Wallacea Living’s Post

Leap years only happen every 4 years, here's who wins according to a recent Fast Company article: *Hourly employees benefit from leap years because they are paid based on the amount of time worked. *Salaried employees work for less pay during leap years but make up for it during regular ones. The true winners of leap years are those who rent, have a monthly gym pass, subscribe to a streaming service, or have a monthly public transportation pass. They all get an extra day on February 29 for free. What are you doing with your extra day? Subscribe to our "Blackbook - The Human Side of Recruitment" newsletter for week market insights, industry trends and all things people related. Join here, it only takes a minute! https://lnkd.in/gYRX4WeD #businessinsights #recruitmentindustry #intheknow

While watching one of my all-time favorite Christmas movies over the weekend, National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation, this line made me think about education and workforce development, "He worked really hard, Grandma. So do washing machines." If our OUTPUTS do not result in the desired OUTCOMES, are we truly making an impact or just doing busy work? While outputs are viable to track, so often we get hyper-focused on those metrics without giving enough attention to the end game. Are our education and training efforts leading to quality jobs and careers with family-sustaining wages? This is one reason why digging into credentials of value is so critical. #credentialsofvalue #outcomes #postsecondary #highered #workforcedevelopment

Getting real about planning out my post-military retirement transition to the civilian workforce, and I just spent the last week earnestly dipping my toes into the water for the first time as part of the Hiring Our Heroes 24-2 DoD-SkillBridge cohort. I've had some fantastic conversations, seen some great presentations, and learned a whole lot! A few thoughts, in no particular order: 1. There are a lot of cross-training and lateral skill development opportunities in the DoD, but you generally end up siloed based on your occupational specialty, as intended. The civilian job market is many orders of magnitude larger, across a vast swath of industries and markets. Underneath it all, though, soft skills will almost always be transferrable, for instance, team leadership; management of people, tasks, schedules, budgets; communication; creative problem solving; etc. This opens up a staggering array of employment possibilities! #softskills 2. What at first seemed like a very intimidating process - find a job posting, tailor a resume, submit an application, hope whatever blackbox process that occurs results in some sort of response, and hope that response is a positive one - isn't adversarial at all! In the end, it's real humans that just want to find someone they can work with and get the job done. Just as my application was a shot in the dark as to what the employer wants, so too was the job opening description a shot in dark by the employer about what they think they need. Don't be afraid to admit to a weakness or to answer "I don't know". Instead, simply project confidence and strive for that human connection. If we can't be friendly, cordial, and relaxed during our first introductions, when we're basically strangers, how is that going to possibly translate into a healthy work environment? #jobapplications 3. Holy smokes are salary discussions awkward if you've never done them before! Granted, they probably shouldn't be, but that's an entirely separate conversation. Regardless, you can do a search on Google or Glassdoor or something, but it's still awkward verbalizing what to me is an arbitrary number. The last 20 years I've been paid what the congressionally authorized pay chart says I get paid, and that's all there's been to it. I know I want my contributions to be valued fairly, and I certainly don't want to undervalue those contributions of people in the same or similar jobs, but I also have no burning desire for wealth or fortune. Rather, I just want a comfortable life and secure future for my family. I imagine this will be one of the more difficult aspects of the transition. #salarynegotiation #HiringOurHeroes #MilitaryTransition #careeropportunities

📅 Six Months at DWP: A Time for Reflection ❤️ As I approach my six-month anniversary with DWP, stepping into a senior management role has brought a whirlwind of change and uncertainty. In times like these, it’s easy to get caught up in the endless to-do lists and lose sight of the progress already made. But as a wise friend reminded me recently—yes Stella Amor MCIPD, MIH, FIEDP, I am looking at YOU!—sometimes the best way forward is to focus not just on the “to-do” list, but on the “done” list. Taking that advice to heart, here are some highlights from my “done” list: ✅ EDI Focus Week: Led the planning, organization, and delivery of a transformative week dedicated to equity, diversity, and inclusion, engaging hundreds of staff and receiving an overwhelming wave of positive feedback. ✅ Innovative Projects: Launched and now managing a new programme designed to support ethnic minority staff development, creating change and supporting career growth. ✅ Strategy and Governance: Developed and secured approval for a fresh EDI strategy, building strong governance and alignment across leadership and stakeholders. And that’s just the beginning! As I move forward, I’ll continue celebrating the progress made, the milestones reached, and the impact delivered. My “done list” reflects resilience, and a commitment to positive change—a journey I’m excited to continue over the next six months and beyond. Let’s all focus on our “done” lists a bit more… We’ve GOT THIS! 💪 #Reflection #Progress #EDI #Leadership #Resilience #DWP

Whether you have many years left in your career or you’re nearing your career sunset, this article sheds light on some of the decisions you need to make to help you maximize the benefits your hard work affords you.

☀️ A year on from getting a redundancy letter. Some thoughts… - I can’t stress the importance of when people kindly offer to help, accept it. Whether it be having a coffee, doing an intro, reading a business plan or offering coaching. Make sure you follow up - With no cash pay out, and being out of pocket due to liquidation, I was grateful for following the advice I got in my 20s. Have a savings pot of at least three months wages to keep you going ‘just in case’ - If you’re going out on your own then investing in the ground work is essential. 12 months on I’m very grateful for putting in the foundations KLW Marketing - There is SO much business support in the north east if you know where to look for it. Organisations like Innovation SuperNetwork, North East BIC and PNE are great at giving practical support or kicking down doors - If you have no money then there’s plenty you can do for free to build your brand. Start posting on social media, attend networking events and taking advantage of free trial periods are just some of ways Cheers to the next 12 months on the founders rollercoaster 🎢 #redundancy #FridayThoughts #MarketingConsultant

I’m going to tell you another truth about higher ed. marketing… Here’s what the upcoming holidays mean for people who work in social media. More requests. More deadlines. More distractions. More expectations. Let’s remember to show our appreciation for those that work day and night to elevate our school’s image and reputation. This is the way. End of story. 👊🏼 #Highereducationleadership #Higheredmarketing #Highereducation

The Marketing Questions We Get Asked ✨ What matters more, impressions or engagement? Got a burning question? Drop it in the comments below 👇👇 #MarketingAgency #Impressions #Engagement #TMGP #TMQWGA #TheMarketingGP

Whether you have many years left in your career or you’re nearing your career sunset, this article sheds light on some of the decisions you need to make to help you maximize the benefits your hard work affords you.

"Ring in the new year with an austerity policy similar to that which WE have all had to implement in our lives." Retired teacher, Suzanne Laird, addressed the STRS Ohio Board during Public Participation on December 13th. Good morning, Members of MY Board, And welcome to our newest Executive Director. Our wish for this holiday season is that you have a wise man’s ability to discern naughty from nice, AND the fortitude to slice through the ………..fatted goose. With only 3 minutes, I have no time to sugar-coat it: we, who have attended these meetings for 10, 15, or 20 years have a long wish list, and we are putting you at the top. We wish for someone who is not afraid to make the difficult decisions necessary to completely revamp our pension and restore the very reason it exists: to pay benefits to those who have given their lives to the students of Ohio. We wish for an end to the fiduciary fraud perpetrated upon the educators of Ohio: the lack of transparency, the lack of accountability, the contemptible waste of our hard-earned money. Our wish list: ·         An immediate freeze on all new hires. Cut existing staff by 20 percent, especially an investment team that cannot turn a profit during a 10-year bull market. Rent out all the unused office space. Consolidate the staff to three floors. Close all satellite offices. Eliminate the employee educational stipend. Ohio teachers must pay out of pocket; so, must these employees. Charge for parking, fitness, and make the cafeteria profitable or close it. Cut the bonuses. Now, the staff will tell you that cutting the bonuses will not restore the COLA, but don’t you believe them: 10 years of bonuses in the 5-million-dollar range is more than a little “stocking stuffer” and we retirees are suffering this Christmas, even with a supplemental-white- elephant-one time check. Are you a quick learner? Think of it as setting up the next Executive Director for success in the new year. Ring in the new year with an austerity policy similar to that WE have all had to implement in our lives.