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Boost Your Productivity While Working from Home

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According to inc.com the average commute time in the U.S. in 50 minutes round trip. The same article said, “In England, the average daily commute time has risen from 48 minutes to 60 minutes in the past 20 years and one in seven commuters spends at least two hours on their daily round-trip commute.”  Fifty minutes a day five days a week 50 weeks a year is over 200 hours a year or over 8 2/3rds DAYS wasted a year. If you multiply that by 20 or 30 years you can easily waste a full 24 hour a day 365 day year of your life just commuting! If you count just waking hours it is more like two years wasted!

Instead of wasting time stuck in traffic breathing exhaust, most people would gladly choose the option of working from home. They can set up their own home office, start being their own bosses, or simply work out an agreement with their employer which allows them to work from home (at least part of the time). These are the people who get the best of both worlds – the comfort of being at home all day long and the paycheck that keeps arriving month after month – but only if they can remain productive and make everything work. Employers appreciate the less crowded facilities as long as productivity is maintained.

If you too are thinking about making this transition, here’s how you can boost your productivity and keep it at the highest level.

Create the Best Home Office to Suit Your Needs

Depending on the type of work you do and how big your home is, your new office could take up an entire spare bedroom, or you might be limited to a tiny corner in the kitchen. Both of these ideas have been used and you could make them work if you put your mind to it. It goes without saying that you’ll need to dedicate a certain part of your home to your work-related duties, so get right on it.

This could sometimes be rather hard, but you can make it work if you remember that size does matter when it comes to home offices. This means you need to give yourself as much space as you possibly can. Unless you do that, your motivation will plummet, and you won’t be able to get any work done whatsoever. [Read more…] about Boost Your Productivity While Working from Home

How to Get a Good Job Fast When Unemployed

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With unemployment at the lowest level since 1969 it should be easier to find a job than at any point in recent history. But if you have little business experience, are fresh out of college or have poor interviewing skills you might still be having difficulty finding a job.

Unemployment can be a difficult period in any life. Not having a job can lead to all sorts of financial concerns. It can make you feel like you don’t have a sense of purpose in your day-to-day life, too. If you’re unemployed and wish to change that rapidly, then you can try these things out right away.

Attend Job Fairs

Going to career fairs can be helpful to people who are interested in rapid employment. If you attend these events, you get the rare opportunity to meet employers face-to-face. This is your chance to shine. You can hand our your resume, talk about your educational background, and even discuss your strong suits and career aspirations.

Tell People You Know that You Need a Job

Don’t keep your employment status a mystery. Secrecy won’t help your cause in any way. If you’re keen on getting a job quickly, you should make sure everyone you encounter knows that you’re looking around. Tell your neighbor who works at a marketing agency that you need a position. Tell the postman that you’re trying to find a new job as well. You never know what people may be able to do to help you out. A friend may tell you about paid truck driver training opportunities that you might want to look into further. Or you might hear that Mike Rowe testified before congress about the lack of workers available for blue collar jobs.

“Right now, American manufacturing is struggling to fill 200,000 vacant positions. There are 450,000 openings in trades, transportation and utilities. The skills gap is real, and it’s getting wider. In Alabama, a third of all skilled tradesmen are over 55. They’re retiring fast, and no one is there to replace them. Alabama’s not alone.”

Rather than paying for college you can get paid to train as an electrician. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, electricians earn an average of  $55,190 but many earn much more.

[Read more…] about How to Get a Good Job Fast When Unemployed

9-to-5 Freedom! 4 Careers that Don’t Keep You behind a Desk

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For years, you’ve been told that working a sedentary job is bad for you. In fact, it can increase your risk of diabetes, heart disease and even depression. But in a world where plopping down in front of a computer for eight hours is still considered the norm, what do you do when you want to get moving?

The answer is simple: find a job that keeps you on your toes and stimulates your mind.

Whether you’ve got ants in your pants or simply are looking for a career change, here are four jobs that take you from cubicle potato to an active working professional.

Digital Marketing Manager

Online advertising is a booming industry and even the smallest of startups are always looking for new talent.

Although you still need a computer to work, becoming a digital marketing manager, SEO specialist or even paid search expert allows you to work from anywhere. Even as a full-time employee, you still have a lot of wiggle room when it comes to flexibility.

Landscaper

If you’ve always had a green thumb, swap your pencils for potting soil and become [Read more…] about 9-to-5 Freedom! 4 Careers that Don’t Keep You behind a Desk

Starting Your Own Business and Keeping It Successful

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No matter what you do, where you work, and how much experience you have, you’ve probably thought about starting your own business at one point or another. Even though this idea is scary and challenging, it’s still one of the best moves you could be making, and all it takes is some self-confidence and a lot of hard work. The thing that might frighten young entrepreneurs the most is the fact that the majority of new businesses and startups fail after just a year or two, so starting your own business isn’t enough – you need to keep it successful as well. Therefore, here are a few things you need to take into consideration if you want to be successful in the future too.

Come up with a Lucrative Idea

This is probably the first issue you need to deal with. Yes, coming up with a unique business idea is hard, but if you approach this process carefully and give it some thought, you’ll surely be able to find an idea that might work for you. Often copying a proven idea and adding a new spin or targeting it to a new niche is all that is necessary. Look into new niches, think outside the box, search for other fields of interest, and figure out what the customers are looking for, and you’ll have a whole list of ideas you could put into practice.  

Find a Great Name and Visual Identity

If you watch “Shark Tank” you know that business people start new companies every single day, and if you want to be successful, you need to find a way to stand out and be better than your competition. The way to do this is offering great services and products, but also having an amazing business name and visual identity as well. Although picking a business name doesn’t seem like the hardest thing in the world, finding one that’s going to be special and catchy could turn into quite a tiring process, so don’t be afraid to dedicate some time and energy to this decision. Once you do that, you can continue working on your logo, slogans, business cards, and other elements of your visual identity, thus completing your branding process. [Read more…] about Starting Your Own Business and Keeping It Successful

Graveyard Shift: 5 Tips for People Who Work at Night

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If you have recently transitioned to working night shifts, then you need to make some sweeping lifestyle changes. While the first few weeks are going to be tough, you should be able to get plenty of sleep as long as you plan ahead. Here is a quick look at five simple tips and tricks that will help you make it through your night shift life.

Avoid Alcohol and Other Depressants

Having a drink after work is tempting for many people who work the night shift, but relying on depressants and sleep aids can be dangerous. Those products may help you fall asleep, but your sleep isn’t going to be restful. It is also important to note that mixing alcohol with sleep aids is extremely dangerous.

Understand Sleep Science

Darkness triggers the pineal gland to secrete more melatonin which helps you [Read more…] about Graveyard Shift: 5 Tips for People Who Work at Night

Four Great Reasons to Consider a Career in Healthcare

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With so many exciting, rewarding, and challenging jobs to choose from, it can be difficult to narrow things down to just one field you want to focus on. This is part of the reason why statistics show that the average person changes jobs 12 times in their life. Picking just one stream can limit your overall options. And since your interests, skills, and needs will change throughout your lifetime it can be smart to pick a field that offers a lot of variety, one that can evolve and grow with you, so that you can remain in that one field but change jobs along the way.

A career in healthcare can offer the kind of variety you’re after, as well as a number of other benefits and advantages. Here’s a look at four reasons to consider a career in healthcare.

The Industry is Growing

When you’re picking that perfect career path, it’s always good to keep an eye open for those that are experiencing growth and demand. The healthcare industry checks off both those boxes, especially as the large baby boomer population continues to age, requiring more medical attention. According to the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics, the healthcare field is projected to grow by 18% between now and 2026. Not only is that good news for anyone eyeing the industry, but it’s also well above the national job growth average in general.

You can boost the number of jobs that are open to you by making sure that you get a healthcare-focused master’s degree such as these Boston MHA programs, which offer a Master of Healthcare Administration.

A Chance to Give Back and Make a Difference

If you’re the type that measures job happiness and success by how it makes you feel, then the healthcare industry again can check off all the boxes. Working in this field allows you to truly give back and make a real difference in people’s lives. It’s the kind of job you can take pride in.

There Is Flexibility with Your Work Hours

The healthcare industry is also great for those who want flexibility with work hours. Sure you will find plenty of jobs within the industry that will be Monday through Friday, 9am-5pm, but there is also a lot of shift work and even part-time hours if you prefer. These kinds of hours can work well for busy families where one parent wants to be home with the kids as much as possible, so flex hours and part-time hours can help.

Salaries Are on the Rise

Then there is the fact that salaries in the healthcare field are on the rise by an average of 17.8% since 2006. This is great news for anyone that is currently struggling with a lower paying job and is looking to make more money in a new field.

Plenty of Pros for Looking at the Healthcare Industry

This is just a small look at the many pros and advantages to pursuing a career in the healthcare industry, and why it may be a great option for your future.

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Putting Your Best Foot Forward: How to Make Sure You’re a Good Candidate for Hire

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Applying for a new job can quickly become stressful and overwhelming when you are unsure of how to go about the process to increase your chances of receiving an additional interview request. When you want to put your best foot forward, there are a few tips and tricks to implement into the process of preparing for an upcoming job interview and filling out available applications.

Tweak Your Resume for Each Individual Position You Are Interested In

Submitting the same resume for each job you are interested in is not advisable, especially if each individual position requires different skills and talents. Always update your resume for each new application you intend to submit to increase your chances of getting noticed and receiving a follow-up email or phone call. Consider the skills, talents, and responsibilities of each position you are interested in to make the appropriate tweaks and changes to your resume prior to submitting your application.

The most important part of your resume is the initial profile that is at the top since it is the first thing a potential employer sees. It should be brief with only about 3 bullet points. The first bullet point should highlight your experience.

So if you are a CPA  it might look something like this: [Read more…] about Putting Your Best Foot Forward: How to Make Sure You’re a Good Candidate for Hire

Starting a Restaurant Business?

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Being a fan of cooking and preparing three healthy meals for your family every day of the week is one thing, but doing that professionally for dozens of people all the time is something completely different. But, if you think cooking is your true calling, this is something you have to invest all your time and money into. Starting a restaurant business can be hard and challenging, but it’s probably the most exciting thing you’re ever going to do, so here’s what you need to look into and how you can become the best restaurateur you can be.

Why are you doing this?

There are lots of reasons why people open restaurants – from wanting to be in a charge of a successful business and trying to invest their money into something lucrative, to actually trying to make a difference in their community and sharing their passion with the world. So, you need to understand what you’re doing and why you’re looking into this idea in the first place.

Once you define this, all the other crucial things – the scope, the size, the location, the menu, the design, etc. – are going to come to you naturally. In the end, if you don’t know what you’re doing and what you’re trying to achieve, your restaurant won’t be successful and you’ll just waste your time and money.

How big a restaurant do you want?

Depending on your ideas and desires, you can either start a small restaurant that’s going to prepare only a handful of different meals daily, or a huge place that might be able to accommodate dozens and dozens of hungry guests. Ultimately, it all depends on your level of skills and dedication to your new career. [Read more…] about Starting a Restaurant Business?

Considering a Career in Trucking?

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Truck driving can be a very rewarding and fulfilling career if you are passionate about getting out and sightseeing. It can be fairly well paid career path and only requires a limited amount of training. This makes it an ideal choice for someone who wants to learn a new skill but isn’t quite interested in dedicating several years towards completing a degree. The following information provides a more in-depth look at four advantages associated with truck driving positions:

Benefits

Typically, most truck driving companies offer their employees great benefits. This includes different types of insurance, such as life, medical, and dental. They may also offer retirement plans, which can really help you later in life.

Flexibility

Usually, truck drivers are able to determine how far they would like to travel. If you are interested in traveling long distances, this is definitely a career option that will give you that opportunity. You may also get to choose to drive locally as well, which means you won’t be away from home for extended periods of time.

[Read more…] about Considering a Career in Trucking?

3 Options to Consider When You Can’t Go Back to Work

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Life can be a real struggle when you are suffering from chronic pain from an injury or other serious medical problems that won’t go away. If you have chronic conditions that prevent you from working your previous position, that doesn’t mean that you are out of options for you to regain the fullness of life that you once experienced. It may not be easy but with dedication and perseverance you can change your lifestyle and still have a productive and fulfilling career.

File for Disability or Unemployment

If you are disabled or injured and unable to earn money, now is the time to file initially for worker’s disability and later Social Security disability payments if your condition does not improve. Additionally, speaking with unemployment advisors in your area will help give you a better idea of what your plans can be realistically. Although it is probably not a permanent solution to your financial limitations, it can help while you work on figuring out how to start a new career or other long term plan.

Some careers can be started by simply investing the time and effort into certification or learning certain skills. Filing for disability or unemployment could help give you the time and money you need to invest in bigger and better plans for your future.

Consider a New Career or Industry

No matter what kind of injuries that you may have, it is [Read more…] about 3 Options to Consider When You Can’t Go Back to Work