Career Advice

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

There are times when there is not enough work to fill the 9-5 work day. This can be a welcome break if the usual is to bogged down under more than you can handle, but if it regularly occurs, it can get very boring. If you find yourself in this situation and are regularly bored at work, do this: Ask for more work There may be other assignments or tasks that you can take on board and this can be a good way to win favour with those you'd like to impress. Training Not only fills the time but expands your knowledge, skills and abilities and may lead to involvement in more aspects of the companies practice and possible promotions. Volunteer to help Helping your colleagues can be a valuable networking tool. A helping hand offered when dearly needed is often appreciated and seldom forgotten.  Desk exercises Keep yourself healthy by checking out online exercises that you can do while at your desk. Doing this with even some simple stretches can do wonders to clear your mind, and relax and … [Read more...] about Bored at Work? Do This!

If you work as a freelancer,  via an agency, as a temp worker, or are self-employed there will probably be times when the work isn't coming in and you have periods with no income. These times can be worrying, especially if relatively new to this style of working or if finances are tight.   Manage Your Money  It's essential to have a safety-net of cash that is easy access but not so easy as to be spent at a whim. Ideally, an amount of money equal to 3-6 months of usual out-goings should be enough to cover most situations, should they arise. Keep monthly outgoings to a minimum, to keep payments manageable during periods of no work. When you have worked and saved enough to provide a safety net, with extra savings you know you can safely spend purchase those extras you want with one off payments. This may feel difficult at first, to wait till you've saved before purchasing, but in time this pattern will be second nature, and has the added bonus of avoiding … [Read more...] about How to Deal with Downtime as a Freelancer

Wouldn’t it be terrible to go to work and never hear a thank you? Unfortunately, there are many of you reading this article that lives that reality every day in your workplace. If you aren’t experiencing it now then you have most likely experienced this at one time or the other in your career. Recognizing employees seems to be at an all-time low these days. This is a mistake if you want high-performing employees or plan on keeping any of your staff for the long term. According to Globalforce, a global provider for employee recognition, “fifty-five percent of survey respondents said they would leave their jobs for a company that clearly recognized employees for their efforts." As an employer you may not be as concerned in today’s economy of losing your staff, however there is a bigger question; at what level are your employees performing if they are not feeling recognized or valuable? If employees are not happy then most likely it will affect their moods, customer service, … [Read more...] about Employee Recognition–It Matters

  It can be hard work to be a successfully horrible boss. No matter how hard you try, sometimes your staff may still have the audacity to enjoy their work and not be reduced to tears or hard drinking on a regular basis! Here are some surefire tips that will keep your staff in no doubt that they are here to work hard and make you and your company money, not to fulfill their desire to have a rewarding and enjoyable career and a healthy work/life balance: Create draconian working conditions, that, while within the law, would make any Victorian workhouse governor proud. Change their contracts. Change staff contracts on a regular basis to create insecurity and, if the staff kick up a fuss, tell them that their position is no longer economically viable, so the other option is to terminate their employment, and then offer them the new contract. Enforce rigid working patterns. Don't allow any changes they request, say no to flexible hours, leaving early, or taking holidays … [Read more...] about How to Lose Staff & Alienate Them!

What is CBT?Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT) looks at how we think about a situation and how this affects the way we act. CBT is about working to change our behaviours, or thinking patterns, or both of these for more effective ways to approach situations and behaviors.   CBT in the Workplace The principles of CBT can be effectively used for many problems that can arise in the workplace. Used effectively it can help improve each working day, helping you become more efficient, less weighed down with worries and the concerns that often consume us at work and can less to a more fulfilling and enjoyable job experience. Thought Records  One of the strategies of CBT involves using “thought records”. These help address particular situations and identify negative or unrealistic thoughts a person may have about these and finding more positive, objective and realistic thoughts. These new thoughts will have an effect on behaviour with a more positive … [Read more...] about Resolving Worries at Work with Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT)

What do you do when your boss asks you to do something you're not very familiar with, like generating more leads? Things like this happen and if you want to impress your boss (and get promoted easier) you have to quickly figure out ways to improve your company's website's performance. It starts with increasing website traffic. But even if you've done it doesn't guarantee more customers. Leads are better indicators of customer acquisition. The problem is traditional lead generation techniques may not bring in quick and significant results. You have to come up with better ways to drive more people to the website. Here are clever ways to improve site traffic and increase leads: Get in front of a webcam and record a video Videos can say a lot more than any other type of content in a more entertaining way. It’s more advantageous because people react better to them, which is why YouTube videos are extremely popular. Heck, even videos of talking oranges get lots of views. If you create … [Read more...] about Impress Your Boss With these Lead Generation Tips

A good job is made up of a combination of different elements that compliment each other and when combined, create an enjoyable and rewarding experience. Looking for a job that includes these elements can be a good approach to finding work that you will appreciate and find fulfilling. … [Read more...] about The 7 Elements of a Good Job