Posts Tagged ‘employment’

Working Dads - The Unspoken Balancing Act

It’s a tough role being a working dad - you want to be able to split your family responsibilities equally with your professional ones, but unfortunately it’s not as easy as all of that.

The whole thing is a balancing act that you need to get right as a working father - fear not because below we’ve provided a few key tips to keep the balance a little healthier than normal allowing you to keep everyone happy.

Communication - We all know that an open dialogue is extremely useful when it comes to communicating with your boss, but the same can apply when communicating with your family.  Keep your family up to speed with the goings on at the office, explaining to them why you sometimes have to stay late for example - they will appreciate it!

Having a strong level of communication between you and your family will work to strengthen your family’s attitude to your work so you can enjoy a few guilt free evenings in the office because everyone will be on the same page.

Family Calendar - It’s a good idea to keep a calendar specifically set aside to list all of the family member’s upcoming events.  This is a great way to avoid booking a meeting on the same day as your son’s sports day for example.

Stay Away - Although you have all these tools now to keep you attached to your office, such as your Blackberry and your email, you should make sure that you close the door on the office for a few hours every night and take the time to spend with your family instead.  They shouldn’t be ignored!

Give as much attention to your family as you do to your work when you’re in the office - you don’t watch TV when you should be working through a project and the opposite goes for your home life.

Meetings - You spend your time making and holding meetings with work mates and bosses in the office - try making and holding a meeting with your kids.  Agree on a time that suits you both where you can play some football, or go to the park and make sure you stick to it!

Family Day - This of course depends on how family-friendly your place of work is, but if you think they welcome families then think about arranging a special family day where people bring in their families.

This is a much needed development particularly in the holiday months when children aren’t in school and parents want to spend as much time as possible with their children.  If you have any hand in the decision making process in your office try and get this happening and you’ll be a hero!

Working Dad?

Are you a working dad trying to get the balance right between home and work?  What do you think of our advice?  Let us know…

Job Hunting - A Name Game?

When searching for a job you need to remember that you can’t tell everything from a name - in fact most of the time you can’t tell anything from a name when it comes to employment.  If you are looking for a job it’s important to make sure that you look beyond the name and look closer at the explanation below.

A job title is pretty much worthless - you won’t be able to get a proper grasp of what will be asked of you by looking at just the job title in the same way that an employer won’t be able to explain what is being asked of you in the job in just a title.

In this light, you need to make sure you go beyond the title and look at the job description for a better insight into the job you are thinking of applying for.  However, when searching for a job you should really keep in mind the following issues;

A Work Of Fiction?

You should remember that job titles are often fictitious - you should look closely at what the job is demanding and not what it is called.  The company hiring needed someone to fulfil a role in the business, and to advertise for this someone they needed to create a name that would attract the best of the best.

This is a valid reason to back up the need for looking closely at what the job involves as the name may have absolutely nothing to do with the job itself.

Above One’s Station?

Some people like to beef up job titles to make themselves sound more important than they actually are - if you are working on a till in Asda you can essentially call yourself a Financial Supervisor, if you clean toilets you can call yourself a Sanitation Engineer.

It is the nature of human beings to want to give themselves the appearance of more importance than they actually have - therefore you need to make sure that the job you are applying for really is what you think it is.  The English language can be manipulate in many ways, make sure it doesn’t trip you up…

You should also not turn work down because you call yourself a Sanitation Engineer and the job application calls for a cleaner - the job is exactly the same…who cares what they call it?

One And The Same?

Different companies have different views when it comes to different positions - filling one role in one company doesn’t necessarily translate to another company and you can’t guarantee that you will be a director in one company and then move to another and keep the title.

You can still be doing the same job, but under a different title - that’s the way things go!

What’s In A Name?

Are you stumbling when it comes to job titles?  Do you look for the explanations?  Let us know…

Alone Time

You don’t have to deny it…if you like to spend time on your own then there is no need to worry about it.  There are jobs available for everyone out there, and there are even jobs out there for people that just like to be on their own and not chat the day away.

If socialising just isn’t your thing then you need not worry - the following list shows a few of the jobs your can take up where you don’t have to worry about impressing people, chatting or even talking with anyone else;

Mechanic

Mechanics spend most of their time inside the engines of cars - if they didn’t then they wouldn’t be doing a very good job.  Spending most of your day either in a car or under it doesn’t leave much time for chit chat - if you like to fix things then this is the job for you…you can get things fixed without having to chat it up…

Cost Estimator

Cost estimators tend to spend their time alone because they are too busy trying to go through paperwork like blueprints and proposals to decide how much projects will cost from the beginning to the end.  Cost estimators need to be on their own so they can concentrate - they don’t have the time or the need to engage in any conversation!

Librarian

If you have ever been told to “shhhh” in a library then you will understand how this job would suit someone who wants to keep quiet!  You can spend your days organising books that don’t talk back and you will very sparsely asked for advice or help because everything is automated these days.

Survey Researcher

A survey researcher goes about finding out what people think - they don’t interview people, instead they create surveys over the Internet and create questionnaires that can be mailed for example.  This cuts down any conversation time to nothing!  Survey researchers spend their time alone because they don’t actually need to be with anyone else when they are creating and preparing the questionnaires.

Translator

If you like being quiet then you don’t want to do any talking translating - you want to translate content from one language into another, usually from a newspaper or other text format.  You need to spend your time reading, researching, etc…  You can even have the chance to work from home as do nearly a quarter of translators around the globe.

Undertaker

A quieter job couldn’t exist - you are dealing with the departed, and they don’t talk.  You rarely have to deal with families for long and then you’re back with the dead people that don’t want to talk much either.  Be alone in the silence whenever you want to be.

Searching For Silence?

Are you looking for a career where you can work in silence?  Has any of the jobs listed above taken your fancy?  Let us know…

No More Cubicles

If you can’t bare to spend another day trapped in a cubicle prison then perhaps it’s time to look out for another career - you aren’t in the only career available, there are loads of jobs you just have to really want to make the switch!

If you have had enough of cubicles then read on to find out which careers involve anything but cubicles;

Fire-fighters

If you want to swap 4 cubicle walls for a fire engine and a team of fire fighting buddies all working together to save lives everyday then this is definitely the path for you.  However, it doesn’t end there - fire-fighters also have medical training and assist victims in emergencies - pretty exciting!

Truck Drivers

It can be just you and the open road - nothing more and nothing less.  Is that your perfect job?  You can set out in the morning and be in Germany at the end of your journey.  Change those cubicle bonds for a wide ranging road.

Messengers

The job of a messenger or a courier is to delivery documents and parcels across the nation or city - if you like to move and be outdoors then this is perfect for you!  You wont’ have to worry about the confines of the office anymore.

Elementary Teacher

Can there be a more fulfilling job than teaching young children?  Teaching can be a great way of providing a strong purpose to your life while sharing your knowledge with children who are hooked on your every word.  You won’t be sitting behind a desk, you’ll be standing in front of a class full of beady eyed children!

Security Guard

Acting as a security guard doesn’t necessarily have to be a dangerous task - usually if a security guard in a shopping centre or museum sees something dodgy then they will call the police or warn the big guys…if you like to wonder about casually all day then this is the position for you.

Vet

If you feel that you want to make a difference to a helpless animal’s life then this is the path you should take - it will take a lot of time in uni, etc… to get there but once you do you will have all the job satisfaction you could want in one lifetime.

You can work in your own practice or you can find employment in a zoo or a conservation for example - the latter will find you working out doors amongst nature!

Construction Worker

One day you could work on a house in a small village, the next day you can find yourself working on the tallest building in London - you will also be on the move as a builder and each job will provide different challenges to the last.

Cubicle Nightmare?

Are you bored of your dreary cubicle career?  Are you looking to take a different path for your career?  Let us know…

Cool Jobs

You can be pretty sure that there are cooler jobs out there than the one that you are in right now - especially if you are facing a cubicle wall right now!  Some jobs were created to just make everyone else jealous it would seem…don’t you wish you had a cool job?

You will at the end of this list - the following is a few of the coolest jobs out there that you can change to if you really want to - perhaps after reading this list you’ll email in to quit your job and change career…

Foley Artist

Foley artists spend their days looking for ways to make cool sounding sounds that they can record and then sell to film makers and production houses.  Every time you hear footsteps, thunder, rain or whatever it has most likely been created by a Foley artist.

Food Critic

This position is perfect for anyone who loves their food - if you have even gone into a restaurant and had an opinion about the food you have been served then you already have the training you need to be a food critic!

The best part of the job is that you’ll be fed for free - it’s like you are being provided with the means to both a happy existence and a happy career all in one!

Pet Psychologist

Who’s going to know if the pet psychologist is doing a real job or not?  Does your pet cry itself to sleep at night or does it have an eating disorder?  If you think it does then you need a Pet Psychologist to come in and sort its problems out.

However, don’t mistake the position for that of a pet trainer - to become a pet trainer you need to go through a large amount of training yourself to have the skills needed to teach animals how to follow your lead.

Shoe Designer

Millions of people around the world love only one thing - feet.  Feet fetishes are a big thing around the world so you can imagine how many people would be happy designing the homes for shoes on a daily basis.

Be responsible for what the celebs are putting on their feet down the red carpet - worst case scenario you’ll be designing Abidabs or some other knock off but you’ll still be having fun in the process.

Storm Chaser

Imagine spending your life living on the edge of your seat, waiting for the next tornado to swoop past you so you can drive after it and study their behaviour - yes these exciting jobs do indeed exist and you can get one!  Don’t forget that it’s a pretty dangerous job and people have died in the process - think hard before sending in your applications…

Going Cool?

Are you thinking about ditching your boring job for one that gives you a reason to get up in the morning once again?  Can you see yourself in one of these jobs?  Leave us a comment and let us know…

Job Searching Across The Globe

There is most certainly no rule that states that you have to look for a job in the same old city or town that you have lived in your whole life - by all means there is a wide world out there ready to invite you over…

You can apply for a job in the next city, in the next country or on the other side of the world.  It’s up to you to make the first step.  In a recession you may find that the jobs in your area are totally depleted and there has never been a better time to make the move.

Below are a few tips your should keep in mind when looking or a new job across the country, or abroad, to make the whole process a little easier;

Focus

The world is pretty big - the Internet can help you get a job almost anywhere in the world, but perhaps before you get too deep in a search you should focus your ideas and search to more of a specific place.

To help you trim down your options you should think about the cost of living in different countries and cities, interesting places and places where you have family and friends for example.  These factors will help you make a stronger decision.

Also think about the professional factors involved - which cities have the best prospects, is there any demand, what is the pay like?

Clarity

Be clear to your potential employers about your reasons for wanting to leave your current home town - explain your reasons clearly and honestly as they will most likely be attractive selling points.

Your reasons for leaving might show that you are strong and willing to take risks.

Phone Interview

Be prepared and ready for the possibility of a telephone interview - you probably won’t be able to get out to the new city or country for an interview and so you will have to work even harder over the telephone where you can’t win people over with your winner smile or smart dress sense.

Make sure you conduct the phone interview in a quite place and try and make sure you are relaxed throughout - try not to conduct the interview using your mobile phone as you can never guarantee quality of sound, and when speaking remember to smile as it will come over in your tone.

Flexibility

When looking to take a job in a new city or country you should remember that your best chance of doing so is by remaining flexible - this means you should think about working around your potential employers schedule when it comes to organising telephone calls and remember that you will probably have to pay for your own travel expenses, etc…You will have to be flexible to get what you want.

Moving?

Are you thinking about looking abroad for work?  Perhaps another city?  Let us know…

Jobs - Not Every Job Is The Best Job

Especially in a recession jobs can be great things to have - economic downturns such as these make us appreciate just how special having a job can be.  The main thing to remember though is that just because you have a job it doesn’t mean that it is necessarily a good job.

There are a few signs to keep your eyes open for when either starting out at a new job or even in a job you’ve been in for years - it is all right to understand that not every path you go down is going to be a correct one and once you come to terms with the fact that you are actually in a pretty lame job then you can go about looking for a new one.

Word Of Mouth

You should listen to people if they are warning you off working for the company you got a job with - so many times people hear from friends that they either heard of people working there or had worked there themselves and the whole process was a nightmare.

You might not want to listen to everyone that gives you advice but it’s a good idea to keep the warnings in mind - if you get into the job and have your fears reinforced then you can always leave.

Professional?

There is nothing more important than the boss taking control by leading by example - professionalism is one of the most important aspects of the workplace and if anyone has any hope of maintaining a professional attitude the boss needs to do so too.

If you find that the boss is the least professional person in the office then you can be sure that no one else is going to be professional either.  This will mean that the attitude to work will be unprofessional and you will find that your workload will be unpredictable and heavy.

Money

You should be aware of the money worries of your company - the company that you work for should be able to be in a position to look after the employees they have working for them…if they don’t then it’s time to bail!

There is nothing worse than getting a cheque at the end of the month only to have it bounce with little hope of getting paid at all.  If a company isn’t in a position to even pay you then the situation isn’t going to get much better in the future - you should keep your eyes open for any signs that the company might be struggling to pay the bills and if they are then you should look for another job fast!

In A Lame Job?

Are you stuck in a job that isn’t doing anything for you?  Are you draining yourself everyday going to work in a dodgy job?  Let us know your experiences by leaving a comment…

Clothes - Interviews and Workplaces

Whether dressing for an interview or dressing for the workplace you should understand that the clothes you wear tell a lot about your attitude and characteristics.

There are appropriate clothes to be worn and there are inappropriate clothes that shouldn’t be worn - how can you be sure about what get-up goes with what situation?  Easy…read on to find out what you should be taking out of your wardrobe for those business occasions.

Interviews

The interview is the first time you are meeting your potential employer - this is your opportunity to provide a lasting first impression that can hopefully go someway to give you a chance at a job.

You should dress to impress - however, you can’t be sure about what will impress at this company because the chances are you will never have been to the company before and you have no idea what kind of mindset the company is in.  For example you can imagine a job interview at a surf board company will call for funky clothes while an interview at a bank will probably call for a suit.

Professionals claim that it is a better idea to overdress slightly than to under dress at all - you can’t be sure what the feel and culture will be like in the place of work you are going to so your best bet is often a smart attire showing that you have a purpose and you are a mature thinker.

Try and feel out the company to the best of your ability - do some research online, get a feel for the company from your call-in for the interview and make an estimation of what you might think the company will be like.  There is only so much guessing you can do so don’t blame yourself if you get it a bit wrong.

Office

Dressing for the office can be just as much of a struggle as dressing for the interview.  The key for dressing at the office is to be smart-casual while making sure that you look like you have given the whole process some work and effort.

If you don’t look like you’ve put much thought into your clothing and appearance then you may not be taken seriously and you may even be avoided in extreme cases.

Take the opportunity when on your interview to take a look around and see what people are wearing - this is the best way to make sure you will fit in on the first day.  If people are wearing shorts and flip flops then you can be pretty sure that you can turn up in similar clothes and not look a fool.

Dressing Down?

Are you finding that you can’t get the clothing right for your workplace?  Are you going to rethink your clothing after reading our article?  Leave us a comment and let us know…

Holiday Hell?

The summer is here and more and more of us are taking the opportunity to leave our offices and our workloads to hit the beaches across not only the country but the world.

Unfortunately the black cloud hanging over all of our heads while on holiday is the workload waiting on our desks for our return - we all love going on holiday but you can never really switch off because you know it’s going to be a nightmare upon your return.

However, don’t let this stress turn you off holidays altogether - there are a few methods you should think about to make the transition from beach to cubicle a lot easier!

Plan

Not enough can be said for planning - if you can manage to plan before and after you leave for your holiday then the whole thing will run so much smoother.  Make sure to get specific work done before you leave for your trip and guestimate what will be waiting for you upon your return so you won’t be shocked when you arrive.

Work with those around you and you might be able to delegate some of the work you will be missing so you aren’t greeted with a mountain of paperwork on your desk when you get back.  You should also try and get ahead with your work before you leave so that it doesn’t seem like you are just starting from scratch when you get back.

From The Plane To The Office

It is much easier to make sure you give yourself at least a day at home before going back to the office - this is a great way to get back into the mindset of home living and break away from tropical ‘you’ that you met on the beach.

Use the time to unpack, feel comfortable at home again, catch up on any jet-lag and missed sleep, catch up on emails and give yourself a good home cooked meal if you’ve been eating out a lot recently.

Refresh Yourself

You may have lost touch with the work that you were doing before you left - a good idea is to spend the first couple of hours back in the office reading through the work to make sure you are back in the know about the work.

If possible have meetings with team mates to make sure you are fully sub-merged into the work and you are in the right mind set.  Once you are clued up once again you can then spend some time prioritising work and focusing on the more important work that requires your attention.  The key is to find your way around the office again slowly but surely.

Not Looking Forward To Coming Back?

Are you going on holiday this summer?  Do you struggle with relaxing because you’re worried about going back to the office?  Leave us a comment and let us know…

Honesty is the best policy!

When in an interview, anyone will tell you that the worst thing you can do, after passing out or throwing up, is to tell a lie.  You really don’t want to tell a lie to your interviewer no matter what the circumstances are.

You may have a few skeletons in your closet, everyone does at the end of the day - whether it’s jail time, a firing or anything else the best policy is to always be honest and truthful even if you don’t want to be.

We feel that we have to lie to impress potential employers and to keep them away from our secrets - in reality the truth will eventually surface and you will just come across as a liar.  Employers will often appreciate honesty.  Read on to find out how you can be honest in many situations;

Fired?

It’s not a great feeling to be fired - people get fired for any number of reasons but once you’re fired you feel that you are being thrown together in a big melting pot of naughty employees.

You shouldn’t feel that you can’t tell your potential employer the truth - you should tell your potential employer what really happened.  You could have been completely innocent in the whole process and were fired for the wrong reasons.  If anything, in this situation, a potential employer will feel more compelled to hire you.

Police Record?

People get arrested and get into trouble - it can feel like the end of the world and you’ll spend the rest of your days working in McDonalds or on building sites (although there’s nothing wrong with that at all).  You will feel that you want to hide the truth but in reality you should be totally honest and tell everything.

The potential employer will most likely either know about this previous struggle with the law or at least they will once they hire you - almost every company will do a background check and if you have held back important information then you will most probably get a sacking on the spot.

Honesty proves that you have served your time and learnt from the mistake making the whole process a great learning curve.

Bad References?

If you have just gotten out of a difficult job and you don’t think that you’re previous employer will give you a stunning reference then you should be honest with your potential employer and outline your worries.

You should approach the matter by saying that you are worried about the reference your previous employer will supply and that you would appreciate being kept aware of whatever had been said during the check.

You can’t hide the reference but you can try to minimise any damage!

Itching to tell a lie?

Have you found it difficult to tell the truth in an interview?  Do you agree that honesty is the best policy?  Leave us a comment and let us know…