Tuesday, November 26, 2019

Are You a Hard Worker or a Workaholic

Are You a Hard Worker or a Workaholic Are You a Hard Worker - or a Workaholic You like to work - and you like to work hard. Theres nothing wrong with that. Giving your all to a project fillsyou with a sense of accomplishment and satisfaction.But beware Theres a fine line between being a hard worker who takes pride in their efforts and being a workaholic who is actively harming themselves, their organization, and the people around them.Thanks to our always-on world, workaholism is on the rise. In its wake, it is spreading burnout, stress, presenteeism, and much, much worse.Worried you might be a workaholic or on your way there? Check out this new infographic from Instant Offices. Not only will it help you recognize the signs of workaholism, but it also has some sound advice on how to regain balance in your life. You owe it to yourself and your loved ones - and even your employer - to avoid workaholism.

Friday, November 22, 2019

How to Highlight Your Critical Thinking Skills on the Job Hunt

How to Highlight Your Critical Thinking Skills on the Job HuntHow to Highlight Your Critical Thinking Skills on the Job HuntWant to get a leg up in todays competitive job market? As a creative professional, keeping your technical skills current is essential, but theres another trait on which employers are placing great value critical thinking skills.If you were pressed to name the top skill creative managers seek for their teams, how would you respond? Perhaps user experience, web plan or coding? While all of these ranked high on a list of skills in-house creative professionals would like to develop, hiring managers are increasingly seeking employees with strong critical thinking abilities, according to our Creative Team of the Future research.While its easy to list technical proficiencies like CSS, HTML or Adobe Creative Suite on a resume, an aptitude for critical thinking can be more challenging to convey. Here are some tips for highlighting your critical thinking skills throughout the job search process.Reframe your resumeIts important to not only list critical thinking and other soft skills on your resume, but also to tie them into your explanation of job duties or accomplishments. Show how your critical thinking skills played an important role in the successful outcome of a project. Use powerful verbs like identified, analyzed and managed to describe your efforts. For example, if you were tasked with creating a logo for a new product, you might mention how studying the competition, interviewing potential customers, and analyzing past sales data for similar products helped you come up with a design. Go one step further and provide any metrics related to the project, like sales growth.Read how to refresh your resume in 30 minutes or lessParse your portfolioYour work isnt the only thing on monitor in your portfolio. You can also shine a light on your critical thinking skills by succinctly breaking down each project from start to finish. In both the written su mmary and your verbal presentation, emphasize the challenge at hand, the solutions you considered and your process for interpreting, evaluating and solving the problem. Any time you can make a business case for your decisions, do so, particularly if you can tie the outcome to measurable results.Check out these digital portfolio best practices.Spotlight your critical thinking skills in interviewsIts not uncommon for a hiring manager to ask for evidence of how youve put your decision-making and problem-solving skills into practice. In these moments, focus not only on the outcome but also how you came to the conclusion. Remember The interviewer isnt looking for a right or wrong answer but rather a snapshot of your train of thought. Give examples of how you conducted research, consulted appropriate sources, weighed your options, took the time to digest the information, and considered similar past scenarios. Come to the interview armed with a few examples of how youve handled making impo rtant decisions or solving complex problems. You may even be able to weave them into the conversation without being directly asked about your decision-making or critical thinking skills.Learn how to answer the fruchtwein common interview questions. While you may be feeling the pressure to keep your technical skills sharp, remember that some creative managers most value flexible, collaborative and well-rounded workers who can provide creative, technical and business training. Highlighting your critical thinking skills may help you win them over.

Thursday, November 21, 2019

Dos and Donts When Coworkers Confide in You About Their Mental Health

Dos and Donts When Coworkers Confide in You About Their Mental HealthDos and Donts When Coworkers Confide in You About Their Mental HealthThe rising awareness of mental health issues has aided the efforts in the widespread acceptance of mental illness, but we still have a long way to go before mental illness is destigmatized in the workdistributions-mix.According a recent study, three out of four employees with mental health issues keep their mental illness a secret a work. While this means that the vast majority of people who suffer from mental health issues dont feel comfortable sharing them with coworkers, it also means that about 25 percent of workers with mental health issues are confiding with at least one coworker about their health.So what are you to do if someone you work with comes to you and tells you they have a mental illness? Here are some dos and donts to consider.Dos1. Thank them for coming to speak to you and trusting you with this information.2. Let them talk. Let t hem divulge as much or as little as they are comfortable with.3. Ask them what you can do for them. How can you aid them in theirmanagementof this illness?4. Help them navigate company policies, insurance benefits, or be a go-between with HR.Donts1. Tell them that this is an issue they may want to take up with HR.2. Ask questions as to the reasons behind, or projected duration of this illness.3. Say you understand. Each person is unique as is their perception and experience of the illness.4. Treat them with kid gloves. They are the same as any other employee who may have a health issue.A final thing to consider Can you imagine a loved one with cancer having to lurk in the shadows, seeking treatment on their own and suffering through chemotherapy treatments, emotional, psychological, and physical pain all by themselves? Of course not. But a person with a mental health issues often does, and this has to stop.The good news is you can do your part to help turn it around. And you can sta rt right now, at your place of work, by remembering and, if youre confided in, using the above eight tips.A version of this post previously appeared onFairygodboss, which helps women get the inside scoop on pay, corporate culture, benefits, and work flexibility. Founded in 2015, Fairygodboss offers company ratings, job listings, discussion boards, and career advice.