Micromanagement, lack of privacy and unsupportive bosses can make searching for a new job difficult. Try taking advantage of lunch breaks and stockpiled vacation days for scheduling interviews, and don't be afraid to leave your boss out of the loop, writes Caroline Ceniza-Levine.
For all job seekers, but particularly recent graduates, the key to succeeding during the interview process is to familiarize yourself with requirements of the position and the company's background to determine what makes you a good fit for the role, says human resources professional Johnny Taylor Jr. If you lack the required job experience, look to school projects, extracurricular activities and hobbies to fill in the necessary skill gaps.
Giving back to a community through volunteering can make a worker happier and feel like they have more free time. Studies show volunteering can have other career benefits including new skills, networking opportunities, positive impressions and a sense of self-worth.
A comfortable and attractive environment, transparency and nonwork activities are good ways to make employees happier at work, which boosts productivity, writes Randolph Ray, whose business employs 10 people. Expressing gratitude and complimenting staffers' work "will also show that you are conscious that the company thrives because of them," Ray writes.
In an effort to reduce burnout and attract workers, more employers are implementing flexible work options like remote work, unlimited vacation or flexible hours. However, according to a Deloitte survey, almost 30% of respondents were nervous to use the flexible work options out of fear of consequences and lack of trust from leadership.
Work is about more than technical knowledge; it also requires interpersonal skills. This article offers advice on issues ranging from finding a mentor to getting on a corporate board to sharing a workplace refrigerator.
Creatives talk about the places and things that most inspire their work. R/GA London's Dayoung Yun describes how being at the beach clears her mind of the world's distractions, and Vine Creatives' Nene Parsotam explains how comic book stores prompt her "to focus on how I come up with new concepts for a brief, which is to blend unrelated things together, subvert them or take a different perspective to create something new."
Conversations about tuition-free college in the US aren't going away anytime soon. A strong majority of Americans across the political spectrum are in favor of free college when everyone is eligible, with support waning when income caveats are introduced but increasing when GPA minimums are suggested.
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