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Career: Looking at the big picture

Career: Looking at the big picture

Written by R. A. Stewart

If you are young and have your whole life in front of you then no doubt you will have given some thought as to what you would like to do in the future and the best time to start thinking about that is the present. I have some questions which will help clarify your thinking as you consider all of your options.

  1. What action can I take today which my future self will thank me for?
  2. Do I spend my spare time doing things which add value to my life?
  3. Do I have a good attitude to whatever task I am assigned?
  4. Do I manage my money wisely?
  5. Am I living my own life?
  6. Am I aiming too low?
  7. Are my goals too vague?

  1. What action can I take which my future self will thank me for.

There are some things which you can do today which your future self will thank you for. One of these is to join a retirement scheme and contribute to it all of your life. No one is going to reach the retirement age and regret contributing to a retirement scheme all of their lives. 

Giving up current pleasures for the benefit of the future of tomorrow will pay dividends.

Always look at the big picture. 

  1. Do I spend time doing things which add value to my life?

Think of how you spend your time and ask yourself “Does this add value to my life?”

It will be a good idea to list all of the things you have done today and replace some of the time wasting activities doing something useful.

  1. Do I have a good attitude to whatever task I am assigned?

You may be in a job which you consider is beneath you, but even so, it is your responsibility to perform tasks which are assigned to you. That is what you are paid to do. A bad attitude tends to follow people around from one job to another.

  1. Do I manage my money wisely?

Too many people have the attitude of “You can’t take it all with you”, then when some major life event comes along such as a job loss, marriage, or kids they have nothing to fall back on. It is all about being responsible with your money. Saving and investing money require vision because you are making provision for something which has not occurred in your life yet.

  1. Am I living my own life?

Your goals should be your own and not something which others have told you that you should be doing. Don’t just decide to take up a particular career just because your peers are doing it. You must look to your own skills and talents and use that as a springboard to your career.

  1. Am I aiming too low?

Nothing kills off ambition like getting into a rut and being comfortable there. Starting from the bottom to earn some money is one thing but you don’t have to park your car there for life. It is always a good idea to take some courses in your spare time in order to improve yourself. It is bad enough that others may put limitations on you, but don’t sell yourself short as a result.

  1. Are my Goals too Vague?

It is important to have goals which are measurable and meaningful. Just saying “I want to find a job” is too vague. A goal needs to be specific. Once you have decided on your goal it then becomes a matter of how you are going to achieve it. 

Whatever you are going to do, always look at the big picture and think “How will this benefit my future? It takes vision to plan for your future and making preparations for what may come will put you in a better position to deal with curveballs which life may bring.

About this article

You may use this article as content for your website/blog or ebook.

Read my other articles on www.robertastewart.com

Working in your chosen field

You may not have the talent or inclination to be an international sportsperson but you can be an asset in your chosen field and that does not mean that you have to be something out of the ordinary to become a valued member of society. A person who works at an entry level job can do so with such a good attitude that their diligence will not go unnoticed by their employers.

You may not particularly like your job and have any control over what happens at work but your attitude is something you can control. An employer with a bad attitude will take that bad attitude with them wherever they go. 

If you enjoyed this article then this ebook may interest you:

 

How to Enjoy Your Job

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The Career Pyramid: Understanding Your Odds of Reaching the Top

What are your odds of success…

in your chosen field?

Written by R. A. Stewart

This all depends on what your definition of success is.

As kids all of us wanted to be somebody when we grew up. It did not necessarily mean being a rock star, it could have been as a policeman, a train-driver, a fireman, a farmer, a nurse, or a school teacher. I wanted to be a champion athlete and a horse racing trainer who trained champions.

Some dreams are achievable, there is a shortage of policemen and nurses in New Zealand. In other occupations there are more people wanting to break into those roles than the number of vacancies available to fill them.

It certainly pays to be multi-skilled as it will give you more options in life. It reminds me of a quote from my great aunt Ann Stewart, who was a nurse. She said, “Always have other strings to your bow.”

Other careers need lady luck on your side to enable you to reach the top.

Horse racing is one of these.

It is no secret that owners and trainers dream of winning the Melbourne Cup in Australia. The odds of achieving that feat are not on your side. 

The same can be said of becoming an Olympic athlete. Of all of the millions of people who play sport, a relatively few get to take home a gold medal.

Life mirrors that of a pyramid.

Here is an illustration of this:

In rugby only a tiny percentage ever get to play for the All Blacks. They are at the top of the pyramid. They get paid the most.

The next level down are the Super Rugby Players, the majority of whom do not get to be All Blacks. There are more players in this category. They get paid less than the All Blacks.

The next level down are the Provincial Players, who do not get paid apart from get some kind of reimbursement. They have jobs to go to outside of rugby. There are still more players in this category.

At the bottom of the pyramid are the club players who do it purely for the love of the game without any thoughts of advancing up the pyramid. For most people rugby is a sport to be enjoyed. The majority of rugby players are at the bottom of the pyramid.

All careers follow the same pyramid pattern where those at the elite level are at the top of the pyramid and the further down the pyramid you go the more people you will find.

Working in your chosen field

You may not have the talent or inclination to be an international sportsperson but you can be an asset in your chosen field and that does not mean that you have to be something out of the ordinary to become a valued member of society. A person who works at an entry level job can do so with such a good attitude that their diligence will not go unnoticed by their employers.

You may not particularly like your job and have any control over what happens at work but your attitude is something you can control. An employer with a bad attitude will take that bad attitude with them wherever they go. 

If you enjoyed this article then this ebook may interest you:

 

How to Enjoy Your Job

 

https://payhip.com/b/ygfk5 

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7 Signs that you are stuck in a rut

Written by R. A. Stewart

Do you feel as though you are just going through the motions as far is everyday life is concerned? Do you have nagging thoughts in the back of your mind that you should do things differently to spice things up?

This kind of thinking is the “fresh start effect”, and this takes place at significant dates in our calendar. The New Year, Birthdays, and Anniversaries being the most popular days for the fresh start effect to to present.

Wanting things to be better for ourselves is a part of growing as a human being, as long as this is not an endless dissatisfaction with your life irrespective of your personal circumstances. If this is the case then you will end up hopping from one job to another, one relationship to another, and so forth.

At the other extreme, staying in your comfort zone can become like a prison where you have given yourself a life-sentence.

If on the other hand, you feel the itch to do something different, then these indicators may point in your direction that change is needed.

Here are some questions to check in with.

  1. Are you bored with your routines?
  2. Do you set the same goals every year?
  3. Are you excited about what the year brings or are you hoping that is passes without much disruption to your routine?
  4. Are you or have you learned anything new or met new people this year?
  5. Is there anything you do which requires courage?
  6. What has been the highlight of your year so far?
  7. Would you be happy if nothing at all changed this year?

Working in the same job for say five years is called five years of experience, but is it just one year’s experience repeated five times? If your entire life looks exactly the same as it did ten years ago are you comfortable with that?

This is not to say that you should change jobs just for the sake of it because the bills have to be paid. It is possible to stay in the same job for decades but be fulfilled in all other areas of your life and be satisfied with that. Having a fulfilled life outside of work makes going to work easier. It is something to talk about with your work colleagues.

Always remember, it’s your life, you don’t need anyone’s permission to question whether you are in the right job or career. You are allowed to be all that you are destined to be- or at least try to be, even if you don’t succeed. If you don’t step out of your comfort zone you will never know what might have been.

How to Love Your Job Even if You Don’t

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Making the right financial choices

Making the right financial choices

Written by R. A. Stewart

Think of your life as a jigsaw puzzle and your choices as parts of the jigsaw. You need to make the right choices which fit into your life. A choice which is right for one person may not necessarily be right for another. It is just a matter of discovering your “why” and setting goals.

It is no secret that people make choices which lead to poverty. Smoking, alcohol, drugs, hanging out with the wrong crowd, and frittering away their money are some of the main reasons why many people are poor. 

Lack of financial literacy is at the heart of all of this because someone who has set themselves money goals will become more motivated to give up their vices.

What are the right choices?

That all depends on your passions, skills and talents. 

What gets you up in the morning? What do you look forward to?

The things you have a passion for tend to be the same things you have a talent for. Skills can be developed but if you don’t have any aptitude for a particular then you are better off looking elsewhere for fulfilment.

When I was at school, the boys did woodwork class and the girls did cooking and sewing. I did not have any kind of aptitude for woodwork and was always at the bottom of the class. I think if I had been at the cookery class, I would have found my niche. Some of the girls may have thrived working with tools. As one teacher at high school told us a couple of years later when trying to persuade some guys to take up cooking lessons, “All of the best cooks in the world are men.”

The point being, that when setting money goals, one size does not necessarily fit all. 

What are the differences then?

People have different financial circumstances. Some are married, some are single, some are mature, some are young. It all depends on what your personal goals and your needs are.

Once you have worked out your goals it is just a matter of figuring out how to achieve them.

When deciding on where to invest your money, ask yourself, “What is the purpose of this investment?” Once you know the answer to that you will have a fairer idea of which type of investment suits your aims.

About this article

This article is of the writer’s opinion and may not be applicable to your own personal circumstances therefore discretion is advised. You are welcome to use this article as content for your blog/website or ebook.

Www.robertastewart.com

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Entry-Level Job: 4 Must-Know Tips

Entry-Level Jobs 101: 4 Must-Know Tips

For most people, aiming for a higher position at once is the key to job search success. However, for some people who know that in order to succeed in the job market, they have to, literally, start from scratch. This means that people who want to grow positively in the working world; they have to learn the basics and fundamental principles of working, how it is to love the work most people do, and how to establish a good working relationship with his or her colleagues.

 

In order to enjoy all of these, one must submit himself or herself to an entry-level type of job. This refers to a job that requires minimal skills and expertise with no experience requirement needed. 

 

Because of its nature, entry-level jobs are characterized by low salary, require physical work, and sometimes need field work.

 

Most often than not, people who are into entry-level jobs have very low hourly rates and may or may not entail insurance. This would mean that any hospital expenses caused by accidents that happened while the worker is at work may or may not be compensated by the employer, meaning there is no guarantee or whatsoever.

 

What’s more, most entry-level jobs are on a part-time basis. Examples of entry-level jobs are receptionist, apprenticeship, those who are working in a fast food restaurant, customer service, cashiers, etc.

 

Contrary to popular belief, entry-level jobs should not be ignored.  What people do not realize is that entry-level jobs offer more than just low wages. These jobs are the foundation of all other positions available in the job market.

 

In most cases, people who start to work on higher positions right after they graduate from college are easily bored from their work. What is even worse, there is no room available for personal growth and career advancement.

 

Entry-level jobs are the stepping-stone to success in careers. So, for people who wish to grow and be promoted to a higher position, here are some tips that they can use:

 

  1. Workers who are in the entry-level position should show enthusiasm, efficiency, caring, and love for his work.

 

  1. They should master their skills and hone their craft.

 

  1. They should be an expert on customer service.

 

  1. They should know how to impress a customer who happens to be seeking an employee who knows optimum customer service.

 

These are just a few of the qualities that must be employed by an entry-level worker in order to advance to a higher position. And once he reaches the top, he knows that work is definitely something worth valuing for.

Your resume or CV can be the difference between getting the job you want or having your application ignored. If you need help with writing out your resume then check this out