Celebrating the Small Things - 18 October

Once again I am taking part in Vik Lit's Celebrating the small things.

This week I am celebrating the Launch of my new website and blog: www.findingtime.co.uk. 

I will be discontinuing this blog (which has been quiet of late) and hope that you will join me over on the new website.

Celebrating the small things - 9 August

Once again I am taking part in Vik Lit's Celebrating the small thing:

What am I celebrating this week... one word - HOLIDAY!!

Celebrating the small things - 02 August

It has been a few weeks since I participated in the hop (apologies). It has been a busy busy week and I celebrating a lie in tomorrow morning and looking forward to some Rest and Relaxation (some time off work) at the end of next week.

Have a great weekend.

Celebrating the Small Things - 28 June

Once again I am taking part in Vik Lit's Celebrating the small things bloghop (better late than never) - So what am I celebrating this week?

1. my newly decorated flat - completed today :)

2. a productive week of writing

3. a successful networking meeting and meeting some new faces

Have a great weekend everyone!

Celebrating the Small Things - 22 June

Once again I am taking part in Vik Lit's Celebrating the small things bloghop (better late than never) ... So what am I celebrating this week?

1. A subtitled showing in the Cinema on a Tuesday (when I can use the discount card).Yes! discounted trip to the cinema to see 'man of steel' complete with popcorn and hotdog.

2. Adding another fantastic Filofax to my collection - this time an A5 finsbury in pink.

3. Booking the decorator... now looking forward to my newly decorated home.

4. A nice lunch with a work colleague.

5. Waking up to coffee in bed this morning. 

Have a great weekend everyone!

Celebrating the Small Things - 7 June

Once again I am participating in Vik Lit's Celebrating the Small Things bloghop.

I attended a Stress and Time Management Course this week and one of the coping with stress mechanisms we discussed was exercising gratitude and making a gratitude list. So great news everyone, by taking part in this fabulous bloghop you are helping yourself manage your own stress levels.

So what am I celebrating this week?

1. fantastic date night with my other half.

2. great weather and hopefully this weekend we will be having our first BBQ.

3. good course on stress and time management.

4. lunch with work colleagues to welcome new members to the team.

5. successful hearing aid fitting.

Have a great weekend everyone.

IWSG - June

This month I am joining in once again with Alex J. Cavanaugh's Insecure Writer's Support Group and having my usual OMG I can't believe it is [insert month here] already moment.

Last month I was complaining about my Starbucks Habit which seems to be fuelling my writing time. In the morning while enjoying my morning coffee (now back up to 7 days a week). I enjoy writing with pen and paper - sometimes I write my books, other times I write content for my blogs.

There are days when I feel frustrated and feel like I am duplicating work. I usually do my initial drafts on paper (as I am more inspired when using pen and paper), and I will then later type up my drafts and craft them into something better. Doing everything in this way is a good way to proof read and to have time to think about and develop ideas.

However, sometimes I lose that productive / satisfied feeling that I run on. In the morning during my writing hour I will progress with my handwritten notes and feel like I have got things done and then realise in the evening or even the next day or a week later that I have not caught up or that I have not done anything with my notes. I feel unproductive and dissatisfied when in reality I probably actually progressed.

I hate this feeling of frustration as there are times when it discourages me from writing anything.

Celebrating the Small Things - 31 May

Once again I am taking part in Vik Lit's Celebrating the small things bloghop ... So what am I celebrating this week?

Recently I have been concentrating my efforts on my new Career Development Blog and I have not been writing on this blog too much. However, the upside is that it is because I have been productive both at home and in my writing.

I have managed to maintain a regular writing routine each morning with my cup of coffee (usually starbucks) and I sort out my to-do list and write a few draft pages.

When I started I was concerned about the cost (and addiction) of the coffees (and I still am). but somehow I have developed a rather enjoyable and relaxing routine before work that sets me up for the day. So the main reason I am celebrating this week is finally establishing a productive writing routine.

On a more personal level I am also celebrating:

- new lighting in the flat (Yay, I can see to write)
- first dinner in the garden this year (and hopefully more to come as the weather picks up)
- enjoyable catch up with colleagues
- snickers bar ice creams :) yum

Have a great weekend everyone (enjoy the weather)

Celebrating the Small Things - 24 May

Once again I am taking part in Vik Lit's celebrating the small things... So what am I celebrating this week. After a rather slow week last week this one has been a rather manic one. I am feeling much better so my productivity has shot up to compensate for last week.

1. generally feeling better and having a more productive week;

2. giving the house a full spring clean including windows and walls;

3. finishing my gardening journal designs and looking forward to starting my garden;

4. babysitting the dog and having my other half's parents visiting this coming weekend; and

5. my other half enjoying and using my anniversary gift (awesome!). 

Enjoy the bank holiday weekend everyone!

Celebrating the Small Things - 18 May

It has been a tough writing week. I have been feeling lousy all week as I have a cold. I have just about made it through my normal workday of 8.30 - 5.30pm but adding in my extra writing hours before and after work just seemed impossible. I was drained.

Additionally I have favoured hand-writing draft blog posts in a notebook while sitting comfortably with a warm drink and avoiding my desk where possible.

I have been feeling like this week has been a bit of a write off, but luckily there are still some non-writing things to celebrate (as part of Vik Lit's Celebrating the Small Things Bloghop).

1. You may have noticed from previous celebrate posts I have been rewatching the complete battlestar galactica series in my downtime. This week (due to illness) I seemed to speed through the final season in a matter of days. I couldn't remember the final season at all so it was great to rewatch. However there was a certain hole that it left and so I jumped straight onto the next boxset on my list. Next on my list is Smallville. I have previously seen seasons 1-7  but not seen 8, 9 or 10. So I started rewatching Season 7 to ease me back into it this week.

2. I am looking forward to spending time wuth my other half this weekend. It is our second anniversary tomorrow so I am really looking forward to it.

Have a great weekend, Happy Celebrating!

Celebrating the Small Things - 10 May

Just realised it has been a week since I wrote on my blog - it has been a busy one. Once again I am taking part in Vik Lit's celebrating the small things... So what am I celebrating this week...

1. A new Filofax (AWESOME).
2. night in with G&T and some fish and chips. 
3. watched another season of battlestar galactica (one to go)
4. introducing my other half to my love of notebooks (he is now carrying around a moleskine in his pocket).
5. 1 day (yes one whole day) of sunshine. 

Hope you all have a nice weekend (I am waiting for my fish and chips) :)

Celebrating the Small Things - 3 May

Once again I am taking part in Vik Lit's celebrating the small things...

1. Sunshine :)
2. a beautiful potted plant from my housemate
3. a trip up north for an old friend's birthday
4. a successful networking event
5. another bank holiday weekend

Have a great bank holiday weekend everyone. 

A to Z Challenges Reflections Post

Whew! What a great challenge! Check out my joint reflections post here. 

If you missed my blog during the A to Z challenge - check out the all the A to Z Challenge Posts on the round up page. 

If you enjoyed my Career Development Theme last month - please hop on over to my new blog - DIY Career Development. 

IWSG - May

This month I am joining in once again with Alex J. Cavanaugh's Insecure Writer's Support Group. At the beginning of April I was hoping to make a lot of progress with my personal writing projects (both fiction and non-fiction).

However, last month the A to Z Challenge kind of took over and while I successfully completed the Challenge I was disappointed with the amount of writing I did. I maybe only spent 3 hours a week on writing and even then it wasn't my best content.

and to make matters worse... my Starbucks habit has returned.

I have mentioned before my issues with food (needing to eat to focus and write). My other half started on his healthly eating / diet which has motivated me to cut back on the junk food myself as I do not want to be a bad influence.

However, the result has been more frequent trips to Starbucks. Some couch time with a coffee and my writing several times a week. So have I really made progress? Honestly I am just happy I am writing (and perhaps more importantly I am enjoying my writing time). But it is not a habit I can afford to keep up. Ideally I would like to completely cut it out, but at the moment I am down to three days a week instead of daily.

Maybe by next month I will have managed to completely cut it out altogether...

A to Z Round-Up

In case you missed out - catch up with the complete A to Z Series:

• A is for...  Appraisals
• B is for...  Buddy Up
• C is for... Covering Letters
• D is for... De-Stress and Doodle
• E is for... Emails
• F is for... Five Year Plan
• G is for... Goal Management
• H is for... Happiness
• I is for...  Interviews
• J is for... Job Histories
• K is for... Knowledge
•  L is for... Lists
• M is for... Motivation
• N is for... Networking
• O is for... Online Resources
• P is for... Presentations
• Q is for... Quotes
• R is for... Recruiters
• S is for... Skills Analysis
• T is for... Training
• U is for... Up to date
• V is for... Vacancies
• W is for... Word of Mouth
• X is for... X
• Y is for....YouTube Marketing
• Z is for....Zzzzzz

Z is for... Zzzzz!

As much as it is important to be proactive about your career development and proactive in your job. It is also important to rest, relax and take a break. There is no point in working yourself to death or burning yourself out. You are no use to anyone.

Rest Breaks At Work

What is your entitlement? Workers are usually entitled to rest breaks if they work for someone else. However their contract of employment may say that they are entitled to more or different work breaks.

If you work more than 6 hours a day you have the right to one uninterrupted 20 minute rest break during your working day. This is usually your lunch break.

You also have a right to 11 hours rest between working days and the right to an uninterrupted 24 hours work free period each week (or 48 hours in each fortnight).

Your employer can say when you take your rest break provided it is in the middle of your working day and you are allowed to spend it away from your desk (or working area). Unless your contract of employment states otherwise a worker does not have a right to take smoking breaks.

There are of course different rules depending on the type of work you do but these rules are true for more office-based workers unless their contract of employment states otherwise.

So what if you are self-employed? 

You work the hours you want. It is more than likely tht you push yourself without breaks and challenge yourself more. So just make sure you get some rest breaks in (and some holiday).

Y is for.. You Tube Marketing

If you are an employee (rather than an employer) you might think - what has marketing got to do with me? I have worked for a varierty of companies - some have dedicated marketing professionals - others leave it up to their employees.

In a small company taking on extra responsibility can get you noticed and work in your favour. Too often companies are reluctant to take advantage of youtube. Working in a senior-manager-heavy company I have found it important to take the time to explain online resources that can be utilised.  

What types of videos can we make for youtube? seems to be the most popular question I get asked. The advice I would give my own colleagues would be very different to the information that I might pass on to a friend working in a different industry. The type of video most suitable depends on your company, your brand, your product or service...

Think about what you like as a consumer. I find that the impressive demos, How-To and instructable videos work well.

Another approach is to think about the content that you have on your website  and complement it.  A more business-like approach is to embed interviews and client recommendations into your website - such simple starting points might go down better with a technology-adverse boss.

Whatever you do make sure your videos Inform, Educate, or Entertain.

This is an extract from Putting Pen to Paper's upcoming Career Development Workbook.

Celebrating the Small Things - 27 April

Once again I am taking part in Vik Lit's celebrating the small things...



Sorry for being a day late - I am blaming the a to z challenge for my lateness this week. I hope you are all having a great weekend so far.

This week I am celebrating...

1.  The release of Iron Man 3 (looking forward to seeing it as my end of week treat).

2. Getting in some writing time with a starbucks coffee - Yes, it is a bad habit to fall back into (and it is not a habit I can afford or sustain) but it does a wonderful thing of blocking out an hour of undisturbed writing each day when I am not in the house with the Nespresso.

3. Getting a "Thank you" from my boss.

4.  Supporting my other half's healthy eating routine. Successfully. (although I have hidden some crisps where he can't see them).

X is for.... X

X is for... X (and by X I mean roman numeral 10).

X (or 10) is a great number. A great number for lists. I love Top 10 Lists, and under L is for... Lists I wrote about keeping a list of my dream jobs (place to work). In my own personal career journal this takes the form of a Top 10 list (although it does not have to).

There are a number of "Top 10" lists that you should write (and review) as part of your career development:

I.   Top 10... Jobs 
This should be a list of your dream jobs, places that you would love to work etc. much like the list you wrote previously.

II.  Top 10... Clients or Projects
This list should be of opportunities you want to take advantage of - or the top clients and projects that you have worked on or if you are looking to the future - want to take on.

III.  Top 10... Achievements
The things that you have done in your career that you should be bragging about on your CV and in interviews.The things that should not go unmentioned.

IV.  Top 10 ... Skills
Make this list simply so you have thought about what your best skills are - yes you may know what you can do, but take some time to think about what you excel at.  

V.  Top 10... Ways to Relax
It should not be all about work. know what you do for fun and to relax and enjoy yourself.  Too often it can feel like you just have work and then home life (cooking, cleaning sleeping). I write - what do you do?

VI. Top 10... Tips for Doing Your Job
How would you explain to someone how to do the job. What advice would you give to your successor?

VII. Top 10 ... Improvements you would make
What would you improve about your job and what recommendations would you give to your boss if he asked (or gave you an unlimited budget).

VIII. Top 10... Things you love about your Job
How do you sell what you do? List what you love so when you have a bad day you can remember why you do the job and why you love it.

IX. Top 10... Resources
List the best external sources of information.

X. Top 10... Contacts
List your contacts in one handy place. Know who you can call on for advice, guidance and a good kick up the ass if necessary.

W is for... Word of Mouth

One of the strongest sources of job vacancies is Word ofMouth. It can be great for finding out more information about a vacancy, about a specific role or simply about a company.

Company Referral Schemes

A lot of larger or specilised companies will offer incentives to ther exisiting employees to refer colleague or friends for a job. This is usually a sum of money to their employee if they hire their referral or recommendation. Employees usually know some great people with the suitable skill set, a recommendation is usually also an endorsement that a candidate has good prospects.

With the right incentive and a good scheme in place a lot of great names will get handed over. You want to be one of these names. If you are a job seeker it is always worth asking friends, colleagues and networking contacts to let you know if they have any vacancies, as it is an incentive for them to check if they also have a referral scheme in place.

References and Reputation

Building up a good reputation and having a host of excellent endorsements or references is  another great way to use word of mouth to help you get a job - it may put your name in front of someone you didn't know was hiring, or thinking of hiring.

And you never know - an informal chat with someone might even make them consider creating a vacancy for you.

Company Satisfaction

Even if you have found the job vacancy through other means, Word of Mouth is a great way about finding out more about a company, their work culture, employee satisfaction etc. You might be right for the job, but you should also be considering if the job is the right fit for you...

This is an extract from Putting Pen to Paper's upcoming Career Development Workbook.

V is for... Vacancies

I have talked before about online resources which included a list of job search websites. Search Engines for job availabilities is the main way to find a job online.

But what other ways are there to find vacancies?

• Job Search Websites
• Industry Specific Websites
• Recruiters
• LinkedIn
• Subscriptions
• Word of Mouth (come back for tomorrow's post for more on this).
• Networking
• Social Media
• Newspapers
• Internal Jobs Board

Whether you are actively looking or not - opportunities arise when you least expect it.

U is for... Up To Date

Keeping up to date with current affairs, market and industry news and developments regularly can easily be forgotten or overlooked. However, it is an essential part of career development.

The type of updates that you will need to keep on top of will depend on your job and the industry or sector you work in. If you are aiming for a promotion, expand your knowledge with updates that you would expect your boss to be reading.

Whatever your job, whatever your role - keeping up to date can be both interesting and beneficial. Here are some suggestions on keeping up to date:

• Find a way to incorporate keeping up to date with current affairs into your daily routine and make it a habit. Watch the news at breakfast, listen to the radio during your communite, use a news app on your phone or read a newspaper or website during your lunch break. 
•  Subscribe to Key Industry Publications. Sometimes your company will do this for you - so don't be afraid to ask. If your boss already subscribes to a publication and is unwilling to shell out for another one - ask if you can read theirs when they are finished with it.
• Sign up for e-newsletters or email updates.
• Keep subscriptions to relevant websites or blogs. Have a section for work-related ones in your RSS reader of choice. 
• Think outside the box and subscribe to other websites or blogs of interest that might reveal some relevant hidden gems. I also like to read technology updates to see if there is anything I can utilise. 
• Find your update niche. Find a particular sub-topic that you are interested in and become the "go to" person for that topic. That little bit extra can go the long way particularly if no one else in your team has the same interest. 

This is an extract from Putting Pen to Paper's upcoming Career Development Workbook. 

T is for... Training

There are a number of courses readily available in our modern world whether these are run by professional bodies, dedicated companies, local universities, other local organisations or online these are all worth looking into and present you with different options. 

Courses – whether they are required by your job or not – are a great way of expanding your skills, knowledge and adding something to that all important CV. They are equally important regardless of whether you are a job-seeker, looking for a promotion or looking for a career change.

Training should feature as part of your overall objective, should feature in your Five Year Plan and should be a consideration when preparing for your appraisal.

Do you have a training budget? If not, not why not? Have you asked!

If work won't provide you with the training (or you want to learn new skills outside of your job description) are you prepared to find the time to sit the course and fund it yourself? Yes? Then you need a training plan.

Before starting consider the answers to the following questions:

1. What training have I already undertaken to get here?
2. What training am I required to do by law or company policy?
3. What training does my employer provide me with? 
4. Is there any else they should be providing me with?
5. Is there anything I already do online / in my free time?
6. What training do I need for get the job/position I want?
7. Will my employer provide me with this training?
8. What form will this training take?
9. Is there anything else I need to do myself?
10. What is next?

Once you know the answer to these questions you can start to formulate a plan.

This is an extract from Putting Pen to Paper's upcoming Career Development Workbook. 

S is for... Skills Analysis

 Take some time to analyse your skills while reviewing job applications:

1. Review your Skills

Skills come into two categories:

• Skills I have; and
• Skills to Improve.

When reviewing your skills try and split them into these two categories. What skills do you already have? Try and write these down in the "Skills I have List". Consider separately the skills you want to improve on or think you need for your ideal job. Write these down on the "Skills to Improve" list.

2. Analyse Job Descriptions

Next consider whether the skills to improve are the same skills you need for the jobs you are applying for.

When reviewing the "requirements" on job descriptions split them into the same two categories.  Only this time evidence the skills you do have and note which skills you need but do not have.

I review not only the jobs I am applying for but similar jobs. For example even if a job is a little outside of my commute and I won't be applying for it I still consider the skill requirements as they might benefit a job I later do apply for.

3. Improve your Skills

Consider HOW you are going to improve or obtain these skills and whether you have the means and resources to do so.

It might be as simple as taking on an extra project at work, attending a course or you may just need to push a little further on something you are already doing.

4. Priorise those that are "required" or "important" for the job you are applying for.

Add an action to your to-do list for the HOW you are going to obtain the skills you need to improve. Then actively work through the list of skills to improve.

This is an extract from Putting Pen to Paper's upcoming Career Development Workbook.

R is for... Recruiters

So you may have heard of recruitment specialists, but never used one or are not really sure what they do. Most recruitment consultants offer the following (confidential) services:

• Career Development Advice
• advice on the State of the Job Market
• CV and Application Checking
• Interview Training and Preparation
• Information about Vacancies
• Salary Information
• Contract Negotiation
• Knowledge of appropriate Contacts
• Business Plan Preparation 

A word of warning though. Not all recruiters are good - do you research - find an appropriate recruiter for you industry and the type of company you are applying for a job with. Your colleagues, HR department and/or University will usually be happy to make recommendations. 

Celebrating the Small Things... 19 April

Once again I am taking part in Vik Lit's celebrating the small things...

This week I am celebrating...

1. Reaching the half way point of the A to Z Challenge - and I am somehow surviving.

2. Nespresso Coffee

3. a Clean Car (all vacuumed out by my very nice other half)

4. a Night Out (first one in months)

5. Completing another chapter of my book. 

Have a nice Weekend!

Q is for... Quotes

What quote have you got on your mug or cubicle at work? I have a mug with the (now) overused "Keep Calm and Carry On" but I love it. However I might just have to update it to...

One of my favourites in my workplace kitchen is "Cinderella is proof that a new pair of shoes can change you life".

What is your favourite? Share your favourite workplace quotes in the comments.

P is for... Presentations

Does your employer do internal training sessions or regular updates as part of their training programme? If so, why not volunteer to give a presentation to your colleagues on a relevant topic? Quite frequently trainers are looking for internal presenters to plug the gaps between the external / headline speakers. 

Do this well and you will:

• Make HR/your Boss/ the Organiser forever grateful
• Draw yourself to the attention of those higher up the food-chain
• Work on/improve on your presentation skills
• Gain confidence 
• Get your name out there… in the wind and possibly in print
• Get the opportunity to talk with colleagues you don’t necessarily get to talk to your day-to-day job

Personally I hate giving presentations, but if you are well prepared and have researched your topic you will have no problem. 

Presentation Checklist:

1. Approach your Boss or Event Organiser - Approach them with a few topics in mind. They might have suggestions but if you are pro-active you might get to talk about something you actually know about (or want an excuse to research further). 
2. Research, draw up an outline and prepare your draft presentation – this is where the hard stuff starts – know what you are doing.
3. Set / Confirm the date – this enables you to plan ahead. 
4. Prepare Slides and/or handout – it is nice to have something prepared to prove that you are not just winging it – but don’t fall into the trap of being boring.
5. Know the Procedure – if you are showing slides or preparing a handout check what the procedure / technology requirements are in advance: 
   a.       Does your presentation need to be in a particular format?
   
   
   b.      Does it need to be approved in advance?
   
   
   c.       Does it need to be sent to I.T in advance?
   
   
   d.      How are you showing the slides?
   
   
   e.      Do you have to prepare the copies of the Handouts? Or Do you send to someone else in advance to prepare?
   
   
   f.        Are they to be merged with other handouts/put in a pack?
6.  Practice and test your presentation
7.  Be Prepared and have fun. 

This is an extract from Putting Pen to Paper's upcoming Career Development Workbook.

O is for... Online Resources

Today's post is a linkage post. Below are a number of links for some great online resources for finding a job:

1. gov.uk - Finding a Job
2. A to Z of Careers
3. Job Search Websites: Indeed, Fish 4 Jobs, Total Jobs, Monster and Jobsite are just a few of the general job hunting websites. Most industries also have there own specific job-hunting sites.
4. Graduate Resources: Prospects, Milkround and Target Jobs
5. Volunteering: DO-it!, VSO and CSV
6. Inspiring Interns
7. Brave New Talent 
8. LinkedIn

Share your own in the comments :)