Why and How to Keep Your Elevator Pitch Fresh

Why and How to Keep Your Elevator Pitch FreshWhy and How to Keep Your Elevator Pitch FreshWhen you were fresh out of college looking to break into the financial world, you probably heard about developing an elevator pitch - a succinct explanation of who you are, what you do and where youre headed. The trick is to present yourself within 30 to 60 seconds in such an engaging fashion that your audience is completely sold on you and offers you that dream job.Having worked successfully in the world of accounting and finance for a while now, you might think that your need for an elevator pitch has come and gone. Think again. As secure as you may feel in your current position, you never know when you might encounter the chance of a lifetime. Whats more, youll never hear about that chance if you dont have a quick way to let new contacts know about you. Having an updated, engaging elevator pitch at the ready is the perfect way to take advantage of an encounter that could lead to a new and ex citing opportunity.Getting it all in thereYour experience is what makes you more valuable, but its hard to boil it all down to an elevator pitch. Updating your resume is great way to start, but you need to condense the information even further. Narrow your experience down to a short, bulleted list of accomplishments. But dont stop there. Focus on how your experience and skill set benefits your employer now and where you want that experience to take you in the future. Skip the jargonYour financial acumen makes you attractive to a wide sortiment of potential employers, so dont block them out by using industry-specific jargon or buzzwords in your pitch. Because youre experienced in your field, you might not even notice youre throwing around these insider terms. Test your pitch out on friends from other fields to see if your words trip them up.Face-to-face interactionIf your financial experience has been in the back office, you might need to brush up on your one-to-one conversation skil ls. The last thing you want is to fumble through your pitch when the 30-second moment of truth comes your way. Practice with friends or even video your pitch. And then get out for some networkingKeep up with the latestOnce youve caught someones interest, he or she might want to discuss areas outside of accounting and finance. If you ordinarily just scan industry news sources to the exclusion of other business topics, try broadening your scope. If you know youll be in a specific social setting, you might familiarize yourself with appropriate topics beforehand.Be prepared for the end gameHave a game plan for how you want to exchange contact information if you meet someone youd like to stay in touch with. Some people prefer business cards, so make sure you have one. Others like to exchange information electronically be ready for that scenario too. Also, if you have an online portfolio of work, make sure its updated and readily accessible on your tablet. Its another way to keep your ele vator pitch fresh.Ready to try out your elevator pitch in the job market?SEARCH CONSULTING JOBS

The State of Tech Hiring in Miami

The State of Tech Hiring in MiamiThe State of Tech Hiring in MiamiTHE STATE OF TECH HIRING IN MIAMI-FORT LAUDERDALEQ3 and Q4 2019TOP SKILLS IN IMMEDIATE DEMAND1. Cybersecurity2. Mobile development Cloud security*3. Cloud computing Cloud architecture*4. Database management5. Business intelligenceOF TECHNOLOGY LEADERS SURVEYED 78% plan to expand their teams.21% plan to fill only vacant positions.91% say its challenging to find IT talent in their area.100% are confident in their companys prospects for growth.99% will bring on project-based IT employees. Below are the top reasonsWhen theres a sudden vacancy 65%Consultants are part of our hiring strategy 63%For unplanned, time-sensitive projects 50%For especially busy times 45%When a skill does not exist internally 40%Multiple responses allowed.TOP BUSINESS CONCERNS1. Maintaining security of IT systems2. Investing in new technologies3. Digital transformation projects/initiatives

10 Horrible Boss Stories You Wont Believe Are True

10 Horrible Boss Stories You Won’t Believe Are True 10 Horrible Boss Stories You Won’t Believe Are True Most of the bosses I’ve known are reasonably fair-minded. Not perfect, of course, but definitely with their hearts in the right place. Some bosses, however, have a real mean streak that makes their employees miserable. A while back, I co-hosted a radio program called “Funny Business.” We asked our listeners to tell us their “mean boss” stories. Here are the 10 that stood out. 1. Be Sure to Get Refundable Tickets After I got engaged, I went to my boss to schedule time off for the wedding and honeymoon, which were still more than a year away. My boss said: “I don’t know if that’s a good time for you to take vacation days. We’ll just have to wait and see.” 2. Get Your Priorities Straight My son was born very premature, the weekend before a big meeting for which I had been helping my boss prepare. On Monday, I came to work to tie up a few loose items, and to tell my boss about my son, who at that point was in the ICU. Looking up from his screen, my boss said: “Don’t let your personal life interfere with your job. It can only hurt you professionally.” 3. Neatness Counts I recently wrote a justification to buy a new PC. It had to be approved by my boss. Unhappy with my writing style, my boss rewrote the justification to show me how it should be done. After it was finally written properly, he turned it down. 4. I Love Rock and Roll I was refused a raise by my boss, who said, “You’re already making more money than I was at your age.” It turns out that he spent his youth touring around the state playing guitar in a garage band, barely making enough to pay for food and gasoline. When I pointed out that, rather than playing guitar, I had spent my youth getting a college degree and working in a high-tech job, he replied, “What’s your point?” 5. A Little Extra Motivation My doctor advised me to lose a few pounds and get more exercise. After I mentioned this to my boss, he emailed me a “motivational” image of a fashion model babe with my face and hair. A month later, when I gave notice, he emailed me the image of a pig with my face on it. 6. Did I Forget to Mention? On Monday, my boss approached me at 4 PM with an emergency assignment. He had an important meeting early the following morning and needed a new version of a 400-page document. I worked all night, made the updates, and left the manual on his desk well after midnight. When I came to work the next morning, I asked his admin about the emergency meeting. She said: “He canceled it and took a vacation day.” 7. Exercise Is Good For You Our boss asked me and my colleagues to spend two weeks preparing detailed building and capital improvement “wish lists” to plan our facility’s budget. When I asked when we might see the improvements, our boss said, “Oh- your wish lists are just that. Don’t expect anything you requested to actually get done. It was just an exercise!” 8. Don’t Ask Our boss concluded a quarterly all-employee meetings by asking if there were any questions. Silence. He said, “I keep holding these meetings, and no one asks any questions. I would like someone to ask a question.” One brave soul raised his hand and asked a question. The boss said, “Well, if you had been listening to what I just said, you would know the answer to your question. Next question.” 9. Ah! Now I Understand Our company was running into financial difficulties so my boss asked me to work for half of my salary. I said, “Well, since I’m paid for 40 hours a week but working 80, I suppose I could work 40 hours a week and only get paid for only 20 of them.” He said: “That’s not what I meant. I want you to work 80 hours a week, but I’m only going to pay you for 20 of them.” 10. Please Prioritize My grandmother unexpectedly died from heart failure and I took off two days to go to her funeral. The day I got back, my mother called me to say my grandfather had died of grief. Obviously upset, I approached my boss and explained the situation. She said: “Unfortunately, you have no bereavement time left. You should have planned better.” Readers: Can you top any of these stories? Leave a comment! More From Inc. 22 Successful CEOs on the Books You Should Read It’s Time to Figure Out Your Facebook Video Strategy 2 Crucial Steps to Take Before You Launch Photo of boss leaning back courtesy of Shutterstock.

10 of the Best Cities for Open Jobs

10 of the Best Cities for Open Jobs 10 of the Best Cities for Open Jobs Looking to make a move this summer? Some of America’s most exciting cities are also hiring like crazy and looking for talented people in industries like manufacturing, retail, education and professional services. Plus, you’ll have access to all the perks of city life: culture, food, mass transit, summer concerts and more. So if you’re looking to change jobs, consider also changing cities. Here are 10 of the best cities for open jobs according to the   Glassdoor Local Pay Reports , as of May 2017. Revamp your resume and pack your suitcase! 1. Atlanta, GA Job Openings:   102,463 Median Pay:   $52,524 Popular Companies Hiring:   Georgia Tech, Emory University, The Home Depot 2. Boston, MA Job Openings:   132,512 Median Pay: $58,387 Popular Companies Hiring:   State Street, Boston University, Fidelity Investments 3. Chicago, IL Job Openings:   166,070 Median Pay:   $55,470 Popular Companies Hiring:   Deloitte, Accenture, University of Chicago 4. Houston, TX Job Openings:   86,902 Median Pay:   $54,182 Popular Companies Hiring:  Infosys, Hewlett-Packard, MD Anderson Cancer Center 5. Los Angeles, CA Job Openings:   186,062 Median Pay:   $59,371 Popular Companies Hiring:   UCLA, University of Southern California, Netflix 6. New York, NY Job Openings:   265,577 Median Pay:   $60,639 Popular Companies Hiring:  J.P. Morgan, Morgan Stanley, Goldman Sachs 7. Philadelphia, PA Job Openings:   106,480 Median Pay:   $53,818 Popular Companies Hiring:   Comcast, Deloitte, University of Pensylvania 8. San Francisco, CA Job Openings:   122,090 Median Pay:   $67,352 Popular Companies Hiring:   Salesforce, Glassdoor, UC San Francisco 9. Seattle, WA Job Openings:   107,685 Median Pay: $59,246 Popular Companies Hiring:  Amazon, University of Washington, Microsoft 10. Washington D.C. Job Openings:   159,168 Median Pay: $51,159 Popular Companies Hiring:   Booz Allen Hamilton, Tee Advisory Board, Deloitte

Raspberry Pis Eben Upton on Design and Innovation

Raspberry Pis Eben Upton on Design and Innovation Raspberry Pis Eben Upton on Design and Innovation Raspberry Pi’s Eben Upton on Design and Innovation Eben Upton, a Ph.D in computer science, started working on the Raspberry Pi in 2006, and the first $25 device was an instant hit on release in 2012. The board computer, which has reached 21 million units in shipments, has since reinvigorated the maker subculture, spawning drones, robots, industrial automation systems, and even whimsical artistic devices. Upton is the author of several books, has won a handful of awards, and in 2016 was honored as the Commander of the Order of the British Empire. Upton, 40, grew up in the United Kingdom. What led to the creation of Raspberry Pi? I grew up surrounded by computers. The first computer I ever touched was a Commodore 64, I had a Timex machine briefly, and then I had a machine called the BBC Micro, which was an educational computer, and then I had a Commodore Amiga. Those were all very programmable computers. When I went to college, I was surrounded by people who had that experience of learning computers and that was great for us. In enough time, those machines disappeared and were replaced by large PCs and unprogrammable computers like game consoles. We founded Raspberry Pi as a way of rebooting a little bit of that enthusiasm and being imaginative. The original ambition was to create a low-cost, programmable, fun hardware that was trying to fill that gap that had been vacated when Commodore 64 and other stuff had disappeared. We benefitted from the existence of programmable computers for kids, and those computers went away, and we started to suffer in the university, as an industry and a country. We thought if w e made a programmable computer for kids, we could get back some of what we lost. Optimized components are the key to Raspberry Pis product design and business model. How did you turn Raspberry Pi from an idea into a product? Raspberry Pi is a cost-engineered product. We had a sale price in mind, which was $25, and it was designed backwards from that price. A lot of products are designed forward from a feature set to a price, or maybe you have a vague idea of the price and feature set and try to make it reach in the middle. For us, it had to be a computer, and we had this idea of, What can you do with $25? The bill of materials is dominated by a small number of components: the processor, the memory, and the PCB and substrate it sits on. That accounts for about three-fourths of the bill of materials and 60 percent of the overall end product. The original Raspberry Pi had about 200 components and the current Raspberry Pi has about 300 components. Obviously, optimizing those was very important. We made big choices about what the device could do. We leveraged a standard software stack, we didnt have to do everything from scratch. We chose very carefully to give us the functionality at the price. You look at b ig things and make macro-level decisions on what your device is going to do. We got comfortable with the macro-costs involved;then theres the micro-optimization. We were nearly killed by the micro-costs, you forget the ten-cent prices. You have to make some non-functional compromises in your design. Youre squeezing out things that matter a bit less. For You: Making the 3D Skin Printer Portable How did you find a manufacturer for Raspberry Pi? We didnt find anywhere in the U.K. to manufacture Raspberry Pi a reasonable cost, but we were very lucky to get an introduction to a very good Chinese manufacturer who we used for the first two years. He took a chance on us, gave us a 2,000-unit minimum order at a decent cost compared to a U.K. manufacturer. He did millions in volumes for us over the next two years. We were in the end able to find a U.K. manufacturer and reshore almost all the manufacturing for our core products. As an entrepreneur, what lessons did you take away from the process of engineering Raspberry Pi? Theres an attention to detail in hardware. There are no prizes for shipping a defective product. The silicon industry is like that. You cant patch a chip. If you screwed up, thats going to be a lot of money going down the drain, and if you sell broken hardware, people get upset. What has the impact of Raspberry Pi been so far? I think were just getting started. If you make something which works for most customers, then you have something that will work for most companies as well. People find uses for things, and the impact has been very broad. It shouldnt have been a surprise. Outside of schools, whats the impact of Raspberry Pi? The general-purpose computer has been a success as a product and Raspberry Pi has proven to be a powerful tool not just for students, but for anyone who wants to do general automation of tasks. Weve discovered theres a lot more automatable work than we realize. People have been using PCs to automate factories, but the full unit cost has held it back. If you make something that is cheaper, lower power and has a convenient form factor, you can use it natively. The one thing that surprises us is few people know Raspberry Pi. The use of Raspberry Pi has expanded to drones and robots. Where do you expect it to go? In the context of Industry 4.0, Raspberry Pi is enabling new forms of automation by bringing high-performance, stable, robust general-purpose computing to lower price points. Engineers have used the product to automate a wide range of tasks, and as the core of their own products, including robots and drones. People using Raspberry Pi for general factory automation are also building platforms around it. People are buying Raspberry Pi as part of pre-integrated industrial solutions. Speaking of robots and drones, where do you expect Raspberry Pi to go? The drone thing is very interesting the Raspberry Pi is very good at imaging, processing data from cameras. Pretty fascinating to me recently has been use for intelligent agriculture in California, which is in the middle of a massive drought. You can do infrared photography which will allow you to identify in a field which plants need irrigation. Thats a much more efficient use of water and human time. Were discovering new themes that are automatable. I like the whimsical ones there are a lot of art installations using Raspberry Pi as a controller. People are using Raspberry Pi for vision capabilities in robotics. Raspberry Pi reinvigorated the maker subculture. What benefits do engineers get from being a maker? Engineering is a creative discipline, but engineering has an image problem.The reputation problem is simply that engineering is sometimes viewed as an uncreative, low-status profession like an engineer being the person who fixes your boiler. By emphasizing the creative, entrepreneurial aspects of engineering practice, making may help to address this. Whats your advice to engineers? Dont ask for permission. I didnt ask for permission to do Raspberry Pi, I just did it. I never regressed after that. Persist because innovations hard. I started developing Raspberry Pi in 2006, and I didnt come out with the first one which was any good until 2010 and didnt allow it to market until 2012. There was a lot of persistence across Raspberry Pi. Even when you do the right thing, things always take twice as long than you expect it to. Surround yourself with people who help you persist in your professional and personal life. I kept doing Raspberry Pi because my wife felt it was a good idea. For a time, I thought it wasnt a good idea. Listent to ASME TechCast: In our first episode, engineer Roma Agrawal talks about her new book and the need for a diversified workforce. For Further Discussion Dont ask for permission. I didnt ask for permission to do Raspberry Pi, I just did it.Eben Upton

12 Things Successful People Do Each Morning

12 Things Successful People Do Each Morning 12 Things Successful People Do Each Morning 12 Things Successful People Do Each Morning Looking to shake up your routine? Check out the things successful people do in the morning. Close your eyes for a few seconds. No, don't fall asleep. Instead, think back to this morning. How many times did you tap snooze? Were you running late? Did you feel stressed? If you're like the average American, you probably answered yes to at least one of these questions. You also probably recognize that, though it's easy to fall into this pattern, it's not the most proactive way to start your day. Instead of falling into a bad morning routine, take some advice from the pros. Here are the 12 morning habits of successful people. 1. They ditch the alarm clock Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos swears by eight hours of sleep each night. He's also a big proponent of waking up naturally, without an alarm. Arianna Huffington follows a similar routine. She told Oprah she too gets at least eight hours of sleep and wakes up on her own. 2. They exercise As the sun begins to rise, Dwayne The Rock Johnson kicks his day off with cardio either a run or a session on the elliptical. It energizes him for the rest of his day. Shark Tank star Daymond John also starts his day with a workout. He says this wasn't always his routine, but he finds it makes him more productive, which then shortens his work week. 3. They meditate Self-help guru Tony Robbins also exercises each morning, but after a protein-packed breakfast, he spends 10 minutes meditating, according to Business Insider. He calls the practice priming, which mixes yoga techniques with mindfulness. He says it gives him energy and sets his positive intentions for the day. Jeff Weiner, the CEO of LinkedIn, once tweeted that he too meditates each morning. In fact, he wakes up at 5:30 each morning, reads his emails, checks the news, works out, meditates, and eats breakfast all before 9 a.m. 4. They eat breakfast Richard Branson starts his day with a game of tennis, a walk, run, or bike ride, and follows it with breakfast and time with his family. Related:9 Habits That Will Make You Happier in the Office 5. They soak up the silence Shonda Rhimes, the producer of Grey's Anatomy and creator of Scandal, told InStyle she wakes up an hour and a half before her kids, around 5:30 a.m. She writes in her journal or simply stares out her window. Then, the kids awake, and her day's off to the races. CEO and co-founder of Ellevest, Sallie Krawcheck, starts her day with silence as well. However, she fills the silence with work. She wrote in a LinkedIn article that she's her most productive self at 4 a.m. 6. They spend time with their pets Like others, Oprah starts her day with meditation and exercise. Yet, before that happens, she brushes her teeth and takes her five dogs outside. After walking around the yard with them, she settles in and makes a cup of her favorite espresso. Personal trainer Jillian Michaels says her alarm is her five year old. After the two cuddle, they feed their household of animals, reports Blinkist Magazine. This includes a rabbit, a pig, dogs, a bird, chickens, ducks, and fish. 7. They review their to-do lists Shark Tank stars Kevin O'Leary and Barbara Cochran start their days with to-do lists. Before O'Leary goes to bed, he writes down three tasks he wants to get done the next morning. Whatever it is, even if it's something as simple as sending a text, he completes those three tasks the following morning. He says it puts him on track for a productive day. Cochran follows a to-do list, too though it's more structured. She told Inc. that she files her tasks in order of importance, labeling them A, B, or C. She gives herself three to five A tasks a day. Because these are the most important, she makes sure to complete them in the morning, when she's most productive. 8. They check their emails Shark Tank star Mark Cuban spends an hour each morning checking his emails, he told Thrive Global. He says emailing allows him to set his own schedule because it alleviates the need for scheduled meetings and phone calls. Apple CEO Tim Cook probably wakes up before anyone else around 3:45 a.m. He receives 700 to 800 emails a day, and he reads nearly all of them. He uses his time in the morning to wade through them. Rather than checking emails, Mark Zuckerberg naturally checks Facebook. 9. They don't hit snooze Comedian Jerry Seinfeld doesn't hit snooze. Instead, he forces himself out of bed, opens the shades, turns on the radio, and splashes cold water on his face. Although he's known for getting coffee with other comedians these days, he spent much of his career functioning just fine without caffeine, he says in an interview. 10. They catch up on the news Warren Buffett is big on reading the news. He told CNBC he starts each day with the Wall Street Journal, USA Today, and Forbes, while Bill Gates told Fox Business his go-to sources are The New York Times and the Wall Street Journal as well. Martha Stewart seconds The New York Times. 11. They make their bed Tim Ferriss, author of The 4-Hour Work Week and Tools of Titans, makes his bed. In Tools of Titans, he explains that the routine task keeps his room and his head clear of distractions. It's also something he can control, so no matter how crazy his day might become, he knows his bed is made. 12. They think about improvement Venus Williams revealed to Fast Company that she wakes up and immediately thinks about her game. It's an addiction, but I always think about how to get better, she says. Everything is geared toward that. So rather than hitting snooze for 30 minutes tomorrow morning, try to set a better, more productive tone to your day. Get active, eat breakfast, and do what your parents always begged you to do: make your bed. Click on the following link for more advice on how to get ahead. Do your resume habits reflect your morning habits? Check with a free, objective resume review from TopResume. Recommended Reading: Productivity Tips That Really Work 5 Ways to Boost Your Productivity on Your Lunch Break 4 Ways to Get Out of Your Comfort Zone at Work

How to Organize Your Desk at Work

How to Organize Your Desk at Work How to Organize Your Desk at Work Your office desk is often a reflection of your personality and habits. Some workspaces are sparse and orderly. Others are colorful and highly personalized. Then there are those cubicles that are so cluttered, you wonder how any work can get done there. Organize your desk? Bring in a forklift! Regardless of your preferences or inclinations, your workstation should be set up for the best time management, productivity and, yes, comfort. After all, whether you work in a cubicle or a private office, you may spend more time at your desk than you do in your own bed. If you’re frequently overwhelmed by disorderly files, stacks of paperwork and general disarray, what better time than now is there to do something about it. Here are eight suggestions for how to organize your desk: 1. Triage your stuff Your physical desktop is prime real estate, and you probably don’t need half the stuff that’s taking up valuable space. Here’s a method for culling your things: On Monday morning, remove nonessential items from your desktop and put them on the floor. As you get busy working, put back on your desk only what you need for completing each task. At the end of the week, find a new home for anything still on the floor - a drawer, supply closet or even the recycling bin. 2. Go with your workflow Many people have a left-to-right tendency. This means incoming items - telephone, inbox, computer, other devices - on the left, a clear workspace in the middle, and outgoing items such as staplers and completed paperwork on the right. The best way to organize your desk depends on how you operate. Experiment with various arrangements until you find one that feels natural and streamlined for you. Looking to start anew with a fresh workspace at a different company? See what positions we place at Robert Half. 3. Save the space When you need to sign or spread out paperwork but don’t have empty space, your stress level can increase. Designate a section of your desk as a no-parking zone, and get into the habit of not letting things sit there while you aren’t working on them. This clean-up tip may require you to think vertically, such as getting a wall shelf and using it to house non-essential files and other items. 4. Reduce visual clutter Even if the desktop itself is orderly, you may not be as efficient as you want to be if there are too many things competing for your attention. For example, some workers love sticky notes, putting them on their desks and around their computer monitors. One or two are fine. But when you have too many, they become a distraction and make it hard to concentrate on what’s truly important. 5. Add a personal touch Though clean, your workspace need not be sterile. Marie Kondo, author of “The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up,” is a fan of items that give people joy. Put a few meaningful objects - photos, cartoons, inspirational quotes or a favorite action figurine - on your wall, bulletin board or desktop. But keep them to a minimum, or else your desk will look too messy and possibly unprofessional. 6. Go digital Paper is still the biggest culprit of cluttered workspaces. If you haven’t done so already, migrate your calendar, to-do list and memo pad to your computer - and sync them with your smartphone for greater accessibility and utility. The beauty of digital productivity tools is that they come with notification options, so you can set up alerts for meetings, appointments and tasks. 7. Check under your desk Don’t underestimate the importance of leg room. All those cords and cables under your desk don’t just contribute to the mayhem - they’re also a safety hazard. Use Velcro wraps and cord tamers to prevent tangles and give your feet more wiggle room. And if you’re using the floor to store stacks of files, move them to a filing cabinet or, better yet, digitize them and shred the papers. 8. Wipe it down Keep a few supplies handy and get into the habit of giving your desk, keyboard, monitor and phone regular cleanings. Sitting down to a fresh-smelling, dust-free work area improves your mood and boosts your productivity. Why know how to organize your desk? An organized workspace is not a magical time saver, but it helps you get more done, because you know where everything is, aren’t overwhelmed by visual distraction and can focus on the task at hand. Plus, an organized desk helps create positive mental energy that can spread to your enthusiasm for your daily duties. Subscribe to the Robert Half newsletter for articles and resources to help you build a successful career. Click below to sign up today! SUBSCRIBE NOW