Successful Blog

Should You Turn Down a Better Paying Job for Job Security?

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A higher paying job can bring a positive change to your life. However, it may not necessarily be a better job option if you are not confident that you can keep it for a long time.

If your current job or another job offers better security, you may want to think twice before diving headlong into the more lucrative job.

Here are the pros and cons of turning down a higher paying job for job security:

Pros of Choosing Job Security over Higher Pay

Lower Risk of Losing Your Job

A high paying job is generally more sought after, and therefore, it may offer lower job security.

If a company is willing to offer a high salary for a certain position, it should not have difficulty finding suitable candidates.

As such, there is a higher chance that you will be replaced if you do not meet your employer’s expectations satisfactorily. Sticking to your current job or getting a secure job puts you at a lower risk of losing your job.

Less Stressful

Salary is usually determined by job requirements and responsibilities.

If you decide to take a better paying job, you have to be prepared to assume greater responsibilities.

Playing a more important role and working in a new environment can make you feel uncertain, anxious and worried, and contribute to your stress level. Stress can affect your work performance and make it more difficult for you to hold on to the job.

If you feel that you will be more comfortable staying in your current job or getting a less stressful job, it may be a good idea to turn down the higher paying job.

Enhance Your Resume

Being employed by a company for a long time shows that you are a loyal employee, and it will make your resume look better.

If you cannot hold on to the high-paying job for long and have to look for another job, it may give your future interviewer the impression that you are a job hopper.

Also, if your current employer is not happy with your decision to leave the company, he or she may not give you a good reference.

Cons of Choosing Job Security over Higher Pay

Miss Out On an Opportunity to Improve Your Quality of Life

Getting a higher paying job enables you to meet your financial obligations more easily and improve your quality of life.

If you have a family, you can provide a better life for your spouse and children, and enjoy greater financial peace of mind. However, the improved financial situation may not last long if your new job is not secure.

Give Up a Possible Chance to Advance Your Career

The higher paying job you are offered may be a career advancement opportunity.

Other than offering a higher salary, it may also provide a chance for you to learn and perform higher-level tasks or assume a leadership role. It may be your dream job if you are able to hold on to it.

Making the wrong career move can have a negative impact on your life.

Just as many smaller companies worry about their small business reputation, those job hunting and/or changing careers need to be resolute to the fact that different jobs offer different possibilities.

Make sure you weigh the pros and cons above before you decide whether you should accept or turn down a higher paying but less secure job.

As a professional, what is more important to you in regards to a career, your salary or your security?

Photo credit: thinkbigmagazine.com

About the Author: John McMalcolm has written a wide variety of blog posts and articles for many websites, from resume tips to running a small business.

Why Did That Employee Just Get Fired?

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afiredBosses have many hats to wear, at least that is the case in numerous offices these days.

Given that many companies have slimmed down their employee rosters in recent years, it is not uncommon for those running companies (especially smaller businesses) to find themselves doing some tasks that were typically handled by their HR person over time.

In some instances, bosses are having to say goodbye to employees for one reason or another. One of those reasons is simply issuing a pink slip because the man or woman did not live up to the expectations set for them when they were hired.

While letting someone go is oftentimes difficult, it can very well be justified in certain cases. Even though it can be a hard decision for a boss to make, the end result is typically harder on the employee, he or she now finding themselves out of work.

For those employees that may be walking a tightrope at work, there are some telltale signs that their jobs are on the line. Whether you are in your very first job or a veteran of the employment world, take note of some warning shots that should grab your attention.

They include:

The Obvious

In a bad state of mind

If you have been coming to work under the influence of drugs or alcohol, if you’ve been stealing (not just money but supplies or other things at work), or if you’ve been skipping work, getting fired would probably be no surprise.

Some actions are simply inappropriate at work and are good reason to be let go. You know if you’ve done these things and chances are so do your employers.

The Not So Obvious

Taking too much time off?

Maybe you’re not, in so many words, skipping work, but you’re spending a sizable amount of time out of the office.

Do you take every other Friday as a personal day or roll in late every Monday? Do you always have an excuse to miss a meeting or call?

Sure, things come up in life, but if something big comes up where you need more time, you need to discuss with your managers. If you notoriously have taken time off for no good reason, or without prior approval, that may be the reason you just got fired.

Using work time inappropriately or wastefully and/or disrupting others

Maybe you did always come to work, but how did you use your time?

Did you surf the Internet, updating your FB status and checking your fantasy football team instead of getting necessary work done? Did you chit chat with fellow workers more often than discussing relevant work topics? Did you consistently keep others from getting their work done either by distraction or other poor conduct?

Lastly, did you make some online comments about a co-worker, perhaps your boss? Even though sites such as Reputation.com and others can help limit hazardous online profiles and comments, you need to be smart from day one about what you say on the Internet regarding your job, particularly as it relates to your online reputation management.

All of these could get you fired, as you are there to be productive and let others be productive, too. If you want social time, go out for happy hour after work.

Insubordination

So maybe you never really mouthed off to your manager, but did you always do what he or she asked of you?

If you didn’t follow up on your responsibilities and expectations, that’s insubordination and a pretty good reason for getting fired, especially if your managers have ever had to speak to you about it before.

Lying on your résumé

Did you fib a bit on your résumé thinking it’s fine, everyone does? It’s not really fine, and if you did, you are probably getting fired for that.

Just because you got the job doesn’t mean that your résumé is null and void. Your employers have expectations of you from that résumé, and if you lied on it, your credibility and trustworthiness are gone; you probably are, too.

What to do?

If you’re fired, you’re fired.

But you can get a fresh start – get out there and find a new job – then work ethically, diligently and responsibly and keep that job.

Have you ever been fired from a job? If so, what did you take away from the experience?

Photo credit: foxbusiness.com

About the Author: Heather Legg is a writer who covers a variety of topics from careers and family to the business world.

How to Use Images and Artwork for Inspiration at work

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Work from home jobs and home based businesses have several benefits, but there are certain disadvantages as well, for instance, the lack of motivation. Ideally, freelancers or home based businesses should be a lot more motivated as compared to someone working in a firm.

After all, you are working for yourself and it’s you who will reap all the benefits of your hard-work, but as many freelancers or home based workers find out, it can be incredibly hard to keep yourself motivated, in the absence of a manager, or fellow workers to compete with. As a freelancer, you are still answerable to your clients, but you are not as concerned about losing a client as someone might be about losing a job. You need to continuously push yourself to work harder, at least as much as you would have done in a typical job 9 to 5 jobs.

Even worse is the situation when things are just not going your way. You are putting the hard work, but it’s not paying off for one reason or another. You are not getting enough orders for your freelance job or enough sales at your online store, so you need some sort of a reminder and encouragement. In all these situations, it is important to keep your spirits high and find some reason to smile. And one of the most effective ways of doing so is to look at some memorable friends or family photographs, a painting or artwork, religious sculpture, or a simple quote that will help you get out of depressive mode and give you the strength to keep going.

But then, it’s not always possible to find a specific photograph, or remind yourself of some saying when you are in depressive mood, mainly because when you are down, it’s hard to find the strength in yourself and think clearly, let alone searching for some motivational quote to cheer you up.

Following are some ways to keep some sort of inspiring or motivational stuff in sight for immediate help when you are in need …

Get it framed:

Picture frames are mostly used to preserve and present the memorable photograph, but frames are not just meant for pictures. You can get in touch with a picture framing service and get your favorite quote, religious verses, or some inspirational painting framed, and hang it on a wall in the room where you work. Not only it will give you some much needed motivation, but looking and admiring the painting or going through the text every now and then will serve as a stress reliever because it will take your mind away from work (AKA computer screen) for some time. Good thing is, you can invest on a good quality custom frame once, and simply change the painting or quote with another one after some time.

Put it in wallet:

Doesn’t matter how depress or miserable you are, your wallet or handbag is something you will need to take out and use every once in a while. Usually all wallets have picture holders with plastic covers where you can insert a pocket size photograph of your loved ones, some inspirational saying, or an uplifting quote in these pockets and there’s every chance you will hit upon these pictures when you are feeling down.

Smart Phones:

Another thing you are bound to carry and use, irrespective of your mood and mental state, is the mobile phone or smart phone. Doesn’t matter if it’s a smartphone or a simple mobile phone, you can always set the picture or religious verses about faith or hope as the background on main screen for constant reminder.

Background & Screen Savers:

If you are working from home as a freelancer or home based business, chances are that you will be spending most of your time in front of your computer or laptop screen (which in itself can cast a negative effect on your mood). So it’s better to change your background or screen saver from the default black screen to some photograph or inspiring image/text.

5 Ways Your Employees Can Be More Productive

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Increasing your business productivity is an excellent way of boosting your profits. But if your employees are lagging, or you’re just not seeing the results you’d like, how do you turn things around?

Here are five ways you can help your employees be more productive — making both them and you happier:

1. Provide comfortable break areas and times – It may seem counterintuitive, but providing a relaxing area for employees to unwind a few times during the day can actually increase the amount of work they get done. People who feel chained to their desks all day can zone out, and their lowered productivity can affect morale, which can turn into a nasty cycle.

Set mandatory break times for all employees (even if they’re not all at the same time). Consider implementing short, office-wide breaks in which everyone gets up once an hour to do a few stretches. This can improve your workers’ physical comfort and give them energy boosts throughout the day.

2. Give them the technology they need to do their jobs well – These days, mobile devices are becoming more and more essential to running a business. If you can’t afford to provide these devices to workers in the office or field who may need them, encourage them to bring their own.

If you choose to let employees work from their own devices, make sure your business data is well protected with strong passwords, time-outs, and other security measures.

3. Provide flexible working options – Whether it’s telecommuting one or more days per week, offering a flexible work schedule, or another accommodation, creating a flexible workspace can have an enormous effect on employee morale and productivity.

Having everyone in the office has its advantages, making collaboration more convenient. But with ever-evolving technology, working from
home is becoming a more feasible and attractive option for many companies.

Worried that productivity will drop if you let employees telecommute? Numerous studies have shown otherwise.

A Stanford University study from February of this year found that in one company, out of 16,000 workers, those who were allowed to work from home showed a 13% performance increase over their office-bound colleagues.

4. Provide regular, constructive feedback – It’s hard to improve in a vacuum. Employees who aren’t sure where they stand, or who have formed inefficient habits, may need some help identifying areas to work on.

Give your employees encouragement for a job well done, or thoughtful advice for how to perform better. Delivering this feedback regularly will help keep everyone on track.

5. Keep meetings short and sweet – Conducting a meeting without an outline or agenda is a recipe for a long, unproductive session.

Instead, write up an agenda and identify someone to lead the meeting and keep conversations on track. You’ll also need someone to take notes to make sure no important points get lost. Keep the meeting focused on important points, and consider issuing status reports and minor updates in a weekly email instead of during meetings.

These are just a few of the ways you can help your employees be more productive and keep your office running smoothly.

Photo credit: techliant.com

About the Author: Freelance blogger Angie Mansfield covers a variety of topics for both individuals and small business owners. Her work addresses such things as health, social media, and how to remove information from online records.

How Much Do I Pay This Employee?

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When you are a small business owner, it seems as soon as you’ve made one decision, the next one surfaces, and you are back trying to figure out the best thing to do.

One decision business owners are often faced with, and it can be a tough one, is how much to pay employees.

You don’t want to over pay as you’re probably on a budget (and you do need to make money), but you want to pay them what they are worth to keep them with you and happy.

Here are some tips on cracking the code on this … .

Create a range

First off, before any hiring is even done, really before the interviews begin – set a salary range.

Decide on the least you would pay and the most you can pay, and you’ll have some flexibility when it comes to choosing the best candidate and for negotiation purposes.

Look at qualifications

Someone with more relevant degrees, qualifications and experience is usually expecting (and deserving) a higher salary than someone with less.

If you are looking for that highly qualified, experience laden employee, expect to pay for it. If you want someone with a little less experience and education, you can probably get away with lower pay.

Do some comparisons

You can’t really just come up with numbers off the top of your head.

You need to look at some salary comparisons. BUT, you need to look at them as apples to apples. Don’t compare a salary in Chicago to one in Batesville, Arkansas.

Also, don’t just look at job titles, look at job descriptions.

Titles can cover a pretty broad range, but descriptions cover the nitty-gritty, and you can compare just what people are doing to what they are getting paid.

Think about business size.

Sometimes bigger corporations can pay more, but you have things to offer as well, that may not fall under salary. Your company can be more personalized and flexible, offer better benefits or stock options – sometimes that can be worth a lot!

Look around your area and see what other companies your size and in your field are paying employees. You want to stay competitive so qualified people will want to work for you.

When to offer increases

So you have a current employee wanting more money…

• Be careful – offering one raise out of the normal standard you have set can set a precedent you can’t afford to follow.

• Is your employee telling you he or she has an offer for more money? If so, it’s risky all around. If it’s true, it means they’re looking and thinking about it. You may need to keep your eye out. If they are worth it, and budget allows, you may need to offer more to have him or her stay, but know it’s risky – they still could leave.

• If their job descriptions and duties increase, it may be time for more money.

• The best thing to do is have clear policies with documentation of when raises are awarded. You can go by this and keep it cut and dry.

• Bonuses and commission are a way around a salary raise. You pay these once and are not committed to them in the future.

No one said running a business is easy. You’ve got employees to keep happy and budgets to adhere to, plus you need to make money.

However, you need to pay your employees fairly or they will go elsewhere.

Photo credit: nbcchicago.com

About the Author: Heather Legg writes on a variety of topics, many related to social media, small business and Bobby Kotick.

Are You Better Off Working From Home?

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If you trudge off to an office five days a week, have you ever stopped to wonder what it would be like to work from home?

For many professionals, that opportunity is pretty much a pipe dream, this given the fact that many companies still run the standard office.

You know the office, the one where employees report in for their daily shift, do their jobs with a lunch break and one or two 10-minute breaks during the day, then get in their cars or on mass transit for the ride home. The next morning means the same all over again.

What Opportunities Are in Your Future?

So, what if you had the opportunity to work from home?

Do you think you would be more or less productive from your residence? Could you focus in on work and turn away the various distractions that can all too easily present themselves? Lastly, would you miss spending time in an office setting with co-workers, meaning you basically rely on yourself for entertainment during the day?

Over the last seven years, I’ve had two opportunities to work from home as a freelance writer, both the result of job layoffs. I can say with much certainty that the two experiences have been positive for the most part.

One of the keys to being successful while working part-time or full-time at home is having an employer who avoids micromanagement.

In what should be labeled a disease in the workplace, micromanagement simply means that your boss and/or company owner feel they need to hold your hand during the day in the office or if you work remotely. In such cases, they will oversee you with questions, suggestions and comments, leaving you wishing Friday’s Happy Hour was five days a week and not one.

So, with the micromanagement factor out of the way, here are some pros/cons of working from home:

Pros –

* Avoiding a possibly long and expensive commute daily;

* Ability (with your company’s permission) to set your own hours;

* Not having to deal with constantly ringing office phones;

* Being void of co-workers who have nothing better to do than to talk your ear off while you’re trying to work.

Cons –

* Unless you’re well disciplined, it can be easy to get distracted at home;

* Not having others around to bounce ideas off of, answer your questions and/or solve work related issues;

* Potentially not having access to necessary equipment like a printer, fax machine, tech help if your home computer goes down.

At the end of the day, finding the right work at home situation can be tricky, though well worth your time.

Work is ultimately what you make of it.

If you are one who wants to be successful, potentially make a decent amount of money, and avoid having to deal with office politics, working from home can be just what you are looking for. The tricky part is locating that company that will employ you under those circumstances or being able to get your own business off the ground.

In the event you work from home for yourself or an employer, what have your experiences been like to date?

Photo credit: metro.us

About the Author: With 23 years’ writing experience, Dave Thomas covers a variety of business topics and individuals, including Gary Crittenden.