Category: Career

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Try These 5 After-Work Routines

Try These 5 After-Work Routines

Are you happy/satisfied with your performance at work? Do you often feel tired and want to improve productivity? Are you fed up with a 9-5 routine that makes you exhausted?

Even when you are doing well at your job, being an employee is not easy. Besides, lack of motivation, focus, and energy can affect your performance. Incorporating the below-mentioned activities may help boost your mood and energy. Make sure that your post-work schedule does not have an overwhelming and unrealistic plan. You can keep it simple and balanced.

The after-work routine will energize you for getting success and improving your work. Here are five after-work routines that will make you better at your job.

5 After-Work Routines

After a busy day at work, the first thing you should do when you reach home is change your clothes. Rather than flopping down on the couch, wear something you like and do what makes you happy, like listening to your favorite music. Also, you can pick any of the best activities from the below list.

1.     Follow Your Passion

You may have an interest in activities outside your office routine. Hobbies are a practical way to transform your mood and following your passion is one of the best ways to enjoy your time after work. You can set your schedule for each day by discovering your hobby.

It’s all up to your choice what do you choose after work. You can select something you are genuinely passionate about, like painting, singing, dancing, volunteering for a cause, etc.

2.     Socialize with People

Socializing with people is one of the best ideas to keep you away from stress and re-energize your mood and energy. Plan a movie night with your friends or head on to an impromptu date. Go out, socialize with family and friends and have fun.

You can do multiple activities with your family and friends, all depending on your preferences.

  • Go to watch a movie to refresh your mood.
  • Go for an outing or to a restaurant
  • Join any meetup group to have a conversation

3.     Carry out any Activity

If you work in an office, you likely sit in the same place each day from 9-5. You can make a plan to burn off some energy.

  • You can go for a walk.
  • Go to the gym and take a yoga class
  • Listen to music and dance to your favorite beats

Moreover, you can pick an activity as per your choice. You need to keep your body moving to lift your spirit and release stiffness in your sore muscle.

You can visit an art museum or gallery with your friends. If you are interested in art, you will feel happy exploring the great art pieces at the gallery. You can get inspired by creative art and see things from a different perspective. Not to mention, visiting a museum during the evening will be a completely different experience.

5.     Share your Skills and Talent

You can share your skills and talent in different productive ways. You may act like a mentor, lecture about a career at an institute, share your part at community events, and explore new ideas to help people. Sharing your skills and talent will make you feel inspired and bring a motivational change to your life.

Bottom Line 

It will be a great idea to pick any activity from the above five after-work routines that will improve your job. So, are you ready to transform your daily activities after work? Let’s shake up things to bring an inspiring change in your life.

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Career Career & Education

This Resume Trick Will Help You Switch Industries

This Resume Trick Will Help You Switch Industries

There are times in your career you might feel like you’re doing something wrong or might start questioning your industry. The moment you start doing that, it’s time for you to trust your gut and change your industry.

While it’s not easy switching into different industries, and the same time it’s not possible. It’s never too late to change your industry; all you need is confidence and the right guidance. Mentioned below are a few resume tricks that will help you switch your industry.

1. Have Good Teamwork Skills

No matter what industry you choose to work in, teamwork is an important quality to have. Teamwork knows how to work with a big group of people and how to communicate with each other in order to achieve the same goal. If you want to switch to a new industry, you have to show them how you want to make that change. The best way to show them that is by showcasing your team player skills. You should be adaptable in every team setting and work with different types of people.

2. Maintain Critical Thinking Skills

Any industry you want to work in, treasure one thing the most, and that is critical thinking. Without critical thinking, it’s impossible to solve difficult issues or queries. You must showcase on your resume you have previously solved different cooperate issues. You should also show them what other things you had to deal with on the way. By looking at this, the interviewer will understand how you think when trying to solve issues.

3. Have an Organized Attitude

When it comes to being organized, you have to know how to manage your time and multitask. You can have an organized attitude by showcasing the different internships or activities you have taken part in. This also shows the different skills you have and how you apply them to different fields at one time. When jumping from one industry to another, you must also showcase what made you do that and how you were so successful.

4. Good Communication Skills

Good communication skills are a must, no matter what type of industry you’re working in. That is the only way you can deal with issues and successes around the company. It is not easy to communicate with totally random people, but that’s a skill you need to have. This is why you need to have good communication skills. If a company knows you have that, they will instantly want you no matter what industry you’re transferring from.

The Takeaway

Now that you have these simple resume tricks in front of you, it’s time for you to start applying them from now on. These are the few skills you must have, and they will always help you in everything.

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Career Career & Education

6 Ways To Get More Freelance Work

6 Ways To Get More Freelance Work

Whether you’re a freelance writer, photographer, or teacher, freelancing can become demotivating when you fail to manage a schedule and prepare a strategy. Freelancing jobs have become more popular than before in today’s age, and it is one of the best ways to put your talents to use. If you’re trying to start freelancing or engage with more clients, you’re in the right place. Freelancing may sound easy, but it’s not. This article will guide you on how you can gain more freelance work.

1. Take referrals from your current clients

If you’ve already started freelancing and have been able to secure at least two clients, you must ask them to refer you to more people. They can get you in touch with other clients from different industries, depending on the work you’re providing.

2. Increase your network

One of the best ways to broaden your network is by making contacts, and the best way to do that is with the help of social media. You’ll find plenty of freelancing groups on Facebook, as well as other networking platforms. Here, you can find many potential clients seeking the services you provide. Of course, this will involve getting out of your comfort zone, and having to talk to random people online. But, it’s worth it in the end as you’ll definitely get more freelance work.

3. Market your work services

Whether you’ve started a small business or are freelancing as a writer, one of the best ways to get more clients is by advertising your work. You can create a post that lists all your services and price range, and post it on all social media platforms. Ask your friends and family members to share and engage with your posts so your chances of getting clients are higher. You can also create a website to lure in potential clients.

4. Be straightforward in what services you’re providing

You must give a detailed explanation about the services you provide, whether it’s in person or on your website. You can start off with your experience in the freelancing industry, and the types of clients you’ve worked with before. Be as detailed as possible, and you can include details that provide more insight as to your freelance work.

5. Engage in competitive pricing

It seems realistic to set prices low once you begin with freelancing work, but remember that price can play an important role when clients choose you. If the price is set too low, your clients may think your services aren’t up to par. Set the bar high by keeping your prices moderately high. Make sure to take a look at your competitors’ pricing and how they change it based on projects and client requirements.

6. Make clear contracts

Remember to provide contracts with clear details as communication is essential for making a good impression. In the long run, it’s beneficial to help you get more freelancing work. Make sure your needs are addressed the same way you’ve addressed the services you will provide. It helps clients understand the agreement they’re getting into.

Freelance Work Conclusion

Hopefully, with the help of this article, you can now apply all these tips to get more freelance work. Remember to take referrals, prepare a marketing plan, build a network, set great prices, and write comprehensive contracts.

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Career Career & Education Health & Home Wellness

Why Time Off Is Good for Your Health

Why Time Off Is Good for Your Health

A workaholic usually sees “taking time off” as something they can do later. But they don’t realize how necessary it is for their growth and mental health. Research shows there are many people who have succumbed to illness by overworking. According to a study by the World Health Organization (WHO), 745,000 people pass away from ischemic heart disease caused by overworking every year.

Taking time off doesn’t necessarily mean having to go on vacation. Rather, it can mean paying attention to yourself and giving yourself a break from work. There are many reasons you’ll want to take some time off, so read further below to learn how it can benefit your health in a good way.

1.    Helps Refresh You into a More Productive Person

Taking small breaks at work is always refreshing and necessary. Now imagine taking a whole month or a few weeks off from work. You’ll definitely feel refreshed and energetic once you return. Your productivity levels will increase, and you’ll pay attention to work with a cool, calm, and motivated mindset.

2.    Gives You Time to Work on Your Relationships

It’s not easy to maintain relationships or meet friends regularly when you have a tight work schedule. But, it is important to meet your friends weekly or have a cute family night every Friday. Meeting with friends helps you realize that your loved ones are always there for you and vice versa. Taking some time off will help you make up for all the missed nights out and dinner dates.

You can also go for a small road trip for a week. You’ll see the therapeutic effect a small road trip can have on your mental health. During a tough career life, you need to have the support of your close friends and family. However, you need to maintain your relationships with them for that to continue.

3.    Helps you Achieve a Mental Break

When constantly working throughout your day, your brain tends to push back. That’s where you start to experience different mental health issues such as anxiety, depression, etc. This will also soon start having a bad effect on your work, and that’s the last thing you need. Taking some time off will allow your brain to rest and give you time to clear your head. Clearing your head lets you get back to work with a more refreshed and energized side of you.

4.    Allows You to Rethink About Your Goals

Taking time off will also give you time to think if your job is something you want to continue. You might come up with something more of your liking or a brilliant idea that may get you to the top.

Takeaway

Right now, taking time off from work may seem impossible. But the benefits it has on your health are bound for you to take one now. So it’s time to apply for your leaves and take that long break you deserve!

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Career Career & Education Education

How To Choose The Right Online Course or Degree

How To Choose The Right Online Course or Degree To Help Your Career

If you are planning to choose an online degree or course for further studies, then you need to know some factors to make the right decision.

The following are some considerations that can help you find the right and suitable class to improve your skills.

Determine Your Goals

Of course, the first thing you need to do is to define your goals. Spend some time understanding what you want to achieve through your education experience. Do you want to get enrolled in a course that can help you get a promotion in the office? Do you only want to learn skills that you can use for short-term purposes? Or do you care to get proof of your degree and course at the end in the form of a certificate, degree, or something else?

Once you understand what your preferences and goals are, you can easily choose the right online classes for yourself.

Spend Some Time Exploring Online Courses or Degrees

When you get a clear idea about your objective of enrolling in online classes, you need to search about courses. Look for the institutes that offer you online platforms for learning. Additionally, once you find some best sites, dig deeper to get an idea of whether they offer your required course or degree.

Make sure to check the outline of the courses or degrees to determine what you will learn from the online class or whether it meets your criteria.

Choose the Right Institution For Your Degree or Course

It is important to understand that there are hundreds of organizations that are offering online classes on a wide variety of subjects. However, not every course or degree is credible and offers you excellent education. You need to choose the one that is highly reputable among the students and offers the best teaching solutions. Consider your time, goals, financial capability, future plans, and field before making any decision.

There are three types of institutes that you can choose from, including:

  • Accredited College or University- if you want an academic degree or certificate, you need to look for a reputable university.
  • Specialized Training Institute- this type of institute offers you affordable and flexible courses.
  • Vendor-Specific Courses- some manufacturers and vendors provide specialized training on their specific products.

Methods of Assessment

One of the important factors when it comes to choosing any course or degree is the assessment process. Some online classes assess you through project-based tasks or coursework, while others require students to take exams. You need to pick courses with methods of assessment that you can perform best in.

For instance, If you don’t have time to give exams at a specific time and date because of your busy schedule, then it’s best to avoid courses with exam assessment methods.

Bottom Line

Just make sure to consider all the mentioned factors before choosing an online course or degree. Since the purpose of online classes is to give you access to high-level education in an easy and simple way, you need to determine what type of classes meet your preferences.

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Career Career & Education

Want to Quit Your Job? Here’s How to Do it Like a Pro

Want to Quit Your Job?Here’s How to Do it Like a Pro

Do you want to quit your job? But how?

Let’s read the article to get an idea about the best ways to leave a job like a pro.

Consider Switching Departments

If you are planning to switch from one company to another, you need some time to search for the right job. Of course, it will take months, if not a year. You will have more leverage if you accept a new job when you are already working.

However, if your reason to leave the job is your fussy department manager, then first consider moving to another department within your company. Your employer would not want you to go, and they may allow you to change your department. They can take advantage of their investment in your professional growth.  You may want to quit your job before you find an offer, but it can be a costly mistake for you. It’s better to keep it as the last option.

Check Important Details of Your Departure               

Before leaving, do your complete research. Check what salary and employee benefits you will receive upon quitting the job. Make sure to find out about the unused sick and vacation pays. Also, ask the authority about what will happen with your 401 (K) or other pension plans.

Some employers also arrange an exit interview before the departure of the employee. Review some samples of the interview questions from the internet so you can answer more confidentially and professionally.

Give Advance Notice

Although two weeks advance notice is standard in most companies, it can take a longer time to replace some type of professionals. If you have a good position that involves certain types of complex responsibilities, you may need to give advance notice a month before quitting.

Besides this, if you are a member of a labor union or have an employment contract, then the agreement you have signed may have certain requirements that you have to fulfill. Before leaving the company, make sure you have checked the notice period in this agreement. Do remember that when you give notice to the employer, they have the right to dismiss it and terminate you immediately if you don’t follow the agreement.

Always Resign In-Person

You might don’t have great relations with your boss, but it doesn’t matter. The way you quit your job will reflect your professionalism and approach towards responsibilities.

So, don’t worry about the awkwardness, and talk to your employer in person. Sending an impersonal resignation on email will only make you look rude and dismissive. Yes, a one-to-one meeting will not be simple and easy, but that’s how professionals deal with it.

Bottom Line

So, these are some ways to quit your job like a pro.  You can also give feedback to your company on why you are leaving. Plus, don’t forget to inform your colleagues about your resignation.

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Career Career & Education

Asked to Take a Pay Cut? What Do You Do Next

Asked to Take a Pay Cut? What Do You Do Next

Pay cuts are an issue that no one likes to talk about or face. This may come at the back of company-driven policies or an overall financial crunch in the market. If you were asked to accept a pay cut in the past, and you could not deal with it well, then don’t worry, as now we can offer you a comprehensive guide on how to deal with this, professionally.

Understanding Pay Cut

First off, you must understand the issue, what’s a pay cut? A pay cut is a reduction in your salary. They often help minimize layoffs or save revenues for the company during tough financial times.

A salary cut can be short term or permanent, it all depends on the company’s financial situation. They tend to badly hamper salary appraisals, bonuses, pensions, etc.

Conditions for Pay Cuts

If you are working with a company without a contract, then your employer can offer you a salary cut without reason. Your employer can reduce the number of hours or your working days in a month.

Know your rights

If you have an agreement, your employer cannot reduce your hours or working days for issues like race, gender or religion, etc. So know your rights to avoid such an unpleasant situation for dealing with a pay cut.

What if your employer asked for a pay cut?

Duration for a cut?

In a pay cut situation, companies generally have no definite answer about how long a salary cut will last? Remember, that a cut cannot go on and on, it must end. Companies may know certain financial projects will complete in a few months from now and they can regain financial strength.

You should have this conversation with the company but don’t expect a conclusive response.

Bargain for something in exchange

The discussion should be gentle, for inquiring about working fewer hours for losing part of revenue through a pay cut.

 If the salary cut is imminent, then you should ask the company for something in a bargain for a lower salary. You may ask them for more work-from-home days, or short work hours, etc.

Right Questions

Asking is something you should never be afraid about. You have the right to know about the situation for a salary cut. You can ask them.

  • My job and role will remain the same?
  • Who else is getting this cut?
  • When will it take effect?
  • Is there any health care costs rise?
  • Any change in benefits?
  • If at all, will more cuts will follow?
  • How company will come out of this financial crunch?

What are your plans in a post Pay cut?

Pay cuts and firing have become more of an option ever since Covid-19 hit everyone. So, the companies who are offering pay cuts are also keeping most of the staff, workers, and managers in the best imaginable situation they can. This is just an attempt to avoid losing very loyal members of their staff.

The worst side effect a cut can give, is the hunt for a new job? In the wake of a pay cut, start looking for a job in order to generate revenues to compensate losses.

Conclusion

Just imagine, your company asking for a pay cut. If this is the situation, where you can turn down a cut, take a break from the discussion. You don’t have to reply to your boss immediately. Instead, you should discuss the situation with your family and friends. This will give you sufficient time to prepare an appropriate reply for the company on next day. And then, you can devise a plan for the next job hunt.

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Career Career & Education

Interview Mistakes & What to Say Instead

6 Phone Interview Mistakes & What to Say Instead

Phone interviews can be stressful. They can feel like do-or-die moments that decide whether you get your dream job or live in poverty. In short, it is important you get them right.

So here are a few ways to develop your interviewing skills, from someone who does interviews all the time.

1.  Be More Specific Than Honest

You probably want to know up front: Do you have to be honest during an interview? The answer isn’t easy to swallow, but the truth is no. As long as you can’t get caught, enhance the truth.

But that does not mean lie. It’s illegal to lie during an interview. What you should do instead is take your normal answers and spice them up with details that will make you stand out.

2.  Never Show Fear To The Recruiter

Interviewers are fully aware of how scary interviews are. This makes them perfectly environments in which to evaluate a candidate’s ability to act under pressure.

Hesitation is fine. It can make you seem thoughtful, measured, and patient. But fear is unacceptable. If the recruiter gets the impression you are rushing through an answer, babbling nervously, or cracking under the pressure of having to answer a question, they will notice.

3.  Still, Take Your Time

Many people imagine fear to only manifest as reluctance or the petrification of panic. But more often people who are afraid express this by being jittery, hurried, or over-eager.

If you are asked a question and you draw a blank on the answer, do not panic. Don’t stall for time, ask for it. It takes a lot of courage to ask for time to think of an answer, and your recruiter will appreciate that you are communicating a need to them in a calm, collected manner.

4.  Respond to Red Flags

This is one of the hardest pieces of advice to follow if you have been out of a job for a long time. As much as it sucks to hear, there are some jobs you are better off not getting.

Don’t be afraid to walk out or hang up on an interview if you get the impression a workplace is abusive or incompetently run. Places like that will leave you out to dry without a reference eventually, so it’s better to distance yourself sooner than later.

5.  Remember The Recruiter’s Name

This is an uncommon bit of humanity to exhibit in an interview, but if you remember your recruiter’s name and show that you remember their name, they are far more likely to remember you than if you didn’t.

6.  Don’t be Right, be Human

It’s natural to go into an interview thinking of the recruiter as an emotionless robot who is looking for a candidate that is ideal on paper.

That is the job of the robot that scans resumes for keywords. Indeed, every step of the job process up until the interview lacks humanity. But once you’re at the interview it behooves you to represent yourself not as the best employee, but the best person you can be.

Good luck in the job market. Now more than ever, you’ll need it.

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Career Career & Education

How To Negotiate A Really Lowball Job Offer

It happens to the best of us every now and again. You get an offer that just seems designed to insult you. You probably feel frustrated, upset, and significantly unheard and undervalued. The first step is to not jump to conclusions and to react in as neutral a way as possible initially. Then, here are some techniques to cope and negotiate.

1.   Ask For Some Time To Consider

This is a great passive tactic to implement immediately. Ask them for a couple of days to consider the offer, and give them a definite time frame in which they can expect a response. A good general idea is about 2-3 business days. This gives you time to mull and doesn’t waste their time, but also lets them know in a passive way that the offer wasn’t immediately acceptable.

2.   Decide On Your Strategy

This is where you will decide if you’re going to express your disappointment outright or counter with a more reasonable offer. Many people will choose to negotiate first, in the hopes of getting a position that they really want, while making some compromises. Others will count it as a loss, but send a message expressing that disappointment and offering to consider if the conditions were improved.

3.   Determine If The Job Is Worth It

There may be cases where it just isn’t worth the hassle of going back and forth. There are some signals that your negotiations would be unsuccessful. Some of these factors include the employer insisting that the offer is the best they can do, further research indicating that the offer was fair, when you won’t be able to negotiate with a level head, or if the position simply isn’t worth the emotional strain.

4.   Counter & Know What’s Important To You

When you counter, make sure you go in with a plan that you can use for some framework. Know what’s important to you at a job, if they can’t offer more money, can they offer additional vacation time? If they can’t offer that, what can they do to make the offer more appealing? Sometimes you will be surprised at the perks they will offer that won’t end up on your paycheck.

5.   Know Your Job Market

You can’t decide what is and isn’t a fair offer if you don’t have a thorough knowledge of the salary range for the position nationwide as well as regionally and locally. Be sure you aren’t just throwing numbers at them in the hopes that they’ll bite. You may even be in the market for things like stock options or other equity in the company.

6.   Know Your Value

This is another area where research is incredibly valuable. Knowing how much you, your skills, background, experience, and so on are worth, can help you squeeze every bit of value out of a prospective offer. Even take into account how badly the company needs you, or needs to fill the position. A position with high turnover may be worth a higher bid.

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Career Career & Education

How to Diversify Your Income With a 9-5 Job

9-5 job opportunities outside side-gig

Many people dream of making more money than what their 9-5 job makes them. Whether it’s to get to a goal faster or as a way to move away from making money on the 9-5 schedule entirely, there are several ways to make money on the side that won’t take away from your regular work schedule.

The gig economy and side hustles have exploded in recent years. All you need is the drive to extend your money-making efforts outside of normal working hours. Some jobs require creativity but others just require your time. Here are some ways to diversify your income, regardless of your extra abilities.

Take Surveys

There are several places where you can get paid to take surveys. Marketing companies want to ensure that their campaigns are effective. Many survey places give out points that you can convert to money. All you have to do is watch a video and take a survey to get the points.

The money taking surveys doesn’t net a huge amount, typically you can make about $100 a month, but that can go a long way to meeting a financial goal. It also only requires your time and ability to be honest about your opinions on what you just watched.

Driving Services

With ride services like Uber and Lyft, it’s very easy to make extra money as long as you know how to drive and have your own car. You can drive as often as you want for as long as you want. Everything is done through the mobile app so you don’t need anything extra.

The amount that you make depends on how often you’re willing to drive. You can work whenever though, driving people to and from the airport or home after a night out. This way of making money offers a lot of flexibility.

Get Creative

If you have a creative streak, you can use that to make extra money. Whether you are a photographer, drawer, painter, or jeweler, you can put those skills to good use and make money. You can sell your creations online through Etsy and operate a business.

The money you make here depends heavily on how much people are willing to pay for your art. It will also depend on how much time you devote to new creations. If you create a lot of unique pieces that people are willing to pay for, you can have a successful side business quickly.

Conclusion

Making more money through side businesses can be a great way to work towards a specific goal or to have more money to budget with regularly. No matter what additional skills you have, as long as you have time you can make extra money outside of your regular 9-5 work schedule.

These side-hustles can lead to something bigger or simply contribute to some extra household income for a bit. Either way, you can work on additional skills and money without t