Fri 17th Feb Newsletter

Good morning, everyone!

We’re back with another round-up of the latest news and career tips you need to know about — as we’ll be doing every day. Plus, in honor of Random Act of Kindness Day, we’ve got a little gift: a résumé template to help you land your dream job.

Oh, and it’s finally Friday. Or should we say:

Let’s dig right in!

In today's email:

• Tesla fires 30 people in retaliation for union activity: the full details

• Tracking your goals with habit trackers: how does it work? 

•  Your Friday gift: an ATS-friendly résumé template

• Budgeting tips: how to start saving in 2023

TRENDING NEWS

Tesla Accused of Firing 30 Union Supporters

The story: The electric car giant has been accused of firing 30 employees who were seeking to organize in Buffalo, NY, according to Tesla Workers United. Tesla denies the accusations, claiming to have laid off the workers due to “poor performance”, for which they had been “identified” long before.

What it means: Tesla employees have perceived the layoffs as a maneuver to discourage further union activity. Arian Berek, who until Wednesday worked as data analyst for Tesla’s Autopilot driver assistance system, denounces the firings and calls them “shameful”. It has been reported that the recently fired workers have already filed an unfair labor practice charge with the National Labor Relations Board.

The bigger picture: Barring some exceptions, US employees have a federal right to form and join unions. Despite this, Tesla doesn’t seem to backtrack on using hardball tactics to discourage organized labor, for which it has been accused of repeatedly.

IN OTHER NEWS:

• KPMG set to cut 2% of its US workforce, becomes first Big Four firm to issue layoffs in the country. (Reuters)

• Elon Musk to step down as Twitter CEO by end of 2023 — says he is looking for someone "foolish enough to take the job”. (Bloomberg)

• Remote job opportunities declining despite high demand — companies also increasing the number of days hybrid employees have to work on-site. (The Wall Street Journal)

TODAY'S ADVICE

Track Your Goals with Habit Trackers

Sticking to good habits at work is essential to improve productivity and achieve your goals, but it’s so easy to become distracted and fall off track. Whether you’re working in the office and can hear chatty Cathy discussing Barbara from accounting’s secret affair, or you work from home and have a furry friend walking over your computer, there are plenty of ways to lose your train of thought and procrastinate. So, how do you solve this problem? By using a habit tracker, of course.

Now, your habit tracker doesn’t need to be a fancy app, you can simply use a calendar or a pen and paper to track your goals, as well as other key information, like timing or tasks.

So, here are a few tips to help set goals and meet them:

1. Create your own journal: Begin by writing down everything that you’ve achieved in one day, from what you ate to how much water you drank, as well as your professional and personal goals that you achieved. By having a clear overview of your day, you can cut down on procrastination and better learn your habits.

2. Set SMART goals: Habit tracking is only as good as the goals you input are, so to help you actually measure your habits effectively, you need to set SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic and Timely) goals.

3. Track over a long period of time: To obtain a clear idea of where you’re going wrong, you need to track your habits for at least a month (or longer). If, for example, you’re not completing your tasks on your to-do list, then you could be dealing with an overload of work and will need to speak to your manager to share your duties.

4. Use an app: If pen and paper just aren’t cutting it for you, consider using a habit tracking app that will send you reminders and notifications throughout the day to help you stay on track and achieve your goals.

DON'T MISS

🆘 Want to do a good deed? Here are 25 volunteering opportunities you can do from home.

🎯 Need a break? Here are some YouTube channels to inspire you at work.

📋 Do you have an interview coming up? Here’s how to answer a common question.

💰 Find out who the highest-paid actresses in the world are.

FRIDAY'S TO-DOS

Good news is you’ve made it to Friday! Bad news is you’re exhausted. All is not lost, though; here’s how you can beat that Friday fatigue.

✅ Start moving. Go for a stroll — to the coffee machine and back. While you’re there, shake those tired limbs out. Shoulder stretches and torso twists can be a good pick-me-up.

✅ Take hourly breaks. Yes, despite that “super urgent” thing your manager asked you to do. Even five minutes of staring away from your screen can soothe those tired eyes.

✅ Pick an action/adventure soundtrack. Have you ever tried working to epic music? It can be invigorating. Just remember to lower the volume when you’re revising your work.

✅ Choose water over coffee. Perhaps this seems counterintuitive, but staying hydrated keeps you alert. Also, if you overdo it with coffee, you’ll be sacrificing your sleep tonight — and you need it.

✅ Keep on snacking. Your body needs energy. Healthy snacks like fruits, nuts and seeds can keep you going longer than processed sugary ones.

WATERCOOLER CHAT

Simple Tips to Sort Out Your Finances in 2023 💵

With inflation at a high, you might be wondering how you can become more financially stable this year. Whether that’s investing your hard-earned wage or creating a rainy day fund, it’s a good idea to start packing away for a rainy day.

Even if you already feel like you’re financially savvy, you could still learn some current tricks. 

The first thing to do is to set up a savings account. It sounds simple, and it is. If you have an account that’s dedicated to saving, you can budget a set amount each month to transfer over.

The next thing to do is to resist buying unnecessarily. Sometimes, it cheers us up to pick up something (that we don’t actually need). Try to be more conscious of your spending and ask yourself: is this necessary? If your answer is “no”, then don’t buy it.

So, you’ve sorted out a savings account and stopped buying lattes every morning. What’s next? Create a budget. Write down your incoming and outgoing funds so you can keep track of what you have left over. Once you have it set up, review it regularly.

Another way to see your spending habits is to use a separate billing account. If you have a separate account for bills and your spending, you can see what you have left over to spend.

These things are pretty simple to implement; they just take some getting used to. It will eventually become routine, and you’ll feel in control once more.

FUN FACT

Did you know that the average office chair with wheels travels about 8 miles per year? This distance can increase greatly with short trips to the printer and filling cabinets. Vroom-vroom!

TODAY'S GIFT

Our Tried-and-Tested Résumé Template

Need to create a résumé but lack the design skills? We’ve got you covered!

As a little “thank you” for reading our newsletter, we’re gifting a professionally designed and ATS-optimized résumé template to help you craft an impressive document. Featuring a clean and simple design so that hiring managers’ attention is focused on your experience, the editable file is easily customizable and works for jobseekers of all backgrounds and career levels - and includes useful tips and instructions. 

Download the template here

Stay tuned for more awesome gifts!

ASK AN EXPERT

Welcome 👐 to Ask an Expert — your go-to place for your career, job search and résumé-related questions! Every week, we feature some of the most intriguing questions we receive, and our resident experts share their wisdom with you to help you achieve your goals.

This week, Penny J from Seattle, WA asks:

I’ve been working remotely since the start of the pandemic, and it can sometimes feel incredibly lonely. What can I do?

"Hi, Penny! Unfortunately, this is quite common, and plenty of people in the same position as you feel just as isolated — so, know that you’re not alone! 

One of the first things you can do is speak to your manager about possibly going back to the office, or at least switching to a hybrid work model. If that’s not possible, try arranging regular gatherings with coworkers — this will help you reconnect, and you might discover that some of them can relate to how you feel. 

It’s also incredibly important to meet with family and friends as much as possible, as this will help negate feelings of loneliness and isolation. You could take a 30-minute walk outside on your lunch break (weather allowing), and incorporate a self-care routine into your workday."

Chris Leitch — Editor-in-Chief

Got a question? Reply to this email, and come back next week to see if we’ve answered it!

MEME IT

Like what you read? Reply and let us know your thoughts.

Created with care by Chris Leitch, Joanna Zambas, Hayley Ramsey and Electra Michaelidou