The No. 1 'undesirable' trait CEOs see in employees |
Of the many traits people bring to the workplace, one stands out as an absolute "trust breaker," according to a Harvard career expert. It's "taking credit for other people's ideas," says Heidi K. Gardner, a professional leadership advisor and distinguished fellow at Harvard Law School. "To me, it signals one of two things: lack of trustworthiness or lack of competence." You may not even realize you're taking credit for the work of others — like accepting your boss' praise for a group project instead of sharing it with your teammates or presenting an idea that you and a colleague brainstormed together without specifically mentioning their contributions. But it could impact potential promotions and other opportunities at work, or even result in termination. This doesn't mean you need to stop collaborating. Teamwork is crucial for any company's success, and by extension, your own achievement, Gardner says. Rather, you need to be transparent when an idea isn't your own to avoid coming across as untrustworthy. "I have to believe that somebody is not a jerk in order to collaborate with them. I have to believe that when they're challenging me or questioning me, they're doing so from a place of genuine constructiveness," Gardner says. "If somebody takes credit for someone else's work or ideas, they are not trustworthy in that sense." |
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Get Ahead: The do's and don'ts of a post-interview thank-you email You might think that a thank you note is a minor part of the job search process, but most hiring managers still expect to receive one. Forgetting to send a thank-you note is the No. 1 mistake job seekers can make, says ZipRecruiter CEO Ian Siegel, because it signals to a hiring manager that you aren't really interested in the role. Don't know where to start? Here are some essential do's and don'ts for writing the perfect thank-you email: Do: Keep it clear and short. Your message should be no more than one page — aim for 250-300 words, tops, says Siegel. Don't: Write a boring subject line. Approach the subject line like a salesperson. It should be concise, descriptive and pique your interviewer's curiosity, like "I've cracked the code on [insert company's focus here]." Do: Go above and beyond. Briefly share an idea of how you would solve a company challenge. Don't: Wait too long to send it. You don't want it to arrive too soon or too late, which is why Siegel recommends sending a thank you email within 24 to 48 hours after an interview. |
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Making $82,000 a year as a rapper on Fiverr |
Mike Burton has loved hip-hop since he was a kid, but he never knew how to make a living at it until after college. Burton now makes up to $9,200 a month writing and recording rap songs for people's birthdays, anniversaries, business promotions and podcasts. |
Barbara Corcoran says every successful person she knows has imposter syndrome |
Confidence isn't what gravitates Barbara Corcoran to a potential business partner. Instead, she wants to work with people who have ideas and insecurities. "The more successful someone is, the more self-doubt they have, because that's what drives them," Corcoran, 74, said at Fiverr's "Bridge the Gap" webinar last month. "I've never met a secure person who was a stellar star." Corcoran says that this self-doubt, also known as impostor syndrome, has actually become her strength. It drives her to find gaps in her knowledge, and fill them with people whose skill sets balance her weaknesses. And on "Shark Tank," it leads her to seek out entrepreneurs who question themselves. "I look for a [competitor] who's mostly insecure, because I know I've got myself a winner," Corcoran said. "They have the ambition. They're going to work twice as hard, which, I think, is the great upside to feeling like you're an impostor." |
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