Category: career coach

Put Yourself at the Front of Your New Career Direction

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When you choose to take your career in a new direction, it is very important to think about the role you play in this personally. It is so easy for people to get carried away thinking about the career path they are going to take, or what they are going to do to help their business evolve. But, the important thing to remember is the fact that, more often than not, you are the one who determines the way the business is moving.

In fact, you must never overlook yourself as the most crucial component in your career change. The best thing you can do is to put yourself front and center, and make sure are at the head of your career advancement. This is really important and can do a lot to improve the success and prospects you might have to deal with in the future. These are some of the techniques you can use to help put yourself at the front of your new career direction.

Improve Your Management Skills

Improve and increase your management skills so that you can get better at dealing with people and running a business. This is why leadership training is so important because it will make you wholly aware of what you need to do to boost your management skills. Think about the best way of improving things moving forward, as well as what you can do that will make you a little more dedicated to improving the way you manage and run a business.

Increase Your Knowledge

It is also really important that you look at how can increase your knowledge and skill set in the business world. There are a lot of things that have to play a role in this, and getting educated or taking some courses so you can learn about new areas of the business. If you can increase your knowledge and abilities, you will be able to do more in a business sense, and this is going to go a long way toward helping you improve and boost the business.

Make Time for Yourself

It is actually really important that you make time for yourself as well. There is a lot you can do when it comes to improving the way you manage and run your company, but one of the best things to keep in mind is the fact that you have to have time to relax. Finding time for fun is so important and a wonderful way of ensuring that you get that ever elusive work-life balance.

Never Be Afraid of Your Dreams

Never be afraid of your dreams – to have them, to follow them, to believe in them. Dreams and ambitions are important, and they are an essential part of what makes you a great entrepreneur. So, make sure you have a clear dream and always make decisions that will help you to work toward having that dream and being the best you can possibly be.

The bottom line is that you need to make sure you are as dedicated as possible because this can make a big difference. There are things that you have to consider when you want to think about taking your career forward and making yourself the focal point is one of the most effective.

This Is How You’re Going To Organize Your Way To Success

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Getting overwhelmed with work is normal. Yet when it happens to us, we freak out. We feel like a failure or a fraud, and find it hard to get ourselves back on track. And, in all honesty, it just sucks! In a world where possibilities are endless, and we really can pave our own way if we want, why should we let the pressure bring us down? Instead, we need to take action. One of the best ways to do that, is to make sure that you’re organized. When you know where you are with your work, it can make you more productive, more confident in your abilities, and help you to actually work on your success. So if you’re lacking motivation or a sense of direction, try these tips for getting back on track.

  1. Create A Career Plan

First of all, you’re going to want to come up with a career plan. Because we all know that planning really is a crucial part of bring your success into fruition. If you have no idea what you want to achieve, how can you possibly achieve it? Whether you work for yourself or you’re climbing the career ladder, sit down and really think about where you’d like to be in five or ten years time. Then, you can work backwards and consider what you will need to do to get there.

  1. Stick To A Daily Schedule

The next thing to do is to have a daily schedule that you can rely on. When you are self-employed, you can often take that idea of freedom too far. But if you’re going to find success, you have to hold yourself accountable and get the work done. Organization really helps with this. Some draft a daily schedule that will work for you and help you to stay on track.

  1. Use Software, Apps & Equipment

Another thing that can be really handy is the equipment that you’re using. If your work is a mess, it’s hard for you to get anything done. So look into the benefits of USB 3.0 flash drives and cloud storage so that you can keep your files organized. Then, take a look at the apps and software packages that help you to boost productivity or manage your projects better too.

  1. Bring In Help

If you’re really stressed out about time, then hire someone. Don’t try to do everything yourself and struggle as a result. This is going to make you feel anything but organized. Instead, when you have someone to lighten the workload, you can keep your stuff more organized, get it done, and sail your way to success.

  1. Set Goals & Reassess Regularly

Now, one final thing that will help you to really stay on track with what you’re doing, and feel more organized, is to have goals. You can set these as part as your overall career plan, or you can set smaller goals monthly or weekly that can keep your workload and schedule organized on a micro level. Either way, you’ll want to make sure that you’re assessing them regularly. You need to check in with yourself to make sure on track, and this helps that overwhelming feeling to stay at bay.

Your Guide for Getting a Career in Healthcare

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Working in healthcare comes with many perks. Not only can you feel confident that you’re working in one of the most stable, secure fields, but you also get the satisfaction of helping others every day. Working in healthcare is a smart financial choice since you have a wide range of lucrative pay options depending on your education and experience. Additionally, you don’t necessarily have to commit to extensive higher education and training programs to get started with your career in healthcare.

Now that you think healthcare might be the path for you, it’s time to get serious about your career. You’ll need to start by researching different options, looking into educational opportunities, and gaining experience with patients. This guide will give valuable insight into the healthcare industry so you can land a job in no time.

Education

Depending on the position you choose to focus on in the healthcare field, you’ll need to get special education or training. Entry-level health positions will require significantly less education, and many only need high school diplomas. If you’re interested in starting as a medical transcriptionist, an orderly, or a pharmacy tech, you won’t need to worry about special training right away.

On the other hand, if you want a more hands-on, higher-earning position, you’ll need to put in some work to get certified.

Positions like EMTs, entry-level nurses, and therapy aids will often need a degree from a technical school which can take up to 18 months to complete.

More specialized positions will have greater educational needs, like physicians and many types of nurses. Having a college degree to add to your resume is a great way to make you a stronger candidate. Find out more about internal medicine positions here to see what sounds like a good fit for you.

Experience

Education is only the first step. Many degree programs and certification courses require hands-on training or experience hours, and this is a great way to learn about expectations when working with patients. In addition, it’s always a good idea to look for more opportunities to build your own resume with experience. This can be done through any healthcare-type experience. You can volunteer at a local health event or hospital, work at a retirement home that needs extra hands, or even just join a local healthcare network.

A more structured option is a healthcare internship. While many of these are unpaid, you usually can get credit with your educational program by completing one, not to mention it will strengthen your job application in the future. Healthcare as an industry is growing quickly. There is a high need for interns, and these candidates have the chance to network with other leads in the industry.

Job Search

As the population continues to age and face more health concerns, the US Bureau of Labor Statistics anticipates massive growth in the healthcare industry to meet this demand. This is good news for anyone interested in starting an exciting career in healthcare. The two key ingredients to success are education and experience. One alone usually isn’t enough, but once you have your foot in the door, it’s easy to grow.

If you feel like helping people lead healthy lives is your passion, it’s time to get serious about your job search. Start by perfecting your healthcare resume. Showcase your unique experience and skills, and always position your education and certifications front and center. From there, begin applying on industry job boards. Reach out to local healthcare industry networks to find new opportunities to learn and engage with your skills. You’ll find a job that fits your skills in no time.

Final Thoughts

There’s no better time to pursue a career in healthcare. Not only can you get paid more than many other industries, but you can also feel confident you’re doing something good for your community. Depending on your position, you might need to put in more time to get to where you want. That being said, there’s a huge demand for skilled workers in the health industry, so you’ll be off to a strong start.

Steps To Take If You Lose Your Job

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There is no denying that being fired or made redundant is one of the worst feelings. However, rather than letting this get you down, you should view this situation as an opportunity. It is time for you to start a new chapter in your life and look for a better job, whether this is one that pays well or is more fulfilling. With that being said, read on to discover the steps that you should take if you have lost your job.

Assess your finances – The first thing you need to do is assess your financial position. The bills are not going to pay for themselves. For some of you reading this, you may have put together a emergency fund for situations like this. However, if you are short on cash, you need to look for different ways you can keep the money coming in while you are without work. Have you considered looking for freelancing opportunities online? Other options include selling some of your belongings and renting out your driveway.

Assess your personal brand – You now need to think about what you really want from your career before you start looking for your next job opportunity. There are a number of key questions you should ask yourself in this regard. What do you want to achieve? What three adjectives best describe you as an employee? What are your key career accomplishments? What abilities, skills, knowledge and other attributes do you have? These questions will help you to establish what you want and what you can offer.

Update your social media accounts – The next step in the process is to update your social media accounts. Determine which accounts you need for your career and which you don’t. You should then make sure your accounts do not contain anything you don’t want a potential employer to see. Of course, you could make your profiles private, but it is better to have a public, professional and impressive social media profile.

Seek expert assistance – it is definitely advisable to use the services of a professional outplacement company. You should take a look at GetFive to get a good understanding of these sorts of businesses and what they can do for you. After all, it is not merely important for you to get back into work, but it is pivotal that you end up in a job that you enjoy and that is suitable for your skill set.

Hopefully, you now feel more prepared for the chapter that is ahead of you. Here is no denying that losing your job can be disheartening and upsetting. However, the best entrepreneurs in the world have all experienced setbacks, so you are in good company. Don’t dwell on what has passed and what you cannot change. Instead, focus on your future and what lies ahead of you.

Could You Achieve More At Work?

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If you want to get ahead, or if you are just keen to enjoy your work day more, then you will probably find that you are keen to try and achieve more at work during the working day. The truth is that everyone wants to do this, and yet it can seem so difficult to actually be able to get it right so many people struggle to achieve as much as they would like at work, for whatever reason, and when this happens it only leads to further disappointment and dismay. In this post, we are going to discuss some of the best ways in which you need to try and achieve more in your work, no matter what you might currently be doing or doing wrong. As long as you take care of the following, you’ll get more done and find yourself in a much better position on the whole.

Set Goals

Something that is always going to help anyone is the process of actively setting goals and then meeting them. When you have goals aligned, it means that you are much more likely to know where you are headed, and it is that sense of direction which often drives people on most of all. Therefore, if you don’t currently have any goals in order, you will want to make sure that you think of some. They should be time-based, clearly defined when you know they are going to be completed, and you should be able to ensure that they are something you can achieve while still being challenging. Make sure of this, and you will find it really helps you to get much more done every day without fail.

Improve Operations

It’s not just about you, however – it’s also about the culture around you, and if the working culture around you is not set up as best as possible then this is going to affect your own productivity levels. If you are in a position to try and change things within your company, then you should absolutely consider doing something to try and improve the general operational stance that the business takes. It might be that you feel it is time for that six sigma green belt to come into play. Or maybe you are hoping for processes to be streamlined so that everyone can get more done. In either case, make sure to make your voice heard and think about getting it changed as soon as you can.

Avoid Distractions

It can often be hard to make sure that you are completely avoiding distractions, but you will need to try and focus on it as best as you can if you are to get more done, so it’s worth looking into. There are a huge number of types of distractions which can crop up in any workplace. And the beast high is to note them and when they arise so that you can more easily do away with them. If you approach it in this way, you will find that you create more time in which you can get much more done – and it won’t take that long to do this at all.

Spurring You On To Work: The Functions Of The Right Home Office

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For every person attempting to fix their work-life balance, inevitably, the topic of working from home comes to mind. Working from home provides so many different benefits for each and every one of us, not just because we get to spend more time with our loved ones; it has been shown to have a positive impact on our frame of mind. A major reduction in commuting time is one of the more obvious positives, but, in order to do this effectively, you need to have a few things in place to make the office productive, and as conducive to a working environment as possible. What do you need?

A Space Far Away From Any “Traffic”

It’s all well and good having a place to work from home, but if you’re not going to get any work done, because of the amount of foot traffic going through your house, you are not going to view this as a working environment. Make sure you have a room that’s far away from any signs of life. If this isn’t possible, it’s time to put some ground rules in place. While it’s all very good you working at home, you still need to treat it as if it is a workplace, and that is the only way you will get anything done.

Just The Right Amount Of Distraction

You want to be focused on your work, but also, you need to be suitably enthused. While there are little productivity methods, like the Pomodoro technique, you need to ensure that you’ve got enough stimuli around you to keep you inspired. Working by a window can at least give your eyes a break from the mundanity of the computer screen, or setting up an office space with glass doors can prove useful in terms of a sense of transparency, but you have to be sure that it’s not going to distract you too much. For something like glass doors, branding window films can provide a nice aesthetic to your interior glass, reminding you that you can do what you want in your own home office environment. You don’t have to stick to the rules and regulations of the office you tend to go to. So, as long as it doesn’t distract you too much, you can put up paintings, pictures, or any designs that will aid your productivity.

Keep It Comfortable, But Not Too Comfortable

Comfort at home is an overwhelming positive when you decide to work where you live, but it can’t be too comfortable, otherwise, you won’t have any productive days. This is why it’s a good idea to separate the office from the rest of the house, and treat it like it is a place to work, rather than a place to relax. But when you are working at home, you still need adequate downtime, in which case, comfortable furnishings like an ergonomic chair, can provide that little bit of comfort, but not too much of it.

It’s very difficult to be productive when you’re at home, and while setting up an office is the first step, you need to make sure that it doesn’t cross over into the rest of your home. You need that balance between productive and relaxed, so start to think about what spurs you on to work.

How To Make Your Work From Home Business More Professional

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Running a business from home is a luxury that many are taking to because of the convenience of the job. Being able to work your own hours and at your own pace is something that many people long for, especially if you have other commitments in your life like young children or elderly parents to care for. The only problem with running a business from home is that you can struggle to come across as a legitimate and professional business. However, there are some great ways to make sure that this is no longer a problem. Check it out:

Create a kick ass website

One thing that all great and successful businesses have in common is a website that shows how professional they really are. Invest in a web design company that can create the perfect look for your website. Remember to make it so that your website is easy to navigate around. Having a website that’s too complicated will turn potential customers away and straight towards your nearest competitor. Making sure that your contact details are easily found is also essential so that your interested clients can quickly and easily get in touch if they want your services. Don’t forget to include a price list so people know what they are letting themselves in for!

Have a logo designed

A mistake that many people who run their business from home make is not having a logo for their business made. Having a logo defines your business and imprints your name into people’s minds. Come up with a clean and simple logo design for your business so that you can begin showing it off on social media, your website, and also any paper documents that you send out to clients. Remember to make sure that the colours match the theme of your website, or vice versa with your website matching the colours of your logo.

Invest in a virtual office

One of the biggest problems of running a business from home is having to put your address out there for everyone to see. For obvious reasons, this can lead to trouble further down the line. It also doesn’t look very professional. Rather than giving yourself the hassle of having a disgruntled customer turning up at your door, invest in a virtual office. This will give you a permanent business address for your post and phone calls, and all will be forwarded to your home address. Privacy for you and your home, and professionalism for your business!

Have business cards made

Finally, it’s likely that you will have events to attend at some point during your business life. Whether it’s a networking event or you’re trying to promote your business, having business cards handy to give out will help you grow your business no end. They also add a sense of professionalism and trust; meaning more clients for your business!

Apply these tips to your home business and see the difference it makes becoming more professional!

Feeling Empowered In Your Life And Career 24/7

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Feelings can be fleeting. It’s normal for them to come and go. However, it’s tough to forget about a positive feeling once we’ve had one. One feeling that can be tough to forget is empowerment. Feeling empowered makes you feel strong, confident, and like you can do anything. You feel content, almost smug (although you’d never admit that). Feeling empowered in your career can shine through and get people to bang down your door with their offers and new opportunities. It can make you a shoe in for that executive or managerial role. It can help you to get what you want in all areas of your life.

So, just how do you start feeling empowered in your life and career 24/7? Read on to find out!

Define Your Goals And Create A Plan

Start by defining your life and career goals, and then make a plan so you can achieve them. Picture yourself in 2, 5, and 10 years time. Where do you want to be, and how do you think you can get there? You don’t always need to know the how, so don’t worry about that, as long as you know the what and the why.

Define your goals and write them out to finalize them. Put them somewhere they will stay fresh in your mind. If you can create a plan to get there, do so. Just make sure the steps are manageable. Taking regular baby steps is less intimidating and more realistic.

Make Yourself Stand Out

Making yourself stand out will make you feel empowered in any career and industry. But how can you do this? Work on your skills and abilities consistently. It isn’t always about experience and knowledge (depending on the industry). It’s about how willing you are to work at what you want. How much you want to improve and be the best version of yourself. You can look at progressing your knowledge and skills at the University of Southern California, or you could take a simple, cost effective course online. Different things will suit different people and needs.

Find A Mentor

A mentor can help you to look at things objectively. They will help you to identify your strengths and weaknesses, and give you points to improve upon. Even the most successful people have mentors!

Make Sure What You’re Doing Aligns With Your Values And Beliefs

Whatever you decide to do with your life, you need to make sure it aligns with your values and beliefs. If you’re not doing this, your work won’t feel meaningful, and you certainly won’t feel empowered. This is why many people decide to start their own business and create work for themselves.

Network

The more people you know, the better! Get your name out there and speak to people.

Embrace Failures

Failures carry great lessons with them. Embrace failures. To fail means you tried, and the most successful people have failed numerous times. If you’re afraid to fail, you’re afraid to try. See the lesson in everything and you’ll always improve!

UX And SEO: Why They Need To Be Considered As One

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For many years, a lot of business owners and marketing pros for that matter have viewed search engine optimisation and user experience as two separate entities. However, these days are long gone. If you want to rank highly on the search engine result pages, you need to master the art of UX. Both go hand-in-hand. With that being said, read on to find out more.

Why UX matters in terms of SEO

So, why is UX all of a sudden an important factor when it comes to your search engine ranking? Surely it is all about links and keywords? While both are important, UX also plays a critical role. This is because search engines have changed their algorithms over the years so that the most relevant and user-friendly websites rank at the top. They now consider elements such as bounce rate and page load speed when ranking your website. If your website does not offer a good user experience, you are going to struggle to rank highly.

Elements of UX that will impact your SEO

With that in mind, it is a good idea to work on the UX you provide online customers in order to improve your visibility. There are a number of ways you can do this, and here are some examples:

–    Include image tags – Google cannot look at images in the same way that we do. Moreover, some people may not be able to view images on certain devices or if they have a poor connection. This is why adding image tags is a good idea to make sure the UX is the same no matter whether the image uploads or not.

–      Improve the speed of your website – A poor page load speed is one of the main reasons why people leave websites and look elsewhere. Look for ways to increase the speed of your business website, such as deleting large media files, and you will boost the UX and your ranking as a result.

–     Make sure all blog posts and content is over 600 words – Why is this important? Well, it ensures that the content you produce provides value. It sends a signal that the content answers the user’s questions and that it adds value.

–      Ensure your web design is responsive – There is no excuse for having a website that is not optimised for mobile use in 2018. You need to make sure your site can be used and viewed optimally irrespective of the device being used. You can make the most of digital transformation services to assist with this, as companies providing these services can make sure your website’s design is responsive while also improving other UX elements.

So there you have it: hopefully, you now have a better understanding regarding the relationship between SEO and UX. You need to master both and consider them as a joint venture if you are going to be able to reach the heights you want to on the search engine result pages.

The 3 Best Careers For Job Satisfaction

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Salary is a big factor for a lot of people when they’re choosing their career. Obviously, they still want to do something that they find interesting but the amount of money they get paid comes first. But these days, people’s priorities are changing and the way that millennials think about their careers, in particular, is starting to change. Instead of just looking at the salary first and the job description second, a lot of people are willing to take a bit less money for a job that is more meaningful and rewarding. If that sounds like you, these are the best careers for job satisfaction.

Social Workers

People that want to give something back to the local community and help those less fortunate than themselves are well suited to a career in social work. It will be your job to go out into the community and help people from all walks of life with all sorts of different issues. Being able to make meaningful changes to improve people’s lives brings a huge amount of satisfaction. Getting into social work is fairly easy if you already have a bachelor’s degree. You’ll need to get a masters in social work but that doesn’t mean having to go back into education full-time. You can get an online msw instead. The benefit of doing it this way is that you can carry on in whatever job you’re already in and do the degree in your spare time. Once you’re qualified, you can start looking for social work positions. You should keep in mind though, social work is a very demanding job. There are a lot of rewards but you’ll have to deal with some very emotionally difficult situations and some people just can’t handle that. It’s important that you know how to switch off and not take your work home with you so if you can’t do that, you should think twice about pursuing a career in social work.

Emergency Services

The emergency services are tasked with protecting us and that’s an incredibly rewarding thing to do. Police officers, ambulance drivers and firefighters have some of the most important jobs in the world, but they’re also incredibly tough. To get in, you’ll have to pass a series of rigorous physical and written tests. But if you train hard enough, you should be able to get through. You should only consider joining the emergency services if you’re willing to put yourself in dangerous situations on a daily basis though.

Teaching

Teaching is another of the most important jobs in the world. It’s up to you to mould the next generation and make sure that they leave school with the skills they need to get by in life. Training as a teacher only takes a year if you’ve already got a degree so it’s a fairly quick career to get into. There is a heavy workload during term time but you’ll get great holidays so it all balances out.

If job satisfaction is a priority for you, these are 3 of the best career choices for you.