Ultimately you will not be able to crawl into the minds of your employers or prospective employers, but there are some commonalities between employers that are generally pretty universal. Even if an employer won’t admit it, every aspect of who you are factors into his or her overall impression of you. How you act, dress, look, react and a long list of other variables are all data points that get factored into an employer’s opinion. A large percentage of the time, employers are unaware of just how much they are judging you, as these inclinations are on a subconscious level. However, you can be sure that these judgements can and will play a role in how you are perceived. Something as simple as revealing your hobbies may be a way for you to impress your employer. Hobbies that show you have interesting habits outside of the workplace. After all, most employers want employees that are quick on their feet and well organized. … [Read more...] about Hobbies That Usually Impress Employers
Blog
Career Intangibles That You Should Consider When Looking for a Job
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
How to Detach from Work
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
Top Survival Apps for Smartphones
Long before smartphones and automobiles and 1080p flatscreen televisions, there was simply man living in the wild against the elements. As a species, humans have evolved and adapted over the years to the point we now enjoy relative ease and comfort in this world. But occasionally people still find themselves in situations that call on them to summon that primal instinct for survival. Whether it’s in the military or facing a natural disaster or finding oneself lost in the wild, survival skills still matter very much. And as long as man inhabits this world, they always will -- no matter how far technologically advanced humans become. But the interesting thing is that modern technology, and in particular mobile apps, can actually help in survival situations. Indeed, a survivor of the Haitian earthquake in 2011 credits, of all things, a mobile application with helping him to stay alive while trapped in rubble. So with that in mind, here are some other mobile apps that often help everyday … [Read more...] about Top Survival Apps for Smartphones
Utilizing Your Office Space and Public Space For Marketing Endeavors
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
Do You Have Too Much Free Time?
Having loads of free time is great! Right? It sounds wonderful to most people, and if you say to anyone; 'I've got lots of free time, the chances are they will say 'oh, you are so lucky!'. Having too much free time is essential for a healthy work-life balance but, and here comes the rub, sometimes free time can become a burden rather than a pleasure. Try telling anyone this and the chances are they'll say you don't know how lucky you are and compare their situation to yours, demonstrating why, in their belief, you are in a much luckier position than they are. In other words, they are saying, stop complaining and cease looking the gift horse in the mouth. The other difficulty that you may encounter, is when others take it on themselves to worry about your 'situation'. This can exacerbate your own negative thoughts; having unwarranted and unwelcome concern from others can feed into our own. This can be particularly true if your free time originates from loss of, or being between work. … [Read more...] about Do You Have Too Much Free Time?
Risky Business: 9 Most Hazardous Jobs
Most of us emit a discontented grunt when the alarm goes off at 6.30am every morning - a shrieking harbinger of doom for the working day ahead. Spare a thought for these chaps, though – their lives are very often on the line. Miners and Rig Workers Roof cave-ins, fires, floods, explosions. All in a day’s work for your average miner. And if that wasn’t enough, they also run the risk of contracting lung disease and other respiratory illnesses because of their prolonged exposure to dust. Similarly, rig workers are vulnerable to a myriad of dangers. Those poor fellows going about their daily duties on the rig floor have the highest accident rate of all – volatile substances, heavy machinery and extreme weather conditions. Construction ‘Health And Safety’ – often the three-worded scourge of the modern working world – has actually been a force for good in the construction industry, with fatalities reduced by two-thirds in the past 20 years. That said, the risk of injury and fatality is … [Read more...] about Risky Business: 9 Most Hazardous Jobs
Questions to Never Ask Your Coworker
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
How to Start Your Own Business
Running your own business is one of the most satisfying ways of making money doing something you love - but whether you're a full-time entrepreneur or you're still looking into your options, you'll soon discover that there's a lot of work that needs to go into it! We've put together a quick guide to piecing your new business together - and how to make sure all your paperwork is complete. Schedule If you're just starting out, chances are you're juggling your new venture with other responsibilities, including family and an existing job. Make sure you're setting dedicated time aside to work on your business, and look into ways of decreasing your other obligations - we covered how to save money and go part-time at work in a blog post a few months ago, which should give you some tips! Product You might be producing items from scratch, or simply providing a service, but either way you need to make sure there is actually a call for what you're offering, or ensure that yours does something … [Read more...] about How to Start Your Own Business
How (Not) to Quickly Wreck Your Job Interview
You send out hundreds of resumes to hundreds of companies, hoping that you make the first pass and be considered for hiring. After a few days, you receive a call inviting you to a job interview. After the initial rush of euphoria passes, fear sets in. While your first instinct may be to flee, convince yourself to stand your ground. While it is possible (and quite easy) to ruin your job interview and wreck any chance of being hired, you can reduce that risk just by taking a few precautions. First Step: Reconnaissance The most important thing when it comes to preparing for a job interview is research. The company has already demonstrated interest in you, so it's only fair that you sow an interest in the company. Look up the company on the Internet, check out its website, news feeds, and write down a short summary of what the company's all about. While knowing the exact value of dividends paid out to shareholders a decade back won't be of much help, having a good idea of the company's … [Read more...] about How (Not) to Quickly Wreck Your Job Interview