Angela Thomas-Jones's Blog

Posted by Angela Thomas-Jones

The holiday season is a time for over indulging right? Well avoid that stomach bulge and carpark rage by walking to the shop (obviously not if you are planning on purchasing large items). This will keep you (and the kids) fit, fabulous and (hopefully) stress free. If you are super keen why not jog? It'll take half the time of walking and then you can have that extra mince pie when you get home!

Posted by Angela Thomas-Jones

I never do! I no longer make new year resolutions because I just can't keep them. I make January changes, so when all the partying has died down by the middle of the month, I can then implement my goals for the next year. Many new year resolutions fail on new years day due to hangovers, hunger and cravings. So think of your own new year procedure to make sure that you keep all your promises to yourself and others.

Posted by Angela Thomas-Jones

Research in the 'Harvard Business Review' has reached the news today telling us that long working days are ruining sex lives and putting pressure on relationships. So as it is the season for fun and frivolity why not take some time out of your work and Christmas schedule. Use this time to make sure you are really appreciating your main squeeze and that they are appreciating you.

P.S. This does not mean hiding away in the photocopy room with your boss!!

Posted by Angela Thomas-Jones

I am surrounded by people who are beginning to get 'festive'. Work parties, Christmas parties, holidays and of course the eagerly anticipate NYE party are all excuses to let your hair down and get a bit funky. But why do we wait until the end of the year to bring on the party spirit? If you are still trying to figure out what you want to buy as a present for others or for yourself, then why not buy some dancing on music lessons. Dancing is a great release for tension, creativity and is also great for a cardio and toning workout. Music lessons are a great creative outlet and are also very relaxing. So harnass your boogie fever and make a resolution to dance and sing your way through next year!

Posted by Angela Thomas-Jones

I have always been a fan of list writing. Why? Because it helps me to correctly remember all of the things that I have to do and manage my time. It is like a muggle version of a pensieve. You can put everything down that you need to do and then reorder it to suit your time. The holiday season is a great time to get into the list writing spirit – especially for working mothers. With presents to buy, parties to plan and holidays to take, start writing your lists today. It is also a good way to clear your mind from clutter so you can fully enjoy the festivities!

Posted by Angela Thomas-Jones

Dear Santa,

May I please have a holiday season free from stress?

Much Love

Angela

What do you want for Christmas?

Here are great gift ideas for working mothers:

• A day of luxury at a day spa

• A ‘pamper’ mum day from the family

• A funky PDA

• A jet spa kit for the bath

• A romantic night in a swish hotel

• A Gold Glass evening at the cinema

• The rest of the family cook Christmas dinner

• A bottle of her favourite perfume

• A gift that reflects her favourite hobby

• A gym membership

• A long distance phone card

• A night of cocktails and dinner with the girls

And if you aren’t given your perfect gift, then give one to yourself! You deserve it.

Posted by Angela Thomas-Jones

The holiday season, while full of fun and frivolity, is also a time for focussing on family and friends. When we are away from our loved ones and are working hard to support our children, it can be quite a lonely time. If you are feeling blue, take the time to contact your loved ones. If you are low on money send an email or e-card. Buy a long distance phone card and call some of your mates. If you are thinking about them, there’s a good chance they are thinking about you too!

Posted by Angela Thomas-Jones

Are you wound up, stressed out, red faced and about to walk out – on everything? That sounded like and advertisement, but many of us feel like this everyday, and malls full of people and repetitive Christmas music currently emphasize these feelings. My answer is laughter (and online shopping). Buy or rent yourself a comedy film or series. I like to watch the Christmas episodes of the Simpsons or Futurama. Stand up is also good and there are some great comics such as Peter Kay and Ricky Gervais who will help you to laugh away your cares. This will add some cheer to your life and help you to giggle your way through the holiday season.

Posted by Angela Thomas-Jones

So you have been breastfeeding, but you want to return to work, what do you do? Well many people would say buy yourself a nice breastpump and eveyr few hours find a private spot and pump away. This is a great idea if you can afford the time and have the space available. You also need to be keep up regular 'pumping' so your milk doesn't dry up or become an insufficient amount. Going onto formula is another option. If you do this you may need to wheen the baby onto this before you begin work. You might also want to have your defences up because there are still a lot of breast versus bottle debates - and people like to give you their opinions quite freely. Remember it is your body, life and choice.

Posted by Angela Thomas-Jones

Workplace discrimination is something that I believe should be at the forefront of every workers mind. So I thought I would remind you all to be not just aware of discrimination that may be happening to you, but what could be happening to others as well. Discrimination in regards to gender, race and disability often cover more than just sexual harassment. It can related to bullying, name calling, unwanted comments, insinuations, forcing you to do work outside your job description or work extra hours than are unpaid or that other people working at the same level don't have to do. Be office aware and protect yourself and your fellow workers.

Posted by Angela Thomas-Jones

Before Christmas and the New Year is upon us (and it is quickly creeping up) I thought it might be a great time to address plans for the new year - maybe even a new years resolution! I'm sure there are many mothers thinking about making the jump into the workforce in the new year - so what can you do regarding your skills. If you already have a bachelors degree there are many short courses such as graduate certificates or the longer graduate diploma that you can complete externally. Remember institutions like open university even have study periods which run over christmas so by the new year you could have be part way to the completition of a fresh new certificate or diploma.

Check your local Colleges, Tafes and Universities for short course, certificates and diplomas in your field.

Posted by Angela Thomas-Jones

Many working mothers would argue that they have pretty tight and unrelenting schedules. Migrant working mothers probably have it the toughest out of all of us. From actually being able to get skilled and unskilled work, to finding appropriate daycare arrangements that suit their cultural beliefs, being a migrant working woman is a tough road to walk. I believe that when we start feeling sorry for ourselves and our positions, we should think of other working mothers who may have it much harder than ourselves.

Posted by Angela Thomas-Jones

Yes I’m going to let you in on the little not so secret secret. Drum roll please – it is water! Yes H2O. Scientists believe that we should be drinking at least 40 millilitres of water a day, for every kilogram that we weigh. As the brain is made up up of 85% water even a 2% decrease can effect how we function, our reaction time and fatigue.

Other drinks such as coffee and soft drinks can actually dehydrate the body so you also need to drink more water to compansate for this.

Try and keep your working body in tip top shake. Fill a bottle or put a jug next to your desk, you will be amazed by how much better you feel at the end of each day!

Posted by Angela Thomas-Jones

Sitting for eight to twelve hours a day at a desk, not to mention the time travelling to and from work can play havock with your body. Back, neck and headaches can range from a niggling irritation to severe unrelenting pain. This can make you tired, fatigued and unhealthy. This in turn affects the time and activities that you are able to do with your children.

There are a few ways to reduce the stress to your body. Regularly get out of your chair and stretch your back. You don’t have to do the downward dog in the office, just roll your shoulders and get some movement into your back. Try to vary your activities. For example if you can stand to do the filing or read a document then do it.

You should also utilise your free time at work and workplace facilities, such as a lunch time gym trip or a brisk walk. This will help you to keep fit, relaxed and invigorated.

Posted by Angela Thomas-Jones

It is heartbreaking to see your child when they are sick. It is even more so when you are a parent who has to go to work. Should your sick child come first? Or is that impending project deadline just a little too close to stay away from work.

This is a contentious issue because many people would say that yes your sick child should always come first. But how sick is sick enough to warrant a blow to your career? Many childcare and daycare centres would argue that parents go to work (leaving their children in daycare) rather than stay at home with a sick child. This also brings up issues of responsibility and care for other peoples children.

So I ask the question: Should all daycare centres cater for those children who are a ‘little bit’ ill?

Posted by Angela Thomas-Jones

If your baby/toddler/child/teenager sleeps eleven or twelve hours a night you are pretty blessed. But even if they do tending to their/your partner/work/your needs are several full time jobs. While I'm not really one to utilise the modern and highly irritating phrase 'me time', working mothers do need to focus their attention to their schedules to make sure they do not get overloaded and burnt out. This months articles will discuss different coping mechanisms from dealing with sick children and work, to keeping energised and awake.

Posted by Angela Thomas-Jones

Cover letters, resumes and selection criterias are all different important elements of applyinf for a job. Our cover letter article will address what you should write when applying for a job. How much do you say? Who do you write to?

Posted by Angela Thomas-Jones

This weeks article looks at the difference between a resume and a selection criteria. It looks at the SAO method of writing a selection criteria, which allows you to provide clear and precise answers. It also looks at common problems that arise when addressing a selection criteria.

Posted by Angela Thomas-Jones

Resume writing workshops are great because they are a) short and b) often job or area specific. Often universities and other educational institutions have these. If you have been out of the workforce for a while or are just about to jump in for the first time, these workshops are great because they often tell the latest and greatest information that you should be adding into your resume for particular jobs.

These workshops are often linked with selection criteria and cover letter writing workshops. I think they are a great idea for working (or soon to be working)mothers to give them the edge and the confidence to (re)enter the workforce.

Posted by Angela Thomas-Jones

It was the employer who didn't offer me my old job, offering me my old job after the woman who received it resigned.

What would you do?

Well I know when to swollow my pride. I did and I took the job. While I didn't recieve this position in the best of circumstances, accepting this opportunity has allowed me to enter the (almost) full time workforce and get my finances back on track after years of being a student.

I am always one to say hold your ground and don't take any prisoners when trying to achive your goals. But what do you do when you have no choice? For me I needed a job, any job. I had been complaining about my lack of 'call backs' for months. When this job came up I took it. While it wasn't the optimum position I had been hoping for after years of study I began to see it as a stepping stone towards a better future.

Sometimes we need to do things in baby steps and realise that this isn't always a bad thing...

Posted by Angela Thomas-Jones

While on campus one day I discovered that the position I used to work in during my honours year was being advertised. I spoke to the woman overseeing the employment (who I had already worked with) and she told me to apply. As soon as she said this, she also stated that I was overqualified for the position. I applied for the position anyway because I knew I was capable of doing the job, as I had worked in it previously and I also desperately needed a job.

Three weeks later an email arrived in my inbox stating that I had not been successful. I felt rejected and annoyed because I thought how could anyone be more qualified than a person who had already worked in that position? I felt positively miserable and I began to think...

Does it matter if I am overqualified? I am qualified for the position. I have worked in that exact position, in that exact office. No one has the right to tell you that it is a retrograde step when you cannot get any other employment. Obviously it is better to be overqualified and unemployed or under employed, rather than taking a step sideways or down. I am not averse to working hard, but obviously people are unaware of the situation that many PhD graduates face. We are floating in limbo until we get our grades, and then there are not that many teaching or research positions available in a relatively small city such as Perth. When such positions are available employers can offer pittance because there are so many desperate, qualified, early career researchers available.

I am also a mother who is trying to fit work around a child care schedule.

I was sick of facing employers who were resigning me to genteel poverty because they think they know my situation better than myself. What is best for me is not ticking Dr in the prefix box on the Centrelink form. But just as I reached my cracking point I received a phone call...

Posted by Angela Thomas-Jones

This position required the employee to have good research skills with the completion or near completion of a research degree. I had that! I was to work eight and half hours a day, five days a week, for $26,000 a year. This worked out to be only slightly more than my fortnightly Centrelink payment when combined casual marking fees. If I were to take this position it would also mean that I would have to out my daughter in full time child care, thus cancelling out all financial benefits of working. I did not take the position and calculated that I earned more per hour at seventeen years of age when I was employed as an administration assistant.

I altered my thinking about employment opportunities and decided that I would apply for research assistant as well administrative positions, as I had already been employed in these roles while studying.

Posted by Angela Thomas-Jones

Resumes or curriculum vitaes or whatever you want to call them are neccessary for you to score pretty much any job. But what constitutes a good resume? What will ensure that your resume isn't binned on arrival.

This week we are going to cover the basics in resume writing. Throughout this weeks articles I will look at such topics as: how to write a resume, the difference between a resume and selection criteria and position specific resume's. So, make sure you check back during the week to read more about the art of resume writing.

Our first article in this series will deal with all important question: what is a good resume?

Posted by Angela Thomas-Jones

After three months I began applying for research assistant positions in or near my area of expertise. I had slightly better luck and I was short listed for two positions. I attended an interview for the first position, but was unsuccessful due to the specific research expertise needed for the job. One week after the submission of my thesis, two months after submission of the application and while standing in a line at Centrelink (government assistance office) I received a call from an employer. Finally I was offered a research assistant position!

Posted by Angela Thomas-Jones

When I was coming to the final six months of my (three and a half year) PhD I decided that I would begin to look for full time employment (at the time I was employed as casual academic marker). My aim was to get started early so that I would have procured a decent job by the completion of my candidature. I felt that after seven and a half years of study (during my undergraduate study I also worked in part time level 2/3 research and administrative positions) that I would not take less than $42,000 a year. I started applying for research and policy officer positions in or near my area of expertise. Three weeks after each application I received a nice letter in the mail thanking me for my interest while informing me that I had not been successful.

Posted by Angela Thomas-Jones

This weeks articles continue our series of deciding to work at home. It is a hard decision to make and can result in both succcesses and failures. Financial planning is a big key to success in this area and a little research can make for a very rewarding experience. Read this weeks articles to find out more about planning your work at home.

Posted by Angela Thomas-Jones

There are more work options than simply leaving the home to work full time, part time, casual otherwise not being able to work at all. While self employment can seem risky, there are many different opportunities available which can allow you to gain an income using your talents and still be at home with your children (if that is what you want to do). 'Working Mothers' over the next few weeks will be revealing a series of five articles that will cover different aspects and job opportunities for those mothers who are considering working from home.

Posted by Angela Thomas-Jones

The latest Australian studies have shown that (working) mothers are still the primary care givers and are doing more than their fair share of work in and outside of the home. While this isn't that much of a shock, most people still see women as the primary care giver. This begs the question of what dual parenting actually is. This is discussed further in this weeks article.

Posted by Angela Thomas-Jones

Involving your kids in your exercise routine can have many benefits. You get to spend more time with them and you can set them up for a healthy lifestyle. Jogging, playing football in the park, swimming or walking are all activities that your kids can be invloved in. Some gyms also have exercise classes for mother's with newborns which involve using the babies in light weight bearing exercises. these types of exercises can be undertaken in your home!

Posted by Angela Thomas-Jones

When women become pregnant they are told that they have to eat certain foods and avoid others for ttheir health and that of their growing baby. Anti-natal classes, books, mothers groups and doctors all tell us what foods we should be feeding our newborns and toddlers. With all this knowledge most new mother's would not consider feeding their baby junk food. If you wouldn't feed it to your baby, why would you feed it to yourself? I think all people should consider this before putting junk food into their mouths.

Posted by Angela Thomas-Jones

Then make them with the kids! Spend time with your children and utilise your their creative energy to work on some art projects. Supplies such as scrap books, cards, pens, paints, glue, fabric and pretty much any stationary you can think of, can be purchased online (or over the phone) and delivered to your door. Cards, gift wrap, gift boxes, scrap books and photo frames are all art projects that you can work on with the kids. Grandparents, aunties, uncles and friends all love kids artwork. You can personalise these with any pictures you may have of the intended recipient and your child. Even take pictures of your kids making the presents and add those to the card or scapbook!! Lots of fun (and mess), but with great results.

Posted by Angela Thomas-Jones

Buy yourself some snap lock bags from the supermarket - there are some especially designed for keeping your veges crisp longer. When you have complted your weekly shopping wash and thoroughly dry your vegetables. You can even chop them if you like and this will save you time when preparing food during the week. Store them in your snaplock bags and this will save you money (food lasts longer) and time (when you are preparing food)!

Posted by Angela Thomas-Jones

I always love to hear about new ways of saving times. Let me know if you have any time saving tips! A few of mine are:

Put some music on and spend a couple of hours one morning a week/fortnight cooking as many meals as possible and freeze them. I find this saves time and money. It also means that you don't have to stress at the end of the day about what you have to cook!!

If you haven't jumped on the web wagon, do it and utlise the great resource that is online shopping. This is a big time (and often money) saver. It is something that you can use in the evening or in lunch breaks to purchase everything from groceries to christmas presents and you can use it to pay your bills.

Posted by Angela Thomas-Jones

Angelina jolie is set to star as Lara Croft (the toned warrior) in the up and coming Tomb Raider 3 film. This sparked my interest because a) she is a working mother and b) she is currently pregnant and is said to be planning to start shedding the kilo's soon after the baby's birth. Now I know she has to shed the pounds for this role. But as far as I was aware you can only start exercising gently 6 weeks after birth so you do not injure yourself. Yet many celebrities 'have to' lose this weight for these roles. This begs the question how dangerous is vigorously training a post-pregnancy body??

Posted by Angela Thomas-Jones

Even I can't ignore super couple, TomKat's, recent arrival - Suri. It is all over the news and in the coming months I am sure we will see the tabloids covering how much weight Katie has or has not lost, and/or how well she mothering her child. Then questions will begin regarding Katie's return to acting. Why do we care? Well just like any other career woman who has just given birth, when she will be returning to work is a topic that brews beneath the surface. Along with weight loss and breastfeeding this is something that people (not always those who you actually care about) seem to 'care' about your return. It is something that women need to plan carefully. How much time do you want to spend with your baby after birth? How will this time off impact upon your career? Should you return full time or part time? Many women are waiting till they are in their 30s and 40s to have children, but this is not always conducive to their careers or health. Women need to take into consideration that their potential to have children is still scrutinised (while this is illegal, it still occurs) and can impact on their career progression. These are all things that need to be considered when deciding when to have a baby and when to return to work.

Posted by Angela Thomas-Jones

I know I already wrote an article on this last month. But the phrase work/life or work life or work-life balance, which internationally is everywhere right now is driving me up the wall. It is a phrase that is making many workers feel unbalanced. Has anyone tried to balance two full time workloads? And at the same time keep them separate? By idolising this phrase and mantra people will continue to be unbalanced. Work is a part of life, and it should be one element of the whole life. It is something to be balanced inside of - as opposed to out side of - life. As Liv Tyler's character Corey Mason said in the Gen Y film Empire Records, 'there's 24 usable hours in every day' (IMDB). Precisely, there are only 24 usable hours in everyday. It's all a matter of maths.

Posted by Angela Thomas-Jones

If you were five months into your pregnancy and applied for a job, do you think you would get it? No, probably not. Both potential employer and employee may justify this situation as unfair. The employer may think this is unfair on them because the employee will soon need maternity leave, they will have to find a replacement worker and pay for the employee's leave etc. The potential employee may feel it is unfair because they don't necessarily want paid maternity leave and are suitably experienced for the position. But what happens when you are not even pregnant? What happens when you get discriminated against because of your age and your pregnancy potential? As sex discrimination claims in Australia are on the decline, pregnancy and potential pregnancy discrimination claims are on the rise. What does this mean for Generation X, Y and Beyond who are now entering the workforce? Even if a woman does want a child and have the potential to create one, there is no justification for employment based on an employers conception of an employee's biological function.

Posted by Angela Thomas-Jones

It is interesting to note the number of Australian women working in high level employment, without children. Are women willing to accept this career for kids trade off? Maybe you are not. But women need to think about how much time these types of careers require. Is it fair to bring a child into the world knowing that you are not going to have time to dedicate to it? It is a quandary because it often takes so much time to get to high level employment and then there are biological questions regarding conceiving that need to be considered. If a woman decides to have children earlier in life, then this can also affect the time taken to achieve their early career goals.

http://www.news.com.au/story/0,10117,18389325-1702,00.html?from=rss

Posted by Angela Thomas-Jones

Celebrity Working Mothers are sometimes rich, but quite possibly time poor. How do they work, mother and look gorgeous while doing it? Gwyneth Paltrow, Sarah Jessica Parker, Reese Witherspoon, Madonna and funky mother to be Gwen Gwen (Stefani) all have success in their respective fields of employment. But how do they do this and raise a family at the same time? Most of you are probably saying well they have nannies and chefs and personal trainers and husbands...and you would be correct. But these people cannot take over the actual act of being a mother and most of these women take their parental role very seriously. Besides having hectic schedules which often involve long periods away from their families and traveling all over the world, they also have to protect themselves and their children from the glare of the paparazzi - look at Britney Spears fear of taking Sean Preston out in public. While these women might have large salaries and added domestic help, they still face the same issues of intergrating work and children into their lives. They then have the added mayhem of working as a a celebrity! I mean who here would want their mothering techniques being judged by the whole world??

http://www.glamourmagazine.co.uk/games/20_questions/default.asp?comp=15