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Staying On Task Before a Vacation Is the Hardest Part

This will be my last post for 2011, it is sad yet exciting to think that the year is coming to a close.  It’s been an exciting year—Charlie Sheen went crazy crazier, Kim Kardashian got married, the St. Louis Cardinals won the World Series,  Apple introduced the world to Siri, protesters gathered around the world thanks to Twitter, Kim Kardashian got divorced, Kate and William got married, and Bin Laden is no longer, but I digress, because the post I actually sat down to write was on the topic of staying on task despite the anticipation of vacation time.

I’m on this topic because I like many others am prepping to go on vacation, so as I write this blog all I can think about is sleeping late, celebrating the holidays, seeing friends and family, drinking tasty beverages, and most importantly sleeping de-stressing. 

Now my last day in the office is today, however I haven’t been able to stay as focused as I would like (hence that first paragraph).  The anticipation of watching A Christmas Story for 24 hours is too exciting to keep me fully focused on my work (and trust me there is A LOT to do before I leave this afternoon).  As I’m sure I’m not the only one feeling the stresses before a “stress free” holiday I thought I’d share some things that work for me (or usually work for me) to keep my head in the game.

• Feel Distracted? Take a Walk. If you’re desperately trying to concentrate on a task and your mind keeps wandering, your body might as well wander off with it.  Take a break, clear your mind, and come back to what you were doing with a fresh perspective.
  
  
• My favorite—Make a List. Write down all the outstanding items you have to do. It’s always a great feeling to cross things off.
  
  
• Only Do What HAS to be Done.  If something has to wait to be addressed when you're back in the office-keep in mind that that is okay.  It is not a life or death situation (unless you're a medical professional, world leader, soldier, etc...).  So if it comes down to leaving something unfinished, don't let it ruin your time off.
  

We hope these pointers help you enjoy your time off and we here at EmploymentMetrix will see you in 2012!  Seasons Greetings, Happy New Year, and thanks for reading!

 

Our Top 5 Favorite Fictional Company Party Moments in Honor of the Holiday Season

So many dread the company holiday party.  While some of them are great and others are a bust, you can always rely on the company holiday party to provide a good laugh and if that doesn’t happen enjoy our top five favorite fictional company party moments (even if they’re not holiday specific).

5. Chandler’s company is having a party because they had a lot of liquor leftover from the Christmas party on Friends. Monica attends Chandler’s company party with him and learns he has a fake work laugh and informs her that she will need one too to survive the night.

4. Elaine Benes’s “little kicks” dance on Seinfeld.  As president of J. Peterman Elaine thinks it is her duty to get the dancing portion of the evening started, however her dancing is so terrible that she loses the respect of her staff in the process.

3. The cast and crew of TGS vow to chop down the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree on 30 Rock. Office parties are a time for togetherness, and, apparently public vandalism. After briefly embracing the spirit of giving during the holiday season (can’t stress briefly enough here) within seconds the cast and crew of The Girly Show are back to their usual selves with a mission to chop down the Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree.

2. Afternoon Delight on Arrested Development. Gob can’t wait for the company celebration as he believes the employees will toast him, but he has alienated them by boasting about his expensive suits so he is more likely to be roasted.  Meanwhile the innocent tune “Afternoon Delight” embarrasses the Bluth family even more when they discover that the song is not so innocent.

1. A Benihana Christmas on The Office. Michael is depressed because his girlfriend breaks up with him, so to cheer him up the guys take him to lunch at Benihana where Michael and Andy make dates with two waitresses that they invite to the company party—hilarity ensues.

 

Finding a Job is All About Location, Location, Location

In anticipation of Beyond.com’s Q3 Trends Report being released, we thought that we’d whet your appetite with some highlights from the report—particularly regarding the location of jobs. 

Find out:

• Top 10 States for Hiring.
• Industries with the most opportunities.
• And Top 5 cities for each top hiring industry.

Download the “Where The Jobs Are" [INFOGRAPHIC] Now