5 signs you hired the wrong candidate for the job and what to do about it

5 signs you hired the wrong candidate for the job and what to do about it5 signs you hired the wrong candidate for the job and what to do about itSometimes, a new hire turns out to be the wrong one.Here are five signs you didnt pick the right person for the job, and what to do about it.They show you that they dont actually want to do the workResearch has found that 64% of job candidates are better on paper than in person during interviews, but what if the reversal of fate happens once they actually start the job?This type of new hire might never contribute in meetings, seem two-faced when it comes to getting things done and generally acts like theyd rather be anywhere else but at work.This isnt someone you want on your team.They talk, talk, talk all day longHow is your team supposed to get work done if the new employee cant stop talkingabout non-work topics?While they should definitely make an effort to get to know people, they should also set boundaries for themselves so they dont t hrow off other team members with excessive chatting. They should use lunch breaks, conversations by the water cooler and company events toreally get to know people.Theyre a know-it-allWhats more annoying than working with someone who thinks they know everything? This is a classic office know-it-all.If your new hire is constantly telling others on the team why theyre right and everyone else wrong, you know youve got a problem on your hands.Team members dont like working with themChances are, youll hear about how difficult they are to be around from your other direct reports. You might even witness someone complaining about them once theyve shown their true colors.They cut out of work very early- every day of the weekThe last thing new team members should be doing is leaving excessively early every day, especially without the managers permission.Its one thing if the new employeedont have much to do on the first day- once introductions have been made, theyve gone to orientation, and t heyre set up at their workstation- but its aleidher if they always leave early with heaps of work to do.What to do if you hired the wrong personThere are a few ways to move forward.Dont have a sloppy hiring processBrian Sutter, Director of Marketing at Wasp Barcode, writes about this in Entrepreneur.After mentioning how employers should monitor how new employees do when they start their position, among other points, he writes, for small business owners with a lot to do and notlage enough time to do everything, it may be tempting to hire someone quickly to help with demands. Unfortunately, quick decisions made on hires often turn problematic for companies, costing money and time small business owners dont have. If you simply cant do the legwork, consider using an employment agency or recruiter to help you find the right fit.Get them a mentorA mentor might be able to help the new hire improve their performance.Offering mentoring is another good way for an employer to orient a struggl ing employee. A mentor can provide vital information about the company, office culture and the reporting structure. A mentor is usually not a direct supervisor, but rather a talented and well-connected employee whos been around for a few years, a Robert Half blog post reads.The company later released research showing thatamong business owners who hired the wrong person for the job, 53% agreed that it increased stress on the team.Let them goThe Harvard Business Review features information about how it might get to this point, and includes commentary from Claudio Fernndez-Aroz, an author and senior adviser at Egon Zehnder International.In the worst cases, termination may be your only option, particularly if you find that the problem is not coachable, if you are unwilling to further invest in coaching, or if the error or behavior is intolerable. It should be your last resort, however. Most likely as the hiring manager you have a large share of responsibility for the mistake, and thus s hould never fire a person without thoughtful consideration, says Fernndez-Aroz. If you have to let someone go, take a hard look at the hiring process you used and figure out how to change it next time around, the publication reads.

Tips for Re-Entering the Workforce After Taking a Long Break

Tips for Re-Entering the Workforce After Taking a Long BreakTips for Re-Entering the Workforce After Taking a Long BreakThere are a lot of reasons why people need to take longer-than-normal breaks from working. Whether family planning, health problems, or some other situation kept you out of the corporate world for a while, getting back into the swing of things can be stressful. There are, however, a few things you can do to help make the transition go a bit more smoothly when re-entering the workforce.Consider some of the following if youre ready for re-entering the workforce after taking an extended leaveStart slow.Whether you feel totally ready to get back into the swing of things with work or are a bit hesitant about how it will all go, it doesnt hurt to try dipping your toe in before taking the plunge. If its at all possible to seek out part-time or hourly work, at least for the first few months while youre getting adjusted and learning the ropes, taking things slow might help e ase you back into the (often stressful and fast-paced) workforce.Try remote work.Remote work is great for a lot of reasons (its good for the environment, as well as your pocketbook, to name a few), and when youre heading back to work for the first time in a long time, the ease of transitioning back into a career can be softened when you dont have to deal with some of the harsher elements of working in an amtsstube (like long commutes, office politics, and crazy hours). Check out list of thetop 100 companies with remote jobs in 2017 to get you started.Do your research.Especially if its been years since you last worked, it doesnt hurt to do a little research before you even start your job hunt. Find out what skills are necessary these days to do the job youre interested in, and then see if its possible to take some classes or courses to help get you up to snuff before you actually do start working. This will also help you determine whether or not youre still even interested in the sa me schrift of career you had before. Preparation like this will look great on your new resume, as well, and might even help you seem more desirable to hiring managers.Prepare yourself emotionally.Whether youve decided to go back to work because you could use the extra cash or you just feel ready for a change, understand that any type of big life shift like this will likely come with some emotional baggage. Keep in mind that even if you dont love your new job in the first few weeks or months, that doesnt mean you made the wrong decision by going back. Be gentle with yourself during the first phases of re-entering the workforce and understand that there will probably be some bumps along the way. Take solace in the fact that youre not the only one dealing with how to juggle life and work- everyone is just trying to figure it outMake some changes at home.If youll be starting a new job- even if it is part-time or a work-from-home gig- there are probably a few things you can put in place in your home to help at least the first few months go more smoothly. The first thing to do is obviously be sure your kids are well cared for, if they arent in school. Its a good idea to start your search for a daycare or nanny well ahead of when you plan to go back to work in order to give yourself enough time to really research and feel comfortable with your decision. You might also consider some other helpful services, at least in the beginning, like a meal delivery system, cleaners, or even a laundry service while youre getting your feet wet and determining how your new schedule will unfold.Starting a new job can seem daunting, but it doesnt have to be. Just a couple of extra steps on your part can help you feel more secure in your decision to head back out there.Want to Ease Back into the Workforce? Check Out These Companies Hiring for Part-Time Work-from-Home Jobs

New WTE Technologies Turn Trash into Treasure

New WTE Technologies Turn Trash into Treasure New WTE Technologies Turn Trash into Treasure Municipal solid waste (MSW) is a vast, renewable resource that contains high amounts of energythe trick is designing an extraction system that is efficient and cost-effective. This kind of sustainable waste managementtypically called waste-to-energy (WTE)is critical for reducing our dependence on fossil fuels and non-renewable materials and improving our environment.The standard WTE approach is incinerationafter materials are removed that interfere with the combustion process, the remaining MSW is transported to the combustion chamber, where it is burned, creating hot gases. These by-products are collected in the boiler section above the combustion chamber. Here the water is converted to steam, which powers an electric generator. The cooled combustion gases are then passed through pollution control devices before being released to the atmosphere.Today in the U.S. 87 WTE facilities produce a to tal annual generation capacity of 2.6 GW of electricity. Most of these aging facilities were built in the mid-1980s and early 1990s. As stricter emissions requirements were enacted that required more expensive pollution control equipment, new WTE projects dropped off. Energy prices and landfill disposal costs also fell in the mid-1990s, making WTE plants even less cost-competitive. Even though WTE facilities, when outfitted with top-notch air pollution control equipment, produced significantly cleaner electricity compared to coal or oil, no new WTE capacity was added in the U.S from the mid-1990s to mid-2000s. WTE simply could not compete against landfills, where Americans continue to send most of their non-recycled waste today.This, however, is starting to change as improvements in WTE technologiesespecially gasification and solid recovered fuelsgain traction.Low NOx GasificationNew technological advances in gasification of MSW are making this process more affordable. Gasification is the partial oxidation of the organic content in the MSW feedstock that produces a H2CO-containing syngas. The process falls between pyrolysis (no air, endothermic process) and combustion (excess air, highly exothermic process). The reduced excess air in gasification means smaller equipment can be used that produces higher energy and lower emissions.This process is, however, technically and economically challengingsuccess is dependent on the design of the process and the targeted use of syngas. For example, gasification processes developed for coal or biomass require significant pre-processing of MSW, such as moving bed, fluidized bed, and entrained flow reactor methods.The heating value and the purity of the syngas depend on many parameters, indicated Steve Goff, vice president of research and development for Covanta Energy in Morristown, NJ. These include gasification temperature, air or oxygen, other reactants, other energy inputs, gasifier design, and the control system.Image Covanta EnergyCovanta Energy has developed and commercialized a gasification process called Cleergas for unprocessed, post-recycled MSW. An advanced control system controls the movement of waste through the system, as well as the mixing of the waste with air to produce a stable syngas for subsequent combustion and the recovery of renewable energy. Nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions average about 50 ppm and CO levels are typically about 20 ppm or less. Less particulate carryover into the boiler also reduces fouling, saving on maintenance costs.Solid Recovered Fuel ConversionAnother WTE approach is converting MSW into solid recovered fuels (SRFs)blends of nonrecycled waste that are engineered into a fuel-pellet feedstock. This technology is especially suitable for plastics that are difficult to recycle, or that decompose slowly in landfillslike baby diapers.Although diapers will almost certainly be an interesting archeological find centuries from now, today they could make a great fuel, s aid Michael E. Webber, co-director of the Clean Energy Incubator and associate professor of mechanical engineering at the University of Texas-Austin. That invites the broader question of how many other non-recycled plastics could be turned into fuels, instead of wasted in landfills.To explore this further, Webbers research team created SRF pellets, combining selected plastic and paper and converting the material into solid pellets. The SRF product was then co-fired with coal in a large-scale test burn in a cement kiln.Results showed that the SRFs had a predictable energy content of about 25 million Btu per ton. Bituminous coal has almost exactly the same energy density, leading to a nearly one-to-one displacement opportunity. The SRFs were also 40 percent more energy-dense than sub-bituminous coals and 80 percent more so than lignite. When the whole production, transportation, and combustion life cycle of the SRFs is considered, large fossil fuel energy savings can be realized. On a larger scale, when the magnitude of the waste residue stream that flows through the U.S. every day is considered, the potential for energy savings and greenhouse gas reductions is immense.Waste has been used for decades to generate, heat, electricity, and biogas, but generating liquids has been too costly, Webber said. New technologiessuch as SRF conversionare bringing down the price, which means we might be able to use unrecycled plastics to displace petroleum. This also helps divert waste from landfills while avoiding fossil fuel consumption. Mark Crawford is an independent writer.Register here for a free webinar on waste-to-energy technology.Although diapers will almost certainly be an interesting archeological find centuries from now, today they could make a great fuel.Michael E. Webber, University of Texas-Austin

Zalp Releases First-Ever Global Employee Referral Index

Zalp Releases First-Ever Global Employee Referral datenbankindex Zalp Releases First-Ever Global Employee Referral Index According to Zalp, the ER-i is the first and largest ever global initiative on employee referrals that aims to set the benchmarks of a successful employee referral program.The new Index will allow organizations to evaluate their referral process by benchmarking it against that of industry leaders and other high performing referral programs of successful organizations. It covers important variables and key performance indicators crucial for the evaluation and assessment of any referral program.Zalp has launched a global survey with over 1000+ participating organizations from different industries on certain key performance indicators of an employee referral program. The results will be produced in an Index for 2013, set to be released in Oct Nov.Each participating organization will also receive its own personalized indexing report designed to help the company meas ure its program against other companies to then understand and analyze improvement areas.At ZALP, our prime focus has always been to help organizations unleash the true potential of their employee referral program, Priyanka Prabhu, marketing manager at ZALP, said. We thought giving organizations a chance to benchmark their current referral program with that of others in their industry would be a great step towards that goal.Participate now at www.er-i.net/register.

A Deadly Mistake Uncovered on Resumes No Experience and How to Avoid It

A Deadly Mistake Uncovered on Resumes No Experience and How to Avoid It Leadership doesnt have to be in a job to have the hiring managers interest Asking candidates what their expectations of the internship are is a significant method to ascertain whether they understand your organization and the work theyll do. Dont forget, HR professionals probably have a good deal of resumes to check at if theyre hiring. Some recruiters utilize certain keywords and phrases to screen resumes and pick the greatest potential candidates for a job opening. Resumes give potential employers a means to learn about applicants quickly and readily, and theyre your very first step toward new job opportunities. Most resumes are created for example that. Resumes for entry-level warehouse positions will need to get a tiny extra energetic. By way of example, freshers pursuing the course can search for internships in a variety of businesses and firms. So long as youre able to emphasize and highlight the skills you know can give rise to the businesss well-being, you are certain to find short-listed and be invited for an interview. You should also chat about past experience. A decade experience is essential. The subject of mechanical engineering is a very respectable one. You may also have a skills section in which you list soft skills and any programs, languages, or certifications youve got. List any other skills you might have. Its possible for you to mention your upcoming education plans too. What Is So Fascinating About Resumes No Experience? Certain facilities may be seeking different personal qualities. On the flip side, people with tons of experience within the field would require a resume thats detailed and professional. Everyone welches in the exact situation when they were searching for their very first job A scarcity of job experience doesnt indicate too little work experience. With the most suitable set of transferable abilities, you can land a paralegal job free of experience. For instance, if youre asking for a job as an administrative assistant, you dont will need to discuss the way your position for a babysitter helped improve your childcare skills, but you might share the way the experience helped you cultivate time management abilities and the capacity to juggle several tasks simultaneously. The Secret to Resumes No Experience Learning how to do a resume when do leid have any work experience is far easier if it is possible to demonstrate some seasonal or short-term work experience. Extremely convenient and itll help save you hours of work. Making your resume is essential. Writing a resume for employment in the art industry can be difficult. Why Almost Everything Youve Learned About Resumes No Experience Is Wrong Because of the enormous number of resumes that hiring managers receive, they normally have just a few moments to scan a resume and discard candidates whose resumes are tough to read or possess the important inform ation buried beneath a morass of less important text. Dont permit the simple fact that the candidates have minimum work experience throw youjust focus on the demands of your organization, the practical skills each candidate brings, and how he or shes going to fit in the team, and youre guaranteed to be prosperous. For an objective statement, concentrate on the particular job you need or an overall job type and after that highlight your qualifications. For each position, you are going to want to include your job title and business name. The objective ought to be relatively short and get right to the point. The aim of your resume must be to BLEND IN. Rather, the goal of the career objective is to showcase your abilities and abilities that can help you to successfully fulfill the responsibilities of the position. It is not to tell the hiring manger what you hope to get out of the company. If this fork lift Operator resume case was not adequate for you, youre definitely no expens e to critique many different samples and templates from our website. No matter your degree of work knowledge, your resume structure is crucial to making your program stick out.

Where to Find Resume Writing by Country

Where to Find Resume Writing by Country The Tried and True Method for Resume Writing by Country in Step by Step Detail If youre applying to be a manager, having leadership abilities or poise would be quite valuable. The target is a brief sentence describing what sort of work you aspire to obtain. Actually, you should only list experiences directly related to the position youre applying for. Provided that you provide enough info to permit the representative to rate your abilities for the role, its really hard to go wrong. Now that the difficult work is completed, you ought to make certain everything is polished as possible. There are a few things that dont belong on a resume for work. If you want to do two or three distinct things, then build a few specific resumes. Chronological resumes are excellent for clearly displaying your work or educational history and theyre a good option for almost any degree of experience. Lies Youve Been Told About Resume Writing by Country E mployers may also search for you on other social networking tools, like Facebook, Twitter and blogs. Offering free resume reviews is one method to discover clients. The website also hosts a network for employers searching for new talent. Pay attention when you subscribe, however, because most services provide a number of different plans and a few plans limit the characteristics or number of resumes youre able to create. Many employers cross-reference your resume to your on-line presence. What you exclude is at least as crucial as what you include. While Canadian resumes are available in many diverse formats, they share some standards that you ought to know about. The totally free review is truly free, hassle-free, and doesnt want a credit card to start. If youre asking for work in an unfamiliar geography, you may want to ask a neighborhood friend (or friend of friend) to observe a sample resume.

Who Else Wants to Learn About What Should My Resume Look like?

Who Else Wants to Learn About What Should My Resume Look like? The War Against What Should My Resume Look like Youre able to come across several excellent examples on the internet that can help you produce an effective objective statement that specifically says the sort of job that you would like. Your address needs to be your existing residence, where you could get mail in a timely fashion. Its always preferable to make a new email address thats somewhat professional. Also, make certain youve got a professional-sounding email address. The instant you get started attending school youre able to put that youre working on a level, and post your anticipated graduation date. When there is relevant volunteer experience, that needs to be included, too. You then need to have them know that you wished to ensure that the hauptplatine had the most up-to-date details about how much youre preparing yourself to become a firefighter. Keep in mind, your resume should always underline the skills, experience, and accomplishments which are most relevant to your job objectives. Employers wish to realize that you have continued education, if applicable. Internships and volunteer work may also be mentioned here. With more and more older workers appearing to stay in or re-enter the workforce with aleidher career, its essential to make sure your resume highlights all of the experience and passion youve got to offer you. Law school resumes arent the exact same as a resume that you would utilize to turn in an application for work. Top Choices of What Should My Resume Look like Plus it does answer the question what you might be useful at. There are many unique approaches to organize the info on your resume, but the fantastic old reverse chronological (where your latest experience is listed first) is totenstill your best option. You are going to have the chance to ask questions about how to compose a resume and have them answered through a professional expert development coach. Your resume has an objective rather than an expert summary Objective statements describe your requirements, rather than how you are going to fulfill the needs of an employer. How you perceive your abilities and experiences will be able to help you create a CV that stands out. You may also use a mix of functional and chronological resumes. Building a killer resume is notlage so easy to do but it doesnt imply that you wont have the ability to produce one on your own. Make sure that you list your relevant abilities and any certifications you might have, including your combination style resume template Handlers card. Usually its sufficient to include a couple of testimonials in your resume. You dont need to offer any personal or private info on your resume. It is possible to place your contact details in the footer of your resume, but should you do, you must make certain theyre also in the most important body of the document. For some it might be tough to condense a r esume down to a single page. Experience will be crucial for management slots. Hiring agencies will search for particular terms in your resume to make sure to have the experience theyre seeking. Federal jobs often need you to have experience in a particular kind of work for some period of time. Resumes are made to capture a possible employers interest, so they may want to interview you. Its also advisable to tailor your resume to demonstrate the way your work experience specifically meets the requirements of the job that youre applying for. If do not have any experience, you are able to still add an experience section. On the program, you are made to incorporate every job. At the bare minimum, you need to always list a present job in case you have one. The Good, the Bad and What Should My Resume Look like Also, remember that theres a good opportunity you resume will be scanned electronically as a growing number of companies utilize special software to index resumes. Focus on these sections to understand whether you meet the requirements for the position. The good thing is that in case you do even a moderately great job of writing your resume you have a fairly good probability of standing out from the competition. The secret is to format the data in a manner that makes it simple to scan quickly to recognize your job objectives and relevant qualifications and achievements. Employing a custom resume instead of a generic one is going to greatly increase your probability of an interview, as youll be a better match in the view of the reader. So as to have the very best chance at getting hired, however, youre likely to want an excellent customer service resume. The time has arrived, dearie. Taking the opportunity to work on your resume is essential. What Should My Resume Look like - Dead or Alive? Its uncommon to make far more than $20,000 per year for a dishwasher. Keep in mind, your resume is intended to secure you the interview. Your resume st ill should be very simple to read however.

How Fear Spreads Quickly from Leaders to Employees

How Fear Spreads Quickly from Leaders to EmployeesHow Fear Spreads Quickly from Leaders to EmployeesIn my blog posts, I am always writing to the job seeker or to the person looking for help with their resume.In todays post, I want to address the business owner or leader and how they affect the atmosphere within the office. Are you a strong or fear-driven leader? If you just had a gut twinge about the fear-driven part, then this article is for you.Heres the harsh truth No matter how much you plan, no matter how many rules you put in place, no matter how much risk you avoid, youll never control all the circumstances that influence your business. Never. And if you cant learn to coexist peacefully with that truth, says Dan Prosser, youll never live up to your full potential as a leader.Too many leaders live in fear of the unknown and of uncontrollable events in their business, says Prosser, author ofTHIRTEENERS Why Only 13 Percent of Companies Successfully Execute Their Strategy- and How Yours Can Be One of Them. The consequences can be devastating. Theres no faster way to turn good employees into cynical and nonproductive ones than to stress them out through your efforts to control the possibility of failure.Fear spreads quickly from leaders to employees, Prosser leides. It stifles individuals and groups, prevents productive risk-taking, and turns engaged innovators into disconnected clock-punchers. Ultimately, the harmful side effects of fear prevents your company from effectively executing its strategy.Here are five behaviors that indicate you are a fear-driven leader1. You value not failing above all else.As Prosser writes in THIRTEENERS, 87 percent of all companies with a strategic plan will fail to execute it. Thats because those companies are pursuing the simplest yet most damaging strategy the strategy to avoid failure.Most people are invested in not failing, and theyve taught all their employees to value that execution model over taking the kind of risks t hat have the potential to pay off, says Prosser. Everyones doing it, and its costing your company on a grand scale.2. You cling to old strategies simply because theyre familiar.Many companies that fail often appear to be operating under full sail. Prosser says, Yes, theres lots of action happening in these organizations, but its usually the wrong kind of action. Its what earned success in years gone by. Leaders at these organizations think that if a strategy has worked before then its got to work again- and that more of the same can only be better. They go out of their way to convince themselves that the old strategy is working- especially when it isnt.The difference between a rut and a grave is only about five and a half feet, Prosser points out. Instead of digging themselves out of the rut theyre in, leaders who cling to old strategies end up just digging themselves in deeper when change occurs in the marketplace. Suddenly, they realize the competition has caught up or customers a re starting to disappear.3. You assume you (and you alone) should have all the answers.Fearful leaders often operate like lone wolves. They have to do everything themselves to feel confident it will be done correctly, and they resist considering (much less relying on) the opinions and recommendations of others.This is like taking a test from memory when you have the option to use not just the textbook, but the whole library, Prosser comments. Youll never know how talented your employees are if you think you have to have all the answers. Why not partner with your people to generate radical and revolutionary innovations for the future- a future that does not represent your fears of repeating the past? Let go of how you think it has to be and trust the process, allowing others to contribute ideas and get connected to your vision.4. Your knee-jerk reaction to chaos is to do something- anything.Whether youve just learned of an unexpected drop in quarterly earnings, gotten bad news from a client, or had a promising deal fall through, youve no doubt been faced with chaos, disorder, or confusion. Did you remain calm and thoroughly assess the situation, or did you panic, rush to judgment, and act without thinking?When youre faced with unexpected chaos or anxiety (especially anxiety that implies youre not equal to the challenge at hand), its easy to think, I need to do something right now, PRosser acknowledges. And so you lay off employees, switch to a new strategy, pull a product off the market, or make some other move that makes you feel better in the short zulauf that you did, well, something. But knee-jerk reactions made out of fear can have a long-lasting negative impact on your organization.5. You find yourself constantly addressing symptoms rather than searching for root causes.When disruptive issues pop up in the workplace, the first thing we want to do is- naturally- snuff them out as fast as we can. Often, thats because we fear not just the consequences of the disruption, but also the damage that might occur to our own reputations.However, treating only the symptoms rarely works, Prosser says. Most of the time, it just temporarily masks the real problem, which continues to damage workplace performance. As long as youre addressing only the symptoms and allowing core issues to remain, similar problems will just show up somewhere else, and you will go through the same exercise of pulling people in and talking through the problem (actually the symptoms) again and again and again.

Taking Time off Work These 12 Sabbatical Ideas Will Help You Make Most of It

Taking Time off Work These 12 Sabbatical Ideas Will Help You Make Most of ItTaking Time off Work These 12 Sabbatical Ideas Will Help You Make Most of ItHave you come too close to burning out? Has the dullness of the daily routine stifled yur creativity? Are you feeling paralysed and lack any sense of direction?Your energy need restoring and thenerve-racking job simply calls for along and nourishing break.Yes, youre right, were talking about the fabled sabbatical.The Jewish sounding term has been originally used in academia to describea scholars year-long break for every seven years worked.However, the hectic pace of the modern society has made it a household word that now denotes any type of a job hiatus.A sabbatical allows a person to refresh, renew and return to life with a new perspective. - Christopher Key Chapple.Your time off work is important but so is your attitude towards it. The sabbatical is a valuable time that deserves smart decisions and wise choices.You can either ent er your sabbatical with a to-do list of items to improve your life and career or see it as an unstructured time that embraces wandering and exploring without specific goals in mind. Or something in between.Thats all up to you.To get your thinking started, weve put together a list of 12 most rewarding sabbatical ideasfor adventurous, creative, artistic, wanderlust people who appreciate quality time1. Explore the world and go on a soul-searching tripBring some momentum to your sabbatical. Take a trip around the world to explore new cultures and meet new people in each country you visit. You can have a fixed plan, but more adventurous travelers can even take a trip without scheduling an itinerary. Your sabbatical also gives you the freedom to plan your trip according to your personal tastes. Which means of transport do you enjoy the most? What best suits your budget? Will your wanderlust have you jumping from one destination to another? Or will you want to exchange quantity for quality and stay in one place for a longer time to get to know it deeper?Traveling is also your opportunity to invest your time in activities you truly enjoy. While some of us drool over the chance to learn surfing in Hawaii, others dream about checking out the local music scene in the New York City, exploring hiking trails leading to beautiful vistas and waterfalls in Yosemite orsetting off in quest of the best ramen in Tokyo.2. Get active in the community through volunteeringIf your goal is to develop your intellect and challenge yourself to accomplish goals that truly matter and affect your community, volunteering might be your best pick. There are a variety of ways to get involved in your local community. Take a look around and in no time can you be raising money, hosting a meet and greet for a political candidate, helping out at the phone bank or delivering yard signs.3. Get back to your roots and spend time with your loved onesAt a certain point in life, everyone finds himself in a s ituation when they need to discover who they are and where they came from. Your sabbatical can also serve a time for rediscovering your roots and getting back to your family. It might simply mean spending more time with your loved ones, or even planning a trip to your familys country of origin and getting to know some of your relatives who may still be living there.This journey back in time can be fun and enjoyable as well as daunting and uncomfortable. There may be things that you will be proud of but also things youd rather be if you didnt know about. But having researched your family lineage and uncovered your family history, you will eventually end up with a deeper understanding of yourself and your behaviour.4. Express your artistic selfIs there a Rembrandt or Van Gogh dreaming inside you? Dont hesitate to explore your creative genius and attend an art class where youll get the chance to learn how to paint, draw or create pottery.Even a few weeks can help you leave your sabbati cal with an ability to paint a fancy landscape scenery or even perhaps become an emerging graffiti artist.5. Carve your ideas into wordsIf you can express yourself better in writing, take the chance during your time off to write that book youve always wanted to get published. Or you can take a course at a local university to help you write your masterpiece.Perhaps youll be too busy traveling to enrol in a creative writing course in person. But theres a solution for you, too. If you want to stay independent, the worlds top universities - such as Stanford, MIT, Purdue University or others - offer free online classes that you can attend from almost anywhere, whether its your mountain shack or yacht cabin.6. Relax, meditate and decompressEspecially when your last job welches too demanding and you just felt too much pressure, sabbatical may as well be your time to relax and decompress. You can take a yoga or pilates class or schedule some time to attend a retreat in the mountains or at the seaside. Communing with nature is one of the best ways to reclaim your inner peace and absorb the harmony of the natural world.7. Get in touch with natureNature is a great source of inspiration and hidden energy. If youve been feeling too depressed in the city and heard the call of the wild, maybe its time to unleash your natural self and spend your sabbatical in the countryside.Theres a variety of mind-cleansing things you can do. Working on a local farm can help you observe natural cycles - for example during planting and harvesting stage - and lead you to genuine humility through exercising your body and mind through hard work. Or you can try to replicate Thoreaus Walden experience and adopt a civil-disobedience mindset instead.If youve no idea where to start looking for opportunities, just ask around or look them up online through global volunteering websites such as WWOOF or Workaway.8. Find some time to get lost in a bookIs everything you read only business emails,movie subtitles and short snippets of news?Your to read list surely contains dozens of fantastic books. Now listen closely because sabbatical may be calling you to sit down and spend your days in a hammock, reading and enjoying masterpieces of literature youve always wanted to read. If you need help with choosing the books to read, though, be sure to keep up with the trends as well as pick a few books from the classic literature book lists on Goodreads. Although most of us were required to read them at school, we hardly did anything more than just skimmed the surface. And thats a great pity.9. Make that crazy business idea happenIf youve spent decades waiting for an impetus to start innovating and creating, theres simply no better time than your sabbatical. Its the time of a limited risk with a huge potential rewardThe sabbatical sets you completely free to daydream and explore millions of creative ideas for inventions floating through your head. And once you recognise those with the bes t potential, nothing will hold you from turning them into reality.Inventors also tend to flock together, so dont hesitate to invest in networking. Get in touch with other innovators through United Inventors Association of USA or Manhattan Inventors. Maybe youll find out that some like-minded genius is living just around the corner10. Network the hell out of your time offRegardless of what your goals are, you need strong friendships and casual acquaintances to achieve them. Take your sabbatical as an opportunity to meet new people and create a web of connections that you will be able to fall back on. Trusted friends and experienced professionals can provide you with advice, support and encouragement that you need. And besides that, its always refreshing to draw some inspiration from other people and learn from their mistakes.11. Dive into academia and boost your knowledgeAre you an aspiring Nobel prize winner that has only recently found his professional niche?If you feel like youre falling behind with your education, the sabbatical may be your path to another diploma that will boost your career prospects in the future.Many top universities such as Oxford, Stanford or MIT offer short-term and long-term professional diplomas in various courses. So dont hesitate and make the lasting investment into your professional knowledge and skills. Its never been so easy to have such convenient access to education before.12. Follow your heartThe most unfortunate thing you can do is spend your life not doing what you want to. Being busy in our hectic routine, we often ignore our dreams and wishes.Do you remember things you wanted to do when you grow up? Play guitar solos like Jimi Hendrix or sing your heart out like Frank Sinatra? Perform in a theatre or make it in Hollywood? Whatever it is that makes you tick, you should definitely give it a go. Because there wont be any better time than now.Reach out for new and richer experienceYou dont have to wait seven years to deserve a sabbatical.If any of these ideas resonated with you, theres no reason to wait any longer.These fun, interesting and creative ideas for spending a sabbatical in a worry-free manner will provide you with opportunities for personal growth and development. Chances are you will also become more agile, flexible, resourceful, and creative in designing your own life and livelihood.Besides taking a break, however, there are several other ways that can help you overcome your current job crisis- a substantialpay rise, major career changeor new friends in the workplace.But if youve already made up your mind, remember to quityour job with a style andleave a good impression. Because, as we all know,lifes is like a box of chocolates and youve no clue what it has in store for you next.Share Your Feedback or Ideas in the Comments