Category: business

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Amazon Employees Are Suspiciously Tweeting About Their Amazing Work Conditions

In years past, Amazon has been in the news for having unfit working conditions for many of their employees, especially employees working in their call and fulfillment centers (FC).

According to NewsWeek, “An undercover investigation in the United Kingdom revealed that warehouse employees resort to urinating in bottles and trash cans around the warehouse so that they won’t miss their strict time targets.”

Photo Credit: Unsplash, Daniel Eledut

Insane.

For obvious reason, Amazon has been on a mission to squash these so-called rumors, so they turned to their “FC Ambassadors” for help. These employees are on a team that posts on Twitter and social media about how much they enjoy working with Amazon.

While the retail juggernaut insists these people are real and speaking their true minds, Twitter followers smelled something fishy. Many were curious about the strangely stilted language being used. This FC Ambassador mission started over a year ago, and since then there has been some serious backlash.

One Twitter user wrote:

Here are some Amazon FC Ambassadors doing their thing…or not…who knows?

Are these people even real?

An Amazon spokesperson said,

“FC ambassadors are employees who work in our FCs and share facts based on their personal experience. It’s important that we do a good job educating people about the actual environment inside our fulfillment centers, and the FC ambassador program is a big part of that along with the FC tours we provide.

Thousands of guests across the world have come to see for themselves what it’s like to work inside one of our FCs. If you haven’t visited, we recommend it.”

But Twitter folks aren’t having it.

You get the point. As a way to combat this further, Amazon has been offering FC tours for anyone who would like to check it out. You can follow #AmazonFCTour for more on that. In the meantime, we can all sit back and watch this unfold.

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In the 1960s, the CEO of Ampex…

In the 1960s, the CEO of Ampex wanted his employees to take LSD to improve their creativity. The board of directors said no, and then had to fire him after they discovered he’d snuck off anyway on a mountain hike with seven or eight engineers and given them LSD.

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This Is How You Can Use Awkward Silences to Get a Salary Increase

No one likes negotiating a salary. Whether you are interviewing for a new job or looking to increase your salary at a current one, they are nerve-wracking! But don’t fret. There are ways that you can prepare for a salary negotiation that can up your odds for getting what you want.

Awkward silences are…awkward.

When asking for a salary raise uncomfortable silences are the best tool in your toolbox. You’ll need to be comfortable leaning into the silence after you speak. Trust me, it can work.

As people adapt to “adulting,” it’s important to learn the art of accepting cringe-worthy moments and embracing discomfort.

Photo Credit: Unsplash, Tim Gouw

So what do you do in this situation?

Katie Donovan, founder of the consultancy firm Equal Pay Negotiations, explains: “The first step is to be silent, hush up, or SHUT UP!” That is, after you’ve asked for more.

Even that statement might make you squeamish, but hear me out. Let’s say you were offered $35,000 as a starting salary. You were expecting $42,000 (the median amount), because based on your research, a role like the one you interviewed for would pay that. So what do you do?

Phrase your answer like, “Thank you for the offer. I truly appreciate it. I am a little surprised about the salary. Based on my research and my skills, I would have expected it to be $45,000.”

Yes, go in a touch higher than the median.

Photo Credit: Raw Pixel

The next step: Sit back and close your mouth. Allow the employer to mull over that.

“Remember,” Donovan says, “rarely is an initial job offer made at the maximum salary budgeted. The hiring manager most likely will have the authority to increase the salary during the meeting.”

I spent many years negotiating salaries as an HR Recruiter in the employment field. My experience taught me that most employers will go in low at the first offer. And guess what? They would expect you as a candidate to ask for more. So why not try? The ball is in your court.

Think of it this way: the company likes you, they want you on their team, and they have chosen you out of hundreds of candidates.

That’s the confidence you need to go into that salary negotiation. My advice is never to leave dollars on the table but be humble about it. Don’t ask for $60,000 for a $35,000 job. Be reasonable.

Now go out there, do your research, and be ready to tackle your next salary negotiation!

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Pay Attention! Here Are 5 Signs You May Be About to Get Fired.

Have you ever walked into work and a really weird feeling rolls over you? Maybe you can’t put your finger on it or perhaps you received some looks from co-workers. Either way, you’re wondering if you’re on the chopping block.

No one likes that feeling, and job security isn’t really a thing nowadays. So now you’re contemplating looking for a new job, or maybe your rational side is telling you to calm down.

If you’re wondering if a firing is impending, here are a few tell-tale signs.

5. Your conversation with a manager is in your inbox

You just left your manager’s office. The news wasn’t good. She lectured you on getting tasks done faster or on that conflict between you and another employee. Either way, she just sent your action plan in an email. She outlined your conversation and the ways she expects you to behave moving forward.

Yikes.

Don’t fret. All you need to do is be on your toes and follow through with her request. Most managers will document meetings in this manner. Perhaps it’s to create a “file of proof” against you. But don’t lose hope. Take this as a warning and turn things around.

4. Your manager follows up on that project

A day later, your manager sends a follow up on that project she wants on her desk, tomorrow. But she said it wasn’t due until the end of the week!  What do you do? Well,  instead of taking a long lunch or chatting with co-workers, hunker down and meet the new deadline.

Photo Credit: Tim Gouw, Pexels

3. Your responsibilities are dwindling

This should be a real red flag. If you all of a sudden find that your work is being given to another employee, it might be a good idea to start looking for another job.

Also, it couldn’t hurt ask your manager why. There might be other reasons. Are you moving into a different role? Are you being put on a different project? If you don’t ask for clarity, you may not get it. On the other hand, you might not like what you hear.

2. You didn’t get invited to a team meeting

You just returned from lunch to find your team is MIA. Where did they go? You peek around the conference room and see them. Why aren’t you? You check your inbox for the meeting request to find you didn’t receive one.

Getting left out of team meetings could mean you are no longer needed, so you best check with your team after they wrap up to get some insight.

Photo Credit: Snapwire, Pexels

1. You meet the new person and he shares your title

Your manager exits her office with a new employee. They are laughing and chatting as she introduces him to the group. You had no idea they were hiring. Hmmmm. He walks over to you and introduces himself. You ask nicely, “What will you be doing?” He answers that he was hired with the same title as you.

Before you get into a tizzy, maybe the company is growing. If not, look over any past reprimands or documented meetings from the boss  – if things were at all rocky, it might be time to dust off your resume.

 

Before you start to over-analyze any of the signs above, take a deep breath. None of them is a surefire indication of anything, so you could be just fine.

But maybe update the resume, just in case…

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People Share the Best Weaknesses You Should Share in a Job Interview

Job interviews are pretty rough for interviewees. The nerves are palpable, and the back-and-forth between employer and job prospect can often be rife with landmines.

Then there’s the dreaded question: “What’s your biggest weakness?”

Ugh, now what? Well, we’re all in luck. These AskReddit users shared their opinions on how you should answer the most infamously difficult question to get “right.”

1. Awareness

“When I was graduating college I got interview tips from my dad who was heavily involved in the hiring process at his company for his department. His advice on this one, which I’ve used ever since and has gone great, was:

The whole “say a weakness that’s actually a positive” has been done to death and is such common knowledge that it’s no longer a clever “trick” and is now seen as avoiding the question. People want to see some self awareness, obviously don’t bring something absolutely terrible up, but mention a real flaw and most importantly what you’ve done to address or work with it.

For example the one I tend to use is that I can be forgetful so I now keep multiple sets of calendars, reminders, notes, etc to cover as much as possible.”

2. Nervous excitement

“One of my actual weaknesses: when I get nervous/excited, I tend to speak really fast and breathlessly. This can actually have a negative influence on my job as I work in healthcare and have to respond/communicate during emergencies.

For my next interview, I will bring this up, and say I have discovered that taking a second to collect myself and take a deep breath seems to calm my nerves and allow me to do/say what is needed in a more collected manner.”

3. Might work?

“What’s your greatest-”

“Weakness? Finishing other peoples’ sentences.” Calan_adan

“That’s what I was gonna’ say!”

4. Sharing

“For my current job, I said that I had a hard time sharing my ideas with new groups.”

5. Controlling

“Actual weakness: Taking on jobs by myself, not taking time to train other people to do them. In the end, I’m usually “the guy” and find myself feeling burnt out.

Probably could be worded better at an interview, but this could sound like you’re a “go-getter.” It might also encourage your employer to find opportunities for you to train other people to do things you particularly don’t like doing.”

6. Dedicated

“I said “I don’t like letting go of unfinished projects” during my interviews. I feel like it shows that I’m dedicated to the work I take on.”

7. Brutal honesty

“Show enough self awareness to know your actual weaknesses and mention how you’re working to reduce their impact on your life. For example, I have an issue with speaking compassionately. For a long time, I believed brutal honesty was the best way to go about things, but it often backfired and made people less willing to work with me because they respected me less and they thought I respected them less.

My wife has helped me with this by, for example when I say something and it’s phrased badly, she’ll say “stop. Try it again.” And I’ll rephrase it to be more empathetic and kinder while still getting across the information I want to communicate.”

8. …Yet

“If you are changing industries, your biggest weakness is not knowing the industry… yet.

If you are younger, say inexperience. Anything to show your willingness to learn and develop.”

9. Good move

“I work in healthcare and always say “Not speaking Spanish” and odds are the interviewer is also not fluent in Spanish so it comes across as not really a weakness. WIN-WIN!”

10. How will you respond?

“Frame it in terms of something you’re looking to improve. “Well, at my last performance evaluation I received some constructive criticism regarding X, so since then I’ve been doing Y and Z to focus on improving in that regard.”

Honestly though, if an interviewer asks you that ridiculous cliched question either they have no idea what they’re doing and/or don’t give a crap, or they aren’t looking for an answer but just want to see how you respond to being pushed.”

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Here Are Some Tweets About Spiderman Leaving the Marvel Cinematic Universe

You were probably as shell-shocked as the rest of us were to learn that Disney’s rift with Sony meant that Tom Holland’s Spiderman (arguably the best iteration) would be getting the boot.

In order to make everyone laugh (to keep from crying), the internet has come through with some pitch-perfect tweets and memes.

13. Meme perfection.

12. Basically.

11. A common enemy is a powerful thing.

10. It’s extra rough when you can’t even drink.

9. The web-rope isn’t that strong.

8. I mean, if Stan Lee said it…

7. Chump change.

6. Just do it.

5. You’d think they’d learn.

4. I can see it.

3. Kids, man.

2. I can’t.

1. This made me laugh so hard.

It doesn’t take the hurt away, but it does help a little bit!

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In 1955, Burma-Shave…

In 1955, Burma-Shave ran a promotion for a free trip to Mars if someone sent in 900 empty bottles of their product. It was intended to be a joke, but when a man from Wisconsin duly sent in 900 bottles, they scrambled to honour the promotion; sending him to Moers, Germany.

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Experts from Harvard Share Tips for the Perfect Cover Letter

Picture this scenario: You’ve just received your college degree and are chomping at the bit to get into a job that features your skills. You’ve done everything right. Great grades, solid references, a sparkling new resume, and a boatload of internships to prove your experience.

You’re scanning open positions online and come across your dream job! You upload your resume and fill out the application marking your interest. But before you click “submit” there is a section to upload a cover letter. Uh oh. 

You quickly draft a letter to the HR manager regurgitating your resume. Good enough, right? Wrong.

According to Inc.com, there are over 250 applicants vying for that job, but only about 2% of those score an interview. So how do you stand out among the competition?

Your cover letter.

Photo Credit: Pexels, Lukas

A cover letter sets you apart. It lets the employer understand your personality, writing skills and why you are better than the competition.

What to include in your cover letter

Linda Spencer, Assistant Director of the Office of Career Services at Harvard answers the all-important question:

  1. Why are you a great fit for that specific company?
  2. How would you add value back into the organization if hired for that specific role? What impact could you make?

She also touches on an astounding statistic that “…the average employer takes up only about 7 seconds [to review resumes]. So they are not reading these resumes, they’re skimming these resumes. They need to know right off the bat how you are adding value.”

If you are looking to get to the top of the stack, a cover letter will help. Here’s what you need to include.

Address the letter to an actual person

With job sites like Linkedin, you should be able to seek out the hiring manager. And sometimes the job description lists the person performing the interviews, such as a Human Resources individual. Take that opportunity to personalize that letter to a specific audience (if you get it wrong, it’s not the end of the world).

State your purpose for the letter

An opener such as: “I am writing to express my interest in the [ENTER Position Title] within your organization.

Be clear as to why they are receiving your resume. You may also include where you found the job—via their website or a job board.

Do not summarize your resume!

Your cover letter should enhance your resume, not rehash it into paragraph form. This is your chance to shine and show a little of your personality and enthusiasm.

“If you have relevant school or work experience, be sure to point it out with one or two key examples,” Harvard’s Career Services Manual states. “Emphasize skills or abilities that relate to the job. Be sure to do this in a confident manner and keep in mind that the reader will also view your letter as an example of your writing skills.”

Use action words and the words “You” or “Your organization” rather than “I”

Remember, the employer wants to know what you can do for their company! Show them in your cover letter (don’t tell them).  If you use the word “I”, it tells the company what you hope to gain from them, not the other way around.

Companies are interested in finding the best employee and that top echelon of candidates express what they can to add value to the job.

And skip the overused words like “hard-working, results-driven, team player.” Chances are the hiring manager has seen these a million times. Give them action. Show them how you are a team player. What projects have you done in which you proved you are a results-driven candidate?

Closing statement

In the end, show your enthusiasm for being in consideration for the role. Thank them for their time and tell them you are looking forward to discussing your candidacy further. This shows them you are excited and appreciative.

Consistency

Lastly, consistency is key. Your font type, size, etc should match your resume. These two very important documents complement each other and should match across the board.

Here is an excellent example of a cover letter breakdown to help you score that dream job!

Photo Credit: Harvard

Now get out there and apply!

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8 Important Things You Might Not Know About the Myers-Briggs Test

Many of us have taken the Myers-Briggs test at some point. Teachers, professors, managers – they all seem to think that the results are interesting not only, but that they might be able to provide insight into their workgroups that will make the days, months, and years easier to navigate.

Is that true?

The psychological community has been quick to point out that the test is only one of many that measures a person’s “type” when it comes to dealing with others, how they view decisions and decision-making, and communication skills…but that hasn’t stopped most people from treating the test a little bit like the Harry Potter sorting hat.

If you’re curious about the test and want to know more, these 8 facts are a good place to start.

8. It’s a popular tool used in the hiring – and firing – of employees.

Officials in the U.S. Army, as well as bigwigs with General Electric, Standard Oil, and Bell Telephone were some of the firs to be convinced that being able to spot the right people for the right jobs could help reduce turnover, but having test results in hand also led to some people being reassigned or even fired, based on their “type.”

7. The test was developed by a mother-daughter team.

Katharine Cook Briggs and her daughter, Isabel Briggs Myers, developed the test together.

6. Psychologists refer to the test as a “fortune cookie.”

Though it was long taken as gospel, researchers today argue that the Briggs women misread Carl Jung’s work on types, which led to “an act of irresponsible armchair philosophy and “a Jungian horoscope” that amounts to “little more than an elaborate Chinese fortune cookie.”

The test is still used by a majority of Fortune 100 companies and earns around $20 million a year.

5. Katharine Cook-Briggs was inspired by her future son-in-law (or love for her daughter, depending on how you look at it).

https://www.instagram.com/p/B1F–vShW4d/

When Isabel Briggs returned home from Swarthmore College with her new beau – law student Clarence “Chief” Myers – in tow, Katharine was fasciated by his personality, which was completely unlike everyone else’s in her family.

The desire to understand it – and the man who would eventually propose to her daughter – led to her study of the psychology of personalities.

4. It’s statistically unreliable.

The Myers-Briggs test suffers from low reliability, which means that if you take the test more than twice, there’s a high chance your classification will change – and if you retake the test with more than a 5-week gap between testings, there’s a 50% chance your classification will be different.

Scientifically speaking, that’s not good.

3. The test was inspired by Carl Jung.

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ENFP aka Campaigner Extraverted iNtuitive Feeling Perceiving (rare 7%) ENFPs are both "idea"-people and "people"-people, who see everyone and everything as part of a cosmic whole. They want to both help and to be liked and admired by other people, on both an individual and a humanitarian level. This is rarely a problem for the ENFP, as they are outgoing and warm, and genuinely likepeople. Some ENFPs have a great deal of zany charm, which can ingratiate them to more stodgy types in spite of their unconventionality. ENFPs often have strong, if sometimes surprising, values and viewpoints. They tend to try to use their social skills and contacts to persuade others gently (though enthusiastically) of the rightness of these views; this sometimes results in the ENFP neglecting their nearest and dearest while caught up their efforts to change the world. ENFPs can be the warmest, kindest, and most sympathetic of mates; affectionate, demonstrative, and spontaneous. Many in relationships with an ENFP literally say, "They light up my life." But there is usually a trade-off: the partner must be willing to deal with the practical and financial aspects of the relationship, and the ENFP must be allowed the freedom to follow their latest path, whatever that entails. For some ENFPs, relationships can be seriously tested by their short attention spans and emotional needs. They are easily intrigued and distracted by new friends and acquaintances, forgetting their older and more familiar emotional ties for long stretches at a time. And the less mature ENFP may need to feel they’re the constant center of attention, to confirm their image of themselves as a wonderful and fascinating person. In the workplace, ENFPs are pleasant and friendly, and interact in a positive and creative manner with both their co-workers and the public. ENFPs are also a major asset in brainstorming sessions; follow-through on projects can be a problem, however. ENFPs do get distracted, especially if another interesting issue comes along. They also tend towards procrastination, and dislike performing small, uninteresting tasks. #myersbriggs #campaigner #enfp

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When Katharine Briggs discovered Jung’s 1921 treatise Psychological Types, her world changed forever. In it, Jung argues that humans have two perceiving “function-types” and two judging “function-types,” both of which are moderated by a person’s introversion or extraversion.

2. It’s not based on any formal psychology.

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For the first time in years, my personality typing has changed. For my time in the military and after, I have always been an ESFJ and am now typed as INFJ-T. This is a significant change and tells me a lot about my growth and change as an individual. The following is a description of INFJ type personalities and I believe suits me to a tee. INFJ: The Advocate personality type is very rare, making up less than one percent of the population, but they nonetheless leave their mark on the world. Advocates have an inborn sense of idealism and morality, but what sets them apart is that they are not idle dreamers. These individuals are capable of taking concrete steps to realize their goals and make a lasting positive impact. People with this personality type tend to see helping others as their purpose in life. Advocates can often be found engaging in rescue efforts and doing charity work. However, their real passion is to get to the heart of the issue so that people need not be rescued at all. Advocates indeed share a unique combination of traits. Though soft-spoken, they have very strong opinions and will fight tirelessly for an idea they believe in. They are decisive and strong-willed, but will rarely use that energy for personal gain. Advocates will act with creativity, imagination, conviction, and sensitivity not to create an advantage, but to create balance. Egalitarianism and karma are very attractive ideas to Advocate personalities. Advocates find it easy to make connections with others. They have a talent for warm, sensitive language, speaking in human terms, rather than with pure logic and fact. #myersbriggs #personality #personalitytypes #infj #infjpersonality #advocate #passionate #justice #karma #decisive #helpingothers #change #changeisgood #growth #understanding

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Neither Katharine Briggs nor Isabel Myers had any formal education in psychology or psychometrics, or any real professional training at all. Though Katharine would have said “one need not be a psychologist in order to collect and identify types any more than one needs to be a botanist to collect and identify plants,” many disagree.

1. The first test was immersed in the world of the WWII job market.

World War II created a change in the American workforce that’s never been repeated. Women were working, the GI Bill was passed, and many career consultants went into the new era with the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator firmly in hand. The idea was that it would help people be matched with the best job for them, but with hindsight, many wonder if that ended up being true.

 

So go ahead and enjoy your results – just know that no one test defines you!

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Meet the Real People Behind 5 Iconic Company Logos

There are images you’ve seen throughout your life repeatedly, but you probably haven’t given them any thought, right? The Gerber baby. The person on the POW/MIA flag.

These are all based on real people, so let’s meet the people behind the icons.

1. The Gerber baby

For a long time, nobody knew the identity of the Gerber baby. It turned out that the adorable little face belongs to Ann Turner Cook, a mystery novelist who is now 92 years old. Cook’s neighbor was artist Dorothy Hope Smith, who sketched her for Gerber.

2. POW/MIA flags

You’ve no doubt seen this flag countless times. Artist Newt Heisley used his son Jeffrey, who was 24 years old at the time, as his model. Jeffrey was home on leave from the Marine Corps officer candidate program and was suffering from hepatitis at the time. His father thought that with his close haircut and gaunt look he would make a good model for the iconic flag.

3. Columbia Pictures logo

28 year old Jenny Joseph modeling for Columbia Pictures’ logo. @doctorow Cool find. The artist who painted her was…

Posted by Boing Boing on Saturday, May 28, 2016

In 1992, Columbia hired Michael Deas to paint the company’s famous logo. Deas interviewed all kinds of models but couldn’t settle on one that he liked. A friend suggested Jenny Joseph, who wasn’t a model, but who instead worked as a graphic artist at The Times-Picayune of New Orleans. Deas found his muse, and it was the first and last time that Jenny Joseph ever modeled.

4. The NBA logo

Who could it be? My first guess was John Stockton, for some reason. But no, it’s actually Jerry West, known as “Mr. Clutch”, who played in the NBA for the Lakers from 1960-1974.

5. KFC

That lovable Colonel Sanders that we all recognize was actually a real person. Colonel Harland David Sanders (1890-1980) sold fried chicken out of his roadside restaurant in Kentucky during the Great Depression. He opened the first KFC franchise in Utah in 1952, and I think you know the rest of the story.

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