HUMAN RELATIONS AND YOUR FUTURE SUCCESS

1. Chapter 19 HUMAN RELATIONS AND YOUR FUTURE SUCCESS

2. Human Relations in your Future • Your definition of success • Success in the business world is often defined as the bottom line or the profit margin. • Employees often define their success by their paychecks. • In return, employers expect employees to be loyal and not change jobs. • Employees should feel a sense of self- satisfaction and fulfillment and also have time and freedom to lead a satisfying family life or spend time on hobbies or interests.

3. Human Relations in your Future • Your definition of success (cont.): • Employees today often need intergenerational care. • The sandwich generation who take care of two generations feel more squeezed than stressed and pressed for time. • Diversity issues arise when talking about work and family topics. • Companies will need to be flexible in allowing employees to find a balance between work and family.

4. Human Relations in your Future • Self-esteem, confidence, and success • A key to building self-esteem is developing confidence. • Confidence can be built with positive self-talk. • The behavior of self-confident people becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy.

5. Human Relations in your Future • Self-discipline and success • Self discipline is important for future success. • Breaking bad habits and replacing them with new ones. • Self discipline can be accomplished through positive self-talk. • Taking responsibility is important for self-discipline. • Another component is to make conscious choices that lead to a more healthful and productive life.

6. Self-motivation, Self-direction, and Success • The strongest kind of motivation comes from internal rewards. • Self-motivation is central to self-direction. • Specific goals are clearer and hence work better. • Short- and long-term goals are important to individual success. • Breaking long-term goals into manageable short-term ones is a way of creating a ladder for success.

7. Fear: The Enemy of Success • Fear • Negative emotion that can stop one from carrying out plans and working toward goals. • The impostor phenomenon: People live in fear that they will be found out. • Fear of failure: People may stop trying to achieve anything or stop trying anything new. • People with fear of success have not experienced much success and feel they are undeserving of it.

8. Positive Psychology • Positive psychology • Focuses on experiences, individual traits, and institutions that create happiness and hope rather than focusing on mental illness. • Believes that everyone has strengths that can overcome barriers to healthy self-development. • According to Seligman, the first step is to stop thinking in terms of catastrophes and defeat.

9. Finding your Niche • Richard Bolles describes three “families” of skills which helps to find one’s niche: • Skills with information or data. • Skills in working with people. • Skills in working with things.

10. Prepare for a Career Choice • Some people know, from very early on, what type of job they will eventually do; others are not so sure. • Before investing time and (possibly) money into these career guidance tools, one should first do some introspection – looking inward. • One can start with some very general questions about what one wants to do.

11. Prepare your Application Materials • Résumé • There is no one “right way” to format a résumé. • Even people with long work histories should keep résumés to a maximum of about two pages. • Most employers spend 30 seconds or less looking at each résumé; a résumé should be short, to the point, and has to stand out. • Most résumés are built chronologically; some are grouped by job skills – functional résumé.

12. Prepare your Application Materials • Tips to write a resume • Start with the name, address, and contact details. • A one- or two-sentence on statement of job objectives. • A section on profile or qualifications. • Place educational and job history in separate sections. • Use short phrases.

13. Prepare your Application Materials • Tips to write a resume (cont.): • Make the résumé appear clean for it to stand out. • Leave out age, marital status, religion and such other facts. • Listing hobbies and extracurricular activities is helpful. • List references who can best evaluate you. • Avoid underlining, using italics, bold formatting, and shadowing.

14. Prepare your Application Materials • Application forms • Be sure to write neatly using a blue/black pen. • Carry a summary sheet that includes dates of employment, names of supervisors, and names and telephone numbers of former employers.

15. Prepare your Application Materials • Cover letters • A cover letter allows one to describe oneself. • One should learn about the company to include specific points about skills that fit with the company. • Should be written in complete sentences. • One should be confident and enthusiastic.

16. Prepare your Application Materials • Apply online • Online applications are used by many companies. • These can make applying for jobs easier and easier for employers to hire. • Check answers carefully before submitting an application.

17. Prepare your Application Materials • Prepare a portfolio • Some job applications require a work portfolio. • These are more common in jobs that create products: art, journalism, teaching, and photography among others. • Include samples of one’s work.

18. Prepare for the Job Interview • Find out about the company. • Arrive on time or early. • Make sure you are rested, clean, groomed, and dressed appropriately in business clothes. • Nonverbal communication is important; you should be poised and confident. • Speak clearly.

19. Prepare for the Job Interview • Make eye contact with interviewers. • Listen carefully to each question. • Keep a positive tone in your answers. • Be honest with your answers. • Most interviewers allow questions after the interview; ask questions about the job, performance evaluations, indicating that you have knowledge about the company.

20. Prepare for the Job Interview • Suggestions for the interviewer: • Develop relevant questions ahead of time. • Do not ask questions about age, religion, race, gender, marital status, national origin, or disability. • Use the BFOQ (bona fide occupational qualification) test. • Greet the interviewee, introduce yourself, and put the person at ease. • Mention how long the interview will take. • Give basic information about the company. • Be courteous; allow the applicant to ask questions.

21. Prepare for the Job Interview • Interview structure: • The most common structures are: standard interview with the applicant and at least one interviewer; a group interview with more than one applicant and a panel of interviewers. • One may also have a stress interview. • Some interviews are conducted on the telephone or in a video format.

22. After the Interview • Thank-you notes • Sent soon after an interview. • Remind the company about oneself while showing appreciation. • They are brief. • Follow-up letters • Sent three or four weeks after the application materials are sent, and still has not heard from the company. • It should be kept brief.

23. Strategies for Success • Practice a job interview: • Why did you apply for this position? • What caused you to leave your last position? • What are your goals for career advancement in this company? • What do you want to be doing 5 years from now, and 10 years from now? • What do you do when you have conflict with a supervisor or co-worker?

24. Strategies for Success • Practice a job interview (cont): • Tell me why we should hire you. • If we hire you, are you willing to relocate or travel? • What did you learn about our company before coming to this interview? • What interests you about this particular career? • Do you plan to continue your training or education?

25. Strategies for Success • Make an inventory of your skills: • Health and physical stamina • Quantitative ability and interest level • People skills • Leadership skills • Mechanical, musical, and artistic ability • Creativity and discernment • Self-assurance • Speaking and writing ability

26. Strategies for Success • Move toward a happier life: • Think grateful thoughts. • Be kind. • Enjoy the little things. • Thank someone who has helped you. • Forgive someone. • Invest in friends and family. • Stay healthy. • Cope with stress.