What are you working on?

If someone asks you that, are you excited to tell them the answer?

I hope so. If not, you’re wasting away.

No matter what your job is, no matter where you work, there’s a way to create a project (on your own, on weekends if necessary), where the excitement is palpable, where something that might make a difference is right around the corner.

Hurry, go do that.

Are you rusting away at work doing a job you hate? Do you work from home, but always seem to be working on the stuff you don’t like? Well this post is for you.

Make time for the things that get you excited. That’s the good bit. :)

Sure, do the less-exciting work too (keep your job!) but make sure there’s always something to look forward to which gets your brain ticking. If there’s nothing in your life which you’d happily jump out of bed for, then there’s something missing. Go find it!

He’s also made nifty wallpaper for all sorts of devices of his “8 to be great” cycle.

I’ve spoken to a few people recently who are worried about using services like LinkedIn because they are embarrassed about their work history. They don’t want to admit to prospective employers that they took a job way below their qualifications just because the rent needed paying. They also don’t want to admit that they kept those jobs because it was some sort of security, even though it was doing nothing for their career path. Other similar people might be looking to make a career change, but don’t want to admit that they’re new to their chosen field.

But seriously, don’t worry about it. Most people have jobs like that in their history – and sometimes that actually reflects well in the employer’s eyes.

Resume writing online can be tricky, because you need to impress the right people at the right time while maintaining honesty. LinkedIn is a great way to showcase both what you have done and what you can do. You just have to look at it the right way and to carefully design your profile to show the right parts of a professional resume at the right time.

I researched many online resumes to try to ascertain what made some look so impressive and others so drab. I found that the most impressive resumes were the ones with the least clutter. They basically had a good summary and showed future directions.

Remember that the better you are at something, the less you need to mention other skills. For instance, people who had done really well with a particular entrepreneurial activity rarely bothered to mention the jobs they had before it. I mean, why would they?

Make sure your headline epitomises what you want to do. If you’ve never done it before, don’t be afraid to be a little candid: Say “Freelance writer and Aspiring Novelist” if that’s what you want to do.

The “Summary” section is a place for you to mention everything you really want people to know about your resume and plans for the future. Think of your dream job: What would you like the head of that company to know about you? Maybe consider an actual job specification similar to one you would like: What would you write in a cover letter? This is your summary! Tell people what you want to do, what you’re really good at and give a few key examples of things you’ve done which will help you get the job. Craft it well, because this is the primary thing you want people to read. Also, if you can subtly explain away any of the anomalies with a quick interesting statement about what you have been doing, then do that!

Fill out the rest of your profile with all the same jobs you would mention in a resume you would submit for your dream job. Also add any jobs that are impressive, but not necessarily relevant, and jobs which you worked at for a long time (to show you weren’t unemployed).

List your blog and Twitter profile if they are well-written and relevant to your future work plans. Add the applications for blogs and Twitter. Look at other available applications, like Slideshare, and see if you can showcase any other skills well by using these tools.

Remove the clutter in your public profile – Keep your best information in your summary.

Here’s the gold nugget in this online resume advice. With LinkedIn, there’s an option to show a public resume. In “Edit My Profile”, look on the right for “Edit Public Profile Settings”. For your public profile, you have the option to turn on/off many sub-sections of your full profile. Use it to de-clutter your public profile so that only the very best information is shown to someone taking a first glance at your resume.

Take off your past positions, education, awards, interests, details for current positions and anything else that makes it too cluttered. Ensure that anything important you would like people to know from those sections is clearly stated in your summary. Keep your picture, headline, summary, current positions (if you’re working). Keep your groups if you can be bothered to ensure that only the most relevant groups feature on your profile (you set this up on a per-group basis).

Now, check out your public profile. Tweak until you think it’s the perfect page to show the recruiter for your dream job.

Also, think ahead when using LinkedIn. Don’t just connect to colleagues – connect with family, friends and acquaintances too. These connections help when you want to approach someone for a job (or to help other people get a job). And pay it forward! Write references for people you have worked with. Write character references for people you studied with. Some of these people may decide to write a reference for you too. Then you’ll be ready to apply for your dream job – or if you’re really lucky they might find you!

Image Credit: SocialIsBetter

I read a fantastic book called “Your Home Business – Helen Chryssides”. I was a little sceptical about this book when I picked it up. I thought it may be one of those wishy-washy books and I was very pleased to find that it had some useful advice for small business in it.

Sections of the book are anecdotal evidence of how you might make your home business work. Helen has asked many successful home business owners to contribute tips and ideas which she then also utilises effectively when giving advice. Apparently, Peter Goldsworthy (South Australian author) also has problems with his fridge being a major distraction.. so I don’t have to feel like a failure for doing the same. *phew*

Helen has a very realistic view of the advantages and disadvantages of working from home. She really thinks about the disadvantages and how you might overcome them.

The main disadvantages of working from home are:

• isolation from peers
• friends and relatives not taking your business seriously
• people perceiving you as unemployed
• people thinking you are available for social calls
• loneliness
• lack of professional image
• distractions (Like the fridge and TV)
• not being able to stop working/turn yourself off
• lack of work or irregular income
• lack of capital to pull you through
• insufficient planning
• not separating work environment from home environment

Now, I’m not going to tell you all the secrets of avoiding or overcoming the down side of running your own business. You’d never buy the book and that’d be cheating. However, I will offer some of her more general tips for working effectively in a home business.

Things to help your business:

• Take regular breaks
• Keep a professional image
• Always be prompt and reliable
• Get good advice – see a local business centre
• Separate work from non-work (Perhaps by setting work hours)
• Get out and see people
• Deal with your stress
• Prioritise tasks in order of financial viability – keep the money coming in!
• Evaluate your progress
• Stay motivated
• Don’t procrastinate! Get on with it!

Remember, just because you work from home doesn’t mean you are to be taken any less seriously.

Don’t become a statistic. Make your business work. And enjoy doing it!