Author: peters

Peter Swanson is a writer with a passion for empowering others to be self-starters. Navigating the world of start-ups, freelancers, and entrepreneurs, Peter is bent on clear communication, working with integrity, and spreading a "get it done" attitude. He obtained his Bachelor's in English from Biola University.

4 Jobs Where You Get to Play With Toys

How many times have you sat at your desk, bored to tears, creating toys out of any object in reach? Do you daydream of leaving your work behind and going back to the creative days of childhood? When you visit your parents for the holidays, are you volunteering to watch your niece...

The Best (and Worst) Entry-Level Jobs

One of the most pervasive jokes about job hunting in pop culture today is the classic posting, “Entry-Level Job: 3-5 Years Experience Necessary.” Of course, not all entry-level jobs are created equal. Some occupations fare better than others in terms of opportunity, starting salary, and potential for growth. (Photo Credit: Wilfred Iven/Stocksnap.io)...

What’s the Best Way to Promote Diversity?

We stand on the edge of murky waters: a white millennial male writing about diversity in the workplace. But it doesn’t take an advanced degree in sociology to determine that some approaches simply aren’t going to work. One curious case comes from a recent story in the Washington Post, which reported about...

3 Actually Useful Job Perks You Didn’t Know You Wanted

These days, it’s all about the perks: companies, possibly in lieu of an abundance of jobs or exorbitant salaries, have made an effort to outdo each other in the perk department. Netflix upped the ante in 2015 by announcing a year of paid family leave, and Facebook went as far as to...

3 Redditors’ Inspiring Stories of Drastic Career Changes

It’s no secret that many people are unhappy with their current jobs. But did you know that two-thirds of all working adults, and 73 percent of those in their 30s want to change careers? It’s a fact of life that many of us have to take jobs that may not be our...

4 Ways You Might Get Tricked at Your Next Job Interview

Feeling nervous before a big job interview? You’re not alone. According to a survey conducted by Harris Interactive, 92 percent of survey respondents were anxious about some aspect of a job interview. Among the top reasons: being too nervous, and not being able to answer a specific question. We all know tricky...

The 3 Strangest Jobs in the World

Sometimes job hunting can make you pine for careers you never considered before. Six months of rejection emails can get you thinking, “Maybe I’ll just join the circus.” And despite what your mother thinks, that’s actually not the worst or most far-out job you could take. If you think you’ve got it...

Here’s What Millennials Want From Their Workplace

Millennials, on more than one occasion, have been called the “me, me, me” generation. So when you’re part of that generation, and you read a title like the one for this article, it may be tempting to think, “Here we go again: another post telling me how much I want a bean...

How to Feel More Comfortable at Work: Blind Dates

Even in small and midsized businesses, it can feel difficult to get to know the people you work with. You may be a tight-knit team in your own department, but the folks over in accounting might as well be at a different company. Smart businesses like Toronto-based FreshBooks are starting to take...

How to Say ‘I’m Too Busy’ Without Looking Unprofessional

It’s 5 o’clock. You’ve got your computer open, phone sitting next to it, and somehow an iPad has managed to find its way onto your desk. You’re simultaneously trying to update your project manager, respond to three different slack chats, and make happy hour plans — which three hours from now you’ll...

4 Ways to Fake Enthusiasm at Your Next Meeting

We’re not that great at paying attention. And while the ADAA estimates that about 4 percent of the adult population is dealing with ADHD, one survey from video conference provider Highfive confirmed that about 47 percent of employees say their main problem with meetings is that people don’t pay attention. Are we...

Why California’s Equal Pay Law Is a Step In the Right Direction

On Tuesday, the California Fair Pay Act was signed into law. Different from other equal pay legislation, it mandates that women receive equal pay for “substantially similar work.” California women make about 84 percent of what men make (higher than the national average of 78 percent), but women of color are the...

The Secret to Smarter Salary Negotiation: Vacation Time

Negotiating your salary is hard. Especially when you’re first starting out in your career, there are countless unknowns that only seem to affirm your fears: You don’t know what your firm’s budget is, and you feel expendable – like one wrong counter-offer and the ticking time bomb that is your career will...