Alexandra Levits Water Cooler Wisdom My Visit to Google Chicago

Alexandra Levit's Water Cooler Wisdom My Visit to Google Chicago Upfront disclosure: I don’t work for Google…yet. Thanks to my new friend Sally Anderson, a human resources partner at Google Chicago, I recently had the opportunity to tour the office and see for myself why Google is one of the most desirable employers in the world. I wasn’t disappointed. The Customer is King While I sat in the brightly lit, colorful lobby and sucked on a lemon Jolly Rancher, I watched the front desk receptionist field several calls from prospective summer interns. Did he turn up his nose and scoff? No sir. Google understands that when a call comes into the organization, you never know who’s on the line and what kind of influence that person might have â€" so its receptionists are helpful and friendly to everyone. Diverse Work Spaces Promote Concentration and Collaboration Google generally favors an open office environment, but the organization is very creative in its use of space. If you need a moment to relax alone, you head to the porch swings by the windows. You can brainstorm with colleagues in a room decorated like a garden. Want to impress a new client? Take her over to the speakeasy-themed conference room. A Wellness Focus is Everywhere Google serves up gourmet, healthy breakfast and lunch to its Chicago employees so they won’t rely on the plethora of fast food options in the area. And if you don’t have time to hit the in-house gym or massage chairs, you can meet with colleagues as you walk around the office track â€" 12 laps equals one mile. For more reasons why I love Google, head over to Intuits Fast Track blog.

Everything You Ever Needed To Know About Retraining In An Alternative Career Field

Everything You Ever Needed To Know About Retraining In An Alternative Career Field Humans arent infallible, and sometimes we make the wrong decision when it comes to our career. Of course, many people keep plodding along at something they neither like or have any passion for. However, if you find yourself in such a position, you need to remember that continuing down a career path that isnt right for you isnt your only option. In fact, you can retrain in another career instead, something you can read all about in my post below. There are bad days in all jobs. It can be very tempting to think that all of your career woes can be sorted by retraining in another field. However, what you also need to remember is that there are bad days to be had in all career fields, not just the one you are in now. Of course, that means changing the course of your career wont necessarily mean that everything instantly becomes easier. What retraining in another career can do, however, is allow you to pursue a job that is more meaningful to you. Something that means you are much more motivated to deal with the bad days when they do occur because you can see the long term value and benefit of what you are doing. You can retrain while fulfilling other responsibilities. Many people put off retraining in an alternative career because they feel they are too overwhelmed with their current responsibilities in life, be that family, work or a combination of the two. Of course, with the ability to study for a new career online now available to most people, this neednt be the barrier to a new, more meaningful career that it has been in the past. In fact, it is now possible to study all sorts of career field online, at home, and at your own pace. This being something that will allow you to fit your studies around your other responsibilities. Happily, the range of available courses is broad too, and you can learn everything from TEFL to a masters degree in nursing online if you choose. You can even find providers that offer you the opportunity of learning personal training at home now. Something that means no matter what area you want to retain in, there is likely to be a course that suits your needs. You may need to take a step back to move forward. When retraining in a new career path, it is improbable that you will enter at the same level of authority that you currently hold.   Of course, this can be a real challenge for some people, especially if they are used to giving out orders rather than taking them! To that end, if you want your career transition to be as successful as possible, its crucial that you understand that you will have to start again from near the bottom when retraining in another field. In fact, if you dont accept and acknowledge this, you could find yourself in a much more challenging situation than you expected, and make your career change much harder than it actually needs to be.

How To Bring Meditation Into The Workplace (INFOGRAPHIC)

How To Bring Meditation Into The Workplace (INFOGRAPHIC) Maybe you think that you absolutely don’t have time to meditate at work, or maybe you’re sceptical of the benefits of mindfully meditating for such a short space of time in the midst of your busy office environment. But, no matter how busy you are, making time for meditation will have a positive impact on both your productivity levels and your happiness. You can begin by practicing the art of mindful drinking with your water, before learning how to complete a ten minute body scan at your desk, which is designed to enable you to effectively get in touch with your body, let go of demands, and release pent-up emotions. For other ideas on how to bring meditation into your workplace, read the infographic below, courtesy of https://www.cashnetusa.com

5 Ways to Make Sure Your Job Ads Get Seen

5 Ways to Make Sure Your Job Ads Get Seen Promoting a job vacancy is a bit like marketing. In order to reach the relevant  people, you have to produce content  that is going to catch your target audiences  eye and encourage them to engage with it. In order to attract attention from the top talent, your job ad should boast the top qualities of  your company, sell  how  great job is and explain to  the candidate why they should want to apply for the role. By focusing solely and what you are looking for in applicant  and not what you can offer as an employer, it is likely that you will repel some of the most sought after and skilled candidates. So what can you do to ensure that your job ad has a good reach and gets seen by the right people? Here are a few pointers that can help to optimise your job ads reach. 1) Eye-catching headline Dont just use a generic headline that blends in with every other ad on the internet, as readers probably wont even  bat an eyelid at it. If you start your job ad on a boring note, its unlikely that people will read on, so its important to use an attention grabbing headline that will leave people wanting to learn more. Though its essential that your headline is relevant to the reader and has a clear purpose, dont be afraid of being a bit quirky or bold in order to get noticed. Something like WANTED: Tech whizz for a Software Developer role could work. 2) Use keywords In order for your job ad to appear in job seekers searches its important that you include the relevant keywords in your job ad that these individuals will be looking for. Incorporate keywords such as the job title, job requirements and key aspects of the role into the headline and description of your job ad in order to give it an SEO boost and to ensure it reaches the suitable applicants. Think about what your ideal candidate would be looking for in a role and pop a few words in your ad that align with that vision. 3) Provide a location and salary Like with keywords, a lot of job seekers will search  for a new opportunity based on where it is located and the salary being offered. For this reason its important that you include the location of the job on your ad, or you are at risk of losing interest from candidates who are only seeking employment in a certain area. When it comes to salary, you may not wish to disclose the exact salary being offered, as this may be determined by the level of experience an individual has or open to negotiation; however, a lot of job seekers like to have a rough idea of  what to expect when applying for a role, so even if you dont give an exact figure, try to give a salary range. 4) Make use of your contacts As a recruiter, it is likely that you have formed a network of contacts throughout your career that you may be able to call upon for a helping hand filling your role. Identify a handful of influential professionals within the sector that you are hiring in and ask them if they are willing to share your job ad with their network. Chances are they will be connected with the  perfect person for the role and by doing this it will ensure that your job ad is on this individuals  radar. 5) Post frequently Posting a job ad once on social media and then sitting back and waiting for applications to come flying in probably isnt going to give you the results that youre hoping for. In order for your ad to have a good reach it takes consistent promotion over time. Be sure to share it across a range of social channels and at varying times of day. This way it will get  spotted by people who use different social media platforms or log in at different times of the day. Dont worry about people getting fed up with you posting the same content multiple times, as sometimes people have to see something more than once before acting on it and by posting frequently, it will keep your ad fresh in peoples minds. It is possible that if you post it too many times it will feel a bit like spam, however, so try to find a happy medium. [Image Credit: Shutterstock]

10 Reasons to Choose a Freelance Writer Career CareerMetis.com

10 Reasons to Choose a Freelance Writer Career â€" CareerMetis.com The technology-enabled job market currently offers a diversity of offline and online job opportunities, making it challenging decide between the various attractive options available.However, when you understand your true aspirations and passions, you will be much better placed to pick the job that you are cut out for. One profession that is growing in popularity is that of freelance writing.evalFor those with the inclination for flex hours, with a good grasp of language and a flair for writing, coupled with a passion for conducting research, there is a rewarding profession that may just be the solution to the satisfying job you have been seeking.In a job working as a freelance writer, you may be expected to conduct research for and write academic papers ranging from short essays to full research proposals and research papers.If you believe that freelance academic writing is for passionate, intelligent, and responsible individuals, who value independence and pride themselves in their ability to assist others with research and writing, then this article is certainly for you.The ten reasons why you should prefer a career in freelance writing include:Low cost of startupYou can save money by not having to commuteYou can work from home, with no need for office rentalMinimal occurrence of workplace-related discriminationA chance to be your own bossEndless opportunities and regular workA chance to improve desirable traits like being regular and punctualYou gain in-depth knowledge and improve your writing skillsFlexibility to work on other things and travelA chance to get respectable earning1. Low Start-Up Costs NeededevalAll you need to start a career in freelance writing is a computer, a good internet connection, and patience. Much of your progress in the freelancing profession will depend on your determination to attract and retain clients, something you can do by ensuring quality.Unlike investments in business or traditional employment careers, a freelancer does not need significant financial investment to get started.2. You can save money by not having to commuteTo further sweeten the deal, you have the capacity to make significant savings by not having to commute to and from work every day. In traditional work settings, people often have to commute from home, with significant costs associated with such commuting.evalHowever, as a freelance writer, you can save on such costs, as you can work from home, bringing us to the next advantage.3. You can work from home, with no need for office rentalFreelance writing gives you the flexibility to work from anywhere, as long as there is an Internet connection. In other words, there is no need for office rental as you can work from home. Such flexibility also means that you can get to save on costs related to having a rented office.Photo Credit â€" Pexels.com4. Minimal occurrence of workplace-related discriminationWorkplace bullying and discrimination are some of the most prevalent problems in tradition al careers, often associated with poor intrinsic motivation and adverse mental health outcomes.One of the key benefits of working as a freelance writing professional is the potential to escape the various social problems of the conventional work environment, including workplace bullying and discrimination. In conventional careers, discrimination ranges from recruitment policies to management and reward schemes.evalThe best part of working a freelance writer is the fact that you may never meet your editor or client, meaning that you are unlikely to face bias based on your race, religion, or body size.5. A chance to be your own bossevalThose who dislike being ordered around and constant supervision are likely to find freelance writing particularly appealing.Freelancing makes you your own boss in the sense that you dictate what to work on and when to work on it, as long as you meet the quality and deadline expectations of the client.A caveat, however, is that, if you are going to be su ccessful as a freelance writer in the long term, you need discipline and good time management skills.6. Endless opportunities and regular workAnother main attraction to freelance writing is the fact that opportunities are endless, and there is a regular flow of work.While getting regular clientele may be challenging at the beginning, there are reliable websites like Essayhero.co.uk can give you a constant flow of orders as you gain the needed experience. After all, there will always be a need for written content.7. A chance to improve desirable traitsTime management is a skill that you will likely need in various aspects of your personal and professional life.Academic freelance writing is often characterized by tight and highly schedule deadlines, teaching you how to schedule your tasks and manage your time.Even the most disorganized individuals are likely to get some sense of order and time management is they are to succeed as freelance writers.8. You gain in-depth knowledge and im prove your writing skillsevalOne of the most important long-term benefits of working as a freelance writer is the knowledge and research skills you are likely to gain.One cannot produce a good thesis or dissertation based on surface knowledge. As you progress as a freelance writer, the knowledge and writing skills will likely be beneficial for your personal and professional growth.Photo Credit â€" Pexels.com9. Flexibility to work on other things and travelWorking as a freelance writer allows you to select the tasks you want to work on. In other words, as long as you schedule your work and commit to deadlines you are flexible and can work on other things.In other words, as a freelance writer, you can travel, finish your personal projects and still get income as a writer.10. A chance to get respectable earningEven more important is the fact that, as a freelance writer, you get to control how much you earn. In conventional careers, there is a limit to your monthly earnings, despite the increase in your input.evalHowever, with freelance writing, you can choose to improve your earning by working on more orders. In other words, your pay reflects your input.In summary, freelance writing has numerous benefits, and we cannot address all of them in this one article.However, we need to caution that like any other job, freelance writing has some downsides, though the benefits certainly outweigh any possible disadvantages.Go ahead and give freelance writing a chance by registering as a writer.

How I Get My One-year-old to Read On Her Own - Cubicle Chic

How I Get My One-year-old to Read On Her Own - Cubicle Chic How I Get My One-year-old to Read On Her Own Home Life November 25, 2019 0 CommentsLast week (just a few days shy of turning 1 year), Baby S picked her book from the shelf, toddled toward me and sat down in my lap so I could read the book she just picked out. As she did this, I think I heard angels singing. It felt like this is the reason I exist and have built my whole life for. As I shared this incident with friends and family, I got this comment from a few:“you’re so lucky you got a reader of a baby!”And it got me thinking about writing a blog post to tell a story. I am grateful for how compliant Baby S has been with the reading program. Yet this wasn’t an accident. We have made concerted efforts in cultivating her interest in books. Today, I’d like to share that with dads and moms that would like to do the same with their kiddo!We All Want Them To ReadLet’s all come clean for a second. As parents, we want everything good for our kids. Sometimes selfishly so. We watch our kids’ sugar and junk food consumption l ike hawks and indulge in soda and chips ourselves. We limit their screen time and after they’re asleep we spend hours Netflixing. Getting kids to read often falls under one of these contradicting categories that we, as parents, too often engage in. We as parents go on months sometimes years without picking up a book, and we hope our kids turn out to be the most voracious readers. Except, to get kids to read is different from limiting sugar or watching TV while they sleep â€" they have to WANT to read!They say parenting is caught not taught. At some points, all we can do as parents is to try to model what we think is best for our kids, instead of telling them what the right thing to do is. When kids are young, it’s easy to control their life choices and dictate their actions. But one day they will go on in life being the agent of their own body and life. I can’t imagine that just yet with my one-year-old, but I know it’s real! So our best bet is simply to model the behavior w e want them to have… which brings me to my first point.*Disclaimer*: I am not a medical professional or child development expert. I am, however, what you would call an active reader. And with my sample size of 1 child, please consider this post a case study with my best effort and intention!1. Be a reader yourself (even if it’s just a magazine)Create a habit of finding some form of reading material, sit down, and engage your full mind with it for at least 10-15 minutes. It would be even better if the reading material is something you are interested in, so you don’t feel like you’re being forced to read. What you’re doing is that you are modeling this: the commitment and discipline of reading despite life (busy schedule, lots of other entertainment forms to choose from, etc.) I think the first time Sophia picked up a book and flipped through it, she was honestly imitating me. She would look at me, and flip through the book, and look at me again, as if asking “am I doing i t right?” It was the cutest thing.2. Read with them make it FUNIn the early days (under 12 months), keep spending time reading to your kids even if they don’t seem to “get it”. They may treat books like teethers. They may only pay attention for 2 seconds and move onto other things. They may even be destructive with the books you have for them. It’s okay! It’s all part of their learning about what books are! Even if the time spent “reading” to your kids may not match what you’re imagining, keep at it. Sing to them, dance with them, make it a game involving books… whatever you do, remember, it’s supposeed to be fun! So tailor it to their age level! One day when you least expect it, your little one turns around and be asking you to read a book to them!3. Have a variety of books to choose fromTo make it easier to “keep going” even though they don’t get it, keep trying new kinds of books to see what if they respond to ones more than others. Find books that ha ve pop-up features, books that are abundant in colors, books that have different textures, books that play music, or books that have flaps that they can play with. They may not know the concept of “books” yet, but they are sure to know the concept of “toys”! Books are supposed to be fun. So don’t take the fun out of reading for them!4. Make it a habitThis one is a no brainer. The point is to persist even if they don’t seem interested or don’t seem to “get it.” Just like any good habits you may want to cultivate in your kids, it takes time to make reading a “thing.” Also, it’s a fact that kids thrive on having routines. So make reading with them a regular thing. Make it a point to read 3-5 books a day at least. That’s what I did with Baby S starting at 6/7 months of age, around the time she started crawling.5. Limit  screen time toysIt’s generally a good practice to limit   screen time to zero for kids under 18 months (as the American Pediatric Associatio n recommends.) But outside of the physiological damage to kids’ developing eyes and brain, watching TV/iPads/hones has a more hidden and indirect side effect. When they’re watching something on a screen, they’re not spending time with YOU or anything that interacts with them. Human contact and communication are what fosters growth in kids’ mental development and not the one-way-communication they get from screens. It doesn’t matter how educational the video makers claim their production is… the truth is you or another caregiver is always a better alternative.So, it’s not that screen time in and of itself is bad. It’s that it takea away something better â€" time spent interacting with you!In conclusion…At the onset of our parenting journey, I knew I want books to be an imporrtant part of Baby S’s life. In a way, I am trying to replicate my childhood here with Baby S. I think I am lucky in that my mother raised me with not a lot of toys but always an abundance of b ooks. I knew I may not be allowed to have barbies but I could have as many books as I wanted very early on. I think what my parents were teaching us was how to value things in life.   Toys are fun but the entertainment is short-lived. Books take patience, effort, and sometimes commitment to get to, but the values they provide could last for a life-time. It made a writer out of me, at the very least.

Writing a Kick Ass Resumes - How to Keep It Simple and Professional

Writing a Kick Ass Resumes - How to Keep It Simple and ProfessionalWriting a kick ass resume is really not as hard as you might think. It's important that you know what it takes to write a great resume and that you have all the necessary tools to create one. With a little time and a little effort, you can come up with a great resume that will allow you to get into any job in the world.In order to not copy another person's resume, you need to find out exactly what you need to do in order to get your own career started. Many people have just plain don't have the time to learn everything that's involved with preparing a great resume. Instead, they go to a freelance site and basically copy off of someone else's resume.A great resume doesn't need to be difficult to write. You should use one of the free resume templates found online or you can also use Microsoft Word. You'll want to find one that provides a good flow that you will be able to understand and feel confident in. By doing this, you will be able to write one of the most powerful resumes in the world.Do you really think that you need to have bullet points on every page? A resume without any bullet points just isn't going to impress anybody at all. You may not want to hire someone right away but you do want to know where you stand.While having your resume in black and white is a nice touch, there are also some free resume templates that provide you with the ability to choose different colors so that your resume shows off your personality. This is a good idea for those who are looking for the quickest way to make a great first impression.There are plenty of websites that provide you with samples of how you should look to convince a potential employer that you are qualified for the position. You should look for one that provides examples of how you should look and also sets some standards that you need to follow. Your resume needs to be professional but you don't want to show off that you're getting paid just because you put together a good resume.In addition to all of the information that you need to put on your resume, you'll want to have all of the fine print on it as well. Those little things can sometimes get overlooked. What you want to include are any areas of interest, educational background, work experience, awards, and volunteer service.When you are ready to start applying for jobs, your resume will make the difference between whether you get the job or not. Taking a little time to ensure that you have a professional-looking resume written in as much detail as possible will pay off in the end.