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Your #Career : Job Hunting? 5 Red Flags That Tell You a Job Sucks…A Promotion is Great & so is Advancing your Career, But to Make those Things Worth It, You also Have to be At a Company that’s a Good Fit for You & your Future Goals.

In the midst of a job search, it can be easy to get frustrated and take the first offer that comes your way. Maybe you’ve been laid off and desperately need to start getting a paycheck again. Perhaps you’re looking to get a pay raise and are looking to switch companies to make it happen faster. Whatever your motivation, it’s easy to fall into the trap of believing the companies have all the power. Yes, they’re ultimately the ones with jobs to offer. However, you have just as much choice in the process, and it’s important to keep an eye out for warning signs that a company might be a dud.

Free- Direction Rail Tracks

A promotion is great and so is advancing your career, but to make those things worth it, you also have to be at a company that’s a good fit for you and your future goals. In addition, you need to make sure that your next potential employer has a plan for long-term success. It might be difficult to know those items line up 100% before taking a job, but there are definitely warning signs out there for when a company might not be poised for long-term success. All you have to do is look for them.

Job search: Company red flags

So what are some warning signs that a potential job might not be all that it’s cracked up to be? In many cases, it begins with taking a closer look at the company itself. The Cheat Sheet talked with Jesse Siegal, vice president atThe Execu|Search Group, a recruitment and workforce management firm, to get a better idea of what to watch for as you’re researching potential new jobs.

“With unemployment being as low as it is, we’re looking at this as a candidate-driven market,” Siegal said. “If they’ve got choices, they should make sure they’re making the best ones they can.” The following warning signs don’t mean you should write off a job or company immediately, but do signal that it might be wise to dig a little deeper, and see if there’s a good explanation for the lapse. If there’s not, it might serve as a reason to choose an equally tempting offer from another company.

1. The website is outdated

If the website of a potential employer looks like it hasn’t been updated since AOL was the email server of choice, it might serve as a warning that the company isn’t up to date. Maintaining a current website with the latest updates can be expensive and time-consuming, especially since most companies can’t afford to keep a web developer on the payroll full-time. However, if it’s clear the website hasn’t been updated in 15 or 20 years, “It may speak to how that company appreciates technology,” Siegal said.

If your industry isn’t dependent upon current technology, this might not be a deal-breaker. But it might be a reason to look a little deeper at how the company plans to keep current, especially if they’re not paying attention to the driving force of the internet.

 

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2. They’re not active on social media

This can go hand-in-hand with the philosophy on keeping an updated website, and not every firm will be as present on social media as a Silicon Valley startup. However, most companies will maintain a Facebook or Twitter page, if only to share company updates or promotions and allow their customers to reach them through another medium. “Not every industry is going to be as active on social media as another, but it does resonate with an audience,” Siegal explained.

For the most part, companies will need to have some presence on social media to compete in a new media landscape. If the company you’re looking at doesn’t have a Facebook page, they might have a good reason for it — or it might be a sign the company isn’t prepared to compete online. Either way, it’s worth investigating, Siegal said.

3. They get bad press — and a lot of it

If a company has been around for more than a few years, it’s not totally abnormal for them to experience a bit of bad press for one issue or another. But if a firm is consistently finding itself in the headlines for all the wrong reasons, it might be a sign that it’s unwilling or unable to remedy deep-seeded issues. “If there are articles all over the internet about an organization’s questionable practices, it may be best not to be affiliated. If the negative press is severe enough, working there could even hinder your ability to get hired in the future,” Execu|Search stated in a release.

Siegal went on to explain that if you see negative news about the company you might apply to, do some extra searching to see if you can spot any patterns, either in frequent problems or underlying themes. Finding multiple instances of employee wrongdoing could speak to larger problems within the company that haven’t surfaced yet — and you might not want to be employed by them when they do.

4. There are numerous customer complaints

Bad reviews on Yelp and the Better Business Bureau are a dime a dozen, and sometimes are simply sour grapes that’s largely undeserved. However, it’s worth your time to at least look at what customers have to say about the company in question. If there are more complaints than praises, it could serve as an initial warning.

Common sense tells us that people are motivated to write reviews when they’ve had an excellent experience, or a truly horrible one. Most times, there’s a little more motivation to write a scathing review, meaning you’re more likely to see those pop up online. “You’re going to want to take them with a grain of salt, but you shouldn’t ignore them,” Siegal said. As with bad press, analyze the complaints for trends and patterns. If you don’t see any, it might add up to nothing. If you do see recurring issues, however, it might mean that the company has systemic issues at play.

5. Employees complain, too

With online resources like Glassdoor and PayScale, it’s becoming easier than ever to get on-the-ground feedback about what it’s like to work for certain companies. Based on current and previous employee input, you can learn about the average pay, office culture, and other elements that go into working at a certain company. If a quick search pulls up a company profile with numerous employee complaints, you probably want to tread cautiously before accepting an offer.

“A lot of times, the people who write on Glassdoor are the people who had a negative experience,” Siegal said. However, he also said that numerous complaints — especially about similar problems — are a signal that a company might not be prioritizing the needs of its employees. If you appreciate feeling like an office drone, that might be fine with you, but in most cases you want to know that you’ll be respected in your new position.

What should you do with these signs?

As Siegal mentioned, it’s important to fully vet a company before heeding one or a few of these warning signs and rescinding your job application. After all, it’s impossible to know everything about a company from a few Google searches. “We shouldn’t lose the human element to job searching,” he said. “A lot of times, there’s more to it than what you’re reading online.”

When possible, seek out employees from the company in question and talk with them about their experiences. If you can do this before even stepping into an interview, that can only help you in the long run, Siegal suggested. “Talking to actual people to confirm the things that you’re reading — or maybe to refute the things that you’re reading — is really important,” he said.

After that, if you still have some reservations but proceed with the interview process, take the opportunity to ask human resources about your concerns. Siegal doesn’t suggest doing so in the first interview, but if you make it to subsequent rounds, don’t be bashful about asking the questions you have in an appropriate, professional way. “You’re in the driver’s seat,” Siegal said. “It’s your career, it’s your future. It’s better that you ask it up front than wait and find out the hard way.” And as long as you’re respectful and present your concern in a constructive way, it can be another litmus test about the company’s culture. “If a company is offended by asking the question, then that in itself could be a red flag,” Siegal said.

Follow Nikelle on Twitter @Nikelle_CS

CheatSheet.com | July 7, 2016 | 

Your #Career : The 15 Best Freelance Websites to Find Jobs…Whether you’re a Programmer, Designer, Expert, College Student or Something in Between, there’s a Freelance Platform Out there for You. Check out the Sites Below to Get started Today!

Whether you’re looking for another way to pay the bills, seeking more professional development opportunities or just love the freedom that freelancing offers, there’s no question that millions of people have discovered the benefits of professional freelancing. As trends like the digital nomad lifestyle grow in popularity, the number of freelance resources out there has increased as well.

Free- Man at Desktop at Night

There are plenty of guides for striking out on your own, but as a freelancer, getting higher-paying gigs isn’t just a matter of signing up on popular platforms. You’ll have to branch out, establish a great portfolio of past work and maybe even prove yourself through tests that showcase your skills. Here’s a list of the 15 best sites to find work as a freelancer.

1. Upwork

With over 1.5 million clients, Upwork (previously oDesk) offers something for every type of freelancer. It accommodates both short- and long-term projects, hourly or per-project work and expert-level and entry-level engagements. Regardless of where you are in your career, Upwork is likely to have something for you.

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2. Toptal

With a distinctly different approach than the other services on this list,Toptal is for seasoned, talented freelancers. Passing Toptal’s screening process gives you unparalleled access to meaningful projects with great clients (JPMorgan, Zendesk, Airbnb, etc.) and fair compensation (no low-bid contests). You’ll also be able to join the Toptal community for frequent meetups and tech events.

3. Elance

Elance removes a lot of the hassle that comes with freelancing. You’ll be able to make a profile right away without jumping through any hoops, enjoy payment protection to ensure you’re always paid for the hours you work and more.

4. Freelancer

Unlike most other platforms, in addition to offering millions of projects, Freelancer allows you to compete with other freelancers in contests to prove your skills. If you’re competitive and confident in your expertise, it’s a great way to showcase your abilities and attract more clients.

5. Craigslist

Although most people see Craigslist as just a platform for buying and selling miscellaneous things, it’s actually a great source of freelance jobs. You can easily browse for local offerings if you prefer something in-office, or you can search by major cities if you prefer working remotely.

6. Guru

This site lets you easily showcase your past work experience and offers a daily job-matching feature to make sure you don’t miss out on any good opportunities. The Guru Work Room lets you easily manage all your work.

7. 99designs

A platform for freelance designers, 99designs lets you compete in design contests and get feedback as clients choose the best ones. It’s a great way for talented designers to prove their talents.

8. Peopleperhour

This is a great platform, focusing on freelancing for web projects. If you’re a designer, web developer, SEO specialist, etc., peopleperhour is definitely worth checking out.

9. Freelance Writing Gigs

Whether you’re a writer, editor, blogger, publisher or any combination of those, Freelance Writing Gigs is a great option for freelancers who have a way with words.

10. Demand Media

Demand Media is a platform for creative types, including writers, filmmakers, producers, photographers and more. You work with the site to create unique content, engage audiences and promote your talents.

11. College Recruiter

As the name might suggest, College Recruiter is for college students or recent graduates looking for freelance jobs of any type. In addition to being a source for part-time work, it can be a great way to jumpstart your career.

12. GetACoder

This site is for freelance writers, web designers and programmers — exactly what small businesses need to get a website idea off the ground. GetACoder offers millions of smaller-scale projects to choose from.

13. iFreelance

This platform accommodates some of the usual suspects of the freelancing world (writers, editors, coders, etc.) but also features freelance marketers as well. Unlike other sites, iFreelance lets you keep 100 percent of your earnings.

14. Project4hire

With hundreds of project categories, Project4hire makes it easy to identify jobs that suit your skillset, without scanning through large volumes of posts. It’s great for coders, consultants, designers and more.

15. SimplyHired

With a wider range than most other freelance platforms offer,SimplyHired is perfect for everyone from salespeople to construction workers. It includes a blog with hiring tips, a company directory and location-based search.

Whether you’re a programmer, designer, expert, college student or something in between, there’s a freelance platform out there for you. Check out the sites above to get started today!

Entrepreneur.com | May 12, 2015 | Anna Johansson

Your #Career : 7 Face-to-Face Networking Mistakes That Could Kill Your Professional Image…While Face-to-Face Networking can result in Prospects(Jobs) Gravitating to you, it also Holds the Potential to Drive Them in the Opposite Direction. Could your Networking Habits be Turning Off other Professionals & Causing you to Lose Out on Business(Job) Opportunities?

Despite all the online ways to link up with potential clients, I still believe making in-person connections needs to be a part of every business person’s networking regimen. When you’re face-to-face with people, you can form bonds more easily because they get a more complete picture of who you are through your voice, body language, and appearance.

networking

That’s powerful and wonderful … unless you get careless.

While face-to-face networking can result in prospects gravitating to you, it also holds the potential to drive them in the opposite direction. Could your networking habits be turning off other professionals and causing you to lose out on business opportunities?

Avoid these networking no-nos:

1. Interrupting conversations. “How rude!” That’s what I think when someone walks up without apology and interrupts a conversation I’m having with another person.  Although discussions won’t typically be too in-depth at networking events, it’s still in bad taste to cut off conversations between others.

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2. Practicing the “hard sell.” Want a surefire way to make connections eager to avoid you? Then push your products and services right from the start when meeting them. Doing so makes you appear aggressive as well as desperate—definitely not the impression you want to make!

3. Complaining. Remember, you’re there to connect with other professionals. While commenting on the venue location, décor, hors d’oeuvres, or other amenities can help ease you into a dialogue with someone, it can have a negative impact if your words are uncomplimentary. Others might perceive you as snide and ungracious.

4. Being all “me, me, me” and not taking an interest in others. Sure, you’re doing great things and everyone should know more about that. But you’ll do yourself a greater service if you forgo making yourself the center of attention and instead listen to what others have to share about their businesses. By asking open-ended questions and turning a keen ear to their needs, you can assess whether or not they may be a viable prospect. And then later you can follow up to share more about what you can offer them.

5. Having a few too many cocktails. Woot! Yes, networking functions often come in the form of mixers with a bit of a party atmosphere. But I’ve seen otherwise polished professionals turn into hot messes because they didn’t control their alcohol consumption at events.

6. Speaking ill of someone else in the room or about your clients. No, no, no. Don’t EVER do this. You never know who knows whom. Need I say more?

Despite all the online ways to link up with potential clients, I still believe making in-person connections needs to be a part of every business owner’s networking regimen. When you’re face-to-face with people, you can form bonds more easily because they get a more complete picture of who you are through your voice, body language, and appearance.

That’s powerful and wonderful … unless you get careless.

7. Dressing like you don’t care. Although many networking events are relatively casual, take care not to go too far with the informality. If you’re not sure what the dress code is, I recommend erring on the side of slightly overdressed. Worst-case scenario will be that you look a tad more professional than everyone else. No one will think less of you for that.

Done with attention to making a first-rate first impression, face-to-face networking can open doors to lasting professional relationships. Put your best, most engaging you out there every time—and take care to avoid networking missteps that could turn off prospective customers.

While face-to-face networking can result in prospects gravitating to you, it also holds the potential to drive them in the opposite direction. Could your networking habits be turning off other professionals and causing you to lose out on business opportunities?

 

Forbes.com | July 5, 2016 | Nellie Akalp, Contributor

 

 

Your #Career : 10 Middle Class Jobs That Will Be Gone Soon…Unemployment May have Returned to Pre-Recession Levels, But the Middle Class Jobs Americans Used to Rely On to Get by are Nowhere to Be Found.

A significant number of new jobs added since the 2008 economic meltdown are in low-paying industries like food service and home health care, a recent Wall Street Journal analysis found. At the same time, many traditional middle-class jobs, like those in construction and manufacturing, have vanished

business woman with her staff, people group in background at modern bright office indoors

The news isn’t all bad. The U.S. economy has also added well-paying jobs in information services, management and consulting, and software development, the WSJ’s research found. But there’s no doubt that many of the jobs that once provided a secure middle-class income to millions of Americans no longer exist. Some – especially government jobs – have vanished due to budget cuts, while others have been shifted offshore or eliminated when technology made workers obsolete. And the worst isn’t over yet, at least in some industries.

Though the job market is expected to grow by about 7% between 2014 and 2024, according to data from theBureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the growth won’t be shared equally across all industries. While certain fields, such as nursing and accounting, are looking at double-digit job growth, others are expected to shrink dramatically. The endangered jobs include many that pay enough to push someone into the middle class. (A family of four needed a household income of at least $48,000 to qualify as middle income in 2014, according to the Pew Research Center.)

Here are 10 middle-class jobs that are quickly disappearing.

10. Bank tellers

Expected employment decline: 8%

When was the last time you waited in line to talk to a teller at your bank? ATMs and online banking have eliminated many of the functions bank tellers used to perform. While there will still be an estimated 480,500 people working as tellers in 2024, it’s significantly fewer than the 520,500 people currently working in this field.

Declining employment is another blow to bank tellers, whose jobs no longer offer a reliable middle-class income. About 30% of tellers rely on public assistance to supplement their wages, a 2014 study found, and some have called them the “fast food workers of Wall Street.”

 

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9. Home economics teachers

Expected employment decline: 12%

As recently as 2002, about 5.5 million high school students were enrolled in a home economics course (or “family and consumer science,” as it’s now officially known). By 2012, that number had fallen to just 3.5 million. The number of jobs for people willing to teach young people about cooking, budgeting, and other life skills is expected to continue to shrink. Today, there are 4,300 home economics teachers. By 2024, there will be 3,800.

 

8. Travel agents

Expected employment decline: 12%

Now that you can book a flight, hotel, and activities online in a matter of minutes, fewer Americans feel the need to call a travel agent when planning a vacation. The industry has already shrunk considerably, from 34,000 retail travel locations in the 1990s to 13,000 by 2013, according to CNN, and more contraction is on the horizon. The number of travel agents is expected to drop to 65,400 in 2024, down from 74,100 in 2014. Travel agents who work with luxury and corporate travelers or who specialize in booking specialty trips will likely still have a niche, though.

 

7. Printing workers

Expected employment decline: 14%

As people shun paper in favor of digital options, jobs in the printing industry have declined. In Illinois alone, a center of the printing industry, the number of jobs fell by 45% between 2001 and 2013, according to the Chicago Tribune. Jobs in the printing industry will continue to vanish, falling by 14% by 2024. Prepress technicians will be especially hard hit, with the number of jobs in this field falling from 36,500 to 27,500, a drop of 25%.

 

6. Parking enforcement workers

Expected employment decline: 21%

Parking enforcement workers earn an average salary of $36,530 for patrolling city streets and issuing tickets to illegally parked cars. In 2014, about 9,400 people worked in parking enforcement. By 2024, their ranks will shrink by 2,000, to 7,400. In times of tight budgets, many cities, like Chicago and San Francisco have laid off parking workers and shifted their responsibilities onto other workers.

 

5. Manufacturing jobs

Expected employment decline: About 20-25%, depending on specific job

Manufacturing jobs once provided a path to the middle class for many American workers. But these jobs are disappearing. The BLS provides data for a variety of different manufacturing and factory jobs, and the outlook is bleak for nearly all of them. The number of forging machine setters, operators, and tenders will shrink by 21% by 2024. Cutting machine jobs will decline by about 21% as well. Jobs for model makers and pattern makers will fall by 22%.

Not all manufacturing jobs are vanishing, though. In the next decade, companies will need to hire more people for highly skilled manufacturing jobs, including those who can operate and program computer-controlled machines. The number of jobs in this area will grow by 18%, to 204,700.

 

4. Watch repairers

Cell phones have replaced watches for many people, which means less demand for watch repair. Jobs in this highly specialized industry are already scarce – there are just 2,700 watch repairers in the U.S., according to the BLS. By 2024, there will be only 2,000, a drop of 26%. Trained horologists will still be needed to fix expensivedesigner watches, so this field, while shrinking, isn’t quite dead yet

 

3. Postal service workers

Expected employment decline: 28%

Landing a job for the U.S. Postal Service was once a route to the middle class for many Americans, but no more. The number of people working as letter sorters, mail sorters, and clerks has plummeted from 797,795 in 1999 to 491,863 in 2015. Employment at the USPS is expect to drop another 28% by 2024, to a little less than 350,000, about the number of employees the postal service had in the late 1940s and early 1950s.

 

2. Telephone and switchboard operators

Expected employment decline: 42%

Pre-Google and Siri, locating a telephone number often meant dialing 0 or 411. Now, telephone operators, who also help disabled callers and assist with emergency calls when you can’t reach 911, are a dying breed. In 2014, there were about 13,100 telephone operators, but by 2025, there will only be about 7,500, a drop of 42%.

Switchboard operators, who help relay calls in offices, hospitals, and other settings, are also disappearing. About 37,000 jobs in this field will vanish by 2024, a drop of 33%. The average switchboard operator makes $26,440 per year.

 

1. Locomotive firers

Expected employment decline: 70%

Locomotive firers – sometimes called assistant engineers — monitor equipment, watch for train signals, and look out for obstacles on the tracks. Back when freight trains ran with five-person crews, the job was more common, but as railroad companies have scaled back to two- or three-person crews, locomotive firer jobs have all but disappeared. In 2014, only 1,700 people were still working as locomotive firers, and their numbers are expected to fall to 500 by 2024.

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CheatSheet.com |  June 23, 2016 | Megan Elliot

Your #Career : How to Answer ‘Why Should I Hire You?’…This is Where you Stand Out from the Crowd. Once you’ve Established your Ability to Deliver on Core Competencies of the Job you can Consider yourself at Least as Impressive as the Best Qualified Candidate.

It’s one of the most popular questions in interviews, and also one of the most understandable. Why not hear why your future employee is right for the role straight from the horse’s mouth?

Line of young people sitting by wall while waiting for their turn for interview

Why then, does it fill us with so much trepidation? Partly because there’s no way of tricking this question, you’ve just got to believably detail exactly why you’re better than all the other applicants for the job. You’ve got to tell them why what you’ve got is worth having.

The one key thing to remember is that the hiring manager is putting their reputation on the line, whoever they hire. Sell yourself into them with confidence and evidence that you’re the best person for the job, and this question can be the key to unlocking that job offer.

Work out what they want

Your first step, as always, is to do your research. Start by reading the job specification. Then read it again, looking between the lines. It might be that they’re asking for soft skills like flexibility or high emotional intelligence while what they’re really looking for is someone who can adapt to new tasks and be proactive with their work, or someone who understands others and can manage effectively.

Related: Need Help Networking? 4 Rules to Remember.

By decrypting some of the jargon in job descriptions, you can gain an understanding of the kind of experience and skills you need to show the interviewer.

Next up, take a look at the usual avenues, quarterly reports, websites and industry or company news. This way you’ll be able to get a good idea of the kind of needs the company have, gain some insight into the focus of the business, and understand important growth areas across the industry or sector.

After this, explore their social media, blogs and general company output. This is key to preparing yourself to hit one of the most important factors in hiring nowadays; culture fit. You’ll know the kind of work environment you’re stepping into, and how to pull up old experience that is similar so that you can impress.

Once you’ve got a complete understanding, you can then start to tailor your answer to the interview. This is a chance to demonstrate that you’ve researched and care about the company, and you increase your chance that you’re saying what they want to hear.

It’s not about misrepresenting yourself in trying to plug a round hole with a square peg, but about selecting your most applicable qualities and demonstrating a particular problem you can solve.

 

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Quality over quantity

The key things you want to get across in your answer are experience, skills, accomplishments, training or education and culture fit.

You also want to keep it concise. The chances are that you’ll lose their attention if you use more than three or four examples to cover these areas, and the quality may start to go on. Besides this, you want to keep a few things back for questions later on, even if you’re using your killer answers straight away.

Experience & Training — To start with you want to use your experience to give a general picture of you as a candidate, and make sure it’s understood that you’ve got the knowledge to succeed. Having said that, if they’re hiring a project manager and you have project managing experience, the chances are that’s probably why they’re interviewing you in the first place. This is an opportunity to get specific, and correlate your experience to the specific industry, role or problems that you know the company has.

Related: The Single Most Important Thing You Can Do to Prepare for a Job Interview

Accomplishments — employers love quantifiable accomplishments as they provide proof that you can offer a strong return on investment immediately. Wherever possible, deliver relevant numbers, whether that’s that you’ve managed 24 people, driven sales by 150%, or completed 9 successful projects with client A, B and C.

Skills & Culture Fit — Once you’ve identified the sort of soft skills that are key to the culture of your new company, provide some example of a time you’ve displayed them. Consider things like whether they want someone who is supremely organized, a great leader, or keen to come up with innovative solutions to problems.

React

No matter how much research you do, you might have missed something, particularly if it’s a part of the job that the company aren’t open about for whatever reason.

Think about all of your skills and experience beforehand so that you have bunch of great examples ready. No matter what, the things the interviewer tells you when you meet will be your best resource and you need to be prepared to react.

It’s easy to get so wrapped up in your answers that you forget to listen, but this is probably the most important skill in a job interview. Listen carefully to everything that’s been said and you should get a clear idea of what they want to hear from you.

Save something special

This is where you stand out from the crowd. Once you’ve established your ability to deliver on core competencies of the job you can consider yourself at least as impressive as the best qualified candidate. You’ve demonstrated that you’re safe and there’s minimal risk associated with hiring you.

So far so good. But what sets you above the next best qualified candidate? The answer is in a unique combination of skills. You need to offer something that others don’t.

Related: The 6 Musts of a Cover Letter

Whether this is the fact that you have some coding experience despite coming in under a marketing remit or that you are fluent in a foreign language which could allow the sales team to develop into an emerging market, try to finish your answer off with something impressive, relevant and interesting.

If you can find an answer that wouldn’t be typically associated with the role, but could be advantageous, even better. This question is a great opportunity to set yourself apart from the rest, so don’t be afraid of doing so!

 

Entrepreneur.com  |  June 18, 2016  |  Matt Arnerich

Your #Career : 7 Reasons Why Your Salaried Job Is Like Crack Cocaine…Are You Ready to Start Conquering Your Dangerous Addiction to Comfort?

Remember, though, that the first step to recovery is to admit you have a problem. If you are seriously interested in becoming a business owner, maybe these words will help: Start each morning with the following mantra — I am a salary addict. From there, you will eventually gain strength and, maybe one day, kick the habit.

young green plant in soil for agriculture, business growth or environment concepts (isolated on white background)

From time to time I work with individuals who are perfectly positioned to become business owners. They have lots of money, no debt, great skill sets, likable personalities and a true desire to break out of the employee mentality.

Related: Are You Ready to Start Conquering Your Dangerous Addiction to Comfort?

However, at the end of the coaching process, some still decide to return to their jobs. And, of course, for anyone who is a business owner, this is exceptionally hard to understand. Why would anyone spend his or her life preparing for freedom, yet once that opportunity arose, return to a salaried job?

There is only one reason that I can think of: Salaried jobs are like crack cocaine. Okay, I may sound like I’m a bit off my rocker, but stay with me. What is it like to be addicted to a drug like crack cocaine? Recently, when I read about drug addiction and discussed it with a drug-counselor friend, I learned a few things. And here’s my bottom line: You will be amazed at the similarities between a salaried job and drug addiction.

1. Each time you do drugs, you get high.

This is also true of getting paid. Science has proven that the same part of your brain, the reward center, is stimulated by both drugs and money. So, every time you get paid, you are essentially feeling a similar satisfaction to that of a drug fix.

2. To feed your reward center, you need the drug on a regular, predictable basis.

Not knowing where your next drug high is coming from is nerve-racking; the same can be said of a salary. If you have ever been laid off, fired or unemployed for some other reason, you know well what I am talking about —  that intense feeling of worry and uncertainty over when you might receive your next paycheck.

It’s for this same reason that people feel scared to leave their jobs, of their own choosing. The fear of losing that regular paycheck overshadows the desire to break free.

Related: 4 Steps to Deal with an Employee’s Substance Abuse Problem

 

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3. You set up your life around the drug.

Addicts allow their addiction to control their life. It affects how they spend their day, every single day. In some cases, the drug even takes priority over family. Sound familiar?

Can you think of any times in your life when you let something control you that much? For many people, this sounds exactly like their job. Salaried work often takes priority over everything else in life, even family time. And it all goes back to the feeling that you need that regular, predictable salary.

4. If the drug is suddenly removed, you go into withdrawal.

You miss it — both physically and mentally. You often feel depressed and lethargic, as though you can’t live without it. This is much the same as what happens when a salary is suddenly taken from someone.

No, you won’t become physically ill, with headaches, nausea and other symptoms of drug withdrawal, but you will feel helpless and anxious, as though you can no longer provide for yourself. You want the salary back, just as you would the drug.

5. It is hard to build wealth as a drug addict.

When you’re addicted, you have hard, fixed expenses built around your drug habit. You know how much you can afford and set up your lifestyle around the supply of drugs. Generally, you spend what you make. Doesn’t this sound a lot like someone with a salary?

With a salary, you probably have weekly, monthly and yearly budgets based on what you make. It’s hard to accrue wealth beyond these amounts because so much of your time and effort are spent making, and then surviving on, the amount of money that your salary allots you each year.

6. If you don’t have the drug for a while, you may begin to relapse.

Your addiction may cause you to panic and become desperate for another hit. And sometimes you’ll find it quickly. But, other times, you’ll suffer, not having that fix to depend on. If a stranger offers you drugs, even for a little while, the reward center in your brain will scream at you, and inevitably you’ll say yes

The same is true of a job offer after you’ve gone a long time without a salary. You’ll be incredibly tempted to accept, giving up your freedom for that promise of another paycheck.

7. As a drug addict, your drug habit controls your life.

You know you shouldn’t use drugs, but when you’re addicted, you can’t help yourself. Likewise, someone with a dream of business ownership may know he or she should pursue that dream, but cannot help but return to the “security” of a salaried job.

This is how many people end up at retirement with too many “what ifs” instead of the joy and freedom that come from knowing you have lived your best life, free from the control of a salary.

Over the years, I have seen thousands of people try to kick the habit of salaried employment and become masters of their own destiny. Some manage it; others don’t.

Related: The 6 Signs You’re Tech Addicted and What You Can Do About It

Remember, though, that the first step to recovery is to admit you have a problem. If you are seriously interested in becoming a business owner, maybe these words will help: Start each morning with the following mantra — I am a salary addict. From there, you will eventually gain strength and, maybe one day, kick the habit.

 

Entrepreneur.com |  June 9, 2016  |  Rick Bisio 

Your #Career : 5 Ways To Know It’s Time To Quit Your Job…Being Unhappy at Work is the Worst. That’s No Way to Spend the Day. If that Sounds Like You Maybe it’s Time you Look for a New Opportunity & Quit your Job.

If you want to look for a new opportunity hit up your network of friends in real life and connections on social media.  If you don’t have a LinkedIn account yet now is the perfect time to create one.  Just remember that before you quit your job figure out what your next step is because life without a paycheck can be scary.  

Free- Bubble in Air Sunset

If the sound of your alarm clock sets you into snooze mode…and you really don’t care that it’s after 9 am and you’re still in bed take a minute and ask yourself why.  Maybe it’s because you’re not a morning person, maybe it’s because everyone can use an extra 15 minutes of sleep or maybe it’s because you want to quit your job.

Being unhappy at work is the worst.  It makes the days long and has you impatiently waiting for 5 p.m.  That’s no way to spend the day.  If that sounds like you maybe it’s time you look for a new opportunity and quit your job.

Here are some tell tale signs it’s time to quit your job:

You Don’t Give 110%

If you’re used to giving your all every single day at work then giving anything less than a perfect performance probably makes you feel really bad about yourself.  Once your will to work hard is gone it’s hard to get it back.  A change of scenery may be just what you need to get your groove back.

 

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You’re Not Interested In What’s Coming Next

If your job has become just about the paycheck you probably need to quit.  We all work because we need money, but it’s important to have something to look forward to.  If you don’t picture yourself at your job in three or six months then it’s time to find a new opportunity.

Goals Don’t include Working Towards A Promotion

Staying motivated and working towards the next best thing is an important part of advancing your career.  If you don’t see a future for yourself at your current workplace it’s time to find a place where you will want to be better, learn new skills and move up the ladder.

Not Satisfied

If you find yourself doing your own thing on the side it may be time to turn that into a full time job and go into business for yourself.  Ask yourself why youstarted a side hustle.  Maybe it’s becuase you wanted to learn a new skill, maybe it’s because you need extra money or maybe it’s because it’s time to quit your job.

You’re Not Interested In Making Friends At Work

Workplace culture is so important because we spend eight hours – sometimes more – with our co-workers.  If you find yourself sitting alone at lunch and not enjoying the social aspect of your job it may be time to move on to bigger and better things.  Try to keep a positive attitude because negativity is noticed and you don’t want to be asked to leave.  If you want to go it’s better that it’s on your own terms.

If you want to look for a new opportunity hit up your network of friends in real life and connections on social media.  If you don’t have a LinkedIn account yet now is the perfect time to create one.  Just remember that before you quit your job figure out what your next step is because life without a paycheck can be scary.

Forbes.com | May 29, 2016 | Ginger Dean 

Your #Career : Friends With Benefits: Befriend Your Co-Workers to Make More Money…The Easiest Ways to Make your Way to the Top, Or at Least make More Money, is to Know the Right People — so, Making Nice with your Professional Colleagues Can Be Very Important.

Wondering how to make more money? You can gun for a management position with your company, or even work on some of those intangible skills that could lead to a raise or promotion. The truth is, there is a multitude of ways to improve your productivity and job performance in order to work your way up the ladder. But one of the easiest ways to make your way to the top, or at least make more money, is to know the right people — so, making nice with your professional colleagues can be very important.

Group of happy young business people in a meeting at office

It may be more important than you realize. Many people despise their co-workers (often justifiably), but new evidence shows the friendlier we are with our work mates, the more productive and efficient we become at our jobs. So, if you’re looking to make more money by getting a promotion or raise, working on those relationships may be the key.

 While it may be intuitive to think the friendlier you are with your co-workers, the less work you’ll get done — you’ll end up spending time gossiping and goofing around, after all — new research seems to suggest otherwise. “Multiplex relationships,” a study published in the journal Personnel Psychology says, can actually make us more productive and increase our job performance.

“In a study of insurance company employees, we found that the number of multiplex workplace friendships in one’s social network is positively associated with supervisor ratings of job performance,” the study says. As for what, exactly, a “multiplex relationship” means, the researchers define them as “multifaceted relationships that superimpose friendship with work-focused interactions.”

 

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So, while the research did show that these relationships can lead to positive outcomes in terms of performance and ratings, there were a couple of caveats to note. “However, we also found that there is a negative indirect effect on job performance through emotional exhaustion, which is offset, in part, through enhanced positive affect.” Also, while looking at workers in the restaurant industry, the researchers found there was some lost productivity in that these relationships required effort to maintain — that is, we have to engage our friends at work, detracting from our professional duties.

The researchers call these multiplex relationships a “mixed blessing,” but the positive implications here are pretty clear: The better we get along with our co-workers and colleagues, the more we’re going to benefit in positive feedback and ratings. There’s also a “greasing of the wheels” sort of effect at play — where we have a better idea of how to read and anticipate our co-workers’ thoughts or actions, and can increase or productivity through that anticipation.

Making more money

So, how can this research and the knowledge generated from it actually serve you? As mentioned, if you can manage to really kindle some strong relationships with your colleagues, then it should pay off in a number of ways. You’ll have more people looking out for you (as opposed to those looking to potentially sabotage you), and you should be able to get more work done. Employers want to see more getting done and increased productivity, and when they do, it’s typically grounds for a raise or promotion.

It’s also never really a bad thing to be on good terms with your superiors in management. After all, they’re the ones who will ultimately make the call during a salary renegotiation, or when promoting someone.

But you also need to make the effort to keep track of what you’ve been doing, and make sure that your relationships with co-workers are symbiotic and reciprocal. If your co-workers are going to be helping you out, you need to be there for them as well. If you can work together, you’ll all be better off in the end. And make sure you’re keeping a tally of your accomplishments, or making note of how your work performance has improved. You can use it when asking for a raise or promotion, and if all else fails, show it to other prospective employers.

It all comes back to building strong relationships, though. You may get annoyed with your colleagues, but being on good terms with them can make a huge difference when push comes to shove. And if you are serious about making more money, strong relationships could be the key.

Follow Sam on Facebook and Twitter @SliceOfGinger

 

CheatSheet.com | May 23, 2016 | Sam Becker

Your #Career : 7 Ways To Make Your LinkedIn Profile Job Search/Contacts Ready…There’s a Lot of Great Advice Out there on Using LinkedIn to Find Jobs/Networking. This Post is Different because I Include Actions to Make your Search so Fruitful that the Jobs/Contacts Find You.

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Here are your 7 Ways:

1. Get Your Headline Right

Although the search algorithm at LinkedIn is a closely guarded secret, one thing many experts agree on is that the words in your headline play an important role in how search results are ranked and displayed. That means you need to make sure the most important words hiring managers and recruiters would use to find are included in your 120-character headline. One way to identify all the right keywords is to go to indeed.com, put in the title(s) of the job for which you are searching and look for the words that come up over and over among the job listings.

 

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2. Grow Your Network

It’s as simple as this: The more connections you have, the more frequently you show up in search results. This makes some people nervous – connecting with people they don’t know. Let me allay your fears. LinkedIn provides a way for you to remove, block or report a connection if they become a problem. So the risk of accepting connection requests from people you don’t know is low. You also get to see the full profiles of first- and second-level connections. The more connections you have, the more full profiles you will see – making it easier for you to check out hiring managers and others you will meet before those interviews!

3. Follow Desired Companies

Get clear about your ideal employers and follow their company pages in LinkedIn. This keeps you up-to-date on what they are talking about – giving you great fodder for your interview. Some of their posts can also include the names and other information about your potential hiring manager or others who could help you open doors in the company. And LinkedIn allows you to follow 10,000 companies – that’s probably a lot more than your full list of targets.

4. Use the Alumni Feature

Including your education in your profile does more than show potential hiring managers what degree you earned from what school. Perhaps more importantly, it gets you on the radar of hiring managers who are your fellow alumni. But the alumni search tool works both ways. Get familiar with this extremely valuable feature. It is one of the best ways to find warm leads inside companies. By searching on your alma mater, you can find people who also went to your school. Then you can reach out, asking them for an informational interview or finding out if there is someone in the company to whom they can connect you. It’s the antidote to cold calling.

5. Add AKA/Common Misspellings

Save some of those 2,000 characters in your summary for a section called AKA/Common Misspellings and include all the different ways people may spell your name, your nicknames, maiden or married names, etc. That way, people can find you whether or not they know exactly how to spell your name.

6. Get Your Skills In Order

Literally. Sure, LinkedIn endorsements seem silly. Most of us have been endorsed for skills we don’t want to be known for – or we don’t even possess. The challenge is that even though we roll our eyes when we think about endorsements, they matter. A New York Times article underscores this, quoting Bill Peppler, a managing partner at the staffing firm Kavaliro. He seeks out the most endorsed person with specific skills in a particular city: “It’s hard to know how meaningful that will be in the long run, but to me, it makes them one of the most influential people in that region for what they do.”

7. Be Redundant

Take every opportunity to repeat all the keywords for which you want to be known. Make a list of them. Then prioritize them and add them to all parts of your profile. Make sure they are in your headline, summary and all relevant experience sections, too. Include an additional section at the bottom of your summary called Specialties. Repeat your keywords there, separated by commas.

These easy-to-implement actions will help you get found and make you more attractive to the hiring managers and recruiters who hold the key to your ideal next job.

William Arruda is the CEO of Reach Personal Branding and host of the Reach Interview Series. His full podcasts are available here.

Forbes.com | May 18, 2016 | William Arruda

Your #Career : These are the Worst Mistakes we Have seen Young People Make in Job Interviews…You Have One Shot to Demonstrate your Knowledge & Skills — So Make Sure you Get the Details Right, the First Time.

At Business Insider, we have interviewed hundreds of job applicants. We are usually impressed with the calibre of candidates. Most people we meet seem smart and accomplished, and applicants “get” our all-digital, fast-paced, antiboring way of handling business news.

head teeth jaws crocodile

But … young people are human, too. They make mistakes. And the following mistakes have cost them the jobs their CVs and résumés otherwise said they were good for …

23. Showing up 20 minutes early.

23. Showing up 20 minutes early.

REUTERS/Cathal McNaughton

It may seem like a good idea to show up early, but it puts pressure on the interviewer to meet with you. A time was set for a reason. You should never be late, but five minutes is enough for showing up in advance.

Tip: Find a nearby coffee spot and hang out there until your interview time.

 

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22. Being too general.

22. Being too general.

REUTERS/Gary Cameron

You have one shot to demonstrate your knowledge and skills — so be as specific as you can when answering questions. Don’t answer questions with “yes” or “no.” The interviewer shouldn’t have to feel as if he or she is carrying the conversation.

Tip: Review the projects you’re most proud of before heading into an interview. It’s easy to forget the details even if it’s your own work.

 

21. Not bringing a printed CV to your interview.

21. Not bringing a printed CV to your interview.

David Goldman / AP/Press Association Images

Bring a printed copy of your CV even if you previously emailed a copy. It shows that you’re organised and prepared, and it’s less work for the interviewer.

Tip: Bring several copies in case you are being interviewed by more than one person.

20. Typos in your cover letter, CV, or résumé.

Your command of written English — spelling, grammar, and punctuation — is a shorthand test of your intelligence, or at least of your ability to memorize the rules of the language. Typos make you look unintelligent, even though smart people make mistakes all the time.

Tip: Get someone else to edit your letter and CV before you send them.

 

19. Having bad breath.

Everyone suffers from dry mouth at the office.

Tip: Chew a piece of gum and then remove it five minutes before the interview.

18. Not telling a good story about your life.

18. Not telling a good story about your life.

20th Century Fox

Who are you, what are you good at, and what do you want to do with your life? We want a quick, clear history of your life and career so far. At Business Insider, storytelling is literally what we do, but at any company, communication is key. If you cannot communicate who you are quickly, you’re not getting the job.

Tip: Write it down beforehand and rehearse with a friend.

 

7. Being overly sarcastic or negative.

17. Being overly sarcastic or negative.

Business Insider / Matt Johnston

We do not expect you to be a cheerleader. But if we hire you, we’re going to be spending a lot of time together, so we don’t want you killing the buzz.

Tip: Just be nice. Smile.

16. Being arrogant.

Sure, we’re interested in hiring you. But that doesn’t mean you’re a rock star, and our company won’t collapse without you.

Tip: Just because you got the interview doesn’t mean you got the job. You still have to sell us.

 

15. Not knowing anything about the field you’re interviewing for.

15. Not knowing anything about the field you're interviewing for.

racetraitor

If you’re interviewing for a job that requires you to stay abreast of the technology industry, obviously we’re going to ask you what you think is so interesting about tech. So if your answer is “Er … ,” then we’re going to be less than impressed.

Tip: Prepare! Literally write some speaking points on a notepad before you arrive at the interview. It will help you in case you freeze.

14. Sending email attachments.

14. Sending email attachments.

REUTERS/Frederick Murphy/CDC/Handout

We hate downloading email attachments because of the malware risk they pose. If you use only text and links in your application email, we can see your stuff on our phones as well as on our laptops.

Tip: Your CV or résumé is best displayed as a LinkedIn URL. Examples of your work are most easily seen if they come as links within the email.

 

13. Wearing a Ramones T-shirt to a job interview.

We get it. You’re young and cool. And we love the Ramones, too.

Tip: Make us feel as if you’re a safe bet by wearing a shirt and tie (men) or go conservative but stylish (women). One candidate impressed us by wearing a shirt and tie to a Google Hangout video interview.

12. Letting your cat escape out of a window during a live video chat.

We often use Skype and Google Hangout. A video interview may feel casual, but you need to prepare: In the background, we can see the dishes piled in your sink or the laundry hanging off your bedroom door.

One candidate interrupted her conversation with us when her cat jumped out of an open window. We hired this person anyway.

Tip: Take a screengrab of what your laptop can see so you can tidy your room before the interview starts.

 

11. Trying to negotiate your salary in the first meeting.

We get that you’re trying to make sure you aren’t wasting anyone’s time. But asking salary questions early marks you as a rookie.

Tip: Remember that this is a process. The further you get through the process, the more it shows we want to hire you, and the stronger your negotiating position eventually becomes.

10. Using a photo of your dog or kids — or a bad picture of yourself — on your Twitter, LinkedIn, and Google+ accounts.

If you’re using those personal email accounts to apply for jobs, then we also see Mr.Snuffleupagus when you send us your CV/résumé.

Tip: Send test messages to a friend who will let you see how all your email/social accounts appear to others, and sanitize accordingly.

 

9. Forgetting to follow up via email.

When we reject a good candidate, it’s usually because we never received an email follow-up. We want to recruit people who really want to work here, and a simple thank-you note ticks a big box for us.

Tip: This needn’t be a big production. Just a single sentence offering to answer any further questions is all it takes.

8. Putting career “objectives” at the top of your résumé.

8. Putting career "objectives" at the top of your résumé.

Skye Gould/Business Insider

Young candidates pad their CVs with fluffy, clichéd career-goal statements.

Do not do this!

Tip: We want to see only a simple list of your education and work experiences, and maybe a list of other useful skills at the bottom.

 

7. Trying to impress us with your off-the-wall creativity.

We’re looking for people who seem reliable and trustworthy. We’re not looking for weirdos who want to blow our minds. One job application began, “I am a chameleon …” It went downhill from there.

Tip: We want to be able to trust you. So behave and communicate in a way that feels reliable and trustworthy.

6. Sending us a video résumé.

6. Sending us a video résumé.

Virgin

We need résumés to be sent easily by email to other HR staff, and we may want to print them out so we can compare candidates side by side. Off-format CVs are useless for this.

Tip: Your best bet? LinkedIn.

 

5. Failing to provide a link to your LinkedIn profile.

5. Failing to provide a link to your LinkedIn profile.

LinkedIn

We can’t emphasize this enough: When you have to compare hundreds of CVs, LinkedIn is really useful because it makes all candidates’ résumés look the same — and that makes it easier for us to figure out who is relevant and who isn’t.

Tip: A LinkedIn URL in an email is a lot easier for us to deal with than a Word or PDF attachment.

4. Eating a sandwich during our meeting.

4. Eating a sandwich during our meeting.

Joe Raedle/Getty Images

If you’re discussing a potential job with an employer over “coffee,” don’t break out one of Starbucks’ “Sure As Eggs Is Eggs” sandwiches. It’s distracting.

Tip: Drink coffee, tea, water or nothing if offered.

3. Being “low-energy.”

3. Being "low-energy."

REUTERS

Demonstrating the correct level of “energy” during a job interview is a tough call. You want to demonstrate that you’re a low-drama person — but not a monosyllabic introvert. You’re happy to be here, but we don’t want you bouncing off the walls like a crazy person.

Tip: If we can see you’re excited at the idea of working for us, we’re more likely to get excited about the idea of giving you a job.

2. Men forgetting to shave.

Beards and mustaches are fashionable on men right now, and many guys brought them along on their job interviews. But what looks good at a 19th-century bare-knuckle boxing match is sometimes not so great when you’re up close and personal with a prospective employer.

Tip: If you’re rocking facial hair, make sure it is impeccably groomed.

1. Making your CV three pages long when you have no experience.

Don’t worry about your CV not looking full enough — that’s OK. We don’t have a lot of time to figure out what your job history is.

Tip: Less is more with résumés — we skim them for only about 30 seconds, an

Businessinsider.com | May 17, 2016 | Jim Edwards