Career Advice

How are your time management skills? Do you find yourself getting most of the things done that you plan to each day or does it always feel like time is slipping away from you? Most people could do with enhancing their time management skills to some degree, so if you want to polish up your time management techniques, here are some ideas for you: 1. Have A Simple Plan Planning is vital for good time management. Planning doesn’t have to mean that you spend hours making a detailed inventory of what you want to do – in fact, the simpler the better. Each day write down the two or three most important tasks that you need to do, and work on them first. Five minutes deciding on your key tasks is time well spent and will help you have a focus for your day.  2. Use An Alarm Clock When you have talks to get done, using an alarm clock is a great way to stop you procrastinating and get you focussed. If you have been putting off writing that report, set your alarm for half an … [Read more...] about The Basics Of Good Time Management

Monday mornings are a source of contention for a lot of people, especially if it means going back to a job they don’t like. So, whatever our work situation, how can we make the best of Mondays and even (gasp) start to look forward to them? 1. Do A Job You Love Do you enjoy your job? Does it feel like work or play?  No job will be fun all the time, but if the thought of going back to the office on Monday fills you with dread, then it is a good sign that something needs to change. You may decide to change jobs, go part time or it might be a change of perspective about your current job that makes the difference. 2. Make The Most Of Your Weekends  Working through the weekend or slobbing out on the couch because you are so tired every weekend won’t rejuvenate you. The odd weekend working or being lazy is no bad thing but if your weekends constantly feel like work time or recovery time, it is inevitable that Mondays will start to feel like hard work. Plan your … [Read more...] about How To Look Forward To Monday Mornings

It does not matter if you are the boss or an employee, you should never play favorites at work. Yes, you are going to naturally like some people more than others, not only for their work ethic either. Most people are drawn to the aura of specific individuals. Not to mention, it is hard not to want to avoid the person with bad breath, or play favorites to the person who always finds the time to bring bagels Friday morning. However, as much as you may prefer one person over another, you need to keep your opinions to yourself. Well, at least until you get home and you can rant to the dog; he is sure to hang on your every word. Bosses + Favorites = Bad News If you are the boss, you well lose a lot of respect by playing favorites. It may seem like a great idea when you are talking about others behind closed doors to your chosen few, but it will come back to bite you in the bottom in a big way. If you think there will never be a day when your favorites won’t be mad at you and run their … [Read more...] about Why You Should Never Play Favorites at Work

If companies want to draw in the right people like yourself to work for them, they need to understand that people love perks. Aside from the salary that they are to pay you, you want to know you are also being cared for and are properly looked after. Getting quality heath insurance from your employer's benefit plans covers your health and gives you and your family a lot of piece of mind as far as your health is concerned. A group health insurance makes for an excellent idea for employers to lure in potential talent. Group health insurance plan is a lot cheaper as opposed to a single person health insurance policy since the premium cost is stretched across all of your fellow employees. It also offers plenty of benefits and certainly is the apt decision. Read onwards to find out more of its many benefits. -    Such health insurance plan can significantly help boost your morale and the morale of your co-workers. It is a simple fact of life that people love benefits and if a firm plans a … [Read more...] about Your Employer's Group Health Insurance: Did They Make A Wise Choice?

As your previous boss leaves for greener pastures and a new manager takes over, you’re likely eager to win them over. Many employees assume that, by being overly nice during a manager’s first few days on the job, they’ll be granted more leeway on future projects and will advance ahead of coworkers. Although a proper welcome for the new boss is certainly in order, don’t be too nice. Overwhelming niceties will label you as a brownnoser and can prevent the employer from seeing a need to earn your respect. Here are a few more reasons why you shouldn’t go overboard on first day pleasantries. Don’t be a Brownnoser This likely won’t be the new boss’s first rodeo in the director’s chair, which means they’ll be on the lookout for brownnosers. Those employees who shower their new boss with gifts and praise are quickly called out as being fake and overly eager to please. By being labeled as a brownnoser, you’d simply cause the new boss to question your credibility and honesty in the … [Read more...] about New Boss? Don't Be Too Nice!

Whether you’ve recently started a business or have taken your first job in customer service, your success depends on the outcomes of your customer interactions. If you’re a business owner, your success relies on the repeat purchases of customers and positive word of mouth regarding your services. If you work in customer service, your work performance is primarily based on how you handle customer complaints or on how you keep customers happy with each interaction. How a customer’s complaint is resolved will mainly impact whether that customer will return for future services. With that being the case, here are five ways to successfully handle your first customer complaint as you step into a customer interaction role. Apologize Genuinely Customers want to feel as if their concerns are fully recognized and instantly know when company representatives aren’t genuine in their apologies. Detach all personal opinions from the validity of a customer’s complaint and instead keep only the … [Read more...] about 5 Ways to Successfully Handle Your First Customer Complaint

Some of the most successful people in the world had to fake something on their path to gaining everything. Success doesn’t just suddenly appear; it is created. So how do you create something out of nothing? The spiritual savvy call it “manifestation”- think rich and you will be rich. Smile and you will be happy. Act confidently, and people will have confidence in you. But what if you’re not rich, happy or confident? Then what? You fake it… until it’s real. Now I am not talking about creating a shallow façade for the sheer purpose of presentation. This is not about being “fake,” it is about being authentic, it’s about pulling your inner confidence out, then using a crutch to help hold you up until you can stand confidently without it. For many business leaders, heads of companies, individuals who have had profound success in their careers, that crutch has come in the form of a little, seemingly unimportant things or habits. From power ties to good luck charms, even OCD tendencies … [Read more...] about Why You Should Wear Red Panties to Every Important Meeting

You’ve got to find what you love… Your work is going to fill a large part of your life and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work. And the only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you haven’t found it yet, keep looking, and don’t settle. As with all matters of the heart, you’ll know when you find it. And like any great relationship, it just gets better and better as the years roll on. So keep looking. Don’t settle. ~ Steve Jobs No job is going to be perfect all of the time, but if you find yourself continually dreading going into work, or with the strong feeling that there is something else you should be doing, it is time to take the leap and find a job you really love! Here are a few suggestions to get you started down the road of finding work you really do love: Don’t Stop Searching As Steve Jobs says above “keep looking and don’t settle”. I think that is one of the best pieces of advice any of us can follow when trying to find our … [Read more...] about Finding Work You Love

From demanding project deadlines to unexpected new clients, many situations keep you working longer than the standard 8 to 5 schedule. Working long hours at the office is a great way to earn overtime as an hourly employee or to show commitment as a salary worker. However, long office hours also bring certain drawbacks. Increased stress, less personal time and bad eating habits are all typical overtime side effects. If not kept in check, these side effects of long office hours can lead to an increased waistline and overall lowered health level. Here are five tips to stay fit while working long hours so you can enjoy the benefits of overtime without the drawbacks. Avoid Stress EatingLong office hours often lead to increased stress. This stress then turns many employees to junk food and mindless snacking. If you’re stressed from an extended work schedule, avoid eating more in response to that stress. Food provides comfort against the things you can’t control but it also … [Read more...] about 5 Ways to Stay Fit While Working Long Hours

If you find yourself overwhelmed, disorganized or having trouble concentrating, simply improving your work surroundings can have a positive impact. If you are looking for a way to boost your productivity, begin with these six tips for desk organization! 1. Avoid Over-Organizing. This may seem like an oxymoron in light of the topic but often times we can overwhelm our workspace with all the containers, trays, shelves, writing utensil holders, paper clip cups, sticky note dispensers, etc. In our effort to be efficient, we can actually create a certain amount of organizational chaos. Evaluate your workspace and decide if you can consolidate some of your office supply holders. Does having everything at your fingertips help you or hinder you by taking up valuable work area. How often are you using all of the items on your desk? Even our attempts to be organized can create clutter that stifles productivity. 2. Streamline. Once you have effectively narrowed down your organizational … [Read more...] about 6 Desk Organization Tips to Boost Your Productivity