Career Advice

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

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

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

We spend a lot of time at work, and our co-workers, for better or for worse, are people whom we spend a lot of time with. That being the case, you should try to do your best to not annoy them or put them in an awkward situation; you may need their help one day. As you navigate through the world of office etiquette, here are some general topics and questions to avoid. Why Are You So Dressed Up Today? This may sound like a perfectly harmless question, but it actually sounds like you’re prying. The first thought that comes to mind is that they have a job interview.  If that is the case, it’s really none of your business.  They may have a date or maybe they were just in the mood to wear their power suit on that day. Also, be cautious of giving compliments on someone’s clothing.  A compliment, while innocent and genuine in nature, may not be received as such. It may be interpreted as a form of sexual harassment. Bottom line: How someone dresses, on any given day, is none of your … [Read more...] about Questions to Never Ask Your Coworker

There’s no doubt about the fact that an MBA can help in boosting your career growth to a great extent and also enhance your earning potential. There’s not one, but many reasons as to why you should get an MBA. However, living up to the requirement of this degree isn’t easy - especially if you’re already balancing family along with a full time job. In the following article we discuss a few tips to help you make it through a part time MBA program successfully. #1: Choose the Right School Before you go ahead and enroll in any part time MBA program, you need to ensure that the school you choose and its curriculum goes hand in hand with your career goals. It should be fit for your personal as well as professional life. You also need to see that all your priorities are met before selecting the university. If you're looking for a Master of Arts in Biblical Studies, Cornerstone, a Christian university in Michigan is likely the type of school you're searching for. … [Read more...] about How to Successfully Complete a Part-Time MBA Program

A great resume is, of course, essential in any successful job search, but there are some excellent ways that you can help your resume stand out.  What to add on a resume to get yourself noticed?  Want to jump ahead of the pack?  One savvy way to set yourself apart is through obtaining the right certification.  This is an edge that most jobseekers overlook.  In this article, we will examine 5 certification courses that will elevate your resume even in a crowded field. 1. ACLS and/or CPR Certification Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS) certification is a group of medical techniques that are used to treat life threatening cardiac emergencies including stroke and cardiac arrest.  ACLS Certification can help give your resume a little extra pop no matter what kind of job you want to land.  After all, what employer doesn't want someone on the team with the ability to potentially save a life? Just as ACLS certification can help you show that you can handle … [Read more...] about What to Add on a Resume? Take These 5 Certification Courses to Bolster Any Resume

Branding has become one of the most important aspects of growing a small business today. Have you ever heard people say, “Please pass me a Kleenex” instead of a “tissue”? How often are photo copiers referred to as “Xeroxes”? Creating a strong, consistent brand image is crucial for companies like Kleenex and Xerox, who have made their worldwide products synonymous with the industries they serve. For small businesses, entrepreneurs can also take advantage of branding their companies to create loyal customers and long-term profits. Create a Consistent Brand Image Small business owners need to define their specific target market and what their product needs are. For example, my company, Transon Media, markets to small business entrepreneurs who are looking for a strong digital presence. Therefore, we want to focus on creating a brand image that communicates to such individuals that we are more than capable of addressing their specific digital marketing wants and concerns. Understanding … [Read more...] about 5 Ways to Build Your Small Business Brand

How many times have you been asked 'what's your five year plan'? Do you reply with enthusiasm, happy to explain in detail your life mapped out in intricate detail, or do you inwardly groan, and wonder why so many people are so concerned about planning way into the future instead of relishing the here and now, adapting to what the future brings? Planning can be an effective way to achieve goals and help motivate towards desired outcomes however the problem is, life isn't predictable, and the best plans in the world can't be guaranteed to succeed in getting what you want. Where are you left then? Despondent, feeling lost, and without the career you were expecting as a result from your five year plan. Things don't always pan out as you'd want or expect. Some jobs are guaranteed, right? Not the case. Nursing is one profession that is often seen to be a sure thing. 'We'll always need nurses'. That's probably what the student nurses in parts of the UK thought while doing their … [Read more...] about Why it Doesn't Always Pay to Have a Five Year Plan

Although you may want to offer your services as often as you can in order to make management happy, there are certain things outside of the office you shouldn't engage in. You can be friendly to your coworkers, but there are several aspects of interpersonal relationships you should stay away from. Fixing your supervisor's car may seem like a good career choice as he or she may hold you in higher esteem afterward, but it could wind up blowing up in your face causing a great deal of drama. 1. Skills - While you may want to help to the best of your abilities, you may not have the skills to accomplish your goal. If you were a good mechanic that would have been your career choice and at this point fixing the car isn't such a big deal. However, you could be lacking important knowledge needed to fix the car if you don't have a background in auto-repair. Then you run the risk of causing more damage than there was initially. Your lack of skills could make for a very terrible situation and you … [Read more...] about Never Offer to Fix Your Supervisor's Car