Why Financial Consultant Jobs Are So Rewarding

Why Financial Consultant Jobs Are So RewardingWhy Financial Consultant Jobs Are So RewardingPart of what makes financial consultant jobs so appealing to professionals looking for diverse work opportunities is that the particulars - the client, project scope, objectives and deadlines - are constantly changing with each new assignment. Without question, the life of a project consultant can be fast-paced and dynamic. Heres some insight into what you can expect when working in financial consultant jobsThe responsibilitiesRegardless of the specifics of your assignment, your primary task as a consultant will be to facilitate the completion of periodic project goals and ensure overall objectives are met. This means managing or working with team members (often both full-time and interim) and communicating deadlines to ensure work is completed on time. You also may be tasked with maintaining budgets and interacting directly with a clientsvendors. Projects can run the gamut from facilitating audits to assisting senior management.The challengesFinancial consultants face challenges such asHigh pressure situations- Frequently, consultants are brought in when time is of the essence and in-house teams are working at or beyond capacity. You should be prepared to encounter frazzled nerves and an atmosphere of urgency. Some consulting jobs come with steep learning curves, so it helps to be a quick study when it comes to absorbing guidelines and best practices.Fluctuating guidelines and expectations- Duringthe course of a project, key objectives, including deadlines, can change at a moments notice. Be ready to pivot and ensure that things stay on course.Fostering team spirit- Effective collaboration is essential to a successful project. As a consultant, even though you may be working in an unfamiliar environment, part of your responsibilities will include team building and motivating colleagues.The benefitsDespite the challenges, consultant jobs can also be rewarding. Successf ully overseeing projects from beginning to end allows you to see the fruits of your labor, and that can make all the effort worthwhile. Benefits includeFlexibility- Thisis perhaps the most alluring perk of financial consultant jobs. You can choose when you take on a new project, allowing yourself time for other pursuits.Diverse projects- Becauseconsultants work on a variety of assignments, they escape the fatigue that sometimes accompanies traditional, full-time jobs. You have the freedom to take on consulting jobs that interest and challenge you.Learning in the field- Byworking under pressure in ever-changing roles, project consultants get the opportunity to cultivate new skills and gain valuable experience.Working with a staffing agencySearching for consultant jobs can be time-consuming - and stressful. A reputable staffing firm that specializes in placing senior-level finance, accounting and business systems professionals can make things easier by identifying projects most close ly aligned with your skills and keeping subsequent projects lined up for you. As an added benefit, consultants working with these firms enjoy perks such as free skills training and other consultant benefits.If the flexible, fast-paced world of consultant jobs sounds like a good fit for you, start searching for available project opportunities that match your skills today

How to Explain Resume Gaps

How to Explain Resume GapsHow to Explain Resume GapsWhen or if you are laid off from a job or need to take time off for family and health reasons, many of the same concerns come up. You start to wonder how bills will be paid and how long it will take to find a new job. You simply do not know at first.There is also the concern that employers might think one is simply taking breaks for the sake of not wanting to work. Worse, the fear that skills and experience may become outdated.So with all these concerns in mind, what do you do during an interview to downplay the possible negative perceptions and make the interviewer landsee the positive side of your skills and experience?Be honestHonesty is always the best policy. Just remember that your version of honesty must sound positive. Your version of brutal honesty may leave the hiring manager thinking you have emotional issues or that you still have conflicts to deal with before accepting a job.You do not have to hide the truth. You can ex plain it with a positive attitude, showing how what you dealt with is in the past and how it has made you wiser and stronger. Being known for having integrity and being able to demonstrate it are character traits that will serve your career in the long run. You may be tempted throughout your career to be deceitful and in the short term, it may seem like a good idea. But in the long term, lies always lead to problems in a career.Honesty exampleA job candidate interviews knowing that the employment eu-agrarpolitik is quite large. The candidate took time off after a layoff to deal with family health issues. When the job candidate welches asked about the employment gap, he explains that he was laid off around the time his mom was diagnosed with cancer.He then explains that time has passed, it was an education in lifeand it has made him a better leader and more emotionally mature. The interviewers were not sure how to reply and finally, one person spoke up to say, I understand what you w ent through and thank you for your honesty.The candidate gave a polished, positive answer and it led to more interviews in the company. Although he was not hired, the employer stayed in touch with the job candidate for future job openings. The reasonfor doing so We need employees with integrity, character, and honesty.Be preparedWhen you are uncomfortable with the topic, the wrong way to answer is by stuttering and blushing your way through an interview. The lack of preparation will make you appear as if you are still grappling with the reasons for the employment gap or you are not being truthful.Lots of people will practice rehearsed answers, but the overall problem with doing that is the answer is not prepared with the intention of being honest. Therefore, if your hiring manager starts asking more questions than you expected, you will start to have problems answering. Your story to explain your resume gap will look like one big effort to deceive.The best way to prepareto be honest is to practice explaining your resume gaps until you are sick of talking about them. The minute you get over your fears, the better you will be able to explain the gaps.Be confidentConfidence is a byproduct of preparation and being honest. You get over your fears of discussing how you became unemployed the more you commit to preparing and being honest.If you were let go or fired, do not panic. Resume gaps are pretty common, especially given the length of time it takes to find work and the unstable economy that has been in place since 2008. If you interview at a company that does not understand why you were laid off or fired, be confident that you should not be working there.Explaining resume gaps is an uncomfortable situation, so be prepared for whatever comes your way and have confidence in your skills.

Quiz Are You Thriving or Merely Surviving

Quiz Are You Thriving or Merely SurvivingQuiz Are You Thriving or Merely SurvivingTake this self-assessment for a clearer picture of your job satisfaction.Be honest. Are you ending each evening just happy to have made it through another day? Well, you dont have to live in a less than optimal state of being. In the last decade, there has been an explosion of research on what helps people thrive, even in difficult times such as a job search.This quiz gives you a chance to assess how you are faring in activities that contribute significantly to well-being. Tell yourself the truth1. I do 30 minutes of aerobic exercise a day.1 2 3Rarely Sometimes Frequently2. I stop and notice whats right in my life.1 2 3Rarely Sometimes Frequently3. I make mistakes and acknowledge them freely.1 2 3Rarely Sometimes Frequently4. I meditate eight to 10 minutes per day.1 2 3Rarely Sometimes Frequently5. When things dont go my way, I search for what I can control in the situation.1 2 3Rarely Sometimes Frequen tly6. When I encounter a personal or professional challenge, I see it as an opportunity to grow.1 2 3Rarely Sometimes Frequently7. I have friends with whom I spend time that I truly enjoy.1 2 3Rarely Sometimes Frequently8. I feel like my life has a higher purpose.1 2 3Rarely Sometimes Frequently9. I have the chance to use my gifts and talents daily.1 2 3Rarely Sometimes Frequently10. I engage passionately in interests that make time disappear. 1 2 3Rarely Sometimes FrequentlyScoringIdeally, you answered Frequently to each of these statements. Read below to discover the importance of each factor to living a vibrant, happy life. Ive even included references if you want to work on those that you scored Rarely or Sometimes.1. Aerobics has been shown to promote brain health as well as keep our bodies healthy. And brand-new research shows that 30 minutes is an extremely effective antidepressant. For more on brain health and discoveries, look at Daniel Amens Web site www.amenclinics.com/.2 . Gratitude research is hot Its been shown to increase life satisfaction, energy, and better health and sleep. Check out Robert Emmons book Thanks.3. People who admit mistakes are more likely to fulfill their potential and experience greater success. Stanford researcher Carol Dwecks book Mindsetdescribes this and other factors regarding the relationship between how we think and how well we do.4. UCLA Mindfulness Institute and others have discovered that in as little as eight to 10 minutes a day, meditation can increase focus, concentration, better sleep and improved mood. If you want a deep dive in what meditation can do for you, read Daniel Siegels book The Mindful Brain.5, 6, 7, 8. After analyzing over 400 studies, resiliency experts Suzanne Kobasa and Salvatore Maddi found that those who thrive in difficulty monitor 3 CsChallenge They saw whatever change befell them as a chance to grow and learn and expressed optimism about the future.Control They believed they could influence th eir lives and the events around them for the better and took actions to make that true. Rather than falling into passivity, they looked for the things they could control and worked on those. They embodied the Serenity Prayer used at AA and other 12-step programs Grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.Commitment They were passionate about life and saw it as having a deeper meaning than just survival. They stayed connected to people and events even when times got hard.9. Research on 2 million people by the Gallup organization has revealed that when we have a chance to use our strengths every day, we create excellence and feel fulfilled. Their bestseller Now Discover Your Strengthsis focused on business, but you can use your talents more in any circumstance.10. Psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyis research has revealed that what makes an experience truly satisfying is a state called flow , in which time disappears and you have a sense that all of yourself is involved. His book Flowdescribes this state in detail, why it helps us thrive and how to achieve it more often.

What College Career Services Offices Do

What College Career Services Offices DoWhat College Career Services Offices DoMost, if not all, college students share the same goal. Upon completing their degrees, if not going on to attain even higher levels of education, they want to pursue careers. Most colleges and universities have a career services office, which may be alternatively called a career center, career placement office, or career office. Regardless of the name, this office provides a variety of services to help students (and often alumni) meet that goal. Here are some basic services you can expect from your colleges career services office. If you are shopping around for a college, you may want to make sure yours provides these services. Career Decision Making A counselor at the career services office can help you choose a career, whether you have no idea about what you want to do or are leaning toward a particular occupation. He or she will use self-assessment tools to examine your values, personality, interests , and abilities and then, based on the results, either suggest some possible options or help you figure out if the career you have in mind is suitable for you. The career counselor also will help you decide what academic major will help you meet your goals. Resume and deckblatt Letter Writing Career services offices help students write their resumes and cover letters. They often conduct workshops and provide one-on-one sessions during which they critique resumes and cover letters. Job Interview Prep Career services offices usually sponsor workshops to help you learn how to present yourself well in a job interview, from what to wear, to what questions to expect. They sometimes provide mock interviewing sessions where you can practice your skills. Mock interviews can go a very long way to making you feel prepared for real interviews, and will at least help you feel a bit less nervous. Recruiting Career services offices host job fairs during which employers visit the campus to recruit students who are about to graduate. The offices sometimes maintain student files containing letters of recommendation from faculty, which they can then forward to fhigkeit employers and graduate schools upon the students request. Students can access a colleges career management system or job portal to look at employment and internship listings, register for workshops and schedule appointments with counselors and on-campus recruiters. They can also upload resumes into a searchable database which employers can then use to recruit applicants. Career services offices may help undergraduate students decide whether graduate school is a viable option based on their career aspirations and their performance in college. They can assist students in choosing an appropriate program. Networking Career services also should be able to help you find networking events, where you can connect with professionals in your potential career. Alumni, especially, want to help students connect with opportunities and are willing to provide advice and possible connections to those making the hiring decisions at their companies. Internships While theres probably a separate office that handles internships, career counseling centers often work hand-in-hand with companies seeking college interns and internship advisers. It cant hurt to ask about any potential internship opportunities.

Interview Wear Dress to Impress For Less

Interview Wear Dress to Impress For LessInterview Wear Dress to Impress For LessIts almost the end of the school year. For college seniors that means its job-search time. As students order their caps and gowns, career fairs are sprouting up with the spring flowers while computers and apps on campuses are focused on job search.As a young professional I vividly remember the months leading up to graduation day. Those nights were packed with goodbyes with friends, last hurrahs at campus hangouts and the storied senior year fountain run tradition. Those days were filled with a different kind of activity I hustled from appointments with career counselors to job fairs and resume writing workshops.I loved my alma mater, and in the days leading up to graduation I never felt that more poignantly. Not only was it the place that I developed and grew as a student, it also supported my next steps into the world. The USC Career Center did a fantastic job of connecting students with organizations th at were actively recruiting, provided resume-writing help and even scheduled bewerbungsgesprchs. What the career center was not prepared to do, however, was give me fashion advice.Always dress well, but keep it simple Jared TomasOK, quell your fears and swallow your panic. Put down the maxed out credit card, and step away from those plaid pants.When dressing for an interview, its important to remember that the interviewer is not looking at the label on your pants to determine the designer (unless youre going into fashion) or contemplating the elaborate knot in your tie. The best interview fashion is fashion that the interviewer doesnt even notice because theyre focused on what youre saying and not what youre wearing.Easy basics includeFor MenFor WomenA black, navy, or grey suitBlack pencil skirtA blue or white shirtA black, navy or grey suitA simple tieA simple blouseBlack leather shoes2-inch black hochhackiger schuhI recommend looking at Targets Wear to Work line of clothes, which features designers such Isaac Mizrahi. Or take a look at J.C. Penneys Work Clothes, which has over 2,000 products.When accessorizing, always take off the last thing you put on. Coco Chanel Now that youve got the basics, dont ruin your look by over accessorizing. An interview is not the time for your fabulous clinking charm bracelet, six-inch sparkling heels or that SpongeBob tie your younger brother gave you.LadiesChoose simple and discreet jewelry that accentuates your outfit without distracting. Try sites like Stella Dot or Jewelmint.com to find inexpensive designs.GentlemanStick to a simple tie with soothing colors and a classic cufflink style.So how are you going to afford it all? Follow these 5 tips for budgeting while you shop for interview clothes1. Become your own baristaThose all-nighters you pulled in college cramming for exams and writing term papers made you dependent on a steady caffeine drip of Starbucks, Peets, Coffee Bean or Dunkin Donuts. Its time to put away you r Gold Card and delete the Starbucks app from your iPhone. Did you pay attention to the fact that your Venti Mocha Caramel Sugary coffee concoction costs you upwards of $5 (and be honest, some of you are going three times a day)? Skip the store and start brewing at home. Starbucks even makes fantastic instant coffees that you can stock up on. By cutting out one coffee house coffee per day, you can save $150 in one month, which will buy a nice pair of slacks or a pencil skirt from J.Crew or Banana Republic.2. Pack your favorite eats and treatsGone are the days of meal plans and discretionary funds loaded onto a student ID card. Its time to accept that you cant eat out every single day. Spending $10-$15 on lunch is draining your bank account and holding you back from attaining a true interview chic look. Try packing your lunch during the week from leftovers the night before and hit the town on the weekends. By sticking to leftovers and brown bag lunches just twice a week, you can save $80 in a single month, enough to purchase the perfect interview black leather shoes.3. Make your list and check it twiceSanta Claus is right. Its important to make lists. When attempting to save money, the key to staying within your budget is to sit down and carefully determine what you need and even more importantly, what you need now. Then when you get to the grocery store, pharmacy or the mall you are focused and on task. Only you know how much youre overspending at the grocery store, but when I put this into practice, I saved an excess of $40 per grocery trip (plenty for a new interview-friendly accessory like a necklace or tie).4. Take the busGas is expensive. If youre lucky enough to live in a metropolitan area that has public transportation, you should use it. From New York Citys subway to BART in Northern California, sometimes its best to just put down the car keys and buy a bus pass. Depending on how much youre driving and the size of your car, gas can cost $50 every time you fill up. If you can cut down your trips to the gas station to every 2 weeks, it could save you up to $100 (a trip to the hair salon before your next big interview).5. Treasure hunt in a thrift storeNow the fun starts. Did you know that you can buy fantastic interview-worthy designer clothing for very little money? Its time to channel your inner pirate and go on a treasure hunt through Goodwill, local charity stores such as the American Cancer Society Discovery Shops and The juniorchefin League. Within those walls you will find lightly worn clothing with price tags that will make your bank account shout with joy and your mother smile proudly. The last time I went to one of these thrift shops, I was able to score a beautiful interview-appropriate dress originally priced at $150 for only $40.This is an exciting time to be a graduating senior in college, and there are a lot of big and difficult decisions that need to be made. Dont let decisions such as what you wear to your intervie w or how to pay for your interview clothes keep you up at night.Comment below and tell us about your best interview-worthy frugal fashion find

It Resume Examples Features

It Resume Examples Features Make certain you dont undersell yourself. COMBINATION RESUMES are excellent for individuals that are seeking to earn a career change and continue from 1 industry to anotlageher. Enkoranvers you highlight technical wisdom and certifications. You may not have technical abilities, you may have industry expertise and so forth. Your technical skills are extremely critical to be set on your resume. In addition, if you would like showing off what excellent language abilities or vocabulary youve got, restrain yourself whether youre drafting your continue. Again, you would like to make sure that your resume is readable. Moreover, resume templates may include sections which you dont have a great deal of experience with. Capitalize on the invention of your resume. Follow the URL to locate a multitude of resume examples in a wide range of fashions. The Meaning of It Resume Examples Possessing a great resume format is vital to organizing your info in a s ense which will help you become noticed. As previously mentioned, you need to opt for a resume format thats suited to your personal profile. You should select the best IT resume format. When you format your resume you wish to make certain your leave enough margin space to permit for printing. Resume objectives can be a little controversial. Make certain that your resume objective needs to be clear and will concentrate on your preferred outcome that may be implemented if youre employedA by the business. Understanding how to tailor your resume will obviously provide you an advantage. Resume templates can alleviate some anxieties since they claim to be the secret to getting hired. Hiring managers spend a mean of six seconds taking a look at every job application prior to making a choice. Many businesses use some sort of screening procedure to recognize the proper candidates. You may easily draw the interest of hiring managers with the addition of terms that likewise appear in the task description. Its an easy to use application that anyone of your team members can master in a couple minutes. Occasionally as the business receives a lot of words, then they may use pc software to examine the letter. Now have a look at your information technology resume. The area of information technology gets more important each day. Just take a peek at everyone you know and begin an original job search in the USA. What You Should Do About It Resume Examples Beginning in the Next 4 Minutes The very first thing you ought to do is make sure a possible employer knows whose resume theyre taking a look at Let your prospective employer get the impression that youre a skilled candidate whos aware ofA work ethic and that may be carried out by producing a corporate-looking and business-like IT resume. To begin with, perhaps its time to evaluate your current resume to make certain youre not committing any cardinal sins. However much or what kind of work experience youve got, theres a resume format that is likely to make your qualifications shine. Details of It Resume Examples Perhaps while looking for examples you noticed poor samples throughout the internet. Now you know the intricacies of resume creation, use our Adjunct Professor cover letter sample to construct the upcoming important component of your job application portfolio. Our resume examples can make certain youre prepared in the event you receive a referral. You are going to have to tailor each one to every work description. If you dont supply the info needed for the hiring agency to learn your qualifications, you may not be considered for the job. Writing a resume for employment in the art industry can be difficult. Start with taking a look at the difficult and soft skills below. Definitions of It Resume Examples The subject of information technology is not just open for applicants who already have professional experiences in the business. The information technology business i s full of highly-technical employees. Unique kinds of work in the food service industry require resumes with a number of the exact same skills. Customer service is an essential element in many jobs and its vital that you concentrate on that in your resume. New Step by Step Roadmap for It Resume Examples You will have to reveal the prospective employer you could supply them with what they want. From time to time, applicants have a tendency to compose a lot especially if they truly wish to find the position. Unless you can make your application stick out from the other applicants you could see that you arent chosen for the place which you would like. Notice how the example resumes are extremely specific when it has to do with technical skills.

Manufacturing activity on the rise

Manufacturing activity on the rise Manufacturing activity on the risePosted October 13, 2011, by Josie Chun The manufacturing sector is off to a positive start this year with an increase in new orders and exports. The latest Australian Performance of Manufacturing Index (Australian PMI), published by Australian Industry Group and PricewaterhouseCoopers, rose 2.5 points to 51.0 in January, indicating a rise in activity (readings above 50 points indicate expansion). The housing and resources sectors, in particular, saw renewed demand especially in the area of construction materials, which experienced its fifth consecutive month of expansion. Other areas of growth were transport equipment, petroleum and coal products and basic metal products. The paper, printing and publishing sector also experienced its first lift in activity since September 2009. On the downside, employment fell for the first time since November, and falls in activity were seen in the manufacture of clothing and foo twear, food and beverages, wood products and furniture, machinery and equipment, fabricated metal products and textiles. Geographically, the greatest manufacturing growth was seen in Western Australia, South Australia and Queensland, with decreases experienced in the three other states. The positive turnaround bodes well, but this is no time for complacency. Australian Industry Group Chief Executive Heather Ridout says, With output in the sector having fallen by 7.8 per cent in the year to the September quarter 2009, and with around 80 000 jobs lost from the sector in 2009, a sustained upswing in manufacturing activity is needed to fill the large chunk taken out of the sector by the global economic downturn. Despite the recent rise in export levels, the high Australian dollar continues to restrict growth.Certificate IV in Building and Construction (Building)Study modeClassroomPayment optionsPayment planUpfront paymentCourse guide+ FREE eBrochureEnquire Online Construction proj ect manager sample resumeConstruction project manager sample cover letterCareer Insider StoriesBashir Mourad - Supply Chain Manager at Johnson Construction CoursesBachelor of Construction ManagementEnquire Online Enquire Online Enquire OnlineBuilding Leadership ProgramEnquire Online Enquire OnlineJosie ChunRelated ArticlesBrowse moreWORKFORCE TRENDSMore jobs for energy apprenticesElectricity network Ausgrid, formerly EnergyAustralia, has taken on 154 new apprentices to work on their large infrastructure program, creating jobs and helping to fill the national skills shortage for qualified tradespeople.WORKFORCE TRENDSBuilding and construction industry going greenThe building and construction industry is undergoing a green makeover which is simultaneously creating jobs and fighting climate change.Beauty TherapyBuilding & ConstructionBest Careers To Get You Out Of The OfficeLooking for a job to get you out from behind the desk? From interior design to social work, here are some of the best careers to get you out of the office.

5 Things You Need to Know About Child Care Costs and the Workplace

5 Things You Need to Know About Child Care Costs and the Workplace5 Things You Need to Know About Child Care Costs and the Workplace Its no secret that child care is expensive. Survey after survey has said as much in recent months. And the statistics, frankly, are staggering.But how do the escalating child care costs affect working parents? And to what extent do the impacts carry over to their employers?Here, well take a look at working parents and their employers need to know about the cost of child care, and its effects on the workplace.At a cool $18,000 for two children in day care, the cost of child care is the largest household expense for many American families, according to Care.coms second Cost of Care survey of 700 parents nationwide. Twenty-eight percent of families spend more than $20,000 and 13 percent spend more than $30,000 annually, the survey found. According to the Department of Health and Human Services, the affordability threshold for child care is 10 percent of a household budget. A new paper from the Economic Policy Institute found that child cares share of total family budgets meets HHSs voreingestellt of affordability in only a handful of the 618 areas identified in the study.The EPI paper released last week further revealed child care costs have surpassed college tuition and even housing costs for many families. According to the report, child care for a 4-year-old exceeds in-state full-time undergraduate tuition in 24 states and Washington, D.C., while infant care exceeds tuition costs in 33 states and DC. However, large employers are eight times more likely to offer scholarships or educational assistance for employees kids than they are to offer help pay for child care a direct expense to the company. According to the Families and Work Institutes 2014 National Study of Employers , 5 percent of large employers (2 percent overall) help employees pay for childcare with subsidies or vouchers that have direct costs for companies. Meanwhile, 40 percent of large employers (and 12 percent total) offer scholarships or educational assistance for the children of employees.To be precise, its 69 percent of parents who said the cost of child care has influenced their career decisions, according to Care.coms second Cost of Care report, released earlier this year. And what kind of impacts are we talking about? 35 percent say theyve changed jobs and 24 percent have taken a second job to increase household income. Another 66 percent said theyd change jobs for better work-family benefits, according to Care.coms Better Benefits survey. Child care also impacts working parents careers in less obvious ways. For example, 90 percent of employees said theyve had to leave work for family reasons and, according to a Care.com member poll, 64 percent of parents worry about their childrens safety every minute of the day. As unterstellung workplace disruptions add up, the lost productivity mounts. Annually, absenteeism, presenteeism and other family-care related issues cost American businesses tens of billions annually. In recent months, study after study has illustrated the continued struggle of women and working moms, in particular in Corporate America. Weve seen it in the 58 percent of Millennial moms who told Pew Research being a working mother has made it harder for them to get ahead in their careers, in the 37 percent of millennial Harvard Business School alumni who expect to interrupt their careers for motherhood, and in the new Women in the Workplace study from Lean In and McKinsey that found women are still underrepresented at every level in the corporate pipeline. Part of that, to be sure, has to do with outdated corporate structures built for single-income households, when the reality is that in two-thirds of married households all parents work. But part of it is also that working moms still more often take on the default parent role, and handle more child care and household resp onsibilities than working dads. Improved access to reliable, affordable child care helps to put working moms more on equal footing especially for those moms who need care to be able to work and need to work to be able to afford care.Its in an organizations best interest to keep working parents who comprise a large percentage of the workforce present, productive and engaged in their jobs. One important way of doing this is helping parents manage the cost of care. One way to do this is offering family care benefits, through a program like Care.com Workplace Solutions, which can help employees find and manage care or provide subsidized backup care to cover those unplanned care gaps. Education about FSAs, DCAPs and other tax breaks is another way to help working families manage care costs. For example, although 64 percent of respondents to the Cost of Care survey said their employers offer an FSA, 36 percent dont set aside any money and 36 percent didnt realize FSAs can be used to help decrease child care costs.This article welches originally published on Care.com .

Ways to Make Your Job Easier - Simplify Your Job - The Muse

Ways to Make Your Job Easier - Simplify Your Job - The MuseWays to Make Your Job Easier - Simplify Your Job We all know that work involves, well, work. Even if you love your job, it cant always be easy, and it cant always be fun.But, sometimes we want our jobs to be a little (or a lot) easier. We want to get our work done mora quickly, to not feel overstretched or overwhelmed, and to have mora time for the things we really love. The good news is, there are ways to do that (without being a total slacker). Check out our favorite tips and tricks below for being mora productive, removing things you dont need to be doing from your to-do list, and overall making doing your job a much more pleasant experience. 1. Dont Plan on Doing Too MuchHeres a secret for you Most to-do lists are way too long, which leads to overwork and stress when it doesnt all get done. Instead, assume you can only get one big thing, three medium things, and five small things done a day (fewer if you have a lot of mee tings). Weve created a template to help you plan a more reasonable to-do list. 2. Focus on High-Reward TasksFocus the majority of your energy on those tasks that are going to create the biggest results. Youll look like youre doing much more, but secretly with less effort. This is often called getting the low-hanging fruit- the rewards you can achieve with the least effort. 3. Work in SprintsIts been said time and time again that the secret to getting more work done in less time is to work in bursts, with breaks in between. The intervals you choose will depend on your work and preferences, but, whatever you go with, set a timer, do your best to stay focused for that period of time, and then actually get up and take a break in between. Youll feel more energized during your work sessions and ultimately be way more efficient.4. Give Each Day a ThemeDo distractions keep derailing you from focusing on the actual important things? Use Jack Dorsey- the co-founder of Twitter as well as the C EO of Squares- secret and try giving each day a theme. That way, when distractions come up, you know to either punt them to another day or, if you have to, deal with them quickly and get back on track.5. Start With the Most Difficult TaskBy getting the hardest thing on your plate out of the way first thing in the morning, the rest of the day will feel way easier by comparison. Plus, then you wont waste mental energy all day thinking about this challenging thing you have to do. 6. Follow Your EnergyEveryone has certain times of the day when theyre more or less productive. If you schedule big projects during your energy downtimes, youre making your work way harder on yourself. Instead, try mapping out your ideal day based on your energy levels. 7. Dont Fight it When Youre Feeling UselessProbably one of the hardest things to do at work is to force yourself to work hard when youre really not feeling on top of your game. So, unless you have a pending deadline and absolutely cant, put off that particular task and do something more suited for your mental capacity. Writer Katie Douthwaite suggests that this is a great time to get those boring, monotonous tasks knocked out.8. Use Templates Whenever You CanWhy reinvent the wheel every time you have to do something? Have an email you have to write often? Use a template. Need to create a presentation? Use a template. Redesigning your resume? Use a template. You get the picture.9. Set Up Canned ResponsesBetter yet, if you use Gmail, set these templates up as canned responses, so you dont even have to leave your inbox to drop them in and send them off.10. Set Up Auto-TextIf youre often responding to messages on the go from your phone, make it easier on yourself by setting up auto-text. For example, pitch could expand to fill in your elevator pitch- meaning you dont have to type the whole thing out every time on your tiny keyboard. Read here for more on how to set it up.11. Or Dont Type at AllYou can also use your phones tal k-to-text feature to more easily and quickly respond to messages. Productivity expert Alex Cavoulacos explains how she uses it to her advantage here.12. Shorten Your EmailsWere going to take a wild guess that answering emails takes up a lot of your time and energy. What if you made it all easier for yourself by setting a limit on how long each response can be? Obviously, some messages necessarily have to be longer than others, but challenge yourself to keep them under five sentences long (or even shorter) as often as possible.13. Just Have a ConversationLong email chains got you down? When a conversation starts getting too convoluted, consider whether it would be easier to just hop on the phone or set up a meeting to talk it out. Sometimes a 10-minute conversation can eliminate hours of email messages. 14. Eliminate Follow-up EmailsNothing makes answering emails harder than your inbox constantly filling up with follow-up emails from people you havent gotten the chance to respond to yet. So set up an auto-responder that lets people know youve received the message and will respond in due time- hopefully dissuading the eager beavers from constantly emailing you back. You could even include answers to commonly asked questions, to potentially help the messenger help herself (and prevent you from having to answer at all).15. Employ the OHIO StrategyHow many times do you open an email, read it, and then leave it in your inbox to deal with later? Dont do this Its actually taking up more of your time and energy to process it multiple times. Instead, follow the OHIO (only handle it once) strategy and deal with it immediately, whether thats by deleting it, answering it, shooting it off to the right person, or, for larger messages that will require more time, parsing it out into tasks to put on your to-do list.16. Get Rid of as Many Decisions as PossibleDecision fatigue is real- and it could be making your days way harder. To keep it from affecting your work, eliminate as many decisions as possible. This could mean wearing a work uniform so you dont have to pick an outfit every day, bringing the same thing to lunch for a week, or setting up a standing meeting with your anfhrer so you dont always have to reach out asking for one. Whatever it takes to put a lot of your decisions on autopilot.17. Stop MultitaskingThis habit may make you feel like youre getting more done, but its actually slowing you down and making your work harder than it needs to be. So do your best to focus on one task until its done, and then move onto the next thing. Youll find your mind is clear and your work is better (and easier).18. Leave Yourself a CliffhangerSometimes the hardest part of work is getting started on something. So, make it easier to jump into a task by leaving yourself a cliffhanger. This means, if youre dragging your feet starting a project, just start, do a little bit of it (even if its not your best work), and then leave it unfinished to come back to the nex t day. Getting going will be way easier once you already have somewhere to jump in. 19. Remove Something From Your To-Do ListSeriously consider each item on your to-do list to see if theres anything thats actually not important. This especially applies to things that keep getting put on the back burner. Its worth asking yourself, If Ive been putting this off so much, is it really that necessary?20. Say No to SomethingIn addition to removing something from your plate, consider saying no a little more often to new asks. Obviously you cant do this all the time to just get out of work, but if youre feeling overwhelmed or you get an ask for something non-work related (like doing an informational interview with a friends kid), suck it up and say no. Here are some suggestions for how to say it nicely to your boss and to your friends.21. Constantly Question MeetingsIn case you havent heard, meetings can easily become a huge waste of time. Every time you schedule a meeting- even a recurring one- you should really be questioning whether it needs to happen at all, whether youre alotting too much time for it, or whether you need to be in attendance. If you feel like the answer to any of these questions is no, consider adjusting (or talking to your boss to make sure youre using your time as effectively as possible). 22. Have a To-Dont ListTo help yourself say no more and cut down on decision fatigue, start a to-dont list- a list of things you should never waste your time doing. Check out these ideas to get you started.23. Delegate Some of Your WorkIs there a task that youre doing that you really, really dread, or that you feel like is really no longer part of your job description? Consider whether it would be worth delegating it to a more junior employee or, if youre really drowning, whether its time to bring in an pro domo or new direct report. Here are some guidelines for figuring out when delegation is the right way to go.24. Or Crowdsource ItWriter Jennifer Dziura sugg ests crowdsourcing as a way to make less effort for yourself while making clients and users happier. In essence, its working along with the client or user to make proposals, presentations, and the like. To learn more about how it can play out in your everyday work life, check out her article. 25. Do a Work SwapHave a task youre dreading or really not sure how to handle? Ask a colleague in your department if she wants to swap Basically, you send one of your least favorite tasks her way, and she sends one of hers to you. You wont have to drag yourself through something youve been dreading, but the work will get done- potentially even better than you could have done it yourself someone who hasnt been aggravating over the assignment might quickly be able to see something you couldnt.26. Avoid Perfectionism (Except Where it Really Matters)Putting pressure on yourself to make all your work perfect is not only stressing you out, it could be slowing you down and causing you to procrastinate endbearbeitung things because youre worried theyre not just right. In some cases (big end-of-year report to your boss, copy thats going out to the world) this sort of attention to detail is critical. But in others (sending an email to your colleague, getting a first draft of a presentation to your team), focusing on perfectionism is making your life harder than it needs to be. 27. Look for Ways to Streamline ProcessesIs there a task that always takes you forever to complete? Something you feel like is way harder than it should be or something that is taking up far too much of your time? Rather than just trucking through it time and time again, see if there are any ways you can streamline these processes. Maybe its talking to other companies to see if theyve found an easier way. Maybe its coordinating with other departments to see if they can help save you time or effort. (For example, is there something the engineering team might be able to quickly build you that would save you ton s of time?) 28. Hire a Virtual Assistant for Small ThingsWe all have those menial things that take us hours to complete but could easily be done by someone else. If you dont have someone in the company to delegate them to, consider hiring a virtual assistant to help you out. They can do anything from scheduling travel plans to proofing your reports to doing the tedious design work on your next presentation- pretty much anything you dread starting and really dont have to be doing yourself. Check out efficiency expert Marissa Brassfields advice for figuring out if something is worth outsourcing.29. Get Everything Super OrganizedYour files. Your computer folders. The top of your desk. Your inbox. Take the time now to get organized so that finding the things you need is never the hurdle to getting started on a task. And hey, it can all be done in just 30 minutes30. Dont Let Your Colleagues Interrupt YouYour co-workers probably mean well, but their constant stream of IM updates, quick qu estions for you about the latest project, or chit-chat about their weekends can seriously mess up your flow of focus, making it way harder to get difficult tasks done. Set up systems that alert your office mates when youre in the zone- whether its a do not disturb message on your chat or huge headphones that signify that youre not to be bothered- and communicate them clearly.31. Take a NapSee if you can sneak in a power nap during your afternoon slump. Even 20-30 minutes of shut-eye can give you more of an energy boost than coffee could, improve your mood, enhance your analytical and learning abilities, and banish stress- making the rest of the day much easier and more pleasant. So shut your door, sneak off to your car, or do whatever it takes to get in a quick bit of sleep.Photo of desk courtesy of Shutterstock.

I Tanked My Interview But Still Landed the JobHeres How

I Tanked My Interview But Still Landed the JobHeres HowI Tanked My Interview But Still Landed the Job- Heres How Just wrapped up a job interview that couldnt have gone worse? Dont freak out yet. Plenty o f candidates thought an interview went terribly and lo and behold, found out they scored the job in the days or weeks afterward. It might sound like a rare occurrence, but it happens mora often than youd think. To come out on the otherbei end with a job in hand, its all about rebounding as quickly and efficiently as possible, and in many cases, having a little luck and a compassionate interviewer on your side. Here are three stories of bombed interviewsthat had happily employed endings. When, Lyn Alden , an engineer and investment strategy writer, applied for a juniorchefin aviation research job and hadnt heard anything from the company two months later, she assumed she didnt get the job. Then, out of the blue, she got word they wanted to set up a phone interview. A t that point, I had focused on so many other opportunities that I no longer had much interest in this one, she says. But, to be polite and keep my options open, I scheduled the phone interview. But the call welchesnt exactly smooth sailing. My heart wasnt in it, and my performance was lousy. I was lying on my bed chatting on the phone with no notes or anything in front of me, like I was talking to a friend instead of an interviewer. I had very little knowledge of the organization I was interviewing for, and was way too casual.Then, the interviewer told her that the job involved computer programming . She was honest and said she had only taken one programming class in college and didnt know much about it. In fact, she said she would need a mentor who would be willing to get hands on in order to do the job duties that were on the table. The interviewer asked me if I had other questions , so I just asked him about a few things he was working on out of curiosity, just chit chatting, Alden remembers. I didnt try to market myself, and didnt make sure to put myself in the best possible light. Instead, I was casual and brutally honest. When I was finished, it seemed pretty clear to me I wouldnt be picked. The interviewer was polite but didnt sound interested at all. I felt like I wasted his time.Alden was shocked when within a week, she received a job offer . Looking back, she thinks that due to her lack of preparation, she actually ended up being more confident than usual, quite honest about what she could and couldnt do, and upfront about what kind of support she would need in order to get the job done. Clearly, her interviewer liked her pragmatic approach.Once she started the job, Alden worked hard to impress her interviewer, who ended up becoming her boss. I wanted to show that I was a lot more diligent and hard-working than I came off as in the interview. Before starting the job, I researched the organization thoroughly. Once I was there, I spent some of my evenings learning to code at a higher level so that I could perform better during the workday. Its safe to say her efforts paid off Alden has been working at the same company for the past eight years in increasingly senior positions.Yes. This really happened, and she still got the job. I was interviewing for residency positions as a doctor just out of medical school, says Wei-Shin Lai, M.D., CEO of sleep technology company AcousticSheep . I had a bad head cold and was coughing a lot. For lunch, the interviewers took the potential nicht auslagerbars out to a really nice restaurant, and I ate lot of shrimp in vodka sauce. When we went back for our afternoon interviews, I got into a coughing fit and literally threw up on my nicest suit, sitting across from the interviewer. I was embarrassed but just used a tissue, cleaned up, and carried on with the interview.Sounds pretty disastrous, right? Well, Lai was accepted as a resident at that hospital, and shes pretty sure she knows why. I t hink they let me in because one, they were medical professionals, so vomit is not a big deal, and two, they saw that I was mortified but maintained enough composure to push through the rest of the day. In other words, they saw firsthand that she was able to perform even when she was clearly not feeling her best.Theres nothing worse than circumstances you cant control ruining your dream interview, and thats exactly what happened when Jena Viviano , who is now a career coach, interviewed for a geschftlicher umgang analyst position at the New York Stock Exchange. The interview was at 8AM, and the night prior I had been working in my investment banking job until 2AM on a project. That wasnt the first night that week I had been at work past midnight, either. I went into the NYSE absolutely exhausted with my Blackberry blowing up from all the people emailing me at my current job. Needless to say, she went into the room unprepared and off her game. When one of the managing directors asked me a question, I started tearing up because I couldnt think straight. Then when she asked me a technical question that I usually wouldve been able to answer, I just turned to her and said, I just really have no idea. Not my proudest moment.Between the crying, the exhaustion, the inability to answer simple questions, and my heel breaking right before I stepped foot into the building, its amazing to me that I got the job, she says. Still, the interviewers saw something in Viviano that convinced them she was a good fit. Though they didnt specifically tell me, I think it was a combination of my authenticity, coachability, potential, and strong enough background that they wanted to bring me in one more time to see if I would be a good fit. Plus, many of the people I interviewed with understood what I was going through because they too had been investment bankers. I always joked with my boss that he rescued me from investment banking and that I was eternally grateful.When it comes down to it, all you can do after something goes horribly awry in an interview is try to regroup and give the interviewer an honest picture of who you really are, plus what makes you qualified for the job. If youre lucky, they may just look past whatever snafu happened during the interview- big or small- and give you the job anyway. Of course, this is mainly likely to happen despite a less-than-ideal interview, you have relevant experience and the desired qualifications for the job . And if this particular job doesnt work out? Dont sweat it. Whatever went wrong in your bombed interview, you can chalk it up to a hard-learned lesson youll never forget.