Commuting Dos and donts

Commuting Dos and donts by Michael Cheary For many of us, the daily commute is an unavoidably monotonous aspect of modern life. Even the brightest of morning people can have their resolve tested by a delayed train or a seemingly never-ending traffic jam.Whatever your particular method of travel, sometimes its not quite as easy as keeping calm and carrying on. Over 69% of the people we surveyed told us their journey was more stressful now than two years ago.We may not be able to do anything about the (continuously rising) price or the crowds or congestion. But we can help you make the trip more bearable.To help keep the stress of your journey to a minimum, heres our list of commuting dos and donts.Do:Keep yourself entertained Preparation is important in most situations. Never is this more evident than on the daily commute. If you get on the bus/train/tube and youve forgotten to take something to read or something to listen to, prepare for a long journey. You dont want to be the one peering over some ones shoulder to glance at their mangled copy of the Metro.(But remember, if travelling by bike, safety first. Headphones and cycling dont mix. Youre better off humming).Give up your seat Its a matter of common courtesy, but on the long journey into work, we can all be guilty of this particular mistake. Its not patronising, its just being polite. If you see someone who looks like they need a seat more than you do, do the decent thing and give it up. Itll make you feel good.Stand on the right If you find yourself on an escalator and youre not in a hurry, just enjoy the ride and the pretty colours. Stand to the right and let the morning-rush pass you by. If time is of the essence, make a break for the left and keep it moving. Fall foul of this rule and standby for the wrath of your fellow commuters.Shower You have to prepare for the worst. You may be running late and have to make a run for it. Your train may be delayed. But once you step through those doors, personal space will be a thing of the past. Your arms may be raised for long periods of time. For the sake of your fellow passengers, keep it clean.Smile Lets face it, were all in the same boat. Granted, its a pretty depressing boat at times, but at least were in it together. Put on a brave face, and everything will seem a little bit better. And it really annoys miserable people. Which can only be a good thing in our eyes.Other tips for Commuting: take your backpack off, stay hydrated, have your travel card/Oyster ready, always wear a helmet (N.B. bikes only getting on the tube wearing a helmet will garner you a lot of unwanted attention).Dont:Take up more than one seat Everyones feet hurt after a hard day at work. This is not, however, an excuse to put them on the seat in front of you. The same goes for your handbag/manbag. Its a seat for sitting. The clues in the name. Keep your luggage and appendages to yourself.Forget to check the volume You may think you have the most amazing taste in music. But your fellow passengers may not agree. It can be pretty annoying getting on a crowded bus and hearing a song you dont like that you cant turn off. If youre sharing your journey, be considerate. If youre in the car, feel free to ignore this (unless you car share).No wonder over 50% of you said that the car was their preferred mode of transport over the next 12 months.Phone a friend Ok, so theres nothing wrong with making a quick phone call, but its easy to overdo it. There are few things as irritating as sitting next to someone who spends the entire journey on the phone. If you hear the person next to you say Oh nothing, Im just on the train. Yeah, I can talk, it may be time to find another seat.Eat Theres nothing wrong with the odd banana or breakfast bar. It begins to become problematic, however, when you eat your entire dinner on the underground. The mess, not to mention the smell, doesnt make you a particularly desirable travel companion. Moderation is key here, and also a bit o f self awareness.Theres a big difference between a burger on the last bus home, and a risotto at rush hour.Stare Sometimes it seems unavoidable. Sometimes you dont even notice youre doing it. Sometimes maybe you just want to make a travel buddy. None of these is a good enough excuse. If all else fails, stare at your phone and pretend youre somewhere else. The same goes for talking to people. Saying hello to the person you see every day can be friendly, but dont say everything you think.Remember: Its ok to think someone smells incredible. It is not ok to say it out loudOther things not to do: fidget, fall asleep (on a stranger), tap your fingers, forget the tissues (because no-one likes a sniffler).Of course, everyones commute is different, and what works for some people wont necessarily work for others.Its important to remember that sometimes the journey is just as important as the destination. Having a terrible commute into work can start your day in the wrong way, and often it ca n be difficult to recover. Whether you go by car, bike, bus, tube or train, try and keep positive.So sit back, relax, and enjoy the journey Good luck.Find a job What Where Search JobsSign up for more Career AdviceSign up for moreCareer Advice Please enter a valid email addressmessage hereBy clicking Submit you agree to the terms and conditions applicable to our service and acknowledge that your personal data will be used in accordance with our privacy policy and you will receive emails and communications about jobs and career related topics. Life At Work Work-life balance

The Secret to Writing the Perfect Resume

The Secret to Writing the Perfect ResumeSo you have finally finished the entire secret to writing the perfect resume. After you have done this you are probably wondering if this would help you in finding a job. Well, it may help you out a little bit but in most cases, there are many things that go into getting a job. I will let you know that there is a little bit of money involved but in general, there are some points that you can use that will give you an edge in getting hired for your first job.The resume is very important because it will be the first thing that is read by any employer that you meet. You need to make sure that it looks and flows well. There is no room for sloppiness in any way. If you do this you will also be a step ahead of the competition.You should also make sure that the cover letter is as professional as the resume. This is another point that you should try to consider. Some people feel that they do not need to have one but this is a good thing. Make sure that you have a well written cover letter. This will help to get you a more prepared interview.Also make sure that you have a resume and a cover letter that have the best possible interview skills. These are what the employer is looking for. Remember that these may be written by you or by someone else but that they need to match your abilities in every aspect. Make sure that you do your best in this area.Do not over exaggerate your interview skills. That is one of the biggest mistakes that most people make. The truth is that most interviewers do not like to see someone that does not know what they are talking about.Try to find a good time to interview for a job. This is very important. Even if you are lucky enough to be able to have your interview at a time that will work for you that is still a good idea to plan out your time.You will want to find out the salary range of the job. Then you will want to make sure that you get that salary and then compare it to the salary range. This way you will not end up with a better job offer than you originally had. The reason for this is that you will be trying to get the same amount of money so make sure that you end up with the same amount.Once you have finished all of this, then you can sit down and make the perfect resume for yourself. It will take a little time but do not worry. Just keep on working and eventually you will get the job that you deserve.

Make a plan for summer reading

Make a plan for summer reading As you make you plans for your summer, plan to take a break from the business book bestseller list. Instead, read with the goal of taking yourself out of your intellectual comfort zone, because fresh tracks in your thinking will lead to fresh tracks in your career. Here are some guidelines for summer reading: Ask a big question. All-day beach trips are great for long books. Blow up rafts promote uninterrupted thinking. Dont waste these precious chunks of time on John Grisham. Instead, think of a big question, the kind that has no right answer but lots of angles, and dive into the relevant reading. One vacation, I asked the question: Why do people tell stories? Another question that has ruled my summer reading is, What sort of human-computer interaction is fun? Sometimes, the answer to the question isnt nearly as revealing as just discovering what question really piques your interest. Think like youre studying for a mid-term. For most of us, rigorous thinking ended in college. But the organized, complex, thinking that gets you through upper-level philosophy courses also makes you sharp at the office. My brother Mike (an economist) reads linguistic theory to keep himself on his toes. I read Supreme Court decisions: They twist and turn the Constitution in ways that will give anyone an intellectual workout; theyre not as dry as Kant and not as brain numbing as J Los love life. Read to understand people. Your career is dependent as much on people skills as it is on how well you do your work. So I recommend An Nas novel, A Step from Heaven (Front Street, 2001), which I love. Its a kids book. (For those of you who dont read kids books, you should. Theyll remind you of that terrible time of life that is junior high school, and then youll appreciate where you are in life now, no matter where you are.) A Step from Heaven is about Korean immigrants, and it does a great job of showing the barriers to success that people of American-born parents do not face. Think of these barriers when you manage someone who didnt have all the advantages in life that you had. Remember that topics like patience and compassion are as important to your reading pile as leadership and finance. Dont read to stroke your ego. Just because you have already accumulated a reading pile tall enough to last fifteen summers doesnt mean that you have to read those books. Our tendency is to be attracted to topics we already know a lot about. For a while, I was reading too many books about time management. I am a good time manager, so each books recommendations would allow me to say, Great, Im already doing that. Im great. When I forced myself read about sales, because I was uncomfortable in that area, my reading became much more productive. Force yourself to read in areas that are unfamiliar to you. Read about your weaknesses. Read about people who annoy you and topics that bore you. The best antidote to disdain is a deeper understanding.

Answering What Other Companies Are You Interviewing With - Career Sidekick

Answering What Other Companies Are You Interviewing With - Career Sidekick Answering What Other Companies Are You Interviewing With? Interview Questions and Answers / https://www.edenscott.com/blog Theres one way of answering, what other companies are you interviewing with? thats going to impress any employer. And there are two big mistakes you NEED to avoid at the same time.Dont worry Im going to walk you through exactly what to do in this article.Were going to look at:Why interviewers ask questions like, what other companies are you interviewing with? or are you interviewing anywhere else?The single most important thing to do when answering this question2 costly mistakes to avoid when answeringLets get startedWhy Employers Ask What Other Companies Youre Interviewing With:There are a couple of reasons why interviewers love to ask if youre interviewing anywhere else, or what other companies youre interviewing with. And they often ask this in an initial phone screen, so you need to be ready for it.Heres why they ask:First off they want to see how your job search is going overall. They want to see if youre getting interviews in general, whether yo u seem confident, etc.Next, they want to know if youre expecting job offers soon. (This is so they can speed up their process, or at least know what to expect as they begin interviewing you).Finally, they are curious about what type of jobs youre looking for. They want to make sure their job fits the overall pattern of what you want.Employers want to hire someone whos being targeted and specific in their job hunt, not just applying for anything they see. So you ideally want to show employers that youve been interviewing at other companies that are similar to them, or for other positions similar to theirs.Thats also why employers ask interview questions like, why did you apply for this position? and, why do you want this job?So this isnt a trick question. They just want to get a sense of your job search and what youre looking for. And then they want to see how far along you are in your job search. However, that doesnt mean there arent some mistakes you need to make sure to avoid.And it doesnt mean you EVER need to tell them the names of other companies youre interviewing with because you dont (and shouldnt).So in the next section, well look at the best answers for what other companies are you interviewing with? without having to name specific companies!How to Answer What Other Companies Are You Interviewing With?The ONE Thing You MUST Do:Heres the key to giving a great answer when the employer asks if youre interviewing elsewhere.Your main goal is to show them youre looking for jobs similar to theirs. So you might say:Im interviewing at other technology-focused companies like yours. I started job searching recently, so Im just beginning to take interviews, but thats the type of company Im focused on finding a role with, and thats why I applied to this position.The key here is to tell them thetypes of companies youre interviewing with, without telling them specific company names or going into more detail. That will help you get past this interview question qui ckly and move on!Then, your secondary goal is to show confidence and act like youre having some success so far!Its okay if you havent had very many interviews. You can still say, Im just starting my job search, but Im beginning to schedule phone interviews, and Im feeling confident about how things are going.Or you could say, Im relatively early in my job search, but Im starting to get some nibbles on my resume, so Im feeling good about things so far.Thats how you can sound confident and optimistic even if you havent had as many interviews as you want so far! You dont have to tell a huge lie here, but you never want to say, Well, youre actually the first company to call me. Ive been applying for six months and nobody else has been interested.As a final piece in your answer, if youre expecting job offers soon, you should tell them. You could say, Ive had a couple of late-stage interviews and could be getting job offers at the end of next week.That way, they can speed up their process or have you meet with multiple people in a single interview if they like you! Youd be surprised what companies can do to speed things up if they know they have a competing offer coming.I dont recommend lying about this, but if its true, its appropriate to share this including in a first phone interview with a recruiter or HR person.2 Mistakes When Answering, Are You Interviewing Anywhere Else?Now that we looked at the how to give the best possible answer to questions about where else youre interviewing, lets go through the MISTAKES to avoidMistake #1: Revealing the names of other companiesTheres no benefit to sharing this, and its not something they need to know. So politely decline. I have word-for-word answers coming up in the next section, but heres the general idea of what to say if they ask for company names:The companies Im interviewing with are software firms, similar to yours, in the greater Boston area. Im not comfortable sharing names of companies, though. I want to respe ct their privacy, and Id do the same for you if another firm asked me where else Ive had interviews.The bottom line is: Employers have no need for this information, and are just trying to use you to gather market data on who else is hiring, who their competition is, etc.While you should be open about whether youre interviewing elsewhere and how far along those interviews are, you should NEVER feel the need to tell them a company name. Use the answer sample above instead.One exception: Its different if youre interviewing with a recruiter from a staffing agency. They represent many companies and need to know who youve already spoken to, or else theyll be wasting their time potentially sending your resume to companies who already know you. So if youre working with a recruiter, go ahead and share this info. If you dont, theyre very unlikely to spend any time helping you.If youre unsure whether youre talking to an in-house recruiter who works for one specific company, or an agency recrui ter who recruiters for many employers, thats a good question to ask the recruiter in a first call.Mistake #2: Telling them youre not interviewing anywhere elseYou want to seem in-demand, and like your job search is going well.Thats probably the second most important thing to do in your answer, right behind showing them that their job fits what youre looking for overall!Why do they care how your job search is going?Employers want someone who is in-demand and desirable,so you do NOT want to sound frustrated, disappointed, or anything else like that.So never tell them that youre struggling to get interviews. Instead, you can tell a white lie and say, Im still early in my job search, but Im beginning to take phone interviews and its going really well so far.Now lets look at some word-for-word example answers. This will be a good recap of everything weve talked about above including how to avoid giving them other company names, what to say if youre not interviewing with any other compani es yet, etc.Best Example Answers For What Other Companies Are You Interviewing With?This first example shows you what you could say if youre just starting in your job search and havent had many interviews. Remember you never want to admit that you have no other companies interested. So youd say something like thisExample Answer #1:Im still in the early stages of my job search so Im just beginning to take phone interviews. Its going well so far andIm speaking primarily with technology companies like yours aboutsales and marketing positions.This is the best type of answer because you do NOT want to sound like you have no other prospects. This makes it sound like youre getting good interest from companies. And youre also reassuring the company that their job fits what youre looking for overall!This should all sound familiar if you read the answer steps earlier in this article.So you can use this script even if youve had zero other interviews. Just say youre doing phone interviews and its still early in your search.Now lets look at an example answer you can use if youve had some interviews, but no job offers yetExample Answer #2:Im actively interviewing and Im talking with a number of early stage technology companies like yours. Im focusing my job search on sales and marketing positions in particular.Ive met with a few companies face-to-face butI dont have job offers yet. That could change soon, so I can keep you updated.Use this if youre a bit further along in your job search and really do have some late-stage interviews going on.Its never a good idea to lie about job offers, though. So dont use this script above if its not true. Lies lead to more lies, and can end up getting you in trouble in future interviews.However, if you do have a job offer expected soon, this is the best answer. And if youve already received job offers, you can tell them that, too.Stay Calm and Use the Steps Above to Answer, Are You Interviewing Anywhere Else?Its not a trick question when employers ask about the other companies youre interviewing with.However, you do need to make sure to sound confident, show them you are looking for specific things in their job search, and show them their job fits the overall theme of what youre looking for.If you study the steps above and format your answer to sound like the two examples we just looked at, youll have a great answer any time they ask, what other companies are you interviewing with?

How Do Resume Writing Services Cost?

How Do Resume Writing Services Cost?Resume writing services cost many times more than the actual resume but it is necessary to understand how they work before one can choose which service will be best for his or her needs. It is the biggest mistake to use free services in their entirety since most companies that offer these services charge a fixed rate, which usually represents a percentage of the total cost and cannot be lowered in any manner.First impressions count and an applicant should not take chances when hiring a professional resume writing services. At the end of the day, he or she will be out of a job if the resume does not get a high rate of acceptance from the employer. Writing resumes is such a job that requires very advanced skill and one must go to the right place where he or she can obtain advice and assistance from experts to avoid the situation where you waste a lot of time and money in vain.Getting a service is best done through a referral from a person who has pre viously used the service and who is satisfied with the output. However, there are companies that do not require referrals. In fact, they do not even advertise their existence at all. This is because they are going to charge you a great deal of money for their services and they would rather not have to spend any part of this on advertising.The best approach to choose resume writing services cost and service types is to visit at least five different service providers to find out how they charge and what they offer. This is not a difficult task to accomplish as there are plenty of websites that will help you do this task for you. Also, there are several other online guides that can guide you through the process to make your job easier.You can use these online resources for free or charge some fee to create your own resume. A single expert resume writer will charge by the hour for doing so, which is why this fee must be paid first. It is much better to pay a small fee initially to get y our resume written.Most companies charge by the word, but you may want to charge by the job. This way, you can keep the fees low for the short jobs and increase them later when you are getting to long term contracts. Another option is to hire writers in-house which would probably be a better decision as you would get the best possible results for your money.You need to know what kinds of skills are needed in order to write a resume and what different things are involved in submitting it. This is important since your skills may differ from the basic skills needed to make one.You must consider the time you have in front of you and the amount of money you have available. This will help you figure out which service will be best for your needs and helps you save yourself a lot of money and hassle.

My project - The Chief Happiness Officer Blog

My project - The Chief Happiness Officer Blog My project (Projekt Arbejdsgl?de) is moving along nicely. Ive created a website for it here, and the first two workshops will be held in february. If you have any comments on the website, or would like to join a workshop, please let me know. Thanks for visiting my blog. If you're new here, you should check out this list of my 10 most popular articles. And if you want more great tips and ideas you should check out our newsletter about happiness at work. It's great and it's free :-)Share this:LinkedInFacebookTwitterRedditPinterest Related

2017 Kickoff Time To Get Going On Your Job Search

2017 Kickoff â€" Time To Get Going On Your Job Search 2017 Kickoff â€" Time To Get Going On Your Job Search For better or worse, 2016 is over. Time to make 2017 a great year. If one of the ingredients of your great year is a new job, it’s time to get going. Even if you’re not actively looking, you should make many of these activities part of your life. You should always have your resume ready to go and an ongoing practice of networking. If you are actively looking, get started on this list today. Get Ready First, make sure you resume is recruiter ready. Your resume is your calling card so make sure that it is a marketing document, which clearly demonstrates your value, not a boring employment history. Your resume should convey how you can solve a potential employer’s problems and be presented in an modern format. Next, finish completing your LinkedIn profile. Write that summary that you’ve been meaning to for the last 6 months. Write in the first person and show some personality. Fill out the employment section with more than just job titles. Finally, get some personal business cards to use for networking. All you need to include is your contact information and a brief blurb about you. Don’t forget you can use the back for additional information. Start Planning Create a list of target employers. Follow them on social media, including LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, etc. Set up Google alerts on their names so you will receive notifications when they are in the news. Ask everyone in your circle your friends, family, colleagues, alumni association, etc. â€" who they know who works at any of your target employers. Research and choose some job boards that might work for you. While you shouldn’t rely on job boards, they can be one part of your job-search plan. Develop a list of networking opportunities. Many industries have national organizations with local chapters that hold monthly meetings. Join your University alumni association, many of them have events nationwide as well. Find other places to meet people by checking your local paper for events, seminars, basically anyplace you can meet like minded people. Don’t discount less structured opportunities like Meetup. groups. Take Action Once you are ready for whatever comes up, it’s time to start moving. Plan to attend at least one networking group a week. If you have an incredibly busy schedule plan for one event a month. Set up informational interviews with people in your target position or field. While informational interviews are not the time to ask for a job, it’s a great way to make connections. Keep on top of what’s going on with your target employers. Don’t just follow recruiters on Twitter, interact with them. Be brave, attend a Twitter chat. Its already January 2017. You have no more time to waste. It will be 2018 before you know it.