Category: Career Discussions

4 Careers To Consider That Will Keep You On Your Feet

Two key focuses of my blog are Career Discussions and Professional Development/Skills. For some individuals, there comes a time for a career change. There numerous exhilarating careers which take place outside of the office and require small or large-scale movement. The following contributed post is entitled, 4 Careers To Consider That Will Keep You On Your Feet.

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Are you looking for a different type of job? It’s possible that you’re not suited for a career where you’re going to be stuck behind a desk. Not everyone is a match for these types of positions and that’s okay. Does it mean that you’re going to be stuck in a dead-end position or that you are not going to be fulfilled on your professional journey? While it is going to depend on the position you choose, in most cases, an active position can be just as rewarding as those where you spend most of your time in the office.

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Law Enforcement

You might want to consider working in law enforcement. This will be the perfect career for you if you have a passion for justice and are keen to help serve your local community. Pay levels can be strong too, particularly as you rise through the ranks. It is important that you receive the right training for this type of position. However, police training is available from numerous companies and can easily be arranged before or during your career path.

Fitness Instructor

Of course, if you want a lighter career path that has a little less pressure and stress attached to the role then becoming a fitness instructor could be a great choice for you. As a fitness instructor, you will be able to push your body to reach its max potential and encourage other people to do the same. You will also be able to stay on your feet for most of the day and thus remain in fantastic shape. It’s a tiring career but it is one that can provide tremendous benefits. Particularly, when you start to think about setting up your own brand or running your own full fitness business. You can branch out too, providing online support as well as gym sessions.

Travel Wonder

If you’re looking for one of the best and most fulfilling active careers, then you should definitely consider a life traveling to places unknown. Now, you’re probably wondering whether you can earn money while traveling. You definitely can but it won’t work for everyone. There is an element of luck involved and yes, it does help if you are conventionally attractive. However, more than this, you need to have a great personality or charm that people can connect with. They have to want to follow you on your journey. This will earn you online followers and will lead to money-making opportunities.

Journalist

Finally, you might think that journalism is precisely the type of career that is going to keep you behind the desk. But this is not the case. The reality is that you will be out in the real world, talking to people, connecting with people and running interviews. You will actually only spend a few hours in the office at any given time in most journalism roles. It provides a lot of the freedom that people often seek when pursuing a different type of career.

We hope this helps you find the perfect active career for you.

3 Ways You Can Become a Better Boss

Two of the focuses of my blog are Career Discussions and Professional Development/Skills. Many individuals want to be the boss, but it comes with a great deal of responsibility and risk. In many instances it requires constant learning and evolution. The following contributed post is entitled, 3 Ways You Can Become a Better Boss.

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Looking after your workforce can have many benefits for your business. If you have a high turnover rate, this could possibly mean that staff morale could be low due to the frequent number of employees that have been replaced amongst other things.

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As the owner of the business, the last thing you want is for this to reflect badly on your company. For this reason, you will need to be proactive in making sure you are giving your employees what they need to be able to the job well. And also enjoy the job they are being employe to do and want to stick with you.

A happy workforce has the potential to totally change your company’s fortune. After all, chances are, if you have people working for you, you realistically can’t do this all yourself. So what can you do to change the fortunes of your company by focussing on your employee’s needs?

Staff Training

Are you taking the time to properly train employees when they start work with your company? It can be tempting to rush training, especially if you need to replace employees quickly to keep things ticking over. But in short, this could harm you in the longer-term rather than help you.

Sending an under-qualified, under-trained member of staff to do something they are confident doing could have a detrimental effect on your company. Resulting in poor customer service, flouting of health and safety regulation and again, poor staff morale. Invest in their future with you and make sure they have been thoroughly trained to help them do what they need to do well.

Look After Their Emotional and Physical Well Being

Have you taken the time to get to know your employees and what they require to be able to work? A lot of people have different physical requirements to help them be able to do their jobs. Being able to accommodate this or make allowances or adaptations will make you feel that you care about them and have their best interests at heart.

Contracting a company such as Jobfit Health Group can help you provide healthcare for your staff including pre-hiring checks and workplace injury assessments. Making the health of your staff a priority will instil trust throughout your workforce.

Provide the Correct Equipment

Sure training the team is highly important, but so is making sure they have the correct tools for the job too. Employees can’t expect to do their jobs well without the correct equipment for what they need to. From the right, suitable safety clothing, to stationery, or even company cars to keep in touch with clients. People work better when they have everything they need to do their job easily. Unsure of what they need? Ask them! After all, they are the ones performing the job day after day, they will know what will make things easier for them.

At the same time, if what they need is more flexibility, can you see how you can offer this to. From the working parents who need to start at slightly altered working hours or even the option to work from home to reduce days taken off sick to those with health issues who struggle to do things able-bodied people take for granted.

How to Relax after you Have Had a Manic Week at Work

Two of the focuses of my blog are Career Discussion and Health/Wellness. While we all have to make a living, sometimes our work weeks can exact heavy tolls on our qualities of life. As such it’s important to understand how to manage your health under such circumstances. The following contributed post is entitled, How to Relax after you Have Had a Manic Week at Work.

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If you feel as though things are just getting too much at work, then this may show that you need to spend some time relaxing. If you don’t then you may find that the stress gets worse and that you are unable to deal with it as well as you once could. If you want to get around this then you need to focus on giving yourself some downtime now and again.

Schedule Downtime

The first thing that you need to do is make downtime a specific goal. Schedule it into your daily schedule and also make sure that you give yourself 5 minutes from time to time. At the end of the week, you might also want to have a date night as well. Little things like this can really help you to achieve a true state of relaxation and you would be surprised at how much it could help you in the long-run. If there’s a show coming up, why not book no service fee tickets?
 

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Disconnect

It doesn’t matter how you choose to unwind because it can be difficult for you to truly relax if you are constantly thinking about work. The first thing that you have to do whenever you leave the office is turn your phone off. You also need to make sure that you avoid bringing work home with you as well. After all, you deserve to have some “you” time and there is only so much you can put work first.

Take a Hot Shower

The best and easiest way for you to leave work behind you would be for you to have a shower or a hot bath. When you have a hot shower you can easily wash the tension away from your body. Water is known for having a calming effect on both the mind and the soul. If you want to get the best result out of your soak, then try and splash some cool water on your face afterwards. This will energise the cells in your body. If you are having a bath then light some aromatic candles.

Exercise or Take Part in Team Sports

Working off stress is always a good thing. Exercise will release endorphins and you cannot argue with science. Regular exercise will help you to feel more energetic and it will also help you to feel better about yourself too. The best thing about team sports is that they have a huge social element to them. If you prefer to exercise alone then a good playlist can always work in your favour.

Get out of the House

Being out in the open after being cooped up all day will really help you to relax and it will also better your mental health. When the weather is fine, you need to try and seek out nature. You don’t have to go much further than your garden either. A bit of fresh air will help you to unwind and it can work wonders for your overall stress levels. So when the sun is out, get a chair and put your feet up.

Advancing Forward In Your Career

Two key focuses of my blog are Career Discussions and Professional Development/Skills. Everyone has to think about how to advance their career forward. Many people have the desire to do it, but don’t know how. The following contributed post is entitled, Advancing Forward In Your Career.

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There often comes a time in your employment that you get a little bored of your surroundings – your role may no longer challenge your abilities or interest you as it once did, and you may be unhappy with the amount of responsibility you have as well as the amount of money that you earn. Researching ways in which you can advance your career will aid you in opening up new opportunities for you to advance forward and reach new heights, and it couldn’t be easier to get started and improve yourself for the benefit of your employment situation. There are several simple tips that you can make the most of to ensure that you can break free from your dull 9-5 to reach ultimate job satisfaction in no time at all, so if you would like to find out more then read on for some of the best tried and tested steps that you can utilise now.

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Seek Out Extra Qualifications

One of the best things that you can do to enable yourself to reach your career goals is to seek out extra education and qualifications that you can add to your resume. Showing your commitment by heading back to school will allow future employers to see that you are dedicated to self improvement and willing to put in the time and effort to learn new skills and advance forward. Whether you decide to attend school full time to achieve an integrated design degree, or opt for a remote learning course that fits around your current lifestyle, just do a bit of research online to identify which pathway will best suit your current needs. Having those extra qualifications on your file may just give you the upper hand over another candidate, so it’s vital that you can grab any education opportunity with both hands.

Network Among The Right Circles

Another great concept that can really support you in advancing your career involves networking among the right circles to gain new industry connections. Getting yourself out there to build a positive reputation and meet with other professionals will allow you to essentially ‘get your foot in the door’, or get noticed by potential future employers. If just one of the reputable people you converse with sees your capabilities then they may decide to invest in your career and offer you guidance and support, so it’s definitely worth the effort you have to put in. Networking can be done in several different forms, such as visiting industry conferences and events, joining business groups on social media and blog sites, and so much more. You may have to work on your confidence before deciding to take up such a feat, as it requires you to strike up a conversation with many people that you might never have met before, whilst really selling yourself and pushing your own personal agenda.

Advancing forward in your career has never been so simple when you are able to make the most of the information detailed above.

5 Ways To Stay Safe On The Road If You Drive For A Living

Two of the focuses of my blog are Career Discussions and Health/Wellness. If you’re in the trucking business and spend lots of time on the road, it’s important to understand how to stay safe as there are plenty of potential hazards. Learning to stay safe will ensure that you’ll stay both alive and in business for years to come. The following contributed post is entitled, 5 Ways To Stay Safe On The Road If You Drive For A Living.

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If you’re looking for ways to stay safe on the road but you’re unsure where to start then don’t worry, you have definitely come to the right place. Whether you’re travelling as a one-off for work or you’re travelling on a daily basis, you need to ensure you’re doing everything you can to keep both yourself and others safe on the road. Luckily, there are lots of ways you can ensure you’re doing exactly that. With that in mind, here are 5 ways to stay safe on the road if you drive for a living:

– Make Sure You’re Checking Your Route Before You Leave

One of the best things you can do when it comes to your safety is to ensure you’re researching the route before you leave. Not only will this give you a chance familiarise yourself with where you’re going but it will also allow you to see whether or not there are any road closures or diversions. Whilst you may have a smooth route ahead of you, it’s always better to be prepared. For tips and tricks when it comes to planning your route in advance, you can visit this site here.

– Carry Out Safety Checks On Your Vehicle

Another important thing to do before you get on the road is to ensure you’re doing safety checks on your vehicle, no matter what size it is. From checking your tyre pressure to checking the quality of your seatbelts, you need to ensure everything is good to go before you leave. Whilst your chances of being in a crash are low, safety checks for both cars and trucks are essential. For more information, you can visit this trucking crash expert here.

– Pack An Emergency Kit In Your Trunk

No matter the length of your journey, you also need to ensure you’re packing an emergency kit in your trunk. From a flashlight to warm clothes, you need to be sure you have absolutely everything you’re going to need in case of an emergency. For inspiration when it comes to putting together your emergency vehicle kit, you can visit this handy guide here.

– Ensure You Take Regular Breaks

Tiredness while driving can be incredibly dangerous and if you’re not taking regular breaks, chances are you’re going to struggle to drive. Whether you’re taking a 20-minute break for some lunch or you’re booking a hotel somewhere overnight, it’s important you’re taking as many breaks as you need to get through the journey.

– Pack Enough Food And Drink To Last

Finally, you need to ensure you’re packing enough food and drink to last you the whole journey. Although there will be plenty of stops along the way, you need to ensure you have exactly what you need just in case you break down or struggle to find the food that you like.

Are you looking for ways to stay safe on the road? What can you do to ensure you’re protecting yourself and those around you? Did we miss anything? Let me know your thoughts and ideas in the comments section below.

Why Our World Needs Social Work in 2020

A key focus of my blog is Career Discussions. While there is a current push for careers in the STEMs, one career that will always be needed is that of social work. Social workers do a lot of society’s “grunt work” as they tend to problems and issues down on the personal and familial levels. The following contributed post is entitled, Why Our World Needs Social Work in 2020.

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Although society is improving more each day, social work is still important in 2020. Social workers stand up every day for human rights and social justice to help strengthen our communities. Social workers can be a voice for those without a voice, or those nobody wants to listen to. They help to tackle serious social issues, and can help to come up with solutions allowing people to live to their full potential.

Why Our World Needs Social Work in 2020

The Poverty Line
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, nearly 15% of Americans live below the poverty line. People living in poverty need social workers to help them cope with the overwhelming challenges of homelessness, unemployment, underemployment, and poor health.

Mental Illness
With that in mind, it’s also important to note that many families are suffering from mental illness. Around 20% of the US population are affected by mental illness during any given year. For people who struggle with mood disorders, anxiety, psychoses, substance abuse, and other serious forms of mental illness, social workers are imperative.

Child Abuse And Neglect
Social workers must also address broader social and public policy issues that increase the risk of child abuse and neglect, including poverty, unemployment, and homelessness.

While our world still very much needs social work in 2020, it isn’t always easily accessible for those in rural areas. The infographic below can provide more insight into social work in rural areas and what can be done.


credit to University of Nevada Reno

Little Changes That Make A Big Impact On The Workplace

The first principle of my blog is Creating Ecosystems of Success and a key focus is Career Discussions. When you’re managing a workplace or a business, you want to make the environment as favorable as possible for your staff. Doing so will increase their productivity and overall happiness at work. The following contributed post is entitled, Little Changes That Make A Big Impact On The Workplace.

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What’s the difference between a happy team and a miserable one in the workplace? Sometimes, it’s less than you might imagine. Humans are often driven by needs that are a little simpler and even trivial seeming, but ensuring they’re fulfilled can be great for any work environment. Here are a few examples to consider.

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A little appreciation
You wouldn’t believe how few people get genuinely thanked for their work. A simple thank you isn’t enough, you need to acknowledge the role people play and why you value them in the workplace for them to really feel the effects. You might even make a little show of it with workplace trophies for your annual party or the like.

A real break room
It has been shown time and time again that eating lunch at your work desk is detrimental to your emotional health, to your productivity, not to mention that it’s pretty unhygienic. A break isn’t supposed to feel like simply taking the necessary time to eat at work, it’s supposed to feel like a clean break from work, and having a break room where people can do that, even with a few games or distractions, can be excellent at refreshing them for the latter part of the workday.

Tasty treats for the team
Satisfying the occasional need for indulgence and treating the team can have a big effect on morale and make them feel a lot more cared for and appreciated. It can be as simple as getting them a box of danishes to share, or you can go as far as installing a commercial roaster so they have fresh made coffee shop-quality coffee at the ready. It can do a lot to improve how well your team feels they are treated.

Some life to the office
Most steps to improve the office will have a significant effect over time, but perhaps one of the simplest and most surprisingly beneficial improvements is bringing an office plant into the environment. They are known to reduce stress, increase positivity, and boost creative thought simply by making the office a more lively and colorful place, and they may have some health benefits, such as helping with air quality and noise level reduction.

Team lunches, dinners, or drinks
As mentioned, a tasty treat improves morale, but enjoy it together can also improve the sense of belonging and togetherness in the team. Arranging for a once-a-week team lunch, once-a-fortnight team dinner, or once-a-month team drinks can help foster stronger social bonds in the team. This can make it a lot easier for them to feel comfortable when collaborating on projects for their work, as well.

The above changes to the workplace can have more of an impact than you might imagine, but don’t expect that any trophy or cup of coffee will make up for toxic management practices, unfair demands, or culture of bullying, for instance. If there’s rot at the core of the office, you still need to deal with it.

Thrown Off Your Career Path Without Warning? Here’s How To Move Forward

The first principle of my blog is Creating Ecosystems of Success and a key focus is Career Discussions. Unfortunately, some individuals find their careers disrupted, often without warning. It’s important to understand what to do if your find yourself in that situation. The following contributed post is entitled, Thrown Off Your Career Path Without Warning? Here’s How To Move Forward.

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Most of us, as in those who are concerned with expanding our professional utility, skillset and career orientations, can often become truly shocked to the core when our path is thrown off. Perhaps a redundancy prevents us from raising the ranks in a career we’ve followed our entire life, and now we need to find work elsewhere, delaying that promotion for some time. Maybe we’ve realized that an industry path is not for us after 20 years working within that field.

Or, perhaps worst of all, we may find ourselves becoming injured or unable to work due to an accident, or workplace neglect, or safety standards failing. This last issue can be so debilitating, because not only does it knock our professional potential, but all other life progress for the time being. As far as that’s concerned, it can be worth knowing what your options are. Gathering yourself is key in these situations, as this process can provide you hope for the future.

As far as that is concerned, we’d love to give you some worthwhile and timeless advice in this direction. Please, consider:

Litigate If Needed

If necessary, it can be important to litigate. This can not only give you a sense of emotional closure, but it can help you protect yourself and claim the compensation you truly deserve. This can soften the blow of being out of work for a while, just as you recover from an injury or come back to your potential productive self. Go to lawboss.com to understand just what processes are best to follow in this light, and how you can approximate the best results with careful attention.

Understand Your Rights

Understanding your rights is also an essential part of this process to keep track of. It might be that you are entitled to workmen’s compensation, or disability, or job seekers allowance, or another form of support that enables you to look for further work. Sometimes, understanding your rights may even help you figure out that you were wrongfully terminated, and this may give you grounds to seek a renewed litigation effort. Understanding your rights can also enable you to search for worthwhile work, and avoid being placed into an unfriendly contract out of desperation.

If Returning To Work, Follow Best Procedure

When starting anew, no matter how unjust or unfair the circumstances may have been leading to this point, it’s important to apply humbly and understand how to follow best procedure. You may not be entitled a new job just because of being fired. Perhaps you need to prove yourself to a new employer before gaining work. Maybe reputational management can help you wipe off the layers of inaccuracy that can always occur in any dramatic change of social circumstances. Following best procedure, carefully, with humility, verifying your right action all the way, can help you once again structure your career in the best possible manner, even if you decide to start out on your own.

With this advice, we hope you can come back to your professional life with care and possibility.

The Right Mindset for Successfully Working for Yourself

Three of the focuses of my blog are Career Discussions, Financial Literacy/Money and Business/Entrepreneurship. While going into business and working for yourself is highly glamorized, there are stark realities to it. There are a whole host of aspects and responsibilities an employee doesn’t face. The following contributed post is entitled, The Right Mindset for Successfully Working for Yourself.

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Transitioning from being an employee in the traditional sense, to “being your own boss” and running your own business, is certainly fulfilling and uplifting in many ways; but it’s also deeply challenging in many other ways.

While everyone generally likes to think of all the perks of being self-employed – things such as setting your own hours, and not having to be accountable to a boss you hate – there often isn’t enough attention paid to getting the right mindset and expectations in place, to actually make a success of the venture.

Here are a few mindset adjustments to make, in order to successfully work for yourself.

Everything is your responsibility now – so you absolutely have to plan and prepare accordingly

If you’re working as an employee for a large company, it is quite likely that such questions as whether or not the uniforms are made of antimicrobial scrub fabric, have nothing to do with you at all, unless your compartmentalised role within the company happens to be dealing with such issues.

When you are self-employed, though, everything is your personal responsibility – and you absolutely have to plan and prepare accordingly, on the assumption that no one else is going to swoop in and pick up the slack.

This means being as orderly as you can possibly be. It means having a very robust task and project management system, staying on top of your calendar, being punctual with appointments, and just generally being prepared every step of the way.

Your own level of discipline and grit will have a totally decisive impact on how successful you can expect to be

Being self-employed is hard work – and especially if you’re trying to create a new business from the ground up and make a success of it.

That being the case, you can expect that you will have to work long shifts on a regular basis, will have to push forward in spite of frequent frustration and disheartenment, and will have to exercise a level of grit and discipline above and beyond the ordinary.

The bottom line is that your level of discipline and grit will have a decisive impact on how successful you can expect to be. So, if you’re not ready to be your own taskmaster, you should probably either get ready quickly, or go do something else.

You are your number one resource and asset – so take your own health and well-being seriously

Although you will have to work hard and be organised, you shouldn’t fall into the trap that many self-employed people do, of running themselves absolutely ragged until a major “crash” results.

Remember that you are your number one resource and asset, and that you should be taking care of your health not only for its own sake (although that is, of course, self-evidently something you should do), but also so that you can continue to be the most productive and driven version of yourself at work.

What’s true for your physical health is true for your general well-being, too.

Eat good, nutritious food, make sure to get enough sleep, and have some fun when you can, in your free time.

4 Issues That Can Ruin Your Chances Of Claiming A Dream Job

A key focus of my blog Career Discussions. Even when we are qualified for a job on paper, there are things we can do personally to prevent us from securing the position. Knowing what these are will increase the likelihood of getting that job. The following contributed post is entitled, 4 Issues That Can Ruin Your Chances Of Claiming A Dream Job.

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Are you wondering whether there are problems that can stop you from claiming that dream position? Here are some that you need to watch out for.

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Trouble On Social Media

Social media is a funny one because a lot of people seem to think that they can avoid the issue of social media by simply not having it. However, most employers these days want to hire someone with a social presence. It suggests that they will be a valuable person for their team who has a strong network. However, you do have to be careful there is nothing embarrassing or potentially even harmful to a brand.

Criminal Record

You might also want to think about your criminal record. Most people won’t have a criminal record but even a small issue could lead to a blotch on your record. If you do think there is something in your past that could stop you from getting a job, it’s important to handle this issue the right way. You should think about speaking to a criminal lawyer like https://benfieldlegal.com/. They will be able to inform you how long this is going to remain on your record and whether it is likely to impact whether you are considered for a job or not. In most cases, you can avoid problems here by fighting to get a small issue expunged from your criminal record. Particularly, if it happened several years ago.

Credit Rating

You might think that a credit rating isn’t going to be relevant to a job application and to an extent you would be right. However, information on your credit rating can be gained by an employer and it is more relevant to some positions than others. An accountant, for instance, will often be judged based on their credit rating. This relates to reliability. As well as this an employer might not want someone in debt as part of their business, whether this is fair or not. Something to consider here is how to fix your credit rating. Well, there are a few ways to do this. The best is to borrow money from a source that you know you can pay back on time. Do this and you will be able to fix your credit rating quickly and easily. You can learn more about your credit rating on https://swiftmoney.com/.

The Wrong Name

While the others are at least somewhat understandable this one reeks of prejudice. Unfortunately, there is research to show that your name can be enough to stop you from being considered for a job. There are variables that people can assume or predict based on your name. They can estimate your nationality, your age and of course your sex. Now, if an employer is ruling you out for these reasons, then you might want to reconsider working for them in the first place. However, sometimes you need to prove your worth and for that, you have to first get your foot in the door. This is why a lot of people choose to leave their full name off their resume or provide an alternate name. If you do this, make sure that your references will recognise you by this name when the call comes.

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