myHR Archives
myHR: February 1, 2012
Get Healthy for Life with the Penn Wellness Challenge
If your New Year's resolution to get healthy has already gone by the wayside—or you're still struggling to get started—now's your chance to get moving on your fitness goals this year. Take on the Penn Wellness Challenge and discover a new and healthier you!
Beginning February 20, this eight-week program will help you make small changes to your lifestyle that'll have a big impact on your health in the long run. Each week you'll tackle a different challenge that helps you incorporate new, healthy behaviors into your daily routine. These challenges include eating a healthy breakfast, trying new exercise activities, and adding fruits and vegetables to your meals.
At the end of each week, you'll record your results. For each challenge you successfully complete, you'll earn a chance to win one of three exciting raffle prizes: an iPod nano, an iPod touch or an iPad 2. If you complete them all, you'll have earned eight chances to win a prize!
We'll help you stay motivated along the way with weekly emails to guide you through every challenge.
Are you ready for the Penn Wellness Challenge? For complete details and to register, click here or contact Human Resources at suzsmith@upenn.edu.
Administrative Professionals: Gain an Edge in Your Field
Kim Clark was determined to figure out ways to better support Penn's Office of Gift Planning. As administrative assistant, she wanted to develop new skills tailored to her job and learn how other administrative professionals at Penn managed their careers.
That's when Kim enrolled in the Penn Certificate Program in Administrative Excellence. Now two years later, she's able to successfully tackle any project that comes her way.
"I knew that a professional development program customized for Penn staff would be impressive, and I wanted to meet and learn from other people in my field," Kim said.
By the end of the program, she'd mastered the strategies that help administrative professionals excel—like excellent communication skills, time and stress management techniques, a knack for organizing multiple projects and the ability to work well with others.
"The Penn Certificate Program in Administrative Excellence was invaluable to me. I learned a wealth of information and really enjoyed the opportunity to evaluate my skills and apply what I learned to my own professional goals and needs," Kim said.
The program also helps you develop your professional network and teaches you how to succeed in a decentralized environment like Penn's. Ready to take your administrative performance to a higher level? The Penn Certificate Program in Administrative Excellence is a multi-session program that begins on February 29 and ends on April 27. Click here for complete details and to register.Discover New Ways to Advance Your Career
Climbing the career ladder can be challenging, especially if you feel like you're moving in one direction and not making any progress. But in today's technology-driven world, everything you need to advance is right at your fingertips—and we'll show you how to use these tools to explore your talents and meet your professional goals.
Join us on February 8 and February 15 for a two-session webinar series on Career Management in the Age of the App. You'll learn how to define your short- and long-term career goals, and how to stay on track with those goals from one month to the next. We'll also show you how to evaluate your current skills and experience and help you identify areas for growth.
Discover the big picture when it comes to your career. Click here for complete details and to register.
Help Your Child Cope with Change
Adults have a hard enough time coping with change in their lives. But for children, change can be even more frightening since it usually brings about new and sometimes unfamiliar ways of doing things. So how do you teach kids to face and conquer change like a champ? We'll show you.
Join us on February 15 for a free workshop on Empowering Your Child to Manage Change. You'll learn the benefits of open communication with your child and how to have a productive discussion about change. We'll give you tools for helping kids understand the reality of change and show you how to take care of yourself at the same time.
You're welcome to bring a brown bag lunch to this session. Click here for complete details and to register.
Your 3-Step Plan to Save for Retirement
If you're like most people, you know how important it is to plan for retirement. But some of us fall short when it comes to saving. We know it's critical to securing our financial future. But if you're not saving yet (or you fell off track with your contributions), how do you start moving in the right direction? Follow these three steps to get on the road to retirement.
Create a budget. Depending on your age, you can contribute up to $22,500 annually to your retirement savings. First, calculate how much you should be saving for retirement (if you need help, use Vanguard's retirement savings calculator to estimate). Then take a look at your monthly income and expenses, and figure out how much money you can save. Start contributing that amount, then explore other ways to build your nest egg as you go.
Develop an investment strategy. All of Penn's retirement plans give you the freedom and flexibility to choose how much to contribute and how to invest your money. You can use our online system to enroll in a plan or make changes to your elections at any time. But if you're struggling to figure out an investment mix that's right for you, we have a number of resources to help you. Penn's retirement vendors offer free one-on-one counseling to help you meet your financial goals. You can also rely on them for online support, whether you need to understand the basics of investing or you'd like help in deciding how to make the most of your contributions.
Track your progress. Don't neglect to keep track of your savings once you decide how to invest. Remember to check your balances periodically to see if you're maintaining the investment mix you wanted. And if your short- or long-term financial goals change, you may need to adjust your investment plan accordingly.
Want more tips for successful retirement planning? Click here for a list of resources to help you meet your goals.