If you frequently sit staring at a computer monitor for work and you often experience headaches or eye pain, you may be straining your eyes. While eyestrain caused by computer use doesn’t necessarily mean long-term health complications, it can be unpleasant and painful. If you have noticed any blurred vision, dry or watery eyes, or your eyes are burning, itching or feel more sore than normal, take these small steps to help reduce the strain: Begin New Healthy HabitsIt’s important, especially if your job relies solely on computer usage, to take eye breaks. When you feel your eyes starting to strain, force them to look at and focus on something else besides the screen. Use your finger as a starting point and focus on it right in front of your face. Then focus on something in the distance. Vary your distances and objects, holding your eyes on each for just a few seconds. If your job allows it, stand up and move around at least once an hour. Take a restroom break, stretch, or … [Read more...] about Tips for Better Eye Health at Work
Career Advice Blog
5 Ways to Increase the Perceived Legitimacy of Your Business
When starting up a new enterprise, there are a number of considerations you're going take into account and make decisions on. Developing effective marketing strategies to attract customers is likely one topic that's at the forefront of your attention. When it comes to maintaining a new successful business, a huge factor that will affect your success is how your consumers perceive your establishment. This isn't to say that you should mislead potential customers and market yourself as a reliable and professional business if you're not, but you should consider your company through the eyes of your customers. Maintain a Professional Website First impressions matter. It's an undeniable fact that consumers often make judgments based on a business's online presence. If you have a limited budget that doesn't allow you to hire a web programmer, it would probably be beneficial to pay a professional developer to set up a polished website for your customers to navigate. … [Read more...] about 5 Ways to Increase the Perceived Legitimacy of Your Business
22 Movie Quotes About Work
When it comes to a philosophy of working, in recent years, some of the greatest wisdom has come from movie quotes about work. From Gordon Gecko’s famous paean on the joys of greed to Tyler Durden’s harangue on the condition of modern man, there are movie quotes to inspire or amuse every working stiff. Here at your favorite career advice blog Jobacle.com, we’ve put together a selection of some of our favorites. The importance of work: “A man should be what he can do.” - Private Robert E. Lee Prewitt, From Here to Eternity, 1953 “It’s not about the paycheck, it's about respect, it's about looking in the mirror and knowing that you've done something valuable with your day.” - Dave Kovic, Dave, 1993 “A job is not just a job. It's who you are." - Remy, Repo Men, 2010 “They say the number one killer of old people is retirement. People got 'em a job to do, they tend to live a little longer so they can do it.” - Budd, Kill Bill Vol. II, 2004 “I love the smell of commerce … [Read more...] about 22 Movie Quotes About Work
5 Cool Underwater Jobs
There are a few lucky people in the world who look forward to going to work in the morning; most of these people are employed in a job they would do as a hobby anyway. Whether you’re a ski instructor, climbing instructor, surfing coach, hiking guide, food critic, wine taster or secret shopper, the chances are if you lost your job you’d still carry on doing the work regardless. One area that almost certainly has a high degree of job satisfaction is diving and underwater work. Many people fall madly in love with diving and the underwater world on vacation, and many go on from there to get their PADI certificate and carry on diving as a hobby. But what if you love diving so much that you want to do it for a living? Here are five underwater jobs that let you spend your days under the waves... Diving Instructor - The daddy of underwater jobs. If you’re prepared to put in the time training, (and the money too) then you’ll get yourself a job for life, useful at any … [Read more...] about 5 Cool Underwater Jobs
Moving at Work? Tips to Shift Your Cubicle
When we think of moving, we often flash to an image of a large moving truck, stacks of cardboard boxes and a brand new house. But moving is a fact of life at work too. From reorganizations to relocations, everyday, hardworking men and women are asked to change their work location. And while might not be as stressful as a house move (there should be a lot less stuff!), it can still be a royal pain in the butt. Moving and storage doesn't have to be difficult! Here are a few tips to prep for a cubicle or office move.PREVIEW THE NEW SPACE. Before you commence packing, take a look at your future work area. This is not always possible, but a visual can help you determine what you need to bring with you. Obviously, the less stuff you schlep with you, the easier the move. There's no point in moving something from Desk A to Desk B if you're only going to end up tossing it or taking it home since there's no room for it.UTILIZE PLASTIC … [Read more...] about Moving at Work? Tips to Shift Your Cubicle
4 Career Lessons From the Chinese Takeout
A model of discreet efficiency, the well-known and often loved Chinese takeout place is too often taken for granted. In their quiet and humble way, these places provide many of us with the comfort food we crave and often badly need. The Chinese takeout has indeed spread its proverbial wings, and appear as often in Seattle and Savannah as in NYC and San Francisco. The appeal for affordable food, and the service that comes with it, is just about universal. It's become an icon of modern urban life, and deservedly so.More importantly, the Chinese takeout serves as a great business model, and not just for those of us who may one day hope to have our own business. The skills and talents that make even the most mediocre takeout successful can, and indeed should, be applied to where ever we work, or whatever we do. Knife skills are, after all, not required. Here are four characteristics of a Chinese takeout that can be applied to your job, irrespective of the size of your cubicle. … [Read more...] about 4 Career Lessons From the Chinese Takeout
Ways to Make Your Boss Love You
This post is all about ways to get your boss loving you...in a platonic sense. That is to say, if you want your boss to appreciate, respect, value, and simply like you more, this article is for you. If however you’re looking for ways to get your boss to fall in love with you romantically, you’re looking for a completely different post altogether. Ask Questions Often people are afraid to ask their boss questions, especially when they are new to a company or have a low standing in the company hierarchy. Not wanting to come across as ignorant, feeling they are wasting their boss’ time, and fear of humiliation amongst their peers are all common reasons that prevent constructive questioning. However, it is also common for bosses to misinterpret this absence of questioning as lack of interest, lack of confidence, or even arrogance. No good boss expects those below them to know everything and most will encourage, if not request, that employees ask as many questions as … [Read more...] about Ways to Make Your Boss Love You
What to Say When the Interviewer Asks How Much You Make
During the interview process, it’s inevitable that at some point you’ll be asked about your salary requirements. Along with that question, a hiring manager or human resources employee might casually ask, “How much do you make now?”Employers want to know what you earn now or what you’ve earned in the past for one reason: so they can hire you for the lowest possible salary. If you answer truthfully, you could be looking at a minimal increase from your last job. But if you lie, you could cost yourself the opportunity.Here are a few honest ways to tackle the question:1. Tell the truth.Be honest about what you make, but also say how much money you’d require to accept the new position. If your salary request is light years away from your current earnings, explain why you’re underpaid in your current job—maybe your company has financial problems, for example—and why you deserve more in your next position. Gaining experience or education … [Read more...] about What to Say When the Interviewer Asks How Much You Make
5 Jobs for Cry Babies
Not only do you hear them, you see them, and you can almost smell them. They infuse the office atmosphere with the decay of defeat, the stink of sadness and a drony whine, sounding like an army of mosquitoes dive bombing into your ear on a warm summer night. Nothing's ever right for these types, and everything's always wrong. They can play the martyr, as in 'I gave the best years of my life to this place, and all I got for it was a kick in the ass'. Or they can be bitter and sullen, perennially grousing about whatever, with no subject deemed too trivial to complain about. So whether its the color of the wall paint or the ply of the toilet paper, or the type of paper clips the company uses, it's all fair game to them. They are the office cry babies; professional complainers who serve no purpose other than to drain, to sap, the life force out of any and all co-workers that they can. They bleat like sick sheep, yet never seem to rise above their self-imposed torpor to do anything about … [Read more...] about 5 Jobs for Cry Babies
Could You Benefit from the "New" Workstyle?
Gist.com, a new social media network that integrates all your email and social media account, and helps you in your worklife by creating a business profile for everyone in your network, recently espoused the virtues of a "new workstyle." The tenets of this workstyle, essentially, is that we are always connected, always in touch and ... always working. Sounds exactly like life as a business owner (and I'm not complaining about that!) -- but I don't see how this would fly for most employees. Employees who practice this new workstyle, according to the post, are, “always on and always aware,” “location independent,” and “Demonstrate resiliency in their ability to navigate and thrive in an increasingly ambiguous workplace (and world).” In spite of all this, the new workstyle is supposed to provide a better work/life balance. The theory is that employees can better balance work priorities and commitments with personal pursuits during the work day and after … [Read more...] about Could You Benefit from the "New" Workstyle?