Posts Tagged ‘Yourself’

Work At Home – Getting Yourself Motivated

Work At Home – Getting Yourself Motivated

If you’re reading this, you are probably working from home or you would really like to. You have dreamt about the lifestyle that goes along with a self directed work at home career. The time freedom you could enjoy. You would have so much extra time to spend with your family. You can work when you want to. No more ignorant co-workers and demanding bosses. It’s hard to believe that this dream is a reality for many people.

 

So the question is “Why do you want to Work At Home?”. What particular details related to the work at home lifestyle make you want to choose that option? The only way you are going to be able to make this work at home dream a reality is if you can find a few things that can provide enough motivation for you. It’s amazing what people are capable of when they really want something. Think of all of the stories you heard of personal success or triumph over tragedy. In every single case there is some underlying factor that provided the motivation for them to overcome all obstacles. It’s also amazing how little people can achieve when they have very little motivation. There are countless stories of people working dead-end jobs. The show up to work every day and barely get anything done. This can even go on for years. Maybe you’ve even been in this situation. The good news is that’s it is relatively easy to get yourself on the right track.

 

 You simply need to take some time to think about what you really want out of life? Once you have a goal that is worthy of your efforts, you will be amazed at what you are willing to do, and how hard you are willing to work to achieve it. Most people will say that they would love to work at home. Many of them cannot really express the reason for this. You need to ask yourself what your goals really are. Do you want to be able to spend more time with friends and family? Do you want to get rich? Do you want to leave a legacy? Do you want to be famous? Anybody can have a lucrative work at home career if they can find the right motivation. We should also make the distinction between a job from home and a work at home career. There are very few jobs from home – as in you work for a regular company and they allow you to do your work at home. Even if you can find this sort of employment in your field, you will not have the freedom that you are seeking. To really be free, you need to find a work at home career.

 

A work at home career generally means self-employment. With the explosion of the internet and online access, there are literally thousands of possibilities for you. There are countless people who have been able to achieve their dream of working at home. Many of them have been able to make a better income than they ever thought possible. All that is really required from you is some reason to take the leap. You need something to motivate you to take a chance and make a better life for you and your family. Without some strong reason for you to keep going no matter what, you will not be able to achieve your goals.

 

So start right now. Make a list of the people and things that are important to you. Decide how a new career working from home will affect the things on this list. And then Go For It!

Teenage Jobs – Assessing Yourself Before Getting a Job

Teenage Jobs – Assessing Yourself Before Getting a Job

Teenage jobs are now springing up within many companies nowadays. Many companies are employing and need low cost labor teens can provide. Most teens seeking employment are motivated to work. Most of this motivations comes from the need for extra money to purchase the gizmos and gadgets that are now popular.

There are some teens that are forced to leave school and pursue working due to financial difficulties. That is why they resort to working in different venues. There are some teens that are in school but have a lot of free time. Because they want to use their time productively, they engage in working part time jobs. This is one of the best opportunities where teens can explore the world beyond the four walls of the classroom. This is also a good time to put their skills on display and show that they have the ambition to learn new things.

If your teen wants to spend time having a job while they are in school, they may put themselves at an advantage of having a place reserved for them once they graduate. The student should begin their job search using outlets such as newspapers, the internet and some recommendations from friends. Most companies requiring the skills of teenagers are using the internet when hiring for they are easily accessible these days. Teenager should have the qualification and interest before applying for any job in order for them to get hired immediately. You need to identify quickly what jobs are suitable for your skills. You need to have an idea about a certain job before applying for it so you will not surprise yourself later on when you find out that the job doesn’t suit your skill set.

Parents play an important role at this point when teenagers decide to work while they are young. Teenagers need to feel the support and appreciation from people around them in order for them to be inspired to do well.

A working place for teens should not make them feel pressured and neglected. Although they spend most of their time working, they should balance their time for their studies and social life. When looking for companies or workplaces that are teenage friendly, it is important to consider what other benefits your teens will get aside from their salary. Getting work experience early in life allows the teen the ability to become focused on their possible interests and make a little extra money in the process.

Get Yourself Organized and Find a Job

Get Yourself Organized and Find a Job

While the basics of finding a job may not seem difficult, the success that you realize while searching for the job is largely dependent upon your organizational skills.

Envision this scenario. You are at home, hard at work, polishing up your resume and the phone rings. It is a prospective employer, but is it the one that was online or the great sounding job around the corner from your home that was just posted a few days ago? Or is the company that you applied to that wanted you to move? Or the one that required traveling? Or could it be one that your former boss was checking on for you that she told you to be prepared for because they would probably call? Oh no! Unless you piece this together rapidly you might be in danger of losing a good job.

The Time for Organizing Your Job Search is Now

When you are actively seeking employment, you will be making use of a large number of opportunities to find a job. If you are concerned with the large number of people looking for jobs who may be just as qualified as you are, you cannot take a chance of making a mistake. Opportunities will be found if you can get your search organized and you’ll ensure that you do not drop the ball on any of them.

The following five steps will help you to get your search for a job organized – success can be yours with the right career advice.

1. Commit Yourself – Even when times are not as tough as they are now, finding a job can be quite a test. Now, with the state of the economy, you have to be more dedicated than ever. When it comes to finding a job, the two major elements you need are discipline and planning. The least amount of effort reaps the least amount of results. The more you set your mind to the job at hand – finding a job – the better success rate you will realize. Act as if finding a job is your job – it is. In fact, you’ll probably work just as hard finding a job as you will spend doing the actual work you are hired to do.

2. A Work Space is Essential – Your own private space is essential to your search. This has to be a place where you can have all the items you need for your search all in one place. If you have a room that you use for a home office, that is fine. The kitchen can suffice if you have the space. Some have even been known to retreat to in their RV if they have one. As long as you have the telephone with a voice mail system, a printer, computer and basic office supplies, you’re ready to search.

3. Setting Goals – Getting your priorities in order and setting the goals you need to accomplish is one of the most important aspects of finding employment. The goals you set help you keep track of what you have accomplished and will keep you motivated and on track. The best way to prioritize your activities is to make a list of things you want to accomplish daily, another one for weekly and the last one for monthly goals. This allows you to track your progress and maintain a sense of accomplishment along the way.

Look at a few of these sample goals for ideas:

Make a list of the companies for which you would like to work List companies that are nearby that you are interested in learning more about Who are the people you know that may have a contact at these companies? Let contacts whom you can trust know that you are looking for another position. Make sure all openings that you would be qualified for get a copy of your resume and the cover letter. Let people you have previously worked for know that you are in the job market. Find the personnel recruiters in your area of expertise and call them. Get your profile out to job boards that post positions in the industry related to your work experience. Manners are important: Don’t forget to send thank you notes to people who you have talked to about your job search. Are there any job fairs in your field being held in your area? If so, plan to attend. Join professional organizations and attend network meetings in your community and field of interest. Brush up on the most common interview procedures Find a practice partner to practice your answers to the most common interview questions. Have them assist as you hone the subtle nonverbal cues as well as your verbal responses. Consider career counseling if you have questions about job direction. Set up informative interviews to jump start your research and build your network. Stay informed about the industry you are in and find the latest news. Meet as many people as possible and either call them or email them to make yourself known and that you are looking for a position.

4. Adhere to a Schedule – When keeping to a schedule, you will need to break up the hours in the day for different tasks. Plan for a couple to three hours at a time and you can even plan your next day the night before. A good routine in the morning is often what you need to get you motivated. Remember to schedule a little time off to keep you from getting too tired.

5. Use a System to Keep Track – The mounds of information you will need to keep handy is going to be quite extensive. The result can be utter chaos if you do not use a system to organize it. The system you use may be a written or a computer system; the one you are most comfortable with is the best. Keep track of everything: jobs you apply for (including the date, company and position), the people you talk to and contacts you make, which resume you sent, the title of anyone you talked with, and the details of conversations –  all are things you need to keep track of for future reference.

The need to keep all of this information together is crucial because you simply will not remember it all. The initial interview may be followed by one or two more. This is why you will need to freshen your memory on everything that was said and who you sent thank you notes to as well as what your initial impression was at the time of the interview. Keeping track of all this information as it happens will make things simpler when you are searching for a job.

Organize, utilize your strategy and repeat this process. It will not take long to notice the difference your plan is making. The organization you use is going to be the most important factor when it comes to finding a job. It may only be a part of the overall plan but it is crucial. By being organized and having a plan, you are setting yourself up to be even more successful in your job search!

Why Treating Yourself To A Luxury Weekend Away Is Beneficial To Your Health

Why Treating Yourself To A Luxury Weekend Away Is Beneficial To Your Health

Tell your friends that you’re going away for a luxury weekend and you might be accused of self indulgence. While luxury can sometimes carry a weighty price tag and is seen as unaffordable to many this simply isn’t the case. Instead, weekend breaks can in fact harbour many health benefits such as reduced stress, an opportunity to exercise and improve mental stimulation that are beneficial to our physical well being.

Stuck at a desk 9-5? Spend your whole time longing for the weekend? You could be in need of a weekend break! Booking yourself a weekend break is not only the perfect reward for sticking in with the 9-5 but also gives you something to look forward to. Spending your hard earnt wage cheque on a luxury break will also allow you to appreciate the up side to your job and – if bonuses are involved – could be the perfect incentive.

With a weekend break giving you a chance to escape your desk job it also helps to reduce any stress you’ve been building up during your working week. Spa breaks in particular are great places to relax and unwind away from the rat race. Taking time to relax significantly reduces the chance of developing depression or other mental illnesses that are linked to stress and unhappiness.

Setting aside a weekend break with friends is also a great way to catch up and enjoy some quality time with the important people in your life. Whether a girlie weekend away, a family get together or a lads getaway, the value of quality time shouldn’t be underestimated. Weekend breaks are also the ideal time to get into the party mood or celebrate a special occasion such as an engagement, birthday or anniversary. For a special occasion, there’s no reason not to go that extra mile and enjoy luxury weekend breaks full of wonderful memories.

Finally, if a spa break or special occasion isn’t the weekend break for you, then why not book a solo trip to a European city? The perfect time to soak up the culture as well as the sun, European cities are packed to bursting point with interesting museums, galleries and historical points of interest. With the old grey matter getting more stimulation than usual you’ll also find a city break sees you on your feet and unwittingly exercising as you take in the sights.

Selling Yourself! (Televised Job Interview)

Selling Yourself! (Televised Job Interview)

Watched recruitment’s equivalent of Pop Idol last night – “Selling Yourself”(Tuesdays, Channel Five). It was appalling. The basic scenario is that five contestants for a hotly contested job are put through their paces by two recruitment “professionals” and a client representative until finally one is chosen – “The Apprentice Lite”, if you like.

Last night, the remaining five (out of 400) hopefuls were trying to get an Account Executive position with a well known ad agency in Manchester with the last hurdle being a day spent being grilled by a male behavioural expert, Ron, and a female recruitment consultant, Sam. The introductory voice over was a sign of things to come when it droned on like the worst possible recruitment advert – “The client is looking for someone energetic, passionate, enthusiastic, team player, with an eye for detail, fast track to the top” (You know the sort of thing).

But it got horribly worse.

The first phase was a one minute presentation by each candidate. These were all painful to watch but the recruitment experts soon showed their mettle. Sam asked one candidate what aspect of her personality she would change. The candidate replied that “Sometimes I am too bossy”. I was dead impressed with Sam’s feedback to the client – “I think sometimes she is too bossy”. Mind you, her “I don’t feel I got to know the real person” (it was a one minute presentation, for heaven’s sake!) also made me want to hurl a huge and well deserved fee in Sam’s direction. While all this was going on, the expert in body language demonstrated his expertise by not only noticing that one interviewee had put his hands in his pockets but quickly deducing that this might indicate indifference. Personally I found the body language of the poor candidate who spent his minute with his arms waving maniacally round in front of him like a demented Joe Cocker more interesting (my theory is that he was nervous. What do you think?)

One candidate was rejected at this stage, apparently because of a personality clash with Sam, who was already coming across like Simon(e) Cowell with a bad hangover, before we all moved on to stage two. If someone could tell me what a group exercise involving trying to get a bucket full of coloured balls out of a rope circle, without the bucket touching the rope, tells you about who will make a good advertising account executive, I’d like to know. Actually I wouldn’t because, in the interests of time, I’ll go along with the show’s fantasy that this was a test of team spirit and leadership (strewth). The Joe Cocker clone did well, Ms. Bossy honked orders all through (despite Sam still harping on in the background about her being bossy), while one candidate, an ex recruitment consultant, stood around having no impact on the absurd proceedings at all. Sam zeroed in on her non participation in the leadership test and, in no time at all, concluded that this meant she might lack leadership skills – pausing only to deride Ms Bossy for trying to lead, which, to Sam, meant she wasn’t a team player!

Stage three was a two minute presentation where each candidate had to come up with a name and marketing plan for a new type of condom. “Jonathan”, “Freedom”, “Safeguard” and “Alpha” weren’t bad efforts, although Sam came up trumps again by asking one person the faintly ludicrous “I wasn’t excited by your presentation. Why is that?” If the candidate had replied “As my brain is wedged inside my own cranium, not yours, I’ve no idea why you weren’t excited” I’d have hired her on the spot.

Two candidates were rejected at this stage with one bitterly – but quite rightly I felt – reacting to some comment from Sam (again!) about her lack of knowledge about working in advertising by pointing out that Sam didn’t work in advertising either, which was the outstanding moment of the programme for me.

The final was Ms. Bossy .v. Millie, the ex recruitment consultant, and consisted of an hour’s grilling for each. By this stage of the programme I was starting to fantasise about the after life, but after the Bossy one opined that she was “20 out of 10 bound to win”, I was rooting for Millie all the way.

The tension mounted as Ms B. went into the room. Down to the last two of 400, after leaping the three hurdles in the programme, here at last was the chance for the recruitment consultants to demonstrate, on prime time TV, the insight, the intelligence, the sheer professionalism that justifies their existence (and fees) with some penetrating questions that would lay the true face of the candidates bare for all to see.

“Why should we give you the job?” was a bit of a let down really.

“Convince me why you should get the job”, as a follow up, didn’t help much either.

After about five minutes of this fascinating stuff, it was Millie’s turn to face the music. After dealing with a couple of questions which proved conclusively that we were in the presence of true professionals – “How much do you want the job?”, “What makes you better than the other candidates?” – the time came to home in on her real weakness. Our hero and heroine had convinced themselves that Millie’s weakness was a lack of toughness (probably as a result of clues cleverly garnered from an “Are you tough”, “Not really” exchange earlier in the process) and now decided to get to the heart of this key issue.

“Do you think you are tough enough? Give an example of when you’ve been tough? Why was that tough? What do you say when people say you aren’t tough enough?” were the subtle questions. Luckily Millie, quickly seeing through this cunningly disguised interrogation, realised they were worried about her toughness, allayed their fears and got the job.

As a programme it was mildly interesting. As an advert for recruitment consultants, it was dreadful with no value added apparent at any stage of the process. I appreciate that editing will have had a big impact and that Sam couldn’t be as awful as she, in particular, seemed but for anyone involved at any stage in recruitment or HR it was vaguely depressing. So, in future, I’ll watch “The Apprentice” and the frizzy haired lady who screams in delight at everything and bursts into tears at just about everything else.

In real life, she’s an HR Manager.