From Tax to HR

From Tax to HR Success Story > From: Job To: Portfolio career From Tax to HR “Every time I spoke to friends about my role, I had no enthusiasm; I felt that I was always complaining about it.” * From Tax to HR Laura Haigh's work didn't inspire her to climb the professional ladder. But making a change meant toughing out a demanding retraining process, recruitment consultants who just didn't 'get it', and a pay cut. Here, she shares why it's been worth it. What work were you doing previously? I was working as a tax accountant in a large professional services firm, and had done so both in practice and in industry for around 15 years. What are you doing now? I now work for three days a week as Finance and HR Controller for Oxford Summer Courses. We're a summer school based in Oxford, with courses being taught in Oxford, Cambridge, High Wycombe and India currently. I also work one day a week in my husband's family's archive storage business, Ardington Archives, providing HR and general business support. How did you feel in your work before you decided to make the change? I felt that I wasn't progressing. This was mainly because the work didn't interest me and I had no desire to climb the ladder in the professional services structure. Very little about the work itself made me look forward to going to work, and it definitely impacted on my overall well-being. Why did you change? I wanted to become the person who enjoyed their job. Every time I spoke to friends about my role, I had no enthusiasm; Ifelt that I was always complaining about it. I also felt that work was the missing piece in my life, as everything else has fortunately been very positive. When was the moment you decided to make the change? After having my two children and spending a few years coasting along, I felt that as they were getting older, and I was approaching 40that I really needed to do something about my job situation. Therefore, about two and a half years ago, I started to take some positive steps towards the change, having been on the Careershifters mailing list, and also having attended a Careershifters webinar about change. How did you choose your new career? I'd always had at the back of my mind that I should've gone into HR rather than accountancy. My husband is also an HR professional and I thought that he always seemed quite happy in his role, so I set about gaining a formal CIPD qualification. I somehow found the time between working a four-day week, looking after my children and other various commitments to complete the distance-learning qualification in around six months. Are you happy with the change? Absolutely â€" I am now that person who enjoys their job. What do you miss and what don't you miss? I don't miss anything from my old role (such as the politics and some of the really difficult clients), apart from some of the lovely colleagues and clients I used to work with. How did you go about making the shift? After I had completed my CIPD Level 5 qualification, I set about applying for some HR specific roles. Some of those interviews weren't successful, but then I stumbled across the role at Oxford Summer Courses, which was both Finance and HR and which was also part time. I felt that it would be a good step into the world of HR plus I could also use my skills from working in a financial environment as well, so that it wouldn't all be totally new, although in realityit was all totally new! What didn't go well? What wrong turns did you take? One of the main issues that I had was with recruitment consultants and prospective employers, who didn't get what I was trying to do. Initially, I didn't have a positive response from some of them. How did you handle your finances to make your shift possible? Finances had always been a large concern of mine as I knew that to make a shift, I would initially have to take a large pay cut. Therefore, I saved a bit during my last year in my previous role to cushion the blow a bit. What was the most difficult thing about changing? Doing the course and finding the time and the motivation to get through it. I knew that I had to do it to demonstrate some commitment to the change, and also to demonstrate that I had some knowledge outside of what I had experienced in my previous roles from an HR perspective. I always had this at the back of my mind, but it was sometimes really tough to commit a couple of extra hours after an already-demanding day. What help did you get? A hugely supportive husband, who is also a fantastic cook! What resources would you recommend to others? The Careershifters weekly email is great, as it keeps the whole process of change and success stories in the front of your mind. I would say it did have a role to play in encouraging me to take the leap. What have you learnt in the process? Change is good, don't be afraid to change. I now have the confidence to change again, now that I've finally done it. I'm so much more positive about work, and even though the role can be challenging and is constantly evolving as the company grows, I no longer dread going to work, and really enjoy my working days. What would you advise others to do in the same situation? Go for it â€" stop finding reasons not to. If you really hate what you're currently doing, then what you shift to can't be worse than what you're doing at the moment. Plan for the financial implications as well. To find out more about Laura's work visit www.oxfordsummercourses.comand www.ardingtonarchives.co.uk. What lessons could you take from Laura's story to use in your own career change? Let us know in the comments below.

Do You Have the Top Four Traits That Predict Job Success - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career

Do You Have the Top Four Traits That Predict Job Success - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career Companies are always looking for ways to attract, engage and retain top talent but it’s not always obvious who these people are. The investment in interviewing, training and development is huge and companies lose millions of dollars every year when they hire someone who turns out to be “a know it all”, a non-contributor or even worse, someone who’s dishonest and doesn’t follow through with his/her commitments. Management needs to look beyond  resumes that read like marketing brochures filled with stellar credentials and  see if a person truly possesses traits that predict success in the workplace. Armed with this knowledge, an astute interviewer will be discreet with what s/he shares in the interview, highlighting only those things that matter most to hiring managers. Warren Buffet ranks three personality traits the highest; integrity, intelligence and energy. He says that the last two are worthless if you don’t have the first one. Integrity A person who has integrity is trustworthy, honest and does what he says he’ll do. Interviewers can spot someone who has these qualities by asking him or her to tell a story about a time that followed through with a difficult task despite having many other pressures because there was a deadline. You could also discern if a person is honest by how they judge others who do petty acts of stealing like taking pens or paper home from work. Does this person admire famous people who are celebs more than righteous people? Do they have strong intimate ties to groups or associations where they are trusted with money or have a lot of responsibilities? Intelligence Look for accomplishments tied to areas of expertise. Here’s where credentials matter. This can help prove this person has mastery of a topic which shows intelligence. See that that the person has finished a rigorous program in an area that’s relevant to your specific needs and has competed against others in a demanding academic environment. The person should be an expert on a topic and be capable of relating what s/he does and has learned in a succinct, clear way. Be able to demonstrate your skills and abilities that could benefit your perspective employer. Both hard skills like strategic, financial acumen that show you’re an adept problem solver. Energy Its the fire in my eyes And the flash of my teeth The swing of my waist   And the joy in my feet.                                                                                              ~ Maya Angelou If you want to understand energy, charisma or enthusiasm, look to good spiritual leaders, esteemed motivational speakers, and children. Enthusiastic people are typically more open, alive, and confident than others. You may feel more inspired or energized in their presence. They’re curious and interested in life and ask a lot of questions and explore what interests them. They love learning and exhibit delight and challenge and new experiences. Energetic people tend to attract people to them and to their causes. Their positivity makes them attractive and likable. Emotional Intelligence If all of your colleagues are brilliant then how can you make yourself stand out? Daniel Goleman, the psychologist who coined the term emotional intelligence, says you can train yourself to have higher EQ by being mindful of you mindfulness, or with coaching. He defines EQ as someone who is confident-knows his strengths and weakness. They are able to self-regulate their emotions, show empathy and manage relationships well. People with high E.Q. tend to be more collaborative, adaptable, humble, calm under stress, resilient, and are open to learning and improvement. They’re more likely to be effective in leading change, persuasiveness, and expertise building and leading teams. Display emotional intelligence skills: such as those who: are passionate about their work. offer a variety of experiences and perspectives. interact well with others. listens to what is being said and then responds. are interested in continuing to develop their own social emotional intelligence  skills as well as those of others. demonstrate non-verbal cues that match what is being said. model the core values of your culture. have the ability to focus on everyone in the interview process,  not only  the leader. talk about others in a positive light. have the ability to work independently as well as with others. have the ability to be in control under stressful situations. Consider what it takes to become top talent “Top talent” tends to embrace change and enjoys the challenge of working in a dynamic environment where everything isn’t predictable. They tend to be more innovative and flexible in their approach to solving problems and have an entrepreneurial spirit. Management across industries has a difficult task discerning whether a candidate has these traits. Why not make management’s job easy by finding examples of how you possess these traits.  If these qualities are expected from the leaders of the company, it’s logical they would also be favorable for the firm’s employees. Once you know what hiring managers’ are looking for in perspective new hires, you can tailor your responses in an interview accordingly. Your answers should  focus on sharing experiences and accomplishments that best demonstrate how you possess those particular attributes. Look for What Google Looks For in Hiring Laszlo Bock, the senior vice president of people operations for Google â€" i.e., the guy in charge of hiring for one of the world’s most successful companies â€" noted that Google had determined that “G.P.A.’s are worthless as a criteria for hiring, and test scores are worthless… We found that they don’t predict anything.” Google’s hiring managers focus on character traits that they feel are predictors for successful employees. They pay for what you can do with what you know and they don’t care HOW YOU LEARNED IT. This means you could have graduated from a less prestigious school as long as you have a track record for being collaborative, adaptable and solving complex problems. While being an expert matters in certain fields like programming and engineering, More companies today focus equal if not more emphasis in hiring people who possess certain soft skills including leadership, humility, collaboration, adaptability and loving to learn and re-learn. Employees who possess these traits tend to be more trainable and are often the ones who strive harder to make a difference and learn from mistakes. Companies are ALWAYS ready to hire and retain top talent. Though the hard skills may vary from one firm to the next, the soft skills, which define traits for top talent, are universal. The primary goal for all new hires should be to learn everything necessary to excel at your new job and to exceed your supervisors’ expectations. In order to do this well, you need to understand what’s expected of you AND your boss. Becoming top talent requires more than using your expertise to do an adequate job at work. It necessitates using your talents, creativity and expertise to advance the success of your team and of your company. In today’s hyper competitive job market, the best way to stand out is to show your integrity, energy, intelligence and emotional maturity and your genuine desire to use these traits to become a top performer. Working on developing these traits will improve your candidacy and help you become a valuable asset to your team once your hired.    

What to Post on Social Media According to Buzz Spotter, Tina Wells - Classy Career Girl

What to Post on Social Media According to Buzz Spotter, Tina Wells Ever felt clueless about what to post on social media and how all the different types of social media platforms relate? Us too. Thats why we have some amazing social media  tips for you today that were presented at Infusionsoft’s user conference, ICON, by Tina Wells.  Tina Wells is the CEO and founder of Buzz Marketing Group, an agency that serves clients like like Dell, Microsoft, Sony Music, American Eagle Outfitters, and Levo.   What Content Should You Post? Its simple. Facebook is for sharing. Twitter is for engaging. Instagram is for inspiring. Pinterest is for delighting. You Tube is for entertaining. What type of content should I create? Here is your three step checklist before you share anything. 1. Is my content  compelling? 2. Is my content  deliberate? 3. Is my content  effective? In order to complete the above checklist, you need to be clear on your target market and know your client avatar.  Everyone does need a content strategy though. You must understand who you are talking to. How can you share information on top issues in your industries such as trends or social impacts? Where Should You Post? Just because it is a trend, doesnt mean you need to be on it. Pick one place and do it well. How can I make an impact on social media? Understand your value proposition. What do you offer? What will you deliver? How can you guarantee what you deliver? Its helpful to know why your clients would want to work with you so that you do the above well.  This will help you close the sale if they are already familiar with your value proposition through your social media channels. How do you stay relevant when there is a lot going on and a lot of noise out there? You have to be clear on who you are and what you stand for in your business. You understand your customer and you know right where they are at. You know what they need. There, now you know what to post  on social media.

How To Quit A Job, Look Professional Retain Your Reputation - Algrim.co

How To Quit A Job, Look Professional Retain Your Reputation - Algrim.co It happens to all of us at some point in time. Maybe the job was too stressful and not serving you. Perhaps you asked for a raise after many years of service to a company and was rejected. Maybe you’ve been offered a significantly better position at another company. Whatever the reason, everybody finds themselves in the awkward position of needing to quit their job at some point in their life. It’s natural to feel a bit guilty, or even a bit angry about the reasons that led to your resignation. It’s import to keep a cool and level head during this time and to sit down and make a game plan. In this guide, we’ll be covering everything you’ll need to do and everything you shouldn’t do in the process of resigning from your job. We’ll also be wrapping up with a handful of examples of good resignation letters that could be useful when writing your own. First, let’s take a look at a major consideration one should take before resigning from a job your reputation. Consider Your Reputation Before you quit your job, think about retaining your reputation. It matters, and here’s why. Living a job with dignity and grace can have a positive effect on your actual departure, but it can also be a vital choice to make that could affect your future employment endeavors. It can also reflect positively on your existing professional relationships that may come into play again in the future. If you leave a job on unprofessional or angry terms, there’s a chance that future employers will know about it. If you’re listing this current position as a reference for other positions, it’s important to make sure the person picking up the phone doesn’t remember you leaving on a negative note. This could translate as being unprofessional or bad with a team, which could affect whether other companies will hire you. Leaving on a sour note could also affect your current networking climate. If you have many colleagues that still work for the company you plan on leaving, you could lose all of those references and professional relationships that took so long to build by leaving the position in a tornado of fury. By keeping cool and acting professionally through the process of quitting, you’ll make yourself look a lot better. Have A Clear Reason For Resigning Most of the time, one will have a very obvious reason for quitting their job that isn’t wholly negative. New job opportunities, family emergencies, mental and physical health problems, scholarships, and internships are just a handful of very understandable reasons for leaving a position. Sometimes, the reason for leaving a job is not so positive. Maybe you have a bad relationship with a coworker that is affecting your professional life. Maybe you’re sick of your management or keep sticking around for an unsatisfactory salary. Maybe you just plain hate everything about the company and the people in it. It happens. Be sure you understand that your reasoning for resigning is one that cannot be fixed by speaking with your manager. If you’ve tried speaking with a manager or human resources official, then maybe it is time to go. It’s important to be honest about why you’re leaving, even if it is negative or reflects negatively on your management team or the company as a whole. What’s more important is to express those truths in a way that isn’t antagonizing, aggressive, or rude. You can certainly tell your manager that you’re leaving because you’re sick of the low pay. But it’s better to say “I’d like to look for a higher-paying position in this current economy” than “You don’t pay me squat, I’m out of here.” Plan Your Resignation Communication Plan how you are going to communicate your reason for resigning and how this will be professional. We’ve already mentioned that being polite, professional, graceful, and honest is important. When planning how you’re going to communicate, take the time to rehearse what you might say to your employers and coworkers who may be wondering why you’re leaving. Make sure that your answers are consistent. Most importantly, do not bad mouth the company or the coworker who may be the reason behind your departure. This looks tacky, and it could get back to your manager and reflect badly on you in the context of references. How To Quit Your Job Generally speaking, the steps you will take to quit your job are quite simple. 1. Keep your decision private in regards to other coworkers. 2. Make sure you have to resignation conversation in person with the appropriate manager. 3. Provide more than enough notice. Two weeks is the standard, but depending on your particular workload and industry, more time may be appropriate to offer before leaving. 4. Make sure to have a schedule for the resignation. Pick a day that you absolutely need to leave and let your manager know it will be your last day. 5. Rehearse what you’ll say. Rehearsing what you’ll say may feel odd or not genuine, but it is a wise this to do to avoid any faux pas or unprofessional mistakes when actually resigning in person. Rehearse your reason for leaving and everything else you plan to say and do your best to stick to it. 6. Prepare for a counteroffer. We’ll get into this later, but be prepared for your manager to offer you something in return for staying with the company. 7. Ask if you can use the company or your manager as a reference. This is important to do if you really want to use the company as a valuable reference when applying for other jobs. 8. Offer to recommend replacements and then train those replacements. 9. Leave with a “thank you” and sending a warm email to your coworkers thanking them for being on a team with you. In addition to these steps for quitting, there are also a few tips and guidelines you should follow when quitting your job. Guidelines On Resigning From A Job There are a few general guidelines and tips to keep in mind when it comes to quitting a job: Never quit over email. Resigning in person makes you seem confident and professional. Relying on a text or email can seem cowardly. It is wise, though, to send an official resignation letter after you’ve resigned in person with your manager. Show appreciation for the opportunity. This really seals the deal when it comes to quitting gracefully. By showing that you truly appreciated working at the company and recognizing that your position there was a wonderful opportunity, you’ll leave a positive impression before leaving. Train your replacement. This isn’t always possible or needed, depending on the position and industry. But if you can, offer to train your replacement in the weeks before you leave to provide a seamless transition that will help you feel less guilty, and also put your manager at ease. Finish with the company on a positive note. We’ve said it a million times so far, but being positive and leaving in a positive way is the most important part of quitting your job. Write a thoughtful letter to say goodbye. You should absolutely write a resignation letter to your manager after resigning in person. On top of that, consider penning a second, shorter, more candid email to your coworkers or team. Use this as an opportunity to let everyone know via email that you’ll be leaving and that you appreciated them. This is a good way to leave gracefully and also a great way to maintain professional colleagues in the future. Consider their offer if they want to keep you. In some situations, the company you are quitting may offer a raise, a new benefits package, or another offer to keep you if you’re valuable to the company as a whole. Don’t completely disregard this. Sometimes the offer can be exactly what would keep you there. At the same time, don’t jump into their trap so quickly. Ask to have a day or so to think over their offer and use that time wisely. If you decide that the offer isn’t good enough, reject it in person in a professional and polite way. Now, let’s take a look at what you absolutely should not do when you decide to quit your job. Common Mistakes When Quitting A Job There are a few mistakes one could make when quitting a job. Don’t be the JetBlue guy, no matter how satisfying it may be. Don’t make emotional decisions. If something occurred at work that left you upset and ready to leave, take a breath. Calm yourself, and then go to a manager or human resources to discuss what happened. Leaving without having taken the steps to remedy the situation could cost you an otherwise decent job. Don’t have an emotional reason for leaving. Unless you are dealing with a mental health issue that really requires you to leave, it would be wise not to have an emotional reason for leaving your current job. Especially if this is what you’ll be telling your manager when you resign. Don’t air out dirty laundry. To speak poorly of the company or the employees within it before you leave looks very bad. Keep a cool head and your opinions to yourself for the duration of your time remaining at the company. Don’t demand a severance check. Few places offer a severance check for employees that voluntarily resign. Demanding one will probably not be fruitful and will also come off as unprofessional. Don’t brag about your new position if you have one. Again, this is just tacky. Let’s look at some examples of resignation letters that could help you write your own professional email. 5 Example Resignation Emails To Use These example resignation emails/letters can serve as a useful template for your own letter. Example One Dear [Manager], Please accept this letter as notice of my resignation from my position as [your current position]. My last day of employment will be [date you will be leaving]. I received an offer to serve as [position] of another company, and after careful consideration, I realize that this opportunity is too lucrative for me to decline. It has been a pleasure working with you and your team over the last [amount of years you’ve been there] years. One of the best times of my career was collaborating with you to [a thoughtful memory of when you worked directly with the team or manager in question]. Your company is destined for continued growth and I wish you nothing but the best. I would like to help with the transition of my [position] duties so that the transition to another employee will be seamless after my departure. I am currently available to provide prospects and train my replacement. [Manager], thank you again for the opportunity to work for [company name]. I wish you and the staff all the best and I look forward to staying in touch with you. You can email me anytime at [your email address] and I would love to use you as a reference in the future. Sincerely, [Your name] Example Two Dear [Manager], Please accept this letter as formal notification that I am resigning from my position as [your position] with [company name]. My last day will be [date you plan on leaving]. Thank you so much for the opportunity to work in this position for the past [how many years you’ve been there] years. I’ve greatly enjoyed and appreciated the opportunities I’ve had to grow our [industry] team and be a part of creating a great manufacturer of [product or service the company provides]. I’ve learned so much about [industry] strategy and [something else that the company does], which I will certainly take with me throughout my career. I’ll do everything possible to properly end my duties and train my replacement over the next two weeks. Please let me know if there’s anything else I can do to help during this change and transition. I wish [company name] continued success, and I hope to stay in touch in the future. Sincerely, [Your name] Example Three Dear [Manager], Please accept this letter as notice that I will be resigning from my job here at [company name] in two weeks from today’s date. Thank you for the support and the opportunities you have provided me over the course of the last [how many years you were there] years. You, our team and the [company name] enterprise have created a climate that makes it a pleasure to come to work each morning, and I will genuinely miss you all. If I can do anything to help with the transition in finding and training my replacement, please let me know. I am more than happy to offer prospects and assist in training if needed. Sincerely, [Your name] Example Four Dear [Manager], I would like to inform you that I am resigning from my position as [your position] for [company name], effective [date you plan on leaving]. I appreciate the opportunities for professional development that you have provided me over the past [how many years you’ve been there] years. I have enjoyed my tenure at [company name] and feel grateful to have started my career alongside such a dedicated and wholesome team. I have accepted a [position name] position in [wherever you will be moving to]. While my experience at [company name] was rewarding, I’m excited to pursue my passion for [position name]. If I can be of any help during this change and transition, please let me know as soon as possible. I am willing to help out with finding and training my replacement in my weeks that remain at [company name]. Thank you again for the opportunity to work at [company name]. I wish you all the best and look forward to staying in touch, and I would love to be able to mark you down as a reference. You can email me at [your email address]. Sincerely, [Your name] Example Five Dear [Manager], Please accept this letter of resignation from my position as [your position] at [your company]. My last day of employment will be [date you plan on leaving]. It has been a pleasure working with you and the team for the past [relevant years] years. In particular, I’ve enjoyed [name an aspect of your job that you enjoyed or an event that took place while you were working there]. I’m very appreciative for the opportunities to develop my skills in the [industry] field and want to thank you for all your guidance and insight during my time here. I wish your company much success and know it will continue to grow. Please let me know if you need any assistance with the transition or would like me to train my replacement. Sincerely, [Your name] Related Hiring Resources How to Quit a Job You Just Started (Email Examples)

7 Time Wasters that are Stealing Hours from You Every Week - CareerMetis.com

7 Time Wasters that are Stealing Hours from You Every Week There’s a reason why people say “time is money.” Time is one of the most valuable assets we have.But in today’s modern age, everyone always seems to feel rushed for time.evalFrom social media accounts to television shows to cell phones, distractions are everywhere. These distractions are always trying to capture our attention and steal our precise time.So how can you make sure you’re wasting as little time as possible on a day-to-day basis?Here are seven major time wasters are stealing hours, minutes, and seconds from you every day.Check out our tips on how to limit or eliminate them from your life.1. TelevisionevalAccording to a recent Nielsen report on 2017 television habits, the average person spends 4.5 hours a day watching TV.Do the math. That’s 1,642 hours per year!After a long day at work, there’s almost nothing better than flopping on the couch in front of the TV, so these numbers aren’t that big of a surprise.evalBut Scientists have reported that limiting you r screen time can help you live longer. Sure, you could spend your downtime watching TV, but you’re better off replacing those hours with other tasks instead. Instead, try reading to keep your brain health strong or exercising to maintain good physical health.It can be tough to break from the TV-after-work habit, but it can happen. Make a point to prepare dinner at home rather than grabbing fast food or ordering takeout. And once dinner is ready, eat at the dining room table instead of in front of the TV. This one little change can reduce your screen time considerably.2. Your SmartphoneAccording to the same report mentioned above, people spend about 2.5 hours each day on their smartphone. Traditional TV consumption seems to be on the decline, but with smartphones, overall screen time is increasing.Many people start and end their day by looking at their smartphone. Phone addiction is on the rise, and that can seriously affect your mental health.evalOne former Google employee has a significant bit of advice on how to quell your phone addiction. Just switch your phone from color to grayscale. In grayscale, your Instagram feeds are likely to be less appealing, and playing certain games will be almost impossible.Another thing you can do to break from your phone addiction is to charge your phone somewhere other than your bedroom. If you use your phone as your morning alarm, this probably won’t work for you. So at the minimum, charge it away from your bedside table, so it’s not the last thing you look at before you go to sleep. And in the morning, it just might help you get out of bed faster.3. Social Media There’s no question that Americans spend hours upon hours on social media. Though the specific numbers aren’t known, experts are confident that this number is growingSocial media can be a great way to keep in contact with family and friends, but it can drain hours of time from your life. But do you need to keep tabs on people you haven’t spoken to sinc e high school? Probably not.Luckily, there is an easy and effective way to spend less time on social mediaâ€"delete your accounts. Unless you need your accounts for business, it’s likely that you can do without knowing what everyone is wearing and what everyone is eating.If account deletion seems too extreme, delete the apps from your smartphone. If even that sounds like a challenge, unfollow or hide some friends on Facebook. The less useless and uninteresting posts you have to read, the less time you’ll waste.4. Video GamesWhether you play on your phone, computer, XBox, or Playstation, video games are a huge time suck for a lot of peopleâ€"especially men. Typically, most expert advice on limiting video game time is for children. But the irony is that more and more adults are engaging in video games every day.Can you even count the number of hours or sleepless nights you’ve wasted beating levels on Assassin’s Creed? Think about all those times you’ve intended to play one l evel of Candy Crush, then realized an hour had gone by without you even noticing.It’s easy to get sucked in, but you can get your gaming habits under control.evalMuch like watching television, the best way to break your video game habit is to find a replacement activity. If you like playing sports games on XBox, try playing sports in real life. Prefer first-person shooter games like Call Of Duty? Round up some friends for a friendly game of paintball instead.eval5. TrafficSome time-wasters in life are unavoidable, so we’re switching lanes a bit Aside from the hours that you spend actual imbibing, think about the hours you worked to pay for those drinks. Add in the time it takes to sleep off your hangover and let your body recover, and you’ll see how much time drinking can waste.We’re not suggesting that you can’t relax and enjoy a drink now and then. Drinking in moderation is not the problem. The problem is drinking in excess.Try setting limits for yourself such as how man y drinks you can have, how much money you can spend at the bar, or how many hours you plan to stay out. If you can’t hold to those limits, sobriety may be your best approach.7. Email Most of the items on this list focus on time spent outside of work, but most people waste a lot of time at work as well. Email is one of the biggest culprits.Don’t check your email obsessively. You might think it’s productive to monitor every new message as it appears, but you’re only creating unnecessary distractions. Set limits for how often and at what time of day you will check your email. Stick to that schedule, and you’re sure to see that you’ve got a lot more time to do other important tasks at work.Make the Best Use of Your DayIt’s easy to get distracted, but it’s important to know that distractions steer us away from productivity. To cut down on your distractions and free up valuable time:Replace screen time with more productive activities.Switch your phone to grayscale to comba t phone addiction.Delete your social media accounts or follow fewer people.Be productive while in traffic by listening to an audiobook.Limit your alcohol intake and wake up ready to conquer the day.Schedule times to check your email to avoid distractions.If you can do even two or three of the items on this list, you’ll waste less time on unimportant things. In turn, you’ll free up time to do things that are more meaningful and beneficial to your life.

How one company recruits women for sales careers

How one company recruits women for sales careers Closing the gender gap has been a priority for big business for decades, yet despite their efforts a lack of women in leadership persists. And across most sectors, there are fewer women in sales positions, as well. This is a missed opportunity, because women can make excellent sales representatives. They often are empathetic, good communicators and good listeners, and many have an easy ability to build trust and are deeply intuitive â€" enabling them to read and best serve their customers’ needs. Yet despite this, according to a new study conducted by Guardian Life, women are essentially “selling themselves short.”’ Just 60 percent say they have never even considered a career in sales. I spoke to Emily Viner, Guardian Life’s vice president of agency growth and development. She’s responsible for the growth, development, and retention of Guardian’s salesforce, including a focus on expanding the diversity of firms around the country. Viner led Guardian to create a strategic plan to help women realize the opportunities a career in sales has to offer. “Like many companies, Guardian is committed to recruiting, training, and developing a diverse work force and while we have many successful women within our ranks, they still represent a minority,” she said. Her team led the research on women in sales across many industries, not just financial services. “Looking at a sales career should be an attractive option for women, she said. I started in sales and can attest to the satisfaction it provides in helping people, having flexibility in your schedule, and the opportunity to learn and grow while making a good living. So why is it that we still struggle to recruit women more broadly? “Through our study, we found the issue was far bigger than that we experience in financial services. We quickly realized our findings uncovered the need for a much larger conversation about women’s views and interests and how they relate to sales careers. We now have a roadmap showing how to best highlight career benefits to women and address concerns they may have. Ultimately, we have a clearer picture of how to position this career as a satisfying and successful venture for those who may be interested in a new opportunity.” Viner is adamant that women are not only needed in sales, but they have so much to offer with their intrinsic skills. Here she shares Guardian’s top tips to encourage women to choose a career in sales: 1. Advocate for women To recruit more women in sales, we need to work to change women’s perception of what a career in sales has to offer and also the public’s perception of the industry. The great news is that businesses themselves have a direct impact on women in the workforce. From the results of the study, Guardian is moving towards advocating the opportunity to recruit more women into a career in sales across all industries, not just in financial services. We’re also focused on changing public perception. Based on our research, we are now developing outreach campaigns and easily accessible online content, to better describe the role of a financial representative and future career opportunities. 2. Increase recruitment and training It’s important to create a strategic plan to recruit women and further their training opportunities. We have set key goals, planned to shape our culture to be more inclusive, and created resources to help women further their careers in sales. We are focused on assisting our firms in fostering inclusive environments where both men and women can thrive. One component of this work is our relationship with The Gender Intelligence Group who are helping us conduct workshops to educate members in The Guardian Network on the brain-based differences between men and women. We are providing access to women in our sales teams to the resources they need. This includes our own learning and development resources and industry tools. We also have a number of women who are leveraging our relationship with Women in Insurance and Financial Services (WIFS) to utilize their national mentoring program. Finally, we continue to expand our annual Women Producers Summit, which provides Guardians women representatives with an opportunity to network, connect and learn from one another. We saw a 21 percent increase in the number of women who attended this conference in 2015 compared to 2014. 3. Develop leadership from the inside Working with our field leadership, we have identified and reached out to women within The Guardian Network who might consider a career in sales management. Our efforts have resulted in a 71 percent increase in the number of women in sales leadership positions within The Guardian Network over the past two years. “While we know change won’t happen overnight, we now have a clearer picture on how to bring on the seismic shifts that are long past due,” Viner said. I personally believe it’s our responsibility to our industry â€" as in all sales related business â€" to help women find their passion to succeed, she said.

How to Write a Resume Poem by Szymborska

How to Write a Resume Poem by SzymborskaWriting a resume poem by Szymborska is the perfect way to create a resume that can make you stand out among all the other applicants. If you want to add that special touch to your resume, then you can try this type of writing, which is probably the most creative way of doing so.If you feel lost in this world of uncertainty and stress, then you might want to look for a writer's muse that will inspire you, since there is no such thing as a writer's muse. You can't find one, so you have to live your life and face the problems that come along the way. While that might seem to be the case, there are a lot of ways to get through your obstacles and still write a great resume.The main point to remember is that you can always use the inspiration that Szymborska provided in the first place. If you are looking for a writer's muse, then you can use Szymborska's resume poem.For starters, it is very important to learn about what Szymborska's style is. You do n't want to come up with a resume poem that sounds like a dead parrot. This might not sound very appealing on your part, but the good news is that there are many styles and there is one that is perfect for your resume.If you want to write a resume poem that is sure to strike fear into the hearts of employers, then you should start off with a standard three-page cover letter and make it short and sweet, using a five-paragraph essay format. This is actually the most common form of resume; you can even make use of a template.You can use this form of professional resume because it does not go into detail, but still provides a person with a little bit of information about themselves. If you do not have the time to read through a three-page cover letter, then go with a five-paragraph format, which is similar to the three-page cover letter.Once you have finished this essay, you can then add your skills and qualifications on to this, but don't overload the reader with too much information. Using the things that you are most proud of on your resume is good, but if you try to cram everything that you know down, then you might want to consider cutting back.A resume can change the lives of those who work in a company, so do not just jump right into writing a resume poem, especially if you do not have experience in writing in this form. Take your time, and do not jump into something that is not going to be successful.