5 Ways Women Give Away Power - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career

5 Ways Women Give Away Power - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career The history of women in the workplace began 250 years ago with The Daughters of Liberty, the first society of working women that was organized to boycott British goods. In 1903, 138 years later, the first National Women’s Trade Union League was formed. This league advocated for higher wages and improved working conditions for women. When the men went off to World War I, women filled their roles in industry and service, proving women were as capable and valuable as their counterparts. World War II furthered this movement of women into the workplace when 7 million jobs left by men were filled by women. Congress passed an equal pay law in 1963, a law that still has not entirely seen fruition to this day. The ‘60s and ‘70s brought more improvements to women’s rights in the workplace with the passing of the Civil Rights Act, the banning of sex-segregated help wanted ads, and enactment of the Pregnancy Discrimination Act of 1978. The headlong stride into progression continued in the ‘80s, when the first woman, Sandra Day O’Connor, was appointed to the Supreme Court and the first woman, Sally Ride, traveled into space. Two and half centuries after The Daughters of Liberty society was formed, women make up nearly half of America’s workforce and hold 14 percent of the executive positions in Fortune 500 companies. Twenty-nine percent of businesses in the U.S. are now owned by women. The rise to power for women has been a long, hard-fought battle, and it still rages on today in a much more indirect way. Gains and Losses For all the power women have gained in the past few centuries, they still tend to subtly and slowly give it away. Perhaps these behaviors are ingrained in women from birth. Society teaches little girls that they are “less than” by using terms such as “like a girl” in a derogatory manner. Standing out as unique and individual often makes children the subject of bullying or ridicule in school, so children learn to conform as a method of preservation. Young girls experience this the most acutely. As adults, women tend to avoid confrontation, demanding the spotlight and upsetting others. Here are some of the ways women give away power and how they can take it back. Minimalizing Language Women tend to use words that undermine the authority of their message. Starting a sentence with “I just” and “I feel” or ending it with a supplication for agreement such as “don’t you think?” or “you know?” weakens the position of the speaker. The key to taking back power is to speak with confidence, using compelling words that leave no room for doubt in the recipient’s mind. Switch “I feel” with “I know” and remove “just” from your vocabulary entirely. Don’t ask for validation at the end of your statement. If you know what you’re saying is true, convey that with self-assurance. Apologetic Language Women tend to apologize when they think they’ve stepped outside of the cultural norm, which is a deeply embedded belief women should be soft and comforting. Being soft and comforting is not what gets a woman the rank of CEO in a Fortune 500 company. A woman can still be kind but adamant. She can still be approachable but tenacious. You should never apologize for requiring someone’s time or attention. You are worthy, and by using apologetic language, you immediately give them the power over you. Save the “I’m sorry” spiel for when a mistake has been made or someone has been hurt. Use another phrase or eliminate the need for an introductory phrase entirely. If you have to interject into a conversation, say “Excuse me” without being apologetic.   Resistance to Self-Promotion Women are trained to be supportive and nurturing of others â€" their spouses, their children. Maternal instinct is a powerful force. Self-promotion goes against a woman’s natural urges, but in today’s workforce where men are promoted more than women, women need to take the initiative. Walking the line between arrogance and self-promotion can be tricky, but a focus on personal branding can help you navigate wisely. Personal branding is about knowing your strengths, your desires and your unique qualities, then capitalizing on them. When people hear your name, what is the first thing you want to come to their minds? Don’t be afraid to advertise whatever it is that makes you a valuable commodity.   Not Taking Credit When It’s Due You run something by your boss before bringing it to the entire group, and at the next team meeting your boss brings it up before you, letting everyone think it was his idea. If you call him out in front of everyone, he’ll get mad, so you just let it go. Time passes and the idea you came up with saved the company thousands of dollars or landed the company a major client, and now someone else is getting the accolades. It’s too late to speak up now, and you just missed a major opportunity to gain career clout. Has this ever happened to you? If it has, don’t ever let it happen again. If someone brings up your idea without directing credit to you, simply join in the conversation and add casually, “Yes, when I brought this idea to you … and I’d like to add,” which will let everyone it was your idea and that you are the expert on the subject. People Pleasing Having someone angry with you or disappointed in you does not feel good, but being a people pleaser can hold you back in your career. Did you agree with a colleague just to avoid a conflict? Did you say yes to a request you didn’t really have time for? Have you ever let someone treat you poorly without speaking up for yourself? These are all things people pleasers do to sabotage themselves. To break this cycle, you need put more value on your time and opinions. Is what that person is asking you to do going to benefit you both equally? If so, perhaps it’s OK to say yes. If not, they might be using you. If you don’t agree with a colleague, stand your ground. Maybe you have a better idea that would never get heard if you avoid the conflict. Putting yourself first does not make you a self-centered person. In fact, proper self-care allows you to give even more. Women fought long and hard to attain the power and influence they now have. Women have the unique duality of being a care-taker and a charge-taker. That’s what sets them apart from men. It’s up to modern women to continue the progression by keeping their power and asserting their influence for future generations.

Short-Term Car Insurance Policies Explained

Short-Term Car Insurance Policies Explained You might not know it, but car insurance policies come in many shapes, sizes and time periods. You have your traditional long-term insurance, which is usually renewed annually and provides cover for a year. And then you have short-term insurance, which you can take out for time periods of as low as just one day. We’re going to look at this second type of insurance and explain the ins and outs of it, giving you the chance to see if it is right for you. What is Short-Term Insurance? As mentioned above, short-term auto insurance from a provider like Dayinsure gives you the chance to insurance a vehicle for as little as 24 hours. This gives you real flexibility, especially if you don’t own a car you will be driving or you need to lend your car to someone else. It is also perfect for: Business trips which aren’t covered by your usual policy, Temporarily adding an extra driver for a long journey, Emergencies, when you absolutely have to use someone else’s car, Times when the usual policyholder for a vehicle is unable to drive, When your own car breaks down and you need to temporarily use another. In fact, there are many reasons why you might need short-term insurance. It could even be a way to save your company money, because it can in some cases remove the need for you to take out annual insurance â€" which can be expensive if you do not need it. What Are the Benefits of Short-Term Insurance? Just as there are many reasons for choosing short-term insurance, so too are there plenty of ways in which it could benefit you. Some of them are: The ability to quickly add an additional driver to a vehicle, which can come in really handy during emergencies, The flexibility to choose any vehicle to be insured and to change to a different vehicle if needs be, The ease of choosing the exact dates when a driver will be insured for a vehicle, The simplicity of adding an insured driver without adjusting an existing insurance policy, The peace of mind of knowing that the no-claims bonus on a long-term policy will be unaffected by a temporary additional driver. As you can see, these are solid business reasons for choosing short-term car insurance. But of course, this type of cover isn’t for everyone and, of course, could end up becoming costly in the long run. The important thing to learn from this article is that short-term insurance does exist and it could be just the thing to solve temporary problems.

How to Choose the Right Project Management Software for Your Team CareerMetis.com

How to Choose the Right Project Management Software for Your Team Working with teams is always a complicated task and when you are in an organized environment, it is always best to have applications that can help you track, monitor and analyze the process. To aid this, you would need an exclusive project management software to communicate and collaborate with everyone in your team and within teams.Why do basic tools fail?Before complex project management software packages were introduced, there were simple tools for the same use, like spreadsheets. However, when it comes to complex work fields where multiple clients communicate and collaborate, the spreadsheets started to become tedious.evalToday, people work in a project with no regard for geolocation and, you have to communicate and collaborate with each person. Everyone has to know about the changes made, the output provided and information gathered, each second. In such a scenario, an exclusive project management softwareis essential to keep everything organized.Why choose dedicated project man agement software?Completing a project is a long task with multiples stages like planning, scheduling, managing the resource, cost controlling and reporting. Each of these steps has to be done effectively and without redundancy. And to do so, you need excellent communicationwith every single person involved in the entire project. For such a huge task, customized software is mandatory.A good project management software keeps the managers organized from the beginning to the completion of a project. It helps them to decide the right resource, predict ETA, and alert any deviations. A good project management software would be able to provide one platform for all these features with a simple interface. Choosing some random software might cause confusion, redundancy and even conflicts within the team.Steps to select the suitable project management softwareEvery tool can’t be used everywhere as each team, each project and each client is unique. We have created a blueprint to choose the rig ht project management software, customized for your needs.Step 1: Brainstorm your needsevalYou should identify your needs for the project in hand. A clear assessment of what your requirements are would help you eliminate the bad choices. For instance, if you need a project with deviation alerts, you can eliminate all the packages, which doesn’t have that feature.According to a study conducted to Capterra, the five most important features expected in project management softwareare time tracking, Gantt charts, email integration, file sharing and managing budgets.a) Sub-step: What do you lack now?You need to know where and why your current system is failing. If it is getting complicated during the stages of planning and scheduling, you must consider choosing a project management software that helps in allocating resources or creating schedules. If there are issues with tracking, consider software with real-time resource and output tracking. A good project management tool should aid y ou in the areas where you lack now. If you already have a concrete resource allocation method, do not complicate it by adding new tools to it.b) Sub-step: What do you aspire to change?evalCheck out every feature your team members want to change. Rate every feature on a scale of 1 -10 based on the importance of that change for your project. Keep in mind the main reason to get new software, in the first place. Now, analyze the features you and your teammates want in addition. These additive features can be customized with certain packages, depending on the service provider.c) Sub-step: compatibility with resources and strategyThere are different approaches to deal with a project. The new systemshould support your present strategy and methodology, without attempting to transform it, on a large scale. The software you choose should be compatible with those who are utilizing it. For instance, if the software is for your stakeholders to monitor the project, you would need a more professio nal and user-friendly look. The size of the team also determines the type of software you are looking for. If you want a software package for a huge team, the most recommended one is ERP.Step 2: Compare and contrastWhen you’ve sketched out all the necessities for a project, it is time to start looking for options. Start searching for suppliers that match your requirements. You can request proposals from individual companies, journals, magazines, internet searches and so on. Start with as many options as possible. Do not just take one package and choose it blindly.evalAfter making the long list, you need to weed out some of the options based on technology, additional features, compatibility and other features discussed in the previous stage. This would require a complex brainstorming session as one individual might consider a feature important and another might look for another element.Some managers do the mistake of only sticking with the top packages in the market. While these ha ve great reviews, there is no harm in finding alternatives. Some of the lower end versions might provide the same level of facilities and services for a considerably lower price.While weeding out, you need to look for post-purchase elements too like customer service, license period, upgrade cost, ability to scale for a larger team and so on. If you are a growing organization, scalability is a very essential criterion. For instance, you might be buying the package to cover a task involving just five people. Within a year, your team might grow into twenty people. Can the software accommodate that load?Step 3: Budget mattersIt is true that the features and other elements of the software package matter but, it all comes down to budget. A budding company cannot afford to put all its operating capital into one package. It would be suicidal for business development.The cost of the process is not just the cost of the product. The initial cost of the product might be small but, there could b e incurring costs like monthly license payment, additional feature costs and so on. Beyond those, there is a cost of implementation, cost of training and so on.Get an estimate of the entire cost of the project including the costs of all the above-mentioned factors. Now, compare with other options. You can also get a better price tag by negotiatingwith the supplier.Step 4: Trial and errorThis is one of the most complicated and time-consuming stages. This is why most companies forego this stage and end up purchasing extremely expensive software, which is of almost no use to them. All the packages provide a trail time. This can run from a few weeks to a couple of months. Allocate a small team to the software for a small project.Under this stage, you should analyze how the team is performing with the new software and compare it with the team using the traditional methods. ‘n’ number of things could go wrong with new software and you should be prepared for this. You cannot expect you r client to be patient with you just because you are trying out new software. If the new software crashes or fails, your team should be able to complete the task within the stipulated time to avoid damage to your reputation.You cannot afford to trail run tens of software packages. Thus, when you start this stage you should have only one or two software packages in mind. In the case of two software packages, you can allocate one team for each package and compare the output.evalStep 5: Implementation analysisevalImplementation was discussed in the stage of budget consideration. However, after the trial and error process, you would have a clearer representation of what the entire implementation would demand.Starting from training sessions to hiring new technicians to handle the new software, this stage can help you decide whether it is profitable to make the complete change. In terms of hiring new technicians for a single software, it is better to stick with freelancers.Top mistakes co mmitted while choosing the right project management softwareMistake one: failure to match software to business processEvery organization focuses on matching the software with the requirements of the clients but, not with the business process. Each company has a specific method of business practice and the software you choose should comply with that. For instance, if your company has a strict hierarchy structure and the software you purchase can promote lateral hierarchy or de-centralization of the process, it could cause conflict in the workplace, which can lead to poor productivity.The key to solving this mistake is to understand how the software works and not just what it can do. A list of features and facilities of the package isn’t enough. You need to understand how the software would change the way you would perform a task and how it would affect the work environment.Mistake two: choosing the one that has everythingIt is true that good software would have all the facilities f or project management. But, do you need every known tool in the field of project management? Choosing to add numerous features would not only increase the budget but also complicate the process and implementation.evalMistake three: lack of feedbackIt is true that every stage is communicated with superiors and subordinates during the planning in almost all organizations. However, these communications are just memos from superiors to his subordinates. Only a few companies stand down to hear what their employees think about the new product. To avoid a huge problem with the business process in later stages, it is best to listen to feedback from every stakeholder involved in the process.Will these help you choose project management software with zero errors? The answer is not a perfect yes. These steps will help you reduce the problems revolving around choosing the best package. Nevertheless, you would be facing resistance to change, technical problems, confusion in brainstorming and so on. After all, it always comes to trial and error.

LinkedIns

LinkedIns 28 Flares 28 Flares LinkedIns latest social hiring trick has arrived and whether you like it or not, its coming to an employer near you. credit -- http://news.cnet.com The brand new, Apply With LinkedIn button should further LinkedIns comfortable position as the top social recruiting and professional networking website. According to a survey completed by Jobvite Inc., 87 percent of U.S. firms use Linkedin as a recruiting tool. While other social giants such as Facebook, Twitter, and Google+ can be used as valuable tools to job seekers, but just cannot match up to LinkedIn in this arena. Career experts, recruiters, bloggers, and HR professionals continuously share stories about the effectiveness and power of LinkedIn. Still, many soon to be graduates and recently graduated folks havent heard of, or avoid using LinkedIn. Its baffling.  Im baffled. This new button, which resembles the Twitter tweet this or Facebook like this button, will be easily integrated into company job descriptions. Job Seekers will need to decide if theyd rather apply through the company website and go through their probably long application process, or click LinkedIns button and submit their LinkedIn profile. This answer comes easy to those with a solid LinkedIn profile, a strong network, and a hefty list of recommendations.  Folks without LinkedIn profiles may go as far as creating one after this button pops up more and more in their job hunt. While this is a humongous move for Linkedin, its difficult to say how this will play out for Job Seekers and Recruiters.  There are serious reasons to cheer, and also some to fear.  Before going into those reasons, heres a quick outline of how the button works. How does it work? Its just so very simple. For the recruiter/company, once theyve added a few lines of code from LinkedIn, their new button should be integrated and they are done!  Then all they need to do is sit back and watch as applications pour in. For job seekers, the process has just a few more steps.  Since each company career site is different, you wont find the Linkedin apply button in the same spot everytime.  This is what it looks like on the NetFlix career site. Once clicking the Apply with LinkedIn button, another screen will surface, showing that user their LinkedIn profile and asking for one more click before submitting to the company.  Heres a preview from my screen: Once youve gone through this step, there is really just one more thing left to do.  LinkedIn will automatically pull up people that are in your network that work at the company youre applying to work for.  With a simple click, you can send that person a note, asking them to write you a quick referral for the position.  Its really that simple, and it is really that cool. Why Im Cheering For Social Savvy job seekers, this is a no brainer.  One of the long standing frustrations for job seekers has been lengthy online application processes, which this easily eliminates.  With a couple clicks (and hopefully a few referrals) your application is off to company.  Many job seekers hate having to put together a resume, but find it somewhat easy to create their LinkedIn profile.  If this becomes a great success, the 87 percent of companies using LinkedIn should increase, and folks wont have to worry about sending a resume at the first step.   While many of my friends believe the resume may fully become extinct one day, I dont believe that day is very soon.  Even after the LinkedIn application is reviewed, I believe many employers will ask candidates to supply a resume, even if just for HR record keeping. As for the company, this can bring a stadium of cheers for a few reasons.  The first being that resumes are really quite awful to read.  Recruiters today have stacks of them to go through, and its really no fun.  With this Linkedin apply button, theyll be able to save applications as PDFs and choose to print them out if theyd like.  Also, not only is it easy to set up, but it should integrate with their Applicant Tracking Systems easily, and if not, Im sure it will soon. Why Im Fearing  As my friend Miriam at Keppie Careers says in her post about the apply button,  Easy isnt always the best approach for job seekers.  Like Miriam, I believe that this button will create a surge of applications through LinkedIn.  The lengthy application process that job seekers hate so much, may almost serve as a screen in itself.  Being that, if you make it through the 25 minute application process, the company knows youre very interested in their position.  With this Linkedin button, there isnt much stopping job seekers from applying to anything and everything they see. While it may seem like an easy win for job seekers, keep in mind that a busy recruiter means the chance of having your application reviewed has reduced.  If this incredible surge of applications does take place, using LinkedIn references and recommendations will be more important than ever. If youre looking to start up, or beef up your Linkedin Profile, check out the Ultimate Beginners Guide to Linked In that I wrote!

How to update your LinkedIn public profile URL -

How to update your LinkedIn public profile URL - Maybe youve heard that job search is moving beyond job boards and LinkedIn is the target of choice for many recruiters and hiring managers? This is not news; I have been sharing this information for years! A recent Wall Street Journal article reiterated the fact that many companies are looking at online social networks, such as LinkedIn, instead of advertising positions on job boards. Need help knowing what to say when you look for a job? Check out my new book: 100 Conversations for Career Success Ive written quite a bit about how to optimize your LinkedIn profile. From your headline to your summary and skills to how you describe your experience, education, patents, etcand everything in between. Today, I thought Id point out a basic fix for LinkedIn that you may not realize is important: your LinkedIn public profile URL. This is mine (at the bottom of the picture): Unless you updated your URL, it has a bunch of random numbers after your name. In other words, it would not be something you will want to copy an paste on your resume for people to find your LinkedIn profile, and it wont be easy to share as part of your e-mail signature. Its very easy to update this URL to a vanity link. Simply EDIT your profile in LinkedIn and click on Edit at the end of where it shows your Public Profile (as shown above). Youll see a screen that looks like this (Im only showing the top): Simply select to EDIT your public profile URL from this screen (right at the top). Youll then see: The page will list your current URL and give you the opportunity to update it to your name (if it is available). Try filling in your first and last name and click SET ADDRESS. If it is not available, try different combinations of your name with a middle name, or even use your credentials: JaneSmithMBA, for example. The goal is to have an easy-to-use URL that looks like it makes sense when you post it on your materials. Once you find something that works and select Set Address, you are ready to go! Having a vanity URL is important since it gives you an easy link to share, but it also makes you appear to be someone who knows what you are doing on LinkedIn youll seem more socially media savvy than the next guy! photo by tychay

Texas Resume Writing Services

Texas Resume Writing ServicesPeople are looking for Texas resume writing services on the Internet. When you visit a website, you will find that all the important features of your resume are posted. You will see everything you need to know about the Texas jobs that you would be interested in. You will find that the site is user friendly and provides information about how to write a resume.If you want to get more information about Texas jobs, it will help if you have some basic knowledge of the state. The website will offer more information about Texas job opportunities as well as the best places to work. Once you have more knowledge, you will be able to take a better decision about where to work.All the features of a resume are posted at the site and you can go ahead and fill out the sections with relevant information. There are different types of resumes available for every Texas company. You can choose from professional, commercial or education resumes.It is a good thing that the re sume has been posted at the website. You will now be able to see what type of services the website offers. In case you are looking for a job in Texas, you will find that the site will offer you a quick fix solution. This means that they will take all the necessary steps in order to find you an appropriate job.When you look at the resumes posted at the website, you will find that all the jobs offered are suited to the requirements of the Texas industry. You will also find out that there are several companies in the state who offer Texas employment services. There are various websites that offer comprehensive services.All the service providers that you have found will provide similar solutions to the people who require employment. In case you need an expert to do the job, you will find out that they have many available in the state. They have dedicated staff members who are specially trained to provide you a job when you are seeking employment.Many companies are looking for qualified individuals who have a professional feel about the profession. With the help of the Texas resume writing services, you will be able to apply for jobs as soon as possible.

Outsourcing Your Life House Cleaners To Virtual Assistants

Outsourcing Your Life House Cleaners To Virtual Assistants It's Crazy, But We Hired Housecleaners; When Is It Time To Start Outsourcing Your Life? One of life’s cruel realities is that when you’re young, you have plenty of time but little money. As you age, you earn a bit more money but careers, kids and other responsibilities consume your free time hour by hour. As any successful entrepreneur knows, there comes a time when you can’t do it all yourself. Businesses don’t grow on the backs of one person: they hire the right people for the right jobs. Every employee does what he or she does best. Done right, hiring, delegating and outsourcing not only make a business more productive, it frees up the entrepreneur’s life. Whether you have any entrepreneurial aspirations or not, there is a lesson for all of us. Sometimes hiring somebody to do something for you is the best way to spend money. Now, I know depending on where youre at in life, the thought of spending money on something like housecleaning may seem like a ridiculous luxury. Its certainly not something I would recommend to anyone still working on getting their finances in order. But We all outsource! Chances are you’ve already outsourced something in your life (if you’ve ever taken your car to a mechanic or called a plumber to fix a leaky pipe). Sometimes, you need someone with different skills to get the job done. (And there are always some things you shouldnt do yourself). But what about stuff we can all do â€" mowing the lawn, cleaning the floors or moving your apartment? If you can afford these things, outsourcing becomes something of a luxury: You can hire someone to do things you don’t like to do simply because you don’t like them. In other cases, outsourcing can be an investment. For example: Child care Child care is a good example of outsourcing as an investment. For parents who both work outside the home, the decision to enroll kids in daycare or hire a nanny isn’t always economically clear-cut. For many families, childcare costs almost as much as one parent’s salary. So why, then, would both parents work? No parent I know goes back to work because they’d rather be working than spend time with their kids! It may be that one parents’ benefits are vital to the family’s wellbeing. Most of a dad’s paycheck might all go to childcare, but his employer pays for health insurance and matches 401(k) contributions. In addition, continuing to work may have long-term benefits for the family’s career-long income. A mom or dad who drops out of the workforce for many years will have a harder time re-entering at the same salary. Yes, we hired house cleaners Frugalites, avert your eyes: Lauren I pay to have our house cleaned every week. After our first daughter was born four years ago, Lauren and I found ourselves seriously strapped for time between my job running Money Under 30 full-time and my wife’s career as an attorney. With Molly in daycare and most of our weekends spend cleaning, mowing and running errands, there were just a few hours left in the week for family time and anything else we might want to do. We are very fortunate to have worked our way up from broke, indebted 20-somethings to a comfortable lifestyle in our early 30s. We’re not rich, but we’re financially secure: Our mortgage is our only debt, we have the fully-funded emergency savings I always preach about, maxed out retirement accounts and savings left over for our kids’ college funds, house projects, vacations, etc. And so, we hired house cleaners. I still gulp when I write the checks, but I’m appreciative we don’t have to spend our time cleaning with so much else going on. Of course, I could think about how much we’re spending and what that might add up to if we invested it over the next 25 years. But time and money are the ultimate trade-off. You can always apply yourself and earn another dollar, but once an hour is gone you can’t get it back. Those hours become especially invaluable when you have young kids and realize they’re growing everyday. When should YOU  outsource? In theory, the decision to outsource is easy: For the time it takes to complete a given task, if you could earn more money working than what it costs to hire somebody â€" outsource. Unless of course you enjoy the task. Recently our dishwasher broke. I knew I could call a repair guy and have it fixed that day, but I like trying to solve problems so I diagnosed it and ordered the part. Taking a couple hours to fix it instead of working may have been a wash, but I had fun and learned something new. Often, however, the decision to outsource isn’t so clear-cut. For example, if you’re a young professional climbing a career ladder or an entrepreneur who works long hours, hiring someone to clean or do your errands might not be as indulgent as it seems. Here are some out-of-the-box ways outsourcing might be able to help you  get more value for your time, even if youre still working towards financial stability. Driving Ride sharing apps like Uber and Lyft are making it easier than ever to live without a car in certain cities. Depending on where you live and how often you drive, using these services may actually be cheaper than owning a car. Plus, you can get things done from the back seat that you cant behind the wheel. Job searching The decision to outsource is about getting a positive return on your investment. As a busy young professional, it  might be tempting to outsource  your laundry to a wash-and-fold service instead of spending three hours at the laundromat every Sunday, but is it worth it? Could you do something more valuable with that time? Assuming you could set up your laptop and work on a side hustle between loads, its probably still a better value  to do it yourself. If youve got a few years work experience under your belt, one of the smartest financial moves you can make is to leverage your experience to dramatically increase your salary by landing another job. Finding  such a job takes time, however, and you dont want to be one of those people caught browsing other jobs from work. Engaging a career coach might be a worthwhile investment to help you focus your search. Another (free) strategy is to befriend recruiters in your industry. Recruiters work for employers looking to fill jobs, so they wont be scrambling to find YOU a job, but if a good fit comes along you want to be on their lists. Starting your  side hustle It takes a lot of time to start a successful side hustle to earn extra money or begin the road to working for yourself. The best side hustles are ones you can start  without investing a lot of money up front, but there are smart ways to spend a little bit to earn more money faster. Although the first thing you should do when starting a side hustle is to get two or three clients through your personal network before starting a Website, before ordering business cards youll want to create a professional online persona once you get rolling. If Web development isnt your thing (or youre not that fast), you can find cheap help creating a basic Website or designing a logo on sites like Fiverr  or Elance. Learn more about outsourcing If you subscribe to my free email group, you know that I recommend everyone begin following several habits that are common among millionaires. Delegation is one. Another is to read at least one nonfiction book a month. Even if youre not ready to begin outsourcing your life, I recommend the book Virtual Freedom  by Chris Drucker. If youve read The Four Hour Workweek  and thought Ha, nice concept, but how does anyone actually do this stuff? Chris book has some answers. Chris runs several successful businesses and enjoys a relatively free, hands-off life  while travelling the world.  I had the opportunity to meet Chris and his passion for and knowledge on the subject of outsourcing are unmatched. As your business grows, a dedicated virtual assistant (VA) can help with tasks that dont make you money directly such as invoicing, setting appointments, or supporting existing customers. Chris Drucker also has a  business,  Virtual Staff Finder, that  can help match you with an affordable overseas VA. Do you outsource tasks in your personal or professional life? What? Why or why not?