Career Advice

Just as the ceiling fan in your home attracts an inch of dust and the cobwebs start to look like decorations in your cathedral ceilings, this is what your career often starts to look like too. Unfortunately, it’s not always as obvious, so you need to do some spring cleaning and shake the dust off, whether you think you need it or not. Dust Off Your Resume It is suggested that the potential employers decides whether they are interested in a candidate in 10 seconds or less, while reviewing a resume. That gives you next to no time at all to capture their attention and make an impression. Even if you currently have a job, it does not hurt to update your resume to keep it current. Make sure it has trigger words that employers look for in a resume. These are words that reach out from the page and offer a little poke. Clean Your Workspace Whether you are looking for a new job or a promotion or not, there is always a reason to clean your desk and organize your space. If those snacks in … [Read more...] about Springtime Cleaning Your Career

Do you remember the first few months at your new job? The excitement of a new environment, new co-workers, new projects, and the fact that your got hired in the first place gives way to boredom and job dissatisfaction. According to Right Management, people are so dissatisfied with their jobs that 84% of its respondents are looking for a new position in 2012. Here’s how to keep you happy, even if the “newness” of the job has long worn off… Think Yourself to Happiness A boring and repetitive job, an hour long commute, almost no vacation time, and being underpaid are not the recipe for happiness. Rather than focusing on the negative aspects of your job, focus on the positive by making a list of the good things: You have a job, you are comfortable, you get some social interaction, you get to be creative, etc. Also, try smiling more, even when you don’t feel like it. You’ll find that you’ll start to feel happy just by forcing yourself to smile. Don’t believe it? Smile now and see what … [Read more...] about Is Your New Job Honeymoon Over? How to Get It Back

There are very few jobs these days that don’t involve the use of a computer to some degree and many require you to spend long hours in front of the screen. Even outdoor jobs often require some updating of computer records, so working comfortably in front of the screen is something that is really important. Like with many things in life it is easy to slip into bad habits and the same is true of computer use. Bad habits can make your working day uncomfortable and more tiring, which can ultimately lead to a reduction in productivity. A comfortable worker is generally a good worker and for this reason employers are putting more and more effort into ensuring that the work station is set up correctly. Bad computer habits can lead to many symptoms of the eyes and the most common ones are as follows: Headaches: Headaches are a common problem associated with computer use and they typically affect the front (frontal) and side (temporal) of the head. They are likely to be characterised by a … [Read more...] about 5 Bad Habits to Avoid on the Computer

Team building is an important tool in creating a well-developed and efficient work environment. From simple bonding exercises to bespoke workplace simulations, there are a lot of options out there: Here are 10 easy and effective team building ideas that can be used in any company. (1) To help new teams to get to know each other, an easy ice-breaking exercise is to let staff guess each other’s names. You’re likely to raise a few laughs and it gets people re-evaluating their first impressions of each other. (2) Or, to flex employees’ creative muscles a bit, hand out pens to everyone and have them roughly design a personal logo that they feel reflects themselves, then have the group guess which logo goes with which person. (2) The issue of touching is always a personal one in the office. What some people might consider a friendly pat on the back, others might find inappropriate. (3) Provide staff with a few different scenarios and let them brainstorm whether they’re appropriate or … [Read more...] about 10 Team Building Ideas

We've all been there. The afternoon meeting where your eyelids suddenly start to feel heavy. Maybe lunch was a little too good, maybe the speakers' voices are a little dreary, but before you know it, all you can think about is closing them. Just for a second... Perhaps things don't get quite that bad. Perhaps you simply find yourself losing concentration and failing to keep up with what is being said. If that's the case, you're not making the most out of this vital workplace environment. Modern businesses move swiftly, and a loss of focus for even a couple of minutes could mean loss of crucial information. So how best to stay focused, relaxed and attentive? Here's five useful tips: A Clear Agenda Nothing is less mentally appealing than a long, poorly focussed meeting. Your brain simply gives up listening. Keep control of the direction and pace with a clearly written agenda. Make sure it is distributed before the day and that it succinctly introduces all the topics for discussion. A … [Read more...] about Stay Sharp – Make the Most of Work Meetings

Motivation sometimes comes easily and other times it is elusive and hard to find! A new year is often seen as a good time to start afresh in and out or work. Here are a few ideas to help you get and stay motivated: Choose Work You Love The easiest way to feel naturally motivated is to do work you enjoy, as much as possible. That might mean asking for a transfer within your current job or quitting the job you are in and finding something more suitable. What Are Your Values? Knowing what your values are helps you to know what naturally drives you. For one person, it might be security and for someone else it might be making a difference (for example).  If you are unsure what motivates you, spend some time thinking about  and using the link above to get clear what is important to you. Remind Yourself What difference does your job make? What does it make possible for other people? Reminding yourself of the larger purpose of your job is a great way to tap into that well spring of … [Read more...] about How To Get (& Stay) Motivated

Whether you literally are afraid to board that giant bird, or if you simply have no desire to leave your family, telling your boss you won’t travel is never easy. Some people jump at the opportunity to pack their bags and get away, even if it is only for a morning meeting and a free night on the town. If you are not this type of person, and find yourself anxious at work, you are better to tell your boss sooner than later. Keep in mind that once you do it the first time, it will likely be expected of you in the future. Pre-hire Ideally, the best time to bring up the fact that you won’t travel is during the interview. If the employer hires you  being fully aware of your intentions, they can’t expect you to change them, and you certainly shouldn’t have to feel bad about reminding them. Be firm when setting your boundaries. Don’t tell them maybe you will travel or that you won’t mind doing it once in a while. An occasional business trip to you may … [Read more...] about I’m Scared to Fly: How to Tell the Boss You Won’t Travel

Do you need to get more out of life?  Feeling a little unfulfilled?  Well why not take time out to do something a bit different?  And what if that time out meant you’d be doing something that not only benefits you, but complete strangers as well? I’m talking about learning new skills, meeting new people and visiting new places – I’m talking about doing some voluntary work abroad. Working abroad on community projects isn’t just about helping people in need or assisting countries in poverty, although that is an obvious benefit to signing up. These trips can help you grow as an individual and teach you a range of life skills you probably never even knew you needed. If you’ve toyed with the idea of heading off to impoverished Swaziland to flex your muscles building wells, or had a hankering for providing education in a remote village in South America, then what’s stopping you from signing up? Travelling to a foreign country can sometimes be a daunting prospect, particularly if you’re an … [Read more...] about Gap Years for a Great Career – 5 Great Tips For Volunteering Abroad

Team meetings – some love them, some hate them. Regardless of how you view these gatherings, they’re typically a necessary part of enhancing workplace success and employee morale. As such, if you’ve noticed lately that your team meetings are lacking their usual pizazz and effectiveness, the following are four ways to get things back on track. Send Out Agendas in Advance Every workplace team meeting should have an agenda. Agendas provide meeting guidance and structure. However, a common management practice is to pass out agendas at the beginning of each meeting. This isn’t the most effective option because meeting time is wasted while the agendas are being reviewed and this poses the risk that team members will be caught off guard by certain agenda items. To increase meeting effectiveness, email or hand out agendas in advance of the scheduled meeting time. If your meetings are first thing in the morning, send the agendas out at least a few hours before the office closes the day … [Read more...] about 4 Ways to Create More Effective Workplace Team Meetings