Reblogged from Gen Y Girl:

I’ve been struggling with a really annoying problem lately and I don’t know what to do.

I'm tired… ALL THE TIME.

And I hate it!

Someone please explain this to me...

I'm a CrossFit junkie three times a week.

I eat pretty healthily (I hope that's a word).

And I'm 22 years old!

22!!!!!

So where's all my energy gone?

Read more… 272 more words

Derek Sivers encourages us to have the courage to follow, and show others how to follow.

“The first follower is actually an underestimated form of leadership in itself. … The first follower is what transforms a lone nut into a leader.”

I can always count on Mike Desjardins from ViRTUS  to give me a smile. He shares the following video with his staff if someone is having a bad day.

“I learned the value of hard work by working hard.”                                     ~ Margaret Mead

“Working hard is very important. You’re not going to get anywhere without working extremely hard.”       ~ George Lucas

“I think that my biggest attribute to any success that I have had is hard work. There really is no substitute for working hard.”                    ~ Maria Bartiromo

“You really have to work hard and apply yourself and by applying yourself and working hard and being diligent, you can achieve success.”
~ Julie Benz

“The only way to get people to like working hard is to motivate them. Today, people must understand why they’re working hard. Every individual in an organization is motivated by something different.”
~ Rick Pitino

“Nobody in life gets exactly what they thought they were going to get. But if you work really hard and you’re kind, amazing things will happen.”
~ Conan O’Brien

Reblogged from Practical Practice Management:

Workplace culture can be quite interesting.  You may fit in very well, or you may not.  Then there is the instance where you really do not want to fit in.

What happens if you like your job, but don’t fit in with the culture?

Maybe the workplace culture is pretty chummy, and co-workers go out of their way to “click” with each other because “belonging” feels so good.

Read more… 271 more words

Fork in the road

I recently met a friend for lunch, and asked him how he was enjoying his current job he has been in for the past year.

Let’s take a step back in time. Several years ago, my friend took a job working in Human Resources for a small company that seemed liked a great place to work. But, sometimes we realize that perception is so much different than reality.  About two months into his role, he started to question if he made the right move to this company. Shortly after, what he felt was validated.  The corporate culture was not what he had perceived it would be.

My friend tried his best to like where he worked, and stuck it out for over a year, but it was too much of a struggle. Among many other faults, the leaders and managers did not make an effort to meet with the HR department. How the company had originally presented themselves was not the case at all. Working in HR, it was difficult to promote the company to potential candidates.

Another opportunity with a company in a completely different industry came up. Unhappy in the current job, my friend was hesitant at first to take on a role in an industry he was not familiar with. All his friends said ‘if it is out of your comfort zone, maybe you shouldn’t take the job’. He started to think hard about his choices. His partner simply said ‘don’t question yourself’. With that simple piece of advice, he moved forward with the application process and the potential manager reassured him on the phone in a long conversation, showing his support.  That care and attention and human touch is what made all the difference, even prior to the official job offer, my friend knew this was already an environment and culture that he could feel comfortable in.

And one year later, he is so very happy that he made that change.

I asked him, “When did you know it was the right culture?” he simply said, “I never questioned it. I knew since day one”. He continued, “The corporate culture is consistent with the messaging they present publicly.  When I recruit for the company, I can honestly tell candidates that I’m happy working there”. He also added that having a supportive manager makes all the difference.

He described his state of mind at the previous employer as  “unhappiness to the depths of my soul. For all the misery, it was a huge learning experience – learning about myself and my limits”.

And to that, I say, what a difference a year makes. What a difference a corporate culture makes.

photo credit: Newtown grafitti

Paying attention to these basic elements and more can make all the difference in having a resume that gets noticed.

click on the image for a larger view

source: Colorado Technical University

Administrative Professionals Week this year is April 21-27, 2013.

Over many decades, the job of an administrative professional has changed dramatically thanks to new tools, and corporate culture itself. Administrators are one of the engines of business,  and Administrative Professionals Day is a great time to observe the importance of administrative professionals in the workplace.

The Vancouver chapter of the International Association of Administrative Professionals (IAAP) will host their annual breakfast event on Administrative Professionals Day, Wednesday, April 24th at the Vancouver Convention Centre East, Parkview Terrace.

The event runs 7:00am-9:40am.  Elaine Allison, founder of Positive Presentations Plus Inc., is this year’s guest speaker.

The theme of the 2013 Administrative Professionals Week and Day is “Honouring the office professionals who make offices work”. This theme is designed to be inclusive of not only administrative and executive assistants, but also office managers and coordinators, IT specialists, accounting and payroll clerks, and other administrative professionals in your office.

Membership in the International Association of Administrative Professionals is an investment in your future that will increase your knowledge and broaden your experience.  Participating in IAAP will increase your value in the workplace by providing opportunities to learn new skills directly applicable to the office.

If interested in attending the April 24th event, click here to register.

According to a survey conducted by FreshGigs.ca,  61% of Canadian professionals are happy with their current job.

Do you agree with some of these trends in the workplace? Check out this infographic below.

click on the image for a larger view

Infographic brought to you by FreshGigs.ca

Since 2007, the GrapeJuice wine auction has raised over $349,000 for Big Sisters of BC Lower Mainland.

Special thanks to up and coming recording artist Asha Diaz for performing a couple of songs for the crowd on a beautiful Fazioli piano.

MAC Marketing Solutions and McNeill Nakamoto created Grape Juice to raise much needed funds to facilitate the matching process for over 100 at risk young girls on the Big Sisters waitlist. Big Sisters of BC lower Mainland matches volunteer mentors with young girls who face a multitude of challenges.

A big thank you to all of our generous GrapeJuice sponsors , donors, guests and volunteers!

Enjoy the slideshow below: