4 sneaky ways to brand yourself at work

4 sneaky ways to brand yourself at work4 sneaky ways to brand yourself at workIf youve been watching Yellowstone, Kevin Costners new western on the Paramount network, youll have noticed that anyone deeply connected to his mega-ranch has a disturbingly similar feature. (SPOILER ALERT) Both the cattle and some of the formerly dastardly criminals turned loyal cowboys are literally physically branded with the ranch markings. Ouch. It shouldnt have to be quite that painful to set oneself apart as being better in the wilds of the work world.Here are some less obvious ways to brand yourself at workPick a colorMy friend Jeff is an accomplished attorney with a very particular quirk he favors the color green. And by favors the color green, I mean that everything from his eyeglasses to his ties and socks to the color of the ink he uses is green. Instead of being something curious, most people in his work orbit automatically understand that if theres a document signed in green in addition to th e scribbles of others, Jeff has somehow been involved as well. Theres a trust there and an automatic seal of approval as well.While Im not suggesting you suddenly break out the green ink, I do think that if you have a way to impress upon others your consistency in color choice and professionalism. And you can be extremely subtle about it perhaps you can be the guy with the royal blue tie every time, or the colorful pocket squares at every single meeting. The one who cuts to the chase and understands a situation and cuts through the excess. In this way, you create a visual signal for your coworkers and others you might not interact with as often.Drop them a lineTheres been much debate about the way that cursive, if not all handwriting is going the way of the dinosaur. Add Slack, Trello, and texting to the mix and its extremely rare for anyone to know or recognize anyones handwriting anymore. Instead of waiting for an interview or birthday to send a handwritten note, consider spendin g a few minutes and writing something up for your kollektiv the next time they do a really good job. It doesnt have to be flowery or excessive, just a clear handwritten note (or even a post-it) that shows you took the time to acknowledge and appreciate their great work.Be an open bookIf youre trying to connect more with others, consider being more available to them. Keep an old-school daily planner on your desk and invite coworkers to pencil in times for you to catch up. Set up an online calendar that allows others to book your time for anything from an initial consultation to a much-needed professional catch-up. Monitor it all aggressively and consistently so that you dont attract time-wasters or those trying simply to pick your brain. So many of us are constantly on the company treadmill that we forget that taking time to meet and exchange ideas can be a fantastic way to add some energy to your workday.Create a group text or email chainLets say theres an upcoming concert or game o r binge-worthy series that everyone will be talking about. If you organize something that involves your coworkers but takes distribution policy after work hours, youre creating a connective thread that also brands you as a group leader. But make some rules about it ensure that its a safe zone where no one attacks anyone else for their present or past work actions, but rather is a way to share trivia night or carpool to the company picnic. If youre trying to segue into more of a leadership position at work, this is also a subtle way to inform others that youre a take-charge person.

25 Amazing Companies That Hire In 20 Days or Less

25 Amazing Companies That Hire In 20 Days or Less25 Amazing Companies That Hire In 20 Days or Less Its the epitome of limbo waiting for that call from HR to hear if youve advanced in the vorstellungsgesprch process or leid. While some companies are speedy about letting you know about whether youve gotten the offer, others leave candidates hanging for weeks or worse, stop responding. According to data from Glassdoor , the average length of the bewerbungsinterview process in the United States is 23.8 days but it can vary widely depending on where youre applying. In Washington D.C., for example, the average length of the interview process is 33.2 days, whereas in Akron, Ohio, its only 18 days. Weve picked out 25 companies that have a strong track record of being speedy and responsive in their interview process all with an average interview process length of under 20 daysvorstellungsgesprch Experience 36% PositiveWhat Candidates Say Process welches very fast, applie d online, spoke to the recruiter and had atechnical phone interview within 24 hours. A half day on-site two days later. My schedule welches really busy at my current job and they were flexible to let me start later in the afternoon. Interview welches a programming exercise and design exercise. The recruiter came in to tell me that I welches cut after the design exercise. He welches very empathetic and gave feedback that made sense. The two engineering interviewers were very nice and easy to talk to. I think that I have the stuff for the job but work a little slower than they want. All in all, it welches a good experience and Im koranvers the hire great engineers. Interview CandidateInterview Experience 71% PositiveWhat Candidates Say Applied online through a job board. Casino called for an in-person the following week. Two weeks after the interview I welches called for a 2nd interview. Very laid back interviews asked the basic questions. Did not feel intimidated or in over my h ead at all. Great interview experience. Staff Accountant CandidateInterview Experience 44% PositiveWhat Candidates Say A manager at Pinterest saw my profile on LinkedIn and reached out to me to have a chat. After we met up and talked, he set me up with a recruiter to arrange a phone interview with one of the engineers. During the phone interview, I was first asked about my background, then I was asked to write some code using collabedit, and finally, I was given the opportunity to ask some questions. Software Engineer CandidateInterview Experience 54% PositiveWhat Candidates Say Talked to an engineer at a career fair. He handed me a business card of their recruiter. I sent in my resume and was contacted for a phone screen. It was a friendly skype call and I answered a programming question using a collaborative web application where I could code the answer. I was then contacted for an on-site interview. I was interviewed by two web application engineers and did not do as we ll as I was hoping to. Each asked me for background information and then two to three programming problems to write out on the whiteboard wall. The whole process took around 3 weeks. Software Engineer CandidateInterview Experience 44% PositiveWhat Candidates Say Relatively easy, had extensive experience in banking when interviewed. Relevant job skills and experience were pretty much in line with job requirements. The questions were geared toward and gave the impression of a relatively aggressive sales culture. Asked questions about goals and additional training available while on the job. Asked about working in a faced paced potentially stressful environment. Interview experience was pretty much same as competitor financial institutions. Lead Teller CandidateInterview Experience 74% PositiveWhat Candidates Say Paylocitys representation was stellar. They proactively answered all of my questions and communicated openly during the process. I felt that the bar to entry was hig h (a good thing) and the interviewers were competent. Paylocity is actively investing in ways to improve their processes and culture. You get a sense that feedback from employees is valued and important to management. I was assigned an interview project which generated some excellent discussion during the interview. Software Engineer CandidateInterview Experience 59% PositiveWhat Candidates Say Interview process was simple. Got a call after 3 weeks (applied online). Attended two phone interviews. For the first interview, they asked questions related to my work and few questions from SQL and next interview was based on my experience. Software Engineer Intern CandidateInterview Experience 37% PositiveWhat Candidates Say First there is an SAT-style test that you have to take and record yourself to make sure its you/ you arent cheating. Next is a phone screen with the recruiter. Basic background questions and an explanation of the company. After that is the in-person interview . You are asked a whiteboarding question as well as some culture fit questions. The process was quick and an enjoyable experience overall. Software Engineer CandidateInterview Experience 89% PositiveWhat Candidates Say HR phone screen then attended a hiring event met with 6 employees in groups of 2 and had 15-minute interviews with each one-speed dating style. Took a math quiz at the end. Got an offer an hour after the event. Assistant Strategist CandidateInterview Experience 62% PositiveWhat Candidates Say A recruiter from Meraki reached out to me via LinkedIn and we scheduled a phone interview with HR. I had four more phone interviews before flying to Merakis HQ in San Francisco for four hours of face-to-face interviews. The on-site interview process consisted mostly of whiteboarding exercises. Every person I met along the way was very nice and engaging. I think everyone did a great job of testing your skills while making you feel comfortable. Consulting Systems Engi neer CandidateInterview Experience 65% PositiveWhat Candidates Say Super fast I believe I was contacted through LinkedIn. I responded and was given a quick phone interview. After that, I was set up with the head of the department I would be working in. The day of, my interviewers changed, and I instead had one interview with two members within the department. I was offered a job within a week. I was working the following week. Visual Designer CandidateInterview Experience 57% PositiveWhat Candidates Say Internal process for this position. I was already an internal colleague with the company and was looking for a promotion opportunity within my function. Posted internally for the open role, and interviewed with the hiring manager. Other candidates were interviewed, and I received confirmation & offer within 2 weeks. A transition period followed to allow me to transition from aprevious role into this new role. Learning & Development Specialist CandidateInterview Experience 85% PositiveWhat Candidates Say You are given some literature which you are asked to read and analyze and answer a series of questions which is the first stage. Second stage is an in-person interview where you are asked another series of questions related to how you work in groups, time management skills. You are schmelzglased offer/decline letter about a week after. Peer Tutor CandidateInterview Experience 45% PositiveWhat Candidates Say The interview process started with an HR Interview to test your culture fit and to provide general company information. They followed up with two technical interviews where they did live coding challenges (collabedit). Each technical interview had you provide basic experience info, provide/ask questions about the company, and if successful, an on-site interview. Software Engineer CandidateInterview Experience 73% PositiveWhat Candidates Say Many companies nowadays string candidates along for weeks or even months. HR at Lyft was excellen t to work with- prompt responses and a clear timeline made the process extremely pleasant. I had two phone interviews- one initial sichtung with HR and one with a current Community Associate at another office. The process concluded with a 1-on-1 in-person interview. Community Associate CandidateInterview Experience 69% PositiveWhat Candidates Say The positions are posted and applied for online then a time would be assigned for those who applied. There was a panel of managers looking to fill position firing questions pertaining to rep level situations and how one should handle them, store numbers and how one would achieve them, and personal sales numbers. There would be interviews scheduled back to back within the same day for all individuals applying for the position. A decision was made within a week or two. Assistant Store Manager CandidateInterview Experience 47% PositiveWhat Candidates Say For the first round of the interview process, the recruiter scheduled a phone in terview with me to discuss my skills and qualifications as well as provide a little more information about the position. Associate CandidateInterview Experience 38% PositiveWhat Candidates Say The interviewer was candid, friendly, and very helpful Unlike many other interviews, this one was light but still relevant and direct in how the interviewer communicated. I appreciated their candor in explaining opportunities for upwardmobility and salary. Inside Sales Representative CandidateInterview Experience 70% PositiveWhat Candidates Say Applied online, was emailed next business day setting up an on-site interview for the same week. I was flown out to interview, had a short interview with base manager and HR rep, was contacted within 2 weeks with a job offer. Upon accepting I was flown to Ohio for background screening and drug testing, as well as paperwork, and started work in Charlotte a few weeks later. A&P Mechanic CandidateInterview Experience 74% PositiveWhat Candidat es Say I applied through an employee referral. The process took a week. I interviewed at Peets. Assistant Store Manager CandidateInterview Experience 70% PositiveWhat Candidates Say The interview was pretty easy, but you should prepare a bit Just basic questions of what would you do in a certain situation. Dont be nervous and just relate to personal experiences. I played sports since I didnt have a job before and just gave examples of that. Cashier CandidateInterview Experience 55% PositiveWhat Candidates Say Contacted by Director of Sales Recruiting and scheduled a phone interview lasting approx. 40 minutes. Later contacted via email to schedule onsite interview for the following week. Onsite interview lasted over 3 hours and included a tour of the facility followed by back to back interviews with recruiters including a mock interview scenario. Everyone was very friendly and inviting. Corporate Sales Recruiter CandidateInterview Experience 68% PositiveWhat Candidates Say Typical process and questions. Two phone interviews before interviewing with remote hiring manager by phone. Then interviewed with others onsite. Asked about process and tools a lot. Required completion of a writing assignment. Ended up interviewing up to the VP level and everyone along the way was mature and professional. Senior Technical Writer CandidateInterview Experience 67% PositiveWhat Candidates Say Very friendly I went in at sat in the waiting room and immediately saw how family oriented this company was Everyone was friendly and I could see that customer service was there the main goal Patient Access Representative CandidateInterview Experience 76% PositiveWhat Candidates Say Interviewed with HR over the phone, was invited to the job fair, interviewed with several different departments, Interviewed with a nurse and a peer. Be sure to bring a couple copies of your resume and address both interviewers Patient Care Associate CandidateInterview Experience 6 6% PositiveWhat Candidates Say Fantastic people, very professional, top notch communication throughout the process. Made me so excited to work for this awesome company. I would highly recommend that anyone interested in Real Estate in Orange County do what they can to work for this company. Thanks for listening. Community Manager CandidateInterview Experience 68% PositiveWhat Candidates Say There were two rounds in the process. The first round was coding in hacker rank, questions were related to algorithms, and time complexity in any of the language. Second, was technical skype interview with software engineering manager with coding in python, javascript and PHP. Questions were related to solving in algorithms and data structures. Software Engineer CandidateInterview Experience 67% PositiveWhat Candidates Say The process included three stages. I first had a phone interview to disucss my background and potential fit with the firm. The second interview was case and behaviora l. The third interview was a presented case interview and behavioral. Associate CandidateInterview Experience 72% PositiveWhat Candidates Say You can find job posting on student job board. You apply on the job site. Then you receive an email from the employer to invite you for an interview. After theinterview, you will wait for about 2 weeks to receive the employers final decision. Computer Operator CandidateInterview Experience 63% PositiveWhat Candidates Say The interview was fairly straightforward. The interview consisted of speaking with several team members and management. Overall, it seemed they let an employee reference, and my resume speaks for itself. The interview seemed to be more to get to know me. Although I was expecting something different, the interview went well. IS Technical Specialist CandidateInterview Experience 64% PositiveWhat Candidates Say Great interview. Joined the team and things have been well. Good communication and leads are great. Will recommend this agency for new agents. Lots of education and coaching. Beneficial to the industry. Great experience would recommend this agency. Contact the New York Office for recruiting and events. werber CandidateMethodology For a company to be considered for 25 Amazing Companies That Hire In 20 Days or Less, at a minimum, employers must have received at least 50 Glassdoor-approved interview reviews, including at least 50 interview experience ratings, from U.S.-based employees between 6/1/2017-6/1/2018. Interview difficulty ratings based on a five-point scale 1.0=very easy, 3.0=average, 5.0=very difficult. Companies in this article are listed in no particular order and have an interview length (number of days for the interview process) of 20 days or less.

This is how to increase your attention span 5 secrets from neuroscience

This is how to increase yur attention span 5 secrets from neuroscienceThis is how to increase your attention span 5 secrets from neuroscienceThe human brain is the most amazing thing in the universe. It got us to the moon, built the pyramids, cured smallpox And it also cant seem to go 6 minutes without checking Facebook.How long can college students focus without switching to something fun like social media or texting?5 minutes. Tops.From The Distracted Mind Ancient Brains in a High-Tech WorldRegardless of age, students were able to stay focused and attend to that important work only for a short period of time - three to five minutes - before most students self-interrupted their studying to switch to another task.And that was under lab conditions when they were specifically instructed to focus as long as they could on something they were told was important. Yikes.Our attention spans are evaporating. Focus is a lost art. Research shows we check our phones up to 150 times a day - a bout every six to seven minutes that were awake. In fact, were so distracted were walking into things.From The Distracted Mind Ancient Brains in a High-Tech WorldAccording to one report in Scientific American, data from a sample of 100 US hospitals found that while in 2004 an estimated nationwide 559 people had hurt themselves by walking into a stationary object while texting, by 2010 that number topped 1,500, and estimates by the study authors predicted the number of injuries would double between 2010 and 2015.Still with me? Good. (Sorry - after those stats, I really do need to ask.) So how do we steal back our attention spans? Luckily, some experts have answers Adam Gazzaley is a neuroscientist and a professor in neurology, physiology and psychiatry at University of California, San Francisco. Larry Rosen is professor emeritus of psychology at California State University, Dominguez Hills. Their book is The Distracted Mind Ancient Brains in a High-Tech World.Okay, grab your Ritalin . Lets get to it Attention span 101First off, stop blaming technology. Its not your phones fault its your brains fault. Tech just makes it worse. Our brains are designed to always be seeking new information.In fact, the saatkorn system in your grey matter that keeps you on the lookout for food and water actually rewards you for discovering novel information.From The Distracted Mind Ancient Brains in a High-Tech WorldThe role of the dopamine system has actually been shown to relate directly to information-seeking behavior in primates. Macaque monkeys, for example, respond to receiving information similarly to the way they respond to primitive rewards such as food or water. Moreover, single dopamine neurons process both primitive and cognitive rewards, and suggest that current theories of reward-seeking must be revised to include information-seeking.Okay, fine - but if your brain is so good at seeking out new info, why is it so terrible at follow through?Because the information-seeki ng partee is way stronger than the cognitive control part that allows you to complete tasks.From an evolutionary standpoint, realizing there was a lion behind you was far more important than sticking to whatever task you were busy with before Simba showed up.From The Distracted Mind Ancient Brains in a High-Tech WorldOur cognitive control abilities that are necessary for the enactment of our goals have not evolved to the same degree as the executive functions required for goal setting. Indeed, the fundamental limitations in our cognitive control abilities do not differ greatly from those observed in other primates, with whom we shared common ancestors tens of millions of years ago And focusing isnt the only activity that taxes our grey matter. fMRI studies of the brain show ignoring irrelevant stimuli is not a passive process.Just like noise-canceling headphones need batteries, your brain has to expend precious resources in order to filter distractions around you. So doing the same task is harder in environments with more tempting or annoying stimuli.(To learn more about the science of a successful life, check out my bestselling book here.)Alright, you know a little more about how your brain works. So how do you go about increasing your attention span? First step dont waste what little you have 1. Stop multitaskingJuggling multiple activities not only divides your attention among the tasks - but you also pay a cognitive penalty on top of that to manage the switching.This results in more errors and makes things take longer than they would have if you had done them each separately.From The Distracted Mind Ancient Brains in a High-Tech World if the two goals both require cognitive control to enact them, such as holding the details of a complex scene in mind (working memory) at the same time as searching the ground for a rock (selective attention), then they will certainly compete for limited prefrontal cortex resources The process of neural network switching is associated with a decrease in accuracy, often for both tasks, and a time delay compared to doing one task at a time.Oh, but some folks are still going to fight me on this one But you dont understand, Im really good at multitaskingOh, really? If you think that, youre actually the worst at it.From The Distracted Mind Ancient Brains in a High-Tech World it has been shown that people who believe that they are good at multitasking actually tend to be those who do the worst on laboratory tests of multitasking, leading the study authors to conclude that participants perceptions of their multi-tasking ability were poorly grounded in reality.Yes, you probably feel good when you multitask. But feeling good and efficiency are not the same thing. Multitasking meets your emotional need to do something new and exciting while also slowing your brain down and increasing errors.From The Distracted Mind Ancient Brains in a High-Tech World the reason behind the constant task switching is a desire to feed emotional needs - often by switching from school work to entertainment or social communication - rather than cognitive or intellectual needs.You wouldnt even try to lift 5000 pounds. You know your body cant do it. So stop thinking you can efficiently multitask. You now know your brain cant do it.(To learn how to stop checking your phone, click here.)Okay, so whats the single most powerful way to actually increase your attention span?2. ExerciseStrengthen your body and you strengthen your brain. In fact, cognitive control is measurably better after just a single exercise session.From The Distracted Mind Ancient Brains in a High-Tech WorldBoosts in cognitive control abilities occur even after engagement in a single bout of physical exertion, as assessed in healthy children and those diagnosed with ADHD, with benefits extending to academic achievement. Interestingly, it seems that the impact on the brain is greater if an exercise program is also cognitively engaging. Similar tr aining benefits of acute and chronic exercise on cognitive control have been shown in both young adults and middle-age adults. There is also a very large body of research on the cognitive benefits of physical exercise in older adults.And while were discussing things physical, let me confirm what should be obvious get your sleep. While just one exercise session boosts cognitive control, just one bad nights sleep reduces it.From The Distracted Mind Ancient Brains in a High-Tech World even a single bad nights sleep can impair cognitive control and how ongoing sleep deprivation can have severe and long-term consequences.(To learn how to best use exercise to strengthen your brain, click here.)Exercise makes you brain healthier and that sharpens cognitive control. But whats the most direct way to improve your attention span?3. MeditateFocus on your breath and when your mind wanders, return your attention to your breath. Thats meditation in a nutshell. Guess what else that is?Attention tra ining.From The Distracted Mind Ancient Brains in a High-Tech WorldResults indicated that participants exhibited improvements in selective attention compared to those in a control group who did not train over the same time period. This study was consistent with findings from previous research that showed expert meditators excelled on selective attention tasks compared to nonmeditators. Over the years more evidence has accrued that meditation techniques improve cognitive control, including sustained attention, speed of processing, and working memory capacity.Start with a minute a day. Will you see enormous effects from that? Nope. But it sure will stop you from telling me I dont have time to meditate.Eventually build up to a habit of 20 minutes a day and youll departure to see why everyone keeps yakking about how great it is.(To learn more about how to meditate, click here.)I know, I know exercise is hard. And, frankly, meditation is harder. So whats a way to improve cognitive control as passively as possible?4. Call your Mother NatureExercise and meditation both strengthen your attention muscles. Spending time in nature recharges those muscles when theyve been exhausted.The effect is so powerful that merely looking at a picture of nature had restorative effects.From The Distracted Mind Ancient Brains in a High-Tech WorldA 2008 paper described a significant improvement in their working memory performance after the nature walk, but not after the urban walk. Similar beneficial effects of nature exposure have been shown to occur in children with ADHD and young adults with depression, and amazingly even in response to just viewing nature pictures.Ever get to the end of a day and think, I dont want to make any more decisions? Treat yourself to a Google ansehen search for nature. Yes, its that simple.(To learn the seven-step morning ritual that will make you happy all day, click here.)Youve strengthened your attention with exercise and meditation. Youve given your cog nitive control a recharge with nature. Whats another angle for boosting focus?5. Reduce interferenceYou can improve your ability to focus by changing your brain or changing your behavior. And its best if you do both. We talked about changing your brain. And the best way to change your behavior is to make sure that anything which might distract you is far away.Simply put, make your environment as boring as possible when trying to focus. Research shows even having a phone in the room can be distracting.From The Distracted Mind Ancient Brains in a High-Tech WorldA recent study by Professor Bill Thornton and his colleagues at the University of Southern Maine demonstrated that when performing complex tasks that require our full attention even the mere presence of the experimenters phone (not the participants phone) led to distraction and worse performance. In the same study, the presence of a students silenced phone in a classroom had an equally negative impact on attention.If at all pos sible, batch all email checking, texting and social media into three pre-designated times. Then turn off all notifications.From The Distracted Mind Ancient Brains in a High-Tech WorldResults indicated that when participants - a mixture of college students and community adults - checked only three times a day they reported less stress, which predicted better overall well-being on a range of psychological and physical dimensions.And taking breaks is not only okay, but beneficial. Try gradually extending the amount of time between breaks to further build those attention muscles, Hercules.(To learn how to stop being lazy and get more done, click here.)Okay, weve learned a lot. Lets round it all up and learn how to pay more attention when it matters most - in your relationships Sum upThis is how to increase your attention spanStop multitasking You wouldnt try to lift 5000 pounds. Your body cant do that. Dont try to do your best work while checking email, texting, and posting to Instag ram. Your brain cant do that.Exercise You know its good for your body. Guess what? Your brains part of your body. (Shocking, I know.)Meditate Simply put, meditation is attention training.Call your mother nature Looking at a picture of a tree is like a deep tissue massage for your brain.Reduce interference Remove anything from your environment that might distract you. Batch email and social media. Extend the time between breaks to build your attention muscles.Having your phone out doesnt just distract you from work - it also reduces empathy and harms your relationships.From The Distracted Mind Ancient Brains in a High-Tech World the mere presence of any phone reduces closeness, connection, and conversation quality as well as reducing the extent to which individuals feel empathy and understanding from their partners, all of which negatively affects our relationships with others.So what can we do to improve the amount of attention we pay to those we care about - and how much attentio n they give us in return? Try a game of cellphone stack.At the beginning of your next meal out with friends, everyone stacks their phones at the end of the table. If someone grabs their device before the check arrives, they pay the entire bill. Youll be much more focused on your friends - or itll be the most expensive text message youve ever sent.So stop multitasking, start exercising and meditating, get out in nature and reduce distractions. Itll boost your attention span, sharpen your work, and reduce stress. And I guarantee itll improve your relationships. Your friends will love all the attention youre showing them Or theyll love that you keep buying them dinner.This article first appeared at Barking Up the Wrong Tree.