Thanks for your comment - that is an important consideration. If you are looking for ways that are less jarring, but might be just as effective at getting you up at a certain time, try a "natural" alarm clock, which simulates a sunrise and wakes you up by gradually increasing light levels in the room. http://www.serenityhealth.com/alarm_clocks.html.
I wouldn't have expected this, but my iPhone has turned out to be my smartest investment. I can keep up on my work and personal emails a lot better now and the apps have been really helpful (and fun on occasion...). And being able to look up something on the go is a time and money saving thing for sure!
You work for you, no matter whose name is listed as the payer on the check. At the end of the day, your employer will put its interest first, and so should you. Your job is a means to an end, the more enjoyable and rewarding it is the better, but it is still a means to an end none-the-less.
Activity quickly after waking up (especially unnaturally) increases the odds that you could have a heart attack in the morning. Heart attacks are common in the morning (http://www.physorg.com/news142791169.html and others).
However, if you are healthy and have a low risk of these issues, then it shouldn't be a problem.
My former American reporting manager gave me advice when leaving our company here. I am originally from Europe but went to India at the age of 22 and have been working here for four years. Attrition is a huge issue in India-based companies. She told me to not get impatient but stick around for longer than I planned. People nowadays easily get impatient and quit a job. I have been around for longer than any other foreigner in my company and continued to work hard. The pay off was a change in profile offered to me which is challenging but very interesting - and I can see it make a difference later on.
The other piece of advice I was given was by a former executive in Germany whom I contacted for mentoring advice in his industry. He told me that MBA and all is nice but what is really looked for is actual work experience and (again!) people sticking around and not loosing patience too quickly. He said he did do his MBA alongside but apart from the MBA tag it didn't help him in his career as much as his work experience. He is an early retiree and is still sought after by head hunter - and that not because of his MBA but his work experience. I see a lot of my friends struggle because they run from degree to degree which to me makes less sense now. I am doing a distance degree course out of interest but I prefer to work and learn every day.
A colleague of mine recently told me that I should have a goal and/or dream job, and to think of each job as a lily pad where I stay long enough to gain the necessary knowledge and experience before moving on to the next lily pad. Each lily pad should bring me closer and closer to my goal/dream job.
An Associate's Degree in Mechanical Engineering Technology was the best investment ever made. It enabled me to get a job at a company that offered tuition reimbursement which I used to get my Bachelor's Degree in Technical Education. That led to a better job where I used tuition reimbursement again to enroll in a Master's Degree in Business Management. Key to success = tuition reimbursement.
Do your passion. That's the best career advice I ever got. A college counselor once told me that enthusiasm coupled with talent or learned skills in your chosen field will generally lead to a comfortable income. Conversely, if your priority is mainly high income, chances are really good that you will not have the interest or enthusiasm or passion to succeed at it. Satisfaction and happiness are more likely to result from doing what you like. If you like it, chances are you will do it well. I'd always loved to read and write, so I studied journalism, which led to a career on daily newspapers, then on a magazine, then into university public relations, then into national media consulting, then into writing short stories and now published books, including a PR book, a novel and a screenplay. And it has all been interesting -- and fun.
The best advice I was given is to never say no to ANY opportunity presented to you...even if it means extra responsibility for the same wage. It will eventually pay off and you'll be recognized for your versatility and willingness to take on new challenges without hesitation. Trust me...you will reap the benefits in the end.
An all time saving grace for me going into my last 2 years of college was checking textbooks out from my school's library or through Interlibrary Loan.
What students often don't realize is that lots of other colleges and public libraries may carry texts, especially if they're on general topics, that can be checked out for an entire semester. I used my school's interlibrary loan, requested the book from other campus and would renew the textbook halfway through the semester. If I was ever worried I'd have to return the book midway through the semester, I'd read ahead, take great notes and borrow the book from a friend before finals or use the textbook that was on reserve in the library.
Instead of getting rid of credit cards that you've had since college, call the credit card company and ask for a lower interest rate. Most people don't realize this but the credit card companies need YOU, not the other way around (unless you are living off of your credit cards) and you have the power when it comes to asking for a lower interest rate, most people just dont realize it's something they can call and request.
If you have a good payment history with the card, you can often ask to speak to a supervisor who can dramatically lower your interest rate. I had cards from college that were at 26.99%, called multiple times and threatened to close the cards. All of those same cards are under 6% AND I've had them for so long, the credit card companies jump through hoops whenever I call to lower the interest rate, waive a late fee or increase my credit line. It also looks amazing on my credit report that I've maintained the same cards for 10+ years with a near perfect payment history and when I need to use them, I dont get slammed with ridiculous interest rates.
The best career advice I was ever given was "spend more time listening rather than talking. Given that you have two ears and one mouth, use them proportionately." I think this is really important when you are dealing with clients.
The worst advice was "always stay late so your boss thinks that you are a hard worker." It is so much more effective to work hard during the day and show your boss that you are a balanced person. Plus, it shows a lot more integrity than slacking off all day and working late (just to send that late night email message).
The smartest investment I've made? Hm! It would have to be me investing the time and money to go back to school. In fact, I'm still in school and extremely grateful that I have the opportunity to better myself through this. I know this is something that will pay off many times over not only in increased income but also in opportunities.
Shred it and use it in the compost bin. If you're trying to be 100% organic, this may not work for you, but I figure 96% organic is just fine for my garden!
Cut your cell phone bill, I spend $100.00 a year just to have one because I drive 60 miles round trip to work each day. I don't think I can get a cell phone service for a year much cheaper and at 10 cents a minutes I have more than enough minutes to use.
I can't think of any career advice I've been given. I have observed that if someone (inlcuding me) leaves a task or detail undone, it appears that you expect someone else to do it, handle it, clean it up. So, "follow through"!
The smartest investment I ever made was an external hard drive plus cloud backup via Dropbox. I don't worry about losing my data, and via Dropbox I can access it from any of my computers.
Maggie,
Our son just started college, and your article definitely had some great tips to pass along. We were able to save a ton of money by renting his textbooks instead of buying them new or used. We also found a good deal online for a graphing calculator, because those are extremely expensive. Your suggestion of giving gas cards and loading meal cards as gifts was spot on. Thanks for the information.
I'm not eligible for the competition because I'm from the Caribbean. However, a fellow employee told me to always cover my butt. This was reinforced by an employer who told me to make a note about everything, so that I always have something to back my words and actions.
"Do what you love."
Pretty standard answer, I know.
I hope I can make the complete transition from cubicle life to art studio soon! :)
Thanks for your comment! I'm glad it brought some new perspective to the field.
Thanks for your comment - that is an important consideration. If you are looking for ways that are less jarring, but might be just as effective at getting you up at a certain time, try a "natural" alarm clock, which simulates a sunrise and wakes you up by gradually increasing light levels in the room. http://www.serenityhealth.com/alarm_clocks.html.
I wouldn't have expected this, but my iPhone has turned out to be my smartest investment. I can keep up on my work and personal emails a lot better now and the apps have been really helpful (and fun on occasion...). And being able to look up something on the go is a time and money saving thing for sure!
You work for you, no matter whose name is listed as the payer on the check. At the end of the day, your employer will put its interest first, and so should you. Your job is a means to an end, the more enjoyable and rewarding it is the better, but it is still a means to an end none-the-less.
Activity quickly after waking up (especially unnaturally) increases the odds that you could have a heart attack in the morning. Heart attacks are common in the morning (http://www.physorg.com/news142791169.html and others).
However, if you are healthy and have a low risk of these issues, then it shouldn't be a problem.
My former American reporting manager gave me advice when leaving our company here. I am originally from Europe but went to India at the age of 22 and have been working here for four years. Attrition is a huge issue in India-based companies. She told me to not get impatient but stick around for longer than I planned. People nowadays easily get impatient and quit a job. I have been around for longer than any other foreigner in my company and continued to work hard. The pay off was a change in profile offered to me which is challenging but very interesting - and I can see it make a difference later on.
The other piece of advice I was given was by a former executive in Germany whom I contacted for mentoring advice in his industry. He told me that MBA and all is nice but what is really looked for is actual work experience and (again!) people sticking around and not loosing patience too quickly. He said he did do his MBA alongside but apart from the MBA tag it didn't help him in his career as much as his work experience. He is an early retiree and is still sought after by head hunter - and that not because of his MBA but his work experience. I see a lot of my friends struggle because they run from degree to degree which to me makes less sense now. I am doing a distance degree course out of interest but I prefer to work and learn every day.
A colleague of mine recently told me that I should have a goal and/or dream job, and to think of each job as a lily pad where I stay long enough to gain the necessary knowledge and experience before moving on to the next lily pad. Each lily pad should bring me closer and closer to my goal/dream job.
An Associate's Degree in Mechanical Engineering Technology was the best investment ever made. It enabled me to get a job at a company that offered tuition reimbursement which I used to get my Bachelor's Degree in Technical Education. That led to a better job where I used tuition reimbursement again to enroll in a Master's Degree in Business Management. Key to success = tuition reimbursement.
Do your passion. That's the best career advice I ever got. A college counselor once told me that enthusiasm coupled with talent or learned skills in your chosen field will generally lead to a comfortable income. Conversely, if your priority is mainly high income, chances are really good that you will not have the interest or enthusiasm or passion to succeed at it. Satisfaction and happiness are more likely to result from doing what you like. If you like it, chances are you will do it well. I'd always loved to read and write, so I studied journalism, which led to a career on daily newspapers, then on a magazine, then into university public relations, then into national media consulting, then into writing short stories and now published books, including a PR book, a novel and a screenplay. And it has all been interesting -- and fun.
The best advice I was given is to never say no to ANY opportunity presented to you...even if it means extra responsibility for the same wage. It will eventually pay off and you'll be recognized for your versatility and willingness to take on new challenges without hesitation. Trust me...you will reap the benefits in the end.
An all time saving grace for me going into my last 2 years of college was checking textbooks out from my school's library or through Interlibrary Loan.
What students often don't realize is that lots of other colleges and public libraries may carry texts, especially if they're on general topics, that can be checked out for an entire semester. I used my school's interlibrary loan, requested the book from other campus and would renew the textbook halfway through the semester. If I was ever worried I'd have to return the book midway through the semester, I'd read ahead, take great notes and borrow the book from a friend before finals or use the textbook that was on reserve in the library.
Instead of getting rid of credit cards that you've had since college, call the credit card company and ask for a lower interest rate. Most people don't realize this but the credit card companies need YOU, not the other way around (unless you are living off of your credit cards) and you have the power when it comes to asking for a lower interest rate, most people just dont realize it's something they can call and request.
If you have a good payment history with the card, you can often ask to speak to a supervisor who can dramatically lower your interest rate. I had cards from college that were at 26.99%, called multiple times and threatened to close the cards. All of those same cards are under 6% AND I've had them for so long, the credit card companies jump through hoops whenever I call to lower the interest rate, waive a late fee or increase my credit line. It also looks amazing on my credit report that I've maintained the same cards for 10+ years with a near perfect payment history and when I need to use them, I dont get slammed with ridiculous interest rates.
"Liked" on Facebook
The best career advice I was ever given was "spend more time listening rather than talking. Given that you have two ears and one mouth, use them proportionately." I think this is really important when you are dealing with clients.
The worst advice was "always stay late so your boss thinks that you are a hard worker." It is so much more effective to work hard during the day and show your boss that you are a balanced person. Plus, it shows a lot more integrity than slacking off all day and working late (just to send that late night email message).
The smartest investment I've made? Hm! It would have to be me investing the time and money to go back to school. In fact, I'm still in school and extremely grateful that I have the opportunity to better myself through this. I know this is something that will pay off many times over not only in increased income but also in opportunities.
The best advice I've received was to follow your own dream, not someone else's dream for you.
Shred it and use it in the compost bin. If you're trying to be 100% organic, this may not work for you, but I figure 96% organic is just fine for my garden!
Cut your cell phone bill, I spend $100.00 a year just to have one because I drive 60 miles round trip to work each day. I don't think I can get a cell phone service for a year much cheaper and at 10 cents a minutes I have more than enough minutes to use.
https://twitter.com/#!/julesann/status/111238540737777664
I can't think of any career advice I've been given. I have observed that if someone (inlcuding me) leaves a task or detail undone, it appears that you expect someone else to do it, handle it, clean it up. So, "follow through"!
I like WB on FB.
The smartest investment I ever made was an external hard drive plus cloud backup via Dropbox. I don't worry about losing my data, and via Dropbox I can access it from any of my computers.
Maggie,
Our son just started college, and your article definitely had some great tips to pass along. We were able to save a ton of money by renting his textbooks instead of buying them new or used. We also found a good deal online for a graphing calculator, because those are extremely expensive. Your suggestion of giving gas cards and loading meal cards as gifts was spot on. Thanks for the information.
I'm not eligible for the competition because I'm from the Caribbean. However, a fellow employee told me to always cover my butt. This was reinforced by an employer who told me to make a note about everything, so that I always have something to back my words and actions.