Career Advice

Most employees are aware that Facebook can be dangerous in the workplace, but to fair, most employees are so addicted to Facebook that they don’t always care. Not checking your Facebook during work hours is of course the safest and most logical solution to the “I might get fired” problem, but there are other smart ways to still be involved in Facebook despite that frown you’re getting from your boss. What is probably the most common of issues teetering on the Facebook and work line actually don’t happen while in the office, but rather out of the office. Below are a few different instances where Facebook could get you fired, and the solution to all of these problems is a quite obvious “don’t do it.” Thinking about a few of these scenarios is usually all someone needs to come up with the “okay, I shouldn’t do this” solution. Scenarios Where Facebook and Work Just Don’t Mix 1.    Set your profile to private. First off, it’s important to realize that this isn’t going to stop you from … [Read more...] about Top 7 Ways Facebook Can Get You Fired (And How to Avoid It)

It used to be common knowledge that efficient employees were generally happy, and most people thought they were happy because they were good workers doing a good job. Yet research in the past few decades has discovered that the causal relationship is actually the other way around: happy employees are what cause employee efficiency. Studies show that happy employees stay twice as long in their jobs, spend twice as much time focusing on their core work, take a full order of magnitude less sick leave, and consistently feel like they are realizing their true potential fully twice as often. Ensuring your employees' happiness turns out to be one of the most important steps in keeping the efficiency of your workforce consistently high. The first step in creating a happy workplace is to ensure your employees feel valued. Employee contributions should always be recognized to show appreciation. Some employee recognition ideas include using publicly posted praise, starting meetings with open … [Read more...] about The Effects of Being "Happy" at Work

While it may be tempting to send out bulk resume emails to prospective employers, this rarely helps your job search. While résumés are still very effective, it may be hard for writers, designers, web developers and IT specialists to showcase the full body of their work on a single-page, double-spaced CV. It’s also important to realize that in today’s market, you need as many self-promotional avenues as possible. A personal portfolio site will serve as another way to get your name out there. For professions like web design and copywriting, you’re doing yourself a major disservice by not having a portfolio site in place that details your career highlights and accomplishments and great detail. Nuts & Bolts: Building Your New Site While it may be tempting to go out and register a Blogger account and call it a day, this may not cut it. A dedicated dot-com address adds an air of professionalism. It communicates that you are invested enough … [Read more...] about The Power of an Online Portfolio

Hand Warmers Reusable gel hand warmers are a useful, easy to use and cheap gift. Flameless hand warmers are more expensive but last a life time and can be also be engraved. Electric hand warmers (either battery or rechargeable) will appeal to guys who like gadgets; some models can be charged via a USB port which are ideal for recharging at work. Gift Cards Gift cards for your co-workers favourite food place / shop / coffee shop can be a thoughtful gift. There are lots of gift cards on the market; how about a back massage voucher to help your co-worker distress from work?! A Cafetiere & Coffee  Know a co-worker who loves real coffee? Buy them a cafetiere and a bag of freshly ground coffee so they can make themselves fresh coffee at work. Here's a great list of coffee gifts for coworkers. Homemade Cakes An inexpensive way to show that thought and effort has been spent making the gift. Cupcakes are a popular option! Mugs A novelty mug detecting an 'in' joke or a mug with a … [Read more...] about Gifts for Coworkers: Cheap Yet Thoughtful

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 … [Read more...] about How Social Wellness is Affected By the Job Market

If blogging is your business like it is mine, you understand the importance of being up and running at all times. That means when a superstorm like Hurricane Sandy rolls in or life deals you an unexpected blow, your blog doesn’t miss a beat. As a successful freelance blogger, I can’t afford to let outside factors take money out of my pocket. After 10 days without power, I learned some valuable blogging lessons.  There were several things I did well and other things that I would be sure to implement in the future. 1) Having my NetZero 4G wireless hotspot fully charged and ready to go was a lifesaver. When the phones and the internet went down, this little device kept me connected to the world, allowing me to keep all of my blogs in business, my ecommerce stores open, and able to connect with clients, friends and family. My old thinking that free WiFi is widely available in the New York area went away with the realization that a loss of power can be so widespread.  … [Read more...] about Blogging Lessons From Hurricane Sandy

Freelancing can be a wonderful way to work and can allow you more freedom in life in many ways. However, being a freelancer has its downsides and can mean it is harder to switch off; after all your success is down to you alone and it can be tempting to keep working! Here are some tips I’ve learnt: Set office hours Setting office hours can be helpful for both yourself and others. For yourself, it can mean a clear boundary between your work life and your personal life. Without a boss to tell you to go home, it can be tempting to answer one more email or try to tie up the loose ends on that project. Setting office hours can be useful for others too; clients will know when they can contact you and how long to expect for you to get back to them. A common freelancer mistake is to try and be available all the time; others will come to expect it of you and it can all too easily lead to burnout. Of course this doesn’t mean you can’t be flexible or help out in an emergency; but … [Read more...] about The Freelancers Guide to Switching Off

“All managers are leaders, but all leaders are not managers.” Leaders and managers are not the same thing, although there are lots of overlaps and it is possible to be both a leader and a manager. It can definitely help a manager to develop leadership qualities as well as management qualities, though there is often less relevance the other way around. For example, Martin Luther King was a leader, standing for something bigger than himself which was more of a calling than a job, so we wouldn’t say he ‘managed’ the civil rights movement . At the same time, the qualities we see in leaders such as Martin Luther King, are definitely transferrable to management positions. In summary: Leaders: can be self-appointed (leaders don’t need a managerial role to act) are inspired to make a positive change are leaders because of their personal qualities overall concern is the groups goals and think big are forward thinking inspire and motivate others has a vision and helps others to become … [Read more...] about Leader vs. Manager = What Are the Differences?

Being called for a first interview is an exciting prospect, but it's also one that is stressful. Here are some tips to help you overcome the top 10 first interview fears and present yourself in the best possible way. 1.  You won't arrive at the interview on time. Look up the company address online and make a dry run before the day of the interview. If the directions are not clear, call to clarify before your appointment. 2.  You aren't sure of the spelling or pronunciation of the name of the person you will be meeting with. Making a mistake in someone's name is a major faux pas when going on a job interview, and one you will want to avoid at all costs. It's better to call the company to get clarification about someone's name than to say it incorrectly at the interview. You may find it helpful to write it down phonetically and practice saying it a few times before your meeting. 3.  You won't be dressed appropriately for the interview. When in doubt, err on the side of being too … [Read more...] about Overcoming Top 10 First Interview Fears

Very often when we speak to college students the topic of what their goals are post graduation comes up. The responses are mixed but two schools of thought pose reoccurring roles - some students want to get into their dream career immediately and others are just hoping to get any job they can. I know this because of experience. When I graduated from Western International University in 2003 you can bet that all of my family members were wondering what my plans were for my career. As far as goals are concerned both of these are surprisingly not as ambitious as they should be and we'll tell you why. The job market, regardless of the specific industry or field, is highly competitive and if you want to become a viable candidate, it is simply not enough to hope or expect that employment will fall into your lap. Being proactive comprises several key steps and one of them is building your personal brand while you're still in college. Think of yourself as a product or a service. If you go to … [Read more...] about 3 Steps to Building Your Brand While Still in College