It is critical that we do not lose the importance of thank you letters, especially in the business world. This can separate you from the rest because people do not realize the power that a thank you note can hold. It shows that you appreciated the other persons time/task and that you took a few moments out of your day to show your gratitude. PLUS...who wouldn't love to receive a thank you note?

-Worlco 

Every thank you note should include this sentence

An interview without a thank-you note is like a sundae without a cherry on top. Craft a follow-up that leaves a great impression.

By Caroline Zaayer Kaufman | November 23, 2015

There are many occasions for sending a professional thank-you note: after a job interview, if someone does you a favor, if someone hosts you in their office—the list goes on. Regardless of the reason, though, there are certain elements that you should always include.

This one sentence (or some version of it) should be in every thank-you note you send: “Thank you for making time for me, and I look forward to our next meeting.”

By using this sentence, you’re conveying two important points. One, that you understand someone’s time is valuable, and two that you want the relationship to continue.

“Always share your appreciation for the person’s time regardless of the outcome of the meeting,” says Angelina Darrisaw, founder of C-Suite Coach, a career-coaching platform based in New York City. Especially during the busy holidays, taking time out of their schedule to talk to you may have been a sacrifice.

Additionally, Darrisaw says, it’s important to indicate that you want the relationship to continue. This way, the person you’re thanking has an understanding of your expectations, and they can move forward as they see fit.

Here is how to customize a thank-you note for three separate professional instances that would require one—and where and how you can squeeze in that one magical sentence.

Thank you for a job interview

After a job interview, you want your thank-you note to show gratitude and give the interviewer something to remember you by. It’s your chance to reinforce that you are still interested in the job.

Every thank-you note should be personalized; people can usually tell if it’s a recycled, generic statement. When you write your line thanking the interviewer for their time and telling them that you look forward to another meeting, include something specific about your encounter to show that the time spent with them was valuable, says Anthony Pensabene, digital marketing associate with Evolving SEO.

“Each engagement is unique, so reinforcing the other person's memory and making them not only remember you, but specific events with you, increases the likelihood the person will remember both,” Pensabene says. “Simply thanking the person is not only expected, but it's never going to stand out, or be the 'purple cow' in the bunch.”

You say: Thank you for making time to meet with me to discuss the strategic initiatives you’re pursuing. I’m impressed that you were able to snag that Fortune 50 company as a client, and I’d love to put my skills to work in supporting that project.

Thank you for a professional favor

If someone does you a favor, show your appreciation and offer to reciprocate.

“The essential sentence I always end with is, ‘I look forward to staying in touch,’” says Sonia Lakhany, an attorney specializing in intellectual property law in Atlanta who says she sends a lot of thank-you notes. “That lets the recipient know that I intend for it to be an ongoing relationship and not a one-time exchange.”  

Another way to show your appreciation and keep the option open for an ongoing relationship is to say, “Please let me know if I can ever do the same for you,” suggests Beth Bridges, author of Networking on Purpose and founder of the Networking Motivator.

“Whether it’s done as a thank you or done to keep the relationship going, you always want to look for opportunities to give back — or forward — to those who’ve helped you,” Bridges says.

You say: Thank you for taking the time to write me such a great letter of recommendation. I start work there next Monday. Let me know how I can return the favor.

Thank you for professional advice

When thanking someone for giving you advice, you want the person to know that you value their opinion and you take their advice seriously.

Reference something you talked about, whether it was something you had in common or a funny story from your conversation, Lakhany says.

Again, it’s important to remember that someone went out of their way to help you out, even if it was as simple as offering a bit of advice. Acknowledge that in your note—a favor, no matter how small, is still a favor.

You say: Thank you for spending the time to discuss my career options with me. I hadn’t considered the impact that grad school would have on my longer-term goals. I’ll let you know what I decide.

Find article here!

Before you dress for your next job interview, you’d better read this

Picking out your outfit before an interview can leave your room looking like a bomb went off. Decisions...decisions. First impressions can be EVERYTHING. Don't stress and know your audience. If you have confidence in your outfit, and yourself, then you will sail right through the door! Here are some tips on how to get the right "feel" for the company you are interviewing for.

-Worlco 

Thank you Monster.com for keeping us on our toes!
Find article here!

The rules on what to wear to interviews are changing. Save your suit for funerals and weddings...

You’ve survived a few phone screenings, and now the hiring manager is ready to see you in person. Your interview is scheduled (Wednesday, 10 a.m.). You’ve done thorough research on the company, practiced answering the most common interview questions, and figured out some great questions to askface-to-face. There’s really only one thing left to figure out: What will you wear?

You think the answer is pretty simple: A dark, perfectly pressed and tailored suit. That’s what you wore to your last job interview in 2010. It’s what everyone wears to a job interview. Right?

Don’t bet on it.

Where desk employees in the pre-2000s would almost always show up to work in ties, khakis, blouses and heels, you might see employees in those same roles today heading to work in jeans, sneakers and hooded sweatshirts. And with so many employees (and employers) taking the casual approach to workplace attire, the recommended attire in the interview room is changing too.

“I don’t believe the suit is completely dead—but it is dying, and it’s not a slow death,” says Kalei Carr, who runs a consulting firm in Atlanta that specializes in image and personal branding for women.

The old uniform

Carr, who hosts a podcast titled “Beyond the Business Suit,” notes that the standard “interview uniform” for both men and women—a conservative dark business suit with dress shoes or heels—began to lose favor somewhere between 2008 and 2010.

She pegs the change to the rise of the tech industry. This sector has made a mantra out of being anti-corporate, right down to a culture that encourages jeans and T-shirts. In tech, even the offices aren’t really offices anymore. They’re lofts or other open floor plans, which combine commercial and industrial at least aesthetically. The idea is to foster a culture of collaboration and camaraderie—and theoretically, comfortable dress will support these notions.

Besides, who wants to play Ping-Pong in a three-piece suit?

Thanks to tech’s influence, most other industries have been going more casual, and so the idea of a job candidate arriving for an interview in formal attire can seem like kind of a disconnect.

The new uniform

“I’m seeing women opt for things like a dress and blazer, or a pencil skirt, blouse and blazer over the traditional matching business suit now,” Carr says.

Men, she says, are now more commonly wearing blazers and button down shirts to interviews and sometimes—gasp—they’re entering interview rooms without ties!

But what you should wear to your job interview really depends on the job you’re applying for, the company culture and the industry at large.

Kim Zoller, CEO of Image Dynamics, a Dallas-based company that coaches executives on image, tells a story of working with Vans, a shoe and clothing company made popular by skateboarding culture of the 1990s. Zoller, said she was told in advance of a meeting with Vans bosses—a de facto job interview—not to wear a suit.

“You have to know your audience,” Zoller says. “We were told, ‘If you come in wearing a suit, they’re going to think you don’t know who they are.’”

Zoller and Carr agree that the best policy is to dress for the interview at least one notch more formally than the people who already work for the company. (Once you get the job, you can let your hair down, Carr says). If you’re unsure how people at the company dress, feel free to ask the recruiter or manager you’ve been in touch with. They’ll probably appreciate your initiative.

While Carr thinks a suit is rarely necessary today (only for industries like law, finance or government), Zoller’s take is that a suit can be OK. You just have to own it, and not get too stiff, she says.

“The days of dark suits, white shirts and very conservative ties for men are over,” she says. “But that doesn’t mean you can’t spruce it up a bit.”

The suits being made today are cooler, she says, and there are plenty of edgier stylistic choices one could make to even make a simple suit more interesting: a skinny tie, a pocket square, or a shirt with a bold (but tasteful) pattern. Just make sure to keep it professional.

Carr and Zoller note that you you’re going to be judged on “the whole you” in a job interview setting, and this will ultimately include what you wear.

“If an employer has five candidates that are all equally qualified in terms of skill, the employer is going to look at how the individuals present themselves,” Carr says.

“Employers in an interview setting do judge a book by its cover,” adds Zoller. “And many times, they’re not going to read the book if they don’t like the cover.”

LinkedIn is a professional networking platform. This type of social media channel gives you access to such a wide range of professionals in so many diverse fields. This leaves you so many opportunities and chances to put yourself out there. Recruiters, like us at Worlco, are always looking for talent on LinkedIn and enjoy when people accept a request, or follow us. We know your in-mails and connection requests flood your account, but that isn't necessarily a bad thing! Your next job opportunity could very well be right at your finger tips, all you have to do is click!

-Worlco

4 reasons you should accept those out-of-the-blue LinkedIn requests

Find full article from Mashable.com here!

I'll just put it out there — I have a big ol' mushy spot in my heart reserved for LinkedIn. As a freelance writer, it's been a great resource for me to not only get connected with new professional contacts, but even land some well-paying projects.

So, I can't help but to be a little surprised when people seem positively disgusted with the fact that I accept LinkedIn requests from complete strangers. "You do that?" they'll ask with facial expressions that would make you think I just confessed to spitting in the shared appetizer. "Well, I never accept an invitation from someone, unless I know him or her personally."

I have to admit that restrictive policy seems strange to me. But, it's one I hear reinforced by people time and time again — even by some of my fellow writers here at The Muse.

However, my view on the matter is that LinkedIn is a networking site. And, I simply don't look at networking as an opportunity to chat with a bunch of people I already know. Instead, it's a chance to meet new professionals.

Just think about it this way — would you head out to a traditional in-person event only to mingle with all of your closest friends and acquaintances by the hors d'oeuvres table? Probably not.

Needless to say, I'll accept a LinkedIn invitation from just about anybody. Of course, there are a few things I always check for — like a profile picture and a decent amount of existing connections. But, as long as the request fills those key requirements, you're welcomed in with open arms.

While I can understand the hesitation to accept just any invitation that shows up in your inbox (because you want to make meaningful connections and the Internet has no shortage of weirdos), I think there are some definite advantages to being a little less stingy with those connection approvals. Here are a few of them.

1. You won't limit yourself geographically

I live in a pretty small town in Wisconsin. However, I work with people and companies all over the country — hey, even the world. From New York City and San Francisco all the way to London, my professional web is pretty far-reaching — even though my daily workday consists of me sitting alone in front of my computer in a little city in the Midwest.

As I'm sure you can imagine, if I was only willing to connect with the people I had ever shared a handshake with, I'd be swimming in a pretty small pond. Sure, I still make an effort to put myself out there at different meetings and events in my community. But, that doesn't mean I want my set of contacts limited to my (admittedly very small) geographical area.

2. You open yourself up to new opportunities

In my dream world, everybody would send a completely personalized message along with LinkedIn invitations, rather than the generic "Please add me to your professional network" note that's auto-filled.

But, unfortunately, not every dream can be a reality — meaning that I'm on the receiving end of quite a few of those nonspecific memos. And, while I often need to quiet that voice in my head that yells, "How dare he not personalize this invitation! He deserves to be rejected!" — I usually end up hitting "accept" anyway.

Why? Well, honestly, not everybody knows enough to personalize that text — despite our best efforts here at The Muse. And, while people may not customize that initial note, there have been numerous times when I've received a follow-up message from a new connection very soon after accepting his or her generic request. It's at that point that he or she explains the reasoning behind connecting, which is something that usually directly benefits me or the both of us.

If I would've let that little voice in my head or a strict personal policy rule my decision-making and inspire me to reject that person? Well, I would've closed myself off to some pretty great opportunities.

3. You can get your foot in the door

Being a freelancer full-time can be a little strange. Many times, it feels like I need to reapply for my job nearly every single day or week, as I'm constantly on the hunt for new clients and projects to fill my time (and pay my bills).

What does this mean? Quite simply, I send a lot of cold emails to publications and companies. But, before even doing that, I typically search my LinkedIn contacts to see if I'm already connected with somebody who works for that employer. If I do? I start my gig-hunting process by sending him or her an introductory message — which usually results in getting directly connected with someone I can chat with about writing opportunities.

Even if you aren't a freelancer, being a little more open-minded about what LinkedIn requests you accept will greatly benefit you when it comes time to search for a new position — you might just be connected with someone who can put in a good word for you. A large professional network is very rarely a bad thing.

4. You won't do anything you can't undo

Nothing is forever — including LinkedIn connections. Like you, I've heard all of the social networking horror stories. And, you very well might accept a request from someone who proceeds to bombard you with endless messages and clogs up your feed with far too many motivational memes.

But, you know what happens then? You simply remove the connection. It takes just a few quick clicks, and that tie is immediately severed. Even better? That person won't receive a notification that you've chosen to disconnect. He or she will just figure it out the hard way when stopping by your profile next time.

I'm all for making meaningful connections — and, trust me, I've used the platform to do just that plenty of times. But, that doesn't mean I need to shut myself off to any other request or opportunity. In fact, I think plenty of good things can result from accepting an invitation from a complete stranger. My mantra? The more the merrier!

What do you think about accepting requests from strangers? I know it's a touchy subject, so let me know your thoughts on Twitter. Or, better yet, send me an invitation on LinkedIn. Fair warning — your message better be personalized.

"Believe it or not, they're on your side."

Interviews can be scary..Worlco finds articles and tips to help our readers calm the fear! If you just be yourself, know the material, and prepare efficiently, then you can say you did your best. "Believe it or not, they're on your side." If you are interviewing for a company, they WANT to hire someone, they WANT you to nail it! Take these tips into consideration before every interview! It can only help.

-Worlco

5 simple ways to build your confidence right before an interview

Heading into a big interview can be terrifying, not unlike the feeling I’d imagine you’d have if you were about to jump out of a plane for the first time ever.

Of course, there's little risk of actual death (unless, of course, you're improbably applying for head coach at lion-taming school), but it’s nonetheless an anxiety-producing scenario.

Summon your self-confidence and conjure your courage in five easy ways.

1. Stop the storytelling

Your brain’s primary job is to minimize danger and maximize reward, so in a situation where there's an unknown outcome — especially a situation where you might screw up — your mind’s going to start telling you stories designed to keep you safe, tales that will help you from feeling the crush.

I'll never get the job, and I'm about to get called on my spectacular lack of suitability. What if the hiring manager hates me? These kinds of opportunities always go to someone on the inside or someone they already know, I have no chance. 

Your brain will always spin stories when it doesn't know what will happen, so it's vital that you recognize what your overly analytic mind is doing in creating these works of fiction.

Notice the fear-filled worries and let yourself consider the hilarity of them for just a moment, and then get yourself back to reality stat. It’s the only way you’re going to build the confidence you need for a home-run interview.

2. Return to your best

Being at your best means being at the top of your game, the place where you’re buzzing, flowing, and really feeling alive. When you’re in that place, two things are happening. First off, you're simply using everything you've got in the moment (all those skills, all that experience, all your smarts, all your talents, all your strengths and all that instinct) and, secondly, you’re not letting anxiety get in the way of your confidence.

In an interview, these two things combine to give you the sense that this is OK; that you’re OK. It’s sitting in that chair feeling whole and resourceful rather than incomplete and on edge.

To enlist this feeling, try this exercise: Sit and close your eyes, and dive into how it feels when you’re firing on all cylinders. Check in to see where that feeling lives in your body — maybe in your stomach or your chest or your fingertips. Imagine that place in your body being the source of this energy, this flow, this power, this ease. Then, when you need it, just focus on that place in your body, and you’ll return to your best.

3. Breathe

Anxious nerves are a physiological response to risk, a response that gets your heart thumping, palms sweating, and thoughts spinning. You're pretty much screwed while this response has you in its grasp, so it's fortunate that you have a built-in stabilizer — a way of anchoring your experience in something steadier and more enabling: your breath.

If, pre-interview, you start to feel the anxiety start to creep in, gently shift your attention to your breath. Pay attention to it as it moves in and out of your body. Keep your attention on the breath, noticing the sensations in your body as you exhale, and even the momentary pause between the in breath and out breath.

Interrupting the script written by anxiety and instead focusing on the breath re-activates your pre-frontal cortex — the part of your brain that allows you to think deliberately, express your personality, and make decisions.

Fully experiencing your cycle of breathing is a way of returning you to a place of acceptance where confidence lives.

4. Normalize rejection

As experiences go, rejection is a pretty sucky one. Getting dismissed as a job candidate makes you wonder whether you're really as good as you sometimes think you are. You start to question whether you did something wrong or whether there's something about you that the hiring manager just didn't like. The warm wash of shame makes you feel small and insignificant. It’s a really low feeling and no good for your self-esteem.

Rejection doesn’t have to be some big, looming scary thing. If you don’t get asked back for a second interview, it’s not the end of the world. It doesn’t mean you’re not good enough.

If you get to third round, but ultimately don’t get an offer, it’s OK. You’ll bounce back. Try not to view it as an outright judgment against you personally, but simply as a sign that it wasn’t the right job for you at this point in time.

Try not to let the professional rebuff diminish your value.

5. Humanize the process

It's easy to enter into the meeting thinking that the interviewer is only there to judge you. Sometimes you might even cast them as the Big Bad — an opposing force who wants to catch you make a mistake or say the wrong thing.

The reality, of course, is that you were invited in because your resume and cover letter caught the hiring manager’s eye. You were asked to come in because someone at the company wants to get to know you. The hiring manager wants to hear more about the experiences he read about on paper, and I promise you no one is looking to see how much shaking you can do in those boots of yours.

Believe it or not, they’re on your side. They want to see who you are and what you can do, and how well you’ll fit in the team and the culture. Their aim is to offer the job to a decent human being who can add value, so consider them as an ally who wants you to land the job rather than an enemy who wants to see you trip up.

By getting in the practice of summoning confidence with these five tips, you’ll become a stronger, more articulate interviewer. Instead of fearing the inevitable job interview, you’ll look forward to it, knowing you have what it takes to succeed both mentally and physically.

Find the original article here!

The 25 Worst Passwords of 2015

When it comes to making up passwords, we’re not doing so great as a society.

Password management firm SplashData released its annual "Worst Passwords List," revealing that humans have remained rather indifferent to choosing unique, secure passwords since the company's first report in 2011. SplashData analyzed more than 2 million leaked passwords in 2015 and found several trends in the most common ones.

“Password” and “123456” still claim the top two spots on the list, where they've remained for the past five years (we can't say we're too surprised). Simple numerical passwords remain an easy go-to; six of the top 10 passwords are comprised of only numbers.

You'll also find that references to sports and pop culture are fairly common. “Football” and “baseball” are both in the top 10 list, and in line with the release of The Force Awakens, “starwars,” “solo” and “princess” are all new entries on this year’s list.

Several others that weren't on the 2014 list include “welcome,” “login” and “passw0rd." Changing that "o" in password to a zero might seem original, but a lot of people had the same idea.

If you see your password on this list, make your 2016 resolution to do better. In parentheses, we've noted how that password fared on last year's list.

1. 123456 (unchanged from 2014)

2. password (unchanged)

3. 12345678 (up 1 spot from 2014)

4. qwerty (up 1)

5. 12345 (down 2)

6. 123456789 (unchanged)

7. football (up 3)

8. 1234 (down 1)

9. 1234567 (up 2)

10. baseball (down 2)

11. welcome (not on 2014's list)

12. 1234567890 (not on 2014's list)

13. abc123 (up 1)

14. 111111 (up 1)

15. 1qaz2wsx (not on 2014's list)

16. dragon (down 7)

17. master (up 2)

18. monkey (down 6)

19. letmein (down 6)

20. login (not on 2014's list)

21. princess (not on 2014's list)

22. qwertyuiop (not on 2014's list)

23. solo (not on 2014's list)

24. passw0rd (not on 2014's list)

25. starwars (not on 2014's list)

See post here!

The Waiting Game After the Interview

By Jeff Lipschultz

So you had the big interview. You prepared well, had a great conversation, and are convinced you got the job. You go home and wait for the phone to ring. And wait. And wait...

When it does not ring within 24 hours, you start to wonder what is going on? Don't panic! You may be out of the running, but you may not.

What IS Going On?

If you interviewed early in the process, you are likely one of the first candidates to be considered. Companies rarely select a candidate without alternatives to compare to.

Although the candidate selection outcome is probably at the forefront of your mind, it is likely to be a lower priority for the business. After all, they have today’s burning issues to resolve. The candidate selection process is important, but it can usually wait a day or two (or more) without an impact.

Many companies have a process in which all members of the team who interviewed you must come to consensus on all candidates. Scheduling a time for all of them to meet can sometimes be difficult. Even putting together an offer can take time if many approvals are necessary.

There are many more reasons why the phone has not rung within 24 hours. Instead of wondering what’s going on, think about things within your control. 

What You Should Be Doing

• Discuss with the external recruiter the pro’s and con’s of the opportunity. 
  
  If you are working with an external recruiter (one who recruits on behalf of a company, but is not an employee), you might find through a follow-up discussion that the con’s you identified are not as critical as you first thought. And, that the positives might have more benefits associated with them. 
  
  The beauty of working with an external recruiter is they know the client better than you and can help sort through your observations and opinions about the team. Additionally, the recruiter can provide an objective perspective based on their own experiences with the company.
  
• Weigh alternatives. 
  
  Whatever methodology you use, start thinking about this opportunity versus others (or your ideal opportunity). 
  
  Determine if you have any major reservations to taking an offer if one is made. Although it is premature, since no offer has been made, you should be prepared to talk to your recruiter about your requirements for an offer (when the recruiter asks for them). Be sure to clarify specific deal-breaker items from flexible ones.
  
• Communicate activity on other job offers.
  Hopefully, you and your recruiter have been communicating throughout the process about other opportunities. At this stage, it is even more critical. The external recruiter needs to know if you have other opportunities that may reach an offer stage soon; they may be able to move the process along with their client. Similarly, if you would like to slow the process down to let another opportunity catch up, the recruiter should know.
  
• Send out thank you notes to all interviewers.
  
  Always send a thank you note. If you think the mail will not arrive fast enough, send email. More on this subject in this blog post.

What You Should Not Be Doing

• Quitting your current job or job search
  No matter what you are told during the interview, until there is an offer in writing and both parties sign it, there is NO JOB. Many hiccups can occur at the end of the process. It may sound like common sense, but there are stories galore on this one.
  
• Negotiating with your current employer
  In most cases, when someone decides to leave their current employer, they should actually leave. Having second thoughts and negotiating for more pay is not recommended. Many managers will not appreciate having an ultimatum thrust at them, “more pay or I leave.”  Even if an agreement is made, often times, it is short-lived and the employee leaves later.
  
• Calling the recruiter every day for an update
  The recruiter will call you as soon as there is news to share, typically only after an offer is accepted by another candidate or one is coming your way. Until then, everything is still up in the air and anything can happen. Recruiters don’t like to spend time hypothesizing what might happen. They wait until something concrete does happen.
  
  With this in mind, asking the external recruiter where you rank relative to the other candidates is also not recommended. If the recruiter did a good job presenting only the best, then it would be hard to answer your question. Plus, there could be candidates in the mix that the recruiter does not know about.

Bottom Line

Stay focused on the positives and be prepared for any outcome. If you have done your best to have a great interview and you truly are the ideal candidate for the job, the phone will ring.

Full article found here!

You Never Learned to Code? Start HERE.

There are so many opportunities at your fingertips when you have experience with coding, Worlco knows that first hand! These are some great additions to your resume and a clean explanation of each one!

-Worlco

You never learned to code? Start here.

An introduction to HTML, CSS and other basic coding languages

In the broadest sense: to code is to speak to, control, or otherwise communicate with a machine (computer). “Code” is a synonym for “computer language.”

Everything that you know as software – your computer’s operating system, your mobile apps, your favorite websites – is designed and coded using a computer language such as Python, C, Java, Scala, Ruby, Go, PHP and dozens more. 

The purpose of these languages is to make it possible for you and I to communicate with our computers in a way that is similar to human language but can also be easily translated into machine code, the language your computer understands.

Computer languages run the gamut from highly technical and largely numerical to something that begins to resemble English. All told, there are hundreds of computer languages including ones that are entirely visual and even one in Icelandic.

This guide will discuss the major types of computer languages, how they relate to one another, which ones you should learn, and most importantly, why you would want to.

Which computer languages you should learn & why

Although there are hundreds of high-level computer languages, only a few dozen are in commercial use. You might have heard of some of them, like JavaScript, PHP and Ruby.

Before we talk specifics, let’s get one thing clear: there is no best language to learn or use.

Programmers love to bicker about one language being better than another, and in some instances, there are particular languages that are popular for specific purposes.

Most programmers will learn more than one language over the course of their coding careers and the most important factor when it comes to deciding which programming language you will use is...which one you like best.

That said, here are 15 popular computer languages:

Click here to see Mashable's article describing different types of coding

Maybe these statistics will convince you to click! :)