Are you authentic Do you bring enough of yourself to work

Are you authentic Do you bring enough of yurself to workAre you authentic Do you bring enough of yourself to workFor three years, Annamarie Ausnes and the barista at herbei local Tacoma, Washington Starbucks smiled at each other over the cash register, often exchanging a few friendly words.One week the barista, Sandie Andersen, bedrngnisiced that her customer looked unwell. She finally summoned the courage to say something. You just dont look well whats wrong?Andersons heartfelt and personal question most likely defied all her customer service training. Yet she made the decision to show up in the moment as an authentic human being who cared, even if meant feeling less professional or politically correct.And on March 11, 2008, doctors at Virginia Mason Hospital in Seattle successfully transplanted a kidney from the barista to her customer, who at the time had only 15% of her kidney function left, with no donors in sight after years of searching.The payoff for authenticity in the work place is rarely a miraculously saved life or such a profoundly moving story. But frequently, a persons authenticity does result in saved (or much stronger) work relationships, psyches, or businesses.Just what is authenticity, anywayAuthenticity boils down tobeing real. Not scripted, perfect, well-coiffed, or under control 100% of the time. Authentic leaders let an (appropriate) amount of who-they-are out of the bag.And unlike the highly cool, macho Fonz in televisions long-running Happy Days show, they can and do utter the words Im wrong. (Henry Winklers character developed an endearing stutter at the letter W which made it impossible to finish that phrase.)Erosion of trust is often the biggest issue for those who appear superhuman. If a leader is perceived of hiding imperfections, emotions, or his or her own colorful self what else might he or she be hiding? The fact that your business unit is moving to rural Nebraska next June? Or that youll never qualify for that versetzung you really really really want? We tend to forgive and continue embracing leaders who confess to frailties (witness Bill Clinton), and remain suspicious of leaders whose lives read like fairy tales (witness Mitt Romney).Why vulnerability brings strengthIn his book Discover Your True North, Bill George describes former Charles Schwab CEO David Pottrucks early lessons on being real and vulnerable. As head of marketing at Schwab in the 90s, his boss rated him poorly, explaining bluntly that his colleagues didnt trust him. They resented his larger-than-life aggressiveness and extreme hours. After working with a coach, he began weaving stories about his life, fears, ambitions, and failures into his conversations and presentations. And earned back enough organizational trust over time to win the co-CEO role.In 2004, a stretch of poor company performance resulted in Pottrucks dismissal from his CEO role, putting an end to his 20-year career at Schwab. But he brought his early lessons on being r eal with him as he forged a new life. When speaking shortly after his dismissal at his alma mater, the Wharton School, his halting frankness earned him a standing ovation according to Fast CompanyIts new to me to be an ex-CEO. My leaving Schwab was on less than elegant terms. It was a pretty humbling experience for me. It wasnt humbling because I was replaced. What is really humbling is to have time to reflect on what youve done and what you could have done better.Ironically, it takes genuine confidence to show weakness. Which is exactly why leaders who share an appropriate amount of vulnerability are perceived as strong.Where do you stand?Being authentic is a balancing act. It does not mean overdoing the self-sharing. A drama queen (or king) is no better than an ice queen (or king). You dont want it to become all about you, nor do you want to earn your HR departments evil eye. And although consistency is associated with authenticity, you do NOT need to share the exact same facets of yourself with each audience.To get a read on how others perceive you, talk with a few trusted colleagues who you can count on for the whole-truth-and-nothing-but-the-truth. Or sign up for a round of 360 multi-rater feedback. Are you perceived as hard to read? Do others feel youre a transparent communicator? Do they see you learning and admitting to mistakes, as appropriate? Do they see warmth, color, and a real human being, along with all your layers of professional competence?The ultimate gift of being authentic as a leader is that you embolden your team to bring their real selves to work, too. Resulting in a happier, more productive, and more loyal team.So dont let our cultures leadership myths airbrush vulnerability, emotions, fun quirks, or imperfections out of YOUR leadership picture. The most potent leadership brews are a blend of great skills, experience, intentions, and values, topped off with just enough personal vulnerability to cement trusting relationships with others .

The Perfect Resume Easy to Read and Easy to Search

The Perfect Resume Easy to Read and Easy to SearchThe Perfect Resume Easy to Read and Easy to SearchA 21st century resume must follow the old rules of grammar, brevity and clarity, but with a twist Google must find it first.Whats the perfect resume for the 21st century? It must be clear enough that a human can read it in less than 60 seconds and optimized for search engines like Google to find among thousands of other resumes.All the old rules of grammar, brevity and clarity still apply, but with a twist the document needs to be found by a search engine crawling a database of submitted resumes or the Web, said Irene Marshall, a career coach and resume writer who founded Tools for Transition, of Fremont, Calif. Marshall is also one TheLadders Resume writers.Humans, typically a corporate recruiter or human resources associate, make the decision of whether to pass along your resume to a hiring manager, so everything you write should be grammatical, clear, simple and understandable, Ma rshall said. But many use specific search terms and algorithms to sift through thousands of resumes in a database to narrow the pool of resumes to read.What is the search engine looking for? Keywords, Marshall said. Your resume should include all the hot keywords that describe the industries in which youve worked, your skills, and more importantly, the skills and jobs associated with the positions you are looking for, she said. For example, if a recruiter is trying to fill a position for internal auditor, they will likely search the database of resumes for assessment, compliance and regulatory environment. The result only resumes that contain those words will make it to their desk.Search-friendly resumesMarshall recommends a few simple steps to meet the demands of human and machineHeadline Resumes should always start with a headline that characterizes a job candidate in the same way a product name characterizes the product ideally, so the intended audience knows exactly what its g etting before it even picks up the package.Summary of skills Follow the headline with a summary that would be the way youd describe yourself, absent both modesty and unmerited arrogance, and if you knew the characteristics about yourself that others value most.Expertise The Areas of Expertise section should list all of your major skills, abilities and past responsibilities. These should be written so theyre useful to a recruiter reading them for content, but most importantly, they must contain the important keywords associated with the job you want. Your Areas of Expertise should all be hot-button search terms terms that will cause you to appear highly in a search of resumes.Before you write, define your goalsBefore you write one keyword of your resume, be sure to define your goal, Marshall said. What job are you really looking for, and what elements of your work history or skills will get it for you? Once you decide, focus your master resume on it, then tweak or customize that v ersion to adapt to other opportunities as well.Marshall typically asks clients to send her ads for three jobs they have pursued or would like to pursue. If they cant find three, or cant narrow it down to three, theyre probably not focused enough, she says.Dont make or keep a whole list of resumes for different purposes. If youre spending a lot of time juggling resumes, you probably havent defined the goal properly, Marshall said. Focus on the goal, and stick to it it will maximize your chances with your best opportunities and keep you from wasting time on jobs you might not really want.

Cover Letter Format

Cover Letter FormatCover Letter FormatOnce you know what to write in a cover letter, the next frequently asked question is about the cover letter format. How you format your cover letter is an aspect of utmost significance. Why you ask, because if it is not compelling to the eyes of the hiring managers, it is of no use.So, the cover letter format you use becomes very important. You must keep in mind there is no correct cover letter format. You should format your cover letter according to the job profile or company you are applying for.The Guide to a Cover Letter FormatDateAt the top left of the cover letter, you need to include the date.Contact InformationAlthough there is no strict rule about this, but your contact information is generally written on the upper left side of the page. You need to include your name, your city, your phone number and your email address. If specified, you need to include your full address instead of just your city.GreetingIt is better if you can address t he letter to the hiring manager including the required salutation. So, do a little research beforehand.Opening ParagraphIn this paragraph, you need to introduce yourself why you are applying for this position, what your goals are, and what do you want from this job. Keep it short but impactful to create a strong impression of yours.Middle ParagraphHere, highlight all the relevant skills and accomplishments you have made so far, and how they will help you for the position you are applying for. Since, your resume will list them anyway, so just include the ones that prove that you are needed by the company.Closing ParagraphHere, just convey your thanks for taking their valuable time and reading your letter. Also, you can make any clarifications, if any, in this paragraph.SignatureLastly, sign off formally using Sincerely or Respectfully followed by your full name.