Posted on July 29th, 2009 by Kate
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WWSS
Posted on July 28th, 2009 by Kate
The 22nd Annual Working Women’s Survival Show, being held February 13-15, is going to be everything that working women have come to expect from the original women’s consumer show. The show will be a weekend full of shopping, education, entertainment, food sampling, makeovers, and much, much more.
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Water Cooler Gossip
Posted on July 26th, 2009 by Kate
Many of us have seen it, heard it, & yes even done it. I am talking about office gossip. You know the kind….Sheila in accounting & Joe in the mail room kind of stuff, or the I over heard such & such about so & so involving you know what!
It is hard not to get caught up in the ongoing 411 that seems to flow from all your coworkers mouths. I know I get it! But there is nothing worse than a file folder cat fight in the copy room to ruin a pleasant working environment. This kind of behavior is just childish, unprofessional, & hurtful. In some cases it can cost you your job or someone else.
Here are a few tips to avoid office smack talking
“Just Say No”
Ok, maybe not that third grade. But you get what I am saying here. If you hear gossip or someone approaches you about something or someone, simply choose not to engage them in conversation. Act busy, or pretend to be running late, If they stop you & insist you here what they have to say. Politely let them know that you are not going to have this conversation. If its too late & you have already been made accessory to their crime because the blurted it out just say no to letting it go any further. The telephone can start with you.
“Steer Clear Danger Ahead”
It may not be the water cooler, but you know the place! Every office has one. that desk or corner that everyone just happens to stop at when the y are out of work or looking for the juiciest detail of the week. If you can pick another route to get through your office great. If not walk through it with head high, shoulders back, & at break neck speed. Pretending to be important will deter idle chit chat & may even inspire your co workers to get back to work.
“Get a life”
Often times you spend more time with your coworkers than your own family so make sure your co workers are not the highlight of your social life. Try to develop hobbies, or interests outside of work so what is going on at the address of your office building won’t seem like the center of the universe. People who have a broaden view of the world are way less likelyto get caught up in gossip & office politics. Ask yourself this..really do the starving kids in Africa give a damn about who did what with who in the storage closet? I don’t think so. Hey ,you could even start an office out reach to get people involved in something outside the day to day at corporate101. You could change the world & finally shut sandy from sales up 
Hope these tips serve you well, & you avoid the unnecessary past time of gossip at your office this week.
-Working 9-5 just tryin to make a living
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What you are doing with your lunch hour
Posted on July 24th, 2009 by Kate
Recently I shared what I do on my lunch hour, and asked you to respond, here’s is what you told us:
10% of you read, relax or do something for yourself
50% of you run errands & do things for the family that need done during regular business hours
40% Eat through lunch…what lunch hour!
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School Time Juggle
Posted on July 21st, 2009 by Kate
I have a boy going into school this fall & with all the activities, schedules and, volunteer work I am finding less, and less time to get my work done. I still work from home & have found that I am often up at 1am finishing my weekly projects. I feel like this may only get wore as my second child goes to school & I take on more.
I want my business to grow but for crying out loud when will I ever have any time to grow it, and how will I handle the work when it comes in?
-I need to duplicate myself
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Child Care the true cost
Posted on July 19th, 2009 by Kate
There really is no sure answers to this question there are several variables at play, including where you live, how many kids you have, how many hours you work, and the ages of your kiddos. We live in Northern Colorado & I have children that are preschool age & I was paying about $400 a month for two days a week and I only paid the hours they were there. My girlfriend with kids the same age that works 40hrs a week pays roughly $1200 flat no sick days. Just go looking in the paper & you will find tons of adds with tons of rates, but what you will pay for the person you trust & that fits your family is kind of a gamble. Still it is an important factor when deciding your work arrangements. If you are going to be working just to pay day care it may not be worth it. to help you weigh the options Baby center put out some great stats on the actual cost of child care recently so here is how we see it!
www.babycenter.com/
How much do daycare centers cost?
Childcare for babies and toddlers
While your child is in the baby and toddler stages, you’ll pay more. That’s because kids this age need more hands-on care and so the center must hire more caregivers. With an average of $8,150 per year ($679 a month), daycare costs for babies and toddlers in the United States range from $4,388 to $14,647 a year ($366 to $1,221 monthly), according to data from the National Association of Child Care Resource & Referral Agencies (NACCRRA).
Topping the charts with costs over $11,000 a year ($917 a month) for baby and toddler daycare are the following states, beginning with the most expensive: Massachusetts, Washington, D.C., Minnesota, New York, Wisconsin, Washington, Pennsylvania, and Maryland.
And at the bottom of the charts, here are the states with daycare costs below $6,000 a year ($500 a month) for baby and toddler daycare, beginning with the least expensive: Louisiana, Kentucky, Mississippi, Nebraska, Texas, Idaho, North Dakota, South Carolina, Kansas, and Alabama.
Childcare for preschoolers
Costs for daycare for preschool-age children are generally lower, averaging $6,423 a year ($535 a month). Depending on where you live, you’ll pay anywhere from $3,794 to $10,920 a year ($316 to $910 a month).
The most expensive states for preschool-age care in a childcare center, with costs over $8,000 a year ($667 a month), beginning with the most expensive, are Washington, D.C., Massachusetts, New York, Minnesota, Oregon, Connecticut, Washington, and New Jersey.
The least expensive states for preschool-age care in a childcare center, with costs of less than $5,000 a year ($417 a month), beginning with the least expensive, are Mississippi, Kentucky, Louisiana, Kansas, Missouri, Oklahoma, Idaho, West Virginia, South Carolina, and Alabama.
To find out more about daycare options and costs in your area, contact your local Child Care Resource and Referral (CCR&R) agency. More than 850 CCR&R agencies throughout the country provide families with information about local childcare options and resources.
To find an agency near you, call the hotline at (800) 424-2246 or visit theChild Care Aware website. The website features a helpful tool that tells you the average cost of home daycare and daycare centers in your zip code.
How much does home daycare cost?
Again, this depends on the age of your child and where you live. The size of the facility and whether or not it’s licensed also matters. Some providers charge almost as much as daycare centers, while others charge very little, especially if they’re close friends or neighbors of the families whose children they’re caring for.
The average home daycare charges about $6,301 a year ($525 a month) for babies and toddlers. Prices start at $4,128 a year and go up to $9,508 a year ($344 to $792 a month).
The most expensive states for home daycare for infants and toddlers, with costs over $8,000 a year ($667 a month), beginning with the most expensive, are Massachusetts, Washington, D.C., New York, Connecticut, New Hampshire, Pennsylvania, and Washington. The least expensive states, with costs of less than $5,000 a year ($417 a month), beginning with the least expensive, are: West Virginia, South Carolina, Kansas, Missouri, Texas, South Dakota, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Georgia, Alabama, North Dakota, and Indiana.
For preschool-age children, the average cost for home daycare is $5,689 a year ($474 a month). Prices start at $3,536 a year and top at $9,002 a year ($295 to $750 a month).
The most expensive states for home daycare for preschoolers, with costs over $7,000 a year ($583 a month), beginning with the most expensive, are: Massachusetts, New York, District of Columbia, Connecticut, and Rhode Island.
The least expensive states for home daycare for preschoolers, with costs of less than $4,000 a year ($333 a month), beginning with the least expensive, are South Carolina, West Virginia, and Missouri.
How much does nanny care cost?
A nanny may be your most expensive option. Keep in mind that when you hire a nanny you become an employer, and the U.S. government expects you to pay your nanny’s Social Security taxes and fulfill other responsibilities.
Depending on where you live, how many children you have, and how stiff the competition is for qualified candidates, nannies cost anywhere from $500 to $700 a week ($2,167 to $3,033 a month) for full-time care and between about $400 and $650 a week ($1,733 to $2,817 a month) for part-time hours — though your costs could be a bit lower if it’s a live-in situation.
According to the International Nanny Association, nanny salaries are highest in the New England, Middle Atlantic, and Pacific states.
Since a nanny is an employee, many parents pay for their nanny’s health insurance. If you do this, the nanny usually picks her own health plan and provides you with the financial breakdown. You can then decide to pay for all or part of the premium. You may also want to offer other benefits, such as paid holidays, vacation, and sick days.
Should I pay a relative to care for my child?
This is a tricky question. Yes, you should pay, but that doesn’t mean your relative will accept money. Some family members refuse payment, saying it’s their pleasure (or duty) to help take care of a member of their family.
If you’re lucky enough to have a loving relative nearby who’s willing to take care of your baby at no charge, you might want to find some type of compensation other than money. Get her gift certificates for restaurants, movie theaters, or her favorite store; surprise her with a thank-you card and flowers every few weeks; or offer to pay a bill or help with household chores or yard work. You should also plan on giving your relative days off and vacation time.
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On line job boards
Posted on July 12th, 2009 by Kate
In this economy it is hard to keep your job & just try getting a new one if you find yourself out of work. The rules have all changed the days of beating the pavement are over. You have to know how to work it, and one way both employers & employees are finding new hires are on line job boards.
These sites such as www.monter.com and www.careerbuilder.comare very popular. But you have to know how to use them or you are wasting your time. Here are some tips to online job hunting success
Top 10 Online Job Search Tips
While the popularity of online job boards puts millions of jobs at one’s fingertips, it has also made the job applicant pool that much bigger. For this reason, national job search sites and the Internet as a whole have gotten a bad rap from some industry professionals as an ineffective job seeker tool; on the contrary, the Internet actually can be a great resource for job seekers — they just need to know how to use it.
When it comes to a fruitful online job search, successful job seekers follow these 10 guidelines.
1. If you build it, they can come.
Instead of simply posting your résumé on a Web site, take it one step further and design an easily-navigable Web site or online portfolio where recruiters can view your body of work, read about your goals and obtain contact information.
Instead of simply posting your résumé on a Web site, take it one step further and design an easily-navigable Web site or online portfolio where recruiters can view your body of work, read about your goals and obtain contact information.
2. Check yourself to make sure you haven’t wrecked yourself.
Google yourself to see what comes up — and what potential employers will see if they do the same. If you don’t like what you find, it’s time to do damage control.
Google yourself to see what comes up — and what potential employers will see if they do the same. If you don’t like what you find, it’s time to do damage control.
3. Narrow your options.
Many job boards offer filters to help users refine their search results more quickly. You should have the option to narrow your job search by region, industry and duration, and, oftentimes, you can narrow it even more by keywords, company names, experience needed and salary.
Many job boards offer filters to help users refine their search results more quickly. You should have the option to narrow your job search by region, industry and duration, and, oftentimes, you can narrow it even more by keywords, company names, experience needed and salary.
4. Go directly to the source.
Instead of just applying for the posted job opening, one of the best strategies to finding a job is to first figure out where you want to work, target that company or industry and then contact the hiring manager. Also, many employers’ career pages invite visitors to fill out candidate profiles, describing their background, jobs of interest, salary requirements and other preferences.
Instead of just applying for the posted job opening, one of the best strategies to finding a job is to first figure out where you want to work, target that company or industry and then contact the hiring manager. Also, many employers’ career pages invite visitors to fill out candidate profiles, describing their background, jobs of interest, salary requirements and other preferences.
5. Find your niche with industry Web sites.
Refine your search even more by visiting your industry’s national or regional Web site, where you can find jobs in your field that might not appear on a national job board. More and more employers are advertising jobs on these sites in hopes of getting a bigger pool of qualified applicants.
Refine your search even more by visiting your industry’s national or regional Web site, where you can find jobs in your field that might not appear on a national job board. More and more employers are advertising jobs on these sites in hopes of getting a bigger pool of qualified applicants.
6. Try online recruiters.
Recruiters will help match you with jobs that meet your specific skills and needs. Not sure where to start? Sites such as recruiterlink.com, onlinerecruitersdirectory.com, searchfirm.com and i-recruit.com provide links to online headhunters for job seekers.
Recruiters will help match you with jobs that meet your specific skills and needs. Not sure where to start? Sites such as recruiterlink.com, onlinerecruitersdirectory.com, searchfirm.com and i-recruit.com provide links to online headhunters for job seekers.
7. Utilize video résumés.
Video résumés are just one more way to stand out to employers. Intended as supplements to — not replacements for — traditional résumés, video résumés allow job seekers to showcase a little bit of their personalities and highlight one or two points of interest on their résumés.
Video résumés are just one more way to stand out to employers. Intended as supplements to — not replacements for — traditional résumés, video résumés allow job seekers to showcase a little bit of their personalities and highlight one or two points of interest on their résumés.
8. Run queries.
You run searches on everything else, from your high school sweetheart to low-fat recipes, so why not jobs? Enter a query that describes the exact kind of job you’re seeking and you may find more resources you wouldn’t find otherwise (but be prepared to do some sorting).
You run searches on everything else, from your high school sweetheart to low-fat recipes, so why not jobs? Enter a query that describes the exact kind of job you’re seeking and you may find more resources you wouldn’t find otherwise (but be prepared to do some sorting).
9. Utilize job alerts.
Most job boards have features that allow you to sign up to receive e-mail alerts about newly available jobs that match your chosen criteria. Or go a step further and arrange an RSS (really simple syndication) feed from one of these job sites to appear on your customized Internet homepage or your PC’s news-reader software.
Most job boards have features that allow you to sign up to receive e-mail alerts about newly available jobs that match your chosen criteria. Or go a step further and arrange an RSS (really simple syndication) feed from one of these job sites to appear on your customized Internet homepage or your PC’s news-reader software.
10. Get connected.
How many times have you been told that it’s not what you know, but who you know? Thanks to the emergence of professional networking sites like LinkedIn.com, job seekers no longer have to rely on the old standby of exchanging business cards with strangers. These sites are composed of millions of industry professionals and allow you to connect with people you know and the people they know and so forth. (A word of caution: When you sign up for online social networking sites, you are in a public domain. Unless you are able to put a filter on some of your information, nothing is private, and it can be difficult to erase once it is posted.)
How many times have you been told that it’s not what you know, but who you know? Thanks to the emergence of professional networking sites like LinkedIn.com, job seekers no longer have to rely on the old standby of exchanging business cards with strangers. These sites are composed of millions of industry professionals and allow you to connect with people you know and the people they know and so forth. (A word of caution: When you sign up for online social networking sites, you are in a public domain. Unless you are able to put a filter on some of your information, nothing is private, and it can be difficult to erase once it is posted.)
15 ways to get the job
You’re a unique and interesting person. The employer wants to meet you.1. Make sure you are right for the job. Seeking jobs in catering does not make sence if you don’t know how to boil an egg.
2. You’ve likely heard the expression: Dress for success. Dress in the finest clothes that suit the type of jobs for which you’re seeking. If you are going to an interview for outdoor work, wear unworn, casual clothes.
For office or professional jobs, dress up conservatively. Ask someone to help you select an outfit from your closet or take a friend from the business world shopping with you, if you’re not up on the standards. Don’t go overboard with make-up.
3. Arrive with at least 15 minutes to spare. This will allow you to prepare any last details. (It also shows how keen you are.)
4. If you have an opportunity to shake hands with the person or persons doing the job interview, give a firm, solid handshake.
5. Look the interviewer in the eye. You’ll find benefit in your ability to communicate, as you look people in the eye more and more. Look directly at the interviewer when you are answering questions.
6. Let your Resume talk for you. Make it as interesting as possible and don`t forget to include all interests and hobbies. They can say a lot about you. Be truthful.
7. Don’t talk while the interviewer is reading your application or Resume. The interviewer can only do one thing at a time, even though s/he’s a boss.
8. Don’t slouch or fidget. You will come across as lazy and nervous – neither are characteristics of ideal employees.
9. Prepare yourself for questions that they might ask you about the company. This will show them how committed you are to your job search.
10. Ask questions about the job and/or company, but make sure they are sensible ones, not like, how long is the lunch break.
11. Don’t be afraid to make suggestions. Tell them any ideas you have. This will show them how interested you are.
12. Remember they are human. Be open and honest. Don’t try and be something you are not. They will see straight through any facade.
13. Demonstrate your communication skills by listening to the question you are asked. Answer that specific question. If you don’t understand the question, ask the interviewer for clarification. Smart people who get ahead, during their job search and otherwise, have the confidence to ask more questions than sulking people who think they should understand all questions and know all answers.
14. If you are asked why you left your last job don’t go into a story about how awful they where (even if you were treat badly). Tell them your talent was wasted and that’s why you are there seeking another job.
15. Let them know how much of an asset you are to the company. But only if you are.
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Saying fit at your desk
Posted on July 10th, 2009 by Kate
If you are like me you can go hours at a time glued to your desk. You know the feeling ….your legs start to go tingly, your back side is numb, and you lose concentration! Yeah, ladies that is when you have been at your desk too long. Not only is this bad for your brain, & productivity, but your health as well, especially if you are pregnant. Prolonged sitting can lead to blood clots & other serious illness for those women who way not even know they are at risk.
SO what do we do about it, when there are deadlines to meet & only so many hours in a day? Well Web MD has a wonderful article on staying fit at your desk written by Jean Lawerence that I found very helpful.
http://www.webmd.com/fitness-exercise/features/exercise-at-your-desk
This one is simple to do & works for most women no matter what there work situation is! So saty fit while at your desk this summer. I a know I am trying
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Sick Kids in a tough economy
Posted on July 6th, 2009 by Kate
It is no secret this economy is far from stable. So what do you do when you are the one that gets the call that little Johny Is sick again? As mothers of course we want to be with our kids when they are ill. No one is as good as moms for sick little ones, but what happens when we are in competition with the 20 year old collage freshy, or the man with a stay at home wife who can attend to the every need of their children?
You can scoff all you want but it is a factor in this market place to be bigger, better, stronger, faster, just to keep your job minus benefits or sick time. But tell that to a puking 5 year old.It isn’t fair but it is reality for thousands of working moms. And this doesn’t even cover the guilt we put on ourselves no matter which decision we make. It seems like we are in a losing battle.
So what are we to do? Here are a few tips to help you along!
Be clear with your employer about your family duties, but make sure are being realistic with yourself as well. Don’t say You only need 2 sick days a year if you have five kids just to get the job. This unclear description of the time you have to devote to your employer wont work out for either of you any way.
Try to get some help. Ask your spouse to share the load, or your mother, maybe a friend or close family member if you little guy is over the worst of it but is still out of school maybe a sub can help you.
try and take work home, or at least make an effort to the thought will be noticed even if it isn’t a possibility.
Your babies come first as a rule but we are in a tough time so try not to pour on the mommy guilt whatever your situation. This wont help a thing
It is a bear out there for momst of us but every family is different so do what works for you and your family, don’t try to copy another mommy or family this rarely works out. You will know when you have made the right decision. If your kids are happy, healthy, & Loved you are doing a great job!
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