When I was fresh out of college I used to joke with family and friends that I was "too normal" to be successful. It seems everywhere we look, people who have achieved a high-level of success, have a story about overcoming odds to get there. The Adversity Paradox is a new book that helps you tap into different situations and use them to build a road towards business success.The Adversity Paradox: The phenomenon of building outstanding success upon the lessons learned in overcoming serious difficulty or misfortune.The basis of the book is built around Individual Human Capital. Basically these are skills that you possess, that with investment, can produce future positive outputs. The AP suggests you take an inventory of yourself and ask which of the following you are strong or weak in:IntrospectionValues BehaviorWork CharacterPurpose & PassionThirst for KnowledgeYou have control over how you feel and deal with adversity.A piece of unique advice in the book I had never thought off is … [Read more...] about The Adversity Paradox
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We're ALL Role Models Now. And It Sucks.
In our youth, there is an unspoken feeling of acceptance for our mistakes. We know that there are consequences, but we’re young, foolish, and usually forgiven. It’s ok to mess up, it’s ok to rebel, and it’s all ok because we have our adulthood to make up for it. Except now we’re adults. We have bills, mortgages, kids (well, just a cat for me), and other basic responsibilities. And it feels as though Big Brother is watching our every move. Are you really going to buy that candy bar? Are you really taking an extra 15 minutes for lunch? Are you really not going to participate in the afternoon discussion during your leadership training course? Every vice or laziness that I used to give into- well simply because I felt like I could make up for it later- no longer feels like I have that luxury. And if I dare consider to buy that extra something or don’t participate like I should in a work-related discussion, the guilt that accompanies giving into that vice … [Read more...] about We're ALL Role Models Now. And It Sucks.
What is Your Dream Benefits Package?
Hello, Jobacle fans! It’s been a crazy week on the homefront for me. I just found out that I’m going to be taking a new job within the upcoming week or so, and I’m very excited. It looks like Jobacle is a sweet company to have on your resume, because Lauren recently landed her own new job. With this change, I have been thinking of an interesting question for everyone in the audience. We need your help, though! Jobacle wants to know what your dream benefits package would look like. Sure, we’ve all had the same old benefits brochure with medical, dental, vision, and boredom insurance (wouldn’t that be awesome?), but I’m talking about a benefits package that would make your jaw hit the floor. What would your dream benefits look like? Would it be a free new car? A great perk like free meals for breakfast or lunch? A week of paid vacation in Tahiti every summer with all expenses covered? Let us know. We’ve already heard some of Andrew’s list … [Read more...] about What is Your Dream Benefits Package?
Work Lyrics: what a mess, on the ladder of success
As a young lad I was often given heat for my fondness for the Goo Goo Dolls. (I'm still unapologetic!) It wasn't until their frontman Johnny Rzeznik told me that he grew up idolizing The Replacements that I became familiar with Paul Westerberg's music.With tight songs that blend classic and punk rock, it's fair to say I was an instant - albeit - late blooming fan.The Replacements are best represented by “Bastards of Young,” a song that got them banned from SNL due to their "inebriated state." Whether you're working in the fields or in an office, we all can relate.God, what a mess, on the ladder of successWhere you take one step and miss the whole first rungDreams unfulfilled, graduate unskilledIt beats pickin cotton and waitin to be forgottenWe are the sons of no one, bastards of youngWe are the sons of no one, bastards of youngThe daughters and the sonsClean your baby womb, trash that baby boomElvis in the ground, therell aint no beer tonightIncome tax deduction, what a … [Read more...] about Work Lyrics: what a mess, on the ladder of success
Another Fake Job Offer
Recently, I have become a popular guy for phony job offers. I'm not sure if it's my gullible-looking face or my growing online presence; either way, it's really annoying! So what do you guys think - should I go for it? ;-) Hello, I introduce myself as Samuel Williams , Marketing Director, MAX TEXTILE LIMITED that produces both Chinese and African textile materials in Hong Kong, We're presently looking for a trustworthy representative in USA/Canada that can help as a link between the company and our clients over there in the {US} We're offering you to work from home for us as a representative in US, This package is on contract so it wont affect your present job. The company produces various clothing materials, batiks, assorted fabrics and traditional costumes. We get numerous orders from our clients in US weekly and they make pre-payments for the supplies which is usually in form of Money Orders or Cashiers Check which are not readily cashable and take long time to … [Read more...] about Another Fake Job Offer
Listen Up! It's The Office Eavesdropper
You'll find them hovering over a shared printer, sauntering outside doorways and consistently lowering the volume on their computer speakers. We're talking about the Office Eavesdropper (O.E.), found in Every Office, USA.If knowledge is power, this control freak soaks up every drop. The O.E. has several potential motives:- Acquire knowledge to disseminate (gossip)- Hold onto info for a rainy day (power)- Listening for the sake of listening (loser)Surreptitiously listening to a private conversation is not only unethical but it is bad career karma. The O.E. comes in all shapes and sizes, making this animal difficult to find in the Cubicle Zoo. Several giveaways:- They become silent when people in their vicinity are talking- The O.E. spends an inordinate amount of time in 'common' areas- They share trivial information about other people with you. (If they do it to them, they'll do it to you!) They tip their hand by revealing how much useless knowledge they've accumulated.- You find them … [Read more...] about Listen Up! It's The Office Eavesdropper
Dan Schawbel, Personal Branding, and the Me 2.0 Book
Why is your personal brand important? What can you do to establish and maintain your own brand as a differentiator in the job search process? How can you become a career commander to further your personal goals? All of the above questions are addressed in the new personal branding book by Dan Schawbel. Me 2.0: Build a Powerful Brand to Achieve Career Success covers a lot of material, and it's very detailed in some sections that I found quite intriguing. I thought this was going to be a job search book, but it’s more of a marketing book than anything else. Here are a few paraphrased passages from the book with my comments appended. Gen Y workers are high-energy and aren’t willing to wait an excessive period of time for career advancement opportunities. I agree. I have excelled in every job I’ve ever had, because I channel my energy and confidence into my work performance. As a side benefit of that work style, I hit career milestones earlier than others, … [Read more...] about Dan Schawbel, Personal Branding, and the Me 2.0 Book
Tour Guide: A Job In Heaven or Hell?
Most of us have, at one time or another in our careers, been quite disgusted with the hypocrisy, mendacity and generic mean-spiritedness that we encounter. And the workspace, for all of its subdued lighting, central air, and other amenities, may as well be a reptile house instead of an office. It’s always at these times, when we feel the most vulnerable, that we tend to idealize other jobs. You know the drill - ‘I wish that I worked in Hawaii, even as a dish jockey’. ‘Home Depot doesn’t seem so bad, and hey, I might even learn a thing or two’. True, most of us do, however, stop just short of wanting to work at McDonalds. Yet of all the jobs that many mid-careerists find very appealing – at least from afar - is that of being a tour guide in some exotic clime. No, I don’t mean standing around musty, and often bloody relics at, let’s say, the Bullfight Museum in Madrid. Or even acting like a shave-headed Russian mafioso, while showing … [Read more...] about Tour Guide: A Job In Heaven or Hell?
Jobacle In the News
I don't normally post on the weekend but I wanted to thank The Miami Herald for saying that Jobacle.com is "among the more helpful social networking sites for victims of the economy." We hope you agree! ;-) … [Read more...] about Jobacle In the News
Bossophobia: How to Overcome Fear of Your Boss
You can't be scared of your boss if you want to be successful. I am convinced of this. Now whether the fear is a product of your boss's actions or a result of your own life experience, I don't know. But I do know that irrespective of the reason, you better cut the fear if you want to achieve career success(And it could be worse, you could work for one of these guys or a dictator)Here are a few ways to quell the anxiety that surrounds dealing with your boss:Initiate contact: Find ways to interact with the person in charge. This takes effort and might be uncomfortable, but it's worth it. The higher-ups are not always accessible, but it's up to you to find creative and professional ways to seek them out.Be prepared: When speaking with your boss you want to make sure you've thought things through from every possible angle. This could require practicing (as silly as it sounds, it works!) and envisioning the different paths a conversation could take.Read four more tactics over at US News … [Read more...] about Bossophobia: How to Overcome Fear of Your Boss