Does Working Longer Hours Make You Less Productive

Does Working Longer Hours Make You Less Productive For some workers, leaving office in the evening does not mean the workday is over. With the internet, it has become extremely easy to bring loads of work back home. But does working more mean more productivity? Studies show it is the exact opposite: productivity seems to be plummeting as hours pass. In the infographic below that agenday.com  has put together,  youll see that there is no link between working more and more productivity. Takeaways: South Korea is the only country in the world where workers work more than 2,000 hours per year. Russian work more than Americans but are more than 3 times less productive! Germany is Europes most productive country, followed by France. Workweek in the Netherlands is only 29 hours. Work smarter, not longer! RELATED: How to Boost Your Productivity at Work

About Your Monday Mindset...

About Your Monday Mindset... Its hard to believe we are 3 months out from the start of a New Year!   Oh that glorious day of waking up with a smashing champagne hangover to sit down and write out a list of goals for the new year.   This past weekend, I accomplished one of those goals and ran 10 miles!   It was awesome and I am so proud to cross that off the 2012 goal list.   But what about the rest?   Think back with me to your top 3 goals you wish to accomplish this year.   Was it a promotion?   A paycheck amount?   A weight loss?   Maybe a triathlon or marathon?   Whatever   your goal may be, we still have 3 months to get it done in 2012!   This is why our Monday Mindset is so important.   We can cruise through the day with no set agenda, simply waiting for Tuesday OR we can keep our goals in the front of our mind and get to work! Whether you planned on achieving your goal in 2012 or 2015, lets all get back on track and remember what we set out to accomplish.   Make your goals a big part of your Monday Mindset and remember, you really can do whatever you want!   Simply decide to!   Have a great Monday ??

Karlin Sloan on How To Recover From Loss of a Dream Job - VocationVillage

Karlin Sloan on How To Recover From Loss of a Dream Job - VocationVillage Karlin Sloan responds to a music business professional who asks for career advice after losing his dream job.Hello,Bouncing back from a major blow like losing a beloved career requires us to step back and take a pause.In this case, the reality is that you need some time to grieve something youve lost that you loved. One way to accept a loss is to create a ritual for yourself. Go to a special place in nature with an iPod and play all of your most beloved music that you had a hand in getting to the world. Celebrate that phase of your life and the joy you had in that career. Remember the best moments, pat yourself on the back for living your dream, and know that these experiences are only the first chapter in your working life. Give this chapter the thanks it deserves and honor that experience as something special to which you now need to say, Goodbye. Also remember that the gifts youve been given and the music you love can never be taken away from you.Its time to build a new dream. Sin ce you made the first one happen and you have transferrable skills, my guess is you will be able to find a new passion and build that into your next dream job. It may take time. You may need bridge work to get you to the other side, but when youre there my hope for you is that youre inspired by your own creation. Dreaming can be fun! Let yourself go back to the feeling you had when you were five years old and loved music. What else do you love doing now as an adult? What people do you love to be around? Where do they congregate? What new horizons do you want to explore and learn about? What sounds really fun that youve never thought about doing before? What does the world need that you have to offer?Karlin Sloan, CEO, Executive Coach, and Author of UNFEAR: Facing Change in an Era of Uncertainty.. If you enjoyed this series about how to recover from loss of a dream job, please leave a comment for VocationVillage.com.

Leaving on Vacation Gracefully

Leaving on Vacation Gracefully Embed from Getty Imageswindow.gie=window.gie||function(c){(gie.q=gie.q||[]).push(c)};gie(function(){gie.widgets.load({id:'ktBq1P8yTdtTrbMdxJWvGA',sig:'7K686GW9lKSNP3EvR8D7_eULtSRXboeHqmOiz5iuFJE=',w:'507px',h:'338px',items:'129301692',caption: false ,tld:'com',is360: false })}); (This is a re-run of a post from several years ago. I hope youre enjoying familiy and riends this July 4.) Summer is in mid-stream, and since most of us will be taking some time off, it seems like a good time for a discussion of how to leave your office for an extended period.   There are tools available to help coworkers and customers know what to do in your absence, and ways to help the team cope better while you’re gone. First, it’s important to let people know in advance that you’ll be out for an extended period of time.   Take the time to email customers and coworkers that you’ll be out on vacation or business.   Give them specific dates and let them know whom to contact in your absence.   Don’t forget to notify any other groups in which you participateâ€" committees, professional organizations, etc.   It’s important to give people at least a little lead time (don’t push “send” just as you walk out the door) so they can get back to you with urgent business that can’t wait until your return.   If you really want to add value, update them on the status of pending projects or orders. If you use Outlook as your email system, you can take advantage of the “Out of Office Assistant” (Out of Office Agent in Lotus Notes.) The Out of Office Assistant creates an autoreply to emails you receive. You can customize the response to indicate how long you’ll be away and where to go for help or information in your absence.   The autoreply only responds to the first email from any source, so it doesn’t repeat itself to senders that already know you’re gone. This simple-to-use tool helps eliminate frustration when you don’t respond immediately to an email. Your voicemail message can assist you in the same way.   Even if you’re out for just a day, attending training or sick at home, letting callers know not to expect a call back until tomorrow helps manage expectations.  For added value, let the voicemail indicate whether you’ll be checking your messages.   If you indicate that you are, some people will leave messages about urgent issues.   If you’re not checking in, those urgent matters will probably be handled in other ways. Either way, it’s less stressful for the caller and for you, knowing how soon you’ll be able to act on business matters. Before you leave, you can also take a few minutes to talk to your manager about important projects that are pending.   Create a brief summary of your workload’s current status to leave behind so someone can see at a glance where projects are.   Add contact numbers for key customers and other data such as account numbers that might be hard to find in your absence. Talk with your manager about team members that might be able to handle issues while you’re gone. One of the most effective things you can do before you leave is clean your office.   A neat office is a pleasure to return to; leaving clutter will make the first day back even more stressful. An orderly office leaves the impression that everything is under control, in case the boss drops by.    Taking time to inform team members and organize your workload can make a big difference in quality of life when you return to the office. You may even start a trend among your coworkers that will make life easier for everyone come vacation season next summer.

Be Sure Youre On the Right Path Make the Best Career Move for You

Be Sure You're On the Right Path Make the Best Career Move for You Many of today’s high school graduates face a serious conundrum. All their lives, they’ve been told that going to college is the best way to be sure that they’ll be able to secure employment when they enter the workforce.Unfortunately, a college degree is no longer a guaranteed way to get a great jobâ€"and many future college students are wondering how to choose the perfect college degree program to ensure that they’re able to get the job of their dreams.A) Think Through Your College ChoiceevalThere are plenty of things that might attract you to a great college. It’s great major offerings, fascinating classes, and array of extracurricular activities are all great selling points. Before you choose a college, however, you should think through all of the factors that will impact your educational success.Where is the school located? You’ll want to be able to get home easily and inexpensively. Some students may prefer to be in closer proximity to home than others.Is the school in the middle of a city, where there’s a lot going onâ€"including plenty of disruptive noises at all hours of the night? Is it located far outside a city, where you’ll have a long trip every time you need groceries? There are advantages and disadvantages to each choice, and you should think them through carefully.How does the cost of tuition measure up? How will you be paying for your degree? You don’t want to end up in debt for years after graduation.What is the school’s atmosphere like? Are you looking for a highly focused academic institution or a school where social activities are more common?Ideally, you should choose a school based on your specific needs, not on the school’s reputation alone. The school that works best for someone else might not necessarily be the one that works best for you.B) Choosing a Job PathYou want to choose a major that will allow you to make solid job-related choices once you graduate. Ideally, you want to choose yourfuture field, then selec t a major that goes with it. Some popular college majors include nursing, business administration and management, teacher education, criminal justice and corrections, information technology, and accounting. In America, history and English remain popular major fields.Selecting a college major starts with knowing what your interests are. You don’t have to choose a job that you loveâ€"sometimes, following your passion can lead to a job field that’s difficult to break into or that might not offer you the kids of opportunities that you needâ€"but you should select a path that you’ll enjoy. These steps might help:Take the aptitude tests offered by your high school. They’ll offer you a starting place if you don’t know what you’re interested in.Explore job options out in the world, not just the ones mentioned while you’re in high school. Do research on careers that take advantage of the things you’re good at and the things you’re interested in.Take a look at your preferenc es for jobs. Do you want a flexible schedule, or a daily nine-to-five option? Do you want a specific salary range? Think through what you would like your life to look like after school.C) Your Job and Your MajorAmerica’s workforce is currently over-educated. Many people have found that college isn’t the right long-term choice for them after spending a semester or two taking classes. Others go through college, but ultimately struggle to find a job in their current career field. Before enrolling in a college or university, ask yourself these questions:Does my job actually require a college degree? What type of degree is most common?How will these classes help shape my future job goals and opportunities?Does a job in the field I want lean more heavily toward a college degree or toward specific certifications that show my expertise?While time spent in college is rarely wasted, it may not be the best use of your time and money if you intend to enter a field where a college degree is unnecessary or certifications are preferred to a degree.evalTaking the time to think through your options before you start college is a great way to be sure that you make the most of those years.By carefully researching the job opportunities that are best for you, you’ll be more likely to be able to set yourself on the right path. You’ll take the college classes that are most effective for you, enjoy your four years in school, and find yourself in a great position to pursue your future career.