9 Ways To Help Your Staff Stay Productive (Even When They Are Tired)

9 Ways To Help Your Staff Stay Productive (Even When They Are Tired) Deadlines, big projects, and seasonal rushes can put a strain on the best of companies, as your team puts in extra hours and extra effort to ensure the job is done well. Still, they’re only human and it is understandable if the quality of their work after days and days without a break might not match the level of what they do at their freshest. Fortunately, there are a number of changes you can make around the workplace to help your staff to remain productive when their energy begins to flag. 1. Help your team prioritize their tasks A priority should be to ensure they each know what to do, and when. It can be easy to lose perspective in a stressful period, so meet at the beginning of the day to check that each employee will get their most important or difficult tasks done first â€" while they’re still fresh. You might make a team meeting, or individual scheduling appointments, or a combination of both. 2. Get an app to remind them to take regular breaks Next, look at technical aids â€" and hindrances in the office. It’s very important that your employees take regular breaks if they are to maintain full productivity, but when their heads are in their work they may forget to take time out, or decide to power through. Install an app such as BreakTimer on each computer so that your staff can regulate their own breaks. 3. Invite your staff to leave their phones at the door  As for hindrances, however innocent an employee’s use of their cellphone might be â€" it’s still a distraction. Even having a phone in sight can prove distracting, so consider keeping a voluntary ‘cellphone basket’ at the door where your crew can leave their phones while they focus on the work at hand. 4. Create a Yoga space at the office Much has been made of the wacky workspaces many start-ups enjoy nowadays, but one innovation that will benefit most companies is to create a space for stretching and yoga. Exercises like these are good for the body and posture â€" and they boost the flow of oxygen to the brain, which has got to be a good thing when you’re tired! 5. Make coconut oil and butter available to prepare Bulletproof Coffee   A slightly less virtuous tweak that might grab their attention, though, is to make coconut oil and butter available in the coffee area. Adding these ingredients to coffee is said to give drinkers a cognitive boost, alongside the regular advantages of caffeine. 6. Allow employees to work from the nearest coffee hop It’s a great idea to give your team members the freedom to work an hour or two off premises if appropriate. If they work on laptops, switching up environment to a nearby café can be a great way to refresh their creativity and concentration. 7. Gift your staff water bottles with hydration trackers All that coffee can affect hydration levels â€" which, in any case, need to be carefully maintained to prevent fatigue. Consider investing in water bottles with hydration trackers so your crew don’t neglect their basic needs. 8. Make standing desks available Standing desks have become something of a trend lately, and with good reason. Standing while working can improve your mood and your brain-power, reducing stress and fatigue. Sounds good for a regular day â€" and in busy times its a no-brainer, if you can afford them for your office. 9. Buy peppermint oil bottles for your staff A more affordable hack is to buy peppermint oil bottles for everyones desk. These can be kept open to create a general effect of improved alertness, or splashed on the wrists when push really comes to shove. A healthy and natural way to keep your team bright and engaged, it’s also an improvement for which you’ll be thanked. For more ideas, check out the latest infographic from STL.  Pick the innovations that will work for your business, and also consider sharing this information with your crew â€" because an engaged, self-motivated team will give you the best that they can in periods of extreme busyness.

Tips For Writing Resumes When Retired

Tips For Writing Resumes When RetiredWriting resumes is one of the most time consuming aspects of the job search process. It is easy to get so wrapped up in the things you need to accomplish on a day-to-day basis that you forget about the paperwork. If you are like many people, your job search involves gathering a lot of information, some of which may be a bit difficult to recall. If you are struggling with this aspect of your search, you may benefit from learning how to write a resume when retired.The first step in writing resumes when retired is to find a job that you are interested in. Once you have found what you are looking for, start thinking about the ways in which you will be able to market yourself. Perhaps you will want to consider advertising on Craigslist or eBay. You may also consider posting in your local newspaper's job section. When you are ready to begin promoting yourself, you can write a resume highlighting any strengths that you possess.There are many free resume templates available online that you can use to create a great resume. When you are ready to download and print a resume, you will want to first make sure that it is formatted correctly. If you are having trouble getting your resume formatted properly, there are many printing online services that you can utilize. Once you are ready to print, you will want to have all of your information printed on standard paper.With your resume, you will want to always look for opportunities to make an impression and make a good impression. As you look at your resume, you will want to focus on any areas that need attention. You should also include a reference section that includes names and contact information. This is especially important if you do not have an employer to give you a reference.Having a reference makes it easier to find someone who can work with you when you are looking for an employer's office. If you do not know anyone with the same situation as you, you may want to consider seekin g the advice of a professional resume writer. This is another way to avoid the pain of writing a resume.It is also important to be honest about your previous employment if you are retired. Being truthful is important to your chances of being hired when you are unemployed. Falsifying your experience will likely have negative consequences when you are looking for work.As you continue to learn how to write resumes when retired, you will want to take these tips into consideration. It may seem as though these suggestions are basic, but they are the basics. They are also the basics that have been around since the beginning of the job search process. You will not find them on the latest website recruiting kits, but they will help you stay focused and make the best use of your time.Consider that not everyone can write a resume. If you think that you do not have the time to devote to writing a resume when retired, then consider other options. However, if you feel that you can, you will need to spend time researching and learning how to write a resume when retired. Taking the time to learn and putting it into practice is worth it when you see the results.

Great news - The Chief Happiness Officer Blog

Great news - The Chief Happiness Officer Blog I just discovered The Great News Network: Despite all the negativity broadcasted in news today there is progress being made to better our planet. The Great News Network exists to report it. Ryan Logtenberg, Founder GNN Some recent headlines: * Congress presses for torture ban * A Wide Range of Endangered Animals Given Conservation Boost * Bangladesh Seizes Rare Wild Birds From Market * Deforestation rates decrease in the Amazon Heres something funny: When I read that last headline, my mind did this trick where it read the first part and then: 1) Assumed that the rest of the headline would be about bad news 2) Started to skip towards other headlines This tells me, that we (or at least I) have been heavily conditioned to expect bad news in the media. I read half a headline, noticed it was about deforestation in the Amazon and just KNEW that it had to be about a bad situation getting worse. And the second part of my reaction, the looking away, may explain why people are retreating from many important issues, from rain forest shrinkage to world hunger: The current media coverage has taught us to think, that its all bad and getting worse. So why get involved? Why even take an interest itll only depress me. You could argue, that reporting the bad news leads to increased awareness about the problems. Thats true. But reporting almost exclusively on the bad news leads to a feeling of helplessness that has us giving up BEFORE we ever do anything. And thats why we need a new kind of media that is willing to report on the good news. Good news gives us the energy and optimism to do something about the bad news. Thanks for visiting my blog. If you're new here, you should check out this list of my 10 most popular articles. And if you want more great tips and ideas you should check out our newsletter about happiness at work. It's great and it's free :-)Share this:LinkedInFacebookTwitterRedditPinterest Related

City Planning 4 Career Opportunities with a Masters in Civil Engineering - CareerAlley

City Planning 4 Career Opportunities with a Masters in Civil Engineering - CareerAlley We may receive compensation when you click on links to products from our partners. The Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts that in the period 2010-2020, there will be more than 51,000 civil engineering positions available to be filled in the United States. Individuals who have a bachelors degree in civil engineering can be hired for basic entry-level positions, but the more lucrative, interesting, and rewarding jobs are reserved for those who have a Masters degree in Civil Engineering. Although civil engineers can be hired to work at the state or federal level, there are many interesting opportunities for those who have a Masters degree in civil engineering to work at the municipal level in the field of city planning. Many of the jobs that are available to civil engineers in the field of city planning cut across traditional disciplines and require an ability to work effectively with various departments within the City Administration as well as with State and Federal officials. This means that in addition to having a wide and deep technical knowledge, it will be useful for civil engineers to know how to coordinate complex projects with input from various levels of government. 1. Transportation Planning and Infrastructure Large cities function as a transportation hub that must work smoothly to coordinate a tremendous volume of goods and people flowing in an out every day. A successful city transportation plan must integrate highways, airports, and in many cases, goods that come into port by sea. A city must be planning constantly for the transportation needs it will be facing ten and twenty years in advance. The transportation plans must be integrated with the development of neighborhoods and coordinated with other cities, states, and federal jurisdictions. Civil engineers who have a background in transportation planning are essential for ensuring that the transportation infrastructure keeps pace with the growth of the city. 2. Environmental and Land Use There is growing pressure today for cities to become more sustainable in terms of using less energy and creating a smaller carbon footprint. As gasoline prices rise, it may become necessary to create cities that are smaller and more compactly designed. Urban sprawl may become unaffordable if gas prices continue to rise. While cheap gasoline fueled the growth of suburbs, expensive gasoline may reverse the trend. Many cities will be forced to shrink in terms of their land base and forced to build upwards, with much higher residential density than we see today. This process needs to be rationally managed to avoid social and economic disruption. Civil engineers who have extensive experience and understanding of environmental and land use issues can help prepare city planners to deal with these problems. 3. Neighborhood Planning Many cities in the United States today are expanding rapidly while others such as Detroit have been shrinking due to a net loss of population. As new neighborhoods are planned and built, civil engineers who are specialists in urban planning can provide the basic framework for the new developments in cooperation with other branches of city planners. New proposed subdivisions require intensive planning for the required infrastructure long before the concept can be turned to reality. 4. Planning Policy and Process A civil engineer who is a policy expert can provide guidance to city administrators by analyzing existing trends and creating various scenarios the city administrators must be prepared to address. If the planning policy is conducted effectively, administrators have a chance to make better choices and to ensure that funding is available to fund necessary projects. Although such a position may appear to be conceptual in nature, it allows the decision makers to be aware of infrastructure issues long before they cause serious problems. A recent article published by money.usnews.com indicates that the current unemployment rate for civil engineers is 9.4%. This is likely to change over the next decade, as there are many infrastructure projects in cities that require extensive upgrading. When money is made available for the massive upgrades that are required, there will be more employment opportunities for those who have a Masters degree in civil engineering and a desire to work in city planning. Author Bio William Stevens is a writer that produces articles related to the field of civil engineering. This article was written to explain the importance of this career choice, to hint on some of the job opportunities, and to encourage continued study in this area with a Masters of Civil Engineering Online. This is a Guest post. If you would like to submit a guest post to CareerAlley, please follow these guest post guidelines. Good luck in your search. Visit me on Facebook

7 (maybe not so weird) Facts About Me -

7 (maybe not so weird) Facts About Me - Chris Russell tagged me in a blogging memeNot one to be a party pooper, here are 7 random facts about me: 1. I was born and raised in the south suburbs of Chicago, rode my bike through all winter weather in Ann Arbor as a student at U. of Michigan and survived 4 years of slushing my way through New York Citys winter weather before moving to Atlanta, GA. 2. Despite these facts, I cannot stand if the mercury dips below 50 degrees, and am a total winter wimp. 3. I have a champion cat named Brookie. Shes a   Cornish Rex. Think big ears and almost hairless, but cute! She has a tendency to scream. Like a tortured person. She doesnt seem to need a particular reason.   So, dont be alarmed if were on the phone and you hear shrieking! 4. I worked on Wall Street for three years before leaving to get a Masters degree from Columbia University to become a career coach. (Best. Career move. Ever.) 5. Keppie is a Yiddish word that means head. Keppie was always a big word in our house. What, with keppie cat and keppie kids and dont bump your keppie. When I named my business, it was, Keppie Careers, A Head Above the Rest. Its still a head above the rest, but I now use Encouraging, Enlightening, Empowering for my tag line! 6. Im bringing the homemade pumpkin pie for Thanksgiving dinner. (My moms recipe.) 7. I was so excited when Steve from SlipFire Website Designs said I could have different font sizes on my new blog, he thought I was crying! (I wasnt, but I was pretty excited!) I LOVE to blog and connect with others online, and Im tagging the following bloggers: Anita Bruzzese Lindsey Pollak Walter Akana Chandlee Bryan Willy Franzen at One Day One Job Megan Fitzgerald JessicaKnows Here are the rules for my fellow bloggers: †¢ Link your original tagger(s), and list these rules on your blog. †¢ Share seven facts about yourself in the post some random, some weird. †¢ Tag seven people at the end of your post by leaving their names and the links to their blogs. †¢ Let them know theyve been tagged by leaving a comment on their blogs and/or Twitter. Now that you know me better, please feel free to touch base. How can I help get your job search started off on the right foot?

Communication Resume - The Basics

Communication Resume - The BasicsCommunications resume has to represent your highest degree of expertise in the field you are applying for. It is therefore imperative that your resume has a very high level of detail about your past work experience and educational qualifications. Remember that the higher your career objective, the more you have to emphasize about yourself. It is thus important that you only send your resume to job centers that actually want you to be hired.It will be a waste of time and effort if you submit your resume to several companies in the hope that you will get your application approved. Before you make any changes in your resume it is important that you have a thorough understanding of what exactly the company actually wants you to do. It is not a good idea to send your resume to the wrong person.Communication resumes are used for specific job duties such as technical writing, design, advertising, media relations, and customer service. These are just a few ex amples of all the various jobs that are offered through communications. You have to think about how specific your technical and professional skills are in order to figure out which category you fit into.Communication resumes have to include a brief description of your first job and a list of your previous jobs and responsibilities. This makes it possible for the hiring company to learn about your skills and experience from your past jobs. You should also provide a brief description of the duties you performed at your previous job. Once you know exactly what the company is looking for, you can tailor your resume for each company accordingly.All communication resumes contain one paragraph introduction which helps readers easily understand what the applicant is all about. The introduction should describe how the applicant started and how he or she learned about the company and its position. It also explains how the applicant becomes involved in various communications functions related to the company. This is an essential part of the communications resume because it gives an overview of the kind of responsibilities an applicant has to handle. The introduction also includes the applicant's academic qualification and recent job experiences.The introduction is essentially a summary of all the relevant information which the reader can read about in the rest of the text. At this point, the resume goes on to list your most recent job experience and provide relevant contact details. In addition, the text section of the resume also includes a detailed explanation of the importance of the position you are applying for. The last thing the reader should do is to skim through the resume because in a mere few seconds he or she should be able to gather all the relevant information regarding the applicant.Communication resumes are usually filled out in their entirety, but this is not necessary. The easiest way to fill out a communications resume is to first summarize your most r ecent experiences and then list your most recent duties and contact details.

Choosing Good Resume Writing Services Reviews 2016

Choosing Good Resume Writing Services Reviews 2016 How to Choose Resume Writing Services Reviews 2016 Effective resume writing isn't just a skill set, but it's also something of a craft. Posting jobs on the internet is highly effective for employers and prospective employees. Naturally, becoming an expert resume writer is a process which demands a lot of patience and dedication. Develop your confidence When you submit an application for work, the interview procedure requires you to exude confidence. It is possible to exchange emails within no time and receive the response immediately. When you consider your responses in advance, remember not to over-rehearse them. While there are numerous expert CV and resume writing services available on the internet, and they'll certainly do the task for you, it is going to cost you to get it written for you in particular. Resumes are written to be able to be called in for interviews so it is vital to present yourself in the best way possible. They tend to be industry specific. Resume writing isn't as simple as it sounds. What You Need to Know About Resume Writing Services Reviews 2016 Sample resumes highlight the order where the information needs to be laid down. So, you don't need to fret about developing an ideal curriculum vitae. Apply The Info as soon as you've gathered all the requisite info, it's time to put it all to do the job! Only use those that you feel are applicable to the position for which you're applying. For example, you can use abbreviated communications that have tips for important specifics about yourself. Presenting information in the incorrect order can cause unnecessary bottlenecks and make a terrible impression in the very start, inducing the applicant to never get calls from potential employers. Other possible option can be availed in case if you should have very professional kind of resume and you're prepared to invest few dollars also.