Big Words start conversations and open doors to new places.
Author: anwaryusef
Anwar Y. Dunbar is a Regulatory Scientist. Being a naturally curious person, he is also a student of all things. He earned his Ph.D. in Pharmacology from the University of Michigan and his Bachelor’s Degree in General Biology from Johnson C. Smith University (JCSU). Prior to starting the Big Words Blog Site, Anwar published and contributed to numerous research articles in competitive scientific journals reporting on his research from graduate school and postdoctoral years. After falling in love with writing, he contributed to the now defunct Examiner.com, and the Edvocate where he regularly wrote about: Education-related stories/topics, Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM), Financial Literacy; as well as conducted interviews with notable individuals such as actor and author Hill Harper. Having many influences, one of his most notable heroes is author, intellectual and speaker, Malcolm Gladwell, author of books including Outliers and David and Goliath.
Anwar has his hands in many, many activities. In addition to writing, Anwar actively mentors youth, works to spread awareness of STEM careers, serves on the Board of Directors of the Friends of the David M. Brown Arlington Planetarium, serves as Treasurer for the JCSU Washington, DC Alumni Chapter, and is active in the Dave Ramsey Financial Peace Ministry at the Alfred Street Baptist Church. He also tutors in the subjects of biology, chemistry and physics.
Along with his multi-talented older brother Amahl Dunbar (designer of the Big Words logos, inventor and a plethora of other things), Anwar is a “Fanboy” and really enjoys Science-Fiction and Superhero movies including but not restricted to Captain America Civil War, Batman vs. Superman: Dawn of Justice, and Prometheus. He is a proud native of Buffalo, NY.
Two of the focuses of my blog are Financial Literacy/Money and Business/Entrepreneurship. When you start a business, there may come times where you have to run your business from a distance. As such it’s important to think about what you would in those instances to keep your operations running as seamlessly as possible. The following contributed post is thus entitled, Surviving An Extreme Case Of Remote Business.
When you first start your business, it can be hard to foresee what might be around the corner in a few year’s time. Your circumstances will almost certainly change and adapt, leaving you in a very different spot to where you started, and a lot of people struggle to balance this with their company. When you’re forced away from your business, for example, it can feel almost impossible to keep things afloat. To help you out with this, this post will be exploring three of the most extreme cases of remote working out there, giving you an idea of what you can do to survive if you ever find yourself in one.
Living Abroad
There are a lot of different factors which can see a business person migrating around the globe. If you started your company in another country, for example, you may find that it becomes harder to get visas in the future. Forcing you to move back to your original home, this can leave your company without proper leadership. To ensure that this doesn’t hurt your company, you will need to find someone who can run the venture using your instructions. They will need to be someone who can communicate with you as often as possible, though, making it worth having someone dedicated to this task.
Being Incarcerated
It’s easy to make a mistake which can land you in big trouble, and a lot of people have things like this come back to bite them when they don’t handle it in the past. Running a business from a prison cell is a very challenging task, unfortunately. Good criminal defence lawyers may be able to get you more computer access while you’re locked up, under the condition that it is only used for business. If you can’t have this, though, taking a similar route to the first option is a good idea, along with taking detailed reports about the company whenever you can. For this role, you will need someone willing to visit the prison as often as possible.
Getting Sick
While it may not sound as dramatic as the option above, getting seriously ill can have a devastating effect on your ability to conduct business. For example, if you are bedbound, you simply won’t be able to go to the office. Thankfully, being in bed doesn’t mean that you can’t work, though, and it can be worth building a solution this if it is going to be a long-term issue. For things which are temporary, you could simply hire someone to fill in the gap while you’re gone and take over again once you’re feeling better.
With all of this in mind, you should be ready to start working on securing yourself in case you ever have to move away from your business. Remote working is becoming more and more popular, making it easier to find tools which can help in this area. Of course, though, there are others issues like this, and you may have to creative if you want to solve them.
A key focus of my blog is Technology. With everything smart phones can do now, they’re arguably becoming more important and powerful than laptop computers and PCs. They can store multiple forms of data, and allow you to do multiple things on the move. As such it’s important to take the best care of your mobile device possible. The following contributed post is thus entitled, Looking After Your Most Useful Gadget.
Whilst there could be some debate over what your most useful gadget is, as phones become more and more powerful to the point that some smartphones today are more overtaking the power of laptops and even desktop computers of just a year or two ago, many people would argue that their phone is perhaps their most useful gadget, or at least the gadget they most depend on – particularly if you are running a business.
Today, we carry around so many gadgets, that are of such great value, yet we take their value for granted – it’s not usually until we are without our gadget that we realise it’s true value, and perhaps even more pertinent is the value of the data contained on these devices.
Just a decade ago, the idea someone would carry a gadget worth over $1,000 around with them, throwing it in their pocket, on the passenger seat of their car and even holding it over massive drops in order to get an epic photo… whereas today, we all take the precious cost of these devices for granted.
In fact, what’s crazy is that you could buy two cheap second hand cars for the same price of a mobile phone.
Then, in addition to their financial value, the social value they provide is extraordinary; combine this with the extreme value of the data contained on your device and we can quite quickly see the need to be treating our mobile phones with a little more respect.
Mobile phones, today, are the equivalent of the swiss army knife in that they perform so many tasks – yet they are much easier to break and destroy. Indeed, some phones are designed akin to a slippery bar of soap in the shower… so whatever phone solution you use, protecting this precious gadget is of utmost importance.
We’ve all heard many horror stories of people we know losing all their work, contacts, and precious memories in the form of images and videos. The best way to protect against this type of loss is to regularly backup to the cloud, yet, so many people don’t do this – even if they’ve experienced theft or data corruption in the past.
Another thing you might want to consider, if you don’t have it already, is to take out gadget insurance. This type of insurance is becoming increasingly popular as people collect more and more devices, yet it is suprisingly expensive. That said, it’s possibly one of the msot claimed on forms of insurance policy that exist due to the high risks of breaking a mobile phone via accidental damage, leaving it somewhere, or being stolen from you.
Interestingly, the majority of insurance policies have quite a few exlcusionary terms, so be sure to check out the fine print before purchasing as you don’t want to pay out money for an insurance policy to find you’re not covered because of an obscure term of the insurance contract.
In summary, it’s important to appreciate the value of your most useful gadget by backing it up regularly, insuring it, and mitigating the risk of accidental damage by using things such as screen covers.
Two key focuses of my blog are Business/Entrepreneurship and Technology. A key aspect of conducting business today is having a functional and user-friendly website. What’s needed for a website to be successful? The following contributed post is entitled, 7 Things Every Website Needs To Be Successful.
When it comes to building a user-friendly website that is both successful and easy to use, it’s hard to know where to start. There are so many different things to consider in order to run a website efficiently that often, people can get carried away and start to overload their customers with information and widgets. Whilst they may seem useful at the time, gadgets and gizmos don’t make a website automatically successful.
With that in mind, here are 7 things every website needs to be successful:
1. A Pleasing Aesthetic
The first thing people will notice when they visit your website is what it looks like. If they don’t enjoy the aesthetic and find it hard to view, they’re likely to click off and find another website.
Although it may seem as though you have to put thousands and thousands into a site to make it aesthetically pleasing, there are lots of templates available on sites like Etsy.com that you can purchase for as low as $20 – all of which of are perfect in terms of their layouts.
2. To Be Easy To Use And Navigate Around
When designing your website you need to ensure it’s easy to use from a user perspective. The best way to do this is to think about how you would move through your website as a customer. Can you find everything you need? Is your navigation bar easy to find? Is it clear how to reach every single page on your site?
If you can answer yes to all of the above questions, it’s safe to assume your customers will feel the same.
3. A Blog To Share Relevant And Engaging Content
Having a blog on your website is a great way to share content your customers with love and engage with. In some cases, it’s also a useful tool for allowing potential customers to discover your brand and your site. For tips on how to start a blog for your brand, you can visit this website here.
4. A Really Good Developer (Just In Case)
Whether you have built your site your self or hand a developer build it for you, it’s always good to ensure you have a really good developer on hand just in case. They’ll be able to help you should any issues arise, helping reduce the amount of downtime your website has (if any at all).
If a potential or existing customer wants to contact you but they can’t find your contact details, they’re most likely going to take their custom elsewhere. Having your contact clear at the top or bottom of every page on your site is the best way to ensure you don’t lose any customers due to them not being able to ask you an all-important question.
Do you own a successful website? Did we miss anything? Let us know in the comment section below.
The first principle of my blog is Creating Ecosystems of Success, and a major focus is awareness of the STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) fields. In my post entitled, Who will benefit from Apple’s $350 billion investment?, I cited data stating that less than 10% of STEM degree holders are African American – a staggering number as these are some of the highest paying careers today. That same data was cited in an article by PBS entitled; African-Americans over-represented among low-paying college majors.
In my post entitled, The story of how I earned my STEM degree as a minority, I discussed the major learning points during my doctoral studies within the University of Michigan Department of Pharmacology. After completing that post, I realized that I also needed to discuss the role Johnson C. Smith University (JCSU) played in my journey. Despite debates over their continued relevance in modern times, many black STEM professionals received their initial training at their Historically Black Colleges/Universities (HBCU). Thus, in this post, I’m going to discuss how JCSU contributed to my journey towards my STEM career.
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When I arrived at JCSU in the fall of 1995, I really wasn’t sure what I wanted to do career-wise. I knew that I was inclined towards the biological sciences, but what career would I land in? Would I go to medical school? Would I end up teaching? Would it be something else? When I started my higher education at a Predominantly White Institution (PWI), the SUNY College at Brockport, a year earlier, I thought I wanted to be an athletic trainer; but I still wasn’t sure.
During my year at the SUNY Brockport before transferring to JCSU, I figured out how to be a student and earned an ‘A’ grade in my Survey of Anatomy and Physiology class – a very intensive pre-medical course. After earning that A, I knew that I could excel in most other undergraduate Biology courses and that’s the mindset I took with me down to Charlotte. Being 12 hours away from home also gave me a strong sense of focus and urgency.
The professors in the Department of Natural Sciences at JCSU were a dedicated and hardworking group. They were all very accomplished as most of them had a Ph.D. As described in my post entitled, Researching your career revisited: Wisdom from a STEM professor at my HBCU, some of them used a ‘tough love’ approach with us, letting us know that doing mediocre and low quality work would all but shut us out of careers like medicine, to which many of us, at least verbally aspired. Some of us rose to the challenge while others rejected their coaching.
Early on I churned out multiple A’s in my core courses which made me stand out because there were few males there at the time who were doing that. There was a select group of females who were doing it and were on track to get into medical school; as described in my piece about researching your career goals. I was also very malleable and teachable, so I started spending time with the professors in their offices outside of classes to get advice and feedback on material covered in class and potential careers. One professor did something that changed the course of my life.
“What are you doing this summer?” I was in the office of the professor I discussed in the piece about the importance of researching your career of interest. She wanted to know how I was going to spend my summer months. We were midway through the spring 1997 semester.
“I think I’m just going to go back to Buffalo to work security and wait tables at the bar I worked at last year,” I said to her shrugging my shoulders.
“No! You need to do something scientific,” she forcefully replied. “Take this, fill it out and bring it back to me!”
She handed me an application for the Ronald E. McNair Program at UNC-Charlotte. I quickly filled it out just as she mandated. It was a pivotal moment. I was going to go back home to Buffalo that summer because it was comfortable. However, more importantly, I didn’t know what I could do scientifically over the summer. This professor saw my potential, and then stepped in to help me realize it. I participated in the McNair program over the summers of 1997 and 1999 – something I’ll write about that later. My professor’s actions opened a whole new world for me and led me to my graduate studies at the University of Michigan.
Another professor also impacted my future. He passed away several years ago, so I’ll mention his name. It was Dr. Joseph Fail, Jr., whom I became close to when I was a student. I stayed friends with him after graduating. Like everyone else who met him initially, Dr. Fail came off as a bit eccentric to me. He had a ‘hippie-like’ appearance in terms of how he dressed, and he had a long graying beard. He was the one professor out of the group who had background in the plant sciences; Botany and Ecology for which he was very, very passionate. He was also passionate about the students, and always encouraged our learning how to write and think coherently. He was alarmed by how some students wrote – something he repeatedly shared that with me in my numerous visits in his office.
Dr. Fail helped me secure a two-year fellowship through the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) where we proposed to teach Ecology to kids at a local Charlotte school in grades 4-6. I didn’t understand the significance of teaching Ecology to these age groups, but I did understand that my tuition would be completely paid for my final two years, and that I’d receive a stipend. This meant that I’d no longer have to work an off-campus job. During my first two years at JCSU, I worked at the McDonalds at the downtown Overstreet Mall for spending money.
We submitted the grant the night it was due and stayed at Biddle Hall with members of the administration until 7 or 8 pm that night. The officials at Biddle Hall insisted on a certain level of quality, which caused a big ‘dust up’ as Dr. Fail just wanted to get the proposal submitted. It was my first experience applying for scientific grant funding. In getting those last two years of tuition paid, he impacted me and my family’s future for years to come by significantly decreasing my debt burden. The project was the basis for my senior thesis paper. Whenever Dr. Fail didn’t think that I was working hard enough on it, he was quick to remind me, “You’re getting paid for this Anwar!”
Two other professors in the department both had the last name “Thomas”, but they weren’t related. Those who were there knew that their last names actually weren’t ‘Thomas’. It was something close, and I’m just trying to protect their identities. One of them taught our Zoology class – a ‘gatekeeper’ course. He gave us multiple choice questions and frequently tricked the students who’d gotten the previous year’s exams from classmates. These students answered many of the questions wrong because they didn’t understand the principles of what was being asked, though the answers sounded the same. He stayed on us about class participation and continuously prodded the students to participate in discussions – an important part of science.
In my last year, Dr. Thomas encouraged us to revive the Science Club and for me to become the President. Though I had no idea how to be one, nor did I have the desire. I’d gotten used to working on my own and didn’t know how to be the head of any group. I begrudgingly accepted the position, and it was a good experience. I recall having my mentor from the McNair program come over from UNC-Charlotte to talk to us about his research in Hepatic Physiology. We also went to the Asheboro Zoo one day, I believe.
I became close with the other Dr. Thomas toward the end of my time at JCSU. I only scored a ‘B’ in his Biochemistry class, but I was juggling a lot at that time. I asked him to write a letter of recommendation for me for graduate school. He told me many stories about his graduate school days at the University of Cincinnati when things were much, much harder for black people. He encountered a lot of racism as he worked on his Ph.D. in Physiology. He came across as a little eccentric at times, as well, but he cared about the students and in some ways was very misunderstood. He always encouraged me saying, “Anwar, if you don’t get into graduate school, I don’t know what to say because you’re one of the best that we have!”
The Chemistry, Math and Physics professors cared a lot about the students also. In my post entitled, The keys to learning college level general chemistry, I discussed how I ‘turned the corner’ in terms of understanding General Chemistry under the professor who taught it to me at JCSU. The chemistry courses were also gatekeeper courses which derailed many students’ dreams of going to medical school.
As I described in my blog post regarding my experience during graduate school, I didn’t learn the importance of asking questions and scientific curiosity until after I left JCSU. It wasn’t because the professors didn’t encourage it though. Instead, it was because some of my classmates fought it. Unfortunately, in some instances, if the majority of a group isn’t committed to advancing, they can hold back those that are. It turns out that curiosity and asking questions is the lifeblood of any science – medicine included. Likewise if you don’t ask questions, you won’t go very far in any STEM.
“You’re the only one from our group who went into science,” a former classmate told me recently at homecoming weekend – something that both surprised me and was very telling. I think everyone in my cohort had the ability to go on to do something scientific, but we all arrived at JCSU with different tools and mindsets. Some also ran into some of life’s other unforeseen difficulties.
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I’m going to close by going back to the science club and the importance of mentoring. At the time I wasn’t sure how to be the President of the Science Club. In hindsight, it was just setting and creating environments/spaces where we could all grow, ask questions, talk science and exchange ideas – things they were doing at Howard and Morehouse.
To help our alma mater, I’m seeking to do that now for the current students, alumni and the university. I’ve started a Facebook page and group both entitled, “JCSU STEM Alumni”. I’ve also started an Instagram account with the same name. Please follow, join and contribute. That goes for Ph.Ds like myself, medical doctors, IT specialists or mathematicians. In terms of the logo, the elements used in the JCSU STEM Alumni logo; Neon, Lithium, Potassium and Scandium are elements 10, 3, 19 and 21 on the Periodic Table. In our alphabet, the numbers 10, 3, 19 and 21 correspond to the letters J-C-S-U.
If you’re a student and have questions about a course or your career, please reach out via a public post or a direct message. If you’re not a Smithite, but have a STEM background and want to participate, please join as well. Also, please help spread the word.
Thank you for taking the time to read this blog post. If you enjoyed this post you may also enjoy:
If you’ve found value here and think it would benefit others, please share it and/or leave a comment. Please visit my YouTube channel entitled, Big Discussions76. To receive all of the most up to date content from the Big Words Blog Site, subscribe using the subscription box in the right-hand column in this post and throughout the site, or add my RSS feed to your feedreader. You can follow me on the Big Words Blog Site Facebook page, and Twitter at @BWArePowerful. Lastly, you can follow me on Instagram at @anwaryusef76. While my main areas of focus are Education, STEM and Financial Literacy, there are other blogs/sites I endorse which can be found on that particular page of my site.
A key focus of my blog is General Education. I recent years, music and the arts have been de-emphasized in many curricula around the country. While there is a new emphasis on the Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) fields, should music be forsaken altogether? The following contributed post is entitled, The Importance of Music in Schools.
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There’s been a lot in the news in recent years about a lack of arts and creativity in schools. Subjects that were once cherished, like music and dance and being replaced with more sciences, a great emphasis on computers and the addition of things like coding and networking. Even children in elementary school, aren’t being given a chance to learn music in lessons or take extra classes to learn how to play an instrument.
Music and subjects like it are quickly being erased from many curriculums. New subjects are becoming more important, and there’s no denying that children today need to learn more new skills. They’ll spend much of their life working on a computer, and things like coding, networking, and even digital marketing are essential in the modern world. It wouldn’t be right to deny our children the chance to learn them in schools. But, with only so many hours in the day, is it ok to deny them the chance to musical education, a chance to be creative, and even upload music? Shouldn’t we still be offering a rounded education, with music in the middle? Here are some of the benefits of teaching music in school.
Young children struggle to communicate their feelings and needs. Music gives them a new way. They can play instruments to channel how they are feeling, without having to find the right words. Frankly, this can be great for moody teenagers too.
It Makes School Fun
School is hard work. Today’s children are under more pressure than any previous generation. They sit exams much earlier, and much more frequently. A greater emphasis is put on academic achievements. They take more work home, they study for longer hours, and much more is expected of them. Even at a young age, this doesn’t leave a great deal of time for fun.
All this hard work, without any kind of balance can leave children feeling overwhelmed, struggling with anxiety and even facing depression. Even those that cope well can grow up hating school and resenting education. It certainly doesn’t create a positive learning environment.
Creative subjects, with a less academic focus, like music and the arts, adds some fun. It gives children a chance to break free. To be creative, to express themselves, to improve their social skills, to find something that they love doing, and most importantly, to be a child and enjoy themselves. This can reduce pressure massively, improving children mental health and well-being, and even increasing attendance rates.
To Encourage Social Skills
Most children are naturally very social. If they spend their time at school sat working quietly, next to people but not with them and then they go home and sit in front of the TV or playing on devices, these social skills aren’t being encouraged. In fact, they are being stunted. Music encourages friendships, teamwork and gives their social skills a big boost.
It Boosts Brain Power
Learning music boosts their brains. It uses a different part of their brains and gives them a kick start. Kids that learn music or play an instrument are often faster learners, better readers and have better memories.
Three of the focuses of my blog are Financial Literacy/Money, Business/Entrepreneurship and Health/Wellness. No matter what arena it is, there will always be some element of human error. When you’re in a healthcare business, errors can be particularly dangerous. As such its important to figure out how to minimize errors in your healthcare business. The following contributed post is thus entitled, Human Error In Healthcare Businesses: What Are The Solutions?
While human error is by no means limited to healthcare businesses only – every industry has to battle the issue – it could be argued that human error is particularly costly when it comes to medicine. Medical staff are highly-trained, dedicated, and expert individuals, but everyone is human, and – to borrow a famous quote – to err is one of the most human of traits.
For years, owners of all healthcare-related businesses – ranging from private clinics to pharmacies to research labs – just had to accept that human error was inevitable, and to try to limit the damage when it occurred. However, modern medicine is very different indeed, and if you own a pharmacy or medical practice, you’re sure to be delighted by such a development.
Understanding the reasons for human error
When anyone makes a mistake, most of us are trained just to accept it, telling ourselves that these things happen. This is a fairly reasonable response, and there is no benefit to seeing a single error as a reflection of an individual’s overall capabilities, it is perhaps overlooking a key issue: well-being.
Simply put, errors are more likely if someone is not at their best. If they are tired, stressed, anxious, or feeling physically unwell, then an individual is more likely to make mistakes. Over recent years, a societal trend has emerged acknowledging that while some errors will always happen, many more are preventable. You might need to look at increasing your staff levels to reduce pressure or hire more experienced staff who can better handle the complex challenges facing your business. List vacancies on niche sites such as the allied health jobs board for the best applications.
In the course of running your medical business, embracing the above approach can be hugely beneficial. If you focus on ensuring your staff are at their best by managing their schedule, encouraging good employee health practices, and encouraging staff to approach you if they feel unwell or off their game, you stand an excellent chance of reducing human errors that may otherwise have caused huge problems.
The introduction of tech
An understanding of the reasons people make errors is important, but in terms of reducing human error in medical businesses, nothing is quite so efficient as automation. Machines and technology are unencumbered by issues such as stress and overwork, and are thus able to perform tasks with greater accuracy and consistency than their human counterparts.
There are few areas of medicine that are not benefiting from automated interventions. From the well-known benefits of devices that facilitate pharmacy automation and analysis of test results to futuristic ideas such as robotic surgery, automation is changing medicine for the better.
Due to the incredible abilities offered by modern technological advances such as those described above, human error is no longer a factor that just has to be accepted. By investing in tech, you can ensure that your staff have more time to spend interacting with patients, while automated technologies work hard in the background to produce excellent, almost entirely error-free results.
In conclusion
As the above demonstrates, owners of any kind of medical business are now able to better manage human error than at any other point in history. By combining a focus on employee health and well-being with automated technologies, you can embrace a new, exciting future that significantly improves the working life of your staff, reduces overall errors, and ultimately boosts your business’ chances of success.
Two of the key areas of my focus of my blog are Financial Literacy/Money and Business/Entrepreneurship. A key sector of our economy is construction. It’s cyclical and is very competitive. It’s thus important to strategically know where to take you business. The following contributed post is thus entitled, Construction of the Future – Where to Take Your Business Next.
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The construction market has never been more competitive than it is right now. There are construction businesses popping up right, left and centre, ready to take your customers right underneath your nose. Just because construction relies on some old-school skills, it doesn’t mean the business should never progress. Here’s what you should be thinking about for the future of your construction business.
When it comes to business, goals should be newly set every year. The construction industry is no different. Perhaps your profit goals will change or maybe you intend on hiring more staff in the future. Whichever goals you set for your business, you need to make sure they are realistic. Every business wants to be successful but trying to run before you can walk could be the death of you. When you want to succeed, your goals should be based on proper research and the evidence of what you can and can’t do.
Find Your Niche
As a construction company, you won’t be able to offer everything. Therefore, it’s important to find a few niches where you can excel and deliver quality products to clients. For example, Ranger excel at rigging. Rather than trying to expand and offer more to your clients, try to focus on how you can better what you already do. Perhaps investing in the latest technology will help you to work quicker and take on more clients as a result.
When there’s so much work to do, seeking out new contracts can distract you from fulfilling the ones you already have. Using a tendering professional could take your mind off getting new clients so you’re free to work on projects. Applying for big contracts isn’t an easy thing to do, so the more help you have the better. It also takes the pressure off beating the competition to the finish line. Tendering can be a massive weight off your shoulders.
Revolutionise Your Business
As mentioned above, investing in technology can be a great way to take your business to the next level. In fact, if you want to spark the interest of bigger and profitable clients, technology is your best friend. With things like project management software, construction apps and easier ways to stay in touch with clients, your job is made a lot easier. The construction industry is one of the biggest for clients that stay loyal for years, so the better relationship you can create with your clients with the use of technology, the more likely they are to stay.
Online Presence
Your clients aren’t searching through the phone books to find you anymore. If you want to get the right clients, you need to be online and visible. Every business, including those in the construction industry, needs a marketing strategy. Use social media often, consistently update your website and encourage clients to leave positive reviews where potential clients can see them.
Construction of the future is more convenient for both you and your clients, so continue to think outside the box.
The first principle of my blog is Creating Ecosystems of Success and a key focus is Career Discussions. Finding a career that you love and want to remain in long-term can be difficult. When out looking for potential careers, it’s important to know what to look for and what considerations to keep in mind. The following contributed post is thus entitled, Essential Job Hunting Tips To Help Land That Dream Career.
Working a career you love means never working a day in your life. This is why it’s important that your quit your unfulfilling job and pursue a career you’re actually passionate about. Unfortunately, when it comes to landing this much-loved position, things can get quite tough. In today’s climate and job market, securing any type of employment can be challenging, so bagging a highly sought after position can often feel impossible. That being said, the tips below can boost your chances.
Put Yourself Out There Knowing the right people can be of great help when it comes to landing your dream job. For this reason, it’s crucial that you put yourself out there and spend some time networking. Make sure that you attend conferences, conventions, and seminars in your local area and follow relevant individuals on social media. This can feel strange at first, but you’ll soon get the hang of it.
Get The Right Education No one ever walks into employment knowing exactly what they should be doing. However, most employers do ask that you have certain qualifications or skills. Whether they be a clinical mental health counseling masters or a basic understanding of computer software, you need to be able to show that you have what it takes. If you don’t already, then it may be time to go back to school.
Build Your Online Presence These days, almost every manager or recruiter you come across will check your social media before offering you a position at their company. Because of this, you need to ensure that your profiles remain positive and professional at all times. All posts will be an indication of the type of person you are, so keep them clean and avoid anything that might put off a future employer.
Don’t Forget The Letter Writing an informative and creative resume is an essential step in the hiring process, but it’s not as important as most people assume. Because of the number of resumes hiring managers have to read, they tend to only glance over them. If you want to stand out, then you need to do things differently by also writing a cover letter. This gives you a chance to show off your personality.
Apply For Many Positions Applying for just one position at a time may make things less complicated for you, but it will slow don’t the entire job hunting process. For this reason, you should instead apply for many positions at once. This will boost your chances of securing at least one spot and will do so much quicker too. Just make sure that you only apply for positions that you’re actually interested in.
Sharpen Your Interview Game You may not like them, but interviews aren’t going away any time soon. With that in mind, you must take the time to sharpen your interview skills and prepare for that all important meeting. Make sure to research your interviewer and the company so that you have plenty of questions to ask. You should also aim to arrive early, wearing an outfit that fits the company dress code.
Landing your dream career will never be easy, but, by following the advice above, you can give yourself a much greater chance.
The first principle of my blog is Creating Ecosystems of Success and a key focus is Health and Wellness. Stress effects a lot Americans, ultimately impacting their quality of life and health. How do you know if you have stress? The following contributed post is entitled, The Most Common Causes Of Stress And How to Deal With Them.
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Did you know that around 80% of American adults suffer from stress? Stress can be a positive thing, and some of us work better under pressure. However, in the vast of majority of cases, it has negative implications for both our physical and mental wellbeing. If you’re struggling to cope with stress, you’re not alone, but statistics don’t always provide comfort or reassurance. With stress such a prevalent factor in modern-day life, it’s useful to explore the most common causes of stress and look into practical measures and coping mechanisms that could prove beneficial.
The most common causes of stress Stress affects us all of us to a degree at some point in our lives. There are endless reasons why people may experience stress, but some are much more common than others. Here are some examples of the most common causes of stress.
Work-related stress
Most of us are familiar with the feeling of sitting in a meeting and feeling like the information is sailing way over our heads or turning on our laptops to be inundated with emails. Often, work-related issues are associated with feeling like you have too much to do, or worrying that the jobs that are on the table in front of you are beyond your skill set or level of experience. Additional factors may include not getting on with your boss or a colleague, or working too many hours. If you’re leaving the house at 6am and not getting home until 10pm, there’s a clear lack of work-life balance.
If work is making you feel on edge or anxious, you’re struggling with your current workload, and you have issues with a certain person or a group of people, there are steps you can take to try and combat these problems and find solutions. If you’ve got too much on your plate, talk to your boss. It may be possible to get some help, to share projects with other members of staff or to adjust your schedule so that it gives you a better balance. Many people are choosing to work from home more, for example. If you have issues with colleagues or your employer, approach the subject with that person or ask your boss or a senior colleague for advice if you don’t want to dive straight in. Communication is often key in this instance, as the person you’re struggling with may be completely unaware of the way you feel or the way they’re behaving towards you.
Relationship breakdown Relationships can bring us down or build us up, and often, the links we have with people have a major bearing on our mental health. If you’re in a loving, secure relationship with a partner, this can make you feel like you’re on cloud nine. In contrast, if you’re arguing all the time, you put each other down, and you’ve lost sight of why you’re even together, this is bound to contribute to stress, as well as other emotions, such as anger, frustration and sadness. The breakdown of a relationship is never easy to cope with, but if you have children, you’re married, or you share properties, businesses or circles of friends, it can be particularly challenging and distressing. Even if you know in your heart of hearts that you’re making the right decision breaking up with your partner, it can cause you to be confronted with overwhelming emotions and a sense of grief.
If you’ve decided to go your separate ways, it’s wise to focus on your emotional recovery and your mental health, as well as trying to get organized and address practical measures. One of the best ways to eliminate stress related to the uncertainty of going through legal processes is finding an attorney with expertise in family law. Research firms and ask around for recommendations. Meet with your attorney, ask as many questions as you like, and gather information about what lies ahead. When it comes to dealing with your emotions, reach out to close friends and relatives, give yourself time to heal, and don’t blame yourself. When you’re ready to open up, you might find it beneficial to talk to a therapist or somebody close to you.
Money worries Money worries are among the most common causes of stress, especially among millennials. If you’re struggling to survive from one month to the next, you’ve got bills to pay, or you’re in debt and there doesn’t seem to be a light at the end of the tunnel, this can cause you to feel anxious and worried. It’s not always easy to deal with financial issues, but there are avenues that are worth exploring. If you’re finding it difficult to bridge the gap between paydays, or you tend to overspend without realizing, budgeting is an incredibly useful tool. You can use money management apps, spreadsheets or even a pen and paper to track what’s going into and out of your accounts and monitor spending. If you’re in debt, and you can’t seem to find a way out, it’s wise to seek help from a debt adviser or to get in touch with a charity that provides free information and guidance. There are options out there that you might not be aware of, and you’ll probably feel much better once you’ve you spoken to somebody about your situation.
If you’ve lost your job, or you only work part-time, think about ways you could boost your income. Register with recruitment agencies, upload your resume to job sites and consider a sideline. If you’ve got practical skills, creative talents or hobbies, for example, could you use those abilities and interests to supplement your income?
Stress affects us all, and it can be hugely debilitating. If you’re prone to stress, or you’re worried that stress is taking over your life, don’t suffer in silence. Lean on friends and family for support, talk about how you feel, and seek out practical solutions. Talk to experts who have experience in helping people in the same boat as you, and don’t be afraid to seek medical help if you feel like you’ve tried every self-help technique in the book and you’re still struggling.
The first principle of my blog is Creating Ecosystems of Success. No matter what your line of work is, having a productive work environment is critical. In order to do this, you must consider what’s important to your employees. The following contributed post is thus entitled, Renovate Your Office For A More Productive Environment.
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A productive environment is often the one thing a company lacks. Because it can either go one of two ways. It can either be super exciting and energetic, but with a lack of control that means employees rule the roost and do as they please, rather than it being a place of perfect balance. Or you get the offices that are just so boring and horrible to work in, that the lack of life leads to poor productivity. So when you have no clue how to really manage an office, and what you should be doing to make sure your employees are happy more than anything. Because if you want our first clue as to how to run an office, and how to make it super productive, you have to know that putting your employees happiness first, rather than ignoring it, is key. So, we want to show you how you can renovate your office to make it a place that harbours employees happiness, yet aims to be one of the most productive in the world.
Employee feedback is so important if you wish to create an environment that’s perfect for all. Because at the top of the food chain, you might not have all of the information, and you won’t know what it is like to have to sit through a day in your office. Well, you won’t know what it is like for your employees, anyway. They could give you a really constructive idea as to how they think the office should be, and what it might be lacking at the minute. They could even give you criticism as to how you can renovate your management. Sometimes the people you put in charge just aren’t right for the job, and you won’t truly realise that until you get an insight into the people working for them. Sometimes better people in management is all you need.
The Life & Soul
It has to have life and soul in it if you want to make sure your office environment thrives, and the best way to do that is to have a complete overhaul, and make everything bright and interesting. You could get van hire for the day so that you can take all of your old things out and to where they need to go, and bring in anything new. You could also hire a painter and decorator to make sure the place ends up just the way you need it. We recommend using bright colours and features to brighten the place up a little, and using things like indoor plants to lift the mood. They have been proven to bring spirit and life to a room!
What Feeds Creativity
To feed creativity, you need to have space for your employees to relax, recharge, and then face the rest of the day. Having a great social area where people can put their feet up during breaks is so important. We also think you should have things like mood boards to help your employees brainstorm any ideas as they go.
