Mustering up the ability to ask a question, although daunting at times, can reap surprising benefits. The famous book on gender inequality in the workplace, Women Don’t Ask, revealed people who do negotiate average a 7% increase in salaries alone. If you never ask, you’ll never truly know what the limitations of your situation are. Also, it’s important to advocate for yourself and for others. Learning how to do so earlier rather than later will only help later down the road and will give you better insight on future negotiating power. ... [more]
Have you ever had any of these self-negating thoughts? More than likely, at one point or another in your life, you’ve experienced what psychologists label “imposter syndrome.” Put simply, imposter syndrome is the tendency to discount your own successes and doubt your abilities. The term first appeared in the early 1970s, when two researchers, Pauline Rose Clance and Suzanne Imes studied a group of successful women and began to notice a trend among their subjects. Clance and Imes discovered that many of the women they studied were plagued by what they labeled the imposter phenomenon, or the persistent belief that “they are really not bright and have fooled anyone who thinks otherwise.” Ironically, imposter syndrome often plagues high-achieving, successful individuals who are the only ones who see themselves as imposters or frauds. High-profile professionals and celebrities like Kate Winslet and Sheryl Sandberg admit to struggling with imposter sydrome, while research has shown it especially affects women and minorities more frequently than men. ... [more]
As summer approaches, a new surge of students will begin looking for jobs. Whether you’re graduating and finding a full-time career, starting an internship, or just looking for a part-time summer job, it’s important to maximize your interview experience. To help you ace your interview, we’ve put together a list of a few do’s and don’ts for help before and after the interview. ... [more]
How do you define company culture? Every company, no matter its size, number of employees, industry, or location, has a culture. As William Craig explains in an article for the Forbes blog, company culture isn’t something employees bring with them. Rather, it’s “something that is pre-existing in your company’s genetic code.” Yet, even with Craig’s description, company culture can be hard to grasp. ... [more]
What do tweets, Vines, superhero films, and lists all have in common? Answer: They are all deliberately designed for a generation with shorter attention spans. In this digital age, it feels impossible to work in a tech-dominated industry without coming to the conclusion that the world as a whole, especially the younger generations, have shorter attention spans than ever. The average American attention span in 2015 was recorded at 8.25 seconds, roughly one second less than that of a goldfish. The creation of the aforementioned social media sites and the popularity of business blogs suggests that the marketplace is rapidly adapting to these changes in attention spans. What can you as a business owner with an online presence do about this then? One word: titles. ... [more]
How many emails do you send daily? 25? 50? 100 or more? According to a report published by the Radicati Group, a technology market research firm, business users receive and send an average of 121 emails per day, a number which will grow to 140 emails a day by 2018. In only a decade, email has become the primary and most efficient form of communication for businesses and professionals. But, with so many emails flooding inboxes daily, writing professional emails can sometimes fall to the wayside as efficiency trumps etiquette in the race to keep up with the constant inbox deluge. If you find yourself needing a refresher on business email etiquette, consider these five tips: ... [more]
Cell phones are one of the greatest advancements in communication technology. In the past five years, cell phone usage has increased exponentially, even replacing landlines in many homes and businesses. According to an April 2015 report released by the Pew Research Center, 64% of Americans now own a smartphone, up from only 35% in April 2011. Cell phones have become so enmeshed in our daily lives, it can be easy to forget that cell phone etiquette still matters--especially in the workplace. ... [more]
Did you know today is National Talk In An Elevator Day? Here at OpenSesame, we’re celebrating the best way we know how: by perfecting our elevator pitches! ... [more]
Everyone’s heard that body language is important - it really does affect how others perceive you. But did you know your own body language can affect how you feel? Your posture can have a surprising effect on self-confidence and performance. ... [more]
Whether you’re contributing during a meeting or delivering a presentation to your co-workers, public speaking is inevitable in the workplace. It can be quite daunting, especially if you’re an employee surrounded by experienced leaders who may be more comfortable delivering information to a room. Even though you may experience anxiety thinking about public speaking, it doesn’t have to be debilitating. ... [more]
