Begin Your Career as a Carpenter

Begin Your Career as a CarpenterBegin Your Career as a CarpenterFollowing blueprints or other specifications, a carpenter builds, assembles, installs and repairs fixtures and structures that are usually made of wood. A carpenter may also work with other materials such as plastic, fiberglass or drywall. Employment Facts There were about 901,200 carpenters employed in 2012. Most work in the construction industry. Jobs are usually full time, and overtime is often required to meet deadlines. Over a third of carpenters are self-employed. There are some dangers and discomforts that come with this job. Carpenters do work that is very physical. They must lift heavy materials and spend a lot of time on their feet or kneeling. They are also frequently in cramped spaces and often have to stand on ladders. Its not a surprise, then, that those who work in this occupation have a high rate of injuries that include falls, cuts, and strained muscles. Educational Requirements There are several ways to become a carpenter. The most common way is to do a three or four-year apprenticeship that includes technical and paid on-the-job training. Unions and trade associations usually sponsor apprenticeships. You can find registered apprenticeships, categorized by job title, at My Next Move.To participate in this type of program, one must be at least 18 years old and a high school graduate. He or she must pass a drug test. Another route is to enter a training program offered by a contractor. Finally, one can begin his or her career by working as a helper to an experienced carpenter. Other Requirements In addition to formal and on-the-job training, certain soft skills, or personal qualities, will contribute to an individuals success in this occupation. Physically fitness and good manual dexterity, hand-eye coordination and balance are of the utmost importance. A carpenter must be detail-oriented and good at solving problems. Advancement Opportunities An experienced carpent er can become a carpentry supervisor, a general construction supervisor or a project manager. Carpenters who are bi-lingual in English and Spanish have a better chance of becoming supervisors than those who are not sincemany construction workers speak Spanish. Job Outlook Job prospects for carpenters, especially those with the most training and skills, is expected to be good for the next several years. The US Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts that employment in this field will increase much faster than the average for all occupations through 2022. Earnings The zentralwert annual salary of carpenters was $40,820, and median hourly wages were $19.63 in 2013 (US). Use the Salary Wizard at Salary.com to find out how much a carpenter currently earns in your city. A Day in a Carpenters Life These are some typical job duties taken from online ads for carpenter positions found on Indeed.com Construct partitions, small buildings, and concrete forms.Build and repair cabinets, ta bles, office furniture, and related items.Operate woodworking machinery.Set, brace and strip wood and steel forms.Practice and maintain safety regulations and procedures in and out of the shop.Prepare and maintain records for construction materials and completed work orders.Exercise proper care and maintenance of company equipment. Sources Bureau of Labor Statistics, US Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2014-15 Edition, Carpenters.Employment and Training Administration, US Department of Labor, O*NET Online, Carpenters.

3 Signs That You Are Not Managing Pressure Well

3 Signs That You Are Not Managing Preskoranvers Well3 Signs That You Are Not Managing Pressure WellIn todays high-pressure world, you likely feel as if you are on the line every day. More than ever before, you feel the heat that you have to produce, perform, and get results or else...so you do. Every decision, meeting, presentation, negotiation, or pitch that you make feel as if it has a major impact on your career. Many factors are contributing to the perceived pressure in your life the recent economic meltdown, fierce competition for jobs, theadvent of the global economy, the erosion of job stability, and the intensified competition to get into top colleges, universities, and graduate programs. The Danger of Pressure Anxiety There is a clear and present danger to pressure anxiety. It often becomes generalized to other aspects of your life. The perpetual feeling that you have to performand the underlying doubts as to whether or not you can continue to produce leads to stressed c onversations and relationships at home. Under pressure, parents often unleash their distress on their kids- making mora demands, expressed with a shorter temper. Often, the feelings become so unmanageable that the people involved regularly experience emotional conflict. All of a sudden, you feel as if you are under siege from every front. Demographics show that people are working longer hours and that the working world is becoming more competitive, leading to increased pressure anxiety. Pressure Affects Thinking Success Pressure adversely impacts your cognitive success. There are many tools that make you successful. At the top of the list are your judgment, decision-making, memory, and attention. Whether youre adding up numbers, identifying relevant data, analyzing information, or appraising a job applicant, pressure negatively impacts you. A financial advisor, a real estate agent, or an attorney under pressure to produce can do adisservice to their clients. Impacts From Pres sure How do you know if the pressure you face is derailing you? Here are three signs that pressure is impacting your best abilities You imagine only negative outcomes. When facing your pressure moments- that big presentation, thatdifficult client (or child/spouse) or crucial conversation- your default cognitive appraisal (how you perceive the impending event) is to see all the potentially negative outcomes. The challenge is that you departure to believe the negative scenarios are the only possible outcomes.This negative type of cognitive appraisal that misrepresents the reality of a situation is known by psychologists as cognitive distortion. Cognitive distortion can be likened to a computer virus in that it will cause your thinking component to crash and transmit errant data to your other performance components.Cognitive distortions are so powerful they often create feelings of anxiety, helplessness, and depression and/or provoke needless anger directed toward those you love. Peop le who are frequently overwhelmed by stress and anxiety typically succumb to distorted thinking styles.Cognitive distortions are those thinking patterns that needlessly intensify the experience of pressure. These distortions can surface either before a pressure moment or during a pressure moment, but in either case, their particular brand of thinking derails you. You magnify the significance of your pressure moments.Magnification is an extreme exaggeration of a situation, or in other words, making a mountain out of a molehill. At work, a sales call becomes the most important call of your career and the test your daughter or son is taking is the most important test of their life.Since importance increases pressure, magnification in a pressure moment is sure to intensify thoughts of fear and anxiety, as well as worries about failure vs. success. These worry cognitions ironically become the ones that do stimulate real fear and anxiety and cause you to shrink your working memory.Magnifi cation often comes into your thinking when you become too attached to the outcome. While emphasizing the importance of a test or task might increase your effort, the extra pressure you put on yourself typically downgrades your performance.At Stanford University, a group of students was given a test with the explanation that the results would be used by the faculty to get to know them better. An equal number of students were given the same test but with themessage that the results would be important in evaluating their academic future and course planning.Its not surprising that the group that was told that the test results were important to their future tested significantly below the other group. You treat every stressful moment as a pressure moment. The New York Times best-selling book Performing Under Pressure defines pressure moments as stressful moments that matter.Pressure moments have three characteristicsThe outcome is important.The outcome is uncertain.You are being judged on the outcome.When all three of these are in place, its a pressure moment. In that circumstance, you need to channel all of your resources to ensure the most successful outcome possible. The inability to distinguish pressure from stress will inevitably have dire consequences.Every stressful situation- a longer meeting than you expected, a colleague letting you down on deliverables - can departure to feel like a pressure situation when, in fact, it is a mild inconvenience that really has no impact on the success of your day. You start to feel that you are always under the gun, that you always have to produce and you start to develop pressure anxiety.At work, when everything feels like its super-important, it ironically intensifies and elicits distressing feelings. When you confuse daily stressful situations for pressure moments, you react physically, mentally, and behaviorally in ways that are out of proportion to the circumstances.The danger lies in continually confusing stress for p ressure, which leads you to lose the ability to think clearly. Misdiagnosing stress as pressure reduces your abilities needlessly. How to Perform Under Pressure The first step to managing the pressure in your life is to become more aware of the scenarios when you are allowing pressure moments to derail your best abilities. Then, more proactively approach your pressure moments. In a study of 12,000 people, the training and performance experts at the Institute for Health and Human Potential (IHHP) learned that most people take a haphazard approach to managing pressure, whereas the top 10% performers have a plan to utilize scientifically-based strategies when under pressure. Here are three pressure solutions that you can use to be your best when it matters most Visualize yourself succeeding. You may have the habit of using a default visualization (thinking of whatever comes to mind, often negatively focused on the things that can go wrong) which predisposes you to act less effecti vely.To combat these negative cognitive distortions, remember times you did your best and focus on those successes. It changes your brain chemistry so you can become more effective.Reframe your thinking. When you magnify the significance of pressure moments or perceive your stressful moments as pressure moments, your natural physiological responses will restrict oxygen to the brain and muscles, making it harder to focus.Change your mindset, asking yourself how you can view the stressful situations not as overwhelming or a crisis, but as a challenge or opportunity? When you do this, you will get more oxygen to your brain and muscles, improving your performance. Regulate your breathing. This technique sounds so simple, but its tremendously effective. Just breathe before, during and after your pressure moments- it allows you to access your best cognitive thinking. More information about these three strategies and 19 more pressure solutions is available in the book Performing Under Pres sure The Science of Doing Your Best When it Matters Most. Like the top 10% performers in the IHHP study, if you recognize the signs that youre not at your best in your pressure moments and have strategies in place to become more effective, you will perform at your best when you need it most.

Meghan Markle Needs a Makeover ... for Her CV

Meghan Markle Needs a Makeover ... for Her CVMeghan Markle Needs a Makeover ... for Her CVIts Time for Meghan Markles Resume to be Transitioned to a CVAs Meghan Markle gets ready to move into Buckingham Palace and sip tea with the Queen, she will need a brand-new CV - and we have her covered.While most people know her as Rachel Zane on Suits and for her cameos in Get Him To The Greek and Horrible Bosses, and now as the American who stole Prince Harrys heart, Meghan Markles impressive career includes so much mora than what you see on TV.From delivering an amazingly feminist speech as a womens advocate for the UN to visiting Rwanda and India as a global ambassador for World Vision Canada and the Clean Water Campaign, Markle isnt afraid to share her thoughts and speak out against racial and gender inequality. She even wrote lettersas a child to then First Lady Hillary Clinton, TV journalist Linda Ellerbee, and attorney Gloria Allred about the misogynistic line, Women all over America a re fighting greasy pots and pans, in a dish soap commercial and her efforts got the company to change the tagline.Markle has also penned articles on her experiences with the UN for Elle UK, wrote about how periods affect girls in India who dont have access to sanitary pads and thus stopped them from going to school, and created her own lifestyle blog aimed at empowering women called The Tig.In honor of Meghan Markle and Prince Harrys upcoming wedding, we asked TC Paulson, senior staff writer for our sister site TopCV, to convert Ms. Markles resume into a European CV for her transatlantic move to the U.K. Paulson opted to fleck her as a Humanitarian Advocate based on the fact that, aside from being an actress, the majority of Markles additional experience lies in charity and humanitarian work and she has said that she will leave acting to focus on philanthropy once shes married.Below is Markles newly-created CV. We invite you to take a closer look at the career that makes Ms. Markle so much more than just the new American princess.Click on the following link for more resume advice.Looking to make the big leap and move across the pond, but need to update your resume to a CV? Check out our sister site TopCVs CV-writing services.Recommended ReadingAsk Amanda How Do I Convert a Resume to a CV Format?Executive Resume Makeovers for the Obamas Next Career MovesThe King of Rock n Roll Gets a Resume Makeover

New study says music hurts creativity and productivity

New study says music hurts creativity and productivityNew study says music hurts creativity and productivityDo you pop in your air pods at the office before launching into your next assignment? So many people do it Listen to music at work. But new research indicates it may not be the best way to focus on the task at hand.A recent research article in the journal Applied Cognitive Psychology suggests that, contrary to what most people believe, background music impairs creativity. Researchers from the United Kingdom tested three different kinds of music, and none of them were good news for workers who want to get their creative juices flowing.Follow Ladders on FlipboardFollow Ladders magazines on Flipboard covering Happiness, Productivity, Job Satisfaction, Neuroscience, and moraResearchers had participants completeCompound Remote Associate Tasks - which are believed to use creativity - in quiet conditions and with three different types of background music Music with foreign lyrics (s o that participants couldnt understand them), instrumental music sans lyrics and music with familiar lyrics. Each of the three experiments arrived at the same conclusion Music decreased creativity to approximately the same extent one might have expected it to have increased, according to the article.Complete silenceIn fact, regardless of whether the background music put listeners in a good mood or whether participants were used to studying around music, the third experiment suggested that any background music had negative consequences for creative thinking.We found strong evidence of impaired performance when playing background music in comparison to quiet background conditions, Neil McLatchie, one of the articles authors, said in a release.So basically it looks like working at Starbucks or any other coffee shop is off limits even jazz instrumentals could mess with your thought processes. And dont even think about using headphones at work - unless theyre just meant to cancel out n oise.Or really, do what you want. Everyone knows what works for them. But beware If youre having a hard time getting creative, your jams may be to blame.You might also enjoyNew neuroscience reveals 4 rituals that will make you happyStrangers know your social class in the first seven words you say, study finds10 lessons from Benjamin Franklins daily schedule that will double your productivityThe worst mistakes you can make in an interview, according to 12 CEOs10 habits of mentally strong people

The Biggest Myth About Skills and Qualifications for Resume Exposed

The Biggest Myth About Skills and Qualifications for Resume Exposed A Secret Weapon for Skills and Qualifications for Resume Resumes concentrate on your prior job experiences. Hard skills arent skills that are really hard to learn. Circus skills might also be listed. Youre able to play the exact role for her or him. There are a few positions where honesty and boldness play an important duty. Because the duties of an LPN may vary so significantly, there are quite a lot of skills that are indispensable to be able to be successful as an LPN. The very last thing you desire is to confuse the organization as it will result to rejection. System administrators might also be asked to do debugging duties occasionally, so they have to be acquainted with the notion of computer coding and programming. You need to be a degree holder to develop into a Social Worker. Industry and on-the-job training is supplied for the majority of roles at Verafin. Education Education doesnt necessarily r eplace experience. But What About Skills and Qualifications for Resume? Qualifications at the exact same level can be quite different when it comes to content and the duration of time they take to finish. Technical skills are either something youve got or you dont, but theyre always something which it is possible to learn. When you compose a list of Core Competencies, you are going to want to include about 10. The previous date for new starters on the present qualifications is 31 August 2019, to make koranvers that learners gain from the changes made to Functional Skills whenever possible. Just take the opportunity to critique the job posting, so youre familiarized with what the employer wants. By way of example, say youre applying for the job of dump truck driver. Your summary of qualifications should incorporate a fine assortment of examples that produce your resume really stick out. The Foolproof Skills and Qualifications for Resume Strategy Include thename of the organ ization youre applying for to demonstrate the employer youre genuinely interested in becoming part of their team. Possibly one of the advantages and appealing facets of a career in accounting is the flexibility. If youre lacking in the experience department, it may be better to try out a different resume introduction. For instance, if youre looking for employment in the medical care business, listing your yoga certification indicates that youre likely a health advocate and leader. An overview of qualifications is utilized to highlight the range of work experiences youve built up with time. Any qualifications which you have need to be relevant to the job that youre applying for. As a rule of thumb, it helps to keep in mind that a skill is typically related to a particular ability, even though a qualification may be a more general accomplishment. 1 potential benefit of studying for a professional qualification as a portion of a Masters degree is that you might be entitled to a g overnment postgraduate loan. Outside of experience in the specialty, hiring managers may be searching for bright candidates with at least a high school diploma or even some kind of business degree. Luckily, you can get cash handling skills in many different positions. If youre really motivated to land a specific job, interview professionals in the area and ask them what it requires to excel in their job. While bank teller jobs can act as a great way to enter the discipline of finance, its important that you show that you have the required skills to serve as the surface of the branch. Knowing about different levels means that you could compare qualifications and identify what you require for your favorite career. It is possible to create an overview of a huge variety of your work experience in your resume. Try to remember that youre responding to a work post so that your objective, skills, education and work experience should match the demands of the employer. Ten to over 20 de cades of experience translate in a normal salary of $40,000.

What You Dont Know About Writing a Summary for a Resume Patiant Access Might Shock You

What You Dont Know About Writing a Summary for a Resume Patiant Access Might Shock You The Number One Question You Must Ask for Writing a Summary for a Resume Patiant Access Your resume ought to be clear and simple to read. In the end, you access a substantial number of chances. You ought not list the whole period of your schooling. The Awful Side of Writing a Summary for a Resume Patiant Access What resume section to improve your resume depend on both the sort of resume and the work location. If you would like a job in america or Canada, odds are theyll request a resume. Its difficult to find the one which you desire. The Supreme Strategy for Writing a Summary for a Resume Patiant Access In general, the aforementioned outline is remarkably simple because the work search procedure, despite all of the anxiety and confusion, is remarkably easy. If you follow the suggestions above you are going to have an interesting, compelling resume summary that is likely to make the re ader want to find out more about you even regardless of your lack of work experience Occasionally its better to allow the accomplishment speak for itself. The Foolproof Writing a Summary for a Resume Patiant Access Strategy You may not receive every job which you apply for, but a resume thats well written can help you find the best job that is suitable for you. Knowing the fundamental steps of writing a good resume does not indicate you have to write alone. As soon as you have come to be a certified medical assistant, the next step to have the job in the exact same field requires you to understand how to compose a health assistant resume. While writing a health assistant resume, you should keep in mind many things like the following Depending at work, the health care assistants are either administrative or clinical but all of them have one thing in common they keep a health practice humming. To do this, you want to explain to new people what can give them confidence you wil l have the ability to donate to the new team. For instance, a current high school graduate applying for a nursing program might need to incorporate a resume objective, while an expert registered nurse should go for a summary statement. Your aim is to quantifiably prove that you are able to. In addition, you can include things like skills which were used at a certain job position in a particular period and dont neglect to mention your scholarship on resume. Based on your degree of experience and the jobs youre applying for, what you decide to concentrate on in your resume summary might vary. Utilizing a resume database of an on-line job site makes it simpler for employers and recruiters to identify you. You might be troubled by means of a variety of phone calls from assorted agencies, employment consultants, headhunters and possibly even telemarketers. You still must list your prior employment but your skills ought to be the focal portion of the resume. Up in Arms About Wri ting a Summary for a Resume Patiant Access? A resume summary can be called an executive summary, particularly for upper-level positions. You always need to strive to bring a summary at the peak of your resume. Whilst you write your summary for your resume, attempt to think of what you want them to discuss with you, and what exactly you desire an opportunity to discuss. Be certain to tailor your resume summary to the particular job listing.

Resume Services - the Conspiracy

Resume Services - the Conspiracy Being an outdoor type is actually a manner of life. Theres no concern when it has to do with securing all considerable first interviews and having a perfect resume could assist the person take her or his very first steps towards the career of their dreams. There isnt any reason to list everything which you have ever done on a resume, but knowing what to include is the tricky part. Making the transition from military life to the civilian world is a significant challenge, particularly once you want to resume that will expedite your work search so that you can land a work as rapidly as possible. You ought to be in the place to manage things since they come. Thinking things through will help keep you from moving to a different job at which youll be dissatisfied following a few months. The step before the very first step is to be well prepared. An intelligent small business person would like to find the absolute most for their money. The Tried an d True Method for Resume Services in Step by Step Detail Professionals put their wisdom and expertise with each other to prepare an impressive profile of their clientele and let them to get desired jobs. There are quite many of zugnglich expert CV providers from the united kingdom, US, Canada, Australia and other nations too. As its so important, you might have made a decision to use an expert service to rewrite your resume or CV to ensure its like it possibly can be. Officials in the business wouldnt be impressed with a lengthy resume which they must devote plenty of time to read. Companies receive no less than a hundred applications daily. In just a couple hours, the business contacted me, and asked just a couple more details. As a way to ensure a superb and more professional CV for better chances, its crucial to seek advice from the assistance or services of the very best CV writing agent if at all possible. Focusing on true CV optimisation your private consultant will allow you to focus your CV writing to a particular business or role. With our group of certified resume writers and first-rate career solutions, you are able to get your career on track very quickly. While there are numerous excellent services out there, plenty of organizations exist that dont deliver on what they promise. Resume writing has turned out to be an extremely tedious and daunting endeavor for the untrained individuals. You will work with a resume writer whos qualified to compose the document which best suits your requirements. Therefore, when you desire the resume writers then you can merely get some reviews. The resume writer would like to continue to keep things simplistic. The New Angle On Resume Services Just Released Today, professional resume writers are readily available to assist you prepare a winning resume. When youre matched with a professional resume writer, youre getting the expertise of a person who has made executive-level hiring decisions throughout their very own career history. Getting the help of a professional resume writer might not be an alternative for everybody, but some find it a necessity. In the event you head over to a brand-new web site that the author has place up, there may be a confined time supply so you may find the e-guide for a discounted 33% away. Therefore, selecting a resume company is most likely likely to be one of the most significant investments you could possibly make for the very simple fact that in regards to your career, theres no room for error. By researching green goods, you can discover products which help save the surroundings and arent too hard on your pockets. No examples of the businesss work posted on their site. When it has to do with your job search, theres nobody size fits all approach. The Resume Services Cover Up There are quite that help candidates make resumes that suit their requirements. The same as your principal concern is receiving the job and an adequate salary, the employers major concerns are business expenses and hiring the very best talent possible. Developing a Resume There are a lot of unique formats you may use if developing your resume. A good resume is essential when it comes to locating employment. The majority of them are easily-avoidable mistakes. As said before, very few men and women know what things to devote a resume or curriculum vitae. They dont like their current job or career. In addition, the language used should be easy and easy to absorb.

Edits that will make your resume fit one page

Edits that will make your resume fit one pageEdits that will make your resume fit one pageEdits that will make your resume fit one pageIt can be difficult to decide what to include on your resume. The mora experience people have, the more they want to include on it. This means that our resume will get longer and longer. The longer our resume is, the less chance employers will want to read it. courtesy of D.Sankowski unsplash.comHowever, there are a few formatting tricks that can be used to keep your resume down to one page. In this article, we will have a look several tricks that you can use to achieve this task. Change The Size Of Your Font.The size of most fonts can be changed. Try changing the font size to 10.5. However, make aya that your resume can still be read easily. Size 11 is also a good font size to use. Make The Label Or Heading Front Sizes Smaller. Most people will have labels or headings on their resume. Making the label and heading sizes smaller will give you more spac e. If you can, try making these one to two sizes smaller.Make Your Name Smaller. There is more to you than your name. You do not want your potential employers to only know you by your name. You have much more to offer them. Try using a smaller size for your name. It doesnt have to take up so much room on your resume.Dont Be Afraid Use Bold. When you dont have much space, dont be afraid to use the bold font. You can bold your labels and headings even when they are smaller in size. They will still stand out.Increase Your Margin Size. Microsoft Word automatically makes the margin size one inch. Margin sizes can be changed to a variety of sizes such as zero point five inches. This will give you much more space. The left and right sizes of the pages can also be increased. Zero point four is a good size to use. Change The Line Spacing.Line spacing can be changed to size one. The line spacing for your labels and headings can be changed to zero point seven five. However, be aware that the b efore and after spacing will be different to line spacing. The Before And After Spacing.Make sure that the before and after spacing is set to zero. Change The Indent.If you are using bullet points on your resume, make sure this is set to zero. You will still have a good amount of space to show that there is a difference in your text. Make The Most Of Columns.Columns are a great thing to use on your resume. Our advice is that you use several columns. Two columns will give you the opportunity to include your education and work experience all on the same lines. If you dont have any columns then your experience will all be in a list form. You do not need to use several columns on the full page. They can be used to group a specific amount of information together.Dont Use Vertical Lists. Rather than use vertical lists, take advantage of horizontal lists with dots instead. Vertical lines will allow you to separate information and provide you with much more space. Change The size of the ver tical lines and dots. The size of the vertical lines and dots can be changed. A good size to use is seven point five. This will give you an extra two or three lines. Online Include Relevant Experience. Only include relevant experience that is relevant to the lokalitt you are applying for. If you have experience relevant to the job you are applying for then take it out. They potential employer does not need to know about this.These are just a few tricks you can try if you are wanting to get your resume down to one page. We hope you have found them helpful. Please give them a go. You will be surprised at just how well they work.

8 ways to be more self-sufficient and sustainable at home

8 ways to be mora self-sufficient and sustainable at home8 ways to be more self-sufficient and sustainable at homeI have long fantasised about living off the grid and being fully self-sufficient. You know, a log cabin in the mountains, just me, my dogs, a horse, nature, long flowing skirts, longer hot baths under the stars. Then, I remember I love my creature comforts and the finer things in life. And, of course, there would be the challenge of a composting toilet. This just isnt something I am ready for yet.Instead, I have worked toward reducing my footprint and looking at what I can do to become more self-sufficient while maintaining my current lifestyle. And access to a flush toilet. And amobile phone.So, if like me, you have these kind of dreams but know the reality would be a whole different story, keep reading for some easy tips on making your home and your life more self-sufficient.Follow Ladders on FlipboardFollow Ladders magazines on Flipboard covering Happiness, Productivit y, Job Satisfaction, Neuroscience, and more1. Grow your own foodBut I live in an apartment you say. Surprise You dont have to own acreage to grow your own food. Sure, it helps if you want to produce everything you eat, but even apartment dwellers can successfully grow some green. A logical place to start is with a kitchen herb garden. You can easily grow herbs like mint, chives, parsley, basil, and thyme in containers on your windowsill. Just remember they need sunlight, water, humidity, and a quality growing medium.Keen to venture beyond herbs? Try a planter garden, or if you have a little more space, a raised wicking bed. These guys basically look after themselves and produce incredible quantities given their size. Check outthis Gardening Australia videofor a demonstration on how to make a wicking bed from a recycled IBCIf growing greens in your own home isnt an option, you could join the edible cities revolution through a local community garden. Look up the Australian City Farms Community Gardens Network for a garden near you.2. Preserve your own foodNow that you have totally nailed growing your own food, you will be faced with the inevitability of excess produce. What to do with the 7 kilograms of cherry tomatoes you have just picked off your vine? Eat until youre sick? Throw them at passers-by? Give them to your cat to play with? How about preserving instead. The most common methods are freezing, canning, and dehydrating.I am all about freezing. I bought a 400L freezer last year thinking it would be more than enough for my needs. It is full to overflowing. However, I do live 40km from the nearest supermarket. And I raw feed my dogs. And I use a lot A LOT of frozen fruit and vegetables in smoothies. Yes vegetables. In smoothies. My favourites are chopped zucchini/courgette, cauliflower, and pureed pumpkin or sweet potato. Unless you have a kick arse blender though, take it from me and chop into small chunks before you freeze.I am also fond of freezing f resh herbs when they are readily available from my garden or the shop so I can use them year round. Ziplock bags are great, or freeze into ice cube trays.I havent got as far as learning how to can and my kitchen does not have the space for a dehydrator, but there is no reason why you shouldnt give these techniques a go.3. CompostComposting is a great way to use reuse kitchen scraps. I have tried a few different approaches over the years and had an almost equal number of failures. Rodents and creepy crawlies. anyone?. Now I use a tumbler and I consider myself a composting Queen. If you are a novice, have limited space, or like me are just really hopeless at composting, I recommend a tumbler. They are pretty near foolproof.If your composting space is non-existent, then consider aBokashi Onecomposter for apartments. These innovative, compact composting systems can fit on your countertop.Whichever option you choose, make sure you do your research. Compost needs care and with some system s, you need to be pretty careful about what you feed them to avoid unpleasant smells and even more unpleasant visitors.4. Learn to fermentIf you have a countertop, a kettle, and a fridge, you can ferment. This is probably one of the most accessible tips on this list is home fermenting, though some ferments are easier than others.Sauerkraut, kombucha, water kefir, milk kefir, kimchi, cheese, yoghurt, pickled vegetables, fermented tomato sauce, sourdough, drinking vinegars - take your pick Fermentation has been enjoying a renaissance in recent years, although it is one of the oldest known forms of food preservation. Eating fermented foods helps maintain your gut flora through beneficial bacteria, or probiotics. And with 70% of our immune system residing in our gut, it makes sense to take care of your gut by incorporating fermented foods into your diet.I ferment kombucha, sauerkraut, vegetables, water kefir, and milk kefir. The latter two are by far the easiest home ferments. Buy some kefir grains (it does matter which type of grains you buy - there is no one size fits all, and whether they are dried or fresh), grab some milk or sugar water, and start making your kefir. From milk kefir, you can produce labne cheese and whey, or you can consume as is and in smoothies. Water kefir is a super healthy alternative to soft drink, and you can get creative with secondary ferment flavours. My current drinks du jour are raspberry and coffee/date, positiv I have found it makes a nice base for chia puddings, and a sneaky gin or vodka mixer.5. Raise chickensNot possible in many urban areas, but if you have the space, you should totally consider chickens. I adore my girls Mussolini, No Tail, and Number Three. They have such endearing personalities and are always interested in what I am doing in the garden. Or what my partner is doing in the workshop. They happily co-exist with my dogs and keep us in a ready supply of eggs.You will need a solid secure house for them at night, ideally some space for them to free range and forage, a night perch, clean plentiful water supply, and a quality diet, which can be supplemented by kitchen scraps. And leftover dog food as it turns out.Another bonus with chickens is their gardening skills. They are a handy addition when I want to prepare a garden bed for planting, turning over the soil and generally freshening things up. Just dont let them near seedlings or plants they find tasty and you want to keep intact, because they can shred your plants in seconds.6. Keep beesWithout bees we wouldnt be here. As the primary pollinators of so many fruits, vegetables, nuts, flowers, and other plants, bees play an essential role in our food chain. But the global bee population in serious decline. Consider then doing a good deed for the environment and for bees by getting a hive for your own back yard. In addition to pollinating your garden, honeybees have the added bonus of producing fresh honey, and I dont think there is anythin g better than locally produced honey on a bowl of warming winter oats.If the idea of handling these gals and their stings is a bit overwhelming, then consider Australian native stingless bees. I bought my mum a native beehive fromCity Chicksa few years ago and she absolutely dotes on it.They only produce a small quantity of honey each year, and it is quite different from the honey you buy from the store. Again, do you research before committing to keeping native bees, as many species are suited only to their native climate. A good place to start your research is on theAussie Beewebsite. They also provide tips on how to find out if your local council allows urban bee keeping.7. Re-useSimple. Consider what common single or limited use products you can begin to reuse. For example, ziplock bags. If I have only used them to store frozen fruit or vegetables, I will rinse, dry and reuse.Another one us takeaway containers. Again they are great for freezing leftovers, for keeping a supply of bliss balls on hand, or for getting your refrigerator organised.Also,Clothing.I never throw out clothes. Everything is donated to charity or reused. Good items that are damaged are relegated to gardening or playing-with-dogs-wear. Unless, of course, it is a party dress, because I am not so much into gardening in party dresses. Those go to charity or the niece and nephews dress-up chests. And when the gardening-wear is retired it heads into the workshop for my partner to use as rags. My clothes have seriously long and varied lives.I have also been experimenting with dying lately. Helpful tip, if you have a partner who works outdoors or in a workshop, do not buy pale bed linen. As much as I would love love love full white linen, it would be futile. To freshen up bed linens that start to look a bit tired. I have been machine dying them using Rit dyes. I feel like I have a whole suite of new bedding to suit my current charcoal grey dcor obsession. TheRit websitehas a huge range of tips and inspiration for mixing and matching to create new colours, different dying techniques (Shibori anyone?), and how to dye without ruining your washing machine.8. Make your ownOkay, so this one covers off on a few different ways you can become more self-sufficient at home. Nearly anything can be made at home if you take the time to learn. Heck, before the industrial age (and maybe even ansprechbar shopping), thats what people had to do. Sewing, mending, home maintenance and repairs, homemade cleaning products, DIY skincare, cooking from scratch, soap, beeswax food wraps, dryer balls, dog treats, playdough, essential oils, candles.I love Pinterest as a source of inspiration for DIY/MYO, especially some of the American homesteading accounts. Some of them are so wholesome they make me feel virtuous and wholesome by association. This weeken, I am going to have a go at makingMatcha Bath Bombs. I have had a packed of expired Matcha powder I have been wanting to use up and cannot bring m yself to throw out (there is only so many Matcha bliss balls a gal can eat).This article originally appeared on A Girl in Progress.You might also enjoyNew neuroscience reveals 4 rituals that will make you happyStrangers know your social class in the first seven words you say, study finds10 lessons from Benjamin Franklins daily schedule that will double your productivityThe worst mistakes you can make in an interview, according to 12 CEOs10 habits of mentally strong people