Self-Discipline at Work is a 21st Century Tool You Need to Master
We live in a time where self-discipline at work is increasingly hard to maintain. So much exists to distract us that never existed 10 or 15 years ago. It is arguable that social media is the single biggest drain on productivity in the workplace. Back in 2013, when social media usage was in its infancy, HuffPost reported that social media usage was costing US companies alone $650bn a year.
A good cover letter should be a polished document that markets you as the best candidate for the job. It makes the first impression with a potential employer and yet, many applicants make a big cover letter mistake in the very first line. It’s a simply fixed error that finds applications thrown in the bin every day.
So what’s the problem? Not addressing your cover letter to a specific person. It may sound like a small detail, but it is a common pitfall hiring managers encounter. It’s important to tailor your cover letter for every application and it shows when you don’t. A generic greeting makes your cover letter look like another generic application. At best your application blends in with the others. At worst it stands out as lazily done and a waste of time for the employer.
A good cover letter should be a polished document that markets you as the best candidate for the job. It makes the first impression with a potential employer and yet, many applicants make a big cover letter mistake in the very first line. It’s a simply fixed error that finds applications thrown in the bin every day.
So what’s the problem? Not addressing your cover letter to a specific person. It may sound like a small detail, but it is a common pitfall hiring managers encounter. It’s important to tailor your cover letter for every application and it shows when you don’t. A generic greeting makes your cover letter look like another generic application. At best your application blends in with the others. At worst it stands out as lazily done and a waste of time for the employer.
Before LinkedIn, it was more difficult for the average professional to reach the people who could help advance their career. LinkedIn provides a unique opportunity to get your name out there and network with professionals in your field. With more than 645 million users, LinkedIn allows you to connect with people from around the world. The professional social network makes it easy for anyone to reach out to their dream employer, hiring managers, mentors and other industry professionals.
Whether you are a manager now, aspire to be, or work under or over one, you will have an opinion about management style. With a management position comes increased salary, title change and responsibility. And that last part that will be the measure by which a manager’s success or failure in their position will hinge. How a manager chooses to manage – their management style or lack of it – will not only define them but have a profound effect on those they control.
No matter where you are in your career, your dream job is no doubt on your mind. The question is; should you wait for your dream job? Moreover, is holding out for the right position the only way to find job satisfaction? Or is it a mistake that will cost you more in the long run?
When you quit your job, it is important to resign as gracefully and professionally as possible. It’s also important to be doing it for the right reasons. While a lot of people will claim they’re unhappy with their current position, there is a difference between hating your job and wanting to quit. It’s important to recognise that there are good reasons and bad reasons to quit your job.
When You Are Ready to Quit Your Job Without a Parachute
We have all been there. The moment when job stress, office politics, lousy management, lack of promotion, overwork, and boredom all gets too much. The perceived wisdom is that you should never quit your job until you have something definite to move on to. The advice is that no matter how much you need to resign – stick it out until you have something in the bag.
Mistakes at Work Happen – It Is How You React that Counts
It is OK to make mistakes. From James Joyce, who called mistakes “the portals of discovery”, to Mahatma Gandhi, who said freedom was not worth having if it did not include the freedom to make mistakes, successful people the world over agree blunders can be a good thing.
“Well, that’s easy for them to say”, you might think. Once you have revolutionised the Western novel or liberated the Indian subcontinent, you can make mistakes all day long if you like. But if you are at the bottom of the career ladder with everything to play for, things look rather different. Making mistakes at work can be acutely embarrassing. Such failures can bring severe consequences. Learning from them quickly can save you future pain.
There are certain strategies that you need to adopt in order to take your career to the next level. Whether you are still in the early stages of your professional journey or you are looking at progressing into senior management, the same principles can be applied to help you get ahead.
