Welcome to FreshGigs’ first weekly recap. We know how busy you are, so every week we’ll help you get caught up on some of the best career related stories from around the web. Weekend reading from last week that you can apply for the week ahead.
3 Ways You Could Be Annoying Networking Contacts (LearnVest)
We’ve heard the saying: it’s not about what you know, it’s about who you know. Well…what if you’re annoying the people you know? [Tweet This] Networking is tricky at times—you want to put yourself out there, but you don’t want to be overly aggressive, or overstep your boundaries. Lily Herman for the Muse, cross-posted on LetterVest, discusses three things you might be doing to annoy your networking contacts, and how communication with your contacts can be improved. Read the full article here.
No matter what you read, what you learn, or whom you talk to, the majority of the time you’ll be operating on your own gut instinct.
Article Snippet: “Just because you had a nice email exchange with someone once doesn’t mean that you two are best friends and you can ask that person for favors all willy-nilly. Asking your contacts for too much, too quickly can make them feel like it’s a fake relationship, like you’re just using them for professional advancement. And who wants to help a person like that?”
5 Healthy Office-Friendly Snacks That Will Reenergize Your Staff (Inc.)
Sometimes, productivity at the office simply comes down to what you’re eating. A healthy work environment is a productive work environment, and the traditional office snacks—a roll of rice crisps washed down by lukewarm coffee—don’t cut it [Tweet This]. The best part about healthy office-friendly snacks? They don’t take up desk space or too-much fridge space, and the snacks don’t break the bank. Chances are you have most of, if not all, the snacks in your home already. Read the full article here.
Article Snippet: “But when employees reach for the easy, unhealthy options, regular snacking can actually become a bane to productivity. A sugary soda might provide a quick burst of energy, but your blood sugar levels will inevitably crash. Processed or sugar-based products just don’t provide sustained energy for the standard eight-hour workday.”
“The Glass Cliff” And 4 Other Ways Our Coworkers Treat Us Differently Because of Gender (99u)
In the workplace—much like in every other area of life—gender determines how people are treated. Putting yourself in the shoes of a different gender isn’t possible; at best, we can simply try to understand what the opposite gender is going through and then work towards removing biases that influence our behaviour. This article by Dr. Christian Jarrett, psychologist turned writer, takes a look at a few ways coworkers treat us differently because of gender. Read the full article here.
Article Snippet: “One study using fictitious personnel records found that men, but not women, who took leave to care for a child or sick relative were judged harshly by participants—it was assumed they were less dedicated at work and less helpful to their colleagues.”
4 Mistakes Not to Make When Answering “Why Are You Interested in This Position?” (The Muse)
When you go for an interview at any company, you will be asked, “why are you interested in this position?” during the interview. It sounds like a simple question, but there’s a reason why it’s a staple for every interview: it provides the most insight into who you are, and what you bring to the position. To help you prepare for your next interview, Lily Zhang at The Muse looks at 4 mistakes to avoid when asked about why you’re interested in the job. Read the full article here.
Article Snippet: “This seemly innocuous question is a surprisingly tricky one, especially if you try to answer it without first thinking about your audience. It’s just one question, but it can completely shape the way an interviewer views your candidacy.”
Best Advice: Trust Your Gut. You Know What to Do. (LinkedIn)
No matter what you read, what you learn, or whom you talk to, the majority of the time you’ll be operating on your own gut instinct [Tweet This]. Only you truly know what’s best for yourself, and sometimes it’s good to be reminded of that, which Kara Goldin, LinkedIn Influencer, does in her latest LinkedIn article. Read the full article here.
Article Snippet: “When I look back at the beginning of our company, the most important lesson I learned was this: trust your gut. Because I hadn’t worked in the beverage industry, I originally thought I needed to hire a lot of people who had lot more beverage experience than I did. I would have been better off trusting my intuition — that I’d found a new, better way to go about things. Because I was thinking through it from a clean slate, I actually had.”