Alexandra Levits Water Cooler Wisdom How Temperature Affects Workplace Productivity

Alexandra Levit's Water Cooler Wisdom How Temperature Affects Workplace Productivity One time last winter, the heat in my office wasn’t working. I put on my hat, coat, and gloves, but I was still shivering. I didn’t get much work done that day, and now I know why. Men’s Health was kind enough to send me an article regarding a new research study on the relationship between office temperature and productivity. The research, from Northumbria University, analyzed 16 workplaces and the results of 400 employee questionnaires and found that cold office temperatures cause employee productivity to plummet â€" especially in the afternoon. This finding is in agreement with another study released in 2004 by Cornell University, which discovered that office temperatures of 68 degrees or lower increased on-the-job error by a whopping 44 percent. Sixty-eight is that cold, huh? Your Body’s Natural Response I’ve talked about the post-lunch dip before. Well, according to the Cornell folks, the dip rears its ugly head again with respect to temperature. Unlike the early morning and early evening hours when body temperature and hormone levels are elevated, you experience a drop in both between 1PM and 4PM in the afternoon. This is due to your body’s natural circadian rhythms. And just as your body temperature drops at night when you’re asleep, the afternoon dip causes drowsiness that gets worse when your office is cold. I don’t know about that last part. Maybe my office was too cold that day when the heat was out, but I was anything but drowsy. If anything, I wanted to spring out of my chair and run a 5K so I could warm up. For more, read the full post at Intuits Fast Track blog.

Resume For No Experience - Why You Need One

Resume For No Experience - Why You Need OneSo you're applying for a job that requires you to submit a resume for no experience, are you? You might be surprised, but there are a number of resumes that can be submitted without a formal education. Some companies have the same standards for resumes that do for actual employees, so this is a good reason to focus on those instead of the more time consuming and complex process of actually getting a degree.The resume for no experience might also be the most likely candidate if the company is looking for a graduate who doesn't have any experience. This makes sense because graduate work usually does require a degree, which is a requirement for many jobs. And even though college graduates have the more in-demand skills that employers want, they are still not going to make as much money as someone who has earned his degree, regardless of what he has accomplished. The higher earnings are usually reserved for people who have degrees or at least so me form of professional training, though.As you might imagine, if you've had a bad experience with a company, your resume for no experience is probably going to be less appealing than someone who's finished their studies and had a great career before then. It is common knowledge that people who have had a lot of experience in the field are more reliable than people who have only had a job or two. This is why you should try to show some accomplishments with a resume.Another reason why a resume for no experience may be the one to go with is that it can be prepared quickly. This is done by an automated program that will do all the work for you. This way, you don't have to spend a lot of time creating a resume based on a few months' worth of work. If you plan on having your resume reprinted, then you don't have to spend a lot of time either because there is software that does that automatically.Most programs can easily be customized to include the basic information about yourself and ho w many years of experience you have. You might be surprised at how many people think they can come up with a resume for no experience that matches up with that of a person who has actually had a degree, when in fact it's just as good if not better. Since there is a huge demand for people with bachelor's degrees, there are plenty of people who are in need of jobs who have no experience.Because the information on the resume is all in one place, it can be submitted faster and you won't have to worry about explaining too much about yourself, which could take a very extensive amount of time. It's important to note that a resume for no experience is only for the convenience of the applicant. Most employers won't have a problem with a person who has a degree, but they do expect someone who is willing to work hard to get a job, so they may not be as picky as they could be.If you're worried about how well your resume for no experience will do, there are several things you can do to make it l ook better. Since there is no need to provide a college degree when you're applying for a job, you can skip all of the extra papers that are required for applicants with degrees. Just fill out the application as simply as possible, and make sure it has your resume for no experience as well.There are many online services that will assist you in preparing a resume for no experience, and most of them charge a small fee. Once you find one, be sure to give it a shot before you go out and try to gather the necessary degrees on your own. You never know what may come up on the internet or in real life.

Test yourself Are you an Information-Age star or a cog in the wheel

Test yourself Are you an Information-Age star or a cog in the wheel I must be a cog in the wheel, because I asked Melissa to get me some links to read that answer the question, What information is important? and she came back to me with, I think thats a bad question, but here are five links. Which made me decide to write this test to find out how good an Information-Age worker you are. 1. Can you frame a question? Plus one point. The first link Melissa sent is about how you are information illiterate if you cant ask good questions: The ability to critically evaluate and  ethically apply that information to solve a problem are some of the  hallmarks of an information literate individual. Other characteristics  of an information literate individual include the spirit of inquiry  and perseverance to find out what is necessary to get the job done. This quote comes from a university, which is ironic since you dont learn this in a university. In a classroom the teacher poses the question and tells you the framework for answering. Otherwise, the teacher couldnt grade people consistently. And school is about grades, of course. 2. Can you memorize information? Plus one point. Amazingly enough, Melissa, who has a photographic memory, found a link that says the more things you can memorize, the better you will be able to solve problems. To do that, you have to be great at knowing right away what is trustworthy and what is not. (This seems like a good time to tell you that Melissa does not read the inside caps of Snapple bottles because Snapple puts information that may or may not be true you have to go to the Snapple site to find out. And Melissa cant risk memorizing wrong information.) 3. Can you take action on an idea? Plus one point. At this point I think its pretty safe to say that Melissa has defined a knowledge worker as someone like her, but the thing is: shes an extreme type who mostly sorts information and matches it. (To her credit, she acknowledges this, in her secret language of links, by sending me a link that shows how ineffective knowledge is without real-world experience.) The art of taking action is a mix of a great ability to sort information and a knack for functioning in the real world. A McKinsey study  about star performers,  summarized at Priceonomics,  concluded that  a star is someone who can transition from information processor to action taker. Its a very difficult transition, especially if youve been in school your whole life where you get told how to process. Many people think that because someone is smart theyll be good at getting things done. This is completely not the case, and McKinsey concludes that Enron is an example of super-smart people who realized they had no idea how to execute so they started lying to cover it up.  (I didnt read every word of this article. I just read to get the gist. But one of Melissas links says you need to know if a source uses links in an ethical way, and really, you could say all my links are unethical, because the last time I read every word of a link I put here is maybe never. Most of you know by now to read my links before you let me change your mind on something. But take a point off your score if you didnt know that.) 4. Can you delete your read later folder? Plus one point. I was on Zen Habits pretending to read but really stealing ideas because Leo Babauta is great at information design. (Oh, wait, plus one point if you are good at stealing the way people have synthesized ideas. I think this is meta-synthesis, even though I cant find a link that says so.) Leo wrote that one thing he does to simplify his life is delete his folder of stuff to read later. Which made me feel bad because I cant do it. Its true, you should not have on your to do list to read a pile of links that you worry you might miss something in. Its the Information Age equivalent of hoarding. Which I am doing. And which is upsetting because Im so great at throwing things out in real life that two people have sent me a link about how the DSM is putting compulsive discarding into its own category of mental disorder. If you cant keep up with the information coming your way, youre an Information Age retard. Before you get excited about clicking that link, it doesnt actually use the phrase Information Age retard in the link. Thats my phrase. And let me tell you, its killing me that the juiciest link to click in this post is one thats not going to my site or the site of one of my friends. In an effort to clear out my piles of links that Im hoarding, I am giving you one. Dirty secrets you didnt know about various industries from the people who work there. I kept telling myself to delete the link, but I saved it to make sure I told you how to negotiate for a funeral. 5. Do you interpret information well? Plus one point. I get 50 offers a day to write guest posts for this blog. I always say no because people who write guest posts are so scared of being wrong that they end up saying nothing. In the Information Age, though, you have to be willing to form a lot of opinions and risk being wrong   otherwise youre just a computer memorizing data, and we can outsource that to a developing country. (At least until developing country is not synonymous with smart people trapped in a bad economy.) You have to be wrong a lot to be interesting  which means being wrong is probably also a sign of being useful. The Economist redefines high-potential employee not as one who can climb the ladder but as a person who can synthesize information in a new way to inform the way the company makes decisions. I like to believe this since Ive been fired from every job way before I could finish my ascent to the top of their ladder. How to score yourself. Well, Melissa would only score four points here, because she doesnt take action. And Id only score four points because I cant throw out my pile of links. (Wait. Heres another: Greenwich CT is cool, Brown University is not.) So definitely if you scored 4 you are a great knowledge worker, and if you scored five, you are better than me and Melissa rock star quality although to be clear, anyone who scored five should probably not have kids, but thats a good post for another day. (Oh, wait, Ive already written it.) If you scored a 3 or less you are probably like my husband, Matthew youre doing something productive with your hands all day. And anyway, Matthew could never stay inside all day and process information hed say he just feels like a cog in the wheel.

Thinking about majoring in Psychology Think again.

Thinking about majoring in Psychology Think again. CBS Moneywatch recently released a list of the college majors with the highest unemployment rates.   Five of the list of 25 majors are related to psychology.   “Ironically,” the accompanying article goes on to say, “Psychology is the fifth most popular college degree.”   Those numbers are probably related, of course; I try to convince jobseekers that they should consider professions where competition is less fierce.   In college, that usually means where the classes are much more demanding.   There are always a few seats left empty in advanced Physics classes. The top five unemployed majors include: Clinical psychology 19.5% Miscellaneous fine arts 16.2% United States history 15.1% Library science 15.0% (tie) Military technologies; educational psychology 10.9% The Psychology majors I know took courses because they’re fascinated by what makes people tick.   It’s not surprising that the people who responded to my request for interviews were both women; women outnumber male graduates in Psychology by a ratio of 3:1.  My cousin Stefani Haar, now a 39-year-old professional based in Wisconsin, had done some volunteer work in a group home and loved the idea that she could do something for another person. “It seemed so rewarding,” she says.   She recognized that Social Work was the more employable degree, but pursuing a master’s degree wasn’t an option early in her career.   She received almost no help from her high school counselors, but did get support from her parents, who were happy that she made the decision to pursue college (starting a little later in life at 25.) She now works in an Oncology department, providing resources and information to people who have cancer, and her training is an important part of her skill set. Local entrepreneur and HR professional Suzanne K. Lemen started out as a business major and “absolutely hated accounting.” Her high school counselors were not helpful, either; “I was the valedictorian and I guess they thought that I had it planned.   I figured that I would either be a minister or an attorney, and the psych classes would help with both.  â€   She says that she knew she had a counseling type personality and eventually pursued Human Resources after her Psychology degree because it gave her a chance to work on the people side of business.     Psychology departments stress that the major build skills that employers value: critical thinking, problem solving, tolerance for ambiguity, and teamwork.   About forty percent of Psychology majors go on to achieve a graduate degree, according to a 2011 report to the State of Florida’s University System’s Board of Governors staff.   The report touted the value and rigor of the B.S. degree in Psychology, but referred repeatedly to “entry level jobs” as the workplace value of the degree.   According to the report, only 25 percent of Psychology graduates work in the field of psychology. The report cited the national employers that specifically look for Psychology majors.   Their examples included Wal-Mart, Target, Pizza Hut and Sears.     That may explain why the Bureau of Labor Statistics quotes a salary range of $21,900 to $27,200 for 2001 psychology graduates.   The Psychology majors I know are bright, articulate and successful, and they don’t regret their choice in majors.   They know that job satisfaction is not always measured in money.   Thats a good thing.   According to CNN Money, in 2011, Business majors noticed the biggest bump of all college graduates in offers, with the average salary offer rising nearly 2% to $48,089.

Top Resume Writing Services in SF - Makes it Easy on Yourself

Top Resume Writing Services in SF - Makes it Easy on YourselfAre you looking for top resume writing services in San Francisco? Well, if you are, then it is obvious that you have come to the right place. As per my experience, I can tell you that a great deal of employment agencies have moved from their traditional business model of being the sole purveyors of hiring services to being more of an insurance agency for those who hire their services.With the passage of time, employment agencies became the first port of call for many job seekers as they sought their top resume writing services in SF. They realize that people don't generally hunt for these services, but rather contact an employment agency for hiring help.It is also quite common for many employers to want to hire a formal employment agent for hiring help and not for any other purpose. They need to get their data together and make sure that it all meets the right legal and administrative standards. On top of that, many employe rs don't have the time to do this themselves, let alone send it over to the HR department.A formal employment agent usually works on behalf of the employer and is specifically hired to fulfill one of the most important roles of the work force - to manage the process. In other words, a formal employment agent is required to do everything from screening candidates to processing their application forms. They are also accountable for everything that goes on with these applications, whether it's hiring or training or even promoting them to the next level.This is where it gets to be a bit difficult for employment agencies. The entire job has been made easier for them, but on the other hand, they are no longer at the beck and call of the employer. Now, they have to either cut corners or skip the whole process altogether.The bottom line is that employers have become much more active in hiring agencies and employment agencies have realized this. Many of them are now working on the back end o nly, i.e. they have shifted to becoming purely independent entities, rather than dependent partners of the employer.While this has many advantages for employers, it also has one big drawback, that is the fact that employment agencies are facing increasing competition from various other companies too. It is quite difficult for them to compete with these companies. However, I can tell you that a top resume writing service in SF will never face this type of competitive battle.Instead, most top resume writing services in SF work exclusively with employment agencies. Thus, these top writers are better equipped to handle the challenges of finding the right candidate than those employed by a single employer. You know what that means - better, faster, and more effective service.

4 steps to helping your employees build a financial safety net

4 steps to helping your employees build a financial safety net It’s intangible benefits such as a sense of fulfillment and our relationships with our coworkers that cause many of us to love our jobs. And we feel satisfaction because we’re moving forward in our careers and our salary covers living expenses. That’s what a Cigna survey on workplace attitudes found â€" but that’s not all. The survey also revealed that while many plan for the future, most people don’t consider the unexpected, such as the loss of income resulting from an illness or injury that keeps someone from working and earning a paycheck. During benefit enrollment season, most workers focus on medical insurance and, because they don’t understand the value, simply ignore the rest of the benefits available. However, those ignored benefits could provide protection for financial health. It falls to employers to educate their workforce about benefits beyond the “usual,” and it’s a big challenge. The importance of disability insurance The Cigna survey of almost 1,400 American workers revealed that most people couldn’t explain what disability insurance is and why it’s needed. This seems to validate the Bureau of Labor Statistics findings that only 39 percent of private industry workers have short-term disability insurance, and even fewer â€" 33 percent â€" have long-term disability coverage. Additionally, 39 percent of those surveyed by Cigna mistakenly believe that the federal Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) would cover lost income. When I spoke with Mark Marsters, senior vice president of Cignas disability insurance business, he said that’s a mistake. In fact, he explained that the FMLA provides for job protection during an unpaid leave and does not provide for financial assistance. And only three states have legislation covering paid family medical leave. “Employers need to take a more active role in educating their employees,” said Marsters. “The wrong time to learn about how different types of coverage work and what they provide is when an accident, illness, or injury happens. When a disability occurs, people should focus on their health and not have the additional stress of financial worries.” Preparing for income loss American workers are starting to take the right approach, making healthier choices, and even saving money to prepare for the possibility of sickness or injury. However, according to the survey, most are unprepared for long-term loss of income and how quickly day-to-day living expenses can become serious debt. A full two-thirds of American workers live paycheck-to-paycheck. “Loss of income isn’t just a hardship, it can be a financial disaster for too many Americans,” said Marsters. That’s where, he says, supplemental coverage like accidental injury, hospital indemnity, and disability coverage come in, providing not just financial assistance but resources and support to get people back to work and back to living life fully. This type of coverage can help keep a household afloat, providing for necessities such as mortgage and car payments, food, utilities, and day-to-day living expenses. The Cigna study did find that while individuals are unlikely to secure coverage independently, they are twice as likely to enroll if it’s an employer-offered benefit option. According to Marsters, a lack of understanding is the main reason individuals don’t opt for disability coverage and other benefits. That’s where employers need to step in. He advises that employers not underestimate their influence. How to better inform employees Marsters recommends these four steps to better inform employees about the importance of disability insurance as a component in a financial safety net plan: 1. Get to know your employees The workplace is diverse â€" millennials and baby boomers think differently and have very different experiences, needs, and concerns. And, the millennial worker will probably want information online while the baby boomer may want to have a one-on-one discussion. 2. Educate your employees Work with your company’s insurance carrier to educate employees about disability insurance and supplemental benefits and the real-life impact of lost income. Develop an educational campaign that leverages different communications methods to appeal to and reach across your employee population. During open enrollment, employees often focus on medical and dental coverage; however, other benefits should be equally prominent and not positioned as secondary. 3. Make plans customizable to meet individual needs Individuals at different stages of life have different coverage needs. Once you understand your employees, you are in a better position to develop a variety of offerings that will include something for everyone. 4. Keep it simple Make it easy for employees to decide on appropriate coverage from several options and deliver streamlined online enrollment. “Some of the best companies I’ve worked with recognize that employers have a responsibility to educate employees,” Marsters said. “Every company needs productive, satisfied, and healthy employees. An illness or injury can happen to anyone and recovering without a paycheck makes stress, even after returning to work, even deeper. The choices we make during benefit enrollment time last the entire following year. It’s important that employees make educated decisions.” Join Dana Manciagli’s Job Search Master Class right now and immediately access the most comprehensive job search system currently available!

8 Ways To Drive Your Career Forward

8 Ways To Drive Your Career Forward Getting stuck in a rut or falling asleep at the wheel are hazards drivers face, but they are also a  danger to your career. What rut is your career stuck in? Do you feel stuck in a job you despise or have you become complacent or unaware of current trends impacting your company or job? Driving your career forward means you need to set your GPS on goals that are important to you. If you are ready to begin taking steps to achieve those goals, here are eight things you can try. Reassess Values and Priorities Reassess whats important to you now and create a list. Aligning your priorities and values helps you find work that is meaningful. If a flexible work schedule is most important to you at this point in your career, then dont compromise. You can ask your boss what options are available for you- flexible, virtual or remote work might be an option. If not, you may have to look for a new job that offers a more flexible schedule. But a small warning. Not all job postings clearly identify a flexible, remote  or virtual work arrangement. Apply anyway if the job looks good. You might be able to negotiate after youve been extended a job offer. When you know  what is most important to you, it helps prevent you from worrying about the trivial things at work you cant control. Check out this  post about how to use a decision-making matrix Update Skills and Knowledge LinkedIn released their Top Skills of 2016 list, which includes skills employers are likely to need most based on the analysis of LinkedIn job postings and user profiles. Almost every skill involves technology. via LinkedIn This is a good time for you to do some research and see if you have gaps in your technology knowledge based on job postings. Moving forward, find time to read current industry news and set job alerts so you can keep up with what employers are looking for. If you need to fill a skills gap, look for online training or ask people with those skills how they acquired them. And make sure you update your list of skills on LinkedIn. Try Something New Whatever routine you find comfortable, switch it up and do it differently. Take a new route home, try out a new app or use the phone instead of email. Doing something new may seem difficult, but the initial struggle will keep you on your toes and help you stay agile and resilient. Keep Your Network Alive Networking is the best way to find out about a new job before it actually gets announced and posted. And referrals are the tops source companies use to fill jobs. Networking your way into a new job has to be on your to-do list. In order for you to secure your next role, either internally or externally, you will need an ally to help your application rise to the top. If you are planning an internal move, be sure you are visible at company events and among the managers of the group you want to join. Externally, network strategically with people who work inside companies you want to work for and attend industry networking events for greater visibility. Build networking time into your schedule. Your network is too important to ignore and youll need it when it is time to make a move. Know When to Say No If you are like many people, you probably have a tendency to over-commit. Start saying no and see what happens. Maybe other people will step forward. Maybe your manager will find someone else to do the work. Saying no can be liberating and empowering, and it isnt as hard as you may think. Maybe you will actually feel less stressed and enjoy your work life more! And with your newfound time, you can work on projects that really interest you. Unplug When was the last time you took a vacation? If its been awhile, you may need a mental holiday. Unplugging from work while youre out of the office will make it more relaxing. This requires planning well in advance. Start by talking with your manager and set the expectation that you will not be available to check email or respond to calls during your vacation. In most cases, this is possible as long as you have someone you can delegate your work to. Next, make sure everyone knows who will be handling your work while you are out of the office. Finally, in case of a true emergency, make sure you provide contact information to your manager. You can read more tips on how to plan for your vacation here. Get Physical Why wait until January to start your new exercise regime? Begin today. Walking, running or even yoga gets the blood moving and can make you feel better almost immediately. Whether you make changes to the food you eat or the amount of exercise you get, starting sooner rather than later will make you feel better. Stick With It In order for new behaviors to stick and become habit, youll need to keep working at them for 30 days. Thats how long its supposed to take for a new venture to become routine. Are you planning a job change in the future? What are your concerns? What is holding you back?   This post originally appeared on US News World Report