For each of us, our story will be different.  Take these next few days and use them as a reflection period to think of ways you can improve yourself and your life during 2013.  Maybe you want to advance in your career?  Maybe you seek a more balanced life between work and family.  Maybe you feel you don’t need to change at all.  Regardless of your situation, here is what I recommend you do before 2013.

• Make a list of all of your accomplishments from the previous year
• Review each item and set personal goals, either to achieve more success or to raise the bar just a little higher
• Write down things that you didn’t accomplish and try to figure out what prevented them from getting done
• Create a bucket list for yourself, as well as goals you’d like to meet

It is important to think through your goals, writing them down and visiting them frequently.  Goals are more likely to turn into successes if they are written down.

As we get closer and closer to Christmas, we would like to take a moment to remember those less fortunate than us, which helps remind us the true reason of the season.  Over the month of December, Verigent employees, clients, families, and friends came together from all over to help us collect toys for all ages.  With this being the first year participating in Toys for Tots, we were unsure of our success, but had a feeling it would be big!  Essentially, we were overwhelmed with the amount of toys we collected, knowing that we all have helped in providing children in our local area with huge smiles on Christmas morning.

Shopping for these toys and seeing new ones being brought in everyday reminded many of us of our own childhood memories.  From the board game, Operation, to building Lincoln Logs, or even molding shapes with Play Doh, we all enjoyed sharing stories about our favorite things we played with growing up, knowing that we’re helping create these same memories for others.  We would like to thank everyone who participated in this event and plan on making it an annual tradition for our office.  Stay tuned for other community service events we’ll take on in 2013 and feel free to join us!

If you’re wanting to help Verigent with this holiday project, please contact Brittany Keenan via email at bkeenan@verigent.com or give us a call at 704-658-9101.  We will be collecting unwrapped toys for boys and girls of all ages.  We look forward to putting smiles on many faces this holiday season.

Here at Verigent, our office has a very family like feel, so we understand the importance of coming together and helping others in need.  The holiday season is such a special time of year and we wanted to make sure that local families in need could have those feel good memories too.

We would also like to extend a special thanks to some of our other colleagues in our building who collected several bags of food, because they too wanted to be apart of this special event.  Without everyone helping, we wouldn’t have had the success that we did.

 The Pro’s of the ‘Y Generation’

Their Thankful To Be Working

With the economy being the way it is, many college graduates are still living at home and often don’t find a job until a year after they’ve graduated.  It is rare these days that graduates are even working in the field they studied!  When a young person lands their first job after school, they become very appreciative that someone gave them a chance, having little work experience.  This often means that they will work harder to earn the upper managements respect, will provide fresh ideas, and will work longer hours at a cheaper wage.

They Are Technically Savvy

Let’s face it.  The Y Generation has grown up with computers and the Internet.  They get it.  So much information is thrown in their faces through the Internet that they are able to obtain and manage these thoughts.  This has helped make them quicker learners and able to multitask better than others.  Because there are so many social mediums out there and ways to communicate  their thought process on communication as a whole is different.  This is good because they are good at responding to people quickly,  which is good for any business.

Unlimited Energy

Younger people typically have more energy than older because they have fresh minds and are used to juggling various things from college.  They know when to work hard and when to play hard and seem to have a good balance of the two.  These types of people can make an office environment have a lighter mood, which is appealing to all.  Positive attitudes and strong energy can be very encouraging to others.

They Are Your Future

As time goes on, more and more advances are being made in technology, which older people find hard to keep up with.  Younger people seem to have an easier time because they’ve grown up with things being this way.  A lot of the generation y folks are so tech savvy because they are self-taught through various forms of technology.  They are able to keep up.  This is crucial for businesses that expect to grow and continue success.

Confident

There is a difference in being confident and full of yourself.  Confident people are typically critical thinkers who have done their homework to ensure they are correct.  They are sure of themselves and make valid points.  Others look up to these types of people because they set an example.

Play Fair

This sort of ties in to having confidence, but these people play by the rules and do no make exceptions for the wrong reasons.  They treat individuals how they should be treated and how they expect to be treated.  Think of someone you know who follows the rules and treats people fairly.  What do you think of them?  Most see these people as strong, confident, and might even consider them a leader!

Recognize Others for Hard Work

Leaders don’t take all of the credit for getting things done.  These folks are willing to recognize others for doing a good job, making the other people feel special and included in their success.  Leaders want to share their visions with others, making them aware of expectations, goals, and how to get to the next level.

Although there are many qualities that make up a good leader, these are just a few of the obvious traits that most leaders possess.  What do you see in a leader?  Do you consider yourself to be a leader?

Happy People Are More Productive

People who wake up in the morning and enjoy coming to work are going to bring optimistic influence into the work environment.  It is known that people spend the majority of their day at work, so it is vital that one likes their job!  The happier an employee, the longer they will want to stay, and will feel more relaxed about getting their work done.  It is common that these people tend to work longer hours than necessary without complaints!

Happy Employees Are Great Team Players

If co-workers genuinely enjoy each others company while at work, it is typical that they will work well together as a team.  The communication efforts will come naturally, helping each other out will be a given, and maybe even some light laughter, which is good for everyone’s soul!  Working in a team and communicating effectively is always a struggle, but again, it seems to come natural for happy employees!

Happy Employees Bring Positive Energy

When employees are happy, they complain less, fix problems without getting angry, and are willing to help others out in a bind.  It is common that they have more pizzazz, more energy, and often stay pretty healthy [not taking many sick days].  These types of employees are eager to learn, wanting to advance, and this is done quickly.  Needless to say, these are the types of people you want in your company!

The key to having happy employees is to provide a good balance between working hard and playing hard.  It is good for employees to engage in conversation once in a while other than work, but also vital that they know the importance of staying focused.  Set a serious tone in the beginning and then ease up once in a while so that the fine line between being serious and laid back is drawn.

What’s Your Purpose & What Can It Offer You?

Social media has various uses and levels of importance depending on what you’re seeking as an end result.  Facebook has become one of the most popular forms of social media and is used as another way to socialize or keep up with friends and family.  Linked In is another medium out there and is used for networking and connecting professionally.  Twitter, finally becoming more and more popular, is used to post quick news frequently.  These are the 3 most popular forms of social media, however, there are tons of options out there so figuring out their purpose and what you’re seeking to do is the first step in tackling social media.

What Platforms of Social Media Should You Choose?

Again, depending on what you’re seeking, it is best to choose forms of social media that are right for you.  For instance, I have a Facebook that I use as a social too to keep up with friends and family, by reading their posts and sharing some of my personal experiences.  Linked In has been a great tool to connect with people in my local community, build relationships or network with others in my field of work, and to bring business to my current company.  Twitter is a great tool used to express personal thoughts, funny experiences, quotes, and current events.  Instagram is one of my favorites, where I can post photos and edit them using different filters available.  Google + has been a great way to connect with my Gmail [email] contacts and great for my side business to appear in Google searches.  Although I could be using even more social media mediums, these are the main ones that appeal to me.

How Do You Keep Up?

Keeping up with social media can be a challenge because it can be time-consuming and there are so many forms to keep up with.  My advice on this is to think about the importance of each one and how it can benefit you.  If you’re using it for a business or a way of advertising, think about how to keep your content exciting and fresh to appeal to your users.  What do you want to post, when do you want these post to appear, and who is your audience?  By tackling these questions, you can figure out a basic social media plan.  There are great tools out there that allow you to post one thing on multiple channels and you can even schedule the timing so that it automatically posts for you!  One example of this that I use a lot is a tool called Hootsuite.

Social media was is ever-changing and designed as a way to express yourself to various audiences quickly.  There are a lot of advantages of social media and what it can do for you personally and professionally IF you use it correctly.  If you’re still unsure of the best platforms to choose that will best work for you, there are many webinars and tutorials out there that can lead you in the right direction.

People Don’t Take You Seriously

When you over communicate, it might appear that you just like to hear yourself talk because there is so much fluff around the important information that it tends to get lost.  Most people do not have time to sit and listen to every waking detail of a story, therefore they will have a hard time distinguishing whether or not your information is worth listening to.

Know Your Audience

Consider the source to whom you’re relaying the information to.  If the entire office needs to know, include them.  If the information doesn’t pertain to specific individuals, leave them out!  You don’t want to appear that you are trying to waste people’s time or cannot connect the dots…make sure you understand the message and who it needs to be delivered to!

Remember, communication is a wonderful, useful thing when used correctly.  Don’t ruin your reputation because of bad communication skills.  Think about the source, the information, and how you can best express it!

Potential to Earn More Money

This might come as a shock to many, but often times people who do steady contract work can often earn more money than people who are paid yearly.  How is this?  First of all, contractors who are in high demand can better negotiate their salaries because they are needed immediately.  Secondly, contract workers are usually paid hourly, so each hour work is paid.  That is not always the case with salary employees.  Also, depending on the situation, per diem can be paid to contract employees as well as being reimbursed for various business expenses an employee might endure.

Potential to Gain More Experience 

By working on short-term projects, contractors are able to meet various people and work in various locations, gaining new experiences along the way.  Depending on the specific requirements, some companies require specific training and will pay employees to become certified.  Those who do longer term projects out-of-town also get the opportunity to travel and experience new places.

Potential for Spontaneity

Contract workers experience something new day-to-day, providing them with lots of spontaneity.  Most of these jobs aren’t the 9 to 5 that most people are used to.  Crazy hours can be worked, projects might fall through or they could last longer than expected, or they might even be out-of-town.  Contract workers have to be up for an adventure and have to expect the unexpected.

Although there are many advantages of contract work, there are obviously factors that weigh in pretty heavy that many have to consider.  It is tough on people who have active families because the work can be during various hours or out to town.  Another issue is that the work isn’t consistent, so this can be a strain on people who need a steady stream of work.  Think about your situation…does contract work seem ideal for you?