Tag Archives: love

Dating in the Workplace

How to handle it.

You see someone across a crowded room. Perhaps it’s an assembly line in the warehouse, a busy hallway in an office, or a crowded call center.

Your eyes meet. The attraction is magnetic. Bad love songs play in your head.

You just got bit by the workplace love bug.

For Valentine’s Day, here are a few rules to follow to ensure that your blossoming romance doesn’t backfire if things turn sour.

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Love Your Job Search

love_your_job_search_webWe’ve talked about how to overcome a tough job search before, but can you actually have fun while searching for a job?

A seemingly endless job search with little success can be frustrating and upsetting. Hiring managers aren’t calling you back. Rejection letters come as often as the bills do. And, you have to keep telling friends and acquaintances that, no, you still haven’t found a job.

With all this stress, how do you stay sane during a tough job search? Try to have some fun. Below are tips on staying sane, upbeat, and happy when the job outlook seems anything but.

Stay Social
Being unemployed has the unexpected benefit of allowing you a lot more free time to reconnect with friends, family, and loved ones. Schedule coffee dates or go to networking parties. Rekindling past friendships can be rewarding on an emotional level, but you’re also likely to find someone who can help you in some way with your job search.

Take a Class
Learning a new skill not only benefits your job search, but boosts confidence too. By taking a class in a new hobby, a career-centered skill, or just for fun will help keep your mind active and your self-worth soaring. The U.S. Department of Labor even has job training programs available for those who qualify. In addition to learning a new skill, you’ll also meet new people and maybe even find a new career.

Stay Healthy and Active
If you aren’t working right now, why not use that free time to improve your health? Remember when you had to work long hours and couldn’t spare any time for the gym? Now you can. Countless studies show that exercise is vital to maintaining a positive outlook in life. According to the Mayo Clinic, “physical activity stimulates various brain chemicals that may leave you feeling happier and more relaxed.” You may also feel better about yourself when you exercise regularly, which can boost your confidence and improve your self-esteem, traits you’ll need during your job search.

Volunteer
According to a recent article in Psychology Today, “providing assistance to other people helps manage stress, provides greater relationship satisfaction, reduces depression, and can even reduce risk of mortality.”

Volunteering also puts you in the spotlight in front of decision-makers who can help you with introductions and referrals. You’ll feel needed, accomplished, and grateful for what you have, which boosts your sense of self worth.

Do Something for Yourself
Believe it or not, pampering yourself isn’t a frivolous indulgence. Consider it an investment in your job-hunting efforts. A new haircut, a quality manicure, or a new suit can do wonders for your mood, but also for your appearance in job interviews. A simple thing like a new scarf or a bright tie may be what you need to add that little spark that makes all the difference.

The truth of the matter is that most worthy quests are tough before they get easy, and your job search is no different. But, the more time and effort you take to keep positive, motivated, healthy, and realistic, the better your chances are.

Do you have any advice on having fun during a tough job search? Share your tips in the comments section below.

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

How To Love Your Job, Even On Mondays

how_to_love_your_job_webDuring the month of February, there is a lot of talk about love. But anyone who’s been in a relationship for a long period of time can tell you that there is a point where love becomes a choice. When the butterflies and honeymoon phases fade away, that’s where the work begins. And loving your job is no different.

The idea of someone loving their job can seem like a far-fetched dream. But the good news is that it just requires a person to keep working at it. “You don’t have to quit,” encourages a Fast Company article. “It is possible to rekindle that old spark.” Here are three helpful tips to keep your love for your job alive, even on Mondays.

Make a List
Every job has positive aspects to it, even if they don’t immediately come to mind. Take a few minutes and list out the good things about your job. Do you have fun co-workers, bring home a paycheck, have health insurance, or enjoy your projects? If the answer is yes, write it down. What about a flexible schedule, holidays off, travel opportunities, or an up-to-date computer? Those are all positives too.

Once you have some items on your list, post it where you can easily see it. You can always add more to it whenever you discover another aspect of your job you love. Then, when you’re having a tough start to the week or just struggling with liking your job, you can read through the list and give your attitude a boost.

Discover What You Can Change
As a Forbes article about loving your job pointed out, “boredom is often at the root of unhappiness at work.” It’s up to you to discover what areas you’re dissatisfied or bored with, and then map out a way to make some changes. “Challenge yourself to look for one area that would give you more joy at work and then make it happen.” It could be as simple as rearranging, decluttering, and decorating your desk space. Or perhaps it might be training yourself to do one of your tasks more effectively. Another aspect of this is seeking out new responsibilities. Forbes recommends that you “keep your ear to the ground to get the scoop on positions opening up or emerging projects — even if they’re short-term. Then throw your name into the hat.”

Remember Your End Goal
In the day-to-day distractions, it’s easy to forget your bigger purpose. But think back to when you first took this job. Most likely you were excited, and that’s probably because the job was a step toward a goal. Whatever that goal was – money to buy a house, getting your foot in the door at a great company, learning more about an industry that interests you – try and remember it. You’re at your job for a reason, and while this particular stretch of your journey may not be your favorite, take joy in the fact that you’re at least working toward your goal.

No one wants to be in a job they hate. After all, if you’re going to spend the majority of your waking hours at work, life will be much more enjoyable if you love your job. And that’s not an unrealistic dream. “Loving work is not as much a pipe dream as winning the lottery – it’s something far easier to achieve,” the Inc. article explains. “Loving your job is a skill and a practice,” so all you have to do is work at it.

What tips do you have for enjoying your job? Let us know in the comments section below!

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

Fall in Love with Your Job: Whether it’s a New Job or Your Next Job

If you’re feeling overwhelmed by stress or if you’re not loving your job anymore, it’s probably time for something new or a fresh perspective. Changing your job could be just what you need, but there’s more to it. Changing your job won’t fix everything. Here are some quick tips to keep in mind when looking for a new job.

Make the Most of Things

Analyze your day and “to-do” list to determine what tasks you prefer to do the most and what tasks you put off until the last minute. Find ways to make unpleasant tasks more enjoyable.  Don’t lose yourself in the everyday monotony of your work. If you struggled at your old job with meeting deadlines or if you didn’t enjoy your work at all, try looking at things in a new light. Figure out more efficient ways to get your work done at your new job. Don’t fall back into the rut of hating your job; make the most of where you are.

Have a Good Attitude

Having a good attitude will help you stay positive going into your new job. If you struggle with being positive don’t let a negative mindset ruin your new job. If you’ve ever thought your job doesn’t matter, remember everyone in the company plays a role in its success. Your individual job is important to the business you work for. So have confidence and pride in your work and do your best to keep a good attitude.

Having Fun

Having fun does not mean to neglect your duties, but rather, change your attitude so you don’t see every job you do as a tedious task. Doing your job with a more positive attitude and focusing on the parts that are more fun for you will help you become more productive and help lighten your overall mood. Make your job fun by setting goals for yourself or incorporating friendly competition into your work. Competing with co-workers not only improves the overall performance of work in many instances, but by having someone to compare yourself against, it will highlight your strengths and weaknesses. If you find a way to work together, you can help compensate each other’s weaknesses and build on both your strengths.

Do you love your job and have your own tips to share with us? Let us know in the comments section below.

Fall in Love With Your Job All Over Again

fall in love with jobWith 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!