How to Outsmart Your Interviewer with Body Language

How to Outsmart Your Interviewer with Body Language Before I understood these body language tricks, waiting for a job interview wasn’t exactly relaxing. I felt butterflies in my stomach, checked my watch every few minutes and reviewed answers to potential interview questions in my mind until I was invited into the room.   In short, I was grossly anxious, feeling like Shy Ronnie: Then I discovered, through first-hand experience, that your mind doesn’t just control your body; it’s reciprocal your body can control your mind.   You can actually trick your mind to project confidence, calmness and happiness through the actions of your body, even if you feel like throwing up inside. Regardless your subject of work, ranging from marketing to engineering, the stress from important interviews can be overwhelming. Imagine this scenario   By: Cary Edmondson You’ve just been offered an interview with your dream company. This isn’t just some random joe-schmo business you found on Craiglist, but the one you’ve pored everything you have into getting this interview. Countless hours of researching exactly what to ask, what to say and how to get an interview. Now the time has come and you’re interview is tomorrow. For the duration of a 1-hour interview, you have one chance to make it or break it with them. There is a lot riding on this. Needless to say, you’re a little nervous.   The good news?   You can use body language tactics to project calmness and confidence internally and externally. These tactics, taken directly from from a Harvard social psychologist and FBI agent with 25 years experience, make you feel more confident on the inside, which in turn radiate outward to your interviewer. In other words, your body can trick your mind. Before the Interview Let’s say your interview is at 2pm and you show up 10 minutes early. When you arrive ask the secretary if she can show you where the restroom is located. Take 3 minutes in the restroom, ideally in a private stall, while she notifies the hiring manager youve arrived. Set the timer on your phone and implement this 3 minute confidence booster: Smile for 30 seconds Do the superwoman for 2.5 minutes 1. Smile Dale Carnegie, notorious communication expert, once talked about the power of smiling, either forced or genuine, in his book How to Win Friends and Influence People:   You dont feel like smiling? Then what? Two things. First, force yourself to smile. If you are alone, force yourself to whistle or hum a tune or sing. Act as if you were already happy, and that will tend to make you happy. Here is the way the psychologist and philosopher William James put it: Action seems to follow feeling, but really action and feeling go together; and by regulating the action, which is under the more direct control of the will, we can indirectly regulate the feeling, which is not. So if you’re feeling nervous and cant genuinely smile, force it. It will still work. Hold your teeth together and pull your cheeks back into a forced smile for 30 seconds. It was proven in the Journal of Psychological Science that even the most forced of smiles can genuinely decrease your stress and make you happier. 2. Do the superwoman Social Psychologist Amy Cuddy ran a study, which turned into one of the most-watched TED talks ever, showing how power posing can significantly boost your confidence and decrease stress. Power posing raises testosterone levels (i.e. increases confidence) and lowers cortisol levels (i.e. reduces stress), allowing you feel more powerful, even if you really dont feel powerful inside initially.   Its scientifically proven your body can control your mind. She defines this power-pose as the superwoman pose, but also includes samples of a female political leader and, of course, Beyonce: Simply spread your legs shoulder width apart, place your hands on your hips, keep your chin up and look straight ahead. Do this for 2.5 minutes and youll feel (oddly) much more powerful. Its odd that this actually works, as Ive tried it, so feel free to stand up and give it a test run. This position is proven to lower your cortisol and increase your testosterone, making you feel more confident and calm. During the Interview Now that you’re happy, calm and confident on the inside, youll want to project that confidence on the outside. Here are a few neat tricks to not only display confidence to your interviewer, but allow you to feel more confident inside, just like the previous exercise.   The body can control the mind. 1. Steeple your hands Hand steepling, when you spread your fingertips, pressing them together in a prayer-like gesture, is a very high-confidence display of the hands. It signifies youre confident in your thoughts and dedicated to your point of view. Individuals in high-authority positions, including Donald Trump, use hand steepling to show dominance. 2. Keep your thumbs up Thumbs up or down is another gesture indicative of high confidence versus low confidence. So should you give an awkward thumbs up after you tell a positive story from your previous job? Or scream, ARE YOU NOT ENTERTAINED?!?! with thumbs up after answering an interview question? Not exactly. To project confidence and calm, keep your thumbs up, with fingers interlaced. This is a body language sign, frequented by authoritative people such as Vladimir Putin, that you are confident in your thoughts. Best used while illustrating a point in a story. 3. Feet pointed toward interviewer The feet, believe it or not, are the most honest part of your body. Not your eyes, not your mouth, not your hands your feet. Why? Because theyre the most reactive to your limbic brain. Your brain is separated into three parts: Reptilian (or stem) controls basic intuition like eating, drinking fluids, reproduction, peeing, sleep, etc Mammalian (or limbic) reacts to subconscious thoughts and emotions; the honest part of your brain Neocortex (or human) critical thought, allows us to develop software, fly to the moon and cook a gourmet meal Its critical to understand your brain controls all behaviors; whether going to the bathroom (reptilian), covering your ears when you hear a loud noise (mammalian), or hacking your Linkedin profile to get more endorsements (neocortex).   Critical thought separates the mammalian brain from the neocortex. For example, a suicide bomber may sweat profusely while being interrogated by a customs officer, because of the Mammalian brain, yet the neocortex allows him to lie with a straight face. Your limbic brain controls physiological functions, such as sweating or heavy breathing when scared, while your neocortex controls the ability to deceive and lie, pretending youre not afraid or nervous.   Similarly, when people are introduced, their feet naturally dont face each other. One foot usually faces the person, while the other points in another direction. Or if theyre very uncomfortable, both feet are facing away from the person, while their torso and eyes face toward the person. Try observing this when you see people meet for the first time. More than likely, their feet wont be facing each other. Thus, when you face someone completely, both feet pointed toward them, it projects confidence and openness. 4. Sit up straight, shoulders back, lean in When you sit up straight and open up your chest, thus pulling your shoulders back, its scientifically proven to raise your confidence, proven by a study conducted by Amy Cuddy at Harvard. They separated people into two groups those sitting in a dominant positions (i.e. sitting up straight) against those sitting with poor posture (i.e. slouching), then let them gamble. People placed in a dominant position were 45% more likely to make a riskier bet. By sitting up straight, youll naturally be more likely to take risks, due to your increased testosterone and confidence. Similarly, when asked a question, lean in toward your interviewer. This shows youre listening closely to the question, are comfortable with the interviewer and conveys engagement. The process of leaning in is a subset of ventral fronting, where your torso faces the direction you favor. This is the opposite of ventral denial, where you turn away from something you dont like. This is why we slightly turn to the side when someone approaches us at a party we dont like and lean in toward those were interested in. Thus, show your interviewer you are comfortable with them by sitting up straight, keeping your shoulders back and leaning in. Body language to avoid Now that weve covered body language tricks to convey during the interview, these are 5 critical body language tips you should avoid. 1. Neck or face touching Neck or face touching is the adult equivalent of toddlers sucking their thumb. When wanting to feel comfortable, adults assume pacifying behaviors such as neck or face touching. Pacifying behaviors are the limbic brains response when we experience something unpleasant. They all accomplish the same thing the brain requires the body to stimulate nerve endings, releasing calming endorphins in the brain, so that the brain can be soothed. These stroking behaviors when asked a difficult interview question dont help us solve problems, rather, they help us remain calm while we do. Men touch their faces. Women touch their necks, clothing, jewelry, arms and hair. Neck touching is arguably the most powerful and universal pacifying behavior. This demonstrates insecurity and limited confidence. Here are some examples: In other words, keep your hands off your face and neck! 2. Leg cleansing Leg cleansing is another pacifying behavior, where you rub down from upper quad to knees, with knees and feet close together. This gesture accomplishes two things at once it dries sweaty palms and pacifies through tactile rubbing. Similar to touching your face, rubbing your hands down your legs is a pacifying behavior that displays anxiety. Dont do it. 3. Interlocking your ankles Locking your feet suddenly after being asked a tough question may suggest discomfort or insecurity. Interlocking the ankles is the limbic brains response to the freeze, fight or flight intuition to threats. When your uncomfortable with a question or situation, you naturally lock your ankles together in a freeze position. Again, the feet are the most honest part of the body, so when people are comfortable, they tend to unlock their ankles. 4. Crossing your arms When its socially unacceptable to lean away or distance ourselves from something we dislike, we subconsciously cross our arms. Its the limbic brains response to blocking individuals away from you. Unfortunately, it also shows insecurity and anxiousness to your interviewer when asked a tough question. Think of when youre in public. You often cross your arms while in line somewhere or waiting at a crosswalk. However, youll rarely sit this way while waiting around the house or watching TV. Why? Because youre never uncomfortable merely sitting around your house. 5. Pressing lips together When we press our lips together, to the point they almost seem to disappear, the limbic brain is telling you to not let anything inside your body, because youre so consumed with a stressful situation. Pressing your lips together, also known as lip compression, is a very clear sign someone is troubled or something is wrong. Such as congressman Anthony Weiner caught doing something he shouldnt have: Tricks? Or internal belief? Although these body language tactics can influence your interviewer, they should truly be used to influence only one person you. Implementing these tactics will allow you to not only portray confidence on the outside, but feel more confident on the inside. Control your body, control your mind. Because internal confidence is what separates a good interview, from a great one. Author: Scott Tousley writes for Portfolium, the startup pissed off about unemployed college graduates and increasing student debt, so they created an online portfolio platform that helps college students land their dream job with prestigious companies.

Make the most of your time when applying for placements - Career Geek

Make the most of your time when applying for placements - Career Geek Time Struggle When Applying For Placements Time management. This is a competency that most employers are looking for when recruiting placement students. The ability to manage your time through planning, prioritising and executing is a valuable tool in the workplace, to ensure that business deadlines are met. And yet a common complaint that I hear from students about applying for placements is that they don’t have enough time to make applications. Time Struggle When Applying For Placements [one_fourth last=no]Studentswith aspirations of moving into graduate-level jobs, sourcing work experienceshould be towards the top of their priority list, if not Number 1   Placement Officer[/one_fourth]I am fairly sympathetic to students when it comes to demands on their time. There are diligent students who attend all their lectures and seminars. They will have coursework to write and essential course reading to complete. Students often have part-time jobs to help support them through university. People like me encourage students to get involved with clubs and societies to help bolster applications which take away more time. Once extra-curricular and social activities are taken into the equation, it is not surprising that a student will not want to sit down for a couple of hours to fill out an online application, particularly if they have already experienced an impersonal automated rejection email from another employer. There will, of course, be students who say they are too busy t o apply for jobs, when in actual fact they mean they are too busy with their X-Box, but on the whole, when my students tell me they struggle to find time to apply for jobs, I believe them. But here is the thing. While I took a break from blogging for a few weeks, the worst this will have done for me is to hinder the momentum that was built up in the first 6 weeks of my blog. My priorities are clearly set, with the day job and family commitments at the top of my list. For students who have gone to university with aspirations of moving into graduate-level jobs, sourcing work experience, whether through internships or year-long sandwich placement, should be towards the top of their priority list, if not Number 1. I appreciate that this won’t in itself create more hours in the day, so here are a few strategies to help students to save time when making placement applications. Use your Careers Service when applying for placements To me this is a no brainer. Your University employs people who offer help and advice to improve CVs and applications.  If you send poor application after poor application, you won’t get anywhere fast. Save yourself time by going to see your Placement Officer / Careers Adviser and have them cast their eye over what you are sending to employers. Get this right early on and you are more likely to find success.  [SPONSORED: 5 Tools To Improve Your Graduate Job Search ] Let the placements come to you Do you use Twitter or Facebook? Then get updates on new placement opportunities from the likes of Rate My Placement. Better still, register an account with them and you can get emails about placements you may be interested in and manage your placement applications. Lots of universities now have Twitter services that let users know about newly advertised opportunities follow them so you can be kept up-to-date. Recycling is not just good for the environment Before you press send on an online application form, make sure you save down your answers to competency based questions. You’ll soon find that many companies ask similar questions, so rather than reinvent the wheel, dive into a pool of answers from previous applications. Be careful with this though, as it can be very easy to cut and paste something into an answer that will kill your application. If you write that you have always aspired to work for IBM when applying to Intel, it is safe to say your application will end in the bin. An answer bank is a starting point, but you will still need to answer the specific question on the form. Apply smart There is no avoiding the fact that if you only apply for placements with companies who have lengthy applications forms, you will find time an issue. Alongside the more glamorous names, your Careers Service will advertise companies which have less onerous systems. Some may only want students to apply by sending a CV. Even the most hard-pressed student can’t complain about the time it takes to attach a file to an email and press send. Maximise your downtime If coursework, lectures etc take up a huge amount of time, students can utilise the vacation periods to apply for jobs. In the heat of the summer holidays, it would be prudent to fire off some applications now before getting back to university and losing the great opportunity of finding work experience that will be crucial for your graduate job search. 5

Why You Should Outsource Your Back Office and Customer Service -

Why You Should Outsource Your Back Office and Customer Service - Back office operations can be considered the backbone of a company, and just as important as direct customer service. Traditionally, the front office of a business are the employees who are in direct contact with the consumer. This staff was considered the one that directly generates revenues for the company. The back office is composed of areas that don’t directly generate revenue for the business, but provide vital   support and administration. Without such support, a business wouldn’t be able to run, so their role is no less important than front office staff. In fact, the front office depends on the work done by their back office colleagues. As businesses grow, they tend to depend more on modern methods of working to upgrade their efficiency and accordingly increase their profits. We can see more businesses depending on outsourcing their back office and customer service staff. Companies wouldn’t do that unless there are valid reasons to do so, which we’ll tell you about now. Cut costs: The main reason for any business to decide to outsource is to cut costs. In some cases, costs can be cut by over 60%. While this is attractive to any business owner, outsourcing today is more than just about cutting costs but is an entire strategy. Free employees for other core business matters: Some functions are difficult because they are tedious, such as data entry, though vitally important. Other tasks are mundane. It’s often, not always recommended that tedious jobs be done in-house. For example, when you outsource your insurance staff you will reap many benefits including, but not limited to: reducing delays and errors in the workflow, streamline workflow, and be provided with full risk control by an expert team. Doing so, allows you to use staff members for core business actions that have a direct impact on day to day operations. Expansion: Reaching across the globe to expand your business has never been easier than today with modern technology. Offshore or external outsourcing allows you to tap into new markets and be in touch and communicate with the end-user. Multi-media response: Most companies use more than one platform to reach target audiences. Companies today require a customer contact system able to handle phone calls, messages, inquiries, mostly done via electronic communication. Customers expect a high level of communication. When communication is mainly virtual, there is no reason to have a customer service in-house desk because you need a specialized team dedicated to customers 24/7 online. Increase efficiency: A do-it-all-alone company has much higher research, development, marketing, and distribution expenses. At the end, these expenses are passed on to the customer. An outside providers cost structure can give your business a crucial competitive edge. Start new projects quickly: An experienced outsourcing firm already has the talent available, so you don’t have to go hunting around for the right people, delaying a new project. You can reduce the amount of time and effort, not to mention possible training of new people, with already available talents in outsourcing companies. Focus on your business by outsourcing customer service and back office Time is a limited resource. So is the attention needed to focus on every single, individual task. We started by saying the driving force to outsource your back office and customer service is to cut costs.    It certainly is but it’s not the only reason nor even necessarily the best reason.   It just make good business sense.

Why You Wont Find Many Canadian Companies Online

Why You Wont Find Many Canadian Companies Online Canada is a connected country. With a total population of approximately 37 million (2017), Canada boasts a whopping 34 million internet users. That means ~93% of the total population is online. And if you’re looking to grow your talent pool in Canada, that’s great news. Of that total number, 64% of online Canadians have an account with at least one of the major platforms (defined as Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube, and Instagram). And it’s estimated that over ? of them access their accounts more than once per day. So if you’re looking to make an impact on potential passive applicants, you can hardly go wrong with a targeted social media campaign here. Two quick words about recruitment marketing and social media marketing as we discuss them here. Recruitment marketing is the use of inbound marketing tactics to attract and retain passive job candidates to your talent pool. This differs from traditional recruiting in that you are not marketing a job opening, you’re marketing your company as a great place to work in an effort to have these passive seekers come and find you when they’re ready to switch positions. Social media marketing is the use of these platforms (Facebook, Twitter, et al) to spread the word about your company’s employer brand and employee value proposition to the masses. By targeting your ideal candidate persona on each specific channel, you can ensure these talented people remember your company and will seek out your careers page when the time is right, with no further work on your end. Now that we’re clear on those terms, let’s jump into our list of the top 5 recruitment marketing channels in Canada: 1. Facebook No surprises here: the biggest social media network in the world is also the biggest in Canada, with a whopping 84% of connected Canadians using the platform. With a monthly active user count sitting at 80%, there’s a very good chance your target candidates can be found here. Facebook’s demographics in Canada are a little different than in other countries, with a more consistent spread across age cohorts. Starting with ~90% of the 18-25 group and landing on ~75% of the 55+ range. No matter the career stage you’re looking for, they can be found on Facebook. With one of the most robust ad platforms in the world, creating and targeting your ads to the right demographic is easy. You can even save multiple target audiences once you have the parameters set, making it a snap to come back with a new ad and get it posted in no time. Facebook allows a wide range of post types, so mix it up for better reach. Long-form blog posts, infographics, and even videos can all help attract the candidates you’re looking for. 2. YouTube Coming in a relatively distant second in terms of reach is YouTube with 59% of connected Canadians. YouTube may not be what you think of when you think “social media,” but don’t overlook the power of video to get your message across. While the more social features like comments and likes are not used by everyone on the site, they are growing in popularity every day, which makes YouTube a potentially intriguing option for engaging your target personas. If you have the ability to produce slick video content, this is your dream platform. Maybe put together a highlight reel of last years achievements, with commentary by some of the employees involved. This helps to put a face on the company and its accomplishments. Or, take your viewers on a tour of your corporate campus, showing off your amenities in vivid detail. And remember when engaging with followers in the comments: the demographic skews toward the 18-25 cohort. 3. LinkedIn Coming next is the ultimate site for B2B networking, LinkedIn. Don’t let the narrow focus deter you: this channel is quite active for certain workers and is great for highlighting certain content. A commendable 46% of online Canadians have accounts on LinkedIn, giving you plenty of potential eyeballs for your posts. Adoption is high across age ranges again, like with Facebook, with a bit of a lean toward the mid-career 35-55 range. That is to say, if you’re looking to fill entry-level positions, you might do better elsewhere. But if you’re looking to attract mid-level positions, this is your goldmine. LinkedIn users tend to enjoy long-form content, and once they decide they like your stuff, they’re also likely to follow and engage with you in the comments or via direct messaging (called InMail). The highest active user group in Canada is self-employed, meaning that this channel has the potential for active networking efforts. 4. Twitter With 42% of online Canadians claiming accounts here, Twitter seems to have weathered its recent spate of bad press and come out the other end swinging. 18-34-year-olds make up the vast majority of regular tweeters, so if you’re targeting Millennials or Gen-Y this channel is worth considering. The focus on short-form (240 character max) posts encourages regular updating to keep your feed fresh. It also means that the user’s feeds are updated constantly, the average half-life of a tweet is only 18 minutes. At the same time, a recent study showed that 30% of people on Twitter would do business with a company that handled customer interaction via Twitter well. Even if they weren’t involved in said interaction. Just imagine what that could mean for your potential candidate pool if you managed your account well, responded to inquiries, and engaged via retweeting and liking others content. 5. Instagram Quick note: technically, Pinterest comes next solely in terms of percentage of active users. However, for this list, we took into account the usefulness of each platform as well as the sheer volume of eyeballs present, and with that in mind we bumped Instagram up a rung into fifth place. Coming in at 36% of actively connected Canadians, Instagram shares an ad platform with parent company Facebook, making it simple and easy to cross-post ads using the same pre-set target audience parameters. Two important things to remember when laying out your recruitment marketing campaign for Instagram: its user base leans heavily toward the Gen-Y crowd (18-25 years old), and it is image-centric. That means it’s time to dust off your digital camera and imaging software to compose compelling images that depict your employer brand in eye-catching ways. This platform is fantastic for flashy content designed to draw in new followers, who you can then direct to your more detailed content on Facebook or straight to your careers page. One last useful fact about social media in the Canadian market is that only 39% of Canadian companies have a presence online, yet the overwhelming majority of page visits in the country are to corporate sites and social media profiles. In terms of recruitment marketing here, this means there is a massive untapped potential for you to step in and direct the attention of your target audience to your presence and to wow them with your content. Then, once they’re in love with your EVP, they’ll flock to your careers page when the time is right to make a career move. About the author:  Adrian Cernat  is CEO and co-founder of SmartDreamers, a Recruitment Marketing Automation platform that empowers recruitment teams to smartly advertise jobs across the web. Integrated with Facebook, Google Ads, YouTube, Snap, Instagram, publishers, and niche websites, SmartDreamers streamlines the recruitment marketing processes.

Do I Need a Resume Writing Service?

Do I Need a Resume Writing Service?When you go to job hunting, you might think that your resume will be all you need to get a job interview. However, that is not the case. Here are some tips to help you write a winning resume.One of the things you will want to avoid is going into job search after job search without updating your resume. You need to make sure that you are always revising your resume and are working towards improving it. You need to check your skills and knowledge against job openings and job descriptions so that you know what you are going to highlight in your resume.A great way to do this is to use a professional resume writing service. These services can provide a professional resume writer to write a resume for you at a very affordable price. They can also guide you on how to write a perfect resume for you.One of the most important aspects of a resume is the skill and knowledge that you have. You should only list your skills and knowledge that you can work with. If you have training from a university that is relevant to the job that you are applying for, then this should be included in your resume.It is also very important to include all of your training and qualifications as well as any skills you have acquired. This will help your potential employer see that you are a competent worker. This will help them understand why you are being considered for the job, thus giving you an advantage over others.The last thing that you should consider is your past and current employment. The fact that you have more than one job will show that you are very flexible and can work around your current responsibilities. They will be able to easily see that you can work under difficult situations and are willing to do whatever it takes to make the workday run smoothly.Make sure that you are focusing on the information that is needed to help you get a job. This is something that will help you get the job and give you the chance to start your new career. Having th e resume ready will help you get a better deal on the job that you are applying for.When you use a resume writing service, they will have already done the legwork for you. They will know exactly what to include on the resume to make it standout above the rest. When you make the choice to use a professional service to write your resume, you will be able to create a professional and appealing resume that will get you hired faster.

Remodel Your Home for a More Practical and Pristine Vibe

Remodel Your Home for a More Practical and Pristine Vibe When you walk through your front door you often struggle to feel inspired; your house has become a practical place to sleep, eat your dinner and sit on the couch on a Friday night.    As a career driven person you have put the interior design of your home to the bottom of your to-do list and it’s finally time to make a change for the better. Whether you’re looking to protect your home through the winter, make it a more creative space to work or build your family’s forever home for the future, there are so many renovations that you can make to your home in a quick and simple way. No matter what kind of budget you are working with, you will soon find that your creativity starts to shine when remodelling your home. You will need some help from the experts in the very beginning, but you will soon have the freedom to make all of the changes you want. You might feel the need to make your home more family friendly, with more outdoor features for the children. If this kind of style doesn’t sound right for you, then why not opt for the minimalistic approach? Giving your home a makeover is everybody’s personal choice, so it is up to you to make all of the important decisions yourself. As long as you have a vague idea in mind about your vibe, colour schemes and remodeling options you will soon have the most practical and pristine home in town. Modern Remodeling When it comes to remodeling your home, you should always seek out the expert advice and help from a reputable remodeling company. With their help and expertise you can trust their judgments and have minimal disruption to your day to day life. Companies such as Schemel-Tarrillion Inc will always have their client’s best interests at heart, so there will be no need for you to move out and relocate whilst they remodel your kitchen, bathroom, bedrooms or any other aspect of your home. Whether it’s a complete lounge refitting or a small tweak to your wooden flooring, they will have it covered for you. Outdoor Overhaul Your home makeover wouldn’t be complete without a change up to your outdoor space. It completely depends on how much space you have to work with, so don’t worry if you only have a small backyard. There are many ways in which you can revamp your outdoor space, from small changes to your plants and trees to a brand new summer house installation. Try and plant some flowers than will blossom with the seasons and choose complimenting colour schemes to match your preferences. You might need to make your garden more family friendly by building a fence around a pond or installing a swing set. Do whatever is right for you and grab inspiration from gardening magazines and landscaping experts. Home Office Happiness When you run a business from home it is very important to get your office space practical and pristine right from the very beginning. You need a separate space in your home to get your work done, otherwise you can easily become distracted and unmotivated. Choose a calming colour scheme that gets your brain into work mode straight away. Whether it’s a soothing neutral white or a chilled out sky blue; your preference is what is important here. Find some simple storage solutions online that can keep your desk and documents all in order. When your home office is neat and tidy, your creative mind will be much more productive. Pristine Paintwork Certain colours and patterns can make your home look bigger, so make sure you use these techniques as much as you can. People often become perplexed when it comes to remodeling a smaller or more limited home, but there are so many options out there ready to be explored. Opt for white paint for your walls and ceiling when you can; this bright colour will truly open up even the smallest of rooms.    Place mirrors on the walls opposite natural light whenever you can too, because this will give you the illusion of a larger space. When it comes to painting your rooms a brand new colour, make sure you get plenty of samples from the hardware store before you take the leap and paint the entire room. You might find the shade looks a lot darker once you actually paint it within the space. Most paint samples will be free of charge, so you won’t have to worry too much about blowing your budget on these. Go Greener Whilst your home undergoes a makeover, it might be time to think about how you can improve your carbon footprint. Often an eco-friendly home is much cheaper to run, so start thinking about ways to save energy, cut back on water consumption and keep your home insulated. You might also want to consider growing your own herbs and vegetables, as this will help to reduce plastic packaging and waste on a daily basis. Freshly grown ingredients always taste so much more delicious, so give it a go, even if you are dubious at the start. Living Space Luxury Your living room is arguably the most-used room in the entire house, so you want to make it look and feel as welcoming and luxurious as possible. Think about your set up and whether you have an open plan kitchen and dining room or seperate rooms. During the remodeling of your home, you might wish to open up the space a little more so that you can enjoy a more spacious vibe throughout the entire house. Family Friendly Features Perhaps your motivation for changing up your home is due to the fact that your family is expanding. Perhaps you have a new arrival on the way and need to boost the safety features in your home. Baby proofing can be a time consuming task, but you should always make sure you do this thoroughly to avoid potential dangers to your little one. You might also need to redecorate a room and invest in new furniture for a nursery; this is an exciting time for you so enjoy the process as much as you can. Seasonal Saviness Your home needs to be adaptable to the different seasons, so make sure you take this into consideration when purchasing all of your accessories and cozy comforts. In the winter time you want to come home to thick duvets, dark woods and fluffy blankets on the sofa. In summer it is much better to keep your rooms light, bright and free of clutter. With autumn quickly approaching you might find it useful to start transitioning to the new seasons slowly. You can purchase a tonne of beautiful autumn accessories and soft furnishings that will compliment your personal style and new home decor. Minimal Magic The minimal look is extremely popular right now, so try to throw out all of that unwanted, useless junk that you no longer need. You might want to hire a skip for the week so you can quickly and easily get rid of your unnecessary items. Having a good old clear out in your home means that you can truly start a fresh and start to think about how you really want to utilise all of this new space. You will soon find that rooms seem bigger and cupboards seem more spacious after a much needed decluttering session. When you think about all of the things you could change about your home it can all become a little overwhelming; with so many options available to you it can be difficult to know where to start and how to progress. In the initial stages all you need to do is contact a reputable remodeling company who will be able to advise you on what would work for your home. As long as you have a vague idea in your mind, the rest will quickly follow. When you run your business you often have to think creatively and quickly. Use your business acumen to create the home of your dreams instead of settling for second best. There are so many successful business people out there who don’t spend enough time on their home. They throw themselves into their business and forget that home life is extremely important too. As long as you strive for what you want you will soon become more content with your work life and your home life. Whether you take on a huge remodeling project in your backyard, touch up the paintwork in your living area or create the perfect family friendly environment you can be sure that your hard work and efforts will pay off. Remodeling your home will not happen overnight, but you will start to see positive changes over time. As long as you put your trust in the experts and stick with your personal tastes, your home makeover will be worth all of your time, effort and money.

Jobs That Do Not Require You to Be a Graduate - CareerAlley

Jobs That Do Not Require You to Be a Graduate - CareerAlley We may receive compensation when you click on links to products from our partners. I know how contradictory the title sounds, especially when all we are taught right from the grade first is that a college degree is the only way to get a high paying job. In fact, for more than 90 % of us the motivation to pursue higher education in college is a respectable job with equally honorable salary. This post is the perusal of the same. It is a popular belief that the stairs to success passes through the college campus. There is no denying the fact that education, and more precisely higher education has a vital role to play in deciding the future career path of an individual. But it is also true that in the knowledge based economy that we are living today, nothing sells like skills. If you have the right skill set supplemented by some achievements then there is no reason why an employee would not consider giving you an equal opportunity. Here are some of the best paying jobs that will hire you even if you are not a scholar in the same. Fashion Designer Fashion designing is one career that most creative professionals can pursue without having any degree or diploma although one doesnt discounts the advantage candidates having formal education have over those who dont have. What could be motivating news to those who do not wish to pursue a college major in fashion designing is that a majority of the worlds reigning top fashion designers do not posses any formal degree in the same. Ralph Lauren, Giorgio Armani, Prada, you name it and the fact remains that fashion industry is filled with titans who have made it big without the help of text books. However, not having a degree isnt an excuse for not learning essential skills like computer-aided design without which your prospects arent as good as you would want it to be. The median annual salary of fashion designers is around $63,170. Nurse Becoming a registered nurse has various educational requirements. However, having a four year degree isnt one of them. There are generally three educational paths that aspirants follow that include a diploma in nursing from an approved college and passing a Registered Nurse national licensing exam. Multiple surveys have revealed that nursing jobs have great prospects in the coming year. The salaries of nurses vary with the acquired skills and experience. However, on an average a Registered Nurse can expect to earn a handsome pay of around $42,000 annually. Online Advertising Manager With the explosion of Internet as an effective advertising medium, the job market is abuzz with positions of Online Advertising Manager. There is no specific educational requirement for the same, with companies focusing on skills rather than go by a candidates education credentials. That effectively means if you know what works on the Internet and how to sell a product to an online audience which is famous for its fickle nature, and you can prove it then this job is yours for sure. The average starting salary for Online Advertising Managers is $40,000 and the income growth potential is estimated at a whopping 255%. Web developer It is a fact that there are more self-taught web developers in the world, earning huge sums of money than those who have gone through the efforts of completing a bachelors degree in computer science or IT and then went on to pursue web development as a career. Web development is a golden goose for those who have even the tiniest inclination towards computers, computer languages. Throw in a little bit of creativity and what you get is the one of the best paying careers one can have without going through the ordeals of formal degree. The average annual income of web developers is $43,000 and the growth rate is 179%. Insurance Agent In these uncertain times where a mishap is always waiting to happen having insurance is the best way to cover the caused damages. Everyone needs insurance, and therefore insurance jobs are abound and plenty. No doubts, it takes a man with strong convincing skills to make people believe in the benefits of the insurance but other than that there is not much in terms of education that insurance companies ask for while hiring for agents. There are many types of insurance covers that include health, property, and life, automotive and so on. It is not the most glamorous job in the world, but pays you enough to keep off your tenant from coming every month asking for rent. Author Bio:- Saurabh Tyagi is an expert writer having interest in diverse topics like education, technology, career and jobs. He writes on various domains including how to be successful in career, leadership skills, and how to search for nursing jobs, fashion designer jobs etc. Besides writing, he is a self-confessed gadget-freak. This is a Guest post. If you would like to submit a guest post to CareerAlley, please follow these guest post guidelines. Good luck in your search. Joey Trebif