In today’s economy, it makes sense to think about how you can boost the value you bring to any company.

That’s as true for those who are happy in their current positions as for those who will soon be looking for jobs elsewhere. Although it might not be possible to be a perfect employee, there’s no denying that some traits are seen as desirable to most employers. People with these traits appear to be hired more often, receive the best promotions and earn more than their counterparts.

Pay attention to the traits that count, and do what you can to improve in those areas. Here are five sought-after employee characteristics that anyone can improve upon.

1. Active

Active employees aren’t afraid to get the job done. They’re willing to risk failure and criticism in order to solve problems, and often, that’s exactly what they wind up receiving. However, in the quest for solutions, they also stumble onto methods and developments that wouldn’t have happened otherwise.

You can become an active employee by looking for ways to solve problems before you’re asked. You don’t need special skills to be the first person to offer to put your ordinary ones to work.

2. Detail-Oriented

Double-checking to make sure that you have your facts and methods right is an easy way to get a reputation for being reliable. Employers care whether they’re wasting time dealing with problems an employee could have easily prevented the first time around. When it comes to employees who repeatedly overlook details, employers are less enthusiastic in their recommendations and look elsewhere when new opportunities to advance come around.

Most workers get into the habit of assuming they’ve done things correctly. Do the opposite. Double-check your work assuming you might have made a mistake.

3. Confident

Employers like confidence because it’s a tell-tale sign of former success. It means you’ve learned to trust yourself through proving you can handle your responsibilities. Confident employees tackle their responsibilities without needing someone to hold their hands. It speaks to reliability, determination and work ethic--all qualities that bosses find invaluable.

There’s a distinct difference however between believing in your abilities and believing you are better than other people because of them. Arrogance holds you back at work, and doesn’t impress many people during interviews. 

4. Upbeat

Staying positive and being willing to work when you’re on the clock will make you an immediate resource. If you help the people around you feel motivated, they’ll enjoy being around you. If you’re dragging your feet and holding others back, they’ll hate having to rely on your help.

It can be very hard to turn a negative attitude around. Half of the work, however, is just keeping a smile on your face. Studies on facial feedback have proven that while we often smile because we feel happy, we can also feel happy because we smile.

5. Presentable

Beauty may be in the eye of the beholder, but a professional appearance is cut and dry. Your public speaking skills are not all that will be considered when you present to clients or your own company; looking put together in the boardroom makes a difference and is one of the easiest ways to improve your reputation.

Resources & More Information

http://www.forbes.com/sites/kensundheim/2013/04/02/15-traits-of-the-ideal-employee/
http://www.waspbarcode.com/buzz/characteristics-solid-employee/
http://www.inc.com/jeff-haden/the-8-qualities-of-remarkable-employees.html 

Take Our Sons and Daughters to Work Day teaches kids about the professional rewards of education and hard work. This year is the 20th anniversary of the day, which will be recognized on April 25. Typically, over 37 million adults and youth ages 8 to 18 participate. It is an excellent way to expose children to a variety of careers as well as concepts such as professionalism, teamwork and the value of education.

If you’re considering participating, here are some hints to make the day rewarding for both you and the child.

1. You can participate even if you’re not a parent. The day is called Take Our Sons and Daughters to Work Day, which means that you can ask your neighbors, family members and friends if their children would be interested in learning about your career or your company. The same applies if you have children, but they’ve already been to work with you several times or just aren’t interested in going.

On the same note, if you have a child who isn’t interested in going to your workplace, see if they would like to go with a trusted friend or family member. Be sure you ask your friends or family before you mention anything to the child.

2. Plan ahead. Like with any activity, a little planning goes a long way. See if your company has planned activities, and consider how your child will participate throughout the work day. What would you like them to do or see you do? Get the child’s input about what they want to learn and see. You should also explain to them what to expect and how to act while at your work.

Try to make the day interesting and interactive. Go beyond job shadowing, but avoid asking them to make big decisions or take important phone calls. If things do go off plan or something goes wrong, stay positive and adapt.

Be sure that you don’t bring your children into an unsafe or inappropriate environment. For extra insight, talk with other people who have brought their children to work and see what worked well for them and what they might have done differently.

3. Introduce your co-workers. Explain that person’s job and their role in the organization to help children better understand the concepts of teamwork and responsibility. Have them show professionalism by shaking hands. Meeting with your co-workers is also a way to demonstrate the value of face-to-face interaction in business.

4. Ask the child to share the experience. One of the goals, in addition to having children learn about a workplace, is to encourage children to educate each other about their experiences. As part of this, tell the child’s teacher what you have planned, so that the child is more likely to share what they learned. At the end of the day, sit down with the kid to discuss what they enjoyed most and what they learned. Have them write a few sentences about the experience so that they can share it with classmates.

Sources

• http://www.daughtersandsonstowork.org/
• http://www.forbes.com/sites/jacquelynsmith/2012/04/25/the-dos-and-donts-of-take-your-kids-to-work-day/
• http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-505125_162-57420809/making-bring-your-child-to-work-day-meaningful/

Since the founding of Skype in 2003, this free communication tool has proven to be practical and useful in many areas of our society. Skype is regularly used for education in schools across the world—from kindergarten to postsecondary—and is a common way for friends and family to connect, regardless of the physical distance between them. Over the years, Skype has also found its place in the business sector.

How Businesses Use Skype

Skype is especially helpful in situations where face-to-face communication is preferable to email or talking on the phone, but in-person meetings are not feasible due to a lack of time or available funds. If you’re managing a large project or event, for a small fee, Skype allows you to meet with several clients or co-workers simultaneously. Plus, you can send others your documents—including photos, videos and many other types of files—using Skype. You can even present your work by sharing your screen with the person or people with whom you’re talking.

Many people use Skype not only to meet with current clients, but also to talk with prospective clients and discuss what skills and services they can provide. With Skype, there’s no need to limit yourself to finding clients within your geographic region. Similarly, some employers use Skype to recruit and interview potential employees from all over the world, while others use Skype to check in with employees who are working from home or on vacation. (In case you are ever asked to do an interview over Skype, here are some helpful interviewing hints.)

Try It Yourself

With Skype becoming a common business tool, it might be worth your time to become familiar with it. You can download Skype for free to try it out with your Argosy University peers. Use it to share and discuss your work with your fellow students or faculty members. Our faculty is now on Skype, and students can also add their Skype user names to Connections.

Learn More about Skype

Learn more about Skype at http://www.skype.com/en/what-is-skype/ and http://online.argosy.edu/blog/post/Skype-and-Education-Exploring-the-Benefits.aspx.

To read more on how businesses use Skype, check out http://blogs.skype.com/category/workspace-blog/#fbid=UzNZGqR7mUA.

The Founder and CEO of Amazon, Jeff Bezos, once said, “We view our customers as invited guests to a party, and we are the hosts. It is our daily obligation to ensure that the customer’s experience is made better each day.” He meant that every business ought to ensure that it does the very best to attract prospects, turn them into customers, keep them, and ensure that they tell others about the business. In the past, techniques such as cold calling were used. However, businesses today are heavily relying on pre-call research as the best sales intelligence.

It hastens the sales process
Every business aims at growing fast. Time is money, after all. Pre-call research eliminates time wastage caused by trial and error. The research gives sales representatives the necessary skills to turn prospects into sales within a short time. If you plan to sell fast during a call, ample pre-call research is mandatory. This type of sales intelligence will help you know exactly what your prospects need and desire, helping you strategize wisely.

Cost reduction in prospecting
In the past, companies spent a lot of money prospecting. This is a sales technique that requires a lot of investment. Pre-call research significantly reduces these costs. Companies lose when they have limited information about a particular prospect. The lesser the information, the more time spent prospecting, subsequently leading to more costs. Sufficient research helps you know everything necessary about a particular prospect and how to turn him or her into a customer.

Prioritization of prospects
92% of customer interactions take place via phone calls. This is according to Caliper Corp. When there are numerous prospects, it is imperative that they are prioritized based on probability of becoming customers. Performing pre-call research has helped businesses effectively invest in serious prospects that are most likely to become customers. With prospect prioritization, the business saves time, energy and resources as it has a clear view of who to deal with first and why.

Effective sales strategizing
Studies have shown that pre-call research helps develop the most successful strategies. Adequately knowing your prospect before talking to him or her helps you prepare the best method of approach and how to conduct the meeting. The research also ensures that you know how to handle the client’s reactions. Sales professionals who have prospect knowledge prior to the interaction record more success rates than sales professionals who do not perform pre-call research.

References:
http://thinkexist.com/quotation/we-see-our-customers-as-invited-guests-to-a-party/380563.html
http://blog.greeneconsults.com/a-four-fold-return-on-investment-pre-call-planning-part-1-of-2/
http://blog.greeneconsults.com/a-four-fold-return-on-investment-pre-call-planning-part-2-of-2/
http://www.quantum-sales.com/Content/Tools/precallplan.aspx
http://www.eriesalesclub.com/2011/09/importance-of-precall-planning.html

With today’s competitive market, it has become ever more difficult to climb the corporate ladder, which involves competing with the best of the best. Tens of thousands now enter the job market every single month and with the ratio of those with a college degree on the rise, your chance of better job prospects will only get better if you too have the right skill set. Enrolling in an online business administration degree can be the right move. Let’s see what potential benefits you can get by enrolling in online business classes and eventually earning a degree.

1. Demand for Business Administration is high
   There are a variety of career paths available for business graduates, which is further fueled by the tough economic situation in which streamlining company’s business activities for optimum efficiency and productivity makes a huge difference. The demand for individuals with a business degree would naturally be high in such an atmosphere. Even if you have a technical background, you cannot climb the management ladder unless you have a business degree.
2. Endless Opportunities
   Once dominated by large corporations, today’s global business landscape is fast evolving with budding and experienced entrepreneurs forming start-ups, further fueling the demand for business graduates. From non-profits to large corporations, there’s a whole spectrum to choose your career trajectory. A Business Administration degree can give you the right to entry into the career trajectory of your choice and you’ll have a clear edge over those without a business administration degree.
3. Position Yourself for Potential Employers
   In addition to making you eligible to apply for business related job roles, the practical experience and the knowledge you gain during your online course work will make you even more attractive for potential employers. Since there’s tough competition in the job market, you have to take on the responsibility of positioning yourself for the job of your choice. On top of that, if you secure good grades and recommendations, the prospects for landing your dream job are only going to increase.
4. Enrich Your Management Skills
   So far we’ve focused on individuals who want to enter into business-related job roles. If your current job involves management – any sort of management – you may already have gained some valuable experience, which is why it’s even more important for you to enrich this experience through practical learning while also earning a business degree along the way. In fact, an online business degree just fits right for such individuals. They can keep their current job while enrolled in the business administartion degree program.
5. Promotion Advantage
   With online business administration classes, you don’t need to take a break from your current job – which might not be possible anyway – to pursue a degree program. In addition to enriching your business and management skill sets, it can unlock the door of promotion at your current job or a better one at another company. Senior management positions require people who not only the right experience, but also hold a degree in business administration.

If you’re wondering whether it’s the right time to pursue a business administration degree, there’s no time like the present. Contact an Admissions Representative today for more information.