How to Go back to work after a festival

How to Go back to work after a festival by Michael Cheary So summer is finally upon us (no, really).With it comes the promise of longer days, easier mornings and the all-important summer break. And if your idea of the perfect summer break involves standing in a field with 20,000 other people, then youre in luck: the UK festival season is here.So whether its your first foray into festival life, or youre a seasoned veteran, here are a few of our top tips on how to return to work after the big weekend:Go hard and go homeOk, lets get this straight. Were not telling you not to have a good time. Nor are we telling you to hold back on your festival festivities. You worked hard for weeks in anticipation of the event, and you deserve to let yourself enjoy the moment.However, there are certain provisions you can make which might make the Monday (more likely, Tuesday) morning rush slightly more bearable. Before you go, check out the host of apps out there to help you deal with festival fall out: everything from preventing the post-festival flu by keeping an eye on the weather, to helping making sure you drink enough water throughout the weekend.Our top tip: Arrive early on the Thursday or Friday and make the most of your time early. That way you wont feel too guilty leaving on Sunday night with a clear head.Man (and/or woman) upUnless you work with a particularly reclusive bunch, or youre enormously unexcitable, everyone in the office already knows youre going to a festival. In laymans terms, this means that phoning in sick is not an option.Remember, the morning after you return is going to be a struggle, but you can get through it. Try and get a decent amount of sleep the night before (in a bed that cant double up as an emergency flotation device), have a filling breakfast and listen to your favourite band on the commute. Just as long as you can do so without shedding a tear.Our top tip: Message your camping companions on the way to work, and gain strength from your solidarity. Youre in this together, right until the endCareless talk costs livelihoodsWhatever happens at Glastonbury (Wireless/Reading/Burton Agnes Jazz and Blues Festival) stays at Glastonbury (etc.). In other words, as soon as you get into work, you should maintain an air of perfect professionalism, no matter how demotivated and dishevelled you feel.Undoubtedly this will apply to some professions more than others. But for any customer service role especially, save all specifics for the staffroom. Because your customers (and senior colleagues) probably dont want to hear a step-by-step reconstruction of the time your friend almost went backstage.So make the most of your weekend while youre there.Our top tip: This rule should also apply to social media (especially if youre friends with your boss). Because incriminating status updates and pictures are not worth losing your job over.Distract yourselfAlthough its not advisable to have a day full of meetings scheduled, the best way to take your mind off of the post-festiv al blues is to try and avoid thinking too much about them. Instead, come in, keep a low profile, and attempt to jump back into work.If you just sit there all day staring out of the window and looking through your iPhone photo collection, youre just asking for trouble.Our top tip: Try and do some exercise before/during/after your day. The endorphins released will help with your energy levels, as well as making you feel better about your excessive consumption of overpriced fast-food and fancy fruit flavoured festival cider.Take an extra day offBy far the most practical tip we can give. Take advantage of your bed, your bathroom, and any other facilities you may have been missing for the last few days.And if you want to spend it wallowing in your room waving a lighter in the air listening to your playlist on repeat, who are we to judge?Our top tip: Eat (something healthy). Sleep. Repeat.Honourable mentions: Wear shades (where permitted), re-adjust your volume levels (no yelling), re-adj ust your wardrobe (because wellies are not suitable work attire unless you work on a farm), bathe.Have any tips of your own? Let us know below, or tell us on twitter @reedcoukFind a job 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. Employment Law

8 Ways To Be More Productive Online

8 Ways To Be More Productive Online As we continue to run full speed ahead into the digital age more people than ever are relying on the internet as their main source of income. Although the online world is a magical place filled with education, possibilities, prospects and wonder, it is also a minefield for those of us who often find ourselves procrastinating or are easily distracted. With the internet having so much to offer it can be very hard to concentrate and stay focused at work and you may be noticing that your to-do list is growing and deadlines are looming. So what can you do to keep your mind on what matters, stop procrastinating and be more productive? Well start by procrastinating a little longer and reading the following 8 solutions: Close all of your unnecessary tabs and windows Of course it’s going to be hard to concentrate if something more interesting keeps catching your eye, such as the multitude of tabs at the top of your browser. Bookmark that holiday you were researching earlier and save the online shopping for later the science here is simple, clear your line of vision to stop you being distracted. The bookmarks bar really is going to be your best friend and will enable you to organise tabs for both your work and personal life whilst keeping them out of your direct line of sight. By filing these tabs away, they are more likely to stay out of mind and you can get back to what you were meant to be doing. Turn off your email notifications Nothing is more distracting than that little email notification sliding into the top of your screen, it’s even more distracting if it’s accompanied by a noise. Although it may not be possible to turn email notifications off forever, at least remove the most distracting ones or try having set time periods throughout your day dedicated to checking your emails. Close your inbox or mute notifications outside of these scheduled times and focus on your to-do list. Turning off notifications and closing your inbox will stop you being distracted by any incoming emails and will allow you to prioritise the work already on your plate, rather than jumping to a new task mid way through. Force yourself to stop If you really can’t be trusted and lack any form of self control then its time to force yourself to focus by blocking your access to particular sites using browser extensions or Apps such as Freedom, Self Control or These programmes work best when deployed simultaneously on your phone and computer and will stop you reaching over to check Instagram on your phone just because you blocked Twitter on your laptop. Keep an organised digital filing system Whether you save files to your device or to the cloud you need to keep things organised. Keeping your drive organised isn’t rocket science, like kubernetes vs docker swarm (that tech will really blow your mind, don’t procrastinate by clicking that link) so invest some time into creating an intuitive, easy to navigate folder structure and properly name all your documents so that you can find things easily, you can then put the time you will gain back to much better and more productive use. Solo-task Forget mutli-tasking, solo tasking is the way forward for maximum productivity. Studies have shown that multitaskers not only take longer to complete their work but make more mistakes too. This seems like an obvious conclusion to make as when we try to multitask our brains are donating energy to different projects, when this energy would be better spent focused on one particular task or thing. Prioritise your to-do list, tackle it one item at a time and give 100% of your concentration to each task. Improve your setup Sometimes we need to take a step back and assess our working environment, is it set up for productivity? If you find yourself continuously jumping between windows on your computer then it may be time to look at getting a second monitor which will enable to do your job more easily. If your laptop traction pad drives you up the wall then consider a wireless usb mouse. Upgrading your work setup will have a huge impact on your concentration levels and ability to do your job effectively. Make your deadlines final Moving a deadline benefits no-one, yet we’ve all done it. Have you ever heard of Parkinsons Law? Parkinson stated that “work expands to fill the time available for its completion”, so to combat this, make your deadlines final (before they actually are final) by giving yourself a finite amount of time to complete them. For example, try working from a cafe or somewhere which will have to close, treat the closing time as your deadline for the task. Another way to utilise Parkinsons law is to unplug your laptop and use your battery life as an enforced deadline. How you make use of Parkinsons law is up to you, but in essence you are applying pressure on yourself and forcing yourself into action. If you must procrastinate do it strategically Some people work best under pressure but if applying Parkinsons Law doesn’t work for you and your only motivation is your final deadline then procrastinate strategically and purposefully leave work until the last minute to force you to do it. Don’t just rest on your laurels whilst you procrastinate, make good use of this time working towards other projects. This method is of course riddled with risks and any last minute set backs could cost you dearly, so use it only if all else fails. Being unproductive helps no-one and will simply make you stressed and cost you time in the long run. Try each of the above eight things and find out which of them helps to improve your productivity it may be that a combination of all eight are the answer to your problems. So it’s time to stop reading this article and get back to work, the most productive work day of your life starts now.

5 Things I Wish I Was Taught About Money As a Child

5 Things I Wish I Was Taught About Money As a Child Having money is crucial to enjoying the fine things in life. But this is only possible if you understand how to manage your finances. Getting the basics of financial management should start early in childhood. Money problems in adulthood occur because parents don’t teach their children the essence of financial management early enough. Here are 5 things I wish I were taught about money as a child. 1. Saving is Paramount You need to explain the importance of saving to your child early enough. You need to let your child understand that the good things in life come due to saving. Let your child understand the importance of saving even before you start giving an allowance. Teach your children the importance of a child savings account and how to use it. Go with your child to open their first account and teach them how to fill in the deposit slip. 2. Investing is Crucial Teach your kids the basics of investing and its benefits. Explain that when you invest you get more money in return. Talk about some of the top options when it comes to investing such as stocks and real estate. Make sure you incorporate some fun in the lessons to make sure your child doesnt get bored. 3. Money is Earned Your children need to know that there is no free money. Money is earned through hard work. Let them know that you leave the house every day to look for money for them to live the life they are living. Let them do additional chores around the house to earn some pocket money. Have them make the beds, clean the utensils, rake the yard or run errands for some extra cash. This will help them understand that the good life is earned. 4. Money has to be Kept Safe Make the children understand that money has to be kept in a safe place, or it might be stolen. Let them understand the concept of banking by starting with a piggy bank at home. Introduce the need for a wallet and credit cards later on. 5. There is More to Life than Money Explain that money has value but this shouldnt be the most important thing in life. Teach your children the importance of family and love. Final Thoughts If most of us had these lessons when we were little children; I believe we would be more financially responsible adults.

Top 10 Reasons Not To Buy a House - Classy Career Girl

Top 10 Reasons Not To Buy a House Buying a house is one of the ultimate markers of success in our society, but rushing out to buy a house isnt necessarily a smart moveâ€"especially with the skyrocketing cost of buying a home in most modern cities and seemingly consistent volatility in the global economy. Low-interest rates make mortgages look more appealing in areas where rent is extremely high, but here are 10 reasons why you should pause before you jump into the housing market. Top 10 Reasons Not To Buy a House 1. Stability This is obviously the biggest concern. The job market is better than it was in 2008 but it still hasnt fully recovered, so if you lose your job you might not be able to find one in time to continue paying for your mortgage. Be honest with yourselfâ€"is your job really stable? Are you likely to get promotions and raises so you can enjoy your lifestyle while paying off your mortgage? 2. Other Debts Student debt is higher than its ever been with many 20-somethings carrying a debt load of over $50,000. Using the money youd spend on a down payment to pay off these debts is often a smarter move long-term. 3. Emergency Savings No matter how stable your job seems and how likely you are to get consistent raises, you cant account for every emergency. A serious illness or accident could leave you unable to work for an extended period of time. You should be thinking about putting aside 3, preferably a 6 months worth of your salary into an emergency savings account before you even think about a down payment. 4. Missing Other Investment Opportunities The other thing you should have before you think about buying a house is a variety of financial assets. Once youre making mortgage payments there will be less room in your budget for other investments. Having all your net worth tied up in your house is dangerous. Many people get stuck in the mindset of investing in real estate and shares, however you might find that being open to other forms of investment, such as investing in profitable websites, can provide you with suitable returns without tying you down too much financially. 5. Repairs and Maintenance As a renter, your landlord is responsible when things like the plumbing break down. As an owner, all of this is your responsibilityâ€"which gets expensive fast if you dont know how to do it yourself. Even if you have significant emergency savings, you should still consider whether or not you want that responsibility. 6. Length of Stay How long do you plan to live in the city where you are considering buying a home? If youre likely to relocate within the next 5-10 years, buying a house probably isnt worthwhile.  Youll be stuck if you cant sell it right away when its time to move. 7. The Volatile Housing Market As more and more baby boomers have to move into retirement homes, their homes will start flooding the market. Young people who wait another 10 years will likely be able to choose between a wider variety of homes. 8. Mortgages Arent Always Cheaper Yes, in some highly sought after areas it is cheaper to pay for a mortgage than it is to rent, but this is not true in a lot of areas. Do the math in the area youre in to see which is actually cheaper. 9. Kids Most of us generally dont have an exact plan for when were going to have kids or how many were going to have. We cant really predict the future. If you cant afford a home big enough to fit kids, renting allows you to move into a bigger place more easily if you end up with twins! ?? 10.  Not Having Money For The Fun Things In Life This is called being cash poor. If youve grown accustomed to the college student lifestyle you might think continuing to live this way is worth it so you can buy a great house, but you probably wont still feel that way in five or ten years. Its fine to know youre stable enough that youll be able to make mortgage payments for the next twenty years, but if youre not going to have money left over for the fun things in life its not worth it. [RELATED: How to Pay Off Six Figures of Debt] What do you think? Is it worth it to buy a house or not?

Writing Teacher Resume - Use a Capstone Format

Writing Teacher Resume - Use a Capstone FormatIf you're looking for the best writing teacher resume for a student in school, then it is important to find one that suits your student's requirements. For a writing teacher resume, here are some things to consider.In this article, we'll talk about what the writing teacher resume should be, and how it can help you in finding a job. Specifically, we will look at the most common resume formats and suggest the kind of application for students in school. The most basic, and probably the easiest, is the chronological format.The chronological format usually works for students in school, just after they enter their first year of teaching and after they have completed the first five years of education in the course. As you can see, it works by simply listing the teaching experiences in order, from first to last. This is a good method if you only have one year worth of experience to work with, or if you don't even know how many years you've taught .With the chronology format, you write down your teaching experience from first to last, as listed in the format. The basis for the chronological format is to write a few sentences summarizing your experience. It could be something like 'The school I was teaching at had strict polices code and I taught the importance of respect and integrity as a way of fostering good manners in the students'. Make sure that the summaries match with the chronology format of your student's education.Of course, there are other formats of writing teacher resumes, but the most common would be the chronological and the capstone formats. Although these are also simple in terms of design, they are very effective at presenting a clear history of education and work.To create a capstone or chronology, you start with the student's education (in terms of first, second, third year, and so on), and then list all of your achievements and skills in the chronological order as mentioned above. What is important here is to include some relevant details about your teaching practice, such as time spent on teaching different subjects. You can also include things like literature, history, and other subjects.So, if you're using the capstone format, what you're basically doing is listing all of your past experiences as a teacher, even if it's not listed chronologically. This will help you present a good picture of your work in terms of experience and skills. This will make you stand out from the competition.The idea is to really highlight the things that your student needs to know when applying for a teaching job. A simple writing teacher resume format should help you do this. Please don't forget to write the required information about your student's experiences in school - this is a vital part of your teaching resume.

Do You Have What It Takes To Be A Blogging Superstar - CareerAlley

Do You Have What It Takes To Be A Blogging Superstar - CareerAlley We may receive compensation when you click on links to products from our partners. A lot of people are finding themselves in a position where they want to break out of the standard nine-to-five work structure. Of course, this isnt exactly something that new, people have been frustrated with their jobs for just about as long as jobs have existed. However, the difference now is that people have more opportunities to break away from their jobs than ever before. A lot of this is because of the rise of the internet. Being an excellent writer doesnt necessarily translate into being an excellent blogger. Blogging has its own very definite style, it tends to be a lot more casual and conversational than academic or informational writing Tweet This The internet has created more ways for people to take control of their careers in ways that simply werent possible even a couple of decades ago. Setting up a business is easier than ever, but that still comes with a degree of financial commitment that a lot of people arent able to deal with. However, one of the most popular methods of making money that has sprung up over the last few years dont have that issue. Blogging has exploded into the mainstream over the last few years, and a lot of people are looking to it as a way of making money without having to get up and go to the office every day. Of course, blogging isnt nearly as easy as a lot of people would have you believe. The question is, do you have what it takes to be a blogging sensation? Pick an Interesting Topic that You Love Picking a blog topic that both, interests you and that you really understand will take time and research. Make a list and narrow it down before you settle on the topic that you think is right for you. Choosing a topic you know a lot about and are interested in will give you a greater chance for success. Another consideration is whether or not the topic you select can be a profitable topic. While researching your blog topic, keep these tips in mind: Choose a topic you enjoy You will be spending a lot of time researching this topic for articles. Choose a topic that has the potential to be profitable Most bloggers make the bulk of their income off of affiliate links. Choose a topic that has a lot of potential for purchases, such as travel, gift ideas, camping, etc. Choose a topic that has a large audience The more people your topic appeals to, the better the chance for success. Can you write convincingly? The main thing that you need to be able to do if you really want to be the next big thing in this blogosphere is to write well. Of course, its not just enough to be able to string a decent sentence together; youve got to be able to engage a readeron an emotional level. You need to be able to encourage them to keep reading and give them something to think about when they walk away from their computer. If you can do this, then youre pretty much guaranteed to have a captive audience who are going to want to come back time and time again. Do you have an eye for images? Of course, a blog isnt all about the words. Your blog has to be able to get a readers attention on a visual level as well. If your blog looks terrible, then it really isnt going to matter how good your writing is because the chances of them ever getting to it are pretty slim. Each of your posts should include interesting images that will keep your readers interest when a solid wall of text could potentially leave them bored. The Essential Habits Of 6-Figure Bloggers: Secrets of 17 Successful Bloggers You Can Use to Build a Six-Figure Online Business Price: $14.99 Have you ever wondered why some bloggers earn six- or even seven-figure incomes while most struggle to make their first $1000? What strategies, habits, or systems have led to their success? Buy Now from Amazon We earn a commission if you click this link and make a purchase at no additional cost to you. Last Updated: March 2, 2020 You can take the pictures yourself of course, but that would require no small amount of skill, not to mention a decent camera. Instead, you can use free picture sites like pixabay.comto find high-quality stock images. Not only that but you need to think about the visual style of your blog as a whole, from the layout to the color scheme. Can you motivate yourself? Being a blogger means that you have a lot of control over your working hours and style. However, this means that you lack a lot of security that comes with a nine-to-five job. If youre to producing content, then youre not going to be earning any money. You need to be able to motivate yourself to work regularly every day, or your blog is going to end up on the vast pile of failed websites littering the internet. LASSO: Affiliate Link Manager for WordPress Price: 14-Day Trial Find new income opportunities, increase clicks, and measure what's making money by managing your links with LASSO. Sign Up for LASSO Today! We earn a commission if you click this link and make a purchase at no additional cost to you. What's next? Ready to take action? Choose the right tools to help you build your career. Looking for related topics? Find out how to find the opportunities that help you grow your best career. Subscribe and make meaningful progress on your career. It’s about time you focused on your career. Get Educated Contact Us Advertise Copyright 2020 CareerAlley. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy + Disclosure home popular resources subscribe search

Is What You Learned in School Hindering Your Success - CareerAlley

Is What You Learned in School Hindering Your Success - CareerAlley We may receive compensation when you click on links to products from our partners. By Cynthia Kocialski What we indirectly learned in our school years has a profound impact on our success later in life. Not the factual knowledge that school is intended to teach children, but those lessons implied and habits picked up that were not intended as part of our formal schooling. When it comes to success, some of these habits are best forgotten, while others are those that we should remember. Best Forgotten Habits 1.Winning Doesnt Matter Every school child has heard it, Its not whether you win or lose that matters. Its how you play the game. Winning really does matter. Would you hire an attorney who loses all of his cases? Would you want to go to a doctor who never cures her patients? Nothing builds self-esteem and confidence like winning. Winning builds a track record of success, and its this record that provides one with bigger and better opportunities in the future. 2. Reward Follows Effort In school we are told that hard work produces rewards. One can work really, really hard and get nothing at all for ones efforts. Why? There is something missing. Its the middleman. Its not the effort, but rather the results creating the prize. Its the difference between working hard and working smart. The person flipping burgers at McDonalds for 40 hours per week is just as tired at the end of the week as the CEO putting in the same number of hours. The difference is the CEO has a direct impact on the bottom line of the company, where the burger cook does not. Next time you have a job interview, ask the interviewer how your job affects the performance of the company. 3. Waiting for Recognition Good things come to those that wait. Waiting works as long as everyone is getting those good things. However, success only comes to a few. In school, everyone moves to the next grade. With careers, only a chosen few move on to the next level. This isnt sage advice if you want to reach your dreams. It should be, Good things come to those that wait, better things come to those that ask, and the best things come to those who go out and get what they want. 4. Extreme Talent Isnt Required In school, the measure of students success is their grades. Everyone in the class is given the same test, and everyone is ranked in relation to everyone else. Its an apples to apples comparison, and its objective. In my experience, the student at the top of the class obtains that position because of innate brain power. Its simply a matter of the student being responsible enough to do the required work and their extreme intelligence does the rest. The workplace is very different. No two workers get the same assignment; everyone gets a different piece of the puzzle. When it comes to promotions, awards and raises, you are being compared with your coworkers like apples to oranges. The comparison is now subjective. Is the apple sweeter than the orange? And a single talent such as brain power isnt what will get you to the top. Its a combination of talents and skills. Traits Better Revived Do you remember when you were really young? Or maybe youve been around young children and youve observed their behaviors. Young kids have many natural traits that make them better at business than their elders. 5. Inching to the Goal If you have a goal, inching closer is better than not doing anything at all. Once you get to the next step, try getting yet one step further. While kids may not possess the ability to plan how to get to the end, they move closer and closer and closer to what they want. As adults, we believe we always have to plan the path to the final destination before getting started. A preschooler will see a television commercial with a new toy and ask, Can I have that toy? The most likely response from Mom and Dad is No. The child will follow with, Can we go to the toy store and just look? Once again, the response from Mom and Dad is No. Then someone decides to go to the supermarket and the child says, Can I go along? When you are in the store, the child sees those little toys in aisles and asks, Can I have one of those toys? The answer is No, there just cheap toys that will break. The childs response, Isnt the toy store nearby? We could go and just look. This is my husband and daughter. Inevitably, she arrives back home with a big toy for the toy store! 6. Extreme Persistence Ask everyone who will listen. If Mom says No, go ask Dad. If Dad says No, go ask big sister. If big sister says, No, go ask Grandma and the list goes on. Kids arent shy about asking, and they will ask everyone and anyone who will listen. They never stop. They keep their minds focused on the objective. The unpleasantness of cold calling or asking a complete stranger would never deter a kid. These means are justified by reaching the prize. 7. Focus on Success, Not Failure For a kid, the thought process is simpler I want it and I will get it or I want to do it, I think I can do it and therefore, I will do it. There is no thought of failure, just success. Most kids know the consequences of failure are mostly trivial, while the rewards of success are not. The younger a child is the more success is taken for granted. It is to be expected because they believe that nothing is impossible. The probability of success is irrelevant. Its the new mantra in the start-up community, fail fast, fail early, and fail cheaply. These are the words of an adult. They are focused on failure; a child would never phrase it in such a manner. The problem with focusing on failure is that you lose sight of success. Ones thoughts become centered on how to prevent failure instead how to create success. I prefer the outlook of kids. Its more positive. Kids have a clear vision of what they want and a much stronger belief in what is possible. Cynthia Kocialski is the founder of three tech start-ups companies. In the past 15 years, she has been involved in dozens of start-ups. Cynthia writes the Start-up Entrepreneurs Blog www.cynthiakocialski.com. Cynthia has written the book, Out of the Classroom Lessons in Success: How to Prosper Without Being at the Top of the Class. The book serves up tips, insight, and wisdom to enable young adults and parents of kids to know what it will take to forge a successful career, no matter what their academic achievement. Good luck in your search. This is a Guest post. If you would like to submit a guest post to CareerAlley, please follow these guest post guidelines. What's next? Ready to take action? Choose the right tools to help you build your career. Looking for related topics? Find out how to find the opportunities that help you grow your best career. Subscribe and make meaningful progress on your career. It’s about time you focused on your career. Get Educated Contact Us Advertise Copyright 2020 CareerAlley. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy + Disclosure home popular resources subscribe search