Top 10 Skills You Need for a Career in Customer Service

Top 10 Skills You Need for a Career in Customer ServiceYou may think customer tafelgeschirr jobs are a breeze, but if youve never had one, you might be in for a bit of a shock. There is actually a great deal of both hard and soft skills involved. googletag.cmd.push(function() googletag.display(div-gpt-ad-1467144145037-0) ) The hard skills speak for themselves and are usually a no brainer with any experience. Can you talk to people? Handle transactions, etc.? Then youre probably just fine. The soft skills are the ones youll need to work on.Here are the top 10.1. ResilienceYou need to cultivate the ability to let things roll right off your back. That means interactions with rude customers or hostile clientsor even stressed-out bossesneed to elend impact your overall disposition. Try elend to take things too personally. Take responsibility when things are your faultand work to fix them. Dig deep, build your resilience, and succeed.2. ConfidenceThis is probably important in every job, a s a foundation for so many other qualities, but also crucial for customer service positions. Why? Because if youre confident, your customer will have confidence in you (and, in turn, the company).3. PatienceThis is probably part of resilience. But you will encounter slow people, rude people, old people, and every kind of inane question. Having the patience to roll with whatever comes your way and not letting a few little things overwhelm you or throw you off your job performance is key.4. Communication SkillsTalking to customers, as well as communicating with your managers and co-workers, is crucialeven moreso in customer service positions. If you cant make this skill one of the jewels in your crown, forget it.5. TeamworkEven though a lot of the job is interfacing with clients and customers, you will have to function as part of a team. Try not to slack off or only attend to your own tasks. Think of yourself as a part of a teamthe team being the entire company. Do this by building yo ur emotional intelligence, or EQ.6. ListeningA major part of communicating is listening. Try to work on active listening make eye contact, nod along, repeat important things back to show youre taking in whats important to your client. Ask clarifying questions to prove you understand their situation. The important thing is to make your customer feel heard.7. PositivityThese jobs can involve long hours and not a huge amount of salary, not to mention troubleshooting, merchandise, and dealing with disgruntled people. Try to keep a positive outlook and focus on what you can do to make the experience betterfor your coworkers, your clients, and yourself.8. AssertivenessThere are some situations in which the customer isnt always rightand you will have to say no. Dont veer into being aggressive or demanding, but do learn how to make your voice strong and steady and clear when it needs to be.9. EmpathyRemember that customers are people too. You dont necessarily know what theyre going through or what they have waiting for them at home. Try not to treat them like annoying robots taking up so much of your time and energy. Put yourself in their shoes as often as you can.10. HumorIf you bring nothing else to a customer service job, a sense of humor will steer you in the right direction. Defuse stressful situations, endear yourself to bosses, colleagues, and clients alike. And be charitable laugh at others jokes, even if they arent as funny as yours. Laugh with people, not at them.

These are the Most Common Work Issues that Keep People Up at Night

These are the Most Common Work Issues that Keep People Up at Night Work stress is causing a lot of workers to toss and turn at night, according to a new study by global staffing firm Accountemps. In fact, 44% of respondents said they lose sleep over work-related issues either very often or somewhat often. So, whats keeping them awake?50% are overwhelmed with work volume/hours48% cant get a geschftsleben problem out of their head20% have at least one strained coworker relationship18% are worried about losing their job16% have a nightmare boss7% listed another reasonAs business demands increase, so do employee workloads, according to Karen Warren, district president for Accountemps, a Robert Half company. Stress on the job can cause a domino effect, and might prevent workers from getting the recommended seven to nine hours of sleep per night.Its a view shared by Jayne Mattson, senior vice president at Keystone Associates. Everyone has challenges they are facing in their job, she explai ns.Workloads have increased with less resources to do the work, telecommuting is common so having hallway conversations to resolve issues is not an option, and employees are working longer hours.By bedtime, Mattson says many employees are still thinking about work. They cant shut their brain off, and instead mull over a deadline, a situation with a coworker, or something they need to do when they go to work the next day. However, bedtime is for sleeping and thinking is for being awake, Mattson says. That sounds so simple and it isnt for many.The dangers of work stressors following employees homeSome level of work-related stress is normal, and its no surprise that ansicht concerns dont stop when you leave the workplace. Even if youre not physically working on a project after hours, its likely that youre still thinking about it, according to Stacey Engle, EVP at Fierce Conversations. Most of us spend half our waking hours at the office, so it isnt surprising that at times this carries over to our personal lives, Engle says. Some amount of work stress at home isnt a call for concern. However, when it starts negatively affecting your relationships, sleep, and other commitments, its a problem.Mayo Clinic advises adults to get 7 to 9 hours of sleep each night, and even if you feel that youre well rested without following these recommendations, research reveals that this is not the case, and your performance will be negatively affected especially when you need to perform complex mental tasks.Warren agrees with the recommendations, and explains, It is difficult to perform at your full profil if you are always tired at work. She says that failing to get enough sleep can cause a variety of problems, from reduced concentration and reaction times to decreased memory and poor judgment.In fact, Warren says respondents in another Robert Half survey admitted to or heard of others making the following work-related mistakes due to a lack of sleepDeleted a project that took 1 ,000 hours to put togetherFell asleep in front of the boss during a presentationAccidentally paid everyone twiceTalked about a client thinking the phone was on mute . . . it wasntOrdered 500 mora computers than were neededExposed executive compensation to the entire firmAnother study, this one by Erik Gonzalez-Mul, Ph.D., assistant professor of Organizational Behavior and Human Resources in the Kelley School of Business at Indiana University, provides even more alarming results of work-related stress. Those in high-stress jobs with little control over their workflow die younger or are less healthy than those who have more flexibility and discretion in their jobs and are able to set their own goals as part of their employment, Gonzalez-Mul tells Fairygodboss.You might think that hes referring to firemen, police officers, air traffic controllers, and those with jobs that we routinely view as high-stress occupations. However, Gonzalez-Mul says his study included workers in a variety of professions, from schlussverkauf people to executives to farm workers. What we found was that stressful work, in terms of having a large workload, high concentration demands, and time pressure, results in an increased likelihood of death when paired with low control over the work.By control, he referring to the workers ability to prioritize their tasks, set their own goals, and decide how they get to do their work.Avoid/reduce workplace stressThe good news is that there are ways to mitigate your stress levels. Theres no one-size fits-all solution, so our experts provide a variety of options. While its not always easy, try to check your work stressors at the door when you get home, advises Warren. If you need to check emails after hours, set boundaries, such as a time limit, so you dont spend the rest of your evening focused on work tasks.She believes that its important to take breaks at work instead of intently focusing on finishing the task especially if youre feeling fatigued. P ushing through to get work done isnt effective if youre tired, Warren warns. The occasional break can you help you feel recharged when you return to your desk.Also, if fatigue is affecting your work, she recommends talking to your manager about prioritizing your workload.Engle is also a believer in acknowledging your stress and sharing this information when necessary. One key to handling stress is to know when it is catching up with you, and having the skills to manage it, she says. This may mean communicating with your manager that your workload is too high, or having that difficult conversation with a co-worker youve been putting off.Recognizing what triggers your stress allows you to mitigate it through conversation, according to Engle. Even if the action isnt immediately taken, the mere fact that youve addressed it head-on lowers the power it has on you, relieving at least some of the anxiety associated with it.A FlexJobs survey reveals that only 30% of respondents are satisfied with their work-life balance, and 37% of respondents are stressed by their level of work-life balance. Stress and work often go hand in hand, leading to many challenges, according to Rachel Jay at FlexJobs. However, she tells Fairygodboss that flexible work can help workers avoid such high stress levels. Flexible work typically leads to increased job satisfaction, more control over your schedule, the ability to easily handle personal tasks, and a less distracting work environment.In fact, another FlexJobs survey reveals that 78% of respondents believe they would be healthier and 86% felt they would be less stressed with flexible work.This is consistent with the findings of Gonzalez-Muls team. Even if employees cant work from home, having some degree of control and flexibility produces a positive result. We also found that having high control can make stress beneficial by reducing the likelihood of death, he says. We believe this is because stress can have an activating effect that causes us to work harder and pursue difficult goals that, when paired with high control, allows people the resources to achieve those goals.Gonzalez-Mul compares it to trying to learn a new sport. It can be difficult and time consuming, but you have total control over how to go about doing it, so the process is likely to be fun and energizing rather than miserable and taxing.However, not all employees are afforded a high level of control and flexibility. For these workers, Mattson offers the following four tips1 Write down your to dos for the day (knowing you will have many interruptions) and prioritize 1, 2 and 3 as must do/need to do/dont want to lose sight of. This will help you get the work out of your head and onto paper. At the end of the day, cross out what youve done and revise the list for next day.2 Decide whats stopping you from completing your priority items is it a certain co-worker, meetings, managing staff, processes that arent working that require additional time. If you dont stop and look at what you are doing, how are you ever going to change?3 Communicate, communicate, and communicate, to your manager what you have on your plate, and when someone asks you to do something that adds to your list, respond with before I say yes, let me landsee what else I have on my priority list that I can move to help you, or I am currently working on a project thatison a tight deadline so is this a priority?4 Lastly and most importantly, practice self-care you are the priority to care for first. During your lunch time, remove yourself from your office environment. Giving yourself that time to recharge will allow you to take a deep breath, let go of the morning frustrations and return ready to tackle the afternoon.Personal reflection is crucial for avoiding/relieving stress. Dr. Susan Smith Kuczmarski, cofounder of Kuczmarski Innovation, and co-author of Lifting People Up The Power of Recognition, tells Fairygodboss that listening to yourself can result in gre ater self-awareness.She provides seven ways to listen to your inner voiceRise early, take a long walk and fuel the self with exercise, nature and reading.Reduce stress by reminding yourself you dont need to make everything perfect.Be present and positive.Catch the sunrise, take a swim or hike a mountain at some point during the weekjust get outside.Find energy from spending meaningful time with family or a close friend.Use healthy food, music, and travel to fuel renewal.Reach outwards to do some community service work.--Terri Williams is a business, higher ed, tech, and finance journalist with bylines at The Economist, USA Today, Yahoo, U.S. News World Report, About.com (dotdash), Realtor.com, and Business.com. Follow her on Twitter Territoryone.

Employees Found to Expect Flexible Scheduling but Doubt its Value

Employees Found to Expect Flexible Scheduling but Doubt its Value In a survey, HR recruitment firm Ortus has found that approximately 90 percent of workers believe that flexible work schedules will become the most common employment model over the next few years and 96 percent of HR professionals agree with them. However, only 12 percent of workers consider such a shift in flexibility to be vital. Comparatively, more workers found smartphones to be a significant benefit to business. Employees were found to believe that the prime motivator for the shift welches based in business concerns rather than benefiting employees. Over half of respondents said the most common reason for the popularity of flexible work scheduling was efficiency and productivity while 12 percent said greater flexibility was a result of a desire to help employees better manage their workload and hours worked. This perception app ears to have greatly contributed to employees ranking flexible working as on the sixth most important benefit offered to employees.Respondents ranked several business benefits based on importance 25 days of vacation (40 percent) Company pension plan (29 percent) Annual bonus plan (24 percent) Smartphones (18 percent) Insurance (16 percent) and Flexible working hours (12 percent).A gender divide was identified that showed women were more likely than men to believe flexible working schedules was a vital business benefit, measured at 16 percent and 9 percent, respectively.Stephen Menko, Director of Ortus UK said, These findings suggest HR professionals have their work cut out for them in convincing staff of the relative merits of flexible working. The business case is obvious as it allows for efficiency savings on office costs and greater output. However, the benefit to the individual of a better work-life balance and less time and money spent commuting are, perhaps surprisingly, ranke d low, and maybe HR needs to convey this cost-effective benefit in a more compelling way. Widespread flexible working could be a seismic shift in the way work is conducted and it is that rare beast a change that benefits everyone. Staff members just need to be convinced of this point, or at least have it raised on their radar as a benefit they can request.

Do You Solve Problems for Employers, or Create Them

Do You Solve Problems for Employers, or Create ThemDo You Solve Problems for Employers, or Create Them1Knowing how to solve problems is a transferable skill- an ability that can be applied to a variety of different jobs. In the ever-changing 21st-century workplace, such a talent is a valuable commodity, and presenting yourself as a problem solver can be an edge that attracts attention. When you are job searching, how do you show you can solve problems for employers?Most jobs are not as simple as push this button and repeat, says career coach Lavie Margolin, author of Winning Answers to 500 Interview Questions. Many jobs have an outline of responsibilities, but when you are on the job, you have to be adept at solving or managing the problems as they occur. Perhaps a deadline was missed, a contract had the wrong language, or a shipment got lost. What do you do then? The boss isnt always available to work you through all of the problems. The company often wants the employee to manage th e situation as best as possible.So how can you come across as the problem-solving, rather than problem-making, candidate?Here are a few strategies to show hiring managers that you solve problems for employers, rather than create themPresent examples.In your cover letter and during your interview, talk about real-life situations in which your ability to think on your feet or come up with a clever solution to a difficult dilemma resolved a problem or improved company performance. Margolin suggests particularly thinking about the types of problems that could occur in the job for which you are applying. Remember, youre trying to get the hirer to envision you in that position.Leave old baggage at the door.Maybe its true that your old manager offered zero support or that former coworkers were slackers. Unfortunately, the potential new employer doesnt really care. Youre the one likely to come off as whiny, finger-pointing, and trouble-making by bringing up these grievances. Focus instead o n being the positive person who can handle whatever is thrown your way and can get along with everyone.Become a life-long learner.Workers who are stuck in their ways and resistant to change can be problematic for employers. Make it clear that youre willing to adapt to changing circumstances by emphasizing the desire to learn and grow. Seeing that youll go the extra mile to take a class, talk to relevant people, or do independent research in order to overcome a problem can peg you as a can-do candidate.Show youre up to a challenge.Lastly, consider directly marketing yourself as a problem solver. Look for clues in the job ad about areas in which the company might want to improve, and offer some ideas about how you might go about tackling them. Maybe they are yearning to boost public relations and youre a whiz at social media, or perhaps they are trying to become more efficient and you just read a great book on time management. Demonstrating that youre a great fit for the company today and for its future development will give the employer one less problem- figuring out who is the right person to hireReaders, is the ability to solve problems for employers on your list of transferable skills? How do you show it on your resume? Share with us below

How to Be a More Engaged Employee

How to Be a More Engaged EmployeeHow to Be a More Engaged Employee The struggle is real, folks. Employee engagement is on the decline, and its something every employer - and employee - needs to take seriously. According to Office Vibes Global & Real-Time State of Employee Engagement The statistics dont lie many employees are not engaged. But its not just on employers - I firmly believe that employee engagement is a two-way street.Employers should be engaging with their employees to build meaningful relationships - at my company , we send out bi-weekly pulse surveys to gain regular feedback from our employees - but employees should also show some initiative to become a mora engaged employee. Because odds are, becoming engagedwill make yourday-to-day life at the office a whole lot more enjoyable. It might even boost your work performanceHaving personally read through hundreds of comments submitted by employees, Ive found myself providing some of the same tips and a dvice over and over again. Below are my suggestions on how to become a more engaged employee.How is a company supposed to fix a problem they arent aware exists? If your company is investing in surveys and feedback tools, the least you can do is engage and provide your thoughts and feedback. And if your organization does not have these tools, request themTransparency is expected in most organizations today. Let your employer know you dont understand a certain policy or dont agree with something. If you have a great suggestion, then share it It doesnt necessarily mean your new idea will be implemented, but at least you can have your voice heard and be a trusted source of feedback for your employer.If you dont speak up now, its hard to complain later. Just remember, feedback is nothing without honesty - thats what your employer is asking forQuestion your employer. Not in a rude or gotcha fashion, but ask tough questions. Ive found that when an employee asks a question, and I can prov ide context as to why a decision was made, it benefits all parties involved. Not only do you get your answers, but you show your employer that youre invested in the company.Set-up a regular meeting cadence with your manager - you can ask questions, talk about your performance and set career goals . These meetings dont have to be long, but dedicating time from you and your managers calendar shows how important this meeting is to your success.You hear a lot today about employer branding (defined as a companys ability to differentiate and promote its identity to a defined group of candidates that theyre interested in hiring). HR writer, speaker and advisor William Tincup simply states employer branding is your unique scent.Theres no one better to help share your companys message than you - an employee of the company. Studies show time and time again that employees are viewed as more trustworthy than CEOs and/or absatzwirtschaft departments, and recommendations from friends and family always rank near the top with respect to trusted referral sources.When your employer publishes a great blog post, share it with your network. At the next company event, take some fun photos and post them using the companys branded hashtag. Being an employment brand ambassador will show employers you care about the company, and not just yourself.To give is better than to receive. Whether youre talking about presents or philanthropy, this statement always rings true. Many companies are fully on board with social responsibility and giving back to the communities where their employees live, work and play.If your organization sponsors and/or volunteers at these events, do yourself a favor and be present. Sometimes these charitable events are after hours or are on the weekends and not necessarily convenient. However, your attendance will not only impress your employer, but more often than not, will also enrich your life in more ways than one.No one person, or even team, is respons ible for employee engagement. Every employee at an organization adds to or takes away from the company culture. We spend a tremendous portion of our waking hours at work - why not be engaged while youre there?Chris Skaggs is the head of talent and brand at TSP , a privately-held IT services company, and co-founder and president of Leightons Gift , a non-profit with a mission of turning a tragedy into something positive. Branding, digital marketing, talent acquisition and HR are all functions Chris has developed building teams, processes and strategies from the ground-up. Passionate about giving back, he also serves on the boards of a variety of different organizations. A natural storyteller, Chris work and experiences have been featured on CNN, Marketing Sherpa, CBS Radio, Recruiter.com and Glassdoor. Get connected online, skaggschrisL.

John George Leyner

John George Leyner John George Leyner John George LeynerOne of the great reforms in the history of industrial health and safety welches championed not by a physician or lawmaker but by a mechanical engineer. Machinist John George Leyner revolutionized the mining industry with a series of novel jupe drills produced around the turn of the 20th century. His drills not only worked better than earlier tools but also dramatically reduced one of the most dreaded occupational diseases affecting miners silicosis, or miners lung. Linked to the einatmen of rock dust created by conventional drilling and rock-breaking techniques, silicosis often meant a slow and agonizing death for exposed miners. The condition has been recognized since ancient times, when most of the worlds mining was done by slaves and prisoners. By 1700, when the first treatise on occupational health was published, miners lung was a well-documented phenomenon. It became a public health issue only after the industrial revoluti on inspired companies to dig deeper mines and hire more working-class men willing to risk death for a steady wage. Its possible Leyner had worker safety in mind with his novel hammer drill design after all, he himself knew something of industrial-age hazards from losing an eye in a youthful mishap with dynamite. But with business acumen as sharp as any drill, Leyner was above all about outselling his competition. And that he did. Leyner was born in the right place at the right time with the right inborn talents to make a difference in his profession. He was born to a German immigrant father and Pennsylvania Dutch mother in 1860 in the heart of Colorado mining country. Mechanization and the increased need for ores and minerals was driving settlement and expansion in the American West. John George Leyner engineering works, January 1903. Leyners formal schooling ended by eighth grade, but his education in the weaknesses of drilling equipment continued into his 30s as the operator of a busy machine shop repairing equipment for the local mining industry around Denver. He saw the need for a lightweight, fast, and powerful drill that could break through rock far faster than the dominant piston-driven models. He created his first drill in 1896 and 1897, and then took the technology one step further by adding the ability to blast rock casting away from the drilling area with compressed air. Productive it may have been, but miners would not use the drill after seeing the billowing cloud of potentially hazardous particulate matter the machine created. Leyner went back to his shop to develop what would become his signature breakthrough. By devising a method to fabricate a hollow steel drill bit, Leyner was able to channel a stream of water as well as compressed air through the steel and directly to the point of contact with the rock face. This process converted hazardous rock castings and dust into cool, harmless mud. It was a major victory against the conditions that ga ve rise to lung disease, and miners embraced it immediately. Leyners exclusive patents on the process would make him rich. So game-changing was the Leyner water-flushed drill that many mining states soon banned dry mining techniques. Business thrived and he was soon enticed to move his growing Leyner Engineering Works Company to nearby Littleton, where it employed nearly 170 workers in a nine-building complex. Top honors for Leyners equipment at the 1904 St. Louis Worlds Fair generated worldwide fame. By 1912, heavy equipment giant Ingersoll-Rand became Leyners sole distributor and manufacturer of rock drills under his patents. The agreement ensured him of significant wealth while freeing his adventurous mind for other endeavors in agricultural equipment, food processing, and other industries in which he perceived a need. Leyner died tragically in 1920 from injuries incurred in a traffic accident caused when he swerved his car to avoid a horse-drawn cart a rare instance in Leyners life and career when old technology would prevail over mechanized progress. Michael McRae is an independent writer.So game-changing was the Leyner water-flushed drill that many mining states soon banned dry mining techniques.

9 Ways to Make Your Smartphone Earn Its Keep in a Job Hunt

9 Ways to Make Your Smartphone Earn Its Keep in a Job Hunt9 Ways to Make Your Smartphone Earn Its Keep in a Job HuntIf youre like most people, you use more than one device to access the Internet. Studies show that three out of every four of American consumers use both a smartphone and a computer to get information online. But with only one out of five Fortune 500 companies supporting mobile job applications, finding and applying for jobs on a smartphone can be tricky.This month Google announced that it would no longer list web pages that are not optimized for mobile in its mobile search results. More companies will have to step up and make it easier for you to access their sites on mobile, but in the meantime you still need to find a new job. Here are some ways you can get the most of out your job search using your mobile device.Browse for JobsSimply Hired and other job search websites offer job search apps. If you dont have ours, download it today on Google Play or iTunes. To get th e most out of your app, log in so you can upload your resume and sync your account across devices. Many listings on Simply Hired allow you to apply directly from the app with a stored resume. Others ask you to go to another website to apply.Apply to JobsTo apply to jobs from your device, its handy to keep your resume stored on your phone. Some employers allow you to upload your resume from a service like Dropbox or Google Drive, and others allow you to paste or type the information in a form. When saving your resume into Dropbox or Google Drive its a good idea to save a formatted and an unformatted version in case you need to paste the text into a form. For more on how to put your resume into plain text or ASCII format click here.Get AlertsSimply Hired offers daily job emaillele alerts. Subscribing to email alerts and reading them when you have free time during the day, such as when commuting, waiting in line or on breaks, helps you stay focused on your job search and stay on the lo okout for new opportunities.Save JobsYou may enjoy finding jobs on the go, but its likely youll want to apply when you have a little more time to research the company, compose a good cover letter and tweak your resume if necessary. The mobile versions of Chrome and Safari offer multiple ways to bookmark or share job descriptions that you like. By clicking the button with an arrow from your mobile browser, youll be presented with a number of options email, messaging, Twitter, Evernote, etc. We recommend email, or better yet, Evernote (more on that below), to keep track of interesting jobs. While some employer websites offer you the option of emailing the job to yourself so you can apply later, its better to have your own system for keeping track of jobs and companies so you can find information all in one place.Keep Track of Your SearchIf youre unemployed or on a full-fledged search, youll want a system for keeping track of interesting companies, jobs and the action steps youve taken . I recommend Evernote for this purpose. Evernote syncs across smartphones, tablets and the web, and it also offers a powerful desktop application.You can create a Notebook for your search that can include jobs you like, companies you like and any research pertinent to your search. Once youve applied to a job you clipped using Evernote, you can change the subject line of the note by adding the word applied, or add a tag that indicates you applied. This will allow you to quickly scroll the list and landsee your success.When a recruiter calls youll be able to quickly look up the job description to jog your memory of the job requirements. You can take notes in the app that include key points about the job as well as follow-up actions.Manage Your TasksFinding a job can be overwhelming, so its helpful to break down your search into tasks. Use your favorite task manager to make lists, such as research Company X, apply to Company Y, and prepare for interview at Company Z. The Apple Reminde rs app, Wunderlist, as well as Trello, are popular apps that sync across devices. Assign deadlines for tasks to make sure you actually do the things on your list. Instead using apps that live only on your phone, seek out apps that sync across devices so that youll have all the information you need as you switch from your smartphone to your computer.Manage Your TimeGoogle Calendars, iCal and many other calendars also sync across devices. Use the calendar to schedule calls and interviews, and set aside time to research jobs or complete applications. Use the alerts feature to remind you of interviews.Map Commute Distance and TimeTheres nothing worse than getting excited about a job opportunity only to find the commute would be an hour and a half. If youre up for that, fine, but its a good idea to know what youre getting into before you apply. Before even saving a job, look it up on the maps feature of your phone and calculate the commute time from your home during morning and evening d rive times.Communicate with EmployersIf you already have a job, your phone will be the lifeline to communicating with employers during your current work hours. With most offices now in an open environment, you dont want to risk someone walking by your computer while you are emailing a potential new employer. Discreetly use your smartphone to check email and make phone calls during breaks. Communicate with a greater degree of professionalism than you would with your friends by using salutations, writing in complete sentences and avoiding emoticons.As many employers increasingly make their application processes mobile-friendly, start making your smartphone your go-to-tool in your job search.