Why Students Should Consider Doing At Least One Internship

Why Students Should Consider Doing At Least One InternshipWhy Students Should Consider Doing At Least One InternshipInternships provide a link between academic learning and professional employment. Because many employers require new hires to have completed at least one internship, many applicants will find theirresumes stuck at the bottom of the pile if they havent completed at least one internship during their four years of college. Some college students even go the extra distance and do an internship abroad, an undertaking that substantially boosts their credentials. It is recommended that students try several different internships in order to get a good sense of what its like to workin the particular field theyre interested in. This experience allows students to see what its like to actually workin the office and see first-hand what the industry is like. They also get a chance to evaluate the different types of jobs in their chosen profession that best match their skills and perso nality. Acquiring Knowledge and DevelopingSkills Gets You Hired Internships afford you the opportunity to meet people already working in the field, gain valuable references, and get exposure to the working environment. Theseare just three good reasonswhy students should consider doing one or more internships during their college years. Because many employers use their internship programs to train young people and then select new hires from the internship pool, its crucial that interns do their best to prove to the employer that they have what it takes to be successful in the job. Internships are a way for students to build their knowledge base and increase their skill set while increasing their chances of getting hired for a full-time positionin the future. Internships Increase Your Likelihood of Staying With the Company Not only are employers looking for individuals with relevant experience in the field, they are also looking for people who have had exposure to the field ( and the company) and who understand what its like handling the nitty-gritty of a particular job. Even some of the biggest names in the business hire from within. Union Square Cafe, in New York City, is a top-rated Zagat restaurant known for hiring marketing interns. And, according to the National Organization of Colleges and Employers, 90 percent of returning interns (those who came back for a second internship) were offered full-time employment. Doing an Unpaid Internships Versus Getting a Paid Job Students are often faced with the dilemma of deciding whether its better to do an unpaid internship or find a job that allows them to make some money. There is no easy answer to this because this is a highly personal situation. If you are able to do an unpaid internship without any undue hardship, the experience will provide valuable work experience and may lead to a full-time job with that company, or, at the very least, will help you get a similar job with a synergistic company. St udents who cannot afford to do an unpaid internship might try combining the internship with a part-time job to sustain themselves over the course of the internship. Especially in todays remote-driven world, many internships allow students to work remotely part of the time, and to complete tasks during off-hours like evenings and weekends. Even though an internship is unpaid, the right one will provide valuable experience that paves the way to a future employment. However, many of the large global companies offerpaid internships and you may be able to have the best of both worlds.

6 Leadership Skills You Never Knew You Needed

6 Leadership Skills You Never Knew You Needed6 Leadership Skills You Never Knew You Needed Youre not the big boss. Youre not even middle management. So developing some serious leadership skills isnt exactly on todays to-do list - but thats a big mistake. We can all be leaders, no matter what our official title is, says executive coach Karen Elizaga , author of Find Your Sweet Spot . Groups, irrespective of level within a company, need people to move projects along, take ownership and solve schwierigkeits. And importantly, from a career trajectory standpoint, when you exhibit leadership skills, you become a prime candidate to actually be that leader. You show people that youre ready and willing to move up to the front of the line.If youve changed your mind and youre ready to lead the work troops by example, heres how, according to our career experts. As career coach Hallie Crawford points out, a successful leader- or employee- has to trust other people to get their part of the job done. Thats because, in part, doing everything yourself doesnt promote creativity and doesnt empower others to learn new things- and it actually increases stress, she says. Who knew? So, let coworkers do their thing, Crawford suggests, and only check in on a task when absolutely necessary or before passing it along to a client to ensure its correct. Dont hover. 2. Clearly and concisely express yourself. Just because youre not in a workplace leadership role doesnt mean you should sit silently through meetings. Some think that its enough to produce an excellent work product, says Elizaga. But its not. The ability to advocate your position or opinion puts you in the spotlight, she says. Thats because expressing yourself to your peers and employer illustrates your ability to process challenges, problem solve, and create meaningful resolutions to move forward. If you keep these thoughts to yourself, no one will ever know. And you may just miss out on a chance to mo ve up. You probably have a mentor . (If not, get one- now) But even if youre still learning, you can be an asset to others in your field. In any position, be available to help your fellow coworkers by providing feedback, says Crawford. How? Heres an easy way Ask yourself if theres something you excel at. If so, dont keep the knowledge to yourself, Crawford says. Be willing to share what you know with your coworkers. Your team- and very likely, your boss- will appreciate your communal know-how. Calmly listening to what youve done wrong or how you can improve probably may make you feel like more of a misfit than a leader. But learning to take constructive criticism well is actually a crucial leadership skill every employee should master, Elizaga says. No one is perfect, and we can all benefit from someones perspective on our performance so that we can continue to strive for excellence, she says. And making a tangible change after receiving- sometimes tough - feedback shows your bo ss and colleagues that you can listen, your ego is not too big to take into account other opinions, and you can bend and flow for the benefit of the organization.It may be perfectly acceptable to show up to your office in jeans. (Many an industry is going the uber-casual these days.) But even if you can get away with wearing a T-shirt and shorts to work, resist the urge to be comfortable and instead, dress like a boss, says Crawford. It may be a good way to get yourself noticed by the higher-ups, but this is also a move you should make for yourself. Dressing your best- someone who cares about the image they project- will not only help you feel more confident but also will help you build your brand as a professional, Crawford says. Lets be honest It can be tough to keep our cool at work. Sometimes emotions flare, conversations get heated- and as a result, productivity falls off a cliff, says Elizaga. But, if you can keep calm and carry on with work, rather than give in to an outburst , your ability to stay rational and reasonable even in the face of others emotional issues will show others that you can consistently remain cool-headed and forward-focused, she says. Moreover, when you can remain calm and encourage others to do the same, you lead the way to continued productivity. And then everyone wins.

Corporate Employee Benefits Communications Plan

Corposatz Employee Benefits Communications PlanCorporate Employee Benefits Communications PlanAccording to studies by ADP, a leading provider of human resources management and payroll services, 80 percent of human resource decision makersthinkits important for employees to understand their full benefit options. Unfortunately, they estimate that only around 60 percent of their employees do so. This indicates a breakdown between the expectations of HR leaders and the reality that many employees dont understand the value of their employer-sponsored benefits. Do your employees know what benefits your company provides? Do you communicate this to existing employees or is it something they only see during recruitment and onboarding? Do you have a benefits communication plan to keep them updated so they arent lured away by competitors? Changing a Variety of Employee Benefits Employers spend a great deal of time and money making koranvers that their employees have the very best possible b enefits. Its all a part of making sure employees are happy and healthy in order to be productive at work. Based on the most recent research, organizations in the USA spend around $0.43 for every dollar of payroll just for employee benefits, including health, dental, vision, and prescription insurance, life insurance, retirement funds, stock options, paid time off, and employee assistance programs. These figures do not even take into consideration the many other perks and benefits that companies invest in to make the workplace better, like flexible scheduling, corporate discount programs, and casual work attire. And the benefits just keep on increasing. In a special 20-year edition of its annual Employee Benefits research report, released in 2016, the Society for Human Resources Management released its 2016 Employee Benefits researchreport, noted that, as compared to the 1990s, employers are providing a much richer benefits package to employees than ever before- as a result of trying to increase retention rates and improve recruitment efforts in a competitive market. Communicating Employee Benefits The problem is, companies are not doing enough to communicate the value of their programs so that employees are aware of them, or understand their options. Too many firms often limit their communication efforts to specific times, like during recruitment, onboarding, or open enrollment periods. The good news is that in todays technology-driven world, there are multiple ways to communicate employee benefits with your workforce. It is important to note that each employer will want to evaluate how employees prefer to be informed and then develop plans to tap into these resources when creating communications. Read on to learn some of the different ways that employers share benefit-plan information with employees. Printed Materials From single printed pages to full-scale marketing campaigns, many companies turn to written and printed documentation to share employee group benefits information. This can be very effective because information can quickly be disseminated to all employees at any time of the year. Marketing communications can also be beefed-up during peak times, such as open enrollment and employee onboarding processing. Additionally, written and printed documentation of benefits information can be edited as benefit plans change. It is important to note that all written documentation should include access to a detailed explanation of benefits as supplied by plan administrators. Create a set of printed benefits documents for employees that include rate schedules and coverage amounts, and a separate set of documents that are designed to provide basic benefit information to candidates before they are recruited for employment. If your workplace is multi-cultural, you may also want to create a set of documents that are translated into other languages for ease in communicating benefits to all employees. Information Meetings Whether ha ndled informally or via formal sessions facilitated by your benefit plan administrators, benefit meetings can be an effective way of getting plan information and questions answered quickly. Make it a policy that all new hires get a chance to talk with a benefit plan administrator before selecting any benefits for the coming year. Your on-site benefit administrator can also be available to schedule meetings with employees if they have specific questions about how to use their benefits. This can be especially important if there are claims issues. During open enrollment, make sure that your plan administrative team is also available to conduct talks to highlight important updates to the benefit plan and encourage more employees to participate in the group offerings. Digital Communication Methods We now live in a world where digital communication has become the norm. Digital communication includes emails, text messaging, instant messaging, mobile apps, and more. Consider how you can get benefit information out to your employees on a regular basis to remind them of all the perks that they have available to them. For example, during the first part of the year, many of your employees will be thinking about getting fit, losing weight, or developing other healthier habits. Use this time as an opportunity to share information about the company wohlbefinden program or how the company is committed to helping employees stop smoking. During the summer months, when outdoor activities increase and kids are out of school, you may want to feature information about staying safe in the sun and familial benefits. A good rule of thumb when using digital communication is to keep messaging brief and to the point. Corporate Benefits Portals and Websites ADPs surveys indicate that nine out of 10 large companies, and seven out of 10 mid-size companies, have a web-based benefit portal for hosting employee benefits information and resources. This is a secure way for employers to s hare important benefits information and instructions for enrolling in benefit plans. Benefit websites must be encrypted to the highest level possible and designed with a single-sign-on process to protect personal health information and other data, locked behind user credentials. Making the most of a website portal for benefits communication can include Setting up a simple system for accessing the portal online and through mobile devicesAdding valuable content that relates to the benefits and wellness goals of employeesProviding a central contact number where employees can get live helpSharing updates and plan documents that can be downloaded on demandLinking the benefits website to the company intranetEnsuring the website is 508 compliant so that all employees have accessInclude content that is easy to translate into other languagesAdding a glossary of basic benefit terminology and a library of benefit topics Social Network Communications Social networking can also be a very ef fective way of communicating employee benefits. Many employees find this to be a friendly way of dealing with HR. Each company should have access to their own business page or at least create one for the purposes of communicating important updates including information about benefit plans. Select from one of the major social media networks such as Facebook or Twitter to allow for the greatest amount of sharing and content choices. Assign a benefits administrator and a member of the marketing team to work together to create benefits messages that encourage participation in the group plans. Share health and wellness tips, financial responsibility tips, and updates to enrollment periods. Include success stories and pictures of employees meeting their wellness goals. Total Compensation Statements In order to make a bigger impact when communicating benefits, it is advised that your company sends out at least an annual statement of total compensation to all employees. This is a docume nt that is organized by salary, benefits, and other perks that the company offers to employees. It is a written document that shows in black and white how much the company is investing in every employee. As evidenced by research, many employees dont realize how much the workplace benefits them so that a total compensation statement can create a meaningful dialogue between you and employees. If you are not sure how to create a total rewards or compensation statement, work with a third-party provider to organize all of your data into one central document. Provide a snail mail copy of the total compensation statement as well as a digital copy that you can email to employees. Additional Best Practices When preparing materials, avoid jargon. In fact, dont assume employees understand even basic benefits terminology. When communicating with your employees, keep things simple and in terms that they can understand. If there are complex concepts that need further explanation, use your web portal to create a glossary of terminology that they can review when needed. It is important to plan as early as possible before peak periods of enrollment in order to increase the chances that employees will comprehend their benefits. Use a variety of mediums because every generation and culture absorbinformation differently. Seek support from your benefit plan administrator when gathering additional materials, including marketing materials and plan summary documents. Be creative and keep employee benefits friendly. You will be more successful in transferring the value of benefits to your employees so they will take advantage of these perks of employment.