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Showing posts from 2018

What to do if a company wants you back after a layoff

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If you've ever been laid off you understand the feelings of devastation that pink slip or termination letter can bring. Getting laid off from a job is probably one of the most stressful events you can ever deal with over the course of your life. While unemployment is hitting its lowest point since 1969 , it's not inconceivable at some point down the road we could end up in another recession with a rocky job market. This kind of economic uncertainty can lead to hard decisions needing to be made. Image credit: Pixabay

What are interpersonal skills and how do they apply in the workplace?

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Interpersonal skills are attributes that fall into the category of “soft skills”. These are inborn traits, usually not the type of thing a person will learn from reading textbooks. Yet, they are the types of characteristics employers such as yourself probably actively seek. According to Coursera, 93 percent of employers consider soft skills as "essential" or "very important" factor as they go through their hiring process. Image credit: Pixabay

Biggest online distractions at work that affect productivity

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Ever since computers and the internet have entered the workplace, the online distractions for employees have increased significantly. Obviously, computers are a very useful tool and most businesses rely on these and other technologies to conduct transactions and run other operational processes. The downside is computers, gadgets and the internet tend to become time-consuming when distractions or temptations occur.

How to write business letters that get results

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If you want to write an effective business letter that gets results, you'll want to keep traditional business communication concepts in mind as you construct your document. While email dominates communication these days, the old tried-and-true methods of business writing still apply. Bottom line, you still want to ensure a message is correctly delivered and received. Image credit: Pixabay

Work got you burnt out? Here are 5 ways to manage it

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Job burnout is a common occurrence in many workplaces, and it can emerge in a variety of ways. Occasionally, the burnout happens spontaneously after a short rough period at work, but this is rarer. In most instances, burnout has built up slowly and the signs aren't as obvious until it is too late and the person is already experiencing the effects.

Tips for introducing organizational change

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Change in any given situation can be hard, but it is one of the things in life that is a given. Introducing new tasks, features or processes in the workplace are often huge challenges many managers face because we're talking about numerous individuals who are involved.

7 good reasons why people leave their jobs

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Leaving a job is often a difficult choice to make but sometimes there comes a time in life where people, for various reasons, ultimately decide to quit their jobs. Typically, when the choice is made to resign, a common reason is the person needs to make some sort of change. Quitting a job is the first step in that direction.

Controlling distractions when working from home

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Working from home can pose unexpected challenges. Unlike the office environment where space is totally dedicated to working, a work from home space has many non-work related distractions that can cause unexpected disruptions throughout the workday. Controlling these interruptions is not always an easy task, but it is possible to eliminate, or at least minimize, them by taking a few proactive steps. Image credit: Pixabay

How to write an interview thank you letter

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Many people mistakenly think once the interview is over the application process is done. But there is still one more important step: the thank you letter. Not sending a thank you letter to the person(s) who interviewed you is considered by many hiring managers as a good way to eliminate yourself from the applicant pool. Image credit: Pixabay

Easy ways to identify and avoid people who gossip at work

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Office gossip has a tendency to cause strife in the workplace. People who aren't careful may find themselves amidst a sea of gossip. This can cause irrevocable damage to one's personal or professional life. Once getting actively involved in the rumor mill, it is often hard to pull away from the perpetrators of gossip. The best way to avoid getting caught up in workplace gossip is to stay clear of it in the first place.

Can a person be infected by a computer virus?

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Twenty years ago people would have thought the idea of a person becoming infected with a computer virus would be a story out of a science fiction movie. Today, being tech is progressing to new heights, perhaps not so much. That being said, is it really possible for a person to be infected by a computer virus?

These bad habits can ruin your work reputation

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Habits perceived negatively in the workplace can end up ruining your professional reputation. The level of professionalism and demeanor carried in the workplace is noticed. People who spend their days not grooming their professional image and/or have tendencies to act inappropriately can do long-term or even permanent damage to their work reputation. Wondering what types of habits could come back to bite you in the butt? Read on. Image credit: Pixabay

Questions you should ask before hiring an outsourcing partner

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Outsourcing is a cost-effective, and often feasible, means of doing business. As competition in various markets increase, businesses need to put a focus on their core competencies. As a result, some of the more mundane tasks may become overwhelming, prompting companies to look to hire out these tasks. Or, a company may outsource a process because another company has a stronger specialization or expertise that would be costly to construct within their own organization. Image credit: Pixabay

In our mobile age, are laptops obsolete?

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It's no big secret, technology is a fast-paced industry that continues to make great strides in development, coming up with amazing devices or capabilities as time marches forward. Any time a new device, or upgrade to an existing tech, is released, its successor is pretty much already in development.  Image credit: Pixabay

Causes and effects of workplace gossip

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Organizations plagued by workplace gossip often find problems with morale, productivity, and ultimately, perhaps even profitability. There are many causes and effects associated with workplace gossip. One of the biggest issues connected with office gossip is the fact the rumors (whether true or not) can spread quickly and have many negative repercussions.

The impact of false tweets

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A false tweet has a tendency to take on a life of its own... Every day, millions of people, either news outlets or readers, share tweets that have the potential to have an impact on society. Its simplicity in only allowing 280 characters per tweet (formerly 140 characters) led the social network to become widely used for news reporting. While many tweets have broken and continue to break important news, unfortunately, there can be some negative consequences to sharing unvetted information this way. Image credit: Pixabay

Great ways to show your employees you appreciate them

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Employers that take the time to express appreciation for employee contributions are typically respected for their efforts. When a manager or business owner makes it a priority to express gratitude to their employees, it'll usually carry significant meaning to people working for the organization.

Craziness on the job? How to stay sane at work

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Do you ever feel like keeping your sanity during the workday is a challenge? If so, you're not alone. A 2017 study found 52 percent of full-time workers were more stressed than they had been the year before. Image credit: Pixabay

Pros and cons of hiring seasonal workers

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Before we know it, the holidays will be right around the corner. In the fall many businesses begin to look for additional employees to help deal with the volume of business that tends to occur during fall and winter seasons.

Benefits of adding a technology concentration to an MBA degree

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Today's MBAs are more attainable for students desiring to pursue that advanced business degree. With many flexible program structures available nowadays, the options for MBA students to customize their education are plenty. In addition to full-time, part-time, online and executive options, graduate students typically have the opportunity to elect to include a concentration to augment their MBA degree. Image credit: Pixabay

Need to stop your habitual lateness to work? Learn how to be a morning person

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Once the sun goes down and the temperature drops, are you someone who suddenly finds yourself coming to life? The evening air exhilarates you and you find during these late hours you are at your very best in getting things done? You've spent most of your life as a night owl and the mere thought of being a morning person to make it on time to work is disconcerting. Image credit: Pixabay

What is a relational database?

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A relational database is an organized system that holds vast amounts of information encompassing many categories. While there are several different database structures, the relational model is by far the most popular, at least at this point in time. Image credit: Pixabay

Why scare tactics are never a good strategy to boost employee productivity

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During times of economic uncertainty when jobs come at a premium, everyone is under stress. Business owners, managers and other executives are under pressure to try and maintain a healthy financial outlook, often having to report to shareholders. On the employee front, people are worried about keeping their jobs or pay cuts or loss of other benefits.

Benefits of providing employee benefits

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As an owner or hiring manager of a business, you want to hire the top talent, right? If so, it’s in both yours and your employees’ best interest to include a benefits package. According to 2016 statistics , three in five applicants (57 percent) reported benefits and perks being top considerations before accepting a job offer. Image credit: Pixabay

Can habitual lateness hurt your career?

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Habitual late arrivers to work can hurt their careers in many ways. In many Western societies, workers who are consistently tardy for start times, meetings, conferences, appointments or returns from lunch hours, can be looked upon as unprofessional, incompetent, disrespectful and even rude. Image credit: Pixabay Once a person gets a reputation for being late all the time, he or she could not only place a current job in jeopardy, but also blacklist themselves from future opportunities. In cultures where a high value is placed on time, it would be pretty difficult to obtain a good recommendation or reference from an employer who was displeased with habitual lateness. Hurt one's professional reputation A worker who is constantly late in the work environment is likely going to annoy bosses and colleagues and quickly gain a poorly perceived reputation in the workplace. Other people may perceive them as unprofessional, incompetent or as not being a team player. Aside from curr

What is a clickwrap agreement license?

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As products and services became available in digital form or on the internet it created a dilemma with traditional terms of use agreements. The clickwrap agreement emerged as a popular method to finalize terms of purchase, service or product use. Image credit: Pixabay

Social media trends for businesses in 2018

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As 2018 begins, it’s no big secret the popularity of social media continues have an impact, and it’ll be increasingly important to carefully select which networks to invest efforts. Once the right avenues are identified, knowing which marketing trends are moving forward and  which ones are dying  is a necessity.  If you’re looking for ideas to integrate into your social media marketing strategy and keep up with the times, here are some trends experts suggest will matter in 2018.