Photo: Keatley Photo

By Sarah Ward

‘Tis the season for office holiday parties! A word to the wise, here are some things you should when deciding what to wear:

• Cleavage — is that where you really want attention to go when talking to the guy from IT?
• Too short/tight dresses — leave the club clothes for Saturday night
• Too casual clothes — as to avoid showing disrespect
• Holiday costumes — no sexy elf costumes!
• Ugly Christmas sweater — unless that’s the theme!

Remember, you are partying with your boss and colleagues so that means your reputation is on the line. A good rule of thumb is this: Less skin is more! Because the more skin you show, the less authoritative you become.

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Christmas Lights

Photo Credit

The quintessential dorm room lighting choice takes on a whole new dimension during the holidays! Christmas lights are the cheapest and easiest way to decorate for the holidays, and have a myriad of uses:

• Wrap multicolored Christmas lights around your bedpost and bed frame for sugarplum dreams!
• Drape icicle Christmas lights from your closet or dresser top.
• Create a glowing illusion by running lights all around the perimeter of your room where your ceiling meets the walls.
• Use Christmas lights (white or multicolored) to create a faux headboard over your bed.
• Crisscross the lights from wall to wall near the ceiling to really make the room feel cozy.
• Stuff the cord of lights inside a large jar or around an empty bottle for simple and festive decor.
• Use the lights to make an outline of a Christmas tree, Star of David, or Kwanzaa symbols on your wall or in the hallway.

To hang your lights, use Command hooks or strong, clear tape (I use packing tape) to keep them from falling and keep your walls in tact.

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You’ll discover a world of decision makers with a little bit of time on their hands. There are openings if you’ll just take advantage of them.

As always, the only trick to a successful job hunt is knowing what you want. As you reach out to the leaders you hope to work for, keep the following things in mind.

1. Keep your message short and clear. Practice describing your goal until you can say it in under a minute. When you get your next boss on the phone, you need to be flawless.
2. Find their phone number in advance. Use LinkedIn to identify the people you want to talk to. They are the managers of the groups you hope to work in. Find their phone numbers by calling into the company and asking for them by name (preferably after hours).
3. Send your resume, on paper, in advance. Address it to the attention of the person you are going to call.
4. Begin your call with a solid value opener. “I know you are working on X and I am in a position to really help”. You’ll know what X is by looking at their LinkedIn profile.
5. Tell them what you want to do. 60 seconds. Max.
6. Offer a money back guarantee. “Let me come into the office. I’ll work for a week. Then, let’s talk about whether or not you want to hire me. If you don’t, I won’t charge you.”
7. Be persistent.

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Malls and Stores

Retail jobs are easy to get because because retailers need extra staff to help with the influx of shoppers. An added bonus is that many of these businesses provide employees with special in store discounts. 

Restaurants and Caterers

Due to all the consumers out and about shopping for Christmas there is a jump in the amount of people dining out.  Also, with holiday parties and extra family visiting for the season, restaurants and caterers need extra people to keep things running smoothly.  One of the perks to working this time of year are good tips since people are feeling extra generous and giving.

Ski Resorts

As soon as the cold weather hits and snow begins to fall people head up to the ski resorts so there is a need for instructors, hotel and restaurant staff and other jobs available in and around the resorts.  An added perk to working at the resort are discounted lift tickets, meals or other added freebies.  

Offices

Many employees take time off during the holidays leaving employees scrambling to find replacements.  Registering with a temp agency early will put you at the top of the list for these openings.  People with good typing skills and that are efficient with common office computer programs have a leg up on the competition but there are plenty of positions available for answering phones to filing.

Get your beach body in time for spring break! Photo: Uppy Photo

Spring break is less than a month away. Are you ready to break out your swimsuit and beach body in public yet?

1. Diet. It’s easy for college students to get stuck eating frozen pizza and ramen noodles on a regular basis, but this heavy carb diet is doing nothing for your beach body. Include fresh fruit and vegetables into your diet, drink lots of water, and include protein…..
2. Cut the soda. The average American consumes a shocking 3700 calories per day, and a large part of them are liquid calories in the form of soda. A can of coke has 39 grams of sugar, or nearly 10 teaspoons of sugar. Get your sugar fix through fresh fruit instead which has more fiber and no refined sugars.
3. Cardio. Bring a book or magazine to the gym so you can put in extra time on the treadmill. High intensity cardio work-outs three times a week, like running, swimming, basketball, dancing, or cycling, will help you burn fat. Make sure you’re doing 30-minute cardio sessions at least three times per week.
4. Weights. While cardio will help you burn fat and lose weight, lifting weights will help your beach body look toned when. While your abs are strong enough to be worked everyday, switch up your routine for your other muscles to avoid muscle fatigue.
5. Smaller portions. Eating smaller portions will let you eat more of the food you love while still losing weight without dieting. A woman I know lost 12 pounds over Christmas simply by eating less of everything.
6. Stay hydrated. Sometimes when you think you’re hungry, you’re really just thirsty. Plus, having a tall glass of water before a meal can help you feel full with less food.
7. Partner up. If you’re doing spring break with a group of friends, pick a friend to be accountable to. Committing to a beach ready body is hard work, but having someone to report to will help you stay consistent.