High Heels and Discriminatory Dress Codes in the Workplace

High Heels and Discriminatory Dress Codes in the Workplace Force a person to wear high heels, to wear makeup, to wear a skirt, to straighten their hair Ok. Now apply these demands to men, and that’s where the problem lies; dress codes disproportionately target women. Discriminatory dress codes and specifically the case of forcing women to wear high heels have recently had the much-needed attention, but what’s behind the commotion, and why should it matter to you? The case of the high heels When London receptionist Nicola Thorp was sent home without pay in December 2015 for refusing to wear a pair of high heels, it sparked her petition calling for a law to ban companies from requiring women to wear high heels at work. The petition attracted 152,420 signatures, and subsequently triggered The Women and Equalities Committee and the Government’s Petitions Committee to launch an inquiry inviting the public to share more cases of discriminatory dress codes. The committees were inundated with hundreds of examples of women who spoke about the pain and long-term effects caused by wearing high heels in the workplace, along with stories from women who were told to dye, straighten their hair, wear revealing clothes, and constantly re-apply makeup. These discriminatory dress codes simply sexualise and exploit women. Off to Westminster.No heels.No make-up.No problem. pic.twitter.com/YIzoY2WA9c Nicola Thorp LABOUR ?? (@nicolathorp_) June 28, 2016 Is it legal? Despite the reports revealing how existing laws are failing to protect employees from discrimination at work, in April 2017 the UK government rejected Nicola Thorp’s petition to stop employers from requiring staff to wear high heels. So as it stands, the law allows employers to establish different dress codes for men and women if there is an equivalent level of smartness. They can dismiss staff who fail to adhere to reasonable dress code demands, so long as they have been allowed enough time to buy the right clothes. New legal framework is sadly needed, but when the law is failing employees, the power for change then comes back into the hands of employers. Employers and dress codes It may not be discrimination to require employees to dress professionally and appropriately for the workplace, but the question needs to be asked: what is “appropriate” and why is it “professional”? Projecting a professional image through dress codes is perfectly valid, and certain industries understandably require a level of upkept appearance, but this should never be at the compromise of an employees health. Research has seen a direct correlation between the continued use of high heels and conditions like bunions and stress fractures. High heels are a health and safety issue, so surely smart, flat shoes would be more professional and appropriate? The inches of a woman’s heels, or the colour of her hair won’t make the best worker she can be, but rather to feel comfortable and confident in her own shoes (figuratively and literally), and of course to feel valued. Because perhaps even more damaging, is the underlining message it tells women. The requirements for high heels, skirts, or make-up are objectifying, and tells a woman that  her appearance is more important than her experience, skills, thoughts or voice. This can have a significant impact on how a woman views her own capabilities and career prospects, deterring her from wanting to progress. Discriminatory work practices hold women back, and they hold your company back (to somewhere in the 1950’s). So let’s all take the step forward… maybe without the heels.

Writing Your Major on a Resume

Writing Your Major on a ResumeWhile writing your major on a resume can be quite an accomplishment, it is also the most overlooked and under-appreciated step. Some students will choose to highlight their area of expertise while others will choose to focus on what they enjoy about the University. The importance of this is critical because it determines whether or not your resume is viewed as a complete package or as a document lacking in thought and substance.For example, if you are from Arkansas, you might consider highlighting your area of expertise in the area of business rather than highlighting your home state. On the other hand, if you are from California, consider highlighting the quality of your program or the number of classes you took to determine how your interests aligned with your studies. By highlighting your area of interest, you are saying that you have interests outside of your field of study. It shows that you took care to customize your resume to make it unique to yo u.In this same vein, some students will highlight their knowledge, their performance and their letters of recommendation as additional interest. If you write a personal statement or strongly emphasize your extracurricular activities, you can utilize these areas to build your resume. However, in the case of your area of expertise, make sure that you take the time to highlight it.Another aspect to consider is whether or not you want to include the area of your expertise in your resume on multiple times. If you do, your resume needs to be very well constructed. If you have areas that are too busy or too repetitive, then you will only dilute the quality of your resume and put it at risk of being rejected.A resume that is poorly constructed will be able to be easily overlooked if it is submitted to a potential employer because it is filled with a lot of extra information that may not be useful to them in your job hunt. If this is the case, make sure that you maintain consistent formattin g throughout your resume.You may want to check the Internet for other organizations, such as the American Council on Education (ACE) or the Graduate School of Education (GSE), which focus on the resume that is given to potential graduate schools. In addition, you can contact your local CUNY Graduate School. They are the best resources for advice in terms of designing your resume for potential employers.One way that you can work towards building up your resume is by finding other projects that you completed while studying that fit into your plan of doing a Masters or PhD in your area of expertise. Most employers prefer to hire candidates that have some sort of experience before they start their career. By listing this project on your resume, you are showing your capability to grow as a professional.In addition, the content of your resume should reflect your academic background and skills. Employers recognize these things and look for these traits on your resume. Remember that by incl uding your area of specialization, you will give them a better idea of what you can contribute to their organization.

How to Show Confidence in a Job Interview - Career Sidekick

How to Show Confidence in a Job Interview - Career Sidekick How to Show Confidence in a Job Interview Interview Preparation / https://www.edenscott.com/blog Its no secret that employers like to hire people who are confident in their interviews.But how do they judge this? And what are the best ways to show confidence in an interview so you can get hired faster?Here are the best ways to accomplish thisHow to Show Confidence in Job Interviews:1. Eye contactPractice keeping good eye contact while listening, and equally important- while speaking! (Most people find this harder to do when speaking).Theres nothing more important than eye contact when it comes to showing confidence, and its extremely noticeable if youre staring down or to the side when you talk.2. Body positioningOnce youve made a habit of maintaining eye contact, its time to think about your body positions.You want to stand and sit in open positions arms by your sides, not crossed. Make your body take up a lot of space, rather than making yourself smaller. This is how to seem confident.Photo example: This is the opposite of a power stance. This i s how NOT to sit. See how she looks folded up and is occupying the least amount of space possible?You cant even see the womans face in this photo yet you can tell shes apprehensive and not confident at allIf you want more info and help with body language and power stances, heres a full article on the best body language tips.3. Dont fidgetBe still, and make controlled, calculated movements. Dont hold a pen or paper and fidget constantly. Be careful not to tap your hands or feet either.Its okay to be animated and talk with your hands. Its probably even a good thing in most interviews to show enthusiasm. But dont move your hands around when you should be listening! (More on listening coming up)4. Smile and try to enjoy the processConfident people smile. Nervous people grimace or wrinkle their face up and look super serious or distracted.So along with making eye contact like we discussed earlier smile and try to hold relaxed, calm facial expressions.Its okay to show youre thinking about an interview answer, or deciding what to say, but you shouldnt constantly look like youre strained and having a miserable time.5. Practice your handshakeNothings worse than a limp handshake. It shows a lack of experience in interviews, and a lack of confidence.So practice with friends or family at home. Get it firm but not too aggressive/strong. You need to find a good balance.6. Talk slowlyDont blurt out answers and dont rush yourself. Confident people take their time, and arent afraid to say, thats a great question, let me think for a secondOnce you blurt out an answer in your interview, you cant get it back. So never be afraid to pause.Also dont be afraid to ask them to clarify the question if youre not sure. This is MUCH better than just guessing or winging it and blurting out a bad answer before you understand the situation.I talk about this a lot more in my premium interview guide because its one of the areas where I see job seekers cost themselves job offers a lot!7. Intervi ew THEMWant to show confidence in your interview? Act like you have a lot of opportunities and are picky and selective about where you go next in your career. This is how the top job seekers treat their job hunt.Youre not looking for any job, or the first job thatll hire you. Youre looking for the *right* job.If you take this mindset, youll seem much more appealing to them.To pull this off, you need to  ask great questions throughout the interview.  Youre interviewing them while theyre interviewing you.Dont be cocky or arrogant. You still need to sell yourself and impress them. But youll definitely seem more confident if you act like youre weighing numerous opportunities and that youre focused on finding the correct fit, not just any job.You dont have to lie to do this either. If youre just starting your job search and they ask whether youve had other interviews, or how things are going, you can say:I just kicked off my job search very recently. Im just beginning to have phone conve rsations for the most part. Its going well but its still very early in the process.That sounds a lot better than, Youre the only company who Ive met face-to-face.8. Dont be desperateDont be a push-over. Dont give references on a first phone interview. No top-level job seeker would do this. Are you going to let every company who does a phone interview with you call your references? Thats crazy.Act like youre in-demand, and if something doesnt seem right say so!Im not saying you should look for confrontations. Be respectful and work with them. Be willing to be flexible. But dont bend over backward at every request (unfortunately employers make some pretty ridiculous, demanding requests sometimes. And I can tell you the top job seekers the most confident ones tell them no when necessary).Usually it wont come to that, and it just comes down to small interactionsIf you cant make a certain interview date they asked you about, tell them and propose a new date.If they have a few requirement s or policies that youre not 100% comfortable with or arent clear on, ask them. Dont be afraid to speak up and ask questions about the process.Dont just say yes, okay to everything they tell you. You have just as much control of the process as they do IF you can get this mindset down! Theres one of you, and MANY jobs out there. Act like it.9. Listen, dont wait to talkWhen youre nervous you tend to plan what youll say and miss an opportunity to bond with the hiring manager. Focus on listening.If they make a joke, you want to catch it and laugh. If youre too busy thinking about what to say next, youre going to mess this up and seem awkward and tense.So actually listen, and then pause and think about how to respond SLOWLY (I mentioned this earlier. If you skimmed the article instead of reading you missed it and a lot more).Dont sit there planning your responses and waiting for your turn talk.10. Know what you want in a jobIf they ask why did you apply for this position? or why do you w ant this job? you need a good answer. They arent going to hire someone who doesnt seem to care about what type of job they get.The most confident job seekers know exactly what they want, and can explain it clearly and quickly.Confidence Gets You Hired!Showing confidence in interviews will help you make a better first impression and be more memorable so you can get more job offers.Youll also start to FEEL more confident if you use these steps in your interviews. So its a win-win. Youll be more relaxed and be able to give much better answers.

Stay at Home Mom Resume Example Organize Your Transition Back to the Workforce

Stay at Home Mom Resume Example Organize Your Transition Back to the Workforce Stay at Home Mom Resume Example: Organize Your Transition Back to the Workforce Let’s admit it: running a household can be as challenging as running a business. So you have a lot to offer as a job candidate, even if it’s been several years since you have set foot into an actual office.For those, who are ready to transition back to the workforce, we have prepared several actionable resume writing tips (unique to your situation), plus a compelling stay at home mom resume example that you can use to model your own resume.   So let’s start working on your job application!1. Revise Your Skill SetMaybe its been a while since you took a regular job, but raising kids has also given you some unique skills. Those are marketable and in-demand right now! Its just a matter of how you present your expertise to the potential employer.After all, as a stay at home mom, you have likely developed some transferable skills such as active listening, conflict resolution, budgeting and basic accounting, multi-tasking, people management skills, organization, research and the ul timate mom superpower â€" negotiation. All of them can be effectively applied in the workplace.There are several ways to identify the skills worth putting on your new resume:Review your past employment history and jot down the hard skills that youve gained. Focus on those that are still up-to-date.Analyze your volunteering experience â€" did you get involved in any community initiatives? Helped out with some sports/church events? Assisted during school trips? All of these activities helped you gain some skills and can be listed on your new resume.Running a household has also taught you a thing or two, right? Perhaps, you became a pro in managing budgets and allowances, syncing everyones schedules, and organizing family trips. Again, these skills can be applied outside of the home.Started a mom blog, took some occasional freelance gigs? Absolutely mention these on your resume!2. Address Your Employment GapOf course, every employer will wonder why your career history does look that fr esh. Instead of leaving them to wonder, you can proactively address the employment gap in several ways:List your SAHM (stay at home mom) experience as a job entry. Give your “position” a title (e.g. Chief Home Officer), include dates and outline the activities and skills you have gained during that time.Alternatively, you can describe your situation in a cover letter. State that you have been raising kids for some time, and did this and that in the meantime. Don’t go into explaining what an awesome mom you were. Instead, focus on the skills you’ve gained, plus highlight volunteering/community experience (if any).3. Choose The Optimal Resume FormatThere are three main resume formats out there:Chronological resumes â€" listing your work experience in reverse chronological order. It’s a “standard” among recruiters. Opt for this option if you plan to list your SAHM experience.Functional resumes â€" place the emphasis on your skills and abilities over specific job history. This is a more creative resume format, thus it may not be suitable for every position.Combination resumes â€" a happy combo of the above types. It organizes the information in skill themes as the functional one does, but these themes are backed by more detailed work history. This is a good choice for a stay at home mom resume too, but again, it may not resonate with every employer.Resume Sample For Stay at Home Mom (Word version)Download resume example (.docx)Stay at Home Mom Resume Example (text version) Glenda Hicks 615 Asylum Avenue Tampa, FL 33637 Tel: 813-426-4322 Email: glenda@email.comAdministrative Assistant with Graphic Design SkillsExperienced administrative assistant and receptionist with a track record of working in the publishing industry. Easy-going, punctual, multi-tasker, capable of working in high-pressure environments. Able to handle travel planning, telephone support, appointment bookings, vendor relationships. Have basic graphic design skills and can design marke ting collateral.  Skills:Microsoft Office and Google DocsAdobe Photoshop, Adobe Lightroom and Adobe In-DesignAmadeus Travel Booking PlatformProject management tools (Trello, Asana), familiarity with CRM systemsWork ExperienceChief House Manager, Tampa, FL  (June 2010 â€" present)Manager to a family of two kids (5 and 9 years), three cats and one dog.Organized family daily/weekly schedules.Took care of the family budget, kids allowances and monthly accounting tasks.Organized family trips abroad (two times per year): researched and booked flights, handled car rentals, booked hotels and developed custom travel routes.Effectively multi-task during almost every activity.Researched and implemented various extracurricular activities for social and mental development of the kids.Book Club President,   Tampa, FL  (Feb 2017 â€" present)Started a monthly book club in partnership with the local community center.Hosted monthly sessions: prepared the room, organized basic catering (snacks and hot beverages) sent out an attendance reminder to all the participants, collected a membership fee (used towards catering), did basic accounting and reporting on expenses.Discussion leader: prepared a list of questions for discussion, moderated the sessions, organized the voting for new books.Freelance Graphic Designer, Tampa, FL  (November 2017 â€" January 2018)Was hired to design promotional leaflets for the local bookstore. Was responsible for ideation, design and printing.Designed a new custom logo for the stores website and newsletter.Created a custom newsletter design.Review my portfolio items at (link to your online portfolio)Publishing Assistant at Medical Textbook Publisher, Tampa, FL  (August 2007â€"June 2010)Centrally maintained all author and vendor information in the company’s CRM system.Conducted regular correspondence with authors to receive forms and keep them up to date.Organized Editorial Board MeetingsMaintained all project files and created a custom catalog system .Was responsible for organizing business trips for the company’s top management.EducationThe University of Tampa, Tampa, FL  B.A. in English Literature GPA: 3.8 Debate Club PresidentConclusions  This stay at home mom resume sample is written using a chronological resume format. The author openly states that for the past decade shes been out of the workforce, however, she managed to develop some new hard skills (graphic design), as well as prominently highlights her organizational abilities and peoples skills.Ultimately, she positions herself as a hireable candidate with a variety of skills gained both from being a mom, a volunteer and a freelancer. And you can do the same by taking time to identify the valuable skills you have and demonstrating them to your next employer in an attractive professional resume! previous article À La Mode Creative Resume Template for Women next article The Smart Flow A Free Professional Resume Template you might also likeA Model Resume Example That Will Get Results

How to Find a Reputable Resume Writing Service

How to Find a Reputable Resume Writing ServiceWhen looking for a top resume writing service, be sure to check their track record and feedback. A good service will have a multitude of customers who gave them positive feedback on their job. Here are some tips on how to find a reputable resume writing service.Visit the company's website and see if there are any job openings. You can usually get information on what the company does through the links on the site. Pay attention to the testimonials section because it should include examples of samples completed by people who have used the service. Read the testimonials carefully to see if anyone has anything negative to say about the company.Check the company's website. You can usually find a list of resources to refer to if you want to find more information about the company. You may want to read some of the articles to see if the company will stand behind its products.Go into the office of a friend or family member who is familiar with th e process and ask for their opinion of the company's professionalism and high quality. You can also try talking to other clients. Look at the service's online portfolio to see if there are any examples of clients' work.Conduct research online about the company to see what other people think of it. Ask friends, family members, co-workers, or acquaintances for a recommendation. Read as many articles as possible on the topic. If you find the same name a lot, that's an indication of professionalism.Ask your friend or family member to recommend a company to you. Visit the website of the company to see if it gives you good customer reviews. Some services will review their own website to let customers know what to expect from the service.A top resume writing service should be able to give you honest feedback in your first meeting. You should be able to ask questions and feel confident that the company is happy to answer them. You should be able to talk to someone in person before you commi t to a project.Finding a top resume writing service should be a good way to find out about a company. Make sure to do your research to ensure you choose a good service to help you build your career.

Phrases You Should Avoid Saying in Interviews - Margaret Buj - Interview Coach

Phrases You Should Avoid Saying in Interviews There’s no doubting that the job market is tough these days. In order to stand out from the (potentially) hundreds of other applicants, your CV needs to be perfect and ideally tailored for each position. Quite often, if you’ve escaped the discard pile, you’ll have a telephone interview with your potential employer to confirm your potential. And after all that, you get a letter to a face-to-face interview. There’s a lot of advice out there for things that you should do during an interview. Be punctual, dress smartly, be polite…all of these things are important. And not to pile on the stress, but there are some things that applicants say during interviews that really turn their employer off. Here’s just a few things to avoid: ‘I’d love to hang out with you guys!’ Don’t be too casual. Although it is important to be likeable during your interview, you don’t want to slide over the line into unprofessional. Keep your language business-like and avoid slang and colloquialisms. While they may be the sort of place that has a more casual mode of conversation when you get to work there, it’s better to err on the side of caution until you’ve signed that contract. The only possible exception to this is if the person you are interviewing is using that sort of language. In that case, mirroring may be just what you need to get a foot in the door. ‘I’m a hard-working, people-pleasing, perfectionist!’ Yes. You and everyone else who has ever attended a job interview. Whilst all these things may be true, they are clichés. The problem with those is that they make your listener a bit lazy. You see, when someone says (or writes) a phrase that you’ve read a million times, your brain will take a break. It doesn’t need to pay attention, it knows what’s coming. So rather than use these tired phrases, find new ways to express them. Even better than telling someone what qualities you have, is coming up with a relevant anecdote that demonstrates them. Imagine someone saying to you, ‘One night I stayed until 9pm to make sure that the report was absolutely perfect for the client.’   It says the same thing as the example above, but in a way that reflects that old writing adage: Show, don’t tell. ‘I think I’ll be comfortable in the role.’ And that’s great, if your ambition in life is to be a sofa. If however you want something more than that? It’s probably best to use more positive language. In general, try not to use ‘meh’ words like, ‘I like doing this, or ‘I’m comfortable with that,’ and add a little hyperbole. ‘I love the challenge that presents,’ or ‘I’ve handled that well in the past.’ ‘I was fired by that bunch of cowboys.’ Two points here. First, don’t make negative comments about your past employer. It doesn’t look good! Talk about the positive things, rather than the negative and you will leave a much better impression with your interviewer. Secondly, if you were fired by that employer, you probably aren’t going to be using them for a reference, so it’s unlikely your new employer will find out what happened. In general, try and keep your use of language positive. Avoid phrases that include, ‘I don’t’ and ‘I can’t’ and find alternative ways to phrase any shortcomings. If there does happen to be something negative that you really do need to address during the interview, it’s better to get it out in the open at the beginning so you move on from that subject and leave them with a good impression. ‘If I were you, I’d do it like this…’ Don’t tell your potential boss how you would run their office; unless you’re answering a direct question. It may sound ridiculous, but employers do say that candidates turn up to interviews and start telling them how to do their jobs. Even if you’re right? The chances are you’re going to look like a know-it-all rather than a team player. Forget this list Perhaps the most important thing that you can do is try and put this list out of your mind when you get to the interview itself. Why? Because if you are thinking, ‘I mustn’t say rabbits,’ your brain is just thinking about rabbits and the first thing that will pop out of your mouth? You guessed it. Rabbits. The best way to ensure that you avoid these phrases is by preparing for your interview. Get a friend or family member to throw questions at you and rehearse your responses to avoid all these pitfalls. Good luck! Sarah Dixon writes for Inspiring Interns, which specialises in sourcing candidates for  internships  and  graduate jobs.

Warming up for Reboot - The Chief Happiness Officer Blog

Warming up for Reboot - The Chief Happiness Officer Blog I warmed up for the Reboot conference tomorrow by watching this clip of Douglas Rushkoffs talk from Reboot4, from which stems the following quote: If a new technology doesnt help you meet people or get laid why bother. 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