4 Wrong Reasons To Choose A Career

A lot of people are spending more and more time at work nowadays. Of course, it is imperative to find a career that suits your purposes and is likely to make you the happiest.

The following are the worst reasons to choose a career:

1. 'You're good at it', so they say.
Sometimes you may be really good at something (for example, solving mysteries and crossword puzzles), but that mean you should be a Sherlock Holmes. Although at times it is possible to turn a hobby into a career that you love, be aware that this can quickly become monotonous and annoying, especially when you're doing it full-time.

2. It’s what you’re “supposed” to do
Did mom and dad raise you to be a lawyer or doctor? Do you come from a long line of police officers or have a family business? Even if you know it’s what everyone expects you to do, and you might’ve even thought you’d be doing it from a young age, that doesn’t mean you have to if you’re having second thoughts.

When you finally decide on a path, do so because it’s what you think you want.

3. Oh, the perks!
Yes, if you have a free company car, free holiday once a year, free use of gym and pool at the office, along with other (impressive) perks...that doesn't necessarily mean that you will be happy doing the job. It might be awesome at first, but like anything else, boredom will sink in. Make sure you choose something for what you feel passionate about and not just because of the perks you might get.

4. Are your friends doing it?
This happens a lot more than you think. We’re all influenced by the people we hang around, and if you end up befriending lots of people who want to be engineers, botanists or video game designers, it’s more likely that you’ll gravitate toward that path—even if it’s not right for you.

This can cause you to struggle in your work because you don’t have a natural talent for it or desire to do it. And you may even end up finding yourself alone, because jobs are so hard to come by these days you’re probably not going to be working with your friends.

What should you do? Well for starts, try new things. Diversify your interests and friend group as much as possible. Research what a job is really like and try to imagine yourself in potential careers one, five or even ten years down the line and think about what a regular day for you will be like. Ultimately, the most important thing is that you feel happy and fulfilled in your work.

If you'd like to share any of your thoughts with us, Muovo would like to hear from you!

Nikita Pisani at Muovo

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Think Positive....for a Better Professional and Personal Life!

Positivism is a way of living, an attitude that could greatly enhance our personal and professional lives, adding meaning to all our encounters.

A wise friends once said, 'Life is not inherently meaningful. It is an abysmal void that we must fill up with meaning'. This means that at times we have to conduct ourselves (through work, friendships, and art) as if life is meaningful. By pretending, it becomes true.  it is an abysmal void that we must fill up with meaning, so even if somedays I do not believe, I must conduct myself (through work, through friendships, through art) as if life is meaningful. By pretending it, it becomes true. “Act as if you have faith and faith will be given to you”.
Let's not get too philosophical! Below are three ways in which you can do to improve your life...for the better! 1. Look to the future for a meaningful life. Research shows that we are happiest when think of the present, and whenever the present seems to be good for us. However, to achieve meaningness we need to think way ahead of our present, and focus more on our future. By bringing meaning to our lives, this is relating to a school of thought called 'prospective psychology'. Only by connecting the two - the present and our view of the future - can one find the greatest meaning, purpose, and happiness in life. 2. Detaching from work is a good thing...for most of us. Sonnentag has found that those who detach from work on a regular basis have a lower level of emotional exhaustion and higher life satisfaction. However, studies also show that for many of us, four weeks after a holiday, we feel at the same level of exhaustion as when we took the holiday.
Sonnentag says detachment from work seems especially important—not surprisingly—when job stressors are high. Indeed, the more time pressure employees feel, the less able they are to detach, which leads to a negative spiral of stress and rumination.  3. 'We shape our dwellings, and afterwards our dwellings shape us'... ...said the British Prime Minister Winston Churchill. This fit isn’t the same across the board: An assisted living facility that’s a good environmental fit for an elderly person may not be the best fit for an adolescent. A suburban neighborhood with little opportunity for impromptu social interaction may not be the best fit for a recent immigrant. 

When evaluating neighborhood livability and quality of life, environmental psychology has tended to focus on the negative—risks such as air pollution, traffic noise, and light pollution.

Notably, neighborhoods that have green and open outdoor spaces have been shown to reduce their inhabitants’ stress. This is reached by activities like exercise and gardening and by other walking activities that are afforded by green spaces lower levels of the stress hormone cortisol and improve cognitive function. Another benefit of green spaces—especially in deprived communities—is the opportunity for social connection and greater feelings of safety. Whether as individuals or working together as groups, the presenters emphasized, we can affect our external environment and internal landscapes for the better.



Nikita Pisani at Muovo

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Break Out of Your Job Search Rut

Have you been sending out tons of resumes but haven't heard back from even one employer? Perhaps you should stop now and commit to making several changes in your job search strategy. Looking for a job can be frustrating. Don't get discouraged as yet though: there are ample networking strategies that you haven't tried it yet.

Muovo would like to share with you the tips below which will help you get out of that job search rut and back to work:

1. Check your documents.
Update your resume. Make sure that your resume is updated and everything is listed in chronological order as it should be. When you apply online for jobs, some companies may have computer systems that will scan and evaluate your materials. This means that you have to be very clear and specific about your goals.

2. Use social media.
Take advantage of online tools, such as LinkedIn, Twitter,  and Google+ to connect with professionals in your industry. These social media tools could serve as opportunities to demonstrate your expertise so more people will have the opportunity to get to know you, trust you and like you.

When you find people on social networks that share your professional interests, you can easily connect with them, pass along information they share to your community and highlight what you know about your field or industry. The stronger the base of your network, the better connections you will have. Connections may just bring the right opportunity for you.

3. Start your own business.
If you have been unemployed for some time, maybe you should start thinking about setting up a business. Indeed, a lot of companies are hiring temporary, or contract workers, instead of full-time employees. It would be a good idea to set yourself up to succeed in this environment.

Good luck!

Do you have any comments that you would like to share with us? Muovo would like to hear from you!

Nikita Pisani at Muovo

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Muovo Summer Shutdown

We would like to inform all of our esteemed candidates and clientele that we will be closed for our Annual Summer Shutdown between Monday 12th August and Friday 16th August 2013, both days included.

We will be back on Monday 19th August 2013!

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4 Ways To Get Hired Fast

This article is courtesy of Careerbuilder.com

The difference between being proactive and reactive is time. Reactive people wait for things to happen to them, while proactive people go out and make things happen.

Timing is of offence in any career move, so it is up to you to make things happen. Be proactive and professional, and you end up with the right job in no time.

A typical hiring process takes anywhere from three to eight weeks, depending on the policies of the company and the scheduling that must take place to get all of the decision-makers aligned.

If you want the job, you must be certain they know it.

Let's explore four sure-fire ways to move a hiring process forward as quickly as the company will allow:

1. Provide detailed information & professional references up front.

• Supply all required information.
• Be aware of the common candidate red flags and answer the questions before they're asked.
• Have three to five professional references up front to validate your background and experience.
• Whenever possible, provide a recent manager, peer and subordinate to give the most complete picture of your abilities to the new company.

2. Attitude is everything.

• Bring a positive, high energy attitude on every interview. There is no room for a negative presence in an organization. Once you have given that impression, it most likely will not go away.
• Be positive and proactive, and close each step of the process with enthusiasm. "I'm very interested in learning more about this exciting opportunity. What's the next step?"

3. Research the company & prepare for the interview.

• Get your facts and figures straight. Nothing is more impressive than knowing the inner workings, products, people, mission, vision and goals of an organization.
• Realize that your interviewing skills and your ability to perform the job are two very different things. You'll need both to get the offer.
• Write out questions that you need answers to before accepting an offer.
• Role-play your responses to standard and behavioral-based interview questions.
• Thoroughly review the company's website and any recent articles written by its leaders.

4. Immediate, professional follow up.

• Be certain they know you're interested. As soon as it is possible, send a handwritten thank-you note and a personalized e-mail message to every person with whom you interviewed.
• The written word has somehow gotten lost in the electronic age. Differentiate yourself and send a note card in the mail either that same day or the next day.
  
  Nikita Pisani at Muovo 

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