5 tips to maintain balance for working adults going back to school

5 tips to maintain balance for working adults going back to school5 tips to maintain balance for working adults going back to schoolYou have goals and dreams. You have ideas for transforming your career through higher education. You also have a life. Going back to school when you have other major responsibilities is certainly courageous and worthwhile, but it also may be one of the most difficult things you ever do.Here are five tips to help maintain your balance (and your sanity) while juggling school and the rest of lifes responsibilities.Set small, actionable goals that align with your main goalYou can set these in weekly or monthly increments. Achieving mini goals can help you stay motivated and energized to keep pushing forward.Put your life into your calendarCreate a schedule and stick to it as much as possible. It should include everything from family activities to the time you designate for studying. This will help you prioritize goals and manage your time.Try scheduling out your day in 30-minute increments to maximize productivity. This can also help you determine when activities take longer than planned, so you can adjust moving forward and ensure you devote the appropriate time needed to accomplish each task.Let something goAssess all of your responsibilities right now. Prioritize what must remain in your hands and what you can let go. This can be one of the most difficult parts of the process however, it can make a huge difference in your stress level.For example, perhaps you are heavily involved in a nonprofit near and dear to your heart. If this adds an extra two hours of work to your week, it may be time to put it on hold. Delegate responsibilities to people who are trustworthy, so you have peace of mind (and time) to focus on other things.Utilize the resources availableThis includes things that will speed up your comprehension of subjects, such as tutoring. From the beginning of your program, take time to identify the resources offered to you. R eflect on what would be helpful to you and ask if it exists.Resources can also include supportive friends and family who may be willing to lend a hand, particularly when they are aware of what you are trying to accomplish.Take time for yourselfI know, I know. You are busier than ever trying to juggle everything. Not allowing yourself a break may work for a bit, but eventually, you are likely to burn out.Schedule regular breaks, whether it is a few hours of fun or a full weekend away.Haley Foutch, EdS, NCC is a Senior Career Counselor at University of Phoenix. University of Phoenix is innovating to help working adults move efficiently from education to careers in a rapidly changing world. Flexible schedules, relevant and engaging courses, and interactive learning can help students more effectively pursue career and personal aspirations while balancing their busy lives.

Expense Report Madness Management Resources Blog

Expense Report Madness Management Resources BlogExpense Report Madness Management Resources BlogCompanies need to carefully monitor their costs, and make sure employees are reimbursed appropriately for legitimate job-related expenses. But when workers submit improper expense report requests, its enough to make a chief financial officer scream (or laugh out loud, and then scream).And its likely a lot of CFOs are feeling the need to scream these days New research from Robert Half Management Resources suggests that inappropriate requests for reimbursement are common.When asked if they have seen such requests increase or decrease over the past three years, the majority of CFOs we surveyed (88 percent) said that they have seen either no change or an increase in inappropriate expense report requests.Check out our slideshow to see 20 top unusual expense report requests from this years survey20 Unusual Expense Report Requests from Robert HalfHere are just a few examples of what some employe es have expected their companies to pay forA new carRental homesVacationsA flat-screen TVNo the above is not a list of top prizes from the Showcase Showdown on The Price Is Right. However, the employees who submitted these outrageous requests - and those who asked for their company to reimburse them for loan payments, their monthly rent and another parts salary () - perhaps do deserve special acknowledgment for their, shall we say, gumption?There are also some truly oddball requests that have come across CFOs desks since our last survey on this topicA doggie day spa (bow-wow)Taxidermy services (yikes)Dance classes (tango, anyone?)A side of beef (moo)A welder (what?)It must be said, though, that not all of the unusual things professionals want to expense are big-ticket items - or completely bizarre. One employee submitted a 10-cent parking meter charge, for example. (A legitimate request, perhaps but really?) And another employee asked to be reimbursed for the purchase of toilet paper.Some of the items workers asked to be paid back for are at least practical and show their heart might be in the right place, even if their head may not beChild careBaby productsDiapersFamily lunchMoving expenses for a family petDeodorantDental billsFurnitureTo help reduce expense report mayhem, Tim Hird, executive director for Robert Half Management Resources, recommends that companies make sure that their expense reporting process is as clear as possible and communicated effectively to all employees. He says, Take a big-picture view of the program. Is it spelled out completely? Are you using the latest tools available? Removing ambiguity can help reduce the number of problematic requests.Expense or not? Three questions to askNow, as for those professionals who are wondering whether the scuba diving lessons they took while on a business trip to Miami or the roses they bought for a loved one are legitimate expense report items, we recommend they ask themselves these three ques tions1.Is this within the companys policies?If youre worried that something falls outside of what the company would typically greenlight as an expense, run it by your manager or the human resources department before submitting your request.2.Could there be any confusion?Clear charges with your manager that might be considered out of the norm so that your requests are not viewed as an attempt to have the business cover your personal expenses. Tickets to a sporting event you purchased to treat a client - and that your babo didnt know about in advance - would be an example of something you should confirm is acceptable to expense before asking for reimbursement from the company.3.Would Grandma approve?If you paid for something that you couldnt talk to a parent, grandparent or spouse about because you would be embarrassed, dont try to expense it.Your biggest ally when compiling your expense report is common sense. Youll stay out of hot water if you ensure your requests align with compa ny policies - and your expectations are grounded in reality.

8 Tips for Surviving a Merger

8 Tips for Surviving a Merger8 Tips for Surviving a MergerBig or small, no company is immune to a merger with another firm. So here are several things employees can do to prevent themselves being blindsided by a merger, as well as several actions they can take once a merger has been announced.1. Assume youre fired today.Adopting this mindset forces you to beproactive. Make a to-do list of everything thats necessary tobegin a search for a position outside that company. One that ranges from updating your resume to networking. Whats most important is learning how much thesearch process might have changedsince you last looked. You may not have to pull the trigger on a hund today. But, being prepared puts you in a position of strength, no matter what goes down. Having a plan to follow also helps you keep calm in crisis, and that means you will make better decisions and be able to better negotiate on your behalf.2.Do your homework while the merger is still on the drawing board.Completing a merger takes time. Its obvious which companys values, strategies, methodologies, and terminology will dominate. If thats not your companys, then you have to understand how the other company gets things done. You can access that information and insight from media coverage, reading security analysts reports (if the company is public), and asking your contacts. If its the company youre with whose culture will survive, then you have to identify what will be adopted from the partener. For example, the partner is valued for its cloud technology. Then you have to do a deep dive on that. Having this knowledge base equips you to present yourself effectively in the shifting environment.3. Accept that the past is over.The reality is this The goodwill you established with superiors, the reputation you built, and the promise of future rewards no longer exist. Dont even mention those. Dont complain. Doing that creates the perception that you are part of the old order. The easiest way to mirror t he new order is to use its style of communications, including its buzzwords.4. Reconfigure what you do with what is needed.The new order is focused on accomplishing its goals, as quickly and cost-efficiently as possible. You have a shot at keeping employed if you can explain succinctly how your function aligns exactly with those priorities. For example, instead of describing your general duties in web marketing, show the sales numbers. Sketch out how you will increase sales. Without warning, you could be called in to justify your existence.5. Dont hide.Its only by being out there that you can make known your value to the new company. Reach out, beyond your own department or silo. Have an elevator speech ready. Suggest how you can be helpful. If rebuffed, dont run for cover. Instead, identify entry points into the power structure. That could be joining them in the company gym at6 a.m.or sharing your special expertise on the market in India. Maintain a self-confident persona. A displa y of fear invites torment.6. Monitor signs of being encouraged to quit.It reduces severance costs if the company can encourage you to resign on your own. Tactics to achieve that include lessening your workload, establishing impossible quotas, excluding you from the communications loop and public humiliation. Your decision depends on many factors. Those range from your financial condition to whether resigning versus being fired is in your long-term interest. There is no absolute right answer. Also remember a firing is perceived differently from a wide scale reduction in force (RIF). You might consult with a lawyer and career expert.7. Review all legal contracts and agreements.Your options may be pre-determined by what you signed during the hiring process. For example, from the get-go, you know you are not going to fit into the emerging organizational culture. But, you entered into an agreement to stay on for 18 months after any merger. Or, your contract reads that you cant work for a competitor for two years. That means its in your self-interest to try to make this work if you intend to stay in the same field. Or, in the event of a merger, you are guaranteed a certain amount of severance pay. Its your choice to stay or take the money and start over again somewhere else.8. Dont settle In.You might like to look forward to the day when the dust settles and your work life returns to normal. Post-merger, thats not bound to happen. Thats because the tough nut to crack is integralrechnung of the cultures, systems, and people. That could take years. During that process, every aspect of your job could continue to change. No, dont anticipate settling in.A previous version of this post appeared on chamelonresumes.com.