How to Implement the Minimalist Approach to Your Work Life

How to Implement the Minimalist Approach to Your Work Life Thanks to several popular books, Netflix, and Marie Kondo, minimalism has become mainstream.But minimalism isnt just about throwing away your junk and organizing your spice drawer.Neither is it about those carefully curated #minimal #minimalstyle Instagram pics by wannabe influencers.You can also take the minimalist approach to your work life.And its worth doing not just because of the fancy vibe. Minimalism simplifies tasks. Helps you become more efficient and productive. Finally, it frees up your time and your mental space for a boost in clarity and creativity.(Plus, as a bonus, youll feel significantly less stressed.)If youre feeling:OverwhelmedBurnt outDrowning in papers and tasksLike there simply arent enough hours in the dayI can relateAs Ive grown my business, Transizion, Ive felt overwhelmed and exhausted at times. Minimalism has helped me prioritize tasks and boost performance.Minimalism may be the solution you need to improve your approach to life.6 Steps to Implement the M inimalist Approach to WorkLearn to focus on the essential by trying these minimalist approaches. Focus your energy where it counts, and youll notice improved positivity, productivity, and performance.1. Declutter your desk.Is your desk covered with month-old papers, Post-It notes, and a collection of unnecessary objects?Turns out that your clutter could be holding you back at work. Studies show a link between clutter, stress, and procrastination.When you declutter your desk, youll feel better and perform better. Youll also have an easier time finding the documents that really matter.Take a few minutes and throw out non-essential items. Repeat this process at the end of each day or week. Go paperless when you can, and create a filing system when you cant.2. Declutter your tech.A cluttered desktop or a cluttered phone is just as bad as a cluttered desk. Unnecessary apps are time wasters. Unorganized files make your work life stressful, creating the impression that theres more work to be done than there actually is.Delete any apps that dont add value to your life or make daily tasks easier. Get rid of unnecessary subscriptions, accounts, and memberships.Take a while to actually examine if a given app brings any value to your life. If you havent used an app in the last 3 months, youll most likely never use it again (doesnt apply to Tinder).On your computer, delete downloads and documents that youll never open again. Not only will it make navigating through the files easier, but it will also vastly improve your computers performance.If theres a chance youll need to access the document sometime in the future, store it on Google Drive, Dropbox, or another cloud storage system.Use digital folders and sub-folders to organize your work documents. When youve finished a task, its tempting to just save and close without filing it away. Remember that those few extra seconds can save you tons of time in the future.3. Eliminate, automate, prioritize.Do you ever feel so overwh elmed with tasks that its difficult to even start? In this scenario, minimalism is a lifesaver.First, see if there are any tasks you can delegate or even eliminate.Is every task on your list essential?Why is each task important?How does it contribute to the goals of your company or business?Next, are there any tasks you can automate? What can you do to make the task faster and easier without sacrificing quality?Examples of automation include creating templates and forms that speed up processes or using keyboard shortcuts, spreadsheet macros, and autocomplete.After youve eliminated and automated what you can, prioritize the rest. Keep a running list of every task thats on your radar, and use a system to indicate priority.For example, you may put an A next to tasks you must complete today, a B next to tasks you should complete today, and a C next to tasks that can wait.Another approach is to set three essential tasks for each day. Focus on these tasks, and allow other tasks to wait un less something must be fast-tracked.Alternatively, you can use the 1-3-5 rule. This means narrowing your task list down to one big task, three medium tasks, and five small tasks daily. You can adjust the number as needed. If unexpected tasks often pop up during your day, leave one medium task and 1-2 small tasks blank.4. Say no.Once youve set your priorities, start saying no. Learn to defend your priorities and your time.Sure, you want to be helpful and agreeable. But saying yes to every task that comes your way is a recipe for stress, burnout, and missed deadlines.If something wont fit into your schedule, say so. You can also say something like, Sure, Id be happy to do that, but my schedule is full until Tuesday of next week. Does that work for you?What if your boss is the one asking you to cram in an additional task? Try, Im working on _________ for you right now. If I switch to this new task, itll delay the first task. Which is higher priority? If your boss says the new task is t he higher priority, adjust accordingly.This is important for both entrepreneurs and employees, who have limited bandwidth to apply to projects. You need to defend your time because youll never get it back.5. Take breaks.Believe it or not, trying to power through your workday with zero breaks is counterproductive. Without breaks, mental and physical fatigue will set in and impair your effectiveness.In fact, most experts recommend taking a break every 75-90 minutes. Another study suggests working for 52 minutes, followed by a 17-minute break.Experiment with different techniques and see what works for you. The point is to recharge and rejuvenate with short breaks throughout the day. Use your breaks to walk, stretch, or chat with a coworker.Avoid eating lunch at your desk, and remember to leave work at the office when its time to go home.Minimizing the time you spend working leads to more focus, productivity, energy, and effectiveness.6. Tame the email monster.For many of us, email is o ne area that could really use a minimalist approach. Try setting aside a few designated times to answer your email each day.Other ideas include:Use Inbox Pause to stop the flow of emails until youre ready for them.Set alerts only for people who may require an immediate response, like your boss.If an email will take three minutes or less to answer, do it now. Save the rest for designated email time.Set up filters to automatically sort your emails into easy-to-manage folders.Answer with statements instead of questions to avoid a never-ending back-and-forth.Do you find yourself sending the same or similar responses over and over? Enable Canned Responses on Gmail or set up templates that can be inserted with a few clicks.Unsubscribe to emails that you dont really read or dont find helpful.When youre sure youre done with a particular email thread, delete them or file them away. Dont let your inbox pile up.So, what do you think?How do you take a minimalist approach to work? Which of these suggestions do you plan to try? Id love to hear from you in the comments. Lets get the discussion started!

How Early Should I Be To A Job Interview The Answer Here - Algrim.co

How Early Should I Be To A Job Interview The Answer Here - Algrim.co Wondering how early you should arrive at a job interview? You aren’t alone. Here’s the thing about trying to time your job interview arrival perfectly, you never know what you’re going to run into. Unexpected circumstances can often set your whole interview into a stressful start if you let them. And those unexpected events can arise out of nowhere. The most common war story I hear about arriving for an interview is those who are trying to arrive within minutes of the interview starting. When they did this, they often times put themselves at big risk. Similar to trying to arrive at the airport right before the airplane is about to take off. You could find out that you have the wrong address, you could find out that you have the wrong floor or that you don’t remember the interviewers' name. There’s a significant amount of variables that exist in the story that starts from you leaving your home to you arriving at the job interview. Here are some really common occurrences of what could happen if you are trying to arrive perfectly on time to your job interview: If you forgot the interviewer's name, you could get stopped at security and have to make a call to find out who you are meeting with. This could take considerable time and cause you to be late. You could leave the house only to have forgotten key elements to what you were supposed to bring with you, needing to return back home and leave again. You could get the address, building or floor incorrect. All of which could cause you to be late. For example, maybe the interviewer forgot to put which building your interview was in, on the invite. That could cause you to be late. You could have to stop and use the restroom. In which case, this could cause you to be late or cause you to be uncomfortable during the interview. These are just some of the examples which could cause you to be late even if you are absolutely sure you will not be. And even if they don’t end up causing you to be late, they could cause you to feel uncomfortable. Having to run from one building to another would make you disheveled looking, and potentially unprofessional. How early should you be to an interview? Arrive at least 15 minutes early Here’s what I advise, always leave early, arrive early and if you need to, wait in the lobby and spend time doing something else. It is always best to be early. Try to get there 15 minutes early but give yourself some extra time for unexpected events. If you arrive early, that’s okay. Use the restroom, get yourself cleaned up, practice your interview questions and answers, do some work on your phone. It is always better to be safe than sorry, arrive early, ensure you are at the right location, and then spend extra time getting nerves calmed down. Those who arrive early will never be punished, in fact, you’ll never hear a future interviewer complain about the fact that you were too early. They will only complain and potentially disregard your interview if you are late. So do yourself a favor and arrive 15 minutes early, at least! If you are curious about the best times to schedule an interview, read our guide here. More Resources on Timing Learn how early you should be to your interview - How Early Should I Be To A Job Interview? The Answer Here Learn how long interviews last for - How Long Do Interviews Last? Your Answer Here Learn how long you have to wait after an interview to know if you got the job - How Long To Wait After An Interview? 5 Reasons It Takes So Long

Realtor Career Profile - VocationVillage

Realtor Career Profile - VocationVillage VocationVillage.com interviews Seattle Realtor Brad Hinckley.What are the primary responsibilities of a Realtor career?Seattle Realtor Brad HinckleyThe primary responsibility is to provide representation and professional advice to one’s clients in their real estate sales transactions, to enable them to move successfully through the process of buying or selling residential real estate, and to always keep their best interests first and foremost in your mind. You will become their trusted advisor, in whom they will place considerable trust as long as you earn it. You often will become much more than just a Realtor. Often, you’ll feel more like a psychologist, since you will become involved in the personalities and issues facing people in their daily lives. A real estate sales transaction rarely occurs without some element of drama.What does a typical day look like for you?The thing about working in real estate sales is that there really is no “typical” day. For those who crave r outine in their work life, then residential real estate sales is not for you. One might spend an entire day prospecting for new business, or showing homes, or analyzing sales data, or preparing a new listing for market, or facilitating the closing of a transaction. More commonly, and as your business matures, you end up spending time juggling a number of different clients at the same time. Time management becomes critical. The challenge is to determine where best to spend your time, as there are certainly many ways in which to spend it.What do you like best about your Realtor career?I love the control that I generally have over my time, in comparison to how it was when I was in corporate America. This does not mean that I have an abundance of free time as a Realtor. But I do like the fact that I am not 100% away from my family life during the workday. I am able to juggle work and family life in a way that enables me to see my children more often than I otherwise would. This is the g reatest benefit to me by far. I work just as hard and as many hours as I did in corporate America. But now the hours feel more under my own control and the days are more personally satisfying.What are the most challenging things about selling real estate?The most challenging part is handling weekends. It simply is not realistic to think you will not need to work on weekends in this field. Quite often, weekends are when the most activity will happen. Anyone considering real estate sales as a career should give considerable thought to how this pressure to work on weekends could impact one’s spouse and family. Every family’s situation is different, so often it can be worked out quite well. However, other times it can become a source of stress and anxiety. Clients will expect that you be there for them on weekends, as that is often the time that they have available on which to focus on their residential real estate matters.What was your professional background before you became a Re altor?After graduating from college I worked at Arthur Andersen, the former multinational accounting firm, as an auditor and then as a tax accountant, and I earned a CPA during that time. Then, after attending business school and earning an MBA at Stanford, I held financial executive roles at several different high-tech companies, most notably an Internet startup called NBC Internet, which went public in 1998. While my work during these years was quite numbers-oriented, there was still a great deal of interpersonal and communications skills required in order to succeed.How did you transition into a Realtor career from being a CPA and financial executive?I joined as a partner with another agent who had already been working in the business for about 4 years. This was a considerable jump start for me, as I was thrown in to real-life transactions from day one. The best way by far to succeed, in my opinion, is to learn by doing. Real estate sales is not rocket science, but there is a con siderable amount to know and to manage. Your clients will take their real estate matters very seriously, and they will rely upon you to be their guide and their confidante. Joining with a partner when one is brand new in the profession is fairly rare. If one joins on their own, which is the more traditional path, I suggest offering your services to some of the experienced agents in the office. Ask if you can hold their open houses, organize their files, do marketing mailings, help stage a property, anything in the beginning. You want to learn by doing, and the best way is to jump right in, even in tasks that might feel too low level at first. It will pay off if you do this, as experienced agents will teach you so much more than you could know by just going it alone and hoping to score some new business. Then, as time goes on, you don’t have to replicate exactly what the experienced agents do. In fact, you should carve out your own identity, your own business model. But it’s so i mportant to jump right in and learn, starting on day one. It’s easy to waste an awful lot of time in the beginning.What is your educational background?I earned a BA in Economics and an MBA at Stanford University. I also hold a CPA license.What skills are most important to succeed in a Realtor career?Time management. By that I mean more than just organizing oneself so as to accomplish the needed tasks in a day. I mean that, plus knowing where to spend your time and where not to spend your time. If you waste your time in real estate sales, you might as well have just been at the beach having fun. You do not receive any benefit for “face time” or being in the office and making your boss feel that you are doing a good job. That concept simply does not exist in real estate sales.Given the slump in the real estate market, would you advise people to start a Realtor career now or wait until the market improves?Starting in real estate sales during a slow period will certainly have its challenges. The disadvantage in doing this is that it could be a more lengthy period of time until you receive your first commission check, as there are fewer buyers and sellers during the slow period. The advantage to starting during a slow period is that there will be fewer other agents starting at the same time. In a boom period, there are literally hundreds of other new agents starting at the same time as you, so that can be discouraging right from the beginning.Are there any commonly held misperceptions about a Realtor career that you would like to clarify?Yes. Many people entirely over-estimate the time a Realtor spends doing showings of houses. While this is obviously an important component of the job when working as a buyer’s agent, it is actually a much smaller percentage of time than one would think. There is much more that goes in the job than just doing showings. The other common misperception is that Realtors are uneducated, greedy salespeople. The reality is that the re are thousands of Realtors, some of whom are quite highly educated, professional and skilled in their work, and some of whom are poorly trained and unethical. Given that the “barriers to entry” into the field of real estate sales is rather low (i.e. the license exam is not difficult and no college education is required), you will see all varieties of people in the profession. It’s more of a “survival of the fittest” career choice.What is the income range for persons in real estate sales?The income levels fluctuate considerably from person to person, and from year to year. Realtor make anywhere from nothing at all to several hundred thousand dollars per year. The most important thing to keep in mind is that there will be ups and downs, so having savings in the bank that you can fall back on in a slow period is essential. Similarly, when you have a particularly good month, be sure to save a portion of it for savings, as well as for your income taxes.What are your long-term goals?I always have a difficult time with this question. I am currently really enjoying real estate, so my plan is to continue to build my business and make each year better than the previous one financially and to continue to build a primarily referral-based business. At a certain point, my business partner and I will need to bring on an assistant, but we have been hesitant to take on the additional cost of doing that just yet. As there will always be ups and downs in the real estate market, we would rather hold off on increasing our cost base until as long as possible.Any other comments or questions that you wished I had asked?I am happy to speak directly with anyone who is interested in pursuing a career in residential real estate sales. I can be reached at 206-330-1388 or erme.Thank you, Brad! . If you are considering hiring a top-notch Seattle Realtor, please visit Brads website at Brad Hinckley, Seattle Realtor. . . Read more career profiles. .

U.K. Jobs and Housing Manchester Remains The Biggest Pull

U.K. Jobs and Housing Manchester Remains The Biggest Pull Studies of U.K. jobs and housing suggest that finding a job is one of the main driving factors behind relocation, which is increasingly more common in the growing generation of ‘millennials’. This demographic of young people reach adulthood in the 21st century, and nearly two fifths of under 25-year olds are reported to move to a new house in their lifetime, with relocation for work purposes highlighted as the dominant reason for the transfer. As the younger generation today are actively seeking a high standard of job, often relocation is essential to secure desired positions with a higher salary. Choosing to purchase a buy to let property in the UK surfaces as a premier choice, as buying a property to live in becomes an unreachable vision for young people who have been coined ‘generation rent’, due to the expectation of renting for most of their lives.   Given current trends in the U.K. jobs and housing area, Manchester is a shining star. U.K. Jobs and Housing Trends in relocation are benefitting a multitude of northern powerhouse cities as they remain attractive to professionals all around the country. Manchester’s growing job markets are rising in unison with the employment opportunities surfacing throughout the city attracting a diverse collection of potential resident’s keen to source rented accommodation in Manchester’s centre. Spikes in population over recent years have mirrored the surge in the millennial population, undoubtedly supported by the rapid growth in job prospects that have become central to Manchester’s economy. Ranked the sixth city in England for people achieving jobs, it has been outlined that the success rate of obtaining a job in the current economic climate is higher in Manchester than the capital city of London. Heavy focusses on science, culture, innovation and technology underpin the exciting, unique employment opportunities present within the city across these multiple sectors. Current Trends Ambitious development initiatives such as the £1 billion expansion of MediaCityUK, and the state of the art revival of Spinningfields’ business district provide a hotbed for investors as the job market into these areas flourishes due to the added appeal driving the tenant demand. Home to a plethora of globally respected financial firms such as Natwest and RBS, the district has transformed into a haven for young professionals aiming to source work in a leading northern hub. MediaCityUK on the banks of Salford Quays is a magnet for young professionals seeking alternative city living, and with top broadcasting corporations calling this cutting-edge destination home, there is soaring demands for creative minds who want to utilise the best facilities in the business through work. In a recent article by Buy Association it has been suggested that, “Workers are moving away from the capital to places like Manchester and Birmingham, and many major businesses are following suit. The number of Londoners abandoning the capital has hit a 10-year high, as people move elsewhere looking for lower house prices and a better quality of life”. Is Manchester Right For You? Property investment companies like RW Invest specialise in buy to let opportunities that capture Manchester’s prominence in the property sector. You can click here to view the latest premium properties. These have been carefully selected with each investor in mind, keen to meet the growing demands from millennial tenants who are consistently residing in this urban gem of an investment hotspot.

How Maintaining Eye Contact Makes You Interview Ready CareerMetis.com

How Maintaining Eye Contact Makes You Interview Ready â€" CareerMetis.com Photo Credit â€" pexels.comInterviewers evaluate every possible aspect of an individual before finally hiring him.Sometimes, individuals having good knowledge in the subject area might not get the job due to a single mistake they made.Who wants to give up the opportunity of landing a really good job due to some silly reason, right?evalOne of the first impressions that interviewers make of candidates is through their body language. Your body language can either get you a good job or never let you have one.Let us put this in our day to day lifeevalYougo to an electronics store to buy a new mobile phone. The salesman at the other end of the counter, who is briefing you about the specifications of the mobile, is looking everywhere but at you.What would you think about the salesman? Either he is lying or misrepresenting facts or has absolutely no knowledge about the product. Well, it is a human phenomenon to make perceptions about an individual based on his body language.An Observation by the Career Expert Allison HemmingAllison Hemmingsays that during an interview your eye movements can make or break your chances of getting the job. Effective eye contact conveys a vast number of things like how confident, trustworthy and enthusiastic you are.If you do not maintain sufficient eye contact, it may seem to the interviewer that you are disinterested in the position. Read on to find out more on how eye contact can be of help to you.Conveys a great deal about your confidence levels!Are you looking down at the table or your shoes during your interview sessions?Two words- BIG MISTAKE! Such actions convey a lack of confidence and portray nervousness. Basically, all the wrong things.evalOn the other hand, maintaining eye contact sends the message that you know everything the interviewer is going to ask you. It portrays that you are confident about your work and can answer anything that comes your way. This way half the battle is already won!Interested in the Job- Absolutely!W hen the interviewer is talking to you and you show interest by allowing your eyes to light up, it portrays that you are interested in the conversation.This also implies that you will be interested while working for that position.evalMore likely to trust youThe interviewer is more likely to trust a candidate who is maintaining eye contact than one who is not. In fact, doesn’t this happen in our regular life conversations as well? Of course, it does!evalIt is okay to look away once in a while, as you gather your thoughts, but once in a while ONLY.Quick Tips on improving eye contact skillsListen to the person you are talking to, this way you can easily maintain eye contact.Practice at home by talking to yourself in front of the mirror.Don’t forget the 5-second rule when in a conversation with someone. Look at them for 4-5 seconds, then slightly glance to the side and then continue looking at them. After all, you don’t want them to think you arestaring.Once you start following the se tips and tricks, you would no longer need them as it would come in naturally.Eye Contact is the Key!Now that you know how important it is to maintain eye contact, here is a simplehackyou can use to master the art of great eye contact.All you have to do is follow your partner’s eye contact and match it.So, here is how it works. If theylook at you,look backand if theylook away,do the same.It’s simple, isn’t it?Also, there is no such thing as perfect eye contact- Ultimately, your aim is to make the interviewer feel that you are the right fit. All you need to do for the same is avoid giving too much or too little of eye contact.Remember, different people are comfortable with different forms of eye contact. So, if you give them the exact same amount of eye contact as they are, you would surely come in their ‘i-like-this-person’ list.Well, when you prepare your interview checklist don’t forget to add eye contact as the top priority. After all, isn’t it the most important determinant to land you a good job?

Whos Hiring in Criminal Justice - CareerAlley

Whos Hiring in Criminal Justice - CareerAlley We may receive compensation when you click on links to products from our partners. Criminal Justice is a career category weve not covered before in this blog. What does it include? ATF Agents, CIA/FBI Agents, Corrections Officers, Police Officers, Criminologists, US Marshall, etc. Todays post will cover a few search options. A reminder that the full range of job functions exist within Criminal Justice (like administrative assistants, financial analysts, etc.), and can be pursued after attending criminal justice colleges in PA or elsewhere in the country. Police Employment Another job search board, this one specializes in police jobs (state, local and Federal Government). The center of the page has a search engine followed by recent jobs. The right hand side of the page (bottom), has law enforcement tips and advice. Top left hand side has a Job Seeker dashboard followed by jobs by category. Law Enforcement Jobs Recruiting tomorrows heroes today is the tag line for this job search site. You can register on this site and post your resume. The main page has a number of resources on the left hand side (Newsletter, Education and Career Resources). The center of the page has a Job Seeker link for posting your resume, followed by a quick job search function and search by popular positions. The right hand side has featured jobs and jobs by sector. There were over 2,900 jobs when I checked. Private Security Jobs This job search site has the same structure to the one mentioned in the last paragraph. The main page has a number of resources on the left hand side (Newsletter, Education and Career Resources). The center of the page has a Job Seeker link for posting your resume, followed by a quick job search function and search by popular positions. The right hand side has featured jobs and jobs by sector. There were over 5,000 jobs when I checked the site. Secruity Recruiter Providing Exceptional Security Talent is the tag line for this recruiter. In addition to recruiting services, this site has a link to a blog and industry publications. Click Security Jobs at the top of the page followed by Job Seekers on the bottom right of the next page to leverage the search function. Click Submit Resume Profile at the bottom of the page to forward your details to this recruiter via a web-form. We are always eager to hear from our readers. Please feel free to contact us if you have any questions or suggestions regarding CareerAlley content. Good luck in your search,Joey Google+ Job Search job title, keywords, company, location jobs by

UPW Resume Writing Skills Tests Answers

UPW Resume Writing Skills Tests AnswersDo you need to learn how to ace the UPW Resume Writing Skills Test? This is a great way to go through a quick test before you get your career off the ground.The UPW, or the Universal Product of Work Test, is a simple question that asks about a few things related to how you describe yourself in your resume. It is just a very simple test.It will be a little bit of a laugh, but it is going to be very serious fun. You should not take this test lightly because it could really help you if you are going to apply for a job soon.The questions in this test are quite easy and they do not take a lot of time to complete. You will just need to answer them and get back to work.Here are some of the test answers and some tips to make sure that you ace this test: What is the purpose of your submission? How many clients can you name in the past year?These are some of the test answers that you will need to get. The actual question, in order to ace the test, is 'wha t are some reasons why I should hire you?'If you are going to answer that question correctly, you will definitely have a tough job ahead of you. You will also want to know if you have any experience or that you have taught in a school or at any other place of work.If you answer the easy question in a good way, you will have a tough job ahead of you. However, if you get all ofthe answers in a bad way, you may find that you do not get hired in this line of work.