Career Advice Blog

The 80% rule is the rule most often cited by retirement planners. This rule of thumb states that, in retirement, most people will need an income equal to between 75% and 80% of their pre-retirement income to maintain their pre-retirement lifestyle. The average of the two percentages, 80%, gives the popular rule its name. If you’re one of those people who can live on 80% of your salary, that’s wonderful. But for many of us, paying all the bills on 80% of our current salary would be impossible, and leave us strapped for cash as retirees. The rule is based on the idea that a retiree’s income goes down by approximately 25% once he or she is retired. It’s true that there are certain things you won’t need to pay for once you’re no longer part of the workforce. You may be able to move to a less expensive place which is further from your former place of employment. And you can quit gassing up the SUV every few days. But there are other parts of the equation that may have nothing to do with … [Read more...] about Don’t Trust the 80% Rule if You Hope for a Comfortable Retirement

Work is a bore. With the nights drawing in, and winter spreading her icy fingers over pavements, squeezing life from the trees and freezing the air in your throat, days spent in the office seem more depressing than ever. It’s dark and cold when you get up, it’s dark and cold when you leave work, and all there is in between is an endless monotony of spread sheets, meetings, bureaucracy and sycophancy. It’s at this point, with those halcyon summer days all but a distant memory, and the joyous coming of spring many months away, that people start seriously start considering why they bother. Why spend 8 or 9 hours a day cooped up in an office staring at flickering screens, strip lights and fake pine desks when your only reward is a cold journey home surrounded by people sniffling and coughing on the bus, and another reality TV show about vacuous idiots from Newcastle/Essex/Chelsea/Essex for entertainment. Basically, Work + Winter = Woe. But what are the alternatives? Quit work and go on … [Read more...] about 3 Ways to Beat the Work Winter Blues

Each year we’re required to spend thousands on our jobs. Whether it’s grabbing a coffee on the go, battling costly commutes, dining on gourmet sandwiches or musing over the ultimate dilemma, ‘the city or the suburbs?’, at the end of the working day the question still stands: how much does your job really cost you?Guardian Jobs has explored this question and presents an all-in-one visual aid to help weigh up the situation and throw figures into the equation. Read on and reap...The Guardian - How Much Does Your Job Cost You Infographic Brought to you by Guardian Jobs - Find top jobs in education, public sector, charity, marketing, arts and heritage, and social housing and care on Guardian Jobs. … [Read more...] about Guardian Jobs Presents, How Much Does Your Job Cost You?! (Inforgraphic)

If you have ever been on the receiving end of a terrible presentation, then you know what a dreary experience this can be for an audience, especially if you are a potential client looking to invest in a company’s product or service. While giving a professional presentation can be a stressful task for even the most skilled public speakers, following these five “Be’s” will help you make a great impression with clients. Be prepared This Boy Scout Motto is not just important for wilderness survival. Before the late Steve Jobs would deliver one of his legendary marketing presentations, for instance, he would spend countless hours designing and rehearsing them in order to transform a typical sales pitch into a theatrical experience. While you may not have an audience of thousands like Steve Jobs, being prepared to speak and answer questions without having to rifle through notes will instill confidence in your clients, and checking your venue and equipment beforehand will ensure that their … [Read more...] about Tips to Impress Clients When Giving a Professional Presentation

You sit at an office desk all day, making phone calls and working on important projects. If not closely monitored, this sedentary working environment coupled with access to break room treats often leads to weight gain. Since you likely don’t want to be the next executive to keel over from a midafternoon heart attack, here are four tips for beating office weight gain. Avoid Potlucks While potlucks are great opportunities to socialize with coworkers, they’re also major weight gaining culprits. From overindulging on green bean casserole to snacking all afternoon on an assortment of leftover desserts, these office gatherings can quickly derail your healthy eating habits. If you can’t resist the temptation to overindulge during office potlucks, avoid them. Tell coworkers you have an appointment at the same time as the potluck or create another excuse to avoid coming across as anti-social. Better yet, be honest regarding your efforts to avoid weight gain and suggest alternatives to … [Read more...] about 4 Ways to Prevent Office Weight Gain

Manipulative people can be tricky to deal with at the best of times. Dealing with a manipulative person at work can be particularly hard when your job and professional reputation is involved. Here are some tips that can help you to deal with a manipulative co-worker. Trust Yourself Often when people come across a manipulative person at the beginning they give the benefit of the doubt. This isn’t a bad thing in itself, everyone can behave off par at times and we don’t want to not be able to trust anyone. However, if a behaviour or pattern continues and alarm bells are ringing, listen to them! It is possible to be too understanding. Don’t keep giving the manipulator the benefit of the doubt because you don’t want to confront the problem or really believe what is happening. Trust yourself and don’t keep allowing bad behavior. Be Upfront Many manipulators get away with manipulative behaviours because no-one calls them on it. It can be hard to do, but it is worth being upfront … [Read more...] about How To Deal With A Manipulative Colleague

Criticism can be hard to deal with especially in the workplace, but if you can learn to handle criticism you have learnt a great skill. If we let it, criticism can help us to learn more about ourselves and how we do things and grow as people. Is It Fair? Is the criticism fair? Being criticized is one of those things that triggers emotions in most people. If you are able to take a step back and look at the criticism alone it will help you to look at the situation in a more balanced way. There is usually a grain of truth in most things, so see what you can take from this feedback. It Is Actually A Compliment? Sometimes, what people criticize you for is actually a compliment! If someone thinks you are too kind (for example), look for yourself and see if it is actually a problem for you. If you do feel out of balance with this area of life, then the criticism can be used as a reminder. However, if you are happy with how you are then you can let the criticism wash over you – it is … [Read more...] about How To Deal With Criticism

Having a good atmosphere at work makes a huge difference to the day to day experience at work. Here are a few tried and tested ways to create a good atmosphere at work: Say Good Morning Saying good morning to your colleagues is an easy and important way to start the day well for everyone. Most of us will have had the experience of being greeted by a grunt (or ignored) by a colleague or boss and know it is never a nice way to start the day. Do your part and say good morning to everyone you encounter at work. Smile Smiling is free and makes a difference! Be aware of your body language and the effect it has on those around you. Be Thoughtful You could bring some cookies in to share or some of your old magazines for colleagues to read in their break. Little habits like this trigger reciprocity and help contribute to a caring atmosphere at work. Don’t Gossip Gossiping is one thing guaranteed to create negativity in the workplace. Not gossiping and staying out of other peoples gossip … [Read more...] about How To Create A Good Atmosphere At Work