Week seven so long, and thanks for all the mayonnaise

Week seven so long, and thanks for all the mayonnaise by Michael Cheary Week seven: so long, and thanks for all the mayonnaiseSo, this is it. The end is here. After almost two months of research, writing, presentations, meetings and  monitors, our interns have reached their final week.Here are their  final thoughts about life at reed.co.uk:AndrewDear London,My 8 weeks with you have come to an end, and while I will be leaving for sunnier skies, I must bid you a proper farewell.  You may have been a fickle mistress while I got to know you, but I wouldn’t have had it any other way.Even though I was often left traveling and exploring the nooks and crannies of the city by myself, you taught me how strangely wonderful it is to drown in one’s own thoughts while traveling solo, and to be honest, I always had your liveliness and energy as a friend.But there were times when we had our differences. Like when I realised how some pubs can get away with charging £7 for a cider, and how you stop all underground service after midnight.  Y ou were the bitter spouse who reminded my wallet how expensive basic ‘necessities’ (i.e. pubs, Ben Jerry’s, tacky souvenirs) are…  apparently it takes a lot of money to keep a healthy relationship going.  Also, why do you like to put so much mayonnaise on all of your food?You taught me what it’s like to work in the real world, and more about the recruitment industry than I could ever imagine.  My time working at reed.co.uk has now come to an end, and while I went in expecting to learn and improve my technical skills (which I did), I daresay everything else I learned about myself has been far more profound.  It’s funny how relationships work, right?  It will be odd not walking through the office doors every morning.So yes, there are things I’ve loved and hated about you; things that made me fall in love and things that drove me up the wall.  When I take the tube for the final time on Saturday to Heathrow, I’ll probably be pondering about everything that I’ve l earned, all the friends I’ve made, and how much I’ll miss it all.  That awful stench I’ve become so accustomed to on the Picadilly Line?  I’ll just pretend it’s the finest perfume you put on just for me to say goodbye.Until we meet again,AndrewStephanieAnd here marks the beginning of the end.Whether we shared a gentle nod, we had a connection. Or maybe it was a cheerful ‘Good Morning’, we had a connection. Whether or not it was me that used your mug, we had a connection. Maybe I swapped your swivel chair whilst you were away, we had a connection. One I will be forever grateful for and never forget.As the end of the 2 months creeps up on us, it has definitely taught me the power of time. What started as 5 strangers from across the globe turned into something that magic itself couldnt re-create:‘The interns’.To think after this week, this will be no more. As we leave a void that only the next intern group could fill, I plead to the future interns to please continue our legacy. Strive to continue what was birthed on July 21st 2014. The high work rate, the creative ideas, the visits to the pub, the bonding lunches in the park, the break out meetings and the (hopefully) captivating presentations. Don’t lose it, but rather build on the foundation we have built and do us proud.As you learn from the employees around you, don’t forget what is taught to you, for these skills and agile approaches to life will undeniably come in handy when you venture onto your next life journey in a new work environment.Organisation, time management, confidence and building efficient strategies are skills which I take as I make my departure.Thank you reed.co.ukAllyBy now I expect my blog has gained the traction to captivate the UK, Europe and the majority of overseas continents. So it’s with heavy heart that I disappoint billions with my very last blog post at reed.co.uk. I will endeavour to make all farewell idioms and metaphors transferable to most languages.T his week we’ve been analysing data. There’s nothing more satisfying than data entry and analysis. To be confronted with thousands of entries on a spreadsheet the size of West Yorkshire might seem daunting. But having mastered the fine art of ‘ctrl+F’ and ‘=vlookup’, no county-sized spreadsheet can vanquish me.We’ve also been beavering away at our much fabled Generation Z project. If that sounds  foreboding and mysterious it’s probably because I’ve omitted to mention it until now, and if my careless colleagues have leaked it before in their own blogs then they have  only themselves to blame. I certainly won’t be vouching for them when the secret services come a-knocking.Anyhow, come Thursday morning we’ll be declassifying our Generation Z research to the heads of the company. We’ve booked the boardroom, and this time we will be pre-empting any sub-zero conditions by adjusting the heating beforehand. You can’t possibly claim we’ve learned nothing on this in ternship.With much tweaking to be done on these aforementioned projects I leave my devotees to search for new idols amidst the intern blog market. I can only say it’s been a pleasure.  And while I would love to answer all correspondences personally, naturally the high volume of praise I receive means my PR department will answer on my behalf.Goodbye. Good luck.Ally McDermottConnorThis is it. The last ever intern blog.I really don’t know where to start This experience has taught me so much about the industry and its many facets, but more about myself. Living in another country, far away from home, I suppose would have that effect on someoneThroughout my time here at reed.co.uk, I have experienced an incredible amount of self-development. From time management and being able to complete my assignments no matter how many obstacles are thrown at me, to simply learning how to present myself in an actual, professional work environment, my time spent here has been fulfilling to say the least.I wanted to give a special thanks to the one and only, Dr. Ronda Beaman, for being an inspiration to us all and providing Andrew, Yaseen and I with such an awesome opportunity. Without you, I wouldn’t have had such a life-changing experience. I wouldn’t have had the opportunity to become infused with such a wide range of culture in the melting pot that is Europe. I wouldn’t have gained the knowledge about myself and the real-world that I hoped to find this summer. So, thank you.And thank you reed.co.uk for an unforgettable summer.YaseenI am about to give my biggest presentation at reed.co.uk. It has, however; just dawned upon me that this very well may be my last blog….after verifying with my colleagues, it seems that in fact, this IS my very last blog post.  And I type that with a very heavy heart.I am not entirely sure how to go about this last written catharsis.  Is this now the time to thank every single person within the confines of the reed.co.uk office, list them off name by name, reminisce on the very first interaction we each shared.  Or is this my opportunity to thank my fellow interns whom I have grown so close to.  In the interest of sounding as cliché as possible, after spending eight weeks with someone you really get to know them.Wow, I have actually surpassed my dismally high expectations of my natural affinity to sound ‘lame’.  What is not lame is the fact that I now have friends…if you stopped reading at this point, this could be cause for concern, but if you allow me to finish my statement, what I meant to say is these interns are no longer my peers, they have grown to be dear friends of mine.  Friends who I will go back to school with, and friends who I will most definitely call upon when I come back to London.After it is all said and done, I believe I would be remiss, if I did not take this as an opportunity to give an e-hug to everyone in the reed.co.uk office.  Not some odd, awkward hug you hope to finish as s oon as you start, but rather an embrace of two friends who cannot help but think of all the good times they shared, and refuse to recognise that it is over for now.  My dear friends at reed.co.uk and my lovely audience, I am afraid I must for the last time bid you adieu.Forever your loyal intern,YaseenFind a job What Where Search JobsSign up for more Career AdviceSign up for moreCareer Advice Please enter a valid email addressmessage hereBy clicking Submit you agree to the terms and conditions applicable to our service and acknowledge that your personal data will be used in accordance with our privacy policy and you will receive emails and communications about jobs and career related topics. Career Development Features

How Your Personal Brand can be More Productive on Social Media - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career

How Your Personal Brand can be More Productive on Social Media - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career Your time is valuable, and with just 24 hours in a day that seems to evaporate before our eyes, its more important than ever to make the best use of it. Social media marketing in particular can take up a large portion of your work day, but there are several ways you can make this both efficient and effective. You know the importance of your brand to be actively involved in networking online. Not only is there the schmooze factor, but social media marketing helps you connect with other influencers in your industry which can lead to more prospects. Today there are over 300 different social networks available, and the top performers are Facebook, Twitter, Google Plus, LinkedIn, YouTube, Instagram, and more recently Pinterest. The key to a successful marketing day for your personal brand is presented here with ideas that will help you become more productive and focused. Powerful Social Media Marketing In Less Time The following are some ways your personal brand can make the best use of time online, and which can be used for building your business instead: • Go offline each day It is easy to be constantly connected to the Internet the entire work day. But this only brings distractions and burned out. Step away from your devices at certain times like at a lunch meeting or short breaks where you can take a walk or read a good book. You will be amazed at how this will refresh your energy to stay focused on what’s important. • Make a firm schedule Instead of allowing the day to take over on social media harness it with an allotted time of when you will be communicating and sharing in your social networks. This leaves your personal brand’s calendar open for things like networking, calling back leads, important meetings, and so on. • Stay focused with the right contacts As your personal brand’s connections grow on social media it is important to know those folks who can move your business forward and also those you are reaching out to as leads. By narrowing down this number you will find it easier to communicate in meaningful conversations. Share content that is beneficial to your network like helpful tips and videos, and take the time to thank and applaud others. • Make allowances for other people’s schedules While building a specific social media schedule for your personal brand, it is a good idea to not only decide on when you will be most active, but also provide that same recognition to your connections. They will respect your time in return, which creates an effective pattern of communication. As technology moves us into a work day filled with online activities it is more important than ever for your personal brand to harness your time effectively in order to make the best use of social media. These steps will help you to take control of the time spent; and, forge better relationships while having enough time for all aspects of your business, as well as, your personal life.

Celebrate the inauguration by making your work an act of service

Celebrate the inauguration by making your work an act of service Its a big day, and Im excited to take a pause from work with the rest of the country to watch Barack Obama give his inagural speech. In the meantime, Im thinking about the day of service. How Obama wants the country to come together in the name of service. And I heard MTV declare, last night, that the next generation is Generation S. For service. So Im thinking about service, and how all our efforts to help people, really, are aimed to make them more indepdent. And thats what work is about: Taking care of ourselves, mentally and financially. When you mentor someone in the work arena, you are providing that service. So often we pick the superstar to mentor. Or the up-and-comer. Or the one who can help us with our own networking. But you can use your work skills to help someone pull themselves out of a bad spot. A really bad spot. Work skills are very powerful. And so is mentoring. So when you think about service, dont think of it as separate from work. Obama stands for all the things that we do, on this blog: Personal responsibility, transparency, honesty, change even when its difficult. This inagural day is the beginning of meshing the public life and worklife so that we are living the values we believe in, wherever we go. Think about how you can focus on service at work. Each of us has a lot of tools at our disposal. If we take the time to use them.

Five situations when you shouldnt change careers

Five situations when you shouldnt change careers In many respects, changing careers is like dumping your significant other. Its a lot easier to do than solving the problems youre facing. But in so many cases, hard work and self-knowledge could solve most of the problems. And I have found in both careers and relationships that if I get through a tough spot, I learn way more about myself and the world than if I had left and started over. I already know the starting over routine very well. But I dont know so much about the sticking with it routine. Each of us is probably better at one or the other. If you are great at starting over, but not so great at sticking with it, I cant help you with your significant other, but I can help you with your career. Here are five situations when you should not change careers. 1. You hate your boss. This is not a problem with your career. Change jobs instead of changing careers. Or, get better at managing your boss to get the treatment you want. 2. You want more prestige. Get a therapist youre having a confidence crisis, not a career crisis. Prestige is a hollow goal when it comes to careers. The quest for interesting, fun, rewarding work is one thing, but the quest for fame is, in fact, bad for you emotionally. 3. You want to meet new people. Try going to a bar, or Club Med. Is the problem that you are not able to make friends in your industry? It would have to be a pretty small industry for this to not be your own, social problem as opposed to an industry-wide problem. Be honest with yourself: Maybe what you really want is to get a life. Pick up a hobby. 4. You want more meaning in life. A job does not give life meaning. And anyway, people have been searching for the meaning of life forever. Its a highly disputed topic, and probably too charged an issue to lay on your career. 5. You want more happiness. I have said many times that your job does not control your happiness, your mind does. Heres good news, though: You can give your mind a happier disposition by meditating. I like that there is science behind this (thanks, Dylan). But I was a meditation convert as a volleyball player, before I knew the science. One of the best ways to teach your body how to do something, by the way, is to watch yourself doing it perfectly, in your mind. I taught myself to jump serve by imagining the serve in my head. I divided the serve into twenty motions. And I imagined them all. Thousands of times. (Wait, look: I am so pleased to have found this video of jump serving.) But you cant jump serve if youre tense. So I had to learn to calm my body through meditation while I imagined the jump serves. Each night I meditated, and instead of focusing on the traditional om chant, I focused on the ball. That was my favorite part of my whole volleyball career. This is how I know that you can make yourself like your career better any career by meditating: another reason you dont have to change careers.

Why Employee Wellness Matters and How to Invest in It CareerMetis.com

Why Employee Wellness Matters and How to Invest in It â€" CareerMetis.com Source â€" Pexels.comDisclaimer: This post is sponsored by PSECU, a Pennsylvania-based credit union.Employee wellness has been making the rounds as an HR buzzword. But what does employee wellness mean, and why is it important to your organization?Employee wellness involves much more than simply providing your employees with health benefits Employee wellness means investing in your company’s most valuable asset, your employees, by providing resources to ensure that each employee has the ability to live their best life both on and off the clock. This involves providing tools to support your employee’s physical, mental, and financial well-being. Investing in employee wellness pays off in happier, more productive employees.The Obvious: Increased ProductivityevalEmployees who are in good health perform25% better than their less healthy peers. Considering that businesses lose trillions of dollars per year in lost productivity, that boost can make a huge difference in a company’s bott om line. Research shows that eating unhealthy foods and failing to exercise can cut individual productivity by 50% or more.Focusing on prevention by promoting preventative healthcare drastically decreases the number of sick days employees take as well.Larger companies may benefit from installing a fitness center right on campus. But smaller employers who lack that space can still invest in employee wellness. When selecting a company benefit plan, they can select plans that include gym memberships as part of the benefits package. Another alternative is bringing in outside fitness professionals to offer lunchtime fitness classes.You may even discover that you have some fitness experts on staff whom you can reach out to in regards to providing lunchtime or after work fitness activities.Build Team LoyaltyInvesting in employee wellness also builds loyalty among employees. While employee wellness programs may start at the top, it is critical that management throughout the organization sup ports wellness initiatives.Numerous studies have shown that employees who feel supported by management are both healthier and less likely to leave their employer.evalManagers should take care to set healthy examples with their own behavior. In addition to urging their staff to use their paid time off or utilize the company fitness room, employees should see their managers taking part in these activities as well.Employees follow the example of management when it comes to prioritizing tasks, and managers who encourage wellness in both word and deed reap the rewards of healthier team members. employees also worry about how they are perceived, and incentives for wellness go a long way. If it is in your budget, consider solutions such as offering30 minutes of paid time to exercise for all employees.Financial Health MattersWhile many corporate fitness programs focus on physical health, stress over financial matters also injures employee productivity. Obviously, employers should offer wage s commiserate with their employees’ abilities and experience. However, simply having a big enough paycheck isn’t enough to ward off financial insecurity.Employers do well when they partner with financial experts to host seminarseducating employees about proper money management. Such seminars can educate employees on anything from saving for retirement to proper credit management.evalBy offering tools that assist employees in money management strategies, employers recapture the productivity lost due to too many sleepless nights spent wondering how to pay one’s bills.Financial literacy includes how to prioritize tasks and manage stress on the clock as well. As many companies already participate in monthly or quarterly team meetings, part of this meeting time can focus on techniques for managing stress, whether it be taking a walk to clear one’s head before an important call to practicing deep breathing when dealing with difficult customers.Bringing it TogetherA quality employe e wellness program should encompass aspects of physical, mental, and financial well-being. By offering both resources and education, employers help employees to become their best selves both in and out of the workplace.Businesses can utilize outreach efforts to partner with local facilities and experts to teach anything from yoga to cognitive-behavioral techniques for stress management to purchasing one’s first home. The key is focusing on what is meaningful and important to one’s workforce.It’s important to keep in mind that employee wellness programs should overall besimple and fun.As one of the primary focuses of employee wellness programs is reducing stress, these activities shouldn’t add additional responsibilities to the employee’s day. Wellness classes and seminars are best held during times when employees are already on the clock to maximize participation.The benefits of a healthy, happy, less stressed workforce cannot be overstated. When employees feel appreciated , they are happy to go the extra mile to ensure team success.While employee wellness programs may involve an initial investment upfront, the money saved from fewer sick days and higher employee retention can pay off in higher profits for years to come.