Work in Mind - Consulting

And the winner is!

2010-03-09T14:43:00.000-08:00

It's hard not to be seduced by the glitz and glamour of the Oscars. It was great to see the low budget Hurt locker beat the mega bucks of Avatar.

It's easy to see the appeal of the Oscars, we all like a pat on the back every now and then. Most work places do not have the ability to reward it's employees in a way that the world can see, however there are still ways which appreciation can be shown for a job well done.

Formal systems such as employee of the month or mentions in the staff news letter for great work can be great motivators or simply take time to say thank you for work completed for you.

OMG I'm President

2009-01-22T16:55:00.000-08:00

I have to confess this is the first time I have taken an interest in American Politics. Barack Obama will be a breath of fresh air to the White House. Can you imagine being in his shoes? He has to swear an Oath with billions of people watching and everything being scrutinised from his middle name to his dancing and smoking habit.

Can you imagine what his first day must have been like? He must have at some point sat in the President's chair, had a bit of a twizz around and then thought ....... OMG I've got to run the country!

Starting any new job is a worrying time, especially if you have been out of work for a long time, while you recover from an injury. You will face all sorts of new challenges such as learning the names of all the new colleagues that you have been introduced to, learning the layout of your new environment, office politics and of course how to do your new job.

Here are some tips that Work in Mind - Consulting suggest to help you settle into your new job

1) Cut yourself a bit of slack, it's hard work starting a new job so don't be too hard on yourself.
2) It's unrealistic to remember all the names you are told. Remember the names of a few people and then ask them discreetly who the other people are. It may take a few days or weeks to remember the names of everyone you come into contact with. ALWAYS make a point of remembering your managers name!
3) Try to keep away from the office politics. You don't want to be branded a trouble maker
4) If you are unsure of the dress code, you can always ring up the HR dept for clarification. Or before you start visit the place around the time that people are leaving and see what people are wearing.
5) Make sure you arrive in plenty of time. You will be being watched during your probationary period. Good time keeping always goes down well.

Work in Mind -Consulting. Making Employment Work

New Years Resolutions

2009-01-02T20:02:00.000-08:00

It's the time of year that we seem compelled to change our lives, lose weight, go to the gym, read books, get a new job, drink water, be confident etc etc etc. However it is predicted that most of the resolutions will be broken by the end of January. Why is this?

It's a cliche but people don't plan to fail they fail to plan. I will go to the gym is a really woolly statement, not really giving any indication of how to measure of achieve the outcome. I will go to the gym 3 times a week after work is both measurable and achievable.

Some people just set to many or totally unrealistic goals. I will lose 2 stone by the end of the month. There is no chance of doing this, or not safely anyhow. However I will lose 2 lb a week is achievable in the long term and safe. Setting lots of goals can be really overwhelming and unachievable, set a small number of specific goals once these have been achieved increase the goals to work on other areas.

Planning what to do when things go wrong is so often missed. We all have our ups and downs. If you get flu you'll not be able to go to the gym for a few days and may need to build up slowly, or you may be invited to a party and eat and drink more than you would on your diet. Does this mean you are not on a diet anymore. I think one of the most crucial elements of sticking to your resolution is to decide how you will manage if things go wrong. Try not to get into punishing yourself. I missed the gym so I will do double... How mental is that? If you get out of your habit set a date to start again and congratulate yourself for starting again rather than beating yourself up for letting things slip.

Best of luck for 2009, may all your goals be achieved!

Would Amy say No No No to Vocational Rehab?

2008-08-05T13:49:00.000-07:00

I was saddened though not surprised to see Amy Winehouse in Hospital last week following her 'reaction to medication'. It's hard to grasp why someone with everything going for her can seem so unhappy and be abusing herself the way she does. However when someone reaches the height of their success in their early 20's where can they go?
Work is a excellent way of forming and achieving goals, along with the social contact it provides it is an excellent way of promoting mental health and increasing self esteem.

At Work in Mind - Consulting we can help people who are looking for work due to accidents or redundancy to find the right work that is both financially and emotionally rewarding.

Give Suzanne a call for more information 07941 459 716

Get that winning CV

2008-07-17T14:02:00.000-07:00

As more and companies are announcing redundancy it is now more important than ever to have your CV up to date... Weather you are sending letters on spec or applying for advertised jobs, it is vital to have a wining CV in order to stand out from the crowd and gain an interview.

Here are 7 top tips for that winning CV.

Keep it to the point. A CV should be no more than 2 sides of A4. Think of the person who has to sieve through all the applicants. Therefore only enclose RELEVANT information
You never get a 2nd chance to make a first impression. The layout of the CV is crucial. Hold your CV at arms length and see if it looks like a professional document. This is a chance to gauge your 1st impression. Send the CV in an A4 envelope. As an experiment take 2 copies of your CV, leave 1 unfolded and fold the other into 4 as you would fold a letter. Then have a look at them and see which looks neater. An untidy CV will make a bad impression even if the information on it is great.
Start with the most recent information first and work backwards. This will draw the reader in, starting with older information eg GCSE results on a 30 year old's CV, does not create the right impression
Tailor the CV to the job. You should have a personal profile section at the top and in that use the keywords from the job advert.
Back up your claims with evidence or experience. For example I have excellent communication skills, both written and oral when I worked at Work in Mind - Consulting I produced vocational reports for customers and negotiated on behalf of my clients with their employers.
Don't staple your CV together use a paperclip. Often employers will run your CV through the photocopier if it is stapled it will look tatty. Use a paperclip to keep the pages together.
Keep a copy of a CV that you have sent off, and be familiar with it. If you get an interview you will be expected to be familiar with the information on your CV.

Work in Mind - Consulting can offer advice and guidance on job hunting and application skills. If you are a company who are facing making redundancies then call Suzanne on 07941 459 716 to discuss vocational support for your employees

The emancipation of Ronaldo

2008-07-14T14:02:00.000-07:00

FIFA president Sepp Blatter came under fire for comparing Ronaldo's situation at Manchester United with Slavery. Though many people are understandably angry that someone earning a huge salary for doing what many people do as a hobby can be compared to the brutality of slavery. However this highlights that salary is not the only factor in determining job satisfaction. Good working relationships, feelings of appreciation for a job well done, autonomy, working conditions amongst many other factors affect someones satisfaction at work.

As an Occupational Psychologist I am often faced by sceptics who feel that is is naive to quote Maslow's hierarchy of needs when looking at vocational choices. For those of us who have to get out of bed for less than a 6 figure salary there are obviously financial considerations when making vocational choices. However the Ronaldo situation highlights the importance of job satisfaction.

At Work in Mind - Consulting we work with individuals who are looking for new work due to redundancy or disability and help them find the right work. We will look at a variety of factors not just salary so that you can find work they enjoy and feel proud to be part of the organisation.

For more information call today on 07941 459 716.

Work in Mind - Consulting....... Making Employment Work