How to Become a morning person

How to Become a morning person by Amber Rolfe Not much of an early riser? We know the feeling…Let’s face it, mornings are never fun. Even with the best intentions in the world, for some of us, getting out of bed can be something of a daily struggle. In other words, productivity is appealing but procrastination is better. You win this round, snooze button.The good news is, it is actually possible to train yourself to do mornings right, and get a lot more out of your day. Here’s how:Step away from the laptopThis also includes the TV, your phone, games consoles, eReadersessentially, anything that’s back-lit.Whatever electronic device you’re addicted to, try to avoid ‘screen time’ for at least an hour before bedtime. It’s scientifically proven that electronics stimulate your brain and make it harder for you to fall asleep, and the bright lights won’t help either.So switch them off, and you’ll be able to switch off too.At the very least, turn your devices on silent. That way, you won’t be distracted by messages while you’re trying to sleep. After all, it’s doubtful that half-asleep messaging is going to be the most productive kind, and if you wait till the morning, your hilarious wit is far more likely to be on better form.  Prepare your morning the night beforeWhat are you going to wear to work? What should you have for breakfast? Is it ever acceptable to take a duvet into the office?Questions like these are likely to be asked before the beginning of any day, and it can be stressful to try and figure this seemingly simple stuff out when you’re half asleep. So, avoid tiring yourself out further in the morning by making sure these daily decisions are already made before you wake up.That way, you’ll have less to worry about in the morning, are more likely to be on time for work, and will be able to wake up relaxed knowing your packed lunch has already been made.Cue comforting morning sigh of relief.  Stop snoozingIf you wake up feeling groggy, it could be beca use your alarm going off every ten minutes is continuously interrupting your sleep cycle.So, as difficult as it may seem, avoiding the temptation to snooze your alarm will actually help you in the long run.If all else fails, try putting your alarm clock at the other side of the room, and you’ll be forced to get up to turn it off  effectively tackling the difficult task of getting out of bed without even realising it.Trust us, ‘morning you’ will be eternally grateful… (Although your partner may not be)Don’t procrastinateWe all understand the importance of updating ourselves with the happenings of the world via social media and/or messaging, but it can often be a waste of time if it’s overdone, not to mention the cause of a bad morning.Consider this possible series of events: getting out of bed late = getting to work late = a telling off from your boss + a severe look of disappointment. You get the picture.Focus on the task at hand and try not to let your mind wander yo u’ll only risk spending longer in bed because you’re so engrossed in that article about cats being scared of cucumbers. (Yeah, it’s a thing)Let the light inLeaving your curtains or blinds open (even if only slightly) will allow your body to wake up naturally when the morning arrives.If daylight isn’t a thing that exists when you wake up, consider getting a ‘wake up light’, which emulates natural daylight and lights up in the mornings.Not only will natural light let your body know it’s time to be awake, but it will also help reduce the urge to go back to sleep.This advice can be turned around for the evenings, when light is something you’re better off avoiding. Sleep inducing Melatonin is only released into our bodies when it’s dark, so turning the lights off will mean you’ll benefit from a better sleep.Use technologyIf willpower just isn’t working out for you, you could always turn to technology.There are a wide range of creative alarm clocks that get you out o f bed in a less conventional way. They include, an alarm clock that simultaneously brews coffee, a dumbbell-shaped alarm clock that requires you to do 30 bicep curls before it shuts off, and if you want to take extreme measures â€" a clock that sends an embarrassing tweet every time you press the snooze button.But if early morning torture tactics aren’t your thing, there is a more gentle option. The ‘sleep cycle’ app tracks the type of sleep you’re having, meaning it can gradually wake you up throughout the ‘light sleep’ stage. It also allows you to review your sleep, and use the information to figure out what sleep disrupting elements you should cut out of your life.Thanks technology, we owe you one.Honourable mentions: go to bed with a positive mind-set, exercise in the mornings, rehydrate when you wake up, keep your wake up time consistent, avoid napping throughout the day, set a bedtime, avoid caffeine and alcohol before bed, have breakfast, get the right amount of s leepStill searching for your perfect position? Have a look at all of our current vacancies nowFind a job What Where Search JobsSign up for more Career AdviceSign up for moreCareer Advice Please enter a valid email addressmessage hereBy clicking Submit you agree to the terms and conditions applicable to our service and acknowledge that your personal data will be used in accordance with our privacy policy and you will receive emails and communications about jobs and career related topics. Features

How to Create a Business That Makes You Money - Classy Career Girl

How to Create a Business That Makes You Money Do you want to create a business, but you’re just not sure if it will actually work? Or maybe you’re ready to strike out on your own, but you don’t have a killer business idea to develop. How do you know what kind of business will work best for you? How do you objectively evaluate your idea to determine if it’s sustainable, or how big it might become? Everyday, Classy Career Girl helps women build dream careers and businesses while still balancing  their beautiful, everyday lives. We’re passionate about it, and that’s why I’m excited to announce that we’re partnering with Grasshopper for their next fireside chat event on Wednesday, February 10th. Grasshopper is a leading voice and resource for entrepreneurs and small business owners of all kinds, and their free, online fireside chats are one way that they support this community of dreamers. CCG is proud to co-sponsor the upcoming discussion, “Creating a Business that Makes You Money.” This event will bring together a panel of small business experts to discuss  the challenges of developing a viable business idea, researching the marketing/competition, securing funding, and more.  You can view previous fireside chat videos, and register for the latest event at http://grasshopper.com/firesidechat. To  give you a sneak peek at the event, today we are sharing our featured advice at the event. Here are 5 questions to help you create a business that makes you money: 1.What is important to consider  when defining a new business idea? Its always important to remember your purpose when creating a business. You dont want to create a business that is more work for you and then end up dreading it. Get clear on your motivations to starting a business. What have you figured out you want others to know and what is your ideal workday running your business? 2.What is the importance of  conducting market research? You must know the words that your clients are saying. What are their frustrations and desires? What words do they use over and over again. Capture them by doing a simple survey in surveymonkey.com  and print them out when you are writing copy on your website and coming up with blog post and social media ideas. You constantly want to be using the same words they do so you can speak their language  and build trust. 3.What are the best methods for  conducting research? The best way to conduct market research besides doing a simple survey is to actually talk to your potential clients and ask questions. Book calls with your ideal market and asking them questions about their frustrations and biggest dreams and desires. Write as many words as you can down or even better, record it. 4.When launching a new business, what are  the top 2-3 things you need to consider when creating a budget? -Know your current household expenses and what you need to make each month. -Know what you must charge per customer. -Know how many customers you need to purchase from you. -Know how many customers you need to get in front of in order to convert them into paying clients. -Know your conversion rate of how many people you have to talk to in order for a client to say YES. 25% is a good starting point for phone conversations which means you have to talk to four people in order for one of them to say yes. [RELATED: Four Marketing Rules for Starting a Business] 5.What factors will help you to grow into a large business? You have to be able to sell more products or services without your time involved to quickly scale into a large business. If you charge an hourly rate, it will take you longer to scale into a large business. Once you have clients and a solid foundation, then I recommend that you look into ways you can start building a passive income stream. Dont forget to register for this free event today, and view previous fireside chat videos, at http://grasshopper.com/firesidechat/. Guest panelists for this event are successful small business owners, and small business consultants, including  Shannon Ware, the owner of TheCollective and a small business consultant, and  Steve Feinman, SCORE District Director for Michigan and northwest Ohio. Lets create a business! See you there!

How to Know When Your Personal Brand Isnt Working - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career

How to Know When Your Personal Brand Isnt Working - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career Youve taken all the right steps. You came up with your personal brand, made business cards, customized your resume, wrote cover letters, accumulated recommendations, compiled a portfolio/blog/website, completed your social media profiles, and set up your professional, brand-compatible email account. Youve networked, applied for jobs, and put yourself out there. But after all that work, youre still sitting at home, twiddling your thumbs and drumming your fingers. Why? Maybe your social media profiles arent presenting your brand the way you want, or your resume doesnt accurately reflect your top skills. Whatever the reason, one thing is clear: your personal brand isnt working. So what can you do? Review your resume. Look over it again. Make sure your experience is up-to-date and all your responsibilities from each position are clear. Eliminate unnecessary wordiness and try to avoid padding your resume. Get rid of summer jobs and leadership positions from high school. If youre more than five years out of college, toss out your freshman and sophomore years of college as well. Unless the experience really highlights something essential, drop it off the resume. While resume-pruning can be scary and seem unnecessary, future employers will thank you when they dont have to weed through padding and extraneous information. Revisit social profiles. Take another look at your social profiles and how they present your brand: you. Are all your college photos you know, the one of you bonging a beer that your best friend added out of nostalgia hidden? Have you made sure to remove yourself from groups that might present you in a negative light? Its okay to remove yourself from that group your freshman hall made in solidarity when they stopped serving fried chicken. Weed out groups that dont represent who you are anymore, or that might appear in conflict with your brand. Also, go through your LinkedIn profile. Are you a member of your industrys group in your community? Most groups are open to join, and if not, requesting an invitation can never hurt. Join professional groups to build your network but also to demonstrate to employers your different interests. Make sure any volunteer experience or unpaid positions you may have held are listed on your profile. Even helping your friends mom set up the website for her new business counts as experience and builds your resume. You want to position yourself as an expert in your field, so the more experience you have and visible to potential employers the better. Proofread! Proofread everything. Make sure your cover letters dont have typos, your electronic signature shows up properly at the end of emails, and your portfolio or webpage layout displays correctly. These may seem like little things, but to employers, they display a lack of follow-through and potential sloppiness. Always, always, always proofread everything you send out or post to the Internet. Have a friend, or a few friends, look over any new content or work samples. Keep in mind that potential employers are looking for you to prove yourself, so dont let a little mistake keep you from the dream job. And, when all else fails, talk to a professional. It is perfectly acceptable to ask for help encouraged even. Ask your boss from your last internship, a connection you have in the industry, even your parents, for help setting up your brand. While it should be someone who knows you, professional connections with less one-on-one contact can still have helpful tips. Whoever you ask, give them everything. They can look it over with a fresh set of eyes and tell you from an objective perspective what your brand says about you. If its not the image you want to present, ask them how you can fix it. Ask them to advise you on what social media sites you should, if youre not already, be on, which niche communities you should be joining, and who you should be networking with. See if they can set up any introductions with people they think may be helpful in furthering your career. So take a step back, take a deep breath, and try to look objectively at your brand. Chances are, if its not working, its because of something little. Follow these steps, and get ready to build the greatest brand of all: you. Is your personal brand working? Author: Heather R. Huhman  is a career expert, experienced hiring manager, and founder president of  Come Recommended, a content marketing and digital PR consultancy for organizations with products that target job seekers and/or employers. She is also the author of  Lies, Damned Lies Internships  (2011),#ENTRYLEVELtweet: Taking Your Career from Classroom to Cubicle  (2010), and writes career and recruiting advice for  numerous outlets.

No MBA No Problem - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career

No MBA No Problem - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career Once upon a time, a high school diploma was enough to get a good executive job. Today, the quality of the MBA degree itself has become determinative. Current expectation is that a high-level manager demonstrate strong technical skills, mastery of soft skills, and extensive abilities to manage, influence, interface with, and negotiate with a wide variety of people both within and outside the company as well asâ€"at the same timeâ€"manage a personal career. Today’s MBA programs teach things that cannot commonly be mastered on the job, such as statistics, finance, marketing, and managerial economics. One way of differentiating between the various types of MBAs is by the kinds of programs they offer. There’s the executive MBA, or EMBA, program, which accepts experienced and accomplished managers as students. There are the top-tier MBA programs, such as those offered by Columbia, Cornell, Harvard, Stanford, and the Wharton School. And there are the rest, which is not to say that some of them are not offering excellent programs, but they’re simply not considered among the well-recognized top-tier ones. So, from the employer’s point of view, how important is an MBA? The answer is, it depends. A client of mine in the late 20s and a recent Wharton MBA graduate in marketing was offered a starting annual salary of $145,000. In that case, the hiring company considered this individual a high-potential candidateâ€"if for nothing else but just judging by that starting salary. Other clients of mineâ€"also top-tier MBAs with several years of experienceâ€"are struggling to find jobs. The MBA degree is more important (1) soon after graduation and (2) when the individual is seeking promotion or different employment with a current employer. Later on, what becomes important is the significance of the person’s accomplishments. Certainly, an MBA is a positive discriminator, but those considering enrolling in an MBA program should clearly understand what it takes. Consideration should be given to reputations of school and professors, school location and size, school mission, program length, class sizes, student-faculty ratio, and, ultimately, the school’s graduates’ levels of success in terms of getting jobs both upon graduation and afterward. Note that an MBA can also be considered a liability: First of all, by having an MBA, one automatically belongs to a different class of employees. Next, fewer jobs are available when an MBA is a prerequisite. And the impression in the eyes of employers is that job applicants with MBAs require higher pay. Despite all of those potential negatives, though, I recommend getting an advanced degree if at all possible. More often than not, it will ultimately pay handsome dividends.

#9 Career Expert Series Ben Austin from Stop Start Do

#9 â€" Career Expert Series Ben Austin from Stop Start Do The Career Insider Podcast Apple Podcasts | Android | Email | Google Podcasts | Stitcher | TuneIn | RSSFor This Episode of The Career Expert Series â€" we will be hearing from Ben Austin from Stop.Start.Do. The Topic of today’s discussion is How to Improve your Communication Skills to become more promotable.Episode Summaryevaleval1. It’s crucial to improve your communications skills. It will help you stand out among everyone else.2. “You don’t matter at all in the communication â€" it’s all about them. The other person cares about them.”â€" Remember this as you are learning different modes of communication.3. Toastmasters Improv will help you with your communication, public speaking skills4. Listening is a key aspect to mastering your communication skills.5. Verbal Communication is only 7% of your communication; the rest is non-verbal To learn more about Ben Austin visit his website ; and also his post on the different personality tests to discover your Leadership skills .Intro Music provided courtesy of Accelerated Ideas (www.accelerated-ideas.com). Soundtrack â€" Siren KickbackEnding Music provided courtesy of Accelerated Ideas (www.accelerated-ideas.com). Soundtrack â€" No Need to Rush

What You Need to Know When Applying to Grad School

What You Need to Know When Applying to Grad School Graduate courses usually last between one and two years and are offered in a wide range of different disciplines, so no matter what type you are looking for you will be able to find the course for you. Apply for graduate programmes can be a stressful time as it can require you to take tests, spend time researching different school, filling out applications and many recruit at different times of the year to make everything even more confusing. Below, you can find all the information you need to know when applying for grad school and what steps you should be taking throughout the application process. Research As we mentioned before, graduate programmes cost a lot of time and money and so it is vital that you choose the one that is right for you. Look into the different graduate schools and programmes available to you and how they will be beneficial to your career. At this stage, you should also be looking at what their requirements are and the deadlines for submissions that you need to keep track of.   Meeting the Requirements After completing this research, you will then need to ensure that you have met their requirements. For many graduate programmes, you will need to take further exams such as the GRE which you will need to make sure you have the time scheduled in to study and prepare for. The TestPrepSelect.com best GRE courses that were reviewed will help you to prepare and will ensure you make the requirements for the course and will give you a good idea of what exactly you can expect.   Ask Professors Another step you should take early in the application process is speaking with the professors that you have worked with closely during your previous studies. They will be able to help you with a letter of recommendation and can help to support you in backing up of success and achievements.   Prepare Your Resume You will tend to find that the majority of graduate programmes will require you to submit some sort of resume with your application. Spend time updating your resume as this is where you can really highlight any work experience achievements that you have undertaken which can make a huge difference in being accepted when everyone is applying with similar degrees! This is also a great place to put any of your academic achievements and references that you may have.   Prepare Your Interview Graduate programs can be extremely competitive and it is highly likely that you will be called in for an interview. This will be the time to ensure you are prepared with answers and that you also have a think about any questions that you may want to ask at the end of your interview. As you can see, the process of applying for a graduate course can be long and stressful, however, it is worth your while in the end to put in the time now as it could ultimately lead to you achieving your dream course and job.

How not to let annoying people annoy you - The Chief Happiness Officer Blog

How not to let annoying people annoy you - The Chief Happiness Officer Blog Anybody can become angry that is easy, but to be angry with the right person and to the right degree and at the right time and for the right purpose, and in the right way that is not within everybodys power and is not easy. Aristotle Lets get one thing very straight: The vast majority of people you meet at work are nice, caring and considerate. They go out of their way to be polite, they help if they can and they truly care about the well-being of people around them. Yes, there are inconsiderate, annoying jerks out there sure, but they are a minority. They may seem like theyre everywhere (just read Bob Suttons excellent book The No Asshole Rule for some great examples), but thats only because we tend to let annoying people take up more mindspace, making them more visible than their numbers warrant. So how do you deal with annoying people at work? Outside of work, you can walk away. If your cab driver is a jerk, you can get off and take another cab odds are youll never see him again. If the person sitting next to you in a bar is annoying, you can get up and leave. At work though, youre not free to leave that easily. In most cases youre more likely to want to stay and resolve the issue. The very best strategy is to become less angry. If you can fix it so that it takes more to trigger your anger reflex, you will enjoy greater peace of mind and be more free to act decisively and constructively when you are treated badly at work. You will also be less affected by any petty annoyances. With that in mind, here are some strategies that can help you become less annoyed on the job. Try some of these thoughts, the next time someone or something really gets your goat at work. 1: Staying calm means you dont do something you regret later Sometimes when you get really mad, you may end up doing something rash. If you can stay calm, youre more likely to choose constructive actions. 2: Getting mad often means staying mad If you get annoyed here and now, that bad mood may last for a long time. 3: When you stay calm, you really annoy those who want to annoy others If that person is truly out to annoy you, the very best way to annoy them back is to stay cool. Deny them the satisfaction of getting you riled. They hate that. 4: You only harm yourself Getting annoyed really harms no one but you. 5: Getting annoyed makes it easier to get mad the next time You start a cycle of anger which means it takes less and less to set you off. 6: Dreaming of revenge is bad for you This is certain, that a man that studieth revenge keeps his own wounds green, which otherwise would heal and do well. Francis Bacon 7: Getting annoyed makes the memory stronger Anything you experience while having a strong emotion, will be etched permanently in your mind. This is why some people can remember every little detail of that incident 8 years ago where some jerk cut them off on the highway. The problem is that the memory becomes so strong that it keeps coming back to you and keeps annoying you for years. 8: Instead of getting mad at annoying people feel sorry for them Jerks are very often jerks because they feel bad themselves. Hating them is really a waste of time feel sorry for them instead. 9: Sometimes youre at fault and blowing up just makes it worse Sometimes it turns out, that the whole thing is actually your own fault. If you previously blew up at someone, then you look really silly 10: Its not about you Most jerks you will meet are not really out to get you, personally this is how they treat everyone. 11: It may not be intentional at all Maybe they have absolutely no idea that theyre annoying you. 12: Losing your temper makes you look bad Even if youre in the right in the situation, if you lose your temper you can end up looking silly, petty or unreasonable. 13: Laugh about it Most workplace jerk behavior is annoying sure, but when you really look at it, its mostly pathetic and ridiculous. Laugh at it, rather than get annoyed. 14: Is it a case of projection? Few things annoy us more than other people displaying the same weaknesses and faults as we fear we have ourselves. If a person really, really ticks you off, maybe that person is just making you think about some weak sides youd rather not admit you have. 15: Maybe its an honest mistake And most of all: People make mistakes. Dont read too much into it when people do inconsiderate things. It may simply be an honest mistake. The upshot I want to make one thing very clear: Im not saying that you should put up with behavior that annoys you. This is not about being meek and humble and never complaining about the mistakes that others make. This is about not getting angry over annoying people, because getting angry is rarely good for you. Once in a while, getting angry may be just the ticket. It can be exactly whats needed to unlock a tight situation. I wrote about one such case here the time I learned to say no! at work. But as Aristotle said its not about getting angry, its about getting angry in the right way. And in most situations, keeping your cool is better for you, and produces better results. Thanks for visiting my blog. If you're new here, you should check out this list of my 10 most popular articles. And if you want more great tips and ideas you should check out our newsletter about happiness at work. It's great and it's free :-)Share this:LinkedInFacebookTwitterRedditPinterest Related