Life Changes to Make You Happier and More Productive

Life Changes to Make You Happier and More Productive There are a few lucky people in the world who are doing exactly what they want for work and enjoying every single minute of it. These people feel that they could want nothing more from their work than what they already have. They are completely fulfilled and experience work as being in complete alignment with all other aspects of their life and indeed enriching all other aspects of their lives. For most of us however we can only dream about a work environment like this. For the vast majority of us we fall somewhere in between hating every minute of every working day and feeling that things at work are pretty good but could definitely be better. We are not as happy as we want to be or as we feel we should be while at work. Establish why you are dissatisfied: There can be many reasons for being dissatisfied with our work life. We may be in a job that we don’t like or that we can’t do very well. We may be underemployed based on the talent or capability that we have or want to have. We may be working with individuals who we don’t like or that don’t seem to like us. But whatever the reason for our dissatisfaction there are always things that we can do to make our situation better. Its all about attitude: There are two things in particular that we can do to change our satisfaction level with the work that we do and with the people we work with. First, we can make changes in how we interpret the experiences that we have at work. We can make changes in how we respond to what happens to us. What does this mean? To begin with it’s important to recognise that happiness is a relative thing. Take for example two extremes. At one time or another in our lives we have all met someone working in what seems like a menial task and maybe even an extremely unpleasant task who literally bubbles with cheerfulness and joy of life. On the other hand at one time or another in our lives we have all met someone who is exactly the opposite. Even though they appear to have things pretty good, nothing is good enough. Nothing is done right. Everything is an insult to them. There appears to be no way to make this person happy no matter what happens. So what is the difference between these two individuals? It’s all about attitude. Consider this proposition. The person who is happy with their work is someone who has chosen to be happy. On the other hand, the person who is miserable has also made a choice. Their choice is to be miserable. Our first lesson then is to accept the fact that we are mistaken when we adopt the attitude that our happiness depends on external circumstances. That is, we need to abandon the mistaken belief that we can only be happy if a set of circumstances that we have arbitrarily decided on are met. We have to give up on the idea that we need to make a certain amount of money to be happy. Or that we have to have a certain type of boss or have to have a particular type of career, etc. We have to stop placing the responsibility for our happiness on external conditions. Choose a new perspective: Let’s look at an example that we can all relate to. Everyone at one time or another in their career has had the obnoxious boss who piles work on us, never praises us and only criticises everything that we do. We can choose to be miserable or we can look at the situation from a different perspective. This is called ‘reframing’. Reframing means consciously choosing to interpret the situation from a different perspective. We might for instance try to think about how miserable this person must be in their personal life. Or we could look at the huge burden of work facing us and think that this is teaching us how to take more responsibility and get stronger. We could also think that it is helping us develop a sense of patience. Another way to look at this is to think that this is teaching us a valuable lesson about how we should treat people when one day we are in management. The important message is that we can choose how we respond to adversity. If we choose to reframe experiences in a positive light then we will have a far more favorable work experience. And be more productive. Do something different! The second thing that we can do is to diversify. This is done in two ways. We can diversify the things we do at work. This might mean volunteering to work on a new project or try learning a new skill. In this case it means that our value at work is spread out over multiple tasks so no single failure or harsh treatment will be such a blow to us. The second way to diversify is to do more in our lives. Too often we seem to work and only to work. In addition to being out of balance it places too much pressure on the work experience as the vehicle for personal gratification. We need to have other ways to get emotional reward s other than from the people we work with. It is also much easier to engage in reframing when the stakes aren’t quite so high. It’s easier to change our perspective on the events occurring at work when we know that there is much more going on in our lives that what happens during the work week. So in conclusion, following these two pieces of advice can contribute enormously to improving your experience at work. They can also help you to be a happier employee and to do better work. Author:  Michael Davis is a career counsellor with more than 25 years of experience in private practice. He is internationally certified as a Master Career Development Professional (MCDP) and have been recognized as a Global Career Development Facilitator(GCDF). You can check out his site at ResumeSamples.net.

Project Leader Intern at ReachOut Vanessas Story University of Manchester Careers Blog

Project Leader Intern at ReachOut â€" Vanessa’s Story University of Manchester Careers Blog Vanessa is a final year English Language and Screen Studies student here at Manchester and spent eight weeks last summer working as a Project Leader Intern at ReachOut, as part of the Student Experience Internship (SEI) programme. Vanessa recently joined us to talk us through various aspects of her SEI 2015 experience… Why SEI? “I chose to do an SEI because I wanted to earn extra money over the summer, and gain further experience in the field of work that I want to enter. So working hard and knowing more about what it is that I potentially wanted to do was the main goal in doing an internship.” Interview experiences… “Having had weekend Jobs since I left High School I’ve been in and out of part-time work, so I know quite a few tricks about the interview process and how to deliver a good interview. “With this particular job interview however the interviewer was very casual and welcoming, which is not what I expected at all with their being a Project Leader for a mentoring organisation. Whereas I was dressed very smart, I’d even bought my ‘progress’ file that we were told to create in school for future prospects. The interview didn’t even take place in an office or any formal setting; it was in the lounge area of the building, where the organisation is located.” First few days… “When I started, I was expecting to be in and out of the office, making some serious phone calls to individuals and companies, being creative with a whiteboard and marker pen and familiarising myself with tea and coffee. Obviously, none of this happened at first. It took my whole first day for the computer system to set up an account for me and personalise an email in my name â€" this took 14 hours! So, instead of making phone calls, I was preparing folders for summer projects and making a list of all the equipment needed for them. “However, I settled into the role after a few days and the work load became real. I had to acquire immense multi-tasking skills after the first week or so.” Main projects/tasks… “One of my main tasks was to communicate with schools and parents, to get their responses if certain children were attending the summer project or not. “From this I gained experience in learning how to address parents, school teachers and carers over the phone whilst reading out valid information to them and taking details at the same time. This of course is something that most people can do, but doing it all at once and making sure that no details have been left out is quite tricky, believe me. “For the last 3 weeks of my internship, I was working with children that lived in a ‘deprived’ area of Manchester on the summer projects. I gained a lot of experience being in the classroom managing and supervising them, alongside both my junior and senior mentors, and it opened my eyes to what it would really be like as a teacher. “From this I learnt how to prepare myself properly for a full day in and out of the office. This literally meant preparing myself for the time spent working in the office and being out on the summer projects in the schools at different locations â€" although this was a case mainly of what to and what not to bring! “I also learnt how to compromise and deal with situations professionally without allowing my emotions to be a part of the judgment or conclusion I make on a situation. Communication was a key skill that I expanded on whilst working with young people. Not only to get them going in the classroom, but it also helps them to develop as young people and to build-up a level of certainty between them and yourself.” Favourite memories… “I would have to say that my favourite memory of all was seeing the young people believe in themselves academically and potentially.” Moving into second year how has it helped? “Being on this internship did not just allow me to experience being a leader, but to actually experience seeing others do and become better. To see this as a student motivated me to become even better at preparing myself for the final step big or small and to overcome the obstacles I thought I couldn’t, because I now believe that what you do and what you say goes a long way.” Has Vanessa’s words and insight made you think about doing something really productive with your summer this year? If so, the Student Experience Internship 2016 programme will be launching on Monday 1st February. SEI 2016 will offer 8 week, fully paid, internships either within the University or in local charities/not-for-profit organisations. You can see how numerous other undergraduate students benefitted from last year’s programme by checking out the website Student Experience Internship (SEI) programme. All Internships Make The Most of Manchester Manchester Made Me Student blogs Undergraduate Undergraduate-highlighted Applications and interviews careers employability Internships jobs summer internships work experience

Resume Success Series - Part 2

Resume Success Series - Part 2 Jobseekers, the following errors are guaranteed to get your resume noticed for all the wrong reasons: 1. Missing contact information. Don’t make it difficult for an interested employer to contact you. Offer multiple forms of contact that are easy to spot within the resume. 2. Absent design components. Lack of bullets, distinguishable headers or clear formatting make the resume hard to read. 3. Personal pronouns such as: I, me or my. Resumes are to be written with “I” as the implied subject; pronouns are redundant. 4. No dates. Employers will assume you have something to hide if dates are missing throughout the document. 5. An objective. Keep the bland and overused career objective off your resume! Instead, add a targeted profile or areas of expertise at the start of the document. 6. Too lengthy. Resumes over two pages typically lack strategic content. Provide just a sampling of your related skills sets and accomplishments, not a play-by-play of each past position. 7. Large font type. Large fonts create a juvenile appearance. Strive for a professional impression with a font somewhere between 10-12 in size. 8. Spelling or grammatical errors. Always proofread before sharing your resume and have a friend read it over for you too, just in case!

The Pros of a Tech-Free Vacation (Infographic)

The Pros of a Tech-Free Vacation (Infographic) We live in a time in which our lives and our careers are completely transfixed and surrounded with technology so when we go on vacation with the intention of chilling out and unwinding, it may be super important for us to turn off our devices. Not only can a tech-free vacation stop us from getting distracted and continually ‘logged on’, there are also some scientifically researched benefits for doing so too. For example, tech-free vacations will help to promote healthier and better sleeps, foster a healthy work/life balance and can also help to improve our mental clarity and concentration. The latest infographic from Modis looks at some of the pros of having a tech-free vacation every now and again. When we are constantly checking our phones, it can disrupt our social life as well as our sleep patterns and can also make us feel less motivated. By removing these tech obstacles out of our life, just even for a short while, means we can enjoy ourselves better and return clarity in our life. Something we must all agree we could do with more of in our life! How can we go about making sure our vacation is tech-free and that we’re able to resist temptation? The infographic suggests leaving your phone at home when going shopping, to ease out your reliance and dependency on the device before heading on holiday. Sometimes, the only option is to completely strip out all technology and heading to a remote location that doesn’t have good connections to the world of technology and the internet might be the way to go. Have a look at the infographic below for some great suggestions on how to have a tech-free vacation and to properly chill out and unwind during your time off work.

Write Resume Writing To Get Hired!

Write Resume Writing To Get Hired!Are you familiar with write resume writing? If you are then there is good news. It is possible to create a job interview for yourself that will help you get hired. The first step is knowing what to write in your resume.Now I want to show you how to write a resume and make it get you the job you want. You must have a goal when you are looking for a job. You have to know what your real aim is. You can tell yourself and your friends that you just want to be able to survive. Believe me when I say that this is far from the truth.You should also know what type of job you want before you get started. You do not want to find yourself in a situation where you don't know if you will get the job you want. Think about how long you have been working at the same company for before you take action.Next you are going to need to think about how long you are going to need the job. This is because if you only have a year or two left to work you will need to move up to another position. If you have been working for an organization for thirty years then you may want to make that jump. With that being said you are probably in the middle of your career. You don't want to jump when you are already at the top of your game.You need to know the type of job you want. You need to think about your strengths. Your weakness is something you will have to take into consideration. As you go through this process you will find that you get a lot more confidence in yourself when you know what you want out of life. You will be able to think about your future when it comes to your career and whereyou want to go.You should think about what you would like to do in your life before you go looking for a job. Being a business owner is not something that you want to choose just because someone told you to. There are so many other things that you can do with your life. You can build a home based business, have children, travel and become a mentor to others.The last thing yo u should write in your resume is your capabilities. You need to highlight areas that are not being highlighted in the job description. For example when you are applying for a job in a warehouse of distribution center that does inventory management you will want to show that you are capable of doing the job. You will want to highlight things like keeping records, the ability to think on your feet, handling customers, and other areas that are common when applying for a warehouse or distribution management job.By now you know what you should write in your resume. All you have to do is read it over again. It is so easy to get stuck on a couple of details. Once you finish the job then you will realize that you did not spend all that time reading your resume.

Take Control of Your Career

Take Control of Your Career In support of Job Action Day 2010, QuintCareers has banded together experts and thought leaders on what the future holds: Uncertainty, a new shift in workplace trends, Boomers vs. Gen Y, and the list goes on.   Recent predictions and insights are making the situation look grim.   Not to fear.   It merely requires a change in how you perceive it.   You are in control now, more than ever before!   Own your career.   Drive yourself where you want to go.   Truly, the opportunities are endless for those with the right frame of mind! Jay Block wrote about how to deal with these changes.   The Age of Protean Careers looks at the changes we need to make and how SOCIETY will need to view the world of work. Here are his first three points, read on for more! 1. Embrace and be committed to change 2. Add more value to your job every day: become in invaluable asset 3. Develop multiple streams of income My recommendation is to have a personal Marketing Plan. This is an ever-changing document which includes your focus and your strengths.   It is a document you would use to keep yourself prioritized.   It is also a tool you can share with others to help them help you. Whether gathering information about the future of your industry or a new industry, considering consulting work as another income stream, or looking for chances to take on new projects, this tool can be invaluable in keeping your priorities straight.   Here is what one may look like: Please check out these experts supporting Job Action Day 2010: Quintessential Careers Blog, Third annual Job Action Day arrives with job-seekers struggling with a new and more challenging future of work, future of job-hunting. Quintessential Resume and Cover Letter Tips Blog, Career Experts Offer Tips for New Job-Search Realities: Job Action Day 2010. A Storied Career, Job Action Day 2010: Stories of Creating Opportunity Through LinkedIn. Susan Guarneri, New World of Work: Job Action Day 2010 Career Assessment Goddess. Wendy Terwelp, Job Action Day: Create Your Own Opportunity, Rock Your Career. David Couper, Job Action: what can you do to help, David Couper Blog. Barbara Safani, Job Action Day-Opportunities Knock Harder When You Use Social Media, Career Solvers Blog. Maggie Mistal, Job Action Day: Soul Search, Research Job Search To Create Real Opportunity, Career Advice Blog. Steven Rothberg, On Job Action Day 2010, Focus on Your Competencies, Interests, and values, CollegeRecruiter.com Blog Miriam Salpeter, Job Action Day how to create job opportunities by being a connector, Keppie Careers. Stephen Hinton, Focus On Certifications: How Can a Certification Help My Green Job Search?, Hinton Human Capital Blog. You can also find Job Action Day 2010 posts on these blogs: Deb Brown-Volkman, Job Action Day 2010, Surpass Your Dreams. Jason Alba, Im Dumb: Connect the Dots for me, JibberJobber Blog. Debra Wheatman, Dont Let Fear Scare You Out of a New Job, Careers Done Write Blog. Rich Milgram, Its Time to Take Action: Five Nontraditional Job Search Methods To Get You Hired!, EmploymentMetrix Blog. Willy Franzen, Creating Opportunity with No Experience, One Day One Job.

Tagged Five reasons why I blog - The Chief Happiness Officer Blog

Tagged Five reasons why I blog - The Chief Happiness Officer Blog My office a friendly, neighborhood, wifi-enabled caf? where I sit and blog most mornings. Dave over at the excellent The Disquiet blog has asked me why I blog. And that is a great question. I started blogging 4 years ago, have written over 1000 posts, and the blog became insanely popular last year in May. At the outset, I had no plans or goals with blogging, and I blogged about both personal and business themes. Since the blog became I hit, Ive tightened the focus, and now I only blog about happiness at work. I feel I wouldnt be serving my readers properly, if I suddenly started writing about the movie I saw last night or the latest episode of Lost :o) Anyway, here are my five main reasons for blogging. 1: It makes me happy Blogging makes me happy for many reasons. First of all, the pride of having written a great blogpost. That feels goooooood. I always blog in caf? (heres a picture of my office), and many are the times Ive left the place after a good mornings writing, totally high on having created something Im proud of. Then theres the pleasure of giving. Knowing that I can help people all over the world out, and give them ideas and inspiration. Thats the one thing I like the most about blogging that its very much a gift economy. And that the more each of us give, the more we get. 2: My blog is my spare brain Increasingly, my blog is my spare brain. When I find a great quote, blogpost, article, idea I post it to the blog or to my link collection. And I often search my own blog for you know, that article where that guy said that thing about that company. 3: To sell by giving My blog is also my professional website. This is how companies find me and hire me to speak and consult. And MAN does that ever work. 4: To find playmates Heres a funny story. Way back in 2003, Fast Company mentioned this woman called Traci Fenton who works with organizational democracy. I wrote this blogpost about it. Some weeks later Traci Googled herself, found my blogpost and contacted me. We found that organizational democracy and happiness at work are intimately connected and that we work for almost exactly the same things in the workplace. Ive since spoken at two of her conferences in Washington DC, Traci has visited me in Copenhagen and weve become great friends. And stuff like that happens more and more. As a kid, I could just leave the house, go out on the street and instantly find playmates. As an adult, its not quite that easy. The blog is a great way to find playmates. 5: To make people happy at work Well, duh! :o) Thanks for visiting my blog. If you're new here, you should check out this list of my 10 most popular articles. And if you want more great tips and ideas you should check out our newsletter about happiness at work. It's great and it's free :-)Share this:LinkedInFacebookTwitterRedditPinterest Related