Be Who You Want To Be: The 5 Steps in Managing Your Personal Brand Online

We live in a world where social media is impacting everyone’s life as well as our career and everything that goes with it.  The competition in the labor market is rigid, so how do you get ahead among your fellow competitors? As long as you will be able to create a significant and impressive personal brand it doesn’t matter if you are a fresh graduate who is on a job hunt, an employee who wants to grow professionally or someone who wants to start a business venture.

Although social networking is available to everyone, you still need to be a responsible user and use it to your advantage especially in managing your online reputation or personal career brand. Remember that when you are using social media, your online image will generate other people’s personal and professional perceptions and opinions of you. Your employers and clients may be able to search for your profiles in Facebook or twitter to find out more about you so make sure that they will like what they are about to see.

In order to achieve your career goals through social networking; creating, keeping and improving your personal career brand should be a part of your long-term career plan. In order to put this plan into action, you also need to keep a professional presence in every social media site you register to.  Having a hard time managing your personal brand?  Worry no more because we have identified the different steps to enhance your social image and manage your brand online. Here are the following:

1. Be smart in your posts; before you post a photo, a document or write anything on your profile, make sure that these will give you positive and impressive image. Never allow your clients or followers to make negative comments about your services or products for the world to see; use a suggestion box instead. Make sure that you provide an excellent service all the time because one wrong move can ruin everything you have worked hard for.

2. Improve your privacy so that people outside your circle will not be able to post any unwanted photos or post anything damaging to your profile’s professional presence.

3. Review your online data daily as well as your circle’s posts to ensure that everything looks perfect.

4. Monitor your profile in various angles; see how it is viewed by people from outside your circle. Check if you can easily be searched by using Google alerts or online ID calculator.

Using social networking to manage your career brand takes a lot of work and effort on your part but it is all worth it because nothing spreads information faster than social media. This career management example should be taken seriously because if you make uninformed decisions and false judgments, then your online career can be ruined. Be who you want to be; manage your career with the help of social networking.

Be Stress Free and Live the Life that You Want

Do you know that work stress is one of the leading causes of health problems in the world today?  Most people who experience severe office stress at some point in their life get sick, experience depression, or become obese. It is funny how some people label stress between good and bad when in fact there is no such thing as “good stress”. Stress is stress no matter how you put it and the only reason why some get away with it is because they are just better in managing it than the rest of us. If you let stress take control of your life, then you will have a hard time carrying out your work effectively as well as your other daily tasks. You could also turn your back on things and activities that make you happy. Are you going to let it ruin you?

There are jobs and workplaces that can cause stress but do not let it interfere with your job performance because your ability to manage it could mean a whole lot between the success and failure of your career. Remember that you will not be able to control everything in the office but that doesn’t mean that you can’t do anything about being stuck in a stressful and difficult situation. There is no need to change careers or make big changes in your life; all you need to do is to focus on yourself and just learn newer and better ways of coping with the pressure and challenges in your career.

You can always change your current situation; here are the 6 steps in managing stress in the office:

1.    Identify your stress factors; it could be your boss that’s causing it or the demands of your job, it doesn’t matter because you will never be able to do something about it if you don’t have any idea where it is coming from.

2.    Take good care of yourself always; find time to relax or engage in activities that make you happy. Pursue your hobbies, go out with your friends or go to the gym.

3.    Change your thoughts and make sure that you don’t insist on making things that are way beyond your control happen. Just do your job well and let your boss evaluate your performance. Whatever happens after that is something you can’t control anymore.

4.    Manage your time effectively; make a “to do” list for the day and make sure that you prioritize the most important ones first. Remember that having so many things to do at limited time eats you up and makes you stressed even more.

These are the 4 steps in managing stress in your workplace. If you follow these steps religiously, you will be able to live a stress-less life and focus on your career goals without any interruptions. More career opportunities are in store for employees who perform with excellence and live healthy lives so stay healthy and happy.

The Most Effective Ways to Deal with Stress at Work

Stress is part of our lives and no matter how much we avoid it, it seems like there is really no getting around it. Why is it inevitable? How we think and act on things that are way beyond our control are just some of the many reasons why stress is ever present in our lives. We are stressed when we are pressured in the office or when we have bills to pay at home; the responsibilities we have towards our job and being a parent can be very challenging and most of the time, we succumb to being pressured and take it seriously or take it to bed. As a result, we stay up late at night and wake up with a heavy head and a tired body. 

This isn’t helping; you need to let it go. You need to understand that you can control how you react to things that are way out of your control especially in the office. Since there is nothing you can do about the stress factors in your life; learn to manage them. Here are some very important tips on how to handle stress in your workplace:

1. Identify your stress factors- start by making a diary where you can write your feelings for a certain person or a task that stressed you out. Be honest in identifying what makes you feel and react a certain way. It could be the toxic relationship with your boss or the deadlines that you need to meet in the office. Identifying your stress factors is the first step for you to resolve them.

2. Let go of – let go the things that you cannot control and just focus on the things that you can. Just do your best and deliver. 

3. When things get a little tough, just do the basics- breathe in, breathe out and just relax. You can’t fix something if you get all paranoid and stressed out.

4. Manage your time well, it never fails -This will put order in your daily activities and will give you the chance not to miss out on anything important. 

5. Pursue your hobbies – no matter how busy you are, do not forget to pursue your hobbies. If fishing or playing golf makes you feel good, then make sure you do this every weekend. It is important to feel good because it relaxes your muscles, your mind and your heart.

Dealing with stress at work is a career management style that will help you perform well in the office and stay healthy everyday. Stress can cause heart problems and weight loss and you wouldn’t want to end up having any of these. Remember, there is no job worth getting sick for.

A Successful Career Plan

If you think that career planning is just for the fresh graduates, then you thought wrong because career planning is definitely for everyone no matter what age and accomplishments you have in life. It is a continuous process of organizing and putting your career goals in order through the use of different strategies and techniques designed especially for you, so that eventually you can turn these goals into a reality. If you want to make a brand new start or take the first few steps in climbing your organization’s executive ladder, then you really have to plan your moves and make sure that they are going to be effective.

Be accountable for your own life and your success; work hard and motivate yourself to achieve all your personal and professional goals. Although creating a successful career plan is quite challenging, the results are going to be very favorable as long as you give it a considerable amount of time to accomplish. If you are unsure of what to do first, don’t worry because we will help you find your stride at work by just following these simple yet effective steps to get to the top.

1.       Be easy on yourself; take your time because there is no need to rush things. A successful career is worth the wait and isn’t an overnight task. It may even take years of loyalty and hard work before you will be given the chance to take on more responsibilities, so make sure you are willing to wait for the right time. 

2.       Take time to know yourself better; discover your other talents and skills and the things that matter most to you. It is through knowing yourself better that you will be able to find the inner peace that you are looking for.

3.       Focus on your goals; don’t let negativity control your emotions. Be patient and avoid becoming a career hopper. Always do your tasks to the best that you can and continue to impress your colleagues and most especially your boss. Who knows? The promotion that you dream of is sooner than you expect.

4.       Get ready; invest on helpful skills that may help make you get ready for your future job. Undergo trainings or enroll in short courses that could bridge the gap between what you already know and what you need to know more.

5.       When you are ready, let your boss know about your career goals and how you plan to grow together with the company.  Promote yourself but keep your feet on the ground.

Career planning is very important to determine whether you will be successful in the future or not. These 5 simple steps will be your guidelines and will help make sure you achieve both your personal and professional goals in life. Don’t give up now, live the life that you have always imagined.

Decide To Succeed and Make it Happen

As an employee, what do you normally do in order to keep your job or to be considered for a promotion? If your boss is eyeing on you all the time, this could mean two things; he is considering you for a promotion or he is planning to fire you. But, whatever his intentions are, this is the best time to show your capabilities and prove your worth as an employee. Make him realize that you are indeed a true asset of your company and you will notice major changes and greater opportunities will come your way.

Putting on a show can help you but truly loving your job and staying committed to your company can give you job security and best of all, it can make you climb the executive ladder of success in no time. Yes, it is hard to do a routine job but it is entirely up to you on how to create a balance both in your personal and professional life so that you won't consider coming to work---boring. You need to learn to appreciate what you have in your life right now. Start with these basic career management steps:

1. One of the secrets of the most successful people in the world is that they act and think like a boss. These people are responsible and can make smart and informed decisions both in their personal and professional life. They are proactively managing their careers and know where they are headed. They are hardworking and confident in what they do.

2. Think of your sacrifices as your investment. You are doing something for yourself today that you will be thankful for in the future. Spend time to develop your skills and learn newer ones, especially the things that you have a hard time with.

3. Make sure everyone in the office know about your achievements; not to show-off but to inspire everyone to be like you. Help them realize their full potential by showing them that it can be done.

4. Build your network of friends in the company because these people can pull you out from difficult situations.

5.  Manage your relationships well at work by showing courtesy and respect to the people you interact with everyday.

This is an example of how you should manage your career towards success. Yes career management is not as easy as it looks but if you want to get ahead and be promoted, you need to show everyone that you are the next big thing. Learn to manage your career as early as today because nobody can do it well except you, yourself.

Give your 100% at All Times

The labor industry has changed big time throughout the years. If your parents experienced job security 2 to 3 decades ago, that is because most employers, value committed employees and would normally keep them under different circumstances for as long as they wanted to stay.  For the most part today, job security is just a word because if your employer is dissatisfied with your performance, he can replace you anytime. Your employer knows that as much as he needs people he can trust in his organization, he also needs competitive and success driven individuals to run his business, and he will be willing to lay you off if he sees that you are not what he has expected you to be and if you are not an asset to his company anymore.

This is a sad reality and this is why you, as an employee should accept that these things are happening to even the most seasoned workers. Get used to the idea that you may have one job in your current career and you may have to work for more than one company. Now, if you are given the chance to work in one of the best companies in the region or in the country, do the best that you can in order to make your boss happy and don't make him regret that he included your name on his payroll.

The most important thing that you need to learn is to manage your own career. Don't wait for your employer to assess your performance; if possible, evaluate your job performance everyday. If you want career advancement, then start taking responsibility for your own career development because nobody can make you become successful other than you yourself. Choose your own career path because if you don't, somebody might do it for you and there is no guarantee that you will like what they planned for your career.

Check your skills every now and then and find out if you still have the same expertise as you have had before. Strive to develop as an employee by learning new skills and enhancing your current ones to be up to date with the demand of the labor industry today. Have an open mind and identify career opportunities that might boost your career and make sure that you always give your 100% in everything that you do at work.

The success of your career lies entirely in your hands and better career management will help you achieve this success in no time. Be mindful of how you perform inside the office and no matter what happens, make sure that your boss is pleased with the results of the tasks that he has placed in your care. 

The Best Career Planning Advice

We cannot simply rely on luck to become successful in the future because we all need to start somewhere. We need to be skilled, smart, and be able to keep a positive attitude while working hard in the process, and if luck is on our side, then we will definitely be heading uphill. One of the best things that we need to practice is the art of career planning wherein we are given the opportunity to choose a career that we want to pursue by managing our working and learning skills and taking them to the wider working conditions available to us.

Whether you are young, a fresh graduate, a career shifter or just unemployed, there is no reason for you to take career planning for granted. However, if you are clueless on where and how to start, worry no more because we will give you the different steps in planning and managing your career. These steps will help you discover more about yourself as you go along and help you make an informed decision based these discoveries. You also need to understand that career planning is a continuous process and should be taken lightly so that you can give yourself more time to explore and find out what you really want in life.

Remember that you can use this process all the way through your entire professional life. Here are the following steps in planning your career:

1.  Know thyself better - if there are some things that you don't know yet about yourself, explore your talents, interests and skills. Find out what motivates you and inspires you in order to realize what you want to become when you are given the option to choose a career.

2. Explore your options - after discovering your skills, think of the different careers that could help you achieve all your goals. Think about where you want to be and how you want your life to turn out 5 to 10 years from now.

3. Make an informed decision - after your research, choose a career that matches all of your discoveries and think of a job that you want to do for as long as you want to go to work.

4. Create a plan - start thinking about the step by step process for you to land that job, your strategy, trainings, finances, or even sponsors.

Career planning is not easy and cannot be done overnight. You don't wake up in the morning with a decision that you may have carelessly thought of. Instead, it needs a considerable amount of time to plan to be a success. These 4 basic steps will serve as your guidelines in making sure that you are doing the right thing.

Perform and Evaluate

If you are going to have your annual performance review today, will you be confident enough to say that you did a great job this year or are you going to shudder because you feel like you haven't given your best shot? Yes, this once a year evaluation proves to be time consuming, stressful and nerve wrecking because you don't really have an idea on whether you and your boss see eye to eye and it is far too late to prove your worth once again because the year has already passed. Just pray that no matter what the outcome will be, you will still be given a chance to show your employer that you are worthy to be on that payroll.

It is time to do some thinking and realize that you have more control over your performance than you think. Nobody will be able to make it better than yourself and once you realize this, you will have more motivation to make some changes; positive changes if possible. If you are still clueless on how to deliver an amazing performance and evaluate yourself after, don't worry because we have identified different ways on how you can take control over your career and make your boss realize that you are indeed a great asset to the company.

1.  Less words, more deeds - if you want to be successful, you need to make informed decisions and act on them. You can spend the day thinking or you can start doing things that will bring success closer to your professional life. Talk to your boss about your plans and ask for his expert advice on how else you can improve tour performance. This will show him that you are dedicated to your job and you are serious about climbing the ladder of success.

2. Plan your performance - you do not simply finish a task, you must deliver an excellent performance at all times. No excuses.

3. Evaluate your performance on a daily basis -it may be too much to consider but a daily evaluation would certainly help. Make a checklist or write your goals and be able to achieve them by the end of the day.

4.  Ask your colleagues - talk to your trusted colleagues and ask them to give you an honest opinion about your performance. Strive to make positive changes after.

5. Keep a positive attitude - stay happy and positive despite all the challenges you encounter in the office. Be courteous and respectful to everyone around you.

Evaluating you performance will make you understand where you are at the moment and where you are headed as well as know the things you need to improve about yourself in order to achieve career success. These career assessment steps will help you live a stress free life and stay professional at all times.

Steps to a Midlife Career Job Change

You don't have to feel guilty about quitting your current job and moving on to the next one because you are entitled to make your own decisions in life. The only thing that you need to make sure is that you are choosing the right job this time because job hopping is not ideal for midlife employees as it will not be good to look at in your resume. Make sure that your next job is the one you that want; something that is meaningful and has the capacity to keep you and make you grow as a person.

There could be a whole lot of reasons why you need to quit your job despite of your age, however if your reason is valid and solid, then you really have to make the change.  Apart from making the change itself, there are many other considerations that you need to acknowledge such as competing with fresh graduates over a certain position. Since you were stuck in a job you dreaded for years, you may lack some of the new and modern skills that the younger generation has, which makes applying for another job challenging but not necessarily impossible.

Worried about making that change? Don't be, because we will give you a step by step plan on making an exit from your current job and landing the job that you love.

1. Decide if you want to make a job change - if you are quitting because you are bored, chances are you will eventually get bored in your next job. If you are angry at someone, making an impulsive decision about quitting won't help in you either. Face the facts, if the environment is threatening in your current job and there is nothing you can do about it, hand in your 2 weeks’ notice.

2. Self-assessment- start from the basics by identifying your skills and interests and pursuing a job that requires most of your qualifications.

3. Do your homework - research about the job you are planning to apply by conducting informal interviews and internet searches to find out if you are a perfect match.

4. Invest in yourself - once you are positive, be ready to learn and develop new skills. Think about any transferable skills that you could enhance that could bring to your next job.

5. Create a knock out resume - make sure that your resume will stand out from the rest with details such as your previous work experiences, accomplishments and further studies.

Changing jobs is for everyone and does not require an age limit. These 5 basic steps will make the entire process easy and convenient for you while you pursue your other goals in life. You have every right to live the life you have always dreamed of, make that change if it is what you really need.

Taking Charge of Your Career

How do you really take responsibility for your job security and career advancement when you have a boss who keeps eyeing on you all the time? Well, putting on a show can take you places but loving your job, i mean really loving it and managing your time at work can help you secure your spot in the company as well as help you take the initial steps towards career success. Gone are the days when employees go to work and just finish their time for the day, doing the same boring routine everytime and retire from their jobs with a secure pension to take care of them when they are old and out of work. Today, we are given so many opportunities that we even fail to recognize the ones that need to be embraced wholeheartedly. We think that perhaps everything that comes our way should be welcomed, but that's should not be the case. We should only learn to recognize opportunities when they knock on our doors. We will help you prioritize the more important things in your life and you need to start with these basic career management steps:

1. Think like a boss - this is one of the secrets of the most successful people in the world. They see themselves as their own boss; they make their own decisions and are accountable for their own actions. This helped them become proactive in managing their careers and at the same time have fun seeing positive results.

2.  Invest in yourself - do not stop learning. Enhance your skills as much as you can and try to learn new ones so you can easily adapt to the new programs and skills that are learned by the younger people of today's generation.

3. Recognize your efforts - delivering a positive performance is nothing unless recognized by your boss and colleagues. It's not that you need to be praised all the time, but a demonstration of how you make a difference at work will inspire everyone to do their best as well. Be a role model.

4. Build your network - having a strong support system at work can help you get out of difficult situations, just don't forget to appreciate their efforts and return the favor.

5. Manage your relationships at work - be courteous and respectful to everyone. Maintain a positive relationship with everybody because this can be a basis on whether you possess emotional intelligence or not.

Career management should be practiced by everyone who wants to be successful in their respective position inside the office. No matter what title you hold at work, you need to learn to manage your career in order to keep your job and grow from it in the most positive way possible. These tips will help you climb up the executive ladder and be the best person that you can be professionally.

Career Coaching towards Success

Some people don’t really understand why there is a need to hire a career coach since you are already capable of making decisions. Well, that is because no matter how experienced we are in our life; there are other important things that we don’t even know how to handle such as our careers. Now, these experts can help us in so many ways by providing advice and support in every decision we make. They also have the ability to listen, guide and assess their clients and make them understand where they are now and where they are headed.

We cannot deny that these professionals meet with different clients but the best thing about what they do is that they develop creative action plans or strategies to achieve your career goals customized to your own needs.

Your career coach can be your father, a close friend, someone you trust at work or it can be a random person who has a reputation of helping people become successful. Since career coaching is a job, it helps to just hire a career coach because then you can reach out to them any time you need them. If your coach is someone you know personally, chances are you cannot demand a specific timeframe when you need them because they may have other issues to take care of.

We take their advice because they have been in our shoes at one point in time and have become successful in their own right. They have overcome making tough decisions, planned their careers and achieved their goals in the process.  There are so many things that a typical career coach can help you with such as the following:

1. Help you create a knock out resume and cover letter

2. Evaluate your skills 

3. They cover interview preparation

4. Makes you understand possible mistakes when making a decision 

5. Give you tips to manage your time at work

6. Give you tips to advance in your career

7. Help enhance your skills

8. Give you advice everytime you have issues at work

You need to understand that because of what they do, more and more people become efficient in the office and see themselves improve on a daily basis until such time that they can stand in their own two feet and make informed decisions by themselves.

Hiring a career coach may be a career move that you haven’t thought of before but considering how stuck you are in your current situation, you just might need one now. If you think that you need to improve yourself professionally and achieve your goals for the future, then hire a career coach and watch your life change for the better.

Taking Charge of Your Career

The world we are living today gives us many career options that make it difficult for us to choose the right one. So, at the end of the day, we can only ask ourselves this question, how do we really make a career choice when we are clueless on what we want to do? What makes this move even more challenging is the fact that we don’t want to spend the rest of our lives jumping from one career to another.  In order to avoid this from happening, we should give this a considerable amount of time to plan before putting it into action in order to make a solid and informed career decision. Remember that your decision has the capacity to change the course of your life, so better make a good one.

These are the following steps in making a good career choice:

1. Self-assessment – making a good career choice always starts with self-evaluation or self-assessment. It will include knowing yourself better, your skills, interests, values, passion and lifestyle.  You can simply take a few days off to figure out what you really want to do with your life.

2. Write it down – knowing what and how you want your life to turn out is a very important factor in choosing the perfect career. Write your objectives and goals in life. If you want to inspire people and help them learn, you can pursue a teaching career. If you want to share your talents to the world, you can be an artist. Narrowing your goals down will help you focus and create a clear picture of what your life should be.

3. Pick the top 3 –following the first and second step, it is now time to come up with at least your top 3 career options.

4. Do your research – identify the possible jobs that you can see yourself doing under these 3 career choices. Research on the possible job duties and responsibilities or if the job matches who you are as a person until you are left with the career of your choice.

5. Create an action plan – once you have identified your career choice, you can start making a career action plan with your short and long term goals, as well as the strategies you need to follow to reach these goals.

6. Prepare – if you don’t have all the necessary skills needed for this career, start taking lessons or short courses to get you ready. It is better to be prepared in mind, body and in spirit, so you can have fulfilling career.

Career planning should be taken seriously by everyone because it will help you live a successful and meaningful life. This move should not be taken for granted or planned overnight because it has the capacity to turn your life upside down and who would want that? Start planning your career now to maximize your full potential and your value as a person.

Steps in Changing Jobs While Employed

There could be thousands of reasons why you have decided to quit your job. Whether you are sick and tired of the toxic relationship between you and your boss, or your health slowly deteriorates, changing jobs while you are still currently employed takes a bit of discretion on your part. For some, this becomes a bit of a challenge, but it doesn’t have to, because there 6 easy steps to change jobs even if you are still employed. Here are the following:

1. Take time to write down a positive statement explaining why you need a new job. Be clear on your reason so as not to give employers the wrong impression that you are a hopper. Create a statement on how you envision your career and how the position you are applying for will help you towards achieving your goals. Practice this statement until you are used to it because you will need it in your interview and in your cover letters.

2. When writing your resume, include the reason why you want a new job as well as your career goals so employers will know why you are leaving your job. Make sure that you don’t talk trash about your current job because this will give them an impression that you are not professional enough not to discuss private matters between you and your current job.

3. Point out on your reference list that you don’t want the HR staff to call your employer or just avoid giving out their contact information unless it is really necessary.

4. Determine if a month notice would be fair to your employer because you can expect to be questioned about this in your interview. Think of your answer in advance so you will be confident in answering this and to avoid ruining your reputation in your current company.

5. Make sure that you have permanently deleted all important personal files from the company computer before you tell your boss that you have accepted a new position from another company. Remember that this is not good news so don’t expect your boss to smile. If he asks you to leave immediately, at least you are sure you haven’t left any files behind.

6. If all ends well, leave with honor because you might never know what’s going to happen next. It is good to know that you are in good terms with your current employer if you ever decide to go back someday.

Changing jobs while employed can really be stressful because you have to do everything with discretion and without getting caught while the entire process is not yet done. Following those 6 basic steps will make the shift easy and effective for you. It is important that you stay professional so that you can leave with dignity and start a new job free from negative issues.

Manage Your Time Effectively

Part of being a good employee is practicing proper time management. By doing so, it will help you prioritize the most important things you need to do first and even when you are bombarded with so many tasks to perform such as staff meetings, conference calls, sending emails or a simple signature signing, you will still end up completing them. Although it might drive you crazy, you will still go home knowing you’ve done your best and has still time to spare for your family.

There are different ways that can help you manage your time effectively and make the most out of your day:

1. Start your day right by waking up early, eating what your wife made for breakfast and have time to say goodbye to your kids before going to work. Coming to work at least 30 minutes before your schedule will make you have enough time for coffee, clean your desk, check your e-mails, check your schedule for the day including your lunch break or just plan your day out according to your job priorities. Start the day with the right focus.

2. Know things that are beyond your control – set clear expectations and do your tasks right so you don’t have to re-do them every time.

3. Avoid checking your blackberry every now and then, if you have already established a goal and priorities for the day, stick to them. Check your emails on the scheduled time and follow your rules accordingly.

4. Don’t be too available – finish your tasks first before you offer some help to your colleagues. Remember that each of you has a responsibility to fulfill in the office, and entertaining them every time will make you lose focus and will take your time off from important task. Try to meet your deadlines first and then help them.

5. Take your lunch on time – it helps to breathe, taking your lunch will give you time to check on your wife and kids, eat something, and relax. Maximize your lunch hours by giving enough time for small chats with colleagues to help them with their tasks.

6. Avoid gossips – do not stress yourself out and spend more time in the office after working hours to gossip about another employee. It is unprofessional and a total waste of your time.

7. Once you are done with your task for the day, check your emails and answer them, do callbacks after listening to your voicemail and check your agenda for tomorrow. If you have time, clean your desk so you don’t have to it again tomorrow morning.

Managing your time effectively can help you make things easier and smooth in the office without compromising your family time. It will give you time to review your work and check if you have done it in good taste as well as meet deadlines and get you ready for another day. It is a great career move that everyone should practice at work. By doing this, your employer will see that you are dependable and you can work without supervision, giving you an edge over other colleagues.

The Top 5 Reasons Why You Should Quit Your Job

Whenever we are in a dilemma over very important things such as being on the verge of quitting our jobs, we turn to experts for help. These people have been in the very same situation that we are in right now, because we want to know their opinions and compare them to ours, to know if we are making the right decision.

We might feel like we have done everything to make our current job work but nothing is happening. We are still stuck in a job that constantly puts us down and gives no room for career advancement.  This is our life and we have every right to do as we please and if our jobs don’t let us grow and help us achieve our full potential, then we have all the right in the world to change it.

There are various reasons why you might want to quit your job and if any of these reasons exist at your current job making your issues too difficult to resolve, then it is time to start looking out for your best interests. Remember that your job takes too many hours of your endless days, so living a miserable life should not be one of your options. Here are the top 10 reasons why you should quit your job:

1. Your company is going heading for a downfall – if you start losing customers and hear rumors that your company is heading for bankruptcy, start looking for a new job while you still have one.

2. Your boss is a nightmare – they say that you can change your thoughts about negative things but when the relationship you have with your boss has already been damaged and impossible to fix, you know what to do.

3. You need to compromise your values – if your values don’t match with the company’s culture, the workplace becomes a prison cell.

4. Your salary is not enough – when you were single, you were OK with your pay but now that you have a family, it is not enough. You need to start taking opportunities that will enable to support the life you have now.

5. You are constantly sick – the demands of your job are taking its toll on you and you are constantly stressed and anxious. You experience regular headaches and dizziness because of too much worrying and a heavy workload.

Changing jobs is not something we should frequently do because it speaks of who we are as an employee. It is important that we stay committed to our jobs, but when our jobs pose a risk of harming our physical, mental and emotional health then we should learn to let them go. There are plenty of jobs out there but we only have life.

Wrong Reasons To Choose A Career

Deciding what you want to do for the rest of your working days is not as easy as it seems. Some might think they have their career future figured out only to find out in the end that they have chosen for the wrong reasons. Don’t make that mistake early on and save yourself years of misery and bitterness. Here are some of the wrong reasons to choose a career which will help you decide and save you from a lifetime of agony in a job you will someday despise.

1. Your family and friends insist that you are good at it. Just because you have a particular skill you are good at does not always mean that you are headed toward super-stardom. Be realistic, and as much as you would like to believe that you are as good as they say you are, being able to excel at anything is a lot harder than you’d think. Your hobbies may simply just be that, a pastime that you enjoy doing. But when you turn that into a career, it will become work and you might end up hating what you used to love.

2. It runs in the family, so you should do it too. If your father, grandfather and most of your traceable ancestors have carried on with a particular profession and they expect you to do it, think fast and think hard. If your heart is set on it, lucky you, as you have your future sorted.  But if you think that there is something else you’d rather do, decide on what you believe will make you happy.

3. You are sold on the perks offered. So maybe you know that you are not supposed to base your life’s work on things as superficial as perks. However, we must admit that a lot of times we have been tempted to take that job that offers us a company car, or travel opportunities. Though it seems awesome when you think about it, how often are you going to be able to enjoy it? Once or twice? Is it even going to be worth it if you keep doing a job you hate? Surely, there are perks that do matter, but make sure they are attached to a job you love.

4. All your friends and everyone else you know are doing it. Right, firstly, no two people are alike in this world. Even twins have their differences. So do you and your friends. What works for them might not work for you. However, peer pressure is a very influential thing and we tend to gravitate towards things that the majority veers in. Set yourself apart and find what will truly enjoy doing in the next 10 to 20 years.

When in doubt, try taking a career test to find out what you are cut out for. Avoid these things that may easily lead you astray and make you miserable for quite some time. Pick the right career and work your way to a successful future.

Redefine Yourself For Better Job Opportunities

There will always be opportunities for progress, be it in the same organization you are currently in, or in an entirely different setting, probably a rival company, or a call to work abroad. Your chances to be eligible for these opportunities are going to be great if you know how to prepare yourself for it. It goes without saying that even if you do not intend to be the ultimate employee sought after by countless firms to have in their own, you will have to perform equally well in order to advance with your current employer, or at the very least, keep your job.

There are certain attributes that employees look for in a professional and in the event that you exceed these expectations, you are sure to be noticed not only by your current employer, but possibly by other head-hunters as well. Find out what you are good at and work on it, but never forget some of the most important values that may make or break the reputation you are working so hard to achieve. 

Loyalty

Loyalty comes in so many forms, but basically loyalty is something that your current employers will very much appreciate. You can look or listen to what others may have to offer you but let them know that your loyalty lies with your current company. If they present you with offers that are better than what your current employer has to offer, tell them you will think about it and that you'll get back to them.

As you ponder on the decision that will change your life, if it is possible for you to talk it over with your current employer, try to present them with the offer being presented to you. It might do you good as you might be offered the same proposition, and maybe more, if they recognize your true value to the company. You'd also come across as an individual who is not easily convinced by attractive offers in exchange for your principles.

Employability 

Keep yourself employable by upgrading your qualifications. Some people need to renew their licenses annually even if they do not need it in their current jobs. If you have one of these things that need to be updated, do so because you will never know when you are going to need it.

As you go on through your work life, always think of a goal to achieve because your future must not simply end on where you are right now. Move forward towards the direction of progress. With the right careermoves, you might just achieve financial freedom and a comfortable retirement someday.

5 Ways of Knowing If Your Job Is For Keeps

You look forward to going to work. Starting your day with a smile is sometimes an effort for people whose jobs have sucked the life out of them. If you find yourself raring to go to work and to get going with the current project you are working on, it is a great sign that you enjoy your job. A happy worker is a productive worker. If this job makes you want to bring your breakfast to work, not for the reason that you do not have the luxury of time to eat it at the breakfast table but because you are excited to get on with your job, then hold on to this job; it fulfills your need for self-actualization.

You have a happy bank account. One of the basic requirements of survival these days is to be able to afford our very basic needs. If you barely break even with what you currently earn, then that is somehow considered as a job not worth keeping. But if you get to afford you basic needs like food, clothing, and shelter, pay the bills, and get to have a whole lot of extras for savings, you are definitely working in the right place. Being able to afford life's necessities is already a hallmark of a good job, but having something extra to save as well means that your compensation package is really a generous one that you should really hold on to your job.

You work hard for career opportunities that seem to be within your reach. Attainable goals make you want to work harder for it because you know and see that it is possible to achieve. Employees seek career progression because mainly, they do not want to be stuck in the same position for the rest of their lives. Advancement in their career is one of the things that motivate workers to perform exemplary. So if you are feeling the buzz and excitement to keep moving forward because your goals seem to always be at arm’s reach, your job is definitely for keeps.

You are rarely stressed. Stress is our body's reaction to pressure and other negative stimuli. It is detrimental to our well-being and it keeps us from performing to our utmost potential. If your job gives you stress, it won't be long until your body gives in to the tiresome condition of being stressed. However, if you rarely feel pressure at work and are able to be in control at all times, this job is an amazing job – keep it.

You get to enjoy your personal life. Some people get so muddled up in their work life that they cannot find the distinction between their work life and their personal life. If you still find the time to be at your kid's play or his little league game, take your wife out to dinner regularly, spare some time to play golf and exercise to stay fit, it shows that you are able to do the things that keep you happy and that your job does not deprive you of these things.

While everyone might have a different priority when it comes to happiness, these are merely guides to determine that you are on the right career path. It is different for everybody but surely if you experience being two or three or all of these things, then that job is a keeper.

Top 5 Habits to be Successful at Work

Most people who are successful in their careers acquire certain important qualities that make them standout from the rest of the crowd. Of course, these qualities lead them to be the best they can be in every endeavor and open more doors for opportunities which they readily receive in good faith. Some are fortunate enough to be born in a family who possess money, power and connection; good fortune is what they call it and because of this, they were properly trained at a very young age to become aware and to fully understand the importance of being successful thus giving them an advantage over those who are less fortunate.

There are a few common traits that can make anyone successful in their chosen career; here are the following:

1. Passion – passionate people love what they are doing and so you can expect them to always give their best in their performances or even on the little things that they need to accomplish. They have a zest for life and they use this to guide their endeavors in life. This trait can’t be seen in everyone but can simply be embraced by increasing the amount of enthusiasm you possess.

2. Focus - keep your eyes on the goal because you know you are doing something significant. Whenever you are too bored and tired to wake up in the morning and go to work, you can use this as an approach to help you get back on track and eventually make things happen by continuous effort and passion.

3. Time Management – remember to make priorities and follow a strict schedule to be able to accomplish things. Remember that you cannot afford to waste your time as this will just slow you down in accomplishing all the tasks that are assigned to you; thus making your career success really slow. Do not let unimportant things prevent you from completing your tasks and distract you from your goals.

4. Scheduling – you need to manage your tasks in accordance to what needs to be done as soon as possible to be able to make a list of the things you need to do tomorrow. Remember that delaying important tasks will just ruin your schedule for the whole week.

5. Move forward – always move forward and do not give up even if there are certain challenges that might stop you along the way. Grab every good opportunity as long as it can help advance your career.

These 5 simple steps are just words that you can read from a magazine or hear from your colleagues but in order for you to become successful, you need to possess all of them. This is an example of career management because you know where you are headed in your life and you need to embrace these qualities in order to achieve all your goals. Make them as your guide in creating the life you have always dreamed of.

How To Find Fulfillment in Your Job

Going home tired and stressed is normal for a hardworking employee compared to those who are just taking it easy in the office. Of course, we want to give our best shot when we are working in the hopes of getting promoted one day and a chance to receive a better pay. But more often than not, we end up becoming workaholic because the demands of our job require more time away from our families and more time with the people we don’t even get along with in the office. If you are serious about your duties and responsibilities then you still give an excellent performance at the end of the day because you are a true professional.

However, there is no need for you to suffer just because you are not happy with your job and you are constantly stressed because you are loner and prefer to read books on your breaks rather than to sit and have a chat with your officemates. There is a way to end your miserable life in the company and find fulfillment in your job without leaving the 4 corners of the office. The key to live a balanced and happy life is you: open your eyes and appreciate what you have.

Here are the 5 simple steps on how to find fulfillment in your career:

1. Count your blessings – start by taking time to reflect on your accomplishments and future goals. Appreciate what you have now and be thankful that you have a job while others have none.

2. Learn to love your job – you know it would be hard to love something you hate but you can’t stay like this forever and leaving your job is not an option because it would all be too complicated to do. Find something about your job that you have even the slightest fondness of and start from there. Think of positive things and you will realize that you are even lucky to be in that position.

3. Talk - there is no harm in talking and reaching out to your colleagues. Start by a simple hi and work your way until you learn something from one another. Remember that these people are like your family, they are with you half of the time and it wouldn’t hurt to interact with them every once in a while.

4. Work on projects that inspire you – if there are certain tasks that you like which are assigned to your other colleague, offer assistance to motivate and inspire you more on what you can do for the company.

5. Breathe – when things are too hard to handle, breathe in and breathe out. This will help you relieve stress and enable you to think clearly.

Career opportunities reveal themselves when you have found fulfillment in your career, and because you are content with your job, you are able to perform well and have already developed meaningful relationships with your colleagues. In return you will become one of the company’s valuable assets and soon, a candidate for a well-deserved promotion.

Career Fulfillment Indicators

In everything we do, we must make sure that our tasks are done in accordance with our priorities and our values. We do not simply do something haphazardly as it will not grant us the happiness we seek long enough to stay and complete the task. We need to find fulfillment in the things we do or else we end up not producing the full potential of our efforts. The same is true with our jobs where we have to find fulfillment in it in order to do it in our fullest potential and find happiness in it. The following are indicators of a fulfilling career.

Personal Values

All of us are raised differently and have grown to hold dear a professional set of values which differ from person to person. Depending on your priorities and values in life, we are able to gauge whether something is worthwhile or not. If you value money so much, then despite how much you love what you are doing, if it does not pay enough, you will eventually feel that something is missing or is inadequate. When you have a firmer set of values that prioritizes a dignified and decent job, a high salary will not move you to compromise your values and accept a job other than what accommodates your principles.

Compensation Package

Everyone has needs and these commodities require money in order to be purchased. The lifestyle you are trying to sustain will dictate how much you need to earn. So if you have a family to support, you are most likely to need benefits outside of your basic pay. If you are investing in big purchases such as a car or a home, you will need to have a stable job until you pay them off. When you find a job that satisfies all your financial needs, you are sure to do well in order to keep it.

Professional Advancement

A lot of people have dreams, and most of them do not plan on doing the same job and staying in the same rank and file position for the rest of their lives. Seeking for professional advancement is a great goal to have and it is something that will make you progress towards a better career future in the years ahead. What’s more is that with a higher position, you are able to have a higher compensation as well. More goals will be met in terms of your objectives in life with the advancement of your professional career.

These factors that indicate a fulfilling career must be what you look for when doing a job search. The stability and quality of your retirement will most likely depend on the staying power your current job has. If you are aiming for longevity in your employment, make sure you find your job a fulfilling one.

Top Qualities for a Promotion

Most professionals whether young or old dreams to climb up their company’s executive ladder and get a higher pay. Who doesn’t want to get promoted these days? They say that the greater the power, the greater the responsibility that comes with it, but we all know that being responsible is part of everyone’s job, and we can’t just turn our backs on that.

Sometimes no matter how much effort you put on your job, you are still left unnoticed, and it would take years before they realize how good of a person you are. This means that you might not get a promotion right away but once they have recognized your expertise and skills, they watch you carefully until they are sure that you are ready for the responsibility.

Being on the list for a promotion is in fact recognition, it means your boss has seen something in you that he hasn’t seen from the others. It is an opportunity that is scarcely available to so many and you are lucky enough to be considered for your dream job. But this doesn’t stop there, how do you make sure that you bag that promotion? Here are some qualities that boss look for in an employee for promotion:

1. The ability to lead – someone who can make good and wise decisions without supervision from his boss, yet still looks out for the welfare of his colleagues as well as the organization. A person who can create strategies and turn them into existing plans to be implemented by everyone. He should help transform his teams to become the best that they can possibly be.

2. The ability to communicate effectively – he should be able to share his dreams and visions to his colleagues to have a purpose. By communicating effectively, everyone takes part in the company’s progress by doing their own share of the task to the best of their ability. You should have the power to influence your co-workers minds, aim at one goal and work together to achieve it. You also need to listen to your people’s ideas and hear out their concerns so you can identify and correct any issues they might be having.

3. Has a strong sense of integrity –he should be honest, credible and trustworthy so his colleagues will never doubt his intentions and will always trust him. A solid ethical core should be within you already because people can see that and once your co-workers know that you possess all these qualities, you will earn their respect and they will follow you. But don’t forget to show respect in return.

4. Confident –if you are a confident leader, your followers become confident too because you inspire them. Show them that no matter how hard times are, you will still make it with smile on your lips.

Knowing the qualities for a promotion will assist you with your career opportunities and will open more doors for you to a brighter future. However it is important that whether you get promoted or not, you still possess these qualities because it will give you a reputation of being a good employee which could take you places.