These are tough times for young people leaving college, there is no doubt about that. Good jobs are scarce and often finding any kind of employment is difficult too. I am not surprised then that many young people, faced with a prospect of endless looking for work, or staying unemployed decide to try earning money on their own. They make a choice to utilize the knowledge they gathered so far, skills, maybe even passions and turn them into a business. Being in their shoes, I would certainly do that too. However, when it comes to business, things don't look bright either. Setting up a company is easy but it is also not that difficult for an unexperienced person to run into trouble with it. I know because that's what happened to me. I set up my first company when I was 20 with what I thought was the greatest idea in the world but I lost the business a year later. I ended up in debts, although luckily for me it wasn't much, enough to put my life on hold for some time though. I survived of … [Read more...] about 5 Self Employed Tips for Recent College Grads
Birthday Office Party Treats and What They Say About You
The office birthday party. The baby shower at work. Jimmy's promotion. Whatever the occasion, every office has a party planning butterfly, a person who will jump at the chance to gather people around the conference room table to indulge in saturated fats.Each office has its own ritual, but the most common way to facilitate a work party is to send around office party invitations in the form of an email to your coworkers (omitting the person at the center of the celebration, of course!). Each person is then asked to bring in a food item. It's that or a money collection, and we all know how the latter usually works out.These office affairs often have different names, but the menu items are the same. Are you the type who buys Hostess cupcakes on sale (2 for $5) on the way to work, or do you fire up the stove to bring in the honorees' favorite treat? We're not judging...but some sweet treats show you care more than others.Bagels. The party … [Read more...] about Birthday Office Party Treats and What They Say About You
Help! My Boss Thinks He's Me! Handling a Copycat Coworker
Have you had this experience with a co-worker or boss - no matter who he is interacting with, he takes on the characteristics of that person? It could be mimicking the person’s mannerisms, voice inflection or even using the same verbiage or jargon. It’s weird if you notice it once or twice, but if it’s a constant M.O. of taking on personality traits, it can get a little creepy. Why would someone adopt this behavior? From a psychological perspective, it could be a number of different things.* Fitting in - When we go into a situation in which we are uncomfortable, we look to others for the “norms.” We can then modify our behavior to fit in. This can happen when interacting with someone from a different culture - we follow their lead.* Social discomfort - Some people have difficulty reading social cues, some even body language or facial expressions. Or they have a form of social phobia or anxiety disorder that results in discomfort around others. So … [Read more...] about Help! My Boss Thinks He's Me! Handling a Copycat Coworker
Career Lessons From Blind Baseball Players
We played a blind softball team and we lost. No, it's not some horrible politically incorrect joke, it's the truth. The nine guys who could barely see a thing beat us, fair and square, in a five-inning game. For those of you who have not had the good fortune of getting your butt kicked by the visually impaired, it's nothing short of an eye-opening experience. Before I tell you why these guys are awesome, and what career advice we can learn from them, I should tell you that the ball beeps. Literally. That's how the visually impaired tap into their sense of hearing to embarrass you in front of your friends and coworkers. Beep Ball, as it's affectionately known as, has been around for more than four decades. The ball and the bases (there are only two, and they are cushioned pylons) all emit sound. To level the playing field, since all participants have varying levels of sight, all the players are blindfolded. These "beep ball" players are awesome. And even though we … [Read more...] about Career Lessons From Blind Baseball Players
Twitter for Job Search? 10 Users to Follow
Looking for employment, or trying to change careers? Need a second job, to save for that dream trip? Then search no further than Twitter for job search, the social media site that's proving to be fertile grounds for all types of information, including job leads, interviewing and resume tips, and more. Following the right tweeter can save time and energy, as tweets sent directly to your cell phone can alert you to the job next door, just waiting to be filled, and keep your employment search focused. Some of the best to follow include:1.) JobsDirectUSA. With over 17,000 tweets, this user keeps followers updated not only on jobs postings nationwide, but also on job-market data and facts, as well as news on the latest knowledge and skills employers want most.2.) mashablejobs. Over 5,000 people follow this Twitter extension of online social-media, entertainment, and business-job guru Mashable. An excellent way to keep in the loop about these fast-moving jobs while interviewing, … [Read more...] about Twitter for Job Search? 10 Users to Follow
Gifts for Coworkers – A Few Neutral Ideas
Be sure to check out: Gift for Coworkers, a blog dedicated to office gifts and 11 Perfect Gifts for Coworkers. A recent episode of “Mad Men” had a scene where a secretary was collecting money for a baby gift for a coworker. One person signed the card without contributing any cash (a definite no-no in most offices; read the rules of office gifts). Most of us have experienced the baby shower extortion, I mean collection, at work. Personally, I think the workplace is an odd place for a baby shower. But then, I go out of my way to avoid all showers in general. What if you want to pick up a gift (non-shower related) for a co-worker? It could be acknowledgement of a birthday or maybe just a “thank-you for saving my a--” gift. A few things to consider; you don’t want to look too cheap, it should appear that you put a little thought into it and you want the gift to be appropriate for a coworker-level relationship. For some reason, I always get candles as gifts from co-workers. It’s a safe … [Read more...] about Gifts for Coworkers – A Few Neutral Ideas
Career Fields of the Future
What does the future hold as far as education is concerned? If you have the right degree, the future may bring many exciting career opportunities your way. Not surprisingly, most of the promising up and coming degrees have a lot to do with the technology field, green living and healthcare. Check out some of the great career fields of the future. If you chose one of these paths now, chances are you will have a great career for many years to come. 1. Green JobsEveryone knows that going green is the future. While the trend is catching on and becoming more and more popular each day, it is no wonder that this will be one of the most important career paths of the future. There are many lucrative jobs to get into when it comes to being green, such as a Biologist, Food Scientist and Biochemical Engineer. There are also jobs in Green energy and even Marketing, in which you would market and convince others to buy and use green products. The average mean annual wages for … [Read more...] about Career Fields of the Future
Hey Entrepreneurs, Read This Before You Quit Your Day Job
We all have to make tough choices in our lives, to do what needs to be done in order to survive. Many people find themselves selling off pieces of the dreams they held when they were young, trading the hopes and desires for a steady job with a reliable income they can use to support their families. The end result being that dreaded feeling as the weekend rushes by and Monday comes around again, calling reluctant workers back to the soul grinding drudgery of a job they never wanted to take in the first place. It's nice to believe that all you have to do is work hard and you will be rewarded for your efforts, with the universe magically aligning to present you with the perfect job to keep you content and well paid despite your current predicament. Sadly, despite what the movies would have you believe, this rarely turns out to be the case. You may well have a variety of skills, its entirely possible you even have a plan which you know deep in your gut would be a viable way for you to make … [Read more...] about Hey Entrepreneurs, Read This Before You Quit Your Day Job
Surprise! Performance Enhancers Exist at Work
Since everything's right with the world, and we all are living in as close to paradise as possible, it's no wonder that we feel shock (and awe) over the recent federal indictment of Roger Clemens for telling lies to Congress. The case revolves around Clemen's testimony before Congress regarding his alleged use of performance enhancing drugs while a major league superstar. While he denied such use, he was subsequently ratted out by his long-time personal trainer. So, and rather than concentrate on the economy, terrorist threats,the price of gas and why your boss won't give you a raise for the foreseeable, let's all bash a retired baseball player. It is easier, don't you think? And lying before Congress-that biggest collection of corrupt slimeballs ever congregated in one place?! If any group has ever mastered the fine art of corruption, deception, and militant hypocrisy, it's them! Frankly, I don't think, given their thorough lack of a moral (or ethical) compass, that they would be able … [Read more...] about Surprise! Performance Enhancers Exist at Work
Working Podcast #100: Work Friends
Ten reasons to consider going back to school. Why it's imperative to take it SLOW when converting a coworker into a friend. Can you guess that common office sound? You could win a prize! (enter here) Click the play arrow below to listen to the career podcast that has been downloaded over 750,000 times! Direct Download … [Read more...] about Working Podcast #100: Work Friends