Not depressed, just sad, lonely or unhappy (Part 11)

Death - part of life

"Trauma" comes from the Greek word for a "wound", and in a medical sense, it is what happens to the body when a wound delivers a shock.

But bereavement, of which I have much sorrowful experience is, alas, part of the natural course of life's sad events.

As Shakespeare observes, with Hamlet, his father lost a father, and that father lost a father before him, and so on, ad infinitum, through the hinterland of human history.

Grief is desperately upsetting: it hurts you for ages, and the loss of someone you love is emotionally painful, and can be enduringly so. But why not call it by its proper name: bereavement: grief: loss?

One reason may be that we are losing old rituals which human beings have practised for eons.

When I was a young woman in France in the 1960s, you would come across a shop with its blinds drawn, and a notice saying: "Ferme pour deuil": closed for mourning.

t is still seen in France, and is also a usual response in Italy. Mourning symbols were widespread in all cultures - widows' weeds, black armbands - and the community was expected to respect those who mourn.

Outward signs of mourning have declined, if not been abolished in more secular societies now: but our sense of sadness and loss endure, and instead of this being called mourning, it is called "trauma".

It might be a start to revive or recapture some of the wider, non-medical vocabulary for the gamut of human experience.

Depression may also be melancholy: it may be discouragement, disappointment, abandonment, sadness, sorrow, mourning, rejection, regret, anxiety, grief, obsession, introspection, loss, separation, loneliness, isolation, alienation, guilt, loss of hope, temperamental woe and simple, pure, unhappiness.

It can be forms of low mood now out of date. The Edwardians were very keen on a condition known as "neurasthenia"; Virginia Woolf was diagnosed with it.

It was also known as "nervous debility", or, in its milder form, being hyper-sensitive and thin-skinned.

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Not depressed, just sad, lonely or unhappy (Part 1)

Is sad so bad?

Cases of depression have grown around the world. But while awareness of the illness has helped lift the stigma it once attracted, have we lost touch with the importance of just feeling sad, asks Mary Kenny.

Looking back on my own reasonably serene childhood in Ireland during the 1950s, I recall quiet murmurs about people who suffered from “nerves”.

I remember hearing that a neighbour - a well-to-do woman whose larger house and smart appearance was rather envied in the community - had had a “nervous breakdown”.

Although when I repeated this to my aunt and uncle, with whom I was living, I was hushed up with a peremptory word of censure. There was, clearly, something slightly shameful about a “nervous breakdown” and one didn’t speak about it.

I can see now, though I did not see then, that these were hidden incidents of depression among family and neighbours. But the stigma over depression, or even mental illness of any kind, must have added to their anguish.

How times have changed. It is an accepted truth, in our time, that depression is an illness with a global reach.

t seems that depression in various guises - whether chronic, uni-polar, bi-polar, clinical, recurrent, major or minor - accounts for a greater burden of disease, world-wide, than war, cancer and AIDS all put together.

This new openness is a good thing. Yet in the process, are we losing something?

Take the word, “trauma,” which is now frequently and commonly invoked in conversation today. A person who has suffered a bereavement is said to be “in trauma”.

A person who has been subjected to shock is said to be “traumatised”. The break-up of relationships - a sad human experience which brings us a sense of loss, and hurts our need for attachment - is, similarly, described as “a traumatic experience”.

In his excellent autobiographical study of depression which he so adroitly called Malignant Sadness, Professor Lewis Wolpert employs the concept of “trauma” to describe, for example, bereavement.

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Obama’s Speech

By Jonah Goldberg


Yes, there were some fine parts. How could there not be?

But I really disliked it. Maybe I’m letting other factors poison my take, and I should probably sleep on it before rendering final judgment. But here are a few things that really stuck in my craw.

1) As we speak, al Qaeda continues to plot against us, and its leadership remains anchored in the border region of Afghanistan and Pakistan. We will disrupt, dismantle, and defeat al Qaeda, while preventing Afghanistan from again serving as a base for terrorists. And because of our drawdown in Iraq, we are now able to apply the resources necessary to go on offense. In fact, over the last 19 months, nearly a dozen al Qaeda leaders –and hundreds of Al Qaeda’s extremist allies–have been killed or captured around the world.

I understand we’re launching a surge in Afghanistan, and I know Obama will never let go of the “Iraq was a distraction” stuff, but did the Commander-in-Chief really need to say that only now, thanks to the draw down in Iraq, can we go “on offense” against al Qaeda? Have we been on defense for the last 9 years?

2) As we do, I am mindful that the Iraq War has been a contentious issue at home. Here, too, it is time to turn the page. This afternoon, I spoke to former President George W. Bush. It’s well known that he and I disagreed about the war from its outset. Yet no one could doubt President Bush’s support for our troops, or his love of country and commitment to our security. As I have said, there were patriots who supported this war, and patriots who opposed it. And all of us are united in appreciation for our servicemen and women, and our hope for Iraq’s future.

This is what passes for bipartisan graciousness at the highest level of national security? Bush was a really swell guy who loved his country. Okay. What about the fact that he was right about the surge and our ability to leave Iraq (as much as we are) is attributable not to Obama’s fidelity to his campaign pledge, but to a decision made by Obama’s predecessor, a decision Obama opposed vociferously. I don’t expect an “I was wrong” from an Oval Office address (though it would be nice — as it would have been from Bush more than once, too). But Obama’s lawyerly avoidance of reality makes him seem petty and raises the suspicion that he can’t think straight about these issues. That is dangerous.

3. And so at this moment, as we wind down the war in Iraq, we must tackle those challenges at home with as much energy, and grit, and sense of common purpose as our men and women in uniform who have served abroad. They have met every test that they faced. Now, it is our turn. Now, it is our responsibility to honor them by coming together, all of us, and working to secure the dream that so many generations have fought for –the dream that a better life awaits anyone who is willing to work for it and reach for it.

Our most urgent task is to restore our economy, and put the millions of Americans who have lost their jobs back to work. To strengthen our middle class, we must give all our children the education they deserve, and all our workers the skills that they need to compete in a global economy. We must jumpstart industries that create jobs, and end our dependence on foreign oil. We must unleash the innovation that allows new products to roll off our assembly lines, and nurture the ideas that spring from our entrepreneurs. This will be difficult. But in the days to come, it must be our central mission as a people, and my central responsibility as President.

This is what really disgusted me. If you read this closely, what Obama is saying is that not only do we owe it to the troops to rally around his discredited and partisan economic agenda (“It’s our turn”), not only is it a test of our patriotism to sign on with his environmental and industrial planning schemes, but that doing so “must be our central mission as a people.”

I find everything about that offensive.

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Create a Tempting First Impressions (Part 2)

People who smile are considered as people who believe in themselves because when we're nervous or not confident with ourselves or our surroundings, we tend not to smile. Smiling will lead to happiness that will bring us to people who are happy: Because we see them in a positive way.


The spirit is very important to create a good impression because of that spirit will be contagious to others. With a smile you indicate that you like the environment you are and happy to meet with people you meet, so in turn he will be more interested in meeting you.


In the end, a sincere smile shows acceptance and lead others to know that you are willing to accept him with sincerity. Have you ever wondered why dogs are so loved? Because these animals greet us with a genuine acceptance. If you have a tail, then kibaskanlah. But since you do not have a tail, then smile.


Even if you are not able to smile as sweet as the Mona Lisa, from now smile at everyone you meet. Then consider how your actions it magical. At first familiarize yourself smile like it was hard to swim in the agar-agar jelly, but with constant practice you will be personally guaranteed a charming and do not be surprised if your days will be preoccupied by a fan who wanted a photo together and ask for autographs.


"A smile is a curve that can straighten out any issue of"

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Create a Tempting First Impressions (Part 1)

To convey to you here is a favorite technique in creating a good first impression. A simple technique, but this is the key to my success became inspiration for harmonious relations. Of course, this technique is also effective when applied during the interview work.

The first time I learned to be a professional radio announcer, one important lesson instructed by instructor when it is broadcast Smile when talking.

According to smile can be heard. Listeners will easily be able to distinguish where the announcer was friendly and where broadcasters are not friendly or grumpy. As we know, that most people would prefer the people were friendly compared with the broadcaster that bitchy. If the radio listener can distinguish just which broadcasters are friendly or not, especially when dealing directly instead?

The opinion was increasingly strengthened again after I have studied Neuro Associative Conditioning System, an excavation techniques, development and structuring potential. A smile that seems an easy job in fact have a major impact in the "conquest" anyone's heart.

A smile is able to create four wonderful things:

1. Raises self-confidence
2. Happiness
3. Passion and enthusiasm
4. Genuine acceptance

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Job Searching at Work

By: Alison


What you do when you're job searching, especially when you're doing it at work, can be problematic when it comes to keeping the job you have already.

In addition to the folks who tweet that they hate their job, there are those who spend all day on Facebook, even though they are friends with their boss and he or she can see every update. That's not such a great idea when you are supposed to be working.

Then there are the mistakes that make you cringe.  I heard from someone who was in a panic after he emailed his resume to his boss by mistake.  The AutoFill tool that automatically enters email addresses in Outlook and other email programs can be dangerous and using your work email address for job searching isn't a good idea.

One solution is to set up a separate email account for job seeking. That way you won't send your resume to the wrong person by mistake and you'll have all your job search correspondence in one place. If you use Gmail or Yahoo mail or another web-based email account, you'll be able to check it from anywhere.

If you have already made the mistake of clicking the Send button, it's time for damage control. You'll need to act quickly.  Here's how to handle it when your boss catches you job searching. In the future, you'll need to job search a little more carefully - some stealth job hunting may be in order.

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Ngeblog Tanpa Resiko Kehilangan Kerja

Di era serba internet seperti saat ini, rasanya blog sudah jadi gaya hidup sehari-hari. Sama halnya dengan situs jejaring social lainnya seperti Facebook  atau Twitter, blog dimiliki hampir semua internet savvy di luar sana. Mungkin juga termasuk Anda. Diperkirakan bahwa di Indonesia sendiri di tahun 2009 jumlah blogger akan mencapai angka 1 juta. Jumlah ini tidak mengherankan mengingat banyaknya alternatif layanan hosting dan web based tool gratis dan relatif mudah dikuasai sehingga dalam hitungan menit saja blog Anda sudah bisa diluncurkan untuk publik. Beberapa layanan gratis yang popular digunakan antara lain Blogger, Wordpress dan Multiply.



Blog yang merupakan singkatan dari weblog, digandrungi oleh banyak orang karena merupakan media yang memungkinkan pemiliknya untuk menuliskan topik kesukaan mereka untuk kemudian di-publish di dunia maya dengan singkat, tanpa proses panjang seperti halnya mengirim tulisan ke media cetak. Blog juga cara lain untuk berkomunikasi. Kerabat dan teman bisa mengetahui kabar terbaru pemilik blog hanya dengan membaca entry yang ditulisnya, bahkan memberikan komentar.



Banyak orang mengklaim bahwa blogging jadi hobi bahkan sudah jadi kebutuhan mereka. Di blog mereka bisa menuliskan pikiran mereka, menerima feedback dari pembaca, menambah jejaring dan teman, bahkan menciptakan sebuah komunitas khusus untuk blog. Munculnya layanan microblogging tidak membuat aktifitas ini kehilangan penggemar, justru malah membuat blogging semakin kuat karena bisa dijadikan tool yang turut bisa mempromosikan blog seseorang.



Kebanyakan pemilik blog adalah perseorangan yang menulis topik apa saja yang menarik bagi mereka. Namun saat ini semakin banyak perusahaan mengelola blog untuk berbagai kepentingan seperti promosi, branding, menciptakan image bahkan riset dan pooling untuk mengetahui keadaan pasar dan konsumen.



Kalau blogging sudah jadi keseharian Anda, ingatlah bahwa kegiatan yang menyenangkan, therapeutic bahkan menghasilkan ini juga memiliki resiko yang bisa membahayakan karir dan pekerjaan Anda. Jika Anda sudah lama bermain-main didunia blog, tentunya Anda ingat dengan Heather B. Armstrong yang kehilangan pekerjaannya sebagai web designer atau Ellen Simonetti yang dipecat dari sebuah maskapai penerbangan gara-gara blognya.



Beberapa tips yang bisa mencegah agar hal-hal buruk tidak timbul karena blog Anda adalah sebagai berikut :

• Jangan mempermalukan pihak lain maupun diri sendiri dengan menuliskan hal-hal yang bisa membuat Anda menyesal nantinya. Walaupun intensi Anda adalah mencurahkan isi hati, etika tetap wajib dijaga. Internet adalah dunia yang sangat luas dan semakin gampang diakses. Bukan tidak mungkin boss atau rekan kerja Anda bisa menemukan blog dan membaca hal memalukan tersebut. Jika Anda ingin kebebasan penuh dalam menulis, Anda bisa mencoba fitur protected entry yang ada di Wordpress atau fitur yang memungkinkan Anda untuk memilah pembaca seperti yang ada di Multiply dan Blogspot atau bahkan memberlakukan total proteksi terhadap blog.
• Jangan 'ngeblog' di kantor. Dengan mudah browsing history Anda bisa diketahui pihak manajemen. Hal ini bisa menuntun mereka ke online journal Anda yg bukan tidak mungkin pernah berisi keluh kesah Anda tentang kantor. Seperti pengalaman Anda saat sang boss mencuri ide Anda atau saat Anda kesal karena ditegur atas kesalahan yang tidak Anda lakukan.
• Jangan pamerkan identitas Anda seluruhnya. Gunakan nama lain atau inisial. Hati-hatilah dengan foto Anda, orang lain atau property kantor yang dipajang diblog. Selain berkaitan dengan copy right, Anda tidak akan tahu jika ada yang memanfaatkan foto-foto tersebut untuk kepentingan pribadi orang lain.
• Hindari untuk dengan gamblang mencantumkan identitas professional Anda seperti jabatan atau posisi, nama perusahaan dan alamat tempat Anda bekerja, bahkan jenis industri pekerjaan Anda. Playing safe is better jika Anda masih ingin memiliki pekerjaan Anda.
• Bijaksanalah dalam menulis hal-hal yang berkaitan dengan pekerjaan. Jangan membeberkan rahasia perusahaan, nama klien, konflik dalam perusahaan serta hal-hal lainnya yang tidak seharusnya diketahui umum, apalagi kompetitor.

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Etiket Bisnis Pebisnis Korea dan Jepang

 Adakah beberapa dari Anda yang bekerja di perusahaan asing? Atau setidaknya selalu bertemu dengan orang asing untuk urusan bisnis dan pekerjaan? Jika ya, Anda pasti tahu betul bahwa berhadapan dengan orang asing yang berbeda kebudayaan memiliki tantangan tersendiri. Bukan hanya soal bahasa dan cara berkomunikasi yang terkadang menjadi kendala, tapi juga soal kebiasaan, adat, dan tingkah laku yang harus selalu disesuaikan. Mungkin Anda pernah mengalami kejadian unik atau memalukan berkaitan dengan cross-cultural business ini, misalnya Anda lupa tidak membungkuk ketika menyapa bos besar dari Jepang atau selalu kerepotan memenuhi permintaan atasan dari Korea yang ingin segala sesuatunya selesai dengan cepat.

Dalam menjalankan bisnis, setiap negara ternyata memiliki cara yang berbeda-beda yang dipengaruhi oleh kebudayaan yang dianutnya. Untuk bisa menjalin bisnis dengan rekan asing, terkadang Anda harus menyesuaikan diri dengan cara mereka. Bukan berarti mengubah budaya perusahaan dan kehilangan jati diri, tetapi mengetahui dan memahami etiket-etiket bisnis yang berlaku serta menerapkannya tatkala bertemu dengan orang asing sesuai dengan kebangsaannya.

Banyak panduan mengenai etiket bisnis internasional yang bisa dipelajari dan beberapa diantaranya adalah seperti dibawah ini:

Jepang.
Business card adalah hal terpenting yang harus Anda bawa ketika bertemu dengan pebisnis Jepang. Setelah Anda bertukar salam (baik dengan cara membungkuk atau berjabat tangan), berikan kartu Anda dengan cara yang sopan, yaitu memegang dengan kedua tangan. Jangan pernah melipat, mencoret-coret, memainkan, apalagi meninggalkan kartu yang Anda terima, sebab Anda akan dianggap tidak menghargai sang pemberi kartu. Simpan kartu-kartu tersebut di tempat yang pantas dan perlakukan dengan hormat. Untuk busana, gaya konservatif dan formal adalah pilihan yang pas. Untuk wanita, sebaiknya menggunakan rok daripada celana panjang. Berhati-hatilah dengan hand gesture dan ekspresi wajah, sebab bisa menimbulkan salah interpretasi. Selalu datang setidaknya 10 menit sebelum waktu pertemuan, terutama jika Anda akan bertemu dengan para bos atau eksekutif senior. Orang Jepang terkenal tepat waktu, jadi buatlah agenda rapat yang tepat waktu pula. Ketika rapat pebisnis Jepang akan mencatat apa-apa saja yang terjadi dalam rapat, maka tidak ada hal yang luput atau terlewatkan.

Korea.
Sama halnya dengan Jepang, pebisnis Korea juga menganggap business card sebagai hal yang penting dalam urusan bisnis, jadi pastikan Anda selalu membawanya. Dalam suatu pertemuan, jarang sekali Anda memperkenalkan diri langsung kepada lawan bicara, biasanya orang ketiga yang akan memperkenalkan Anda. Jika Anda lebih junior, maka Anda harus membungkuk terhadap lawan bicara yg lebih senior/posisinya lebih tinggi. Korea sangat menjunjung tinggi senioritas dan hubungan atasan dan bawahan. Sebagai bentuk penghormatan, biasanya mereka menyapa lawan bicara dengan nama jabatan/profesi/titelnya kemudian dikuti oleh nama keluarga, misalnya: Direktur Kim, Manajer Choi, atau Supervisor Lee. Atau jika Anda tidak yakin, panggil saja dengan sebutan international, misalnya Mr. Kim atau Ms/Mrs Lee. Orang Korea biasanya mengadakan pertemuan bisnis yang dibarengi dengan jamuan atau minum (beralkohol), Anda bisa mengggunakan alasan keyakinan dan kesehatan untuk menolak secara halus tawaran tersebut.

Dua negara ini merupakan negara Asia teratas yang berinvestasi di Indonesia setelah Cina. Mendekati pasar bebas, akan semakin banyak orang-orang asing yang masuk ke Indonesia untuk mendirikan bisnis. Hubungan kerjasama pun mau tidak mau akan semakin sering terjalin. Diperlukan pengetahuan yang luas dan kepekaan yang cukup tinggi terhadap kebiasaan dan kebudayaan negara yang akan menjadi rekan bisnis Anda. Oleh karena itu, pelajarilah lebih jauh etika-etika bisnis yang berlaku secara internasional agar pendekatan dan jalinan bisnis Anda dengan orang asing bisa berjalan dengan lancar.

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Working Smart: The Importance of Being on Time

By Elizabeth Hanink


Time — as my father-in-law (and Benjamin Franklin) used to say — is money. The follow up, of course, is that we have no right to anyone else’s money; so quit wasting your employer’s by being late. You may think that’s an unnecessary reminder, but, interestingly enough, not all employees recognize when they are late.


Take, for instance, the employee that punches in on time but then ever so comfortably settles in. First comes the stashing of personal items. Then comes the requisite cup of coffee, a quick bathroom break, and don’t forget the greetings that are necessary all around. By the time real work starts, a good 10 to 15 minutes are gone. There are no specific statistics, but do the math. Multiply by five days a week, times several, even tens, of employees, and you are talking a hefty hunk of change.


Then there are the folks who are late in the ordinary fashion: late for arrival, late for meetings and on it goes. The strange thing is that the events that cause people to be tardy are sooo predictable: lost keys, heavy traffic, dawdling kids. In short, people are usually late for preventable reasons. If they were organized, disciplined and competent, what difference would misplaced keys make? A second set would be nearby. Basing the time you need to get to work on the best of all possible worlds is foolhardy.


Vince Lombardi has my vote on punctuality: “If you are 15 minutes early, you’re late.” If you want someone with more authority than a football coach, how about Louis XVIII’s line: “Punctuality is the privilege of kings.”  

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Working Smart: Balancing Work and School

By Elizabeth Hanink

Are you realizing that more skills will pay more bills? If so, you might be taking a short brush-up or certificate course, or you might be diligently pursuing a license. Maybe you work part time while you earn your college degree. In any case, balancing work and school is a true challenge, especially if you add family responsibilities.

Start by realizing that you can’t do everything. Some things need to go. Begin with the optional. Limit socializing to one night a week. Forego TV or surfing the Internet (or whatever you do for leisure) until there’s a school break. Exercise should be the last activity you cut back on, unless your training requires a serious daily commitment. Even so, this isn’t the year for a marathon. Do two after you graduate.

Be careful of volunteer commitments. Yes, they are worthwhile; but unless you can strictly limit your time, it is easy to overdo this category just because it is so necessary.

Realism in your schoolwork also helps. Exceptions exist, but for the most part no one needs to make straight A’s. At this point in your life, maybe a B and your sanity are sufficient. Likewise with your job commitment. You do owe your employer your best for the time you are paid, but ease up on overtime and other “extras” that until now were easy to do.

People rarely regret their education. They often look back and regret not trying a little harder to get more.

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How Sharp Are Your People Skills at Work? Take This 5-minute Quiz

By Kathy Simmons



The ability to interact with your boss and co-workers can make or break your career. Studies have shown that IQ takes second position to emotional intelligence in determining outstanding job performance and long-term success.  Now, more than ever, you need to pay attention to your people skills to be hired, kept and promoted.


In the words of John Hancock, “The greatest ability in business is to get along with others and influence their actions.”


Emotionally intelligent people have mastered the art of living in harmony with others. They respond appropriately when conflict arises, and seem to know the right thing to do regardless of the circumstances. Does this description fit you?


Measure how sharp your “soft” skills are by taking the following quiz:

1.  A co-worker criticizes your idea in front of the boss. Which best describes your reaction?

a) Immediately remind the critic of his most recent flawed idea.
b)   Say nothing. You'll vent with co-workers later.
c) Become angry and demand to know why the critic is being so non-supportive.
d)  Thank the critic for his input, and promise to take the feedback under consideration.


2.  Your boss is acting differently lately. She has been much less communicative and friendly. You would be most likely to…

a)  Avoid her. Otherwise, you are likely to stay on her bad side.
b)  Schedule a meeting and ask for her feedback on your work performance.
c) Assume she has personal problems and ask others if they are aware of details.
d) Begin working on your resume. You would rather quit than be fired.


3.  You’ve just found out that you are the target of a nasty rumor at work. Which of the following best describes your response?

a)  Do nothing. Rumors have a way of blowing over eventually.
b)  Make it a point to find the source of the rumor and confront him or her aggressively.
c)  Create a rumor about someone else to take the spotlight off yourself.
d)  Become depressed and distracted.


4.  A less-talented co-worker is promoted to a position you hoped for. How would you handle the disappointment?


a)  Start looking for another job.
It’s obvious your talents are not appreciated where you are.
b)  Resolve to make life difficult for the co-worker. She’ll earn that promotion!
c) Ask the hiring manager what areas you could focus on to be a stronger candidate in the future.
d) Pout, and hope someone notices your hurt feelings.


5.  Your raise was much less than expected this year. How would you deal with the bad news?

a) Take a few extra sick days. That’s your way of evening the score.
b) Ask your co-workers how much they got. Then decide if yours was fair.
c) Go to your boss’s boss and express your disappointment.
d) Ask your boss what accomplishments would warrant a
re-evaluation in six months.


6.  You discover that you made a huge mistake that will cost the company plenty of money. What is your solution?


a) Immediately bring it to your boss's attention and ask for advice on minimizing the damage.
b) Resign as quickly as possible.
c) Try to cover up the error as smoothly as possible — and hope nobody looks too carefully.
d) Blame others for their contribution. You won’t take the heat alone!


7.  One of your co-workers regularly gossips about upper management. She seems to know quite a bit of information and it’s hard not to listen. You would be most likely to:

a) Listen eagerly, but never repeat what you hear.
b) Tell her in no uncertain terms what you think of her lack of loyalty.
c) Let your boss know she is gossiping.
d) Tell her you would rather talk about other things — then change the subject quickly.



BEST ANSWERS:

1. d, 2. b, 3. a, 4. c, 5. d, 6. a, 7. d

6-7 correct: Your soft skills are razor sharp! You consistently display maturity when it comes to coping with the inevitable conflicts and disappointments that arise at work.

4-5 correct: Most of the time your soft skills are sharp, but there are times you fall short of behaving professionally. Watch your tendencies to retaliate or take things personally.

3 or less correct: You have significant deficiencies in your soft skills. To raise your awareness in areas of emotional intelligence, start by reading any of the following books:
· Working With Emotional Intelligence, by Daniel Goleman
· People Skills, by Robert Bolton
· Be Your Own Executive Coach : Master High-Impact Communications Skills, by Peter Delisser

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Did You Know? Facts about Social Media

By Working World Staff


Google's corporate philosophy embodies such principles as “you can make money without doing evil” and “work should be a challenge and the challenge should be fun.”



SOCIAL MEDIA JOBS (that didn’t used to exist)

Online Talent Scout
Discovers talent online, matching up creators of obscure YouTube videos with the online divisions of traditional media companies and ad agencies.

Social Media Marketing Manager
Sets up and manages a company’s social networking and bookmarking sites like Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Delicious; might write company blog.

Reputation Manager
Scours social media sites and addresses negative, inaccurate or damaging content about the company.



FACEBOOK EMPLOYEE PERKS

• Cost of breakfast, lunch and dinner for employees at the Palo Alto headquarters: Free
• Additional cost to invite friends to dine: $0
• “Baby cash” payment given to employees who become new parents: $4,000
• Annual daycare reimbursement for employees with kids under 5 years old: $3,000
• Reimbursement on monthly gym fees: 50 percent
• Number of annual sick days: Unlimited

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BlackBerry Messenger Jadi Platform Jejaring Sosial

Kompas

SAN FRANCISCO, KOMPAS.com - BlackBerry Messenger (BBM) yang merupakan salah satu fitur andalan BlackBerry selama ini hanya dapat dipakai sebagai instant messenger antarpengguna BlackBerry saja. Namun, ke depan, layanan BBM tak lagi eksklusif setelah Research In Motion (RIM) memutuskan untuk menjadikannya sebagai platform jejaring sosial.



"Para pengembang bisa mengambil aktivitas sosial di BBM dan memasukkannya ke dalam aplikasi buatannya yang dijual di App World," kata Mike Lazaridis, Chairman dan Co-CEO RIM dalam RIM Developer Conference di San Francisco, Senin (27/9/2010).


Lazaridis menekankan bahwa BBM akan diarahkan menjadi platform layanan jejaring sosial yang semakin luas. Misalnya diintegrasikan dalam aplikasi game sehingga pengguna BlackBerry dapat mengundang pengguna lainnya untuk bermain bersama dengan satu klik di aplikasi tersebut tanpa harus masuk ke layanan BBM.



Bagi para pengembang aplikasi akan disediakan application programming interface (API) agar dapat memanfaatkan akses ke layanan BBM. Namun, belum ada pengumuman resmi kapan BlackBerry Social SDK akan tersedia bagi para pengembang.



RIM mengkalaim saat ini ada 28 juta pengguna aktif BlackBerry Messenger di sleuruh dunia dan tumbuh 1,5 juta pengguna baru setiap bulan. Dengan menyediakan akses BBM ke dalam aplikasi, RIM telah menciptakan jejaring sosial mobile yang sangat besar.

Job , Jobs, Career

Great Resume Tips for Non-Writers

By Suzette Dean

Most often, even with the help of thousands of resume tips found on the internet and in books, writing a great resume can be a pain - especially for non-writers. While it's true that a resume is the advertising of yourself, it does not have to be written as a literary piece. A resume is just a simple statement of facts as to what you are capable of doing that will contribute to the growth of the company you're interested in joining. The first resume tip is to write the resume as straightforward as you can, highlighting your accomplishments and backing them up with numbers and concrete examples.

It is not right to think that a resume should be written in an artistic manner. The resume, being something that involves writing, is what intimidates those who have no inclination for prose. In the first place it's not compulsory that everything that you write in your resume is in complete sentence format. For the most part, bullet points will do. All resume tips say that your resume should be brief, concise and factual. You must also know that even for writers, it's often difficult to start any document, but once you have started it everything else will fall into place. Of course you start with writing your name, address and contact details at the upper left part of a plain white or ivory paper. If you have a unisex name such as Renee, Ali and Alex, don't forget to include the prefix mister or miss.

Now here are some resume tips for the content. Being a document that highlights your best professional assets, it's not a narration of your previous jobs, but of your accomplishments that are relevant to the job you are applying for. Limit the information that you will write down on your resume to that which is related to the job you are applying for. Relative to this, replace the phrase "tasks include" with "accomplishments were".

How about a resume tip on deciding whether to write your job experiences in a chronological or functional order? If you are just sticking to one field and have been upwardly-moving, chronological order will do. If your focus is your skills that are applicable from one field to the other, the functional order of work experience is better. If you are a fresh graduate, highlight your accomplishments from school, both formal and non-formal trainings and seminars that will contribute to your performance in your first job. Again, don't forget the resume tips on choosing only the relevant information, which also goes for your personal data.

You are not alone in your struggle to come up with a great resume that will make the employer want to interview and eventually, hire you. Above any other thing, it's your honesty, skills and determination that will sell you to the interviewer. Anything phony and fancy will show, so always strive for the truth in advertising yourself- and that's one of the best resume tips that you'll ever get.

Job , Jobs, Career

Role of a Secretary in company

Etymologically, the secretary or the secretary comes from the word 'secret' meaning secret or private. From the meaning of its constituent words are then created an operational definition that refers to someone who is entrusted to a private or personal matter. On a broader scope, the definition of the secretary and then adjusted to the task performed both for individuals, businesses, civil society and community. M. Braum and Ramon from Portugal, secretary defines as:

"An assistant to a chief of WHO takes dictation, prepares correspondence, receivers visitors, checks or Engagements of his official appointments, and performs many duties related That increase is the effectiveness of the chief."

But besides working on clerical tasks, the role of secretary in the companies it is often far exceed that. A secretary is sometimes also acts as his boss's right hand. Not only must perform the function in but also outside. He not only should be responsible and take care of all the needs of leaders and companies, but also must appear on the front lines to keep the image of a company or organization.

Judging from the structural enterprise, the position of secretary is looking beyond the level of management or decision makers. But in reality very great influence in the political secretary to the company because he was very close to the circle of power. He knows all the secrets of the company because it is always involved in the execution of operations. Even the secretary sometimes it can take over the boss in decision-making or supervising the running of the company if the leader was not in the office.

 

Seeing a pretty broad responsibilities, of course it takes a person who has technical expertise and a certain personality to a degree for a professional secretary. Adequate administrative capability necessary to do routine tasks that are a lot of paperwork associated with the form letters and important documents. Mastery of technology tools and computer applications is required in order expedite and facilitate all matters which had been completely computerized.

As a bridge between leaders and subordinates or outside parties, a secretary should be able to absorb all the information to then be submitted to the parties entitled to receive it. Therefore, the ability to communicate is a key skill in playing the role as a 'funnel' leadership. Expertise in foreign languages like English is absolutely required to support all forms of relations with outsiders, especially foreigners. In fact, mastery of other foreign languages were also sometimes be a demand for the creation of a broader relationship with the various parties.

In addition to hard skills above, the personality of a secretary also participated in a good or bad influence on the management of a company's image because of his role which often doubles as a public relations. Prajudi Atmosudirjo in his book entitled Fundamentals of Business Administration (Business Administration) says that a good secretary should have a nature-friendly, sympathetic, charming, capable of dealing with all kinds of people, kominikatif, cooperative and polite. In their work, he should be careful, honest, skillful, initiative, and a quick thinker. In terms of appearance secretary should look smart, professional, interesting but still polite. Because of his job so much, he must have mentally tough, do not stress easily and quickly surrendered.

Seeing the qualifications secretary is a very complex, it is no wonder that this profession more occupied by women. During this time, the profession is still associated as secretary of women's work. This is because the secretary job requires precision, tidiness, friendliness, and flexibility in serving and communicating that is identical to the female personality. Negative assessment of the profession during the secretary who, it often appears that the secretary of the capitalize enough beauty also supposed to dieliminisir, because the secretary must also have the ability and competence are good also.

Job , Jobs, Career

Career Planning - How to Choose A Career Path

By Tono Ruggeri Platinum Quality Author



With the great number of career opportunities that abound, a lot of individuals are left perplexed in making the final decision on how to choose the right career for them. However, there is always a way that can be pointed out as a career planning advice to help you get away from the pressures of picking the career that is rightfully for you. The first thing that should come into your mind is the reality that sometime during your lifetime you may across with the day that you feel that the career you chose earlier is not suitable for you. This is something that you should not frustrate about because it is normal to make mistakes being human that you are. The most important thing is that you keep away from playing to be "Jack of all trades and master of none!" This article will try to provide you with some useful career planning tips to make the task of choosing the path to a career a less overwhelming journey.


The first step to take as part of your career planning guide is to identify your strengths, abilities and what interests you. To do this appropriately, you need to write down all your interests in a sheet of paper. Spend time going over it and arrange them according to your preference. With each of your interest, write down the skills that you have for each interest. This would provide you an idea on where you stand best. You see, being interested is not enough; you should also have the skills and abilities so as to be successful in that particular career.


If you are quite unsure on where to start seeking the guidance of a career counselor would help you come up with a better career planning strategy. These professionals are trained in this aspect and can help you discover where the right path you should start on. You need to understand that being talented in a particular area is not surefire guarantee that you are destined for it. It is also important that you have enough understanding on what are the essential career requirements for that particular choice of you. You might not be clearly aware of this but a career coach or counselor is armed with sufficient information about requirements of different careers.


Once you have clearly identified the career you want and should pursue, it would be worthy if you could take up an internship in that field prior to immediately plunging on it full time. In doing so, you will be given the chance to have sufficient exposure to the field and widen your network with people of the same career. This would give you a clearer and wider spectacle making you decide if this is something you really want to do or something that you could face doing. In the event that you feel you are not happy with it, you can simply beg off and quit instead of immediately rushing things and then find yourself trapped into it.


Career planning may be easy on some while it can really be cumbersome for other groups of individuals. However, failing on your first career choice does not mean the end of the world, you can always opt for a career change and learn from your mistakes until you get to the career that you love and know you would excel in.


Tono Ruggeri has been writing articles for 4 years now. He is lately fascinated with interesting clocks. So come visit his website that discusses about Grandfather clocks for sale as well as grandfather clock parts and information that people would need when shopping for these items.

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When Clients Attack!

By Rana Qubain



Clients are one of the most important assets of a company. However, some of your most profitable clients can be the most annoying as well. Like any other relationship, client relationships can be peppered with moments of confusion and frustration. Yet, with a good strategy in place you can bring harmony to your relationship and can help you create long term partnerships with them. Most employees who have direct contact with clients regularly face many types of clients; therefore, they should be able to handle different kinds of clients effectively. 5 types of clients that you might meet at work and the best way to deal with each one of them.


The Bargain Hunter

Most Bargain Hunters are successful entrepreneurs who struggled their way to build successful businesses and gather their wealth. Therefore, they are not willing to spend a penny if they feel there is a way out of it. Those clients act as if the price you first offered is just the starting point for negotiations. The best way to handle Bargain Hunters is to give them a taste of their own medicine. This means to start with relatively high prices and then lowering them down to a point that is acceptable for both parties. If your company offers fixed prices, stress your service features while comparing your prices with those of your competitors.


The Urgent Client

Everything is an emergency for Urgent Clients. All their emails are of high priority. They may even stress that in the title of the email, the body and whenever they call you. They are workaholics by nature, working at night and on the weekends, and they expect everyone else they work with to do the same. Although they know that they are not your only client, they still act as if they are. The best way to deal with an Urgent Client is to make it clear from the beginning that some of their requests are unreasonable and that you need more time to be able to perfect the outcome.


The Absent Client

The Absent Client is the most stressful type of clients to deal with; they make you chase them around with phone calls and emails with no response whatsoever. An Absent Client may disappear for many days which might drive you to wonder if he is still in business. They will reappear eventually, without any warning asking about the progress of the project. Remember one important thing; your best clients are the busy ones as they are the ones who are constantly in need of your services. Therefore, you should be able to keep them pleased by finalizing the work with minimum hassle and with the limited input you were provided with initially.


The Angry Client

The Angry Client is continuously and aggressively attacking your work, asking for changes and accusing you of not doing your job right. One important advice to take into consideration when dealing with this type of clients is to understand that they are not attacking you personally and that they are only expressing their frustration with the company as a whole. Therefore, remain calm and try to listen more than you talk. Stay patient and show them that you care by asking them more questions about the problem while assuring them that you will be handling the problem to their satisfaction.


The Appreciative Client

The Appreciative Client always praises your work and makes you feel special. They make your life easier by choosing the first prototype of every task that you finish. Appreciative Clients always refer your company to other people and might also recommend you personally to other companies. Therefore, reward goodness with goodness by giving them continuous attention and making them feel like a VIP. You can initiate a kind gesture by sending a thoughtful gift upon successfully closing the deal, as this will place your company name into his heart and mind.


Dealing with clients can sometimes be similar to dealing with children at their terrible twos. Clients can be whiny, demanding, impatient, moody and complaining which might result in ruining your whole day and adding more stress to your busy life. However, remember that you are dealing with a human being who is probably under a lot of pressure from a boss, a budget or a deadline. Know your clients and manage your relationship with them in order to keep them coming back for more. Keep in mind that good client servicing does not only result in building repeat business but also in acquiring referrals and generating positive word of mouth for years to come.


Rana Qubain is the Marketing Coordinator of Akhtaboot - the career network, the Middle East's leading online recruitment website. Rana currently works on different projects covering competition analysis and new product development of career related service.

careers, Jobs Indonesia, Indonesia Vacancy

Work For Myself Or Work For The Man?

By Johnny Wall



Bold headline? Well it's true, but I'm not here to sell you on anything, just to educate you on some things that are going on in our economy that you might not know about. So, if you have an open mind and are ready for some real change in your life, please read on.


Most people know how the internet has revolutionized the way we communicate on this planet but have have grasped the massive wealth transfer that is occurring online. According to Paul Zane Pilzer, economist, author, and economic adviser in two presidential administrations, over 10 million new millionaires will be created over the next 10 years in the home-based business industry.


There are millions of people turning to the internet everyday searching for ways to make money from home, at the same time that unemployment rates are skyrocketing. See a trend here? If you can position yourself in front of these people with real, new economic solutions, you could stand to make a lot of money.


Home-based businesses have always done well in times of recession, but in the 21st century coupled with the power of the internet, we're talking about MASSIVE wealth creation. This may be the largest transfer of wealth the world has ever seen.


I'm going to cut to the chase here. Of course there is a lot of crap on the internet, hyped up business opportunities, magic bullet marketing systems, and the list goes on. I have nothing against multi-level marketing (MLM) companies, it is a legitimate business model and provides a great option for people to build a company, and a skill-set over time, but if you're like me, you don't have 2-5 years to create a serious income.


I like the GPT business model, or Get Paid Today business model. I don't like to mess around. That's why the most exciting of these new online business models is high-ticket direct sales. It's highly leveraged like MLM, you benefit off of the efforts of your team, but it pays immediate high ticket commissions.


There are three companies right now that will gladly pay you $3k, $5k, and $10k PER SALE for your marketing and advertising efforts. All three of these companies use highly converting online systems to do the prospecting, selling, and training for you on complete auto-pilot, giving you time to focus on advertising, marketing, and building relationships.


One word of advice before I close. DO YOUR HOMEWORK. Only join people in business who are qualified to train, mentor, and support you in your business. If all three aren't there, walk away and find someone else.


And be ready to take ACTION and make fast decisions, things are changing fast and you don't want to miss out.


Johnny Wall is a home based business builder, Internet marketer, and trainer with a passion for showing others how to create real and lasting freedom for themselves through entrepreneurship and a practical approach toward personal growth. Johnny works with a group of inspired entrepreneurs who are committed to contributing to the new economy and to empower as many as possible to achieve personal and financial success in their lives.

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Boost Your Career by 2011

by Susan Johnston, PayScale.com

Year-end reviews may seem like light years away, but it pays to plan ahead and prepare. That's what Lindsey Sparks did while working for a staffing company in Oklahoma. "I keep both a hard copy and an electronic folder with achievements and compliments I've received," she says. "When review time comes, I pull those out and incorporate them into my self-review, and bring some of the best compliments and successes to my review."


Those strategies have served her well. In fact, her preparation and initiative have made her one of the youngest people in her company's history to be promoted to management. Whether you yearn for that corner office or simply hope to survive your first review at a new job, we've compiled expert tips on how to ace your annual review.


Solicit feedback before your review.
The last thing you want during a review is to be blind-sided by negative feedback. To avoid this scenario, seek out your boss for periodic check-ins. "This gives you a chance not only to report on things but also to get his or her input," says Shawn Graham, the author of "Courting Your Career." "It doesn't have to be formal. It could mean sending an email. Running into them in the hallway can be just as helpful. In those cases, you can transition into the conversation with 'If you have a second, I'd like to get your input.'" Then implement whatever suggestions you get, to ensure that you're on the right track come review time.


Document your achievements.
As mentioned above, Sparks keeps a list of her accomplishments and achievements, and you should, too. "Look for ways you can say how you saved money or increased revenue," suggests Alexandra Levit, a workplace consultant and the author of "New Job, New You." "This requires a couple of weeks of thought. The goal of this is to be able to go into your review with a clear sense of how the organization is better off because you worked there."


Set realistic expectations.
People often go into a review expecting a promotion or a fat bonus. In this economic climate, though, that may not be realistic. However, Levit says you can look at the company's organizational structure to see what the logical next step might be in your own career progression. "You want to make sure you understand how [promotions] work at your company," she explains. If you're hoping for a raise, she adds, you can look at salary statistics from PayScale.com or similar sites to see what's reasonable for someone with your job title and level of experience. Your list of achievements also comes in handy here, because it helps show why you're worth more than your current salary.


Prepare yourself for negative comments.
Unfortunately, even with the right preparation, sometimes negative feedback is simply part of the review process. According to Graham, "It's safe to say there's going to be some negative feedback at some point in your career. Stay calm and don't get defensive. If you tend to get overly emotional, it [may be] hard for you to do that, so visualize possible feedback in advance. Your boss looks for cues about how you're able to incorporate and address the feedback, and the worst thing you can do is receive feedback and shrug it off." Instead, see it as a growth opportunity and look for ways to demonstrate improvement at your next review.


Boston-based freelance writer Susan Johnston has covered career and business topics for The Boston Globe, Hispanic Executive Quarterly, WomenEntrepreneur.com, and other publications.

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6 Ways to Stand Out in the Seasonal Employment Pool

by Lydia Dishman, PayScale.com

It's a competitive job market out there--the unemployment rate is still unpleasantly close to 10 percent, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, and you can bet that the seasonal employment pool will be well stocked with qualified candidates during this year's holidays. Here's how can you set yourself apart from other applicants.


Stick to the basics.
Robert Hosking, executive director of the staffing service OfficeTeam, reports that a recent survey by the company found applicants willing to wield any weapon in their arsenal to stand out--from spritzing resumes with perfume to parking them inside toy trucks.



But Hosking says these methods are not the best approach: "While unconventional methods can be hit or miss," he says, "one surefire way to stand out is by going the extra mile to showcase your skill set, professionalism, and enthusiasm for the position."


He said the executives surveyed responded most to the candidates who offered excellent references and could demonstrate actual achievements. "No matter how relevant or impressive your skill set, employers want to see how your expertise and efforts will affect the company's bottom line."


Do your homework.
Even though the job is seasonal (and temporary), you need to prepare for the interview, advises Dianne Shaddock Austin, principal at Easy Small Business HR. "Do your research on the company or the industry and be prepared to provide actual or hypothetical work-related examples that highlight your understanding of the job or the industry," she recommends.


Conduct market research.
Kim N. Carswell, founder of Persona Affairs, LLC, advocates preparing your own personal brand statement or elevator pitch to fit each company's brand message. "It shouldn't include 'I just need a job,'" she says, but should highlight your commitment--for example, "I'm open to full-time employment once my competency has been demonstrated." Carswell also suggests branding each of your resumes based on accomplishments, credentials, and overall potential to make it employer-friendly. "Tweak resumes for each company and include social media marketing ability if applicable," she says.


Polish your appearance.
Carswell says it's important to dress appropriately, even if you are interviewing at a retail store. And your presentation doesn't end there, she says: "Have your resume printed on bonded paper to leave with a manager even if they have an online application." She also suggests asking for a business card and following up by sending your resume via email within 72 hours. "Don't forget to make a mental note of the operations--mood, customer service, product line, and so on--so you can comment on your visit in your note," says Carswell.


Show commitment.
Even though the job may be seasonal, Austin cautions applicants not to say they're interested only in a temporary position until something else in their field comes along. "Every hiring manager wants to know that you're excited about their job, no matter how mundane the role may be. They don't want to feel like you're only interested until something better comes along," she explains.


Go the extra mile.
Personal gestures can go a long way, whether you're just beginning to network or after you've been interviewed. Taking time to find out more about the potential employer's business, names of top executives, and who competitors are can be useful in setting yourself apart during initial conversations--especially if you've reached out via social media. Hosking says one executive really liked when the job seeker turned the table and wanted to know all about him. "The tactic worked," he admitted.


After you've snagged an interview, Hosking advises sending a thank-you note or a pertinent news article to follow up. "It can make a lasting, positive impression," he says.


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The Boss From Hell

By Rana Qubain



Conflict between a boss and an employee can be both exhausting and intimidating, yet it is bound to happen in any workplace. Difficult bosses vary in personality from being somewhat controlling and aggressive to being straight up abusive. The way employees handle their difficult bosses may determine their position in the company as well as their long term career success. Here are 5 types of difficult bosses and the way to deal with each one of them.


The Control Freak

Control Freak bosses always consider themselves to be overwhelmed and burdened with the task of protecting the ungrateful world from their own mistakes. They are convinced that no one can do things the right way unless they dictate the exact steps of doing it. Their behavior is definitely annoying, yet confronting them would only make the situation even worse. They will only see your behavior as evidence that you're not interested in doing things right. A good way to deal with a Control Freak boss would be to reassure him that you are taking your tasks seriously, and that he can count on you in handling your own responsibilities effectively and efficiently. Hand over all your deliverables on time and make sure not to miss out on every single detail.


The Absent Boss

If you rarely see your boss and most of your conversations with him are a quick chat in the hallway, then most probably you are dealing with an Absent Boss. The worst part about working with an Absent Boss is that he is rarely aware of the problems caused by his absence. Absent Bosses are rarely present when their approval is required or when a procedure is unclear and their guidance is needed. The secret to getting your boss's attention is stressing the importance of your work and how your boss's input is crucial to the project at hand. Once you get his attention, talk in headlines by summing up what decisions he needs to make or directions he needs to give. It might take more effort from your side to get things done, but your manager will respect you for being assertive.


The Whip-Cracker

Most Whip-Crackers are workaholics who don't have a life and they assume that their employees don't have a life either. They push their employees to the extreme and are never satisfied with their output. They think that employees are irresponsible slaves who wouldn't want to work unless they are forced to do so. In order to get you're the Whip-Cracker off your back, work hard and do not let your work go unnoticed. Demand acknowledgement by showing initiative and introducing new ideas that would benefit the firm. Show your boss that you consider yourself a partner of the firm rather than an employee who only works for a living.protect himself and his position by firing brilliant and qualified workers who might get in the way of his


The Scheming Boss

The Scheming Boss is the most dangerous type of bosses who is always planning to fire one person or another. He is highly manipulative, keeping an innocent face while setting up a trap for his prey. He tries to career success. Always be honest and act with extreme care when dealing with this type of bosses. Don't hesitate to state your opinion about a specific situation even if it is different from your boss's opinion, but be careful not to point out his shortcomings as it will never go unpunished!


The Busy Boss

This type of bosses is always impatient with lots of things on his mind, yet he respects all of his employees. He expects everything to be done the instant he asks for it. He may not be fully focused when talking to him and may even surprise you with a "you didn't tell me that" the next day. When talking to this type of bosses, try to repeat important issues more than once and make sure that he has grasped it and agreed to it by asking: "so this is what we have agreed upon, right?" Moreover, keep evidence of your communications by sending official emails about each decision taken by you or your boss.


It's often said that people do not quit a job, they quit a boss. While it is frustrating to work with one of the above bosses, it's quite possible to be able to manage your relationship with them so that none of you would kill the other. Always remember that your boss is someone who is highly experienced with a lot of wisdom to share on how to reach the position he is in now. Keep in mind that bosses aren't from another planet, although sometimes they seem to be!


Rana Qubain is the Marketing Coordinator of Akhtaboot - the career network, the Middle East's leading online recruitment website. Rana currently works on different projects covering competition analysis and new product development of career related service.

Job , Jobs, Career

Adapting to a New Work Environment

By Rana Qubain



Have you ever been in a situation where your family had to move away and you were forced to change schools? Moving to a new job can have quite the same feeling. You will be going to a new position not knowing the kind of boss or colleagues you might face or the type of environment you might have to work in. Some companies may use the interview to brief potential candidates about their corporate culture, their policies and their work environment. However, you will not be able to fully understand the whole picture until you are actually put in the situation. The most difficult thing in getting a new job is the stress you might feel as a result of seeking a new support system within the new company while trying to fully comprehend the new rules and regulations.


It is very important to remember that it takes time to adjust to your new surroundings. The time span depends mostly on the people who comprise the organization; they might actually help you get accustomed to the new environment or may try to make it hard for you to cope. Here are a number of helpful tips to help you adapt to your new environment.


Prepare Yourself for Your First Day

Your first day will always leave an unforgettable and lasting impression on your coworkers and your boss. Start by getting a good night's sleep in order to be well rested for the next day. Arrive to work ahead of time to show that you are organized and punctual. Moreover, dress professionally as people often judge you based on the way look. No matter how professional and experienced you think you are, many people will think less of you when you do not dress professionally.


Concentrate on Your Work

A great way to adapt to your new environment is by doing what you do best; work. Your colleagues will come to respect and admire you when they acknowledge that you are a well experienced, skillful person, they may even come to you for help in some areas where you are more knowledgeable than they are. Nevertheless, no one expects you to know everything, therefore, do not hesitate to ask questions when you feel there is a need to it. People usually like to help others and it generally makes them feel good about themselves.


Listen and Observe

Each organization differs in the way co-workers interact with one another and the way employees communicate with their managers. Therefore, spend the first few weeks observing and listening to your colleagues and managers in order to figure out the best way to function. By doing this, you may save yourself from making a public mistake. Do not try to impose new ideas and suggestions until you feel that the company has accepted you and that you fully understand the way they work. Otherwise, any comment from your side would be perceived negatively.


Make Friends

Making friends might not always be easy; it actually depends on the culture of the organization and on your own personality. If you have a shy personality, then you need to sharpen your people skills to actually get along. Be friendly, smile as much as you can even to people who you don't know and initiate discussions about interesting topics. If you find resistance then stop trying too hard. Give it a break and mind your own business until your colleagues approach you.


Stay Away from Gossip

Gossip is very risky as it is almost always based on unverifiable information. You may gain a few friends through gossiping but you definitely do not want to start your career with a reputation for being a gossip. Remember that we live in a very small world where your reputation may follow you for many years. Therefore, you should ask yourself the question "Am I willing to trade my reputation for a few friends who might end up gossiping about me?" If not, make sure that you stay away from gossiping and do not give your feedback on something you are not sure about. Pretending to be busy with work when gossiping starts is a great way to survive a situation like this.


People prefer to stay in their comfort zone by staying in one company for many years and building upon their experience and seniority. Yet, if you feel unhappy, bored or unchallenged in your current job then you should realize that it is about time to start thinking about changing it. No matter how challenging the transition period may be, do not allow it to stop you from seizing new opportunities. Believe in yourself and follow the above tips in order to be able to start a new and exciting chapter in your life.


Rana Qubain is the Marketing Coordinator of Akhtaboot - the career network, the Middle East's leading online recruitment website. Rana currently works on different projects covering competition analysis and new product development of career related service.

Job , Jobs, Career

Recharge Your Motivation at Work

By Rana Qubain



5 tips that can help you motivate yourself at work and fire up your productivity

Overcoming the emotional hurdle of going to work every morning and doing the same thing over aand over again isn't always easy. There is no single, straightforward solution for the lack of motivation at work. Even after beating it, the problem reappears at the first sign of failure. What separates the highly successful from the ordinary is the ability to fight this problem and move forward. Lack of motivation can be a major performance barrier; therefore, employees should try to increase their motivational levels to live a happier and healthier life. With the proper inner drive, everything can seamlessly fall into place. But how can you motivate yourself at the office on a daily basis?


Create Early Momentum

Getting out of bed knowing that your day is going to be like any other long working day makes you want to hit the snooze button in the morning and go back to sleep. If that is how you start your day, then you are most likely to be stressed out and anxious all the way until the afternoon. When you wake up in the morning, you need to be mentally prepared for the day ahead through positive thinking. Do not start debating with yourself whether you should get up now or stay a few more minutes in the comfort of your bed. Wake up immediately and start thinking of how you will be using your day effectively to achieve your ultimate career goals.


Focus

Another motivation killer is lack of focus. Most people focus their thoughts on minor things that they do not want in their job rather than what they actually want. Employees tend to concentrate on negative work-related attributes such as high workload and long working hours instead of positively focusing on achieving well defined goals. Whether your goal is the money that you get at the end of each month or a new position that you're hoping to get, focus all of your energy on that goal. When you set your ultimate goal and have a day-to-day strategy to achieve it, you become motivated to take action.


Establish a Clear Game Plan to Achieve Your Goals

Once you have clarified your vision and goals, prepare a comprehensive plan for getting there and chart your progress on a daily basis. Start everyday by setting a number of tasks that would help you move one step forward towards achieving your goal. Most employees overwhelm themselves with too many tasks that they cannot handle which can make them fall into a fit of insecurity and loss of confidence and motivation. When writing your tasks for the day, minimize your workload by leaving some time for unexpected requests or external disruption.


Find Yourself a Friend That you Can Laugh With

Few would disagree that having a fun coworker can enrich your working life, add a smile to your face and enhance your motivation. Having friends at work will help you go through the ups and downs of the job and will also provide you with the support necessary to keep yourself motivated. Give yourself two short breaks each day to have a nice chat with a fun colleague who makes you laugh. Working hours can be so long and exhausting to the point that an employee can lose contact with the outside world. However, having a friend at work can give you a temporary energy boost that would lift up your spirit.


Reward Yourself

The final piece of the motivational puzzle is reward. Reward is a treat that everyone likes as it is a pleasant and effective tool to keep employees motivated throughout the week. Rewards do not need to be outlandish. They should be realistic, within your budget and out of the ordinary. Once you accomplish your tasks for the week, reward yourself by going out to a nice place on the weekend with your friends or family. You can even do something unusual such as going on a short trip to the sea. This way you will have something to look forward to everyday.


It's inevitable that all employees will encounter periods of low energy, dissatisfaction and even an occasional failure. If you don't control your mind and attitude, these minor speed bumps can turn into mental monsters. Even the most motivated employees occasionally experience a slump and need a boost to return to their normal motivational levels. Keep in mind that desire is the key to motivation, but the determination and commitment to an unrelenting pursuit of your goals will enable you to attain the success you seek at work.


Rana Qubain is the Marketing Coordinator of Akhtaboot - the career network, the Middle East's leading online recruitment website. Rana currently works on different projects covering competition analysis and new product development of career related service.

Job , Jobs, Career

30 Seconds to a New Job

By Elizabeth Hanink


You’ve heard of elevator speeches, haven’t you? It is the 30-second spiel you can use if a potential employer or client happens to ride up — or down — the elevator with you. You give it, they are impressed, they offer you a job while holding the doors open with their elbow, and you both live happily ever after. Sorry. There’s more to it than that.


For one, these little gems are applicable in many situations. You don’t have to be in an elevator, you can be in line at Quiznos or riding the MTA. You can even leave these little speeches as voice mail. Although 30 seconds is standard, a tad longer is OK.


What you want to cover is simple: who you are and what you do. However, the way you say this is critical. There is no room for jargon, and your phrasing should tell less about you and more about how you can help your target. Let them know what is in it for them. So, instead of, “I’m a hairstylist,” you might want to say, “I help a woman look her best by creating a hairstyle that suits her life.” Or, rather than, “I do bookkeeping,” use, “I help small organizations like yours balance their books and complete the payroll.”


After you decide what to say, practice, practice, practice. You want to sound natural and conversational. Keep eye contact, breathe and finish by handing your prospect a business card or by asking for an appointment.

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