Gone are the days when we would leave school and enter into a job for life. It is becoming increasingly common for people to change their careers – some do so as often as they change their shoes. Whether you’re on the hunt for more responsibility with a promotion, more money, or a complete change of direction; there are a whole host of reasons why you should change your career. But that’s all well and good in your twenties and thirties. What happens when we enter into our forties, or even our fifties? Is a midlife career change possible, or are we heading into midlife crisis territory? Is Changing Careers a Smart Move? The reality is it is never too late to change your career path. Whether you’re a victim of the economic downturn and have been made redundant, or you’ve fallen out of love with your job; now is the time for action. After all, if you no longer love your job; are you really giving 110%? A midlife career change is a great way to reignite your passion for work, or … [Read more...] about Is a Midlife Career Change Right For You?
Archives for November 2012
How to Make Friends at Work
From learning the company’s standards to adapting your daily commute, starting a new job can be difficult for a variety of reasons. However, one of the more difficult aspects of changing jobs is making new friends at work. Whether you’re trying to earn acceptance into a solidly-formed clique at work or are worried about being disliked, the following are five tried and true ways to make friends at work. Get out There Cowering in your cubicle at work all day will achieve the exact opposite of what you desire if you want to make friends at work. To begin building relationships with your coworkers, you must get out from behind your work desk and socialize with others. From the break room to the boardroom, there are plenty of opportunities to interact with coworkers and to begin building friendships with them. Be Genuine A natural instinct most people feel while getting to know others is to be overly nice or super enthusiastic. While you should come across to your coworkers as … [Read more...] about How to Make Friends at Work
Motivating People to Volunteer
To many people--especially recent high school and college graduates--volunteering and community service can appear to be a step away from their long-term professional goals. Without any pay and performing tasks unrelated to the career aspirations of many soon-to-be professionals, volunteering often gets pushed to the side as one of those things that young people should embrace, but don't. However, this mindset overlooks the ways volunteering can actually contribute to your professional goals. In addition to improving your self-image and offering a sense of fulfillment from the things you devote yourself to, there are many benefits of volunteering that can pay dividends now and well into your future. Here's a look at some of the ways high school community service and other forms of volunteering can contribute to your loftiest goals. Bolstering your resume and applications One of the biggest challenges facing high school and college students is a lack of real-world experience. Yes, … [Read more...] about Motivating People to Volunteer
3 Tips for Getting a Promotion
Entering into the workforce can be an extremely stressful time for many individuals who are new to the world of business. Entry-level employees often work for low wages simply because they want to do whatever they can in order to rise to the top. While it can be a long and difficult road to travel, getting a promotion doesn't have to be impossible. Depending upon the logistics of the company that you work for, you might find yourself getting a promotion within your first year of employment if you take the right steps. The following are just 3 tips for getting a promotion in the modern business world, all of which are worth internalizing for entry-level employees. Keep Track of Your Successes If you're starting a new job, you've got to do everything possible to learn the ropes in the shortest possible period of time. Understanding what works for you and what does not is an essential part of adapting, and should not be underestimated. You can get a lot of mileage out of keeping track … [Read more...] about 3 Tips for Getting a Promotion
Positive Affirmations for the Workplace
We are all continually affirming when we think, whether we realize it or not. When we say that we hate our job or that we always hate our boss (for example), we are affirming these thoughts into our subconscious mind and unwittingly attracting more of the same into our experience. This explains why the person who changes their job because they hate their boss, often winds up with a similar boss and experience in their next job. The circumstances have changed, but their mindset hasn’t. Likewise, when we think positively, we are attracting more positive experiences into our reality. We can affirm in the positive or negative; either way what we affirm helps to contribute to our experiences. Therefore it makes sense, to practice thinking positively. Positive Affirmations for Work Choosing Positive Affirmations Choosing positive thoughts isn’t always easy. If we are stuck in a job we don’t like or just know that we have the worst boss in the world, it is easy to think thoughts that … [Read more...] about Positive Affirmations for the Workplace
Why you NEED to Be on LinkedIn
Ah, the world of social media. We update our status on Facebook, we laugh at trending topics on Twitter, we upload pictures we like to Pinterest... There's no doubt about it, social media is here to stay. Yet there's one social media site which you need to be on - and that's LinkedIn. Perhaps you've steered clear of LinkedIn and don't get what the fuss is about, or you may already have a profile and are not using it effectively? Whatever camp you belong to, LinkedIn is an incredibly powerful tool you can use for your personal benefit. Facebook and Twitter won't make your career - LinkedIn can. In this article from 360 feedback provider ETS, you'll see why you need to be a part of the LinkedIn love-in. #1 - LinkedIn - some facts Before we can start to get into the nitty gritty of LinkedIn, it's worth beginning with some facts about the social network. With over 175 million members, the US leads the way with nearly 7 million profiles. Other top countries include the United Kingdom, … [Read more...] about Why you NEED to Be on LinkedIn
How Social Wellness Is Affected By the Job Market
With the growing number of employees working past the typical 40-hour workweek, it's important for employers to provide the right type of wellness programs. Unhealthy employees don't provide the same quality of work as those in good physical and mental health. Many professions require long hours to advance, which can lead to eating junk food on the go, giving up exercise and not getting enough sleep. The consequences of long work hours affect more than just the employee. Social wellness is necessary for the happiness of most individuals and many count on their work environment to fulfill a portion of this need. However, with the long work hours taking over the lives of employees, many other basic human needs are simply set aside, and the results can be harmful. As an employer, you can influence your employees with the right wellness programs. This can help create happier and more productive employees, which will only benefit your company. A Few Basics Any Employee can Provide 1. … [Read more...] about How Social Wellness Is Affected By the Job Market
9 Great Ways For Job Seekers to Stand Out During the Application Process
Employers are receiving mountains of resumes for every job opening. So, even if you’re qualified for the job, you might never receive a call back from the employer. When traditional methods fail, job seekers must look at alternative methods of standing out in order to land an interview. What is one great way for job seekers to stand out during the application process? Use the Power of Video Resumes to Get Noticed With high unemployment there are more job seekers on the prowl for great opportunities. How can you stand out from the pack? Sending an employer a video resume is a great way to set yourself apart. On video you can forge a more personal connection with hiring managers faster than in the traditional process, while also showing off your communication skills. Besides, since recruiters only give the traditional resume a six second look-over and the normal video resume is about 60 seconds, you’re getting ten times more attention. -- Josh Tolan, Spark Hire Stop Reciting What You … [Read more...] about 9 Great Ways For Job Seekers to Stand Out During the Application Process
Incentives That Employees Actually WANT
What incentives do employees actually want? Offering practical incentives to employees is obviously good practice and will help to attract and retain staff however it has been increasingly found that appreciation, recognition and the sometimes more invisible incentives, are equally, if not more important to employees. As an employer, by all means offer good practical incentives but also be aware of advertising those other incentives too. Recognition Employees want to be recognised for who they are and the job they do. No amount of money or incentives will compensate for feeling like a small cog in a big wheel! Being Kept in the Loop A common complaint and frustration for employees is feeling out of the loop and being the last to know about issues that affect them and their job. Employees want to know that they will be kept informed and feel valued and appreciate being kept in the loop. It is not enough to think that they will find out through the grapevine or … [Read more...] about Incentives That Employees Actually WANT