While most people primarily view work as an income generator, have you considered the overall health benefits that the act of working brings to your life? So much of who we are and how we spend our time is wrapped into our profession that it stands to reason that it has an impact on overall well-being.
Here are some of the great benefits working brings to your life.
Just being able to get out of the house and participate in the act of working provides tremendous health benefits. Even if you have a job that puts you behind a desk or standing in the same place for long periods, you are still getting physical benefits you may not get otherwise. If you want to increase those benefits, consider parking further away from the entrance, getting some additional steps throughout the day by taking a walk, or finding other creative ways to stay active.
A key to emotional wellness is feeling secure both financially and socially. When you work, you are not only contributing to your financial security; often times you are also socially interacting with co-workers, clients, or patrons. This interaction helps you emotionally by fulfilling the natural and instinctive need to be connected to others.
Everyone wants to feel successful – success and confidence help to build an individual’s self-esteem. An honest day’s work is undoubtedly an esteemable activity that will help you recognize that you have unique and valuable skills, are capable of delivering positive results, and are working to meet your own personal needs.
How many times have you been asked what you do for work? It is a natural icebreaker when meeting someone new. Work is such a big part of people’s lives and often a good portion of their identity is wrapped into their work. In addition to that, in developed countries having employment is considered a social norm which leads to acceptance. When you build positive and healthy relationships at work and are a contributing member of a team, you are gaining social acceptance which provides psychosocial benefits.
At the end of the day we all need to be able to put food on the table, pay our bills, and hopefully have enough left over to enjoy other luxuries in life, such as going to a movie or buying that new car you have had your eyes on. By having a steady paycheck, you are working towards financial stability. Knowing where your next paycheck is coming from will alleviate a good deal of stress from your life. Reducing stress is shown to have a great impact on your overall health.
The truth is not every job is right for every person. This means you could find yourself unhappy, disengaged, burned out, and potentially even finding yourself physically ill more often. If that is the case you should consider making a change. Change can be scary, but you must weigh the benefits of making a career shift. If your work is suffering because you are unhappy, is it helping you build a strong professional reputation? If all your vacation time is going to sick days, is that allowing you to get the mental break you need? Is your homelife suffering because you aren’t able to check your stress at the door? If so, the benefits of making a change will likely outweigh sticking it out.
Ask Manpower:As the population becomes increasingly health conscious in addition to watching their diet, they look for ways to stay physically active as well. If you have a job that requires you to stay moving, like retail or warehousing – chances are you are easily getting in your daily steps and keeping your blood flowing. But, since a significant amount of your day is spent at work, if you have a job that is rather sedentary such as a desk job, you may need to find some creative ways to promote movement.
It is rather easy to get hyper-focused on your work or pressed for deadlines and forge through your day by foregoing allotted breaks. This is especially common in companies that do not have planned departmental breaks and leave it up to team members to manage their own time. Taking your breaks is not only important for your mental health it is important to your physical health as well. At breaktime make sure you get up and move. If you like to use your breaks to catch up on email, personal calls, or a little social media banter – take advantage of the mobility a phone offers and take care of business or decompress while on the move.
No matter how ergonomic your workstation is, if you spend a lot of time there you are bound to get stiff. Work regular stretch breaks into your day; we would even recommend frequently sprinkling them in briefly around your traditional breaks. The practice of sprinkling in stretch exercises will provide multiple opportunities to improve circulation, release tension, improve focus & productivity, and reduce pain.
Would it be ideal for everyone to have convertible workstations that allow for both sitting and standing? Yes, of course. However, convertible workstations are often costly, and it may not be an affordable or practical solution for all companies. That being said, finding opportunities to stand while you are working does not have to be limited to those that have fully adjustable or mobile workstations. For instance, you can take the opportunity to stand when you are on a phone call.
Not only will standing up help you remain active, it can also help you exude more confidence and increase the overall energy of the call. If you have a brief meeting scheduled, consider having everyone stand – in addition to helping people improve blood flow, it can also help you keep the meeting moving along.
When grabbing your bag for work, why not throw in a pair of sneakers and find yourself a walking buddy? Not only will finding yourself a walking partner help you get moving and keep you accountable in your efforts to stay active, but it will help you build healthy relationships with your peers. You don’t need a fancy track or groomed trail, just open the door and start walking and see where the road takes you.
When walking, relax your mind, chat about things that bring you joy, and avoid bringing negative energy by engaging in petty office gossip or belaboring all the work stressors.
There is something about music that just makes the day go faster, increases your energy, improves your focus, and just helps you get into your work. With the right music playing you can’t help but want to move, whether simply tapping your feet, moving your shoulders, or having a quick little dance party that would compete with the likes of Ellen DeGeneres. Of course you may want to temper back your moves just a bit to not call too much attention to yourself – but go on and subtly get your groove on.
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As a Manpower Associate, one major benefit offered is access to over 4,000 FREE online training programs.
Stress; we all have it. Personal stresses. Professional stresses. We have all become adept at handling minor stresses, but in times of more heightened stress levels, everyone could benefit from having some added tools to help us cope with and manage it. Without effective strategies to deal with it, stress can have a negative impact on your mental and physical health.
In this month’s PowerYOU spotlight, we are shining a light on an online presentation called: Take a Deep Breath and Manage Your Stress. Topics covered in this 6 segment training are:
Walk away better understanding the overall impact stress has on you.
Take away a basic understanding of what stress actually is.
Are you mildly stressed? Or have you crossed the line to being burned out?
Here you will receive some practical tips to help you more effectively cope with stress.
An easy to remember model that you can implement right away to change your thinking.
Another practical take-away that you can start practicing right away to improve your stress levels.
It’s Monday morning, you’re rushing to leave for work for work on time, and as you open the front door, you remember that you didn’t pack a lunch. It looks like you’ll be ordering out – again!
We get it – figuring out healthy lunches for the workweek can be tricky, especially if you’re frequently pressed for time or you’re just not that into cooking. However, the benefits of enjoying a balanced, satisfying meal during your workday far outweigh the minor inconvenience of a little food prep. You’ll feel better, have more energy, and be better able to tackle problems with your improved mental focus.
Here are some examples of easy workweek lunches that can help fuel your success:
If you need variety to feel satisfied with a meal, putting together a snack plate of nutrient rich foods is a great option. Consider including things like sliced veggies, hummus, your favorite deli meat or a pouch of tuna, hard boiled eggs, nuts and cheese, avocado/guacamole, and pretzels. The combinations are endless! If you feel like a treat, throw in a little sweet surprise to round out your meal.
Salads get a bad rap, but they don’t have to be boring! Start with a generous helping of your favorite greens, and then add a protein – tuna, leftover chicken, or hard-boiled eggs are easy options. Then, to make things more fun for your palate, include a few tasty add-ons, such as: nuts, avocado, fresh fruit, cheese, your favorite sliced vegetables, and/or your favorite salad dressing.
Do you tend to eat smaller meals during the day and enjoy a larger meal in the evening? Or maybe you’re working on the road and don’t have much time to spend eating lunch? In either case, smoothies can be a fast and satisfying choice! The options are endless here, too – start with a base like fruit juice, milk, or coconut water, and your favorite fruit(s) – fresh or frozen are both fine. Add a handful of greens and a serving of healthy fat like nut butter or flaxseeds. If you want to get fancy with it you can add some superfood or protein powder, but these are optional.
Would any workweek lunch list be complete without the dearly beloved sandwich or wrap? They’re classics for a reason – they’re easy to assemble, easy to eat, and if you fill them with the right things, they can tame your hunger for the rest of your shift! Get some fiber by starting with whole grain bread or a wrap, then add your favorite protein, some thinly sliced veggies, and a healthy but tasty spread like hummus or mashed avocado. Enjoy with a piece of fresh fruit and you’re good to go!
Get creative with your leftovers as if you were auditioning for Food Network’s Chopped! What can you do with last night’s dinner to put a fresh spin on it for today’s lunch? Perhaps you could make an egg scramble using leftover protein and veggies, or stuff them into some pita bread with a bit of cheese and heat it up for a DIY Hot Pocket! Repurposing leftovers is an excellent way to cut food costs while still enjoying variety in your meals.
Keep in mind that nutritional and dietary needs vary from person to person, so this list is just a basic starting point – you can add, omit, or combine items from the list above according to your personal needs and preferences.
If you’re really pressed for time in the morning and simply can’t make lunch each day, consider prepping your weekly lunches ahead of time on a day when you do have some flexibility in your schedule. Getting into the habit of packing healthy lunches that you enjoy will help set you (and your appetite) up for success for years to come!
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Establish a Human Connection With Our Recruiters.While technology has made many tasks easier, when it comes to establishing a human connection in something as important as recruiting, it leaves a lot to be desired. We often hear the frustration from job seekers about how hard it is to get noticed in the job search, and how rarely they hear back from companies after submitting their resume. At Manpower, we strive to do it better.
We realize that there is much more to you than what will fit on an 8 1/2 x 11 inch piece of paper, and we value the opportunity for direct interaction. We also know that in today’s busy world, job seekers sometimes end up in what feels like an endless game of phone/email tag. To help simplify the process, we host weekly HireME Days, which are designed to help candidates like you make a hiring connection.
HireME Day is open to any new applicant that has not had a chance to sit down face to face with a Manpower Recruiter, and those that have not been in contact with our hiring team in the last 6 months or more.
To participate all you need to do is simply fill out the form for the Manpower office closest to you and a Recruiter will contact you.
If Wednesdays don’t work for you, simply text HIREME to the office nearest you at the number listed below, and we can schedule a more convenient time for you to meet with a Recruiter.
York County207-518-7054 |
Greater Portland207-560-0928 |
Lewiston/Auburn207-560-0906 |
Augusta/Rockland207-560-0909 |
Northern Maine207-560-0913 |
What Does It Mean to Be a Manpower Associate?Whether you are just entering the workforce or are a seasoned professional, you can benefit greatly from having a partner ready to help you make meaningful employment connections. When you work with Manpower, we will leverage our deep relationships with area employers to help connect you with positions for which you are qualified.
Employers all across Maine have relied on Manpower for nearly 60 years to help them find the right candidates to fill their job openings. Our expert recruiting team will take the time to get to know you, your unique skills and experience, and what your short and long-term career goals are. From there we will take that information and help you get noticed by the right people at the right time to jumpstart your career.
-Be paid weekly via direct deposit, paycard, or paper check
-Have access to healthcare plans (for qualified associates)
-Receive FREE access to our training platform PowerYOU
-Gain access to career development tools through MyPath
-Be part of a global organization that can offer employment throughout the country and world
While we cannot guarantee employment for every applicant that comes through our doors, we can ensure that qualified candidates will get noticed by the right people.
If you are ready to add an expert to your job search team, stop in and meet with one of our friendly recruiters.
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Your resume should be an ongoing work in progress. What that means is that to thrive in the world of work, you always want to be thinking about how you are growing your professional skills and how they factor into your resume. Every job provides learning and growth opportunities, and it is up to you to recognize those opportunities and take advantage of them.
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Say Yes to OpportunitiesWhether you are asked to take on new responsibilities, participate in a training, or shift departments, you should consider each opportunity that is put in front of you. While not every opportunity will be right for you, don’t allow yourself to be so risk averse that you fail to seize an opportunity for growth. |
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Acknowledge All GrowthRedwood trees didn’t grow overnight, and neither will your professional skillset. All growth is incremental, and you need to acknowledge the seemingly inconsequential improvements you make. Success is built one step at a time and every step forward you take is something to be recognized. |
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Embrace ChangeThe only constant is change, and learning how to quickly embrace it will set you apart from all the rest. When a change presents itself, don’t wallow in what once was – instead, be the one leaning in and moving forward. Change can be scary because there are so many unknowns, but if you embrace it and commit to being successful no matter what, you will thrive. |
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Keep a Success JournalChances are you experience several professional wins and successes throughout the year. It is also likely that you celebrate those successes very briefly, move on quickly, and tend to forget about them. Keeping a journal where you record professional successes will not only provide you with a motivator when times get tough, it will also be helpful should you need to recall them for someone else. |
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Keep Your Resume Up to DateSometimes people forget that their resume is a living and breathing document, and they tend to only dust it off when they find themselves looking for a new job. Unless you are actively looking for work, it is a good idea to review and update your resume every six to twelve months. Keeping your resume up to date allows you to really reflect on your professional accomplishments and highlight the most notable ones. |
Resumes are to job seeking as tires are to cars. They are a core component to helping move you forward. They need regular updating and maintenance, and there is no such thing as one-size-fits-all. Knowing this, what can you do to ensure that your resume is working for you?
One of the most common misconceptions about resumes is that they should be an exhaustive list of all your accomplishments and professional history. In actuality, a resume should be a brief advertisement that creates just enough intrigue for the reader to call you in for an interview. When preparing a resume you want to be clear, succinct, and focus on the past 10 years of work experience. Naturally, you want to highlight all of your accomplishments to help you showcase all that you bring to the table, but the reality is that less is more, and paring your resume down to no more than two pages is going to help ensure that your resume is more likely to be well-received.
You may wonder how you can stand out in a stack of 8.5 x 11in sheets of paper that all look the same – well, it is important to note that gimmicks are unlikely to help. When developing your resume, it is best to stick with traditional formatting. While you want to be noticed, stand out, and be remembered – you want that to happen for all the right reasons. Avoid using flashy fonts, colors, and images, and have trust that the content is what makes a difference.
When preparing your resume, you should always design it for the reader. While you want to showcase your talents and skills, you must consider which of your many talents is most relevant to the job you are applying to, and the person reviewing your resume. Due to the sheer volume of resumes that an employer receives for any given position, chances are they are quickly scanning through them, seeking out certain keywords to narrow the stack down to just a couple that they are interested in speaking with. By focusing only on your relevant skills, you are greatly increasing the likelihood of being moved into the ‘yes’ pile.
It used to be that all resumes contained a section at the top called the objective. This was a simple section where an applicant would describe their career interests and goals. While a feel-good section, ultimately it never really spoke to the employer. It is said that you need to capture the reader’s attention in the first 3rd of your resume – and the best way to do that is by including a brief qualifications summary. This is where you can immediately call attention to why they should read on and consider you for the job.
It seems that something so simple shouldn’t need to be said, but proofreading is a critical step in the resume process. Not only should you be reviewing your resume for spelling, grammar, punctuation, and relevancy – you should also rely on a trusted friend to proofread for you as well. Having that second set of eyes can make a world of difference. When someone proofreads their own writing it is easy to miss something important because you are prone to focus more on what your thoughts are versus the actual mechanics of what was written. In addition to proofreading for traditional errors, you also want to double-check that you have provided accurate and appropriate contact information.
In closing, before you hit send, ask yourself – “would I call myself in for an interview?” If for any reason you are hesitant to say yes, that may signal that you need to make some adjustments to the content of your resume or possibly consider if this job is even a good fit. Remember, not every job is right for every person. Your goal is to seek out and apply to jobs that you can be successful in.
Ask Manpower:This is a question we hear a lot in our business. Understandably, job seekers find themselves frustrated when they are applying to multiple jobs and not hearing back. If you have found yourself out of work unexpectedly, or if you desperately need to make a job change it is already a stressful time and not hearing back can feel incredibly defeating. While we cannot guarantee that you will hear back from every company you apply to, we do have some tips that will help you get noticed and increase the likelihood of being called back.
Yes, you want/need a job. And you are likely willing to do just about anything – only, it really isn’t that simple. When an employer is looking to hire, they are looking for people that have both the direct working experience and skills necessary to do the job. The world of work moves at a rapid pace and it leaves little time for training staff. So if you are applying to a ton of jobs, it is likely that you are not being as selective as you should be and carefully applying to positions that are a match for your skills and experience.
When searching for work, be sure to thoroughly read through the job description. Pay close attention to the skills and experience they are looking for. Can you clearly describe to this employer what you bring to the table and how it will help you be successful in this role? If so, great – continue on to the next step. If not, you should probably spend your time looking for another opportunity.
As noted above, every ‘good’ job advertisement is going to clearly outline the skills, experience, and qualifications that they are looking for in a candidate. They may use different terms or acronyms to describe what they do. They may call special attention to a certain quality that they are looking for. Before you just send off that same old resume that you have sent to every other employer, take the time to ensure that you are including that information.
The reality is, most employers do not have the time to fully read every resume they get due to having other responsibilities as well as the sheer volume of resumes they get. This means that they are likely scanning through resumes to look for those key attributes that they listed in their job description. From there they will quickly identify a couple people that they are interested in speaking with. The others will likely get placed in the no pile, never to be revisited again.
As simple as this may seem, you would be surprised how often this is an issue. In our line of work, we process hundreds of applications and resumes each month. Common issues we see for contact information are: the wrong/disconnected telephone number, an outdated/out of area address, a less than appropriate email, a lack of voicemail access, and transposed numbers. All of these missteps could quickly move you out of the running for a job that you would be a great fit for.
You also want to be fully aware of the information that can be gathered by simply googling your name. Before you dive right in and start applying for your dream job – make the time to do a simple internet search on yourself and adjust settings on your social profiles if there is any chance that it could negatively impact someone’s perception of you.
It is perfectly acceptable to follow up on your application for a job that was advertised within a reasonable time frame. We don’t recommend a high-pressure approach though. All too often employers are eager to get a job out there to start accepting applications, but may not have the immediate capacity to follow up on those applications – so a little patience is encouraged. Most employers we know would be okay with an applicant calling to perform a simple follow up 1 week after they submitted their application.
Again, you should take a soft approach when making this contact whether it be through email or over the phone. Simply say something like, “Good morning (hiring manager’s name), I wanted to take a moment to reach out to make sure that you received my application for your (insert job title). Given my experience and what I read about this position, I am very interested in learning more.” This approach let’s the hiring manager know to look for your resume and demonstrates that you are still interested and engaged in the process.
As you can see, while there are pieces of the hiring process that are out of your control – there are still many things you can control.
Due to the large number of businesses we work with and the wide variety of skills they are looking for – Manpower offers a general application process. What this means is that you can apply directly to Manpower and one of our recruiters will reach out to talk with you about all the skills and experience you offer in order to consider you for many different jobs we are hiring for.
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