbourne. You need to think about it, before you sign up. You will also want to compare different courses offered.Resume writing courses usually take about six months or so. You will take your first course in the fall or winter. However, if you go for a summer course, it may be taken in July or August. You might even be given more freedom to complete your course during off-peak times.As you go thr ough the course, you will be presented with questionnaires. You need to take a test to get into the next level. You will then receive assignments to complete. The assignments usually range from simple writing to technical writing.One of the assignments you will be asked to complete is called the term paper. During this course, you will be asked to come up with research papers, or, what is called a thesis statement. In many cases, the term paper is the most difficult part of the course.You can learn to write a thesis statement by looking at other peoples' resumes. You will need to figure out exactly what is in their resumes, and why they are presenting it. You may also have to devise your own unique package of instructions to present.There are many resume writing courses, so you should know what you are looking for when you want to write a perfect resume. If you are a good writer, you will be well on your way to writing a perfect resume for yourself.

4 Situations Where the Difference Between Being an Employee and an Independent Contractor Matters - CareerMetis.com

4 Situations Where the Difference Between Being an Employee and an Independent Contractor Matters On the face of it, the difference between a traditional employee and independent contractor may seem minimal, as oftentimes, employees and independent contractors work side by side, with little distinction or difference in job duties.However, the differences between the two, carry substantial financial and legal personal benefits and consequences.Understanding the differences, benefits, and consequences between the two could mean the difference between a continuing professional relationship versus future lawsuit, tax breaks versus steep government fines, or legal protection versus legal liability.evalYou will need to use an Independent Contractor Agreement whenever you or your company hires a person or business to complete a specific task with defined start and finish dates. A traditional Employment Contract should be used when you are hiring or hired permanently, and a relationship of control and supervision exists.The Department of Labor has laid out a 6 prong test to determine whe ther or not someone is an employee or independent contractor. When determining whether an employee-employer relationship or independent contractor relationship exists, a court will look at:Whether the work performed was integral to the businessWhether the worker exercises any managerial skillsWho owns the tools, equipment, and work-spaceWhether the worker’s skill incorporates independent business judgment and the level thereofThe permanency of the working relationshipThe degree of control by the employer4 Differences You Should Know:1. FinancialevalFinancially, employees enjoy greater benefits than an independent contractor, in what is known as “the hidden paycheck.” “The hidden paycheck” includes health insurance, disability and retirement benefits, while an Independent contractor enjoys no such perks and pays for their own health insurance, is responsible for their own injuries on the job, and has no portion of their paycheck set aside for retirement.Aside from general c ommuting costs and business clothes, employees forego having to fork out for start-up costs, staffing and office expenses, and other various professional costs.2. TaxIn the realm of tax implications, employees and independent contractors are treated very differently. Companies are required to pay certain taxes on behalf of their employees, including federal and state employment tax, while independent contractors are solely responsible for their own “self-employment tax.”As an independent contractor’s income increases, so does their employment tax burden. The misnomer of an independent contractor or employee can carry harsh punishments and repercussions by the Department of Labor, resulting in exorbitant fines, unemployment claims, or even federal lawsuits. If you still are unsure about the classification of your employee, leave it up to the IRS, and fill out a Form SS-8.3. LegalEmployees benefit from greater security in their job, and are often protected by state and federal l aw dictating procedure for overtime and discrimination issues. Independent contractors benefit from no such protection, and also are restricted from joining unions, ultimately leading to less negotiating power.evalEmployers however are subject to stricter liability for the acts of their employees A copyright grants the owner the right to reproduce the work and make copies, distribute or sell it, create derivative works, and any performance or display rights to realize commercial gain. If you are an independent contractor, know that by default, the copyright in the original work is yours, unless you have clearly entered into a written agreement that the work is a “work for hire.”When classifying employees as a traditional employee or independent contractor, reactivity is going to land your company in hot water. Proactivity towards classification will help prevent and save you or your business from a barrage of financial, legal, and personal troubles, while taking advantage of cer tain benefits.Make sure you understand the above 4 differences between an employee and independent contractor before you enter into your next contractual agreement.

Journey into leadership Bullet points! - The Chief Happiness Officer Blog

Journey into leadership Bullet points! - The Chief Happiness Officer Blog This post is part of a series that follows A.M. Starkin, a young manager taking his first major steps into leadership. Starkin writes here to share his experiences and to get input from others, so please share with him your thoughts and ideas. This will be the Great Starkin Bulletpoint Post I simply want to say too much. By the way, as mentioned in a comment, I am HAPPY to see people wanting to think and comment on what I am writing here. My primary reason for posting is to let thoughts on practical leadership evolve and mutate, so the more the better! So far its mostly all about helping me, and that is totally completely outstandingly fantastic! Each comment makes me think, and I should probably feed a lot more back if I had the time. Three and a half weeks since my first post, I am beginning to feel close to having solved my problem. Its purely a feeling, because: I will only know by this time next year whether I have solved the problem. The target that has been set for me is to double volumes and make a huge sum on doing so. We are still not invoicing on time nor paying our suppliers on time, and a couple are still threatening to stop working with us. I am finding skeletons in the closets everywhere. I hardly know what difference I have made yet. The feeling of having solved the problem comes from seeing the very basics beginning to work: People are beginning to take responsibility for their own jobs. Especially my deputy is taking her self-made job description seriously. My deputy is no longer illoyal to the company in her internal and external communication. Our most experienced colleague is beginning to take all kinds of good initiatives. I was going to put more bullet points here, but when I come to think of it, the above is maybe the only thing which needed to be fixed?! I no longer feel that the team is demotivated, frustrated and against change. And that is why, in a way, the problem is solved. We are now ready to develop and that is why, in a way, my mission starts here: The task for me is not to go from not good to OK but for me to make this company self-oscillate, the employees happy and the mother company profitable. I dont know if that is an achievement, because I am not really sure what difference I have made. Maybe what am doing is this: I do not exercise authority. I suggest, ask questions, take intiative, encourage, but never decide. I praise as much as I can but never blame and discredit. Is that all it takes to wake people up and make them take the same responsibility for themselves as they do outside work? There is also the possibility that I am too naive or unable to see clearly what is happening. You might be in for a surprise, dear readers! Whats next? The people are working but the business is not. Invoicing, payment and sales is not working, but its probably only a matter of time now that there is a positive attitude towards getting it done. I need to build on and enforce the positive curve we are on. Sell our basic product and streamline operations first Later begin innovating and approaching customers to work out tailor-made solutions. Should I decide on doing things the way I want? Should I make people decide it on their own? On which level do I lead? It might be wise to do like this: Decide actively the direction now. We might have the basic motivation and sense of responsibility in order but its not a confident, autonomous and competent unit yet! I havent been very clear or directive yet. Encourage people to help me realize this and support those who want to help. This is what I started a week and a half ago. Another thing needs to be addressed: There are hundreds of things that nobody has taken ownership of and therefore belong to me: Court cases, contractual problems, compliance with rules and regulations, chasing bad payers (corporate finance are not very good at this), solving problems with overseas agents delivering on our behalf. I simply dont have time to do all that + lead the business as long as I am only allowed two days a week (really only one day but thats absurd so I take two days). I cant justify adding a person with the present budget, but neither can I justify leaving these things alone! Thinking to be done during the next couple of days that I have taken off. Next post Ill try to post some real life! A.M. Starkin Thanks for visiting my blog. If you're new here, you should check out this list of my 10 most popular articles. And if you want more great tips and ideas you should check out our newsletter about happiness at work. It's great and it's free :-)Share this:LinkedInFacebookTwitterRedditPinterest Related

Why Youre Good Enough, Smart Enough, and Goshdarnit - People Like You!

Why Youre Good Enough, Smart Enough, and Goshdarnit - People Like You! Watch Me Explored by ivan amezcua and  found via kind over matter Im currently spending the bulk of my summer working with 8 different groups (I call them Operations!, because its funner), one of which is Operation: Career Actions Activated! This group is comprised of peeps who know what they wanna do when they grow up, but need to figure out how to make it happen in the semblance of their real, every day life. Meg M. Ryan is in this group, and when she wrote a letter to her Vampire (thats the voice we all have in our heads that sucks the good stuff outta us) to explain why she was good enough, smart enough, and goshdarnit! people liked her enough to make her career dreams possible, I died of amazeballsness. Thankfully she agreed to let me post it here, so you can all die of amazeballsness too.  Dont worry dying of amazeballsness is a good way to go. Dear Mr. Vampire, I am good enough, smart enough, and goshdarnit enough people like me to make my career flourish because. Well, my darling blood-sucking pimp, it just occurs to me that YOU ARE ASKING THE WRONG QUESTION, and you are probably doing it just to try and THROW ME FOR A LOOP. (That pisses me off a little, V., and you will hear about that later.) The real question you should be asking is WHY ISN’T EVERYONE doing what they love, that makes them flourish and makes the world a better place? Ohhhh, right! Because then vampires like you would have nowhere to go, nowhere to tap a tasty draught of that vintage you love so much that’s FERMENTED BY FEAR. Not cool, V. Not cool. Now, this is probably a total cliche, but really, when you say shit like this to me: “Who do you think you are to try to make a career out of ‘spreading the gospel of music’? There are millions of people all over the world with a lot more pressing problems than whether or not they play music, and many (if not most, if not the vast majority) make their living sitting in a cubicle, working at Target, cleaning toilets â€" for $15 an hour or less! What makes you any better than them?” I would have to say something like this back: “Well, Vampy, who do I think I am NOT to? You paint a pretty ugly picture there: cubicle dwellers, minimum-wage laborers. Are you suggesting I join them? Is the goal for everyone in the world to be an impoverished, exploited, non-unionized worker? Try again, pal.” And then you’d say something like, “No, no, I’m just saying you should do something that’s WORTH something! Be a doctor or a lawyer, or what was wrong with that PR job you had? That PAID WELL, and it was with a RESPECTABLE company. You’re just MESSING AROUND doing this stuff.” And to that I would sayâ€"very softly, after stepping into the other roomâ€"“Oww.” Then I’d come back out and say, “Well, V., I know that back when you were my age several hundred years ago, careers worked differently. Those troubadours and alchemists were a pretty nutty bunch, and I can understand how you wouldn’t want me running around iwth their ilk. But things are different now. Because we’ve spent the past 50 to 100 years alienating ourselves from the things in life that bring us spiritual, emotional, and physical wellbeing, we need people who bring joy into the world more than ever. And I am JOYFUL, KNOWLEDGABLE, and ATTUNED to that soupy, messy stuff that makes life, well, ALIVE. And I’m organized and enterprising to boot. So I don’t have to be a lawyer or a teacher or a publicist to OFFER VALUABLE SERVICES and GET PAID WELL FOR IT. Oh, and also, having fun in life is not MESSING AROUND.” That’s what I would say. And then, as you slink off into the shadows, I would remember how all of the fears, doubts, and hangups I’ve given in to or repressed or got into a knoc-down, drag-out brawl with have given me many of the strengths and awesomesauce I have today: self-discipline, responsibility, the tendency to view material overstriving with a suspicious eye, pretty impressive credentials, and a healthy dose of humility â€" and even the experience of being a depressed, underpaid, rudderless cubicle dweller. Gratefully, Meg **************************************************************