Working 100 hours a week is often rewarded by a company - with many employees gaining and cashing reward certificates etc. for no leave taken in a gazillion odd years. Do you really want to be seen as someone constantly attached to their mobiles or blackberry’s - never an arms reach away from the office - Constantly stressing over every minute or large detail?

Experts say workaholics are driven more by an internal need than an external one. To be honest workaholics often don’t really put out much more production or efficiency than they would have had they stuck to an 8 hour day, and an x amount of holidays pattern, allowing themselves to recharge and bounce back stronger and faster than ever.

They may appear to be working for that 18 hour day but it’s likely they aren’t focused, and often put out mediocre performance once their bodies and brains check out for the night (5 hours earlier). Nobody appreciates or aspires to burn out - so don’t kid yourself into thinking you’re being a role model - or more productive - you can’t check out of life completely for work, that in itself will hamper your stability in the workplace.

With 1,900 staff nationwide, Bright House is a major employer in the local communities where our 178 stores are located. A further 25 stores are set to open during the next 12 months.

So if you feel you have what it takes to be on the sales, customer service, marketing, administration, or any one of the other HR Bright House teams - this is your chance!

Visit their profile on www.employersjobs.com today and apply for your position by clicking HERE!

If your score is high, which commonly is anything around the score of 120 to 130, embrace your ability, which means don’t hide that you’re smart. Take care not to brag, but when you think about your own mind, feel good about it.

Use your intelligence, because it is a power, and use it for good. Solve a complex traffic problem. Chart weather patterns. Benchmark human resources in a company. Begin a company and nurture it from the ground up. Don’t sit back and let life be easy because your mind makes it so. Take on more.

Trust your mind. Ask questions, especially of experts. The point of intelligent people in this world is to question accepted conventions, and to think laterally where others may only have thought on a single plain. This is the benefit of human complexity. And on that note: find kindred spirits so that they may encourage and help you build on your gifts. Your intelligence may make you feel like you’re an island. But there are others like you out there and it’s your responsibility to find them.

If you’re frustrated with society’s institutions, such as schools, colleges or corporations; consider going it alone. If you’re a self-motivated learner, your work will be more relevant if you’re not held back by strictures that don’t apply to you. But remember to give yourself a break: no genius is a genius all the time, just like an idiot isn’t an idiot all the time. Maintain an even strain and you’ll get more from your mind.

And last of all; find the right person to love you. One of the signature characteristics of geniuses, according to Dr. Marty Nemko writing for US News, is that they use their brains during most of the time that they’re awake. Average people, after a 40-hour work week, are more likely to turn to mindless activities, like watching TV. So you need someone patient and loving who’s going to understand why you’re reading yet another dissertation at 11pm, instead of watching Heroes on TV with her.

Salmansohn recommended you use the method that Graham Thoma Chipperfield, a lion tamer with Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus, used after he was bitten by Sheba, one of his 500 pound lionesses. “Before he (Chipperfield) got back in the cage with her, he analysed the event from Sheba’s point of view. First he recognised that lions tend to think of the trainer as another lion. So when he attempted to break up a fight between her and another lion, Sheba figured he wanted to join the fight.”

Importantly, Chipperfield didn’t blame Sheba for her wrong thinking, nor did he fixate on negative thinking toward her, as humans tend to do. He took the time to consider the incident from her perspective. “This is the same technique used by many therapists, beginning with Freud, called “mimesis”. Through role-play from that party’s perpective, patients can better understand why someone has “bitten” them, and hopefully avoid being bitten again. If you’ve been fired, rejected, yelled at – taked time today to see things from Sheba’s point of view, so that perhaps you can avoid these things happening again.”

Of course, if is very tempting to dwell on a negative situation, and to ask “Why me?” “Why didn’t I…” “But what if…” Salmansohn suggests that you think of these question as coming from an outside source: would they be acceptable in that case? Most likely they’d elicit some interesting answers from you. And importantly, ensure that you limit the amount of time you spend obssessing about negative events so that you’re able to take some good away from it. Move on and up.

Don’t summarise.

Your CV is a precis of who you are, elegantly slanted towards the job that you’re applying for; assuming that didn’t apply for hundreds. It’s a showcase of your professional life so far, and it gives a good impression of who you are daily, from when you’re standing in the kitchen making coffee, to when you’re seriously pitching ideas in the boardroom. My dad once said to me that out of thousands of applicants he hired a girl because she helped to bring up her three younger siblings,and because it showed a strength of character that was perfect for the job. You never know what you might need to say on your CV; think carefully, and remember to wrap it up.

And conversely: tell them all.

Don’t tell your employers your dog’s name; they don’t need to know it. Keep it slick – a nice two-page CV looks good in PDF, although acadamic and doctor’s CVs are a different story. Include the information that is strictly relevant to the job at hand, and remember to thoroughly research the job before you apply for it, lest you include information that is not relevant – that decreases your chances sentence by sentence.

Post yourself everywhere

Don’t undervalue your worth. Pick and choose where you’d like to be, and then put your everything in there. Network with the people you’d like to approach via LinkedIn, and get yourself an introduction. Your CV posted on a job board is a spam magnet, and a mark that your network isn’t as robust as it could be. That is not the impression that you should be making if you’d like to land the job of a lifetime.

Be afraid of paper

Emails can get lost in the corporate quagmire, so don’t be afraid to print yours out in some discreet colour ink, slot it into an envelope and leave it with your new boss’s secretary. Junk mail filters are more dangerous than ever, but put on a friendly face, and perhaps the boss will read your CV and you’ll get shunted to the top of the pile.

Don’t mention money

By the second interview, or depending on the process, the third – ask how much remuneration you’ll receive. This is central to your work, job satisfaction, ambition and motivatiion. Don’t let your employers trick you into thinking that family values come into any corporation in 2008; money makes the world go around, baby.

With many people reinforcing buzz words like ‘redundancy, credit crunch, recession and lowered profit margins’ in the media - it’s essential to stay positive thus shying away from negative or toxic situations caused by ‘redundancy’ talk.

It is very easy to shed workers in an attempt to cut costs - but essentially understanding the laws around redundancy and its execution is key to a successful turn around post staff shedding. Many countries see redundancy as a situation where employees for whatever reason are in surplus and there isn’t enough work to go around. OR where the same amount of tasks and work is available but for whatever reason fewer employees are needed to successfully complete this work.

If you end up laying off people based on a situation not deemed as valid redundancy - you could be putting your company up for hundreds of thousands of monetary loss over tribunals and law suits.

In fact in some situations where genuine redundancy is apparent - employers have been heavily penalised for not following the processes and systems in the correct manner. Therefore base investment needs to happen in order to even begin the process, thus bringing in expert advise and adhering to all possible laws and systems in place.

In essence it’s not the easy way out and does require expenditure of its own. Rather try and make it with the staff already on board if possible - as they are a valuable resource in troubled economic climates and you may find all hands on deck will steer you through the storm.

There is nothing like an uplifting can do attitude, it fortifies you for the gruelling process of procuring and executing interviews. Be sure to refresh your connections and contacts - networking is a good way to utilise opportunities that are right under your nose.

Be unique and try breaking out of the box when choosing how to represent yourself - you need to stand out from the crowd. When possible think about volunteering or offering your time for free, with the purpose of making new contacts and increasing the amount of opportunity generating people in your network.

Shake it up a little and diversify your job search. Perhaps consider working in another industry or sector of the economy that is related to your skills, but not necessarily something you have considered before. However don’t fall into an erratic or disorganised strategy for your jobs search. Being pulled in many directions can kill the essential focus you’ll need to be successful.

Don’t be afraid to ask for support from industry know how’s. Ask questions with the intent of building on the feedback you get in return. We’re only too happy to help you out, if you have any questions post your comments and we’ll discuss it.

Best of Luck!

To be fair when going through a stack of 100 CV’s it becomes a calling card on quickly summing up a potential decision makers interest in reading on about your skills, experience and talents.

The format of a cover letter can vary - but essentially - you need it to be short, neat, to the point, relevant to the position on offer and most of all convincing. As a platform giving the employer a chance to recognise the job experience (directly related to the available position) the cover letter can make or break your chances of getting called for an interview.

A cover letter needs to be written in a professional format with only a few sentences in each paragraph. The heading should consist of the jobseekers address, and the employers address with a gap between the two. Be sure to address the person / decision maker who will be executing the hiring process - if you don’t know who that is, you need to find out. 

Barker. P Bandana
8547 Varrissa Way
Bellville, Cape Town
South Africa
May 30, 2008

Cheryl Peters
HR Manager
Crest Side Publishing
25 Northwood Str
Plumstead, Cape Town
South Africa

Dear Ms. Peters

The initial paragraph should outline how it was you found out about the available position - and must only be a sentence or two.

Attached is my CV for my application to the journalist position advertised in the Argus Newspaper. I believe I would be an ideal candidate for the position based on experience and excellence.

The second/third paragraphs should summarize the relevant job skills that make you an ideal candidate for the position, further explaining the skills outlined on the resume.

As you will see from my attached CV, I have the educational and professional background required for this position. I have over three years experience in the same industry, and consider myself to be a very dedicated and enthusiastic worker. I would be honored to have the opportunity to work for your Company.

The final paragraph is for closing and should thank the decision maker for taking the time to read the letter. It should also ask to set up an interview be sure to include possible days or time frames when scheduling an interview is most convenient. 

I believe setting up an interview would be beneficial for the both of us, in order to discuss my professional background and my possibilities as one of your employees. I am available any time before noon, and can meet after business hours as well.

The letter should end with a formal closing, which will include a signature as well as the name typed out.

Thank you for taking the time to read this letter, and I look forward to hearing from you soon.

Sincerely,
(Signature)
_________________
Barker. P Bandana

People have various ways of managing their stress; some meditate or do yoga or tai chi, others take up high-impact, adrenalin sports and others internalise it until one day they explode and come to work with a rifle. From this we can determine that there are healthy and unhealthy ways of dealing with stress. In an interesting study by the University of East Anglia, Norwich, England, researchers found that swearing actually relieves stress felt by employees, and can also reinforce solidarity and cohesiveness among staff.

According to the study, “non-conventional” and “uncivil” language can have a positive effect on company morale, even though older managers and top executives may not entirely approve. Yehuda Baruch, professor of management at the UEA-based Norwich Business School, says that while swearing may be widespread and commonplace among staff, most of it occurs as a habit of speech and contains no real aggression or malice.

Age plays a role in the tolerance of profanity, with younger managers and professionals showing greater tolerance (and more colourful language) than their older counterparts. As far as gender was concerned, however, the discrepancy in profanity wasn’t as big as you might expect. Women are just as capable of cursing a blue streak as men, especially among themselves.

These days, employers are encouraged to take responsibility for the health of their employees and that includes their stress levels. Many companies have anger management or workplace wellness programmes in place to facilitate the psychological, emotional and mental stability of their staff. Workplace wellness programmes in particular are quite popular internationally. Dr Craig Nossel, Deputy General Manager of Discovery Vitality, SA, says that 95% of Fortune 500 companies in the US have wellness programmes in place. He adds that that there is a strong correlation between employee wellness and improvements in staff morale, loyalty and performance, as well as a reduction in operating costs.

According to the US Association of Labour Management Administrators and Consultants, each dollar invested in wellness usually results in savings of between 300% and 500%, especially in terms of reduced absenteeism and increased productivity.

Whether companies encourage profanity or wellness is up to them, the important thing, however, is that they start taking a keener interest in the health (physical and mental) of their employees.

http://www.health24.com/news/Workplace/1-957,39850.asp

http://www.health24.com/news/Workplace/1-957,42584.asp

Being in the UK I’m hearing a great deal about the pending recession and the recruitment climate crisis in the media. If all the hype is true then it’s the basics we can’t afford to be worrying about.

I’ve often heard of people with fantastic CV’s, references and experience - who bomb the opportunity in the interview over one of the following basic big no’s no’s. It’s critical to be competitive face to face as well as on paper - by applying the following you’ll be off to a good start.

First Impressions: Your appearance matters - make sure your clothes, hair and accessories are appropriate to the company or organisation you are applying to. If doubtful - always opt for smart, clean and simple. Personal Hygiene is very important, guyz make sure you’re cleanly shaven OR if you’re sporting a beard that it’s neatly groomed.

Honesty is the Best Policy: It’s certainly ok to be selective about certain details and which need to be glossed over in order to pitch you for the job in an effective manner - it is not ok to blatantly lie about anything. If it is found out you will lose both the job offer and your integrity in the field.

If you don’t have anything nice to say - say nothing at all: Negatively slandering a previous employer or fellow colleagues communicates a spirit of toxicity around your application - employers are looking for team players and professionals neither of which would speak ill of previous employers or collegues.

Avoid the stench of desperation: Go in prepared and confident in your abilities - most of all it’s important to be positive and focused without seeming desperate or over zealous.

Be prepared: This point is self explanatory, but it’s essential you’ve done the research on the company before stepping into the interview - and that you have some constructive points to make that show you have prepared and researched. This always impresses at it sends out vibes of proactivity and motivation.