Author: hrbandadmin

A resume is the main document that companies look for when hiring a specialist. Each of us has at least once seen a request to send a CV when looking for a job. But we always send a resume and don’t even think that these are different documents. Most people think that a resume and a CV are the same thing, but this is not the case. If an employer knows the difference between a resume and a CV and asks you to send a Curriculum Vitae (CV) and you show them your resume, it will immediately put you in an awkward position.

What is a resume?

A resume (from the French for “summary”) is a brief overview of a candidate’s professional experience, skills, and achievements. Typically, a resume for a job includes the following sections:

• Contact information
• Professional goal, why exactly a person wants to get into this position or just a brief description
• Work experience
• Education
• Skills
• Additional information (certificates, projects, volunteer experience, etc.)

The main characteristics of a resume:

• Shortness: usually resumes are no longer than 1-2 pages
• Targeted: each document is tailored to a specific job opening, emphasizing relevant skills and experience.
• Focus on achievements: includes specific accomplishments and results that demonstrate the candidate’s value.

We’ve figured out what a successful resume is, but what’s the difference from a CV?

What is CV?

A CV (from the Latin Curriculum Vitae, meaning “life story”) is a detailed document containing complete information about a candidate’s professional career. A CV usually includes:

• Contact information
• Personal statement or professional profile
• Education (including diploma papers, research projects, etc.)
• Professional experience
• Scientific publications
• Conferences and seminars
• Awards and honors
• Professional associations and memberships
• Languages spoken by the candidate
• Additional information (certificates, volunteer experience, etc.)

The main characteristics of a CV are:

• Detail: It can be several pages long, as it contains comprehensive information about the career.
• Versatility: Usually does not change depending on the vacancy, and is updated with the addition of new achievements.
• Focus on education and scientific achievements: Especially important for academic and research positions.

Comparison of resume and CV

Parameter	Resume	CV
Volume	1-2 pages	No limits
Target	Summary of experience and skills	Detailed description of the entire professional and academic path
Focus	Relevant achievements and skills for the position	All professional and academic achievements
Flexibility	Easy to adapt to a specific vacancy	A stable document that is updated only with the addition of new achievements
Where to use	Business sector, entry-level positions, middle management, career change	Academic field, scientific and research positions, grants and scholarships, international vacancies
The main advantage	A short and focused document	Comprehensive and detailed career overview
Appointment	Quickly familiarize the employer with the candidate’s qualifications	A complete overview of the professional and academic path

This table shows that there is a difference between a resume and a cv. You can also understand that most often, when HR managers ask a candidate to send a CV, they are confused and mean a resume.

At the initial stages of getting to know a candidate, a CV is not the most relevant document. Imagine that an HR manager has to review 1000 CVs (it’s a long time). It’s much easier to quickly analyze 1000 CVs and select a certain number of candidates based on their exact characteristics.

When to choose a resume and CV?

In the table, we’ve looked at when a resume is more suitable for a job and when a CV is more suitable, but let’s look at this issue in more detail.

When to choose a resume?

1. Business sector: Resumes are most often used in commercial organizations, corporations, and business environments. Here, the main task of the employer is to quickly review the candidate’s experience and skills in order to make a quick decision about a further interview. By the way, a resume is a very important element in choosing a candidate, but an interview also has a very big impact on whether you will be hired, so this skill needs to be trained.
2. Entry-level and middle management positions: For positions that do not require a detailed description of academic achievements or research. For example, sales managers, marketers, accountants, and other middle managers. It would be strange if you come to a sales manager position and send the HR manager your full curriculum vitae and all the information about your university thesis.
3. Career change: When transitioning to a new position in a different industry, a resume allows you to focus on transferable skills and relevant experience, helping to emphasize relevance to the new role. That is, if you want to dive into IT after working in sales, you can highlight computer skills and IT courses on your resume. This will be more relevant than describing all your experience as a sales manager.
4. Frequent application submissions: For quick applications for different jobs thanks to the ability to quickly adapt the document to a specific position. Resumes can be easily modified to emphasize the skills and experience that are important for a particular job.
5. Summer internships and temporary jobs: For short-term positions or internships where there is no need for a large document. This makes it much easier to find candidates.

When to choose a resume?

1. Academic field: Teaching, research, and academic positions where it is important to present a complete academic track record, publications, and research. A CV allows you to describe in detail the academic activities, grants, conferences, and seminars you have participated in.
2. Academic and research positions: To work in research institutes, laboratories, where you need to provide detailed information about projects, research and publications. This is important to demonstrate your scientific contribution and potential for future research.
3. Grants and scholarships: For applying for research grants and academic scholarships where it is important to show all achievements and experience, including research projects, academic papers, and professional achievements.
4. International jobs: For jobs abroad, where it may be standard to provide a CV, especially in European countries. In many European countries, a CV is the more acceptable form of job application.
5. Positions in non-profit and public organizations: Where it is important to present a full list of professional and academic achievements. This may include volunteer work, membership in professional associations, and other forms of social activity.
6. Highly specialized professions: In industries where a detailed work history and skills are critical to assessing a candidate’s qualifications, such as medicine, law, and engineering.

Conclusion

In conclusion, it should be noted that CVs are used more abroad, in highly specialized professions and for academic positions. That is, when HR managers ask to send a CV, they most often mean a resume, but they confuse these concepts (many people think that a resume and a CV are the same thing).

In most cases, it is better to use a resume, because it allows you to tailor your work experience to a specific job and make you a more attractive candidate in the eyes of the HR manager. This increases your chances of getting a job in that company and getting the position you’ve been dreaming of.

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Remote work has become a trend over the past few years. The trend of working from home started during the COVID-19 pandemic. These times forced companies to switch to remote work and leave their employees at home. The pandemic is over, but people liked it and some now can’t live without remote work.

Advantages of remote work

Online work from home has many advantages for employees, but the efficiency of remote work is decreasing, so business owners may suffer because of this. Let’s take a look at the benefits of working from home:

1. Flexibility and work-life balance:
   • Remote work allows employees to customize their work schedule to suit their own needs and circumstances. This is especially important for those with family responsibilities or other commitments.
   • The ability to work from anywhere in the world. You can work from home if you want to, and if you’re tired, you can go to a cafe with your laptop.
   • No need to waste time traveling to and from the office. When you work in the office until 18:00, you will be home only at 18:30 (at best). When you work from home, you can already make plans at 18:00.
   • The ability to take breaks for household chores or exercise contributes to improved overall health and life satisfaction. In fact, in the office, it often happens that you need to rest for 5-10 minutes. When you work from home, you can spend this time more productively and do household chores (as you know, the best rest is a change of career).
2. Reduced office and transportation costs:
   • For employers, this means a significant reduction in the cost of renting office space, paying for utilities, maintaining workplaces, equipment, and office maintenance (buying coffee, sweets, cleaning the building, etc.).
   • For employees, it means saving money on fuel or public transportation.
   • Reduced food costs, as employees can prepare meals at home, which is much cheaper than eating in cafes, restaurants, or canteens.
3. Increased efficiency and productivity:
   • The absence of noise and distractions that are often present in the office allows employees to focus on tasks and allows them to concentrate.
   • Employees can create an optimal and comfortable working environment, which in turn improves concentration and efficiency.
   • Remote work allows specialists to work during the most productive hours for them and to efficiently perform their tasks and manage time.
   • The ability to take breaks when needed helps prevent employee burnout and maintain high productivity throughout the day.
4. Expanding hiring opportunities:
   • The company can hire specialists from all over the world without being limited by geographical boundaries. This allows you to find the best candidates and increase productivity.
   • Hiring employees from different cultural groups and backgrounds allows you to look at the same issue from different angles and evaluate it from different cultural values. This promotes innovation and the introduction of new ideas in the company.
   • Working from home allows you to attract employees with disabilities who cannot work in the office. Some people with disabilities have very diverse and useful knowledge, but they are often denied employment because of the difficulties of working in the office. Remote work removes these boundaries and allows such specialists to work.
   • Team diversity increases creativity and decision-making efficiency, as different points of view and approaches to each issue are taken into account.
5. Positive impact on the environment:
   • Reducing the number of trips to work reduces greenhouse gas emissions and helps fight climate change (it may not seem like a global issue, but you can’t even imagine how many people commute every day and pollute our atmosphere. Working from home allows you to fight even this problem).
   • Remote work reduces the amount of electricity used to maintain office space.
   • Less use of paper and other office materials helps to conserve natural resources.

 It seems that remote work has only advantages and there can be no disadvantages. Let’s take a look at the disadvantages of working from home and each of us will make the appropriate exceptions.

Disadvantages of working from home

1. Lack of social interaction:
   • Lack of personal interaction with coworkers can lead to feelings of isolation and loneliness. In my experience, when you work in a team and come to work in a bad mood, in 90% of cases, your colleagues will help you feel better and your work efficiency will increase.
   • Social interactions in the office help build team spirit and improve employee morale. No specialist can compare to a team of professionals who are used to working with each other and deliver amazing results together.
2. Difficulties in communication:
   • Remote work can make it difficult to quickly exchange information and coordinate actions between employees.
   • Lack of face-to-face communication can lead to misunderstandings and mistakes. Face-to-face communication is essential to ensure accurate work is completed and adjustments are made.
   • Not all employees have the same level of technology proficiency, which can lead to difficulties in using communication tools.
   • Frequent hardware failures or network issues can delay tasks and disrupt workflow. The office may also have such problems, but they are quickly and radically resolved.
3. Difficulties in organizing working hours:
   • Remote work requires a high level of self-discipline and organization. Some employees may find it difficult to stick to a work schedule. When working from home, specialists are constantly distracted by some factors and this can negatively affect the quality of work.
   • Lack of a clear distinction between personal life and work. Of course, remote work allows you to spend more time with your family, but it is more difficult to distinguish between work and personal life, because they are no different.
   • Working with employees from different time zones can make it difficult to coordinate meetings, communicate, and complete tasks quickly.
4. Technical issues:
   • Remote work requires a reliable internet connection and technical equipment. Problems with the internet or equipment can significantly affect the workflow.
   • Employees may encounter technical issues that take time to resolve and may delay the completion of tasks.
   • Remote work increases risks. Transmitting confidential data through unsecured channels can lead to data leakage.
   • Companies must ensure an adequate level of data protection and train employees in cybersecurity.
5. Lack of clear career development:
   • Lack of personal contact with management can lead to uncertainty about career development opportunities.
   • Due to the lack of emotional response to results, employees may feel that their achievements are less visible, which affects their motivation and ambition.
   • Remote work can make it difficult to participate in trainings and educational events that are often held in the office. This slows down the development of specialists and negatively affects their work.

Conclusion

Remote work has many advantages (for employers, employees, and even the environment), but it also has major disadvantages. Everyone decides for themselves which option suits them best and what will be more convenient. In today’s world, remote work has become an integral part of the workflow (flexibility, reduced transportation and office costs, and increased hiring opportunities are not far behind).

To properly implement remote work, it is necessary to provide technical support to employees, create clear rules for communication and work time management, and promote the development of corporate culture, trust and mutual understanding. The right approach to organizing remote work will allow companies to increase productivity, employee satisfaction, and remain competitive in the modern world.

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Onboarding is a new employee’s first impression of the company. If you want a new employee to bring in money and be useful to the company, rather than sit on their pants from eight to five, it is better to take care of effective onboarding.

What is onboarding?

Onboarding is the process of introducing a new employee to a company.  It covers the period from hiring to full integration into the team and work processes. Onboarding is a key moment in the adaptation of new employees and has a significant impact on their productivity and retention in the company. 

Probably everyone knows from experience how important the first few days at a new workplace are. They affect your further communication with colleagues, your opinion of the company, and your desire to work and achieve results.

The main stages of onboarding

For a faster and better onboarding of a new employee, you need to follow a clear sequence of actions and follow the following steps:

1. Preparation for the arrival of a new employee:
   • Documentation: Prepare all the necessary documents (contract, privacy policy, and other internal papers).
   • Workplace: Prepare a computer, access to software, create a corporate email.
   • First day of work information: creating and sending an email with details about the first day of work, including arrival time, office location, and contact information.
2. First day of work:
   • Meet and Greet: Organize a team meeting where the new hire can get to know the management, team, and other colleagues.
   • Introduction session: an overview of the company, its history, mission, values, and culture is provided to better understand and create a picture of the company in the new employee’s mind.
   • Workplace: An introduction to the workplace, including safety, workspace organization, and access to necessary resources.
3. The first week:
   • Training and coaching: training sessions on basic work tools and processes (use of the CRM system, internal communication platforms, etc.).
   • Mentor: Assignment of a supervisor or mentor who will help the newcomer adapt, familiarize them with work responsibilities and rules, and answer all questions.
   • Basic workflows: familiarization with the main workflows, tasks and projects in which the new employee will be involved.
4. First month:
   • Immersion in work responsibilities: deeper immersion in mastering work tasks and responsibilities, involvement in projects and teamwork.
   • Regular meetings with management: regular meetings to discuss achievements, tasks, provide feedback and assess the new employee’s progress.
   • Corporate culture: in-depth study of corporate culture through participation in team events, meetings, and other activities. Getting to know the staff and establishing communication.
5. The first 3-6 months:
   • Performance evaluation: assessing the achievements and results of teamwork, identifying strengths and weaknesses, and creating a further plan based on these results.
   • Training and development: ongoing training, participation in trainings and seminars to improve skills and professional development.
   • Support: ongoing support from management and colleagues to ensure successful adaptation and greater staff motivation.

This is a recipe for the perfect integration of a new employee into the team to ensure effective and long-term cooperation, as well as the constant growth and development of a specialist. This allows new employees not only to quickly adapt and understand their role in the company, but also to make as few mistakes as possible due to an understanding of company policy. Let’s take a closer look at the benefits of onboarding.

Benefits of proper onboarding

An effective onboarding process has many benefits that affect all aspects of a company’s operations and contribute to the overall success of the business. Below are more detailed aspects of each of the key benefits of onboarding:

1. Increased productivity:
   • Quick onboarding: With thorough training, new hires quickly understand their responsibilities and tasks, allowing them to work efficiently right away. You have to admit, when you come to work for the first day and don’t know what you have to do, it’s a bit depressing and doesn’t motivate you to achieve results at all, but rather the opposite.
   • Reduced adaptation time: onboarding reduces the adaptation period and allows you to join the team and become productive faster.
2. Reduced staff turnover:
   • Improving the psychological state of employees: when new employees feel supported by management and colleagues, they become more satisfied with their work and less likely to quit. It also has a positive effect on the newcomer’s psychological well-being and makes them feel at ease and confident. The most important thing is not to overdo it, so that the new employee doesn’t start feeling arrogant and like he or she can do anything.
   • Strengthening company loyalty: Effective onboarding creates a positive impression of the company and increases employee loyalty. And for any business, employees are the most important resource after customers.
3. Improving corporate culture:
   • Integration into the team: new employees become part of the team faster, which contributes to better interaction within the company and achievement of greater results.
   • Sharing company values: Onboarding helps newcomers understand the company’s mission and values. This allows you to immediately create an approach to work that will comply with these rules.
4. Reducing stress for new employees:
   • Clear instructions: Providing new hires with clear instructions and materials helps reduce their uncertainty and stress related to their new job.
   • Mentor training: Assigning a mentor to new hires helps them feel more confident and comfortable in their new position. They can always ask a question and get a clear and understandable answer.
5. Establishing feedback:
   • Regular evaluations and process adjustments: Getting feedback from new employees allows you to continuously improve the onboarding process and other workflows within the company.
   • Meeting the needs of employees and creating a more comfortable working environment: Taking into account the opinions of newcomers helps to better understand their needs and expectations, which contributes to increased job satisfaction and, as a result, the achievement of new results.

Effective and proper onboarding has many benefits (increased productivity, reduced staff turnover, improved corporate culture, and resource savings). By investing in onboarding, companies can significantly improve the team atmosphere and the quality of work of new specialists.

Mistakes in onboarding

1. Lack of preparation for the arrival of a new employee
   • Solution: Create a checklist for preparing for the arrival of a new employee, including setting up the workplace, creating accounts in corporate systems, and preparing an onboarding package.
2. Lack of familiarity
   • Solution: Organize a warm welcome for the new employee, introduce them to the team, and ensure that they get to know the key employees.
3. Lack of clear instructions and materials
   • Solution: Provide the new hire with clear instructions and materials to help them understand basic workflows and requirements. Do this in advance and be prepared for any questions that may arise.
4. Lack of feedback
   • Solution: Schedule regular meetings to discuss progress, resolve potential issues, and provide feedback on the new hire’s work.
5. Insufficient support from the mentor
   • Solution: Assign an experienced employee to mentor the new hire, help them understand the workflows and provide support. It is advisable to free him or her from daily duties so that he or she can devote the entire working day to the new employee, rather than responding to him or her in between tasks.
6. Ignoring the individual needs of the employee
   • Solution: Take into account the individual needs and characteristics of each new employee to make the onboarding process as efficient and comfortable as possible. Ask the employee if he or she is satisfied with everything and what he or she lacks to feel comfortable joining the team.
7. Lack of training and development
   • Solution: Also create development programs in advance, which will describe all the working moments in simple words. And it is also advisable to create internal (or organize free) training and refresher courses.

Conclusion

From this article, you can understand what onboarding is and get important information to avoid mistakes and ensure that a new employee can adapt quickly and easily to the team. Onboarding, like offboarding, is an effective way to increase company loyalty and improve its reputation. It is also important to ensure continuous training and development of the new employee, and then the results will not be long in coming!

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Onboarding is not just about firing an employee. It is a whole art of how to properly and loyally part ways with an employee so that everyone wins and there are no negative consequences.

What is onboarding?

Onboarding is the process of supporting an employee during his or her dismissal or departure from the company. It includes all the actions and procedures necessary for a smooth and correct exit of an employee from the organization. Onboarding is an important part of HR management that affects the company’s reputation, knowledge retention, and team morale. When an employee is dismissed in a haphazard manner, it can negatively affect other people’s feelings, affect their performance, and cause negative emotions in the dismissed employee. It also significantly affects the reputation of the company.

What are the main stages of onboarding or how to fire an employee correctly?

Onboarding includes several points that allow you to leave the company correctly and professionally. Let’s take a closer look at each of them:

1. Announcement of resignation:
   • Informing the management: The first step in the offboarding procedure is to inform the management about the employee’s dismissal. This can be an initiative of the employee or a decision of the company.
   • Notifying the team: Informing the team about the departure of a colleague is important to prepare for this departure and redistribute responsibilities.  This reduces stress, helps the employer prevent burnout among their employees, increases transparency in the process, and prepares the team for change.
2. Planning and preparation:
   • Developing an exit plan: After the announcement of the departure, a detailed exit plan is developed that includes all the main steps for the transfer of responsibilities and completion of current tasks.
   • Collaboration with HR and Legal: Involvement of HR and Legal to ensure that all procedures are compliant and correct according to the law and the company’s internal policies.
3. Feedback:
   • Exit interview: it is necessary to provide an opportunity for the employee to share their impressions of working in the company, make suggestions for improving working conditions and identify possible problems. This is done to improve working conditions for other employees. When a person leaves, he or she can safely express his or her opinion about the company and will not be affected by anything.
   • Feedback analysis: The collected data should be analyzed and possible growth areas should be identified to improve the company and HR management.
4. Transfer of information:
   • Process documentation: creating and transferring detailed documentation describing the main processes, projects, and responsibilities of the employee.
   • Successor training: training a new employee and transferring information to improve the employee’s adaptation. As a result, this employee will perform the duties of the dismissed employee.
   • Corporate memory retention: Using internal knowledge management systems to store and access important information.
5. Legal and administrative procedures:
   • Preparation and signing of documents: Preparation of all necessary legal documents, including the severance agreement, settlement documents, and other necessary papers.
   • Revocation of access: It is also necessary to ensure that all employee access to corporate systems, including e-mail, databases, internal portals and other resources, is revoked. This is necessary to ensure the employee’s safe dismissal and prevent further problems and suspicions on the part of the company.
   • Return of property: return of all tangible things belonging to the company (computers, phones, keys, passes, etc.)
6. Support for the employee after dismissal:
   • Recommendations and support: providing recommendations for a new employer, assistance in finding a new job, and support for the employee during the transition to a new organization.
   • Access to resources: Some companies also provide access to certain corporate resources, such as a network of contacts or educational materials, even after the job is over. This is not often done, but it has a very good effect on the company’s reputation.

Each stage of onboarding is important and plays a significant role in ensuring that an employee leaves the company in a proper and professional manner. This allows you to retain knowledge in the company, minimize risks and maintain a positive company image. This is important not only for the departing employee, but also for the entire team, future employees, and the company.

Why is offboarding important?

1. Knowledge retention: helps to preserve important information and experience gained by an employee, which ensures the continuity of processes within the company. This is very important when dismissing an employee so that their tasks are smoothly transferred to another person.
2. Maintaining the company’s reputation: correct onboarding has a positive impact on the company’s reputation among employees and in the labor market, showing that the company values its employees even when they want to leave their jobs.
3. Motivation and engagement of employees: improves morale and engagement of those who stayed with the company. When people are fired for no reason, on the same day, and not even cared about their comfort, it will cause negative emotions and stress for those who continue to work for the company. It also negatively affects the quality of their work.
4. Minimizing risks: helps to avoid possible legal and financial risks by properly formalizing dismissal and protecting confidential information.

The role of technology in onboarding

Modern technologies play an important role in the off-boarding process and facilitate the management of this process. Let’s take a look at how technology affects the onboarding process:

1. Process automation:
   • Checklists and workflows: The use of software tools, such as an HRMS (human resources management system), to create and manage checklists and other workflows. This helps ensure that all necessary steps are completed and nothing is missed.
   • Automated notifications: Systems can automatically send messages to responsible parties regarding tasks related to an employee’s termination.
2. Tools for knowledge transfer:
   • Knowledge Management Systems (KMS): These platforms help to preserve important information that is critical when transferring responsibilities from one employee to another. This can be instructions, documents, videos, or meeting recordings.
   • Collaboration platforms: Tools such as Slack, Microsoft Teams, or Asana allow for team collaboration and easy access to information.
3. Access control security:
   • Identity and access management (IAM) systems: These systems allow you to automatically disable an employee’s access to corporate systems and resources after they leave, ensuring the protection of confidential information.
   • Data encryption: The use of encryption technologies to protect data during transmission and storage. This can ensure that sensitive information remains protected even after an employee leaves.
4. Feedback and data analysis:
   • Questionnaires and surveys: Using online surveys to collect information from the departing employee more quickly. This helps to understand the reasons for their departure and find ways to improve work processes.
   • Data analysis: analytics tools can be used to analyze the collected data and identify problems in the onboarding process.
5. Social media and contact management:
   • Networking platforms: Using professional social networks such as LinkedIn to keep in touch with former employees. This can be useful for future collaboration or recruiting.

Technology can greatly simplify the onboarding process and improve its quality. They help to automate routine tasks, store and transfer knowledge, protect confidential information, and maintain feedback.

Conclusion

Onboarding is an integral part of the employee life cycle that plays a very important role in the overall atmosphere within the company. An effective onboarding process helps to maintain positive relationships with employees, even after they leave, as well as to ensure stable work processes and protection of confidential information.

The right approach to onboarding includes several key steps, such as exit planning, exit interviews, knowledge transfer, and managing access to corporate resources.

Effective offboarding not only helps reduce stress for employees and the team, but also helps the company maintain its reputation as a responsible employer. If you decide to dismiss your employee or he or she has expressed such a desire, do it right!

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All people want to feel comfort and peace both in life and at work. Every employer wants his business to flourish, and employees perform all their tasks on time and skillfully. However, it so happens that between these desires stands professional burnout. This is a phenomenon that arises from misunderstanding, excessive work and stress. As a result, the company may lose money due to the inability of an employee to perform work effectively, and a person loses the opportunity to enjoy life and feel joy.

Understanding professional burnout

To effectively deal with the problem of burnout of employees, it is necessary to understand and see the first signs and symptoms of emotional exhaustion. After all, you can even sit next to a colleague for more than one month and not understand what exactly is happening to him. Sometimes a person himself does not realize that he may have emotional burnout.

Many of us dismiss the first signs, writing it off as a simple lack of sleep or a bad mood. However, this can not be done, especially if the period of “bad mood” lasts more than Sunday.

Consider the five first and main signs of professional burnout:

The first sign is chronic fatigue and emotional exhaustion

You constantly feel a lack of energy, even after sleeping or resting. Easily get tired, even with minimal loads. You cannot emotionally react to any events in your life or control them, especially if you lack a sense of joy and satisfaction from the outside world.

The second sign is cynicism and negativism

You become more cynical, indifferent to work and others. You cannot and do not want to communicate with your loved ones, friends or colleagues. You do not care about the problems and consequences of your actions and words. You also lose enthusiasm, that is, you lack the strength and desire to do your favorite things or hobbies. Your life is not so bright.

The third sign is physical symptoms

You constantly have a headache or other parts of the body ache, you may even feel sick from everything. Disturbed sleep mode and power. You can not fall asleep for a long time, and getting up in the morning is very difficult. There is no desire and strength to cook and eat. Accordingly, your immunity drops, and you are more likely to get sick.

The fourth sign is depersonalization and a sense of hopelessness

You have a sense of detachment from yourself or your own emotions. You can not distinguish your feelings and thoughts, everything accumulates into a large tangled ball. There is also disbelief in yourself, your strength and capabilities. You can say you can’t see the light at the end of the tunnel.

The fifth sign, which is a consequence of the previous ones, is a decrease in productivity

Your efficiency at work is reduced to almost zero. You become imprudent and dispersed, which causes errors to appear. You can also unconsciously, and perhaps even intentionally avoid responsibilities and responsibilities at work.

Factors that contribute to emotional burnout

Burnout in the workplace is the result of the interaction of various external and internal factors that affect the emotional state of a person.

External factors

• Workload: a regular excessive amount of work that is difficult to cope with in the prescribed time frame and lack of resources can lead to constant stress and emotional exhaustion.

• Professional requirements: high expectations from the employee, the discrepancy between the effort and the reward that a person receives or does not even receive, contribute to burnout.

• Uncomfortable working environment: frequent conflicts with colleagues, constant control and pickiness on the part of management, uncomfortable and uncomfortable working conditions negatively affect the psychological state of a person.

• Lack of balance between work and personal life: one of the main reasons for the appearance of professional burnout arises from constant overload at work, the inability of a person to relax at home.

Internal factors

• Personal qualities: due to their certain character traits of people, such as perfectionism, excessive dedication to work, inability to delegate responsibilities and prioritize, the risk of burnout increases.

• Motivation and values: sometimes it happens that personal values and goals in life do not meet the requirements of work or the cultural ethics of the company. This can lead to disappointment, forcing yourself to work, which as a result gives a loss of meaning to life.

• Ineffective strategies for overcoming stress: now there is propaganda of a healthy life, we are told and shown many effective ways to stay calm and focused. However, it is important to remember that not each of these methods is right for you, you need to try different approaches to overcoming stress and look for one that helps you.

• Psychological state: a person whose psychological state is already disturbed is more vulnerable to emotional burnout than one in which everything is stable. Depending on the severity of the problem, ranging from low self-esteem and temporary difficulties, ending with constant anxiety and chronic depression, a person is more prone to professional burnout.

To prevent burnout, it is important to be aware of these factors and work on a balanced workload, a supportive environment, effective stress management strategies, and maintaining psychological health.

Strategies to prevent burnout by employers

Well, when everyone is aware of the first bells, which signal burnout in the surrounding people. However, the best thing is not to wait for the bell, but not to allow emotional exhaustion at all. This is especially important for employers who may lose the trust of their staff due to unfavorable working conditions and poor attitude towards staff. Therefore, employers and HR specialists should proactively approach the issue of preventing staff burnout.

1. Management can show on their own device how to behave at work and after it.

When the manager sits in his office at the end of working hours, his staff will also work further, or take things home. This has a bad effect on the cultural environment as a whole.

Therefore, you can encourage workers to take vacations, and not postpone rest for later. Motivate employees to active or comfortable rest after work. It is possible to provide full/partial compensation for various sections/hobbies. It is also important to make flexible schedules or remote work as needed, and to provide breaks and lunch time.

2. Create open communication with your employees

In this matter, you need to contact the HR manager or freelance psychologist. In order to establish communication with their colleagues, HR/team-lead/employer should regularly hold tete-a-tete or team meetings. This is necessary in order to understand the workload of the employee or the team as a whole, what thoughts and ideas they have regarding the development of the company. What is most important is understanding the personal experiences and problems of colleagues not only at work, but also in life.

Another option for understanding workload, stress and general well-being are anonymous surveys. This helps to encourage an atmosphere of trust in which employees will not be afraid to speak out.

3. The importance of recognizing the work of their staff or colleagues and motivating their professional development

Unfortunately, now practice shows that we all tend to see mistakes and shortcomings in our work or other people. And we do not notice the well-done work or take it for granted. This should not be the case, because it leads to a decrease in self-confidence and knowledge, which contributes to constant excitement and faster emotional burnout. Therefore, it is important not only to notice and verbally praise the work of their employees, but also to develop a system of bonuses or bonuses, especially when a person tries.

Another factor that helps prevent professional burnout is development. When a person likes to do a certain thing and his eyes are burning to new knowledge and opportunities, then you can help to carry out the plan. It is important to encourage staff to expand their prospects, which in the future will help your company to progress.

It is important to understand that these strategies can work separately, but it is better if in general to create a pleasant working environment that promotes stability and development. This atmosphere in the company reduces staff turnover and helps to build a strong and motivated team of specialists.

Develop self-awareness and stress management skills

Despite the efforts of employers, each employee is personally responsible for preventing emotional burnout. Here are some methods that you can apply yourself:

1. Set clear boundaries
   • Learn to say no to tasks that are beyond your capabilities or responsibilities.
   • Separate work time from personal life and do not check work mail in your free time.
   • Do not take on more than you can really perform.
2. Practice self-examination
   • Make time for activities that bring you joy and relaxation.
   • Engage in exercise, meditation, or other forms of stress management.
   • Get enough sleep and eat in a balanced way to maintain your health.
3. Define your priorities
   • Focus on the most important tasks and do not waste time on insignificant matters.
   • Learn to delegate or reject tasks that are not critical.
   • Evaluate your goals regularly and adjust them as needed.
4. Communicate openly
   • Discuss your concerns and concerns with colleagues or management.
   • Seek support from loved ones or professional counselors.
   • Be honest about your workload and opportunities.
5. Cultivate resilience
   • See failures as opportunities for learning and growth.
   • Practice positive thinking and focus on your strengths.
   • Celebrate your achievements, even the smallest ones.
6. Keep learning
   • Invest in your professional development and acquiring new skills.
   • Attend trainings, conferences or seminars to expand knowledge.
   • Be open to new ideas and ways of working.
7. Find meaning in your work
   • Focus on the value you bring through your work.
   • Look for ways to apply your talents and passions at work.
   • Remember your long-term goals and motivation.

Preventing emotional burnout is an ongoing process that requires self-awareness, self-discipline, and self-examination. By applying these methods consistently, you can manage stress more effectively, maintain your well-being and thrive in the workplace.

Conclusion

Emotional burnout is a problem faced by every fifth working person. However, it is important to understand that this is not the end of the world, both for the employer and for the employee. The main thing is to see the first signs of exhaustion in time and introduce special actions to restore the human condition. And the best practice is not to bring yourself to emotional burnout, but rather to make a pleasant and comfortable zone for development around you.

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When a person starts looking for a job, he or she faces one of the stages of this process – an interview. For almost everyone, this is a very stressful situation that forces us to step out of our comfort zone. But this is only at first glance. If you have the right attitude and use some tricks, it turns out that the interview is just another step towards the realization of your goals.

So today, let’s dispel the unpleasant impression of the hiring process and turn it into a pleasant conversation with useful experience.

What is an interview?

First of all, let’s make it clear that a job interview is not an exam or a school test. In fact, the interview is a two-way communication, during which not only the employer evaluates you as a potential employee, but you also have the opportunity to understand whether this company and position are suitable for you.

To worry less, there is one effective method – to prepare for the interview. This gives you more confidence in yourself and your knowledge. After all, you already tune in to a productive dialogue and know what to expect. Moreover, your interlocutor is the same person as you, who understands that there are no ideal candidates. The main thing is to be yourself and show your best qualities and skills.

How to prepare for the interview?

The interview is stressful not only for you, but also for the HR manager or employer. They want to find the best candidate for the vacancy, which is why they conduct a thorough selection.

Understand the company’s activities

If you do not know what the company does, where you want to work, then why do you go there? Therefore, before the interview, find an hour or two to do a little research:

• What does this company do? What services do they provide?
• What basic values and principles does the company promote in its appeal to customers?
• What about this company write on the Internet? What are the reviews?

A clear wording of the answers to such questions will help you arouse interest in the employer. And for yourself, you form a clear understanding of whether this company is right for you.

Lifehack: Check your online footprint by entering your full name in the search term. Make sure that you are not left with bad reviews or compromising information.

A high-quality CV

The first thing employers look at when hiring is your CV (curriculum vitae) or resume. In these documents, you provide a concise and structured written chronology of your life or career development (depending on the type of document), that is:

1. First and Last Name.
2. Your specialization.
3. What you graduated from: school, college, university, courses; Specify the years of study.
4. If there is, then experience: where you worked, what time you worked, your position.
5. Soft skills – that is, your character traits.
6. Hard skills are skills and knowledge that are necessary at work.
7. Specify your achievements and goals. It sets you apart from the candidates.
8. It is important to specify contacts for feedback (phone, mail, telegram, link to the portfolio). It is desirable that the contacts are clickable.

When you have already understood the specialization of the company, you should personalize your resume.

For example, when studying the job description, pay attention to the key requirements, responsibilities, and skills. Or more specifically, highlight your experiences and achievements that most fit the job requirements.

Lifehack: Use in your resume the same keywords and phrases that are indicated in the description. This helps HR or the employer to make sure that you are a more suitable person for this vacancy.

Presenting yourself

The first thing you will be asked to do during the interview is to tell a little bit about yourself. You have a few minutes to present yourself in the best way possible and make the HR manager interested. This is a difficult task if you don’t think about your answer in advance. 

First, prepare specific examples of your achievements that demonstrate your value as a specialist. You can use the STAR (Situation, Task, Action, Result) method to structure your answers to questions about your experience. Describe the specific situation, the task at hand, the actions you took, and the results you achieved. This will help the employer better understand your potential.

Second, show your motivation and enthusiasm. Tell them about your plans for the future, not about going to the movies, but about how you want to develop and improve your skills or acquire new ones. This will show the employer that you are not resting on your laurels and are willing to do your best to improve your work.

And finally, be ready to talk about your weaknesses, because every person has them. Don’t be afraid to recognize their existence, but focus on the fact that you are working on your shortcomings and strive for self-improvement.

For example, you can beautifully beat your pickiness to the details. Emphasize that you carefully check everything several times and spend a little more time because of this. However, as a result, you hand over a good job.

Lifehack: Don’t be afraid to be frank, because it is sincerity that can help win the trust of the employer and convince him to choose in your favor.

Mental preparation

It is important to understand that excitement is normal for any person. However, excessive anxiety can be bad for your health. Especially because of stress, you can forget even how old you are or what your name is. It sounds funny, but it’s true.

Calm down, take a few deep breaths and exhales. Before the interview, take up your favorite hobby, go out into the fresh air, think about something pleasant or share your worries with loved ones. Such banal things can help you relax and recover.

Lifehack: Visualize the successful outcome of the interview. Imagine yourself confident, calm and competent when talking to your employer. Positive thinking will help to tune in the right way.

How to behave during the interview?

It does not matter whether the interview takes place online or in the office, you should think about the first impression you leave on HR or the employer.

• Listen carefully to the question and make sure you understand its essence. If necessary, ask for clarification or rephrase questions to make sure of the correct understanding.
• Answer clearly, concisely and in essence. Avoid excessive detail or deviation from the topic. Focus on the key aspects of your experience that most fit the job requirements.
• Maintain eye contact with the interviewer and control your facial expressions. Make eye contact when listening to and answering questions, smile genuinely, and sit up straight. This demonstrates your confidence, honesty, and engagement in the conversation.
• Keep your outfit tidy and clean. Make sure your clothes are ironed and free of stains and holes. This will show your attention to detail and seriousness.
• If the interview takes place online, make sure you have a stable Internet connection and a quiet corner where you won’t be distracted. If you know that something might interfere with your interview, you should warn the interviewer about the inconvenience.

10 most common interview questions

Your goal during a hiring process is not just to answer questions, but to convince the employer that you are a good fit and valuable to the company. Therefore, prepare and practice answers to common questions in advance to feel confident and relaxed during the interview.

1. What exactly interested you in this vacancy or our company?
2. What do you pay attention to when choosing a company? Do you have certain criteria?
3. What was the reason for dismissal from the previous job?
4. What motivates/demotivates you in your work?
5. Tell us about the most difficult case you faced in your previous position, and how do you solve the problem? What experience or lesson have you learned from this situation?
6. Share your successes in the past? What achievements are you proud of?
7. Give an example of a conflict situation that you faced in interaction with your colleagues, management, clients: what were the reasons, how did you decide what was achieved?
8. What will you do if you get a new task for which you lack experience or time? What are your next actions?
9. Imagine and describe your ideal working day.
10. In what professional direction do you strive to move and what areas are you interested in for further growth? What knowledge and skills do you plan to develop to reach new heights in the future?

As you can see, the questions are generally about your work experience and about challenging situations you may have faced. Answers to these questions will help the HR manager better understand your soft and hard skills and how they fit into the job.  

Questions to ask and things not to say

An interview is a two-way process, so it’s important not only to answer questions but also to ask the employer questions. This will help you better understand the company, the position, and the expectations, and demonstrate your sincere interest and preparation. Here are some tips to help you formulate effective questions:

Ask about the key duties and responsibilities of the position. 

Example: “What will be my main responsibilities and priorities in this position for the first 3-6 months?”

Ask about opportunities for professional development and career advancement in the company. 

Example: “What training and professional development opportunities do you offer your employees? Does the company have mentoring programs or individual development plans?”

Ask about the corporate culture, values, and work environment. 

Example: “How would you describe the corporate culture and work environment in your company? What values are key to your organization?”

Ask about the next steps in the selection process and the expected timeline for feedback. Example: “What are the next steps in the selection process after this interview? When can I expect feedback from you?”

Don’t forget that there are topics that should not be mentioned during the interview. For example, complaining about your last job or employer. Show restraint and wisdom when speaking about your previous experience, or argue from a professional point of view what you didn’t like in the past. You should also not complain about personal problems, because an interview is not a psychologist’s appointment.

Lifehack: Stay professional, focused on the position and your skills, and avoid controversial or inappropriate topics. This will help you make the best impression.

Conclusion

Remember that job search is a process that requires patience and perseverance. Don’t give up after the first failure. And our tips and examples will help you create your perfect resume and prepare for the interview. Be flexible and adaptable to different situations, don’t be afraid to be creative, and you will succeed!

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