Thursday 31 December 2015

Wishing you a very Happy New year-2016


On this auspicious occasion of New Year 2016, Aerizo is heartily thankful to all our clients and well-wishers for providing us the opportunity to serve you and we promise to make your experience a satisfying and enriching one in the coming days. 

Wednesday 30 December 2015

Make your Intern Program a Success


Provide interns with real work assignments.

Providing interns with real work is number one to ensuring your program's success. Interns should be doing work related to their major, that is challenging, that is recognized by the organization as valuable, and that fills the entire work term.

You can guarantee that hiring managers provide real work assignments by checking job descriptions, emphasizing the importance of real work assignments during a manager/mentor orientation sessions, and communicating with interns frequently throughout the work term to determine who they perceive what they are doing.

Hold orientations for all involved.

It's important that everyone "be on the same page," so to speak. Make this happen by holding an orientation session for managers and mentors as well as a session for students. Orientations ensure that everyone starts with the same expectations and role definitions. This is time well spent—the effort you put into these sessions will pay off throughout the program.

Provide interns with a handbook and/or website.

Whether in paper booklet format, or presented as a special section on your website, a handbook serves as a guide for students, answering frequently asked questions and communicating the "rules" in a warm and welcoming way.

A separate intern website serves many of the purposes of the handbook, but has the advantage of being easy to change. You can use your website as a communication tool, with announcements from the college relations staff or even articles of interest written by the interns themselves.

Provide housing and relocation assistance.

Few employers can afford to provide fully paid housing for interns, but you'll find that you get a lot of appreciation if you offer any kind of assistance toward housing expenses. If that's not possible, provide assistance in locating affordable housing: For those relocating to the job site, the prospect of finding affordable, short-term housing can be daunting. Easy availability of affordable housing will make your opportunity more attractive to students, broadening your pool of candidates.

If you can pay for all or some of your interns' housing, be sure to design (and stick to) a clear policy detailing who is eligible. This will eliminate any perceptions of unequal treatment. In addition, be aware that employer-paid or employer-subsidized housing is considered a taxable benefit. Check with your internal tax department on exceptions to this.

You will also want to consider the issue of relocation, which is separate although related to housing. Many organizations pay some or all of their interns' relocation expenses to and/or from the job site.

Offer scholarships.

Pairing a scholarship with your internship is a great way to recruit for your internship program—and this is especially true if you are having difficulty attracting a particular type of student or student with a specific skill set to your program. Attaching a scholarship can increase your pool of candidates with the desired qualifications.

Offer flex-time and/or other unusual work arrangements.

Students mention flex-time as one of their most-desired features in a job. (A flexible time schedule during their internship eases their transition to the workplace.)

If you think about how students spend the day on campus (varied schedule each day, with varied activities such as work, class, social time), you can understand that 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday is a bit of an adjustment for them. A flexible schedule can make them feel less chained in by an unchanging routine.

Other work arrangements that have been found successful with students include keeping them on as part-time, remote employees after they go back to school (depending on the type of work they do for you and whether they have a willing manager), and having them come back and work over school breaks for a couple of weeks. These are excellent ways to keep communications open and build a stronger bond.

Have an intern manager.

Having a dedicated manager for your intern program is the best way to ensure that it runs smoothly and stays focused on your criteria for success. Unfortunately, the size and resources available to most internship programs mean that this isn't always possible. If your program isn't big enough to warrant a dedicated full-time staff member, an excellent short-term solution is to hire a graduate student (look for a student working toward an advanced HR degree) to be your intern, and put this college relations intern in charge of the daily operation of the internship program. This gives the interns a "go-to" person, and gives you and your staff a break from the many daily tasks involved in running a program of any size. For this to work, you have to plan the program structure in advance (don't expect your intern to do it), and be very accessible to your college relations intern.

Encourage team involvement.

Involve your college recruiting teams—whether they are "volunteers" who participate in college recruiting, staff members dedicated to college recruiting, or some combination of both—in your intern program. They can sponsor social or professional development events, and help to orient the interns to your company culture.

Invite career centre staff and faculty to visit interns on site.

Although some programs—especially those that are very structured on the university side—make visits by career centre staff and faculty a regular practice, most do not. In general, career centre staff and faculty members have relatively few opportunities to visit employer work sites to see firsthand the types of experiences that their students are getting. By inviting them to your site, you will build a better working relationship with these groups, which can lead to more student referrals, enhanced campus visibility, and increased flexibility on their parts when your business needs dictate it.

Hold new-hire panels.

New-hire panels are one of the best ways to showcase an organization to interns as a great place to work. These are panels of five or six people who were hired as new grads within the last three years. They act as panellists in a meeting of interns, giving a brief summary of their background and then answering questions from the intern audience. Your interns get insight about your organization from your new hires—people who they perceive are like themselves and who they consequently view as credible sources of information.

Bring in speakers from your company's executive ranks.

One of the greatest advantages to students in having internships is the access they get to accomplished professionals in their field. Consequently, speakers from the executive ranks are very popular with students—it's  a great career development and role modelling experience for interns. Having a CEO speak is especially impressive. Best scenario: Your CEO speaker is personable, willing to answer questions, and willing and able to spend a little informal time with the students after speaking—your interns will be quite impressed.

For you, having your executives speak to interns is another way to "sell" your organization to the interns, and get your executives invested in (and supporting) your program.

Offer training/encourage outside classes.

Providing students with access to in-house training—both in work-skills-related areas, such as a computer language, and in general skills areas, such as time management—is a tangible way to show students you are interested in their development.

You may also want to consider providing interns with information about nearby community colleges: Many students will be interested in attending during their work term to take care of some electives and/or get a little ahead with the hours they need to graduate. If you have the budget, you may also want to consider paying the tuition for courses they take while working for you, but, as is the case with housing, any assistance you can provide—even if it's just providing them with information about local schools—will earn you points with students.

Conduct focus groups/surveys.

Conducting focus groups and feedback surveys with these representatives of your target group is a great way to see your organization as the students see it. Focus groups in particular can yield information about what your competitors are doing that students find appealing.

Showcase intern work through presentations/expo.

Students work very hard at completing their work and are generally proud of their accomplishments. Setting up a venue for them to do presentations (formal presentations or in a fair-type setting such as an expo) not only allows them to demonstrate their achievements, but also showcases the internship program to all employees.

Conduct exit interviews.

Whether face-to-face or over the telephone, a real-time exit interview done by a member of the college relations team is an excellent way to gather feedback on the student's experience and to assess their interest in coming back. Having the students fill out an exit survey and bring it to the interview gives some structure to the conversation.

Monday 28 December 2015

The Benefits of Working While Enrolled in College


Taking on a part-time job while pursuing a degree is hard work, but the benefits are typically greater than the amount of a pay check. Students who work during their college careers may have better time-management skills than their counterparts. They must understand responsibility and apply it to their daily lives. They earn money that can be used for fun or for tuition, while gaining experience in the workplace that will be attractive to future employers after graduation.

Money

Simply put, students who hold down part-time jobs will have more money than they would have otherwise. As they come into adulthood, earning an income can boost their confidence and allow them to have some fun within the limits of their pay checks. Some students need to work through school to afford tuition. Others will set the money aside to pay back student loans. Still, the money will be theirs to spend as they wish, and they may appreciate it more because they worked for it.

Budgeting

Students earning their own money get lessons on spending wisely. They may be less likely to spend their hard-earned money frivolously and learn to delay gratification to pay for necessities, such as text books and rent. At the same time, they can save for non-essential purchases, such as a car.

Students taking on a job on top of their studies will have less free time than non-working students. When working students have to measure out their time, they tend to be better planners as they make sure they complete every task expected of them on deadline. They learn to weigh their priorities, sometimes skipping fun activities to finish their responsibilities. This prepares them for life after school when excuses and tardy work will be frowned upon.

Experience

Often, students work jobs that introduce them to their preferred career after school is over. This allows them to gain important introductory experience in the business and begin networking with those in that field. Even students who work in places not connected to their majors will look more impressive to potential employers. They'll have some kind of work experience on their resumes to start, and the fact that they've been able to hold a job while a school attests to their level of maturity, responsibility and time management. Employers look for employees who understand the work environment and work well as part of a team. Having a part-time job shows that the student is at least somewhat accustomed to the professional world, which will make the transition that much easier.

Benefits:

·         A part-time job allows the student to experience something new and completely different from their academic interests. For many, working 12-15 hours a week is a refreshing break from the books.

·         Working part-time develops effective time-management skills. Holding down a job requires a student to balance class schedules, study time, leisure time and the demands of a work schedule.

·         National statistics indicate that students who work an average of 10–20 hours per week develop more effective study habits and perform better academically.

·         Working can develop self-confidence, self-sufficiency, and a real sense of independence for many individuals. These are all invaluable skills necessary for the professional world.

·         Students who work through a series of jobs while attending college can establish an excellent work record and employment history. A solid work history can benefit students as they begin seeking permanent employment.

·         Part-time work can help reduce the burden of educational loans.

Finally, it is important to note that employment is a part of education itself. What better way is there to learn about the world of employment than on the job?

Thursday 24 December 2015

Time Management Tips to Hack Productivity


Good time management is essential for coping with the pressures of modern life without experiencing too much stress. If you never have enough time to finish your tasks, better time management will help you regain control of your day.

Good time management doesn't mean you do more work. It means you focus on the tasks that matter and will make a difference. Whether it's in your job or your lifestyle as a whole, learning how to manage your time effectively will help you feel more relaxed, focused and in control.

Here are some tips on how to be a better time manager:

Create a daily plan. Plan your day before it unfolds. Do it in the morning or even better, the night before you sleep. The plan gives you a good overview of how the day will pan out. That way, you don't get caught off guard. Your job for the day is to stick to the plan as best as possible.

Peg a time limit to each task. Be clear that you need to finish X task by 10 am, Y task by 3 pm, and Z item by 5:30 pm. This prevents your work from dragging on and eating into time reserved for other activities.

Use a calendar. Having a calendar is the most fundamental step to managing your daily activities. If you use outlook or lotus notes, calendar come as part of your mailing software. Google Calendar is great. It's even better if you can sync it to your mobile phone and other hard wares you use – that way, you can access your schedule no matter where you are.

Use an organizer. The organizer helps you to be on top of everything in your life. It's your central tool to organize information, to-do lists, projects, and other miscellaneous items.

Know your deadlines. When do you need to finish your tasks? Mark the deadlines out clearly in your calendar and organizer so you know when you need to finish them.

Learn to say "No". Don't take on more than you can handle. For the distractions that come in when you're doing other things, give a firm no. Or defer it to a later period.

Target to be early. When you target to be on time, you'll either be on time or late. Most of the times you'll be late. However, if you target to be early, you'll most likely be on time. For appointments, strive to be early. For your deadlines, submit them earlier than required.

Time box your activities. This means restricting your work to X amount of time. Have a clock visibly placed before you. Sometimes we are so engrossed in our work that we lose track of time. Having a huge clock in front of you will keep you aware of the time at the moment.

Set reminders 15 minutes before. Most calendars have a reminder function. If you've an important meeting to attend, set that alarm 15 minutes before.

Focus. Are you multi-tasking so much that you're just not getting anything done? If so, focus on just one key task at one time. Close off all the applications you aren't using. Close off the tabs in your browser that are taking away your attention. Focus solely on what you're doing. You'll be more efficient that way.

Prioritize. Since you can't do everything, learn to prioritize the important and let go of the rest. Apply the 80/20 principle which is a key principle in prioritization.

Delegate. If there are things that can be better done by others or things that are not so important, consider delegating. This takes a load off and you can focus on the important tasks.

Eliminate your time wasters. What takes your time away your work? Facebook? Twitter? Email checking? Stop checking them so often. One thing you can do is make it hard to check them – remove them from your browser quick links / bookmarks and stuff them in a hard to access bookmarks folder. Replace your browser bookmarks with important work-related sites. While you'll still check FB/Twitter no doubt, you'll find it's a lower frequency than before.

Cut off when you need to. #1 reason why things overrun is because you don't cut off when you have to. Don't be afraid to intercept in meetings or draw a line to cut-off. Otherwise, there's never going to be an end and you'll just eat into the time for later.

Leave buffer time in-between. Don't pack everything closely together. Leave a 5-10 minute buffer time in between each task. This helps you wrap up the previous task and start off on the next one.

Wednesday 23 December 2015

Secrets to Balancing Work and Family Life


Love and work are said to be the cornerstones of being human and both are very important for happiness. Yet juggling the demands of each can be difficult. Like many things there is no one right way or magic formula. Our work and family circumstances vary enormously.  We have to find what works for us at any given time - recognising the need to be flexible as personal, family and work needs vary and change.

There are four processes we can work through, which can help us evaluate ourselves and our lives and make changes:

Ø  Clarifying values

Ø  Setting realistic goals and expectations

Ø  Setting priorities and managing time

Ø  Letting go and understanding control

Clarifying Values

Values guide our actions and are usually the result of our life experiences. Clarifying our values is one key to managing work and family demands. Most of us know some of our values, but sometimes important values remain unconscious or unknown. Often, we don't question or even acknowledge many of the values we hold until we assume new roles or experience conflict. The values we hold but are not aware of can often contribute to our feelings of stress; we can understand and ease this stress by becoming more aware of our values.

Setting Realistic Goals and Expectations

Goals are important in our lives and help us define how we use our time. Our values underlie our goals and give us the "push" to move toward achieving those goals. The values underlying these two goal statements might include a high regard for achievement and education. Goals may be either concrete or relational.  To ease role strain we can choose to put some goals on hold, let go of some, and modify others. Perceptions, attitudes and expectations are also important in understanding and addressing work-family issues. Expectations, perceptions and attitudes often take the form of assumptions about the way things ought to be done or the way we expect people to behave. These usually come from our values and may be harder to identify than our goals.

Setting Priorities and Managing Time

Setting priorities is central to effective time management. Managing work and a household, finding time for family activities and friendships, and having time just for us is no easy task with multiple responsibilities and roles. 

Even when we are efficient in using our time, we may not be effective—we "do things right" but we don't do the right things. Goals that focus on the development of people—our relational goals—may be harder to have master activity plans for because they are day-to-day processes that are harder to identify and schedule.

Letting Go and Understanding Control

The last area to think about is what it means to be in control. Many times we feel we have more control if we do everything ourselves. However, this can keep us from reaching our real goals. Think about delegating or dividing work to accomplish priority needs and wants. As we think about change in this area, or act differently, we may encounter unknown values or unexpected perceptions or expectations about how work should get done, and what work should get done. Understanding the emotional satisfaction we get from performing certain tasks, and the power attached to some responsibilities, are important aspects of effectively delegating or dividing tasks.

Planning and communication are central to all change. Here are some other ideas to help balance work and family:

  ü  Hold family meetings.

  ü  Keep weekly or monthly schedules that schedule time for both concrete and relational goals.

  ü  Remember that effective management is not a static event but a continually evolving process.

  ü  Be willing to revise plans when they don't work or changes need to be made.

  ü  Understand what we can control and what we can't.

  ü  Keep a sense of humour.

Tuesday 8 December 2015

10 Surprising Indicators of Smart Person


You could say that there plenty of not-so-bright people walking around, but it's not that there are so many of them; it's just that they are usually the loudest. There are a lot of extremely intelligent people out there, but they simply don't advertise the fact that they are smart. It comes natural to them, and they try to live their lives freely and without consciously drawing attention to themselves. You can call it modesty or plain old good manners, but these people tend to look and sound quite average, until they surprise you with a gem of wisdom. Here are some of the tell-tale signs that you might be one smart cookie, without appearing so.

1. You're a night owl

As recent research suggests, those who prefer to stay up late, and do their best work at night, average higher IQ scores than morning people. That being said, staying up late won't magically hack your brain into being smarter – smarter people are just more likely to work and party during the night, and sleep in. While all your friends are fast asleep, you are browsing the web for information, reading, learning to play the guitar and finishing up different projects – since this happens behind the scenes, your knowledge and skills will often be a surprise to people.

2. You're the silent type

You'll find plenty of misconceptions about quiet people, e.g. being labelled as introverts, socially awkward and so on. This isn't necessarily true, and while not all quiet people are necessarily smart, highly intelligent people will often refrain from speaking if they are accessing a situation. They will take some time to think about what was said and prepare an adequate response, and they find silence better than pointless small talk.

3. You face your problems

You may find yourself faced with a bunch of difficult problems, but a smart person won't let that bring them down. A very smart person will know how to prioritize and deal with problems as they arise, before things even get a chance to start spinning out of control. If you are the type of person who faces problems and welcomes challenges, always dancing on the age of your comfort zone, chances are that you are fairly intelligent.

4. You hang out with smart and creative people

The company you keep is a good reflection of who you are as a person. Exceptionally smart people will tend to hang out with people like them, i.e. smart, creative and cultured. There are always some exceptions, but if about 80% of the people in your life are intelligent and interesting, you probably fit that description as well.

5. You strive for perfection

There might not be anything that hints at great intelligence in your appearance or speech, the way you conduct yourself is an excellent indicator. Intelligent people always strive for perfection, so each time you see them you'll be able to notice a few small improvements. They are always a bit different than before. This perfectionist mentality is applied to all aspects of life, from trying to look their best or working on being a great speaker, to spending hours practicing their golf swing or dart throw.

6. You tend to be quite self-critical

There are plenty of narcissists out there who sometimes lie to themselves and others about how good they are at something, so it's a breath of fresh air to see someone being self-critical and accepting critique. Although someone might not be actively trying to impress and come off as smart, the ability to acknowledge one's own faults and the willingness to work on correcting them can give their intelligence away.

7. You like to stay informed

Intelligent people like to be up to date with the latest development in a number of different fields, always trying to improve themselves bit by bit. A smart person will stay up to date with local and global news, as well as try to learn all he or she can about topics that are directly related to their life or are interesting to them. Gathering information, learning new things and developing useful skills is a lifelong goal for highly intelligent people, and they will always have a way of keeping themselves busy.

8. You're constantly occupied with tons of different projects

Speaking of keeping busy, a good indicator that you are dealing with a very smart person is the fact that they always have a few projects that they are working on. They might be brushing up on their French and learning a few useful Mandarin phrases, reading up on DIY home repairs, taking dancing lessons, working on some new recipes in the kitchen, or compiling a book on early medieval architecture. While a lot of people like to keep busy, a smart person will fill their free time with activities that help them improve in one way or another. Not all smart people are very productive, but it can be a good indicator of higher intellect.

9. You ask all the right questions

When talking to a smart person who doesn't blow his or her own horn, you'll notice that they don't try to hijack the conversation or start long monologues. They will actually sit there quietly and listen to what you have to say, allowing for a few moments of silence here and there as they think things over. However, once they ask a question it really hits the spot. They actually give helpful advice or even get you to come to the right conclusions on your own. If your friends enjoy talking to you and tell you that you are a good listener, you are probably a good friend, and an intelligent one at that.

10. You don't think that you are exceptionally smart

People with a low level of competence will tend to overestimate their abilities, whereas highly competent people will tend to sell themselves short. This is due to the fact that the more intelligent, informed and skilled you are, the more you realize just how much space there is to further improve and you are not satisfied with your current knowledge or skill level.

True intelligence cannot really be hidden away or masked effectively, nor is this the point of exceptionally smart people who appear seemingly normal. They wear their intelligence proudly, but they don't flaunt it, although these ten sings are a dead giveaway.

 

Sunday 6 December 2015

What's the Difference between Busy People and Productive People?


Busy people work without a vision or a plan. They do their tasks without any clear sense of direction or purpose. Productive people are clear on their goals and targets, and it underlies everything they do.

Busy people get lots done. But, how many of the things that they do move them closer to their goals?  Probably very few or none. Productive people do the right things. They do not obsessively check their email or their social media accounts.  They do not spend time doing things that could be delegated to someone else. They focus on the tasks that will bring them closer to their goals.

Busy people are often exhausted and stressed out at the end of the day. They've inundated themselves with multiple tasks that did not add up to anything worthwhile. Productive people work efficiently and complete the primary objectives that they have set for themselves.

Busy people say yes to every request for help. As a result, their days are loaded with unrelated tasks, all with equal priority. Productive people are frugal with their Yeses, and have very few priorities. They focus on the tasks that are most important to their business growth.

Busy people focus on action. Productive people figure out what activities are most important before taking action.

Busy people talk about how little time they have. Productive people make time for what's important; they don't use time as an excuse. An action either supports their highest values and mission, or if it does not, they don't do it.

Busy people multitask. Productive people focus on one task at a time.

Busy people respond quickly to emails. Productive people look at email infrequently (only once or twice a day), take action on each message and turn off incoming email sounds.

Busy people keep all doors open. Productive people close doors, ignore most options and FOCUS.

Wednesday 2 December 2015

The Do's & Don'ts to Changing Your Career



What's one positive outcome of the recession? It's leading people to consider a career change. Though the process of figuring out what to do next can be overwhelming, it's also empowering. Taking stock of one's skills, strengths, interests and experience makes an individual realize how much he or she knows and has to offer. Investigating career options also helps employed professionals extricate themselves from dead-end jobs. For people who are unemployed, a layoff can be the catalyst for pursuing a professional dream.

Before you change careers you should have full understanding of why you want to change career fields. In today's job market, changing careers at the wrong time without proper perspective could have a negative effect on your future. Listed below are the do's and don'ts that will help to lead you in making the best decision.

Don't worry if you feel a bit insecure or unsure about making a career change; these feelings are normal.

Do expect to put in a great deal of time and effort in making the switch from one career to another, but don't allow yourself to get discouraged at the pace or your progress changing careers takes time

Don't change careers unjustly. You should have significant reason as to why you want to change careers. Be able to differentiate between the issues you have at your current position; whether it's your supervisor, employer, the work, skills, or the career.

Do change to a position where you can transfer your skill set. Attempting to carve a new career path where you will have to learn new skills will not be the best idea if you lack experience.

Don't forget to update your resume. Your new attempt to obtain a new position will not go smoothly with a dated resume that isn't catered towards your new career goal.

Do make an effort to research the field you intend to transfer into. You may find that your experience or passion may lead you to an entirely different career that you are more suited for.

Don't shift careers based on your family, peers, or any other outside influences because they won't be carrying out your day to day tasks.

Do make the necessary networking connections to establish yourself. Leads on potential employment opportunities and career advice from others will help you make more informed decisions.

Don't change careers without a plan first. Your job search may take longer than expected so set realistic goals.

Do expect change. Your next position may even come from places you least expect it; including your current employer. Salary differences and relocation can also be major factors that will influence your decisions. Many setbacks may lead to you landing the perfect opportunity. Practice patience!