My Head Feels A Mess. How Do I Focus

“My Head Feels A Mess. How Do I Focus” Help from our Community “My Head Feels A Mess. How Do I Focus?” * Liam is full of thoughts, ideas and possibilities about his career change; so much so that he's paralysed. He's too drained by his busy brain to explore his options outside work, plus he has a move to a new city on the cards. What can he do to focus and move forwards? What's your career history and current job? I work in recruitment and sales, recruiting IT Infrastructure candidates nationally. How do you feel about your work? I feel a multitude of different things: burned out, unfulfilled, lost, bored. I feel unnecessary â€" often I'll do a rock solid job, but then a client doesn't respond at all, like we don't even matter. I also feel very gimmicky in the ways we do our business and don't take pride in what I'm selling. It's hard not being proud of what you do. And I feel scared â€" I see people that have been in the staffing industry for years and I really don't want to be like them. What would you like to be doing instead? Mostly what I know are things that I don't want to do anymore! But those thoughts have led me to a few career possibilities as well. I know that I don't want to have a desk-based job, and be tied to a physical location. I don't want to work in a normal office setting and become a 9â€"5 machine. Remote work would be better, or something with flexibility. I want to find something that makes work part of my lifestyle, and not just my job. There are a number of things that I love doing â€" that really make me happy â€" but I have no idea how to make a career out of them. I love being outside, doing something creative. I've thought about becoming a property agent, a wood worker doing carpentry and custom furniture, working at or running a brewery, owning my own restaurant, working at a surf shop, or even being a swimming instructor. What's the biggest obstacle in your way? The biggest challenge is really just finding what it is that I want to do; but in order to do that I have to make sense of all the thoughts flying around in my head. I have all these ideas but no plan on how to find something I would enjoy doing for work. I have this chaotic cycle of thinking in my mind that I can't break out of. One day I'll have a fairly good day at work. The next day I can't stand being in an office and talking to people all day on the phone. So I then start searching the internet and exploring other careers while at work. I can't focus fully on my career change at work, obviously, and I'm juggling two trains of thought so I get tired and strung out. Then I'm mentally drained by the end of the day, and I can’t focus on my shifting ideas when I get home, either. And then the cycle starts all over again. I'm also moving with my girlfriend to Los Angeles later this year and I'm having a tough time deciding whether I should stick in my current job and save up as much as possible, or start my career shift before the big move and gain experience that could help out there. There's so much to think about. Can you help Liam? Have you been in a similar situation, or are you in the same boat right now? How can he break out of the thought-cycle and get focused on his shift? What action could he take next to make progress? Do you know anyone he could talk to? Share your thoughts in the comments below and click the thumbs-up button to show your support.

Smart and Simple Steps for Making the Job Relocation Decision

Smart and Simple Steps for Making the Job Relocation Decision Relocating to a new city is always stressful. What makes the experience even more stressful is when the move is prompted by a career change. There is no denying that moving your family across the country is never easy, even when a major job promotion is involved. So what do you do? First, you need to buckle down and do a lot of research upfront. There are a number of factors to consider before you make a final commitment. Below are our top 5 tips on making the best job relocation decision for you and your family. Evaluate the Offer Job relocation starts with an offer. And deciding whether to move starts with evaluating the ins and outs of that specific offer. The best way to do this is to start by asking yourself a number of questions upfront. Is the job stable? Will relocation be required again in the future? Will you and your family like to live in the new city? Does the move come with a substantial raise or put you on the path to your dream job? Will the move negatively affect your relationships? Will you be happy with the move? The answers to these questions will affect everyone differently. Everything depends on your own personal needs, preferences, and priorities. It always pays off to spend as much time as you need to work through such a complicated decision. Negotiate, Negotiate, Negotiate The majority of companies are more than happy to help with employee relocation. So make sure you have what you need to move before you do so. Negotiate with your company on your relocation package until it includes exactly what you require. The main factor in a relocation package is usually financial assistance with the move. There are four main ways your employer can help you with this. Lump Sum Youre given a set amount of money to help with your move. You must make all your own moving arrangements. Reimbursement You pay for your moving costs yourself. Your company reimburses you for them at a later date. Direct Bill Set up direct billing so your company receives the bills for your moving costs themselves. 3rd Party Your company hires a 3rd party service to take care of your relocation needs. Once again, the option you choose should be based on your own individual needs and preferences. Look at Homes Finding a new home is never easy. And its even more difficult when youre looking for a new home in a city across the country, quite possibly a city youve never visited. Thats why its important to start your search for a new home as soon as youve accepted your job relocation offer. See this site here for more information on finding a new home. Dont skimp on the research. Dig into the details of each neighborhood to find the perfect fit. Pay particular attention to demographics, nearby attractions, crime rates, schools, cost per square foot, and walking score. Familiarize yourself with the major neighborhoods in town so you know what to expect when you get there. Pack Up and Move Out Packing and moving is perhaps the most difficult part of job relocation. So get started as soon as you can. Depending on your situation, and especially if you are moving a long distance, you will want to find out more about hiring a professional moving service to help Though a lot goes into the moving process, there are a few key tips to remember. These include: Pack valuables in a secure location. Be sure to bring important documents and paperwork. Take time to weed out items you dont need (especially clothes). Consider selling old furnishings and buying new ones for your new home. Perform an initial walkthrough to ensure you havent missed anything important. Settle In Job relocation isnt all about a career change. Its also about a change of lifestyle. So why not explore your new city and really see everything that it has to offer? Take some time to get out of the house and go out on town. Take in the citys most popular and well-known attractions. Try a new restaurant or go see some local entertainment. Getting a solid feel for the city will help validate your move. Job relocation isnt easy. In addition to the stress of starting a new job at a new office, the process of moving is strenuous in itself. Yet when you step back, take a deep breath, and follow our five job relocation tips above, the entire process gets a lot easier. Its important to remember that your move is for the best and that everything will work out one way or another. Isabel Parkes works in executive recruitment and always likes to take the opportunity to share her ideas and tips on making the most of your career path with an online audience. She is a regular writer for a number of business and lifestyle websites.

How Recruiters and AI Will Work Together

How Recruiters and AI Will Work Together As technology evolves, artificial intelligence is quickly becoming mainstream in the recruiting world. Whether it’s sorting through high volumes of resumes, analyzing facial expressions in a video interview, or scanning social media profiles, AI is quickly becoming more of an industry standard. Artificial intelligence is simply cutting down time-consuming work, especially repetitive high-volume tasks that can take up hours of a recruiters time. Because AI has the ability to grow to be more effective over time, some recruiters are viewing it as a threat to their jobs, but this technology can only make recruiters’ lives easier by taking out dreaded, tedious work. Did you know manually screening resumes is still the most time-consuming part of recruiting especially when 75% to 88% of the resumes received for a role are unqualified? Screening resumes efficiently and effectively is still one of the biggest challenges for recruiters. AI is designed to reduce and eventually remove low-level sourcing activities like manually screening resumes. 56% of talent acquisition leaders say their hiring volume will increase next year, but their recruiting teams will most likely remain the same size or shrink. As AI expands in the recruiting world, talent acquisition pros will be expected to become more efficient by “doing more with less.” This means recruiters will be tasked with less sourcing and screening, but more interviewing candidates, closing job offers and improving the quality of hire. While traditional research might be replaced by some elements of AI, recruiters can still flex their sourcing and research muscles with hard to find positions and by figuring out a customized approach to that perfect candidate a bot helped find. Artificial intelligence is also speeding up the recruiting process which reduces the time it takes to hire a candidate. This increases the chances of hiring the best talent before they get swept up by a competitor. Companies using AI recruiting software have seen their employee performance and quality of hire increase by 20% and their turnover decrease by 35%. Although a recruiters role will change in the future, industry leaders predict using AI to recruit is augmented intelligence. This merely means artificial intelligence will never fully replace a recruiters role, it will just enhance their part in the hiring process and increase the chances of a quality hire. A recent statistic foreshadows by 2020, 85% of customer interactions will be managed without a human. Harnessing AI for hiring could lead to more dynamic and diverse workplaces. With AI there is more focus on the candidates qualifications and in many cases, AI can help bolster inclusion, by allowing a broader talent pool than more subjective humans. A common caveat, of course, is that AI is only as good as those programming it, so when creating these tools, human resources, recruiting and talent acquisition must be extra careful during implementation and use. AI can also help improve the candidate experience during the application phase. Artificial Intelligence engages candidates throughout the recruitment process, matches candidates to alternative positions and provides support before, during and after the recruiting process. New tools are surfacing to take transactional tasks from recruiters, freeing them to focus on interviewing and closing job offers. This kind of technology is continuously evolving but recruiter jobs will never fully be replaced by AI. It will only enhance the recruitment process to allow recruiters to focus on hiring the perfect candidate with a little help. About the author: Noel Webb is co-founder and CEO of  Karen.ai  (Your Cognitive Recruiting Assistant), the latest project from his role as Director of Product Innovation at Innosphere. A veteran of business development and out-of-the-box thinking, Noel has been a leader in his roles over the years for several companies, including Bam Digital, SpeakFeel and Agnition.

Make Cheap International Calls From The UK

Make Cheap International Calls From The UK As an international student you know crazy rates that mobile phone companies charge you for calling your home country. You can however get cheap international calls from the UK. When I was an international student, my mobile phone company charged me around 15p/minute. which doesnt sound much. However, the trick is, I was on a £20/month contract and international calls were not paart of the inclusive minutes. ?? This meant, if I made calls home from my mobile and spoke for 30 mins, cumulatively, for a month. Then, 30mins x 15p/min = 450p Thats £4.50. Now, my contract was £17.50 without 17.5% VAT. So this £4.50 would be added onto £17.50 (VAT is added onto the final price). £4.50+ £17.50 = £22 £22 + VAT = £25.85 So suddenly instead of £20, I would pay ~ £26. Heres how to get cheap international calls from the UK You can make cheap international calls from the uk by using two services Localphone and PennyTalk. I have used both and can tell you they offer me cheap international calls from the UK. Heres how they work and how you can save money on international calls from the UK. Localphone I was introduced to this service by a good friend, Winston. You can sign up to Localphone using this link. You can try out the service via a free call before adding any of your own credit. If you have a contract phone in the UK then calls you make via localphone are included in your minutes. I have used Localphone for more than 3 years and enjoyed my cheap  international calls from the UK to India. Because I am on contract and Localphone charges me 0.7p / minute! so now, I only pay £20 monthly and for an extra £5 into Localphone I get 700+ minutes to India. Thats cheap international calls from the UK proved right there! PennyTalk I have only recently started trying out PennyTalk. It was introduced to my via Matt, a friend. It charges 1p / minute to call India and some really cheap calls to other  countries as well. You top up your account online and the calls you make via PennyTalk are included in your minutes if you have a contract phone. The economics of this are the same as Localphone. A good alternative if you do want more than once choice. Make cheap international calls from the UK Using Localphone and PennyTalk  you can make cheap international calls from the UK. Both have apps for android and iphones. They are very handy and I quite enjoy them. As a student or graduate or even once you are working, good economics should be part of life and saving money is an important lesson. This is just one way you can save some money. So start saving on making cheap international calls from the UK now. If you have any questions let me know by commenting below. Id be happy to answer any queries or share more on both apps. 13

The Key Features of a Staple-Backed Resume Template

The Key Features of a Staple-Backed Resume TemplateStaple-backed resume printing is the latest form of e-mail marketing and provides a flexible advertising solution. The best advantage of the backstamped resume template is that it helps to make the copywriting task more affordable and at the same time, it facilitates the job applicant to have an appealing resume that is professional and friendly to the readers. The key features of a staple-backed resume include:Differentiate the reading-ability of the resume by removing all the distractions. If the text on the resume is rich, the copywriters will be able to read it easily and the readers will be drawn towards the resume easily. All the contents on the backside of the resume, the copywriters need to pay special attention to the font type, colors and layout. The layout of the resume can make a difference between a successful resume and a bad one.The staple-backed resume templates provide a professional look to the copywriting job. It i s important to make sure that the template used has a style that best suits the marketing technique. Thus, it should not only be a plain sheet of paper, but should also have a professional look and feel. By including a neat layout, the job-seeker can make sure that the quality of the resume matches the professionalism of the employer.Staple-backed resume templates are not only good for personal and professional use, but they are also available for both employers and job-seekers. To add an edge over the competition, it is important to choose a style that can really put the resume out on the streets. It is also important to provide a space for the employer to place the resume in different formats like Microsoft Word, WordPerfect, and Adobe Acrobat. The template can also be transferred to various types of documents like presentation, emails, etc.It is better to have the stitch-backed resume templates ina laptop. The laptop will make it easy for the job-seeker to print them out. This wa y, the content can be in sync with the template and it will be easy for the readers to enjoy the information while reading the resume. Additionally, the Staple-backed Resume template is easier to edit than the other forms of templates.A majority of people who post their resumes online to complain about the rigidity of the application or the resume. Some of the things they complain about are the layout, the formatting, the wording and the readability of the resume. Thus, the template printing helps the job-seeker to provide them with an opportunity to produce the resume that fits their requirements.The advantage of the Staple-backed resume printing is that it helps the job-seeker to get the copywriting task done quickly and within budget. The job-seeker can print out the resume with a minimum of effort and the material can be read by different types of audience. Thus, the job-seeker can focus on the contents and the format while the copywriters concentrate on the layout. It is also p ossible to transfer the resume templates from a personal computer to another.The job-seeker can also scan the templates and post them online. Thus, the whole process of resuming printing does not require any extra investment.

Q A Commonly Asked Questions by Jobseekers

Q A Commonly Asked Questions by Jobseekers Here is a compilation of some of the most frequently asked questions by job seekers and my straight-shooting response.   Take it or leave it! How long should I wait before I follow up to a job posting? 15 minutes How should I spend my time?                                                                                                     80% networking, 10% applying for jobs, 10% collaborating with recruiters Which companies have stable jobs?                                                                 None, stop looking for stability.   Look for fit. What are the best job boards? I dont know, I dont use them!   (OK, use aggregators such as www.indeed.com, www.linkup.com, www.simplyhired.com) H0w long will it take to find my next job? Longer than you want. Will you write my resume for me? No, only you can write and customize a super resume.   It is worth learning how to do, sort of like algebra. What are the best paying jobs?                                                                 They come from a company that is willing to hire you. Do I need to send a thank you? Always.   Even if you dont get the job. What are the secrets to finding my next job?                                     No secrets- just hard work and a positive attitude. Is there age discrimination?                                                                       Yes and no, get over it and prove you are uniquely qualified. Do you have a question you want straight-shooting advice on?   Feel free to add a comment.   I hope you understand theres a bit of sarcasm in this post!

The Crippling Thoughts That Consume Me As A Blogger - Cubicle Chic

The Crippling Thoughts That Consume Me As A Blogger - Cubicle Chic The Crippling Thoughts That Consume Me As A Blogger Development, Life as a blogger, Lifestyle October 23, 2016 0 Comments  Necklace: Purchased from Poshmark; similar here and here Dress: Banana Republic Tux Dress Lip: Mac Ruby WooI am inviting you to come backstage to Cubicle Chic, and see what it’s like to be a blogger with a fledgling blog and all the struggles and inner demons I deal with on a daily basis.I’ve been blogging for a little over a year now and I am JUST starting to feel like I have a good handle on it. Things like photo shoots, editorial calendar, the collaboration with brands, and the writing can get really overwhelming sometimes, but having had a whole year’s of  experience now really gives me more confidence now.  Necklace: Purchased from Poshmark;  similar here  and here Dress:  Banana Republic Tux Dress Lip:  Mac Ruby Woo Backpack: Coach Billie bag purchased from Poshmark; similar here and hereBut the internet being how vast and unending as it is, I’m constantly reminded by how much more I could do, how m uch better I should be, and how much more amazing things would be if I just did that.Honestly, a lot of these ‘what if” and “only if” thoughts wind up having these crippling and paralyzing effects on me. I stop having new ideas, I stop being able to just write freely, and I stop feeling comfortable hitting that “publish” button. Today on Cubicle Chic, I’m sharing with you my very real, mostly negative self talks that send me in downward spirals. But also, the positive self-talks that I’ve learned through experiences that can have a countering effect to my inner demons.The format below is structured as follows: My inner dialogue, explanation of my concern, and my countering positive self-talk. Sorry if I sound a little schizophrenic -this is the backstage, after all!  Necklace: Purchased from Poshmark;  similar here  and here Dress:  Banana Republic Tux Dress Lip:  Mac Ruby Woo Backpack: Coach Billie bag purchased from Poshmark; similar  here  and here1) Is where I am ever going to be enough?When I look at what I’ve been able to accomplish (close to 3K followers on Instagram, 350 fans on Facebook, and close to 400 followers in Twitter â€" it’s taken a lot of hard work and hustling to get to where I am. But if I look ahead, the road to 10K, 50K, or 100K (if that’s ever obtainable in my life time) is a complete black hole with no end in sight. Is there even a path forward?Remember why you started this all: You love to write, and you like to share with people your passion in styling office appropriate outfits as well as tips and tricks when it comes to career development. You started doing this for fun. And as long as you are having fun doing this and that you are helping people along the way,    it’s all worth it!  2) What is my end goal?  How would  I ever know I’ve “made it”?  Is it going to be a certain dollar amount or is it a certain number of followers? And even if I reach those numbers, what comes after that? And if i can’t even get this one blog post to get the traffic I need, how is the blog ever going to reach the audience I want to reach?Think back on all the rewarding moments you’ve had from the inception of this blog;  what do they all have in common? Yes, making a positive difference in people’s life. When you know what you do has made an impact on someone, you feel like all your hard work is worth it. When someone takes up a product recommendation you’ve made, or try a trick you’ve taught them and end up with an interview, or practice reducing the amount of “up-talk” in their speech and become more confident in the process… that’s all that matters. That is the end goal.  3) How am I going to get to the next level?I know how I got from zero subscribers to where I am today â€" continuous production of content, reaching out to people who need my help, and networking with the right talent and meeting the right people. But is this what I need to do to get to the “next level”, wh atever that means, anyway?You are where you need to be. Live in the present, and focus on the now. Acknowledge the future, and understand your path, but don’t dwell on either. Everything I have done put me where I am right now, and that’s all that matters. Enjoy meeting the people you are meeting, appreciate every single comment, and pat yourself on the back for having put in all the work you’ve put in. You know you have a voice, and that voice is going to be the one that carries you to wherever you’re going to end up. Sometimes a little faith comes a long way.4) Why are my stats not improving?  They say that analytics is where the crux of your improvement will come from. They say to monitor and dissect your traffic like a hawk. I do it with an almost obsessive attention and I’m still just left wondering â€" if I know a type of content just isn’t resonating, what is it that I should be doing instead? Or if I keep trying to create different content, and nothing seems to s tick… how do I change my approach? Does nobody care what I have to say?You have a niche, so know that your rate of growth when it comes to follower base is just going to be slower. Also, at your current level, content distribution is limited by your own personal network. This mean you have to think about new ways of branching out. Think about re-structuring collaborations, and ask for guest blog posts, or volunteer to guest blog. Get out there and grow your network. And remember the people that have left you comments, paragraphs of comment, because they were touched by what you wrote. Never forget them, because they care about what you have to say.  5) Between collaboration and un-sponsored content, how do I balance?  I don’t want to be a sell-out. But the truth is that feeling when you receive a free product in exchange for review, it’s really hard not to take that as a form of acceptance and compliment. So on the one hand,  I want everything I write to be completely un-biase d and authentic, but I can’t help wanting to accept free products and sponsorship just so I can get that validation. So then, what is the right mix, 50/50, 20/80?As long as you are still writing about what you love, and that you feel a true sense of conviction about what you have to say. The moment when you are struggling for words and doubting yourself on the points you have, you know you are losing authenticity. You’ve always considered yourself a maven of information, so spreading words about a great product isn’t selling out. But writing a post on false feelings or results from a product, very much is. So as long as you stay clear of the latter and always provide your most genuine and honest review, you are not a sell-out.  All photography by Natalie Alvarade  Necklace: Purchased from Poshmark;  similar here  and here Dress:  Banana Republic Tux Dress Lip:  Mac Ruby Woo Backpack: Coach Billie bag purchased from Poshmark; similar  here  and here Shoes: Valentino; similar he re