Sadly, a recent worldwide survey by Gallup revealed that 85% of people are unhappy in the workplace. Low job satisfaction can be caused by several factors such as a poor work-life balance, too much stress, and a lack of career progression.

Fortunately, there are things you can do to boost your job satisfaction. Here are seven tips to be happier at work:

1. Find a career that you enjoy

According to mvorganizing.org, “the average person spends a third of their life working.” Most people spend most of their adult life working, so you need to find a job that you enjoy. Most people get enjoyment out of their career by finding a job that uses their skills, or by choosing a career path that they find personally fulfilling.

Remember the famous line: “If you find a job you love, you’ll never work again…” Carefully consider your skills, interests and passions, and find a job that you will find rewarding long-term. You can take career tests online or book an appointment to speak with a career advisor for guidance – these can help focus your attention on the parts you enjoy not just those you are good at.

2. Acquire new qualifications

Acquiring new qualifications can boost your job satisfaction by enhancing your skills and knowledge. You will be able to complete your work tasks more efficiently and you’ll be more confident in your abilities in the workplace. Completing qualifications is also a great way to invest in your professional development. It will show your passion and give you a competitive advantage when senior positions become available.

For instance, qualified nurses can enroll in an MSN to DNP program to advance their skillset and transition into senior clinical roles. Securing a promotion will give you a great sense of accomplishment and you may enjoy other benefits like an increase in salary and flexible work hours. Take advantage of qualifications and training on offer and be proactive when it comes to your professional development.

3. Discuss your professional goals

Setting professional goals will motivate you and make you feel more in control of your career. You should discuss your goals with your employer and make them aware of your expectations and ambitions. You will find it easier to take your job to the next level and feel happier at work if you are open and honest about your feelings and desires.

4. Ask for regular feedback

Receiving feedback about your work is always positive. It can either make you feel valued by acknowledging your hard work and achievements, or it can help you identify gaps in your skills and help you improve your work performance. Feeling valued plays a big role in workplace happiness and developing yourself professionally can also help you feel more satisfied in your job role.

Ask your manager for regular feedback on your work if you don’t feel like you’re getting enough. You should always ask for feedback at the end of a project or major work task.

5. Maintain a work-life balance

No matter how much you enjoy your job, you still need to have a life outside of work. Maintaining a healthy work-life balance is extremely important, as trying to do too much is likely to cause stress and burnout. This will harm your health and happiness, both inside and outside of the workplace.

Here are some simple ways to achieve a good work-life balance:

• Create set work hours and stick with them.
• Avoid taking work home with you unless it’s essential. Try not to respond to work messages and emails outside of work hours.
• Pursue your hobbies and interests outside of work, for example go to the gym, meet up with friends, plan trips and vacations.
• Speak to your employer about the possibility of trialing flexible work hours so you have more freedom over your work schedule.
• Prioritize your time in the workplace to maximize productivity and avoid procrastination.
• Take regular breaks during the day to unwind and de-stress in a calm environment.

6. Build relationships with co-workers

Work friendships play a vital role in workplace happiness and satisfaction. A survey by CNBC found that “70% of employees consider friends at work to be the most important factor in a happy working life, and 58% would turn down a higher-paying job if they didn’t get on with their new colleagues.”

Your colleagues can provide a valuable support network when you are feeling stressed and social interactions can boost your workplace happiness. Many people choose to stay in their current job roles because they have close bonds with their co-workers. Make an effort to build relationships with your colleagues and you will feel more supported and engaged in your job role.

7. Start job hunting

If doing the above does little to lift your mood in the workplace, then you may be stuck in an unfulfilling work environment. If you feel that things can’t improve in your current role, then you should start job hunting and look for new opportunities that will bring you happiness.

Assess your employer, your role, and your entire career to decide what job will be a good fit for you. Actively searching for new job opportunities that are in line with your passions and interests will put you in control of your career and make work more enjoyable.

Conclusion

Many companies offer perks like free lunches and bonuses to boost employee satisfaction, but you should arrange your life to be happy at work. You don’t necessarily have to love your job, but it shouldn’t make you unhappy.

If you feel miserable or stressed at work regularly, then you might be stuck in a toxic work environment and unfulfilling role. Take the plunge and look into the new job opportunities out there. Explore what is available and find something that is a good fit for you.

After all the years they’ve been around and how much they’ve improved over time, online MBA programs still hold some sort of stigma among many aspiring students. But overlooking them based on such assumptions would be a huge mistake. The reality is that an online MBA could give you all the skills and qualifications of a traditional MBA, without many of the inconveniences. Let’s take a look at some of the most pervasive myths and misconceptions about online MBA, and the truth behind them.

Only Diploma Mills Offer Online MBAs

The sad part about this myth is that there’s a germ of truth in it. Many of the earlier MBAs were given out by less than reputable schools or organizations that were purely after federal grants and funding. Things have greatly changed since then, and schools now have to go through a grueling process to show the validity of their programs to get accredited, so this isn’t something you should worry about as long as you know what to look for in a good online school or program.

People will Know that I Got My Degree Online

This is one of the most damaging myths about online MBAs and one of the reasons why many people are still reluctant about them. There is no “online” stamp on top of your MBA degree when you get it online. There is absolutely no way for a recruiter to know that you got your degree online unless you volunteer that information to them.

So, don’t assume that your degree will be less respected in the workplace because you get it online. What you should do, however, is check the quality of a school’s MBA program, its accreditation, and how well ranked the school is and rated as a whole. These are the things that will ultimately determine how well your degree is regarded.

Accreditation is especially important there, as it will make sure that your qualifications are valid and that you can transfer your credits if you want to move to a different school. So, before you pick a program, make sure that it’s accredited either by the AACSB, ACBSP, or the IACBE.

Even if an employer could find out that you got your degree online, you shouldn’t assume that it would be a bad thing either. Employers see the online MBA in a much more favorable light than many imagine. They understand that remote working and using remote tools is second nature to them, and this is something everyone will be looking for in a candidate in the next few years. So, having an online degree could actually work in your favor.

Tuition is Much Cheaper

While online MBAs tend to be cheaper in general, you shouldn’t expect it to be by much. Schools still have to maintain the rest of their operations, and this is done through tuition. But you will be able to save money in many ways by taking classes online.

First of all, you won’t have to relocate to a whole different part of the country to go to the school you like. You’ll be able to take classes from the comfort of your own home and won’t have to spend or waste time commuting. If you have children, you’ll be able to be close to them if you decide to take classes in the evening and won’t have to spend money on a babysitter. All manuals will be online as well, which translates into even greater savings.

Only Bad Schools Offer Online MBAs

That is not true. Most major schools today either have online MBAs or some sort of online offering. They can’t afford to stay behind with the increase in demand and how the future of education is shaping up. Bad schools, good schools, and everyone in between all offer online classes nowadays, and you should see it as a good thing.

You Go at Your Own Pace with Online MBAs

While it is true in some cases, not all online MBAs are self-paced. There are different ways that online classes can be dispensed. Asynchronous classes are 100% self-paced, but you have programs where you must attend classes at specific times. You also have programs that combine both formats. Know which type of programs the school offers and what would be the best format for you.

Online MBAs and Traditional MBAs don’t Teach the Same Things

While the format and approach might be slightly different, you’ll learn the same things in an online MBA as you will in a traditional MBA. That’s because the faculty that teaches online MBAs will usually be the same one as the traditional MBA. So, while they might need to change a few things to adapt to the coursework, the level and quality of education will be the same.

Another thing you shouldn’t expect is for your courses to be easier. As a matter of fact, you might find that things are tougher when you have to motivate yourself and stay on top of everything. This is especially true for those who decide to take asynchronous classes.

Taking classes on your own time could be a great option if you have lots of responsibilities and an irregular schedule. But they do lack some of the connection as you won’t be able to speak directly with other students or the teacher and you might find yourself disconnected from time to time and lack motivation.

In either case, online classes offer a certain level of freedom that can both be a gift or a curse depending on what type of student you are. If you want to know what following an online program online is really like, we suggest that you speak with a few people who went through an online program to get a first-hand account.

You Can’t Interact with the Teaching Staff

Another related myth is that you won’t be able to interact with the teaching staff. Not only is this false but going for online classes could give you more access. If you go for synchronous classes, most programs will allow you to pose questions to the teacher directly. Teachers will also often allow students to contact them after classes either through email or video chat.

You Can’t Interact with Other Students

This is another myth. Online MBA students can interact with each other pretty much in the same way that they do with faculty, i.e., via email, instant messaging, teleconferencing, email, and bulletin boards. Team projects play a very important role in MBA programs, and faculties are doing everything they can to make their classes as cooperative as possible.

You will also be engaged in class discussions that will feel very much like face-to-face interactions. Besides that, students will often meet on social media and form groups. If you live in a big city, nothing is stopping you from meeting with other students in your program for networking events or to form study groups. Immersion experiences will also give you the chance to collaborate and network with other students.

It’s Easier to Get Into an Online MBA

Online programs don’t have many of the limitations of traditional programs and can, therefore, admit more students. But that doesn’t mean that the requirements to get in are lower.

Institutions that offer online MBAs have to protect their reputation, and they want as many students as possible to graduate and be successful. They can’t afford to cut corners in screening candidates and requirements are just as strict as in their regular program.

To be accepted into a program, you will need to show sufficient curriculum and undergraduate grades, work experience, letters of recommendation, a high enough GMAT score for those who require it, and a personal essay or statement of purpose. This means that you will need to prepare for your application well in advance and be as rigorous as you would for any program.

Online MBAs do Not Offer Networking Opportunities

A lot of people want to get into the NBA for the networking aspects, and it’s a major benefit. However, while online MBAs don’t allow you to physically interact with other students, they still offer great networking opportunities.

One of the best things about online MBAs is the type of students they attract. They tend to be very diverse with people from different backgrounds, industries, and countries. Online MBAs are popular with professionals and business owners as well, which means that you could enrich yourself from their experiences and learn what it’s truly like to run a business.

This could also be a great opportunity to build partnerships. You could connect with someone from a completely different field like IT, for instance, and join forces to build a startup. Or you could be introduced to markets and opportunities you didn’t even know existed. So, don’t dismiss the wealth of knowledge you could gain from the other people in your group.

Online MBAs have tons of things to offer, and it would be a shame to dismiss them because of hearsay. Learn as much as you can about them and don’t hesitate to ask questions if you need some clarifications about some of their aspects.

When you have been the victim of a nasty slip and fall, it is important to know the steps that you need to take in the aftermath. This is especially true when you have suffered serious injuries, as you don’t want a small slip and fall to cause your personal life to suffer while not being properly compensated for it. While it might not be the first point that you think about, making sure that you file a lawsuit can not only be of great benefit to you but can also help the company that you are suing review their business practices. If you are interested in learning more, it is highly recommended to read the guide that has been created for you below.

Take Evidence of the Damage

One of the best ways to make sure that you are able to get compensation and make sure that the company you are suing is operating in a fair and legal fashion is by taking as much evidence as possible of the damage. It’s best to get a dedicated camera to bring with you, so if you have managed to slip up on an unsigned surface, you can easily show that there was inadequate signage. These payouts can be massive — like the $18 million one student got after falling down a manhole.

Go Immediately to The Hospital

When you are the victim of a nasty slip and fall, you want to make sure that you are properly tended to in a hospital. Without doing this, your injury has the potential to become a whole lot worse. The main point you want to check for is any head concussion, as these are often invisible problems that can actually cause much wider damage. Additionally, you will need the hospital to help you get the necessary records that can show that you were a victim of professional negligence. Just make sure that you have insurance, as ambulance costs in the USA for the uninsured can be incredibly high.

Get a Lawyer to Help Bring a Lawsuit

No matter whether you are looking for a quick and easy payout or organizing a large lawsuit that goes all the way to the state courthouse, it is very important that you make sure that you hire a dedicated lawyer. This is because, without a lawyer, it is going to be very hard for you to bring a lawsuit that genuinely will stand up in front of a judge. For help with all points lawsuit-related, it is worth taking a look at the services of Horst Shewmaker.

Rest Up and Minimize Stress

Of course, one of the best things you can do is rest up after suffering a slip and fall. Time is the greatest healer for both the physical and mental effects of the fall. If you choose to work with a lawyer, you can ensure that as much stress is minimized as possible. For instance, they might help you settle out of court. Even if they don’t, they will be fighting your corner and know how to tackle the case, so you won’t have to stress.

Take some time off work to ensure you have the best opportunity to rest up, and always reach out to others to help if necessary.

Consistently topping the list of things causing people stress is finances. This stress puts a strain on relationships of all kinds and can even impact your health and general wellbeing. Getting your finances in shape is not a one-and-done process either; you will have to reset habits and perform regular check-ins on your financial health throughout your lifetime. The good news is that it is possible to get your finances in shape and develop the habits that will keep them that way.

Set Financial Goals

Your first step toward financial health is to set realistic goals in a variety of timeframes. When most people think of long-term goals, they envision where they want to be in a decade or so. However, you can set your most extended term for a year or three if that feels more realistic. Break these goals into smaller chunks for medium-term goals and then further into smaller bits for short-term goals and daily tasks. Blogs from companies like MaxLend loans can help you generate ideas for your financial goals and the smaller chunks or steps you will need to reach them.

Track Your Spending

Next, you need to determine what you spend and when you spend it, meaning you need to track your spending and making a calendar of when bills are due. Chances are you pay more in one category than you think you do, so creating a budget without tracking where your money goes can leave you frustrated. For instance, it is easy to say that you can only spend fifty dollars on food each week until you go to the store and realize how much your weekly staples cost.

Devise a Budget

Once you know where your money goes in a month, it is time to sit down and use those numbers to devise a budget. Remember to break up spending by the paycheck and keep in touch with how you spend money; you will also want to take into account annual bills or subscriptions that are not due every month. For instance, it is helpful for some people to put aside part of one check to help cover a big bill on the next one and have identical budget amounts for reoccurring costs like food or gas each week. Others will know that keeping a balance in the bank is a challenge, and it is better to pay a bill or two early than to try and save the funds.

Revise Your Budget and Goals

It is important to keep tracking your spending after you have your budget figured out so you can revise it as needed each month. Checking in with your finances each payday is an excellent habit to get into because you can see if your spending followed your budget, any expenses you forgot to include, and how much progress you are making on your goals. Do not be afraid to revise your dreams to make them easier to reach, and it is good to congratulate yourself on accomplishing each of the milestones you have set.

Getting your finances in order is not an easy task, and sometimes you will need help consolidating debts or paying bills between paychecks. However, it can be done with a little bit of budgeting, tracking your spending and making realistic goals.

The process of data backup and recovery by today’s businesses generally seems like a straightforward principle to implement. However, as many as 45 percent of businesses will say that they don’t have the security budget for adequate measures, especially in light of the evolving remote workforce. 

Still, with ransomware and malware attacks on the rise across the world, it is important to have a data backup and recovery protocol to minimize losses. When data is lost, so is business. Today’s business can’t always handle that internally. Understand the key benefits of outsourcing your data backup and recovery plant here.

Minimizes Internal Risk

A 2021 Varonis Risk Report suggests that the average employee today has access to as many as 11 million files. Employees make mistakes. Sometimes employees handle data and access to data poorly, with intent. That is a significant risk to an organization, and it is true that some businesses could fail from that loss alone. 

Not every internal risk is intentional. Still, the loss is just the same. Data backup and recovery protocols that employees don’t know about minimize both of these types of losses. Backup protocols that employees do know about will also minimize risks in the way of deterring both intentional error and mishaps such as inadvertently deleted files or records.

When you are managing your data and backup plan on your own, your internal risks aren’t as minimized as they would be if the protocol was outsourced. An objective third party on this task will greatly minimize any potential obstacles created when an employee has too much access to your business’s private data.

Reduces Malware Chaos

When malware arrives, so does chaos. A data backup and recovery plan reduces that chaos. It is a tragedy for any business to undergo data losses and the costs risks associate with that.

Having a backup plan that is outsourced is effective in reducing the chaos caused by a malware problem from an external threat. At the same time, you have your data located externally as well, which will minimize recovery costs when disaster strikes.

Decreases Downtime

There are several losses to a business when ransomware or malware attacks hit. In addition to the costs of data loss, downtime is significant. Time is money for a business, and it’s even costlier when the downtime is caused by a cyberthreat or cyber crime. 

Outsourcing your data backup and recovery will decrease a significant portion of your downtime and reduce your costs to some extent.

Outsource Your Data Backup and Recovery

When you are thinking about disaster response to malware and ransomware attacks, you want to be thinking about the most cost-effective way to minimize risks and secure your existing data. An outsourced team will cost you less than the time and resources it will take to recover the data and downtime with your team. Outsource your data backup and recovery today for more managed solutions that will give you some peace of mind.