Top 5 - Career lessons learned from Two Boys in a Boat

Top 5 - Career lessons learned from Two Boys in a Boat by Michael Cheary Last week, Luke Birch and Jamie Sparks, aka 2boysinaboat, became the newGuinness World Record holdersfor the youngest pairever to row across the Atlantic, as they completed theTalisker Whisky Challenge.The boys spent a total of 54 days at sea, rowed 2,811 nautical miles in 1,302 hours, endured badly blistered hands, serious bouts of seasickness, battled 40ft waves, groups of killer-sharks (and slightly less killer-dolphins) and raised a staggering 306,000 for Breast Cancer Care.To help celebrate the boys amazing achievement, weve decided to look at some of the lessons learned from their incredible journey:1.Set yourself a goalFirst things first: in order to get anywhere in your career, its important to maintain a clear sense of direction. If you know exactly where you want to go in your professional life, you can then start to work out how to get there.One persons goal might be to get a pay rise or to finally get that long-promised promotion. Another persons might be to row across the Atlantic with their best friend in a boat the size of a bathtub. Each to their own.The important thing is to have one. That way, theres always something to work towards.2.Obstacles are just another way to learnNo matter what stage of your career youve reached, there will always be obstacles to overcome.For the two boys, these obstacles included a broken auto helm (for the nautically uninitiated, this is the gear which helps steer the boat making rowing much easier), losing their mattress to the Atlantic Ocean, a barnacle encrusted hull, which required hand cleaning, and some nasty sores in particularly painful places (read their blog section for more info).In comparison, your obstacles may seem slightly more mundane, but this doesnt necessarily mean theyll be any more manageable.Whatever hindrance you encounter, approach it with a healthy dose of optimism, versatility and, perhaps most importantly, a willingness to learn from any mistakes you make. In Lu kes words: stay calm and wait for the clouds to clear.Remember: You cant run away from your problems. Unless theyre sharks3.Appreciate the little victoriesInstead of getting bogged down with disasters, its important to appreciate lifes little victories.However, as simple as the above statement sounds, it can often be easier said than done. For example, if your day involves a lot of repetition, it can be easy to get caught up in the little things without thinking of the bigger picture.For you, it might be celebrating an important client win with a few drinks or taking particular pride in a customer testimonial. In Luke and Jamies case, it was taking a break from the usual rehydrated shepherds pie and rewarding themselves with a Pepperami.Learn to love the little things that go right and celebrate, rather than dwelling on the things that go wrong.4.Find a distraction that works for youMuch like your career, rowing from one continent to another can be an exhilarating experience. It can also get pretty dull.Even if you have a job you love, there may be times when you either need to knuckle down to get something done or break up the days stress with a little RR.The boys used audiobooks, music and messages from well-wishers to help spur them on. But everyone has a different method to help them maintain their drive. Even something as simple as finding somewhere quiet to work for an hour, grabbing a quick coffee or keeping up with the latest news on Twitter can help stimulate your creativity.Oh, and in case youre wondering what kind of music world-record-breaking rowers listen to: Lionel Richie, Diana Ross and Drum and Bass (although not necessarily in that order).5.It will all be worth it in the endWhen attempting to row across the Atlantic Ocean, some people (and by some people, we mean Luke and Jamie) may decide to adopt the two hours on/two hours off approach. In laymans terms, this means you spend two hours rowing followed by two hours eating/sleeping/washing unt il its your turn on the oars again.Now were not suggesting that salty sores or severe sleep deprivation is part of everyones normal working life*, but whether youre just starting out on your job search or working every hour available to get a piece of work finished, your career can seem like an uphill battle at times.However, just like the two boys, the journey will be worth it in the end. Hard work and dedication do pay off. And Luke and Jamie are living proof. (Unfortunately reed.co.uk cannot guarantee your journey will end in Antigua surrounded by your friends and family).Honourable mentions: Learn to put things into perspective, never underestimate resilience, be persistent, pay attention to dress code (castaway beards are good, but small pink pants are a definite no-no).*if salty sores or severe sleep deprivation is part of your everyday working life, we recommend you seek help. Immediately.Want to find out more about their amazing journey? Visit their official site nowFind a j ob What Where Search JobsSign up for more Career AdviceSign up for moreCareer Advice Please enter a valid email addressmessage hereBy clicking Submit you agree to the terms and conditions applicable to our service and acknowledge that your personal data will be used in accordance with our privacy policy and you will receive emails and communications about jobs and career related topics. Features

?? Why Holiday Job Searches Lead To The Best Presents

?? Why Holiday Job Searches Lead To The Best Presents 277 Here are 7 reasons to job search during the holiday season. Photo credit: Phil Dolby This is a guest post by Dave Thomas. Could finding a job actually be easier during the holiday season? While the holidays are a very busy time of year for most people, the time period can also be great for landing a job. Unfortunately, many individuals in need of work figure that now is the time to take a break, no one is hiring with all the rush of the holiday season, and the only jobs that may be available are entry-level jobs such as low-paying retail gigs.eval Think again. As it turns out, many employers do take on new employees over the holiday season such as in Western countries, where many companies not in the retail business are winding down their end-of-year operations, giving them more time to focus on what they need from a manpower standpoint heading into the New Year.eval In your experience, is job search easier or harder during the holidays? Easier Harder View Results (Tell us why you voted that way in the comments) Free bonus: Download a PDF version of this article to use as a handy reference. 7 Reasons To Job Search This Holiday Season In the event you’ve been toying with taking a break over the holidays from the job hunt, keep some of these factors in mind: 1) Staying motivated All of us at one time or another has found ourselves on the job prowl. Looking for a job is often a full-time job, meaning it is not uncommon to want to take a break. The problem with taking what is sometimes a prolonged break (a few weeks or months) is that we have trouble becoming motivated once again. Don’t find yourself in a rut that might become too hard to get out of after the holidays are done. 2) The number of job hunters is likely to dwindle While you may think there will be countless people searching for work during the holidays, keep in mind that many of them may be thinking like you too, that it's time to take a break. If that’s the case, you’ll have more access to employers as the number of resumes they’re likely to receive will decrease. 3) Network, network, network If you’re invited to holiday parties, what better time to network? You may be a little hesitant to attend holiday events given you’re out of work, but that is exactly the time to get with other professionals who escaped the layoff bug and network. Ask them to give you some leads they may have on job openings, who exactly to contact. Heck, they may even put in a good word for you. 4) Work desire can be rewarded Granted, probably the last thing you want to be doing before and during the holidays is job hunting, but it could work to your benefit: some employers will view this as motivational, along with being an eagerness on your part to find work while others are looking to take off time from work over the holidays. Showing a potential employer that you’re hungry for work is half the battle. 5) Get your foot in the door before the New Year turnover In some cases, companies will be dealing with turnover in the New Year. You can use this time of year to interview, and if all goes well, replace those who are on their way out. 6) Go with the holiday flow Many bosses will be in a more relaxed mood with the holidays coming, so take advantage of it. The majority of employers (unless they’re retail managers) are winding down their year, and if it was a good one, could prove more receptive to the job you are seeking. 7) Give yourself a present Lastly, what better holiday gift could you give yourself than a new job? Many people are out there looking for work. Take the initiative to find yourself a job during your holiday season so that you have something positive to kick-off your New Year. While there are no guarantees that you will actually find a new job, the holidays really are a good time of the year to roll up your sleeves and go for it. Better yet, you may get your foot in the door somewhere while your competition is stuck in the mall parking lot looking for a spot. More holiday season job search tips Holiday Weekend Job Search Do’s and Don’ts 7 tips for job hunting during the holidays Holiday Hope! How to Leverage the Holidays for Successful Job Search About the Author Dave Thomas writes extensively for Business.com, an online resource destination for businesses of all sizes to research, find, and compare the products and services they need to run their businesses. Question of the article Have you tried job searching during the holidays in the past? Tell us in the comments.

Experiencing London Luxury and Romance

Experiencing London Luxury and Romance With the contrast of its old world charm and rich cultural air, London offers couples a wealth of options when it comes to romance. While it is not the first in mind when considering where to go for a getaway to celebrate  special occasions like a honeymoon or an anniversary, its a destination must that should be experienced by couples who are looking to have a luxurious holiday. Here are three main luxurious romantic ideas for couples in London:   Dinner Date in Michelin Starred Restaurants A home-cooked dinner for two can be a beautiful affair, but when you can indulge in an epicurean treat for two, you can be sure that you are in for a feast for the senses.The ambiance, service, and of course the food, can ensure a date to remember. You can wine and dine in celebrity chef endorsed restaurants like Dinner by Heston Blumenthal and  LAtelier de Joël Robuchon  to more  up-and-coming gastronomic venues like  Tom Sellers Story. The quickest way to the heart, as the saying goes, is through the stomach.  London is one of the worlds best places to experience sumptuous and luxurious  food that can truly make you fall in love. Stay In in Style Accommodations can get pricey in London, but the truth is that London offers some of the best hotels in the world for romance and luxury. You can enjoy a memorable stay with impeccable customer service, the most beautiful suites, state of the art  technological comforts to fit your lifestyle, even butler service and  evening turndown service in some. When it comes to  luxury hotel suites London has the best to offer, which would make a little bit of spending worth every penny. Engage in Timeless Tradition with a Couples Brunch Nothing spells British better than a tea in a pot, finger sandwiches,  scones, and pretty  cakes. Get dressed for a lovely day with your loved one, and get inspired to bring up light conversation in a relaxed ambiance.  From  timeless recommendations such as  The Ritz,  The Langham,  and The Savoy, to more contemporary OXO Tower and  The Athenaeum you will surely get an experience fit for kings and queens. Entertainment at its Finest Who havent heard of  Londons West End? Apart from the world class musicals, there is music for every persons taste. London prides itself for being a hub of culture and arts. Here, you would be able to enjoy yourself with the best of the best entertainment, and find something that both you and your partner can enjoy every night. Memories can be made anywhere, but when you are a Career Girl who have been working hard, it is far to say that a bit of a splurge can be made especially for a special life event. Romance in London is one memory that can last you a lifetime, so make sure to put it in your must go to places for you and your loved one. Have you been to London? Share some romance must-dos in the comments below or tweet us @mscareergirl!

How and When to Ask About Salary (In Your Job Hunt) - Algrim.co

How and When to Ask About Salary (In Your Job Hunt) - Algrim.co Knowing how and when to ask about salary can save you, the job seeker, an incredible amount of time. And can ensure that your focus is on the positions that best align with your personal needs as well as previous job experience. alary can be a difficult thing to discuss. But speaking about it, without being shy, is one the biggest indicators for someone who is more seasoned and experienced. Before we jump into discussion points regarding salary, there are a few rules we should keep in mind in order to ensure your personal brand and personal image isn’t disrupted when talking about compensation. Let’s cover those now and then jump into how and when you might want to ask about salary in your job hunt. Before Talking About Compensation Whenever you speak about compensation, albeit with a manager or colleague, it’s vital that you focus heavily on your tone of voice. If your tone of voice says, “I deserve this money, give it to me!” Do you think your interviewer is going to look kindly upon that? No. They won’t. As a job seeker you need to practice paying close attention to your tone of voice. The best thing you can do is to sound appreciative. And if you are concerned about how you're coming across to the hiring manager, manager, or interviewer. Simply preface your statements by saying, “I understand salary discussions can be hard, but…” This will provide you some flexibility for the other party. Because you’re prefacing your statement with an acknowledgment that you could be easily misinterpreted. Remember, your employer doesn’t need to pay you what you’re deserved. They can always find another employee who is willing to work for a lower cost. You are deserved nothing. The absolute best way to ensure your employer does want to pay you fairly is to ensure they understand the value you can bring to the company and show them you have a professional demeanor that will be difficult to replace. When Is The Right Time To Ask About Salary? Now that you know how you should sound when you bring the topic of salary up, we can discuss when the right time is to bring up this topic. Many guides and Google searches will tell you to wait until the employer brings up the topic of salary. But this actually gives you a disadvantage. Because an employer can choose to offer you what they think you’re worth later in the interview process. And you might have already committed a significant amount of time interviewing with the company. Putting you at a disposition. In this instance, many job seekers take positions with lower compensation packages simply because they’ve already invested time towards receiving that job. What’s the better, more effective time to ask about salary? In the beginning. If you’re having a phone interview with your future employer, bring it up then. The earlier you can learn whether or not the budget for the position is within your desired salary range, the better. If it’s not within your desired salary range, then you can focus on the next job. If it is, then you know you should invest even more effort than you might have before, in order to get the position. Your future employer will appreciate that you’re asking early, as well. It saves them time as well. Picture this, you interviewed over the phone, then with five colleagues. And a significant amount of time was spent by both you and the employer. But then you find out that you both aren’t on the same page with regard to a salary range. That’s a lot of time wasted. If the employer doesn’t value the fact that you are concerned about their time as well, the environment was most likely not a great one, to begin with. How to Ask About Salary If you’re on the phone with your future employer. Maybe it’s a hiring manager or manager. And they are calling this a “pre-screen phone call” or “pre-screen interview” but don’t bring up anything regarding salary. Then the easiest way to ask is to say something like, “Do you have a salary range that you’re trying to keep this position within?” That’s all you have to ask. If you are feeling timid about asking this question, your interviewer will normally ask you if you have any questions for them at the end of the session. That would be the perfect time to ask your question about salary. Try to avoid speaking about salary too early in the phone call. By doing this it could risk your personal image. It could look like your highest priority is income versus the work at hand. A common misconception is that you need to explain why you’re asking about salary. You do not. Asking the question in the way that was described in this article is simple, effective, professional, and polite. What If They Turn the Question Around Let’s say you asked the question. You said, “Do you have a salary range that you’re trying to keep this position within?” and the employer decides, let me flip the question on you. And they ask you, “What do you think the salary should be for this position?” First, this is an odd way for your interviewer to talk to you about salary. And it’s improper, without being efficient or proactive to the discussion. But it doesn’t mean it doesn’t happen. When this happens, know your roles average salary range. You can use tools like PayScale or Salary.com to know what the average rate should be. But even when you know, you should respond with something like this: “That can be a complicated answer. It’s hard to know your hiring budget and intentions behind the position. For me, I know I would like something between $120,000 per year to $150,000 per year. Though, it would vary depending on benefits as well as whether or not the job has performance bonuses or some other type of compensation benefit.” This is a good answer because it is a selfless approach to speaking about salary. Remember, your focus should always be about what’s best for their company. Not what’s best for you. When you present that, you inherently present professionalism.

Why You Should Care About Career Adaptability

Why You Should Care About Career Adaptability There is a lot of research out there that looks at the reasons why people can effectively transition throughout their career and the reasons why not. It is something that has a lot of people interested in understanding purely because the research is saying that having a level of career adaptability as an individual appears to link to an individual’s ability to be successful throughout their career. What is career adaptability? In a nutshell, career adaptability is the ability for an individual to cope with current and future tasks, transitions, and challenges within their career. This definition is not specific to an age or cultural demographic as the research has looked across cultures and demographics on the value of career adaptability and identified the same definition. What is the value of career adaptability? Career adaptability has been linked to the ability to achieve more career satisfaction regardless of the situation the individual is in. This has included identifying lower levels of work stress, increased person-environment fit and other positive outcomes such as increased levels of overall career enjoyment. Amazingly, individuals do not link their ability to be adaptable to success, many times they look at the opposite being a career strength. What does it take to have career adaptability? There are a number of different components to career adaptability. These include having a concern about your career outcome, a level of control and control acceptance, curiosity and confidence. To become career adaptable you need to be focused on what it is that you wish to achieve. Specifically, people who are career adaptable show signs of being forward thinkers and planners about their career goals, the opportunities available to them and the possible changes in their chosen career that may require them to alter their current career pathway. How can you develop your own adaptability? As you can see by the different components of career adaptability, individuals wanting to develop this need to start with ensuring they have clarity on what it is they are seeking to achieve in their careers. This will include looking at your current skills and interest areas, how these will support them in the future, what is missing and what you can do to achieve this. Once you have this level of clarity then you can focus on building your confidence in your direction and in turn your own capabilities. Without looking specifically at your career plan it is very hard to build confidence which is one of the fundamental personal attributes needed to become adaptable, but also to be focused on your career development. What if I don’t become adaptable? The world of work is changing. It is volatile, it is dynamic and it is unknown. Regardless how much research we undertake, businesses are unable to state with certainty what their business will look like in the future. What the skills are that they will need to recruit into the business and in a lot of instances, what the business will be offering out to its client base. This level of unknown means that if you do not become adaptable you will not be able to transition with the business as it identifies the need for transition. Being adaptable is key to continuing to develop your employability and remain employable in the future. Can this guarantee my job? The reality is career adaptability on its own cannot guarantee that you will remain employed in a role. What it does guarantee you though is: The ability to focus on what it is that you need to be satisfied in your career The knowledge on what you have to offer as an employee The opportunity to develop confidence and remain confident in your own capabilities The ability to articulate to others what it is that you need, have or want in your career to remain satisfied To be able to transition at the times that you may need to To be innovative and supportive in new business environments How adaptability impacts and supports your career is unique to your own experiences. The benefits of this will be based on how you develop your adaptability and how you use that throughout your career. The reality is, however, if you don’t consider it to be important there may be a point in time where you are required to be adaptable and in not being able to do this your career may be impacted.

2 of My Favorite Insider Tips for Executive Resume Writing - Executive Career Brandâ„¢

2 of My Favorite Insider Tips for Executive Resume Writing 2 Tips to Brand and Improve Your Executive Resume

Woohoo! We have now spoken in over 40 countries - The Chief Happiness Officer Blog

Woohoo! We have now spoken in over 40 countries - The Chief Happiness Officer Blog These are the 41 countries weve spoken in. Guess a flag :) After our trips to Surinam and Dubai?this month, we have now done keynotes and workshops?for clients in 41 different countries. Thats a milestone Im really, really proud of :) Heres the entire list in alphabetical order: Antigua Bahamas Bulgaria Chile Croatia Cura?ao Czech Republic Denmark Dominican Republic Estonia France Germany Greenland Guatemala Iceland India Ireland Italy Israel Japan Kuwait Luxembourg Netherlands Norway Poland Portugal Romania Russia Serbia Slovakia Slovenia South Africa Spain Sri Lanka Suriname Sweden ?Switzerland Turkey United Arab Emirates United Kingdom USA 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