Bring the Passion Back to Your Job

Are you losing the desire to work at your job?  The following post has some tips to help make you more passionate as an employee.

High stress levels, increased workloads and long hours can impact your morale and lead to decreased job satisfaction.  Add on a competitive coworker or an overbearing boss and you might be wondering if the relationship is worth saving. Continue Reading

Recruiter’s Advice: 5 Things Employers Look for in Entry-Level Job Candidates

Dunya Carter

A fresh graduate is always intimidated when going in for his or her first real job interview, and many feel that no matter what they apply for they are woefully unprepared and unqualified – especially in this economy, when even jobs advertised as entry level are apparently seeking years of experience. But regardless of how many flourishes are requested in the help wanted ad, many employers are really looking for a few basic things for entry level positions, and all of them are more than attainable for the new worker. Continue Reading

The College Major—Making the Right Choice for the Right Reasons

While college is very much about living in a dorm room, eating various forms of microwavable food, and staying up for 24 hours straight in the library, it is also about discovering your passions, exploring your every academic interest, and learning who you want to be in your professional future. That being said, one of the most difficult and unnerving aspects of our college days is the process of choosing a major. As young 18 to 20 year olds, nothing is more daunting than thinking about the academic topic that seemingly decides the rest of your future. Today, students are faced with even more difficult decisions and challenges than ever before. As our national and global economy continue to falter, student loan debt mounting at an all-time high, and jobless numbers staying steadily high, even more pressure is being put on young undergrads to make the “right” choice. Don’t be blindsided by crashing economies and lucrative careers, consider these tips to choose the right major for the right reasons. Continue Reading

When to Say Yes to the Offer: How to Make Great Career Decisions

If you’re feeling totally paralyzed about what to do after college, you’re not alone. One of the most common questions I receive from college students and young professionals is, “I received a job offer but it’s not my ideal job. Should I take it or keep looking?”

In this economy plenty of people are thrilled to have any job offer, but learning how to assess a potential opportunity is still an important skill to develop. Here are my suggestions for when to say yes: Continue Reading

Place the Job Search in Your Hands

How would you describe the status of your job search?  Hopefully, you have been proactive, researching companies and positions, sending out resumes, networking, etc.  Or, maybe you’ve been passive, not really trying to find a job because you are waiting for employers to call back or for the economy to improve.  If you’re doing the latter, then you have taken away any control of your job search.  Moving forward, you need to place the search in your hands.  Here are a few tips that can help: Continue Reading

Boring Blogger? Discover Your Niche

These days, blogging is as much an art as it is a science. Not only do you have to provide quality content, but you must also build an engaged readership that will come back for more.

How, then, are you supposed to go from boring to engaging if you’re just starting out? Well, how about discovering your niche? Though it seems simple, discovering what you’re going to blog about is a lot more than just posting what you like. Here’s how you can get started: Continue Reading

‘I Hate My Job, But What Can I Do About It?’

The late comedian George Carlin once said, “Do you hate your job? Sorry to hear that. There’s a support group for that. It’s called EVERYBODY, and they meet at the bar!”
As a consultant on employee engagement to major healthcare companies, Melissa Evans understands that feeling well. Her solution to it, however, is a little “uncorporate.”

“It’s a fact that most people don’t like their jobs,” said Evans, also author of Sole to Soul: How to Identify Your Soul Purpose and Monetize It . “According to a recent survey published by Time Magazine, fewer than half of American workers – 45 percent – are satisfied with their jobs. This is the lowest percentage since 1987.  Gallup reported that this phenomenon also hurt businesses in a significant way. Companies with large numbers of dissatisfied workers experience greater absenteeism and lower productivity. These workers create a turnover rate of 51 percent. Can you imagine working at a company, or trying to run one, that loses half its staff every year?”

That turnover isn’t just from firing or layoffs. According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, the number of people who quit their jobs from June 2010 through October 2010 was actually larger than the number of people who lost their jobs. Gallup says all these disengaged employees cost the U.S. economy upwards of $370 billion annually. Evans believes that one key way to turn this around is for employees to look inward before they look outward. Continue Reading

Remaining Financially Stable While Pursuing Your Dream

Aren’t we all envious of those people who are not only able to figure what their dream career is, but have the guts to actually pursue it? If all people were able to do the same, the world would be a happier place.
But it’s not always easy being a dreamer. Because while these people may be pursuing their passion, it’s often hard to do it without compromising a reasonable income. If you find yourself in this predicament, here are some tips to help you stay afloat financially while taking strides to pursue your dream …
Find a Part-Time or Temp Gig
One of the easiest ways to bring in some extra cash while pursuing your dream career is taking on part-time or temporary work. With a part-time job, you work fewer hours, which leaves you with more time to take on your own projects. And with a temp gig, while you may have to work full-time, you can accept or reject jobs at your leisure based on pay and the length of the project, which offers a different type of flexibility.
Another job that some consider when needing flexible income is substitute teaching. Much like temping, you get to decide when you work. And the money isn’t bad. For most districts, you can make anywhere from $75 to $120 a day. The only catch is that you usually need the equivalent of two years of college under your belt to qualify.
Try Working from Home
In the age where the Internet rules supreme – and companies are trying to cut back on their overhead – it is easier than ever to find a legitimate work-from-home job. So for many who are trying to pursue an income-lacking passion, working from home in customer service, data entry, or even freelance writing gives them the opportunity to bring in income and allows for great flexibility.
If this is a route you’re thinking of taking, it’s a good idea to make sure that the company you’re looking to work for is legitimate. Check online scam reports, ask tons of questions about the business’ reputation, and don’t be shy about asking for professional references. The more effort you make to find out the legitimacy of the company, the more likely you are to actually receive an income from home – and that’s kind of the point, right?
Take On a Lesser Version of Your Dream Job
There is nothing wrong with starting from the bottom to make your way to the top – the same goes for pursuing your dream. For instance, if your passion is wildlife photography, but you’re having a hard time selling your pictures to major magazines, you may want to take a more standard photography job that will give you practice, credibility, and a little income. You can still try to sell your photos on the side until you get your big break, but at least you won’t be starving while you wait.
Pursuing your dream can bring with it many challenges. But by bringing in additional income, you can alleviate stress, which often helps to improve creativity. Anything you can do to help foster what truly makes you happy in life is a great reward within itself.
Heather Eagar is a former professional resume writer and is passionate about providing working professionals with current, reliable and effective job search tools and information. Do you need a resume service? Compare the top ones in the industry at http://www.resumelines.com.