Tuesday

Spending More Time At Work Then At Home

Admit it, you treat people at work better than you treat the ones you say you love at home.

I know about money, bills, daycare, rent, lights, gas, emergency savings, etc. The stress of having to pay for all of these things is great and at times you want to walk away from it all. Yet, with all the responsibilities that are on your shoulders there are some people at home who wish you were spending as much time with them as you do at work.

When the time comes and it will and you are lying on your back sick from all your stress, the realization will come to you to change your life, you may do something about it, you may not. That's your choice, but their are heavy costs that you will pay if you don't. If your child is crying out for your attention now, your wife is telling you she wants to spend time with you and the grandparents are complaining about not seeing their you or their grandchild enough, these are warning signs to make the time for them.

If you are spiritual, you know that in the end of this life God isn't going to say, "job well done..." to the man or woman who acquired much material wealth and shared it; rather, he will be more interested in the relationships you accumulated with people and how you handled them.

Long hours at the job are needed if you have done all you can on the home front to cut costs. They also help (for a time) when you are trying to get your financial house in order again or if you are looking for a promotion. However, they are not meant to be used forever and companies who are financially savvy will not hesitate to cut them. Long hours aren't necessary if you know you are living comfortable, the bills are getting paid and you are secure in your position at work.

Time for yourself will always be needed to rejuvenate your mind,body and spirit. You can find the time during your lunchbreak, before you get to work or after work about once, twice or more a week. Of course on weekends, between spending time with your family, you can find even more time for yourself. However, when you don't take this time, everyone around you suffers and it usually isn't the people at work dealing with your mood swings, it is the people at home.

Your family is your support system in good times and in bad; yet, if you don't know how to "keep your cool" with them, then they can be your worst enemies. They deserve to be treated with respect like you treat your boss and co-workers. Notice how you communicate with people at work. You are polite, offer praise on a job, take the time to go out on lunch dates, always look your best, remember holidays and most of all sit down and meet with them to talk about upcoming plans, concerns, money and much more. Why is it that you can't set aside that time for your family when you come home? Yet, some of you will rush to get home to do what? Sit in front of the television, go to your room or participate in what you want to do barely socializing with your family. As for being tired, that happens, but if everyday you feel this way, then schedule a doctor's appointment.

Show some love, appreciation, respect, honesty, accountability, trust, etc. like you do at work. Consider the following, if your family waved thousands of dollars over your head you would feel motivated to do right by them, now wouldn't you? Well, they don't have money dangling over your head, but they do have love, now let that be your motivation! Capice?

Sunday

Immediate Advice On Your Job Search

Spending a lot of time researching the job that is right for you? If so, that is great, but if you have been looking for months and still haven't felt motivated to get back out there, then let's explore the reasons why and create a plan to get you back out the door.

1. If you were dismissed and you felt that the reasons were unjustified, then you may have thought about fighting for your job back, at least for a moment, but is it really worth it? Avoid dwelling on the past, when you think about what happened, quickly think about something else. You don't need to bring any negative energy to your interview. Instead, think of all the positive things that happened to you and how you contributed. Write them down; therefore, when you are asked about your past experience at your previous job, you will be able to communicate all the positive events that happened. Some interviewers may want you to describe a negative event, never provide too much detail and only pick those events that made you look good in the end. If too many negative things occurred at your last job and you contributed to most of it, you might want to leave that job off your resume and your lips. Instead, talk about other companies, projects, self-employment ventures or classes that made up for the time that your were employed with that particular company. Another option is to mention them, just don't provide any references from that company that you may have had problems.

2. Know what you want. List all the characteristics of the type of job you would like. You may want a job that is part-time with no weekend hours. Call temporary agencies to find out what they are offering. You may need a full-time job with benefits but no overtime. Be sure that the jobs you call about will offer what you need before you set up an interview.

3. Find someone who would be willing to write or proof your resume.

4. Be willing to share your skills, experiences and interests with the interviewer. Research on the Internet some of the questions that you may be asked during a job interview and be prepared to answer them.

5. Save money for your wardrobe, transportation, lunch and/or daycare. You don't want to stress yourself out with these issues just starting your job.

6. Know when you will be available to work and which days you may need off in advance before you accept the job. The last thing you want to do is upset an employer by asking them during your first week of working that you need a day off to arrange for childcare, a doctor's appointment, etc. Don't begin unless you know you are ready to invest the time.

7. Avoid flirting with people on the job. You are there to work not find a date. How you make your first impression on a job will be determine how you are seen the duration. If you start a job showing behaviors of a big flirt or tease, you will be talked about and may miss out on future opportunities for bonuses, lunch dates with management, and other incentives.

8. When greeting and meeting people for the first time, know what you are going to say before you say it. If you intend to build friends fast by using flattery, keep it to a minimum. Don't involve yourself with office gossip and do not do anyone any favors unless your boss knows about them first. Let your conversation be simple, "How are you? My name is... and your name....Nice to meet you."

9. Don't allow family and friends to call or stop by your job when you have started. Prove to the company that you are about the company's business while there, not about your family and friends.

10. Make a point to tell the interviewer, boss or anyone else involved in your hiring, "Thank you." A note of appreciation, and/or flowers, candies etc. will make anyone's day. It's the thought that counts. Don't be concerned about whether they think you are a kiss a@#! How they feel about that sort of thing is not your concern, just know that you will be remembered.