The Best Way To Get An Internal Work Promotion - 9 Strategies

Many people believe that promotions are a natural part of working and they will happen automatically. Although this may be the case for some people, most people will have to work towards their promotions and not leave it to chance.

If you are focused on a bigger salary or a better job title then being a valuable member of a business is your first mission, demonstrating you have the potential to be a great manager and leader is your second. With this in mind, we have compiled a list of things you should consider in order to climb the promotional ladder of success!

The reality is that ascending the career ladder requires proactive effort, strategic planning, and continuous personal development. Achieving a promotion often means significantly more than just a pay rise; it's a recognition of your value to the organisation and a testament to your potential as a leader and innovator within the business.

1- Know Your Goal

It is vital that you know your own personal goals so you can work towards achieving them. If you fully understand where you want to go and how you can get there, you can work at developing the skills and knowledge you need. You can do this by looking at job descriptions and information about the role you would like to aim for, ensuring you have all the abilities that are listed as essential for that role.

Understanding your career aspirations is paramount. Begin by thoroughly analysing the role you aim to secure in the future. Examine job descriptions and role requirements to identify the skills and experiences deemed essential. This insight will not only guide your professional development but also help you tailor your contributions to your current role, ensuring they align with your long-term objectives. Remember, clarity in your career goals is akin to having a roadmap; it directs your efforts and keeps you focused on the journey ahead.

2- Continue Learning & Developing

If you are offered the chance to go on a course or there are opportunities for professional development, be sure to take them! You can also take things into your own hands and broaden your skills with something like a Linkedin Learning course. Also, why not look at open university courses too and get some solid qualifications along the way! Make sure your manager or employer knows what you are doing and why. If your employer sees you are working towards a workplace goal with continued learning, they will be more inclined to fast-track you as you are showing a commitment to improving yourself. If you work hard at ensuring all your skills are the best they can possibly be, you are more likely to be considered for a promotion.

The landscape of industry and commerce is ever-evolving, necessitating a commitment to lifelong learning. Seize every opportunity for professional development, whether it's industry-specific courses, workshops, or the above mentioned broader educational pursuits. Highlight your learning initiatives to your employer, showcasing your dedication to personal growth and your ambition to advance within the company. Demonstrating your investment in your professional development can significantly enhance your visibility and position you as a prime candidate for promotion.

3- Get The Basics Right

In order to be taken seriously for any promotions within your workplace, you must do a great job within your current role. You should work your hardest to get excellent performance reviews and be known as an employee that performs ‘above average’ in all areas. Your reputation can really help or hinder your chances of promotion so make sure you get a positive one by doing all the basics well, including things like attendance and punctuality. Being positive and happy goes a long way too, all these things may seem small, but put all of them together and your manager is more likely to consider you for the next step.

Excellence in your current role is the foundation upon which your aspirations for promotion rest. Strive to exceed expectations in all facets of your job, from project execution to collaborative efforts with your team. Attendance, punctuality, and a positive demeanour are fundamental, yet they significantly impact your reputation within the workplace. A consistently high performance and a proactive approach to challenges will set you apart as a reliable and invaluable member of the team.

4- Give Recognition And Help to Others

Don't just talk about a good game for yourself, recognise other great colleagues and give them recognition too. Companies usually like to promote people who are motivated and who can motivate others. Also, if people in your team need help and support and you have the time, offer it to them. This is a great way of showing your employer that you go above and beyond what is expected of you. These types of traits and actions show you are a helpful team player, that you are inclusive not self-absorbed, demonstrating you are likely to be a good manager in the future.

The ability to uplift and recognise the contributions of your colleagues is a hallmark of leadership. Foster a culture of appreciation and support within your team, offering assistance where needed. This not only enhances team morale but also demonstrates your capacity for empathy and leadership. Such qualities are often sought after in candidates for promotion, as they indicate an individual's potential to manage and inspire a team effectively.

5- Make Managers Jobs Easier

As well as helping your colleagues, extend this to your supervisors' and managers' too. Look at their working days and see if there is anything you can help them with. Try taking some of their concerns off their shoulders to help with the workload. Choose wisely so tasks don't impinge on you finishing your own, maybe something easy to complete that you know your manager just doesn’t like to do! Lending a hand shows you have empathy, workload awareness and helpfulness. You will soon become a valuable asset to them in their everyday work schedule and this has the potential to elevate you over others when it comes to promotions.

This initiative not only showcases your versatility and commitment but also your understanding of the broader business challenges. By aligning your efforts with the objectives of your supervisors, you cement your status as an indispensable asset to the team.

6- Network

Get involved! Attend parties and other networking events to ensure that you are engaged and connected with people in your company. Also, look at external networking events that have people attending with direct relationships to your company and managers. There is nothing like being positively mentioned by someone outside of the company! If this would be hard for you to do, as not all people are naturally outgoing, remember you actually don’t need to be physically present! There are plenty of courses (Linkedin Learning again!) on how to network online that will take the fear out of doing this, offering great strategies to use within a networking environment. After all, would you try a parachute jump without some courses first?! The more you push yourself to do networking, the more it becomes easier to do over time! This is all about recognition and the more you are recognised, the more people talk about you. Managers are more likely to give a position to someone they recognise, who they know directly or by distant reputation, over a random applicant they do not really know. A lot of people do not realise that familiarity is a strong key to success.

Networking, both within and outside your organisation, is a powerful tool for career advancement. Engage in company events, industry seminars, and online forums to build connections and increase your visibility. Remember, networking is not just about making contacts; it's about building meaningful relationships that can open doors to opportunities and endorsements.

7- Communication Skills

Getting promoted eventually means managing more people, so great communication skills are essential. Get this right from the start, do your research on how to communicate with different types of people and get the best from those communications. Go on a communication course, do some research on the subject and why not read the classic book 'How to Win Friends and Influence People? You won't regret it!! If you are going to rise the ladder of promotion you will need to raise your game on communication and relationship building!

Effective communication is the cornerstone of successful leadership. It's imperative to hone your ability to convey ideas clearly, listen actively, and motivate others. Mastering the art of communication will not only aid in your current role but is essential for any leadership position you aspire to in the future.

8- Be Prepared To Ask

Some people may be automatically promoted, but this is not always the case and do not leave it to chance. Be prepared to speak to your manager about how you feel and how you want to progress. Communicating with the person who is likely to give you a reference for a new role or actually be the decision-maker is key. Be prepared to have that conversation, ask how you could improve for future roles and be prepared to receive honest feedback. See any highlighted issues as positive and take their comments on board, working to improve in any areas they suggest. Whilst you may think you are doing well, your manager may have hesitations in certain areas. By being aware of these and showing improvement it sends out positive signals, you now have sorted out a problem that potentially could have held you back without you even knowing it was a problem in the first place. Also, you are now placing your manager in a mentor type of role which can have a real positive effect on your relationship with them. You now have an upper hand over people that have not asked for their advice.

9- Follow The Application Process

Although you may have worked in the company for a long time, it is likely that any vacancies will be advertised on the Internet and external candidates will apply. Ensure that your CV and references are up to date, so you aren’t surprised if your manager asks you to apply through the usual application process. Create a cover letter that illustrates all the work you have already done for the company and why you are looking for a promotion. Once you’ve done all this, you are ready to go!

Conclusion

Promotions are great things, they keep you energised with new challenges . They usually come with a pay increase and if you keep reaching for consecutive promotions, step by step you will be astounded where you can reach. Just keep open-minded, positive, have a thirst for learning and improving and you will succeed. We have another great blog about this that is worth checking out - ‘How to Promote Yourself at Work’, give it a read, it is worth it! Best of luck with your journey! If you need help preparing for interviews, or updating your cv, be sure to check out our other blogs and articles below.

Some Blogs & Articals:

The Top 10 Interview Questions You Should ALWAYS Prepare For!

Research You Should Consider Before An Interview

Ultimate Guide to Preparing your CV

What makes a good and bad CV?

How To Completely Nail Your Zoom, Skype or any other Video Conferencing Interview!

Ultimate Guide to Getting Your Dream Job

How to Find a Job

How To Increase Your Confidence In The Workplace

In the world of business, your confidence tends to increase with success or diminish with your perceived negative experiences. Often, a difference in our confidence level comes down to how we react to criticism and feedback, our ability to gain knowledge, and the decisions we make at work. Confidence is important, and having it makes life more pleasurable, so put some strategies in place to start building more of it.

We all see life through different filters that build up over the years, mainly through the feedback of many experiences and how we mentally (positively or negatively) perceive and internalise those experiences. Remember, at the start, I said 'perceived negative experiences,' this can be very different from your experience, especially if you are looking at it with cold logic and neutrality. For instance, two people may present some information to a group of peers, and they get up nervously and make the exact same speech in front of the group, who find it informative and enjoyable. One of the presenters may sit down and think, well, I was a bit nervous in places, but that went really well considering, and people seemed to like it. The other person may sit down and think, that was appalling; I was so nervous that everyone must have thought I was stupid! I know they clapped at the end, but I think that was more out of sympathy. Two emotional responses to the exact same situation. Now, guess which person will build up layers of more confidence in future presentations? In fact, the one who felt it was a negative experience may never do it again, while the other one may do more, therefore becoming great at presenting in front of people. There is no difference in the situation except the person's personal filter in the perception of their result.

Being confident is a head game, we could just say think confident and you will be confident. But, in reality, you need to reinforce confidence with layers of positive behaviour and a positive attitude towards them. Confidence will then start to grow and with this in mind we have created some tips to help you with your journey and growth towards being more confident, just remember to go into it all with your glass half full!

Building Resilience

In the ever-evolving workplace, resilience plays a crucial role in strengthening your confidence. Resilience is the ability to bounce back from setbacks, adapt to challenges, and maintain your mental and emotional well-being. It's a skill that can make a significant difference in your overall confidence at work.

When you encounter obstacles or face failures, rather than viewing them as a blow to your confidence, see them as opportunities for growth. Resilience enables you to learn from your experiences, pick yourself up, and continue moving forward with renewed determination.

One key aspect of building resilience is developing a growth mindset. Embrace challenges as chances to learn and improve rather than as threats to your self-esteem. Understand that setbacks are a natural part of any career journey, and they don't define your capabilities or potential.

Additionally, maintaining a healthy work-life balance and practising self-care are essential components of resilience. When prioritising your well-being, you're better equipped to handle stress and maintain confidence during demanding times.

Seeking support from mentors, colleagues, or a support network within your workplace can also contribute to building resilience. Sharing experiences, receiving guidance, and knowing that you have a network of individuals who believe in your abilities can provide a significant boost to your confidence. We will look into some more of these topics in more depth later.

Visualisation Techniques

Being confident is a head game, and one technique to boost your confidence is visualisation. Imagine yourself succeeding in various workplace situations. Visualise confidently, presenting ideas during meetings, handling challenging tasks with ease, and receiving positive feedback from colleagues. Visualisation techniques can help you mentally rehearse success, making you more prepared and self-assured when facing real-life situations.

Mindfulness and Stress Reduction

Confidence can be eroded by workplace stress and anxiety. Mindfulness and stress reduction techniques can be valuable in regaining and maintaining your confidence. Practice mindfulness through meditation or deep breathing exercises to stay grounded and reduce stress. When you're calm and centred, your confidence naturally shines through, and you're better equipped to handle workplace challenges.

Celebrate Your Successes

Within the workplace, people tend to focus on negative feedback and the elements they need to change. When all you do is concentrate on these workplace negatives, it can be easy to lose confidence in the work that you do, but it’s absolutely vital that you focus on the positives too! Celebrate when you get positive feedback, celebrate when you do something above and beyond and celebrate when you feel like you deserve it! Pointing out what you have done well will make your confidence grow in a great matter-of-fact way. This will make you more confident because you get into the habit of self-reward and self-acknowledgement. We are all human, you will get things wrong, learn from them and then forget them as they will probably never happen again. Generally, if you try to do positive things you will be perceived as a positive person, nurture this trait and feeling within yourself and forget the negative things from the past.

Overcoming Imposter Syndrome

Imposter syndrome, the feeling of being inadequate despite accomplishments, is a common confidence hurdle. To overcome it, recognise that you're not alone in experiencing this phenomenon. Understand that initial feelings of self-doubt are normal, but they don't define your worth or abilities. Embrace your successes and the positive feedback you receive, even when imposter syndrome tries to convince you otherwise. Remember that growth and improvement often involve stepping outside your comfort zone, and imposter syndrome can be a sign of pushing your boundaries in a positive way.

Celebrate Your Successes

Within the workplace, people tend to focus on negative feedback and the elements they need to change. When all you do is concentrate on these workplace negatives, it can be easy to lose confidence in the work that you do, but it's absolutely vital that you focus on the positives too! Celebrate when you get positive feedback, celebrate when you do something above and beyond, and celebrate when you feel like you deserve it! Pointing out what you have done well will make your confidence grow in a great, matter-of-fact way. This will make you more confident because you get into the habit of self-reward and self-acknowledgement. We are all human; you will get things wrong, learn from them, and then forget them, as they will probably never happen again. Generally, if you try to do positive things, you will be perceived as a positive person, nurture this trait and feeling within yourself, and forget the negative things from the past.

View Feedback Differently

People focusing on negative feedback can become very defensive when they are told things they don't want to hear. It's important that when you do receive negative feedback, you turn it around and view it as a learning experience that will make you better at what you do. Therefore, it becomes a positive. We are not stupid; we know when you first hear criticism on any level, your natural emotion is to be angry, as we all like to think we are right, even if we are not. Take a deep breath, give it a bit of time, and then try to look at it with a neutral mindset. Although this may be easier said than done, it's important that you accept the feedback you receive as part of the process for growth and improvement. Understanding this concept will mean your confidence won't be damaged. Be computer-like with your feedback and critique, take it in, analyse it, present the solution, and move on - take all the emotions out of it. Do you think Olympic athletes take all their hard criticism from their trainers to heart? No, they just turn it around and use it as information to improve and motivation to win. If they did not have this mindset, they would never become Olympians! Note again, it is all a head game together with your perceptions of the situation. You are never going to not get some criticism at some point in your life, so be prepared, change your perception of it and be happy and confident instead of potentially demoralised and angry. Be an Olympian!

Everyone Makes Mistakes

Leading on from the last tip, remember you can't always be perfect; sometimes you will feel inadequate. Perfection, as we should all know, is unattainable. Everyone makes mistakes on the job; you will, too, and that's okay! Give yourself a break; don't beat yourself up over them; as we have said before, learn from them and move on. Once you let go of the need to be perfect, you will free yourself to do much more and take a few more risks, which will help you progress in your career.

Learn, Learn, Learn

Personal training and further education can seriously help your workplace confidence grow! If you do feel ill-equipped or hesitant, then ask the company if there is any training to help you improve. If there is no internal training, find some online courses or go to seminars; doing this will make you feel more competent in your subject by increasing your capabilities to do the job more effectively. This will increase your confidence, which will make you feel more comfortable at work. It will also signal to employers you are going the extra mile to be the best at what you do.

Be The Best That You Can Be

There is nothing that boosts confidence like that of praise, so with each new assignment, try to really excel at it. Do that extra research, go the extra mile, keep a close eye on the details and get your projects finished on time or even early! Whatever the project is, push yourself to do it well; this will raise your self-esteem just knowing you have done the best you can. It will get the attention of your bosses and the people around you; a strong reputation makes for a great morale booster. Good focus and a bit of hard work can make all the difference in feeling confident!

Surround Yourself With The Right People

In order to increase your confidence at work, you need to surround yourself with good, honest, confident people. If your colleagues are people who can encourage you and build you up, you will feel more confident and comfortable going to work every day. Seek out positive colleagues and mentors who will support you, the type of people that will help you succeed! If you spend too much time with people who criticise you, that's going to kill your confidence, which will affect your work in the future. Surrounding yourself with happy, positive people will make everything a little easier!

Ask Questions

At any stage of our career, asking questions is an important skill to utilise. Many people do not like to do this for many reasons, such as feeling insecure about doing so or feeling they should already know the answer. Try to break the habit of never asking questions by being generally inquisitive and getting into the rhythm of asking people's advice. If the answer is obvious with a bit of quick digging around, then do that first, but if you are going to waste a lot of time trying to find the answer, then ask focused questions of someone who will know. This will save you time and potential mistakes by just guessing the answer. As long as you are not asking questions all day, every day, then generally people love imparting their information and looking knowledgeable. Just think, if someone asks you a question you know a lot about, do you enjoy sharing this knowledge? Asking questions also builds relationships, shows people you are willing to learn and makes you more efficient in your role. All in all, a good way to increase your confidence!

Be Curious

We have just mentioned being inquisitive and asking questions but if you mix this with genuine curiosity you are onto a winner. Not only does this send a message out to people that you are eager to learn and thirsty for information, but it also signals that you are open to different work projects and practices. Ask if you can help someone out if something seems interesting to you. It's a double whammy of confidence building, you will get a positive reputation for helping people. You will also get to try something new you may like to do in the future and it will now seem a lot less daunting if you want to move into this type of work.

Ask for Feedback

Don't wait to be told that your work is on the right track; ask for feedback along the way. Doing this shows that you care about your work and what you do. Instead of worrying and waiting until the end of a project to see if you have done it right or wrong, engage in dialogue from the start of it. Getting feedback early on gives you the ability to correct a course or double down if it's on target. This tip alone can help elevate stress and build confidence.

Conclusion

Try all these tips, and you will start to become more confident as time goes by. A great tip is just to act confident! Yes, if you are not confident, we are saying fake it until you make it! Dress really well, carry yourself well, be positive and friendly, make eye contact with people and smile. If people think you are confident, they will treat you this way, and then you will start believing and feeling it, too! That is it; give it all a go and see where it takes you. We wish you all the best for the future!

How to Promote Yourself at Work

Most people at work will keep their head down, work hard and hope that their accomplishments will get them noticed. Unfortunately, in today’s modern workplace, you can hinder your own progression by forgetting to add a bit of polish to your reputation. Whether you like it or not, promoting yourself at work is actually a valid part of the workplace culture. It’s important that you take the time and effort to ensure that your managers and co-workers know what you do, what you excel in and what you have accomplished! We are not talking about overtly bragging or being brash, just making sure you promote yourself in a balanced and considered way so people see you in a positive light. By doing this, you can establish yourself as an authority in your field and a valuable member of your working team.

We have compiled a list of our top six tips to help you promote yourself at work!

1- Understand Your Best Skills 

Before you can promote yourself at work, you need to make sure you know what it is you excel at! Once you have an understanding of your best skills, you can put yourself forward to helping out with certain jobs you feel that youare good at, especially those outside of your working responsibilities. For example, if you think you will be good at training employees because you did it before in a previous job, mention it to management and say you wouldn’t mind helping out with training new recruits because you enjoyed it in your last job. You might be doing them a favour and it will get your name out there for being able to help the company with roles outside of your remit! 

2- Become An Industry Expert 

If you are really serious about your career and the industry you are working in, make sure you are continuously learning about it, regularly research to ensure that you are up-to-date with all the relevant facts and news! Create a LinkedIn page, write blogs about your industry and attend seminars. If you are constantly trying to learn more and attend different events, you will quickly brand yourself as someone significant in the Industry. Your company will pick up on this and see you as someone very well informed and passionate about your sector and job role. Becoming an industry expert or a 'Thought Leader' is one of the biggest things you can do for your career.  

3- Become A Public Speaker

The next stage to being an industry expert is to let people know how much of an expert you are. One of the best ways of doing this is to become good at public speaking. As most people hate doing this you have a chance of standing out from the crowd by being able to master this skill! Whether you are talking in a team meeting or presenting in front of an audience at an industry conference, knowing how to do this well is a massive asset. Conquering any fears and becoming good at this craft strongly affects peoples perception of you in general and within the business environment. Public speaking can cause so much anxiety but the good news is that with rigorous preparation and practice, you can overcome your nervousness and perform extraordinary well. Like anything else, it is all about learning and practice. There are lots of good courses on Public Speaking that you can take, or you could go all in and join the Toastmasters https://www.toastmasters.org this is probably one of the most thorough and supported ways of mastering public speaking. 

4- Talk! 

The small talk office chat you find yourself partaking in every day is a great opportunity for you to self-promote! If your boss asks ‘What’s new?’ this is a perfect opportunity for you to let them know all about the important work related event you went to on Saturday – or about how you have just finished a blog post on your LinkedIn page on inside industry tips. Casual office talk makes up a large percentage of interaction in the workplace. Take this opportunity to discuss what you are working on and how it will affect the company. Show your enthusiasm and knowledge of what you are doing, it's amazing how word spreads around! These conversations can build up your positive reputation and will illustrate all of your hard work.

5- Never Compare Yourself to Others 

When you’re promoting yourself, you don’t need to put others down. Avoid comparing yourself to others at all costs because you don’t want to make other people feel bad in order to make yourself feel better. This will also reflect badly on you and it won’t really be a beneficial way of promoting yourself. If you do want to compare something you’ve done, compare it to your own previous experience to illustrate that you are growing! While we are on the subject, just be a positive person! Don't gripe and put others down. This will get around and it will be seen as a negative when it comes to positive self-promotion. You know what they say, if you haven't got anything good to say about a person, don't say anything at all! 

6- Help Others

Linking back to this previous point, if you do see someone who appears to be struggling, you should offer them some help. Everyone has their own work and sometimes you genuinely can’t help someone else, but if you have the time and knowledge, make sure you offer it to others! Step up when people need you and don’t shy away. This gives you a great opportunity to show knowledge, empathy and a willingness to help when there is nothing in it for you! Not only will it build up your reputation, but it will also show management you are happy to help others and that you have the potential to be a well-rounded leader or future manager.

Conclusion

Put all these strategies together and you will be amazed how they will help your career progression! Even if you start with one thing only it will be a solid base for all the others to follow. At the end of the day just the fact you can be an uplifting and positive person who is willing to help, can elevate your reputation and be a great foundational step to move forward from. 

Paraplanning as a Thriving Career - The Ultimate Guide! Charting Your Path to Success

Discover the Exciting Opportunities in Paraplanning and How to Build a Fulfilling Career in the Financial Planning Industry

Are you looking for a rewarding and dynamic career in the financial planning industry? If so, paraplanning may be the perfect path for you. Over the past decade, paraplanning has evolved into a specialised role within financial services, offering exciting opportunities for individuals with meticulous attention to detail, analytical skills, and a passion for helping clients achieve their financial goals. This comprehensive guide will explore the world of paraplanning, the skills required for success, and the various career paths available. Whether you are a recent graduate or an experienced professional seeking a change, this article will provide valuable insights and strategies to help you navigate the paraplanning landscape and thrive in your career.

What is Paraplanning?

Paraplanning is the art of supporting financial planners or advisers in delivering comprehensive financial plans to clients. As a paraplanner, you play a crucial role in conducting research, analysing market trends, preparing suitability reports, and ensuring compliance with regulatory requirements. Your work directly contributes to the success and effectiveness of the financial planning process, enabling clients to make informed decisions and achieve their financial objectives.

The Rise in Demand for Paraplanners

In recent years, the demand for highly skilled paraplanners has skyrocketed within the financial planning industry. Several factors contribute to this surge in demand. Firstly, the increasing complexity of financial products and regulations has placed a greater burden on financial advisers. Paraplanners, with their expertise in research and analysis, serve as invaluable assets, allowing advisers to focus on building client relationships and acquiring new business. This shortage of experienced paraplanners has created a candidate-driven market, offering abundant opportunities for aspiring professionals.

The Qualities of a Successful Paraplanner

To excel as a paraplanner, certain qualities and skills are essential. A meticulous and analytical mindset is crucial, as paraplanners often delve into intricate details and perform in-depth research. You should possess a natural curiosity and a passion for problem-solving, as you will encounter complex financial scenarios and must provide comprehensive solutions. Effective communication skills are vital, as you will collaborate closely with financial planners, clients, and other stakeholders. Adaptability, attention to detail, and a commitment to lifelong learning will ensure your success in this ever-evolving field.

The Career Path in Paraplanning

While the career path in paraplanning may not be as well-defined as in some other industries, several options are available for aspiring professionals. The traditional career path involves starting as an administrative or support role within a financial planning firm and gradually working your way up. However, with the increasing demand for paraplanners, many firms now offer trainee paraplanner roles, providing a structured path for individuals with limited experience. These roles often target school leavers and graduates, allowing them to gain practical skills and knowledge while working towards professional qualifications.

Professional Qualifications and Development

While professional qualifications are not mandatory to enter the field of paraplanning, they are highly valued and can significantly enhance your career prospects. The most recognised qualification in the industry is the CII Diploma in Regulated Financial Planning. This comprehensive program covers a wide range of financial planning topics and equips you with the knowledge and skills required to excel in your role. Additionally, the Chartered Institute of Insurers (CII) and the Institute of Financial Planning (IFP) offer specialised certificates in paraplanning, further demonstrating your commitment to professional growth and expertise.

The Benefits of a Paraplanning Career

A career in paraplanning offers numerous benefits and opportunities for personal and professional growth:

1. The financial rewards can be substantial, with experienced paraplanners earning competitive salaries ranging from £25,000 to £40,000 per annum.

2. The high demand for paraplanners ensures job security and opens doors to exciting career prospects. Whether you choose to work for a financial planning firm or establish your own business, you can enjoy flexibility in your work-life balance, including the option to work remotely.

3. Paraplanning serves as an excellent foundation for diversifying into a client-facing financial planner role if you desire to take on additional responsibilities and work more directly with clients.

Navigating Your Career Path as a Paraplanner

To chart your path to success as a paraplanner, there are several strategies you can employ. Firstly, seek out opportunities to gain practical experience and establish yourself in the industry. Consider starting in an administrative or support role within a financial planning firm, learning the ropes and building your knowledge base. Once you have gained a few years of experience, showcase your value by going above and beyond in your work. Take the initiative to tackle challenging tasks, provide innovative solutions, and demonstrate your commitment to delivering exceptional results.

Networking and Professional Development:

Networking is a crucial aspect of career advancement in any industry, and paraplanning is no exception. Connect with senior financial planners and managers both within and outside your current firm. Attend industry events, join professional associations, and seek mentorship opportunities to expand your network and learn from experienced professionals. Networking not only exposes you to new perspectives and insights but also opens doors to potential career opportunities and collaborations.

Proactive Career Planning:

While the career path in paraplanning may not always be clearly defined within your firm, it is essential to take control of your career progression. Schedule regular meetings with your supervisor or financial planner to discuss your career goals, aspirations, and areas for development. Share your ideas, express your desire for increased responsibilities, and seek their guidance in identifying potential growth opportunities within the firm. By actively participating in your career planning, you can shape your professional trajectory and ensure you are on the path to success.

Continuous Learning and Professional Development:

To stay ahead in the rapidly evolving world of paraplanning, continuous learning and professional development are crucial. Stay abreast of industry trends, regulatory changes, and technological advancements that impact the financial planning landscape. Seek out training programs, seminars, and workshops to enhance your technical knowledge and acquire new skills. Embrace lifelong learning as a core value, and actively seek opportunities to expand your expertise and stay at the forefront of the industry.

Embracing Challenges and Seizing Opportunities:

As you progress in your paraplanning career, it is important to embrace challenges and seize opportunities for growth. Be open to taking on new responsibilities, whether it be mentoring junior paraplanners, specialising in a particular technical area, or exploring opportunities to contribute to the growth and development of your firm. Emphasise your unique strengths and interests, and actively seek out projects or initiatives that align with your goals. By demonstrating your value and adaptability, you can position yourself as a valuable asset within your firm and the wider industry.

Excellence in Current Role:

Ensure outstanding performance in your current role. Positive performance reviews, punctuality, and a positive attitude contribute to a strong reputation, a crucial factor in promotion considerations.

Collaborative Approach:

Acknowledge and support your colleagues, demonstrating a team-oriented mindset. Actively help others in your team, showcasing your commitment to the collective success of the company.

Enhance Communication Skills:

Focus on developing strong communication skills essential for managerial roles. Invest in courses and literature on effective communication to prepare for future leadership responsibilities.

Adhere to the Application Process:

Be Prepared: Even with internal knowledge, follow the standard application process for promotions. Keep your CV and references up-to-date, and craft a compelling cover letter outlining your contributions to the company.

Promoting yourself within the Paraplanning field requires a proactive and strategic mindset. By focusing on continual learning, collaboration, and effective communication, you position yourself for success. Embrace the journey with an open mind, a positive attitude, and a commitment to ongoing improvement. For additional insights, explore our blog on 'How to Promote Yourself at Work.' 

Career Progression and Opportunities 

As an established Paraplanner, there are several natural career progression options that can elevate your career to new heights within the financial industry. Here's a glimpse into potential pathways for your professional growth:

Senior Paraplanner:

• Description: Transitioning into a senior role involves taking on more complex cases, mentoring junior paraplanners, and contributing to strategic decision-making.

• Skills Development: Focus on honing leadership and advanced analytical skills, along with a deeper understanding of regulatory changes.

Chartered Financial Planner:

• Description: Attaining chartered status demonstrates a high level of expertise in financial planning. It involves passing rigorous examinations and upholding ethical standards.

• Skills Development: Enhance your technical knowledge client management skills, and stay abreast of industry regulations.

Specialist Consultant:

• Description: Become a specialist in a particular area such as pensions, investments, or tax planning. This involves providing in-depth advice and solutions in your chosen field.

• Skills Development: Deepen your expertise in the chosen area, staying updated on industry trends and legislative changes.

Move into Management:

• Description: Transitioning into a managerial role involves overseeing a team of paraplanners, setting strategic goals, and ensuring the efficient functioning of the financial planning department.

• Skills Development: Develop leadership, communication, and team management skills.

Financial Analyst or Investment Manager:

• Description: Move into roles focused on investment analysis, portfolio management, or financial analysis for a broader perspective on the financial services industry.

• Skills Development: Advanced analytical skills, knowledge of investment markets, and risk management expertise.

Client Relationship Manager:

• Description: Shift towards a role where you focus on cultivating and managing client relationships, ensuring their financial needs are met comprehensively.

• Skills Development: Strong interpersonal skills, empathy, and a deep understanding of client goals and aspirations.

Regulatory Compliance Specialist:

• Description: With a solid understanding of financial regulations, transition into a role ensuring that the firm adheres to regulatory standards.

• Skills Development: Stay updated on regulatory changes, develop a keen eye for compliance details, and communication skills to liaise with regulatory bodies.

As you can see, starting as a Paralanner can open many doors for you in the long term! Remember, the key to a successful career progression is a combination of continuous learning, adaptability, and a clear understanding of your personal and professional goals. Evaluate these options based on your strengths, interests, and aspirations to chart a rewarding career path as an established Paraplanner.

Moving for Progression - Do I Say With My Existing Company or Move? 

This is a tricky question to answer, but let's look at the pros and cons!

Exploring Opportunities Within Your Current Company:

Pros:

1. Established Network: You've likely built a network of colleagues within your current company. Utilise these connections to gather insights and explore potential roles.

2. Positive Reputation: Your track record within the company can be an asset. A positive reputation may facilitate a smoother transition as your colleagues and superiors are familiar with your work ethic.

3. Cultural Familiarity: Knowing the company culture gives you a significant advantage. You're already accustomed to the values, processes, and dynamics, making adaptation to a new role more seamless.

Cons:

1. Limited Exposure: Staying within the same company may limit exposure to different working environments and perspectives.

2. Stagnation Risk: There's a risk of professional stagnation if your current company doesn't offer the growth opportunities you seek.

Tips for Transitioning Within Your Company:

1. Thorough Research: Investigate the desired role within the company. Engage with individuals in that department to understand the challenges and benefits.

2. Open Communication: Inform your manager early about your aspirations. Be transparent about your reasons for seeking a change and discuss potential adjustments to your current role.

Considering External Opportunities:

Pros:

1. Diverse Experience: Moving to a new company exposes you to different industry practices, strategies, and work cultures, broadening your skill set.

2. Fresh Perspectives: External roles bring fresh perspectives, fostering creativity and innovation.

3. Potential for Higher Compensation: External moves may offer opportunities for higher compensation or additional benefits.

Cons:

1. Building a New Network: Starting anew means building a network from scratch, which can take time.

2. Unknown Culture: Navigating a new company's culture may pose challenges initially.

Tips for Transitioning Externally:

1. Thorough Research: Investigate the prospective company thoroughly. Understand its values, mission, and work culture.

2. Build a Strong Application:* Craft a compelling application and resume highlighting transferable skills and experiences.

3. Prepare for the Unknown: Anticipate a learning curve in adapting to a new environment.

Whether transitioning within your current company or exploring external opportunities, both paths have distinct advantages and challenges. Consider your personal and professional goals, weigh the pros and cons, and make an informed decision. Embrace the exciting journey ahead, knowing that each choice presents opportunities for growth and development in your Paraplanning career.

Finding Fulfillment in Paraplanning

Ultimately, the most fulfilling aspect of a career in paraplanning lies in the positive impact you can have on clients' lives. Guiding clients towards their financial goals, providing them with the tools and insights they need to make informed decisions, and witnessing their success is incredibly rewarding. As a paraplanner, you play a vital role in shaping the financial well-being of individuals and families, offering them peace of mind and a brighter future. Embrace the challenges, seize the opportunities, and make a difference in the lives of those you serve.

Conclusion

Paraplanning offers a unique and fulfilling career path within the financial planning industry. With increasing demand, competitive salaries, and opportunities for growth and flexibility, it is an excellent choice for individuals with a passion for finance, analysis, and helping clients achieve their financial goals. By embracing continuous learning, networking, and proactive career planning, you can navigate the paraplanning landscape and build a successful and rewarding career. Take the first step today and embark on your journey to becoming a trusted and skilled paraplanner.

Things to Consider Before You Accept a Job Offer

Whether you're contemplating a fresh start or nearing the end of your interview journey, it's critical not to rush the final hurdle. Accepting a new job offer is a significant commitment, and it deserves thorough consideration to ensure you're making the right choice for your career and well-being. In the excitement of the moment, the grass may seem greener on the other side. However, this decision warrants a strategic approach, especially if you find yourself juggling multiple offers, each promising its unique set of prospects. Remember, accepting a job offer alters your professional and personal landscape. Therefore, before delving into what you need to consider, first reflect on your motivations for change. Are you seeking growth, better remuneration, a shift in industry, or a more balanced lifestyle? Understanding your core reasons will provide a lens through which you can view potential offers, helping ensure your next role aligns with your broader career aspirations and life goals. Here, we've composed a list of things to consider before you accept that job offer.

Your Excitement

When you heard the company wanted to offer you the job, how excited were you? Does the idea of your new role make you want to jump for joy? Are you eager to start? If the answers to those questions are yes, then this sounds like it is the right job for you. If you are not too sure, then listen to your gut instinct, think about reasons why you are not that excited and start an evaluation process. Is this just nerves, or maybe it's something deeper-seated? 

Consider the elements of the job that stimulate your enthusiasm. Is it the responsibilities you'll undertake, the team you'll be part of, or the company's mission and values? Recognising what aspects ignite your passion can help determine whether this excitement has a solid foundation, ensuring you're not just momentarily caught up in the prospect of change but are genuinely invested in the opportunity presented. Is it just not the job for you? Either way, you should be looking forward to starting a new position with fresh excitement, not dread.  

Company Culture

Before you accept a job at a company, you should research its history and its development plans. You have to be sure that their development path matches your career goals. Your new job could be the perfect role, but if the company is not heading in the right direction, you may not get the career progression you want. This might not bother some people, but this may be a factor that might affect your working experience; think about whether the company is right for you. If the company doesn't look like it has a great future for career progression, ask yourself whether it's worth starting with them.

It's crucial to understand not just the trajectory of the company but also its ethos and working environment. Does the culture foster collaboration, innovation, and inclusivity? Can you see yourself thriving within this setting? Explore platforms like LinkedIn, seek out current or past employees, or use networking events to gain insights beyond the company's own narrative. A harmonious cultural fit is integral to job satisfaction and can significantly influence your performance and professional fulfilment.

Aligning Your Career Aspirations with the Company's Trajectory

Accepting a new position is not just about your immediate role; it's equally about the company's future and how it aligns with your career aspirations. Before making a commitment, delve deeply into the company's stability and growth potential. Here's how:

• Financial Health: A company's financial stability is paramount. Review their financial performance through reports or trusted finance and business news sources. Are they profitable, or have they been facing financial challenges? A company in good financial health is more likely to weather market fluctuations and invest in employee growth.

• Market Position and Industry Standing: Understanding where the company sits in its market landscape is crucial. Are they a market leader, challenger, or a follower? Market leaders are often more stable, but a challenger might provide more growth opportunities as they push to innovate and capture market share.

• Innovation and R&D Investments: Companies that invest in research and development are often focused on future growth. Determine whether they are pioneers who set trends or followers who react to competition. A pioneering company could offer more exciting and transformative roles, albeit potentially with higher risk.

• Growth Opportunities: Scrutinise the company's growth plans. Are they expanding into new markets, launching new products, or planning mergers and acquisitions? Their growth strategy should provide you with opportunities for career advancement, skill development, and networking.

• Alignment with Your Career Goals: Reflect on how the company's trajectory complements your professional growth objectives. Are there clear paths for advancement that match your career timeline? Will you have the chance to acquire new skills and take on new challenges?

Conducting thorough research and reflecting on these factors will give you a clearer picture of whether the company's journey aligns with the direction you envision for your career. A company with a promising future isn't just working towards its own goals; it's also paving the way for your professional development. Ensuring this strategic fit can lead to a more fulfilling and progressive career, setting the stage for long-term success and satisfaction.

Your Needs - Consider Their Offer 

Think about your needs both inside and outside of work. Do you need flexible hours? Do you need parking options? Does this job provide for what you need? Think about the company's contract and general benefits. Before you say yes, consider the package fully. Are you happy with the salary? Look closely at the benefits; they are not to be underestimated. Do they have tuition assistance, retirement plans, health care, good pensions and stock offers? Also, look at the flexibility like paid time off, flexible hours and working from home.

Make sure that the job and company can support all of your needs, whatever they may be. If the company hasn't completely outlined all of its benefits, don't be afraid to ask. Weigh the pros and cons and take some time to think about the offer. You don't have to say yes right away if you are going to accept. Ask the employer when they need a response so you have time to make an informed decision; however, don't keep them hanging on for too long, as they may think you are not interested, even if you are.

Reflect on work-life balance and personal commitments. If you have familial responsibilities, engage in community service, or are pursuing further education, does this role afford you the flexibility to maintain these pursuits? Evaluating this balance is paramount, as it's not solely about the hours you work but the quality of life you maintain outside your professional commitments.

Commuting

Before you make your final decision, evaluate that commute. How long will it take you to get to work in the morning? How expensive is your travel going to be? You may be happy to travel an hour for your dream job, but for others, it may just be too much. Imagine yourself travelling to and from work, and think about whether it's viable long-term. Sometimes, people can underestimate how long a commute can take, and it can wear them down over time. 

Read Your Contract

This one seems obvious, but when you are excited about a new job, you may have a tendency just to flick through the contract. Make sure you give it a full read. It may have clauses in there that will have an impact on you later down the line. It could have restrictions about moving to competitors, or you may need to give six months' notice. If you feel something does not sit well with you, negotiate with them and get the contract where you feel it needs to be. It's much easier to do it at this stage rather than later. Remember, they have decided on you for the position, so they are much more likely to negotiate and compromise at this point. 

Negotiate a Counter Offer

Keeping on the topic of negotiation, what if you love the company, but the salary or benefits don't quite live up to what you want? Some packages are negotiable; test this out by asking for a meeting or a call to discuss the offer. That way, you can thoughtfully approach the employer to see if there is any room to negotiate a better offer in terms of salary or benefits. Arm yourself with research first, though. Look at the salary floor and ceiling for your position within your industry, and look at competitors' benefits packages; this way, it looks like you have thought about it deeply and done your homework. 

When to Turn Down a Job Offer

There are many reasons for turning down a job offer. It just may not be the right job for you. The salary or the benefits might not be what you envisage. There's nothing wrong with saying no, but be sure to decline politely and promptly. All in all, it is better for both you and the employer if you decline the job rather than accepting it and having it not work out for both parties. Once you have decided it's not for you, do not just go off the grid and ghost people. Let them know straight away. Don't burn your bridges! You would be surprised how word gets around within industries, and you may one day end up having another interview with the same company. 

Conclusion 

Embarking on a new professional journey is both thrilling and daunting. However, making an informed decision that considers all facets of what a job offer entails will set the foundation for a rewarding and progressive career. As the job market continues to evolve, maintaining a discerning eye on the opportunities that align with both your immediate and long-term goals will be invaluable. We hope these insights assist you in navigating this significant life decision with confidence and clarity.

How to Feel More Energised Through the Day

The Prestige Blog RSS

It’s very common for people to feel drained and tired at work, especially in the early afternoon after you’ve eaten lunch. In order to decrease this feeling and increase your energy levels, we have compiled a list of some top tips on how to feel more energised throughout your workday. Feeling energised helps you stay positive and get the best from your productivity!

Drink More Water

The first on the list is one we all know we should do but it is so easy to forget! So we are reminding you that it is vital you drink the right amount of water throughout your workday so you can stay energised and productive. A top tip we can offer on how to ensure you drink more water during your workday is to place a 2litre bottle at your desk every day and drink it all before you finish your work. Once you get into the routine of drinking water every hour or so, you will see how easy it is to drink your recommended amount every single day! When you’re fully hydrated, you will feel much more energised and it can help with those foggy heads we all get from time to time. In fact, you should drink a glass of water as soon as you wake up in the morning. Not only does it fire up your metabolism it also hydrates your body, helping flush out toxins and gives your brain the hydration it needs to work properly. Also, your body can mistake hunger for needing hydration, craving a quick snack when it really wants water. Staying hydrated can help you cut out on snacking, every time you are hungry drink some water and wait for 10 minutes, you will be amazed how many times water alone works to stifle hunger! Drinking regular water is a great way to improve your energy levels and a simple thing that can bring big gains with sustained energy!

Sleep

Another cornerstone to energy and one of the biggest ones is to get enough sleep. Again, all research shows this is an essential practice to keep your mind focused and your body energised throughout the day. Make sure you get to bed early enough so you can get your allotted hours in before you wake up in the morning. Also, try and keep any habits that can disturb your sleep at bay. For instance, if you have a glass of wine or two to wind down at night this may make you feel relaxed, but it will give you a disturbed night’s sleep, then when you wake up you will be drained of essential energy for the day. This will lead to a hard tiring day, then you will want to relax on the night and therefore grab yourself another glass of wine, and so it goes on! Try breaking this habit on weekdays and you will find yourself a lot fresher in the morning and more relaxed of an evening! Also, be careful not to drink any caffeinated beverages late in the evening, the general consensus is don't take in caffeine after midday as it lasts quite a long time in your body and can really disturb your sleep patterns.

Another big one is we are surrounded by technology so it is easy to be glued to a screen all night. Try not to look at screens late at night, computers, phones or TVs emit blue light and it's not conducive for getting you to sleep. Your melatonin levels get fooled into thinking it's nowhere near bedtime so when you get to bed it will take you a long time to fall asleep. A great idea is to break away from the screens at least 3/4 of an hour before bedtime and read a book in a low lit area. This is a great way to get your brain ready for sleep mode and catch up on a bit of great literature! There Is plenty of information on how to get a good night’s sleep out there, so swot up on all the tips and implement them. With great quality sleep comes focused energised days.

Never Skip Breakfast

When you are busy in the morning and rushing around you might find it difficult to squeeze in your eating breakfast. But don't skip it, even if it means that you have to wake up earlier or prepare it the night before. We know intermittent fasting is all the rage at the moment and it can be very good for you, but if you have a body that struggles with energy doing this, then eat in the morning weekdays and leave your intermittent fasting to the weekend where the stress levels are lower. Eating a filling, energising, nutritious breakfast such as oatmeal or scrambled egg will keep you alert and focused throughout the morning. Think quality whole foods and try not to have any added sugar first thing like commercial cereals. These aren't the best as they are usually loaded with sugar, even the so-called healthy granolas! They can lead to that 11 o'clock energy crash and feeling really hungry before lunch. Whole foods are the best; if you want your scrambled egg on toast make sure your bread is a good quality wholemeal that will release energy throughout the morning. If you like something sweet in the morning then grab a banana or apple to go with your porridge or toast, fruit gives you natural sugars and sustained energy. If you really want to go for it and turbo boost your breakfast, make a nutritious smoothie with frozen fruit, frozen spinach, fresh avocado or yoghurt and coconut water! But, if you struggle to make and eat breakfast in the morning, there are tonnes of ways you can get around the time constraints a busy morning gives you. Overnight oats or porridge pots can be an easy, a quick breakfast that gives you the energy to last well into your lunchtime, add to that a handful of frozen blueberries and you've got yourself an amazingly fast and nutritious start to the day! If you are home-working or can eat at your desk in the mornings, you can prepare your breakfast the night before and just grab it on your way to your home desk or into the office. Just don't skip your breakfast and get caught short and grab a morning Mars Bar! this will be your downfall in terms of sustained energy throughout the day.

Have a Decent Lunch

More food advice! When lunchtime rolls around, it’s easy to overload on carbohydrates or unhealthy snacks full of sugar. These foods may make you feel energised for a small amount of time, but when the sugar crash comes, you are going to feel less energised than you did before your snack. It’s therefore important that you try and eat healthily as you’ll find the energy lasts longer. Foods like vegetables, meats, fish, nuts and complex carbohydrates are all good options. Even some good quality dark chocolate is occasionally okay but try and keep well away from the white bread sandwich, a bag of crisps and a chocolate bar. This is a sure way to zap your energy throughout the day and set you up for a sugar crash. As well as eating well, it’s also important that you don’t overeat. When you overeat at work, you are likely to feel bloated and this will make you feel run-down and ready for bed! For most people, a mid-day nap isn’t possible, so try and avoid overeating to keep your energy high! Probably one of the best ways to manage eating well at lunchtime is to make it at home and bring it to work. If your homeworking still pre-prepare and keep it in the fridge at home ready to go. This way you know what is in it and you save time by pre-cooking it which gives you a bit more time at lunch for a bit of mindfulness (more on that later!) To conclude, our lunchtime tips are to make your own food if you can, don’t eat too much and eat healthy, whole, natural filling food so that you can be feeling energised and ready for the rest of your day!

Move Around and Take Your Breaks

As a lot of us are now home working so this is an important one. For some reason when you're at home there is the tendency to get out of bed, get ready and get straight to your desk. Then pushing on through, maybe grabbing a break for something to eat around midday. Your head gets back down to your work after some food and then all of a sudden it's 5:30, the day has finished and you feel shattered! Whether you are working from home or at the office it's essential that you move! If you are working from home why not go for a walk around the block before you start work? This emulates going to work at an office. You would normally have to travel and you normally would have the headspace and the fresh air to start your day off. So, if your homeworking emulates this by going for a morning walk, it separates the morning portion of your day from the work part. Conversely, why not go for a walk when you have finished your work before your dinner. Again, this gives the brain the ability to shut down and transition into an evening scenario before dinner. Whilst you are at your desk, whether this be in the office or at your home desk it is important to take your breaks and move around. When you are sat at your desk all day, you are not moving at all. When the heat of the office or your home warms up and you start feeling sleepy, you will be running low on energy. In order to feel more energised, it’s important that you take regular breaks and move away from your desk. Walk around the building or go out and get some fresh air and stroll around the block. This only takes 10 minutes and you will feel so much better for the fresh air, coming back to your desk revitalised! Being active in the day actually makes you feel much more energised than just sitting in one place all day long! As well as this, there are quite a few desk exercises you can do. Whether that’s leg or arm stretches, you should try them as they also help to realign your posture and keep you flexible. Another thing to look at is a standing and sitting desk so you can transition between the two, this again can help your body and energy levels throughout the day!

Mindfulness

Last but not least, you should think about practising mindfulness before, during and after work. This can calm your mind, quash anxiety and help you have a more focused and productive working day. Whether this is just to sit down for 10 minutes in a quiet place with a nice cup of coffee shutting out the world and all those things whizzing around your mind. Or, using a meditation app like Headspace to grab a rejuvenating 10-minute meditation, these practices can help you have a calmer more focused day. The perfect scenario would be to do this three times a day, first thing before work, after eating lunch, then one to finish your day off. But even 5 or 10 minutes once a day can make a big difference and when you get to feel the difference it is easy then to increase the time, which can have a profound effect on your work and personal life. It may seem like a trivial thing to do that's not really worth it, but all the research shows us this can be a major life-changing habit to do that doesn't cost you a vast amount of money or time. Just your commitment to doing a little bit every day.

Conclusion

Staying focused, energised and positive throughout the day has amazing benefits on your mental health and wellbeing. You can actively go from fighting through every day, feeling drained and on the back foot to feeling calm, refreshed, focused and in control of your day. The key to all this is not just one thing, it is many, but they are all small things that you can put into place that will add up to making a significant difference to your life. Sleep well, drink well, eat well, move your body and relax your mind. Tick each one of these boxes and life will seem a lot more vibrant and colourful!

Dealing With Procrastination At Work

Dealing With Procrastination at Work

Sometimes, procrastination can creep in and take over your entire day without you knowing. You might be sitting at your desk with a list of things to do right next to you, convinced you will finish them by the end of the day. The end of the day comes and you find you really haven’t completed as much as you should have. But there are days when you just know you are procrastinating, in fact, you find yourself planning your procrastination better than your work! The occasional day of procrastination can happen, we are all human, but if it is a regular occurrence it can really have an impact on your career.

Procrastination can get confused with laziness, but they are very different things. Procrastination is when you choose to do something else instead of the task that you have been given to do. Laziness on the other hand is an unwillingness to do anything at all! Procrastination usually involves pushing aside an unenjoyable task and swapping it out with something more enjoyable or easier to do. We have all done this, it's human nature and in the end, we all feel a twinge of guilt for doing it! But, If procrastination takes over it can lead to low productivity and harming the chance of achieving your goals both personally and professionally. The problem is that long periods of procrastination can lead to demotivation, which can then lead to more procrastinating!

Don’t despair and beat yourself up, it is not just you, procrastination is a very human habit. In fact, a study by Piers Steel found that 95% of people procrastinate! We just need to acknowledge this is a human habit and put strategies in place to manage it within a work environment. Below we have listed some strategies that may just make your days easier and beat back that pesky habit!

Realise That You Are Procrastinating

If you are briefly putting off an important task for a genuinely good reason, then you are probably not procrastinating. But, if you start to put the task off constantly or just flat out avoid doing something, then the procrastination train is in the station and you are boarding!!

How do you know you are on the train? Well, you fill your day with low-priority and more enjoyable tasks. You start the task and then 10 minutes later go for a chat with a colleague or have a coffee, or both! You leave it on your To-Do list for a long time, kidding yourself you are about to start or, you wait for inspiration and motivation to start the task. Sound familiar? All these are signs are you have boarded the train and you're on your way to Guiltsvill Tennessee!

Why Are You Procrastinating?

To put strategies in place to help you get off the procrastination train you need to understand why you are doing it and how to implement those strategies that help. Let's look at some scenarios and solutions:

1 - Is The Task Irritating, Uncomfortable or Boring?

One of the first issues that always comes to mind is are you sidestepping the task because you are finding it irritating, uncomfortable or boring? It can just be as simple as that! If so, the best solution for this is to grit your teeth and clear the task as quickly as possible! Give yourself a goal, do not think of the size of the task and put the first mark down straight away, by this we mean to send the first email, draw the first graph, or write the first sentence. By doing this you create momentum that can swing you into action. Then treat yourself for finishing the task, like a coffee break, a walk and then your next task can be something you really enjoy doing.

2- Are You Unorganised?

Be truthful, as this one thing can lead to masses of procrastination. If you don't have active to-do lists, regularly update your calendars and use systems like CMS, CRM or project management systems then things can’t really run away with you without knowing. Some people feel it is a waste of time being detailed in logging what they want to do and what they have done. But people who actively do this are far less prone to procrastination, so try and get more organised.

3- Feel Overwhelmed?

If you are organised you can still feel overwhelmed by a task. If you are not organised you are probably going to feel overwhelmed by most complex tasks. So get organised then when you have a task that looks so big you don't know what to do, try a bit of mindfulness or meditation just for a few minutes. You will be amazed just how calmer and rational you feel after. Then break the task down into smaller chunks (back to the organisation), and visualise how you will feel when you have achieved your goal. Again, attach a little reward for yourself at the end of it too!

4- Are You a Perfectionist?

This can be a big one! Some people start to procrastinate when they’re worried about their work and they want it to be perfect. Striving for perfection has been the death of many brilliant ideas, products and businesses. Therefore, it’s important that you let go of the idea of perfection. The longer you stare at a blank page, the more difficult the task becomes in your mind. Just remember, something is better than nothing. Therefore it’s vital that you just start working and let your ideas grow. You can edit and edit until you finally get the perfect piece – it’s just not going to happen the first time around.

There was probably no more of a perfectionist than Steve Jobs, but Steve had a famous saying “Real artists ship”. He was referring to the fact that everyone has ideas, but real artists deliver on them or ship them. It is exactly the same for tasks. Even Steve knew you had to draw a line under perfectionism or you will not get anything done. Make your perfection about hitting deadlines rather than the content that is going into hitting the deadline. If you try your best between the hours that you have assigned yourself, then nobody can ask for any more. But constantly shipping late will get you nowhere, even if your work is perfection!

5- Fear of Large Tasks

One of the main causes of procrastination is the idea and fear of starting a large task. However, all of these tasks can actually be broken down into smaller, more manageable tasks. If you concentrate on one small thing at a time, you will find that you can tick more tasks off your to-do-list, which increases your motivation to continue with the task! You can apply most of the strategies from feeling overwhelmed to this one as they largely fall into a similar mindset.

6- Are you Motivating Yourself Correctly?

People often procrastinate because they’re not feeling motivated enough to actually get the work done. The best way to overcome this is to think about the end game and what you hope to receive in the future. For example, are you aiming for a promotion? Where do you want to be in a year's time? When you think about your future and how you need to accomplish your tasks to get there, you are likely to feel more motivated when it comes to completing your work!

This tip also works with personal goals and other things you might be putting off. For example, if you’re wanting to lose weight but just can’t find the motivation to diet or start exercising – start thinking of the end game and how fabulous you will be feeling once you’ve lost the weight.

7- Set Strict Deadlines

It’s important that you set deadlines for everything you do in order to keep you motivated when it comes to finishing your work. Some people prefer working under pressure, other people believe it forces them into getting things done and they don’t enjoy them. Either way, deadlines are vital in getting productive and stopping procrastination in its tracks! As you start setting your own deadlines, make sure you set yourself up for success and schedule more time than necessary. Projects often take much longer than expected, so make sure to schedule the extra time to make it easier for yourself. As mentioned earlier, project management software is fantastic for this. After you have measured a few projects you will know how long things take and will be able to communicate this to your manager. Managing time and giving realistic deadlines can really help with procrastination.

8- Take a Walk

If you’re finding it hard to stay motivated, you should take a quick walk around the block and clear your head. This may seem counter-intuitive, but it has been proven that stepping away from a task can be beneficial to completing it. There have been lots of studies that show people perform better mentally after light to medium exercise, again mix this with a bit of mindfulness and meditation and you will be cooking on gas!

9- Do Not Beat Yourself Up

It’s important to remember that you should stop beating yourself up about your past procrastination events, let it go. If when you are about to start a task you’re having thoughts like ‘I should have started earlier,’ it will only make matters worse. Research actually shows that forgiving yourself for past procrastination will help you stop putting off working on a task, so wipe the slate clean, forgive yourself and move on with motivation.

10- Get Yourself Monitored

Sometimes having someone look over your shoulder is a good thing, after all, it is the well-trodden concept behind self-help groups. Try it once to see if it works. If you don't have anyone to ask then there is a great online tool called Procraster that can help you to self-monitor and motivate yourself, give it a try!

11- Autopilot Action

If a task or an email only takes 3-5 minutes to complete just do it there and then! Say no to 'I will do that later', just action it! Make this a personal rule you always follow. Ask yourself, will this take a few minutes? If the answer is yes then clear it there and then! If you tackle tasks as soon as they arise rather than letting them build up you will be surprised what a big difference this can make to your workday. Then when that important task comes along you have less work to distract you on your to-do list!.

12- Do You Have Debiliting Procrastination?

If procrastination consumes your life then there may be a serious underlying health issue. Depression, anxiety, ADHA and OCD can all be big players in procrastination. For these people, procrastination can be a cause of serious stress and illness. So, if you do suffer from chronic or debilitating procrastination then you should seek the advice of a trained professional.

Conclusion

Dealing with procrastination can be tricky, however get organised, put some strategies in place and it will all work out for you. Just remember that when you are on a task minimise your distractions by turning off your email and social media, these two things can throw a big spanner in the works. Also, commit to yourself to get those tasks that you find least pleasant out of the way early in the morning when you are as fresh and motivated as you can be. This will give you the rest of the day to concentrate on work that you find more enjoyable. Lastly, forget the past, forgive yourself for all the past procrastinations and move forward with newfound vigour. Remember to keep off the procrastination train to Guiltsvill Tennessee and stay on the platform of production gratification!

How Can Introverts Succeed In The Workplace?

An introvert is defined as ‘someone who prefers calm, minimally stimulating environments’ and ‘tends to feel drained after socialising, regaining their energy by spending time alone.’ Often, introverts appear shy and quiet, which is part of the reason they can sometimes struggle in the workplace.

The definition all started with Carl Jung back in the 1960's. He described two personality types that were direct opposites. Introverts and extroverts. Jung described the difference between these two types as the way they regained energy. Extroverts gained energy by spending time with others, while introverts regained their energy by spending time alone. At that time they were seen as separate personality types, but we now know there is a wide spectrum between being an introvert and an extrovert and we all fall between differing amounts. If you’re an introvert to any slight degree, then there will be times when you need some alone time just to recharge, this can be hard when you’re working in a busy, open-plan office. For most introvert types, home working over the pandemic would have seemed very easy and even therapeutic at times. You still had Zoom group chats but these would have seemed more manageable than the same office equivalent. With the move back to more office-based locations, we thought we would put this guide together to help with some simple strategies to get you through your day. Let's look at some physical things you can try first-

Work From Home

Let’s start with what we have just mentioned. Over the pandemic era, we have all been working from home, for introverts, it is one of the most ideal solutions. In an office full of extroverts working from home will sound like bliss to you. With remote working, technologies moving forward and new home working practices now set, maybe it's time to negotiate with your manager to work mostly work from home. You can tell your employer that you have better focus, and fewer distractions, leaving you feeling you have more time and energy to do a better job for them. Constantly producing great results from home will give greater weight to your suggestion.

The Early Bird

If you are back in the office why not start work earlier than the rest of your colleagues. If you start early you can finish early and that gives you some quieter time to get going with your tasks at hand, and less time in a busy environment. There is a lovely sense of peace and quiet at the office first thing in the morning. Just starting work one hour earlier can make all the difference, get in two hours earlier and you will find it's a game-changer. One of the big benefits is that it helps you mentally establish the rhythm of the day, when you eventually see more people arriving it eases you slowly into the working environment, as opposed to being plunged into a really noisy active office first thing. This is a little hack that can really help your day be a more pleasant experience. As with working from home, try talking to your manager explaining how you would like to trial early start and finishes, tell them you feel you can be more productive for them with this way of working.

Office Desk Position

As we discussed above, coming in early can give you a respite from the frantic nature of the office, another way is to search out a quieter spot to work within. Somewhere a bit out of the way and less exposed to the through traffic of colleagues. Again, this simple tweak can really help you throughout the day. Talk to your manager and explain that you feel you could get much more out of your day with fewer disturbances in a quieter environment. Even if there is no desk in the spot that you are looking at, suggest that moving your desk to this area will help you productively. If your job can be completed with a laptop why not ask to be able to move around the office, so you can seek out quiet areas when they become available. All these strategies can really make a difference to your general stress levels and give you a chance to mentally recharge throughout the day.

The above 3 ideas cover the physical things you can do to help with changing your working environment. But sometimes you are in a busy office with no escape and you just need to manage the situation the best you can. We have put together the next few strategies that can help with managing this situation for you.

Create Boundaries

If you’re an introvert, it can be easy for some people to invade your space or disrupt your working practices, making you feel uncomfortable. This may be no fault of the other person, if you do not set boundaries or work parameters they may never know your feelings. Generally, introverts tend to be introspective and empathetic, and setting boundaries can sometimes feel a bit awkward. But, everyone needs to set boundaries, these are things that tell other people how to treat you. Life suddenly becomes a lot easier when people know how to deal with you, they will feel better knowing that you feel more comfortable with them. It may feel easier to say nothing and to let the little things slide, but this can have a longer-term impact on your feelings. Communicate your boundaries clearly and explain why they mean a lot to you and how they help you. You will find people are perfectly happy to accommodate them as long as they are not vastly detrimental to the other person. Sometimes you will just overthink things and make something that is an easy-to-adjust issue for most people, a giant issue for you when it actually isn't at all. Just ask and inform people, you will feel a lot better about it all.

Individual Focus

As an introvert, you are unlikely to want to spend all of your time in a big, loud group, which can make it difficult to socialise and get to know people from work. When you come across as shy and reserved, it can also be easy to fall into the trap of not being involved and brushed over. Therefore, in order to overcome this, it’s vital that you focus on the importance of the individual and get to know your colleagues at a pace that feels comfortable to you. The easiest way to develop important relationships between you and your colleagues is to ask them what their job entails and make that extra effort to check in with them to learn about their personalities and interests. Although it may be nerve-wracking having to talk to employees one-on-one, it is easier than talking to a large group and also makes your relationships more meaningful. Understanding your colleagues on a deeper level also makes it easier for you to work with them in a professional environment. Although you may not want to attend birthday parties or social occasions, you will still have meaningful relationships with your colleagues.

Listen Well

A great characteristic of an introvert is that they are great listeners. You should therefore use this to your advantage. Make sure you are paying attention to what is said at all times as it gives you an edge over other people. When you are listening to someone, try and take part in ‘active listening,’ by supplying positive affirmation and looking at the person in the eye and nodding or responding when appropriate. This links into our previous point as it means you can form deeper relationships with individuals!

Understanding Yourself And Other People Better

Learning about the different personality types is a great way to improve working relationships, dig into the subject and read about the dynamics of different relationships with different personalities. There are lots of personality assessments that can build your own personal awareness and give you an understanding of your personality profile. Knowing about your personality type and that of your team will help you understand relationship dynamics. This information can give you strategies for coping better and improving your communication skills. You will be less likely to take things to heart and feel situations are out of control if you understand all this type of information. Integrate some of the relationship strategies and solutions that you can read about, this should mitigate the tension between working styles and lead to greater relationship confidence for you and your colleagues.

Do Things On Your Own Terms

Everybody at work will have something that they are unhappy with doing, and for introverts that may be public speaking. Some job roles will require that their employees work in groups and have to give presentations. In these situations, it’s absolutely vital that you contribute, but you can do this on your own terms. For example, you may not need to take part in the final presentation, but you can still pull your weight when it comes to research or leadership. Taking a more silent route is okay–as long as you make sure you put in the effort however you feel comfortable. Make sure you listen and organise the group, and then it will not matter that you don’t physically speak in front of the rest of the business. Remember, you don’t have to be in the spotlight to be vital to a team!

Be Sure To Go For Promotions

As an introvert, it is difficult to shy away from leadership opportunities. However, it’s important to remember that you may have the features of what makes a great leader, and you shouldn’t put yourself down and shy away from responsibility. Look at the job role, and if it’s something you feel like you could do, push for your voice to be heard, it may be nerve-wracking at first, but you deserve success as much as the next person! Remember, extroverts aren’t inherently better than introverts! Both personalities add huge values to different organisations. You should fight for your promotion as much as an extrovert would; you might just have to go down a different route. If you don’t feel ready to go straight into a promotion, speak to management and see how you can work towards it in the future, whether that’s by taking on more work or sitting in on more meetings.

Be Honest

In order to be successful, it’s important that you are honest. Make sure you communicate with management if you do have any problems, and don’t be afraid to blow your own trumpet a few times. If you are shy and reserved, management might not see what you do as clear as they may see an extrovert's activity. If you are completely transparent with management, they will appreciate you. Remember, it’s okay to say ‘no’ if you can’t do something, so stand up for yourself. Tell your manager what you do and don’t feel uncomfortable with, although some tasks may be mandatory, they will understand your issues and appreciate the fact you did them anyway! It’s also a great way for you to be remembered when a task needs doing that a manager knows you love. Everyone has a different personality, and with that comes different work styles. Every person has an equal chance of success!

Conclusion

Accept yourself for who you are and be honest with yourself and your colleagues about it. It is important to be open about who you really are. While it’s OK to adapt to your situation it is not ok to have to become a completely different person from who you are. Rather than feeling like you have to be a different person at work, look at the person you are and make the best of your strengths and values, showing what you can positively bring to the work environment in your own way. Ultimately, introverts can work very well in an office full of extroverts. When you pay attention to where your strengths lie and focus on bringing this out you will find you are as invaluable as the next person. Great companies are built with a diverse set of people. Be proud of the fact that you are adding value and use some of these tips, you will find life is not that bad after all.

The Definitive Guide to Starting a New Job

So you’ve done it! You sent in your CV, or applied for an internal vacancy, you smashed your job interview and just been offered the position of your dreams. You’ve agreed on a salary, know your start date and now you’re ready to begin! Or, are you?  It can be nerve-wracking having to prepare for your first day so we’ve made 'The Definitive Guide to Starting a New Job' to ensure that you are thoroughly prepared. In the past, we have written blogs about self-promotion within your existing company. For more on this take a look at  'How to Promote Yourself at Work' and 'Can Changing Roles Within Your Company Be Better Than Looking For a New Job?'. With these in mind, we would always suggest looking over this article even if you are starting a new role within an existing company. Do not take it for granted that because you already work for the company you don't have to try, never be complacent! Remember, you will probably have new line managers and maybe working within a new team, so be as prepared as you can and start your first day on the front foot. It will only help impress people! Here are the strategies that will give you the best possible start in your new role wherever that may be! 

Start Before You ‘Start’

Even before you arrive on your first day, you can prepare in advance. Don’t be afraid to email your new manager to ask if there’s anything you can do before you start your role, or if they recommend any reading. Some companies will have an onboarding strategy in place and ask you to read over documents, data sheets or annual reports so make sure you do this! Also, be sure to double-check where you should report on your first day. By doing this you are setting the groundwork for a smooth adjustment into your new role, and are also signalling to your manager that you are interested in getting the most from your new position. 

More Company Research And Connection 

Leading on from the last point, I know you did your research on the company for your interview, but have a look over your notes and orientate yourself once again with the company structure, procedures, culture and goals. Drill down into a bit more detail of the company so you feel comfortable with the culture and how they operate. Make some connections on Linkedin with people that work in your team, it's a great way to start relationships before you start the role. This can help with your first-day nerves and again lets your manager know that you have achieved some solid groundwork in your own time. Putting this extra bit of work in before you start can make all the difference!  

Plan Your Commute If Hybread Working Or Office Based 

You will want to arrive early to work on your first day. To get an accurate depiction of how long the journey will take, you should try and practice the route beforehand. It would be extra beneficial if you can practise during the times you’d actually be travelling when you start your new job. This can really give you a great sense of familiarisation on the day you start. Of course, sometimes elements such as train delays, traffic and other unforeseen circumstances may affect your journey, so try and plan a backup route if possible. Make sure you leave at least 15 minutes earlier on your first day so that you can start early! This means you can say hello to other employees before your induction properly starts. On a side note, if you can, always start your work day early. It is a great way to ease yourself into the working day. There is nothing worse than being plunged into a hectic day as soon as you walk through the door. Starting half hour early, getting a drink, having a chat with people and sitting down with no sense of hurry is a real game changer for morning stress levels. 

Remote And Hybread Working Strategy

If you are hybrid or remote working try your remote networking services and software out in advance. If the company has not already set up your system for you, find out what they use and do your homework on it. If you get a chance, play around with it and get comfortable with how it works, get to know it inside out if you can, even if they have not set it up for you! One that is often overlooked is what sort of home networking solution you will be using. Will the system you are using be intensive for your broadband connection? Will it be moving around large graphic files on the remote network? If so, is your current internet service capable of this and will you need to upgrade? Remember, sometimes it can take time to upgrade your service, you don't want to be going weeks with a network that is limping along, so make sure you give yourself time to sort any issues out! 

If you are all set up then great, but don't leave it to the first day and switch everything on! Will you be using any new software or video conferencing packages? If so make sure you use them intensively before your start date. There is nothing worse than being on the back foot and fumbling around with the software and remote links last minute. Grubbing around in front of a camera trying to make it all work has the real potential to knock you off your stride, get to know all systmes well! Maybe reach out to one of your future team members on LinkedIn and ask if you can have a test run with them before you start. That way you can ask them a few questions about the software and remote services, you can also ask about the pitfalls as well as getting used to it at the same time. All this homework will lead to you hopefully having a low-stress first day and will make you look like you are on top of your game! Remember, first impressions really do count!

Make Any Appointments In Advance 

When you first start a new job, you don’t want to have to take time off immediately for appointments as it can spoil the flow of learning and also it shows you are committed to a strong start. Therefore, if you can, schedule appointments before your new job begins. If you have any appointments that are due after you’re meant to have started work, ask if you can move these appointments forward. If you have any spare time, you may even want to book a hair appointment or anything else that makes you feel and look good before you start – it may just make you feel extra confident and ready to go on your first day!

Plan Your Outfit 

During your interview, you probably picked up some ideas about the company culture and its dress code. Even if the dress code does feel quite relaxed, it’s always worth making an extra effort during your first few weeks. Other employees may have already proved themselves to management, so they can get away with a little more, make sure you are a step above the usual dress code. Be sure to plan your outfit in advance, and make sure your clothes fit well and are comfortable for the day ahead. If your clothes are new wear them for a day or two beforehand. There is nothing worse than new shoes rubbing or your clothes being too tight on your first day! Make sure you plan well in advance, this way there are no nasty surprises for you when you start! 

If you are remote working do not fall into the habit of wearing the wrong type of clothes. You may have to be involved with video conferencing and you may have to move around in front of the camera. So look good, image is still important even when you are remote working. Also, it is mentally good for you to dress up for your working day, it distinguishes that time period from your normal home time and makes you feel you are in professional mode. All these little details will help you feel good and create a positive impression with your new employer!   

Get Your Materials Together 

Even if you’ve been told that you don’t need to bring anything in on your first day, it may be worth bringing a notepad and a pen so you can take notes on all the introductory information you receive. This will show your employer that you are organised and determined. Also, if you are not too sure what people do for lunch, bring a packed lunch with you, there is nothing like being prepared for the unexpected! If there is anything your manager has told you to bring, make sure you remember to bring it.

If you are homeworking make sure your home office is stocked with all the essentials you may need. Simple things like your pen running out and you having to hunt the house for ages to find one is a real pain and can put you in a bad mood for the day. We have all been there, we know there are a hundred pens in the house, but when yours runs out, can you find one? Of course not! It's off to the shops to buy a hundred more so you don't lose them only to find when you get home there was one in your coat pocket all along! You know it happens, so just make sure you have all the office basics at hand. 

Get Plenty Of Sleep

If you’ve had an irregular sleep schedule, now is the time to get back into a regular sleep pattern. Start going to bed slightly earlier and wake up earlier. By setting a sleep pattern before you officially begin, you will feel better rested when you start your new job. Also, by training your body before you officially start, you can be less worried about sleeping through any alarms on the morning of your first day! Getting the right amount of sleep is scientifically proven to improve your cognitive performance, reduce depression, help you stay on track with good food choices and help your body regenerate cells. If you have suffered from any of these problems in the past and have not considered that sleep could be the problem, then it may be worth looking into this. Monitoring your sleep patterns with a sleep app can give you some great insight into if you need to change things to give your body better performance. See how much quality sleep you are getting, if it's not enough then there are lots of tactics to help with longer restorative sleep. Be on top of your performance, be on top of your sleep!  

Make the Most of Your Time Off

If you are lucky enough to have some time off before your new job begins, use it to your advantage. You may need to run errands such as grocery shopping or need to clean your whole house, so now is the time to do it. But, if you have some extra time, enjoy yourself! When you begin your new job, you’re going to be busy! So use the time before you start to catch up with friends and family or do things you won’t be able to do when you start. Be kind to yourself and your body and don't go out on a bender a few nights before you start! Do some restorative activities, like getting out and exploring nature, country walking, yoga, or just plain rest up with a cuppa and watch some good movies!  

Conclusion

So, now you are ready! Remember, the devil really is in the detail, actioning all these strategies will make your new start as smooth as can be. It will give you the best opportunity to shine and not feel nervous on your first day, confident in the fact that you have left no stone unturned. Starting your role on a positive footing really will bring you peace of mind and ensure a smooth start.

Enjoy your first day! 

Make Motivation Work For You!

No matter your current situation – whether you're working remotely, launching into a new job, facing the uncertainty in your role, or simply feeling the need for change – all of these scenarios require a healthy dose of motivation to kickstart your momentum and keep you on the right path!

It's all too easy to begin the day with the best intentions, only to be swayed by thoughts like "I can't muster the energy today" or "Perhaps I'll tackle it tomorrow." However, these are hurdles that must be overcome!

Motivation serves as an essential human drive, pushing us to achieve definitive and desired outcomes. Postponing tasks endlessly leads to a sense of stagnation and the absence of accomplishment and ambition – both of which are powerful motivators.

So, where do you begin? Well, it truly starts within you. The most potent motivation comes from your own determination. Don't rely on external sources or outside circumstances. Set achievable goals and make your move. The following tips should give you a good start to achieving this!

Make a plan in manageable chunks

Research tells us that you are on average 45% more likely to achieve your goals if you write them down. It can be a daily, weekly, monthly plan or a mixture, set out your objectives and monitor them. Once you start to achieve, it will motivate you to carry on, seeing the end goal in sight will naturally motivate you.

Do make sure though you break things down into realistic and manageable chunks, otherwise, you will get demotivated when it all goes wrong. You can’t achieve big things in small time frames if you have other large commitments, it can make reaching the target an impossible task. Is it realistic to give your whole house a makeover within a week, when you must work in between, not really! So don’t make your goals or tasks unmanageable because the motivation will fade.

Don’t get distracted

It is easy to put on the tv, become ensconced in social media or just scroll through your phone, then before you know it the day has nearly gone. Be strict and resist temptation, if you really can’t get through a period without them, then use them as a reward when you have completed something, allowing yourself small chunks of time coinciding with your small chunks of achievements.

Be inspired by books 

Here is an old article from Inc. It may be old, but it has a great selection of classic books to keep you motivated! Out of this list, our favourites are 'How to Win Friends & Influence People', 'Awaken the Giant Within' and 'The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People'! Reading how to motivate yourself with strategies and stories is a fantastic way to keep on track. Don't have time I hear you say? Then get an Audible account! there is no excuse not to keep learning whilst vacuuming, washing or commuting! 

Be inspired by your favourite songs

Who doesn’t love a good tune? We all have favourites that inspire us and it’s a well-known fact that music creates a positive attitude and improves productivity throughout the day. Choose tunes that make you happy, tap your feet or make you want to sing and use them to motivate you!

Share your achievements

Don’t share your goals with others but do share your achievements. We sometimes set ourselves up for a fall by broadcasting our intentions, when that can be counterproductive. It is much less pressure announcing the success you have had, be it a big or a small win rather than living up to something that may not be realistic and makes you feel like you have failed. Getting compliments from our achievements is very motivational! 

Positive attitude and persistence

Positivity can really enhance your drive, never be scared to laugh and have fun! Becoming really engaged in an exciting task ahead can really keep you positive. You need the energy to start something and your positivity can kick start the energy levels, high energy levels are motivating and so the circle goes on, so jump on that roundabout! Positivity is a head game and also can be affected by the physical side of life. One quick tip if you want to take yourself from feeling down to feeling positive quickly is to do a short sharp 2 minutes of motivational exercise. Try jumping or running on the spot, while smiling and shouting “come on”! Sounds very un-British, but you would be amazed how it works and can snap you out of things. If you don't believe us then just try it once! Try and incorporate little things within your day that make you happy. A good cup of coffee, a quick meditation, a small piece of quality chocolate, a bit of mindfulness, looking at some happy photos of you and your family. These little things all go a long way to staying positive! 

Conclusion

In essence, motivation is a dynamic force that, when nurtured from within, can propel you beyond obstacles and towards the realisation of your aspirations. By setting manageable goals, curbing distractions, drawing wisdom from literature, embracing the power of music, sharing your successes, and cultivating a positive attitude, you lay a robust foundation for unwavering motivation on your journey toward triumph.

When all is said and done, actions speak louder than words …. just do it, remember motivation is the willingness of action, especially in behaviour.

We have a great podcast by Sandra Marston, an esteemed counsellor and life coach looking at all the strategies to help us stay positive so have a listen! Podcast page here 

How To Increase Your Creativity At Work

It is becoming more apparent as the years go by that creativity in the workplace is a commodity a lot of employers are looking for. In a fast-paced world of technology and ever-changing social and work patterns, focused creative thinking can be game-changing. Pulling a rabbit out of the hat on a project using your creative thinking can be transformative for your career and the company you work for. Forward-thinking companies know this, and once where creativity was not taken into consideration, now it has become high on the tick list of employee traits.

If you look at some of the biggest trailblazing businesses like Apple and Tesla you will see they are based on creativity, forward-thinking and commitment to a vision. Having said all this, being creative is not as easy as it sounds. Some find it easy, some find it hard, but even the most creative people when put on the spot can struggle.

Unfortunately, creativity isn’t something you can turn on and off like a tap. It’s like buses, sometimes three will come at the same time (when you might not even need them) but other times, when you really need some great ideas, there’s been three hours of brain traffic and your creative bus is nowhere to be found. If you’re standing at that bus stop, waiting for one too often then we have put a guide together to train you to be able to use your creativity more often. Let's get that traffic moving again with some of our strategies.

1- Doodle, Draw or Write

When you are struggling for inspiration or ideas, you might not think about drawing or writing, because what is there to write about? Well, funnily enough, you don’t need anything specific to write about. Doodle when you’re talking to people, engage the creative side of the brain and it might inspire ideas. Although many people may have been told off growing up with the ‘stop doodling and pay attention’, doodling can actually help you stay engaged during an activity in which you might otherwise find your mind drifting, take notes with your doodling while you talk and merge it all together, it can really have a positive impact. In fact, some of the world’s greatest thinkers such as the late Steve Jobs actually used doodling to jump-start creativity. In addition to this, writing flash fiction is a great way to spark some creativity. Set yourself a limit of 5 minutes and just write anything and everything, whatever pops into your mind! If nothing is coming then start with a doodle until it does, When you read it back, it will usually spark some ideas.

2- Create the Right Environment

Sometimes, if you are working in an area that is messy or unorganised, you’re just not in the right environment to be creative! As well as this, being sat at a desk and being forced to be creative can often impact your potential to be creative! That’s why big companies such as Google go to great lengths to provide employees with perks such as volleyball courts and other games which help foster creativity in their staff. Next time, you’re having to be creative, tidy up and create a creative space, move things around or remove yourself from your normal environment and see what ideas you can come up with.

3- Mix Up Your Creative Process

Like many people, you may have a comfortable proven set way of working that has produced some amazing work in the past. But, you can get stuck in an idea feedback loop if you carry on with the same process too much. Start mixing processes around, do them in different orders, sit in different areas of the office, use different tools to produce your desired outcome. Just put yourself in a different frame of mind and use a different process, you can always go back to your well-trodden one at any time.

4- Become An Expert

When you are struggling to be creative about a certain topic, you need to become an expert! Begin by reading articles or watching videos about the subject, embrace yourself and document it. The more information you gain should kick start more inspiration and solutions will flow. By learning more about a topic or subject you will naturally have a broader view to inspire yourself with!

5- Document Everything

Continuing on from the last point, document everything you do for future reference and inspiration. Not just your old projects, if you see a nice picture, a great video and an inspiring article, scrapbook it! Make it a digital or physical scrapbook or both. After a few years, you will have an amazing amount of inspirational reference material. Just flicking through a book of your visual cues and ideas will stimulate you and get the creative juices flowing!

6- Read More Fiction

When you are doing a lot of research you might find yourself reading articles and information that is very analytical. However, you can balance this and get the creative juices flowing by reading more fiction! Take some time and read a chapter or two to flip the switch from your analytical state, you never know what ideas will come to mind! Reading fiction is a well-known tactic to be in a more restful state before you go to bed, it puts your mind in a calmer mode. In this case, we are using it to swap your mind from the analytical state to the creative state. Give it a try!

7- Listen to Music

If you take some time out and listen to music, and really just listen, sit down, clear your mind and indulge yourself in just focusing on the sounds and rhythm. You would be amazed what this simple thing can do, you might just find your new creative muse! In fact, even playing music in the background of a task can help you focus and increase your concentration on the task in hand. Obviously, not every type of music works for everyone, find your niche music type, play it and let it work for you!

8- Set Aside Some Time For Brainstorming

Creativity can take ages, but if you force yourself to brainstorm under timed conditions, you might be pleasantly surprised with what you come up with. Let your mind flow freely and write everything and anything you think about. A good way to do this is through association, think about the topic then write words down about that topic, from these words, write other words that come off them in a mind mapping way. Bring the doodle tactic into this when you are stuck, then you will probably find some new avenues for investigation that pop into your head! Keep doing this until you exhaust all roads and you should have something to go on

9- Give Yourself Deadlines

Deadlines may sound counterintuitive for creativity, but they can be a very important part of the process. It is so easy to put things off when you do not have a deadline. Make yourself a deadline then start on something very small to get going, take the first step and things usually start to flow from there. When a deadline approaches it concentrates the mind and you will become more focused. This can be all you need to knock yourself into creative mode and get tasks finished on time.

10- Socialise With Different People

When you are surrounded by the same people day in and day out, you are not being open to new ideas and different perspectives. Therefore, it’s vital that when you need some creativity, you spend time with people whose life experiences and worldviews are unlike yours. This allows you to do activities and think about things differently from the way you do in your usual routine, which might encourage some creativity. Build yourself a creative network of different people that stimulate you in different ways. These people can form a valuable hub of peers that push forward your creativity.

11 - Exercise

Getting out and doing some sort of exercise is known to inspire creativity. Exercising regularly can boost creativity as it reduces stress and improves cognitive function. Walking can provide you time to think over ideas and allow you to zone out and focus on what you need to think about. Making a point of doing any sort of exercise, whether that’s running, cycling or just going for a brisk walk, will shake your mind and give you some ideas!

12- Get Enough Sleep

Sleep will help your mind stay rested and refreshed, leaving you recharged with creativity! There is nothing worse for creativity than being tired. Keep your coffee for the morning, get to bed at a decent hour and make sure you try and get 8+ hours of sleep so that you are always fully charged!

13- Say Yes To More

Sometimes opportunities come along that you think you will pass on as they are not relevant. But say yes to as much as you can as it opens new doors. You meet more people, you find more opportunities and you grow! Diversity in life is great for creativity, just be positive and open and you will be amazed where things can lead you!

Conclusion

Follow some of these ideas and you will find they will help spark some creativity in you. Try and put yourself in uncomfortable positions to grow and gain more perspective for a broader creative mindset. You don't always need to follow the rules, be yourself and express what you have within you. Unconventional people can be ingenious and inventive, so bring the unconventional you out more often. There is a great saying by David Bowie, and let's face it, he was the king of creativity! He said: "If you feel safe in the area that you’re working in, you’re not working in the right area. Always go a little further into the water than you feel you’re capable of being in. Go a little bit out of your depth and when you don’t feel your feet are quite touching the bottom, you’re just about in the right place to do something exciting.” We will leave it there!

5 Easy Ways to Stay Healthy When at Work

As we start going back to the office post-COVID-19 it is sometimes easy to forget the healthy things we did when we were working from home. Or maybe you are still working from your home office and have slipped into some bad habits. Either way, this guide will help you to feel better throughout the day!  

Sitting down for 8 hours a day, 5 days a week can have an impact on your well-being. It can be hard to feel healthy and keep active whilst working at a desk. So, taking small actions to improve how you feel in your working day will not only help you to feel better, but it will also help to improve your productivity and concentration at work!

When you are in a job you love that’s busy and exciting, it can be easy to forget the little things that can actually help boost your productivity. Although you may feel like you don’t need a break or a drink, sooner or later your energy is going to run out, so you need to take the time to have a break!

If you are unhappy in your role, that can decrease your motivation for most things, one of them is your health. Even if you aren’t that busy, you can still forget or not care about doing things that will make you feel better. It is easy to make positive changes in your life to help you and your well-being, so let's take a look.

Drink water

We know it's obvious! As you roll your eyes, you knew it would be on the list, but do you really drink enough? According to the Natural Hydration Council, some adults in the UK don’t drink any glasses of water during an average day! The average person in the UK only drinks 1.7 litres per day which is well below the 2.5 (for males) and 2.0 (for females) that is recommended by most leading health organisations.

More often than not people will choose a coffee or tea over water, although that hydrates, drinking that amount in tea or coffee will give you serious caffeine jitters! Not drinking enough water can cause fatigue, headaches, dizziness, and difficulty concentrating. Drinking water is the easiest way to boost your energy as well as keep you hydrated. There are so many benefits, including reducing tiredness and improving your bodily functions. So grab a two litre bottle and fill it up every day so you can judge how much you have consumed. 

Healthy Homemade Meals

Instead of eating out for lunch and getting meal deals you think are healthy, prepare meals at home instead. This will not only save you money, but it will also ensure you are eating a healthy meal.  

Good nutrition starts by knowing what you are eating, making your food is the best way to do this. Store foods often contain unhealthy ingredients, like preservatives, sulphites, MSG and sugar. These are all best avoided if you want to sidestep the potential 2 pm brain fog! On top of all that, they are usually also very high in calories and low in nutritional value. Make great fresh food with lots of needed nutrients and you will feel a lot better with your energy levels throughout the day, and it keeps you healthy too!

Take a break- Walk and Exercise

Again, it may seem obvious to take a break whilst at work, but according to research by Total Jobs, more than half of the 7,135 people surveyed don't take their full lunch break. It is vital you take a break from your working day. As well as a lunch break take short breaks throughout the day. Go for a walk outside, go to the restroom, have a healthy snack break, or try a bit of meditation! Doing all this can help you stay motivated and keep concentration levels high. You need to keep your body moving and your energy levels up! Exercising at the office/home office may sound strange but it is not that uncommon. There are many exercises that you can do to keep you fit and healthy. Walking is a great way to start but also have a look at this article on 25 Office Exercises https://snacknation.com/blog/office-exercises/. Also, many companies offer a cycle to work schemes or discounted gym memberships which is a great way to keep active. There are also many companies that have weekly sports or exercise classes, either for free or at discounted rates, this is an ideal way to keep active whilst being able to build good relationships with the people you work with, so try and take advantage of them. Keeping moving is the key and if you can alternate between a sitting and a standing desk you will absolutely be on the right road to better office health! 

Maintain Correct Posture

Bad posture can cause a myriad of health problems such as neck pain, back pain, eye fatigue and digestive problems, it can also create a decrease in productivity and concentration levels. Try and make sure to maintain proper posture to stay energized and productive throughout the day. Adjust the height of your chair so you can use the keyboard with your wrists and forearms straight and level with the floor. This can help prevent repetitive strain injuries. Your elbows should be by the side of your body and your arms should form an L-shape at the elbow. Place your feet flat on the floor. If you can't do this get a footrest at the right height that lets you rest your feet at a level that is comfortable to you, try not to cross your legs. Your screen should be directly in front of you. Place the monitor about an arm's length away, with the top of the screen roughly at eye level. Leave a gap of about 100mm-150mm at the front of the desk to rest your wrists between typing. Lastly, as we mentioned before, if possible try and get a standing desk and alternate between the two. Sorting all these issues out will mean you stay in optimal health.  

Snacks - Avoid Unhealthy Sugary Foods and Drinks

Working for long hours can cause you to feel constantly hungry and the feeling of hunger can cause irritability and low productivity. Instead of grabbing unhealthy snacks like Mars bars or crisps pack yourself some healthy snacks for the day. Fruit, greek yoghurt and a bit of honey for a sweet treat. For some good fats and proteins, grab some avocado and oatcakes, roasted chickpea and peanut butter. These types of healthy snacks can significantly benefit you, giving you energy instead of zapping it! The same goes for your drinks, choose wisely. A lot of people experience an afternoon slump at work, we may think that sugary drinks can give us just the boost we need, which they will in the short term however, that can turn into hypoglycemia after an hour or so and make you feel dreadful. Avoid these and energy sports drinks at all costs. Increasing your sugar intake can cause several health problems like diabetes, so drink water, (OK I know we have gone over that one!:) fruit or green teas which are packed with antioxidants!  

Conclusion

Try maintaining these healthy habits at your workplace whether at the office or at home. Adopting healthy working habits and keeping to them can positively affect all areas of your life. You will be able to improve your physical and mental health and your productivity and performance should see an upturn too! 

Research You Should Consider Before An Interview

Yes, it is time to don your detective cap and start your super-sleuthing adventures into your potential new employers! 🕵🏻 Regardless of how many interviews you have, you should always prepare for each interview with a large amount of vigour, determination and research. There is an abundance of information you can find out before your big interview day, and research is a primary component to impressing any potential employers. Whether you have a face to face or a video interview, you want to impress with your preparation and knowledge, so we have listed seven points you should research before that happens. Now, these are by no means the end of your interview preparation. For that go to our very comprehensive article on 'How to Find a Job', where we go into every detail of looking for a job, interview prep and what to do after you get your dream position! But for starters, use this guide as a base for what you really need to prepare for to look good in your interview! 

What Does The Company Do?

The first question you should research before your interview is what the company actually does. You may already know the sector or industry of the business, but you should do some thorough research to really get your head around the specifics. Practice your answers out loud as sometimes it’s easy to understand what a company does - but you may struggle to describe it. By practising, you can ensure that you come across confident and knowledgeable about the company.

The best place to do this research is by looking at the company’s website. Every company usually has an ‘About Us’ page, which should explain what the company does in detail. Then you can dig deeper with some general google search questions about the company.  

Key Position Holders Within The Company 

Make sure you research the key people within the company. These are key employees who hold important positions like CEO, CFO, CMO, Department Managers and so on. You can find out who these people are by exploring the 'About Us' page or their 'Employees' page where you may find their bios. It’s also a good idea to check out what these individuals say on LinkedIn and any social channels. It is nice to be prepared with this kind of knowledge if it slips into the conversation. It shows you have done your research well. 

What’s The Company Mission and Values? What’s The Company Culture Like?

After you have a thorough understanding of the company, it’s time to understand why the company does what they do. Every business usually has its own mission and values, so ensure you do your research, it is highly likely that you will find information on the company’s website.

A company’s mission and values are closely related to a company’s culture, which is another vital element that should be researched before any interview. This can be slightly more difficult to understand without physically visiting their office space. To try and understand this have a look at the company’s social media accounts to get a feel for their employee engagement and staff. Read between the lines of their job postings and this will give you an idea of who they think is suited to the position. Take a close look at the language being used, it can really give you an insight into their culture. You can also find out information on the employer’s career page if they have one. This may go into more detail about what core values they are looking for in a candidate. Another great tool for researching company culture is Glassdoor, this website allows past and present employees to leave reviews on what it’s like to work for a certain company. Then when you attend your interview, highlight how you would fit into this working culture and why you feel you would be a great match. All this research enables you to position yourself as the best candidate for the position.   

What Is The Company’s History?

It is important that you take the time to research the company’s history, look at who founded the business and when. Then with the information you researched about key people you can get a thorough understanding of the type of people who are behind the company, and how far they have progressed as a business.

Once you have researched the company’s history, you will have more of an understanding of how the company runs. This is immensely beneficial; as it’s likely your interviewer will ask what you know about the company. Knowing their history shows that you have taken the time to do more than just the bare minimum and are thoroughly interested in the company and its background.

What’s The Company’s Latest Venture?

Linking slightly to the previous point, as well as the company’s history, you should also research the businesses latest news and ventures. Ensuring you are up to date with information about the company is essential and will really impress your potential employer.

The company’s latest information is likely to be posted on their social media pages, so have a flick through their Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Instagram accounts! See if you can find the company’s newsletter or try a quick Google search of the company’s name to see if any news outlets are saying anything, this might be worth mentioning at your interview. (Make sure you only mention positive news and ventures, you don’t want to appear negative!) 

Who Are The Company’s Competitors?

Another very common interview question is ‘Who would you say are our competitors?’ So make sure you have some answers prepared for this! If you are interviewing for a competitive industry, it’s vital that you are able to make some comparisons. It’s worth finding out who the company’s competitors are on a global, national and local scale.

Look at similar companies that are located geographically near the company you are interviewing at, as well as companies all over the UK that are similar in size. Research these companies to see how the businesses compare. Bonus points if you are able to mention something the company does that its competitors do not. This shows you have not only done the research, but you have analysed the research data too! 

Who Is The Person Interviewing You?

Never overlook this one, you should find out who the interviewer will be for your interview. If you have the name of the person then do some digging on the company website and all social media channels. This will allow you to find out their personal background, their personality and any common interests. Doing this gives two sizable advantages. One is you have a better chance of connecting with them knowing what they are like. You will be better armed to be able to carry a meaningful conversation. Secondly, if you feel you know a bit about the person before you talk to them then psychologically you will feel much more at ease with them. This may seem a small thing, but it can help you come across so much more confident in an interview situation.  

Conclusion 

It is worth remembering that all interviews will be very different. Some can be very in-depth and some not so much, so don’t let it put you off if you don’t get to demonstrate all the knowledge you have gathered. If there is a second interview you will already be very well prepared!

The best advice for any interview is to just be you! You should do as much research as you can and prepare answers in advance, but it’s also very important that you just enjoy yourself.

As we mentioned at the beginning we have a wealth of information to help your interview skills have a look at our resources below, After reading all this you will be the ultimate interview ninja! 

More Resources

If you want to invest in yourself to get the best results in the job market, make sure you look at our other blog posts and articles to help you. Start with these two and you will not go wrong! How to Find a Job and our Ultimate Guide to Getting Your Dream Job! Then we have some great shorter blogs on interview techniques and CV writing below. Have a look at all these and you will be set for any interview! Remember, 'Luck favours the prepared! We wish you all the luck and success with your future!

The Top 10 Interview Questions You Should ALWAYS Prepare For!

Research You Should Consider Before An Interview

Ultimate Guide to Preparing your CV

What makes a good and bad CV?

How To Completely Nail Your Zoom, Skype or any other Video Conferencing Interview!

What questions should you never ask in an interview?

How to Answer the Question: What are your Strengths?

How to Answer the Question: What motivates you at work?

Finding a New Job? - It's Time To Clean Up Your Social Media Presence

improve your CV

prepare for job interviews 

Also, remember if you are attending interviews you may get rejected, do not take this personally! A lot of things in life are a numbers game, meaning the more you get rejected the closer you will come to getting the job. It is simple maths, the more you do the better the chance of success. It is a healthy part of the process so read the article below and don't let rejection slow you down!

10 Top Tips for Coping With Those Soul-Destroying Job Rejections!

Feeling Flat? This Is How To Get More From Your Job

There have been many surveys over the years on workplace enjoyment and many are not good reading at all! It seems there are a lot of people out there who just exist in a job and do not enjoy it. Workplace motivation, engagement and enjoyment are all very important to your happiness and wellbeing. With this in mind, we have compiled a list of questions you should ask yourself and take action on, to get more from your job, feel happier and essentially more motivated!

Who Surrounds You?

Within the workplace, the people who surround you can seriously affect your morale. If you stop and think about who it is that you talk to every day, you will see how this may affect your motivation at work. Spending all your time with people who are cynics or constantly critical will seriously affect your mood and energy. Try to avoid them! Hearing only negatives day in, day out will make any positives in your work hard to see. Sometimes It is hard to just cut ties with these types of people all at once, so slowly change the relationship dynamic. Don't interact with them as much, if you do talk to them check yourself if you are getting involved with a negative conversation. Do not be negative yourself, keep your conversation light, short and positive, sometimes this is enough to change their conversational attitude towards you. If this does not work maybe see if you can move desks with a valid excuse, or go for a promotion and move within the company. Sometimes a change of situation is all you need for that extra bit of motivation and excitement at work.

What Do You Like?

If you are not a hundred per cent happy within your role, there will be something that you like, something that you feel you excel at. Think about what attracted you to working in that role in the first place. Pinpoint exactly what you enjoy and what really motivates you. Talk with your boss about exploring the possibility of doing more of what you like to do, they may think it is a good idea! For example, if you work in digital marketing and LOVE content writing, talk to your manager about doing more of it! Doing something you love will increase motivation in the workplace as you find yourself enjoying your role more. Explain to your manager your passion for a certain subject and let them know what a great job you could do if you were to focus on this more.

How Is Your Mindset?

If you go into work with a negative mindset, even the smallest of things will affect your mood and morale. This is a serious factor that needs to change to help you get more from your current job. Start approaching your workplace with a positive attitude and stop letting small things bring you down. You will find by going into work with a positive attitude, you will feel incredibly motivated to do better! Self-talk is vital to how you see the world, and it’s incredibly important within the workplace. We have a great podcast about mindset and motivation on our website so take a listen, if you implement some of these suggestions we guarantee you will feel better! Try them! Podcast - Regaining Your Mojo With Motivation

What Are You Learning?

One of the key factors for a lack of motivation within the workplace is that you are bored. Most people are engaged when they are learning new things, which makes them happy. If you don’t feel engaged, think about what you might like to learn within your role, or what you can do to get to the next level. Start working towards your promotional role and goals, gather the right experience and knowledge to step into those shoes. It’s a guaranteed way to get more from your job. We produced a great blog last week on how to get a promotion, follow this guide, you will not get bored and you may just get a promotion! Blog - The Best Way To Get An Internal Work-Promotion (9 Strategies)

How Hard Are You Working?

Working harder is vital to getting more from your job. It is easy to go into work, switch on at 9 and switch off at 5 and do just what is needed of you, so see what extra things you can do and do them. Throw yourself into the work and get as much done as you possibly can. Stop watching the clock and just ‘existing’ within the workplace. Commit to trying your best and working harder, you will be surprised how this will help you. Firstly your self-esteem will go up, knowing you are giving your job the best shot, secondly people will pick up on what you are doing and that is a sure way to start your promotion prospect! It seems weird to say work harder for more enjoyment, but it's absolutely true!

Are You Confronting Your Problems?

The fact you don’t feel engaged within the workplace can be a problem, and there are probably reasons why you feel that way. Pinpoint exactly what it is you don’t like, and deal with it. Communication is important within the workplace, and if you can’t confront your problems face on, they are only going to get worse. You will be amazed what can happen if you talk to someone, like your manager about your problems, what you feel is a massive issue may be an easily resolved problem in your manager's eyes. Don’t be scared to talk about it to someone, people are not mind readers, but they are problem solvers, so give it a shot to see if there is a solution!

Conclusions

Put all this into place, get more motivated and see what happens. We have already said try and do more of what you enjoy and reach for promotions. If there are serious issues and it’s the company and culture you are having issues with, then perhaps it is time to move on. Working is such a huge part of your life, so getting the most out of your job is vital in improving happiness, enjoyment and all-round lifestyle.

If you have decided to move on then have a look at all our articles to help you with this process below:

More Resources

If you want to invest in yourself to get the best results in the job market, make sure you look at our other blog posts and articles to help you. Start with these two and you will not go wrong! How to Find a Job and our Ultimate Guide to Getting Your Dream Job! Then we have some great shorter blogs on interview techniques and CV writing below. Have a look at all these and you will be set for any interview! Remember, 'Luck favours the prepared! We wish you all the luck and success with your future!

The Top 10 Interview Questions You Should ALWAYS Prepare For!

Research You Should Consider Before An Interview

Ultimate Guide to Preparing your CV

What makes a good and bad CV?

How To Completely Nail Your Zoom, Skype or any other Video Conferencing Interview!

What questions should you never ask in an interview?

How to Answer the Question: What are your Strengths?

How to Answer the Question: What motivates you at work?

Finding a New Job? - It's Time To Clean Up Your Social Media Presence

improve your CV

prepare for job interviews 

Also, remember if you are attending interviews you may get rejected, do not take this personally! A lot of things in life are a numbers game, meaning the more you get rejected the closer you will come to getting the job. It is simple maths, the more you do the better the chance of success. It is a healthy part of the process so read the article below and don't let rejection slow you down!

10 Top Tips for Coping With Those Soul-Destroying Job Rejections!

The Digital Workspace and the Physical Workplace

We may look back at the COVID-19 outbreak and see it as the genesis of change in the way we all work. We have seen a fundamental change from physical workplaces to digital workspaces so could this be the beginning of the end of traditional working as we know it? 

A lot of companies have had to change overnight and embrace new platforms to try and keep their working practices and company culture running as smoothly as they can. Typically companies may have had some sort of VDI infrastructures (virtual desktop infrastructure) to help the transformation, for over two decades the argument for using VDI platforms has been that employees can securely access the same company desktop experience from anywhere on any device. This has led to companies being able to offer flexible working for a better work-life balance.  

The workplace used to be a physical space an employee went to at 9 am and left at 5 pm, even before COVID-19 those days were rapidly changing. Through the power of the Internet, today’s employees are always connected and lines between the online workspace and the physical workplace are blurred. Leading organisations were already implementing an entirely new working environment, but now all companies have been forced to implement some sort of digital workspace. Instant messaging, email programmes and virtual meeting outlets are all part of the virtual solution. Before COVID-19 you may have also noticed that there was a substantial shift towards remote working, the digital workspace that encourages collaboration, engagement and connection across the workforce, regardless of physical location. 

Digital workspaces are important for many reasons -

Changing Workforce: 

As Baby Boomers continue to retire; they are taking important information with them. There has therefore been an increase in the need to capture their knowledge so that Millennials and Gen-Xers can build upon the foundations that the Baby Boomers have left.

Increasing Information:

As humans, we’re always learning and developing. Information is growing at exponential rates and employees need to find the information at the touch of a button. 

Speed: 

The rapid pace of the workplace in today’s society means that employees need to be able to use technology to get things done quickly, efficiently and to the highest standard.

Laws and Regulations:

With recent guidelines and laws, personal data needs to be protected at all costs. Information shouldn’t need to be on paper or printed, technology is vital in ensuring the protection of personal details. 

Investing In A Digital Workspace -

If you did not have a digital workspace already implemented then the Post COVID-19 rush to get one may have seemed an expensive thing to do! But, look at it this way, there are many benefits to this way of working that may have a real positive effect for the future. Let's look at some of these. 

Staff Attraction: 

Allowing employees to work from home to increase staff attraction, a study by Cisco Connected found that 64% of employees would opt for a lower-paid job if they could work away from the office. 

Employee Productivity: 

Employees are likely to be more productive when their physical workplace is accompanied by a digital workspace. Alex Pentland in ‘How Social Networks Network Best’ found that organisations with strong online social networks are 7% more productive than those without.

Employee Satisfaction: 

McKinsey’s Global Survey found that businesses that used social media tools internally found a 20% increase in employee satisfaction. Happy employees improve your company.

Employee Retention:

Human Capital Institute found that when employee engagement increases, there is a corresponding increase in employee retention by up to 87%.

Crisis Ready 

Whilst some businesses have been forced into change it does mean you will be ready for most future crisis’s that may happen. You have invested in your infrastructure, which means you can now work in a network-like fashion with your employees, being ready and able to work from any location. If similar things arise it will be much smoother to deal with, with far less downtime.  

Of course, not every business can function purely as a digital workspace or physical workplace, but the advantages of a digital space gives you choice and in the long term can save on office costs. So the big question is, although the physical workplace is alive for now, how long will that continue? We think it is here to stay in a way that can help businesses blend home and office working to produce a well motivate and flexible workforce.   

Need homeworking solutions? Have a look at our Prestige Remote 360

Why not listen to our latest podcast HERE

10 Tips on How To Improve Your LinkedIn Profile

LinkedIn is fast becoming one of the most used social media platforms around the world. Although it is primarily used for people and businesses to connect with each other, it is proving a great way for people to build real relationships online.

When you meet new people, first impressions always count. This is why your LinkedIn page needs to look good, if you already have a profile you would be amazed how quickly the information on it goes out of date. Did you start one a while ago and forget to polish it and give it the shine it deserves? Or maybe you just do not have one yet! Either way, this guide will point you in the right direction!

1) Sell yourself with a great LinkedIn headline

When someone clicks on your profile, you want them to get the best impression of you. The “about you” section is the best way to show people what you’ve done and what you’re doing. This section needs to draw people in, so make it punchy and interesting. Usually, businesses have generic content for you to put in, but it would be great for you to add a little something extra about what you do.

2) Choose a great LinkedIn photo

Along with your headline, you need to make sure your profile picture reflects you in a professional light. Although LinkedIn is a social media platform, its purpose is to connect people to businesses and vice versa. So, you want to look sharp and approachable.

3) Avoid buzzwords in your profile

Buzzwords are popular words or phrases that people would use to describe themselves. Words such as “I am driven and adaptive” are very generic, so to ensure you stand out, do your research to see what else you can use to structure your profile. For example, a salesperson may say "I have been responsible for generating revenue of £100,000 against a target of £80,000 within my first year", which in itself would show you are target driven. 

4) Use a customised profile URL

This feature is more so for businesses, but if you are creating or updating your own profile you can do this too. You can personalise your profile URL, so it is consistent with the rest of your brand or personal image. To find out more click here. 

5) Write LinkedIn articles

LinkedIn's Pulse Publishing creates a template with basic editing tools for your content, giving you options to edit headlines, text, and imagery that suits the LinkedIn post structure and its layouts.

According to LinkedIn, posting your content through their articles will increase engagement on your content. Posts that you publish yourself can quickly become lost in LinkedIn’s feed, whereas articles will always be stored at the top of your profile. This makes it easier for people to find them and revisit them. 

6) Use added media on your LinkedIn profile

Imagery and video content are always going to get more engagement than plain text. It is important to utilise both, but video content is a great way to get your messages on there without people having to give their undivided attention for too long.

7) Collect LinkedIn recommendations

Getting recommendations from people is a great way to get first-hand feedback about the services you’ve given them. This will also give other people the confidence to work with you after seeing good results from other people.

8) List your Top Skills

As well as a great opening headline on your profile, examples of your skills and how you have utilised them in a job again will only boost your credibility.

9) Follow relevant LinkedIn groups

LinkedIn is great for getting yourself out there for potential connections. But it is also a great platform with lots of information and tools to help you learn. By following relevant people, businesses, hashtags and pages, your feed will be filled with useful and accurate information that can help you in your career.

10) Include educational background and awards

It is important to add your educational background to your LinkedIn profile so people can see your whole journey and how you have ended up where you are today. As long as you feel it is relevant to what you’ve done and what you’re doing presently, adding additional awards is also a great way to showcase your journey.

Conclusion

With these points in mind, you will be well on the way to self-promoting yourself online, whether that is to build relationships in your existing employment or if you are looking for a career move! If you are looking for a career change then we have added additional resources for you below.

More Resources

If you want to invest in yourself to get the best results in the job market, make sure you look at our other blog posts and articles to help you. Start with these two and you will not go wrong! How to Find a Job and our Ultimate Guide to Getting Your Dream Job! Then we have some great shorter blogs on interview techniques and CV writing below. Have a look at all these and you will be set for any interview! Remember, 'Luck favours the prepared! We wish you all the luck and success with your future!

The Top 10 Interview Questions You Should ALWAYS Prepare For!

Research You Should Consider Before An Interview

Ultimate Guide to Preparing your CV

What makes a good and bad CV?

How To Completely Nail Your Zoom, Skype or any other Video Conferencing Interview!

What questions should you never ask in an interview?

How to Answer the Question: What are your Strengths?

How to Answer the Question: What motivates you at work?

Finding a New Job? - It's Time To Clean Up Your Social Media Presence

improve your CV

prepare for job interviews 

Also, remember if you are attending interviews you may get rejected, do not take this personally! A lot of things in life are a numbers game, meaning the more you get rejected the closer you will come to getting the job. It is simple maths, the more you do the better the chance of success. It is a healthy part of the process so read the article below and don't let rejection slow you down!

10 Top Tips for Coping With Those Soul-Destroying Job Rejections!

Can Changing Roles Within Your Company Be Better Than Looking For a New Job?

Deciding what job you want to do can be confusing and difficult, and most people actually change their job role multiple times throughout their career until they find something they really love. If you do decide you want to change your career path, it might be worth seeing what positions are available at your current organisation before you start looking elsewhere! You are likely to have already built up a network of colleges and a positive reputation. Most departments would be happy to hire someone who already knows the company it can help them in many ways.

Transitioning into a new role can be difficult even within your own company, so here are our top five tips to help you ensure that your move is as easy as it can be for both you and your company:

1- Research, Research, Research

Sometimes if you don’t enjoy the role you are currently working in, it can be very easy to get into the mindset that the ‘grass is always greener elsewhere.’ Before you jump into a new career, take the time to talk to people you may know from that department and understand the role in more detail. The best thing about keeping it within the company is that people from the department you are interested in are likely to be honest and thorough with you regarding the department, as compared to a new interviewee where they are likely to hide any negatives. Research the roles and check that it’s something that you want to be doing before you apply

2- Speak To Your Manager

Under normal circumstances, you probably wouldn’t tell your manager you are job searching until you’ve actually found another job and been offered it. However, when you’re applying for another job in the same company, your management are going to need to know. They will find out one way or another (whether that’s from the person interviewing you, or someone who just happens to find out) so it’s always better to be upfront, honest and truthful. Explain why you feel you’re more fitted to a different department or role. This gives your manager the option of seeing if they can change your role to be more suited to you. Your manager might even want to see you progress within the company and put in a good word for you.

3- Be Patient

It can be difficult when you apply for an internal job because you feel like you are in limbo in your existing role. Chances are, your company is going to interview internal candidates, but they’re also going to take some time to allow external candidates to apply and interview too. This often takes much more time, so be patient and keep nailing your existing role just in case it does not materialise!

In general, something as complex as an internal transfer can actually be really time-consuming, your manager, potential new manager and your company’s HR team are all involved – so don’t be surprised if it takes more time than you were expecting.

4 - Prepare As Normal

Although you may know your interviewers (especially because you’ve worked in the same building as them previously), you should still treat your interview like any other interview. Prepare thoroughly and practice your answers. Just because you have a history of working for the company does not mean you are guaranteed the job! Impress them with your preparation and professionalism! We have many resources to help you with this at the end of this blog.

5- Get Ready

Get ready for the transition! Remember, even if you are changing roles, all of the experience and information you know about the company will seriously help you adjust to your new role. Although you may know some of the people in your new department, you can hit the ground running by building relationships with them and communicating with them when you see them. Be sure to ask your new manager if there is any research or information you should review before your start date. As well as this, it’s important that you end things with your current department in the most friendly and positive manner possible, you’re still going to see them around the building!

Conclusion

It can be a very exciting time when you decide to change your career direction. Progressing within your existing company can be the perfect way to do this. Remember to always give your best in your existing role as you never know what doors can be open to you in the future just through hard work and a good reputation!

Some good interview resources:

The Top 10 Interview Questions You Should ALWAYS Prepare For!

Research You Should Consider Before An Interview

Ultimate Guide to Preparing your CV

What makes a good and bad CV?

How To Completely Nail Your Zoom, Skype or any other Video Conferencing Interview!

What questions should you never ask in an interview?

How to Answer the Question: What are your Strengths?

How to Answer the Question: What motivates you at work?

Finding a New Job? - It's Time To Clean Up Your Social Media Presence

Relationships in the workplace

According to Business Insider, the average person spends more than 90,000 hours at work in their lifetime, so its no surprise that a third of people find love at work, according to the office for national statistics.

With today being Valentine’s day, we wanted to talk about love at work as well as give you tips and advice to think about if you have found a connection with someone in your office.

Are you allowed to be in a relationship with someone at work?

This would be down to the discretion of your employer, so it would be worth going through your contract to see if there is any information regarding this. If there isn’t anything specific about relationships at work, you can either talk to HR if you feel it’s appropriate or just keep it completely separate from your work life.

It also depends on who you date, as dating a colleague or your boss can’t really be compared and will most likely have different consequences.  

Back in November 2019 One of the McDonald’s CEO Steve Easterbrook was dismissed for having a consensual romantic relationship with his employee. Their company policy for senior employees strictly prohibited workplace relationships.

Dating your boss is a whole other ball game as they are someone with power in your company, so here are some things to think about if you have started a relationship with your boss.

• Perceived favouritism – If you’re dating your boss this could mean you get better opportunities at work, which won’t go down well with your employees.

• Lowered employee morale – If you’re employees see you getting special treatment, this may start to create awkward working environments.

• Internal gossip and rumours that can impact the overall work environment and the longer-term careers of the individuals who are involved in the romance – Work gossip is sure to increase if you’re dating your boss, as well as rumours that may not even be true.

Disruption and Risks

If you let your relationship intervene with your work life, this is where problems can occur. If you have a relationship at work that causes disruption, this can potentially put your job in jeopardy, according to Personnel Today.

You also need to consider the chance that the relationship could break down, and what the implications of that would be. If there is awkwardness or mistreatment from the other person involved this could mean possible legal proceedings may take place, which isn’t going to go down well with your employer. This result may mean you have to leave, and if that reason was to come up in any future job interviews this could make it difficult for you to find work.

Having a relationship with a colleague or boss isn’t something that should be taken lightly, especially if there is a chance it could affect your career, so it is important to make sure you are doing the right thing for your well-being and your future.

Social Media & Brand Engagement

With the development of technology, social media and its influence in the world has increased dramatically. In fact, some people now have a whole career based on social media, where individuals with large social media followings are paid to promote products, services and information to their loyal ‘fan base.’ Some people are baffled that social media could have such a large impact, but if you think about how much time you spend on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram or Snapchat, it certainly makes sense. How many times have you sat on a train scrolling through your newsfeed or timeline aimlessly? What’s the first thing you do when you wake up?

Now, businesses can use social media to their advantage to engage with their audience, build brand awareness and illustrate their company culture – and this is just the first layer of how beneficial social media can be! Social media interaction increases connection with your brand – a recently published study found that engagement with a brand increased exponentially if key audiences were active on social media. Obviously it’s a little more complex than that, but we’ve listed three top tips for increasing social media engagement:

Know What to Publish and Share 

Think about who uses your company, and think about who would be looking at your social media channels. You then need to connect and bond with these people through publishing and sharing relevant content or information. The things you post should not only be relevant to your audience but also relevant to your company! If you supply your audience with information that is relevant and they enjoy reading, they are more likely to further engage with your company. 

You can also post photos and images of your team members, as it shows your audience that you are human! This reminds your audience that they are engaging with humans. 

Learn When to Share 

Frequency can be a difficult thing to decide, and most companies may be unsure of how often they should be posting online. Again, the frequency that you share will depend on your audience as well as the social platform you are posting on. A website like Twitter is quick-paced and short-lasting, so you should be posting more regularly on this platform, whereas posts on Facebook tend to stick around the news feed a little longer! 

As well as this, don’t just post for the sake of it. Always post relevant information! If you are posting every hour, and the content is getting no engagement – bring it down a little so your audience is focused on a small amount of posts. 

Have Consistency 

It’s important that whatever you post across social media is similar and consistent. This stands with every element of your postings – post at similar times, and use the same type of language in each post. You should work on the voice and tone of your business and ensure that all social media posts reflect this. This may be easier if only one person is running your social channels, however, it can be difficult if you have a group of people with different voices, which is why it is so important that you really clarify and understand your company voice. 

As well as this, you should also be consistent in regards to handles and names. For example, if your twitter handle is @PrestigeRGroup, your Facebook company name should be Prestige Recruitment Group too! Any alterations to usernames may confuse your audience if they are trying to find you on other social channels. 

You should also work on images and colours in order to show a sense of branding, even if you don’t have an official logo. Then, any images you post on social media can have the same branding, which will reflect your company and make it easily recognisable. 

So there are our three top tips on building brand engagement on social media. Check our social platforms out here. 

Facebook: Prestige Recruitment Group

Twitter: @PrestigeRGroup

LinkedIn: Prestige Recruitment Group

Instagram: prestigergroup

How to Retain Top Talent

A recent study by Undercover Recruiter asked almost 10,000 employees from the East of England to name their ‘price’ to move to a new organisation. The results found that almost half would have to receive an increase in salary of up to £5,000 to be tempted – in fact, 5k was the most popular option, with 15% choosing this. 

A positive sign is that 16% of respondents said that no increase in salary could even tempt them, as they are happy within their current role within their workplace organisation. However, it is interesting that 6% of respondents said they would leave their job for less money, which highlights that there are many other happiness factors they felt were lacking in their current organisation. 

As the results found that most employees are happy within their role, it can be concluded that there are many organisations in the East of England that are successfully creating inspiring, innovative and engaging places to work. Prestige Recruitment Group appreciates and understands the importance of creating engaging and inspiring workplaces, and so we’ve compiled some advice to help your company be the best it can possibly be in order to retain top talent!

Salary

Today, the world is much more money-orientated than it used to be. As more millennials enter the workplace, salary becomes an important part of retaining this workforce generation. Companies, therefore, need to ensure that their salaries remain attractive. Employers should research how competitive their salaries are to ensure that they are at least matching the average. It is also important to remember to reward your long-standing employees. It is very easy when offering a new employee a salary to match that of your other staff, but long-standing employees should be rewarded with increases in salary on a regular basis. This will stop them from looking elsewhere when they’ve worked five years on the same salary and realise that they want and deserve more. 

Company Culture

Today it is so important for a company to embody their own company culture in everything they do. Having strong values and missions and embodying that within a fun, exciting and interesting culture is a massive element in influencing how an individual feels about their organisation. Organisations that have achieved this are all ones where individuals feel a real sense of belonging. Therefore, if you can – look at how clear your company culture is and if there is anything you can change in order to create a happier, more positive culture.

Promotions & Progression

If you don’t offer opportunities in which employees have the chance to move up their career ladder – they’re going to leave. Although there may be areas in which promotions just aren’t doable, help support employees by looking for side-moves that provide more variety and new experiences. If you can, get to know your employee’s long-term goals in order to nurture and support them the best you can.

Recognition and Appreciation

A survey by Reward Gateway found that 59% of employees surveyed would rather work for a business where they received recognition, over a higher salary job. Therefore, you should try and find ways to regularly remind employees that they are valued to you and the business. Try and look for innovative ways you can do this, whether it’s by offering positive feedback to employees or taking them out for lunch – do whatever works for your company and its culture.

Flexibility

Investors in People (IIP) revealed that 31% of employees would rather have a more flexible working environment, such as the opportunity to work remotely, than a 3% pay rise. Today there is a larger influence on working flexible hours because work-life balance is one of the biggest factors for people leaving a job. Therefore, if possible, you should review your practices and see if you can offer flexible working in order to support employees in striking the balance between work and home life. 

Perks

In today’s perks, more companies are introducing benefits and perks that are unique to their company culture. It is important to remember that for many people, the little things like free coffee, free parking, gym membership or early Friday finishes make the individual feel more content within their organisation. Nowadays, companies no longer reward employees with just salaries, but they also make them feel appreciated by bringing in new, exciting perks. 

If you don’t think your company or business is quite ticking all these boxes, see what you can do to adjust your workplace environment. Not only will these elements boost your employee retention, but they will also increase your company reputation. Increasing your company reputation will certainly ensure that people not only stay at your company but that new candidates WANT to work for your company.