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1. An agenda
2. A powerpoint/some form of a presentation
3. Your meeting facilitator!

Stop right there…this is a recipe for an ineffective meeting!

I recently attended a workshop for leaders of an employee council at my job.  The workshop was intended to get us all motivated to do great work for the employee council and it was led by speaker/author/trainer, Dave Weber.  Weber and his team travel around the country helping corporations, small businesses, and schools become more effective in teambuilding, running meetings, and inciting excitement in their workers.  Weber’s fun and interactive presentation style is so contagious.  But the best part about him is that he gives really practical and helpful advice.

As young professionals, you will definitely be asked to lead meetings with your team.  Here are the 5 most important tips I learned from Weber regarding running an effective meeting:

Jessica Ebony

Well, unfortunately not everyone can be so honest and upfront. In fact, according to Forbes.com, 40% of people falsify something on their resume or lie about their personal and professional past. The most common lies are about getting a degree and changing dates. I’m not sure how you feel about that, but FORTY PERCENT is a huge amount of fake resumes. That means nearly one in every two resumes has some fake information on it. This leads employers to perform background checks on its potential hires and employees to ensure that the people they are interested in are telling the truth.

‘Now, what information can they find out about me?’:

1) School Records – these can’t be released without your consent.

2) Bankruptcy – this information is public record and can be accessed at any time by almost anyone.

3) Credit Reports – these can only be accessed with your permission and whether or not you receive a job can be based on what’s on your credit report. There are many people out there who are getting turned down for jobs and have no idea why. Perhaps the answer lies within your credit history.

4) Criminal Records – Depending on what state you reside in depends on how your criminal records are accessed. Some only look at your criminal records back to a certain date while others pull your entire history. Either way, your criminal past is available information.

5) Medical Records and Disabilities – these cannot be accessed without your permission and by law (ADA) companies cannot turn down an eligible candidate based on disability, but companies can inquire about your ability to perform a job because of a disability.

6) Military Records – the US military can disclose your rank, salary, assignments, and awards during your time of service without your consent.

7) Driving Records – these records are not confidential and can be released without consent .

So, don’t take it lightly when people talk about background checks. All information is out there to be discovered and most of it can be requested without you even knowing it. Now that you know what can be found on a background check you can be prepared.

-CKB

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In a world of Skype interviews, ‘Linking In’, and attaching resumes to emails, business cards might seem like an antiquated form of information sharing. However, there are many advantages to carrying and recognizing the use of business cards in today’s ever changing environment. Check out our list below as to why business cards are still relevant:

1. Personal Touch
It’s so easy to click a button and reach anyone all over the world, but it has become very impersonal. Carrying and exchanging business cards can add a memorable and personal touch to any conversation. Remember our article on Professional Accessories? Business cards can really set you apart from the crowd.

2. Always carry a few on you
Even if you’re not going to a business function, you can never go wrong carrying a few business cards in your wallet. They can help you make the most of any perchance meetings you might encounter.

3. They are great segues
I look at business cards as an invitation to a future conversation. Most people struggle with how to continue relationships with people they meet through networking. Business cards are good reminders about the people that you meet which leads me to my next tip…

4. Contact Information
Business cards usually include information like name, company, title, email, phone number, etc… With the business card you get all of that information in one place. It opens you up to multiple avenues of communication with that person right from the jump.

5. People like exchanging them – be generous
Handing out a business card is something that everyone likes to do. It makes one feel like they are on top of their game and professional. So you will find that people won’t hesitate when it comes to passing them out. You should be generous with passing your cards out as well. Remember, generous…not annoying. Now knowing that…

6. Don’t hesitate to ask for a business card
It shows that you are comfortable with yourself and looking to make business connections. Exchanging business cards is a give and take. If someone offers you one, then you offer yours as well and vice versa.

7. Anyone can have them
You don’t have to have a big fancy job to have business cards. Everyone from students to entrepreneurs can have their own cards. If you go out and Google ‘business cards’ there are many sites that print cards for very cheap. You will be surprised to find out how many different styles and formats of business cards there are. Just make sure you find something that is representative of you and your industry. A fashion designer or caterer wouldn’t have the same style of business cards as an engineer or lawyer.

All of these tips listed above were instrumental in how Jessica Ebony and I built The LI$T into what it is today. Exchanging information via business cards was a big key to our success. Following up on all the leads we could identify proved to be worth its weight in gold. Even in the digital and information age, business cards still serve a very powerful purpose. They are tangible items that can lead to a world of opportunities. Now we want to hear from you! What other networking tips can you think of to share regarding business cards? Thanks for supporting The LI$T!

-CKB

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Jessica Ebony
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Happy Holidays Friends,

This is one of my favorite times of year. The holidays are upon us, and it’s parties galore! To help you get into the festive spirit, here are two easy potluck dishes that have been a staple of mine for years. Bon appetit!

Dinner: Baked Eggplant Parmesan
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A great and easy dish, this would be excellent if you’re going to a Christmas Eve, fish/dairy dinner. Best served hot and right out of the oven! Ask your host or office, if you can bake it there (transport it un-cooked), or cook it ahead of time, and just put it in the oven for a few minutes just so the cheese is nice and gooey.

Total Cooking time: 40 min
Servings: 8-10

Ingredients:
· 2 Boxes of Eggplant Cutlets (I like Trader Joe’s, found in their freezer section Frozen)
· 2 – 25 oz jar marinara sauce (I like Rao’s, but anything will do)
· 2 1/2 cups Shredded Mozzarella cheese
· 1/2 cup Shredded Parmesan Cheese optional)
· Fresh basil or parsley, optional

Instructions:
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. In the bottom of an 8 x 10 baking dish, spread one cup of marinara on the bottom of the pan. Place the frozen eggplant cutlets in the dish in one layer, and continue to create “Stacks” overlapping like you would with lasagna noodles.
3. With each new stack spread 1/2 cup of tomato sauce, and sprinkle a layer of the mixed cheeses.
4. The final stack should have the remaining sauce (no more than a cup, though, or it will be a mess) and cheese on top. Sprinkle with fresh basil.
5. Bake uncovered for 35 minutes.
6. Remove from oven and let rest 5-10 minutes.

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Dessert: Sufganiyot (Jelly Doughnuts)
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Hanukah is the 8 day Jewish festival of lights. Before going to a holiday or Hanukah party, find out if the host keeps Kosher. For the cliff notes sake and to get you through the party, one of the aspects of Kosher or Kashrut (Ancient Jewish Dietary Laws) means that some Jewish people don’t mix meat and dairy foods, and don’t eat pork or shell fish. When going to Hanukah or Holiday parties play it safe and bring a vegetarian or vegan dessert. Alert the host if your dish has milk in it, just in case they were serving Kosher meat that evening.

Sufganiyot (Jelly doughnuts) is a traditional Hanukah dish. Here’s an easy, and healthier version of the old classic from “Good Housekeeping”. This dish includes dairy so alert hosts and people observing Kashrut.

Total cooking time: 1 hr.
Servings: 16 doughnuts

Ingredients:
· 3 cup(s) all-purpose flour
· 3/4 cup(s) granulated sugar
· 5 teaspoon(s) rapid-rise yeast (2 packages)
· 1 teaspoon(s) ground cinnamon
· 1 teaspoon(s) salt
· 1/4 cup(s) vegetable oil
· 3/4 cup(s) warm whole milk (120° to 130°F), plus extra for brushing
· 2 large eggs, at room temperature
· 1 cup(s) sour cherry or other jam
· 2 tablespoon(s) confectioners’ sugar

Instructions:
1. In electric stand mixer bowl, combine flour, granulated sugar, yeast, cinnamon, and salt. With paddle attachment of stand mixer, mix on low 15 seconds or until combined. Add oil and milk; beat on medium-low speed 3 to 5 minutes or until well combined. Add eggs, 1 at a time; beat 10 minutes or until dough is elastic, occasionally scraping sides of bowl.
2. Meanwhile, lightly oil large bowl. Transfer dough to prepared bowl; cover loosely with plastic wrap. Let rise 40 minutes or until doubled in bulk.
3. Lightly grease 3 cookie sheets. Gently punch down dough, folding it onto itself. On lightly oiled work surface, gently roll dough into 16-inch log; cut log crosswise into 1-inch pieces. Shape each piece into ball; transfer to prepared cookie sheets, 3 inches apart. Cover loosely with lightly oiled plastic wrap; let rise 20 to 30 minutes or until slightly puffed. (May be made up to 1 day ahead up to this point. Refrigerate, loosely covered. Bring to room temperature before baking.)
4. Preheat oven to 350°F. Brush tops of dough with milk. Bake, 1 sheet at a time, 12 to 15 minutes or until pale golden. Cool on sheets on wire racks 5 minutes.
5. Cut 1 corner of self-sealing plastic bag to make 1/4-inch-diameter hole; fit with 1/4- to 1/2-inch plain piping tip, and fill bag with jam. Slide paring knife into center of side of 1 donut without cutting through other side. Using sawing motion, cut pocket in donut without cutting opening any wider. Fit piping tip into hole and pipe jam until filled. Repeat. Dust donuts with confectioners’ sugar to serve.

-JRS
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Share your favorite easy/cheap/delicious potluck meals with us! We want to hear from you!

Giving an effective presentation involves several different aspects:

• Being knowledgeable about what you are presenting
• Preparing to answer tough audience questions in advance
• Practicing key talking points (without memorizing answers)
• Being well rested and eating well beforehand

However you can be very prepared and still get nervous speaking in front of colleagues, management, or executives.

I have given a few presentations lately in front of managers and even though I was prepared, I was very nervous going into them. One of my more seasoned co-workers gave me a stress relief technique to use that really helped calm my nerves before presentations:

–
I realize doing yoga at your cubicle may be embarrassing. I actually did this in the bathroom of the building I was presenting in so no one saw me. The key is, try and relax and be confident that you are prepared to present and respond to questions like a seasoned working professional.

Below are a few more tips on relieving nerves before a presentation that I think are helpful:

Mind Tools
Mind Petals
WikiHow

Now we’d like to hear from you all! Tell us, how do you remain calm during an important presentation?

Jessica Ebony

Clock-in, meetings, emails, presentations, and clock-out are all in a day’s work, right? Well, not exactly. Just like school, work isn’t always just about the work. At many companies there are plenty of ways to get involved in groups and associations that will help build your network and provide opportunities that you might not get in your current job. Just for proof, here are the activities Jessica Ebony and I are involved with through work:

CKB

• Campus recruiting and interviewing for Operations Analysts
• Toastmasters International
• Black Professional Group
• Former Ambassador of the Operations Management Analyst Program

Jessica Ebony

• Southern Company Georgia Tech Alumni Club
• Employee Action Council
• African American Women’s Networking Group
• Technical Women’s Interest Group
• National Society of Black Engineers (work chapter)
• Attends school outreach days

Check out our list below of how being more involved at work can take your career to the next level:

1. Exposure
Being involved in a volunteer organization or an affinity group at work might allow you to have greater exposure to senior leaders and executives who might also support or champion those efforts. Skills that you might exhibit while working on this outside activity might lead to advances in the future.

2. Build your network
You will also have the chance to work with people who you might not come in contact with in your regular job. Outside organizations pull people from all over the company and they might be in areas that you are interested in or would possibly like to work in one day. Remember, a single conversation can change your life!

3. Invest in the company’s values
Being involved outside of your job also shows others that you take a vested interest in the values of the company. Whether it’s volunteering in the community or raising money for a charity, taking the lead will show your coworkers what type of person you are.

4. Show your personality
Most times getting involved outside of work can be a lot more fun and not as stressful which allows those you work with to get to know the real you or at least less of the work you. Sometimes adding this personal touch can be the key to building long-lasting relationships with your coworkers.

I know it can seem like additional work, but taking a few extra hours a month to dedicate to a group that you have passion for can help make you a better person and accelerate your career. Now we want to hear from you! What activities or outside organizations are you involved with through work?

-CKB

When it comes to interview prep, you can always find help on how to ace the interview. What questions to know…how to dress…you’ve probably seen information like that on The LI$T. However, what about what to do before the interview? In the hours, days, weeks, and in some cases months before the interview you can do plenty of things to make sure you are a standout. Check out this list below of what you can do to be on your A-game way before you even shake hands:

1. Schedule Appropriately

Find a date that works best for you. If you know Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays are busy days bring that up early on and try to avoid them. If you are not asked for your preference or availability, make sure your day is clear ahead of time and stays clear as you approach the interview date. If something does come up, please make sure you let the interviewer know ahead of time as much as possible.

2. Research

If your interview is a significant amount of time away (weeks or months) start checking them out in other ways. These can be info sessions, open-houses, additional networking meetings, paying attention to the news, and visiting websites. The more you can know about a company going into an interview the better prepared you will be. Also, do some digging around as to who you might know who has some insight to the interview process who can give you some pointers.

3. Practice your answers

Although you won’t know the specific questions they will ask, most interviews don’t stray away from the general behavioral format (‘Tell me about a time when…’). Now of course if your job is really technical or if it’s a consulting interview the structure will be different. However, for general basic interviews you can never go wrong with being able to talk about your experiences, roles, and results. It might sound like an obvious tip, but practice saying your responses. It’s not quite as easy as you think to talk about yourself AND sound eloquent and accomplished. Practicing ahead of time can help you get comfortable and acquainted with possible questions. Google ‘common interview questions’ ahead of time to learn more.

4. Good Night Sleep

Make sure you are well rested the night before. The last thing you want to do is arrive at an interview anything less than energetic and attentive. Body language can speak much louder than anything coming out of your mouth.

5. Bring multiple copies of your resume

Always bring your resume! Chances are they might already have your resume, but interviewers can be unprepared too so always have one on hand. A nice touch is to print your resume on weighted paper to give it a more professional feel. You can find resume paper almost anywhere paper is sold and definitely at office supply stores.

6. Bring a portfolio with pen and paper

You will definitely want to take notes and jot down information so make sure you bring a nice portfolio and pen with you. Check out Jessica Ebony’s post about accessories that will make you shine.

7. Have the interviewers contact information available

Just in case you need to get in touch with the interviewer, make sure you have contact information close by. I usually write contact information down or email myself the contact information so it is readily available to access from my phone.

8. Build in Travel Time

Familiarize yourself with directions to the interview site while factoring in the time of day and weather. It’s always better to leave much earlier than you think just to give yourself time in case something goes wrong and we ALL know Murphy is always lurking. Know where to park and where exactly to meet the interviewer. Nothing is worse than freaking out, because you don’t know where to go or showing up late and finding that the interviewer has been waiting on you.

9. Check your appearance

I know we mentioned this in our career fair post, but you can never go wrong with heading to the bathroom and checking to make sure you look presentable. This includes clothes, hair, and face.

10. Bring personal contact information

Business cards are always a nice touch especially at the end of the interview. The key is to make sure you bring them with you before so you can share them.

These 10 steps will definitely have you feeling confident and ready to go when the interview arrives. Now it’s time to hear from you. What do you do to prepare for an interview beforehand?

-CKB

Jessica Ebony was on call to handle a serious issue for a very important customer. Although it was tough work, she handled it all with stride and was able to meet the expectations of the customer. At first, it seemed like an everyday issue, but what Jessica Ebony didn’t know was that people were observing her. Her management and co-workers definitely recognized it and it resulted in a promotion for Jessica Ebony! People were taking notice of her.

My story was pretty similar. I had been trying to network with one of the executives on my project for a couple of months. Due to conflicting calendars, we never got the chance for a thirty minute ‘get to know you’ meeting. However, while on business these past three weeks, I got to work very closely with her and learn a lot from her. During my last day of travel, she called me into her office and let me know that although we had not gotten the chance to meet previously one on one, she had been observing me through my work on reports and financial statements and during our time together traveling on business. She was so impressed that she asked me to join her team as we get ready for phase 2 of our project. People were taking notice of me.

Both of our personal situations, which oddly enough happened within the same week, prompted me to use the term The Neverending Interview. We both learned this week that you never know who is watching you and just because you have a job, doesn’t mean that someone isn’t interviewing you for an opportunity that’s not even on your radar. Every email you send, meeting you lead, or conference call you host, there might be someone in attendance who might recognize your talents and help you. The trick with the Neverending Interview is that you have to remain patient and realize that if someone is noticing your every move they could be picking up on your bad habits as well. So it is important to be cognizant of what vibe and perception you are giving off at work. Always remember that you are constantly interviewing whether you are looking for a job or not.

-CKB