How Much Time Do You Waste on Social Media

How Much Time Do You Waste on Social Media The average employee will spend 12% of the working day using unproductive applications, such as Facebook, Twitter, YouTube. Only 59% of the day is spent using applications, which are deemed productive. This amounts to 65 hours a month, which have not been used productively, according to data analyzed by DeskTime. The data demonstrates that after a month of using a time tracking system, the productivity of an employee increases by 15%. When considering this data it must be understood that the employees have access to the collected time-tracking data, that is, they see which applications they use and they see the amount of time spent productively, unproductively, and neutrally. Personally, we use social networks as part of our job. We’ve also seen studies that show that allowing employees some social networking time actually increases their productivity, so we’re not sure it’s a cut and dried equation of time on Facebook equals time lost. Related: 10 Ways To Increase Your LinkedIn Productivity.

Why You Should Use a Professional Resume Writing Service

Why You Should Use a Professional Resume Writing ServiceThere are many reasons why a top-rated professional resume writing service is in your best interest. Before you find yourself working with a professional service, consider the following benefits of using one.The top-rated professional resume writing service will help you write a professional resume that will generate instant and first class interest from the recruiters. All professional services write resumes in a professional manner. This does not mean that the results are always the same. However, if you choose the right service, you can expect results that meet or exceed your expectations.A professional resume is one of the most important documents that you will ever submit to your future employer. You want your resume to be the best it can be. Not only do top rated services have the right tools, they also use them effectively. Writing a professional resume is about more than simply getting your resume on file for your employ er. It is also about boosting your chances for employment with the most effective approach possible.A professional resume is a great way to demonstrate your current and past achievements and skills. Resumes are used for a variety of reasons, and a professional resume service makes it easy for recruiters to get a clear picture of your qualifications and skills. A professional resume writer knows how to build an impressive resume that will appeal to your future employer and convince him or her to hire you.There are a number of different reasons why you would need to use a professional service. For one thing, it will ensure that your resume is the best it can be. When you know that you are going to work with a top-rated professional resume writing service, it is a sign that you are on the right track.A professional resume writer will help you identify your strengths and weaknesses so that you can create a resume that is suitable for your personal and professional goals. A professional resume writing service works in collaboration with you, not against you. When you have confidence in your resume, you can easily say yes to getting your resume reviewed by a professional service.Top rated services offer a wide range of custom options. Once you begin to create your resume, the process will move quickly. The writers will provide you with support, guidance, and information throughout the entire process. You can expect prompt responses from your writer.They will take the time to learn about you and your situation to help your potential employer to learn about you as well. If you want to use a professional resume writing service, consider how effective and reliable the writer is. If you find that the service works with you and your recruiter, your resume will be ready for review within a few days.

6 tips for job hunting online

6 tips for job hunting online The job market is good, the Internet is buzzing, and optimism is high. Still, the best jobs require talent before you walk in the door you need to know how to search. Here are seven tips to help you: 1. Big job sites cater to keyword-focused applicants. Only three to five percent of job seekers find employment through online job sites. In order to be one of this small percent, you need to tailor your resume to keyword searches. Sending a resume to a big companys web site is like sending your resume into a black hole, says John Sullivan, human resources consultant and professor of management at San Francisco State University. In a big company, your resume is sorted by an applicant tracking system. These companies receive thousands of resumes a month and the tracking system sorts them by skill. Sullivan tells of a study where researchers took a job opening and wrote 100 perfect resumes for that opening. Then the researchers added 10% more information to the resumes. Of those resumes, only 12% were picked up by the tracking system as qualified. This means that even if you are the perfect candidate, if you submit your resume blindly to a large company, there is almost a 90% chance that no human will ever see your resume. But you can increase your chances by knowing how to use keywords in your resume. Recruiters locate individuals based on a certain skill set of the job they are looking to fill, says recruiting advisor Matt Millunchick. So try to imagine how someone else would use a search box to find you, and be very specific about your skills. These rules remain true if you post your resume to an online database also. The mass of resumes on job sites is so unruly that human resource staffs are paying people in India $20 an hour to sort through resumes to find the good ones, according to David Hanley, owner of recruitn.com. So, even in this case, keywords are your best friend. 2. Dont depend on your resume. The typical resume is linear which makes people without linear careers look like a mess. The resume highlights work gaps in a negative way and leaves little space for achievements and experiences that did not somehow contribute to corporate life. The marketplace is changing and the life experience that informs the work that people do is changing, says Anne Burdick, information designer and professor at Art Center College of Design. The static, linear resume is not an effective way to convey this new experience, so dont lead with it. Dana Zemack, a publicist, got an agency job by abandoning the conventional resume: She wrote a letter to the agency about how she had been throwing large, elaborate chocolate tasting parties and charging admission. Zemack explained that at first, she publicized the parties to make sure shed make enough money to pay for the party. But then she realized that she had talent as both a party planner and a publicist, so she started planning bigger and bigger parties. I used my own endeavors as an experiment to see how far I could go as a publicist, she wrote. On a second page, she listed the publicity she was able to generate for the parties. It worked. She got the job. Which leads to tip number three: 3. Go local. Smaller companies posting on smaller job sites look for employees who may not have a resume optimized for a computer screening. This is how Zemack found her job. Another way to go small is to join professional groups on MySpace. These are people who will know where jobs are. Also, Millunchick says recruiters search through these groups for marketing and technical people. 4. Focus on the referral. Eighty percent of available jobs are not posted on job boards. But people who work at companies know what positions are available. And employers love referrals, because referral employees have such low turnover. In fact, many companies pay employees tens of thousands of dollars for a successful referral. Pander to that carrot system by offering yourself up to an employee at one of those companies. Find people to refer you by looking on sites such as MySpace, Friendster and LinkedIn. Do keyword searches to see if your friends of friends have jobs at companies that interest you. Offline networking works, too. Its just slower. There is no keyword search when you walk into a party. But once youve made the acquaintance, you can Google the person to find their connections. 5. Stalk your dream job. If you know your dream job but you have no connections, identify someone you want to talk to within a company and use the Internet to get in touch with them: Find an email address, phone number, a conference your target is speaking at. Then ask for an informational interview. You are far more likely to get a job from an informational interview than from blindly sending resumes. Most people will be flattered by your request and will give you some of their time. Remember an informational interview is not when you ask for a job. But often, if you make a good impression, the person will help you get a job. 6. Make your own job. Zemacks career really took off when she created a job for herself: throwing chocolate tasting parties. She is still genuinely touched by each person who turned out for those early parties where she bet her credit rating on herself. And in the end, she discovered something that is not a new rule at all: That believing in yourself and creating avenues for your own success attracts a magnificent network of supporters.

Five Natural Remedies For Managing Stress

Five Natural Remedies For Managing Stress isStress is a normal part of everyday life, but it can engender a hugely varied reaction dependent on each individual person. In simple terms, stress is caused by your body reacting to changes in your environment with emotional, physical and emotional responses. Around three-quarters of all visits to the doctor are for stress-related problems, while research has shown that stress costs businesses in America over $300 billion every year. Stress can be both positive and negative.     It is the latter which causes the biggest issue from a health perspective. Symptoms from negative stress can include, but are not limited to, problems sleeping, high blood pressure, chest pain and headaches. Stress impacts your immune system and often leaves sufferers feeling run-down, worried or unable to cope with daily life. However, there are numerous ways you can take control of your stress levels to ensure that they don’t have a negative impact on your health. Read on as we look at five natural remedies for managing stress. Get more exercise Numerous research studies have shown that exercising regularly can have a major impact on a person’s health and wellbeing. When you exercise your body releases endorphins which lift your mood and help to reduce anxiety levels. This usually happens within minutes of undertaking exercise. In addition to positively impacting on stress levels, endorphins can also help to reduce weight and boost self-esteem. Research has also shown that exercise can also help to alleviate depression, further highlighting the benefits of an active lifestyle. James Blumenthal, PhD, is a clinical psychologist at Duke University.   He says the evidence relating to the positive impact of exercise in respect of managing stress-related conditions is too powerful to ignore. Theres good epidemiological data to suggest that active people are less depressed than inactive people,” he said. “And people who were active and stopped tend to be more depressed than those who maintain or initiate an exercise program. Exercise seems not only important for treating depression, but also in preventing relapse.” Try CBD oil There is a growing amount of research evidence that says CBD oil is a hugely effective treatment for stress-related ailments. High levels of stress hormones can cause numerous health problems.   CBD has been proven to successfully manage the symptoms. Many professional sports stars have switched on to the benefits of CBD.   They use it to help with recovery, get better sleep and control stress levels. A top CBD oil for 2019 is manufactured by cbdMD and their director of public relations, Dillon Kivo, says the product is a great way for people to manage stress. “Although research is still in the early stages, there seems to be support behind the idea that CBD can be utilised to help aid mental functions, as well as work to reduce overall stress,” he told ESPN. “The idea is that CBD helps calm some of those intense bodily responses that may result in further health complications, all while working to naturally relax the mind and body. Although there is still some way to go regarding the regulation of CBD, it is clear that it is an excellent natural remedy for managing stress. Use relaxation techniques Finding the time to relax can seem like an impossible task.   This is especially true with work, family, friends and more placing huge demands on your time. However, introducing a few small changes into your daily routine can make a massive difference to your health and wellbeing. Practicing mindfulness allows you to relax your mind and body, effectively pressing the ‘pause button’ and allowing you to refocus. Lisa Kaplin is a psychologist and womens empowerment coach.   She believes that building time for relaxation into your routine is the key to happy and healthy life. I tell women to look for small opportunities for relaxation,” she told Oprah Magazine. “Fifteen minutes at lunch, an hour before bedtime, a few hours on the weekend. It’s the pay ourselves first concept. If we relax and take care of ourselves first, the rest will easily fall into place. If not, we won’t show up the way we want to and we will never feel rested. Yoga, a walk in the park or a relaxing bath are other great natural ways to negate the effects of negative stress. Buy a pet Researchers at Washington State University found that spending just a few minutes with a pet can help to reduce stress. The study revealed that students who had direct contact with the animals had significantly lower cortisol levels than those who had none. Patricia Pendry, an associate professor in WSU’s Department of Human Development, said: “Just 10 minutes can have a significant impact. “Students in our study that interacted with cats and dogs had a significant reduction in cortisol, a major stress hormone. “We already knew that students enjoy interacting with animals, and that it helps them experience more positive emotions. “What we wanted to learn was whether this exposure would help students reduce their stress in a less subjective way. “And it did, which is exciting because the reduction of stress hormones may, over time, have significant benefits for physical and mental health.” Sleep stress away Feeling stressed can have a negative impact on your sleep.   Not getting enough sleep can leave you even more stressed â€" it’s a classic Catch 22 situation. The time you spend in the deep, restorative sleep needed to properly recharge your batteries is likely to be reduced, making you even more susceptible to stress the following day. Ross Levin, Ph.D, is a clinical psychologist and behavioural sleep specialist in New York. He says that in order to maintain restful sleep people should go to bed in a deactivated state. “Breathing, guided imagery, mental and physical relaxation techniques, and mindful meditation are some of the many tools one can employ,” he said. “But the key to stilling the night mind is by tending to the mind when awake. Take regular breaks, deeply breathe often, exercise, eat well, and avoid excessive caffeine and alcohol. “Try to avoid excessive stimulation in the evening, especially the use of electronics. Sufficient wind-down time prior to sleep is often critical here. “And never go to bed unless you’re sleepy, not just tired. The stronger the sleep drive, the more restful the sleep.”

5 Ways to Prep a Job Interview Like a Champ

5 Ways to Prep a Job Interview Like a Champ Excruciating isnt it? It is supposed to be a moment of excitement. You finally got the call to meet face to face. To make a convincing case about why you should be hired.  But as the actual day inches closer by the minute, the butterflies in your stomach grows louder. This is not going according to plan. It Is Normal To Be Nervous I always associate interviewing with dating.  Both parties are talking about themselves, albeit in different settings.  And for the most part, both sides are trying to convince the other that they are THE one. It will always be nerve wrecking but there are ways to make that less apparent. Importantly the same set of tips would make you much more prepared for the interview that your chances of getting hired would be so much higher. Here are 5 things you would want to do before heading into any job interviews: 1) Learn About The Company A really duh answer I know; but youd be amazed at the number of job seekers Ive set up interviews for that just didnt do that.  I dont know why. Maybe they are lazy, they are over-confident or they simply think they know everything. The truth is you dont. You might know about them a year ago but not necessarily about what has gone on the month before.  All this information may impact on how you position yourself in an interview. If you know the company is shutting down a department, any mention of your potential contribution to that area is not going to make you look smart in any way. 2) Know What The Market Is Saying About Them The Internet is a gold mine of information and you have dedicated company review sites such as Glassdoor.  Make good use of them by getting any much information as you can from that site. One good area to focus on is the cons about the company. Most of your competition who are savvy enough would be looking at Glassdoor too. And chances are they will focus on the Pros and try to emphasize how they are aligned to that. If you go in that direction, you are just one among the many. Instead, focus on the Cons and relate how you would wont be affected. No work-life balance? I love working. Crazy bosses? I live life on the edge. You get the idea. 3) Find Out More About Your Interviewer Believe it or not, more than 80% of interviewers are not professional trained to conduct an objective and structured interview.  For the less than 20% that are, more than half choose not to practice it, because they think their gut instinct is much more accurate and their gut is always right. Which is fine, because that means you can game it!  And the easiest way is to identify commonalities that you have with the interviewer. A really quick way of doing that is to run a tool like Rapportive for Gmail. It shows you everything about your contacts right inside your inbox. You can see all their social media handles, if they have their own website and even shared connections that might know them. Creepy but effective. 4) Speak With Connections Associated With The Company Its never wise to trust everything you read on the internet.  That includes this article and the 3 tips I mentioned so far.  But one thing you could be certain of would be feedback from current and former employees of the company you are interviewing with, which  you can  find out with a quick search on LinkedIn. Now dont connect and ask them what they think of their company straight away.  It feels too Undercover Boss and you wont get authentic feedback. Instead, approach from the angle that you are in deep admiration of their background and career trajectory.  Given so, you like to meet up and get their advice on you making a career in similar fashion. Offer to buy them coffee. Nobody would turn down coffee. Nobody. 5) Script Down A Convincing Elevator Pitch Write it down. Read it out loud.  Does it sound funny? Make your wife chuckle?  Redo it. Many candidates simply dont put any effort into this and miss out a huge opportunity to articulate a convincing story of how you knew this job is the one for you since passing through the birth canal. None of us would have a life story that flows from one phase to another. But we could weave dotted lines across them and make them seemed like all these are somehow together. Like what Steve Jobs said, you could only do your best and connect the dots backward. So start connecting those dots to give yourself the elevator pitch that you deserve.

The Value of Above Line Behaviour in the Workplace CareerMetis.com

The Value of Above Line Behaviour in the Workplace â€" CareerMetis.com Workplace culture can contribute to the success of the organisation. Business owners who develop a culture of blame, denial, and rationalising failures could often lead to the downfall of their business almost immediately.In fact, 65% of businessesdon’t make it through their first year while another 40% don’t make it through the next three years because of having poor company culture.The difference of these businesses to the surviving ones is that organisations that survived delivered quality products, implanted good systems, have good people and strong leadership, and most importantly, the right attitude.evalSurviving business owners don’t point fingers and understand that they are responsible for their business and takes proper actions.The “Above and Below the line” concept is basically a line of choice. It can be seen as a line that separates the positive from the negative and success from failure.Each person faces a decision every single day. Whether you choose to turn off the alarm or get up, to eat either cereal or toast, the decision is up to you. While the decisions in your personal life can mostly affect you, a business owner’s choices can affect not only them personally but their employees and the business itself as well.A business owner could choose to see themselves as a “victor” or a “victim”. Those who see themselves as the latter can motivate the same behaviours in others. This means that like them, their employees would be able to take responsibility and accountability for everything that happens to them, whether it’s good or bad.Meanwhile, the victims choose to see themselves as that, “a victim”. They shift the blame to others instead of moving forward. Thus, creating an organisation that becomes a breeding ground for drama and insecurities. This results in a decrease in productivity and increase in turnover.An organisation that allows unhealthy workplace behaviour will create a breeding ground for drama and insecuriti es, which only decreases productivity demoralises and increases in turnover.While it is preferable to have a constructive response to a challenging situation, it takes some practice to ignore the automated, defensive response.evalUltimately, the choice on whether you adopt an above or below the line behaviour in the workplace depends on you but this infographic by Sparkle Training could show you how adopting the former in your workplace can cultivate it into the place to enhance your team to reach their full behavioural potential.Infographic Credit â€" SparkleTraining

UK Police Funding 2017 Major Government Update!

UK Police Funding 2017 Major Government Update! Fantastic news coming from the UK government this week, as it has been announced that the Home Office are allocating an extra £450 million in UK police funding. In this blog, we’ll elaborate on these plans, and explain how the new police funding measures will be implemented.Where is the police funding coming from?Obviously, £450 million is quite a significant amount. As we know, money doesn’t grow on trees, so where exactly is it coming from?Well, firstly, the government are planning to give police and crime commissioners the power to raise council taxes. At the moment there is a particular portion of council tax which goes towards policing. Under the new initiative, police and crime commissioners will be able to raise this by £12 per household, annually. In doing so, they would raise a whopping £270 million. Meanwhile, the government themselves will provide £130 million for key priorities such as firearms, plus an extra £50 million for counter terrorism â€" an extremely im portant area these days.Why has the money been allocated?Amongst constant news of police budget cuts, deteriorating standards and the difficulty of being an officer these days, this is an extremely welcome move by a government who have come under major criticism for their previous approach to the police budget. This year, the government seem to have taken a different outlook, and the move comes in the wake of Policing Minister Nick Hurd taking the time to speak to every force about the difficulties they face, and the best way to overcome them. Based on this feedback, the new budget was produced. The government acknowledged this in a statement, claiming that ‘with more victims of serious hidden crimes coming forward, there is a greater demand on policing than ever before.’ With this in mind, the government have put together a police funding budget ‘that makes sure police have the resources they need.’Not everyone is happyWhile the news has gone down well with some people, the re are many people who feel that the budget is still not enough, with concerns being raised especially about the funding. The mayor of Manchester has claimed that raising council tax means that the most deprived people in the country will bear the burden of the government’s failure to fund policing. Likewise, Sadiq Khan and various others have chimed in, claiming that the budget is simply not enough and falls ‘a long way short’ of the money needed to guarantee an effective police force.In response, the home secretary has defended the government, claiming that although taxpayers will need to invest more money, they will be doing so for a great cause, and that the work police officers do is vital. She also encouraged the police force to step up their efforts, claiming that the government is committed to meeting the challenges of modernity in policing, and that the police now needs to be prepared to do the same. Many people have questioned this statement, especially given the lac k of police funding from the government in recent years… This entry was posted in Police, News. Bookmark the permalink. Jordan Cooke Organising Student Accommodation â€" Living in HallsHow to Survive the Christmas Holidays on a Budget

Tough (Question) Tuesday What have you learned by taking the scenic route

Tough (Question) Tuesday What have you learned by taking the scenic route Scenic Route by Alli Coate In a session the other night, my client explained, Yknow, Im always the kind of person that wants everything to change and start happening in, like, a week! We both laughed, because we knew that life rarely ever works that way, especially when you have a Big Change to make (becoming an entrepreneur, switching careers, following your passion, yada yada yada). But it got me thinking about how beneficial it is sometimes to take the long way around, and have that change take months or even years. So think back on that goal that took you so long to accomplish, or the one that you were forced to take the roundabout way on, and answer this: What have you learned by taking the scenic route? Meet ya in the comments! *******************************************************************************************************