All posts by Kurt Kirton

About Kurt Kirton

Song and book writer from MS now living in Nashville, TN. Marketing and graphic design background. Regular blogger on topics surrounding the subject of job searching.

What You Should Do to Improve Your Work-Life Balance

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Work-Life Balance
Image by Scott Adams

As we enter vacation season, it makes me think of a topic covered in my book. A couple of articles I ran across while writing it really got me thinking about something I’ve not had an issue with but that affects so many: workaholism. If quality of life is important to you, read on.

More professionals than ever have laptops and can access corporate networks, email, and the internet nearly anywhere. Did you know that on weekends a whopping 98% of executives log on to work email when they’re not at the office? Can you believe 577 million vacation days went unused by U.S. workers in 2013? And 94% of professionals work 50+ hours per week! As I mentioned earlier, there’s a time for going the extra mile as you get settled in at your new job, but too many working people are losing quality of life.

Work is an important element of life, and doing your best at your job and in the course of your career is good for everyone. However, too much work can be counterproductive. Research has shown that 2 months’ worth of 60-hour work weeks were no more productive than 40-hour weeks and that in less than 1 month, 80-hour weeks caused burnout.

Move toward going home on time. Limit working long hours to occasional projects that merit the time. Try to mentally detach when you leave the office. On vacation, nights, or weekends, resist that habit or temptation to respond to work emails. Don’t put so much pressure on yourself that you assume your supervisor and/or coworkers must have everything they ask for lightning fast or that anyone will think you’re a slacker if you’re not working 50+ hour weeks (even if others are).

NOTE: If your job involves a lot of time at the computer, give your eyes a break and look away from your monitor for 10 seconds every 10 minutes.

Employees in Spain, France, and Brazil have an average of 30 vacation days a year, but in the U.S. and Mexico they only have 10. Further, the U.S. is the only industrialized nation that doesn’t require companies to give full-time employees paid vacation time! (Check out www.vacationequalityproject.com for a list of a few things you can do to further the movement for vacation equality in the U.S.) Finally, research by former NASA scientists found that workers show an 82% increase in job performance upon returning from a vacation. Folks, let’s try to strike a better balance when it comes to how work fits into our lives. It may sound trite or cheesy, but a healthier and happier you is a better worker.

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Looking for a new job? Want to get the one you want faster? Check out my new book, Here Today, Hired Tomorrow.
Check out this eye opening work-life balance video…US vs. other countries.

What You Should Know to Avoid Being Dismissed as “Overqualified”

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Overcoming the Overqualified Label
Photo by Cat Klein

Have you ever heard, “We feel you’re overqualified for this position”? Talk about feeling like a deflating balloon! How can you salvage an opportunity in this situation?

If you have an interview coming up where you suspect a discussion about being overqualified will arise, prepare ahead of time. In this situation, remember a hiring manager is most likely concerned about:
• Why you’re considering the position
• Your leaving if you come across a better job somewhere else
• If they can meet your expectations and how long you’ll be happy in this position

So you will need to address these concerns as they surface. In my interview for the job at the security guard and custodial company, the GM straight out asked me, “So how do I know you won’t leave and go back to the music industry?” I was honest and explained my situation and career plans and answered his question sincerely, trying to build his confidence that I was not wanting this job as a short-term holdover. (I got the job.) Most interviewers can gauge your sincerity.

Career and interviewing coach Alex Freund advises this strategy: When you get a sense that a hiring manager is labeling you as overqualified, quickly try to discern the root of what he’s getting at…concern that the salary for the job is too low, that you’ll quit for another job in the near future, etc. Employers don’t like turnover.

Then, say something like, “I’m sensing you’re concerned that money is my main motivator and that I’ll take a higher paying position elsewhere as soon as I find one. Is that it?” After the inevitable affirmative response, follow up with, “I do have some rich work experience, but ___ (the company at which you are interviewing) is of particular interest to me because of ___ (your reasons). If I can illustrate that salary is not my primary motivator, would that influence your consideration of me as a candidate?”

Then, round out the discussion with some examples of how things like teamwork, recognition, work environment, the type of work, and/or career advancement are also valuable to you, and mention that money isn’t all that’s important in the job you’re seeking. Being able to talk honestly about a legitimate concern (and potential disadvantage) without getting your feathers ruffled can show your true interest in the position and also build rapport with the interviewer. He may even respect you more, and at the very least, you’ve cast a positive light on yourself as a viable candidate.15

Alternately, your response could be as simple as, “Frequently I seem to be pigeonholed as overqualified. I feel that being satisfied in a job and having a good fit and a fair salary with room for growth (monetarily and positionally) are more important than whether a position initially seems to completely mirror my education and work history.” Feel out the situation, and use your judgment.

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Looking for a new job? Want to get the one you want faster? Check out my new book, Here Today, Hired Tomorrow.

The 5 Basic Principles of Succeeding in All You Do

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The 5 Basics of Success
Photo by Mike McCusker

Success takes hard work, creativity, ingenuity, great ideas, intelligence, and so much more. None of that will do you any good however if you don’t have a strong foundation—a foundation made up of the basics. This is where the majority of people fail. They may have a great idea and be the smartest person in the room, but if they ignore the basics, they will fail every time. Don’t be them.

The Success Basics:

1. Be on time – There’s an old saying that will always hold true: Early is on time. On time is late. Late is fired. There is NO excuse for being late. Know where you are going, how to get there, where to park, how to get in, whom you are meeting with, and what you need. Period.

2. Read – If you don’t know what’s going on in the world, you can’t compete. If you don’t read news sites, magazines, news, fiction books, non-fiction books, and anything else your can get your hands on, you will not succeed. The most successful people in the world read—just ask them.

3. Thank people – No one succeeds without help; I don’t care how smart or well connected you are. Write thank you notes, acknowledge help, say “thank you,” buy gifts, and share in the wealth—whatever it takes to let everyone who does anything for you know you appreciate their efforts.

4. Help others – This may be the most important thing you can do to succeed. The more you help others succeed, the more they help you succeed. Some call it karma. Others call it doing the right thing. The more you help others succeed, the stronger your reputation grows as THE person to do business with. Everyone will want you.

5. Follow through – Do what you say you are going to do when you say you are going to do it. If you say you are going to be somewhere, be there. If you say you are going to finish a project, finish it. If you say you are going to send something, send it. Never make someone wait to do their job because you haven’t done yours (read #1 again).

This is not rocket science—this is common sense. Use it. I guarantee you will succeed in 2016.

–Dayna Steele

Dayna Steele is the creator of YourDailySuccessTip.com and the author of seven books including her latest, Surviving Alzheimer’s with Friends, Facebook, and a Really Big Glass of Wine. Follow her on Facebook or Twitter and sign up for her free, relevant success tip here—it’s been called “ridiculously sane advice.”

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Looking for a new job? Want to get the one you want faster? Check out my new book, Here Today, Hired Tomorrow.