Friday, November 29, 2019

Educational Opportunities in the Air Force

Educational Opportunities in the Air ForceEducational Opportunities in the Air ForceOf course, everyone who enlists on active duty is eligible for the G.I. Bill. Unlike the Army and Navy, the Air Force does not have a college fund which adds money to your monthly G.I. Bill entitlements. Like all of the services, in addition to the G.I. Bill, the Air Force also gives tuition assistance for college courses you take when off-duty. How to Find Military Friendly Colleges Like all of the services, when you are off-duty, you can take college courses on campuses close to the military base you are assigned to or take advantage of courses offered on-base through the base education offices. Courses offered on-base are by actual colleges and universities, which are considered military friendly, in that they generally give leistungspunkt for military training and usually have liberal credit transfer policies. In addition to degree programs offered by the military friendly colleges and univers ities that operate on and around military bases, you can receive a fully accredited Associates degree from the Air Force itself. The Air Force has established the Community College of the Air Force (CCAF). The college is one of several federally chartered degree-granting institutions however, it is the only two-year institution exclusively serving enlisted personnel. The college awards the associate in applied science degree after a student successfully completes a degree program designed for an Air Force specialty. The Community College of the Air Force is accredited through Air University by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools to award the associate degree.

Sunday, November 24, 2019

The Pros and Cons of a Paid Time Off (PTO) Policy

The Pros and Cons of a Paid Time Off (PTO) PolicyThe Pros and Cons of a Paid Time Off (PTO) PolicyApaid time off (PTO) policy combines vacation, sick time and personal time into a single bank of days for employees to use to take paid time off from work. A PTO policy creates a pool of days that an employee may use at his or her discretion. When an employee needs to take time off from work, the PTO policy enables a certain amount of the time off to be paid time off. The employee may use the PTO at his or her discretion. Whether they need the time for doctors appointments, kids school conferences, to pick Johnny up at the bus stop, to wait for a furnace repairman, or to recover from the flu, the time use is no longer the business of the employer. So, employees who may have song or made up stories about how they were using their time in the past, have the right to take PTO at their discretion to support work-life balance and flexibility. This has allowed employers and employees to stop t he practice of adult employees needing permission from their manager to miss work. To protect the company workload and customer tafelgeschirr, youll want to require that employees request PTO with at least two days prior noticeunless the employee is truly sick. Establish other guidelines, as needed, for employee sickness, vacation, and personal time before you adopt a PTO policy. (Employees tend to react unfavorably when a new system is adopted and the rules and guidelines dribble out later after the policy is in use. So, think carefully about the ramifications of the decision and make every effort to fully inform employees of all related policies and guidelines prior to its adoption.) To help you think about whether a PTO policy will work in your organization, here are the advantages and disadvantages of adopting PTO over traditional paid time off days. Advantages of a Paid Time Off Policy You treat employees as adults who are entitled to use PTO at their discretion without ove rsight. Managers are not put in the position of having to police their reporting employees use of their benefit, paid time off.PTO gives the employer some control over unscheduled absences, a serious problem, and cost for many. Employees can schedule time off in advance which assists with work coverage.Employees value the flexibility that PTO provides. It gives them the option of using the paid time off when they most need it- whether to care for a sick child who cant go to daycare or to take a vacation with the family at the beach. In the past, employees may have been untruthful about why they needed to take time off from work because they wanted their manager to think positively of them. PTO, in allowing them to make adult decisions, provides no reason for employees not to tell the truth.Employers can address employee attendance only with people who are gaming the system or having attendance problems, rather than having to impose a lot of rules and guidelines for your average empl oyee who attends work regularly with no problems. Disadvantages of Paid Time Off Policies Some research shows that employers who adopt PTO may give employees fewer overall days than they had previously, and/or new employees accumulate PTO more slowly than longer-term employees.Employees tend to view PTO as a benefit and use all of the time off, whereas they may not have in the past. when they had time off for personal days, sick days, and vacation. Americans, especially, are notorious for not taking paid vacations and other paid time off of work.Employees tend to view all PTO time as vacation time and come to work when they are sick. Employers can discourage this practice with absenteeism management practices.Managers in the organization need to set the pace and expectations and model appropriate behavior foremployees. Coaching can also help address the issue of employees coming into work sick. Paid Time Off Policy Averages In a 2016survey conducted by the Society for Huma n Resource Management (SHRM), The majority of organizations offered PTO plans (87%) and paid vacation plans (91%) to employees based on their length of service at the organization. For PTO plans, the average leave days awarded per year based on employees length of service ranged from 13 to 26days and eight to 22 days for paid vacation plans. If you are a member of SHRM, you can download the complete report from the above reference link. In a study conducted by the WorldatWork Association in September 2014, the average number of PTO days offered by employers was Less than one year of service 16 days1-2 years of service 18 days3-4 years of service 19 days5-6 years of service 22 days7-8 years of service 23 days9-10 years of service 24 days11-15 years of service 26 days16-19 years of service 27 days20 years of service 28 days Youll want to take a look at the whole survey report about paid time off. In addition to the range of paid time off days that employers offer, the rest of the empl oyee benefit, paid time off, is explored. In several of the service periods of time, the number of days of paid time off dropped between their 2010 survey and the 2014 survey.

Thursday, November 21, 2019

Easiest Part-Time Jobs to Boost Your Income

Easiest Part-Time Jobs to Boost Your IncomeEasiest Part-Time Jobs to Boost Your IncomeAre you looking for an easy part-time job? Whether you want a second job thats easier than your first one, are in school and want to earn some extra money while still having time for your studies, a weekend job, or simply want to boost your income with a part-time job that isnt too stressful, there are many options available. Before you start reviewing jobs, remember that easy depends on how good a fit the job is. What might be the easiest job ever for you, could be challenging for someone without your expertise. Whats easy for someone else could be a job that you would never want to do. For example, if youre a people person who loves to talk to anyone and everyone, being a product brand ambassador could be a great fit. If youre an introvert who would rather work quietly on your own, there are other options that would most likely be a better fit for you. Keep that in mind when youre reviewing job o ptions and considering which jobs you could do without working too hard. Review tips for lining up a job that fits your needs and your availability. 25 Easy Part-Time Jobs Heres a list of part-time jobs that can be easy for job seekers to get and not too hard to do while providing a way to boost your earnings. 1. Appointment Setter If you have good communication skills, appointment platzsetting could be the job for you. Youll be setting up appointments for salespeople, either in-person or on the phone. You may need to call prospective customers, or you could be following up on leads generated by the company. 2. Brand Ambassador If youre a friendly people person with enthusiasm, the ability to stand on your feet, and the availability to work flexible hours, including weekends, brand ambassadors communicate, give away samples, and share product benefits with prospective customers. 3. Classroom or Library Monitor Whether its in a classroom, library, gym, or on a bus, a monitor is responsible for keeping order and maintaining discipline. The job requirements include strong communication skills, and the ability to work with children. 4. Customer Service If you like helping people, troubleshooting problems and solving issues, a job in customer service is worth considering. There are many different roles available, and many customer service jobs involve ansprechbar work so you can work from home. The schedule is flexible, so you may be able to easily work around your day job or school schedule. 5. Data Entry Data entry is another job that can be done either online or on-site. Youll need to be able to type quickly and accurately. For some jobs, youll need specialized skills like a knowledge of legal or medical terminology. Do be aware that there are many online data entry scams, so take care to avoid them. 6. Delivery Driver Do you have a reliable car? Do you like driving? Jobs delivering food, flowers, packages, and anything else that is d elivered directly to a customers front door are plentiful. Some of these jobs come with great perks, like free or discounted food, auto insurance discounts, roadside assistance, and a flexible schedule. 7. Fitness Instructor Do you spend a lot of time at the gym? Becoming a fitness instructor is a way to get paid for sharing your healthy lifestyle. Depending on your skill set, you could provide individual instruction as a personal trainer or teach group classes. 8. Food/Product Demonstrations Are you a foodie? Do you love to cook? Many grocery stores, product manufacturers, and specialty retailers hire part-time workers to demonstrate recipes and product tastings. If youve got kitchen skills, consider using them to earn some extra money. 9. Freelance Work Freelancing is a way to use the skills you have already developed to boost your earnings. There are many employers who dont want to commit to adding an employee to the payroll, and freelance job opportunities are plenti ful. You can work as much- or as little- as you want. If youre not sure what you could do, browse the job postings on Upworkor Outsourcelyto get some ideas. 10. Guest Services Representative Hotels, clubs, museums, visitor centers, event spaces, childrens activity venues, and other organizations need guest services associates to help things ansturm smoothly. You could be taking reservations, planning a party, giving a tour, or hosting an event. The hours are flexible, and you can work on an event-basis or a regular schedule. 11. Hotel Concierge If you have the scoop on the best places to dine and things to do in your community, a part-time job as a concierge at a hotel or resort will enable you to share your advice with guests. Staffing a concierge desk is a good easy job option for someone with people skills. 12. House Sitter/Caretaker One of the best things about being a house sitter or a caretaker is that you dont actually have to do anything other than make sure the property you are watching is safe and secure. You may need to arrange repairs if theres a problem, and perhaps do some routine maintenance. When youre working for the right client, its not much different than hanging out at home. 13. Market Research/Survey Caller One of the easiest types of phone calling jobs is conducting surveys or market research. You dont have to try to sell anything. Rather, youre asking questions or collecting information for your employer. 14. Merchandiser Many greeting card, flower, newspaper, and other specialty items in grocery stores, department stores, and pharmacies are stocked by outside vendors. Those vendors hire part-time merchandisers to replenish displays, order stock and set up promotions. The hours are part-time and flexible, and, if you can lift boxes, this is an easy job to do. 15. Newspaper Delivery Yes, daily newspapers still do get delivered. If you have early morning availability and a reliable car, delivering your local newspa per can earn you some extra money. Phone books are (really) still delivered, as well. 16. Online Sales There are people who make a decentliving selling on eBay. There are others who use it as a way to supplement their income by selling online. If youre crafty, Etsy is an option for selling your wares. Does your closet need a clean out? Sites like Poshmark make it very easy to sell your extra stuff. 17. Parking Attendant The easiest parking job is a booth attendant, where you dispense or take tickets and collect fees. If youre a car buff, valet parking might be the job for you. Depending on where you work, you may have the opportunity to park some very special vehicles. Youll need a valid drivers license for most positions. 18. Pet Sitter Are you an animal lover? If youve got room in your home for a guest or two, you can earn money taking care of dogs, cats, and other pets while their owners are away. Thats the easiest way to do it, but pet sitters who come to the owners home are also in demand. Check out apps like Wag and Roverfor easy ways to get started. 19. Retail When you think about what makes a job easy, also think about what makes a job fun. Working for a huge mainstream retailer might not be your idea of a great job, but there are small local companies that could be an option. Think bookstore if youre a book lover, pet store if youre a pet lover, liquor store if youre a wine connoisseur, or hardware store if youre handy. Here are some of thebest hourly retail jobs. 20. Rideshare Driver Uber, Lyft, and other rideshare companies are pitched as one of the best ways to earn easy money. You can sign up online to get hired, you may be able to get paid instantly, and you can set your own schedule. Do keep in mind that youll need a four-door reliable vehicle, drivers license, and insurance to get started. 21. Restaurant Host Working as a waiter or waitress is a common second job, but a host or hostess job can be easier. If youre outgoin g and friendly, can manage the guest flow if the restaurant doesnt take reservations, and can juggle phone calls while youre doing other tasks, this is an option to consider. 22. Salon/Spa Front Desk/Reception Are you able to multitask? Are your interpersonal skills top-notch? Front desk positions involve greeting clients, managing a schedule, and answering the phone. You may also handle product sales and give tours to new or prospective clients. 23. Social Media Helper Some of us cant get too far away from our social accounts. If youre one of those people who spends too much time on social, you can put it to good use and get paid for using your social media skills. Businesses, large and small, need help promoting their companies and engaging with customers. 24. Test Proctor As with most of these jobs, youll need flexibility in your schedule. Some exams are offered on evenings and weekends, while others are online. Test proctors check identification, monitor the testing environment, report irregularities, and complete testing paperwork. 25. Tutor If youre a college student or teacher, tutoring jobs in your area of expertise are a way to make extra money without a long-term commitment. For most jobs, youll need an academic background in the subject matter you wish to tutor. Youll also need patience and excellent communication skills. How to Find an Easy Part-Time Job How to get hired, depends on the type of job for which youre applying. Craigslist is always a good source of part-time job listings. FlexJobs is an option for remote work. The top job sites are always an option for finding jobs to apply for. Use the advanced search options to qualify your search by type of job (part-time), job title, and location. Do you have a favorite store, coffee shop, gym, or salon where youre a regular? Check to see if they are hiring. Customers can make the best employees, and youll have an in with the hiring manager. If youre interested in working from h ome, there are part-time jobs available in many different sectors. Tell your friends, family, and neighbors that youre looking for a part-time job that isnt stressful or too hard because you have other commitments that you need to focus on, and you dont want a demanding position at this point in your career. Networking does work, and its among the top ways people get hired.