How Successful People Spend Their Lunchtimes

How Successful People Spend Their Lunchtimes Lunchtime. Some people see it as an hour of doing nothing The most successful of people see it as an hour of opportunity. Whether youre meeting a new client for lunch or using it as a time to reflect, lunchtimes can be one of the most useful hours of the day. So dont sit at a desk with a sandwich, leave your desk and make use of the hour ahead. They never eat lunch alone. Keith Farazzi believes that to get ahead in life, you have to reach out to people. How to do that? He believes you should never eat lunch alone instead use the opportunity to meet new people, reconnect with old faces and meet potential clients. Farazzi believes that the only one way to become truly successful    is to create lasting relationships with others, and what better way to do this than to talk over lunch?! They use it to sleep: Were all told time and time again that the optimum amount of sleep you need every night is 8 hours.  Some people find it particularly difficult to fit this in at night time so why not use your lunch hour to power nap? Arianna Huffington is a strong advocate for getting as much sleep as possible. She believes that Sleep is something that encompasses many aspects of our lives, from technology and leadership to our relationships, careers, creativity and stress.. Definitely a reason for a lunchtime snooze! They read: If youre having a particularly busy day, it can be tempting to work throughout your lunch break whilst eating. However, its incredibly important to take a proper break in order to make sure you maximise your afternoon. Michael Kerr, an international business speaker relays this idea and thinks that reading helps you focus, offers a mental break from work, and can give you some much-needed solitude. They organise work and personal life: Lunch is also a pretty good time to sort out anything you need to in your life outside work. Make sure you use the time to tick at least a few things off your to-do list.  Knowing youve sorted things out in your personal life will mean that you free up that much needed mental space for the rest of the day. The afternoon can be on of the most productive times of day, so its best to use lunchtime to truly maximise its potential. They plan their day accordingly: The most successful people know that lunchtimes are important so they make sure they include it in their plans for the day. They dont schedule long meetings for lunchtime, and if they do its somewhere they can talk over a lunch. They make sure their plans for the day include lunch because it keeps the rest of their day productive. Its clear that successful people make sure to include lunch in their plans for the day. So if youre planning on skipping lunch today.dont do it! Let us know what youre doing with your lunch hour over on Twitter. Tweet us @UndercoverRec!

JSR Resume Writing Review - Tips For Writing With Review

JSR Resume Writing Review - Tips For Writing With ReviewJSR Resume Writing Review can be seen as a guiding guide to help a writer understand his or her skill in writing. This is not simply a style of the writer but a tool used to identify one's true talent.Today's job market is both competitive and highly specialized. Businesses that need to market themselves also have very specialized needs. These need can also change as a business grows. Therefore, if a business wishes to do more than just lay the facts on the table, it has to reach out to people who are looking for a job.JSR writing reviews to help with this process. A writer can find ways to increase his or her chances of landing a job by utilizing the reviews. Even if a writer has a strong writing talent, there will be times when he or she will need to make adjustments.It is easy to get frustrated with reviews, because they offer no help. A writer needs to be careful when using the reviews.First, it is important for a writer to realize that they need to use keywords. By the use of keywords, a writer can easily identify and surface the best content within the review. While an author can use the entire review as an endorsement, a writer should make their own words as relevant as possible.Secondly, writers should avoid getting bogged down in reviewing every aspect of the work. It is important for a writer to be able to use each part of the review to speak to several audiences. Therefore, one should be willing to give the reviewer some insight on what the writer might be good at. When a writer knows what they are good at, they can be more creative with the reviews.The reviewer is not a parent or teacher, so it is not wise to go on about the details of the writing. A writer should instead focus on the strengths and weaknesses of the content. This can show the reviewer why the writer has the potential to write for the company. While some parts of the content might be simply bad, a writer can still shine because they have given the reviewer an idea of what they can do.Finally, a writer should not take these reviews personally. After all, it is possible that the writer might be writing poorly.

Make your work more meaningful

Make your work more meaningful This post is sponsored by the American Cancer Society. Take a look at Steve Martins business card. I love it because it brings to light the lack of meaning we often feel during the daily routine of work life. When I was new to the workforce, I saw two ends of a spectrum. On one end, risking ones life to save dying children, and on the other end, hedge-fund banking to make millions. If you see the work world that way, then you feel compelled to choose between making good money or doing good deeds. But at this point, I dont think the world breaks down like that. I think all jobs are meaningful. 1. Meaningfulness comes from relationships. My introduction to this way of thinking was Sonja Lyubomirskys research about happiness and work (compiled into a book I like: The How of Happiness.) She found that janitors are happier than lawyers and the discrepancy arises from the amount of meaningfulness they perceived in their work. The janitors felt that they were helping people by keeping the school running well. They knew the students and the teachers and they had a nice relationship with them: people asked for help, the janitor gave help, the person thanked the janitor. With the lawyers, its the opposite. People hate having to ask a lawyer for help. They want the lawyer to solve their problems, but in general, you only call a lawyer when you have a problem you will not be able to get out of without one. So the lawyer cant really make people feel good. On top of that, a lawyer charges by the hour so there is almost never a thank you in exchange for a small piece of work. (More rationale for ditching your dreams of law school.) 2. Meaningfulness comes from feeling some control. Having control over ones job and an ability to make a difference through meeting goals, saving lives, solving problems is what enables people to enjoy their work, according to research published in The Economist. The prestige of the given job is not nearly as important as being able to have an effect. If jobs are not challenging enough, then people are not happy because they dont have a feeling of affecting someone else. People like being part of a group, they like being able to contribute. Relative to the rest of life, work is predictable. Kids are totally unpredictable, health is unpredictable, friends and family are wild cards, but there are rules for work that people follow. Those generally accepted rules are what makes work a safe place to be. 3. Management creates meaning The relationship between a boss and an employee should be very meaningful. Good management is actually about being nice. A managers job is to make people shine, to show them they can do more than they ever imagined and to make employees excited to come to work. Managements job is to create meaningful work. In the same vein, an employees job is to make their bosss life better. Whatever you were hired for, whatever that job description said, the bottom line is that you are there to solve your bosss problems. You will feel good at work if you are making your boss happyits a symbiotic relationship. 4. Creating meaning yourself is empowering. To be clear, a job does not give your life meaning. How you treat people and how you relate to communities and society is where you get your meaning. Work is just a great platform to create that meaning. You can choose whether or not you make your work meaningful. You can wait for someone else to magically anoint your job with meaning. But you will be waiting a long time. Instead, make work meaningful yourself. Its an act of freedom, taking your life into your own hands. 5. Look for opportunities. My step-mom had cancer for more than a decade. She had a breast removed, she went into remission, then back to the hospital, then remission. At first I thought her life was becoming crazy and how could she cope? But then I saw that the best thing for her was that she kept going to work. The stability in her life was her job. She couldnt control the cancer, or the treatments, or her energy, but she could control her workload and she could meet her goals when she was there. When she couldnt be at the office, her co-workers took over her workload so her job would be there for her when she returned. Every time. When an office comes together to support someone in crisis the whole office is infused with meaning. The strength they gave my step-mom by enabling her to come to work, in turn gave strength to the family members trying to help take care of her. Work has meaning because it provides stability in our lives, and we create meaning by helping co-workers to use that stability to be brave and strong in the rest of life. Look around you, all the time look for people at work who need help with their work. Caring for your co-workers might be the most meaningful part of work for all of us.

The Importance of Soft Skills

The Importance of Soft Skills Soft skills are becoming increasingly vital to employers when differentiating between candidates with similar experience and education. Be it team spirit, communication skills or being a quick-thinker, expressing and demonstrating the right soft skills can make hopeful applicants stand out from the crowd. In the competitive hiring environment, employers are asking and looking for certain soft skills to establish the most suitable people for the role. While technical and experience-specific skills still very much have a place in the mind of a hiring manager, soft skills give candidates an edge and show potential employers the social and cultural benefits they would also bring to their new role and company. Job meta-search engine Joblift have analysed which soft skills crop up the most frequently in the 9,542,193 jobs posted online in the UK in the past year. UK’s Top 10 Soft Skills Dedication/commitment Communication skills Confidence Motivation Flexibility Organised/organisational skills Positive Enthusiastic Passionate Friendly Being dedicated and committed is the most sought after soft skill in the UK job market in the past year, alongside communication skills and confidence. These soft skills hint towards longevity in roles, with a loyalty to the company and progress of the business. On the other hand… The UK’s least popular soft skills are: Smooth talker Temperamental Spontaneous Quick-thinker Solution-oriented Perseverance Tactful Charming Sympathetic Commercial skills UK vs. European counterparts Over at Joblift, we have also analysed the top soft skills in France, Germany and the Netherlands as a comparison to the UK’s results. Interestingly, the UK has the most in common with the Netherlands in terms of soft skills and shares the least with France. Top five soft skills for France: Independence Rigorous Social skills Dynamic Team player Top five soft skills for the Netherlands: Adaptability Communication skills Team player Proactive Motivation Top five soft skills for Germany: Team player Reliability Engagement Communication skills Adaptability You can see that communication or social skills rate highly for all of the four countries, with this soft skill being in each of the countries’ top five. This indicates that regardless of location, European employers see communication as central to a successful hire. The UK and the Netherlands have the most in common, with communication skills and motivation featuring in each of the two countries’ top five. The UK is the only country analysed which does not feature team work or team spirit in its most sought after soft skills. In fact, the majority of the UK’s most desired soft skills focus around an individual’s behaviour towards the company and their work, rather than individualistic or interpersonal behavioural tendencies. In addition, confidence is a soft skill that only features in the UK’s top list. In France, on the other hand, most of the top soft skills are based on individual behaviour tendencies, with three out of five centering around personality traits. Germany and the Netherlands share the same ratio of interpersonal and company-oriented soft skills, whereas, for these two countries individualistic requirements do not feature at all in either country’s top five. The differences in behavioural focus makes for an interesting cross-country analysis; employers in Germany and the Netherlands seek candidates with skills that will directly benefit the company and inter-team relations. Whereas, French hirers look more favourably on individualistic behaviour in applicants, and therefore, seem to focus on the abilities that the individual has themselves rather than their behaviour towards the company. The UK also stands alone in its top soft skills; the majority of desired soft skills are very company focused, with an equal share of individual and interpersonal behaviour. So, if you’re looking for a job in the UK at the moment, remember to demonstrate â€" dedication, communication and confidence! Infographic courtesy of Joblift.

Is It Worth It To Use A Resume Writing Service?

Is It Worth It To Use A Resume Writing Service?Do you really know if it's worth it to use a resume writing service? To be honest, the answer is probably not. There are many different benefits for hiring a professional company to write your resume. Just be sure to research all of them before deciding which one is right for you.If you are able to just take the paper with you to the job interview and present it on your own, this will save you money and time. Not everyone has a computer with an Internet connection at home. Plus, you will have to go out and buy a bunch of paper and ink. It is quite expensive. Using a resume writing service allows you to do this without all of the extra expense and hassle.A more reliable service will ensure that your paper is written properly. Also, they will know what to put in the section where you want to express what you know about the job you are applying for. This is the first thing that most employers read and take the most into consideration. If yo u are not sure what to say in that section, using a professional will give you tips and suggestions that will help you get across the most accurate version of yourself.A professional will also be able to tell you if you will be able to send the resume off to a particular company. This can be done over the phone or by email. Sometimes it is better to submit the resume to a company that you have applied to before. This way the professional will be able to send it to the company ahead of time.This is just one benefit of using a professional resume writer, but it should be enough to convince you that this is an option you should consider. You can also feel confident that the information in the document you submit is correct. They usually have proofread the work and take extra care to make sure your resume reflects your best traits and accomplishments.The cost of hiring a professional to help you out with your job interview may be a bit higher than just spending a few dollars to order a few samples on the Internet. However, it is something that you can afford. This is why it is so important to find a service that is right for you. It is like hiring an assistant, but it is better because you get the experience and time that you need to be able to write a good resume.The last benefit to using a resume writing service is that you can rest assured that they know the best resumes. They are professionals, and they know how to write and format a resume. They have helped hundreds of people get their dream jobs.So, is it worth it to use a resume writing service? If you are able to use the internet to look for one that is affordable and reliable, then it is definitely worth the money. However, if you are trying to secure a job in your field that you want, then the time spent is a small price to pay for the peace of mind that you will be making a good impression on the employer.

The Most Amazing Career Ideas for Creative People

The Most Amazing Career Ideas for Creative People There are some career paths that require a highly academic and structured mindset. Roles in research, data analysis, and accounting, are all examples of these types of careers. While a good fit for some people, if you’re someone who has a creative streak, these kinds of roles may not suit you. Instead, a role that allows you to express yourself and share your creativity would be a better fit.The good news is that there are plenty of career paths that are ideal for creative people, so you’ve got plenty of choices. To find your ideal career, take a look at the suggestions below.1. Become a Website DesignerevalPhoto Credit â€" PixabayIf you’re skilled when it comes to IT and are knowledgeable when it comes to coding, a career working in web design could be perfect for you. Obviously, you would need to follow your client’s wishes in terms of how their websites looked and worked.evalHowever, you would still have the creative license to add a little sparkle, shall we say. Web desig n is an industry that comes with high rates of pay, so you’d be able to earn a good income. Another extension of this career is Graphic Design where you can help others with professional logo design. Obviously, if you don’t already have the key skills, you’ll need to take the time to get the training that you need.2. Work in FloristryPhoto Credit â€" Wikimedia.orgFor creative people, a career in the floristry industry could be ideal. It’s a career that’s very hands on and requires you to be a good communicator and a people person. You’ll spend most of your time meeting clients and putting orders together but will also have lots of opportunities to get creative. While most customers will have an idea of what type of arrangement or bouquet they want, you will still have artistic license to jazz them up.The great thing about a career in floristry is that you don’t need a degree. However, it could be worth looking at online floristry courses, so that you can get the adequa te training that you need.3. Start a Photography BusinessPhoto Credit â€" Pixabay.comDo you have a skill and love for photography? If so, why not consider turning your passion into a career? Photography has to be one of the greatest careers for creative people as it comes with so many options for expressing yourself.Firstly, there’s the choice of what type of photography you want to get into, from family portraits to nature photography. Then, there’s the question of which style of photography that you want to specialise in. For instance, say you opt to get into family portraits, you then need to choose if you want to do structured ones or more creative pieces.Some families love the idea of natural pictures, while others prefer more structured images. You may need to undertake some professional training. However, apart from that, this type of career is fairly easy to start.So there you have it, three of the best career ideas for creative people. Of course, there are also many oth er options; these are just three to get you started.

How To Be An Awesome Recruiter - Jane Jackson Career

How To Be An Awesome Recruiter - Jane Jackson Career As a career coach and former recruiter, my clients, who are job seekers, tell me that what they enjoy most about working with me is that they feel valued, and their skills and knowledge validated when we work together. My number on priority is to be there for my clients and to help them to be at their best for the next step in their career.However, I’ve noticed a common complaint when job seekers work with recruiters. It’s to do with it what makes them feel valued during the application and selection process, and what frustrates them most when working with a recruiter.One of the biggest frustrations that my career transition clients share with me is that many recruiters don’t answer their calls, and don’t follow up after an application has been submitted, nor provide support and feedback after a job interview.Job seekers therefore don’t feel valued, and often the lack of communication from their recruiter makes them feel rejected during a time that is already quite stressful as they are in-between jobs. That lack of communication makes them wonder if they will ever get another job.I know that most recruitment consultants are under the pump and don’t have time to spend on the phone with each and every candidate but that’s no excuse. A candidate is a potential future client so each and every candidate must be treated with equal respect and care. There are some excellent recruiters out there (and reach out to me if you want to know who they are!) but there are many who are very transactional.As a recruiter, the job is full on and often there just aren’t enough hours in the day. Of course, KPI’s are important as targets must be met, calls (warm and cold) to potential customers must be made, screening calls for candidates, interviews, and placements must be made per week. There are multiple priorities screaming for attention at any given time.That is still no excuse for not giving each and every candidate the timely communication they deserve.For all recruiters, relationships matter â€" of course you develop strong relationships with your customers â€" don’t forget that candidate relationships matter too.What Top Recruitment Consultants Must Do:Spend time getting to know your clients. Understand the culture of the organisations, the culture of the team and the management style and expectations of the hiring manager. Little nuances in communication may be missed over the phone, so face-to-face meetings with all your clients is essential. Take the time to understand their needs and always read between the lines â€" often what is not said is as important as what IS said. Learn to read body language so that you are able to fully understand what is being communicated to you.By the same token, spend time getting to know your candidates. Get to know their aspirations, and their fears. The more you understand not only what they CAN do, but what they WILL do (their work preferences) and also the best cultural FIT for any business they interview at, the better for you as a recruitment consultant.Prep your candidate so they know what to expect, the type of interview they will be attending, whether it is to be one on one, a panel interview, sequential interview, video interview, case study assessment, psychometric assessment, skills test. Help them to PREPARE for success.Speak to your candidates before their interview to help put them at ease and to let them know you are there for them. Encourage them to make contact to debrief after their interviews.FOLLOW UP with your clients and your candidates. Always keep your candidates in the loop whether they need to wait, they are progressing, they aren’t successful or if there are changes to the job specifications or expectations. Open and regular communications is business etiquette and will auger well for you in the future.Remember that your candidates may be future clients. Everyone must be treated as a star candidate.After a candidate is placed, and for those who are not placed, set up a system so that you will follow up with them every so often to know that you are thinking of them. This will help to develop strong relationships for the future and often result in new assignments and opportunities for you as you will become known as the recruitment consultant who cares.Build your own Personal Brand as a top recruiter. As LinkedIn is the top professional networking platform, make sure that your own brand as a top recruiter is obvious. Share posts and updates on LinkedIn that EDUCATE and ADD VALUE to your customers AND to your candidates. Your customers will love you if you help them to position themselves as Employers of Choice through the valuable education that you provide in your posts and articles. And candidates will love you as they will learn how best to work with recruiters.Post an article on LinkedIn that helps your candidates to understand the best way to work with you, as a recruitment consultant. An article will stay at the top of your profile separate from the newsfeed. Your candidates will thank you for it! Educate them on the recruitment process so they feel supported by your thought leadership and generosity of spirit.Always listen, learn, encourage, support, and communicate, communicate, communicate.If you are a recruiter, and have devised a great way to provide value to your candidates, please share what works well â€" inspire new recruiters so they can be the best they can be too.If you’re a job seeker and want to learn how to work with recruiters, book a complimentary Career Clarity Chat and let’s find out how we can work together for your success!

22 Reasons Why Its Worth Doing The Dirty Work To Live Your Dream Career - When I Grow Up

22 Reasons Why Its Worth Doing The Dirty Work To Live Your Dream Career - When I Grow Up My two sleepyheads at 12:17pm on a Tuesday A few weeks ago, my husband said to me: Ya know, babe, I finally feel like all those years of advertising brought me somewhere. It brought me to a place where I was able to leave my full-time job and go freelance over a year ago, but it wasnt about that. It was about right now being able to spend time with  our daughter and not have to be somewhere else for 40+ hours a week. She is why I stuck with it. She is why it was worth it. A statement like this, especially from my husband, makes me the happiest. I realized how right he was, and how lucky  worthwhile it was to take the blood, sweat, tears  and years of discovering and building our dream careers. I also liked how he incorporated all of his previous experience and decisions in his realization. It wasnt only about being a freelancer now  so he can spend entire days with our Baby Girl. It was about the fact that he spent years building up his skill set and connections in order to actually make it happen. Here are 22 of my own personal reasons for why Im so thankful and proud that I took the risky route and created my dream career: 1. Hours in the park with the baby in the middle of a weekday afternoon. 2. Noontime yoga classes without looking at the clock to make sure Im not over my lunch hour. 3. Impromptu or scheduled visits/lunches with  friends during the weekdays. 4. No early morning meetings, ever. 5. My friendlleagues (like colleagues whore my friends, k?). In past jobs I became close with 2 or 3 people in the office, but now I can count on dozens that fit the same bill. 6. Being able to make the authentic decision for me 24/7, whether its ditching the corporate attire or making music videos to promote my offerings 7. Doing errands quicker cause everyone else is at work. Youll never catch me food shopping on the weekends or doing the laundry after 5pm. 8. Never having a gorgeous day go to waste, cause I can always manage to spend some time  outside 9. Not having to worry that I have to sledge through an 8 hour workday when Im not feeling well or didnt get much sleep the night before 10. Power naps! I can take em pretty much whenever I want! 11. Being comfortable and confident that  my husband could quit his full-time job 3 years after I did. I freakin made it work, so why couldnt he? 12. No commuting! 13. Not having to go back to work after a maternity leave. Sure, Ive been working the entire time the babys been here, but its my choice and on my schedule. 14. Tangibly seeing the fruits of my labor, in the form of my clients putting the dream career pieces together then building it up! 15. A deep sense of fulfillment along with the feeling that Im  actually making a difference (instead of just booking someones travel or helping forge relationships with people Id never meet whose businesses I could care less about). 16. Having full reign to work on whatever feels good to me in the way that I want to grow my business. 17. Looking forward to 85% of the things I need get to do every day. 18. Taking vacation without worrying about how many days I have left to use and trying to predict when I might next need them. 19. Giving myself the opportunity to make unlimited income and achieve Big Dream accomplishments, like being published! 20. Getting to essentially attract and choose the people Id love working with the most. No cranky/bitchy/insane colleagues and managers here! 21. The 2:30pm Friday kiddie sing-along class I can go to weekly, no problem. 22. Working with others to help em do the same thing! This post was part of The Mama Bliss Is Blog Tour hosted by Kathy Stowell of Bliss Beyond Naptime. The Mama Bliss Is Blog Tour is helping to spread the word on the importance of mothers to tend to their self-care and creative practices first and foremost while contending with overwhelm in healthy and creative ways.