How to Breeze Through Your First Week in a New Job

How to Breeze Through Your First Week in a New Job The euphoria of the job offer has passed, you’ve packed up and left your old employer and now you’re staring down the barrel of the first week in your new role â€" where do you even start? The first week in a new job can be key for all sorts of reasons, from the impression that you make on colleagues and management, to how quickly you can hit the ground running and start making progress in the role. A successful first week might seem like an impossible prospect in the days before you start but there are some easy steps you can take to make sure that you have a great shot of finishing off the week with a smile on your face: Be prepared: It’s not difficult to guess that preparation is going to have a big part to play in making a success of that first crucial week. Start by giving yourself a break in between ending one job and starting another â€" you want to step over the threshold of your new employer with enthusiasm and a spring in your step, rather than being exhausted and over tired. Schedule in some down time, whether it’s a holiday or just pottering around at home. Spend some time thinking about the role you’re about to commence, what the first week might involve and what kind of information you should go armed with. Do you have a good idea of the culture of the new company or do you need to research that too? Plan the practicalities of the first day â€" what documents do you need to take with you, what training or induction will you need to attend and who are you likely to meet? RELATED: 3 Essential Steps For Career Change Preparation Arrive on time: It’s a huge faux pas to be late on your first day in a new job so take every possible step to ensure that you’re not â€" even if it means you arrive a little early. Plan the route that you’re going to take to the new office, particularly if it’s vastly different from your previous workplace, and factor in extra time for any potential delays or disasters. If the new office has several locations check where you will be based â€" you’re not going to make a great impression if you turn up at the wrong office. RELATED: 13 Time Management Tips You Ought to Know Be calm: Remember that everyone has been the newbie at some point so you’re just going through the same process as everyone else in the organisation. Accept that you’ll probably feel out of place at first, like you don’t know anyone (because you don’t!) and like you have no idea where to being. Avoid putting pressure on yourself to fit in right from the start and just take everything very slowly. The calmer you are, the more likely you will come across as a friendly, open person people want to introduce themselves to. Remain positive at all times: Yes, you’re going to say silly things and make mistakes in your first week and it could well take you an hour to do something as simple as find the photocopier and make a single copy â€" this is par for the course when you start a new job. Don’t be afraid to ask for help and don’t turn down offers of help out of a sense of pride â€" all these steps will gradually get you onto the road that you need to move along to get to a more comfortable place. If you make a mistake then just smile, note the best way to avoid it in future and get on with the day. Dress to impress: The way you dress will play a big part in the impression you create on a new boss and new colleagues and could well impact on the way you’re treated, both during the first week and on an ongoing basis. Choose professional over casual every time, even if your first day happens to fall on a dress down Friday or something similar. It’s better to be the one person in a suit when everyone else is in jeans than the other way around. Remember to pay attention to the details too â€" shine shoes, wash hair, cut nails and clean jewellery. The impression you want to create is of someone who is comfortable in the office and ready to go out and meet clients too. Take lots of notes: Unless you have the most amazing memory, the sheer volume of information you’ll have to deal with during your first week could seem completely overwhelming. So, take notes of everything, from where the post room is located, to what your colleagues’ names are. It might seem a little geeky but it’s far preferable to having to ask the same questions over and over again â€" that will get annoying very quickly. You might think the first week in a new job is a scary, intimidating prospect but actually it’s the perfect opportunity to demonstrate just what a capable and professional employee you are. Enthusiasm, humility and the recommendations above will all help to make sure you finish the week with a sense of pride and excitement about what’s yet to come. Author: Nick Peacock is CEO at Ascendant Recruitment, a Milton Keynes based recruitment agency.

4 Ways The Right Contractor Will Make The Basement Renovation Easier

4 Ways The Right Contractor Will Make The Basement Renovation Easier You have a basement that’s never been used for anything but storage. It would be nice to convert it into space that you could use for other purposes. While you may have a general idea of what you want to do with the basement, there is the need to come up with a specific plan. That’s where the advice of a reputable basement contractor will come in handy. Here are some of the ways the contractor will make the renovation a lot easier. Assessing the Basement Space An expert will notice things about the basement that escapes your attention. Thats because the contractor has plenty of experience with basement finishing and knows what it takes to convert the basically raw space into something functional. Once the assessment is complete, the contractor is likely to have several suggestions that will ensure the space is properly prepared for whatever use you have in mind. Making Suggestions for Wiring and Plumbing Updates Depending on the plans for the space, the basement may already have sufficient outlets and overhead lighting. In other cases, making some changes will be in order. If you talk with the   basement contractor about how you plan on using the space, the professional will likely have a few suggestions that make a good thing even better. For example, perhaps the plan is to convert the basement into sleeping space for overnight visitors. The contractor will point out that some updates to the lighting and adding a few outlets will make it much easier to arrange the space for sleeping, lounging, and ensure guests have plenty of closet space. There may even be room in the right layout to install a small private bath. Think of what this would mean in terms of making sure your guests are comfortable. Recommending Options for Floor and Wall Coverings While you have an idea of how to decorate the space, do you know what types of materials would work best in a basement setting? You can bet that an expert in basements finishing will have some suggestions for floor coverings, wall paneling or painting, and even the use of wallpaper or other coverings. The goal is to install elements that can be cleaned easily, are less subject to damage, and will be easy to maintain. You’ll be surprised at how many options are just as practical as they are attractive. Keeping the Cost Affordable Not everyone can spend unlimited funds on a basement renovation.   For example, an experienced basement contractor in Cambridge understands this and can help the client make choices that are functional, practical, and affordable. Even with a modest budget, it’s possible to come up with a plan that leaves you with space that’s comfortable and looks great. If you are planning on converting your unused basement into living space, always seek help from an expert in basements finishing. Call today and arrange for a contractor to visit the home and take a look at the space. The process of transforming the basement may be simpler and more cost-effective than you think.

Do You Have an Ethical Personal Brand - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career

Do You Have an Ethical Personal Brand - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career Today, I spoke with Bruce Weinstein, who has successfully branded himself as The Ethics Guy. He has his own column for BusinessWeek.com and has written many books on this topics. Bruce reminds us how important it is to stay ethical in all that we do, online and offline. I think this is a really important topic, that isnt discussed much on the web (copyright laws are mentioned everywhere, but not ethics), yet its crucial in business. Wouldnt you want to deal with someone who has strong ethics, knowing the difference between right and wrong? What is an ethical dilemma that occurs throughout peoples lives, and how should people respond to it? Observing wrongdoing is one of the most commonâ€"and challengingâ€"ethical problems we encounter throughout our lives. Whether the issue is seeing a fellow classmate cheating on a test when we’re in the fifth grade or learning that a colleague is cheating a client when we’re in the work force, we’re often faced with an ethical question simply by witnessing someone else doing something or she shouldn’t be doing. Although it is understandable why one wouldn’t want to get involved (after all, who likes confrontations?), minding one’s own business in such situations is almost always the wrong thing to do. When we are in a position to prevent harm to others, to correct an injustice, or to be a force for good, and doing so won’t pose a serious threat to life or limb, we ought to take action. What that action is depends, of course, on the facts of the situation. Is it smart to brand yourself as ethical? Why or why not? Being ethical has professional and personal benefits in the long run. But the reason to do the right thing is simply because it is the right thing to do. [youtube=http://ca.youtube.com/watch?v=pzbAE2bK3dA] What are your famous five deceptively simple principles of ethics for careers? Do No Harm Make Things Better Respect Others Be Fair Be Loving These principles apply not just to our professional lives but in everything we do and everyone with whom we interact: friends, family, and strangers, too. Also, I wish I could take pride in ownership, but these principles are common to all cultures and religious traditions. See, for example, Jeffrey Moses, “Oneness: Great Principles Shared by All Religions” (New York: Ballantine Books, 2002). I adapted these principles from a classic text in bioethics by Tom L. Beauchamp and James F. Childress, “Principles of Biomedical Ethics,” Sixth Edition (New York: Oxford University Press, 2008) Can you name a few industry leaders (or standout examples) that have had career pitfalls due to lack of ethics behind their work? We all know what happened with Enron. The dust hasn’t settled on the economic crisis, but there are some names emerging already that suggest a few CEO’s and economic “experts” have had serious lapses of ethical judgment. The recent testimony from Alan Greenspan, in which the former chair of the Federal Reserve admitted that he “made a mistake” hardly meets the minimal standards for a meaningful apology that I describe in a column I wrote for BusinessWeek.com. Where does ethics fit in todays business world? Ethics shouldn’t be seen as something apart from the daily life of a business; it is, or should be, integrated into everything a business does. This includes, but is not limited to, how it advertises itself; how it deals with the competition; how it treats its employees (including wages, benefits, and perhaps most importantly, acknowledging and encouraging jobs well done); and how it relates to the community of which it is a part. All of this must begin with the CEO himself or herself. This should be a person who is committed to doing the right thing all the time and who expects that everyone associated with the company will have a similar commitment. An ethical CEO isn’t a guarantee that everyone else in the firm will be so oriented, but an unethical CEO gives few people an incentive to take the high road and may even encourage just the opposite. Bruce Weinstein, Ph.D., is the professional ethicist known as The Ethics Guy. He writes the ethics column for BusinessWeek.com and has appeared as an ethics analyst on NBC’s Today Show, ABC TV’s Good Morning America, and many other programs. His column, Ask the Ethics Guy, is distributed internationally by the McClatchy-Tribune Information Service.   Among those who have hired him to give keynote addresses and workshops are the National Football League, and over 300 other leading businesses, schools, and non-profit organizations. His latest book, Life Principles: Feeling Good by Doing Good shows why all of us benefit professionally and personally when we live according to ethical principles. His next book, Is It Still Cheating if I dont Get Caught?, debuts next March (2009).

6 Weeknight Projects For People Without Hobbies

6 Weeknight Projects For People Without Hobbies If your weeknights  are a little boring these days, it might be  time to  get hobby-happy. You know how important it is to switch off from your job after you leave the office. You know youre not supposed to check your emails or take client calls, and that  you should be exercising. You know your productivity at work depends on your ability to relax and regenerate in the evenings. No phone before bed, right? Yes, you know all of this and while it sounds great in theory, its a lot easier said than done. Youre going to need a positive distraction to help you. The answer? A hobby. Hobbies  help break up the work, eat, sleep, repeat cycle that  tries to take over our lives. Stimulating your brain and body outside might even make your more successful.  According to BusinessInsider, a lot of highly successful people swear by theirs;  Richard Branson plays chess, Marissa Mayer bakes and Tom Hanks collects typewriters. If youre not sure what interests you, here  are 7 free ideas you could try: 1. Learn a language There a number of different courses available on line to help you learn a new language; a simple Google search will bring up a number of resources, like this one from the BBC. Learning a new language requires patience, tolerance and hard work. Even just half an hour per night  is enough to get you started.  Pick a country youd perhaps like to visit or work in one day, and go for it!  Becoming bilingual will open more doors that you could imagine. 2. Start a new book Ask your friends and colleagues if they have any recommendations for great books, head to the New York Times bestsellers list  or visit your local library to find a  new read. Books provide alternate realities to get lost in and will help you escape for a bit each day. The beauty with books is that you can take them in your hand bag or brief case and whip it out when you have 15 minutes up your sleeve. 3. Learn to cook Most people love going out for food eating is fun and well, tasty. Why not try to master a dish you love, but only ever order when youre out at a restaurant? Why not pick a great recipe book and make your way through each page over a couple of months? Cooking up mini projects will be fulfilling when you get it right and youll reap the rewards of your own efforts, as will the people  you live with. 4. Start a blog A blog is a great opportunity to express your opinion on certain topics as well as share your expertise. Writing can be very therapeutic and can also help you organise your thoughts. The final pieces you create and publish  become a useful portfolio for you as well. 5. Run for charity Instead of just joining a gym and forcing yourself to a class every now and then, why not sign up for a charity run? Having an end goal will help you prioritise regular training, and knowing youre doing something for a good cause will also make you feel positive about yourself. 6. Get crafty If youre looking for something a little less strenuous, perhaps try your hand at a new craft. A Beautiful Mess has compiles a great list of ideas of things you can make with your bare hands and a few materials. Take a look around your home for inspiration does your couch need some pillows? Sew  some. Does your window look a little bare? Make some decorations. Bit cold? Knit a scarf. Focussing your energy into something other than work and TV in the evenings might be exactly what you need to add a bit of colour to your working week! Any other ideaS? Let us know in the comments below!

DC Area Speaker Resume Writing

DC Area Speaker Resume WritingBefore you send out a resume, be sure to take time to learn how to write a DC area speaker resume. Many students make the mistake of neglecting the details that are usually necessary to get the job. But with some pointers and some luck, you can still get the job you want, even if you're a recent college graduate.Even though you may not be the most outgoing person, you should try to put yourself in the DC area speaker's shoes when writing your resume. That way, you'll know what to include in your job description. If you have no experience in the area, you may be asking for a job interview; but it could also mean that you'll be teaching them the basics of how to speak effectively.Now if you're a DC area speaker, you may be making presentations that are taking place in or near your home town. With that in mind, you should know that you must mention that on your resume. Of course, if you have no experience with that, you may want to have a representative of the school call you to tell you what would be expected of you in this regard. Of course, that isn't always possible, and you need to list it.In addition, you need to be on the lookout for the next paragraph on your resume. This is the part where you will need to put your resume writing skills. You need to have an idea of what you have to offer the applicant before you have a chance to get a chance to communicate it. You'll want to be able to quickly outline your qualifications and offer it in just a few sentences.Resumes need to be easy to read and understandable, so they need to be concise. But they should not be too short either. In fact, they need to be concise, as well as professional sounding, so that you can get that interview.Many applicants find that they may be asking for more than they wanted when they send out resumes. When doing so, they may send out multiple resumes that have varied level of contact information. If you sent out several letters of recommendation and no i nterviews, you won't want to ask the same person to respond to your resume again.You should be clear about what you require on your resume as well. Don't be vague about what you expect to do. This is why you shouldn't leave yourself too open ended; you want to be certain that they know what you expect, but you also don't want to leave yourself too open ended.After you have written a resume, you need to be able to have the interview. This is why you need to use the same information when you are composing your letter of recommendation. After all, it is the letter of recommendation that you will be including with your resume.

Not Just Another Downsizing

Not Just Another Downsizing I thought Id close out this year with an uplifting story about a company that downsized with dignity. When Cox Media, distributors of the ValuePak blue coupon mailers, decided they needed to close a plant with 440 employees, they employed some real out of the box thinking to show both the employees affected by the downsizing and those remaining just how much they value their people. Rather than delivering the standard restructuring, job redundancy message, the CEO charged a vice president with the task of finding a buyer for the plant. Not only did they find a buyer, IWCO Direct, a direct mail company, to absorb the employees, but the new company plans to invest millions in the plant and add 100 jobs in the coming year. While downsizings are a reality of corporate America and everyone should have a career management strategy that takes this fact into account, its still wonderful to read about a company that is able to creatively and empathically manage the needs of their employees in the face of a changing business environment. Best wishes for a happy and prosperous New Year!

Get Your Dream Job in 2017 - 3 Top Tips - How2Become

Get Your Dream Job in 2017 - 3 Top Tips - How2Become If Twitter is to be believed, 2016 has been the worst year in recorded history. Questionable politics and celebrity deaths may have dominated the news, but you may have suffered this year for a whole different reason â€" your job. Eager for a change, you may have told yourself at the start of 2016 that this was finally the year you went to get your dream job. But, for whatever reason, life got in the way and you didn’t quite make it happen. If that’s the case, or if a desire to move on is more recent, then keep reading. This is our list of 3 tips to get your dream job in 2017.Tip 1 â€" Assess the job marketIf you have been in your current job for a while, then you will not be fully acquainted with the jobs market you’re aiming for. In other words, since you last looked, employers’ priorities may have shifted. New skills and experience may be required, and details of the job itself may have changed. So, before anything else, make sure that you look at a range of relevant job a dverts and get a sense of what you need your CV to be saying. Think about what of your experience is relevant, which of your skills you need to emphasize, and how you could tailor your application to different organisations. Once you have done this, it is time to get to work on your CV!Tip 2 â€" Update your CVNow you know the ins and outs of your dream role, you should now tailor your CV to it. You should even go so far as to tailor your CV to each company you are interested in. Look very closely at what the company wants from a new hire, and use similar language in your covering letter and self-summary. To sum up: make every single part of your CV relevant to the job advert. Of course, this process will involve editing and removing sections of your old CV. For instance, you will have to redo your self-summary to reflect the person you have become since you last applied for a job! Also, on a general note, make sure your CV is well-presented and modern. Make it as succinct and engagi ng as possible â€" there’s nothing worse than a boring CV.Tip 3 â€" Think positive to get your dream job!It goes without saying that it is not easy to get your dream job. While doing so undoubtedly takes consistent hard work and determination, what’s more important is to have huge amounts of self-belief. You can look at it like this: if you don’t back yourself to succeed, why should anyone else? You need to convince yourself that with the correct amount of preparation, there is no reason that you can’t step up and succeed in any job you want. To help with this, envision yourself in your dream role and imagine your day-to-day life. If this appeals to you, then set about making it happen. Good advice to follow in this regard is to get hyper-organised â€" make separate folders for each tailored application, and fire off a CV to every job advert that appeals. Increase your chances, and don’t give up!To sum up…Hopefully you haven’t had a bad 2016, and not getting your dream job is not the mark of an unsuccessful year. That said, the upcoming new year presents a fantastic opportunity for you to set new goals and aim higher. Don’t stay in that routine you hate for another year, go out and get your dream job!For more career advice, follow this link. For interview advice, follow this link.Find us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram! This entry was posted in Career Advice. Bookmark the permalink. Henry Hunter National Police Selection Process: Relevant or Irrelevant?Getting To Grips With The Police Rank Structure