How to Love Every Day at Work

Over a third of your life is spent working; don’t you want to enjoy it? Work is work, it can only be so fun, but there are ways you can make those eight hours a day more enjoyable. Ever heard of the saying, your happiness is in your hands? If you make where you work a place you love, every day can feel like Friday

-Get a good night’s sleep. Sleep is an essential thing when it comes to having a good day at work. Getting a good eight hours in is a great way to boost your mood. Studies have shown that getting the perfect amount of sleep will improve your memory, spur creativity, sharpen your attention and even lower your stress levels. Who doesn’t want that?!

How can you achieve the ultimate night of sleep? Follow these three simple steps. First, get to bed at a reasonable hour and do so at the same time every single night. Second, TURN OFF ALL TECHNOLOGY at least an hour before bedtime. (Of course social media never rests and your inbox will continue to grow, but it will be there for you in the morning) Third, if you spend a lot of time thinking about what you have to get done the next day, try making a to-do list to get your thoughts down on paper. If you incorporate these into your nightly routine, a good night’s sleep will be inevitable!

-Wake up with a positive mind set. If you convince yourself that you’re going to have a great day, then it actually increases the chances of it really being a great day. It is much easier to have a productive day if you start every morning with a positive attitude. It will also influence the people around you at work to make their day great, too. How thoughtful of you!

-Listen to your favorite song on the way to work. We all have that one song that we absolutely love. Blast it on your way to work and sing your heart out. It’s a fact that listening to music causes the brain to release dopamine, a feel-good chemical. So, start your day with a smile and some good tunes. Drive carefully and dance like nobody is watching!

-Personalize your work space. To increase your productivity at work you should make your desk attractive and a space that you feel comfortable in. Things like having a plant or pictures of your loved ones, surrounding yourself with your favorite color and pleasant lighting will help you manage stress which enables you to cope with interferences and distractions. Make sure to de-clutter and organize, the last thing you need is a messy desk.

All of these things are under your control, so make an effort to incorporate these things into your life. Most importantly stay positive, work hard, and make it hap

How to Love Every Day at Work

Over a third of your life is spent working; don’t you want to enjoy it? Work is work, it can only be so fun, but there are ways you can make those eight hours a day more enjoyable. Ever heard of the saying, your happiness is in your hands? If you make where you work a place you love, every day can feel like Friday!

-Get a good night’s sleep. Sleep is an essential thing when it comes to having a good day at work. Getting a good eight hours in is a great way to boost your mood. Studies have shown that getting the perfect amount of sleep will improve your memory, spur creativity, sharpen your attention and even lower your stress levels. Who doesn’t want that?!

How can you achieve the ultimate night of sleep? Follow these three simple steps. First, get to bed at a reasonable hour and do so at the same time every single night. Second, TURN OFF ALL TECHNOLOGY at least an hour before bedtime. (Of course social media never rests and your inbox will continue to grow, but it will be there for you in the morning) Third, if you spend a lot of time thinking about what you have to get done the next day, try making a to-do list to get your thoughts down on paper. If you incorporate these into your nightly routine, a good night’s sleep will be inevitable!

-Wake up with a positive mind set. If you convince yourself that you’re going to have a great day, then it actually increases the chances of it really being a great day. It is much easier to have a productive day if you start every morning with a positive attitude. It will also influence the people around you at work to make their day great, too. How thoughtful of you!

-Listen to your favorite song on the way to work. We all have that one song that we absolutely love. Blast it on your way to work and sing your heart out. It’s a fact that listening to music causes the brain to release dopamine, a feel-good chemical. So, start your day with a smile and some good tunes. Drive carefully and dance like nobody is watching!

-Personalize your workspace. To increase your productivity at work you should make your desk attractive and a space that you feel comfortable in. Things like having a plant or pictures of your loved ones, surrounding yourself with your favorite color and pleasant lighting will help you manage stress which enables you to cope with interferences and distractions. Make sure to de-clutter and organize, the last thing you need is a messy desk.

All of these things are under your control, so make an effort to incorporate these things into your life. Most importantly stay positive, work hard, and make it happen!

The Most Common Things People Do Wrong in Interviews

Didn’t get that call back after an interview? What went wrong? Here are the most common mistakes made in an interview to be aware of for next time!

#searchsolutiongroup #interviewprep

And The Award For Most Genuine Employee Goes To…

In case you didn’t know, the Golden Globe Awards were just the other night. This is basically where a bunch of overpaid, superficial and overall self-absorbed celebrities hang out in a room together and pretend to smile and nod when someone else wins the award they were hoping to go home with. Instead of the “Golden Globe Awards” it should be called the “I-Hate-You-But-I-Will-Stand-Up-And-Cheer-For-You-When-You-Win-So-That-I-Look-Like-I-Truly-Think-You-Should-Have-Won-Even-Though-I-Want-To-Steal-That-Little-Trophy-From-You Awards.” Mainly it truly tests these actors’ abilities to, well, act. They have to pretend to be so happy about losing, by pasting a smile on their face that is just a touch too cheerful… because lets be honest, who likes to lose? 

The moral of this story is that even though most of us are not rich and famous, although we don’t get paid to wear designer clothing, get free gourmet dinner and take home goodie bags that probably cost three times as much as our Christmas presents, there is a lesson to be learned from these celebrities: being genuine, or at least knowing when to fake it.  There are going to be times when you have to face difficult situations, whether with another co-worker, a customer or even your boss, but you have to remember to paste on that smile and deliver your best performance. That doesn’t mean that you have to be anybody’s whipping boy, but there will be times, and you will recognize them, when an argument or a harsh facial expression is not worth the trouble.  Everybody has one of those days where your going to clash with someone or something, how you handle it will determine how people think about and respect you. Nobody wants to work with a hot head that always blows up at even the minutest detail, but they also don’t want to work with someone who never shares their thoughts and opinions. Finding a happy medium is key to becoming successful and happy in ones career.

So stand up in your living room, give yourself a round of applause and accept your award for The Most Genuine (or Seems to Be) Employee of the Year! P.S. we won’t judge you if you choose to pop a bottle of champagne and toast yourself during your acceptance speech.

It’s Not Trash Talking If It’s Reality..

When you are the best—and you back it up—tell the world about it.   Richard Sherman did that exact thing in an interview with Erin Andrews last night (poor Erin Andrews).  The Seattle Seahawks took the lunch money from the San Francisco 49er’s and told everyone.  Oh yeah, the Denver Broncos beat the New England Patriots, but no one cares.

 

After NaVorro Bowman’s knee injury/fumble recovery, Sherman took back the spotlight and let us all know.  Don’t get it confused, Sherman has been among the best for some time, especially in his own head, but he cemented that status last night.

 

A quick aside, Richard Sherman ain’t no dummy, click that link and read about the man; he earned his Stanford degree and made himself into a household name.  Normally a Cali Bro/West Coast guy, Sherman is burning his name into American life like a previous, and probably more despised, Sherman (history joke, heyo).

 

That is why people have it all wrong; trash talk is only trash if you are writing checks that your ass can’t cash, and Sherman has been earning that cash all season. 

 

That is why he has the respect of myself and (some) of the folks at Search Solution Group, why shy away from recognition or self-promotion if it is warranted? Wading through the world of the subpar and weeding out the true trash from the trash-talkers (think Freddy Mitchell) feels like something we do every day here at SSG.

 

The only thing from Seattle that Middle America has been paying attention to is Macklemore’s sub-par/gimmicky rapping, for being one of the two best teams in the NFL, the Seahawks are largely anonymous.  Until last night.

 

Long story short, if you deserve to be considered among, or the best; if you back it up consistently; by all means tell ‘em about it.  Have you heard of any of the San Francisco 49er’s complaining?  No.  Because Richard Sherman and the Seattle Seahawks earned it.

 

Don’t Be a Chris Christie Catastrophe

We all know what it’s like to want to stick it to a competitor, especially if we think that they are threatening our strategy, whether in a business or personal sense. What we have to remember is to keep it professional. As the saying goes “Kill them with kindness.” Yeah, they may have done something to affect your strategy but trying to one-up them with childish games is not the way to win. Being the best in your field is how you are going to top them every time. Whether your competitor is another co-worker or someone from a completely different company, top them with your skill not your ability to be underhand.

For example, say your competition stole one of your top clients, you’re furious, you want nothing better than to go deliver that person a good tongue lashing followed by a hearty crack across the face. Do that and you’ll probably be out of more than just a client. Try first by looking back over your strategy with that client, maybe your competition recognized that you were not providing them with all the perks they could have been receiving and so took you for an easy target. In that case, wake up and smell the coffee, of course your client is going to want the best deal possible. So take it as a lesson learned to constantly be on top of your game.

Obviously, that’s not always going to be the case. People are jerks and are going to try to steal your business, what you have to make sure of is that you are ready for an obstacle at every turn. Make sure you are on top of the best offers you can make your consumers. Know exactly what your client is looking for and the ins and outs of why they want exactly that. Lastly, take it a step further and make it personal. Your consumers want to feel important and unique, take an interest in them and what they like to do, it’s harder for you to loose a client who feels that he or she has a connection with you that is more than just a cut and dry, easily severed, you do your job and I’ll do my job type of relationship. Show them their value to you and your investment in them.

Lastly, admit when you’ve made a mistake. Maybe you’re the one who played it a little sneaky and did something that wasn’t quite so respectable. Tisk tisk. Be an adult about it. Playing the innocence card normally just makes you look like more of a fool than just coming out and saying, “I did this, I made a mistake, I apologize.” As we’ve seen in Governor Chris Christie’s case, when everyone who surrounds you is caught red handed but you are magically clean…. Well that sauce just doesn’t smell right.

Now we’re not oblivious here at SSG, and we know that the working world can be a cutthroat place to be and sometimes you have to be harsh to get by. Just do it respectably, and remember to keep it clean or come clean.

“You have to fight when you are already injured, bloody, and sore.”

How Desperate is Your Desperate?

 

Well I am not sure if our society has hit its peak of thriving or shame, but every time I read the news the stories being released are growing more astonishing.  I am actually not sure why I am surprised, when in reality I should just be repeating over and over again in my head- typical.

 We all know the stigmas with dating websites- only the weirdo’s of society are on them or our parents.  But as 2014 starts to get rolling, people are increasingly starting to come out of the woodwork confessing they are using them.  So after reading a rather “astonishing” article today, it leads me to believe how dating websites perhaps are not that bad!  Well if you are looking for love then yes they are still bad, but if you are trying to advance your career then yes you should be hoping onto match.com.

 A staffing recruiter has confessed to using dating websites as his major source for finding top talent for placing candidates into new positions.  He expresses how you are able to find enough detailed personal information that you are able to “get savvy” enough to understand what people have been doing/want to do career wise.  As well he lists all of the quality attributes to the newest recruiting technique of 2014:

 “You do find out quite a bit about the person based on these interactions, which could make for better cultural hiring fits.”

“You can find out how crazy someone is, which also might help in finding out a bad hire—before you hire them.”

“Specialized dating sites like Black People Meet, etc. could offer a great pool for diversity hiring.”

So before you decide to throw away all of your techniques, research skills, and list of contacts in your network as a recruiter/head hunter and join a dating website, you should really reflect on how truly desperate you are within your love life.  Oh excuse me I meant professional life.  With the increases in social media costs to advertise and limitations on attending different networking events- this could be a cost efficient new tool for the staffing world to begin using.  Oh and may I add right before you decide to change your whole business development strategy, I thought I should mention that the recruiter that wrote the article and joined all these dating websites is married… 

Word It Wisely

How you word things changes the way people perceive you. This applies to a cover letter, a resume, an email and so forth. Make sure that your wording matches what you are trying to say and showcases you in the best way possible. You don’t want to not land that dream job because you didn’t word your cover letter as professionally as you should of, or have your resume not adequately represent you because instead of putting “Lead Recruiter at Search Solution Group, where I helped to find over 200 applicants careers” you wrote “Recruiter at SSG, helped find jobs for people without them.” Make yourself sound amazing while also being clear and concise. Don’t use abbreviations! Assume, like your high school teachers always said, that whoever is reading over your information is an alien who knows nothing about you.

Wording is especially key in your follow-up email to a job interview. You want to make sure that they know in a few short lines that you are really interested in the position, you have a lot to offer them and are appreciative of the time they took to look over your qualifications and interview you. Nothing says, “Don’t hire me!” like a lackluster follow-up email (or none at all) that expresses no gratitude or further interest in the job. Even though you’re not face-to-face, write the email as if you were talking to your boss at that moment. Make sure you don’t sound too robotic or scripted. Show your interest without being annoying, meaning two follow-up emails should be your limit and they should be well spaced out. If they are going to contact you they will, if not…too bad for them…or you, more likely it’s too bad for you…

Just remember: Wording, Wording, Wording is KEY!

Note to Self: Relax

With the start of 2014, there is a lot of focus on what you will accomplish, and how you will make changes to benefit your life, but what about taking time to relax? By not scheduling in a little R&R, it can negatively affect your mood, immune system, memory, and stress level. This kind of lifestyle can put your big plans in jeopardy.  Here are some tips for relaxing to help you deal with the stresses and pressures of the New Year.

 Meditate

“Research suggests that daily meditation may alter the brain’s neural pathways, making you more resilient to stress,” says psychologist Robbie Maller Hartman, PhD, a Chicago health and wellness coach. The process can be simple. Sit up straight with both feet on the floor. Close your eyes. Focus your attention on reciting — out loud or silently — a positive mantra.

Breathe Deeply

Give yourself a 5-minute break from whatever is bothering you and focus instead on your breathing. Sit up straight, eyes closed, with a hand on your belly. Slowly inhale through your nose, feeling the breath start in your abdomen and work its way to the top of your head. Reverse the process as you exhale through your mouth.       

Be Present

You rush through dinner, hurry to your next appointment, race to finish one more thing on your agenda. Now try something different: Slow down. 

Reach Out

Talking to others — preferably face-to-face or at least on the phone — is a great way to better manage whatever is stressing you out.

Tune In to Your Body

Mentally scan your body to get a sense of how stress affects it each day. Lie on your back or sit with your feet on the floor. Start at your toes and work your way up to your scalp, noticing how your body feels. 

No one likes to be told to relax, but by being conscious of your health, it will help you fulfill all of your big goals for 2014. So, get in touch with your Zen side and make this year the most relaxed, productive year yet!         

A Global Epidemic: Brain Freeze

 

So you are drinking one of those frozen, artificially flavored blue concoctions from your friendly local gas station, and all of a sudden, brain freeze!  Those are the worst, and they don’t always come from slurping your Slurpee too fast.   Everyone has had that moment where their cranium ceases the firing of thoughts, and you are left with a lovely fish out of water look. Here is a list of actual labels that appear on consumer goods, that seem to recognize that brain freezes are becoming more common…or that everyone is just getting more daft.     

On a bar of Dial soap: Use like regular soap.

On Marks & Spencer Bread Pudding: Product will be hot after heating.

On packaging got a Rowenta iron: Do not iron clothes on body.

On an American Airline packet of nuts: Instructions: open packet, eat nuts.

On a child’s superman costume: Wearing of this garment does not enable you to fly.

If only everything in life was spelled out so clearly, and on the comprehension level of a 3^rd grader.  Unfortunately, everyday life does not come with such blatant instructions, and we sometimes need help.  At Search Solution Group, one of our missions is to get people through those brain freeze moments that come with job hunting.  What to do, what to say, what to think; there are so many questions that we can provide friendly and helpful guidance for, so that you land the job.  Even though it is not always as easy as opening a packet of airline peanuts, our enthusiastic and dedicated staff will help get you through your job hunt with as few glitches as possible.  On the other hand, how fast you drink your brightly colored frozen treats is completely on you.