My Freelance Academy

Most of us strive to be good professionals due to the competition. Being professional not only increases our chances of a promotion or a raise, but it also makes us well-loved in the organization, which is a bit difficult to achieve these days.

The following tips remind you of those tiny details that you might overlook but play an important role in making you more professional.

1. Be Punctual:

Punctuality is a virtue. Being on time lets others know that you respect your time and theirs, making them perceive you as a thorough professional.

Arrive a few minutes before the scheduled time, and you will start feeling the difference yourself.

2. Personal grooming:

Ladies have to ensure that they don’t overdo their make-up as that doesn’t work either. Working with long, dirty nails, wrinkled clothes, and uncombed hair is akin to inviting a disaster. So make sure you always look your best when you head to work.

3. Follow the rules:

Following the organizational rules and staying up-to-date with the latest memos will soon make your colleagues realize how resourceful you are, and that will again work in your favor.

The bonus is that HR loves employees who stick to the rules and regulations.

4. Stay away from Gossip:

Unfortunately, dirty politics and gossip are a part of every organization. However, if you can keep your head high and steer clear of these unhealthy activities, you will be carving out a successful and healthy career for yourself in the long run.

5. Always be polite:

You must refrain from snapping at your colleagues if you’ve been having a bad day at work or if your personal life is off-track currently.

Even when you’re answering calls or sending email, it’s professional to greet politely and introduce yourself, followed by the reason for the call or the email.

It’s not very difficult to be professional at your work. Just follow our tips and be confident.

This is the age of Twitter, LinkedIn, Google+, Pinterest, Instagram, and other popular social networking sites. We live in a digital age where everything is given to us on a platter with lightning-fast speed and effective results.

With extensive personalization of websites and e-commerce portals and increased social media involvement in our personal lives, the need to profile has increased. Recruiters and employers have now started to tap on this feature to find talent online.

Here are a few reasons why offline recruiting is slowly becoming backdated, and online recruiting through social media and websites is preferred.

Easier process

All that paperwork and cumbersome interviews full of documentation are now a thing of the past. It is inconvenient to store and access all that when today you can find out everything about a potential employee with a mere click on recruitment sites such as LinkedIn.

These sites provide a comprehensive profile of the person and make it easier for recruiters to select and hire the best.

Recruiting is less biased.

Gone are the days when recruiters would apply their prejudices and stereotypes while employing someone. Nothing is taken at face value when it comes to online recruiting. Every credential is displayed online, so there is no possibility of bias.

Enhances recruiter efficiency

Big data is now the next big thing in talent identification. With surplus data aggregation, it is now easier, quicker, and cheaper to produce and shortlist more data.

Data aggregation algorithms will now grow exponentially. Data integration — which involves combining people’s multiple profiles into one — is the next big thing, and just like predictive searches, it will be easier to know a prospective employee better.

Offline recruiting is still the most common method, but as we progress digitally, it is only natural that we begin to prefer the option of doing it online.

Life is always full of adventure! Every small and big thing can make a difference in your life. Initially, the school was a challenge; everyone tackled heads on and made a good experience.

Then comes college and finally work. Your career is one big adventure if you love what you do and are ready to take on challenges.

Here are some prestigious jobs that are interesting and well paid.

The Most Prestigious Professions

1) Journalists and Photo Journalists

The media is the medium between events across the globe and us, the normal people. Journalism offers people an opportunity to work in this medium to give news and maybe even create a revolution. Pictures convey what words cannot, and they can raise strong emotions in people.

Many awe-inspiring photos have made history and left their marks. Individuals that have the talent to capture important events and actions can look into the career of photojournalism.

2) Engineer

The field of engineering is vast, and students have quite a lot of interesting choices ranging from automobiles to marine engineering.

The best part; all of them are challenging and quite well-paid. This is a good career for people who love science to flourish in.

3) Military

Many historical events that have stunned the world have something to do with wars. The two major World Wars are perfect examples.

Revolving around the motto of the survival of the fittest, wars are inevitable. Being part of something this horrific needs courage like no other, and the military is one of the most prestigious jobs.

A big salute to all the soldiers who are currently at the borders protecting us and a heartfelt silence for those who have sacrificed their lives for the country.

4) Doctors

The most beautiful creation is the human body, and learning of the intricate details of the working of all the parts and processes is a wonder of its own. Doctors are considered next to God for they help in the birth of a life and have the talent to stop death.

It is also one of the high-paying jobs all over the world.

Do you feature in any of the professions that we discussed?

Time waits for nobody. With only twenty-four hours that we humans have, it is important to learn how to manage our time efficiently to become more productive and live happier, healthier, and fuller lives.

1. Get enough sleep:

It can sound strange as you are probably used to cutting down on your sleeping hours to cram in more work. However, ensuring proper sleep of 7 – 8 hours helps your body perform at its peak.

Thus you work and feel better when you sleep better.

2. Wake up early:

Waking up early and completing trivial tasks such as reading the newspaper, packing your lunch, and catching up with last night’s pending tasks will ensure that a lot of work is done when the rest of the world is still snoring away.

3. Make a plan:

As soon as you wake up and the grogginess goes away, sit down and plan out the rest of the day. Write down all the tasks you intend to complete by nightfall, and the approximate time they will take.

This gives you an idea of how the day will be going to prepare accordingly.

4. Work smarter; not harder:

Whenever a task is assigned to you, ask yourself if it can be done more smartly. The chances are that you take the old, convenient, and time-consuming methods most of the time.

So ask yourself that question and find a smarter way to give you the same results within a lesser span of time.

5. Learn to say NO:

Most of us can’t say NO easily as it is rude and makes us look selfish. Well, if time management is your priority, you must learn how to say No softly but firmly.

It only makes sense that you don’t wish to pile up your workload when your plate is already full.

Keeping the above in mind, take control of your time and life!

We’ve all had to deal with an unkind, abominable, and intimidating head honcho at some point in our lives. While braggarts may reach the top of the corporate ladder, they often fail as leaders.

A vast number of senior managers portray personality traits typical of a narcissist, such as arrogance, self-centeredness, and poor interpersonal skills. However, these qualities make for the worst leaders. A recent study suggested that terrible bosses stand higher chances of landing the best jobs.

A boss says, “I,” while a good leader would say, “we.” This means that good leaders are the ones who provide guidance and work as a team, considering everyone’s opinions. They can accept their own mistakes and give credit where credit is due.

If you want to avoid walking in the shadows of your awful boss, here are a few things to remember to be a good leader:

1. Win their Trust

A survey conducted by Forum EMEA in 2016 showed that stealing credit for others’ work or ideas exemplifies the traits of a bad boss. Blabbing about co-workers, poor communication skills, and dishonesty were on the list as well.

This causes a lack of trust amongst the team, ebbing their motivation and performance.

If you listen to your employee’s concerns, speak candidly, keep your words, and lead by example, your employees will learn to trust you.

2. Understand their Needs

Try and pay attention to your employee’s needs. Each individual seeks different things in an organization, and recognizing those needs will positively reflect their performance.

Some employees feel the need to be appreciated, while others may just be looking for a sense of belonging. As a leader, you must take a friendly approach and display interest in what they do while praising them whenever they perform well.

3. Realize how your Behavior affects the Team

You must be aware of your actions’ impact on your team members. Your behavior can affect as much as 70% of the team’s morale and energy levels.

Instead of focusing on your own goals and benefits, try to see the larger picture. Take everyone together and work towards achieving goals that would benefit the entire organization.

You will bounce back as a good manager if you follow these tips.

A recent survey found that one in three women have been sexually harassed at work at some point in their lives. There are also a large number of complaints against bullying in several organizations.

As an employer, you must be prepared to deal with this kind of situation, or you might have to suffer severe financial or legal blows.

Also, the company’s reputation could be at stake. Here are a few tips to help you tide over such situations.

1. Make strict bullying and harassment policies

Make a policy outlining the proper code of conduct concerning bullying and harassment. Your policy should cover all the aspects of the matter and provide a detailed explanation of unacceptable behaviors.

It should also address the process of filing a complaint and the action taken by the company in case the allegations turn out to be true.

2. Be sensitive when handling such matters

Often, people who face harassment at work hesitate to speak about such things. However, suppose the employers assure them that the matter will be handled sensitively and that the wrongdoer would take strict action. In that case, employees may feel more comfortable sharing details such as incidents.

Sometimes, victims are scared to come out and communicate about these things because they’re worried that their identities may be revealed. Therefore, you must anonymize their statements whenever possible.

3. Take a friendlier approach

Sensitive issues such as harassment and bullying must be dealt with differently. Employers need to be informed about seeming more approachable for the complainant to communicate candidly about the situation.

It also gives a chance to the accused to present their side of the story. Communicating openly can resolve many issues.

The trick is to attend to the matter as soon as it arises. Letting it slip by can have serious consequences.

Do not give in to bullying and harassment, address the issue rightaway.

Are you big on gaming? What if you could get paid to make video games?

We’ve rounded up a few ways to help you land your dream job in the game industry:

1. An educational background is a huge plus

A lot of gamers are self-taught since this initially starts as a hobby. Although it is not necessary to get formal training in this industry, a degree in the related field will give you an edge over other candidates when you apply for jobs.

2. Develop an online portfolio

Build your online presence by making a website that showcases your work, and doesn’t forget to share this link with your prospective employers.

Try to start with small projects since they’re more attainable and motivate you to do better. Once you have solid proof of your capabilities, you’ll have a fair chance of getting the job.

3. Apply to smaller studios if you score a 2:2

Similar to how things function in other industries, smaller gaming companies receive fewer interview requests, increasing your chances of getting the job.

However, you might face challenges while applying to bigger studios due to a low score. Nonetheless, once you’ve gained adequate experience, this wouldn’t be much of a concern.

4. Your abilities must square with your dream job

Experts recommend that you do plenty of research and exploration within the gaming industry before you apply for any job. You have to be sure that your skills and qualifications are in sync with the description of the job you’re seeking.

5. Game developers must possess programming knowledge

A passion for gaming may not be enough to make it big in the industry. There’s a high demand for candidates with excellent programming skills required to develop games.

So prepare yourself and get the job you dream of!