Roozgaar Tips: Striking a Work- Life Balance!

 

There was a time when the boundaries between our work life and personal life were fairly transparent. These days, however, work has invaded our personal space and sustaining a work-life balance has become a tough task. For a lot of people, trying to juggle between the demands of a career and a personal life has become an on-going challenge, particularly at a time when companies are expecting more from the survivors. 

Accomplishing the elusive “work-life balance” can often feel like a far-fetched objective, especially for people who try to give their 100% to everything. So in today’s “do more with less” competitive reality, how can you keep your work from consuming your entire life? And how can you manage your family and career and feel gratified with both?

Let’s take a look at what all you can do to strike that perfect balance:

Do what you love to do:

The silhouette of your work holds the most significant limelight when it comes to maintaining the equilibrium. If you do what you love, then creating that balance becomes way easier. So do what interests you and triggers you intellectually! Something which makes you happy even after a gruelling day of work. Every job comes with its set of problems, deadlines and typical confusions. But if you love what you do, all these negativities can look like the positive facets of the bigger picture.

Don’t be married to your work:

It can be appealing to increase the hours at your work, especially if you’re trying to manage an increasing workload or looking forward to earning a promotion or simply keeping your head above the water. Sometimes, stretching at work is necessary. But if you’re working for a large chunk of your time, your personal life is sure to take a thump. You are sure to experience fatigue and be constantly tired. You might even miss out on significant occasions or milestones and end up harming your relationship with your near and dear ones. So how do you handle this situation? Well… the trick is to draw a thin line between your personal and professional life and never let the two overlap. Remember- name, fame, money and your job are all transitory. The only constant in your life is your family and friends. So cherish their presence and give them your time, attention and love.

Have the right attitude:

It’s all about having the right perspective! Sometimes, just a slight change in the way you see things can make a hell lot of a difference. So set your priorities right and aim for contentment rather than just filling your bank account with useless currency. Enjoy what life has to offer! Plan a holiday to some exotic location or go for a football game with your kids or simply give a surprise gift to your spouse. Schedule time for people, activities and events that matter to you and give your 100% to your work during your office time.

Track your time:

Pay attention to your everyday tasks, be it work-related or your personal activities. Decide what is essential and cut or delegate activities which you think you cannot handle or do not enjoy. Do what is required and let go of the rest. It’s great to have a solid support system both at work and family. Enlist reliable loved ones and friends to pitch in when working overtime or travelling.

Learn to disconnect:
With technology being able to connect anyone at any time from practically anywhere in the world, there seems to be no boundary between work life and home — unless you wish to create it deliberately. So make a conscious effort to separate work from your personal time. Leave work back in the office when with your family. A lot of time saying no at work also helps! When you quit accepting responsibilities out of guilt or a wrong sense of obligation, you’ll surely have more time to finish work that is more important.

Striking a healthy work-life balance isn’t a one-shot deal. It is a constant progression as your family, work life and interests change. Just look over your priorities periodically and make changes if required to make certain that you’re on track.

Topics : Workplace Stress

Roozgaar Tips: Overcoming Pre-Interview Jitters!

Overcoming Pre-Interview Jitters!

Job interviews can be pretty nerve-racking causing us to lose our train of thought and not “perform” to the standards that we would ideally have liked to. You might feel uncomfortable “selling” yourself or fielding unforeseen questions, or the prospect of meeting and impressing new people can cause you anxiety. From sweaty palms, to dryness in the mouth or nausea, you can experience all kinds of symptoms. The comforting part however is that you are not alone! Almost all jobseekers find interviews stressful. But the trick is to appear as normal as possible and get through the ordeal successfully. The art is controlling your stress and appearing as likable even in the face of adversity!

During interviews, most jobseekers become so nervous that they either get tongue-tied or blabber too much.While few people welcome stress, the reality is that a manageable level of anxiety can actually perk up your performance.It can quicken your mind, sharpen your conversation and pump more adrenaline into your system. But if your blood pressure rises too much and your palms get sweaty, it’s time to control your reactions!

So here are some simple techniques that can relax you and help you through your interview woes:

Stay calm and relaxed:

The self-imposed stress of trying to ace an interview can make you focus too much on how you look and act. Even preparing your responses well in advance can hurt if you’re too nervous. It can choke your spontaneity and your capability to field the unforeseen questions.So, remind yourself that whatever happens, you’ll live to survive another day! And the less you fret about making slip-ups, the less anxious you will be.

Sleep well and plan ahead:

It’s great to plan ahead in order to do away with any kind of stress.This means sleeping early the night before your interview and reaching the venue a little before the scheduled time. Rushing, getting lost or the dread of being late can all provoke anxiety and set the panic button on. So print out the directions of the desired location and try to arrive 30 minutes early. Listen to some calming music on the way to unwind and relax a bit.

Know your etiquette:

What do you do when you feel stressed? Do you chew your nails, grind your teeth or twirl your hair? Right down each gesture and try solving these issues prior to the interview. For instance; if you bite your nails then clip them to avoid any distraction. Your body language also has a very important role to play here. It can say more than your words and can easily reveal that you are stressed and fidgety. So after talking to your recruiter for some time, try to lean forward in your chair. This will reveal that you’re engaged and listening. Also, smile while you talk as it releases tension in your muscles and transforms your perspective into a more positive one. It also makes you feel and look more confident. Plus, a returned smile also eases anxiousness.

Research well:

Stress is caused partly by uncertainty! So the more you lessen the uncertainty, the lesser stress you are likely to feel. Research your prospective employer well and prepare answers to the regular questions. Every bit of groundwork will help you relax and make you feel more confident. Gather as much information as possible to gain a sense of control. Research about the industry and job extensively so that you have a thorough knowledge of what your interviewer is looking for and what it is about your silhouette that can be remarkably significant to the job in question and can directly impact the bottom line.

Take your time and don’t succumb to pressure:

You might be interviewed by somebody who grills you to see how you tackle stress. If you find yourself in a similar situation, don’t let the interviewer ruffle your feathers. Know that the other people were treated the same way and that it’s not an indication of your capabilities or you.

There are numerous ways to reduce stress and ease your nerves before an interview. Just figure out what works best for you. Remember that you have to believe in yourself in order for anyone else to think it’s worth believing in you. Being well-prepared is a great antidote to stress. Lowering the stakes can also reduce your stress level significantly.

 

Topics : Interview Preparation

Roozgaar Tips: Set yourself apart with a Visual Resume!

Roozgaar Tips: Set yourself apart with a Visual Resume!

Did you know that hiring managers spend an average of about 30 seconds on your resume? That’s hardly any time to read through all your job titles, let alone your experience or achievements! So if you have such little time to make an impression to warrant a second look, how do you create a resume that’s unique? And something that sets you apart and highlights your skills and accomplishments in an effective way.

If you’re trying to come up with ideas on something totally different for your resume then Visual Resume is here for you. The good news is that it can direct your recruiter’s eye to the most striking parts of your resume and make a quick but significant impact.

The rise of Infographics:

Depicting information through visuals and graphics besides text is not just a growing trend among job seekers looking to represent a huge amount of data in a more memorable and tangible way . It’s an effort to show recruiters that one can think out of the box. Infographic resumes’ can do to a traditional CV, what Power Point does to a word doc.

Benefits of a Visual resume:

With a lagging economy and high unemployment rates, the job market is getting tougher by the day. There are more contenders but lesser jobs! And even when the economy is great, the best jobs have a lot of competition. Envision yourself as someone accountable for hiring. You have piles of simple, boring looking resumes sitting right in front of you or in your inbox. Some of them have some bolder colours, but in majority, all of them look the same. Then suddenly, a resume that’s bursting with creativity, manages to catch your attention. It’s unique and showcases the skills and achievements of the candidate in a creative way. That’s Visual resume for you! The bottom line – a Visual CV won’t essentially land you your dream job but it will surely get your foot into the door.

Here’s why you’ll love it:

• You can use visuals and graphics that showcase your achievements and skills and differentiate you from the crowd.
• You can highlight things you think are the most significant. Maybe you want to put your remarkable skills first and experience last if you are a fresher.
• Visuals and images tend to resonate better because they are easier to read and remember than text.
• You can include links of professional networking sites where you would like to connect with employers. This is your opportunity to direct where they go next and what they see about you.
But remember: Resumes are content and not design-driven! Even if you go the creative route, the content still counts. Deciding between a traditional or visual CV actually depends on your industry and profession. Just throwing images on paper will do little to set your resume apart. There has to be some thought behind the message you want to send across. So design a resume that satisfies both the content and presentation part.

Topics : Resume Writing