From Physio to Charity

From Physio to Charity Success Story > From: Job To: Portfolio career From Physio to Charity “I wanted todo more to help people. It felt like a calling I couldn't ignore.” * From Physio to Charity Tas Economou worked hard on beating 'impostor syndrome' to become a success in her career. But she knew something else was missing, and she was determined to find out what that was. Here, she shares how taking a series of bold risks led her to the unexpected position of designing her dream role. What work were you doing previously? I was a full-time physiotherapist in the public sector. What are you doing now? I'm the Chief Operating Officer for Indigo Volunteers, a charity that connects volunteers with humanitarian causes around the world. I'm also still working as a physiotherapist on a part-time basis, in a private hospital. Why did you change? I've always wanted to help people in a practical and meaningful way. I became a physiotherapist because I thought I could do that, and enjoy a stable career at the same time. But I was very young when I qualified, and it overwhelmed me to suddenly have so much responsibility for my patients' health, often having to make life-changing decisions on their behalf. I didn't feel as though I had enough life experience to advise them properly. I felt out of my depth. I found it hard to ask questions of anyone else, because as a qualified physiotherapist, surely I should know all the answers? I persevered and I worked hard, eventually progressing to a senior level in my career. But as I developed more confidence in myself, I started getting itchy feet. I felt as though this couldn't be all there was. I wanted to use my skills to help others less fortunate than us here in the UK. I wanted to spread my wings, and do more to help people. It felt like a calling I couldn't ignore. When was the moment you decided to make the change? I started searching online for volunteer places abroad. I thought I might be able to offer my services as a physiotherapist to people in serious need. I found lots of interesting placements, but I soon discovered that the organisations in charge were asking for lots of money to make them happen. While I understood that volunteering comes with costs, something didn't feel right. Surely I could go and help people in other countries without having to pay thousands of pounds I didn't have to do it? It felt more like booking an exclusive holiday, than genuinely trying to be of service to others. Then, one of my friends mentioned Indigo Volunteers, which is a fee-free volunteer placement charity. I looked at their website, and saw that they had a placement in Rwanda, for a physiotherapist in a children's home. I contacted the charity straight away, and within a few weeks I was in Rwanda! How did you choose your new career? It sounds cliched, but that placement in Rwanda changed my life. I fellin love with the children at the home. Some of them had been through so much, and I knew I was going to do everything I could to make them feel happy and safe. One particular child, Jean-Paul, was in a bad way when I first met him. He'd hardly ever been outside of the orphanage, and he only had one functional arm. If he wanted to get anywhere, he would push himself slowly along the cold, concrete floor. I began by providing physiotherapy to Jean-Paul and other children in the home, but I was soon caring for the children in other ways, too. I helped them with things like reading and writing, educating them about how to communicate with one another, and about the need for acceptance. I started to train the workers at the home on the best ways to care for a child with special needs. The home was being closed down and the children were being adopted, going to different homes around the country. Istarted assisting with the adoption process for some of the children. I looked out for Jean-Paul in particular, helping to find him a good home. Outside of the charity, I organised a personal fundraiser for him, and instead of birthday and Christmas gifts, I asked my friends for donations towards that. Five years on, I still support him and his mother from a distance, and send another child (now an adult) to university. I wanted others to have the experience that I did, and so I got in touch with Indigo to see how I could help. The placement came to an end, but I knew I wanted to continue helping others in a truly meaningful way. There was no going back. Are you happy with the change? Very! I'm working with a wonderful team of determined, like-minded people, providing help and support to those in desperate need. It doesn't get any better than that. We've placed over 3,000 volunteers all over the world now, and every one of them is so focused and passionate. I'm happy and proud to be part of that. What do you miss? I'm much happier not working full-time hours as a physiotherapist. But I'm lucky that I can still do physiotherapy work part-time, whenever I want to. My skills and qualifications can still be put to good use, and I can continue helping people in different ways. How did you go about making the shift? My time in Rwanda confirmed that I wanted to dedicate as much time as I possibly could to charity work. So I emailed Holly, the founder of Indigo Volunteers, to see if there was anything else I could do to help. We ended up meeting for a hot chocolate in a little cafe, and we hit it off immediately. I was so inspired by Holly's passion and enthusiasm. During our meeting, Holly explained that she was in the process of relocating the charity's operations to Greece, to help with the growing refugee crisis out there. She asked if I could help out with volunteer coordination, responding to emails and keeping all the charity's records up to date. I did this on a volunteer basis at first, when I wasn't at work. Then the charity started to expand, and there were more and more placements to organise. Though it was enjoyable, the work became complicated and time-consuming, so I made the decision to leave my full-time job. I flew straight out to Greece, to help manage operations 'on the ground'. From there, I started to handle all of the charity's operations and logistics, and eventually I put together a proposal to become its Chief Operations Officer. The board accepted my proposal straight away, which was amazing. How did you handle your finances to make your shift possible? After I left my job, I registered for private, part-time physiotherapy jobs that meant I could work flexible hours. This gave me the scope to fly out to Greece whenever I could, or to do some extra volunteering work in other parts of the world where it was needed most. I also decided to let my flat on AirBnB while I was away, just for a few weeks here and there. This helped to keep the bills paid, until Indigo were able to start paying me more. Even now, I earn five times less than I earned as a full-time physiotherapist. But I've found that the more money you have, the more you spend. I remember buying an iPad when I worked full-time and had the money. But I hardly ever used it, because I didn't really need it. In fact, I've now donated it to Indigo to use for events. Now I buy most of my clothes and gifts from charity shops, and my home is gadget-free! What was the most difficult thing about changing? Just as my career shift started, I had to take care of my uncle, who'd fallen ill. It was a very challenging time for me. I had to juggle my volunteer work, a full-time job, and additional caring responsibilities. I knew that if I was going to stay in control and make my shift happen, something would have to give. I was going to have to take some risks. Leaving my full-time job was one of those risks, because that job security was the only stability I had at the time. But I listened to my gut feelings, and I'm very grateful that I was able to make it all work out. What help did you get? My parents and boyfriend help me out, by letting me stay with them if I need to rent out my flat for some extra money. What have you learnt in the process? I know first-hand that you learn the most when you do scary things. I persevered in my physiotherapy career, even though I felt completely out of my depth. Then, when I started working for Indigo, I threw myself in completely. I was scared about leaving a stable, full-time job, but I knew in my gut that it was the right thing to do. I discovered that I was really good at managing operations and logistics, analysing the way things worked, then coming up with new ideas that could make everything run more smoothly. I ended up designing a role that could not only help the charity, but also felt as though it was meant for me. What would you advise others to do in the same situation? You've got to love what you do, or you're wasting your time. It's all about asking what you really want from your life, and then listening to your gut feelings. Sometimes, that means going all out to create your own opportunities, and carve out your own path. Thanks to our friends at Indigo Volunteers for this story. To find out more about their work, visitwww.indigovolunteers.org. What lessons could you take from Tas's story to use in your own career change? Let us know in the comments below.

How Resume Writing Guarantees Can Make You Stand Out From the Rest

How Resume Writing Guarantees Can Make You Stand Out From the RestA well written resume can make or break a person's chance of landing an important position within the company he is applying for. To get more attention from the potential employer, it is important to do it right and add enough information to satisfy their curiosity.There are people who are very keen in getting noticed as there are countless applications out there. An applicant may try his best to impress by writing lots of information on his resume but sometimes they may be overwhelmed with information. To avoid having a resume that gets rejected for different reasons, an applicant must use resume writing guarantees that will help them write a well written resume.Resume writing guarantees have been implemented by a number of companies, most of them to prevent the applicants from being rejected due to bad content on their resume. While some are doing it for the promotion of their own products, many are doing it for the betterment of the applicants. It has been observed that the applicants who submit resumes with promises that they will create a resume with 'resume writing guarantee' get better results compared to those who submit resumes without promises.To get these guarantees, applicants are required to fill out a form with all the information that they need for their resume to be submitted. Some companies require the applicants to write it by hand while some make use of a computerized system. However, the applicant should also be careful when using a computerized system.There are many instances when prospective employers reject an application because of excessive information. Most employers are unable to differentiate between what is required and what is not. If the resume is too detailed, there will be no way to decipher what is important and what is not.Before writing it, an applicant must ensure that it is clear and short. It should not have too much information on it. The content must be si mple and easy to understand so that even if someone reads it, he would understand the information written in it.In order to add a few details, an applicant can use free resume writing websites or e-mail resumes from other companies. This is not the right way to add more information. Instead, an applicant should use resume writing guarantees. Once the applicant adds this information, it will automatically be matched with the company where he is applying for.It is also important to follow up on your employments page. This is especially true if you are still working with the same company as you were before applying for the job. You can use resume writing guarantees to make sure that you always get hired in the company you want to work for.

How to Find Your Zen Using Body Language in an Interview

How to Find Your Zen Using Body Language in an Interview This advice is intended to help you create trust, acceptance, and confidence while interacting with any group of people.I’ve discovered a few parallels between teaching yoga students and making presentations for interviewers.Here's how you can use body language to create a zen atmosphere in your next job interview.Here's How to Breathe ProperlyThis sounds pretty simple. You do it all the time, right? But do you find that you speak too quickly when you’re nervous and must pause to breathe?If so, there’s a strong chance that your breath is landing in your chest.You’re not taking in the big, deep breaths to fill your lungs and provide oxygen to your brain, which is slightly important during an interview.Breathing Before an InterviewThe next time you find yourself in an anxiety-ridden interview, prepare for it by breathing deeply and slowly, before heading in.If you want to be formal about it, breathe in for a slow count of 4 seconds, exhale for a slow count of 6, pause for anoth er count of 4, and repeat.The longer exhale of oxygen will cause your body to activate the parasympathetic nervous system, which is responsible for your resting state. Your body starts to relax.Remember to Keep Breathing During the InterviewThis one is simple. Use punctuation marks to breathe.Typically, you pause momentarily after each comma, and longer after each period while reading sentences.Talk like you read and use those pauses as a chance to take a deep breath before finishing your thought.As a bonus, you’ll seem more relaxed and confident than if you’re stringing 11 thoughts together in one breath.Getting Yourself GroundedKeeping your feet flat on the ground stabilizes you.The solid connection with the ground stimulates your body to relax and stay still since you’re no longer prepared to move. It also helps you sit up taller because of the way it tilts the sacrum. Grounding Before an InterviewScoot to the end of the chair and firmly set your feet on the ground while wa iting in the lobby.This will enable your body to relax and stay alert.If you lean back in the chair, you will become too relaxed.If you’re standing, make sure you’re pressing evenly through both feet. I like to sway to the left, the right, the front and back of my feet to find the center of my stance.This will help stack your joints going up the leg, as well, and ease tension in your body.Staying Grounded in the InterviewPull the chair back from the table and sit with your feet flat on the floor.Unless you’re using your hands to explain a point, place them on your knees or thighs, palm down.This at-ease position signals your brain that there isn’t any danger and you’re feeling settled. Feeling settling will keep you focused on the task at hand.The at-ease position also keeps you from fidgeting with your hands, too. Fidgeting sends signals to the interviewer that you’re feeling frazzled. Get Personal With Your PronounsThis one is a language tip.Did you know by using langu age that directly associates something with the person you’re talking to, they are more likely to understand and trust you and more likely to take positive action?For instance, if I’m teaching someone to do a headstand, and say, “Lift the right leg up.” a student will likely feel anxious about tipping over and not trust their own ability?Whereas, if I say, “Lift your right leg up.” they feel more trusting and likely will go for it because the teacher is speaking directly to them. ‘In a similar way, using personal pronouns can help you create trust and credibility with your interviewer and yourself.Practice Personal Pronouns Before the InterviewWhile practicing questions or reviewing what you’ll talk about, make sure you use personal pronouns to help you feel confident in your answers.Instead of saying, “It will be important to mention my skills in [this field]”, try phrasing that thought as “I want to make sure I mention my skills in [this field]. I find it imp ortant to the success of my future job.”As you use these personal pronouns, you’ll take greater ownership of your skillset and interviewers will see your passion when you talk about it.How to Use Pronouns During the InterviewChances are you’ll be answering a lot of questions about yourself, so make the interviewer feel like a part of your world.Use lead-ins such as, “You might find it interesting that I [insert your experience]” when answering questions.You can also use this tactic when asking questions to gain a more honest and less rehearsed answer to the question, “Why do you like working here?”Instead, try asking, “Why do you like working at your company?” or “What are your favorite parts of your role?”Making the interviewer feel like you’re asking for their insights and experience and not just the company’s will yield a more insightful answer.Here's the Truth About Achieving Zen in Job InterviewsIt is true that in order to be your best self and achieve zen in an interview, you just need to be yourself.These tips can help you send the message to interviewers that you are a calm, cool, collected and attractive job candidate.Best of luck with your next job interview!

SWOT Analysis - Dont Start Without One - Classy Career Girl

SWOT Analysis - Dont Start Without One If you havent done a SWOT analysis for your small business, start taking notes now.  When I was working in marketing for a large insurance company, we did a SWOT analysis before we rolled out any new product or program. This allowed us to gather knowledge on what was already out there, what was missing in the market, what we could contribute, and how to move forward strategically.   The same concept applies to your small business. Have you done this type of analysis yet on your business or product offerings? If not, here is  what a SWOT analysis is and how it can help your business  take off: S Stands For Strengths: The strengths and weaknesses part of the analysis are usually internal factors; take some time here to really examine what it is you do and what you offer. No doubt you spent a lot of time planning and organizing your business before your launch, here’s a chance to explore why you started in the first place. Questions to ask: What makes  us  shine? What do we do better than everyone else? What advantages do we have? What resources do we have that others dont? What makes us stand out? W Stands For Weaknesses: Now is the time to take a critical look at the weaknesses  of your business. Perhaps this is a step that a trusted business colleague or mentor can help you with. Questions to ask: What can we improve? What do others see as a weakness in our business? For me, that second question is hard to answer but crucial.   Knowing how your potential clients and competitors see you is necessary. Maybe your website isn’t current and needs some work? Or the packages you’re offering are not specific enough? Dont be afraid to explore weaknesses they may show you new  opportunities for success in the future. O Stands For Opportunities: Here is where you can brainstorm ideas of  ways to expand your business and products. Questions to ask: What is going on around you that you are not already taking advantage of? Are there any interesting trends in your industry? Is there  new technology in your industry to explore? Are there potential changes in government policy that could benefit you? Are there any upcoming local events that can showcase your  business? T Stands For Threats: Examining your threats and weaknesses can seem daunting and overwhelming, but try to flip the script. Instead, look at them as challenges that you can overcome.  You got this far already, don’t be afraid to complete this step and bring your new business to the next level. Questions to ask: What is challenging to your business right now? What are your competitors doing that is challenging your business? Is there new technology that is helping or hurting your business? Is there a new product  coming out that will threaten what you offer?   For example, there are apps for just about everything, is there one that offers what you do, but in a more user-friendly way? Is your business  threatened by government policy?  New government policy can also be a help or hindrance; stay current on what lawmakers are doing and how it may affect your business. [RELATED: 4 Marketing Rules For Starting a Business] Have you completed your SWOT analysis? We would love to hear what you learned in the comments below!

Colorado Resume Writing Services - Things to Look For

Colorado Resume Writing Services - Things to Look ForIf you are in search of Colorado resume writing services, then it is important that you go for the right company that will be able to help you with your resume. There are some that are just out to make a fast buck and to take advantage of the position you hold.This is when you must make sure that you know what to look for and when to avoid such companies. Here are some of the things that you should look for in Colorado resume writing services. You can also learn from the experiences of others who have used these services before.The first thing you should look for is whether the person or people working there are competent people who know what they are doing. Can they provide you with a clear-cut proposal of what you should do next? How many interviews do they plan to carry out? The answers to these questions would tell you how good the company you are going to work with is.After the basic knowledge of what the resume writing servic e will need to do, you should also consider how much time you will need to spend on it. You may want to make use of the hiring service's time in making your resume. This would ensure that you get the attention you need.It is not important that the Colorado resume writing service is all the time available to do the job. What is important is that you can use the service whenever you need it. However, it would be best if you call up and ask them for a few free minutes at least three times per week so that you can get all the information you need without having to pay.When you have a clear idea of what they do and how they do it, you will be able to make your resume more successful. You will be able to concentrate more on other things such as finding employment and make your other efforts to find better opportunities in life. Your life will be much easier if you will get the help of a competent resume writing service.The most important thing that you need to remember about Colorado resu me writing services is that it is their job to help you make a very good impression with employers. You should consider what your future holds and use the help of a Colorado resume writing service that will help you in this task.This is one of the best ways to stay abreast of the various issues you need to deal with. The professionals in this field can easily offer you services in Colorado resume writing services without worrying about time and also without being worried about the financial cost.

Does Motherhood Make You Better at Your Job CareerMetis.com

Does Motherhood Make You Better at Your Job â€" CareerMetis.com The balance between career and family life has always been an issue people have talked about but has especially become a trendy topic in recent times. With the number of working women being larger than ever and their traditional roles in the family changing, we can’t help but think deeper about the effects motherhood has in both parts of life; work and home.Most women say that having a baby changes you, and people assume that it means that it makes you care less about your career and focus on the baby, hence family. But according to aresearch, having a baby changes you in a way that benefitsyour career as well. Therefore, the notion that women lose their abilities when they become mothers is wrong in its core.The motherhood penaltyevalevalMany mothers fall victims to this kind of mentality, which perpetuates the notion and idea that a working mother is not a valuable asset to the workplace. Women are usually discriminated by the assumption that they lose interest in advancing their careers and job performance.Women’s earnings dropsubstantially, for a fact, after they have kids.Men are usually seen as the “workers” of the family and women as the “caregivers”. But what happens when women are career-ambitious but want a family at the same time? Societal norms have a tendency to change slower than personal opinions, so mothers are left to juggle both roles.“Mommy brain”The term mommy brain is commonly used to explain the changes that happen to the brain after women give birth, and science has proven that it is a real and detectable change.Studiesdone on women during pregnancy and after, show significant changes in the brain. The brain literally grows, especially in the areas where survival instinct, emotional regulation, and hormone production are regulated.But these changes are usually misinterpreted and used against mothers in the workplace. They are overlooked and never analyzed on how they can be used to increase job performance. This would be b eneficial for both, the mother and the employer. By starting to see these elements as features and advantages, we get to use our skills in a way that is the most beneficial.The question is, what if we apply the thinking that goes into raising a child into the work we do? All these new instincts and skills, applied to the workplace could mean a new and advanced way on how we solve problems, how we work with others and how we get things done.The motherhood advantageevalAlthough it takes up a lot of your time, motherhood actually makes you more productivein your workplace at the time you’re there.While researching for her book, author Alissa Quart found that fundamental workplace skills like listening, leadership, reasoning, and scheduling had enhanced after mothers got back to work after pregnancy. Moreover, they learned management skills from taming their toddlers. She continues, ‘a number [of women] told me they used their working hours better than they had before they had child ren, with improved concentration.’Women are more organized after having their babies and going back to work because they MUST be so in order to manage to balance it all.This issue was also discussed on another bookby Sara Ruddick. She elaborateson how parenting is a discipline. We know it demands flexible thinking in relationship to children, but could it also be incorporated in the professional sense?evalWell, yes. Mothers do have cognitive capacities and understandings of virtue that go further than just to their mothering.Motherhood teaches you to adjust and multitaskNot the healthiest of habits when done uncontrollably, but a very valuable one to have. Multitasking is something you will need to do at some point, be itat your job, or in your personal life.Most mothers do it all the time. Motherhood gives you the ability to not just multitask, but to use every ‘spare’ moment productively. There’s always something that needs to be done, so better do multiple things at once. This results in using time wisely at work, and getting more stuff done than other childless colleagues. Even motivation and creativity seem to arise after having a baby, as thisbloggerstates:‘When I started the full time copywriting job […] I wasn’t hugely motivated. Until I had my baby. I gave birth to my daughter and within days, I had poem ideas, blog posts to write, articles to pitch, Instagram accounts to start, new blogs to set up, short stories to write. I was full of ideas. But I was also tired.’evalMotherhood makes you more empatheticMothers are very nurturing by nature. They are equipped with the ability to relate not just to their children, but to their colleagues too. This empathy that not many have makes them great leaders in the workplace.Successful leaders might have traditionally been defined by their power and prestige, but a studyshows that empathy is the most critical skill of overall performance. Companies that value empathy perform better as per Forbes†™ article on What Successful Companies Are Doing Right: Empathy. In return, as expected,non-empathetic employers are losing their best employees. Writing that resignation letterwhen circumstances are not satisfying is not fun for any employee, but when faced with apathy after sharing a genuine problem with the manager, leaving seems the best thing to do. And it’s plain obvious that cases like that wouldn’t happen if the manager was a mother. Mother leaders take a moment to reflect on the situation and offer a kind word, and assistance before jumping to conclusions and being quick to snap judgment.Motherlylists empathy as being the first reason why moms make exceptional leaders. If a company is wondering what makes a person empathetic and how to cultivate leaders who can see a problem or situation through the eyes of another, then the answer is having a mom on your team. As they put it,‘It takes deep humility and emotional empathy to understand and address the wants and needs o f a small person who can’t yet communicate them. This kind of empathy is an invaluable skill that can not only help cultivate talent, but also shape the morale of an entire organization.’evalWe need to get people to understand that “mom brain” is not a disability but a kind of focus that can be helpful in the workplace! The sooner companies realize that, the sooner they use it as anadvantage rather than a penalty. Both sides thrive in the end.

Does It Help Your Career To Work For a Blue-Chip Company - Margaret Buj - Interview Coach

Does It Help Your Career To Work For a Blue-Chip Company If you’re applying for a job and tell your family and friends that you’re applying somewhere like Exxon or Google, then they will have a clear indicator of the kind of job you’ll be likely to have. Reliable, well-paid, steady. The same happens when you talk to recruiters too. But does this mean that you are better off working for a larger ‘brand’ name company early on in your career path? It can be a hard question to define, as it will depend on you and will depend on your work ethic, skills, and attitude to work. But it does seem like it is a definite maybe, as an answer to the question. So here are some of the good things versus bad things, for working for a blue chip company. Pros For starters, you will learn about good business practice when you work for a brand name company. Bigger companies will have bigger reach and bigger targets to set, so it can be a good thing if you’re a bit of a beginner, that needs to understand how business works. Learning about these kinds of things, and about budgeting, hiring, and KPIs, can be good skills to learn for your future in corporate business. It can also help you to establish best practice and looking for ways to improve things, much like Shiply, for example. It will also help you to know what to do if you decided to start your own business later down the line. Because of the association with the brand, it can look good on your resume going forward if you have worked for a big company. It can make your resume stand out if they see something like Facebook on there. So as long as you’re applying for relevant roles, it could be the thing that gets you the interview. Cons In an established business, there is likely to be less responsibility than if you worked for a smaller company. You might have a few different tasks as part of your role in a smaller business, whereas a larger company can afford to pay all sorts of different people to do the various roles. So you could have less responsibility to take on in a larger company. If you are wanting to improve, progress, and learn, then this isn’t going to be a good thing for your career. In a similar vein, you are unlikely to work directly with a leadership team if the company is huge. So it can be hard to learn directly from them as you’ll hardly ever see them. Smaller companies will be more closely-knit, so you’re likely to work alongside the leadership team from time to time, which can be a good thing to help your business acumen. The bottom line comes down to the fact that some things are more important than a name. While it can open doors for you and give people instant brand recognition, it will depend on what you want to do in your career, and how hard you’re willing to work.

Ladies Stop Being so Helpful at the Office

Ladies Stop Being so Helpful at the Office Other titles considered for this article included, “Step Away from the Office Mentorship Program” and “Just … Forget Everything You’ve Known Up Until Now.” No matter what the headline says, though, the point is still clear: You’ve got to stop being so darn nice. Imagine: it’s a Friday afternoon and an urgent email from a client comes through to your team. They need their website fixed, and they need it NOW. Everyone around you grumbles and groans as they read it, realizing someone is going to have to step up to the plate for this one. Everyone has plans; it’s a Friday, after all. Everyone starts to back away slowly, except for you. You step forward. While the instinct to “take one for the team” is certainly a nice one, it’s detrimental to your career if you’re a woman, of course. Want to know why? Read on to find out just how workplace politics and those good old-fashioned societal norms will keep you down so long as you keep stepping up. What Do You Mean By “Nice”? We’re not suggesting that you start sneering at everyone who walks by your cubicle â€"  of course you can maintain a pleasant persona around the office. The niceness problem only rears its ugly head when it comes to office responsibilities and favors. Perhaps not surprisingly, women are more likely than men to volunteer for â€"  for lack of a better word â€"  housework tasks around the office. This means they’ll often step up when someone needs to take minutes at a meeting. They’re the first ones to volunteer to help at the optional career fair for recent college graduates. They’ll order lunch for a meeting or bring cupcakes for someone’s birthday. They’ll make sure the whole team has turned in their paperwork on time. They’ll stay late and work on something that’s not under their umbrella of responsibility. It’s in their nature. And while you might think this type of selflessness looks good when it comes to promotions and perks, get ready for a dose of reality. Why is Being Nice Such a Bad Thing?! By filling this role time and time again, women have inadvertently made this niceness the expectation of female employees. This has certainly left them in a pickle; research proves it. A 2005 New York University study revealed that, when posed with the same “altruistic” task, men who completed it saw a 14 percent increase in their favorability rating. The changes weren’t substantial for women who did the same. Groan. Perhaps even more upsetting is the fact that women face a bit of a consequence when they say no to these types of projects, too. The study showed women lost 12 percent of their favorability ratings when they declined a task. Quite the pickle indeed. You’re probably wondering, then, why it’s time to stop being so nice, if it’s something that could potentially hurt the way others see you around the office. Well, for one thing, if you’re saying “yes” to all of these unrelated tasks, how much work are you doing that you care about? Probably not as much as you like. Women also face high levels of career burnout, and it’s probably due in large part to the fact that they feel obligated to agree to any task that comes their way. You can avoid this feeling if you simply say “no” every once in a while. This is the bottom line: if you’re too busy doing what everyone else wants, how much time are you really dedicating to you? Your career? Your goals? Okay, Okay. You’re Right. How Do I Stop Doing This? The first order of business is dropping that little old nag of a friend you’ve carried around for so long. His name is guilt, and he’s such a pain in the you-know-what. Guilt is a big reason why you say “yes” to these tasks in the first place. It’s largely responsible for holding you back. Fight against your DNA â€"  women are often socialized to worry about the needs of others first â€"  and don’t let yourself feel guilty for saying “no.” A great way to break the cycle is to create a new one. Imagine your co-worker has asked you to plan the boss’s surprise birthday lunch. You say “yes,” but only because you’re treating the responsibility like a hot potato that you have to get rid of. Create a list of office birthday buddies so that everyone on the team â€"  men and women alike â€"  shares this non-work-related responsibility. The same goes for more business-y tasks, too. It shouldn’t always be a woman taking meeting notes, or mentoring interns, or chatting with new hires. Be Proactive If all else fails, you should try coming up with a little zinger of your own in order to redirect work to another employee with less experience and more free time than you. “Hey, these reports could use the Kathy copy-and-staple touch,” says your boss. “Have you got the time?” You probably don’t, and you certainly don’t want to be known as the lady who’s good at stapling and copying. A cool way to help with the task without actually helping at all? “I’m busy working on [name drop larger, more pressing project], but I’m sure my intern could handle it. She learned from the best!” See what you did there? You aided in office productivity without actually doing it yourself. Now, that was amazing. Now, it’s time to go out there and be your amazing self. Keep a positive attitude and treat others with kindness, but remember: In the workplace, it’s nicer to be important than it is important to be nice.