Working hours Which nations work the longest

Working hours Which nations work the longest Having the opportunity for a successful career is important to many of us, with one of the many benefits being a feeling of achievement and accomplishment, which helps boost our sense of value and worth. This feeling of wanting to work hard in a role we enjoy comes as no surprise, especially when you consider that we are expected to spend an average of 90,000 hours at work in our lifetimes. However, for many of us, spending an average of 40 hours a week (8 hours per day) in our workplaces can make it easy for us to feel overwhelmed, especially when you’re juggling commutes, responsibilities at home, and social life. Using International Labour Organisation data, RS Components has analyzed the working hours of almost 100 countries to see which nations are spending the most and fewest hours at work. The analysis of the ILO data revealed the Netherlands enjoys the best work-life balance of all the nations analyzed. On average, workers in the Netherlands have a working week which consisting of just 32 hours, amounting to under 6.5 hours across five days and 1,536 hours per year. This figure suggests that Dutch companies value quality over quantity when it comes to working hours, and believe efficiency and productivity does not come from working extensive hours every day. Nations that work the least hours on average: The nations with the second-fewest working hours were Australia, New Zealand and Rwanda. Often associated with being laid-back, those in Australias and New Zealand can see this association reflected in their working culture, working an average of 33 hours a wee 1,584 hours per year. Somewhat unsurprisingly, the Scandinavian nations of Denmark, Norway, and Sweden all rank in the top 5 nations for having the shortest working weeks. Joining the likes of Finland and Sweden, the UK ranks joint fifth when it comes to the fewest working hours, with an average working week totaling to 36 hours, alongside many other European countries. Nations that work the most hours on average: In terms of the nations with the highest working hours, Qatar takes the top spot. Employees in the Gulf State are expected to work an average of 49 hours per week, 17 hours more than the likes of the Netherlands, in other words, an extra 3.4 hours each day, based on a five-day working week. Compared to the UK, Qatar works 13 more hours, an amount that in the UK is not legally permitted unless officially stated and agreed upon by the employee and employer. The nations where workers are on average matching the legal limit of working hours for those in the UK (48 hours a week), are in Myanmar and Mongolia. Closely followed by the likes of Pakistan, Bangladesh, China, and Mexico. Overall, while many of us struggle to leave our work in the workplace, with 43% of office workers admitting to checking work emails at home and almost half staying at the office after hours, RS Components analysis suggests that, on average, you might still have a better work-life balance than workers in most other nations. Source: https://uk.rs-online.com

Talking Money Job Offer Negotiations Part 1 - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career

Talking Money Job Offer Negotiations Part 1 - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career In  my previous post (Talking Money: Its All About the Benjamins!), we discussed general principles for compensation, when to anticipate that such discussions could crop up, and ways for handling typical questions such as What are your compensation expectations? That information will provide you tools for handling money discussions during most of the job interview process. Now, lets assume you are fortunate enough to be selected as the candidate of choice and are told you will be provided a job offer. Dont celebrate just yet you still must close the deal! One way to close the deal  is simply to accept whatever offer has been  provided. There are some  cases in which I would recommend this to a client. Those situations are as follows: 1. You are in an economic position where this income will save you and, otherwise, you may be in economic peril now or shortly. Remember: You are not married to this job and you can continue to look for something better. 2. There was a great deal of competition for the job (especially published/posted ones), you know they have  interviewed several other qualified candidates, they have not given strong indications that  they have  fallen head over heels in love with you, and the compensation package seems reasonable. Remember: They have similarly qualified substitutes for you. 3. You are generally happy with the company, the boss, and the compensation package. Remember: If you fail to close this, you may be looking for quite a while longer before you get another offer. 4. You are afraid to negotiate and do not want to take any risks. Remember: If you handle negotiations poorly, you might cause them to withdraw their offer. Its important  in your negotiating strategy to note  whether your job offer is a verbal or written one. A verbal offer is more tentative, whereas a written offer places the employer in the position of having gone through approval processes and made a commitment to you. My general recommendation is to avoid making hard commitments regarding accepting a verbal offer and defer any tougher negotiations until you have a written offer in hand. This improves your negotiating position. So, how might you avoid making a commitment to the employer when they are making you a verbal offer such as Nancy, I am happy to let you know we can offer you a starting salary of $120,000 with a performance bonus of up to $30,000 annually. If that will work for you, I will ask Jim to get an offer out to you. With some wording similar to the preceding (some are much more pointed), the employer seeks to close off negotiations by gaining your verbal agreement. If you have thought about the four previous reasons for not negotiating and have decided to accept the offer, then agree and move on. But what if you want to negotiate? Then, your objective is to provide them whatever level of comfort you can without fully committing. Handled correctly, you may stand to gain $10,000, $25,000, or far more in annual income . handled  poorly, the verbal offer may be withdrawn. Establishing yourself as a confident, effective negotiator can also provide positive positioning of your personal brand! There are many ways for you to respond to a verbal offer when you want  to negotiate. Here is one generic example: Janice, Im flattered that you are making me this offer (assumes the positive, that they will follow through). I would love to work for you and I am confident, now that I fully understand your needs, that I could excel in this role. Please email  me the offer with the associated benefits information, give me two or three days to review it, and I will get back to you with a positive response. During offer negotiations, your career and income are literally on the line.  As I note in Chapter 14 of Fast Track Your Job Search (and Career!), The best time to establish unemotional criteria for accepting an employer job offer is today â€" well before you find yourself emotionally involved in evaluating a job offer. Perhaps now you can see why I would suggest that you always enlist a coach or trusted mentor in developing your negotiating strategy. In my next post, we will examine how to evaluate a written job offer for suitability.  Author: Richard Kirby  is an executive career consultant, speaker on career strategies, and author of Fast Track Your Job Search (and Career!). Richard Kirby’s earlier experience includes managing engineering, human resources, marketing and sales teams for employers that ranged from a Fortune 100 to a VC-funded entrepreneurial startup. For the past 11 years at Executive Impact, Richard has helped hundreds of executives and professionals successfully navigate today’s transformed 21st century job market and achieve better employment for themselves. Richard’s expertise includes career assessments and goal setting, personal marketing/branding, resume enhancement, strategic networking and job interviewing, and “contrarian” job search methodologies. He is a Board Certified Coach (in career coaching) and a Certified Management Consultant (recognized by the ISO).

Insight and Self-Awareness - Is Your Mirror Foggy

Insight and Self-Awareness - Is Your Mirror Foggy How often do you re-read what youve just texted to someone?  How about emails?  While that may in part be a desire to be sure youve used proper spelling and grammar, theres more to it.  You want to know how it will be received and interpreted by the person on the other end. If you believe the classic counsel of Stephen Covey, thats backwards. Seek first to understand, then to be understood. But too often were so unsure of ourselves that we worry more about the image in the mirror than the image out the window.  Knowing ourselves from within and how others see us is vital.  Unfortunately,  were woefully bad at it, says Tasha Eurich in her new book Insight.  And if thats so, we cant possibly remember that we are merely a piece in the machinery of human communication and relationships.  Getting better is our responsibility to both ourselves and those around us.  She gave this related TED talk thats had over a million views: Why Accurate Insight and Self-Awareness Is Important Theres good reason to make the effort to shift.  Ms. Eurich identifies the benefits as: Increased personal happiness More confidence Ability to make better decisions Higher performance levels Increased creativity Better communication Stronger relationships Superior leadership skills Thats a pretty convincing list.  Certainly enough to make improving your self-awareness skill a worthwhile endeavor.  Of course, pointing out the rewards without a roadmap to achieve them would be of marginal value.  Accordingly, she delivers on that, too. After presenting a compelling case on what many of us are lacking in skill and missing in rewards, she provides guidance for improvement.  Presented as self-assessments, shell have you examining your values passions aspirations ideal  environment strength and weaknesses perceived impact on others Continuing, shell go even deeper to help you read feedback accurately.  When you finish this book, youll have a much clearer understanding of self than youve ever had. Insight by Tasha Eurich is an effective reminder that  mindfulness and self-awareness are vital in our quickly changing world.  But something more is required to make a real difference. That something more is what she addresses.  and her book is an excellent read.

Ship, Shipmates, Self - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career

Ship, Shipmates, Self - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career A simple motto say. Yet much harder to follow. I was meeting with a friend the other day and he mentioned these three simple words. He had heard these from an admiral while he was serving the US Navy. I thought about these three words for a while and can see why the US Navy and the admiral use them to set priorities. Priorities are there for a reason. If all three arent in balance you have a problem. However, if the ship is not taken care of first there will be no shipmates or self. Of course, self-preservation has it’s place too. Yet, self-preservation takes a back seat to the  duty and honor of supporting your shipmates and the ship itself. Applying these three words to your daily life When interviewing or thinking about extending your career these three words can help define and describe what you should be thinking about as you seek to build your career, the careers of your colleagues and that of your business. Where self, shipmates and ship can be used in reverse order to set priorities. This is true in entrepreneurial environments and large companies. Reality Check: The US Navy is a huge organization with thousands of men and women serving all over the world and supporting hundreds of ships…and these three words seem to work quite well for them. The next time you are planning and thinking about what you should be doing next take a few minutes to think about these three words. Think about how you can make sure all is right with the ship first. Then make sure all is right with your shipmates. Then think about your self. Seek to find a balance across all three. Make sure you have your priorities right so that all three can  succeed. Author: Jeff   is a veteran in the Enterprise Content Management industry. Over the past 20 years he has worked with customers and partners to design, develop and deploy solutions around the world. Jeff is currently the Director of Strategic Alliances at Winshuttle. He has worked for Microsoft, FileNet (IBM), K2, Captaris, Open Text, Kofax and Kodak. He speaks and blogs about ECM and the Intersection between Social, Mobile and Cloud Computing.

What Do You Think of As a Fun Resume?

What Do You Think of As a Fun Resume?What do you think of as a 'fun resume?' I ask that question to employers when I conduct my research for teaching and professional development workshops. It turns out the answer varies from person to person. Most people will agree that there are a few things that are fun resume writing activities and the usual rule is to follow them.Any career adventure can be interesting. For example, I am currently working with a nurse. This is a challenging but exciting job in which the pay is high and the benefits are good. It was a real thrill to work with her.The first of the fun resume writing activities is to not rush your career. People often try to fill out a resume when they are under a lot of pressure. While it may be true that we are under pressure as employers, this pressure can actually increase our chances of making a mistake because we are so caught up in the moment.So try to stay patient and don't rush. Remember that the skills and experiences you have gained are worth more than any job title. The same goes for any experiences that you might have had during your lifetime.The second thing is to maintain a mental balance. Sometimes we need to get away from our feelings to bring our intellect back into the picture. That is what I have found to be true with the nurse who had just retired.She seemed like she had been very busy life without the physical demanding career. She actually fit perfectly into a nursing role because her expertise in the most difficult situations in healthcare was apparent.It also makes sense for the same reason to take a break while preparing your resume. You must have heard the saying that, 'Time heals all wounds.' You may have heard it from your mother or grandfather who has experienced an early death.Your goal in all of this is to avoid distractions. They can distract you and give you the impression that you are not in control of your future. This can make you feel as if your job is already taken care of and it is up to you to get out there and take the job you are looking for.

Looking for a Job Is Different than it was Last Time

Looking for a Job Is Different than it was Last Time What I saw the other night in a room of over 20 people was that more than half of them had not had to look for a job in over 5 years. Think about how our lives have changed in just10 years. A gallon of gas cost a little over $1.00 The Euro was first established You could fly on an airplane without worrying Airline reservations were mostly made over the phone VOIP didnt exist to the public (no digital phone) You may not have had email then, you must have it now iPods didnt exist Social networking sites were just beginning You wouldnt have considered buying anything on-line Life is different. How you look for a job HAS to be different too. Peter Weddle at one point said there were over 40,000 job boards. Good luckfinding a job on one. What about Indeed? If you have to use on-line boards, this search engine is for you. Most of the time you apply for jobs today it will be done on-line. You will have to create a profile, then complete an on-line application and submit your resume electronically. If you have never done this before, it is time consuming. If you dont know about LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter or the other social networking tools, and yes, Ill call them tools, you need to understand how they work. See this earlier post Your resume will fall into a black hole and you will never know if they received it. Even after an interview, you will be lucky to get a call back unless you are the selected candidate. All these changes (and more) will frustrate you. You can get angry or depressed or both. This is why you need help and need to learn how to do a job search in 2009. It isnt the same. Check out your local One-stop.Previously known as the Unemployment office, these vary from state to state, but have FREE resources. Go to the library and bookstores. Only read books published within the last few years. Read websites, look in the newspapers for local events. Find groups dedicated to helping job seekers. Dont think you can do your job search alone, please.

Social Media Dos And Donts - CareerEnlightenment.com

Social Media Do’s And Don’ts Preparing for a job interview used to be a lot more straightforward. To get ready, you just had to make sure your clothing was professional and practice answering a few questions in front of your mirror to feel equipped for the interview. Today, however, the interviewing process has changed considerably. It is still a good idea to dress the part and practice how you will answer the interviewer’s questions, but it is important to remember you have to do more. Job seekers today need to be aware of the presence they leave on social media, because as many as 76 percent of employers use social networks to screen candidates.Employers want to know as much about candidates as possible, and social media gives them a window into their personal and professional lives, whether they want them to be seen or not. Recent graduates who are job seekers might find the idea offensive, but employers have learned that they can mitigate the risk of hiring someone unreliable or someone who could be a pot ential PR liability by scanning candidates’ publicly available social media presence. Recent graduates whose profiles are filled with photos of late-night parties, for example, could be seen as riskier than other candidates whose profiles are more sedate. Want to Read More Articles Like This One?Sign up here to receive weekly updates from Career Enlightenment, and never miss another powerful job searching tip! SUBSCRIBE! You have Successfully Subscribed!We hate spam too. Unsubscribe any time. Job seekers need to be aware of what could be considered red flags on their social media profiles to employers. With some careful curating, job seekers can optimize their Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn pages to minimize their risk to employers and serve as powerful promotional tools in their own right. The following guide presents some basic tips for cleaning up and polishing social media pages for young job seekers. Follow it, and you can step into your next job interview confident that you are prepared in every way.Heres an infographic courtesy of Stevenson University Online, which first appeared on Slideshare  on Jan 10, 2017. And let us know what you think in the comments below.