Right Thing

How do you know if what you decide to do is the right thing? It’s very simple. The right thing will not affect your health and happiness. That’s all. 

Anything that would affect your physical and mental peace, your health and happiness, is wrong. Anything. This might bring another question: “Suppose I want to help somebody who is troubled and that affects me. Should I do it or not?” 

If you are joyfully serving someone, even going through some pain doesn’t affect you. You are still happy; you are simply using a little of your energy to help someone. You can’t call that unhappiness.

Sometimes when you help somebody, you feel depressed. Why is that? It’s because you had expectations: “I’m helping that person. The person should accept my help and get the benefit. ” When you don’t see that person getting the benefit  you expected, you get upset. That means it’s not a selfless act, it’s a selfish act. “I did something and I want a result.”

That doesn’t mean there shouldn’t  be positive thoughts behind your actions. Certainly send your prayers, think about the welfare of the person. The difference is this: you want him or her to be happy of course, but you don’t demand it. You’re not attached to the outcome; you leave that to God.

In simple words, I would say an action without any selfish expectation whatsoever is a right action. Such an act will never disturb your mind or body.

SS

Comfort Food and side effects

Comfort food/ Sofa snacks is food that provides a nostalgic or sentimental value to someone, and may be characterized by its high caloric nature, high carbohydrate level, or simple preparation.

Source Royal Society of Public Health UK 

Please help yourself and family's before it is too late while consuming below foods

Everyday Interview Tips

After having the same conversation again and again with my couple of friends in the same week I decided to document and list things here in case if it help some one as well.

I am planning to list someof UK agencies I have come across in my last 10 years of UK experience from my MBA graduate role till now hope it will help you with your Job hunting and Career planning.

Everything start with a CV. The standard UK CV is two A4 pages long. In fact, it’s preferred by 91% of recruiters, according to a survey of 300 UK employers – many companies often reject CVs that are less than two pages because they simply don’t provide enough evidence about the applicant’s skills and qualifications. 

Resume Tips https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zrXZBkYzuZo. 

• January/February: The Best Time to Apply for Jobs.
• March/April/May: Still a Good Time to Apply. 
• June/July/August and November/December: Not the Best Time to Apply. 
• September/October: Hiring Picks up Again.

Before going reading ahead with this post no matter what your occupation or level of experience is the process of applying for a job and getting a job pass through various stages. Keep the frustrations apart and keep trying for what you want until you get it.

1.        Self Awareness :-  Are you looking for a immediate change from your job ? Is your job getting redundant in coming months ? Speak with your manager. Am I have a financial backup if I loose my current job with normal notice period of 1 or 2 months? Which job location is best for you it long run ? When am I graduating? Why you need a new job (ask yourself,HR will ask the same too). Job hoppers is a big NO. It takes 6 months to train someone and if that new recruit is not intending to stay long it will be a waste of time for employer. 

2.        Understanding your value :- If you are with an employer for a long time 10+ years then your salary may be lower than current market. Salary may not be increasing with inflation or it can highly depend on business performance you are in. People get hired because they represent the best possible answer to an employers need. You need to think outside the box of current employer values and principles and SMART goals to achieve what you want.

3.        Target :- Figure out the type of company that generally need someone like you and consider and understand the kind of environment you will feel comfortable and productive in. Make a list of companies you like to apply for in the location you are looking for. Some employers do allow Friday as Work from home, and some allow complete home based jobs with occasional travel , and there is part time and job share opportunities as well. To learn about companies and benefits you can do a great deal of research on LinkedIn, company website, business case studies, customer portfolio, financial performance (I am sure nobody is looking for job in sinking ship).

4.        Branding yourself :-If you are a heavy social media user clean up yourself. Psychological it says a lot about you to rate you. For what ever role you seek you will likely face strong completion from many candidates with similar background as yours. In UK usually recruiters get 200 to 800 CV’s for a job ad in LinkedIn + recruitment portals. So focus on the qualities, experience and expertise that set you apart from the pack. Recruiters spend 2-3 min to skim your CV, so make sure to edit your CV based on job ad. Develop a consistent message and update your Linkedin Profile with all the skills you are having to get your dream job.

5.        Seek Opportunities:- 80% of new hires come from personal networking, so network with fellow college friends, look through company webpages job boards, LinkedIn Profiles and network anywhere, everywhere and all the time!. 

6.        Prepare yourself :- Nowadays you will be having 6-8 rounds of assessment starting  with telephone rounds , face to face interviews , assessment days etc. in 2-3 months time after applying for jobs. So keep a journal (I used Excel) to make a list of companies I applied for jobs and position and date , so that when a recruiter calls you out of blue you know the employer and position you applied. Don’t mistake statements like “you appear to have what we are looking for” as anything more than a general indication of interest. If it is a planned phone call get ready to ask recruiter questions to understand more of the role and team. Here is a list of 11 answers you should have ready before any job interview                                                                                           http://time.com/money/4226260/interview-questions-answers/   https://news.efinancialcareers.com/uk-en/213388/70-top-banking-interview-questions-and-how-to-answer-them   https://www.jobtestprep.co.uk/interview-manager

7.        Dealing with red flags: - Part of HR screening process is to take a look at anything that might be disqualifying a strong candidate. Recruiters look for 8-9 years of references from your previous employers. Employment Gaps, part time jobs too many or few career transitions may cause concern, so mentally prepare to explain to recruiter. Top 10 tricks used by recruitment agencies https://www.contractoruk.com/agencies/recruitment_agency_tricks.html

8.        Presenting yourself :- Of course it happens at face- face interview go prepared for what ever can be thrown at you. If your interview is scheduled through good agency or a good HR they will provide you the profile of mangers you may be meeting up. As always first impression matters, imagine yourself being hired in that company and be sincere and prepare yourself with lots of info about the company before going for interview. Make a chit sheet , Check Google news to understand company position in media and make a small list of questions to help you to understand the job and company better. Ask questions like why this position has been open now ? What you can expect in Career Growth in 3 years time etc. Check Glassdoor for existing employee reviews . Wiki Jobs is also a great resource. Amazon in my experience had provided me links to practise tests before actual times logical test for Programme Manager Role. Time accuracy and blending in with company profile and recruiter highly matters but don’t fake sincerity or misrepresent what you have done. Every job you have done made you who you are today and be proud of it. Customise the CV based on the industry and type of job you apply.

9.        Negotiate for yourself :- You will always be in a stronger position to negotiate when you reach final rounds of interview. Talk about the objective criteria rather than vague wants and give a solid justification for whatever request you make. Consider the benefits, travel expenses, visa caps for salary etc .   

10. Hey I am talking about your future Salary:- You may be earning £25,000 per year in your current job and take home after tax will be less than £20,000. Every day in your current job you are gaining experience and learning so your value is also increasing along with client experience, certifications etc. So don’t underestimate yourself when HR ask you below Question:  What do you earn now ?  Answer What I earn now doesn’t matter but I am looking for salary £40000+ in my next position, is employer ready to give that ? Next this is what happens, recruiter in most cases (HR) will tell the truth about what they are planning to offer and negotiate with you for £35000. If your profile is strong recruiter will also help you to get good salary because they are getting 3-5% of your annual salary from your new recruiter if you stay in job for 6 months (rules changes company to company ). Be prepared to give P60’s P45’s from existing employee and a good 2 references from current job to close the whole process with an offer letter after company internal screening procedure(2-3 weeks) through global databases to make sure you are the person what you state in CV and hiring you .Salary take home calculator  http://www.netsalarycalculator.co.uk/25000-after-tax/           3% PF, NI, Tax is a compulsory in UK now by legislation. 

11. The Sunday Times 100 Best Companies

12. Here is some of agencies I have liked and complete list below :-http://www.lse.ac.uk/intranet/CareersAndVacancies/careersService/CareerPlanningJobHunting/JobHunting/RecruitmentAgencies/ListOfAgencies.aspx

13. Develop your employability skills   https://www.kent.ac.uk/careers/interviews/ivquest.htm

14. Some Good Recruiters http://recruiterawards.co.uk/2017-shortlist/

All the best ….

Inbox me if you need help https://uk.linkedin.com/in/annmj17

Thanks

Ann

Dec 23^rd 2017

London.

Recycle your Christmas Tree

Christmas trees are reasonably fast growers when it comes to trees in general. It may, however,  surprise you to know how long it actually takes to grow a Christmas tree.

Firs generally take about 10 years to grow from seed to a size ready for cutting.

After planting, it will take these seed 3-4 years to reach a height of around 25cm.

Have you planted a Christmas tree 10 years ago to cut it today ???

Over the past decade National Trust staff and hundreds of volunteers have dug in over 15,000 recycled Christmas trees to create fences across the sand dunes. These fences have been placed in areas where the naturally occurring Marram Grass has been lost due to trampling. More info here 

https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/formby/features/recycle-your-christmas-tree-at-formby


Register here for free tree collection after Christmas

 https://www.charityxmastreecollection.com/

Chemicals are licensed to use on your Veg and Fruits

When trying to keep the grocery bill down, organic produce can seem like an indulgence you just can’t afford.

It's true—in most cases, you pay more for fruits and vegetables raised with the extra care it takes to protect plants without chemicals. But what are you really bringing home with those savings?

Chemicals known or suspected of causing cancer, harming the brain, and interfering with growth and development—not to mention killing off bee colonies that pollinate the plants in the first place.

Eating up to 800g fruit and vegetables a day – or 10 portions – was associated with:

·         a 24 per cent reduced risk of heart disease

·         a 33 per cent reduced risk of stroke

·         a 28 per cent reduced risk of cardiovascular disease

·         a 13 per cent reduced risk of total cancer

·         a 31 per cent reduction in dying prematurely

This risk was calculated in comparison to not eating any fruit and vegetables. The current UK guidelines are to eat at least five portions or 400g per day. However fewer than one in three UK adults are thought to meet this target.

13 things to know about Organic Food 

https://www.rd.com/health/healthy-eating/13-things-you-didnt-know-about-organic-food/