3 Reasons to Always Keep One Foot in the Job MarketÂ

3 Reasons to Always Keep One Foot in the Job MarketYou have a job and youre mostly happy with it. But even if youre mostly thrilled with it, its always a good idea to stay sharp and keep your options openif only to negotiate better pay, bonuses, etc. Here are three things you can and should do to ensure youre always a hot commodity and get recognized for your talents. googletag.cmd.push(function() googletag.display(div-gpt-ad-1467144145037-0) ) Keep your contacts closeNearly 75% of all job-seekers get hired through networking. All the more reason to expand your network, make new connections, and keep your existing contacts sweeteven when you have a job. If you ever do need to shop around, youll have your network already in gear. Itll seem much more genuine to ask for help if youve kept in touch all along.Keep your resume road-readyTheres nothing worse than needing a new job in a hurry and having and out-of-date resume. Keep your resume current, as well, by doing a bit of monthly sch eduled maintenance to include new training, skills, and expertise,0 or even new responsibilities. When or if you ever meet a head hunter, youll be ready to present your best self on paper without having to scramble.Stay in the loopStay current and regular. Generate an online presence on social media and networking sites like LinkedIn and then maintain that presence. Make a schedule for articles and blog posts and website updates, even tweets. The more you keep up your brand, the easier it will be to sell it (translation yourself) if you ever have to.If you follow this roadmap, youll never find yourself in a desperate situation. You can do your job with the confidence that you can easily find another one, given all the great groundwork that youve been laying.

When Should You Take Time To Be With Kids Infancy Or Middle School

When Should You Take Time To Be With Kids Infancy Or Middle School Parents often struggle to handle work time and family time. This struggle can affect the environment in which a child is raised, compromising the quality of his or herbei development. In fact, research shows that growing up in a stressful environment is associated with delinquent behavior in a child.However, the same research bears the good news that the potential negative impacts of a stress-filled environment can be countered by having parents who are involved in their childs growing up years.So, its no wonder so many parents consider taking some time off to be at home. But when to do it? Often, parents are split between staying at home during infancy (from birth to 12 months) and middle school/early teen years (typically between 11 and 14 years old).The reality, however, is that most parents do not have the luxury to be present at every minute of their kids young life. With the need to balance between family needs, work needs, as well as personal needs, the question becomes less about why we should spend more time with ur kids and more on when would be the best stage to spend more time with ur kids.Being there during infancyAs infants, children are completely dependent on adults for care, love and comfort. As parents, the thought of leaving our fragile infants in the hands of another person can eat away at us, affecting our focus at work. As one parent, Obet Cabrillas, who is a Preacher and Spiritual Director, said in an interview discussing quality time with kids, We are a product of the people who loved us and refused to love us Leaving our little ones at home with someone else responding to their cries creates the feeling of guilt and the thought that we are depriving our babies of the love they deserve.Indeed, spending time with our babies is rewarding. We develop empathy and patience as we become increasingly attuned to their specific needs, which build a special parent-child connection. We have the privilege of watching them develop their senses, sense of focus, unique personality and initial words.Bonding time during middle school years may be more formative.While time spent with your infant is priceless, research finds that having full time maternal care during infancy leads to similar developmental outcomes for a child as utilizing day care or full time nanny care during infancy. Research also suggests that taking time off to guide the growth of children may be less important during infancy than during the pre-teen and teenage years.As any adult can attest, the middle school years are some of the toughest years for growing up. We feel awkward. We have a thousand questions running through our minds. And we have plenty of influences vying for our attention. Parental guidance and bonding time with middle school kids may need to be uninterrupted.Quality first, before quantitySince were deciding when would be the optimal time to take a step back from work and become the lead parent at home, its also important to point out that bonding time with kids should be more about quality than quantity.Studies show that the amount of time parents spend in childcare has increased since the 1970s. Fathers spend almost five more hours a week with their kids now than they did 40 years ago. Mothers spend an additional three hours per week now than in 1965.However, research shows that supporting childrens mental, emotional and social development does not depend entirely on spending so much time with children. In fact, there is such a thing as spending too much time with kids in which parents may already be depriving young ones of the opportunity to shape their identity, autonomy and imagination.But between infancy and middle school years, children may need their parents to be at home more during adolescence. Pre-teens and teens whose parents engage with them during meal time or in the car to and from school are less likely to display delinquent behavior, subst ance abuse, or poor academic performance. A study was able to determine that an average of six hours per week between parents and adolescents is enough to have positive effects in a childs development into his or her adult years.As much as parents would want to be there for their children no matter what, they do NOT need to feel guilty about being absent from certain moments. Parents simply need to be there when it matters most during middle school years and at least six meaningful and engaging hours per week.--Chiara writes about business, finance, social enterprising, health and medicine, and the unique placement of women across these areas. She is also a co-creator at FictionFolk, which designs events that aim to peddle the literature culture.Fairygodboss is committed to improving the workplace and lives of women.Join us by reviewing your employer

Healthy Workplace Preventing RSDs - Spark Hire

Healthy Workplace Preventing RSDs - Spark HireRepetitive stress disorders, or injuries (RSDs) affect employee wellness in every field. Whether your workforce is on an assembly line, in the checkout lane, or in front of computer screens, RSDs are likely a problem. So are WMSDs (work-related musculoskeletal disorders). Not only can behauptung chronic medical problems cause long-term discomfort for employees, disability claims (sometimes long-term) can wreak havoc on your bottom line. So, with this weeks segment on employee wellness, lets look at some ways you can encourage healthy habits to prevent injuries with acronyms.Invest in an Ergonomic WorkspaceI try not to begin these tips with the word invest. However, this is a case where employee wellness is worth forking over some cash. According to OSHA, total direct costs for WMSDs cost U.S. businesses around $50 billion annually. WMSDs also account for up to 34% of all lost workday illnesses and injuries.With numbers like that, it is in your best interest to have an ergonomics evaluation at your workplace. An ergonomist can take a look at your workplace, and help you figure out what upgrades would be the most helpful for your company. Solutions like raising or lowering chair height, providing in-line document reviewers, or ear rests for telephones might have a big impact for a relatively low cost. Take the time to crunch the numbers on how much WMSDs are costing your business, and determine an appropriate amount for an investment in employee wellness upgrades.Encourage Regular BreaksRepetitive stress injuries, as their name implies, are caused by repetitive motions. Carpal tunnelbauwerk syndrome and tendonitis are common examples of this type of injury, estimated to cost employers close to $2 billion annually. Encourage healthy habits by instructing employees to take regular breaks from the kind of work that causes the injury. Encourage a 60-second break every 15-to-20 minutes for rest, and stretching tense muscle s. Certain kinds of stretches can help prevent or treat RSDs.Educate Your EmployeesSet aside annual or semi-annual employee wellness meetings to talk about healthy habits for preventing stress injuries. Many of these injuries can be prevented by adopting simple practices like sitting up straight, or holding wrists level. Consider hiring a guest speaker to give a lively presentation on the importance of adopting these healthy habits. Provide employees with posters or signs to remind them about proper ergonomic positions. Explain ways to recognize early signs of a RSD. Also be sure to allow time for a Q A, so that employees can apply their newfound knowledge to their specific position.How do you encourage employee wellness through ergonomics? What healthy habits do you recommend? Give us your tips below, or send me a tweet ithinkther4iambIMAGE Courtesy of Flickr by Kare_Products

How to Be an Effective Manager

How to Be an Effective ManagerHow to Be an Effective ManagerBeing an effective manager is a complicated job Youre part strategist, part coach, part counselor and part tactician.Because your employees are your most important assets, its crucial to understand your staff and support them. While not everyone is a born manager, being aware of the qualities that separate the good ones from the great ones helps you bring out the best in your kollektiv.Are you the most effective manager you could be? Are there actions you can take to improve?Here are nine ways to demonstrate true leadership1. Value your employeesUnderestimating the effort put in by staff members and the value they add can lead to unhappy, demotivated and underperforming team members. It can also lead to a high staff turnover rate.Make sure you appreciate the role employees play on your team and the contributions they make daily to your firm.2. Express appreciationEffective managers show their gratitude to team members for a job well done. A simple thank-you can make a big difference to many employees. Its also important to provide positive feedback, whether its one on one, during a meeting or in a handwritten note. Expressing gratitude can help with retention, motivation and productivity within your team.3. Set a good exampleDemonstrate the behavior you expect of your team members. If youre kind, arrive to meetings on time and meet your deadlines, its a lot more likely your team will do the same.Similarly, managers who display qualities such as honesty, collaboration, creativity, innovation and dedication, to name a few, will likely inspire those qualities in those they supervise.GET OUR WORKPLACE HAPPINESS REPORT4. DelegateDelegating accomplishes a lot more than taking a task off your plate. Giving team members projects outside of their usual scope at work shows that you trust them to handle important tasks, giving them confidence in their abilities. It also builds skills throughout the team and keeps team members engaged by expanding their abilities. As an added bonus, skills development is an excellent retention strategy.Just remember that when you do delegate work, you need to trust that your team can handle important tasks. In other words, dont micromanage the process.5. Communicate clearlyIf employees dont understand whats expected of them, youre not an effective manager. Clearly communicate your expectations for each person in both their jobs and projects, and make sure everyone knows what success looks like to you.Its also important to be transparent in communications. If employees believe they are being misled or information is being withheld, it can lead to a breakdown of trust and undermine the employer/employee relationship.6. Know your teamGet to know your employees. What motivates them and what do they really value in their job? If you find out that an employee wants to move up in the organization, for example, you may be able to provide a mentor or training.Others may be looking for flexible hours, more challenging projects or improved software to be able to do their job more efficiently. Discovering what motivates each person on your team is a great way to improve the overall work environment and retain team members.7. Resolve issuesIf two members of the team have fallen out or just cannot see eye to eye, youll have to mediate the conflict. You might first ask them to try to find a way to fix their differences themselves. But if that doesnt work, you need to transsumpt yourself into the process. Encourage the two people to find common ground for the sake of the project or company, and make it clear that not resolving the issue isnt an option.For the sake of overall performance and productivity, it is important to address such situations quickly and effectively - before they spiral out of control.8. Listen closelyAs a manager, you need to be able to listen to what your employees have to say, whether its a work matter or something more person al. Either way, its important your team feels you are willing to listen and support them in any way you can.9. Never stop learning and networkingEveryone needs to constantly develop their skills and work contacts, and you should, as well, if you want to be an effective manager. Whether its understanding the latest software your team is using or maintaining key work relationships, dont become complacent. Youll make yourself more marketable and set a good example for your team by keeping your technical and networking skills current. Managing people takes a diverse range of skills, but aspiring leaders can acquire them - and behauptung efforts are often rewarded with increased employee performance, loyalty and retention.

3 Questions to Ask Yourself When Trying to Choose Your College Major

3 Questions to Ask Yourself When Trying to Choose Your College Major3 Questions to Ask Yourself When Trying to Choose Your College Major At this point in the academic year, college freshmen are largely settling into their routines. The initial flurry of activity that comes with living independently for the first time, establishing study routines and, lets be honest, partying, begins to slow down, and students start to think mora seriously about what they want to get out of their next four years. And the question at the top of many students minds is, What should I major in?Often, the best way to answer that question is with another question - or rather, a series of questions. If youre struggling to decide what you should study, ask yourself the followingCollege typically lasts only about four years - but your career will last you a lifetime. So when considering a particular field of study, its important to think about what kind of job opportunities it opens up after graduation.One Glassdoor study took a look at the most common jobs for college students, and the different majors associated with each. Here were the top fiveYou can also search keywords like entry-level or college graduate on Glassdoor to reveal tens of thousands of jobs, many of which list desired or required majors right in the description. For example, the listing for this Management Development Program position at Geico states that the company is looking for a Bachelors degree, preferably in Business or a related field. Youll likely find that certain majors like Computer Science will lead directly to specialized titles (such as Software Engineer , App Developer , Data Scientist , etc.) while more general majors like English or Psychology have less of a direct career path, and can lead to a variety of job opportunities (such as Sales Representative , Marketing Coordinator and Customer Service Manager ).Im a firm believer that salary shouldnt be the only thing you consider when deciding on a college major, but its certainly worth thinking about. After all, you need to be able to earn enough to cover your basic costs (and ideally, a little bit more).Hopefully, the exercise in the first section of this article helped you identify a few different job titles that correspond with the majors youre interested in. If so, you can search salaries for those jobs on Glassdoor. For example, a salary search for Public Relations Coordinator - a great career option for those studying Communications - reveals that the average base pay is $60,474.Glassdoor also conducted research into what different majors tend to pay - here were the five most lucrative we identifiedAs you can see, science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) majors dominated the list, but other majors such as Nursing, Economics, Architecture and Business also made the cut.Call it sappy, but as somebody who majored in more creative fields (English and Spanish for the win), I really believe that people should study what theyre interested in. If you find yourself particularly drawn to a certain field - be it photography, data science , anthropology or anything else - theres no better time than college to explore it. Even if you decide not to major in it, you can always pursue your passion as a minor, or just take a few classes in it. Otherwise, you might regret not learning more about what interests you while you had the chance. You dont necessarily stop learning once you enter the working world, but you usually dont have easy access to formal classes and expert professors on nearly every topic imaginable, like you do in college.Not quite sure what youre passionate about? Dont worry - theres nothing wrong with that Taking a wide variety of classes that satisfy your general education requirements can help you figure out what you like and what you dont. You can also meet with your academic advisor to brainstorm a few ideas.Choosing a major is a big deci sion - probably one of the biggest ones youll make in your first couple of years in college. But even though making big decisions can be stressful, you shouldnt worry too much. As long as you ask yourself the right questions and do your research, youll be able to find the college major thats right for you. Remember theres no one single path to success

Risks, Opportunities in Accounting Technology

Risks, Opportunities in Accounting TechnologyRisks, Opportunities in Accounting TechnologyJeff Thomson, CMA, CAE, president and CEO of the IMA (Institute of Management Accountants), speaks often about the changing role of finance and accounting professionals, especially with regard to the impact of new and emerging accounting technology. He is an optimist who uses technology and enablement in the same breath. He describes how big data, robots, cognitive computing and other emerging technologies are changing everything from tax preparation to audits to MA activity.On one hand, there is great risk to ur profession with more and more jobs going away in the more routine auditing and transaction-processing functions, Thomson says. Who could oppose automation if it brings greater efficiency and lowered costs and at the same time gives us more time to spend on the higher-value human activities such as synthesis and relationship management?But risk can be accompanied by opportunity, he adds. There is no reason embracing automation and the new and exciting jobs it brings to ur profession cant coexist with creating greater productivity and value for our organizations and those we serve.Thomson doesnt go so far as to say management accountants need to be big data geeks or Ph.D. statisticians to take advantage of these opportunities. But he does insist they need to know more about the latest advancements in accounting technology and the high stakes they create.What does Thomson consider to be some of the emerging trends?1. Continuing escalation of the cloudWhile cloud-based accounting and Software as a Service (SaaS) arent new, theyre still a big part of the changing dynamics for the accounting profession.Adoption of cloud-based solutions in the finance function continues to rise, according to surveys conducted for the 2017 Benchmarking the Accounting and Financial Function report. Seventy-two percent of respondents said they are either already using cloud-based solutions or plan to move data to the cloud in the future, compared with 62 percent who said the same in the 2016 report.Financial executives interviewed for the survey said they look to gain new data insight from cloud solutions, and most arent concerned about moving sensitive financial or customer data to the cloud. They also report finding cost savings, simplified information sharing and better team collaboration using the cloud.2. Use of blockchain technologyBlockchain is a database or digital ledger that holds records in blocks and transactions in a decentralized system that exists between all permitted parties.Smart contracts, as an example, work with blockchain technology to automate processes, such as paying invoices after confirming that the goods and services have been received and that funds are available for payment.While blockchain may be one of the least-understood technologies, it seems to bring the most opportunity, Thomson says. Its all about greater efficiency, visibility an d lowering compliance costs without intermediaries.3. Convergence of big data and artificial intelligenceMore and more futurists are talking about how the next evolution of big data will involve automation, machine learning and artificial intelligence. Thomson points out that its been a few years since the supercomputer IBM Watson beat out Ken Jennings, who had a 10-year winning streak on Jeopardy.It used to be that the dumb computer would just process and organize data, he says. Now weve moved beyond that to whats called cognitive computing and machine learning, where machines are actually being programmed to think like humans. This is where we pferdegeschirr the perceptive capabilities of machines and artificial intelligence.Computers are able to move beyond simple data processing to interpret incredible volumes of data in an intelligent way. Whether its the companys enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems, social media data or, if its a large company, all its subsidiary data, machine learning technology improves processes through real-world sensory observations, identifying trends and patterns, and making predictions based on data it analyzes.More advice from ThomsonHiring accountants with the CMA (Certified Management Accountant) or helping employees earn this certification offered by the IMA brings strategic thinking, sensitivity analysis, scenario planning and insight into the workplace, leading to more sound decisions.More data science, analytics and an understanding of the data life cycle needs to be infused into the curricula of undergraduate accounting and financial programs, and in professional accountancy firms. That includes overall data governance - who governs, who manages, who controls and is responsible for the acquisition of the data and its integrity.For organizations to deal with the risk of disruptive technology, they must take the lead in creating newer types of data analytics jobs, which could mean re-training accounting and finance professionals.If were going to keep pace with the rate of change and, in fact, be ready for the future as a profession, we need to fully understand and embrace all aspects of this transition, Thomson said. The world is changing quickly, the advancements have taken us to new levels, and the opportunities are endless. We can either become gradually obsolete, or we can continue to develop new kinds of jobs. I think we can - and should - take the lead.Subscribe to our newsletterWhen you subscribe to the Robert Half newsletter, youll get articles and resources to help you build your career and manage a winning accounting and finance team - all sent directly to your inbox. Click the button below to sign up todaySUBSCRIBE NOW Jeff Thomson Jeff Thomson, CMA, CAE, has been at the helm of the IMA since 2008, Before that, he was a finance director and strategic business unit CFO at ATT, where he worked for more than 20 years.

Why acting like a lion will help you win at work and why no one should want to be a goat

Why acting like a lion will help you win at work and why no one should want to be a goatWhy acting like a lion will help you win at work - and why no one should want to be a goatThe contextWhen tourists travel halfway around the world to go on safari, what do they want to see? Which animal is at the top of their list? Usually, its the lion. When they show pictures of their trip to friends back home, the first question they hear is, Did you see any lions?.bxc.bx-campaign-1012255 .bx-group-1012255-lyDBLV9 width 900pxheight 550px