JD Rucker: January 2018

Monday, January 29, 2018

How to Get Ahead In Your Career

When you get out of high school and make the choice as to whether or not you plan to go to college, the whole idea behind it is career advancement. We got away to college to get to travel a specific career path more quickly or we work as hard as we can – without the degree – to the do that as well. No matter which choice you make, the idea is to climb the career ranks and get to a better station in life. The faster we grow in our positions, the more fulfillment we’re able to achieve.

These days, we all take a lot of pride in our career paths and we make a solid effort to advance as honestly as possible. We try to get there without stepping on the backs of our co-workers and without cutting corners. When we get to a certain spot, we want to know that we’ve earned. However, the really unfortunate thing about career advancement is that not many people know how to get there without hurting others or selling themselves out. There are plenty of honest ways to climb the corporate ladder, without sacrificing your integrity.

Top Five Tips

Be Yourself – If you’re brownnosing, your boss is going to know. Be genuine. If you’re truly interested in an upcoming project, let your boss know, but be real with him. Tell him what characteristics you possess that make you the best candidate for taking point on the newest assignment floating around the office. If you agree with something your boss said, let him know and have at least three comments on hand explaining why you agree. If you disagree and you decide to speak out, make sure you have the same amount of arguments on hand if you intend to publicly do so.
Work Hard – A lot of people claim to work really hard, but really they’re giving maybe forty percent of their total effort at work. If you want to get ahead, do it by showing your superiors that you’re willing to give a hundred percent, one hundred percent of the time. Come back immediately when your lunch break is over, don’t take excessive drink, smoke, or bathroom breaks, and don’t let the boss catch you surfing the internet for your child’s birthday present. Put some elbow grease into getting ahead.
Go Above and Beyond – If your boss asks for volunteers to run an errand or work on a special task force, volunteer. Even if it means more time in the office, sign yourself up. Your boss will see the extra work, time, and effort you’re putting into the company and chances are, she’ll remember your name the next time something comes up.
Be Seen – Make your name something to be remembered around the office, in a genuine way. Smile and be polite to everyone. Participate in happy hours or work events and don’t just slouch in a corner, be seen. At the company Christmas party, take a few spins around the dance floor, sing a few carols, and leave in a similar fashion to which you arrived.
Be Professional – At said Christmas party, don’t down nine shots at the bar and twerk on your boss. Don’t be the office sourpuss that takes a stand against donations for birthday cakes or baby shower gifts. If you can’t afford to contribute, politely explain that to the person spearheading the collection. Address your boss and superiors respectfully and often. Be recognized for the person who is polite and professional and is willing to do the work, not the person who gets “totally wrecked” at happy hours.

Getting ahead in your career isn’t going to be an easy task. It’s going to be difficult and daunting as almost anything worth having usually is. However, once you get there, you’ll know you truly deserve it and that type of promotion will feel amazing.

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How to Save Money This Christmas

$1000; that’s the amount of added debt people accrue because of Christmas purchases. While that number can change from year to year, it’s still significant debt. When paying the minimum payment on your credit cards, it can take up to ten years to pay off that kind of debt and nearly 50% off families admit they’re concerned about accumulating extensive debt this holiday season. However, most families consider it a necessary evil to accrue debt this time of year as they want to provide a good Christmas for their kids and other family members.

There are ways to keep costs down at Christmas time and none of them involve crafting your own gifts, although that is a viable alternative. If you have a talent, by all means, use it for your Christmas gifts. People love to receive handmade items, especially useful items like hats, scarves, sweaters, and mittens. However, if you don’t have a crafting bone in your body or you don’t have the extra time to create your Christmas gifts, there are still a lot of ways to make sure you’re not breaking your budget to create a great Christmas for your kids.

Tips and Tricks for Christmas Giving

Black Friday – If you’re a Black Friday shopper, then you already know the deals that are available. One thing that they focus on when listing the items for sale is what people want. They track stuff like that and they discount what people are shopping for. If you want to give the hubby a new TV for Christmas, then Black Friday or Cyber Monday are the days to buy it. Many stores offer incredible deep discounts on electronics of all kinds, so if the kids are begging for a video game system, then this is also the day.
App Deals – If you use apps to get the best deals on a day to day basis, then keep track of what’s going on around the holidays as many stores, like Target’s Cartwheel app for example, start offering huge discounts on a random array of products. If you’re shopping for your family or simply for yourself, keep an eye on your favorite apps for the best deals. Last year, Target put one toy a day on sale for 50% off between Thanksgiving and Christmas. Keep your eyes open, your child’s number one request just may end up on that list.
Shop Around – Look around before you buy something and when you do, find a store that offers price matching. With a price matching program, you can get the items you want for the lowest possible price. Did you find something you want at Walmart, but have a Best Buy credit card? Best Buy is one of the many stores that offer price match benefits, so make sure you look around for the best deal, and when you find it, take notes. By shopping around, you’ll not only ensure that you get the best price, but you’ll also get to see what else is out there.
Circulars – Look at the circular ads in the local paper each week and jot down the deals on the items you’re look for. Circular deals typically last for a week and the deals tend to be great during this time of year, especially for toys, games, and electronics. Keep an eye out for when your local stores offer stock-up and save deals on things like jammies and winter clothes and shop then for the best deals on necessities.
Gift Cards – It’s a little too late to start this year, but if you buy a gift card with every paycheck during the year, you’ll have them during the shopping season to go toward your Christmas spending. You’ll notice the loss of money a lot less if you spread it out over the year than if you try to do it all at once. Buy the cards for places you know you’ll be shopping for your Christmas gifts and even if it doesn’t cover the entire cost, at least it will take a good chunk out of it. If you’re a gift card giver during the holiday season, your Christmas shopping is done after just a couple of months.

There are a lot of ways to save money during the holiday season, but the best way is to communicate with your family the reason for the season. Don’t go overboard with gifts and rather celebrate the togetherness of your family and the joy of the holiday itself.

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