personal | Journey

The Off-Season Road to Success: Tips for Living a Peak Performer’s Life

By Job Journey on Monday, December 15, 2014

What could you do with an “off-season?” If you could take a break from job searching, interviewing, or working, what changes could make in your professional or personal life? How would those changes affect your job or your job search? While actually leaving your job for an extended period of time isn’t always the answer, taking a mental break from work on the weekends and evenings may be.

Children in school get summer break, a few months off before school starts again. And, professional athletes get five months off to practice, relax, and make important moves in their career. According to former professional basketball player and motivational speaker Walter Bond, even though you don’t get an offseason like athletes and students, you can still embrace the break you need to figure out your priorities and what’s important to you, your personal life, and your career.

“Pro athletes have an off-season, why not you? Have you ever thought about it? … Could you imagine what you could do with your life if you got five months off?” Walter says.

As part of his year-long series of motivational messages, Walter Bond discusses the importance of taking a break, prioritizing, and reflecting on your life when you’re trying to reach your goals. Check out Walter’s full message on a professional off-season below.

Do you need an off-season? If you could re-focus on your career with some time off, what would you do? Let us know in the comments section below.

About Walter Bond
A former professional basketball player, Walter Bond’s NBA career included 153 games with the Dallas Mavericks, Utah Jazz, and Detroit Pistons. Now, Walter takes what he learned from his life on the court and translates it into motivational and educational messages for thriving businesses and careers. With entertaining and dynamic messages, Walter has spoken to companies and associations throughout the United States, Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean, and Europe.

For more information about Walter Bond, visit WalterBond.com .

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

National Staffing Week

Associate Spotlight: Jimmy Maher

By Jared Cole on Friday, February 17, 2012

When most people think of staffing agencies, they think of strictly temporary work. The truth is many people have found life-long careers thanks to companies like Express. More and more workers are enjoying the flexibility in their schedule from working with staffing agencies. Employers are also relying more on staffing agencies to fill their open positions before hiring full-time for openings.

Our most recent associate spotlight showcases one of those individuals who finds pride in working with Express as a career for many years. Associates like the ones we showcase are a testament to how work ethic and positive attitude can go a long way in your profession, even in the roughest of economic conditions.

Jimmy Maher

Jimmy Maher started working for the Greensboro, NC Express office in 1992 as a lawn and building maintenance technician. During his time with Express, Jimmy worked with five different clients. Throughout Jimmy’s nearly 20-year career with Express, he worked for a single client for 14 years. In that time, Jimmy’s commitment and enthusiasm were apparent because he didn’t own a car and had to take the bus to work from one side of town to the other.

Over the years, Jimmy was given many raises due to his integrity and dependability. When he celebrated his ten year anniversary with Express, he was given a cash bonus for his loyalty to Express, its clients, and his job.

“Jimmy is a man who believes in hard work, doing the right thing, and being responsible. He was a shining example to others on the job,” said Hope Daniel, Front Office Coordinator of the Greensboro Express office.

When Jimmy decided to retire, the client did not want him to leave. They knew they would be losing a cherished employee. The client wanted him so badly, Jimmy decided to extend his retirement date three times and keep working to aid the client. He is now happily retired and settling down after a fulfilled career.

We are very grateful for having Jimmy as a part of the Express family for so many years. The Greensboro office will miss him, and everyone at Express wishes him the very best in his retirement and future achievements.

When looking for a job, don’t discount what staffing agencies like Express can provide. You may find a long, fulfilling career like Jimmy did through the experience and opportunities that can come from working with Express. If you’re interested, check it out.

Who’s Spying on You Online?

By Miranda Wilson on Wednesday, October 28, 2009

With online networking websites continuing to grow at rapid speeds, doesn’t it sometimes seem that you have more friends/connections online than you know in real life? There’s that coworker you met very briefly at the companywide meeting. Another random person you met at the baseball game who has a LinkedIn account and works in your industry. Your sister’s best friend, her boyfriend, and his cousin. That guy who used to sit alone in your American History class in high school. This list goes on and on. Your online network could grow to hundreds of thousands of people, but would this allow for effective networking and relationship building?

Building a large network of connections is a good thing, and yes, that’s the purpose of most social media tools. But, it’s important to remember to be conscious of what information you do and do not post on your profile when using social media sites. Some sites, such as Facebook, are more heavily focused on socializing and staying connected to your friends. But did you know that many employers are hopping on the social media bandwagon too?

You never know who will see what you post online. It always seems there is someone who knows someone who knows you.To help you with your social media, here are a few basic rules to follow.

Learn about privacy settings. The first rule for using any social media site is to know what the privacy settings are. You might want to set your profile so that it can only be viewed by your friends. This way, once you have approved someone to be a friend, only then can they have access to your information and pictures. If they’re not a friend, they can’t access any information from you. This gives you some control over who sees your profile and who doesn’t.

After-hour pictures. Yes, everyone has a personal life outside of work, and what you do in your free time is your choice. But, realize that if you post party pictures, a co-worker or someone who interviewed you for a job might be able to see those photos. Another thing to keep in mind is that your friends can post things on your profile. On some sites like Facebook, friends can tag photos of you, so just make sure to do check-ups on your site to see what others might have posted about you. Remember that your networking profiles are a reflection of you, so use your best judgment when it comes to the featured content.

Spell check. Even if you are not a journalist or in a communication-related field, make sure you don’t have a lot of misspelled words on your profiles. Typos and misspellings could communicate a careless attitude or sloppiness – two things you don’t want to convey in the professional world.

Social media can be a great tool for staying connected, learning new industry tips, and showing that you are up-to-speed on current trends. In the digital age, personal and professional can overlap. So, use these tips to make sure you maintain a balanced online image. It’s always a good idea to put your best foot forward by always being professional, even in your personal life. To learn more, view our guide on social media for business leaders.

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