Tomorrow look s like it might be a crazy, busy day for me. So I'm posting the Forward of the Week a bit early... The world's greatest geniuses have all had 24 personality characteristics in common and you can develop the same traits yourself.1. DRIVE. Geniuses have a strong desire to work hard and long. They're willing to give all they've got to a project. Develop your drive by focusing on your future success, and keep going.2. COURAGE. It takes courage to do things others consider impossible. Stop worrying about what people will think if you're different.3. DEVOTION TO GOALS. Geniuses know what they want and go after it. Get control of your life and schedule. Have something specific to accomplish each day.4. KNOWLEDGE. Geniuses continually accumulate information. never go to sleep at night without having learned at least one new thing each day. Read. And question people who know.5. HONESTY. Geniuses are frank, forthright and honest. Take the responsibility for thins that go … [Read more...] about Forward of the Week: 24 Traits of a Genius
Career Advice Blog
Meet the Founder of the Million Dollar Wiki
I usually don't hype up podcasts in advance, but I'm really psyched about episode number 69 of the Working Podcast that is dropping this Sunday.If you subscribe now you'll get to hear an interview with Graham Langdon, the 21-year-old founder of the Million Dollar Wiki. For those of you who haven't read about the MDW yet, you'll get the skinny on the podcast. In a nutshell, it's a pay-per-page version of Wikipedia where you can buy a page (keyword or phrase of your choice) and set it up with anything you like. Each page is $100 bucks and you own it for 15 years.I know it sounds simple (aren't most good ideas!) but I really see a lot of value in owning a page. In fact, I bought the PODCAST page. Right now I'm using it to promote this Web site, however, in the future I will probably lease out space to other podcasts.In any event, the chat I had with Graham was one of the most enjoyable interviews I've had since we launched this thing back in April '05. … [Read more...] about Meet the Founder of the Million Dollar Wiki
Bored at Work? Play Office BINGO!
Finally, a new way to pass the time at work: Office BINGO. Play alone or play with friends. Regular BINGO rules apply! PRINT A BINGO CARD NOW Most of the squares are self-explanatory, however, since we don't want any of your co-workers to cheat you out of victory, let's clarify what must be seen/heard to claim the box. ROW B Awkward Silence: Offices are loaded with it. Whether it's the lunchroom, the conference room or simply at your desk, you'll know it when you hear it! Community Food: Common examples are the obligatory bagels and birthday cake. Any edible item dumped on a public table for the vultures to consume qualifies. Fridge Cleaning: It doesn't happen often, but some do-gooder always posts a sign on the refrigerator door warning that all unmarked items will be tossed by 4pm on a given date. (Subsequently, this leads to people angrily marking their salad dressing bottles with bold initials.) Popcorn Nuker: The smell wafts through the air, causing a … [Read more...] about Bored at Work? Play Office BINGO!
Your Job Can and Will be Rated Publicly
It's back to school time and the Website Rate My Professor is soaring. Over 6.8 million college students have spread the word about over a million professors. Students can find out about workloads, potential mood disorders and the ever popular, is the teacher hot. About 10 years removed from college I really have no use for the site (except to see how certain ex-girlfirends are performing and if some of the old timers are still alive.) However, it brings up an interesting issue: how would YOU like it if your career now had this kind of transparency?Sure, there are similar sites, like ones for health professionals, etc. But what if people were allowed to publicly grade what you do - regardless of what it is.Dave's a horrible waiter.John's a clueless IT guy.Brandy gives the worst massages.As the Web grows, it becomes harder and harder to control what people say about you. Famous people have always dealt with public scrutiny as part of their job … [Read more...] about Your Job Can and Will be Rated Publicly
Boredom Overtakes Intern
Here's what happens when boredom gets the best of you:So, I'm an intern at a local unnamed company's IT department. This is what happens when I am not given any work to do and also have plenty of PC & monitor boxes sitting around and am also supplied with duct tape from an equally bored coworker. Needless to say, My boss wasn't too thrilled.Check out the pics. … [Read more...] about Boredom Overtakes Intern
Online Game: Cramped Work Conditions
I'm working on a fun office game that we'll be launching later this week. For now, why not play a little game I like to call, "Things Could Be So Much Worse!" Create your game | Share | Play games | Pictogame … [Read more...] about Online Game: Cramped Work Conditions
Working Podcast: Talk to Strangers
Here it is friends, episode number 68 of the Working Podcast. Listen below or download it. Here's what you'll hear: - Why talking to strangers can be the single most important thing you do for your career. - An interview with Keith Ko, founder of WurkPal.com, a Web site that lets you chat anonymously with your co-workers . - The Career Filter features: PayScale Gig Zig, a Web site that helps you see your potential future. StandoutJobs.com, a place where you can view video job classified ads. JobVoices.com, a site that culls career videos from YouTube. If you're interested in sponsoring a future epsiode, or just want to share your feedback and/or ideas, please contact me here. I'm experimenting with different Flash players. It appears this one, while not as nice looking as the previous one, loads must faster. … [Read more...] about Working Podcast: Talk to Strangers
Forward of the Week: Cubicle Wars
This week a video seems to be making the inbox rounds. It's by a 23-year-old Canadian named Zach Lipovsky who was booted from the reality show On the Lot. The film is about two co-workers who are bored stiff in their cubicles. So what do they do? Declare war, of course! A battle of epic proportions ensues. … [Read more...] about Forward of the Week: Cubicle Wars
The Resume Hunter: 3-Minute Review #1
Every career site seems to yammer on and on about "What to Avoid on Your Resume." Jesus. If you don't get it by now, odds are you never will. While trolling Scribd.com I came across Kevin Cantrell's resume. I have no idea who he is. But a quick glance revealed several crucial resume mistakes. The information below is not to pick on Kevin. Rather it's to help him (and you) see the error of his ways. Besides, if you're going to post your resume for the world to see, you should make sure it's polished. Please Scam Me. Just like you never put your Social Security number on a paper resume, you should never put all of your contact information on the Web. I would use an e-mail address specific to that resume so you know where your inquiries are coming from. Also, I would use a service like GrandCentral and avoid using your true, everyday phone number. Do not include your home address. No Errors, Period. I won't bore you with this one but the resume below is missing hyphens and … [Read more...] about The Resume Hunter: 3-Minute Review #1
Why We Should All Be Like Richard Simmons (I'm NOT Kidding!)
I fell asleep with the TV on last night and woke up this morning to a frightening image: Richard Simmons on the Today Show. While not really the first thing I want to see in the AM, I had a mini-epiphany. Richard Simmons, born Milton Teagle Simmons, is THE MAN! In a world where the media builds people up, only to tear them down, Richard has stood the test of time, all while performing an amazing feat - helping Americans lose close to 3,000,000 pounds.Aside from trying to make work a better place, I believe that readers of this blog are hungry to achieve a certain level of success. Let's see what Mr. Simmons can teach us.Humble Beginnings. Born in New Orleans, RS's first job was selling pralines, fattening confections made from nuts and sugar syrup. Needless to say he might have been the best customer. He turned things around and eventually lost 123lb. Boys and girls, that's motivation. Height Is Irrelevant. The average height of a Fortune … [Read more...] about Why We Should All Be Like Richard Simmons (I'm NOT Kidding!)