10 Things to Help Improve Your Productivity

10 Things to Help Improve Your Productivity Take a look back at your week at work how productive were you? A recent study has shown that a third of employees are disengaged in the workplace, which is a dangerously large number. Improving your productivity is easy if you tweak a few small aspects of your daily life check out my top 10 ways to improve productivity below. 1)  Make lists: It may seem simple, but if youre feeling overwhelmed with your workload or are dealing with a large project, its always useful to write it all down. This not only helps you remember everything, but it also helps in setting realistic targets and splitting your workload up. Make daily action lists and weekly lists and on Friday look back on your completed lists with satisfaction! 2) Plan each day the night before: This goes hand-in-hand with point one make your action list for each day before you leave the office the night before. Not only are you in the correct  mindset, but it also will make sure you dont forget any of the details that you may not remember  the next day. This also saves time the next morning as you can get straight into work without having to recall everything you need to tie up from the day before. 3) Focus: Staying focused may seem like an obvious point; but its probably one of the top ways to stay productive.  If you have a task to complete then complete it, without doing anything else. Leave distractions at the door! You may be used to checking your emails or logging into your Twitter every five minutes, but set yourself a goal of completing a task before doing anything else. 4) Get your blood pumping: There is a proven correlation between physical exercise and productivity, so if youre looking to improve your productivity, get your blood pumping! Regular exercise improves alertness, raises energy levels, improves mental health and even improves  your health, long-term. So whether its a gym class or a walk in the park, aim for 30 minutes of exercise 5 times a week and your productivity levels are bound to improve. 5) Get to work early: Getting to work early is great for a few reasons. First of all your commute will be easier youll beat  the mad rush of commuters which means you can appreciate the  journey without being face-to-armpit with other workers. It  also gives you an uninterrupted time to focus and gather your thoughts before your colleagues arrive. 6) Collaborate: Collaboration is  key for high quality work. If youre jotting ideas,  sometimes just asking for an opinion can really get you thinking. And dont be afraid to ask people for their opinions from interns to managers, everyone has ideas and you may just find what youre looking for. 7) Set personal time limits: Setting yourself personal time limits is  so important when it comes to productivity. Weve all been in the situation of  putting tasks off just because they dont have a specific deadline; or they may be mundane or uninteresting. If you set yourself a personal time limit, it means you will get tasks completed instead of dwindling around them. 8)  Maximise your downtime: Embrace your downtime, byerm.lying in some grass! A key habit of productive workers is that they have a sensible work/rest ratio. So instead of checking your emails on your commute to work, read a book or listen to music. When you get home, truly relax and leave your work where its supposed to be; at work! Embrace your downtime and make sure you use the time to really relax. If you are a truly productive person during the day, you should be able to leave the office without having to think about all the things you need to do tomorrow.   9)  Declutter: Allow some time each week to declutter- both your desk and your desktop. Theres nothing more distracting than a messy desk, so only keep things that are necessary and put the rest away in draws or storage. The same can be said for digital clutter. Make sure your files are all in order and keeping emails organised is important. Theres nothing worse than forgetting to reply to an important email just because youre inbox is a mess. Allow half an hour a week to sort/label/delete your emails and files when appropriate. 10)  Allow time for reflection: Personal reflection is an important aspect of professional life. By looking back week-by-week, youll be able to pinpoint highly productive days and also the more disengaged days. From here, you can tweak your routine  in order to improve your productivity. Doing this weekly means you will be continuously improving and becoming a more productive person, which is never a bad thing! Have you got any other tips for increasing productivity? Let me know in the comments below!

5 Steps to Getting a Job Abroad

5 Steps to Getting a Job Abroad Considering the current economic climate and expanding globalization, working abroad can be a great opportunity to spice up your resume, gain new valuable experiences and explore your target country. Never assume that local market lacks talent â€" finding a job abroad is often more difficult than at home. Still, the experience is rewarding and definitely worth the trouble. Here are top five tips to finding employment in foreign countries: 1) Understand the context: Before you start your job search proper, have a close look at the countries of your choice. Research is the most important part of your endeavor â€" without a thorough knowledge of the cultural, political and economic situation, you wont be able to assess whether the country of your choice offers a stable and safe working environment. Depending on your job, the first thing you should do is determine whether your profession isnt part of a protected industry. Many countries have protected jobs and sectors that no foreigners can work at. This and other employment laws are crucial knowledge before you make the decision to move. And thats just the beginning. What follows are visas, work permits, culture-specific professional nuances (did you know that in some countries free days dont fall on Saturday and Sunday?), as well as language requirements. If you dont speak the local language, make sure that the market is open for professionals of your language zone. English, French and Spanish are the most popular and, therefore, safest choices. So can be Russian, Chinese or Japanese. Everything here depends on the region and industry, so make sure to have a good idea about the place where you intend to live and work.   2) Research local employers in your industry:   Take some time to research the nature of your industry in a particular country. In order to succeed, youll need solid knowledge of the marketplace â€" its biggest players, history, pioneers, as well as the most significant industry trends and traditions. Do your homework and learn about your competition. See what kind of education, certifications and professional association memberships are chosen by professionals in your sector. Dont immediately head for the big guns. Remember that smaller companies often find it hard to source talent. 3) Research local recruiters: Now that youre well-acquainted with the market and employers, its time to research the local recruiting scene. Ask locals on platforms like Quora about the largest professional recruiting companies. Always be clear about who youre looking for: executive, professional or management recruiters â€" only those can find you good offers. Avoid temporary work agencies if you plan to stay for longer. 4) Network: Once youve identified some top hiring managers of your sector, reach out and present them with your polished resume, cover letter and references. E-mailing randomly various recruiters or uploading your resume in hundreds of job search websites is not always the best idea. You can start to reach out through social media too. Find out who are the thought leaders of the local industry, follow them, add value to the conversation and youll be surely spotted by recruiters hunting for foreign talent. 5) Prepare yourself for expat life: When you’re in the middle of arranging flights, applying for visas, getting interviewed by various employers and trying to rent a house in your new location, youre likely to forget that living in another country can be tough. Thats why you need to prepare yourself beforehand. Research the local culture, fashion and laws. Its a great idea to start learning the language before you actually leave your homeland. Entering the new reality with some basic understating of what people around you are talking about makes surviving the first few days much easier. You will need to take into account the effects of this job abroad on your work-life balance, your career, as well as all your relationships â€" and those are usually closely tied to your current location. To make the social transition easier, dont forget to talk to your friends and family in order to establish all options for staying in touch.   Once youve arrived at your new place of residence, it might take you some time to find new friends. At least for a while, youll be considered an outsider. Why not have a look at local expat communities to get your social life started? Finding a job abroad isnt a piece of cake. Dont be disheartened by this. Entering a different professional environment, youll be able to transform your foreign perspective into a great asset. Equip yourself with some patience, flexibility and a sense of humor, and youll easily survive the first few weeks in a completely new working reality. READ MORE: How to Find a Job Abroad Author: Sarah Collins is chief Flight writer at iwantthatflight.com.au. She is constantly on the go, and loves to share her tips with readers.

Three Ways to Combat Demotivation at Work

Three Ways to Combat Demotivation at Work Feeling demotivated and stuck in a rut with your career? It happens to the best of us â€" even the most ambitious, career-driven and motivated professionals among us can, at some point, feel like they’re walking around in circles and getting nowhere. Whether your goal is to gain a promotion, earn more commission, produce better results or earn a new qualification to put towards career advancement, feeling like you’re unable to progress is something that you’ll definitely want to overcome as quickly as possible. In order to make sure that you can re-motivate and re-engage yourself, we’ve put together these top tips. Educate Yourself Sometimes, it’s possible to get stuck in a rut in your career simply because you don’t have anything new to learn. If you’re not taking part in any training or development programs, it can become extremely easy to get de-motivated and disheartened as you can feel like you have nothing to work towards in the form of goals and achievements to help your career progress. If this sounds like you, speak to your line manager or other relevant person in your workplace about enrolling on any training and career development programs available, for example the six Sigma Green Belt certification online course, which is hugely beneficial to business professionals. Taking a Break If you’ve been working all day, every day for a long period of time, feeling demotivated and negative about your work is something that is bound to happen. Although being committed and dedicated to furthering your career is definitely a very desirable quality which will earn you plenty of respect from past, current and potential employers, you need to be careful to ensure that your career isn’t taking over your life. Sometimes, taking a step back from your work and giving yourself a complete break from it all can help you to recollect your thoughts, look at things from a new perspective and regain your motivation and productivity. If you have holiday days, now’s the time to take them! A New Direction When you’re feeling completely demotivated and just can’t seem to muster up any sort of passion or commitment when it comes to your career and career development, it’s time to ask yourself some tough questions and be prepared to give some honest answers. Sometimes, we can become demotivated and disengaged in a career because in short, it’s not the best path to take. If you’re finding yourself dreaming of working in a different field or having little or no interest in the career that you’re currently pursuing, it may be time to consider a career change and start looking in another direction. Sometimes, simply accepting that your current career isn’t for you and pursuing another field or study of work can be the best decision that you’ll ever make. Even the most ambitious and driven professionals can become disengaged, demotivated and disheartened at times. If you’re stuck in a rut with your career and want to get out, these tips will help you get back on the right path. Image Source; Image Source

What Your Personal Brand Needs Before Your Ideas Will Get Funded - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career

What Your Personal Brand Needs Before Your Ideas Will Get Funded - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career If anyone asked me if there was a bet I could not lose, it would be this: all of you out there have amazing business ideas bouncing around your head. How do I know this? Because â€" as someone who works in innovation â€" I have people tell me their ideas all the time. And you know what â€" the ideas I hear are pretty darn good! Most of you have identified a very real consumer need, and your idea has a great benefit for the consumer. But I hate hearing those ideas, because it always sets me up to be the bad guy when people ask “How can I get someone to pay me for my idea?” The answer is â€" you can’t. No matter who you are and how strong your personal brand is, your ideas are completely worthless. The only way to get someone to support you in making your ideas a reality, is to prove that your idea has potential and that you are the person to make that happen. In very rare cases, the strength of your brand is enough to convince investors to get behind you. It took  Square founder  Jack Dorsey only 2 weeks and 25 meetings  spread across New York and  Silicon Valley to raise $10 million. But Jack Dorseys reputation,  as the founder of  Twitter, stood as a strong Reason To Believe (RTB) that his new idea would be successful. Most of us don’t have that pedigree to call on when we present an idea. That’s why our personal brands cannot stand alone as an RTB. Instead, we need to show that our idea will be successful and we’re the person to make it happen. ABC’s show Shark Tank does an amazing job of showing this dynamic in action. The Sharks are absolutely ruthless in throwing out companies that don’t have the magic combination of a great idea and a founder with the personal brand to make it happen. Recently, I watched a company called Grace and Lace present on Shark Tank. As the husband and wife team described their business selling lace boot socks, the Sharks listened politely with a slightly disinterested air. You could tell that the Sharks really didn’t get why anyone would want to buy fancy boot socks. Then the founders revealed that in the past 12 months, they’d had $1.25 million in sales. Instantly, the Sharks jolted to attention. Suddenly lace boot socks were no longer a cute idea â€" they were a proven product with a passionate niche audience. And, the founders weren’t just dreamers â€" they were go-getters that made things happen. Suddenly multiple Sharks wanted in (video), and the Grace and Lace founders were able to pick-and-choose the investment partner that was right for them. Contrast this to a failed Shark Tank pitch that stands out in my memory because it failed on both counts. Baby’s Baddass Burgers is a food truck concept that is booming in LA and the founders went on Shark Tank wanting $250K for a 30% stake in their business. The founders revealed sales data and the Sharks were ready to get on board â€" until they ask the founders what they wanted to do with their money. That’s when the Baby’s Badass Burgers entrepreneurs made their fatal mistake. “We’re going to open our first storefront,” they said. The Sharks were stunned â€" and immediately lost interest. Why? Because the Baby’s Badass Burgers founders had a good idea in the food trucks and a track record of success â€" and they were willing to completely walk away from a proven concept to go in a new direction. One of the founders tried to insist that she had experience opening restaurants, but it wasn’t enough. The Sharks were completely unwilling to throw their money behind an untried concept in a new market. If you watch Shark Tank, you’ll see this dynamic occur over and over. The Sharks invest in great ideas, but they only invest in the ideas where the brand of the entrepreneur screams I-will-make-it-happen. That’s why they invest in entrepreneurs who collect scrap metal in order to get the initial seed money for their business, or who are so passionate about making sure that others don’t get the skin cancer they faced at a young age that they will do anything to make their business work. And it’s why they don’t invest in snake oil salesmen (video) who are only in it to make a quick buck. Personal brand is everything when someone is trying to get funding for their idea. So if you’re someone with a great idea, don’t think that you will be able to get backing for your idea based on the strength of the idea alone. Even if that idea is the most amazing possibility in the world, it doesn’t have value until you prove you can make it happen. And you don’t do that just by telling others how great your idea is â€" you do it by showing that you can make results.

How To Freelance Like A King In 2017 - CareerMetis.com

How To Freelance Like A King In 2017 For 9-5 workers, time is a vital resource. There’s never enough of it to get everything done, especially when you spend more than 30 minutes commuting from your house to your workplace and vice-versa. Time is difficult to come by for the busiest of people, but luckily, there’s hope in freelancing. The numerous people making the switch from full-time jobs to freelancing mostly because the conditions are almost always better â€" a freelancer can work wherever and whenever, as long as he or she respects the deadline.The thing is â€" people hate it when they can’t control how their work day goes. With freelance jobs, they are simply searching for a way to obtain control over their own schedules. evalNothing can beat freelancing at the moment, and the infographic below shows some intriguing stats about how the financial state of freelancers improved within the last 3 years â€" drastically.Consider a freelancing career if you’ve never done it before â€" the first few steps are quit e rough, but after the first few jobs, you won’t regret investing your time in putting together that perfect freelance job application.Websites offering a rather easy way to earn money always take a certain percentage of your earned amount in order to stay alive (for example, Upwork takes 20%, less if you earned more than $500 through a single client), but if you have 5-10 minutes to compile an attractive offer on a knowledge sharing platform, you’ll be earning more money than you could imagine, while working from the comfort of your own home!Infographic Credit â€" blog.zeqr.com

When to Focus on the Negative in a Job Search

When to Focus on the Negative in a Job Search What do I want to do? . . . What don’t I want to do? When it comes to career counseling , I encourage clients to focus on the positive. It’s very easy to get caught up in the negativity that comes with searching for a job or trying to figure out what career to pursue. Oftentimes, I work with clients to see themselves, their strengths, and their career search in a positive light. However, there are a couple of times during the career exploration process that I encourage clients to look at the “negative”. This is especially applicable when my clients are trying to identify a career they want to pursue. What do I want to do? . . . What don’t I want to do? When I meet with clients who are trying to decide which career would be a good fit, they are typically overwhelmed by the process. They know there are thousands of careers available and don’t know how to pare down those options to the ones that fit them. Oftentimes, my clients cannot even name one career that might be a fit for them! They tend to just know that the career they currently have is not the one for them. The Negative Gets You Closer to the Positive This is the time when I introduce the concept of the “negative”. I ask my clients if they can list careers that they don’t want to do. Typically the flood gates open with this question. My clients can list several careers that they don’t want to do. They can also list qualities on a career that they don’t want. For example, they know they don’t want to: travel work for a big company go back to school to get another degree for this career sell anything This exercise alone does not result in my clients identifying their ideal career, but it provides a context for the exploration and limits for the search. It is oftentimes easier for us to identify what we don’t like than what we do like. This can apply to many parts of our lives. When you are overwhelmed with trying to identify the right career path for you, employ the “what don’t I want to do?” question to help narrow down your choices.

MyPerfect Resume Writing Service - Time to Get Your Great Resume Writing Into High Gear

MyPerfect Resume Writing Service - Time to Get Your Great Resume Writing Into High GearSo you're thinking about using MyPerfect Resume Writing Service for your resume writing? Maybe, your not familiar with this kind of service. The big thing about this service is that they provide virtual services. That means you do not have to travel to your local office in order to write your resume, and you don't have to deal with a bunch of employees.They do most of the work for you and give you personalized and easy to follow instructions to create the resume you've always wanted in the ideal way. If you need help starting out, you will find it here.Do you know how much time you waste when trying to find a school in the whole world to go to? Do you really have to face that hassle when it comes to finding the right school for you? You don't need to anymore when it comes to MyPerfect Resume Writing Service.A perfect resume can make or break you. It's more important than ever, because in today's jo b market, having a great resume can land you the job you've always wanted. It's time to get your great resume writing into high gear and start landing those great jobs.With all the competition out there, finding the perfect resume can be a challenge. The better you are at creating and designing your resume, the more likely you are to land that perfect job.That's why people turn to the Internet to create their perfect resume. But in order to use the best resume services, you'll need to make sure you hire the right service. You have to consider the cost and convenience of the service, and you also have to consider the content of the resume before you make your decision.That is why it's important to find a service that focuses on your specific needs. Sometimes it takes a little research and a little intuition to find the right resume writing service. You have to take the time to do your research before making your final decision.With MyPerfect Resume Writing Service, you don't have to spend all day hunting for a service that can help you. Instead, you can start now, and you can enjoy the benefits of finding the perfect resume quickly and easily.