Characteristics of a Good CEO

Characteristics of a Good CEO By Jacqui Barrett-PoindexterIs the CEO at your company on your side? Does he or she motivate you to go the proverbial ‘extra mile’ on a project? Does he galvanize winning teams? Do you feel as if you know your CEO, and that he really cares about you and the needs of the organization?Good CEOs have distinguishing characteristics and behaviors that  attract talent  and loyalty. How can you determine if your company’s CEO is doing a good job or could be doing better? Read on to discover 10 top qualities of a  great CEO.1. Belief in the Team.  Like a good head coach, a strong senior executive shows the team the way to victory. He teaches and trains, imparting knowledge to his leaders that they may freely share with their teams.2. A Clear Vision.  He inspires teams and links objectives to overall corporate goals. His teams are ‘at the table,’ contributing at the same level, bringing diverse levels of experience.3. A Transparent Work Style.  He recognizes that transparency lifts morale. He treats all employees as adults, constantly communicating to help advance goals.4.  Avoids Micromanaging.  He knows he can ask good questions and lead folks where they need to go. While individual performance is measured, he also measures teams based on what is best for the company as a wholeâ€"he innovates a ‘rising tides lifts all boats’ culture.5.  Personable and Approachable.  He is both tough and compassionate and highly respectful of others. He has a personal touch; people are drawn to him. He may even err on being ‘too approachable.’ He makes time for one-on-ones with direct reports; creates leadership roundtables; and hosts employees on-site or through videoconferences to solicit genuine interaction and input. He does all this while remaining extremely goal-centered.6.  Wandering Leadership Style.  He stops and talks with the staff, asking them questions and getting to know their work struggles. His employees get a better sense of his perspective while also recognizing leadership’s efforts in helping them solve problems.For the rest of this post, please visit me over at Glassdoor: How To Know If Your CEO Is Doing A Good Job.

On the Job by Anita Bruzzese Entitled Generation Hits the Workplace With Chutzpah and Plenty of Controversy

On the Job by Anita Bruzzese Entitled Generation Hits the Workplace With Chutzpah and Plenty of Controversy I was grocery shopping the other day (one of the things I hate doing the most), and my attention was drawn to a mother with her two young daughters.Can you pick out some juice for Mommy? the woman asked her oldest daughter, who appeared to be about 6-years-old.The girl picked up a bottle of apple juice and turned to her mother. Look what I did, Mommy!Oh! Thats the BEST JUICE EVER. You did a GREAT JOB! Thats so WONDERFUL! Im SO PROUD of you! the mother gushed.Geez, I thought. Its only apple juice. Child didnt just negotiate peace in the Middle East.I continued on my way until I came to the dairy section where another mother was trying to talk her son into letting her place some cut flowers on his lap while he rode in the grocery cart. He was balking a bit, his lip sticking out while he contemplated his mothers request.Another mother stopped nearby as the boy finally held the flowers and his mother prepared to continue shopping.Wow! That is TOTALLY AWESOME! the other mother told the bo y. Arent you SO GREAT for helping! Youre the best helper EVER! What a TERRIFIC thing to do for your mom!Ooo-kay. Another child who didnt bring an end to world hunger, but was praised as if he did merely because he held onto a bunch of daisies.That grocery store experience was why the recent story about the Entitlement Generation (those born after 1970) caught my eye. The story found that the kids who have been handfed the constant youre-so-great feedback throughout their lives grow up to be (big surprise) a bit full of themselves.The problem, however, with these narcissistic youngsters seems to be that when they enter the workforce they continue to believe they are always the best, and always right. They drive older workers and bosses bonkers.Still, some experts believe these young workers may end up helping, rather than hurting, the workplace. Yep, it seems this brazen, brash, cant-stop-me-or-top-me generation may be just the shot in the arm many companies need to find innovative, energetic and creative ways to function.On the flip side, however, some experts contend that this generation often alienates and bullies others, and ignores good advice or common sense. Relying on these kinds of workers actually hurts, rather than helps, a company since their wrong-headed ideas can quickly hurt the bottom line, experts say.So, I guess the key is this: Weve got to find a way to nurture and guide these young workers in the right direction without totally squashing the chutzpah they bring. In other words, finding the ones who truly do select REALLY GREAT apple juice.

Does Medical Marijuana Stop or Slow Cancer Cells from Spreading

Does Medical Marijuana Stop or Slow Cancer Cells from Spreading For centuries, cannabis has been used in herbal remedies. Marijuana has many biologically active components which scientists have been able to identify. Cannabinoids is the name given to these compounds. CBD (cannabidiol) and THC (delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol) are two chemicals who have been studied the most. Studies are being carried out on other cannabinoids. Any part of the marijuana plant used to treat health problems is referred to as medical marijuana. It’s not used to try and get high, but to provide relief from their symptoms. You can now buy medical marijuana online through a number of websites, such as Kushfly?.? You can also get medicinal cannabis completely online at NamasteMD.com, only in Canada at the moment but there are rumors that their service will be available in the U.S. soon. However, it’s generally best to go through official routes and opt for sellers with a medical marijuana license. Canada?.ca has a list of providers that? may come in handy. For information on how to get a medical weed card Canada’s laws are explained? by Medical Marijuana,?a group of doctors, patients and growers who are passionate about quality treatment. What effect does medical cannabis have on cancer symptoms? Cancer chemotherapy can cause nausea and vomiting, and a number of small studies on the smoking of marijuana have found the drug can help these symptoms. In certain types of cancer cells grown in lab dishes, scientists have more recently reported that CBD and other cannabinoids like THC appear to cause death and/or slow cell growth. The spread of some forms of cancer may also be reduced and its growth slowed by certain cannabinoids, according to some animal studies. More studies are planned, though there have already been a number of early clinical trials on treating cancer in humans using cannabinoids. Studies are yet to prove that the drug helps control or cure the disease, but they have found that cannabinoids are a safe form of treatment so it may well be worth a try. Always keep in mind that you may suffer serious health consequences if you rely on marijuana alone for your treatment and avoid or delay conventional cancer medical care. Marijuana’s potential downsides While marijuana is generally considered to be safe, users may come to some harm. Feelings of paranoia and anxiety, reduced motor control, unpleasant thoughts and disorientation may occur as a result of cannabis use, though its main effect is a “high” or feeling of euphoria. Medications Of the two main cannabinoid drugs produced for medical use, dronabinol is no longer available in Canada but nabilone is still available under the brandname Cesamet. This drug acts much like THC and is a synthetic cannabinoid. When other drugs have not worked, nabilone can be taken by mouth to treat the vomiting and nausea caused by chemotherapy. The cannabinoid drug Nabiximols is approved for medical use in Canada. It contains an almost one-to-one mix of THC and CBD in a whole-plant extract, and is available as a mouth spray. Whatever way you want to do it, there are proven benefits from using medical marijuana. Editors Note: Medical marijuana is not legal in all jurisdictions. Check your local laws.

Entrepreneur Creates His Own Job In Custom Chocolate Niche - VocationVillage

Entrepreneur Creates His Own Job In Custom Chocolate Niche - VocationVillage When Eric B. Heinbockel graduated from Columbia University, he launched a job search during one of the worst economic recessions in recent history. After a full year of job searching, he still had not landed a job. With little to lose since he was unemployed, Mr. Heinbockel co-launched a specialty chocolate company. I interviewed Mr. Heinbockel about his venture and wrote about his success.Eric, please share with us your job search experience before you decided to launch a company.For a full year after I graduated from Columbia University, I looked for a full-time job. During this time I worked as an unpaid intern at a structured finance firm in New York. I was offered three jobs during the year I spent looking but all were commission based with little or no base salary. I was interviewing for these jobs in the fall of 2008 and I interviewed on the days that Bear Stearns and Lehman Brothers went under.After you couldn’t find a full-time job, what did you do?I helped to co-found Cho comize, the first mass customization/co-creation chocolate company in the United States. Customers create their own custom chocolate bars by selecting their base Belgian chocolate (dark, milk, or white) and then adding up to five ingredients from a selection of over 100. Ingredients range from fruits and nuts to 23 karat gold flakes and even beef jerky.That sounds delicious! How did you survive financially while you started your business?We survived financially during the earliest stages of our startup by keeping our spending and costs down and figuring out creative inexpensive ways of spreading the word about our new and unique company. This meant taking full advantage of social media and pitching our story to journalists at as many and varied publications as possible. As a result we became profitable after four months and we have been featured in Oprah Magazine, CNN, Costco Connection Magazine, and many others.How does your current income compare to your previous income?While we a re not getting rich yet (we are re-investing most of our profits), getting a paycheck at all is an improvement from my previous predicament.What skills and previous experience were you able to bring to your business that are helping you to succeed?The three skills that I think have proven to be very useful in running our business are critical / analytical thinking skills, writing skills, and sales skills. The first two I think were mostly developed during college. I developed sales skills through several jobs and internships.What is the best part about running your business?The best part about running my own business is that there are constantly new challenges that come from a wide variety of sources. Every day there is a new issue or opportunity that needs to be addressed, which makes things more exciting. I am not solving the same old problem with a formula; therefore, the job is never boring.What is the most challenging part about running your company?The most challenging thing a bout running my own business is also what makes it interesting. The variety of issues that come up often puts us outside our comfort zone. In order to become successful and hold our own in negotiations we have had to learn about other industries in our supply chain. An example is learning the language and process of cardboard packaging manufacturing. It can be difficult to constantly learn enough about other industries to make sure we get exactly what we want at a fair price.What new skills did you need to learn to be a successful entrepreneur?I think I have had to learn more organization and time management skills than I previously had. We always have a variety of very different tasks and issues to deal with simultaneously. This demands organization in order to get everything done properly and on time.What career advice do you have for job searchers who may be considering an entrepreneurial path?The career advice I would offer for those considering their own startup as an alternati ve to a traditional career is to recognize that there is a great deal of risk associated with starting your own company, and those risks are increased as the economy is in recession. In my case, however, the risk wasn’t as great because I had no job to give up.The other thing is that once you begin your own business, it is a constant part of your life. While you may be able to take off certain times and work on your own schedule, your work will always be there and often needs to be taken care of during times that in your previous job you could leave the work at the office. In most cases if you don’t do it, no one else will, either, when you are first starting out. This means in most cases you will be working more hours than you did at your previous job. Don’t start a business if you have a romantic fantasy that being your own boss means you can come and go as you please.Thank you, Eric!Click here to buy Chocomizes  custom chocolate.If you enjoyed this success story, please sha re it!

The career boosting skills you can grab for free - Debut

The career boosting skills you can grab for free - Debut Sponsored Post Would you get on the bus if you don’t know where it’s going? Well, you might â€" and that’s fine if mystery tours are your thing. If you prefer to be in the driving seat, here’s how to plan a career-catching strategy and get the training that can help: Think about where you want to be a year from now: it could be landing your dream job or nailing work experience. Either way, be as specific as you can about what you want Do a CV stock-take â€" refresh your resume with these tips if you need to Get honest about what’s missing: soft skills, technical know-how, or something else? What difference will getting them make to your CV, career or how you sleep at night? Getting specific is a good thing: it’ll help you cut down on time wasting and wild goose chases later on. The courses below are all free, but keep an eye on where you want your learning to take you before signing up to everything going! Get a jump-start on your job Professional training can be painfully pricey â€" but there are ways to get basic knowledge under your belt for nothing. LinkedIn’s Learning portal features brief taster courses by insiders in all kinds of industries. From practical how-tos to soft skills like time management or mindfulness its got something for everyone. ALISON is an amazing learning hub. It has a huge variety of free diploma courses in customer services, human resources, and other CV-friendly flavours. Course topics include languages, coding and digital skills and more. Massive Online Open Courses have been tipped to revolutionise access to education. EDX has one of the largest offerings, with a wealth of academic and career-oriented subjects from world-leading universities. Courses tend to be  longer and more in-depth, so they’re more of a commitment. It does get you more for your brain juice. Get a digital cert Getting schooled in digital marketing can be a lateral-thinking win. Knowing how to be found â€" and be credible â€" online can help you get yourself in front of employers as much as it helps them get in front of customers. Google’s Digital Garage  is particularly useful. It walks you through 23 topics from social media and search engine strategy to building a web presence and making the most of videos. Complete ‘em all and you can claim the Digital Garage Certificate of Online Proficiency. While the course is aimed at small businesses and budding entrepreneurs, there’s lots you can borrow for your ‘personal brand’ â€" or your own start-up. If you’re itching for but short of work experience, starting a business or freelancing is worth a look! Learn a language A second language won’t guarantee you a job. However, it can give you a bigger bite at what’s out there (and where it’s on offer). Learning a language can also boost your brain cells, get you more from your hols, or help you switch career later on. It allows you to open doors, open your mind, and broaden your horizons all at the same time! Duolingo has around 20 courses on the boil, including Spanish, Portuguese and French. They’re still hatching their Klingon course â€" but it’s on the way! If Duolingo doesn’t have the language you want, you’ll probably find it on Memrise, along with pretty much everything else (including pub quiz trivia and Minecraft tactics). Both platforms come in web and app options, and they’re big on gamification â€" so course content is bright, bite-size, and easier to stick with. Learn to code Coding and computer languages are said to be the next big CV hack because they’re transferable across tons of industries â€" it’s not just about being a programmer. With more and more businesses going digital, knowing how the back-end works (and being able to talk about it proficiently) can help you pull your weight in the team. Codecademy has more geekery than you can shake a joystick at. The website includes  courses in Java, JavaScript, Python, Ruby and, just because we love the word, Git. If you fancy a gentler start, there are also primers on building a website or a simple app but, either way, everything’s broken down into easy, practical chunks. Less interactive â€" unless you count the pause button â€" you’ll also find tutorials for everything else over on YouTube. Vlogger Derek Banas is a popular starting point: he’s covered Android, Adobe programmes and even sales and psychology â€" and says he’ll make tutorials for anything else requested. So get asking! Don’t just dedicate the journey to your future employers. Skilling-up might benefit your next boss, but it can make just as much of a difference to your personal development and future opportunities, too. Make it a win-win! Feature image © William White via www.unsplash.com GIFS via Giphy Download the Debut app and get Talent-Spotted by amazing graduate employers! Connect with Debut on  Facebook  and  Twitter Guest blog written by Ruth Bushi, an editor at Save the Student. Featuring the kind of straight-talking advice you won’t get at school, the site has everything you need to know about managing money without the migraines: student finance explained, insider info on careers, plus ways to save and scrimp without the stress.

Interviewing the Interviewer - How to Win Points In An Interview - Pathfinder Careers

Interviewing the Interviewer - How to Win Points In An Interview - Pathfinder Careers Interviewing the Interviewer How to Win Points In An Interview When we first get that call for an interview, a sense of elation sets in. Yay! I got an interview! Then, reality hits, and it means hunkering down and doing a lot of research to make sure you are totally prepared for the interview. But one thing many people fail to do is to go on the offensive in the interview. This is a two-way street. You should be interviewing the prospective employer just as much as they are interviewing you. There are a lot of things to consider, including: 1) Is the company financially healthy? The common wisdom in the world of hiring is last hired, first fired so if the organization is struggling financially, this might be a big red flag for you to think about how much would this opportunity cost you if the company went out of business? How many other jobs could you have interviewed for in the meantime if you hadnt worked at this organization? Would the short-term gain be worth it in the long-term? How would this impact your overall career path? 2) What is the company culture like? There are plenty of good bosses out there, but there are bad ones too. Look for warning signs in the company culture when you are in the interview and through your internal network. Sometimes, it simply isnt a fit, and thats okay. In todays economy, sometimes we dont have the luxury of making that choice when its the difference between putting bread on the table and paying the bills through putting up with a bad boss. But your personal sanity and psychological health can be severely impacted by an overbearing, control-freak of a boss so be aware and look for signs of what the office culture is like during the interview. 3) How does the company value its employees? Are there indicators that staff members are respected and encouraged to grow professionally? This can impact your future career direction. An environment where workers are able to obtain professional development to enrich their careers not only builds loyalty but means that their contributions have value in the eyes of the executives. This can mean future promotion opportunities within, or help people build their careers in the future. Being prepared for an interview of course means investigating the company thoroughly to be able to respond nimbly to the questions that will be asked. However, it is also very important to think about what YOU will ask the employer to get a little deeper into the mindset, culture, and operations of the organization while also demonstrating your superiority as a candidate. The people who are most engaged and interested in the employer will have the better chance to stand out as the top choice. Youll need to also prepare questions that you will ask in the interview, and that means not asking things like, How much does this position pay? (Definite interview-killer question) What you want to do is push back slightly, asserting yourself. The interview power goes both ways they are examining you as a potential employee, and vice versa for you. Preparing the questions you are going to ask requires developing queries that are probing without being inappropriate. Im including some good examples for you to use in your interview which can win points in an interview while getting you some valuable information to help you understand the employer: 1) Can you tell me about the culture here at (COMPANY NAME)? Obviously, company culture isnt exactly something that can be easily communicated on a website or in a brochure. Its a personal interpretation, and by asking this question, you are subtly asking the interviewer that you are curious about the values and priorities of the company. The subtext here is that you are letting the interviewer know that you are curious about the fit between yourself and the company. Based on their answer, you can respond and affirm that you are a good fit. 2) What types of professional development does your organization offer? Basically, you are asking the employer: Do you care about your employees and help them do a better job for you by giving them the tools they need to be successful? Investing in professional development for employees communicates that the employer wants to give the staff members up-to-date knowledge and job-specific tools for them to be able to do their jobs effectively. 3) If I were to start this position today, what would be the top three things I would need to know to hit the ground running? I love this question, because this shows how sharp and keyed in you are on the prospective employers priorities. It shows initiative, hunger for the job, and intense interest on being successful. This is a GREAT question! 4) Can you describe your management style? Sure, this might make the interviewer a little uncomfortable, but this is entirely appropriate. Watch them carefully to see if they are being honest. If the person responds with, Oh, I am an open-door manager, and let everyone take the projects and run with them, and isnt making eye contact with you, there might be a disconnect with what they are saying and how they actually are. Watch the reactions of the others in the room, if there is a panel. Side looks can reveal volumes of information 5) Based on what youve observed today, do you have any concerns about my ability to do the job? This is a perfect question to ask last, because this is your heat check moment. After the interview is over, you have pretty much closed the door on any human resource or hiring manager providing specific feedback on your performance. By asking this question in the interview, you are putting them on the spot to give you an indication of what their objections might be in hiring you, and that allows you to address them right then and there. There is no follow up that can sway minds once the interview is over this is your moment. 6) What were the top three challenges and top three opportunities youve experienced while at (COMPANY NAME)? This also lends you some insight into what might be some hurdles or even areas of tremendous opportunity for you when stepping on board as a new employee. Having these heads-up are invaluable in guiding your integration into a new company culture. 7) [Ask company-specific questions] Do your research on the company, and have 4-5 specific questions about the company that are intelligent and pointed towards the position for which you are applying. Sometimes, these questions end up being covered during the course of the interview, so you want to have a number of them to have a couple of different cards to use. Additionally, the subliminal message you are sending to the employer is that youve done your research on them, and are genuinely interested in them as a company, not necessarily as your next job. These pointers will help you stand out in any interview as an excellent, well-informed, inquisitive yet assertive candidate. Employers are looking for go-getters; they arent hiring people for being timid, and this is where you can really shine!

Choosing the Right Free Resume Templates For Mac

Choosing the Right Free Resume Templates For MacWhen you are in need of resume templates for mac, you want to look for the right templates. You can find a lot of free resume templates online but you need to be careful about choosing a template that is right for your needs. There are certain things you should consider before you begin with your resume writing.First, you should be concerned about the personal information on your resume. You do not want to have it compromised. When choosing the templates for your resume, make sure that you only use information that is relevant to your job posting. Make sure that your resume is not cluttered up with irrelevant information.You will also want to ensure that the templates you choose for your resume are customized. After all, they are something that you will be using every day and you want to be sure that they match what you will be using them for. It would be easy for you to type in the name of the template that you want on your computer bu t not everyone has the time to do this, so you need to find out what the templates that you will be using are going to be used for and then order them.The next thing you need to be concerned about when you are looking for the templates for your resume is the format. You do not want the format to look like a junk mail piece. You should get a set of template that you like because this will help you create a more professional appearance for your resume.If you are going to be submitting this for you resume to several companies, you need to consider how long it will take to compile these files. A good way to determine this is to give each company a test run. Be sure that you put all of the necessary information into the template but also make sure that you are adding all of the important information to the end of the template.You will find it very helpful to review a template of the resume templates for mac that is used by many of the companies you are going to be submitting to. It is be st to see what you like about each resume and then use that template. This way, you know that it is going to fit in nicely on the employer's desk.The last thing you should keep in mind when you are looking for the resume templates for mac that will fit your needs is that you need to get something that you will be able to use in a timely manner. The templates are supposed to be used as a guide so that you do not have to spend hours on end trying to figure out how to put together a professional looking resume. This way, you will be able to go into any job interview and not have to go back and redo anything.The best thing to do when you are looking for free resume templates for mac is to first go through the process of figuring out exactly what you want on your resume. Then, you should shop around for a template that will work well for you. Do not forget to get a test run to see if the template will be good for you or not.