Why its ok to decline that meeting invite Viewpoint careers advice blog

Why its ok to decline that meeting invite I find that, in general, people are not protective enough of their timeâ€"especially when it comes to meetings. I once had a client who spent over 20 hours a week in meetings, so much of his time that he felt he couldn’t pursue the work and life goals he had set for himself to achieve. He wasn’t moving forward because he was simply too busy to actually do so. So I asked him to cut his time in meetings by half. It wasn’t an easy process, but it worked. The bottom line is that the most effective and successful people tend to understand that there is a cost associated with every meeting invite they accept and that cost is missing out on something else. So, rather than double booking meetings, not preparing adequately, being late, or doing other work during the meeting, you really should think about declining. Three things to consider before declining a meeting Next time you receive a meeting invite; don’t just hit “accept” automatically. As my colleague, Dr. Liane Davey puts it  â€œWhen you receive a meeting invitation, it’s important to think about whether or not it’s a good use of your time” Here are a few things she recommends you think about: First, consider whether the meeting is set up for success. Is the topic timely? Are the right people invited to ensure you can make the required decisions? Ask yourself whether you’re the right person to attend. Are you the right person from your team? Does the issue need someone more senior? Is it an opportunity to delegate to someone more junior? Is there unique value you can add above and beyond the others who will be in attendance? Finally, even if it’s an important meeting and you can add value to the discussion, it might not be the most important thing for you to be doing at this particular time. Think hard about the opportunity cost of attending the meeting and make a call based on what’s most important for you to pay attention to. If you have something to contribute but can’t afford to attend, ask to contribute in advance or to attend for only parts of the meeting. If you decide not to go to the meeting, be forthcoming with your reason for declining the invite, and remember that, as a supportive team member, you still have certain responsibilities you need to fulfil: To coordinate for someone who is attending represent you and fill you in later on what happens To give the meeting delegates permission to assign you work To align with and commit to the decisions made during the meeting How to politely decline a meeting invite This is about considering the invitation and then declining after reflection. And it’s about being candid with those inviting you and even allowing them an opportunity to change your mind. Saying no is not necessarily the end of a conversation. Politely declining an invitation to meet might sound like this: Thank you for the invitation. I’m going to decline on this occasion, but I do appreciate being invited. Given my other commitments for the next two weeks, I’d prefer to not take this on. Will this be okay with you? Thanks for asking, however, I already have commitments outside of work Okay, I’d like to be supportive of the team. And I have a conflict for Thursday. Is there another way I can help? I think you’ll find that if you hold yourself responsible for the meeting being effective without your presence, people will respect your decision not to attend. That said, if you make not attending a pattern, you risk losing the respect of your employees or co-workers, so be thoughtful about when you choose not to attend. The goal is to adopt a perspective that you have some choice over which meetings you attend and how long you spend in each meeting. Worried your career is going in the wrong direction? Our career management tips will help you get back on track 11 ways to become more productive at work Does working longer than 42.5 hours a week make me a workaholic? Five lessons I wish I had learnt earlier in my career   Under thirty and think you’re underpaid? It’s time to take action How to deal with a mid-career slump

Playing The Game (of Life) Without Limits - The Villanova Story

Playing The Game (of Life) Without Limits - The Villanova Story The greatest word we use in this program is disposition. - Daniel Ochefu, #23 for Villanova the 2016 National Champions in mens school basketball.Whether youre a devotee of school b-ball of not, youll discover the tale of the Villanova Wildcats inspiring. After 31 years, a benevolent gathering of humble yet capable youngsters took the NCAA mens b-ball title back to Villanova University.What rouses me about this group isn't just that they won yet how and why they won and the general degree of happiness and fun they brought to the experience (for their fans especially).They won by being selfless. The match dominating, signal beating shot that won the national title game for Villanova was the consequence of a magnanimous pass. Ryan Arcidiacano passed the ball to Kris Jenkins who covered the match dominating three-point shot. Heres the thing Ryan is an exceptionally gifted three-point shooter himself and a senior playing his last game for Villanova. Ryan drains blue and white. Both his folks went to Villanova and he experienced childhood in the universitys backyard. Ryan could have handily made this about himself and made the effort yet he didnt. He was all around safeguarded by the North Carolina Tarheels in those last moments. And Ryan being the cooperative person that he is, made the go to Jenkins. Other 18-twenty-year-olds may have picked the brilliance yet as Ive heard Ryan cited as saying, I dont care what number of focuses I get, I simply need this group to win. Sharing the ball secured a Villanova triumph and not simply in the title game. Having watched this group play in the Big East and the NCAA competitions, I can disclose to you everybody settled on caring decisions to assist this with joining succeed at different points.This was business and it was personal. This is an excursion for work that is the manner by which the group saw the Final Four. They had business to finish. For just as the Wildcats played all through the NCAA competition beating top 5 group after top 5 group, many despite everything picked North Carolina to win the championship. So the Villanova group had it on their shoulders to demonstrate the experts wrong. But it was likewise personal. Kris Jenkins otherwise known as Big Smooth had a receptive sibling on the Tarheels who had been telling correspondents he could never let Kris live it down in the event that he lost the game. When the seconds were ticking down on the clock and Villanova needed to make a container to win, I saw it was Kris Jenkins going after the buzzer. I realized he would do everything he could to make that shot and demonstrate his sibling wrong. As spurring all things considered to need to win a title, its much all the more persuading to show the individuals who think little of us exactly what were skilled of.Joyfulness and fun Smiles, consolation, embraces that is the way I saw this group reacting to good and bad times all through the tournament. Never did I see them fur ious with each other in any event, when mix-ups were made. Even Coach Wright kept his cool and never seemed disappointed with his team. The #NovaNation of fans (at any rate the ones I follow) were extremely strong of the group in their Facebook posts, Tweets, and LinkedIn messages. The message of affection and backing originated from the top at Villanova University as well. One of my preferred pictures after the Final Four success to place the Wildcats in the title was of University President Father Peter Donahue giving Ryan Arcidiacano a hug. It resembled his own child had won the game. Having met Father Peter I have no uncertainty he was an extremely positive power behind this group notwithstanding Coach Wright and the staff.When got some information about what made this group unique, Kris Jenkins stated, We acknowledge coaching. Considering that the Wildcats Coach Jay Wright won the Naismith Coach of the Year grant a few times including this year, I can acknowledge that. T he achievement Ive found in my own training customers, is incredible. Im sure Jay Wright feels that path about this team.We would all be able to play unbounded and accomplish mind boggling results whatever field we are in. Make demeanor your focus. Work benevolently to help other people/the association be a success. Enjoy the experience, make it fun and youll make your own moving achievement story.(Championship photographs politeness of my preferred individual Villanova alum Craig Zabransky who went to the game.)

The Process of Writing a Resume in Present

The Process of Writing a Resume in PresentThe process of writing a resume starts with the first few sentences, which leads into the actual resumes of the employees. This is where resumes are set out to serve their purpose. It is important to remember that these resumes can help in getting a good career prospect or job. A well written resume will lead to the completion of the interview and ultimately a job offer.Employers and potential applicants have a right to know the contents of the resume. So it is imperative to give them what they want. A well-crafted resume has to be carefully constructed.Before starting the resume writing in present, it is essential to understand the nature of the job that the applicant is applying for. The nature of the job also decides the structure of the resume. Some jobs have fixed formats, while others follow a different structure.There are many more important elements that need to be understood and incorporated in the resume. These are the educational q ualifications, work experience, skills and expertise. These elements are related to the subject of the application.Different jobs require different requirements and qualities of an employee. These are often represented in the resume. Different categories can be made like supervisor, executive, marketing, finance, sales and human resources.The knowledge and skills acquired through different types of training can also be presented in the resume. These are called the skills. As the term skill does not mean training of a particular type, then these skills may vary from one job to another. Experience is another factor that is very important in the resume.Experience can play a major role in creating a successful resume. This is because the experiences should be specific to the job. When a resume is designed with too much importance on the skills, it will not be so beneficial for the employee.It is very important to create a good resume in present. A good resume should serve as a guiding t ool that will help the person in achieving the goals set by the employer. The individual will be in a position to obtain the interview and ultimately the job offer.

Ten coding languages you should be learning

Ten coding languages you should be learning by Michael Cheary Do you speak Python?With thousands of different coding languages out there, for the untrained eye it can often be difficult to tell them apart. Unlike our own languages, there are no alphabets or translators on hand to help you learn. But with programmers and developers in demand more than ever before, learning the right one could be the key to finding your next job.To help you choose which one is right for you, here are ten coding languages you could be learning right now:CC is one of the oldest coding languages still around today.However, that doesn’t make it obsolete. What sets C apart is that it forms the foundations of many languages present on this list, including C++, C# and Python. It also provides the programmer with maximum control, allowing easy customisation and the ability to edit without working to a set framework.Although it isn’t the easiest language to learn, it’s well worth putting the time in, as moving on to other languages will oft en be easier with some experience in C.What it looks like:#includestdio.hmain(){printf(Hello World);}Primary benefit: Learning to code in C will make other languages easier to learn.Perfect for: People who like to keep their code old-school.C#Pronounced ‘C sharp’, this language was initially developed by Microsoft and comes under the .NET framework.It’s a general purpose, object oriented language, designed for developing and improving web applications, meaning companies are always searching for developers with C# skills. This is also intensified by the fact that programmers can build on existing code, rather than repeating it multiple times, making it less expensive for businesses to get their products out there.However, Apple evangelists beware â€" C# primarily runs in Windows.What it looks like:public class Hello1{public static void Main(){System.Console.WriteLine(Hello, World!);}}Primary benefit: Always a number of job opportunities available for people with C# skills.Perfe ct for: People who want to work with Microsoft Windows.Objective CObjective C, like C#, traces its roots back to the C language.However, unlike C#, Objective C was designed and developed by Apple. Not only does it only operate on Apple operating systems, it also happens to be their language of choice, making it a great choice to anyone interested in app development.Well, iPhone App development at least…What it looks like:#import Foundation/Foundation.hint main (int argc, const char * argv[]){NSAutoreleasePool *pool = [[NSAutoreleasePool alloc] init];NSLog (@Hello, World!);[pool drain];return 0;}Primary benefit: Will help you learn to develop IOS apps.Perfect for: People who want to build the next avian super-app.C++An intermediate, object oriented language, C++ is an enhanced version of C. Think of it as, well, C plus (plus). Get the name now?C++ runs on multiple hardware, and helps power major software such as Firefox and Adobe. However, the language really comes into its own whe n used to develop computer games. So if you’re interested in traditional games development, a basic knowledge of C++ will be essential.What it looks like:#include iostreamint main(){std::cout Hello World!;}Primary benefit: Will help you get into Games Development.Perfect for: People who want to make the next Monkey Island.JavaDeveloped by Sun Microsystems in the mid 1990’s, Java runs on just about any operating system.It’s almost impossible to do anything digital without coming into contact with Java, with its presence felt all across the web, in Android apps, and even on your desktop. What’s more, most programmers have some kind of experience using the language, owing to its inclusion in most computer science courses.What it looks like:class HelloWorldApp {public static void main(String[] args) {System.out.println(Hello World!); // Prints the string to the console.}}Primary benefit: Will help you develop Android apps.Perfect for: People who think Apple is overrated.JavaScr iptJavaScript is one of the most useful languages for budding Developers to learn. It is also nothing to do with Java (the name thing is just a coincidence).Introduced in 1995, JavaScript is the most used coding language in the world. It’s multi-platform, meaning it runs on most operating systems and web browsers, and is essential for anyone looking to build fully functional interactive or animated websites.So whether you want to get into games development or help build the next generation of smartwatches, a good understanding of JavaScript will be invaluable.What it looks like: !DOCTYPE HTMLhtmlbodypHeader/pscriptalert(Hello, World!)/scriptpFooter/p/body/htmlPrimary benefit: JavaScript will help add the ability to incorporate interactivity to your arsenal.Perfect for: People who want to build their own websites.PythonPython is what’s known as a high-level programming language, although is often considered one of the easiest languages to learn for beginners. It’s name was also inspired by a certain British comedy troupe, although that’s not important*.What is important is its simplicity, best expressed by its clear and compact syntax. This was intended to emphasise readability, whilst also reducing the amount of code necessary. For this reason Python is used by a number of businesses, including Google, Yahoo! and NASA.What it looks like:print(Hello, World!)Primary benefit: A fast first foray into coding.Perfect for: People who want to get their start-up off the ground as quickly as possible.RubyAs with Python, Ruby is considered a fast and fun way for beginners to get into programming.It powers Ruby on Rails, one of the web’s most popular development frameworks, used by .com giants such as Groupon, Github and Twitter. It’s also object orientated, making it relatively easy to read and write.In fact, Ruby is intended to emphasise human needs over those of a computer, which is perfect for those who aren’t fans of anything too overcomplicated.What it looks like:puts Hello WorldPrimary benefit: In high demand right now.Perfect for: People who want to learn coding as quickly as possible.PHPPHP (Hypertext Processor) is a useful tool for anyone interested in building dynamic websites and apps.It is what’s known as a server-side language, as all code is developed using PHP, but is viewed as plain HTML by the user. Both the pre-built modules available and the ability to simply embed codes in HTML make this an attractive proposition.They’re also just two reasons why Facebook, WordPress and Wikipedia all value PHP so highly.What it looks like:?php   Print Hello, World!; ??php   Echo Hello, World!; ?Primary benefit: Flexibility, and in demand across a range of different industries.Perfect for: People who want to make their blog better.SQLSQL is mainly used to interact with databases.The acronym stands for Structured Query Language (which apparently wasn’t quite catchy enough), and its most common use it to query databases, making it a handy tool for those working with large pieces of data on a daily basis.It’s also useful when storing a lot of content, which is one of the reasons sites like WordPress see SQL as essential.What it looks like:SELECT Hello, World!;Primary benefit: Will help you learn to search and query difficult sets of data.Perfect for: People who are all about that database.* reed.co.uk does not recommend basing your career choices on the name of 1970s British comedy troupes you may be fond of.