How Your Job Makes You Fat, Sick and Stressed Out [INFOGRAPHIC]

How Your Job Makes You Fat, Sick and Stressed Out [INFOGRAPHIC] The past 40 years have seen a lot of changes to the American lifestyle, including the way we work. People are sitting more, getting less exercise, engaging with computers on a daily basis, and finding new ways to get stressed out. So how has this shift in the way we work affected Americans? A lack of exercise coupled with sitting down for eight or more hours at a time have contributed to a variety of health issues in America, not the least of these being the obesity epidemic. People sitting at a computer all day are at a heightened risk for packing on pounds, developing heart disease, and dying youngâ€"and yet over 80% of Americans report to a desk job every morning. In a nation that extolls working hard and working often, many may be displeased to find that at the end of the day, all that work just might be killing you. Some shocking stats from this infographic: 292 million Americans do not get the minimum level of exercise for good health Americans burn 140 fewer calories a day than they did 50 years ago This adds up to 51,100 calories for an average weight gain of 14.6 pounds per year In the 1960s nearly half of all jobs required physical activity, today its less than 20% People with sedentary jobs are twice as likely to die from heart disease When you sit down at your computer your calorie burning slows to 1 calorie per minute Three out of four Americans say work is stressful One out of four say its the most stressful thing in their lives 1 million workers call in sick to work every day due to stress Workplace stress costs employers $200 billion per year Is there anything we can do to be healthier at work? Yes, hit the gym before or after work, sit back in your chair and keep your hands clean with sanitisers to avoid catching germs. RELATED: Job Satisfaction and Happiness in the Workplace (Infographic). Source: OnlineUniversity.net

What Recent Grads and Job Seekers can Learn from Content Marketers

What Recent Grads and Job Seekers can Learn from Content Marketers I worked for a content marketing agency that convinced its clients that the buying cycle has changed. It was there that I realized â€" theres a lot that  recent graduates can learn from content marketers.  For those of you who don’t know what content marketing is â€" here’s a drilled down definition from a sort of pioneer of the new trend. Customers dont want to learn about products the way they used to anymore. They dont want to learn from the company television advertisements. They want to read online blogs that are interesting to them and to skim reviews that seem more personal. I’m here to share with you that, not only has the buying cycle changed, the hiring cycle has changed.  Employers don’t learn about or evaluate potential employees the way they used to. They’re overrun with applications, resumes, phone calls and email. As a result, we have to change the way that we deliver our own specialties, stories and skills to them. We’ve got to market ourselves differently. The new trend?  Adding interesting, new and thought provoking qualities to the traditional, informative and standard characteristics you’ve already mastered in your job-hunt approach. What should recent graduates take away from this trend? Find better ways to get in front of your employers. How to take your Job Hunting to the Next Level Get Pretty   â€"  Use Infographics for resumes Not much to say here other than  infographic resumes  are easier and more fun to look at. Keywords:  easier  and  fun. They also have a greater tendency to go viral (depending on where you’re placing them) . If a black and white resume doesn’t make the cut with it’s first viewer, there’s absolutely no reason to pass it on. But a colorful, creative and attractive resume is shareable in and of itself. Not to mention, for more creative companies it shows initiative in the field of choice. Get Even â€" Show Facebook your middle finger â€" Use LinkedIn as your professional social media page Of course, I’m sure HR will or has already taken the time to peruse your Facebook page in search of evidence of you chugging a beer bong, but at least having a professional social media page shows you have created a distinction between your personal and professional life. Now, I know that  in one of my recent posts  I referred to LinkedIn as a useless rolodex. What can I say? Im an in the field kind of person. But Ive definitely used it for quick reference, names and company positions â€" friends of friends, etc. Plus, HR is continuously shifting its attention to LinkedIn’s platform and away from the traditional job boards. Here, Dan Schawbel refers to the job boards as “black holes” and encourages all professionals to add using  LinkedIn to find a job  to their job hunt strategy. Get Personal â€" Use Youtube videos to show companies your personality, spunk and that you’re anything but shy You may not use this if you’re applying for a librarian position â€" but if you’re doing anything related to sales rep, business dev, marketing, public speaking… or even teaching, letting influencers experience your personality through Youtube can be key to getting you in the door. Dear Valve. Hire Me. â€" An awesome video animation by a young gamer looking for a job. Google. Hire Me. â€" Another approach to using youtube to get a job. Tweeting to communicate with potential employers Now â€" I’ll preface this, (and anything I write about twitter â€" ever) by saying that I absolutely hate twitter. I really do.  I dont really believe in its powers. I think the only way to be successful with it is by allowing it to totally distract you all dayâ€" unless you just tweet crap for the heck of it. BUT â€" I do believe it’s a great casual way to get your voice on a company’s radar. PLUS! Companies are literally posting their jobs on Twitter now. Not too big of a surprise. No. But take a look at this snapshot of Totem. See that guy David Maw that they retweeted right above their own tweets? I bet you anything that if he applies and is even remotely qualified, they’ll consider him over a blank face. You tweet merely to get in front of people â€" all of these things are ways to stay top of mind. Remember that. Blogging to show industry knowledge or expertise Now this, I do believe in. Blogging to show industry knowledge is a great way to show passion, timeliness and industry authority (or in your case, blossoming industry authority). Here’s a blog and website of a friend of mine.  She’s a great photographer and I love her combination of blog and site here to exhibit her skills. Also, check out this post from boston.com. Apparently creative industries aren’t the only industries that appreciate  reading their job applicants blogs. Here a recruitment manager for EnerNOC talks about his love for reading engineer blogs before hiring. Another thing that I love about blogs is their ability to connect you to influencers and allow other influencers to witness your conversations. Remember what I said at the beginning of this post about customers wanting to read personal online reviews and  blog conversations? Well, this is pretty much the same thing. Here employers can see the positive responses or praise you get from other influential industry members in exchange for posting great content and sharing your insights and opinions. Ok, so are you all believing the hype yet? No? Good! Fortunately for you, I’m not the marketer or blogger who pushes the same solution for everyone. There’s still a long way to go and a lot of consideration to be had before sending in your content with a remarkably unique approach. Point being â€" the message can be lost on the wrong audience. I was looking at a Lifehacker  post on infographic resumes  today and couldn’t overlook the comments section where professionals applying to different types of companies had to tailor or curb their desire to get creative with their approach. So, do I think that appreciation for creativity and unique job hunting approaches is industry specific? Absolutely. For now, at least. In fact, my dad asked me the other day if he thought he should get a twitter account to go with his website. My first thought â€"  why in the world does an attorney need a twitter account??  He doesn’t have enough time in the day to tweet every two to three hours, and I don’t even want to imagine the legal liabilities that could come out of absent-mindedly  dropping legal advice all over a twitter account. So, in the spirit of selective marketing and promotional tactics if an IT applicant comes to me with questions for submitting a resume to a company of 500 or more â€" it’s very unlikely that I’ll suggest she send an infographic. I might, however, suggest that while in an interview or simply on a coffee date with someone influential she slides out her iPad and casually points her audience’s attention to her industry blog or perhaps a monthly newsletter when asked how she keeps up with industry changesâ€" or whether she has a strong enough voice to be an advocate for the company. The Bottom Line is I love that content marketing encourages professionals in all sectors to use different strategies, platforms and buzz techniques to tell their stories in order to win the hearts and minds of their target audiences. As it does traditional marketers, content marketing teaches recent graduates that to reach their target audience they’ve got to be willing to go the extra mile to make their story interesting to the employer, and not just strategic for themselves.

What Makes Employees Love Their CEO - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career

What Makes Employees Love Their CEO - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career CEOs are everywhere, but great ones are far and few between. Hitting sales goals and keeping costs inline are achievements that good CEOs must meet in order to keep stakeholders happy, but it takes more than that to get accolades from employees. “It’s very hard to be a great CEO,” says Paul Winum, senior partner and global practice leader at RHR International, the executive consulting firm. “Because the job is extremely difficult and complex there are various attributes and dimensions to being great.” While customers and shareholders are important groups, a CEO has to please â€" if the employees don’t respect their leader the business will ultimately suffer.   But what does it take to be popular among employees and how can HR professionals help foster this? According to career experts, there are five key attributes to keep in mind: 1. Effective Leadership.  Personality matters, but even ahead of that a high ranking CEO is one that is an effective leader and is successful at growing the business. After all, no matter how great a CEO is, if the business is hemorrhaging cash and it’s not clear if it will be around for much longer, that CEO is not going to gain the respect of his or her employees. “If they do not make the decisions that will effectively lead the company to be successful, they are not going to be around for very long,” says Winum. “First and foremost people admire and want to work for CEOs that lead winning companies.” Of the 50 highest rated CEOs on Glassdoor’s recent report, five of them are from companies that are prospering. For instance Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg ranked number one with a 99% approval rating, while SAP co-CEOs Bill McDermott and Jim Hagemann were a close second with a 99% rating. Rounding out the top five were Dominic Barton, CEO of McKinsey Company who garnered a 97% approval rating, Jim Turley, the CEO of Ernst Young who got a 96% approval rating and John E. Schlifske, CEO of Northwestern Mutual who also came in with a 96% approval rating. 2. Entrepreneurial Spirit.  Even if the CEO has been in his or her job for years or is at the helm of a stodgy company, having an entrepreneurial spirit is one characteristic that a great CEO has.   “They have to have that burning desire to create and build something,” says Amanda Augustine,  the job search expert for TheLadders.“They have to have passion and belief behind what they are doing. I don’t know anyone that can become a CEO if they don’t believe in the mission.”   Nothing builds more loyalty in a company than a leader that came from nothing but was able to crawl his or her way up to the top position. For instance, Xerox former Chief Executive Anne Mulcahy was loved by employees and she started out as a salesperson. 3. Invests in Company Culture.  Every company’s culture is different, but the one attribute all high ranking CEOs share is a true belief and support of whatever the company culture may be. According to Winum, employees are drawn to companies that have CEOS who understand how important the work culture is and invests in it. “Employees want to work at places where they can grow their skills and flourish in ways other than picking up a pay check,” he says. 4. Confident Yet Down-to-Earth Personality.  Some of the best CEOs are ones that don’t put themselves on a pedestal, opting instead to be confident yet accessible. They are typically smart, forceful and confident, but at the same time humble and good listeners, says Russell Reynolds founder, chairman and chief executive of RSR Partners, the executive search firm. “A CEO should be generous and organized,” says Reynolds. “They should have an attitude of serving, not ‘dominating’ by force.”   According to Reynolds, a CEO loved by employees is usually highly ethical, discrete, funny and a visionary. “Having a strategic plan out to five years is essential so people know where you are going,” he says. 5. Visible Both Inside Outside the Company.  Prestige is a motivator when people are choosing a job and if the CEO of the company is well known that can be a reason to join a firm or stay at one. “Employees like to read about their CEO and see their CEO talked about in the news and on TV,” says Winum. “It builds a sense of pride if they are identified with someone who is sought after by an external audience.” Not only should the CEO be visible outside the confines of the office, but according to Winum he or she should also have a presence inside. That doesn’t mean the CEO has to spend hours each week getting to know all the employees, but he or she can boost morale by doing the occasional walk through at the office, applauding employees with handwritten notes or having a town hall meeting every quarter or so. “The really great CEOs that develop stickiness for the workforce have some degree of personal visibility and accessibility,” says Winum. “People like to feel like they know who their CEO is.” Author: Donna Fuscaldo is a freelance journalist hailing out of Long Island, New York. Donna writes for numerous online publications including FoxBusiness.com, Bankrate.com, AARP.com, Insurance.com and Houselogic.com. As a personal finance reporter for years, Donna provides invaluable advice on everything from saving money to landing that dream job. She also writes a weekly column for FoxBusiness.com focused on technology for small businesses. Previously, Donna was an equities reporter for Dow Jones Newswires and a special contributor to the Wall Street Journal. Through the Glassdoor Blog, Donna will provide tips on how to find a job and more importantly keep it.

This Year At Work, Create Problems

This Year At Work, Create Problems This year at work, create problems. Infact, make a resolution, do not resolve issues without creating a problem. And no this wont get you sacked. Huh?  Are you serious? Yes I am serious. This year create problems at work. Let me explain. You have a printer at work, where 100 people print from. You often see that printer has lots of papers printed and left at the printer. This could be for some of the reasons listed below: People printing forget they have a print Prints get mixed and someone else picks half the prints and you have to print again Someone picks the print and then keeps it back when finding it does not belong to them This wastes money on paper, ink and electricity. Frustrates people and shows unprofessional behavior to your clients who visit you. Now, all of those are issues you have to resolve. So whats the easiest way to resolve the issue? Faizan, stop being silly, I know the answer! Well and your answer is one of the two below? A1. Educate people to stop printing unnecessarily A2. Every morning throw away the papers left at the printer overnight. Yes ofcourse its one of the answers above? The answers above dont solve the issue, they put a temporary fix on it. They almost hid the problem. The problem is every poor print decision by employees is costing the business. Employees are humans and they make mistakes. To avoid these mistakes a business has standards and processes in place. Because the business understands a mistake can create a problem for them and cost them. The prints taken from the printer are useful. Those that have been printed but remain uncollected are wasted resources. And you can educate as many as people or throw away as many papers as you want but that doesnt solve the problem. You will only resolve the issue when you stop the prints happening in the first place. Stop money being wasted. You need to get a system in place to resolve the issue. And to get business support for your change, you need to first create a problem. OK, so I get the printer thing but why create a problem? With the printer issue, every one can solve it by throwing the papers away every morning. But no one can get to the bottom of how to stop these many papers being printed unnecessarily in the first place? And thats you. You have to find the cause of so many prints  and fix the issue. You have to create a problem. You have to inform the business of how much the prints are costing the business annually. Be the one bringing the bad news of a problem and then offer a solution. When you show a problem and then offer a solution it becomes easier to gain business support in resolving the issue. So this year, create problems at work. Find that bit of improvement that will improve the efficiency of your team, business or process. This post is now too long, I am tired OK, thats a cue for me. I will leave you with this. if you like this post, please share it or leave a comment below. 5

The Best Way to Learn How to Write a Resume

The Best Way to Learn How to Write a ResumeOne of the best ways to learn how to write a resume is through using an educational resume writing app. These are professionally developed software programs that enable students and job seekers to create professionally written resumes. These are great tools for those who wish to present their resumes in a way that stands out from the crowd.Many of these apps allow you to choose from a variety of templates and layouts to create your own resume. They also have sample templates that make it easy for students to get started with their own resume. These samples will allow them to see the proper layout for this particular job.You will also be able to view the information on the templates, which means you can customize your template by simply changing the text or formatting. You will also be able to see the font styles and colors used in the template. This is helpful if you want to make sure the resume you are about to use matches the office you ar e applying for.While looking at a sample resume can be helpful, the most important part of the application is the actual resume itself. It should not only be appealing but should also contain enough information to convince the hiring manager that you are the best candidate for the position. You should avoid filling the entire resume with your contact information, including your phone number, email address, and home address.You should instead leave room for the employer to contact you to request additional information, such as a printed or computerized paper resume. You may want to consider submitting a photo of yourself for this purpose. Your personal information should include the same information as that on your resume, along with details about your job experience.The goal of the resume is to highlight your communication skills. You should also include other specific skills that will help the hiring manager to assess whether you are a good fit for the position. Examples of these c an include financial reporting skills, team player, or internet marketing skills.You should also consider including your education, which includes your GPA and specific skills. When you include all of this information, you are going to create a very impressive resume. When the hiring manager gets your resume, he or she will know you are the right person for the job.To ensure your resume will be written accurately, you should be sure you read the directions carefully before you begin. You should also make sure that all of the information listed on the sample are correct. You should also be sure that the template you are using is well-written and easy to read. While the app may provide you with a template to use, your resume is your own work, so you should make it your own.

Breaking into the Environment Industry - CareerAlley

Breaking into the Environment Industry - CareerAlley We may receive compensation when you click on links to products from our partners. Most of us wish we could do more to help the environment and there are a few who get to aid the cause through their career. Given the correct experience and knowledge, there are the opportunities to work on wind farms, be a solar panel engineer, get into geological science or look for new materials to power our planet. However, like most industries, getting an actual job in the environment is no easy task and takes as much effort to get a role as any other industry. Volunteering Like most jobs these days, it helps to have some experience underneath your belt, as going straight into a job is rarely a luxury that is attainable. If youre on the lookout for a position anywhere across the industry, make sure to be looking for volunteering schemes. Find the ones that interest you and are related to the specific sector(s) you want to get into and send out a few emails and make some calls. Getting involved from the start of some projects will enable you to get a decent amount of access to the people behind it, whilst getting involved with the key parts of the project. The leaders of these schemes will be happy to reward those who show the most interest and initiative; so make sure to give the chance your full attention. Events and Conferences With the environment being such a big issue and one that is always changing, it is important that you keep on top of the latest topics and developments. A great way to do this is to attend the biggest and most important events, if possible. Some of these will be worldwide and not particularly accessible, but there will be those that are reachable and will be very rewarding. At these events and conferences, the people attending and speaking will be high figures in the industry and it is always a good thing to make contacts whilst youre there. Ask about the latest projects and any opportunities they might have for people interested in renewable energy jobs and the like. Gathering information This is a universally used initiative, but very important. Signing up to email alerts with job websites and newsletters with environmental bodies will ensure that you are up to date with the latest jobs and developments in the business. Keep an open mind Dont focus all you attention in one area; make sure you are open to other possibilities and look to vary your directions. Any employer will be more interested in an applicant who has shown that they can work in several different areas and are happy to be versatile in their role. Being flexible increases the amount of transferable skills for the long term and will broaden your horizons as your career develops through the years. About the author: Sam writes for Earthstaff who offers recruitment in renewable energy, the environment, as well as oil and gas jobs. You can also find specialist geoscience jobs with Earthstaff This is a Guest post. If you would like to submit a guest post to CareerAlley, please follow these guest post guidelines. Good luck in your search. Visit me on Facebook

Mistakes Not to Make When Starting a Business - CareerAlley

Mistakes Not to Make When Starting a Business - CareerAlley We may receive compensation when you click on links to products from our partners. Businesses that dont succeed cant tell us what went wrong. Their phone is disconnected and theres no one to get in touch with. What we know is what businesses that succeed have in common. That is why youre starting this business, after all to succeed. Dont Try to Get Rich Quick Many new business owners underestimate the time it will take to make a profit. Some spend most of their capital on renting commercial space, hiring employees and buying office furniture. Realize that it will take some time for your business to get in the black. Think long-term investment rather than instant gratification. Dont Put Your Personal Life on Hold Nor should you underestimate the amount of time you will spend with your new business. The bottom line is finding a balance. All the success in the world wont mean much if youre too ill to enjoy it. Take time to exercise, eat right, get enough sleep and enjoy an active lifestyle. Dont neglect friends and family, either. Youll need their support as you continue to grow your business. Dont Forget Your Purpose Dont let yourself be overwhelmed or drown in the numbers and small picture details. Make sure you remember the enthusiasm and excitement you first had when deciding to carve your own path. Remember what youre offering, to whom, and why. Create a mission statement and hang it where youll see it every day not a company mission statement, but a personal one that reminds you why youre doing what youre doing. Dont Overlook Marketing Many new businesses go straight from producing their widget to selling their widget. Selling is not marketing. Selling is closing a deal today. Marketing is creating the value and demand to close a deal today, tomorrow and the next day. Overlooking marketing is a short-sighted and costly mistake. Instead, involve sales and marketing in a common goal more customers than you know what to do with. Dont Forget to Cover Your Assets Youre not just you anymore. You are also your business. You need to make sure that both personal and business property are protected. Are you paying the proper payroll taxes? Do you have the licenses and permits you need? Do you have an accountant to manage your finances? Do you have all the necessary insurances, including workers compensation insurance? One accident on your property, one slip and fall because there was ice, can negate all that youve accomplished. Make sure you do everything in your power to protect that which youve earned. Dont Take on Too Much Rome wasnt built in a day, and neither will your company be. If you have 28 different ideas, dont rush them all to market at once. Start with one and adjust as you go, integrating feedback into the next products launch. Dont rent commercial space until you truly need it. Hundreds of successful companies, including Amazon, Apple, Google, Disney and Mattel, started in a garage. These companies didnt start out grossing hundreds of millions of dollars. They began with what they had and up-sized when they had to. Byline:Nik Donovic has had the opportunity to work in a variety of fields, so all thoughts come from a summation of experiences This is a Guest post. If you would like to submit a guest post to CareerAlley, please follow these guest post guidelines. Good luck in your search. Joey Trebif