Temporary work is a popular work choice in today’s economic climate. It can be a good way to get your foot in the door to a permanent job or it might tide you over and pay your bills whilst you work out exactly what you want to do next. Temp work can be rewarding but it can also be a tricky beast! You’re expected to hit the ground running, impress your new boss with your hard work ethic, whilst being friendly, confident and fitting in to a new team. Phew! So how do you do it? 1. Make a Good First Impression For starters, make a good first impression. Turn up on time, look and behave professionally and impress your new boss. Remember, your new boss is likely to be nervous too, though for different reasons! Even if your assignment is only for a couple of weeks, they will want reassurance that they have not made a mistake in hiring you and and that you will add value to their business. Be professional and friendly. First impressions make a big difference! 2. Work Hard It might seem … [Read more...] about Top Tips for Temping!
Inner Peace in 10 Days Or Less: A Primer On Meditation
Let’s get one thing straight: I’m a bit high-strung. And by “bit” I mean a tighter than an 18th Century corset clamped down on an anorexic. So when I discovered a ten-day meditation course in northern India, I leapt at the chance. Let’s back up for a second. You need to understand how this all happened. It all began when my dear friend Joshie-Boy began practicing meditation in his mid-twenties. Now mind you, Joshie-Boy and I have known each other since high school; we partied together, traveled together and – like Bill Murray says in Caddyshack – “someone to, you know, just get weird with”. In other words: good friends. Now ole’ Joshie-Boy always had a mind. While most people’s brains swing one way (artistic or mechanical, analytic or creative) Joshie-Boy’s swung back and forth like a pendulum. A talented writer, he also built his own car, took up cooking and took up French for fun. But brains can swing out of control, and the stronger the pendulum, the stronger the whiplash. I … [Read more...] about Inner Peace in 10 Days Or Less: A Primer On Meditation
Expensive College Degrees; Low Starting Salary
Earning a four-year degree from an accredited college is no guarantee that you'll be able to land a high paying job after you graduate. In fact, some degrees have very little practical value once you go out into the real world. Living from paycheck to paycheck and maxing out credit cards can be a harsh reality. While some of these degrees never did pay well, while others are making it harder to find a high paying job because of social and technological changes.While some of these degrees never did pay well, while others are making it harder to find a high paying job because of social and technological changes. Unless you intend to stay in school, earn a higher degree and learn how to become a teacher, you should expect to find yourself in a lower tax bracket if you complete your degree in one of the following disciplines. English Lit This major is ideal for someone who plans to continue his or her education and eventually work as a college professor. Otherwise, there is … [Read more...] about Expensive College Degrees; Low Starting Salary
The 6 Rules of Managing Talented Terrors
Every company has them and every manager struggles with them. Talented Terrors, as we call them, are those employees who have 100% skills but 0% attitude. They have the talent you can only dream all of your employees could have, but they have the absolute worst attitude to deal with. They argue about everything, drag their feet when doing a project, and are just mad all the time. These employees not only affect their own work, but also have a negative impact on other employees and anyone who interacts with your company. So why do you keep them around? Well they have the ability to be a high performer, but are they really achieving their fullest potential when possessing such an unmanageable attitude? We believe no employee can be 100% without both the talent and the attitude. We conducted a three-year hiring study that tracked 5,000 leaders who collectively hired over 20,000 employees. These organizations, like most, focused on skill during the hiring process and were hiring based on … [Read more...] about The 6 Rules of Managing Talented Terrors
What Does Your CV Say About You?
You might be surprised what a piece of paper can say about you, given a palpable lack of vocal cords, or indeed a central nervous system. However, the fact is that those couple of sheets of paper can speak volumes about you in the mind of a busy interviewer or employer, and unfortunately, this assessment can often be less than kind. No wonder an increasing number of people are turning to professional proofreading services supplied by companies like proofreading.co.uk to avoid avoidable errors. You might be the best-qualified person in the world for the job that’s up for grabs, but if you lose sight of the appropriate spelling of the site, your CV may be landfill before the ink has properly dried. … [Read more...] about What Does Your CV Say About You?
Forward of the Week: Cussing at Work
Dear Employees, It has been brought to management's attention that some individuals throughout the company have been using foul language during the course of normal conversation with their co-workers. Due to complaints received from some employees who may be easily offended, this type of language will no longer be tolerated. We do, however, realize the critical importance of being able to accurately express your feelings when communicating with co-workers. Therefore, a list of 18 New and Innovative 'TRY SAYING' phrases have been provided so that proper exchange of ideas and information can continue in an effective manner. Number 1 TRY SAYING: I think you could use more training. INSTEAD OF: You don't know what the f___ you're doing. Number 2 TRY SAYING: She's an aggressive go-getter. INSTEAD OF: She's a f___ing bit__. Number 3 TRY SAYING: Perhaps I can work late. INSTEAD OF: And when the f___ do you expect me to … [Read more...] about Forward of the Week: Cussing at Work
Scan Your Way to a New Job with QR Codes
Quick Response codes, better known as QR codes, are two-dimensional barcodes that can serve an important role in your job search. While not a replacement for an online resume or a professional business card, QR codes can be an excellent complement to your overall get-a-job marketing campaign.Don’t let the QR code’s high-tech look scare you; the technology has transitioned into the mainstream and is on track for exponential growth. If you write off the QR code as a mobile marketing darling that will fade out fast, you will be left behind. QR was originally used by factories in Asia to decode warehouse items and have been around since the mid-90s. By all accounts, they’re here to stay.Read up on the basics so you can start using QR technology in your job search today.Creating a QR CodeA variety of tools allow you to create your own QR codes. I’m partial to Google’s URL shortener (Goo.gl). It’s a simple interface where you put in your long link and get … [Read more...] about Scan Your Way to a New Job with QR Codes
Turn the Job You Hate into One You Love!
For many people, work is somewhere that they spend a fair proportion of their life. So what do you do if you hate your job? Leaving your job may be an option. However, there are usually some things that you can try before you get to that stage. You may even be able to transform your job into one that you love! Here are some suggestions: Identify the Problem Identify what it is that you are unhappy about in your job. You could do this by spending some time writing about your job to get clearer about the issue(s). You could talk it out with a friend or coach. There may be multiple things you don’t like about your job, but getting clear about what these are will empower you. When you are unhappy in your job, it is easy to feel that everything is wrong. However, by identifying exactly what you are unhappy about you will be much more able to tackle it. Focus What you focus on increases. I know that when you are unhappy in a job it can seem that it is almost impossible to find the good … [Read more...] about Turn the Job You Hate into One You Love!
Establishing Work-From-Home Rules for The Family
Some things go together easily. Peanut butter and jelly? Sure. Rings and diamonds? Definitely. High heels and a killer dress? Anytime. But sometimes things that you hope would work together well don’t always gel as smoothly as you would like. One of those tricky pairings—home and work. Working from home seems like the best of both worlds, where you can make money and achieve professional success without leaving the house or even getting out of your pajamas. Whether you are hoping to avoid the stress of a long commute or are trying to balance being a new mom with continuing in your chosen profession, working from home can be a great way to keep all the parts of your life in balance. But if you have a family, you have probably already discovered that working from home poses special challenges. Your family, whether you have a husband, a wife, a baby, or a whole brood of kids, will have to get used to the idea that even though you are not leaving the house every morning to head to the … [Read more...] about Establishing Work-From-Home Rules for The Family
5 Ways to Earn Some Extra Cash This Summer
The days are longer, the pools are warming up, and you’re planning a nice little getaway, which can mean only one thing: Summer's here! With all of the summer excitement there’s a lot of temptation to hit the stores and do some shopping. If you’re a little low on cash however, you may be stuck with fewer shopping trips than you’d like. You’re probably wishing you had some ideas on how to make a little extra cash for the summer. So to get you started here are a few things that you can consider doing to generate some spending cash: Have a Garage Sale- There has to be some old stuff lying around your place that you wouldn’t mind getting rid of. You can put up some signs in the neighborhood, and even a small add in the newspaper. You would be surprised at how many people treat garage sale shopping like a sport. They may fall in love with something you’ve got for sale. Freelance Work- Whether you’re a writer, photographer, or music teacher, the internet is a great place to find all … [Read more...] about 5 Ways to Earn Some Extra Cash This Summer