Tuesday, April 21, 2020

Devops Resume - A Brief Introduction

Devops Resume - A Brief IntroductionIf you have not yet started your career in IT, a devout resume is the first thing that you should start with. This is a job profile, that is not the usual employment profile of IT professionals and it is meant to take a closer look at what exactly it is that makes a good resume.A devout resume describes the job profile of computer programmers, IT support specialists, web developers, graphic designers, and a myriad of other workers that are involved in maintaining and upgrading software. All of these individuals must interact with users on a daily basis, or many people will not use the software.Smaller companies will often overlook this group and hire new employees without really knowing how to handle their support staff. If you go to a job interview and your interviewer asks you if you know anything about developing software, you would look completely unprofessional. A devout resume is a great way to get your foot in the door at any company, even i f they do not hire you as a programmer.A devout resume is going to be much different than a typical employer resume. The information you are going to put on this resume is going to give a potential employer some great insight into what it is that you are going to bring to the table for their company. The main idea is to explain your experience and the things that you are going to bring to the table in order to help the company become more efficient.In today's environment, there are so many things that need to be done to keep the business running smoothly. There are constantly hundreds if not thousands of problems to be fixed and IT specialists must continually know how to deal with this. You have to have an idea of how to maintain a high level of efficiency in your department, because if your department does not operate efficiently you will find yourself losing customers.Many IT departments rely on a combination of different resources to support their overall operations. These resou rces can include call centers, freelancers, consultants, and IT experts.Companies in IT will benefit from hiring more individuals in order to improve efficiency and reduce costs. A devout resume is a great place to start for those who want to prove that they are the best person for the job.

Thursday, April 16, 2020

What Employers Can Legally Ask During an Interview

What Employers Can Legally Ask During an Interview “Where are you from?” It’s an easy conversation starter and suitable in most settings…except a job interview. So too, are other common social inquiries like, “Are you married,” “When did you graduate,” or “Have I seen you at my church?” A prospective employer who asks you these questions should send up a red flag. It may signal a lack of understanding of workplace anti-discrimination laws, or worse, no concept of workplace diversity. The above examples can lead to information about a candidate’s national origin, marital status, sexual orientation, age, or religion. It’s illegal to ask any questions that may illicit information about any status protected by federal, state, or local laws. The interviewer’s questions should stay focused on top-level priorities related to the job’s essential duties, such as the candidate’s work history as it pertains to the position, or availability for certain work shifts. How best to handle improper questions? Politely decline to answer, or, better yet, cheerfully steer the conversation back to how you meetâ€"or exceedâ€"the job’s qualifications. Read More: When Not to Negotiate Your Salary Other inappropriate interview questions include: Have you ever been arrested? Is English your native language? Are you a US citizen? Are you planning on having children? Have you ever been injured on the job? How many sick days did you take last year? Why were you discharged from the military? Do you like to drink socially? When is the last time you used illegal drugs? (But not: Do you currently use illegal drugs?) Not always so easy A trickier area is when candidates might need a religious or disability-related accommodation. An employer has to walk a fine line of not asking improper questions about these two protected categories, while not ignoring the obvious. The Supreme Court’s 2015 decision in the Abercrombie Fitch case, involving the interplay of its dress code policy and a job candidate who wore a hijab to an interview, shows how difficult this balancing act is. It’s up to the candidate to speak up and request a reasonable accommodation to assist in the interview and application process (though to be clear, accommodation requests related to the job itself belong in the stage between an offer being made and the start date). Read More: How to Negotiate a Promotion Post-offer considerations Receiving a job offer may lead to another phaseâ€"salary negotiation. Here, an employer is less restricted than you may think. It can ask your salary history and your salary requirements (and confirm this information by asking for W2s, if they choose), although you are not legally required to give it. How you choose to answer is thus left to your negotiation strategy. If you do answer, be truthful. Providing false information at any stage of the hiring process is most certain to result in you not getting the jobâ€"and would most likely quell any would-be legal challenge even in the face of unlawful hiring practices. As for benefits like paid time off, do not assume you are legally entitled to them. For example, no state has passed mandatory paid vacation, so that remains a point of negotiation. However, several states and cities have passed paid sick leave laws, and some even now include pregnancy or childbirth-related disabilities within their coverage (watch for that to be specified and explained in jurisdictions like California, Connecticut, Oregon, or Seattle and San Francisco). Basically, if you aren’t sure about something, ask. And get it in writing before you accept a job. Taking some time to educate yourself about what you are legally entitled to receive will allow you to focus on parts of your offer that may be negotiable, while assuring yourself that your new employer places workplace legal compliance high on its list of priorities. Catharine Morisset is a Seattle-based partner with Fisher Phillips LLP, a national law firm committed to providing practical business solutions for employers’ workplace legal problems with more than 300 attorneys in 31 offices nationwide. She also writes about legal issues in everyday life on the Avvo NakedLaw blog. Avvo provides free answers from lawyers, client reviews, and detailed profiles for 97% of all attorneys in the U.S. This article originally appeared on PayScale.

Saturday, April 11, 2020

Why Performance Reviews Are Important (And Helpful!) - Work It Daily

Why Performance Reviews Are Important (And Helpful!) - Work It Daily Performance reviews can stir a mixed amount of emotions among professionals. For some, it's an exciting time to discuss accomplishments and get patted on the back. For others, it's a nerve-wracking time where shortcomings are discussed, and some employees question their abilities.It's important, however, to keep emotions in check. Performance reviews are an opportunity to grow as an employee and should be embraced. Here are some tips for preparing and executing a successful performance review. Preparing For A Performance Review From Day 1 on the job, you should create a plan for how you plan to grow, what you want to accomplish, and what value you want to provide the company. Some people use the 30-60-90 Day Performance Plan they prepared in the interview process to guide them, if they used one.Once you prepare a plan, keep a journal or some type of tracking system to keep track of what you've learned, your goals, and your accomplishments and weaknesses.Tracking weaknesses is just as important as accomplishments. Being self-aware is a great trait to have and, by being aware of your weaknesses, you can prepare a plan for addressing them and eventually turn them into strengths.This type of performance tracking should always be done. While this information certainly comes in handy during performance reviews, it's always beneficial to take a personal accounting of performance. It helps to make you a better employee and helps with creating and adjusting career goals. Going Through A Performance Review Once again, it's important to not get too high or low emotionally. The performance review is a time for listening. Most review processes allow time for employees to comment, so don't interrupt your supervisor when they're giving the review.When it's your time to speak, be humble about any praise and don't be angry about any negative feedback. If you did get negative feedback during the review, it's OK to ask follow-up questions about that feedback to better understand where you need to improve -- just don't argue with your supervisor or make excuses.Negative feedback isn't the worst thing in the world. Having a handle on both strengths and weaknesses ultimately makes for a well-balanced employee.Take advantage of this time with your supervisor to discuss your strengths and weaknesses. This is a great time to put together a plan to build on those strengths and identify areas where you can grow with the company and problems that you can help the company solve.More importantly, you can have an honest and open conversation with the boss about your weaknesses and put together a plan of improvement. What To Do After A Performance Review You are now loaded with information! There are goals to achieve and things that are in need of improvement. It may all be a little overwhelming initially. Take a breath, sit back, and realize that everything doesn't have to be accomplished at once. You can chip away at these goals.The most important thing moving forward is continuing to make an effort to track your own job performance. Reviews happen sporadically, based on company policies, but you should always hold yourself accountable.You'll find as you track your performance, goals will change, and sometimes new weaknesses and strengths will emerge. This is normal as job responsibilities change. That's why it's important to always remain on top of your job performance, even when you're not going through a performance review. One last thing about the performance review; just because you received a good performance review doesn't mean you automatically qualify for a raise. Company policies about raises vary and you'll want to be familiar with your company's policy or ask for clarification about it. In some cases, conversations about salary are entirely separate.Stuck in a rut? Work It Daily can help you grow your career or help guide you through a career change. Join Work It Daily today and have access to one-on-one coaching from our career growth specialists, and you'll get access to a network of like-minded professionals who will offer daily support and guidance. Plus, you get access to courses aimed at helping you grow your career and land your dream job fast. From Your Site Articles Learn To Love Your Performance Review - Work It Daily 10 Things You Can Do To Improve Your Career TODAY - Work It ... Preparing For A Career Discussion With Your Manager - Work It ... 5 Performance Review Tips - Work It Daily | Where Careers Go To ... Related Articles Around the Web Why Performance Reviews Are Way More Important Than You Think ... How To Prepare For A Performance Review | Monster.com How To Prepare For Your Performance Review -- And Rock It 5 Tips To Best Prepare For A Performance Review Have you joined our career growth club?Join Us Today!