Handy makeover tips to help you land that job

Handy makeover tips to help you land that job Handy makeover tips to help you land that jobPosted April 17, 2013, by Josie Chun Even if we like to think that getting a job is just about having the right skills and experience, it all boils down to giving a good impression and much of that impression will be conveyed by your appearance. Whether you like it or bedrngnislage, youll be sized up within the first few seconds of meeting someone, whether that be an interviewer or a first date. The last thing you want is for a bad haircut or tea-stained teeth to sabotage your chances of getting your dream job Studies prove that those who are deemed attractive tend to have better career outcomes and better salaries, and job seekers are feeling increasing pressure to pay attention to their appearance even to the point of having surgical procedures or Botox to give them that extra polish and air of youthful vigour. While this may seem drastic, Australians are now spending billions of dollars e ach year on surgical and non-surgical cosmetic procedures as well as rituals such as spray tans, facials, hair removal and other beauty treatments for professional reasons as well as personal. Secretary of the Australasian College of Cosmetic Surgeons, Dr Russell Knudsen, has said that demand for cosmetic procedures is being driven by baby boomers who want to reverse the ageing process and keep up with their younger colleagues. For better or worse, in todays competitive job market, looks matter more than ever. Put your best look forward when you go for that interview While its not necessary to go under the knife, as a job seeker it is in your interests to put in some effort to project an attractive, professional appearance because whether you like it or not, it will help you to get a job. Dont let your monobrow or chipped nail polish distract your interviewer from your fabulous job spiel So heres a list of easy, common sense makeover tips that wont require an appointment with the surgeon, but that just might help you land that job One of the best things you can do to give yourself a more youthful look is to moisturise your skin. While thats a no-brainer for most women, a surprising number of men neglect this important youth-preserving step. Its not just your face, however dont forget your hands either. You dont want your handshake to feel like sandpaper Also dont forget to use lip balm if youre prone to chapped lips. Nothing says Pick me like a great smile. That means good dental hygiene and care, and its worth investing in regular cleanings with the dentist. If your teeth are yellow or stained you might want to consider tooth whitening, either done by a professional or DIY. They say that clothes make the man (or woman) so having a clean, ironed and professional-looking outfit will go a long way towards creating the polished look youre after. Choose something classic and tailored but contemporary, in a flattering colour and style (but nothing too out t here), and invest in a few quality pieces. How conservative you go will depend on the job and industry youre going for, but its best to err on the side of caution over something too flamboyant. And of course, avoid anything too tight, short or low-cut. Your outfit extends from head to toe and includes accessories, so that means your shoes need to be clean and polished, and your briefcase or bag should be in good nick. Men should wear dark socks and women need to consider wearing neutral pantyhose or black stockings. Avoid excessive or flashy jewellery or accessories. Good grooming starts with a good haircut. Ensure that your hair is clean, in good condition (treat those split ends) and neatly styled, out of your face and eyes. You might even consider getting it professionally styled on the morning of your interview. If your hair is dyed, try to ensure that youre not long overdue for a touch-up you dont want to walk into an interview with a bad case of re-growth. A little make-up is better than no make-up, but keep it subtle, neutral and natural. A bit of blush or bronzer will help you look rosy and healthy, but avoid the Bozo the Clown look or anything too dark or excessive (eyeshadow, pencilled eyebrows, mascara, foundation). Be especially wary of overly dark fake tan and dark lipstick these two things have been cited as the biggest turn-offs to employers Dont forget the details and peripherals because people do notice. Ensure that your nails are clean and in good condition, perhaps manicured, and a bit of waxing, plucking or shaving doesnt go astray if youre prone to excessive or wayward hair growth. If you have multiple or unusual piercings, you might want to leave some of them out, just for the day. This ones a no-brainer dont smell. That, of course, means you should wear deodorant and have freshly brushed teeth, and it might be a good idea to pop a breath mint before you enter the interview (it should go without saying that gum-chewing during an interv iew is not acceptable). Dont, however, wear strong perfume or cologne its a big no-no. Your beauty preps need to start the night before with a good nights sleep, because dark circles or bags under your eyes will undermine the energy and enthusiasm you want to convey. You also need to stay away from excessive alcohol or garlic the night before your interview, for obvious reasons. Creating a professional, polished appearance doesnt have to cost an arm and a leg its mostly about taking a bit of care and making a conscious effort, though some financial investment can be necessary for those classic pieces. Its not about being the best-looking person in the room or doing anything extreme its about giving yourself your best chance by projecting the poised, professional and confident appearance that will win you the job. ResourcesMy first resumeCover letter for my first jobCareer Insider StoriesShelley Lask - Body Positive Health & FitnessInterested in becoming a?Human Resources OfficerG eneral ManagerBusiness ManagerAccountantOffice AdministratorPopular Career Searchesbeautician interview questions and answerseducation assistant western australia job searchwhat to study to get a job perth walogistics administrator interview questionsdietician interview questions and answers CoursesBachelor of Social WorkEnquire Online Enquire OnlineCertificate III in Health AdministrationEnquire Online Enquire OnlineBachelor of Criminal JusticeEnquire Online Enquire OnlineCertificate III in Allied Health AssistanceEnquire Online Enquire OnlineJosie ChunRelated ArticlesBrowse moreBeauty TherapyMassageHealing handsFor anyone who enjoys interacting with people and who loves hands-on, physical work, working as a massage therapist can be an ideal and flexible career choice.Career changeCareer inspo10 Celebrities Who Changed Their Careers For StardomBefore they were famous Harrison Ford worked as a carpenter, Vera Wang was an ice skater, Martha Stewart worked on Wall St and the Pope was a bouncer See what other celebrity career changes will surprise youAdvertisingHow To Break Into Advertising 4 Career PathsTheyre on highway billboards, theyre in your monthly magazines, on your most visited websites and interrupt your TV programs. Advertisements are a part of our daily lives and constitute one of the most competitive and exciting industries around.

6 Things to Consider When Researching the Best Military Branch

6 Things to Consider When Researching the Best Military Branch6 Things to Consider When Researching the Best Military BranchPeople who have a negative experience with their military service are usually those who did very little research prior to joining.Many in this category are either looking for a job - any job - or let the recruiter recommend certain jobs that the military needs at the time.Regardless, you should have an interest in where you go, what you do, and how you serve this country as military service is bedrngnis just a job, it is an honorable profession that can be exciting and rewarding if you know what youwant to do. This knowledge takes time to research. To ensure that you are making the right decision for yourself and your country, there are a few things you should consider before enlisting. What Are Your Interests? Joining the military will provide you with specialized training in any number of fields, depending upon the branch you are considering. Think about w hat skills you would like to possess at the end of your term of service. Learn as much as you can about each branch of military service and see which one will suit your needs. This way, you can serve your country to the best degree possible. US Military 101 and Choosing a Military Service may help you decide which branch is the best for you. What Skills Are You Bringing to the Table? If you are already proficient with certain skills, perhaps you would like to hone these skills in the military. Whether it is working with computers, mechanics, or administrative duties, the military can provide you with the best training in a wide variety of areas. See Military Enlisted Jobs for an overview of the 800-plus enlisted jobs available in the military. If there is an interest, it is likely the military has a job for you.You can be anything in between a weapons expert to a language expert and even a military IT guy. There is literally something for everyone. Are You Willing to Make the Commitment?? ? Many people are enchanted with the idea of the military, only to have buyers remorse after joining. Seriously contemplate whether or not you will be happy with the commitment you are going to make. Once you have enlisted, you are under contract with the US government, and getting out is no easy feat. Have You Been Fully Informed?? It is extremely important. You must ask all of the right questions before enlisting. Make sure you do the appropriate research and talk with as many people as possible. This way, you wont feel misled or cheated when the actuality of your situation becomes evident. Dont listen selectively actively listen to your recruiter. Make a list of things you need to know about and get informed. The article, What the Recruiter Never Told You can help make you an informed player. What Do You Want to Do in the Future?? After being in the military for a while, some decide that they would like to make a career out of military life. Others decide that they would like to move on and pursue their education or a career in the civilian world with the skills they picked up while serving. Have your future in mind when selecting a job when you enlist. Make sure that you will leave the service with the proper tools to be successful in life. The Job Selectionarticle will help you understand how the services make enlisted job selections. One Last Thing to ConsiderWhere Do You Want to Live?? Look at the locations of the different services bases around the United States and around the world. There are some beautiful locations these bases are located - and some not so nice.

Sales Managers Niche Career Leads to Broad Resume Success

Sales Managers Niche Career Leads to Broad Resume SuccessSales Managers Niche Career Leads to Broad Resume SuccessA ausverkauf resume can highlight broad skills and experience even in a narrow industry.John had a few things going against him. He had been out of work because of a car accident a few years back, he wanted to relocate to California, and he felt he should consider changing industries.But his firm commitment to getting it right this time resulted in a top resume and landed him a job as national ausverkauf manager for a national broadcast television network.Heres how he updated his original resume (.pdf) and overcame the obstacles he welches up against.Johns sales experience was in a very narrow niche of direct-response television advertising. To open up his search to other industries, I highlighted his core competencies that are relevant for any sales position. The resume became focused more on what he can do than his industry knowledge.Transferable skillsThe headline on J ohns new resume (.pdf) makes it clear that he is a sales manager with experience in local, regional and national markets. It takes into account his know-how in strategic planning and tactical execution.Because it was difficult to quantify his sales results, we created a separate section for some career highlights in his 16 years of work experience. This section pulled together an overview of what he has done into just over six lines. It highlighted keywords such as turned around, surpassed aggressive six-figure sales goals and closed largest single sale. These are accomplishments any sales departement would appreciate. When used as talking points in an interview, industry-neutral accomplishments can support his interest in leaving his niche industry.Another strategy to pinpoint transferable skills is to highlight unusual experiences in your personal life that make you successful in your professional life. John knew just the thing Hed spent time in the remote rainforests of Papua New Guinea as part of a volunteer project when he was younger. He said that every person he meets who finds out about this is curious and wants to know more. So we incorporated that fact into one italicized sentence in his profile because it would really stand out. We connected it with his excellent listening and observational skills another skill any sales department would value.Master resumeWhen I come across a job seeker casting a wide net, I try to give him a master resume. That way he can edit this down for specific opportunities both within and outside his industry.For instance, Johns final resume has a table on the first page with 18 items in it which is really too many but this section is easy for John to edit based on the job opportunity. Now he wont have to shuffle between multiple versions.One issue we needed to address on the master resume was the car accident.John was in a very serious car accident in 2002. It took two years fully to recover. He mentioned the accident i n his original resume, which I thought was a red flag. It would raise questions about the current state of his health. So, we acknowledged the period of time as a professional sabbatical. He is fully recovered now and confident in his ability briefly to describe what happened. John is not obligated to give more information in his resume, and this now accounts for that period of time in a neutral fashion.The final touch to the master resume was optimized formatting. Originally, the text was all on the right side of the page. It was visually imbalanced and hard to read, with regular and bolded fonts mixed together and no line spacing. Furthermore, his name was not on the second page. Johns new resume now uses the full real estate on both pages for easier reading and a more professional presentation.Good newsJohn now has a resume with a professional format that can be properly edited. It emphasizes his sales experience and applies these skills to any industry.Most importantly, the proc ess of writing the resume helped boost his confidence and his interview skills, even before it was completed. And it landed him his new job.

A Guide to Deflecting the Current Salary Question in an Interview

A Guide to Deflecting the Current Salary Question in an Interview A Guide to Deflecting the Current Salary Question in an Interview A Guide to Deflecting the Current Salary Question in an Interview Interviewing is a challenging process, and the most difficult part for many people is the question of money. Most candidates are inherently uncomfortable with the subject they don't want to come across as greedy or solely money-motivated. It can also be tough to strike the right balance between being open and not disclosing information that could put you at a disadvantage down the line. But those questions do come up: the salary expectations question, the current salary question and possibly more. Would you like some pointers on how to handle this tricky situation? Begin with getting clear on three numbers: your ideal salary, the reasonable salary for the position, and the absolute minimum you will accept. Once you have those three numbers, add your current salary and a rough outline of your salary history over the last few years. Write them all down and don't show that paper to anyone. Sure, the current salary question may come up. However, here is a secret that your hiring manager or recruiter won't tell you: neither one of them has a legitimate need to know your salary history. You are interviewing for a new position at a different company with its own set of budgetary guidelines, and your current salary is not relevant to the decision. [TWEET] Your financial situation is always a private matter. If the employer is not comfortable extending an offer based on your qualifications and fit, so be it. Here are five more tips for addressing the pesky current salary question. 1. The right time to discuss the salary is when the employer is ready to make an offer. Don't get tricked into talking about salary in your first interview. Explain that you will be better equipped to discuss money once you understand the requirements of the job, and how well your qualifications fit the role. Mention that you are prepared to look at the overall package of salary, bonus, and other benefits, and that you understand the industry averages for your region. 2. Try to get the prospective employer to disclose the range first. It is always better to get your hiring manager to talk about the budget for the position before you throw out any numbers of your own. You may need to prompt him or her, and do your research first. You might try something along the lines of, Based on the industry data, positions at this level of responsibility call for X to Y. I am sure you have budgeted for the position with the competitive data in mind. What is your target range? If you don't want to ask for their range up front, consider this: I would appreciate it if you could make an offer based on my experience and qualifications, as well as your budget for this position. We will take it from there. 3. If you have to talk numbers, disclose your target range - not a single number. Any one number can come across as an ultimatum and those don't work well in a negotiation scenario. By giving your prospective employer your range, you are leaving more room for a win-win outcome where your optimal salary range overlaps their budget. After all, everyone is working with limited resources, and you may not fully understand the constraints the hiring manager has. 4. Be sure you are talking to the decision maker. There is another benefit to delaying the money conversation, and that is ensuring that you are negotiating with a decision maker. An HR manager may be a qualified professional in his or her own right, and alienating HR is not a smart long-term decision. However, your prospective manager or his boss has a better understanding of the department budget, your qualifications, and the potential value you stand to deliver to the company. 5. Smile, and remain in conversation. This can be tricky when the current salary question comes up, especially if the negotiation feels confrontational to you under the best of circumstances. Do your best to manage your mental state, don't get defensive, and stay in the conversation. Remember that demands and yes or no positioning does not work as well as open-ended questions and a genuine desire to explore options. You are in this conversation because you trust the employer to look for an optimal solution that works for both of you. If that statement does not feel true, consider the possibility that you are negotiating for the wrong position at the wrong company. Now that we have considered the strategic basics for your overall approach, let's look at some tricky scenarios. What do you do if an online application form requires a salary history? With online applications as a starting point for the hiring process, it might feel like you are at the company's mercy. Skipping the question may get your application rejected, but disclosing your salary history up-front certainly does put your cards on the table too soon. You do have a third option. I suggest putting down your current target salary for every one of the salary fields. Then, use the first available comment box to clarify that all disclosed salary figures reflect your desired target salary. That way, you are not lying, and keeping private information close to the vest until the right time. What do you do if the hiring manager gets aggressive with the current salary question and insists you just give him a number right now? Well, you have a choice to make. You can certainly make a call to simply answer the question. However, don't do it because you were bullied into it! If the hiring manager chooses to play heavy-hitter this early in the relationship, the dynamic won't get more collaborative after you accept the position. I suggest taking a couple of breaths, reminding yourself that you are in control, and using the interviewing process as an indicator of what it will be like to work at this company. What do you do if the salary range is below what you expected? Here, yet again, you have options. Remember that money is one important piece of the puzzle, but certainly not the only one. Look at the position overall does it move you closer to where you see yourself in 5 years? Did you enjoy the hiring manager? What does the overall compensation package look like and does the employer have any ability to budge on the number of vacation days, childcare expense allowance, the possibility of an early performance review and raise? What will your commute be like? Will the employer be flexible about you working from home? It is possible that the big-picture package of this offer comes out close to where you will ultimately be happy and overall well-compensated. That being said, sometimes the answer is that this opportunity does not offer you enough in exchange, and you have to politely thank the prospective employer and turn down the offer. That brings us to our closing point. Remember that you don't have to accept an offer you are not happy with. Sure, you may feel pressured to accept a sure offer in favor of trying to negotiate and risking the possibility that the employer will change his mind and hire someone else. However, accepting what you feel is not a fair offer can lead to resentment and real dissatisfaction with the job. It can become a demotivating factor that affects the quality of your work, the consistency of your effort, and your attitude. So, if you are not feeling excited about the prospect of accepting the offer, it is best to continue your search. Want to see how your resume stacks up? Try out our free critique today! Related Articles:

Science Major Skills List

Science Major Skills List Environmental Studies/Science Major Skills List If you’ve majored in environmental studies or science, your interests may dwell in the realm of ecological conservation, sustainability and more. However, it takes more than an interest in key areas to make you attractive to potential employers.   It’s quite a diverse field with many possibilities for employment, from water quality management and nature conservation to indirectly related jobs like landscape architecture and toxicology. Whichever way your degree takes you, you should possess several of the most important traits listed below to be a quality prospect for employers in search of candidates. How to Use Skills Lists You can use the below skills as you search for jobs. Apply the terms in your resume, in the description of your work history, as well as in your cover letter. Mention a few of the skills on this list, and give examples of how you’ve demonstrated these traits in prior work. You can also use these words in your interview. Hang onto the  top skills listed here, and be prepared with examples of how youve exemplified each. Each job will require different skills and experiences, so make sure you read the job description carefully and focus on the skills listed by the employer. Here is a look a the five most important skills employers look for in environmental majors. Gathering Data Depending on the role you end up with, possibilities for the types of data you gather, and in what sorts of environments you gather them, could differ greatly. Wherever you end up, you’ll be gathering data to find answers to questions, to test the hypothesis, and to evaluate outcomes. Some general skills around data collecting include perseverance, focus, critical thinking, deductive reasoning, logic, and of course, patience. You should be comfortable with various data-gathering methodologies, like the observational method, for example, or a more experimental analysis approach. Beyond gathering data, a good candidate will be able to analyze and communicate complex data facts with their colleagues. So storytelling and the ability to organize your thoughts will be important skills to develop as well. Analysis Skills You should be able to research, problem solve and integrate the principles of chemistry and physics into your environmental analysis. Analyzing the data you gather means being able to discover patterns and correlations. Logical thinking plays into skill with analysis, as logic will help you pull apart a problem, and begin to apply solutions. A good analyst will understand how systems work on macro and micro levels. They’ll be able to identify and begin to solve a host of problems. As an environmental science major, you should be able to not only understand problems and their solutions, but you should also be able to explain problems that are complex as well as simple. One of the more important but underrated skills an environmental science major can have is to be able to organize what they perceive and know in order to share their analysis with others. Conducting Research Employers will seek candidates who are able to conduct research. In order to conduct your research, you’ll need to engage the prior two skills we listed. First, you’ll need to get clear on your strategy and coordinate with others to make sure there are the funds and freedom to do the work you need to do. These tasks require interpersonal skills, communication, and follow through. Once the stage is set, you can begin to experiment, collect data, analyze the results, and record the data. You’ll need to be comfortable with things like formulating hypotheses and coming to various conclusions when you’re able to. Conducting research requires skills like managing stress, organizational oversight, teamwork, time management, deductive reasoning, and more. Organizational Skills To manage projects and phases of projects, employers will seek environmental scientists with proven organizational skills. As an employee, you may need to create research proposal structures, you may be tasked with managing delicate samples, or you may even be placed into a supervisory capacity, which will require you to manage entire projects or groups of people. In environmental science, employers will seek candidates who can organize their thoughts, their ideas, their work, and sometimes, other people. Working Independently While social and communication skills are important for roles related to environmental science, employees might sometimes find themselves working solo. The ability to work independently will be important for just about any employer. It means they’ll be able to dole out assignments or give you direction, but they won’t have to hold your hand through all stages of the process. Employers will look for independent thinkers who can stay focused and motivated without constant oversight. Environmental science can be a lucrative and rewarding career. It can give you the opportunity to devote your life’s work to a cause you may be genuinely passionate about, which is always a plus. Environmental Studies / Science Major Skills AccuracyAnalyzing DataAnalyzing Environmental ProblemsAnalyzing Public Policy Issues Related to the EnvironmentApplying Concepts in Geology to Environmental AssessmentsApplying Dyes and Indicators to CellsApplying Ethical Principles to Environmental AnalysesApplying Knowledge of BiologyAssessing the Impact of Social Institutions on the EnvironmentAttention to DetailCalculus  Collaborating  Collecting Soil SamplesComposing Lab ReportsComprehending Complex Scientific Reading MaterialConducting Quantitative Research Constructing Environmental Impact StatementsCreating Atmospheric ModelsCreating Charts and Graphs to Represent FindingsCritical ThinkingDeductive ReasoningDelivering Constructive CriticismDesigning Research Models to Test Hypotheses Regarding Environmental IssuesEvaluating the Validity of Environmental ResearchFlexibilityGathering DataIdentifying Environmental ProblemsIncorporating Concepts of Physics into Environmental AnalysisIntegrating Principles of Chemistry into Environmental AnalysisLeading Group Discussions Manual DexterityMicrosoft ExcelMicrosoft WordMultitasking  Note TakingObservationalOrganizationalPowerPointPredicting OutcomesPresentation  PrioritizingProblem SolvingProject ManagementReceiving Constructive FeedbackRecording Field ObservationsResilienceSASSPSSStatistics  Stress Management  TeamworkTesting Ground WaterTest TakingTime ManagementUsing Electron MicroscopesUtilizing SpectrometersUtilizing Water Testing EquipmentVerbal CommunicationWorking IndependentlyWriting Policy EssaysWriting Scientific Research Papers

How I saved money for my wedding while buying a house

How I saved money for my wedding while buying a house How I saved money for my wedding while buying a house If you’ve been following me at all in the past year, you know I’ve been going through a lot of changes. I got engaged, I bought a house, and I quit my day job. These are all very financially risky and stressful changes to make, especially all at once! But I also wasn’t willing to give up or substantially delay any of these big changes. I wanted to buy a house before quitting my job so that we weren’t given a hard time by the mortgage lender. I also couldn’t imagine going into 2018 still employed at my day job. And I didn’t want to put off getting married beyond 2018 (I turned 30 last year and suddenly felt like there wasn’t a ton of time to spare).All of these changes are pretty expensive, so we had to be pretty strategic to afford them all. This is especially true when it came to saving for our wedding. Weddings are expensive and we had a specific dream in mind for ours. It ended up being a lot more expensive than I expected, but we made it work and have saved the full amount months ahead of the wedding. Here’s how we did it!I saved over 10% of a windfallIn July 2017, I received a large sum of money as a settlement from the Department of Health and Human Services. In December 2015, I got a routine flu shot at CVS so that I wouldn’t risk giving the flu to my then-newborn nephew over Christmas. Within an hour, my shoulder hurt so badly that I couldn’t lift my arm. I had never gotten the flu shot before, so I figured it was a normal reaction to the shot. Well, I was wrong. I could barely lift my left arm for six months. Dan had to help me get dressed and even take off my jacket. It took over a year, an MRI and CT scan, and many doctors telling me I was crazy, but eventually, I received a settlement from the government for my injury.I immediately put over 10% of that settlement into a savings account earmarked for our future wedding. If you had any doubts about my knack for planning ahead, you should know that we weren’t even engaged yet at t his time. But I put this large sum of money aside and that made it so that we had nearly half of what we would ultimately need for the wedding. I recommend this approach if you ever  receive a windfall  in the future.I saved 20% of my take-home payFor the last four months of my time at my day job, I saved about 20% of my take-home pay for the wedding. That amounted to about $700 a month, so by the time I left the job at the end of December, I had saved $2,100 for the wedding from my paycheck.I think this is one of the best ways to save up a lot of money over time, if you have the money to spare. Set up direct deposit from your paychecks and save a percentage each month. You can do this for any goal, whether it’s building up your emergency savings account or saving up for a trip.We saved our tax refundsSince Dan and I were both fully employed in 2017, we both received tax refunds in April. 2017 was the last year that we could meaningfully write off the interest on our mortgage paym ents and real estate taxes. We also wrote off the start-up costs we incurred for getting our Airbnb up to snuff. These write-offs helped increase our tax refund. We put those refunds directly into our wedding fund.Are you wondering what you should do with your tax refund?  Here’s what I think!I saved all my business incomeFor the first four months of 2018, I saved all of my business profit and put it directly into our wedding savings account. As I’m getting my business off the ground and building profit, Dan and I are living off of his paycheck completely. All of my take-home pay from my business is going directly into savings. The first priority this year was obviously the wedding. By April, we had reached our savings goal for the wedding. Since then, I’ve been putting the money into our home improvement fund.Dan saved his freelance incomeDan is an interactive graphic designer, so he often designs and builds websites (like  mine!). Earlier this year, he built the website for the new DC cidery,  Capitol Cider House. He put that freelance income directly into our savings account (after setting aside 30% for taxes, of course). In the future, we will likely put his freelance income towards our dog fund and our home improvement projects.This article was originally published on MaggieGermano.com.Maggie  Germano  is a feminist and financial coach for women. She helps women improve their relationship with money so they can take control of their financial future. She does this through one-on-one financial coaching, workshops, writing, and speaking engagements. She also founded  Money Circle, which is a safe space for women to talk about money without feeling judged. It’s a way to create community and openness around personal finance. Passionate about many issues affecting women,  Maggie  is a member of the  Women’s Information Network  and was trained as a salary negotiation facilitator by  AAUW.

How to tie up all loose ends on that project youre working on

How to tie up all loose ends on that project you're working on How to tie up all loose ends on that project you're working on Sometimes, it’s just as difficult to start a project as it is to finish it. But it’s not impossible -   here’s how to tie up all the loose ends.Get some help if you need toYou might just learn something new and bolster your confidence in the process.Kevin Daum, an author and entrepreneur, writes in Inc. that you should “call in the troops” when trying to bring a major project to a close quickly.“Sometimes you just can’t do it alone. There is little glory in a solo failure, so swallow that pride and ask for some  help. Sure you might have to  return the favor  someday, but that’s what friends and colleagues are for. It also helps to bring in someone who hasn’t been staring at the project for weeks. They may have ideas on how to complete the project better and faster,” he writes.Break things downThere’s no need to try and focus on everything at once - make things easier on yourself instead.Alice E. M. Underwood, a Grammarly content writer and editorial and resea rch aide at Stanford, writes on the site about how to complete a work assignment when another, more crucial one later crops up and starts competing for your attention.“Block off a chunk of time on your calendar to dedicate to the problem project. Don’t let anyone or anything else take that time away. During that time, ask yourself: what’s the core of the problem you’re trying to solve, and what steps can you take to get to a solution? Write down those steps to break down your project into manageable components,” she writes. “Address the components one at a time, but as you work, keep the overall problem in mind. The separate steps will both organize your work process and ensure an organized final product that directly and accurately addresses the problem at hand.”Don’t be a perfectionistThis often makes things more difficult.Elizabeth Grace Saunders, an author and founder of Real Life E Time Coaching Training, writes on the 99U site about what to do when this gets i n your way.“The mental battle: When you’re convinced that ‘settling’ for anything less than a perfect-quality product is unacceptable, you tend to unconsciously lower your standards in many other areas. This could include missing deadlines, falling behind on other responsibilities and feeling stressed all the time,” she writes. “What to do: Evaluate your overall performance. To clarify the cost of trying to do everything ‘ideally,’ make a list of what else could suffer (sleep, relationships, emotional state?). Then, when you feel tempted to push closure off in the relentless pursuit of perfection, look at this list for a reminder to stop.”