How The Royal Bank of Canada Attracts Talent Globally

How The Royal Bank of Canada Attracts Talent Globally To get a Canadian perspective on the world of employer branding, we sat down with Estela Vazquez Perez to understand the approach she has taken to help maintain Royal Bank of Canadas high performance culture. Have a listen our chat below or read on if you want a full summary of our conversation, and dont forget to subscribe to the  Employer Branding Podcast. What are your talent challenges? When I took the job I was thinking, Well, you know, Im seeing these stats and the grass is green, so what are we going to fix? The challenge was  about sustaining high performance and engaging people. You cant sleep and hope that everything continues. So, personally, day-to-day, I need to work on differentiating the organisation. Thats a hard thing to do because we have very strong banks in Canada. So, in terms of differentiating, we need to have a good way of communicating and having a clear  vision of the future, and also compelling career propositions. So that was a challenge for me and with that being said, the job gets very interesting when you can bring this to life through peoples beliefs and presenting that value proposition. Specifically with talent challenges, like  many, its about attracting and retaining tech talent, that would be number one. Two would  be including youth in the conversation of co-creating the future and the last one, if you split from youth or tech talent just in general, we need to hire people with the right attitude. Im trying to move beyond what skill set you to need to work in a company. Everybodys getting ready for that and developing the skills, but finding the right attitude is tough. Its hard to select. So, those are my three focus areas for now. Key challenges that just dont go away and I think theyre going to be stronger. This is not just for the future of this company, but this is for the future of Canada in general, the world, right? How does your work with talent attraction address these challenges? Multiple ways but Ill mention three. One that  Im working on right now is our employment brand content strategy, and this is to show cool things happening at RBC. So, people have  these ideas of what the bank is like, but then  we show them that we have all these amazing  aspects. We are very good at  connecting personal aspirations to our collective ambition, and then were also transforming culture and driving the future of banking. The  greatest technologies sometimes get invented right here and were helping people in other parts of the world to keep things safe for our clients. Although, sometimes  just story-telling is not good enough. You have to show people how that happens, for example how a young  intern might come in and became a part of this  great technology that we now have patented. So, were working on that. Thats one part of doing it. Another part is a good strong employee brand platform. So, we design employee experiences to connect hearts and minds so people deepen their understanding of why we are here, why we exist, and why were in this company. Thats a good selection tool and, at the same time, an attraction tool. But then we need to connect them to whats in it for them, to have exceptional experiences that give them a good life, and they can continue to be with us. The third point will be to amplify the strategy and action in a digital way. This is really about enabling. Enabling marketing communications, change management, human resources, to bring these conversations to life in the digital platforms that are available. You can say maybe your career site, maybe your Instagram account, maybe our Twitter account. So, we have experts managing those channels and I bring that integration to have a story that makes sense and that its the same across those channels. In terms of ROI, have you got any results that you can share with us? We have a good position, so Ill tell you about our results here in Canada: Best Workplaces in Canada by the Great Place to Work ® Institute TOP 100 Employer for Young people, Diversity, and Greenest Employer LinkedIn Most In-Demand Employers Index Canada Ranked 21st Top Employer Brand by Randstad Glassdoor have also named us as a great place to work, and named our CEO as one of the top CEOs on their website. Hes very liked and very much approved. That made a big change in some target markets, as we had a tough time with that before. As you can see we have gotten great results, but in terms of my own result and what is my talent;  this year we increased our ideal employer ranking with students in technology. Thats one of our big challenges, so advancing 25 points in one year, its just so many people being part of this success. Its tough to say 25 points in financial services for top tech talent. Connect with Estela on LinkedIn.

On the Job by Anita Bruzzese Why Its Time to Stop Suffering in Your Job

On the Job by Anita Bruzzese Why It's Time to Stop Suffering in Your Job There you sit, at the pinnacle of your profession. Successful, well-respected, making good money. It took lots of hard work, a little bit of luck and many personal sacrifices. Still, it was worth it.Wasnt it?Unfortunately, many people in this exact position are saying no. Theyre not doing something they like, theyre not happy, theyre not able to say they like what theyve done with their life.But those who are miserable and successful often feel the most trapped by their jobs. The money is depended on by families and they are bound with cement glue to the picture-perfect life they have created. They suffer silently, often only showing the signs of their inner turmoil by being less patient with their children, more authoritarian and autocratic at work and suffering from various stress-induced health problems.People going through this often think about quitting their jobs, chucking it all because they just can't stand being so unhappy. Still, that may not be the best solution since find ing happiness may mean simply making some adjustments to a current position. Either way, its important that if you are successful, but unhappy, you sit down with a piece of paper and take a hard look at your job.Begin by:1. Listing everything that bugs you about your job.From the copy machine that never works to the overtime to the abrasive boss. Dont leave anything out, no matter how small or trivial. Now consider what you can change or eliminate from that list, and determine what is part of your job and what is part of the work environment.Now, ask yourself this question: Is this the life you want? Is it what you dreamed of as a child?2. Looking at time and money.When you determine that a change must be made, this is the time to bring in the family. Explain that you will be happier doing something else, but you will need their support because financial sacrifices may be needed.Then, set up a timeline of what you are going to do, and when. If you have no real idea of what you want to do, limit yourself to exploring three new fields at a time. If you try to do more than that, you may become paralyzed by such a huge task.3. Doing your research.Get on the Internet, network with other people, get interviews at companies that interest you. Find out what is needed for you to work in your chosen field by talking to everyone you can think of -- and then asking them for more people to talk to. If you're 50 years old, chances are you can't become a ballerina as you once dreamed, but you can look at jobs that involve the arts, graceful movements and creativity.4. Going for it.When youre spending as much time on making your dream a reality as on your regular job, its time to take the leap of faith and put all your time into the job you love. (This post originally ran in 2007)

College Internship To Full-Time Job Success Story Leigh Peterson - VocationVillage

College Internship To Full-Time Job Success Story Leigh Peterson - VocationVillage This success story is part of a series profiling people who leveraged their college internship experience into a full-time job. This interview features Leigh Peterson, a communications professional.Leigh, what college did you attend?The University of Akron, Akron, OhioWhat year did you graduate from college?2000Where did you complete an internship? . The Carousel Dinner Theatre in Akron, Ohio. It was the largest professional dinner theatre in America until it closed in January of 2009, thanks to the recession.How did you find/land your internship?I was studying Communications with a PR track, and I took a second class from this one PR professor. I really enjoyed his classes and he could tell. He also knew that I loved the world of entertainment. A former student of his had become the head PR person at the Carousel, and her boss had recently left the company. So, he thought maybe there would be room for an intern. He told me to call her and I did. I had one interview, she spoke to the owner, and I was in!What type of work did you do during your internship?I wrote press releases announcing new shows, wrote creative and show-themed menu descriptions, and put together each show program.What was one significant thing you learned about working during your internship?There are two sides to PR: the creative side and the networking side. I learned that Im much better at the creative side, particularly writing,  than  at networking. My boss and I were a good team since she was great with people. I learned that I would likely always be more comfortable in a supportive role as opposed to a management position. I also learned that your writing style must be flexible enough to please different bosses with different tastes.How did your internship lead to a job offer?The internship was initially supposed to be for a few months. I started in August and was graduating in December. My boss didnt want to stop having assistance, so she rallied to have me hired on and it worked! She was barely one year older than me and she had a younger sister, and that was sort of the relationship we developed. She always had my back.I worked at the dinner theatre for three years until there was a change in ownership. The vibe changed then, and I opted to move on. I have had many different jobs since, but I always go back to creative PR type w ork.  A  few years  ago I transitioned  to internet PR, and I work at a music agency. Im also a singer in one of the agencys bands. Ive accepted the fact that Im a Renaissance personality; I need lots of variety in what I do.Any words of wisdom you would like to share with current college students?For me, its always been more important to be in a field for which I have passion than to just do a job for money. There are plenty of opportunities for you to work in a field you actually enjoy. Dont settle! When I began working at the music agency five years ago, I started as an office assistant because I had decided that I really wanted to work in music.  Over the years I started showing my boss what I could do little by little, and then in early 2008,  I prepared a presentation with an e-marketing plan laid out for him to see. He agreed to let me go ahead with the plan. I basically created my own position at the company, and even got to choose my title.Most recently, Ive been working fr om home, doing a lot of the creative work I enjoyed so much at the Carousel. In addition to e-marketing for the music agency, I do virtual assistant and online work, including article and copy writing, websites, and social media. You can visit my website at LP Communications.Thank you, Leigh, for sharing your experience and advice.. Go To Complete List of College Internship Success Stories

How Badly Do You Want It - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career

How Badly Do You Want It - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career We have all heard people say, “I want…” but they never take action. So the question is do you have merely a fleeting thought or a particular recurring one that will not leave you alone? After having interviewed highly successful others, they all had the following in common: Continually focused on and envisioned their dream coming true Going to sleep and waking up each day, their dream was on their mind. Every working moment was spent putting baby steps of action into place toward that distant vision. Persevered to make it happen no matter the obstacles Every single one faced severe obstacles but these just made the person more determined than ever to succeed. Their creative approaches to overcome made them stronger as they faced each new hurdle. Found success and moved far beyond what was previously thought possible The initial glory was heartwarming but from the achievements, they were able to help others following in their footsteps, and this is what they found most powerful. It takes a mindset that regardless of what others say, you will ignore negative comments in order to pursue. It takes a strong-willed mindset to ignore past statistics believing that somehow you will succeed. It also takes a mindset to be flexible, to be willing to learn from errors in order to find what will work best. But most importantly, it takes a mindset to be focused on who you are, what your principles are, and what you want in life. It then takes full focus, dedication and continual perseverance to attain what it is you desire. To get what you want requires a plan with flexibility in place because sometimes not everything works out according to plan, as we have all learned. Creativity is many times also a requirement. How can you maneuver around what is already in place to get to your desired goal? Take quiet time away from all distraction to contemplate what holds most importance for you. The question of whether it is doable is not up to your friends, associates or anyone else; instead, it is up to you to determine. Many times the factors of time and money play a significant part. As you consider your dream, think about the pluses and minuses, and how you may realistically bring your vision into reality. The first time you are able to achieve this it makes the second time a bit easier. But, the third and succeeding times your actions become a natural course of events! Reading the above may scare you a bit. But as leaders will tell you, if you aren’t scared just a bit, your vision isn’t grand enough. The question goes back to, “How badly do you want it?” Should yours fall into the category of recurring dream, and you feel the motivation to persevere no matter what, your statistics for success will rise dramatically. The determination and focus will help define your personal brand. While it is hard work upfront, when you look back to see what you have achieved, it will all seem as if it were a Smooth Sale! Author: Elinor Stutz, CEO of Smooth Sale, (800) 704-1499; was designated as a “Top 25 Sales Influencer for 2012.” Elinor authored the International Best-Selling book, “Nice Girls DO Get the Sale: Relationship Building That Gets Results”, Sourcebooks and best selling, “HIRED! How to Use Sales Techniques to Sell Yourself On Interviews”, Career Press.

Academic Resume and CV Writing Service

Academic Resume and CV Writing ServiceAn academic resume and cv writing service provides a huge variety of writing services. There are schools, colleges, universities, and employers looking for professional resumes and CV writing services. The writing service provides a wide range of services. The school teacher or the college professor has to write academic resumes, the graduate student has to write a thesis and the jobs of executives require that they have to write job descriptions.Academic resume writing services are reliable in that they hire skilled professionals with the latest technical tools in the business. They also have experience in diverse fields and come from a variety of backgrounds. They possess the creative, persuasive and analytical skills needed to develop a great academic resume. The academic resume writing service helps the university student to write a good academic resume. The resume is also designed in a professional way.After a student is done with his academ ic career profile, it is his time to become an employee. The university professor will need a good academic resume to get the job at a corporate or at the higher levels of the government. The academic resume should give prominence to the skills and qualifications of the candidate and show that he is qualified for the post. The resume is the first presentation to the employers.The university professor will use a resume like any other writing material. He needs to use a resume template to fit his requirements. The writing service of academic resume and CV writing service uses various templates and they have a team of experts who can customize the academic resume according to the requirements of the employer.The academic CV and resume writing service can create an academic CV and academic resume that fits with the requirement of the employers. They also have experience in assessing the competence of the applicant based on his CV. A CV and academic resume is not an easy task. The writin g service of academic resume and CV writing service helps the academic to prepare his CV in a professional manner.The hiring manager from the job company needs to know whether the person applying for the post has a Bachelors degree, Masters degree or PhD degree. The academic CV will help the employer to assess the capabilities of the candidate. If the academic CV is able to impress the employer, then the job opportunity is available.The academic resume and CV writing service also has software that can improve the productivity of the job candidate. If the application is formatted correctly, then the software can prove helpful in increasing the productivity of the job candidate. This software can ensure that the academic resume is ready when the employer is expecting it.The academic CV and resume writing service also has the expertise in editing, proofreading and proof reading. They also have knowledge in revising the academic resume for enhancement in its effectiveness.

Benefits of coaching and why I want to clone my coach!

Benefits of coaching and why I want to clone my coach! Great example of the benefits of coaching from one of my clients who wanted to lose weight.-Coach Wolfgang My company offers health coaching as an employee benefit.   Her name is Colleen and I love her!   That is, I love the process she uses to help me.   Heres how she works and examples of the benefits of coaching. Start with your goals Were always focused on what my goals are and how well know that I achieved them. For me, I have a weight loss goal that weve broken down into 1) control portions at meals, 2) eliminate late night binge eating, 3) drink enough water, 4) eat enough vegetables and 5) substitute unhealthy food. Fill your toolbox Colleen has lots of ideas for how to make it easier to do and stick to those things. Infuse water with fruit or mint; have a lollipop or low-fat pudding at night; put your veggies into a fruit smoothie; cut my meal in half and put one portion away for leftovers She listens to me explain why I stumble and how Im struggling and she comes back with stories of her own struggles and then tactical ideas I can try. I fill my toolbox with these ideas so I can employ them out when Im struggling. Define reasonable action items Each week, at the end of our call, she asks, what are the items you are going to work on before our next call? Its fairly open-ended which lets me choose reasonable, achievable goals. Im sure it helps that Ive committed to her verbally what I will do a kind of social pressure. I choose goals Im comfortable with such as 1) logging my water intake, 2) buying low-fat pudding instead of ice cream at the store, 3) setting an alarm to go to bed on time, etc. Meet regularly We meet every week or two. Sometimes I push our meeting out by a week and once I took a couple of months off. I dont usually look forward to the meetings but they are easy, move quickly and I almost always feel better and enthused. Every week is the most effective interval for me. I remember my goal for the day after my meeting and then a day before my next meeting. Theres just too much time in between if I only meet with her once or twice per month. Report on progress At the start of each phone consultation, she asks if I weighed myself and what that weight is. Even when I lose only 1 pound she gets me fired up that I was able to accomplish that. Shes right it does mean something and I should feel good about it rather than feel it wasnt enough. She also asks how I did with my goals from the previous week. This is often where I open up about how Im struggling and what it is that is challenging me. She lets me know its okay and usually tells me one of her own stories. Just hearing about her own struggles is one of the best benefits of coaching, for me. Then she brings it back to my goal and the tactics I have in my toolbox to use to combat those challenges. Theres something very elegant about how she is so systematic! Lather, rinse, repeat Each week I know what is coming. While sometimes I would rather blow the call off, I always take it because I love the benefits of coaching. Thanks to the frequency of our calls and the repetition of some of the tactics, I can see my habits starting to form. Yes, its getting easier to make better choices at restaurants and in the evenings. My exercise routine has been the easiest habit to form I never thought I could do 30 minutes of cardiovascular exercise per day! The benefits of coaching Im not sure if this is true coaching but, honestly, Im the one coming up with the goals and the actions. I drive the meeting times and Im the only one who puts pressure on myself. She is there to give me ideas and guide me through a structure. Shes changed my life by opening my eyes to what Im capable of. How do I clone her for the other parts of my life? This is why I recently hit up a life coach and a career coach. Im looking into whether my company will pay for these coaches still but, even if I have to pay for it out of my own pocket, its a helpful motivator to get my moneys worth. Would love to hear your stories about coaching below in the comments.

Ace Your Next Job Interview Heres How - Margaret Buj - Interview Coach

Ace Your Next Job Interview Here’s How Do you remember the first time you’ve had your job interview? Nerve-wracking. Even though you’ve been fairly achieving in the other things you do in your life, there’s a certain indescribable feeling when it comes interviews. Some stutter and some pass it with flying colours. For people who get sweaty palms just thinking about job interviews, below are some tips you can do to come in for an interview with your head held high: Do your research A good applicant knows that part of the preparation for a job interview includes researching about your interviewer and the company you’re applying for. Also, you’ll have a good first impression when the interviewer knows that you’ve researched about their company. Researching about the company will give you an overview of their past and current successes, and this will help you present yourself as someone who can add value to the company. Practice yourself in answering interview questions As the saying goes, practice makes perfect. Although there’ll never be a perfect job interview experience, you can always prepare to at least aim for that. Besides, preparation will give you the confidence in answering the interview questions. You’ll find your own pace in answering, and you’ll sound natural in expressing your ideas. Ask a friend or family member to conduct these practices with. Dress accordingly Make sure you look appropriate and professional. Don’t over accessorize because you’re not going to a party. See to it that your clothes fit well and groom yourself properly. In your research, look at the company’s images and observe what the employees are wearing to have an idea what to wear. Think like the interviewer While it is important to be yourself by being aware of your skills and achievements to be qualified, it is equally important to liken yourself to the interviewer and their company’s culture. A lot of companies find the right skill set in a person, but the personality just isn’t fit for the company which leads to a rejection of the application. If the interviewer sees himself in you through personality or your hobbies and likes, there’s a higher chance for the job interview to go really well. Have a strong handshake Agreeableness, conscientiousness, and emotional stability can all be represented by a really good handshake. Aside from the fact that physical touch elevates the level of communication between an interview and an applicant, recruiters find the quality of handshake an integral part of the evaluation of the application. Know how to ask questions and make them right Interviewers appreciate it if you ask them a few questions in return. This will show that you’re very interested in the company and willing to learn about the company even in the job interview. An insightful question will make the interviewer really impressed by you. Now that you’re aware of some tips and tricks to ace an interview, set that alarm clock and go to the job interview prepared and confident. And lastly, break a leg. Author bio: Valerie Chua is a freelance writer for various websites. She lives in a seaside community with her 5 dogs. Her hobbies include running, cooking and playing with her android.