Archives for January 2022

How to write a resignation letter during the Great Resignation

January 30, 2022 by Guest Post Leave a Comment

It’s time for a change: with a record number of 4.5 million Americans leaving their jobs in November last year, more employees are taking the steps to improve their careers.

Whether you’re looking for remote work flexibility or prioritizing your work-life balance, writing a resignation letter to notify your employer is recommended in order to avoid burning brides as you change jobs. This post will detail how to write an effective resignation letter with top tips and best practices for success.

What to include in a resignation letter

The five crucial elements of this letter include your contact information, a greeting, statement of resignation, last day of work, and a sign-off with your signature. Below is a template you can use to build out the foundation of your letter.

[Current date]

[Manager name]

[Company name]

[Address]

Dear [Manager name],

Please accept this letter as my formal resignation from my role at [company name]. My last day is [date].

Thank you for the opportunity to work in this role and I’m sure I will take everything I learned here into my career. I will provide support until my final day so please let me know if there is anything I can do to smooth this transition.

I wish [company name] the absolute best and hope to keep in touch.

Sincerely,

[Your signature]

[Printed name]

[Contact information]

What not to include

Now that we’ve covered what you should include in your resignation letter, there are certain pieces of information to steer clear of mentioning. You can give your employer a better idea of why you are leaving, such as receiving another offer from a different company, but you may be met with a counteroffer from your current company.

Your resignation letter is also not the time to air out any grievances you may have about the job or the company – save this for the exit survey! Make sure not to overexplain yourself or send an unedited letter since the purpose of this letter is to show your professionalism.

Top tips for before you resign

Before you make such a huge decision, make sure your finances are in order if you don’t have a job lined up directly after. Be sure to transfer your retirement funds, keep important tax documents, and utilize your health insurance before you lose the benefits of your previous position. It’s also a good idea to write a new budget and allocate an emergency fund if needed.

When giving your employer a timely notice, it’s advised to prepare for a counter offer. Assess your financial situation and your job prospects before you decide to stay with your employer or pursue new opportunities. Last but definitely not least, it’s important to tell your employer or boss first before you notify anyone else at the company of your resignation. Keeping communication professional as you make this pivotal change in your career will ensure your professional network is intact. For an overview of the Great Resignation and its impact for 2022, check out this infographic from AngelList.

Working Remotely: Tips for Staying Focused and Motivated

January 30, 2022 by Diana Smith Leave a Comment

Staying focused on work can sometimes be challenging. That’s especially true when your home becomes your office and you go from being surrounded by your superiors every day, to having the comfort of your home at your disposal 24/7. Resisting the urge to chill and procrastinate for another hour seems like the biggest struggle, but fortunately, we have a few tips, which will help you stay focused on work and motivated every day.

Create a morning routine

No task will seem unachievable when you have a clear goal and an even clearer path to achieving that goal. One of the best recipes to success is creating a morning routine that will allow you to wake up, freshen up and start your working day fully invigorated. Instead of showering in the evening, consider having a quick shower upon getting out of bed. Follow the shower with a deliciously nutritious breakfast filled with proteins and vitamins that will keep you up. A cup of coffee is always a must to improve your focus, and feel free to include a morning ritual in there, as well. Create a pleasant morning for yourself, so that you can look forward to what follows.

Dress for success

We know that sweatpants, joggers and PJs sound like the best option for at-home work. However, those won’t make you feel like you’re on a mission to accomplish something great. Just because the interior is different doesn’t have to mean your exterior needs to change as well. So, make sure you dress up for work every day as you would if you were heading into the office. Put on office-appropriate make-up because you never know if a last-minute Zoom call will come your way. Not only will dressing up keep you motivated, but it will also bring extra points with your bosses who will see you as a professional employee who’s always in their full working mode.

Stay active at home

Physical activity is one of the best energizers. Making sure you continue with your regular exercises even when working from home is paramount to keep you focused and on top of your schedule. Pick up your leggings, your trainers and head out for a morning jog before your breakfast. Always make sure you invest in premium-quality leggings that will make every workout comfortable and enjoyable. Don’t forget to bring your bottle of water that will hydrate you and allow you to give your maximum energy during a workout.

Declutter digitally and physically

Spending more time at home than before can turn your house into a hoarder’s nest in a blink of an eye. If you’re seeing papers, files, empty snack packaging and bottles everywhere, it’s no wonder you lack motivation. The only solution to this problem is decluttering. Sort all the mess, throw away stuff that you don’t need and create a neat and tidy working environment just like you’d have in your office. Aside from physical clutter, a digital mess can also pose a huge threat to your motivation and focus. How many files do you have on your computer desktop? Are they sorted in any particular way or scattered without any meaning? Create folders for them, store them accordingly and delete if you find any unnecessary files.

Plan out your day with a schedule

A well set out plan is half a work done. So, invest in a quality planner, be it physical or digital. Note down all of your tasks for the day and plan out specific times to do them at. If possible, set a timeline for every task, so your day can be as efficient as possible. To-do lists are also very useful, allowing you to tick off each task as you complete it.

Reward yourself for a job well done

Nothing will motivate you as much as a reward will. In the end, your salary motivates you to perform your job well, so why not offer yourself minor rewards throughout the day to keep you motivated all the time. Whether you decide to go for a walk, watch an episode of your favourite tv show or sit and listen to a podcast, opt for a reward that you’ll give yourself once you have accomplished all the tasks for the day.

Staying focused and motivated won’t always be easy, but with proper guidance and enough of your determination, you will do it well. Make sure you have our tips in mind the next time you start your working week, and we guarantee your motivation and focus will be at their highest.

Protecting Your Company From Cyber Crime

January 30, 2022 by Katie Conroy Leave a Comment

Businesses of all sizes are at an increased risk for cyber attacks. Cyber criminals are getting smarter and evolving with new technology every day, and as such, it’s incumbent upon you to ensure your company and your customers are all protected. Here are some of the biggest mistakes small companies make – and you can avoid – when it comes to cybersecurity, brought to you below by Mike McRitchie.

Failing To Use Cybersecurity Technology

There is a wide range of cyber security products on the market that are all designed to help you protect your data against breaches and your systems against infiltration, ransomware, phishing scams, identity theft, and other cyber crimes. Many businesses – especially small companies – think they’re not at risk, won’t be targeted, and that security costs will bust the budget. However, when you consider the downside of not being protected, you’ll see it’s well worth the investment to hire an expert to not only install cybersecurity systems but to train you and your staff on best practices. According to CNET, this can help significantly reduce the potential for a problem to arise, as well as help prepare you to recover in the event something does go awry.

Forgetting To Back Up Data

It’s absolutely essential that you regularly back up your data and back it up again. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce notes that having redundant systems in place will help ensure that in the event any type of data is corrupted, hacked, hijacked, or otherwise compromised that you will have improved chances of a successful recovery. You’ll also want to ensure your firewall is always on and install antivirus software and keep it updated. Some malicious viruses can invade your system without you even knowing it until the damage is done. Along that same line, keep your operating systems updated – when systems indicate an update is available, act on the prompt, and run the latest spyware. Avoid downloads or accessing sites that are suspicious, and don’t ignore or automatically dismiss warnings of unsecured pages.

If necessary, use a template to generate a monthly planner to help keep your backups on track. This way, you can create an easy-to-use schedule that your entire team can use. These planners also allow you and your team to leave notes, letting each other know about any important information related to your backup processes.

Not Vetting Or Training Employees

It’s easier for cyber criminals to work from inside your company than from outside your company. If you’re in a business where staffers are handling confidential, financial, or proprietary information, vet them properly before putting them on your payroll. You might run a criminal background check, pull their credit, ask for fingerprints, and check all of their references. Employees who are not trained in cyber security measures may also not know what’s expected of them in terms of protections, so create a detailed but easy-to-follow guide for your company that clearly defines your policies. According to the Society for Human Resource Management, teach employees best practices around identifying and reporting threats, protecting information, using a password protection system, and rebooting devices on a regular basis. With so many people working remotely, this becomes an even more important process.

Failure To Plan For Disaster

While it’s never fun planning for the worst-case scenario, having a reaction and recovery strategy in place will be essential to quickly resume your operations and protect your reputation in the event a problem occurs. Different businesses need different recovery approaches, which might mean reverting to pre-breach data, or recovering data at an off-site location. A cyber security professional can help you assess your needs and make customized recommendations. Your plan should ideally detail which applications you’ll need to recover first and list the people who will be involved in recovery efforts. This includes not only your tech professionals or consultants but also your communications team. In the event of a cyber breach, you may need to make a public announcement or inform customers of the issue and let them know about your recovery plans. A skilled communications professional can do this on your behalf.The U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation has a cyber crime unit that can be an asset when it comes to best practices on protective measures, as well as reporting cyber crime activity. The Federal Communication Commission also offers a downloadable guidebook to help identify threats. Being prepared is your best protection, but recovery is also essential to your business’s long-term success. It will ensure you’re protecting your reputation and retaining your customer base while getting your company back on track.

Photo By Pixabay

The Diverse Career Options in the Funeral Industry

January 28, 2022 by Contributed Post Leave a Comment

Image – CC0 License

When you are looking at career options, a lot of people don’t think of the funeral industry as one with a number of great career progressions. Ultimately, the subject matter is something that stops most of us from ever going down this route. However, the funeral industry is a dynamic and constantly changing one, making approximately $20.7 billion per year, and there are many career opportunities. If you are looking to build a business and get it noticed in this industry, there are a number of career opportunities that you could utilize.

Funeral Director

The funeral director is someone who oversees every aspect of the funeral home. The typical funeral director will be in charge of every aspect, from speaking with the bereaved and arranging the service to arranging the practical aspects, such as the hearse and church trucks. A funeral director is someone who has to be incredibly dynamic as they are dealing with all different types of people in particularly vulnerable positions. The goal of the funeral director is to bring the deceased’s memory to life through the service.

Ceremonialist

Also known as celebrants, these are people who work with the bereaved to make sure the departed has a worthy celebration. The role of a celebrant is, in many ways, a creative one. They will first meet with the people to plan the ceremony and will organize a rehearsal before the event, and usually lead the ceremony on the day. There are also additional administrative procedures. Celebrants are almost like the director of an event, who offers practical advice on a number of things, such as music and venues, and they can also help to write tributes or readings. Additionally, it can involve marketing the business to attract clients. This is a role that is, naturally, quite diverse. And this is a great option for people who want to be self-employed.

Other Roles Within the Industry

It’s also important to remember that it’s not just about the obvious roles, but there are many other types of roles that you could fulfill, which include some of the following:

Embalmer

An embalmer is someone who provides embalming services to funeral homes. This is a process where you preserve the human remains by treating them with chemicals. Some embalmers work for funeral homes, while others offer their independent services.

Pathology Technician

These are people who prepare specimens for examination in morgues and hospital settings.

Crematorium Technician

These are people who prepare the remains for cremation, perform the cremation, and arrange for the disposal of the ashes.

Funeral Supplier Salesperson

There is also the other side of the equation where funeral supply providers offer a number of essential items, such as limousines, hearses, caskets, and chemicals.

Working within the funeral industry is not a normal job, but it’s important to remember that you are the person that is dealing with a very sensitive subject matter. If you have empathy, sympathy, a caring nature, while also delivering amazing customer service, there are numerous career options for you within this industry.

Get Your Business Noticed With These Tips

January 26, 2022 by Contributed Post Leave a Comment

Image Pixabay CC0 License

Are you worried that your business does not have the presence it needs to be successful? In an increasingly competitive marketplace, it is challenging for businesses to stand out from the crowd and get noticed with many similar companies trying to reach the same target audience. While your business may have been performing steadily for a while, this success can plateau, and you may be concerned it will be left trailing behind the competition.

Ensuring your business stands out from the crowd and receives the recognition it deserves is essential. The more prominent your business is, the easier it becomes to reach new customers, make more sales, and achieve the growth you are hoping for. But, knowing how to get your business noticed and elevate its profile is not always easy. Here you will find helpful tips to get you started and ensure your business captures the attention of your target market:

Get Your Business Noticed Right Now

When planning a strategy to increase the profile of your business, you likely want to start seeing results pretty quickly. While it would be impossible for your business to suddenly become a household name overnight, you can begin to see results reasonably quickly when you use the correct tactics. Paid Google ads are a highly effective tool as your business will gain a prominent position on the SERPs. Using paid Google ads is a great way to achieve results fast, but you need to know what you are doing to get the most for your money. Using an agency specializing in google ads management is one of the most effective ways to get more from your pay-per-click (PPC) advertising and will help you achieve the best return on investment for your money.

Take a Long Term Approach

As well as getting fast results from PPC advertising, it is also helpful to take a long-term approach and work on improving your search engine optimization (SEO). Combining the quick-win benefits of PPC with the longer-term approach offered by SEO will help you to see the best results, as both methods will add value to your marketing strategy. Optimizing your site will improve your organic search results and ensure your business gets noticed as its ranking improves. The combined effort of working on improving organic search and effective PPC tactics should see your company dominating the SERPs with multiple entries for relevant keywords.

Make Social Media Work For You

Getting your business to a prominent position on the SERPs is essential, but you also need to go a step further and build its presence on social media too. Social media provides an incredibly valuable tool for companies to raise their profile and communicate directly with customers and potential customers. The more you engage with your brand’s social media followers, the more beneficial it is for the algorithm, and the greater your reach will become. So, combining social media marketing with PPC and SEO will provide you with a robust strategy to get your business noticed.