Your #Career : Job Search, Throw Me A Line – I’m Drowning! ….. You Must Establish your Brand & Envision a Target. If you are Persistent & Completely Engaged, You will be Successful. Also Understand that a Proactive, Self-Managed Job Search is Not an Overnight Process.

Work your network – secure referrals through people you know and target companies and key decision makers that will refer you to opportunities in the “unpublished” job market.

Resume DNA Cover

Excerpt from the book “RESUME DNASucceeding In Spite Of Yourself” by John Singer

I recently coached a client who had gone through our program and possessed all of the necessary tools to start his job search. He was a self-proclaimed procrastinator, and in one of our coaching sessions, he started to break down emotionally. He admitted that he was not applying himself in his job search. He had been unemployed for three months; the wolves were at the door, and he felt paralyzed. He spent his entire day robotically applying for positions online (a “reactive” job search) and was admittedly exhausted from what he metaphorically referred to as “treading water in the middle of the ocean.”

I asked him if I could join him for a moment in the big blue sea. His expression shifted to a confused look (much like yours at this moment), and I told him that I wanted to be right there by his side. How’s the water? Is the sun shining? (Don’t worry—this is not a “Footprints in the Sand” analogy.) He started to play along, and he asked me if I had brought sunscreen. I told him that there might be more than just choppy waters on our horizon. I bothered to look in all directions and spotted a small sandy island about two kilometers away. Why don’t we use the same energy and determination that we are expending to keep our heads above water to instead swim toward our target?

You must establish your brand and envision a target. If you are persistent and completely engaged, you will be successful. Also understand that a proactive, self-managed job search is not an overnight process. Work your network – secure referrals through people you know and target companies and key decision makers that will refer you to opportunities in the “unpublished” job market.

Only you can make this happen. To quote Robert Frost, “The best way out is always through.”

Excerpt from the book “RESUME DNA – Succeeding In Spite Of Yourself” by John Singer

 Available on Amazon

 

FSC Career Blog | July 12, 2016

 

 

 

 

Your #Career : How to Build a Business When You Can’t Quit Your Job…What If you could Build a Business without Quitting your Job? It’s Possible with the Right Approach.

Most of us get the urge to become an entrepreneur at one point or another. We may be called to create something from scratch, or lead a team of people or just earn money without having to answer to a boss. Whatever the motivation, the urge strikes us, but only a fraction of usever take that all-important next step of actually building a business.

Free- Lock on Fence

Why don’t more of us take that step? For starters, most of us already have jobs, and we can’t quit them smoothly or conveniently, so we just continue working them without pursuing our dreams. But what if you could build a business without quitting your job? It’s possible with the right approach.

Related: How to Start a Business With (Almost) No Money

Why not quit?

First, let’s take a look at why you’re not quitting your job in the first place. There are some valid reasons, but the reality is, you may not need your job as much as you think you do.

You need the money.

Money is tight during the early stages of entrepreneurship no matter how good your idea is. However, if you can secure enough venture capital or a good line of credit, you can scrape by without needing a supplementary job.

 

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You’re afraid of plateauing in your career.

You may worry that if you quit, you may be unable to return to the workforce in the future. This is somewhat illogical in most cases. Talk to a boss or supervisor you trust, and get their opinion on a potential return if your business doesn’t pan out.

You’re unsure about your idea.

If you don’t have a good idea yet, you probably shouldn’t leave your job. While this is a valid reason, why not spend more time developing your idea?

Related: Starting a Business: The Idea Phase

You’re afraid of the risks.

You may want to keep your job as a safety net, but safety nets don’t always lead to a better overall performance.

If you’ve considered any of these reasons to hold onto your job, and you’re still convinced you can’t quit, follow these strategies to start a business successfully while still maintaining your daily responsibilities.

Related: 5 Questions to Ask Yourself Before You Start a Business

Be realistic.

First, be realistic about what you can and cannot do while still maintaining your job. You can work on your ideas, build some infrastructure and maybe even manage your business during the early stages, but you can’t feasibly manage this forever. There are only so many hours in the day, and you’ll need to make a commitment to one side or the other eventually.

Focus on the idea.

While you’re still working, focus on developing your business idea as much as possible. That is to say, keep your work conceptual during the early stages. This is the best time to flesh out the gritty details of your idea. Evaluate it for flaws, and fine-tune your idea to perfection. You won’t be under the gun with deadlines, and you won’t be strapped for cash, so make the most of this time by writing up the best possiblebusiness plan you can.

Gain connections.

Unless you’re working in isolation, this is a great time to build connections you can use for your business later on (assuming you won’t be violating any non-compete agreements). Get to know as many people as possible. You never know when or where you’ll meet a potential partner, vendor, client or employee. The wider your range of professional contacts is, the more options you’ll have when it comes time to growing your business. This will also save you valuable time when you need to be managing your business instead of networking.

Start with baby steps.

Don’t try to do everything with your business while you’re still working full-time, and don’t try to rush the process. Instead, take baby steps, when you can, to slowly advance your idea forward. Test the waters. Experiment. If you get in too deep, you’ll lose control over the situation, and your business will end up outpacing you.

Tread carefully.

You may think of yourself as quite capable, and maybe you are, but there’s still a hard limit to how much work you can do before your work starts to decline in quality. If you spend too much time on your business, your professional work will suffer, and you may end up losing the career you tried so hard to protect. Spend too much time on your career, and your business won’t have a chance. Keep yourself in balance.

If you follow these strategies, you can build a business while still maintaining your day job in the early stages. Just remember, there’s no perfect time to start a business, so be sure you understand your own motivations before opting to delay getting started. Oftentimes, the best thing to do is throw yourself into something, and make adjustments along the way; otherwise, you may never start at all.

 

Entrepreneur.com | July 7, 2016 | Larry Alton

Your #Career : Here’s what Hiring Managers Really Want to Know when they Ask, ‘Why are You Leaving your Current Job?’…This Question, or any Variation of It, is Extremely Challenging Because it Naturally Puts You on the Defensive

Hiring managers are often looking for a reason not to hire you, since they’re typically bombarded with resumes. You don’t want to help make the process of elimination easy — so think about being on the other side of the desk. “Would you hire you, based on your response to this question?” Taylor asks. “Make sure you help guide your interviewer into thinking about your next big contribution, which should be to them,” she concludes.

Male hands holding pen in working environment

If you’re on a job interview, there’s a pretty good chance the hiring manager will ask: “So, why are you leaving your current job?”  This may seem like an easy question. You probably have 100 reasons for wanting to pursue a new role — and can easily defend each one. But career expert Lynn Taylor says your response to this query can be an absolute deal breaker.

This question, or any variation of it, is extremely challenging because it naturally puts you on the defensive,” says Taylor, author of “Tame Your Terrible Office Tyrant: How to Manage Childish Boss Behavior and Thrive in Your Job.” “It’s one of the most difficult and critical queries you can possibly be asked during the interview process because it reveals so much about you.”

It’s also a tricky question because a terse or canned response will likely leave the interviewer waiting for some elaboration. “If you refuse to explain further, that in itself will be a red flag,” Taylor explains.

She says this query may open up a can of worms. “It can easily take you down a slippery path of describing a difficult work environment or boss, demanding workload, dull assignments, or other, similar frustrations.” And while any of those reasons may be a factor for you, they won’t help your cause. “You’ll need to take a diplomatic, professional, and forward looking approach,” she says.

Here’s what hiring managers want to hear when they ask this question:

If you get along well with others

Employers want to be sure that you’re not leaving because you have difficulty working as part of a team, or can’t take directions, Taylor says. “They will glean this from your answer if you say anything negative about the personality of your boss or coworkers, even if true.”

It’s understood that common etiquette is not to burn bridges or disparage your employer. “Your new boss wants to be assured that you’ll be easy to get along with, upbeat, and motivational around coworkers.”

 

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Whether you’re aware of which atmospheres you thrive in

“You would be better served to describe the atmosphere in which you would thrive most, and explain that you think your current employer doesn’t necessarily provide that type of environment,” Taylor says. For example, you can say: “I am looking for a challenging environment where my skills could be put to the best use, and where there’s a strong team approach. I feel I have a lot to contribute that could be better tapped.”

 

If you’re high or low maintenance

Most managers are looking to minimize any corporate drama, so if you can explain how you’ve been a self-starter and seek an innovative environment where you can deliver significant results, you’ll likely enhance your chances, she says. “If you’re leaving your job because of ‘a lack of visibility by your boss,’ for example, many will assume that you require a lot of recognition or management time.”

Like most tricky interview questions, it’s how professional you are in your response that carries the most weight. “It may be true that you feel unnoticed in your current position, but a more positive alternative is to explain that you’re looking for an opportunity where you can make a difference, working alongside a dedicated team with common goals.”

Whether you speak poorly of your employer

Remember you’re talking to one employer about another employer. While they may be sympathetic to your needs, they’re always aware of the probable management perspective. “If you blame your current employer for your dissatisfaction, it’ll send up a red flag, as the hiring manager will assume you wouldn’t be discreet about them, either,” Taylor says.

 

How excited you are to work for them

No manager wants you to drone on about why you’re leaving your job. Have a thoughtful, concise answer, but don’t ramble. “The interviewer is hoping that you’re looking to the future…and to a future with them,” she says. “They are hoping that you can outline and help them envision a mutually beneficial partnership; so focus on tomorrow, not yesterday.”

Whether you want to advance your career

Most employers admire those who want to get ahead, particularly if their resumes show a consistent pattern of growth. “Interviewers are most sympathetic to job seekers who want to make more of a contribution; help build departments or companies; and take on more responsibility,” Taylor explains. It can be a double-edged sword to suggest that you’re looking for a “new” challenge, unless you explain that you want “more” of a challenge. Otherwise, it could be taken that you easily get bored.

If you have the requisite skills

Hiring managers want be assured that you have the skills to perform well on the job. “They want to feel that you’re moving forward, versus having been in over your head and now trying to recoup your losses,” says Taylor. One of their deepest fears is that you’re about to be terminated.

They can’t easily check on your performance since you’re still employed, so their best strategy is to ascertain how you view the work itself, she says. “If the job you’re applying for is similar to your current or previous jobs, and you intimate that the challenges or volume of work were unanticipated, it may be assumed that you lacked determination or a strong work ethic.”

Think of your looming departure as something that developed into a mismatch. “It was likely a great job for a period of time, until certain events occurred or didn’t occur,” she says. The more you take the high road, the more professional you will appear to your prospective new boss. In addition, if all you have to say is negative comments, it raises questions about your own judgment: why have you stayed at the company for as long as you did?

Hiring managers are often looking for a reason not to hire you, since they’re typically bombarded with resumes. You don’t want to help make the process of elimination easy — so think about being on the other side of the desk. “Would you hire you, based on your response to this question?” Taylor asks. “Make sure you help guide your interviewer into thinking about your next big contribution, which should be to them,” she concludes.

 

Businessinsider.com | July 11. 2016 | 

 

 

Your #Career : 13 Signs your Coworker is Undermining You…Professional Undermining is like a Toxic Gas; its Presence Will Render any Workplace Uninhabitable.

A recent University of Buffalo School of Management study found that those who feel undermined at work are more likely to sabotage their coworkers,according to phys.orgThat’s bad news. Professional undermining is like a toxic gas; its presence will render any workplace uninhabitable.

Regina George Mean Girls

Still, even if you feel like a colleague is out to get you, it’s important not to let your suspicions make you paranoid.

Before you can take steps toward mitigating the situation, you need to know for sure that you’re being targeted.  Here are 13 signs that a colleague is undermining you at work:

 

They’re more than just competitive

According to an article from Fast Company, competitiveness and outright sabotage are often difficult to tell apart, but the latter is comparatively rare.

Before you label someone an underminer, make sure they’re not just hyper-competitive. If your coworker is overly competitive, they will want to beat out everyone. If they are actively undermining you, they want to see you fail in particular.

The two aren’t mutually exclusive, but it’s still an important distinction.

 

 

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They put you on the defensive

You never argue with this particular colleague, but he or she always manages to put you on the defensive.

If someone’s making you feel like you’re on trial, that’s not a good sign. They might be baiting you and waiting for you to slip up.

 

You’re not alone

Underminers typically don’t stick to just one victim. If you hear that your colleague has burned others in the past, it’s probably best to hold them at arm’s length.

Don’t kid yourself thinking that they’ll make an exception for you.

They gossip — a lot

Everyone partakes in a bit of workplace gossip every once in a while. Sometimes, it’s the only way to figure out what’s really going on at your job.

Still, it’s not a good sign if one of your colleagues seems to constantly have his or her finger on the pulse of every nasty tale circulating around the office.

Basically, if your coworker is a gossip-monger, who’s to say they aren’t talking about you behind your back?

 

They try to distract you

If your colleague is constantly distracting you from your job, they might just be an innocuous and slightly lonely procrastinator.

But if you feel like someone is intentionally attempting to derail your productivity, that’s a problem.

They leave you out

People forget things. It’s a common mistake.

But you should become concerned if a certain person always seems to forget you.

They forgot to invite you to that big project meeting. They forgot to include you on that important email. They forgot to pass on that message from the boss.

You might be dealing with a super absent-minded person. Alternatively, your coworker may be actively trying to keep you in the dark.

 

They spread rumors about you

The workplace rumor mill is all fun and games until you’re the subject of the latest scoop. Do nasty rumors about you seem to trace back to one person in your office?

If that’s the case, your coworker is definitely trying to sabotage your reputation.

They take credit for your work

This one’s a major red flag.

If your coworker is stealing credit for your projects and ideas, you should confront him or her (and probably involve a manager). That’s an act of blatant sabotage.

 

They’re overstepping their rank

Does your colleague present him or herself as your superior when you’re actually equally ranked? Did they tell your colleagues to report to them instead of you on a project that you’re leading? Has they attempted to poach or misguide your team members in the past?

If a coworker’s attempting to pull rank that he or she doesn’t even have, it’s definitely cause for suspicion.

They socially undermine you

This one’s a frustratingly subtle move.

Social undermining is difficult to pick up. You don’t want to always assume the worst about people. Sometimes individuals just say or do the wrong thing without any ulterior motives.

Still, if you feel barraged with slightly rude comments, backhanded compliments, and hostile, mocking body language from one particular colleague, look out.

 

Others are treating you differently

You haven’t done anything wrong — at least, you don’t think you have — but everyone seems to be treating you strangely, from your fellow coworkers to your boss. Can’t figure out what’s up?

It’s possible that your undermining colleague has already gotten to them.

They’re subtle

Unlike overt bullying or harassment, undermining can be harder to pinpoint and detect.

The underminer doesn’t use blatantly hostile language or actions to take you down. He or she quietly works to bring you down, which is why it’s important to be extra careful around them.

You get a bad feeling about them

When dealing with professional undermining, it’s important to always trust your gut.

If someone in the office is giving you bad vibes and his or her actions don’t add up, it’s probably a good idea to tread with caution.

 

 Businessinsider.com | July 11, 2016 |  Áine Cain

Your #Career : 2 Things That Could Keep You From Landing That Job Offer…“It’s Happened Over & Over. I Practice. I Study. I Do everything Right. But Then I Don’t get the Job. What’s Wrong with Me?”

Leah was discouraged with her job search and hired me to help her. “I’m really good at what I do, but I’m not a dynamic interviewee,” Leah told me during our first meeting. “My resume gets me the telephone interview. That gets me the in-person interview. But then I never get the job offer.”

Room Interior

She took a sip of coffee and sighed as she set her cup on the table. “It’s happened over and over. I practice. I study. I do everything right. But then I don’t get the job. What’s wrong with me?”

 

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Some times, like Leah, a candidate can do everything right when it comes to preparing for an interview. And after reviewing what Leah had been doing as prep work, she had done a great job. But for many hiring managers, there are often other attributes they look for in candidates during job interviews that might not be specifically called out in the job posting.

A friend of mine sums up these unstated attributes quite well. He says he looks for “attitude, aptitude, and promotability.” In other words, he looks for someone who has a positive attitude and is energetic, who is intelligent and has the ability to learn new things, and who has long-term potential with the organization.

While a hiring manager can see some of these characteristics by reading the job candidate’s resume, most are attributes that come across while interviewing someone in person. Leah and I conducted some practice interviews. Her problem? Even though she was highly professional and had good qualifications, she seemed “flat” during her interview. With each passing minute, Leah’s energy level decreased and her voice became more monotone.

Leah just wasn’t selling me on her passion and drive for the job. She also wasn’t conveying work examples to show her determination to take on more challenging work and learn new skills. So we took a break from our mock interview and discussed those additional attributes hiring managers often look for, but which usually aren’t listed on most job descriptions.

Leah caught on quickly, and I could see her energy level increase as she began telling me stories about the various projects she had led and the results she was able to achieve. She also provided me with examples where she had proactively contributed to improving processes and described what she had done over the last year as part of her personal development plan.

Guess what? As she was telling me all this, Leah became more and more excited, and her passion for her work became clearly visible. This was exactly the energetic attitude she needed to get across to hiring managers during job interviews!

Sometimes it isn’t a lack of prep work that keeps you from obtaining your dream job – it might be that you’re not exuding enough passion or energy for the position. So consider ways you can demonstrate these attributes through your non-verbal communication as well as the examples you provide during interviews.

Lisa Quast is the author of Secrets of a Hiring Manager Turned Career Coach: A Foolproof Guide to Getting the Job You Want. Every Time.

 

Forbes.com | July 11, 2016 | Lisa Quast

Your #Career : 4 Worst Pieces of Career Advice to Avoid…Here are some Career Tips the Experts Told Us you’d be Better Off Avoiding.

There’s a lot of work advice out there, and some of it is pretty bad. When it comes to navigating your career, you have to be careful about who you take career advice from. A wrong move could cost you a job. Here are some career tips the experts told us you’d be better off avoiding.

question mark signs painted on a asphalt road surface

1. A flashy resume will help you stand out

A flashy resume could cause your application to get passed over. While a little creativity is welcome, going overboard is a problem, said Saad Rizvi, founder of career site Mentat. “In many cases, the first round interview screen is conducted by an ATS or Application Tracking System (in simple terms, a robot!). These programs are optimized for gathering information from a very basic design, and fancy graphs or pictures are not picked up or taken into consideration while filtering out resumes, so you might be passed over despite being a good fit for the role,” Rizvi told The Cheat Sheet.

 

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2. Apply for as many jobs as you can at one company

No matter how tempting, resist the urge to blast your application to everyone at the same company. Also resist the urge to apply for multiple jobs at the same company. Marissa Peretz, founder of Silicon Beach Talent, said doing a resume blast reeks of desperation. “[fusion_builder_container hundred_percent=”yes” overflow=”visible”][fusion_builder_row][fusion_builder_column type=”1_1″ background_position=”left top” background_color=”” border_size=”” border_color=”” border_style=”solid” spacing=”yes” background_image=”” background_repeat=”no-repeat” padding=”” margin_top=”0px” margin_bottom=”0px” class=”” id=”” animation_type=”” animation_speed=”0.3″ animation_direction=”left” hide_on_mobile=”no” center_content=”no” min_height=”none”][Don’t] cast too wide a net. Emailing everyone whose email address you can find at a specific company or applying to many open jobs at one company can convey an air of desperation. People sometimes fall in love with a specific company, and that’s understandable, but the way to increase your chances is to think about these opportunities strategically. I suggest only applying to roles you are actually a fit for, and try to network with people at a company you’re interested in or speak with recruiters who can help present you directly,” said Peretz.

3. Stay at a new job for at least one year

Job hopping looks bad on your resume, but if you’re miserable at a new job, don’t feel obligated to finish out the year. This is especially true if your job is making you sick. Debbie Chew, head of operations at Codementor, told The Cheat Sheet it’s best to leave and search for another opportunity. “If you’re downright unhappy with your job and you’re unable to cope, then it’s not worth it to pretend to be happy or stay. Instead of wasting your time at a job not suitable for you, you can be doing other things like learning a new skill or finding a different job,” said Chew.

4. Go on interviews for jobs you aren’t interested in just for the practice

Practice on your own time. Lori Bumgarner, career specialist and owner of passion and career coaching servicepaNASH, said hiring managers have a sixth sense and will know immediately what you’re doing. Your best bet is to only interview for jobs you would actually consider taking. “Avoid interviewing for a job you don’t intend to take if offered just for interview practice. Recruiters can often sense when a candidate is doing this, and recruiters run in the same circles (especially within the same industry) and they talk to each other. Word will get around if a candidate is known for doing this, which could hurt their chances of getting an interview or an offer for a job they actually want … If you want to improve your interview skills, do some mock interviews with friends or family who are in hiring positions at their jobs, or with a career coach,” Bumgarner said.

 

CheatSheet.com | July 10, 2016 | 

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#Leadership : 9 Bad Habits You Must Break To Be More Productive…Bad Habits Slow you Down, Decrease your Accuracy, Make you Less Creative & Stifle your Performance. Getting Control of your Bad Habits is Critical, & not Just for Productivity’s Sake.

Nothing sabotages your productivity quite like bad habits. They are insidious, creeping up on you slowly until you don’t even notice the damage they’re causing.

Clockwork

Bad habits slow you down, decrease your accuracy, make you less creative and stifle your performance. Getting control of your bad habits is critical, and not just for productivity’s sake. A University of Minnesota study found that people who exercise a high degree of self-control tend to be much happier than those who don’t, both in the moment and in the long run.

“By constant self-discipline and self-control you can develop greatness of character.” — Grenville Kleiser

Some bad habits cause more trouble than others, and the nine that follow are the worst offenders. Shedding these habits will increase your productivity and allow you to enjoy the positive mood that comes with increased self-control.

Related: 10 Things You Do That Make You Less Likeable

1. Impulsively surfing the internet. It takes you 15 consecutive minutes of focus before you can fully engage in a task. Once you do, you fall into a euphoric state of increased productivity called flow. Research shows that people in a flow state are five times more productive than they otherwise would be. When you click out of your work because you get an itch to check the news, Facebook, a sport’s score, or what have you, this pulls you out of flow. This means you have to go through another 15 minutes of continuous focus to reenter the flow state. Click in and out of your work enough times, and you can go through an entire day without experiencing flow.

 

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2. Perfectionism. Most writers spend countless hours brainstorming characters and plot, and they even write page after page that they know they’ll never include in the book. They do this because they know that ideas need time to develop. We tend to freeze up when it’s time to get started because we know that our ideas aren’t perfect and what we produce might not be any good. But how can you ever produce something great if you don’t get started and give your ideas time to evolve? Author Jodi Picoult summarized the importance of avoiding perfectionism perfectly: “You can edit a bad page, but you can’t edit a blank page.”

3. Meetings. Meetings gobble up your precious time like no other. Ultra-productive people avoid meetings as much as humanly possible. They know that a meeting will drag on forever if they let it, so when they must have a meeting they inform everyone at the onset that they’ll stick to the intended schedule. This sets a clear limit that motivates everyone to be more focused and efficient.

Related: 8 Habits of Incredibly Interesting People

4. Responding to e-mails as they arrive. Productive people don’t allow their e-mail to be a constant interruption. In addition to checking their e-mail on a schedule, they take advantage of features that prioritize messages by sender. They set alerts for their most important vendors and their best customers, and they save the rest until they reach a stopping point in their work. Some people even set up an autoresponder that lets senders know when they’ll be checking their e-mail again.

5. Hitting the snooze button. When you sleep, your brain moves through an elaborate series of cycles, the last of which prepares you to be alert at your wake up time. This is why you’ll sometimes wake up right before your alarm clock goes off — your brain knows it’s time to wake up and it’s ready to do so. When you hit the snooze button and fall back asleep, you lose this alertness and wake up later, tired and groggy. Worst of all, this grogginess can take hours to wear off. So no matter how tired you think you are when your alarm clock goes off, force yourself out of bed if you want to have a productive morning.

6. Multitasking. Multitasking is a real productivity killer. Research conducted at Stanford University confirms that multitasking is less productive than doing a single thing at a time. The researchers found that people who are regularly bombarded with several streams of electronic information cannot pay attention, recall information or switch from one job to another as well as those who complete one task at a time. When you try to do two things at once, your brain lacks the capacity to perform both tasks successfully.

But what if some people have a special gift for multitasking? The Stanford researchers compared groups of people, based on their tendency to multitask and their belief that it helps their performance. They found that heavy multitaskers — those who multitasked a lot and felt that it boosted their performance — were actually worse at multitasking than those who liked to do a single thing at a time. The frequent multitaskers performed worse because they had more trouble organizing their thoughts and filtering out irrelevant information, and they were slower at switching from one task to another. Ouch!

7. Putting off tough tasks. We have a limited amount of mental energy, and as we exhaust this energy, our decision-making and productivity decline rapidly. This is called decision fatigue. When you put off tough tasks till late in the day because they’re intimidating, you save them for when you’re at your worst. To beat decision fatigue, you must tackle complex tasks in the morning when your mind is fresh.

Related: 14 Things Ridiculously Successful People Do Every Day

8. Using your phone, tablet or computer in bed. This is a big one that most people don’t even realize harms their sleep and productivity. Short-wavelength blue light plays an important role in your mood, energy level and sleep quality. In the morning, sunlight contains high concentrations of this blue light. When your eyes are exposed to it directly, the blue light halts production of the sleep-inducing hormone melatonin and makes you feel more alert. In the afternoon, the sun’s rays lose their blue light, which allows your body to produce melatonin and start making you sleepy.

By the evening, your brain doesn’t expect any blue light exposure and is very sensitive to it. Most of our favorite evening devices — laptops, tablets, televisions, and mobile phones — emit short-wavelength blue light, and in the case of your laptop, tablet and phone, they do so brightly and right in your face. This exposure impairs melatonin production and interferes with your ability to fall asleep as well as with the quality of your sleep once you do nod off. As we’ve all experienced, a poor night’s sleep has disastrous effects upon productivity. The best thing you can do is to avoid these devices after dinner (television is OK for most people as long as they sit far enough away from the set).

9. Eating too much sugar. Glucose functions as the “gas pedal” for energy in the brain. You need glucose to concentrate on challenging tasks. With too little glucose, you feel tired, unfocused and slow; too much glucose leaves you jittery and unable to concentrate. Research has shown that the sweet spot is about 25 grams of glucose. The tricky thing is that you can get these 25 grams of glucose any way you want, and you’ll feel the same — at least initially. The difference lies in how long the productivity lasts. Donuts, soda and other forms of refined sugar lead to an energy boost that lasts a mere 20 minutes, while oatmeal, brown rice and other foods containing complex carbohydrates release their energy slowly, which enables you to sustain your focus.

Bringing It All Together

Some of these habits may seem minor, but they add up. Most amount to a personal choice between immediate pleasures and lasting ones. After all, the worst habit is losing track of what really matters to you.

version of this article appeared on TalentSmart.

 

Entrepreneur.com  |  July 8, 2016  | Travis Bradberry

Your #Career : The 7 Best Websites for Landing a Freelance Gig with Skills you Already Have…Whether you are Looking to Earn some Extra Pocket Money, Turn a Hobby into a Side Job or Go Freelance Full-Time, There are a Number of Incredibly Helpful Resources at your Disposal.

This time last year, the Bureau of Labor Statistics estimated that 15.5 million people in the United States were self-employed. By 2020, that number is expected to shoot to roughly 60 million, or more than 40% of our nation’s workforce.

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                                            The rise of the freelance economy is palpable.

Coffee shops and coworking spaces abound with freelancers plugging away on their laptops, and office spaces are increasingly empty as the best and brightest leave traditional work behind to claim more flexibility and autonomy in their jobs.

Whether you are looking to earn some extra pocket money, turn a hobby into a side job or go freelance full-time, there are a number of incredibly helpful resources at your disposal.

Here are the seven best sites for finding work as a freelancer today.

1. Toptal

Toptal is a freelance network of elite software engineers and digital designers from over 100 countries around the world. The company’s screening process weeds out all but the top 3 percent of talent in multiple categories, which means that once accepted, you’ll join an exclusive community of experts.

Toptal lets you decide if you want to work hourly, part-time or full time, and you set your own rates so you’ll never be stuck in a bidding war. What’s perhaps best for freelancers is that Toptal also screens clients — and works with top companies like AirBnB, IDEO and JP Morgan— so you’ll always have a steady supply of interesting projects and clients who appreciate the value of your work.

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2. Upwork

In 2014, two leading freelance networks, Elance and oDesk, merged to form Upwork, which is now the largest network for freelancers by a long shot. With more than 10 million registered users, four million clients, and three million jobs posted every year, Upwork has something to offer for everyone from writers and architects to legal aides and photographers.

You can sign up for short-or long-term projects, and elect to work by the hour or be paid per-project. The site features an easy-to-use chat feature, a time-tracker and a payment protection plan to make communication and collaboration with your client a breeze.

 

3. 99 Designs

99 Designs is a freelance job site with a twist. As its name suggests, the platform is exclusively for designers, and every job comes members in the form of a contest.

Rather than browse through a catalog of portfolios and résumés, clients are prompted to crowdsource their projects, setting a budget and giving instructions, then letting designers submit work based on the project brief. At the end of a week, the client chooses the best design, and that designer gets paid. This is a great site for designers looking to really test their talents and shake up their workflow.

4. PeoplePerHour

PeoplePerHour is a freelance site for all skills related to web projects, including software engineers, digital designers, SEO specialists and marketers.

The site features a tool called WorkStream, which simplifies the business side of your work by organizing payment, communication and management, all in one place. You can browse jobs, get notifications for new openings to your inbox and send up to 15 proposals for work for free before signing up for the premium plan.

 

5. LinkedIn Profinder

With over 420 million members in over 200 countries, LinkedIn is indisputably the go-to place for learning about all things job-related. Recently, LinkedIn decided to begin its foray into the freelance economy by quietly launching LinkedIn Profinder, which is helping freelance professionals find their next job.

Because of its enormous amount of user data, LinkedIn is able to quickly connect freelancers with strong leads based on their keyword searches and companies followed. Profinder is a great option for expert professionals in countless fields.

6. SimplyHired

SimplyHired offers the largest variety of freelance jobs of any site on this list. From construction to concierge work, the site boasts a bounty of opportunities for anyone seeking extra work, and it helps freelancers find jobs in over 24 countries. It also isn’t limited to English-language work, offering 12 different languages in which you can find jobs.

7. Freelance Writing Gigs

Freelance Writing Gigs is a job board that is updated daily with fresh freelance writing and blogging jobs. The offerings vary from technical writing positions to writing about recipes, photography and healthcare, making it a great site for writers interested in testing their hand at different types of professional writing.

Whether you’re an expert programmer looking to leave the office world forever or an amateur photographer looking for hourly gigs, there’s something on this list for you. Check out these sites to join the ranks of the rapidly growing freelance economy!

Read the original article on Entrepreneur. Copyright 2016. Follow Entrepreneur on Twitter.

Businessinsider.com | July 9, 2016 |

Entrepreneur

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#Leadership : 6 Tools for Monitoring Your Online Reputation…Monitoring what People Say about You & your Business May seem Overwhelming, but there are Quite a few Free or Low-Cost Tools to Help you Monitor your Online Reputation.

If people are talking about you and your business online, you want to know about it. As a small business, it’s important to monitor your online reputation. Gaining the trust of consumers will make or break your company.

question mark signs painted on a asphalt road surface

Positive reviews and word of mouth marketing equate to trust and most people flock to online sites to review a business or get the opinion of friends and acquaintances. It’s essential to your business that you monitor what customers are saying so that you can promote the positive reviews and make amends with the negative.

Monitoring what people say about you and your business may seem overwhelming, but there are quite a few free or low-cost tools to help you monitor your online reputation.

1. Google Alerts.

Google Alerts can be thought of as a customized Google search that sends you notifications when new content is added for keywords that you’ve specified. The service scans and pulls information from relevant web pages, blogs, research, or articles within the Google network.

Setting up a Google Alert is free and can be done in only a few steps. Simply enter the search terms you want alerts for, choose the type of results you want Google to send you, and then select how often you want to receive alerts and where the alerts should be delivered.

Related: 3 Ways to Manage Your Online Reputation Like a Pro

 

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2. Naymz.

Naymz is a tool that can help you track and manage your social influence, which is closely correlated to your online reputation. The higher your influence, the more positive your reputation will be.

RepScore is Naymz’s program that rates your online influence across different social networks in a relative comparison to other members. It assesses what your peers think about you, whether or not others listen and engage with you and what makes you unique and valuable as an influencer. From there, it gives you a score between one and 99 (with 99 being the best) and ranks your influence level as builder, established, top member, or elite member compared to other Naymz members.

Related: Why Online Reputation Management Is Like Brushing Your Teeth

3. Yext.

Yext is a helpful site to visit if you want to manage your online listings on location and review sites (such as Yellow Pages or Yelp) to make sure the information posted is correct.

The PowerListings tool will tell you the error rate of the information posted, where those errors occurred, and where information about your business isn’t listed at all, so you can have it corrected to ensure customers will have the means to reach you. All you have to do is enter your business’ name, phone number, address and zip code and the program will scan all of the local listing and review sites in its database.

Bonus: Try also associating a hashtag with your brand, and encourage your customers and followers to use it as well. It gives you another option to search for when you’re monitoring your brand mentions.

4. Hootsuite

Hootsuite is a social media management tool that allows you to maintain all of your social media networks in one place. You’re able to schedule future messages, listen and engage with your followers, and view in-depth social media analytics in order to see how your content is being perceived and make improvements where they’re needed.

You can connect three social profiles, schedule messages, and receive basic analytics report for free. But if you’re willing to upgrade for just $10 a month, Hootsuite Pro will give you the ability to connect up to 50 social profiles, schedule your messages in bulk, and receive more enhanced analytics reports.

5. Reputology.

For about $25 a month, Reputology is a site that provides analytics for customer service management and alerts you with time-sensitive emails about any negative customer experiences. It sends you a detailed summary report of consumer feedback that will help you to respond quickly to your customers and identify any areas of improvement within your business. It also integrates with Hootsuite and other social media management tools.

Related: How to Clean Up an Online Reputation

6. Complaint Search Box.

Created by Go Fish Digital, Complaint Search Box is a website set to perform a specialized Google search on over 40 complaint websites. It’s a quick and easy way to perform free daily searches to make sure customers aren’t having negative experiences with you or your brand.

Bonus Tools.

While all of these tools can help you manage your online reputation in-depth, sometimes daily maintenance of your online reputation can be as simple as searching for your name on Google or a social media site.

Try also associating a hashtag with your brand, and encourage your customers and followers to use it as well. It gives you another option to search for when you’re monitoring your brand mentions.

Attend our free webinar July 12 and discover SEO, social media and content tactics to boost your brand’s online visibility. Register Now »

 

Entrepreneur.com | July 7, 2016 | Alexa Matia

 

 

Your #Career : Unemployed? Use This Trick to Deal with a Tough Job Search…Welcome to the Job Search Doldrums. The Longer you’re Out of Work, the Harder it is to Stay Positive & Keep your Motivation Up.

Being unemployed is a drag. Tales of “fun employment” aside, life after a job loss – especially one that comes without any warning – is often rough both financially and emotionally. In the days after you’re let go, you’re likely busy updating your resume, adding contacts on LinkedIn, and sending out cover letters. But after an initial spurt of activity, you may get frustrated if your job search efforts don’t seem to be yielding results.

If your résumé is hard to read, no one will.

After a few weeks of unemployment, your resolution to meet up with your old co-workers for coffee turns into a commitment to keeping up with the Kardashians. Your goal of applying for two or three jobs per day suddenly seems too ambitious – now you’re barely applying to two or three jobs per week. And you can’t remember the last time you put on real pants (no, pajamas don’t count) and left the house.

Welcome to the job search doldrums. The longer you’re out of work, the harder it is to stay positive and keep your motivation up. The unemployed are more likely to report being treated for depression than people with full-time jobs, a 2013 Gallup survey found, with the rate of depression increasing the longer someone has been out of a job. Those who’d been unemployed for half a year or more also reported being less happy and were more likely to be socially isolated than people who had jobs or hadn’t been out of work for months.

“Using cognitive behavioral skills, people can overcome some of the negative thinking that may be holding them back and making it less likely to succeed in their job search,” Strunk said.

It’s not clear whether unemployment triggers depression or other psychological problems, or if “unhappy or less positive job seekers are less likely to be able to get jobs in the first place,” according to Gallup. In either case, job seekers who are struggling to keep their spirits up need a way to turn things around. Now, researchers at Ohio State University have pinpointed specific skills that might help depressed job seekers find work.

Unemployed people who used skills taught as part of cognitive behavioral (CB) therapy for depression were more likely to find a new job, according to the study, which was published in the Journal of Clinical Psychology.

“Searching for a job is difficult in any circumstance, but it may be even more difficult for people who are depressed,” Daniel Strunk, an associate professor of psychology at Ohio State and a co-author of the study, said in a statement. “But we found that there are specific skills that can help not only manage the symptoms of depression but also make it more likely that a person will receive a job offer.”

Seventy-five unemployed people participated in the study. Each took two surveys, three months apart, completing a variety of questionnaires designed to measure symptoms of depression and other psychological variables, like brooding and a “negative cognitive style.” They were also asked how often they used cognitive behavioral skills, like rethinking negative thoughts or breaking up overwhelming tasks into smaller chunks.

The more a person relied on cognitive behavioral skills, the greater the likelihood of their depressive symptoms improving in the months between the two surveys. The unemployed people who used CB skills were also more likely to have received a job offer in the intervening months than those who didn’t draw on those coping techniques.

 

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“The people who got jobs in our study were more likely to be putting into practice the skills that we try to teach people in cognitive therapy,” Strunk said. The study didn’t ask whether people had learned their coping skills in therapy or not, but Strunk said most likely came by those skills without additional help or guidance.

“Some people just naturally catch themselves when they have negative thoughts and refocus on the positive and use other CB skills,” he said. “These are the people who were more likely to find a job.”

Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) teaches you how to overcome negative thinking so you can respond more effectively to life’s challenges and stressors. While it’s frequently part of the treatment for conditions like PTSD, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and depression, the techniques practiced during CBT can “help anyone learn how to better manage stressful life situations,” according to the Mayo Clinic.

In the case of the unemployed, relying on CB skills may make it easier to deal with common job search frustrations like hearing, “Thanks, but no thanks,” from a prospective employer. “Rejection is so much a part of the process of job seeking. Using cognitive behavioral skills are an important way one can deal with that,” Strunk said.

The researchers want to conduct more research into the link between CB skills, depression, and job search behaviors. For now, the study results suggest that job seekers, especially those who are depressed, may benefit from either drawing on their natural coping skills or working with a therapist who can help them learn new strategies to manage the stress of being unemployed and find a new job.

“Using cognitive behavioral skills, people can overcome some of the negative thinking that may be holding them back and making it less likely to succeed in their job search,” Strunk said.

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CheatSheet.com | July 7, 2016 | Megan Elliott