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Heading to Work? Three Tips for Back to School Driving Safety

By Job Journey on Friday, August 15, 2014

It’s the time of year when most people have returned from summer vacation and kids are back in school. Due to the start of the school year, roads will be more crowded during your daily commute, and school zone rules will be strictly enforced. So, it’s especially important to focus on the safety of children, yourself, and other drivers as traffic increases. Here are three tips to help you stay safe on the roads.

Adjust your commute time.
If school has already started in your area, your commute time has likely become longer. Now is the time of year to reevaluate the time it takes you to get to work and make sure you adjust your schedule to reflect any changes. Choosing an appropriate time to leave your home not only gets you out the door before traffic reaches its heaviest point, but it also helps you avoid the pressure to drive faster than you should in order to make it to work on time.

Be aware of school zones.
You should always be aware of school zones and drive under the designated speed limit when you’re traveling through one. But now that school is back in session, your school zone awareness needs to be elevated. When you’re driving through a school zone, make sure you’re especially aware of your surroundings. After coming to a complete stop at stop signs and lights, accelerate slowly and carefully scan the area while maintaining a slow speed to lessen the chances of an accident involving pedestrians.

Remember to watch for new drivers.
As the school year starts, many new drivers will also be hitting the roads on their way to school. Teens almost always have less driving experience than other drivers, so use a little extra focus and slower speeds in areas near high schools to avoid driving-related issues. Remember to account for after-school activities that may affect rush hour traffic as well.

Leaving early, being aware of specific areas, and reducing your speed during increased traffic can help all of us on the road get to work and back safely every day.

Movin’ On Up is brought to you by Express Employment Professionals.

At Work Leadership

It’s Normal to Face Criticism When You are Driven

By Jared Cole on Friday, February 22, 2013

Driven and criticism The Greek philosopher Aristotle is famously known for saying, “Criticism is something we can avoid easily by saying nothing, doing nothing, and being nothing.” No matter where you want to go in your career, there will be others who will, rationally or irrationally, try to talk you out of it. Criticism is inevitable if you want to be successful.

Think of some of the greatest figures in history: Abraham Lincoln, Martin Luther King Jr., Confucius, and Christopher Columbus. They all influenced and shaped the world today, but they also received, and sometimes still do, some of the most harsh and intense criticism. Don’t let outside forces get in your way. Here are ways to cope with and accept the fact that criticism will happen when you strive for success.

Tune Out
Unless there is something you can take away from constructive criticism, you’ll have to tune out the clutter of negativity coming at you. It’s important to stay focused on your goals and objectives, so you’ll have to learn the value in tuning out everyone around you some of the time.

Review
Depending on how strict or involved you want to be with your schedule, take some time every week or at the end of your workday to review your progress and see where you are with achieving your goals and objectives. You’re far more likely to accomplish things if they are in print and in front of you. Continually checking your progress will keep you on track and help build your drive and motivation.

Laugh
There are several benefits to embracing a positive attitude, even if you don’t feel like it. There will be very real hurdles and challenges to overcome throughout your career and a positive attitude won’t protect you from them, but it will keep you afloat and motivated when they happen.

Trust
You don’t have to climb the corporate ladder alone. While there may be others who will try to tear you down, there are just as many, if not more, who want to lift you up. That’s why it’s important to have a group of friends and mentors who can give you fair and constructive feedback on your endeavors.

Admit
Nobody is perfect and everybody will make mistakes throughout their career. That is why it’s important to accept responsibility for your mistakes and weaknesses and develop strategies to improve them. It’s not so much the fact you fell, but rather about how you get back up.

Realize
To stay on track to realize success, you need to have an idea of what you want to achieve. It’s important to be very clear and concise about why success is so important. When you have an end point to focus on, it’ll be harder for others to lead you astray.

If you feel like the weight of others is too much, remember that it’s normal and to shrug it off. Many times, the criticism is unnecessary. It’s like what the late motivational speaker Zig Ziglar said, “Some people find fault like there is a reward for it.”

At Work The Daily Grind

Fall in Love With Your Job All Over Again

By Jared Cole on Wednesday, February 13, 2013

With Valentine’s Day just around the corner, millions of people will be coming together to be with their loved ones to celebrate the bond they have with each other. While wives, husbands, boyfriends, girlfriends, and significant others are getting ready for the romantic holiday, there’s a very special someone you might not be considering – your job.

It happens to the best of us. The passion is gone for your job and the flame has died out at the workplace. It can be easy to neglect the dwindling desire you once had for your job, but not being passionate about your job can lead to a stilted career path later on. Here are ways you can fall in love with your job all over again.

Reach Out
If nobody knows there is a problem, no one can help fix it. Consider reaching out to your manager or mentor to discuss your lack of passion and find out what it is that’s keeping your interest down. It could be a simple fix of changing your workflow or new project, or it could be as big as moving on to the next challenge. Your leaders have the experience to give you a frame of reference and point you in the right direction.

Another way to recharge your batteries is to develop relationships with co-workers and peers. Practice your networking skills and schedule lunch breaks with others to learn about different areas in your organization, uncover interesting opportunities, or discuss trends in your industry. Building relationships can break up the boring routine and let you see diverse points of view.

Live Life
It may sound counter-productive, but are you doing what you’ve always wanted to do with your spare time? Passion is often contagious, and if you can find fun, fulfilling hobbies and activities outside of the workplace, that enthusiasm can flow through to your work. Work often doesn’t allow you to practice your passions through the job, so it’s important to get back to the root of what you love.

Challenge Your Innovation
Nothing can smother a fire of passion more than a routine. Workers can get stuck in a pattern that becomes second nature. This repetition can have no room for excitement or imagination. That’s why it’s important to put forth some effort to keep a fire burning. Someone once told me, “Remember K.I.S.S.: Keep Innovating Something Significant.” Challenge yourself to improve every day. Dream big, set a goal for yourself, and work to make a change. This mentality can greatly increase and fuel the fire than can burn inside you.

There’s not a rut from which you can’t crawl out. Whether with the help of others or through changing your mentality, falling in love with your job is possible. Your career is going to be with you for most of your life. You might as well love it.

What are some ways you’ve fallen in love with your job? Let us know in the comments section below. You can also use our ecards site to send free valentine greetings!

At Work Workplace Safety

Drive to Survive With Forklift Safety

By Jared Cole on Friday, September 14, 2012

You get to drive a forklift at work. How awesome is that – you’re behind the wheel of a 14,000 pound beast that can lift an average of one to five tons. The warehouse is your highway. But, with such great power comes the potential danger that could possibly injure or kill you or those around you.

There are nearly 100 fatalities and more than 95,000 injuries every year from accidents while operating forklifts. According to the Industrial Truck Association, 90% of all forklifts will be involved in some type of accident during their useful life. With so much power and likely danger at your fingertips, here are some ways you can stay safe while operating forklifts.

Before You Start Your Engines
Being properly trained in operating a forklift should be done before ever climbing into one. It’s illegal for anyone younger than 18 to operate a forklift, and some states require proper training and certification before anyone can operate a lift truck. Make sure you have all of the proper qualifications before handling heavy equipment. If you don’t, get with your supervisor to set up training times.

Your employer should also have a checklist of things to look for before starting a forklift. Things like fuel/battery power levels, tire conditions, control panel testing, etc. should be checked before every shift and logged. If anything isn’t working properly, make sure a manager knows immediately. Also, honk your horn to make sure it works, check to see if safety lights are working, and confirm the backup alert works once you have cleared everything else.

Know Where to Go
You really need to see where you are going. Make sure your path is always clear, dry, and open. Some forklifts can be going 10 mph, which takes about 22 feet to come to a complete stop. That’s why you don’t want to have anybody between the forklift and a hard surface like a table, bench, or wall. The same goes for passing a slower forklift. You don’t know what’s ahead and you might not have the stopping distance to avoid a collision.

If the load blocks your view, drive in reverse unless you’re going up a slope. In that case, have a spotter with you on the side to help guide you. The spotter shouldn’t be in the forklift with you because that extra weight can cause the forklift to tip over, which is the most common forklift accident.

Maneuvering slopes and inclines can be tricky when operating forklifts. If you come to an incline with a load, always travel with the load pointing uphill. But if you don’t have a load, always travel with the forks pointing downhill.

You’ll Take the Slow Road, and I’ll Take the Low Road
Almost every worker faces deadlines and time limits for projects, but that doesn’t mean you can cut corners – literally. Always turn corners slowly and honk your horn so anyone on the other side will know you’re coming. Honking the horn should be done when entering or exiting any area like going from outside to inside or going through any open doorways in order to access a different part of the building. You may be in a rush, but quick corners lead to quick tipovers and serious injuries.

Another way of keeping your forklift from tipping over is to keep your forks as low to the ground as possible when moving. Keeping the weight of your lift toward the bottom will give you a better center of gravity and more stability.

Forklifts can be a very useful and necessary tool to do your job, but remember these safety lessons so that you can keep riding your forklift free of injury and danger.

At Work Career Advancement The Daily Grind The Job Search

A Breakthrough Role Starring You and Your New Job

By Job Journey on Wednesday, February 2, 2011

At one time or another, you’ve probably dreamed of being a movie star. You could see yourself in the spotlight and walking the red carpet. However, if you are like me, you had to find your calling elsewhere due to a lack of theatrical talent.

Instead, I’ve focused my energy and talents on jobs and leadership roles that would allow me to help influence and shape other people’s lives. And, here I am writing to you with career advice and tips.

So, how did I find my calling and career path in life? Here are three tips that helped me visualize my breakthrough role.

Script Writing
Write down your goals and script out your career path. Try to visualize what your career path will look like in three to five years. Where do you want to be? Does it involve learning new skills or going back to school? Identify what steps you need to take to reach your goals, and then create your game plan for achieving those goals.

Also, as you map out your career, continue to build your network and seek out those leaders who inspire and motivate you. Study their behavior, ask about their management style, and inquire about their favorite resources to learn more about leadership. Remember, knowledge is power.

Don’t Settle for a Stand-in Role
In the movies, a stand-in is a substitute for the star during the tedious process of scene preparation, set up, and lighting. So, how can you get past that stand-in role and be recognized as the potential leader you know you can be? It’s important not to give up on your career advancement. Stay motivated. Take on additional tasks or brainstorm a new project and present it to your boss. Showing that you have determination and drive will be viewed as an asset to the company and will help you advance in your career journey.

It’s Show Time
You know your lines and now it’s your time to shine. With a little preparation, you can demonstrate leadership and show you are ready for that breakthrough role. And, as with every great actor, their skills continue to grow with every new role. Continue to build on your leadership and supervisory skills so you can perform bigger and better roles in the future.

As Walt Disney said, “If you can dream it, you can do it.” So, visualize yourself in the starring role of your new job, be confident and go for it.

Career Options Job Interviews

How to Standout from 3,000 Other Job Applicants

By Brie Hobbs on Tuesday, January 25, 2011

As one of the top five of Fortune’s Top 100 Best Companies to Work for in 2010, Google sees thousands of résumés every day. In fact, in 2008 The NewYork Times reported that Google received more than 20,000 résumés each week – that’s an average of two résumés every minute. While most companies don’t see anything like two to three thousand résumés every day, let alone in a year, in today’s economy there’s still numerous applicants for every open job no matter where you apply. So how do you get the job when you’re up against such tough competition?

What Google Looks for in Candidates
Entrepreneur Magazine recently interviewed Google’s staffing manager, Todd Carlisle, on what he looks for in an employee when hiring for Google’s highly coveted jobs, and one of the qualities Carlisle mentions is ambition. “An Ivy League alum with a high GPA is great, but even better is the person who was the first in the family to go to college and did well while working an extra job,” Carlisle said.

It’s probably not a surprise to you that employers are looking for qualities like determination and self-motivation in potential employees. With smaller workforces and heavy workloads, businesses need employees with the drive to help solve problems and boost productivity.

For unemployed job seekers, it’s difficult to stay motivated and driven when finding work has become a full-time job in its own right. For employees who are looking to job hop because of stress, employee engagement issues, or job security concerns at work, it’s tempting to play it safe and lay low in their current position. But, to get the job and stand out from the crowd, determination and aspiration are exactly what you need whether you’re unemployed or just job hopping.

Preparing for Your Next Interview
Before your next interview, come up with several examples that demonstrate your ambition, whether it’s when you took initiative to make a process more efficient at work or when you went to night school while you working full-time to build a better future for you and your family.

Above all, as you continue your job search, remember to stay motivated. Don’t settle. Keep learning. Keep dreaming. Keep growing and doing. The skills you acquire and develop today will help get you the job of your dreams tomorrow.