Find Time For Creativity With a Second Job

Find Time For Creativity With a Second Job - It's no secret that job security is a thing of the past. Taking on part-time work – especially in a creative area you've always wanted to pursue – is one way to earn extra income and begin exploring new work opportunities before it becomes a necessity, says Scott Belsky, CEO and founder of Behance, a New York-based company that develops products and online tools for creative industries.

But fitting this extra work into your schedule takes planning, and making the wrong decision can wind up hurting you in both jobs. So how can you be sure the opportunity that you're pursuing is right for you? Follow these tips to get started:

Don't duplicate what you already do.

If you're working eight-hour days as a programmer for a company you like, taking on the same work outside your full-time job presents not only a possible source of tension with your boss, but also a way to quickly drain your passion for the work.

Instead Mr. Belsky suggests developing a different skill set than the one you use in the office. Instead, put to use skills or interests you've never pursued actively, says Mr. Belsky. For example, if you love to plan family events, consider taking on part-time work as a party planner; if you love illustration or photography, try your hand at free-lancing projects that let you put those skills to use.

Tell people.

If you've got a job on the side, your first instinct may be to keep it hush-hush. But Mr. Belsky says that being open with the boss, particularly when nondisclosure policies require it, will be better for you in the long run. Make sure you emphasize that your part-time commitments won't cut into your daily routine at the office. And get the word out about what you're doing to friends, family and colleagues. Doing so also can help keep you on track with your side work-especially if it is a creative endeavor, says Mr. Belsky. What's more, friends and colleagues might have ideas for you on where to find part-time gigs.

Set a schedule.

Coming home from a long day at the office, it's tempting to head straight for the sofa. Set aside time a few nights a week for your part-time work to help add structure to your schedule.

If your job has some flexibility, another way to make more time is asking the boss if you can compress your schedule and work more hours certain days, says Jessica Riester, founder of FlexWork Connection, an Orange County, Calif., recruiting and consulting firm. "If you don't have to be chained to your desk, you can juggle more during business hours," says Ms. Riester.

Build a brand.

Like anyone looking for free-lance work, getting your name out there is an important way to drum up business. But for part-timers with less wherewithal to put toward marketing, creating a Web site with work samples or a portfolio becomes even more important in getting business going. Mr. Belsky suggests setting up a blog to get your work noticed by more people, and joining groups dedicated to your interest.

Make deadlines.

Give yourself until Friday to post photos online, two weeks to get a blog going, a Thursday evening to get in touch with five contacts who can help you find work. Setting short-term goals will help keep you moving when there's no boss telling you what to do next. "We are very hard-wired for this full-time way of life and we have to force ourselves to make the time to do things that are a little unconventional on the side," says Mr. Belsky.

Keep it simple.

If creativity isn't where your part-time pursuits take you, finding part-time work doesn't have to be a major endeavor. It can be as simple as getting a barista gig or doing telemarketing from home, says Ms. Riester. You just need to find something that suits your style. ( wjs.com )

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Ten Habits to Help Advance Your Career

Ten Habits to Help Advance Your Career - It's easy to find articles full of advice for job seekers, but what about career advancement for those who are already employed? Since companies have cut back staff, many employees are stuck doing the work of three people these days. How can I possibly focus on my career advancement when I'm suffering from so much workplace stress?

Seven Habits of Highly Effective People was a business best seller for an incredibly long time – especially considering its relatively simple advice, putting them on paper helped to enhance their credibility.

The same is true when it comes to advice on how to advance your career. A lot of the tips I can offer are common sense, but unless you remember – and actually do – each of them, you'll never get on the path to career success. With this in mind, here are 10 Habits to Help Advance Your Career, which if followed will help you take your mind off everyday stress and focus on career advancement:

Know your career mission and pursue it with vigor

Like Shakespeare's prose, this habit may be interpreted on more than one level. As a philosophy, it challenges you to discover the unique role best suited to your talents, interests and values and serves as a driving force to propel you toward success.

On a more pragmatic level, your career mission is represented by your job description. The happiest professionals are those who understand their work, and what it takes to do a good job. This comes from a combination of technical competence and knowing exactly what management or clients expect from them. As quality experts would say, they do the job right the first time.

Competence alone will not get you what you want

You must also make sure that management notices when you do good work, and understands that you expect to be rewarded for going above and beyond. Too often employees just assume that their bosses know what's best when it comes to helping with career advancement, and that doing a really good job will automatically be acknowledged. Unfortunately, the truth is that many workers only generate attention when they're a problem.

If you really want to advance your career, you have to ask for what you want. Your manager isn't a mind reader, and waiting quietly to be recognized is a surefire way to get passed over for a promotion.

Become an "intrepreneur" – view your job as a long term consulting assignment, not a permanent gig

Years ago, Fast Company magazine had a cover story called "Me, Inc.", which revolutionized its readers' thinking about their careers. The article said that because organizations no longer guarantee lifetime employment, it's important think of yourself as a contractor with a portfolio instead of a loyal employee. As a contractor, your focus should be doing excellent work, learning as much as possible from each position, and being ready to hop to a new job should the desire or need arise.

Take some career development risks

Seize the responsibility for your own career advancement. Don't waste valuable time hoping for the best, or waiting for your company to notice that you're doing high-quality work and shower you with riches and promotions. Chart a career path, and make your management your partners in working to advance your career.

Trust your gut

If a situation does or doesn't feel right, don't let logic override intuition. Have you ever taken a job your gut warned you against, only to find weeks later that your first instinct had been correct?

Steve Jobs knows what the public wants and makes it available to them before they even know that they want it. If he had traveled the "path well taken," we may still be using CD players instead of iPods.

Logic has its place in the decision making process, but whole-brained thinking will give you a balanced perspective on your career advancement that pure analysis cannot.

Network, network, network – even when you don't want a new job

A well-developed professional network can be a source of friendships, mentors, and referrals for everything from pediatricians to plumbers. Your network can also provide objective insights for evaluating opportunities and problems. Trade organizations, churches, alumni associations, friends of friends, and continuing education classes all offer excellent sources for cultivating relationships with colleagues who can help advance your career. Remember: job security comes and goes, but a solid network of valuable contacts is valuable no matter the circumstances.

Negotiate for a win-win solution

While it may appeal to our most primitive instincts to leave opponents bleeding in the dust, we will probably have to work with them again. Humiliation does not breed long-term relationships. It promotes a long lasting desire for revenge.

The next time you are in a mood to take no prisoners, put yourself in your adversary's place. Suggest a solution that benefits both of you. You may not get the short-term victory, but you won't be stuck with a long-term enemy, either.

Fake it until you make it

I'm not suggesting you lie on your resume or present yourself as someone you're not. "Faking it" refers instead to those occasional lapses of self confidence we experience when faced with a challenging project. Self doubt can grow in you like a cancer: "Can I really pull this off?" "Am I good enough to do this job?"

If you find yourself suffering from a crisis of confidence, remember that positive behavior can easily overtake negativity and pull you out of your rut. And your behavior is what others see, not what you're feeling on the inside. Have to give a presentation and scared that you don't know what you're doing? Use your nerves an extra source of energy so you seem even more engaging.

Fear and stress can be your allies if you channel them effectively.

Only pursue goals that you actually want to achieve

How often have your heard people say "I plan to lose 25 pounds this year," but come December their weight hasn't changed? Goals prefaced by "I should" rather than "I want" are generally doomed to failure.

When you begin to set goals to help advance your career, try testing their viability using the RUMBA method: Each goal should be Reasonable, Understandable, Measurable, Behavioral and Agreed upon. Meeting only the first four conditions isn't enough. You and everyone involved with your goal must genuinely agree it's a great idea, or a lack of enthusiasm will cause it to die sooner or later.

Fill your life with a combination of work, education and fun

According to Richard Bolles' book Three Boxes of Life, Americans tend to divide their lives into three discreet time periods, each having a singular purpose. From birth to about 21, we are in our learning box. Our mission is to absorb information and advice from our elders. From about 21 to 65, we are in our working box where we must concentrate on producing worthwhile products and services. Then at 65, we retire and move into our fun box.

Unfortunately, people who buy into this pattern for living lead a pretty stale existence and often die early because they feel useless without their jobs. They've forgotten how to learn and enjoy themselves. For them life without work is meaningless. Many Baby Boomers are facing this dilemma as they struggle to decide if they want or can afford to quit working.

Those who have mastered the art of combining education, career, and leisure throughout their lives they seize each day and make it their own. ( careercast.com )

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The Beginning of the End of the 9-to-5 Workday?

The Beginning of the End of the 9-to-5 Workday? - The traditional eight-hour workday may soon be the exception rather than the rule. New evidence shows that we're reaching a tipping point in terms of workplace flexibility, with businesses seeing the wisdom of allowing employees -- young employees especially -- to work odd hours, telecommute, and otherwise tweak the usual 9-to-5 grind.

One of the top 12 trends for 2012 as named by the communications firm Euro RSCG Worldwide is that employees in the Gen-Y or "millennial" demographic -- those born between roughly 1982 and 1993 -- are overturning the traditional workday.

The Business and Professional Women's Foundation estimates that by 2025, 75% of the global workforce will be Gen-Y. As early as next year, this group of younger Americans will already comprise 60% of the employees at companies such as Ernst & Young. And increasingly, companies creating workplace flexibility programs because it makes good business sense, not in the least because that's what their employees demand.

Gen-Y is spearheading this change because they don't want the same work environment their parents had. Between new technology and global workplace dynamics, companies are implementing flexible work arrangements for everyone, inclusive of Gen-Y. A recent Vodafone UK survey illustrates that 90 percent of employers enable work flexibility instead of sticking to traditional hours.

Leading the charge in the shift toward allowing employees to work anywhere around the world, at any time they want, are companies such as Ernst & Young, Aflac, and MITRE, which realize that they need to accommodate employees' personal lives if they want to retain them. "This notion of an eight-hour day is rapidly disappearing simply because we work so virtually and globally," says Maryella Gockel, Ernst & Young's flexibility strategy leader. By understanding Gen-Y's need for workplace flexibility, companies are better able to recruit and grow young talent for the future.

Aside from early adopters of workplace flexibility programs, many other companies are hesitant because of the traditional "command and control" approach laid out for older generations. The challenge these companies face is letting go and trusting their young employees -- even when they are telecommuting or using Facebook regularly at work.

Many companies fear that, without structure, employees will be distracted, not as engaged and less productive. In fact, the opposite is often true. A trusting work environment breeds more loyal employees and increases efficiency. Here are three reasons why successful companies will embrace workplace flexibility programs:

1. Gen-Y workers won't accept jobs where they can't access Facebook. Cisco's "Connected World Technology Report" shows that more than half of Gen-Y employees prioritize social media freedom over a higher salary when evaluating a job offer. Furthermore, more than half of them say that the Internet is an integral part of their lives. Gen-Y wants to be connected to their friends and families, not just their co-workers, throughout the day. Although some companies ban social media at work, other companies have embraced it as long as employees are using it professionally. "We do want people to use social networks in order to keep in touch with their colleagues and contacts," explains Gockel, whose company has no formal social media guidelines or policies.
2. Gen-Y values workplace flexibility over more money. More than one-third (37 percent) of Gen-Y workers would take a pay cut if it meant more flexibility on the job, reports a study by Mom Corps. Flexibility motivates Gen-Y workers to be more productive and loyal to their companies because they feel like they are respected. An employer that allows flexibility in the workplace also demonstrates that it understands the evolving modern-day work environment, which bodes well for the future.
3. Gen-Y workers are always connected to jobs through technology. Technology has made the traditional nine-to-five model blurry -- for all workers, of all generations, really. No one is ever out of touch, or off the clock. When workers go home, they are still "working" because who they are personally and professionally are becoming one in the same and interconnected. Workers are always representing the company, and more and more, it seems, that work email doesn't stop for anything or anyone. By no means does time away from the office equate to less work getting done. ( Time.com )

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