How to Excel at Small Talk

How to Excel at Small Talk Small talk can be a surprisingly difficult conversation form to master. Yet, it is important, as you can’t get away with it in your professional or personal life. You can save many situations simply by being able to strike a light-hearted conversation with another person. © Shutterstock.com | Robert KneschkeBut what is small talk all about and could it provide you with some real benefits? This guide will answer those questions and give you tips on how to excel at small talk by focusing on the right tactics and avoiding the common mistakes.WHAT IS SMALL TALK AND WHY DOES IT MATTER?Small talk is a term that can cause quite a bit of unease in some people. It’s also a topic that has created countless blog posts, guides and you can even take courses on it in order to master it.The Oxford Dictionary definition of small talk states:“Polite conversation about unimportant or uncontroversial matters, especially as engaged in on social occasions”It is a light conversation, typically with strangers and casual acquaintances, that doesn’t require a specific purpose or end goal. If you’ve ever been to a party, then you’ve most likely engaged in small talk.It could be argued small talk is one of life’s essential survival skills. While it can strike fea r in the hearts of many, mastering this skill has plenty of benefits.The benefits of small talkIf you consider small talk as a mindless activity, which isn’t something you should focus on excelling, you might want to check out the below benefits. This humble skill can surprise you with its amazing, almost life-changing, abilities.Helps you make a good impressionFirst of all, a person who knows how to small talk will leave a much better impression than someone who can’t keep a conversation going. Humans are social animals and the ability to socialise with others with ease will make others feel more at ease as well.Small talk tells people you are smart, approachable and friendly. You can think about the acquaintances you’ve met. Were the ones you found friendly and nice also the ones who could keep the conversation flowing?Boost your careerBecause you can give a better impression of yourself and come across as approachable, the ability to small talk can also boost your career.A simple small talk at a business seminar or even a party will create an impression of you for the other person and leave a lasting memory of you to their minds. This impression can pop into their head when they are looking for a new business connection or even an employee.Small talk is essentially an aspect of networking. You never know which connections you make end up being beneficial in the future.Gives you new ideasSmall talk can even enhance your creativity. Even when you aren’t engaged in a deep conversation, you are still using your brain and dealing with people who might think of things differently.The ability to keep the conversation flowing will boost your creativity, which in turn can help you discover new ideas and ways of thinking about things. Small talk can even be a great way to get your mind off things during a busy workday!Improves your ability to solve problemsUniversity of Michigan’s study has even found that people who are good at small talk are also better a t problem solving. Because you need to adapt to the other person’s way of talking, your brain gets better at thinking things from a different angle.Makes you feel betterSince humans are social beings, little social interactions can have a huge impact on our mood. Talking to other people for a moment can in fact make you feel happier. Small talk also has the benefit of being quite light â€" you don’t need to share deep personal beliefs, but can just enjoy the other person’s company and smile.TRICKS FOR CRACKING THE ART OF SMALL TALKWhile small talk is an essential part of life, it is by no means easy. Even though you aren’t sharing deep, thoughtful ideas, striking a conversation over nothing can actually be a lot harder. The good news is that there are clever ways you can crack the art of small talk.Be preparedJust like many things in life, excelling at small talk is all about preparation. If you have a plan and strategy to follow, you are more likely to feel relaxed and give a better impression to the other person.Do some appropriate preparations, depending on the situation where you are likely to have to make small talk. For example, if you are going to a party, you’d want to think about your connection with the host. This way, you can use it as an icebreaker when meeting new people.If you are going to an event, where you are likely to meet acquaintances you have met previously, it’s important to try remembering a few things about the person. For example, try to think whether they had any children or their profession, so that you can impress them by asking a casual question on these topics.You should also think a list of subjects you’d like to talk about and think about these before small talk situations. For example, try answering questions such as:What are your hobbies?What is your relation to the people at the event?Where have you been travelling recently or have you participated in an interesting event?These can give you plenty of talking po ints and they can easily direct the discussion further.Overall, you want to try to stay on top of current events as much as possible. While you’ll see later that certain topics should not be discussed during small talk, you want to know some fun and interesting cultural events that have happened.If you read newspapers, online blogs and generally pay attention to the world around you, you’ll be more prepared and able to talk about a wide range of subjects.Train your brainGet your brain more used to small talk by actively engaging it in the process. If you never go out of your comfort zone, you’ll never be able to improve your ability to do something different.With a bit of practice, you can ensure your brain goes into automatic gear as soon as you are faced with a small talk situation. By preparing and practicing small talk, you can guarantee the responses and questions come automatically to you.For example, practice certain conversation starters and questions before hand in fr ont of the mirror. If you are very scared of talking with strangers, try having small talk discussions with your friends and family.In addition, memory can be a big part of a successful small talk. You can probably think of a time when the person introduced himself to you and just five minutes later, you have no idea who he is.Studies have highlighted the benefits of different memory games â€" you can even find a name remembering game app for your phone! When you are in a situation where you hear a new name, as soon as you hear the name, repeat it in your head a few times. Saying the name in your head five times, for instance, can ensure it gets stuck in your head better. If the name is rather difficult, you can always say to the person:“It was xx, right? Just want to make sure I pronounce it right, a beautiful name â€"xx â€" does it have a special origin or a meaning?”See what just happened? Not only did you say the name aloud twice, you also threw in a beautiful conversation s tarter!Finally, if you do forget a name, just confess! It isn’t such a big deal.Don’t be afraid of the silenceOne of the things most people find most frightening about small talk is the occasional silence. Silence might seem like a sign of a dying conversation, but it isn’t necessarily.First, you shouldn’t try to jump in too quickly to fill a silent space. People take different times to respond and that short silence might just be your conversation partner analysing what to say next. So, always try to count to ten in your head before you start going on.Sometimes, the other person might just feel like getting out of the conversation, for whatever reason. Don’t force another person to talk with you. If you feel like they want to move on, allow them by either giving them space to say they are going or by suggesting yourself that you should move on.Try to focus on the signals, you can usually tell, if the other person doesn’t know what to say or if they want to leave. If you feel they aren’t sure what to say, but would like to continue talking, take the initiative.If a certain topic is drying out and the silences are becoming too common, don’t be afraid to change the topic. There’s nothing wrong with jumping from one topic to another during small talk.For example, if you’ve been talking about your professions for a while, but there’s not much more to say, you can go “Yes, I enjoy working there a lot, have you been to that part of the town yourself? There are plenty of great restaurants”. This offers you a way to change subjects and the person is provided with two topics to talk about. They can either talk about the area or even the restaurants and favourite foods in more specific.Above all, the transition doesn’t need to be smooth. The other person is likely just going to feel relieved you were able to come up with a new topic, they won’t mind whether it has nothing to do with what you just talked about!Reduce your anxietyIf the idea of small talk causes your hands to sweat, there are ways to try to reduce your anxiety. The more comfortable and relaxed you feel, the better the conversation will flow.First, you shouldn’t have too many expectations about each conversation. While there are benefits to small talk that could see your career lift off, not every conversation is going to create a long-lasting connection. If you just take the conversation as a fun way to lift your spirits, you won’t feel too nervous.You don’t need to feel like you need to perform or give out a certain impression. Try to be yourself and to enjoy the situation. If something big comes out of it, it’ll just be a bonus. Small talk is not a job interview!Remember you aren’t the only person in the conversation â€" it isn’t solely your responsibility to make it work. While you want to take the initiative, you don’t need to feel like it’s your fault if the discussion ends short. Some people will like you and some people won’t †" don’t be too hung up on it!THE SMALL TALK MISTAKES YOU MUST AVOIDMastering the art of small talk is not only about doing the right things. If you want to excel, you also need to avoid making mistakes. Here are the most important small talk mistakes you should avoid in order to improve your conversation skills.Talking, but not listeningSmall talk is not just about the ability to talk, but also to ability to listen. When it comes to listening, there are two important things to keep in mind.First, you won’t give a very good impression of yourself, if you are the only person talking. You don’t want the conversation to be all about you. How will you get anything out of the conversation, if you are the only one talking?When you are having a conversation with someone, make sure to include enough questions and talking points aimed at the other person. If they ask about your last holiday, don’t go into a ten-minute rant. Provide a few details and ask follow-up questions or allow th e other person to step in with their own stories as well.Second related point deals with the way you listen. Listening isn’t just about shutting up. When the other person talks, pay attention to it and when it’s your turn, grab onto a point they made or a thing they said. This shows them you care and creates an impression that you aren’t just wasting the other person’s time. As mentioned above, you can always learn from the other person, so pay attention to what they are saying.Bringing up the so-called heavy subjectsThe definition of small talk says the conversation should be polite and rather light. This means certain topics are out of the question. Small talk is not about finding out the meaning of life or sharing your political opinions in-depth; it is a casual conversation, which could lead to a relationship, where deeper conversations will occur.There are certain topics you need to avoid bringing up and which you don’t need to engage in, even if the other person brin gs them up. These are those of politics, race and ethnicity, sexuality and religion.Small talk is all about creating that uplifting and positive mood. Unfortunately, the topics mentioned above can too easily cause arguments and bad mood, as they are rather divisive and personal.If the other person makes a remark you find too personal, you can gently steer the conversation away from it. For example, “Oh it’s nice you are involved with the local church, so do you have any other hobbies? I’m personally so into golf these days!”Furthermore, don’t ask anything too personal, as you never know whether the person is comfortable discussing certain topics. If you unintentionally bring up a tough topic, apologize, say something polite about the person and change the subject.Furthermore, avoiding personal topics doesn’t of course mean you can’t show some personality. You don’t need to share your life story in full detail, but do open the window to your personality. If you’ve d one interesting things, then share them in a positive way.Failing to make a connectionPeople often make the mistake of treating small talk as mindless chitchat. While you aren’t going to share your inner thoughts, you still shouldn’t treat the conversation as a means to kill time.You want to come out of the conversation having gained something. This doesn’t mean it needs to be something life changing, but treat each conversation as an opportunity to learn.This could just be information and new ideas. Perhaps, the other person will tell you about a great new book to read, a play you should go see or a holiday destination you should definitely visit. You might even simply learn how interesting cooking could be!On the other hand, you might get along with the other person well and you should jump in on the opportunity to make a connection. You never know if you are talking to your future boss or spouse.Whatever the conversation is about, don’t fail to use it for making a connect ion!Forgetting about your body language Finally, don’t forget that only 35% of our communication is verbal and the rest is non-verbal. When you engage in small talk it doesn’t just matter what you say, but what you are ‘saying’ with your body language during the conversation.Your body language involves things such as gestures, facial expression and your posture. By standing or sitting straight, with a smile on your face, you can give out a much better impression and show the other person you are paying attention. If you are fidgeting with your phone and looking elsewhere in the room when the person talks, they’ll feel like you don’t care.Your body language is especially important during small talk. Since you are talking to a person you don’t know very well, and about topics that are supposed to be positive, you can’t give mixed signals with your body.Try to relax your body, maintain a calm and positive body posture and look the person you are talking with directly in the eyes. Remember to smile and don’t get too touchy with them.

Driving With Cell Phone Ban Essays - 1043 Words

It’s was a dark night. The traffic was heavy; it was raining, and visibility was limited. There was an accident on the Interstate and three young people were killed. During the investigation it is revealed that one of the drivers was using a cell phone and failed to see the brake lightss of the car in front of them that had swerved to avoid hitting a deer. Though our instinct is to do what we can to prevent such tragedies in the future; we cannot control the weather. We can restrict driving at night, but that wouldn’t be reasonable. Nor would it be possible to restrict wildlife movement. Many think that legislation can prevent future tragedies. Their first reaction when an accident occurs is to find and place blame. The second reaction is†¦show more content†¦Many people are forced to commute long distances to work and being reachable during those commutes allows those same people to leave work earlier since co-workers and supervisors can reach them at a moment ’s notice. They can even participate in teleconferences while commuting. Allowing the use of cell phones while driving has increased the safety of citizens on the road. People are able and more apt to report crimes or suspicious behavior because of cell phone use. Initiatives such as Amber Alerts broadcast descriptions of vehicles and people suspected of kidnapping on highway signs and encourage drivers to call and report what they see. Emergency response time to accidents has decreased and calls are made frequently reporting drunk or reckless drivers. Cell phones also provide companionship to a driver that might be suffering from fatigue or boredom. Talking to someone while navigating unfamiliar roads is much more mentally stimulating than listening to a radio and can increase the safety of the lone driver. Many advocates of prohibiting the use of cell phones while driving mistakenly think that doing so will eliminate all distracted driving. What they may or may not understand is that distracted driving includes applying cosmetics, disciplining children, talking to other passengers, listening or tuning the radio, smoking, reading maps, etc†¦ It is not the action of talking on theShow MoreRelatedBan on the Usage of Cell Phone while Driving808 Words   |  3 Pagesï » ¿Cell phone ban while driving Many states in America according to their research have found out that use of cell phones in cars have contributed to several accidents as well as traffic violations and are now legislating rules and regulations on cell phone usage so as to create safer driving environment in the states hence reducing the number of accidents each and every day caused by use of cell phones while driving. Jennifer Clark (2012 ) indicates that teenage drivers were banned from any cellRead MoreBan Cell Phone Use While Driving2242 Words   |  9 PagesBan Cell Phone Use While Driving Amber R. Muniz Kaplan University Ban Cell Phone Use While Driving   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   A cell phone wielding driver weaving in and out of traffic and drifting across lanes, because they are completely distracted by the device in their hand, may be all too familiar.  When using a cell phone while driving, it impairs the persons driving abilities as much as a person with a 0.08 blood alcohol level.  Think of the drivers that you pass daily; how many were using cell phonesRead MoreBan Cell Phones Use While Driving Essay2168 Words   |  9 PagesSAVE TEEN LIVES - BAN CELL PHONE USE WHILE DRIVING The use of cell phones and driving is an ongoing issue in today s society. A large number of teens use cell phones while driving, and the number keeps going up every day. Whether it is texting, talking, or using their navigation, using a cell phone while operating a vehicle is considered very dangerous, and is the number one distraction in the US (FCC). 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Tough federal legislationRead MoreWhy Banning the Use of Cell Phones While Driving Should Be Mandatory Nationwide1039 Words   |  5 PagesWhy Banning the Use of Cell Phones While Driving Should Be Mandatory Nationwide Dimuthu perera AC1304661   SP180.0.3 Principles of Public Speaking   Assignment 6_06 8/26/13 â€Å"WHY BANNING THE USE OF CELL PHONES WHILE DRIVING SHOULD BE MANDATORY NATIONWIDE† TITLE: Why Banning the Use of Cell Phones While Driving Should Be Mandatory Nationwide? A. General Purpose: Persuade B. Specific Purpose: Persuade my audience that banning the use of cell phones while driving should be mandatory nationwideRead MoreDistracted Driving Is The Most Dangerous Distraction Essay870 Words   |  4 Pagesdistracted driving by understanding the risk factors, and the effects of distracted driving. 1 Topic A: Details B: Quotations C: Example 1: Explanation 2. Analysis What is Distracted driving? 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ComparingRead MoreCell Phones While Driving Essay642 Words   |  3 PagesCell Phones and Driving In today’s society we’ve all become attached to our cell phones. Cell phones make our lives easier in many ways we can check our email, receive phone calls, send text messages, listen to music, and take pictures, all at our finger tips. With all this convenience, however there is a dangerous side to cell phones, and that’s when we use them while driving. Most of us are guilty of using cell phones while driving, but have we ever thought about its danger? Five states plusRead MoreCell Phone Use While Driving990 Words   |  4 Pages Cell phones are integral to people’s lives in Canada because they are vital communication and entertainment tools. However, the use of cell phones has remained contentious, because texting and talking on the phone are associated with distracted driving. 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Immigration Is The Action Of Coming Essay - 2164 Words

Immigration is the action of coming to live permanently in a foreign country. However, this is a very controversial subject in the United States. On one end of the spectrum, immigration is viewed as a way to help grow the economy and increase cultural diversity in America. At the other end, it’s seen as poor people leaving their countries to steal American jobs or live off the free programs that help those out who don’t have much. The United States has tried almost everything, including increasing border security all the way to deportation of millions of undocumented people and it still hasn’t stopped the flooding of immigrants to this country. There’s clearly something enticing about the country to make them want to come and that is the promise of a better life for themselves and their families. Nobody deserves to be stuck in poverty-struck areas for the rest of their lives. Immigration laws shouldn’t be tightened, but reformed to benefit the peopl e coming in and also the country they’re entering. Throughout history, America has dealt with some difficulty on deciding what to do regarding their immigration policy. As it stands, a lot of people seem to have problems with the current immigration system. Some feel as if immigration into the United States should cease to exist while others believe in letting everyone in. Those are the two extremist views though. Before America became America, there was already Native Americans on the land, but then the first immigrants, beingShow MoreRelatedThe State Of Californi An Alternative Means Of Handling The Concerns Over Immigration1436 Words   |  6 Pagespopulation. Recent events however, are creating a new interest in the topic. New measures are being passed, new statistics are coming out, and new relations are being formed in the state. All of this new information relating to the issue is being taken into consideration by politicians and concerned individuals try to find an alternative means of handling the concerns over immigration. On August 26th of this year, the president of Mexico paid a visit to California. President Nieto toured the state forRead MoreThese Quotas Made It Very Clear On Who Was And Was Not1628 Words   |  7 Pagesparameters that the populace were supposed to meet that went dove completely into who the individual was. The economic, political and social state of the immigrant were all addressed in this law. More importantly, this law addressed the idea of illegal immigration. The Walter McCarren Act of 1952 â€Å"made it illegal to conceal or harbor an undocumented immigrant but not to employ them.† The contradiction of the politics of the United States is clearly stated in the law. 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Immigration is the great division between two opinions. These two sides are: one being people that are accepting with immigrants coming in and out of the U.S., while the others say there shouldn’t be any immigrants coming to theRead MoreWar on Immigration Essay975 Words   |  4 Pagesself-defense, and seeking relief from the crushing burden of supporting over 460,000 illegal aliens. Arizona, the biggest gateway into the U.S. for illegal immigration, faces bankruptcy from the increased health care, education, and welfare costs. Moreover, their citizens face terrorism and murder by illegal aliens. Every past action and inaction undertaken by the federal government contradicts each other and their arguments in this lawsuit. What they are saying in the suit is that Arizona isRead MoreThe Problem Of Saudi Arabia1084 Words   |  5 Pagesanalyze the problem and declared some policies about the illegal immigrants or people overstaying in the country even after their immigration time has expired. 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Differences Between Secondary School and College Life Free Essays

Differences between secondary school and college life This is our first week of college life . We feel that college life turned out to be like what we expected before we enrolled . One of the reason is because of the environment in our college is not that stressful and have a enjoyable environment for studies . We will write a custom essay sample on Differences Between Secondary School and College Life or any similar topic only for you Order Now The rules and regulation in our college is not that strict since we can wear homewear to attend classes rather than school uniform . Besides that , we are more exposed to new things so that we can learn and gain experience to make our life more meaningful . Since this is our first semester , so we get to know more friends from other states . Furthermore , the lecturers are more approachable and their teaching method are more fun and lively . One of the experiences that we are experiencing now is that we learn to manage our time to be more systematic so that we won’t be late for classes . We are also training ourselves to be more discipline because there are too many distraction like clubbing , shopping or gaming . From this distraction , we must learn to restrict ourselves so that it won’t affect our studies . The difference between secondary school and college life that we are experiencing now is we have to seek for our own notes for every subject and not depending on the lecturer to get us notes during the class . We have to be more confident to speak out our opinions and thoughts so that we won’t following blindly . We also learn how to coorperate and communicate with others efficiently so that we can achieve our goals or to complete the task . Other than that , the technologies in college is more advance compared to secondary school . As an example , we can get the information through the internet everytime and everywhere . We can also pass our assignment through email , communicate with lecturer through online . It is so much convenient and efficient compared to secondary school . One of the biggest changes between secondary school and college is attendance . In secondary school , we will penalized for missing class but in college it will affect our credit hours and this credit hours will affect us from taking exam or test . The class sizes in college is slightly smaller than secondary school . This way can increase the interaction between the student and lecturer , The facilitates in college is much better like larger library , computer lab , lift and classes with air-conditioner . One of the best thing in college is that we can choose the subject or courses that we like rather than forcing ourselves to study the subject that we dislike during secondary school . Student in college are more mature . This is because they are meet with different types of peoples , country and also culture . So , we should adapt to the changes and enjoy our college life . How to cite Differences Between Secondary School and College Life, Papers

Human Motivation Learning Future Career

Question: Discuss about the Human Motivation Learning for Future Career. Answer: Introduction The planning of career is important for the students. They need to decide their career goals so that they can find ways for fulfilling the same. It is important to determine the self qualities and values of a student so that he can work on their own weakness (Entwistle Ramsden, 2015). This would help them to achieve their career goals. This report would describe the self reflection as well as career action plan. The critical reflection would discuss various attributes of individuals, values, strengths, career influences and its subsequent impact on the career action plan. The career action plan is also formulated that consist of the goals (short term and medium term) and realistic goals for achieving them. The barriers for achieving the goals and the probable solutions are also discussed. This paper provides important analysis regarding the self capabilities and the goal setting issues that is usually faced by the students. Critical Reflection I have identified my strengths with the help of SWOT analysis. I am flexible and adaptable. This helps me to adjust to any situation. In professional environment, it is essential to be flexible so that the employee can face any adverse situation. I am quite approachable as I believe in maintaining a friendly attitude. I can be contacted by my supervisors or my subordinates whenever they feel the need for doing so. I maintain a positive attitude towards life which makes me to eliminate all the negative thoughts in the surrounding. I am also self-motivated which makes me to perform the job tasks in a better way. I am also a good team player, which makes me to work efficiently within a professional environment (where is presence of teams). My values include my personal core values which are a result of my choice and behavior. I am truthful and always act in an honest manner. I am consistent in my endeavor towards success. I do not believe in hypocrisy and I strive to act better in a constant manner. I am creative and find new ways to do the regular jobs. I take extra initiatives to do my job tasks in an efficient manner. These values would help me in handling tricky questions during the interview process (Seidman, 2013). My skills as well as abilities would help me to get suitable job opportunities and excel in them (Cottrell, 2013). I have sound subject knowledge and I am proficient in computers. I have advanced knowledge in various computer applications which would help me to perform a wide variety of tasks. I have also good communication skills that would help me in my professional work environment. I also have good academic grades which would help me in securing a good job (Cottrell, 2013). My values, strengths or skills would help me in the formulation of career action plan (Stringer, 2013). If I am aware of my own strengths and values then I am able to plan my short term as well as long term goals. It would also help me to determine my future career aspirations. For example, if I possess good communication skills then I am able to take up the career of a professor. It would also help me to formulate the realistic steps for achieving my career ambition (Stringer, 2013). This self-analysis would help me to understand my own capability in a better way. Career action plan It is important to determine the short term and medium term goals of myself (Hofmann, Schmeichel Baddeley, 2012). The long term goals can be achieved only if they are broken down into short goals. The short goals can be achieved easily by a focused approach and segregation of the tasks. It is important to set the study goals as well as career goals (Hofmann, Schmeichel Baddeley, 2012). Short term goals The short term goals would usually range from present day to two years from now. It should start by identification of the immediate goals (Weiner, 2013). The immediate goals in the study mode would include- finishing the undergraduate degree with excellence. The immediate goals of the career mode would be the enhancement of the job related skills and expertise so that I can get a good job in the campus placements. Once the goal has been fixed then the necessary steps to fulfill the goals needs to be taken. This step needs to be followed by the creation of timeline (Kotlar De Massis, 2013). This step involves the segregation of the tasks into small chunks so that they can be managed well (Weiner, 2013). For study goals and career goals, the following timeline would give an idea of the major tasks to be achieved Fig: Timeline for Study Goals Source: Created by author Fig: Timeline for Career Goals Source: Created by author Medium term goals The medium term goals should include the goals that need to be achieved in between two years and five years (Von Culin, Tsukayama Duckworth, 2014). The goal can be less specific in this stage and focus on the broader perspective. For the career goals, my medium term goal is to work better and constantly give effective performance so that I can be promoted to the supervisor role. I also want to pursue a specialized degree in the human resource so that I can develop my career in an effective manner. This would also make be able to develop my professional network in my own industry (Von Culin, Tsukayama Duckworth, 2014). My medium term goals for study would include setting up time to pursue any necessary courses that would help me in the career ambitions (Seibert, Kraimer Heslin, 2016). There should also be proper planning of the cost of tuition as well any cost of relocation. The contacts should also be reinforced from time to time. The necessary factors should also be considered such as deadlines of applications, mandatory years of study and others (Seibert, Kraimer Heslin, 2016). Barriers and Solutions There can be several obstacles in the path of the achievement of the goals. The barriers provide an obstacle for the fulfillment of the goals (Lent Brown, 2013). It is essential to identify the blockages that prevent the students to achieve their study goals as well as career goals (Keller, 2016). The identified barriers should be provided with innovative solutions. The following list provides a list of identified barriers along with probable solutions- Low motivation- There is instances when I may suffer from lack of motivation and I may not be able to give optimum performance towards the achievement of success. I may feel low self confidence which would not motivate me to work towards my success. This can be best avoided by realizing the true potential of me by consulting with seniors (Lent Brown, 2013). I can also watch motivational videos or motivational quotes from leaders. Fear of rejection- I may feel that I would not be able to complete my academic course or I may not be able to get a lucrative job. The fear of failure or the fear of rejection at the interviews may make me deviate from my goals and I may not be able to fulfill my goals (London, 2014). This can be avoided by constant dedication towards the goals and maintaining a positive outlook towards life (London, 2014). Poor time management- There may be instances when I am overburdened with work which would make me unable to focus on my goals. I may not be able to give sufficient time to the individual tasks required for the achievement of my goals (London, 2014). This can be avoided by the formulation of proper schedules after the determination of my goals (London, 2014). A time tracking software can also be used which would help me to focus on my goals (Lent Brown, 2013). Inability to identify lucrative opportunity- There may be instances when I would be unable to identify the lucrative career opportunities. There can be psychological barriers which would prevent me from identifying prospective opportunities beneficial for my career (London, 2014). This may be avoided by creating an effective professional network and expanding the contact list so that I can be aware of the potential opportunities. I should also be active in the online job portals so that I can be aware of the potential job opportunities (London, 2014). Conclusion It is important to determine my personal skills as well as expertise for excelling in my professional life as well as academic life. It is important to formulate the short term goals as well as medium term goals for the purpose of achieving my long term career goal. The identification of my strengths is essential for determining the probable career options. This report also identified the possible barriers in the process of the achievement of goals and the innovative methods to solve the same. This report would help me in my professional life and achieve my academic goals as well as career goals. References Cottrell, S. (2013).The study skills handbook. Palgrave Macmillan. Entwistle, N., Ramsden, P. (2015).Understanding Student Learning (Routledge Revivals). Routledge. Hofmann, W., Schmeichel, B. J., Baddeley, A. D. (2012). Executive functions and self-regulation.Trends in cognitive sciences,16(3), 174-180. Keller, J. M. (2016). Motivation, Learning, and Technology: Applying the ARCS-V Motivation Model. Kotlar, J., De Massis, A. (2013). Goal setting in family firms: Goal diversity, social interactions, and collective commitment to familyà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ centered goals.Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice,37(6), 1263-1288. Lent, R. W., Brown, S. D. (2013). Social cognitive model of career self-management: Toward a unifying view of adaptive career behavior across the life span.Journal of counseling psychology,60(4), 557. London, M. (2014).Career barriers: How people experience, overcome, and avoid failure. Psychology Press. Seibert, S. E., Kraimer, M. L., Heslin, P. A. (2016). Developing career resilience and adaptability.Organizational Dynamics. Seidman, I. (2013).Interviewing as qualitative research: A guide for researchers in education and the social sciences. Teachers college press. Stringer, E. T. (2013).Action research. Sage Publications. Von Culin, K. R., Tsukayama, E., Duckworth, A. L. (2014). Unpacking grit: Motivational correlates of perseverance and passion for long-term goals.The Journal of Positive Psychology,9(4), 306-312. Weiner, B. (2013).Human motivation. Psychology Press.

Recruitment and Retention Essay Example

Recruitment and Retention Essay Demand for academic staff in Higher Education has been increasing2 and may be expected to continue to increase given the Government’s intention that participation in Higher Education should increase substantially amongst those aged 18 to 30 years old. At the same time, recruitment and retention problems have been growing in prominence (HEFCE, 2003) and there has been a long-standing concern that the sector faces a ‘retirement bulge’, as academics from the 1960s expansion reach retirement. Consequently, there is concern about the adequacy of the future supply of academics. Other substantial changes in Higher Education in the past 10 to 20 years are likely to have contributed to the tightness of the academic labour market3. Polytechnics were granted university status in 1992, changing their funding regime, their focus and the demands on staff. The number of students has grown substantially, a growth which has not been matched by staff increases resulting in a large increase in the student:staff ratio. Changes in funding have led to much greater emphasis on research output (through the Research Assessment Exercise, the RAE), teaching quality (through the requirements of the Quality Assurance Agency, the QAA) and on academics raising research and consultancy funds. Other changes include tighter contractual terms (affecting holidays and hours worked), an increase in the use of short-term and hourly-paid contracts and the loss of tenure. Overall, these changes have tended to alter the nature of the job, reducing autonomy and increasing the workload, including that of administrative and teaching tasks. We will write a custom essay sample on Recruitment and Retention specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Recruitment and Retention specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Recruitment and Retention specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer At the same time, both the salaries and status of academics are perceived to have deteriorated relative to alternative careers (Halsey, 1992; Keep et al. , 1996). Substantial change in the nature of any job is likely to increase turnover, as a mismatch develops between the nature of the job to which people were recruited and the actual job. If these changes tend to reduce the quality of the job, rather than just change it, and if the applicant requirements are not altered (and, probably, lowered), recruitment will also become more difficult. Both turnover and recruitment difficulties will be exacerbated by a relative decline in pay. Overview of the study Against this background, the study was designed to identify the factors which lead to individuals entering and leaving academic employment in the English Higher Education sector. Although the main focus was entry and exit from the sector, recruitment to and retention by individual institutions can shed light on this and was also investigated. For the purposes of the study academic employment was defined as jobs in higher education institutions (Universities and Colleges of Higher Education) whose main function was academic teaching or academic research, irrespective of the contractual terms of the job holder. Thus lecturing (e. g. Professors, and Lecturers) and research staff (e. g. Research Assistants, post-docs and Senior Research Fellows) are included, but academic-related staff (e. g. technicians) are not. Full-time, part-time, permanent and temporary staff within these groups are included4. Two main groups of academics were excluded from the study: those in Further Education Institutions and those on clinical rates of pay. The resources of the study precluded inclusion of these two groups5. Following discussion with the DfES, it was decided to focus on staff at English HEIs. This was done in order to prevent differences in the funding and structure of the HE sectors obscuring the analysis. Two exceptions to this rule are the analysis of the HESA data on research students and the chapter on international comparisons of pay (Chapter 4). These are discussed in more detail in sections 1. . 1 and 1. 1. 2 below (and in further detail in Appendix C and Appendix D). The study had five, inter-related, strands: †¢ a literature review to establish the nature of the recruitment and retention problems and to identify previous evidence on the factors affecting recruitment and retention; this was conducted from March to May 2003; †¢ analysis of HESA staff and student data, 2 001/02, to provide a descriptive analysis of turnover in academia, to identify the basic characteristics of employment in the sector and to identify the student supply into academia6; a comparative analysis of pay, using 2001 data, both for comparable employment nationally and for academics in Higher Education internationally, in order to establish the competitiveness of academic pay; †¢ qualitative research within universities exploring human resource policies and practices and factors affecting entry and exit from the sector; the fieldwork was conducted between July 2003 and July 2004; 4 However, the coverage of hourly paid staff is severely limited, owing to limitations in the HESA data (see below) and to practical difficulties of sampling for the survey (see below). Inclusion of the former would have extended the study to Further Education Institutions. The latter have different terms, conditions and employment patterns from other academics in HEIs and so a larger sample wo uld have been required to adequately cover this group. Staff on clinical rates accounted for five per cent of academic staff (HESA Individualised Staff Record 2001/2). 6 Analysis of more recent HESA data and of trends over time is contained in HEFCE (2005a) and HEFCE (2005b). 3 quantitative surveys of academic staff and of research students to identify factors which affect recruitment into academia and retention; the fieldwork was conducted between May and July 2004. The research findings are affected by the policies and practices in effect at the time. To assist the reader, the DfES has produced a list of relevant Higher Education initiatives since the survey fieldwork. These are listed in Appendix H. Below, essential aspects of the methods are described. Further details of the methods appear in appendices. Appendix A describes the qualitative research. Appendix B discusses the quantitative surveys of academic staff and research students. Appendix C describes the HESA staff and student datasets. Appendix D describes the data used for the intra- and international pay comparisons. Appendix F describes the model used for the analysis of the likelihood of students entering academia. Appendix G describes the econometric analysis of job satisfaction and intentions to leave academia. 1. 1. 1 HESA staff and student data7 For staff, the HESA Individualised Staff Record for the academic year 2001/02 was used. The analysis was confined to institutions in England and to staff who were not on clinical grades. The sole exception to this is chapter 4, where the focus is expanded to the whole of the UK, to maintain consistency with the international comparisons analysis. For the study’s purposes, the Individualised Staff Record data has two important limitations. Firstly, they exclude employees8 whose total academic employment is below that of 25 per cent of a full-time academic (i. e. those with short hours or with substantial management and administrative responsibilities are excluded)9. One of the implications is that hourly-paid staff will be substantially under-reported and is unlikely to be representative of hourly-paid staff as a whole. Secondly, the data relating to leavers suffer from a high level of nonreporting: around 60 per cent of leavers’ destinations are missing10. Therefore the findings on movement out of the sector must be treated with caution. For students, the Combined Student/Module Record for the academic year 2001/2 was used. This was combined with the First Destination Supplement (FDS), relating to those students who left in 2001/2. The analysis was not limited to students from English higher education institutions because the appropriate pool of domestic entrants into Higher Education academic post is the whole of the UK. It is important 7 Note that the University of North London was not included in either the staff or student data supplied by HESA because the university has asked that its individual data is not released. 8 Strictly, they exclude contracts whose total academic employment is below that of 25 per cent of a full-time academic, as the record reports contracts rather than individuals. For more information see Appendix C. 9 However, there are staff in the Individualised Staff Record with their FTE recorded as less than 25%; the majority of these records relate to staff who arrived or left during the year. 10 Internal work by HEFCE that matched the 2001-2 survey with that for the following year using staff code, data of birth and sex, found that 20% of those for whom the destination was not known remained at the same institution, 5% were found at a different institution and the remainder could not be matched with a record in the second year. This latter group are made up of those who left the sector and those who remained but whose record in the second year did not match with respect to one of the three criteria. 4 to note that the destination of postgraduate research students in the FDS has a particularly low level of response (38%). Further details are given in Appendix C. 1. 1. 2 The comparative analysis of pay The comparative analysis of pay uses data from national labour force surveys (and censuses in nine countries. These were chosen to illustrate the types of countries to and from which most international movement with UK academia occurs. They include the main English–speaking countries to which UK academics move (the USA and Australia), together with other English-speaking nations (New Zealand and Canada), three European countries (Denmark, France and Sweden) and Japan. The analysis of the labour force survey data used in the international comparisons used data from the whole of the UK. This was to increase the sample size. However, we would not expect to find significant differences within the UK. Identifying higher education academics was done using information on occupation and industry where available. In most countries we were able to obtain a sample group that matched the UK sample. Exceptions to this were the US, where the sample also included academic staff at state colleges, who also conduct teaching undertaken in the FE sector in the UK, and Australia and New Zealand, where it is possible that our sample excludes some researchers who have no teaching responsibilities. We discuss the implications of this in Chapter 4 and Appendix D. Comparisons were made in both nominal and real terms. Earnings were converted using exchange rates to make nominal comparisons. In order to account for differences in the cost of living, purchasing power parity exchange rates developed by the OECD were used to make real earnings comparisons. Further details are given in Appendix D. 1. 1. 3 The qualitative and quantitative survey research Qualitative research was conducted in thirteen English universities and quantitative research conducted in a subset of these. A structured sample of universities was selected to ensure coverage of different types of universities (new, old and colleges of Higher Education), universities in London and elsewhere and universities with differing research ratings. Institutions with fewer than 200 academic staff and most specialist institutions11 were excluded. Small institutions were excluded because economies of scale in setting up the quantitative survey meant that their inclusion would have led to a smaller survey, as the project resources could not increase the sample through an increased number of institutions. Specialist institutions were excluded for similar reasons. (This did not reduce the subject coverage, as subjects taught in specialist institutions are also found in other HEIs. The purpose of the qualitative research was to identify factors which might affect recruitment and retention, including human resource practices and staff preferences. Qualitative interviews were held with senior staff with responsibility for 11 ‘Specialist institution’ is a classification developed for funding purposes and refers to institutions where 60 percent or more of funding is allocated to one or two cost centres. 5 human resourcing and , in eight of the universities, interviews were conducted with heads of two departments, and a sample of their academic staff and research students. A survey of academic staff was conducted in ten12 of these universities. The survey covered both research and lecturing staff. Full-and part-time staff were included, but hourly paid staff were excluded (see Appendix B). The questionnaire collected data on personal characteristics, employment history, views on aspects of the job and career intentions. The survey was web-based. A total of 2805 staff responded, a response rate of 32 per cent. Survey data have been re-weighted to be representative of university academic staff in English HEIs. For more information on the weighting and other issues relating to the staff survey see section B. 1 of Appendix B. A survey of research students (full-time and part-time) was conducted in nine of the universities, where research students were those undertaking a Masters degree mainly by research or a doctorate. The questionnaire collected data on personal characteristics, employment history and career intentions. The survey was web-based. A total of 1330 research students responded, a response rate of 29 per cent. Survey data have been re-weighted to be representative of research students in English HEIs. For more information on the weighting and other issues relating to the staff survey see Section B. 7. Further details are given in Appendix B. 1. 2 Nomenclature Throughout this report the following nomenclature is used: †¢ Student when referring to the student survey refers to research student. †¢ ‘Academic’, ‘academic staff’ refers to those employed in higher education institutions on either the research grade or the lecturing grade. †¢ University is used to refer to all higher education institutions, whether a university or a college. New and old universities. New13 universities are those that received university status in 1992 (when polytechnics and many colleges of Higher Education converted to university status) or later; old universities are those which had university status before this date. 1. 3 Report layout The structure of the report is as follows. The next chapter sets the scene by presenting evidence on turnover and recruitment an d retention problems in higher 12 The aim had been to survey staff and students in twelve universities. Unfortunately, not all the universities were able to supply the sample, either due to data protection considerations or due to difficulties providing an email contact list. 13 This nomenclature is in common use now, but, previously, ‘new university’ was used to denote universities established in the 1960s and early 1970s. Perhaps the term was also used in the nineteenth century to refer to the redbrick universities when the sector was expanded in the Victorian era. 6 education. It also presents evidence on the factors affecting recruitment and retention of academics. Chapter 3 then describes the structure of academic employment in Higher Education, including the grade structure and contractual status, and the main characteristics of academic staff. This description is used to raise some of the factors which might affect recruitment and retention. Chapter 4 continues with the theme of structure, focusing on pay, and examines relative pay to investigate whether pay differences may be a cause of recruitment and retention difficulties. Both domestic and international comparisons are made.

[WATCH] Why millennials need to find their passion

[WATCH] Why millennials need to find their passion As the head of the Henry Ford Museum, Patricia Mooridian knows a thing or two about American history. And from that knowledge, she derives inspiration for her own professional life. She knows that America is a land of innovation, a place where no problem is too big to solve. Watch her explain how she harnesses this can-do attitude in her everyday life, and how you can too. Source:[DailyFuel]