5 ways to add visual impact to your workplace this year

5 ways to add visual impact to your workplace this year You probably already know the importance of working in a place that, quite simply, looks good. Attaching importance to this kind of thing wouldnt necessarily reflect superficiality on your part; you might have already noticed how, say, color and layout can affect your working habits. What you might not be so sure of, however, is exactly what types of changes would be most effective. Here are some simple but effective ways to make your workplace that little bit prettier. Let there be light natural light, that is The adverse effects of poor lighting in the workplace can too easily be underestimated. Inadequate lighting has been linked with headaches, fatigue, stress and anxiety. In one research report cited by Forbes, 80% of office workers deemed good lighting crucial to them in their workspace. However, 40% were daily dealing with uncomfortable lighting, while 32% said that improved lighting would increase their workplace mood. Fortunately, exposing workers even to just 13-15 minutes of natural light can release endorphins. Create overlap zones If you want to encourage spontaneous collaborations between your workers, you might not have to insist on the potentially distraction-ridden environment of an open-plan office. Instead, you could consider setting up what HubSpot calls overlap zones. These would be spaces that are not only designed for work but also where employees are especially likely to run into each other during the day. Consider where your workers tend to go as they move around the office. Make it easy to be green You can make a green, lean, workplace machine ahem by adding plants and greenery to your office. According to research, you could be rewarded with a 15% growth in employee productivity. A green office communicates to employees that their employer cares about them and their welfare, psychology professor Alex Haslam has commented.   Office landscaping helps the workplace become a more enjoyable, comfortable and profitable place to be. Use complementary colors Around the internet, its not difficult to find a wealth of information about the effects that particular colors are said to be capable of bringing in the workplace. You would be excused for wondering which theories are firmly rooted in truth and which arent.   It would be fair to say that various contexts can influence a particular colors effect. You could benefit from opting for complementary colors. Green, for example, can work well in hospital settings because it complements red, which staff might often see on medical equipment and blood, as Work Design Magazine explains. Use similar colors in the right areas You shouldnt rule out using various shades of the same color, assuming that the workplace in question would suit this approach. In a swimming pool complex, for example, varying hues of blue can have a calm but focusing effect.   Thats ideal for athletes who could regularly use the building. Still, given the many dos and donts of workplace design, its reassuring that Maris provide luxury office design for businesses uncertain what approach they ought to take.

3 Simple Social Media Tips Could Equal Job Search Success CareerMetis.com

3 Simple Social Media Tips Could Equal Job Search Success Last year, 54% of hiring managers elected not to hire a candidate based on their social media profiles. But how do you make sure you’re part of the 46%?The worlds of social media and careers are more intertwined than ever â€" whether you use social media to find a job, your boss is keeping tabs on what you’re up to outside of work or potential employers browse through your profiles before deciding whether to hire you.And it’s the third area which we’ll be looking at today.evalAccording to a 2017 report, 70% of employers use social media to screen potential candidates before deciding whether to hire them, which is a 10% increase from last year and a massive 60% increase from 2006. And they’re not just checking out your holiday pics.Though it may seem like a cursory glance at your Facebook page might seem like enough to ward off peeping employers, it pays to properly go through all of your online profiles with a toothpick. But that’s easier said than done.Let’s go through some handy tips and techniques that will leave your digital footprint squeaky clean without taking up all of your waking hours.1) FacebookevalThe first port of call for your social media cleanup should be the privacy settings on Facebook.Whilst at first glance it may seem like a pretty all-encompassing page to ensure you retain your privacy, you’ll have to scour a few other nooks and crannies of Facebook to have peace of mind. But let’s start here.You’ll find your privacy settings Facebook is constantly introducing new features â€" and the good news is that in recent years they have given you much more control over who sees your posts.It used to be that you had to go through every single post to adjust the settings, but nowadays that can be done in a single click.The wisest thing to do when preparing your profile for a potential employer is to simply limit your posts â€" both past and future â€" so that only your friends can see them. Make sure only ‘Friends’ can see your future posts and then click ‘Limit Past Posts’ to revert any old public posts back to friends only.But posts on your timeline are just one small part of your total Facebook activity.evalClick ‘Use Activity Log’ and then ‘Activity Log’ to review all of your recent actions on the platforms, and whether they were public or not. This will include comments on page posts, new pages you’ve recently liked and, well, just about everything actually.Whilst I wouldn’t recommend going through every single action you’ve ever done on Facebook, you should use this as more of a guide for future posts so you can be aware of who can see all of your hilarious comments beneath news articles.Now head back to Privacy Settings, and this time navigate down to ‘Public Posts’ on the left-hand menu. Here you’ll be able to allow only friends to follow you and also limit the way that any person on Facebook can both see and engage with your public posts.However, the most useful feature he re is the ability to view your public timeline â€" which is exactly the view your prospective employer will have of your Facebook profile if they choose to view it.Here, you can fine-tune the changes you’ve already made to make sure you’re presenting yourself as professionally as possible to any peeping toms.The final thing is to remember that people can always see your current profile picture and cover photo â€" so it would be wise to change these to sensible ones That makes a whole lot of sense, with public discussions on Twitter being one of the features that define the platform. On the flip-side, this does make it even more difficult to audit your Twitter account in the same way as Facebook, and it’s a platform where some high-profile people have been caught out on over the years.Whilst 20-year-old Scottish MP Mhairi Black’s old tweetswere mostly immature, harmless tweets that were pretty atypical of a 14-year-old As you can see, it’s not nearly as far-reaching as Face book’s settings, and for the purposes of this article, the only setting which is relevant is the very first one: Tweet privacy.This automatically sets your account to private and protects your past and future tweets, but it’s perhaps not an ideal option for people who still want to use the platform as normal.It’s perhaps the ‘nuclear option’ for anyone with worries about what they tweeted years ago, but really this might be best used as a temporary option whilst your job hunt and clean up your Twitter.If you don’t have a huge catalog of tweets and want to quickly browse/delete any that might not be deemed so professional, you would be best off using an external tool such as Tweet Deleterto easily get rid of multiple tweets at the click of a button.It’s pretty self-explanatory to use, so head over there if you want to set about deleting your tweets.Unless you’re a high profile celebrity, it’s pretty unlikely that anybody is going to spend hours and hours going throu gh every tweet you’ve ever posted, so be sensible and thorough but don’t spend every waking hour cleaning it up. It’s just not necessary.3) LinkedInLinkedIn is an interesting one, as although it is generally the most-vetted social network by prospective employers, it’s also the one which has the least chance of having questionable old content hanging around on there.It’s a train of thought which is supported by this piece of research, which reveals that 64% of employers view a candidate’s LinkedIn profile as part of the recruitment process â€" making it the most popular social media platform that employers check.So in this case, we should be using our LinkedIn audit as a chance to show off your positives display your professional credentials rather than hiding away old tweets and Facebook posts.I could write a whole other article on how to fill out your LinkedIn profile, so when you’ve logged-in you should simply follow their internal wizard to make sure your profile is 100% complete and filled out with education, experience, skills and everything in between.When you navigate to LinkedIn’s privacy settings, you should go the opposite way to other social networks and make everything as public as possible.Let employers see what you’re doing and let them contact you easily. They have actually introduced some new features quite recently to make yourself even more approachable to recruiters â€" so you’re in luck!Whilst you’re going through the list of privacy settings on LinkedIn, remember to make yourself as visible as possible, I’m going to pick out one of those new features: ‘Let recruiters know you’re open to opportunities’. Make sure the ‘Yes’ option is selected, and then click ‘Update career interests’.Here you’ll find some invaluable tools for ensuring maximum discoverability of your profile.You can add a note to recruiters to let them know what type of work you’re looking for, add in potential job titles, locations , types of jobs (full-time, part-time, freelance, etc.) and even the industry and size of the company you would be interested in.Not only does this ensure that recruiters can find you more easily on the platform, but it will also mean that you’re less likely to be offered irrelevant jobs in faraway places.I should know â€" I was once approached by a recruiter on there for a job as a sales advisor in Walsall â€" a tiny and not-so-nice town in England. I’ve never worked in sales and never intend to, and when they asked if I wanted to relocate from Barcelona to Walsall you can probably guess what my answer was! (Sorry Walsall â€" you’re alright really).SummaryAlmost 7 times more employers vet a candidate’s social media profiles than they did 10 years ago, and it has become an essential part of the recruitment process.However, in some of the examples highlighted above, I have shown how even politicians and professional footballers have been caught out and punished further down t he line for not adequately cleaning up their social media profiles.The thing is with social media, you don’t necessarily have to write anything offensive on Facebook or Twitter over the years for employers to take note.It could just be immature posts, a poor choice of words or an ill-conceived online spat that you might have been dragged into.You never quite know which employers will penalize you for past indiscretions, so the best option is to follow these steps and take every precaution to ensure your dream job opportunity isn’t taken away from you.

Reference Check Myths That Can Cost You The Job

Reference Check Myths That Can Cost You The Job They can’t say that about me, can they? Despite the job seeker’s need for good references, many candidates take little time or effort to ensure that their references are portraying them in the best possible light. Oftentimes, this oversight occurs because of incorrect assumptions about how references (and reference checking) work. Jeff Shane, president of reference-checking company Allison Taylor, helped me clear up some myths about reference checks that could derail even the most promising career. Myth # 1 Companies are not allowed to say anything negative about a former employee during a documented reference check. The Truth: While many companies have policies that dictate only title, dates of employment, and eligibility for rehire can be discussed, reference persons frequently violate those rules in providing bad references about former employees despite company policies. Approximately half of Allison Taylor clients receive a bad reference, regardless of the fact that many companies have strict policies in place prohibiting negative references. Myth # 2 Former employers direct all reference checks to their Human Resources departments, and those people wont say anything negative about me. The Truth: Most Human Resources professionals will follow proper protocol during reference checks. However, if HR indicates that a former employee is not eligible for rehire â€" or left under unfavorable circumstances â€" this may be toxic to the job seeker’s prospects. Also, many potential employers choose to call former supervisors who are far more likely to volunteer candid feedback about the employee. Myth # 3 It’s best to have my employment references listed on my résumé and distribute them together. The Truth: Your references should be treated carefully and with respect; you don’t need companies that may or may not have a real interest in hiring you pestering your employment references. Keep your references separate from your résumé, and only provide them when requested. Better still, have a list of your references readily available (in the same format/font as your résumé) to be given to a prospective employer. Myth # 4 Once a company hires me, my job references really do not matter anymore. The Truth: Not all companies finish background and/or reference checks before you are hired. Many employment agreements and contracts include a stipulation that says the employer can hire you with a 90-day probation period. During this time, they will not only evaluate your job performance but, in some instances, will do background and reference checks. Myth # 5 I sued my former company and, according to job reference laws, they are now not allowed to say anything. The Truth: Unfortunately, employers violate job reference laws and severance agreements every day. You simply have too much to lose if you assume that your former employer will honor appropriate protocol. Many people discover the error of their assumptions the hard way by losing out on the perfect job because of reference issues. Check your own references before you provide them to employers to ensure you can address potential problems before they cost you the job. Join Dana Manciagli’s Job Search Master Class now and get the most comprehensive job search system available!

Get the real scoop on where you want to work! - Hallie Crawford

Get the real scoop on where you want to work! I wanted to share this website with you as resources for you career search: Glassdoor.com This site can be very helpful in your career search. Assisting you in learning what its really like to work at the organizations youre interested in.  It can give you a behind the scenes look at the company based on the anonymous reviews provided by their employees. *Keep what they say in perspective however. People who go on  sites like this could be the most disgruntled employees as opposed to the happiest. So you have to realize that you may be getting a one sided review. But finding themes in what they are saying CAN give you some insight into what its really like to work there. If people are saying the same thing over and over, there really could be some truth behind what is being said. Certified Career Coach P.S. For more career help and resources like these, be sure to sign up for our Free Monthly Newsletter  that is specially designed to help you in your career direction.

Writing Resume Intro - A Good Idea

Writing Resume Intro - A Good IdeaWriting resume intro career change can be a tough task. Some of the changes that can come up in your life are economic, health issues and so on. The reasons may be endless. All you need to do is change the resume to match up with these changes.How can you get ready for a career change? Before writing resume intro, it is advisable to check out what career change has happened to you. You need to know the events that have affected your life. If you know the reasons why you have changed, the resume intro should not look alien to you and will at least reflect your personality.If you graduated from high school, then a good idea is to spend a semester working in the past for a year or two. The reason for this is you will be young enough to handle the job before starting on college. The internship in the past will give you a feel of what the job is going to be like.As mentioned above, it is good to check out the reasons for career change before writing resum e intro. Another suggestion is to write down what you do well.It is advised to ensure that the resume intro is clear, concise and to the point. You don't want to leave any confusion on your resume as the employer is going to read it. The resume is going to be printed out and the whole thing is just a matter of seconds if it is not very clear.To provide your resume an impact, you need to highlight the major points. Thus, if you can't spell something, then you need to do some research.Career change can be traumatic, but you need to make yourself strong enough to survive the change. Yes, change is scary and you may feel there is no way out but you need to know the benefits of change. Since your career was once in danger, now you have options and you have a better chance of succeeding.

7 Reasons It#039;s a Great Time to Ask for a Raise

7 Reasons It#039;s a Great Time to Ask for a Raise Stocks have been on a bull run since 2009, corporate earnings are soaring, and the housing market is surging. Now the latest economic reports show that the sluggish job market is finally catching up to the rest of the economy. If you’ve been thinking about making your pitch for a raise, here are seven reasons why now might be the right time. 1. Job openings are highest in more than a decade. After rising for five straight months, the number of available jobs hit 4.7 million, the highest since February 2001, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey, out Tuesday. 2. Competition for jobs is less stiff. There are two unemployed workers per job opening, down from three in the fall and seven during the height of the financial crisis. 3. The number of people quitting jobsâ€"a sign that workers are more confident in landing a new oneâ€"is at 2.5 million, the highest since June 2008. 4. The number of jobs being created rose by more than 200,000 for the sixth straight month in July, the longest string of gains since 1997. Meanwhile, unemployment is the lowest since 2008, at 6.2%. 5. Raises are bigger. According to Mercer’s 2014/2015 US Compensation Planning Survey, the average raise in base pay is expected to be 3.0% in 2015, up slightly from 2.9% in 2014, 2.8% in 2013, and 2.7% in 2012. Workers rated above average, a group that accounts for 36% of the workforce, will get salary increases between 3.7% and 4.8% this year, according to Mercer. 6. Temp jobs are turning into full-time gigs. Conversions (giving full-time jobs to temporary workers) are at a three-year high, according to staffing agency Manpower. 7. Employers are really worried about losing talented workers. Turnover is up dramatically: 51% of employers are seeing workers leave, vs. 30% in 2012, according to OI Partners. Nearly three-quarters of employers say they are worried about losing highly skilled workers. Of course, some of the optimism depends on what industry you’re in. For example, the average raise in the energy sector is projected to be 3.5%, vs. 2.8% for people who work in consumer goods, according to Mercer. And while the picture is brightening for the long-term unemployedâ€"the number of people without a job for six months or longer fell to 3.16 million in July, vs. 4.25 million a year earlierâ€"it remains twice the number it was before the recession in 2007. Still, economists are optimistic that salary increases, absent from the rebound in the job market, will finally kick in. Wage growth is likely be “one of the big stories over the next 12 months,” says Capita Economics chief U.S. economist Paul Ashworth in his latest research note. Among positive signs: a sharp increase in the proportion of small businesses saying that they are planning to raise compensation. And a rising proportion of households in the Conference Board’s consumer confidence survey saying that they expect their incomes to rise, while fewer are saying they expect their incomes to fall. Tomorrow: We’ll tell you the right moves to make to land a raise as the job market improves.

Automotive.com - Work It Daily

Automotive.com - Work It Daily Name: Automotive.com Websites: www.automotive.com Twitter: @MyAutomotive Facebook: www.facebook.com/automotivecom Bio: Since 1996, Automotive.com has been one of the Internet's leading auto buying portals and consumer information websites. Automotive.com has helped more than 50 million consumers research and price new cars, used cars, obtain financing and insurance leading to more than a million vehicle sales. Whether you’re in high school looking for your first car, or are debating whether to lease the new Mercedes for your small business, we can help. Visit us for friendly tips and advice, along with new and used car reviews and more! Resources: Cheap Gas Prices Finder Auto Loan Calculator New Car Research Browse Auto Classifieds Articles: Calling All Entrepreneurs: A Nice Car is a Good Business Decision How to Start an Auto Repair Shop A Look at Different Career Opportunities in the Automotive Industry Teens: Got a Job? Thinking of Your First Car? Getting into the Automotive Design Field Women in Automotive Careers Automotive Career: Become an Aerodynamicist Match Your Car Passion With Your Career Have you joined our career growth club?Join For Free!