Rant How To Avoid Being Laid Off

Rant How To Avoid Being Laid Off I was surfing LinkedIn groups last week for some inspiration, and I got some. There is a post from a state workforce development professional who wrote How I avoided Being Laid Off.  It worked for her, and I mean her no disrespect by my contrarian viewpoint.  But I needed to share this. On the LinkedIn Group she wrote how to avoid being laid off, which is different than the title of her post. I actually agree with her four points (read the post for her details): Make yourself valuable, Work to increase your marketability, Stay positive and build positivity, Keep busy! I speak around the country and meet tens of thousands of job seekers regularly, through LinkedIn, through JibberJobber, and in person. I meet people who are AMAZING, and did amazing work, and were valuable, and even rainmakers.  I meet people who owned their own companies, and still lost their job (company closed).  I meet people who make the world go round people who invented technology we use today, people who are famous in their circles. And somehow, they still end up on the chair at one of my presentations. They were valuable, and all that stuff. But things happen. Things happen outside of our control. Whether the company does something wrong and you all get ENRONed, or a boss changes and the new boss brings in their own people, or the sales team misses their goals and you had to get cut there are a hundred and one reasons why losing your job is not in your control. The funny thing is, I have a very high Locus of Control, which means I believe that I can control pretty much anything that happens but I learned to let this go.  I learned that if we lose our job, if we are laid off, its not because we did something wrong, or because we suck. I also learned that we can control our attitude, even if we cant control whether we get to keep drawing a salary from our last employer. I learned there are other ways to make money (hence, the 101 Alternatives to a Real Job book). But dont please dont sit there for hours thinking what if I only worked harder?  What if I only networked more? What if I ________? Its not worth it. Control your attitude, and move on to the next thing. Rant How To Avoid Being Laid Off I was surfing LinkedIn groups last week for some inspiration, and I got some. There is a post from a state workforce development professional who wrote How I avoided Being Laid Off.  It worked for her, and I mean her no disrespect by my contrarian viewpoint.  But I needed to share this. On the LinkedIn Group she wrote how to avoid being laid off, which is different than the title of her post. I actually agree with her four points (read the post for her details): Make yourself valuable, Work to increase your marketability, Stay positive and build positivity, Keep busy! I speak around the country and meet tens of thousands of job seekers regularly, through LinkedIn, through JibberJobber, and in person. I meet people who are AMAZING, and did amazing work, and were valuable, and even rainmakers.  I meet people who owned their own companies, and still lost their job (company closed).  I meet people who make the world go round people who invented technology we use today, people who are famous in their circles. And somehow, they still end up on the chair at one of my presentations. They were valuable, and all that stuff. But things happen. Things happen outside of our control. Whether the company does something wrong and you all get ENRONed, or a boss changes and the new boss brings in their own people, or the sales team misses their goals and you had to get cut there are a hundred and one reasons why losing your job is not in your control. The funny thing is, I have a very high Locus of Control, which means I believe that I can control pretty much anything that happens but I learned to let this go.  I learned that if we lose our job, if we are laid off, its not because we did something wrong, or because we suck. I also learned that we can control our attitude, even if we cant control whether we get to keep drawing a salary from our last employer. I learned there are other ways to make money (hence, the 101 Alternatives to a Real Job book). But dont please dont sit there for hours thinking what if I only worked harder?  What if I only networked more? What if I ________? Its not worth it. Control your attitude, and move on to the next thing. Rant How To Avoid Being Laid Off I was surfing LinkedIn groups last week for some inspiration, and I got some. There is a post from a state workforce development professional who wrote How I avoided Being Laid Off.  It worked for her, and I mean her no disrespect by my contrarian viewpoint.  But I needed to share this. On the LinkedIn Group she wrote how to avoid being laid off, which is different than the title of her post. I actually agree with her four points (read the post for her details): Make yourself valuable, Work to increase your marketability, Stay positive and build positivity, Keep busy! I speak around the country and meet tens of thousands of job seekers regularly, through LinkedIn, through JibberJobber, and in person. I meet people who are AMAZING, and did amazing work, and were valuable, and even rainmakers.  I meet people who owned their own companies, and still lost their job (company closed).  I meet people who make the world go round people who invented technology we use today, people who are famous in their circles. And somehow, they still end up on the chair at one of my presentations. They were valuable, and all that stuff. But things happen. Things happen outside of our control. Whether the company does something wrong and you all get ENRONed, or a boss changes and the new boss brings in their own people, or the sales team misses their goals and you had to get cut there are a hundred and one reasons why losing your job is not in your control. The funny thing is, I have a very high Locus of Control, which means I believe that I can control pretty much anything that happens but I learned to let this go.  I learned that if we lose our job, if we are laid off, its not because we did something wrong, or because we suck. I also learned that we can control our attitude, even if we cant control whether we get to keep drawing a salary from our last employer. I learned there are other ways to make money (hence, the 101 Alternatives to a Real Job book). But dont please dont sit there for hours thinking what if I only worked harder?  What if I only networked more? What if I ________? Its not worth it. Control your attitude, and move on to the next thing.

Five Beginners Tips For Cutting The Costs Of The Travel Lifestyle

Five Beginner’s Tips For Cutting The Costs Of The Travel Lifestyle If there’s one excuse for not traveling, it’s usually because of the cost of doing so. Sure, traveling isn’t the cheapest thing to do in the world, but that doesn’t mean it has to be extraordinarily expensive either. And considering the fact that there are literally millions of people in the world who travel all the time and manage to do so while staying financially afloat, what is there to think that you can’t do the same as well? Here are five beginner’s tips for cutting the costs of the travel lifestyle: Tip #1 Travel To Cheaper Countries  In other words, travel to countries or cities where your money will get you farther. It’s well known that Europe is an expensive destination to travel to, and so are places like Australia, New Zealand, and China. In contrast to this, you can always consider visiting places like Latin America, southeastern Asia, or Africa, each of which are far less expensive to travel to. In addition, remember that the cost of airfare is always changing as well. Every person boarding your flight will have purchased the tickets at different costs, and you don’t want to be the person who purchased the tickets at the highest price. Keep yourself up-to-date on the cost of airline tickets, and eventually, you’ll come across a good deal. Tip #2 Accumulate Rewards Points  Do you have a credit card? If so, and assuming it has a rewards system, for every dollar you spend you should get anywhere from 1-5% back on your plan that can be exchanged for rewards points. Better yet, some credit cards will have awesome sign up bonus offers, where if you spend a certain amount of money within a certain amount of time, you’ll receive an extremely large amount of points to spend on airfare or hotel rooms. For example, you may have to spend $3,000 in the first three months, and in exchange for that you’ll get 50,000 points for travel. Credit cards are definitely a superior choice for buying things overseas than pre-paid debit cards, which also have fees per transaction in addition to forcing you to pay a sign-up fee and a monthly payment too. Tip #3 Use A Cheaper Remittance Service  A remittance service allows you to exchange one currency to another. This way, you can exchange your American dollars for the currency of your destination. It’s always a good idea to have cash on hand in the local currency in the event of emergencies. To use a remittance service, you’ll have to pay a small percentage fee (usually 1-3%) plus a margin on the currency exchange rate. You can research remittance services to find out which ones offer a small fee in addition to a guaranteed exchange rate so you can figure out how much you’re going to need to spend. Tip #4 Be Selective About Your Credit Card(s)  The easiest way to buy things while traveling abroad will simply be to use a credit card. While most credit cards to allow foreign transactions, the problem is the fees are often very high. It’s not uncommon to have to pay between 2% to 5% for every transaction that you make. While that may not sound like much, it can add up very quickly. Fortunately, some credit cards don’t charge any fees for foreign transactions at all, while also enabling you to accumulate rewards points to exchange for hotel rooms and flights. Tip #5 Eat Out Less  There are few expenses that will add up as quickly as eating out repeatedly, especially when you’re traveling and don’t have much food (or perhaps none at all) in the pantry or refrigerator. Furthermore, you may be understandably tempted to eat at restaurants that are marketed specifically for tourists. These kinds of restaurants are almost always more expensive, and sometimes the quality of the food isn’t any better. Instead, use restaurant travel apps ahead of time to research the cheapest restaurants in your area, or better yet, just buy food at a supermarket and eat in your hostel or hotel room. Cutting The Costs Of The Travel Lifestyle  These are just a small handful of the many different ways that you will be able to cut the costs of traveling and spend time seeing more of the world.

How to Handle Your Curls in this Hot Weather

How to Handle Your Curls in this Hot Weather The summer is here, everyone is having fun in the sun, but there is one thing that is ruining your fun: your hair, which simply won’t stay the way it should! If you have curly hair, you can spend hours at home trying to tame it, but the moment you hit the beach, your hair will transform into a big, hot, frizzy mess. It’s okay, you’re not alone and, more importantly, there are ways to deal with it. Here are the tips and tricks for dealing with curls in the summer, collected and tested over far too many bad-hair summers. It’s all about moisture There is a huge misconception that many people with curly hair have: moisture is the enemy. However, this could not be further from the truth. Your hair is healthy only when it is hydrated enough, and outside moisture can only mess up your hair if it isn’t moisturized properly from the inside. So, make sure that you drink plenty of water and use all the right products to keep your hair moisturized. When applying products, make sure you distribute them evenly and follow directions on the package for the best results. Be gentle There are three main points where people get rough with their hair: towel drying, constant handling and brushing. Not to worry, there is a way to deal with all of them. Towel drying: If you’ve ever used a rough towel and dried your hair vigorously with it, it might be holding a grudge. You are seriously damaging your hair by doing that, and the only proper way you should be towel drying your hair is by using a soft, microfiber towel and gently patting it dry. Hands off: if you have a habit of constantly touching your hair and fiddling with it, you really need to stop. If you don’t break this bad habit, you will spread grease, which means more washing and stripping your hair of oils. Also, you will cause friction, damaging and frizzing-up your hair. Brushing: There is no reason for any brush to go near curly hair. A dense brush, regardless of its quality, will do nothing but rip your hair and frizz it. What you should be using is a comb with wide-spaced teeth and gently brush your hair while it’s still wet. Be careful with heat If you are constantly blow-drying your hair, you might be damaging it more than you think. Blow-drying means that your hair is getting stripped of moisture and oils, leaving it brittle. Try to only blow-dry when absolutely necessary and whenever you can, leave your hair to air-dry after gently patting it with a towel. If you are anything like me, you like to straighten your hair every once in a while, but I can’t even begin to tell you how much I damaged my hair by doing it all wrong. Now I use a top-quality GHD straightener and always apply heat-protection products. This way, I can have healthy hair without having to deal with the curls, especially during impossible summer weather. The same goes for when you are outside in the sun for a longer time â€" use a hat to protect your hair or try to stick to the shade. Whether you love your soft waves or fight with frizzy curls, you and your hair are ultimately on the same side, so make sure you give it all the care it needs. Remember that no matter how much time you spend fixing up your ‘do, healthy hair will always look best.

The 9 Best Executive Job Boards (And More Executive Job Search Tips) - Career Sidekick

The 9 Best Executive Job Boards (And More Executive Job Search Tips) - Career Sidekick The 9 Best Executive Job Boards (And More Executive Job Search Tips) Misc Tips / https://www.edenscott.com/blog If youre looking for Executive jobs or management/leadership positions, you shouldnt only be relying on job boards. However, job search boards can still be an effective piece of your strategy both for applying and doing research.So in this article, Im going to walk you through the 9 best executive job boards for finding executive-level positions.Then Ill share other recommended ways to get Executive jobs.The Best Executive Job Search Boards:1. The LaddersThe Ladders began as a site for $100K+ jobs only. Theyve loosed up their requirements, but the site remains one of the best job boards for Executive positions, management roles, and other roles paying above $100K.This is one of the first job boards you should search when beginning an Executive job search and trying to identify companies that are hiring in your industry.2. Headhunter.comHeadhunter is a job search board focused entirely on Management and Executive-level jobs.You can filter by keywords a nd location, like most job boards.You can also post your resume and set up job alerts. We dont recommend floating your resume out to everyone as an Executive or Management-level job seeker. Youre better off taking a more targeted approach and choosing when and where to send out your resume.However, we do recommend setting up alerts so that youre notified when new jobs are posted that match your criteria. The ability to do this and the focus on leadership-level roles make HeadHunter.com one of the best Executive job search sites on the web.3. LinkedInLinkedIn is a great job board for all levels, including Executives.It has more job postings than most other sites, and has great filters/search tools, too.And with LinkedIns Easy Apply, you can also apply relatively quickly. Nobody likes visiting a job site and having to fill out two pages of personal info thats also on the resume you uploaded, right? LinkedIn Easy Apply helps you avoid this.LinkedIn also made our list of the best overal l job search engines. Its a very good platform for any level of job search, but tends to stand out from some other job boards when you start looking at the Management and Executive level, which is why it appears relatively high up on our list of best Executive job boards, too.4. GlassdoorYou may think of company reviews and other research tools when you think of Glassdoor, but theyre also one of the best online job boards including for Executive-level positions.Glassdoors job postings tend to be high-quality, and theres a large volume of jobs being posted too, just like with LinkedIn (above).5. Hired.comNext up on our list of best Executive job boards is Hired.com, a site that helps match you with companies that fit your skills and background.The process here is a bit different than the typical job board Hired.com focuses on careful matching, not high volume. Its highly effective, though.Essentially, you create a profile, companies apply to you, and you can choose to accept the in vitation to interview. You can read more about how it works here.Right now, Hired.com is only available in 14 major cities in the US and Europe, but this is going to be a great Executive job search tool if youre in one of those cities.Here are the 14 cities Hired.com operates in, at the time of publishing this list:6. IndeedIndeed is the largest and best-known job board on the web, and while it may not be known for Executive-level positions, its still one of the best job search boards for Executives.They feature many high-quality jobs at the Executive-level, and because of how many listings they have, you have good odds of seeing something worthwhile even if most of their postings are not geared to people of your level.Just use the search filters/keywords to search for job titles you want to see, like Director, VP, etc.7. Career BuilderCareer Builder features job postings of all levels. But by searching and using filters, you can find some Executive-level positions in most major cit ies.We ran a couple of test searches in the Boston job market, and quickly found positions like VP of Engineering, Executive Director of Operations, VP of Partner Operations, etc.The quantity of Executive-level job postings isnt going to be too high here, but its still worth a look. You can quickly enter your city and a couple of keywords like VP Marketing or Marketing Director and see what comes up.8. Simply HiredSimply Hired is another job board where you can quickly search/filter for Executive jobs only.We did a test search for Director in Chicago and immediately saw job postings across many verticals, including recent postings for Customer Service Director, Event Director, Creative Director, etc.Many job postings on SimplyHired feature the salary range, too, so youll be able to make sure youre getting a true Executive-level positions (job titles vary from company to company, so not every job with an impressive-sounding title is going to be the level or salary you want if youve b een working as a Manager or Director with direct reports previously).9. Zip RecruiterZipRecruiter is another online job search board that lets you create a profile and have top companies reach out to you to set up a first interview or phone interview (like Hired.com above).However, you can also use ZipRecruiter as a more traditional job board and enter a keyword/job title and location to see jobs you can apply for immediately.To see how good of an Executive job search site it is, we ran a test search for Engineering Director in Austin, TX. We found some great results including positions like Software Engineering Director, Director of Engineering and Product Management, Executive Director of IT, and more.Note: If youre looking for Executive jobs in the tech industry, dont miss our list of the best tech/IT job boards. It has 24 job boards that are also worth a look.How Else to Find Executive-Level JobsNobody should be applying only via job boards. Especially as an Executive, most jobs are filled by referrals or other forms of relationships (using a recruiter, etc.)Given that, Executive job boards still have value and can supplement the other activity youre doing. Theyre also a powerful research tool. You can see which companies are hiring and then look through your network to see who you know. Then approach the companies directly or via your network if possible.I recommend spending 10-20% of your effort applying on job boards, and spending the rest of your time networking, finding one or two Executive Recruiters to work with, and applying directly to companies that interest you.Thats how youll get the best results in an Executive-level job search; not by relying only on job boards.Consider Partnering with a RecruiterI dont recommend everyone use a recruiter, but at the Executive level, they really can help you navigate your job search and get in touch with the right people in your city.They have connections and can know your city/market quite well (as long as yo u pick a recruiter that specializes in Executive-level jobs, and ideally focuses in your city or state, too).Look for at least two out of these three criteria when finding an Executive Recruiter to help you in your job hunt:A specialization in your industry (e.g. tech, finance, etc.)A focus in your cityA focus on Executive-level positionsAll three is great to find; you should aim for at least two out of three at a minimum.If you follow the advice above, youll have a great overall strategy to find Executive-level jobs. You now know the best Executive job search boards, and more importantly how to mix these job boards into your overall job search effort. This will boost your chances of finding a high-quality, Executive-level position in less time.

Getting That Job

Getting That JobPeople who are looking for a new job are usually going to find themselves looking for good resume writing. This is the first and most important step in getting that job. Before you even put together your first job application, you should already have a good resume ready for potential employers to see.If you are looking for a job in Washington DC, you need to make sure that your resume is very professional. You do not want to ruin your chances of getting hired by putting in poorly written or badly formatted resumes. When you are applying for jobs, you do not want to scare your potential employer away. After all, if you were hired, you would be working for one of the best companies in the city, right?Resume writing has evolved over the years, so you will want to think about what the latest trends are. The internet has made it possible for people to now submit their resumes online. A lot of people use this method of applying for jobs because it is easy and it is affordab le. They can just send the resume to employers and they will get an answer.When you write a professional resume, you should also give your employer some extra information. It might be helpful to include your references or personal website address. You should also let them know how you would fit in with their company and what types of skills you have.It is important to have a great resume to begin with. When you have something that is professionally written, your resume will stand out from the rest. It will be easier for your employer to read through and it will be more convincing.As far as education is concerned, you may be surprised to find out that more people in Washington DC than anywhere else in the United States are looking for jobs. This means that there are plenty of different types of jobs available. This is also why it is important to have a resume that looks professional and presents you as a qualified candidate.Once you have your resume completed, you should also think a bout looking for employers who might need help with a resume. Your resume may be the last thing that you consider before you leave for work, but it could help you out of a bind. Someone could come in and ask you to write up a resume, especially if they are running short on time. You could take it on as a volunteer and help them out.There are a lot of people who do not have a good resume. There are also many people who have resumes that are filled with typos and errors. Do not worry; there are some resume writing services out there that can help you. You should just be aware that there are lots of people that do not have the best writing skills and it is easier to look for them on the internet than it is in person.

Comfort is not happiness - The Chief Happiness Officer Blog

Comfort is not happiness - The Chief Happiness Officer Blog If you think that happiness at work is about comfort, serenity and an easy stable work life youve got it all wrong. True happiness at work comes from going up against impossible odds together with great people for a noble purpose. Comforts got nothing to do with it. Thanks for visiting my blog. If you're new here, you should check out this list of my 10 most popular articles. And if you want more great tips and ideas you should check out our newsletter about happiness at work. It's great and it's free :-)Share this:LinkedInFacebookTwitterRedditPinterest Related

I cant frickin believe how happy our clients are with us - The Chief Happiness Officer Blog

I cant frickin believe how happy our clients are with us - The Chief Happiness Officer Blog After every keynote or workshop we do, we ask our?clients to rate?our work.?Specifically we ask them On a scale from 1-10 how likely are you to recommend us to others? And I honestly cant believe how good our ratings are. This is an overview of?the last 100 gigs ratings from our clients: Yes, out of the last 100 gigs, 80 of them?have given us a straight 10. Our lowest rating is an 8. Our average rating is 9,7. Our NPS score (if you like that kind of thing) is 90. I can only conclude that we are very, very, very good at this?:) So why not book us to some speak at your workplace or event? Apparently were awesome :) See more of our references here?or read more about our keynotes and workshops here. Thanks for visiting my blog. If you're new here, you should check out this list of my 10 most popular articles. And if you want more great tips and ideas you should check out our newsletter about happiness at work. It's great and it's free :-)Share this:LinkedInFacebookTwitterRedditPinterest Related