Saturday, July 20, 2019

Five Mistakes That Are Made In An Interview

Getting an interview for a potential job is certainly a step in the right direction and so now comes the part where you need to impress that employer and hopefully secure the job. However, mistakes are easily made when in an interview. Here are five mistakes that are worth avoiding.

Not Fully Knowing Enough About The Company
One of the main issues that some candidates won’t do for an interview is to actually learn more about the company they are getting interviewed by. This is important simply because the employers want to know that the candidate is interested in working for the company and not just the role itself. So with that in mind, make sure that you’ve learned about the company before you go in. It’s only really the basics, like what do they do and maybe highlight any particular work they’ve done in the past that piqued your interest.


Being Too Formal Or Too Informal
The way you behave in an interview is important because it shows the employer how you’d do within the company dynamic. You want to have an equal balance of formality and informality when being interviewed. When it comes to being interviewed on the questions, keep it formal, but when the more relaxed questions are asked, it’s certainly good to inject a bit more personality and show them that side of you that they are probably keen on seeing to understand and get to know you as a person more.


Providing The References
On any simple resume template, there’s the option to add in your references, and this should immediately be made available upon request. Although references are done once the interview is over and you’ve been offered the job, it’s important that you’ve thought about your references and who you pick in particular. Providing references that might not be legit or give a negative response are not going to do you any favors as a candidate and therefore, who you have as a reference could be the make or break of you getting a role. 


Not Asking Questions
The employer at the end of the interview will ask the question, ‘Do you have any questions for us?’ And regardless of whether you do or not, always ask questions. It shows an employer that you’re interested in the role and that you’ve taken the time to ask questions in which any information hasn’t been covered. The standard type of question to ask is what they like about their job in the company and what a day in the role looks like. 


Being Negative About Your Current Employment
It’s one of the biggest mistakes to make when in an interview, and the reason is because they’ll likely think you could have the same attitude about their company and no one likes to be bad mouthed. You may be working for a not so nice employer currently but if they ask, try to keep the response vague, rather than pinning the blame on your current employment. 

Follow these tips, and you’ll put yourself in good stead of getting that role!

Friday, July 19, 2019

How to Start Your Own Mommy Blog: Five Easy Steps to Success



Starting a mommy blog or parenting blog is such a great way to work out your own parenting style, help out new parents, and of course, to document the most precious moments about raising your kids. It can help you start your own business or just grow a community of like-minded moms who are going through the exact same situations as you are.


To start your own successful blog, all you need is to complete these five easy steps! 


1.    Skip the Website Builder and Find Your Own Web Host


There are many free website builders out there. However, the issue with using some of these is that you are stuck with them. You cannot take your domain name and move to a different host later on. Instead of tying yourself down, it’s best to find a great web hosting option that offers a premium service for a great price. If you can, choose one that has many years of experience and is committed to the environment, as data storage is becoming an increasing issue due to its CO2 output.

Tip: WordPress.com is a web hosting company, WordPress.org is a free, open-source CMS that is very popular and powerful. You will use it with your web host and a theme to create a beautiful and custom website. 

2.    Find an Easy-To-Use Theme


As a beginner, you don’t want to be bogged down with so many options it would make your head spin. You want something simple that can be updated easily and looks great with minimal effort. Great blogging themes can be free or cost very little, just make sure you go through and are sure you like the theme and its features before downloading.

If you do want something super customized and really unique, then look for a premium theme that contains an intuitive website builder. These will let you design your site on the page itself. They are costly, however, so only do this if you are dead-set on creating a unique layout for every page and post of your website. 


3.    Play Around With It

Even simple themes can take a while to set up, but that’s just because there is a learning curve to each theme. However, once you know how to use it, you will be ready to go and all set to start posting parenting articles and building your own community!

4.    Get Social

Posting that you have written a new article is great, but there is no guarantee people will read it. Instead, go for a more holistic approach. Be part of the community. Follow other mommy bloggers, comment, ask questions, and make friends! This is how you grow your community and benefit from managing a parenting blog.

5.    Keep At It

Websites need to be updated regularly or else fade away from focus. By keeping at it and reaching out and making friends online, you can eventually grow your website so successfully that you can even start selling products, workshops, or even just ad space!

Thursday, July 18, 2019

Benefits Of Organic Degreasers

Years ago when it came to the use of industrial cleaning supplies and in particular degreasers there was no choice regarding what type of product you could utilise. Little attention was given to the need to protect the planet. As a result everybody was utilising harmful degreasers that were filled to the brim with toxins. The effect on the environment has been evident. After all, all you need to do is turn on the news to read reports about global warming, landfill pollution, air pollution, and so on and so forth. 


However, now we thankfully live in a day and age whereby lots of responsible companies are taking it upon themselves to be environmentally friendly with the products they produce and the practise they implement. This is extremely evident in the industrial cleaning supply industry. This was generally once a field that was very toxic in terms of products and production. Nonetheless, suppliers now realise how crucial it is to go green. And this is represented no better than the array of organic degreasers that available. But, why should you start to use organic degreasers over the standard toxic versions?

There is only one place to begin and this is with the benefits you will be doing to the environment. It doesn’t take a genius to work out that toxic chemicals are harmful to the environment. It is your responsibility to ensure that you do your part to help. And with the crackdowns occurring on harmful chemicals you could easily find yourself with a stockpile of cleaning products that are no longer deemed useable. 

In addition to this, you also need to consider your company’s reputation. If your customers discover that you have chosen to use toxic degreasers when there are organic ones available, how do you think this will look? People will no longer see you as an ethical or credible company. They will deem you to be a business that sees offering a cheap service as more important than your social responsibility. Because of the heightened attention placed on looking after the planet these days this is something that can be extremely detrimental. 

And let’s not ignore the fact that toxic degreasers can easily be damaging to an individual’s health. The last thing you want is a lawsuit on your hands because one of your employees has fallen ill due to constantly being surrounded by harmful chemicals. If this happens, you will need employment attorneys with proven results. After all, you are legally obliged to provide a safe working environment. By exposing your workers to hazardous chemicals you are not upholding your duty. 

If you consider the points that have been mentioned in this post then it is quite easy to see why you should order organic degreasers when putting in your order for industrial cleaning supplies. Not only will you be doing your bit for the environment, but you will also be ensuring that your workplace is safe and that your reputation is kept intact. It goes without saying that these three points are all of extreme importance. 







Wednesday, July 17, 2019

Entering Middle Age and Beyond: A Guide to Your New Role in Life

48 and holding steady. Middle age is pretty great so far!


Contrary to what pop culture might think, middle age rocks. It’s a time when you’ll be totally comfortable with yourself, with a family in tow and a set of friends you’ve cherished and loved for decades. You may well have found your life-long partner, and you’ll be in a stable job that provides a good level of income for your family. It’s a time to reflect, and also a time to plan. This article offers some handy ways in which you can contemplate your life as you move through middle age and beyond, planning for your new role in life. 


Stability

Your younger years might well have been dominated by instability. After all, that is, in a sense, what youth is. You’ll have been in and out of relationships and jobs, moving house every other year, traveling the world and discovering who you are. Those heady – and uncomfortable – days are behind you now, and your quest – especially when you have children on the way – is to be a responsible parent, busy making a stable home. Find stability by:


·        Ensuring you’re able to live in your home for a long period of time

·        Ensuring your career is long-term and that you’re well-placed to rise the ranks

·        Finding emotional stability and peace within yourself to thrive

·        Being responsible with your partner to nurture a loving family

·        Hold both family and friends dear to help you through the hard times


With these precautions in place, you’ll be ready to take your middle age by storm.


New Beginnings

Your middle age is also a time to reinvent aspects of yourself that are quite frankly outdated and in need of replacement. There are numerous examples of these kinds of behaviors and attitudes. Some things you might want to drop as you enter middle age includes:


·        Smoking and other unhealthy habits

·        Drinking to excess with friends on the weekend

·        Struggling to make ends meet by shopping online frequently

·        Childish habits and behaviors that you don’t want to pass on to your children


It’s wise to contemplate if there’s anything you can do to work on yourself as you enter middle age. On the flip-side, once you’ve done this, you’ll free up time to pursue more hobbies and make new connections in middle age.


Planning for the Future

Finally, entering middle age requires you to think a little harder about your future than you’ve done in recent years. Where do you want your family to live – and to what kind of standard? How can you guarantee them peace, security, and prosperity? One key element of this is life insurance. You can find instant whole life insurance quotes online to help you make a decision here, guaranteeing your family stability in the worst-case scenario. Other situations that might affect your family’s stability include your being injured or made redundant from work. Having a back-up plan for such an eventuality is also good practice as you enter the middle of your life.


Use the above tips to take your middle age in stride, planning for a comfortable and loving environment that’ll nourish all in your circle.

Monday, July 15, 2019

Fall Fun in Kansas City: Maple Leaf 5K Run and Festival

Always on the third full weekend in October, I can't believe I just found out about the Maple Leaf Festival in Baldwin City, Kansas. I was in a homeschool group with a bunch of other moms having a friendly debate about the Renaissance Festival when this family-friendly Ren Fest alternative came up.

For the record, I went to Ren Fest many times as a kid and it was okay, but I will always remember some of the characters really freaking me out! One of my big goals is to take the kids to a favorite place of mine, Silver Dollar City in Branson, MO, but for now we might give this one a shot! If not this year, it will be on the Fall Bucket List for 2020.


Here's some information about the festival from the website:
"The Maple Leaf Festival began as a community event in 1958, inspired by Dr. Ivan Boyd, a biology professor at Baker University. He noted that the third weekend in October was the optimum time to view the changing colors of the Maple Leaves in the area and the perfect time to celebrate the successful harvest.

61 years later, with over 300 craft exhibits, quilt shows and displays, performing arts, music, unique food items and activities for the family, the Maple Leaf Festival is the biggest fall family event in the area and provides an opportunity for local non-profit organizations to raise funds."

You can expect to find: Craft booths, a quilt show, a parade, a 5K run, carnival at night, country music, train rides and more! Oh, and FOOD galore! Yes, including turkey legs!

Maple Leaf 5K Run details can be found here.
Saturday, October 19, 2019, starts at 8 a.m.
Baldwin City, KS

Sounds like a great time!