Career Advice

Knowing whether you are an introvert or extrovert can really make a difference to your experience of work and knowing what type of work suits you. The words introvert and extrovert are used a lot these days and you may think you know which one you are, however you may be in for a surprise. You can take this test to find out (or reaffirm what you already know). Knowing more about your introversion/extroversion persuasion can help you be more self-aware because you know what you need and why and are then better able to ask for what you need. Before I read more about introversion and extroversion I would probably have thought I was an extrovert (because I'm not "shy" and am usually confident in social situations, for example) however it turns out there is a lot more to it and I quite clearly came out as an introvert, which gave me lots of food for thought. Here are a few ideas to help you at work if you have discovered you are an introvert: 1. Environment Working in open plan offices … [Read more...] about Being an Introvert at Work

Establishing an online presence is absolutely essential in this digital day and age, more so if your profession lies within a creative industry. However, it can be all too easy to forget about your own projects while getting stuck into client work, and the task of creating a personal website can often be nudged to the bottom of your ‘to-do list’. Thankfully there are several web based tools that can help you set up a site in as little as 5 minutes, meaning you can concentrate on the more pressing issues in your schedule. Despite their minimal setup time, they are aesthetically pleasing with an air of professionalism, and are the perfect solution for less technically minded freelancers or those wanting a temporary web page. We’ve taken an in-depth look at the 3 main contenders in the personal site and online resume field, Zerply, Flavors.me and About.me, so you can make an informed decision on which one is right for you. ZERPLY The obscurely named Zerply is a one page site that … [Read more...] about How to Launch a Personal Website in 5 Minutes

Having a quality CV can seriously affect your chances of getting the job you applying for. To prevent yourself from getting the job you want, here are the 8 best ways to ensure your CV ends up in the trash. Bad spelling and grammar. Your CV needs to be incorrectly punctuated and full of spelling mistakes and grammatical errors. The use of slang words and text speak will further enhance the poor quality of your writing skills. To ensure maximum errors don't use the spell checker, (though this can make mistakes), and don't, I repeat, don't get it proof read by anyone else. Don't even take the risk of re-reading it yourself! Fill it with lots of c**p! Long winded sentences about irrelevant information, vague descriptions of your credentials, and absolutely nothing that can be of any relevance to the advertised position should be the essence of your CV. Use one CV for all job applications. If you are applying for more than one job, do not specifically tailor your CV to each job. Just use a … [Read more...] about How to Write a Crap CV!

For many of us, our LinkedIn accounts have become incredibly neglected over the years. Sure, we have one. Sure, we use it on occasion but we're certainly not falling all over it like we do Facebook and Twitter. Not only is this a mistake personally, but it doesn't do anything for your business or brand. LinkedIn has been proven again and again to deliver more and better qualified leads than any other social network. On top of that, the networking implications are huge. It's your direct rolodex to millions of others in the business community. It's time to give your profile an overhaul so that you can benefit from all that LinkedIn has to offer. 1.) Privacy Settings You'd think this would go without saying, but what's the point of having a LinkedIn profile if all of your information and updates are private? LinkedIn - at its core - is a site designed to share your qualifications and thoughts with others in the business world. Keep the information flowing. 2.) Complete Your … [Read more...] about 20 LinkedIn Tips

What should you be looking for when it comes to true employee incentives?  Quite often, employers will put forth incentives that might look good at first glance, but upon further review, just don’t warrant much enthusiasm.  Great employee incentives should follow a simple rule: in some form or another, they should make your life happier, healthier or more secure.  There are many steps that employers can take to make the lives of their employees better.  When it comes to employee incentives, the first idea that might come to your mind may not be safety.  But what greater incentive could you possibly want from an employer than workplace safety?  Having a safe and secure workplace should be at the top of the list when it comes to looking for true and meaningful incentives. Incentives, as the name indicates, should be something that motivates you as an employee to get excited about the prospect of working hard and staying on the job.  In short, … [Read more...] about True Employee Incentives

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

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

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