New Job 7 Things You MUST Do Immediately

New Job 7 Things You MUST Do Immediately Starting in a new role is an incredibly exciting time. You smashed the interview, met the team and its now time to walk into the first day at your new office, under your brand new job title. Youre bound to feel nervous about whats to come, but the important thing is walking in to the role with passion, confidence and excitement.  To make the most of your first few months in a new role there are a few things you can do to push yourself further. 1) Create relationships Work is work, and of course youre going to have to fulfil whatever it is thats on your job spec. But another important aspect that comes with work is how you interact and get on with the people youre surrounded with everyday. In the first few months of a new job you should focus on creating relationships with those around you, and getting a feel for the company culture and how things work. Do people eat lunch together or is it more about desk lunches? Are official calendar meetings preferred to casual chats? These are just some of the little things youll discover in your first few months. Make an effort with your coworkers attend Friday night drinks, have a coffee and a chat even just pausing and introducing yourself to others will have an impact. 2) Set clear goals Before you begin in your new role, its important to set out your goals and targets for the future. Sit down with your manager or boss and discuss what they want from the role. If youre in a sales position, consider specific quotas or targets youre aiming for. If youre not in a sales position, its a good idea to consider how youll measure success in the role. 3) Make your mark An important thing youre going to want to do in the first few months of a new role is to make your own mark. You should demonstrate a a remarkable work ethics form the get-go. You should approach new projects with the passion that got you the job in the first place. Work hard and leave complacency at the door youll have more of an impact if you arrive at the office everyday, raring to go. 4) Find your direction Getting a new job is a two way thing. Not only is it a great hire for the company its also a great step in the right direction for your career. In the early months of your new role you should really step back and consider what you want to get from the job. Whether its experience in a certain part of the job or developing your skills in another area. Prioritise the role for you, whilst still completing all your tasks. 5) Locate a  silly question buddy Everyone gets a little nervous when they start a new job. Its only natural. Something that can make the process a little easier is  to locate your silly question buddy. Pretty self explanatory, but this is the colleague that you feel comfortable enough to ask all your stupid questions to. Some companies actually allocate buddies with a buddy system, but if your new company doesnt, then the best way to go about this is to locate the friendliest person in the office. No question is ever silly  sometimes  it just feels that way. 6)  Realise that everyones been the newbie before If youre nervous about meeting senior management or a notoriously unfriendly boss, its good to remember that absolutely EVERYONE has been the newbie before. Whether it was 2 or 20 years ago everyone knows exactly how youre feeling. Remember this when youre feeling unconfident and nervous its only natural! 7) Rest reflect Starting a new job is tiring! Youre over loaded with new information constantly, so its important to take some time to chill out once the working day is done. Make sure youre getting enough sleep, eat food  full of vitamins and nutrients  and drink enough water to keep you hydrated and fresh. Doing this will ensure that youre performance in the office will be the best it can be! What are you top tips for starting in a new role? Let us know in the comments below! Main image credit: Shutterstock

Four Tips for a Happier and Healthier Life While Sticking to a Budget

Four Tips for a Happier and Healthier Life While Sticking to a Budget As the seasons change, its only natural to reflect on the year so far and look ahead to the future. Instead of waiting for yet another News Years resolution to promise to make changes toward life a happier and healthier lifestyle, why not start now? Unfortunately, making it happen is easier said than done. Likewise, in the midst of a tumultuous election year and increased in-person isolation due to social media, more and more citizens are trying to spend their way to happiness. Sounds backwards, doesnt it? Instead of spending a fortune in the pursuit of happiness, consider the actionable steps you can take today unlock the simple joys of life while sticking to a shoestring budget. Throw More Parties The benefits of socializing more are well-documented.  From increased mental sharpness to building personal relationships, theres no reason not to put yourself out there. Theres perhaps no better way to bring people together than by becoming the life of the party, quite literally. Think about it: do you really need an excuse to celebrate? Even if its just among a colleagues or co-workers, a potluck affair with affordable decorations from Party Swizzle can bring some old friends out of the woodwork and allow you to reconnect with others who may feel a bit down in the dumps themselves. Take Time to Unplug While theres no need for you to throw out your computer or cancel your smart phone plan, you should consider unplugging from social media every now and then as means of unwinding and finding personal joy. After all, too much time in front of a screen can impact your health in the form of eye fatigue or sitting disease if youre not moving around much. As an alternative to plugging away at your phone or computer, consider any combination of the following as a healthy, productive alternative: Read a book: yes, a physical book, which can help expand your mind and calm yourself before bed Talk a walk: the benefits of a daily walk include weight loss and decreased risk of heart disease Learn a new skill: from picking up an instrument to learning to cook, its never too late to take up a rewarding hobby Theres no harm in spending time online: however, dont lose sight of what makes you happy in the process. Join a Club If you find your social circle shrinking or simply feel lonely, consider engaging your local community in the form of a club. Chances are there are other like-minded people in your area looking to make connections and better themselves. From running clubs to volunteering for charities, such commitments wont cost you a dime.  Plus, they  represent the potential to build friendships that will last a lifetime. Declutter Finally, embracing a “less is more,” minimalist lifestyle is often key to finding true happiness in todays hustle and bustle world. Take a room by room cleaning approach.  Assess the physical “stuff” and clutter that may be weighing on your mind.  And consider donating it to charity or selling it at a garage sale. Youd be surprised at how much youve accumulated over the years.  And how others may benefit from what youre willing to part with. Living a happier and healthier lifestyle doesnt have to cost a fortune. Simply take the time to socialize, make connections and focus on what makes you truly happy and fulfilled. Image credits Main    Reading

Lessons from Snooki How to Revamp Your Personal Brand - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career

Lessons from Snooki How to Revamp Your Personal Brand - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career When done properly, personal branding serves to push individuals from relative obscurity to some degree of notoriety in his or her professional field.  Effective personal branders move with the tides of the job market and are masters at reinvention. Some noteworthy examples of such transformations are evident in no stranger a place than reality television, the boundary between real life and pop culture where regular people are elevated to the level of superstardom seemingly overnight. The Nicole Polizzi (AKA “Snooki”) Experience Enter Snooki. One of the controversial stars of MTV’s reality mega-hit “The Jersey Shore.” From episode, her drunken antics, animal-print accouterments, fuzzy slipper obsession, quarrels with housemates and adherence to the gym-tan-laundry (GTL) lifestyle garnered her much attention from the media and public at large. Despite negative commentary, Snooki capitalized on her role in the show’s success, making countless public appearances and creating a product line named after her signature hairstyle, Poof Nation. Offerings included Snooki-approved products such as house slippers and over-sized sunglasses. Critics of the Snooki way of life who thought an end to her 15 minutes of fame was long overdue had a field day when photos of a publicly intoxicated Snooki emerged. The public at large and even her own father urged that she enter a rehab facility. News of the one who seemed to have built a reputation around being an outrageous, pint-sized party girl being paid an exorbitant dividend for delivering a commencement speech to Rutger’s University graduating class of 2011 spread like wildfire. She seemed to be an inescapable force: Snooki and a female Jersey Shore castmate announced that they’d be starring in an MTV spinoff, then the blogosphere went into overdrive when Snooki confirmed reports that she was indeed pregnant with her first child. Then a metamorphosis occurred. Almost overnight, the once loud and opinionated mom-to-be took on a calmer, family friendly persona. Snooki’s transformation from club hopper to mother was not an easy one and has implications for professionals in every career field who could benefit from a personal brand overhaul. Take It From Snooki: Three Tips For Revamping Your Personal Brand No matter how public your career, your reputation precedes you. Having a well-crafted personal brand could mean the difference between landing the job of your dreams and being caught in a rut. Yet even the most notable of brands must evolve eventually. If Snooki’s example has taught us anything, it’s that anyone can build a brand around the unique offerings they bring to the table. More importantly, it’s not impossible to reinvent yourself before a career change or after a public faux pas. 1. Don’t Start From Scratch When revamping your personal brand, only eliminate those elements that no longer align with your objectives. There’s no need to reinvent the wheel. Keep the aspects of your personal brand that have gotten you positive feedback in the past in tact. 2. Live in the Present Past career-related failures are actually great places to start when you’re trying to decide how to reconfigure your personal brand, but don’t get so caught up in the mistakes of the past that you start to disbelieve in your own ability to change. 3. “Study Hard, Party Harder.” Snooki   Never forget to celebrate your own successes. You’ve worked hard to create a cohesive and recognizable personal brand and it’s important that you confidently announce the arrival of the improved version of your professional self so that others take note as well. The key lesson from Snooki that can be applied to navigating and surviving a personal brand is to play to your own strengths, experience, and personality traits and focus your energy on incorporating shifts in career objective and skill level into the mix. What other personal branding lessons can we learn from Snooki and other celebrities? Author: Heather R. Huhman is a career expert, experienced hiring manager, and founder president of Come Recommended, a content marketing and digital PR consultancy for organizations with products that target job seekers and/or employers. She is also the author of Lies, Damned Lies Internships (2011), #ENTRYLEVELtweet: Taking Your Career from Classroom to Cubicle (2010), and writes career and recruiting advice for numerous outlets.

Make Next Steps Question Last Step in Job Interview - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career

Make ‘Next Steps’ Question Last Step in Job Interview - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career Editor’s Note: This blog is a modified excerpt from professional “headhunter” and bestselling job-hunting book author Skip Freeman’s next book in the “Headhunter” Hiring Secrets series of job-hunting books, Career Stalled? Publication is scheduled for late fall. ________________________________________________________ In virtually every job interview you’ll ever have, after you have already been askedâ€"and answeredâ€"numerous other questions, you can almost be guaranteed that the hiring manager will ask you a closing question that goes something like this: “Now, do you have any questions for me?” Almost unerringly the unprepared or ill-prepared job candidate will respond with something inane like this: “No, not really. You’ve pretty much answered all of my questions.” At first glance, you may conclude that there really doesn’t seem to be anything particularly “wrong” or ill-advised about such a response. After all, you may reason, aren’t you actually paying the hiring manager a strong compliment by suggesting that he or she did such a superior, thorough job of interviewing you that virtually every one of your questions has already been answered?  I can assure you that an answer like this usually will not be received in such a positive light by most hiring managers. Let me explain why that’s true. To succeed in a job interview in today’s job market, you, as a candidate, must continually be engaged and thoroughly and actively be  involved in the interview process from start to finish. The way you demonstrate that engagement, that involvement, is by asking pertinent questions at appropriate times, by probing for more information. And nowhere is this approach more important than at the end of the interview, when the hiring manager asks what questions you have for him or her. If you take the approach just mentioned above, the approach most candidates take, by the way, you seriously risk coming across as someone who Really didn’t  pay all that much attention and/or apparently wasn’t  all that “engaged,”  during the entire interview; Is essentially apathetic and  apparently totally lacking in  curiosity; Is not really all that interested in the  position. How You Should Answer the Question In my executive recruiting firm, Hire to Win, here is just one way we coach all of our candidates to answer the hiring manager’s closing question (“Do you have any questions for me?): “First, thank you for taking the time to interview me today. I sincerely appreciate the opportunity and am even more excited about this position after having talked to you today. “I do have a couple of questions. The first one concerns your performance standards. If you look down the road one year from today, what would the candidate you ultimately select for this position have had to accomplish during the year to make you say that you made a good hiring decision?” Obviously, you would wait for the hiring manager to answer this question, and then you would follow up with what may be the most crucial thing you can say at the end of any job interview: “Well, at the risk of sounding too proud, you have just described how I will approach this position, if I turn out to be the candidate you select. That’s the kind of dedication and commitment I will bring to the job. “And my final question is, what are the NEXT STEPS in the hiring process? What will I need to do in order to stay ‘in the running’?” For obvious reasons, this final question from you is what I (and other hiring professionals, of course) refer to as the “NEXT STEPS” question, and it is key to your leaving a positive, final, lasting impression at the end of a job interview. Asking this question will brand you as different from and better than the overwhelming majority  of other candidates who will also be interviewed for the position. Not only will most of these other candidates not ask the “next steps” question, most won’t even think of asking it! Instead, most will simply say that, no, they really don’t have any questions for the hiring manager, that he or she has answered ALL questions they may have had (or ever will have!) about the position and career opportunity! Hiring Manager ‘Feedback’ There are no “magic” words to use in your closing, “next steps” question, of course, and the words used in this blog are merely suggestive of how you can effectively phrase your question. The important point is that you would be well advised to commit to taking this approach at the end of each and every job interview you may have during your job search. The payoff can be significant and substantial. Here, for example, is what a hiring manager told me over the phone recently, in a routine “after-action” report, about one of our candidates who effectively employed this approach at the end of her job interview: “She interviewed very well, answering all the important questions thoroughly and satisfactorily,” he said. “The thing that I was most impressed with, though, were some of the questions she asked at the end of the interview. By the end of most interviews, the majority of candidates can’t seem to wait for the interview to be over and usually have no questions whatsoever. Or if they do, I am somewhat less than impressed with the questions they ask. (She ended up getting the job, by the way!) And, of course, this isn’t the first and only time I have received this kind of feedback from hiring managers regarding our candidates employing the “next steps” question approach. Why is this approach impressive to so many hiring managers? Because, as this hiring manager said, it is so unusual for a candidateâ€"any candidate!â€"to ask even ONE question at the end of an interview. And, even if they do ask questions, the questions usually come across as frivolous and non-responsive and end up doing the candidate more harm than good! Orâ€"worse yet!â€"the final question some of these candidates do ask might be along these lines, “Yes, I do have one question. What does this job pay?” Now, that question is usually a real “deal-killer”! But that, however, is grist for a future blog! Author: Skip Freeman  is the author of “Headhunter” Hiring Secrets: The Rules of the Hiring Game Have Changed . . . Forever!  and is the President and Chief Executive Officer of  The HTW Group (Hire to Win), an Atlanta, GA, Metropolitan Area Executive Search Firm. Specializing in the placement of sales, engineering, manufacturing and RD professionals, he has developed powerful techniques that help companies hire the best and help the best get hired.

The ultimate guide to moving to London as a graduate - Debut

The ultimate guide to moving to London as a graduate - Debut Welcome to the Big Smoke, kid. Youve made it. Youve waded through the murky forest of application forms, defeated your dragon of an interviewer, and found the hidden treasure. Congratulations, youre officially moving to London! ?? Before you start poppin that champagne, theres just one little thing you need to sort your accommodation. Simple, you say to yourself. Ill just  Google it. Ah, my sweet, innocent pal. Thats where youll be wrong. Moving to London involves making about a hundred different micro-decisions. Which zone? Borough? What is more important: proximity to a pub or to the supermarket? Not to mention the astronomical rent prices.   Weve been there. Like you, we laid in our beds, scrolling through property listings on our phone until we get too sleepy and drop it on our faces. Arranging a move to the city is no joke so weve compiled this honest, no-nonsense  guide thatll hopefully help you find your new London home. Location, location, location Despite what all the TV shows tell you, London isnt just made up of the Big Ben and the London Eye. The city is divided into five major areas: North, South, East, West and Central London.  Beyond that, there are 33 different districts (called boroughs) in London, each with its own unique character. Want the full guide to finding the best location in London for you? Look no further: Your guide to figuring out where to live in London as a graduate Different hunting techniques So, you’ve figured out where you want to live in London. It’s a nice area, not too busy or too quiet, and there’s a 24-hour Tesco in the vicinity. Perfection. However, when you come to look up properties in the area, there’s one major problem. You have no idea how to go about actually looking for a place to live. There are a few bits and bobs you need to know before you embark on your London house-hunting adventure. Heres our complete guide to the hunt: Your ultimate guide to house-hunting in London without going completely mad Budgeting It aint easy being a graduate. Youll be the poorest youll ever be in your career, and London is one of the most expensive universities in the world. Yay. Its a good thing then weve put together the ultimate guide to budgeting on a graduate salary. So, you know, your overdraft can stand a chance. Your ultimate guide to budgeting on a graduate salary Renting rights as a tenant Unless youre super lucky, your first time residing in London will probably involve you renting a property. So here is a full list of all the things you need to know.  Buckle up kiddos. This wont be a fun read, but we promise to keep it as simple and practical as possible. Your no-nonsense guide to your renting rights as a London tenant Getting around Learning how to get around the big, bad city of London is no mean feat. Getting lost on the Underground, getting off at the wrong bus stop, and, god forbid, taking an obscenely expensive black cab are cardinal sins. Lucky for you, weve broken down the swishiest ways to get around town. Youll look like youve lived here for years. Your guide to getting around London like a true Londoner Meeting new people A new city can be lonely for some. The comfort of being able to pop over to your best mates flat at university becomes a distant memory. You go to work and wonder if youll ever hang out with people who are  not your work friends. There hasnt been a user manual for how to make new friends in London. Until now. Your guide to meeting new people and making friends in London Feature image via Unsplash Connect with Debut on Facebook and Twitter

Monday Tip Ask a new co-worker how hes doing - The Chief Happiness Officer Blog

Monday Tip Ask a new co-worker how hes doing - The Chief Happiness Officer Blog Starting a new job can be a scary experience. You have new tasks, new co-workers, new rules, a new manager, new everything. So your mission for this monday is to do something for a person whos come to your workplace recently. Seek out a new co-worker say, someone whos been there three months or less and ask that person how things are going and what they like about working here. Get to know that person if you dont already. Where did he work before? Where does she live? Hows the new job going? If theres any way you can help, make sure to offer your advice, your thoughts or your help. New people often appreciate a little help at first and at the very least some positive interest is always nice. The Chief Happiness Officers monday tips are simple, easy, fun things you can do to make yourself and others happy at work and get the work-week off to a great start. Something everyone can do in five minutes, tops. When you try it, write a comment here to tell me how it went. Previous monday tips. 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

CNA Resume Objectives - How to Write a CNA Resume Objective

CNA Resume Objectives - How to Write a CNA Resume ObjectiveIf you are seeking a career change or looking to get your old job back, then you need to create a CNA resume objective. This may seem like an easy task but it is actually one of the most important components of your resume. Why? Let us explain.A CNA resume objective is very important because it is where your employer will be able to learn a lot about you. For example, they will be able to know whether or not you are a hard worker, whether you enjoy working with kids, and if you have any special skills that will make you valuable to the job. In fact, they will be able to find out more about you than just your name.You will also want to include details on your work experience, but that is not all that should be included in your CNA resume objective. What you should do is to highlight anything that would make your employer feel that they would be taking a risk by hiring you. That may mean the need for you to undergo additional t raining, for example.When you are writing your CNA resume objective, do not simply tell the employer what you do. Do not tell them how much money you make, how many hours you work, or what type of industry you are in. The point of a CNA resume objective is to let your employer know about you in a different way.There are many different reasons why you might want to highlight a CNA resume objective in this way. First, you might be unsure about your own CNA skills and would like to be able to show that you are ready for the job. Another reason could be that you are trying to impress your employer so that they give you a chance.There are other things that you can do with your CNA resume objective that will help youto stand out from the rest of the competition. First, you should provide your employer with as much information as possible about you. This may mean the need for you to provide them with contact information such as home address, phone number, and even email address. This infor mation should be placed in your CNA resume objective as soon as possible, because if they need to contact you, you will be the first to know.You will also want to focus on any special skills that you possess that will make you a good candidate for the job. This may mean telling them how much of a student you are, how organized you are, or even how fast you are when it comes to putting things away. Your employers will find out a lot more about you, if you include these kinds of examples in your CNA resume objective. They will be able to see that you are detail oriented, and they will like this.Remember that your CNA resume objective is not only about what you do but also about who you are. It is your chance to stand out from the crowd. Try incorporating a few ideas about your personality and your likes and dislikes into your CNA resume objective.