Use Your Vacation Days to Get Ahead in Your Career -The Muse

Use Your Vacation Days to Get Ahead in Your Career -The MuseUse Your Vacation Days to Get Ahead in Your Career Although a recent FlexJobs survey notes that Millennials care quite a bit about flex time- especially as it relates to their ability to travel and take vacations- its often been said that this same groups reluctant to take any time off at all.Many fear that taking a vacation could result in an annoyed boss, not getting promoted, not getting their work done, or even losing their job More than once, theyve been referred to as workplace martyrs. While their older co-workers are unplugging and recharging, Millennials are leaving vacation time on the table, diligently and determinedly working (and working) to get noticed and get ahead.While its easy to understand why these people think the best way to get ahead is to stay at their desks, theyre actually approaching this all wrong. Not only is it proven that taking time off is good for your overall well-being and mental health, it s also the key to getting ahead in your career- yes, ahead. Just consider what several career experts I spoke with have to say about thisIt Makes You More MotivatedMuse author and Career Coach Lea McLeod points out that, actually, vacations are necessary for having a great work ethic. She explains that science shows giving your brain a break with time away from work, leaves it more motivated and productive upon returning to the office.It Gives You Much Needed PerspectiveInstead of thinking that nobody can do your job, and that if youre not there, things wont get done or move forward, consider how much creativity you bring to the board once youve had a gelegenheit to recharge. Rajiv Nathan, another Muse Career Coach, notes that when youre muddled in the day-to-day, you may lose sight of what it is youre actually doing. But when you give yourself time to reflect (a.k.a., vacationing), thats when you get a compass on your career, as opposed to your job. Its only when you reflect like t his and think of your future that you can get a grip on the direction youre headed.Maybe you discover that youre doing just fine, and you dont need to make any major changes, and thats great. But if you never stop to unwind and relax, you risk stunting yourself and getting stuck in a rut, even if that rut has upward mobility. In the long run, no promotion or raise is going to make your refusal to give yourself a break feel very good. It Puts You on the Promotion TrackAnd speaking on the topic of promotion, while its certainly possible that you could snag one (or both) without ever using your PTO, McLeod makes a case for how youll be better poised for receiving one if you give yourself a chance to hit the refresh button. When you show up after time away, energized and refreshed, McLeod explains, youre ready to take on more. Your perspective and mindset are positive and upbeat, and youll appear more confidently. These qualities are a boon to your success.It Reminds You Whats Important to YouAgain, its the idea that its difficult to see in the moment where youre headed that makes taking time off- and, look, it can be a planned trip or a week off in your hometown- imperative and crucial to your advancement. Muse Coach Kristina Leonardi explains it like this Stepping away to a different location or just from your regular routine (maybe thats breaking from social media and setting an out-of-office reply on work email), allows you to reconnect with whats important to you. Maybe that is the exact job youre doing. Or, maybe you realize that you need to make a small or large change. Time away from the daily grind allows you to gain a broader perspective, which will, in turn, enable you to see more clearly if youre on the right track with both your career and your life, Leonardi stresses.Of course, its totally fine if the vacation leads you to confirm that youre on the right path though. Theres a very good chance youll come back reinvigorated with a newfound enthusiasm f or what youre doing, Leonardi says. In other words, you dont build character by working nonstop. Remember that the next time you worry about what a vacation will mean for your long-term career path. Taking time off not only wont get you fired- it may instead get you ahead. What more convincing do you need? Photo of man at laptop courtesy of PeopleImages/Getty Images.

How to socialize with coworkers if you are not friends

How to socialize with coworkers if you are not friendsHow to socialize with coworkers if you are not friendsFor some of us, socializing with coworkers after work can seem like an unpaid second job we did not sign up to do. Shouldnt it be enough to do our job and head home?But as many studies have hammered home, networking opportunities can happen outside of regular office hours. If we want to build our cultural capital in the office so that we can get our ideas promoted in the office, we need to be remembered favorably. And that means socializing.But you dont need to be best friends with a coworker to do this. Heres how to do friendly socializing with your coworkers without necessarily becoming friends with themParticipate in team-building events or clubsSocializing does not mean forcing yourself to attend parties and drinking outings that do not suit your personality. In fact, research has found that company mixers are not always the best way to build relationships with unfamiliar c oworkers, becausepeople at mixers tend to bond with people who are more similar to them.But if your company hosts a team sport or a board game club and you enjoy these activities, go ahead and invite yourself.The power of play is not to be underestimated. Making the workplace a fun space can even make it a more productive one.Psychiatrist Stuart Brown, the founder of the National Institute for Play, found that when employees have the opportunity to play, they actually increase their productivity, engagement, and morale.Get coffee or lunchWhen your colleague asks you to get drinks after work, its understandable to feel hesitant. Men and women are both leery of getting one-on-one drinks and dinners with colleagues after work, acutely aware that a situation could turn sexual, or into a case of sexual harassment, according to a recent survey.So avoid that pressure and do a food and drink activity that is leise within work hours and does not involve alcohol. Getting coffee or lunch with your coworker is a low-stakes way that you can get to know each other better. And research has found that eating together with your coworkers is proven to foster collegial goodwill.Firms can encourage cooperation among coworkers by leveraging the mundane and powerful need to eat, one study examining workers who ate togetherstates.Find what kind of socializing works for youAbove all, recognize that these bonds dont have to be deep to be meaningful. They just mean showing mutual respect and paying attention to each other.One study on workplace relationships found that high-quality connections between colleagues did not have to be intimate to be beneficial - they just need to be mutual and open to listening. Like a healthy blood vessel that connects parts of our body, a high-quality connection between two people allows the transfer of vital nutrients it is flexible, strong, and resilient, the study stated.You know yourself best - learn to socialize on your own terms, whether that mea ns being a regular to the weekly happy hour or the coworker who gets one-on-one coffees with new team members.

Common Mistakes when Managing Contingent Workers

Common Mistakes when Managing Contingent WorkersCommon Mistakes when Managing Contingent WorkersCommon Mistakes when Managing Contingent Workersbrightcove.createExperiences() BenningtonWe all know temporary staff can be a huge blessing when youre busy but not busy enough to take on full-time hires.The problem is temps are different so you have to manage them differently and thats where a lot of companies get it wrong.The number one mistake by far is hiring off the street.As we all know, when you have the right people in place, a big chunk of your management issues are already solved.So the notion of, we just need help so lets get somebody in here right now is disastrous especially in a small business where theres no such thing as flying under the radar and everybodys job is critical.So you really want to use the same care throughout the hiring process that you would for your full-time people.This means a complete job description,knowing the competencies that youre looking for and maybe even mora than one interview yes, even for a temp.The second mistake when it comes to managing temporary staff is full blast fire hose training.Maybe youre like other small businesses and you dont really take the time to onboard temps because youre thinking, why bother? Right?But theres a good chance that what is obvious to you about your clients and your business isnt going to be quite so crystal clear to your temp. So when you give them task, they may nod their head but have absolutely no idea what youre talking about and it will show in their work.A good rule of thumb is a half-day of training for every month that you expect to have your temp on staff. So if its a six months engagement, they get 3 full days of onboarding.Now obviously, you dont expect them to be able to, you know, recite your policy manual, but they do need to know exactly what you expect from them.They need to know what your core valuesare and how to live those values everyday, if you expect them to reall y merge into the fast lane with all the rest of your people.The final mistake is treating or allowing your staff to treat your temp like a temp. This is just good manners but more than that, your customers have no idea which of your staff are temporary versus full-time hires and frankly they dont even care.Same thing if your temps are working only with your internal people they dont care either because they just want the same thing that your customers want which is a seamless experience and solutions to their problems.So every employee you have, whether theyre with you for 3 months or 3 years, needs to know how to provide that.You want your temp to feel like real partners in your business because who knows, they can end up being your next great hire or even your next great customer.More from Emily Bennington Video Best Practices for Todays Recruiting LandscapeVideo How to Conduct an InterviewVideo New Employee Orientation