June 2011

CareerTips

Where is the Value in Work/ Life Balance?
by Kyle Pertuis

bal·ance/ˈbaləns/
Noun: An even distribution of weight enabling someone or something to remain upright and steady: "she lost her balance before falling".

Verb: Keep or put (something) in a steady position so that it does not fall: "a mug that she balanced on her knee".

Whether you are gainfully employed, own your business or find yourself transitioning into a new position or job, it is important to reflect on what many of us refer to as Work/ Life balance!

When we think of balance, we often think of a scale that has an equal distribution of weight on either side. This scenario appears to be somewhat safe; as it relates to life and work, we just try to figure out how to continue adding or taking away the "things" we have, need or do to either side of the scale to create balance.   

The challenge for us comes when we feel that one area of our lives is far “outweighing” the others.  Often we find this area to be “Work”.  Even if we are accustom to working in a 9 to 5 routine, it is seldom that our mind is not already entering work mode on the drive to and from the office.  Then there is the occasional business phone call after “work” hours and some dabbling with paperwork or a computer project… and oh- I didn’t even mention the time spent checking email or playing with our smart phones!   The next thing we know we have allocated 10-12 hours per day to “Work” which begins to encroach on the time we want to allocate towards “Life”!

We begin to measure or weigh our "time" between Work and Life. My question, however, is: What part of “Work” does not involve "Life"?  Continue reading here...

Who Are Generation Y?
by Myles R. Golden

I just returned from a conference in New Orleans and had the opportunity to meet Michael McQueen, an Australian speaker, social researcher and best-selling author of The New Rules of Engagement – A Guide to Understanding and Connecting with Generation Y. Here are some excerpts from his book that I thought you would find interesting:

Born between the early 1980’s and the late 1990’s, this generation has certainly caused a stir in recent years. Parents, teachers and business owners alike face a challenge of understanding and engaging a generation who have essentially grown up in a different world. To some they are the tech savvy, well-educated and ambitious youngsters poised to take on and challenge the world. Others however describe a disloyal, disrespectful and demanding generation who never learned to wait or really work for anything. We know they are different, but why? They have a hard time imagining a home without a computer for everyone over age four. They may ask what going to a library used to be like “in the old days” before the internet answered every conceivable question. When did Google become a verb? They speak of PDA’s, DVD’s, MP3’s and IPod’s. Some of us are still trying to figure out what LOL means. They wonder if perhaps the cold war occurred during the last Ice Age. They have no idea what a broken record is or what you mean when you say they sound like one.

Who are they? They go by many names - ‘The Millennials’, ‘The Next Generation’, ‘Y2K Generation’, ‘Generation Why’, and even ‘The Sunshine Generation.' However, they are most commonly known as “Generation Y.” They are 70 million strong and one of the most widely misunderstood and misrepresented generation of recent times.

As society saw Generation X move out of adolescence and into their early 20’s, it became apparent that something had gone a little bit wrong for X’ers. Teenage pregnancy was up, adolescent depression was widespread and youth suicide approached epidemic levels.

Continue reading about the development of Gen Y and their commitment to society.

Helping Others Helps You Too ~ Volunteer!

Habitat for Humanity

Habitat Greenville offers a variety of volunteer opportunities in addition to volunteering on the build site. Take a look at the Volunteer Job Descriptions below. For more information about the other volunteer opportunities, please contact Karen McDonald, Volunteer Coordinator, at 864.672.6345 or email karen@habitatgreenville.org.

Construction Family Support Committee
Family Selection Team - currently recruiting volunteers to serve
This team, working in pairs, visits applicant families to help us determine the need for better housing and the family’s willingness to partner. Training will be provided by the Director of Family Services

Site Host Team - currently recruiting volunteers to serve
This team will provide volunteers to be on the build site in the mornings and throughout the day to ensure volunteers get registered and signed in and have a positive experience on site
Training will be provided by the Volunteer Coordinator

ReStore
We are launching our new ReStore Volunteer program in 2010. To find out about opportunities to serve call Emelie Hegarty at 864.312.5015 or email emelie@habitatgreenville.org.

Ongoing Volunteer Opportunities

United Way agencies

Ready 4 Reading

Habitat for Humanity

Mauldin Miracle League

Greenville Literacy

Meals on Wheels

Greenville County Library System

American Cancer Society

Greenville Area Opportunities - searchable by category

Golden Career Strategies Speaks:
Recent Speaking Engagements & Sponsorships

GCS ~ Silver Sponsor for GSATC (Greenville-Spartanburg-Anderson Technology Council)