A few years ago, people devised strategies, and even wrote articles, for how they would use texting so they could “text in sick,” instead of calling in. It was all the rage to drop hints the day before that you might not be feeling well, only to then follow up these claims with text messages that you didn’t feel up to working. In fact, this strategy was even promoted as a way to take a long weekend. My how things change and how quickly they can change! The world of calling in sick increasingly has nothing to do with the text message. Let’s face it; the text message isn’t the most personable thing ever created. In reality, no matter how much we may like text messaging, it makes the communication in question seem less important and more trivial than most other forms of communication. Recently, the dangers of texting has received more attention in regards to careers and career ambitions. Texting is a tool that has to be used very carefully unless an employee wishes to risk a host … [Read more...] about Texting in Sick
Career Advice Blog
How to Get Your Coworkers to Like You
Getting your coworkers to like you depends on many variables. Some of these variables you can control, such as your own behavior, and others, such as the mindset of your coworkers, can't be controlled. Some variables simply depend upon you react. In this article, we will explore a few of the different ways that you can bring even the “toughest cookie” around to your side. Keep this key fact in mind; you may be able to get most of your coworkers to like, you but people are complex, flawed and, yes, sometimes completely horrible. There may be occasions where the best you can hope for is to get a coworker or coworkers to leave you alone. That aside, in most situations, you will be able to successfully get your coworkers to like you. Step One-Be Persistent and Consistent People like predictability. Even people who fancy themselves as thrill-seeking maniacs like having predictable, consistent and reliable coworkers. If you are … [Read more...] about How to Get Your Coworkers to Like You
How to Make Employee Relocation a Smooth Process
Relocating an office is no easy feat especially when you have a lot of employees that’ll be a part of the relocation. However, proper planning can ensure that the process of relocation goes smoothly, even if there are more than 100 staff members who need to relocate. Here are some of the tips that will help you out: 1. Inform the staff in advance You need to tell employees in advance when and where they’ll be moving as well as the change in work routine that’s expected from the relocation. It’s important to be honest with them about the relocation so they can mentally prepare for the move or find employment in another company (Of course you can offer them a raise or fringe benefits to keep them). Try to offer your assistance. Some of the things you can grant employees if their family life and budget will be affected are travel allowance, more holidays and parking space in the new location. 2. Plan moving the necessary equipment Your employees may … [Read more...] about How to Make Employee Relocation a Smooth Process
Hobbies That Usually Impress Employers
Ultimately you will not be able to crawl into the minds of your employers or prospective employers, but there are some commonalities between employers that are generally pretty universal. Even if an employer won’t admit it, every aspect of who you are factors into his or her overall impression of you. How you act, dress, look, react and a long list of other variables are all data points that get factored into an employer’s opinion. A large percentage of the time, employers are unaware of just how much they are judging you, as these inclinations are on a subconscious level. However, you can be sure that these judgements can and will play a role in how you are perceived. Something as simple as revealing your hobbies may be a way for you to impress your employer. Hobbies that show you have interesting habits outside of the workplace. After all, most employers want employees that are quick on their feet and well organized. … [Read more...] about Hobbies That Usually Impress Employers
Career Intangibles That You Should Consider When Looking for a Job
A career is more than a paycheck. This simple but undeniable fact should be taken into account when one is contemplating a career switch or taking a new position. There are many factors that go into having a happy career. In this article, we will explore some of the intangibles that go along with looking for a job. Intangible Number One-The Resume Booster Is it a savvy move to take a job because it can boost your resume? Most of the time and in most situations, the answer is definitely a big “yes!” In general, any time that you can boost your resume, your long-term prospects and earnings will improve. Intangible Number Two-Commute Time Quite often people fail to think about commute time when they are weighing their career and job options. Yet, a long commute is practically like having a part-time job. Here is an important factor to keep in mind; many people have, in fact, been fired as a result of the fatigue that comes along with a … [Read more...] about Career Intangibles That You Should Consider When Looking for a Job
How to Detach from Work
Even if you enjoy your job, its important to have a healthy work/life balance. The inability to detach from work can have a profound effect on your home life. Bringing the stresses of work home with you, or not being able to separate work and home life can result in you not finding any time and space to rest, relax and recover properly from work, or to enjoy your life away from your job. Working from home? Working from home can seem like the perfect job; no commuting, not having to tolerate annoying colleagues or bosses, avoiding the office politics, having your whole kitchen and contents available to you for your lunch but working from home can also make it difficult to separate work from home life, making detaching from work related tasks more difficult. Anyone who successfully works from home will tell you that the best way to be able to detach from work is to create a physical and psychological divide between work and home life. Creating an office, or space in your house, an area … [Read more...] about How to Detach from Work
Top Survival Apps for Smartphones
Long before smartphones and automobiles and 1080p flatscreen televisions, there was simply man living in the wild against the elements. As a species, humans have evolved and adapted over the years to the point we now enjoy relative ease and comfort in this world. But occasionally people still find themselves in situations that call on them to summon that primal instinct for survival. Whether it’s in the military or facing a natural disaster or finding oneself lost in the wild, survival skills still matter very much. And as long as man inhabits this world, they always will -- no matter how far technologically advanced humans become. But the interesting thing is that modern technology, and in particular mobile apps, can actually help in survival situations. Indeed, a survivor of the Haitian earthquake in 2011 credits, of all things, a mobile application with helping him to stay alive while trapped in rubble. So with that in mind, here are some other mobile apps that often help everyday … [Read more...] about Top Survival Apps for Smartphones
Utilizing Your Office Space and Public Space For Marketing Endeavors
As a do-it-yourself marketer, your life is often spent on the go, networking and building new relationships. You rush from appointment to appointment in your car, leveraging your wares to businesses and communities, sometimes without a chance to sit and breathe for extended periods of time. An increasing number of small businesses and individuals are turning to a new form of office environment to sell their services. In short, why not make the office your own marketing tool? Google Space It works for Google. If you saw the recent release "The Internship", with Vince Vaughn and Owen Wilson, Google is essentially one gigantic office where you don't even have to leave. Snacks and beverages are provided. Areas to recharge your batteries can be found, like little nooks where you can lie down and relax. Maybe you can even take a small nap. Why not? It might be a little bit of company time, but Google wants you to be refreshed so you can continue working in an office setting. All the … [Read more...] about Utilizing Your Office Space and Public Space For Marketing Endeavors
Do You Have Too Much Free Time?
Having loads of free time is great! Right? It sounds wonderful to most people, and if you say to anyone; 'I've got lots of free time, the chances are they will say 'oh, you are so lucky!'. Having too much free time is essential for a healthy work-life balance but, and here comes the rub, sometimes free time can become a burden rather than a pleasure. Try telling anyone this and the chances are they'll say you don't know how lucky you are and compare their situation to yours, demonstrating why, in their belief, you are in a much luckier position than they are. In other words, they are saying, stop complaining and cease looking the gift horse in the mouth. The other difficulty that you may encounter, is when others take it on themselves to worry about your 'situation'. This can exacerbate your own negative thoughts; having unwarranted and unwelcome concern from others can feed into our own. This can be particularly true if your free time originates from loss of, or being between work. … [Read more...] about Do You Have Too Much Free Time?
Risky Business: 9 Most Hazardous Jobs
Most of us emit a discontented grunt when the alarm goes off at 6.30am every morning - a shrieking harbinger of doom for the working day ahead. Spare a thought for these chaps, though – their lives are very often on the line. Miners and Rig Workers Roof cave-ins, fires, floods, explosions. All in a day’s work for your average miner. And if that wasn’t enough, they also run the risk of contracting lung disease and other respiratory illnesses because of their prolonged exposure to dust. Similarly, rig workers are vulnerable to a myriad of dangers. Those poor fellows going about their daily duties on the rig floor have the highest accident rate of all – volatile substances, heavy machinery and extreme weather conditions. Construction ‘Health And Safety’ – often the three-worded scourge of the modern working world – has actually been a force for good in the construction industry, with fatalities reduced by two-thirds in the past 20 years. That said, the risk of injury and fatality is … [Read more...] about Risky Business: 9 Most Hazardous Jobs