Life after Motherhood

Estimated reading time: 5 minutes

Thinking of reentering the job market? I am currently looking to reenter corporate America. I took my dream job last summer. Unfortunately, it was for a boss who didn’t understand the value in the position. Even though it was brief, it was spectacular (aside from the toxicity and bigotry we were subject to during the meetings). But all lunacy and offense aside, dipping my toe back in to the corporate pond has me excited about finding a forever home with a new company. I’m more excited than when I got my first writing job and that is saying a lot.

Looking for a job can be daunting, especially in today’s competitive job market. With so many available options, it can be difficult to determine which job best fits your skills, interests, and career goals. It’s been brutal. To make the process easier and more effective, it’s important to consider various factors before applying.

When looking for a job, consider the following: 

Your skills and experience

Finding opportunities that align with your skills and expertise is important when looking for a job. That itself will increase your chances of success and job satisfaction. When you have the necessary skills for a job, you are more likely to perform well and positively impact the company. This can lead to career growth and advancement opportunities. Your experience is also an essential factor to consider. Employers typically look for candidates with relevant experience in their field, so having that can make you a more competitive candidate. Your experience can demonstrate your ability to handle the job’s responsibilities, work ethic, and reliability. It can also show that you have a proven track record of success in your industry, which can be a valuable asset to a potential employer.

The industry you want to work in 

One important consideration is the industry in which you want to work. For instance, if you’re interested in the digital marketing industry, you may want to consider options that are not only a good fit technically but are a good fit company culture wise. Bonus points for being able do something you are talented at and love. When you work in an industry you are passionate about, you are more likely to enjoy your job and feel fulfilled. Moreover, it can impact your career growth and opportunities. Different industries have different career paths and opportunities for advancement. For example, some industries may have a strong culture of promoting from within, while others may offer more lateral moves or opportunities to move between companies. 

In addition, considering the industry you want to work in can help you stay up-to-date with industry trends and innovations, as is true for the industry I’ve chosen. This can be especially important in rapidly changing industries, such as technology, digital marketing or healthcare. By working in an industry that is constantly evolving, you can stay ahead of the curve and continue to develop your skills and expertise. I am continuously taking courses, attending webinars, reading up on new trends in the field, joining groups in my industry and getting certifications. Doing all of this can also help you build a network of contacts and connections in your field over time. This can be valuable for future job opportunities or collaborations and for keeping up with industry trends and developments, so keep this in mind.

Work-life balance

Work-life balance is so important in today’s world. Achieving a healthy balance between work and personal life can help you feel happier and avoid burnout. Being overwhelmed and never decompressing is not good for you or your work performance. Feeling stressed and exhausted when work takes up too much of your time and energy can lead to physical and mental health issues, such as chronic stress, anxiety, depression, and other illnesses.

On the other hand, you are more likely to feel energized, focused, and motivated when you have a healthy balance between work and personal life. This can lead to better job performance, increased productivity, and higher-quality work. Likewise, considering work-life balance when looking for a job can help you build stronger relationships with your family and friends. Having time for personal pursuits and relationships can help you feel more connected to your loved ones and strengthen your support network. It can also help you pursue personal interests, hobbies, and a sustainable routine. 

Growth opportunities 

A job that offers growth opportunities can help you develop new skills, take on new challenges, and advance your career over time. I don’t know about you but when I’m excited about something, I’m more likely to roll my sleeves up and jump in. I love a challenge so when I have the opportunity to learn new skills or take on new challenges, I get excited and throw my whole heart and soul into my work. It’s a win-win and can help you achieve your long-term career goals. By taking on new challenges and developing new skills, you can build a strong foundation for your career, stay competitive in your domain, and increase your earning potential over time. 

In doing this, you get the chance to work with new people and build relationships with colleagues and industry experts, so feel free to consider this. 

This can be valuable for future job opportunities, collaborations, and mentorship. Furthermore, growth opportunities can help you feel a sense of personal and professional fulfillment. While continually learning and growing, you are more likely to feel a sense of purpose and accomplishment in your work. This can be an important source of motivation and help you maintain a positive outlook on your career.

What is your biggest thing to consider when looking for a job?

Estimated reading time: 3 minutes

We just started taking Bella on college tours and it’s a lot, almost too much for my mama heart to take. It’s hard to believe that your little ones are all grown up and moved out of the house. But now that you have all this extra space, what will you do with it? Here are some ideas to get you started.

Decide What You Want To Use The Extra Space For

One of the first things you need to do is figure out what you want to use the extra space for. This could be anything from a home office to a spare bedroom. Once you know what you want, you can start figuring out ways to make it happen.

Purge What You Don’t Need

Now that the kids are gone, you probably have a lot of baby gear taking up space in your home. But do you really need all of it? Probably not. Take some time to go through everything and get rid of what you don’t need. Then, you could donate it to a charity, sell it online, or hold a garage sale.

Repurpose What You Can

If there’s some baby gear you can’t let go of, why not try repurposing it into something new? For example, a changing table could become a craft station, or a crib could become a bookshelf. Just be creative and have fun with it!

Make Use Of The Extra Space

Once you’ve removed what you don’t need and repurposed what you can, it’s time to use the extra space in your home. This is your chance to finally have that home gym or sewing room you’ve always wanted. Please make sure you think about it, and don’t let the space waste! You can also prepare the extra space for when your grandchildren visit. This could mean setting up some extra beds or putting in some toys, so they have somewhere to play. Just make sure you think about what will work best for them!

Sentimental Value

When you’re finished with your children’s baby gear, you might have a lot of extra space in your home. While you can use that space for all sorts of things, it’s also essential to think about storing your sentimental items. That’s where self-storage units can come in handy.

Storing your sentimental items in a self-storage unit can be a great way to keep them safe and out of the way until you need them again. And since you can access your unit whenever you want, you’ll never have to worry about not being able to get to them when you need them.

Enjoy The New Space

Now that you have all this extra space, it’s time to make the most of it! Decide what you want to use the area for, and then start planning to make it happen. Purge what you don’t need, repurpose what you can, and use the extra space in your home. And if you need some help storing your sentimental items, a self-storage unit is always an option. So enjoy the new space in your home and make the most of it!

Estimated reading time: 7 minutes

Have you ever been a part of a conversation that was just so incredibly boring? I get easily distracted and if I’m not engaged, I mentally check out. It’s not even a conscious choice, my brain just goes on a walkabout the universe in my head. Worse than being bored is realizing that the reason a discussion is so terribly uninteresting is because you are the reason for it. Yikes. A great skill to have is to know how you can make any conversation interesting.

It does not matter who you are, it can be difficult to conduct talks that are fascinating; even the best talkers can run out of steam every once in a while. Believe me, I love to talk and most of the time, I’m pretty entertaining but even an extrovert like me sometimes runs out of interesting things to say. We should all educate ourselves on how to keep a discussion engaging, but how can we do that?

Practice is the key to make any conversation interesting, as it is for anything else in life. The good news is that opportunities to practice having discussions that are intriguing, sincere, entertaining and engaging can be found just about anywhere.

Ask a representative working in customer assistance about how their day is going. Have a conversation with the other patrons at the restaurant to find out what their go-to foods are. Find out which car brand your technician prefers and why they like it so much. Call one of the chat line numbers to speak to like-minded individuals.

Some people may find the idea of getting out into the world and honing their conversational skills to be very natural, while for others, the idea may seem like something out of a nightmare, especially for introverts. No matter where you are on the spectrum, we have compiled some helpful pointers on how to liven up a discussion, and you can use them right away.

It does not matter if you are starting from the beginning or trying to sharpen skills that you already have; just keep in mind that this is an enjoyable activity.

Here are a few tips to help you make any conversation interesting.

Mastering the art of conversation might take some time, just like mastering any other form of art. You may attribute some of your success to the acquisition of skills in efficient communication, but a significant portion of it is attributable to the application and practice of those skills in real-world settings.

You will need to acquire the skills necessary to be a good conversation partner who is trustworthy, intriguing, and relatable. In light of this, we have compiled a list of some simple pointers that might assist you in making your talks more fascinating and ensuring that you become an excellent conversation partner.

Tips to Make Any Conversation Interesting

Make sure that the conversation is centered on the other individual.

People enjoy focusing the conversation on themselves. You might be surprised by how much information the other person decides to reveal with you when you center the conversation on them and offer them the opportunity to talk freely about themselves. In addition, the more they communicate with you, the more of a connection they will feel to you.

However, this does not imply that you should maintain your silence during the whole conversation. That would have the reverse impact and make the discourse boring and uninteresting.

You should interject every once in a while with a few of your own personal tales that build off of what the other person is talking about. In order to inspire them to go more deeply into specific subjects, you should ask them perceptive questions.

Keep in mind that the dialogue is being directed by you at this point. Since you already know where you want it to go in the end, you should make sure you quietly steer the conversation in the way you want it to go while they continue talking. But you should also keep in mind the importance of showing real attention and curiosity in what they have to say.

People can tell a mile away when someone is being condescending or pretending to be sincere. If you want to make a conversation interesting to someone else, you need to authentically engage and pay attention to what they are saying. The proverb “Every day is a school day” is one that I like to have in the forefront of my thoughts at all times since I find it to be quite true. If you approach your talks with that frame of mind and actively attempt to expand your knowledge, you will maintain a genuine interest in what you hear.

Watch night time talk shows

Some of the finest conversationalists are found working as hosts of late-night talk shows. In point of fact, they receive compensation for their capacity to carry on engaging talks night after night after night.

Talk show hosts will naturally ask a great deal of questions, sprinkle in some comedy, and make sure that the subject remains primarily centered on the guest throughout the engagement. If you want something more serious, you may watch shows that feature in-depth interviews with prominent figures.

Regardless of the situation, it is important to pay attention to the mannerisms of both the host and the person they are speaking with. In what ways are they manipulating the timbre of their voice? Do they communicate with one another using a certain kind of body language? How are they maintaining their relationships with one another?

Talk gently and with clear enunciation

It is not necessarily a negative thing to speak quickly, but it might make the person you are conversing with feel a little lost in the conversation. If you are not present during your interactions and you are extremely knowledgeable about the subject matter being discussed, you could speak so quickly that the other person’s head begins to spin.

It is imperative that you deliberately slow down your cadence until it reaches a point where you feel as though it is almost too slow for you. If you do that, we swear to you that you will not be talking too slowly; it will simply seem like that. Putting this into practice is something you can do by either recording yourself or asking a buddy to do so and give you feedback on what they hear.

Ask them questions

When it is not specific enough, small conversation may be both unpleasant and aggravating. It is possible that there are instances when you do not want to know what the other person has planned for supper tonight.

Asking inquiries about the individuals you are communicating with at the beginning of a discussion gives you the opportunity to find out more about the people you are interacting with. Include the term “you” in your inquiries to direct the conversation onto them.

Make use of open ended questions

You are not doing it correctly if the response to your inquiry can be reduced to a straightforward “Yes” or “No.” These are the kinds of inquiries that may swiftly bring an end to the conversation.

You do not want to be in a position where you are forced to scramble for ways to restart the talking or pondering how to make the conversation exciting once again. Instead, make open-ended inquiries the focus of your attention whenever you can.

Practice makes perfect – every time

Practice is the single most important thing you can do to keep discussions engaging, regardless of whether you are an outgoing person or someone who prefers to keep to themselves. Get out into the real world and talk to actual people. Practice your ability to actively listen by asking your friends new questions and by striking up conversations with strangers.

The more you engage in conversation, the more refined your abilities in doing so will become. Because of this, your ability to capture the attention of another person might significantly enhance as a result.

These are just a few tips how to make any conversation interesting no matter who is involved. What is your best tip to make any conversation interesting and keep the conversation going?