Advantages of Relocating for a Job

Advantages of Relocating for a JobAdvantages of Relocating for a JobIn the past decade, I have had the opportunity to work with companies from around the world, largely due to technology. Although some of the work was remote at first, therbeie were extended periods of time where relocation was demanded of me. However, experiences working in South America and Europe did more to teach me the advantages of relocating for a job, even if the change was unsettling at first.Here are some advantages discovered, which you can consider the next time a company asks you to relocate for work or you are asked to relocate in order to accept a job.Learning new geschftsleben and cultural perspectivesIf you are caught up in the daily grind/regimen of taking care of kids, going to work, coming home to take care of kids again, and paying bills, it is very easy to believe this is the only world that exists. It is very easy to get caught up in the political and economic issues you deal with.You will only learn after removing all of the stimuli that teaches you what defines your world that you departure to realize new perspectives on how to manage household and work at the same time. More so, your children will benefit from learning new perspectives.At the end of the day, you and your children will be better prepared for a global economy by uprooting and living somewhere else. You may find the new state or country you live in to be a better world than the one you just left. Your children will grow to be wiser and more emotionally mature given their exposure to all the different cultures.Possibly make more money (depends)Economic overhead of each city, state, and country differs. If you are being paid a salary based on a high economic overhead and you are asked to relocate to a city, state,or country that is cheaper to live in, you will end up making more money.For example, I live in New York City which is the 2nd most expensive place to live in the United States. In the last decade, I had relocated for work in South America but did leid take a pay cut. I found the healthcare, rent, food, and transportation to be just as efficient. It was also considerably less expensive.Consider this, for example, if you are in the USA and asked to move to one of the cheapest cities to live in. Some employers may aim to pay you less after relocating you (a shady move), so do your research on the cost of living in your new location.Note Also keep in mind the reverse scenario, if you are asked to go from a cheaper place to a bigger, more expensive city. Visit Expatistan for a global cost of living converter.Increase your job securityCompany A is relocating your office from New York City, NY to Albany, Georgia. You know this going from big city life to a small, one-horse town. In fact, the company may be making this move in order to see which staff stays or goes. It is company move where employee loyalty is tested and those bedrngnis looking to move decide to stay in New York City . But you make the move south to Georgia with Company A.What just happened? More than likely you just showed a company that you are willing to go where the job takes you and that the company needs come first. Maybe you were thinking about getting out of NYC anyway but that is irrelevant.You increased your job security by making the move with the company to a new location to start from scratch. You saved the company money on hiring and training new staff, plus you are now bringing with youthe intellectual property from the company to share with the new staff in Albany, Georgia. The relocation may be unsettling for your kids and you for the first year. But you have a company that will hold on to you for a long time.Increase your job opportunitiesWhen you relocate to a new city you are coming into a new place with a wealth of knowledge no one else possesses. You come in with your knowledge of business practices that differ from your previous location. And such a thing makes you more at tractive to companies than the person who has lived and worked in the same place for his or her entire career.Some interesting things I had discovered over the last decade, as a New Yorker who relocated for work and then came back againThere is no such thing as a permanent relocation.Where you work and live is a matter of choice.Being the new face in a new place makes you a more attractive hire.Being a global thinker makes businesses want to keep you around longer.The knowledge gained from relocating helps you get work.We live in a time where anyone can work for any business and do so from anywhere. If you had relocated for work you learn things about companies, people, and how job markets differ that help you stay employed and discover more opportunities.The ultimate advantage to relocatingPerhaps, one of the most interesting things I learned working briefly in Denmark, an extended period of time in Colombia, and traveling around the United States for a job (literally having no hom e address during that time)Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness. - Mark TwainIn a business world that is forever changing, connected, and becoming more progressive, that simple quote sums up why such information is priceless

Retail Management Internship Cover Letter Sample

Retail Management Internship Cover Letter SampleRetail Management Internship Cover Letter SampleYour resume is a crucial pitch when youre seeking an internship or any other job opening, but many students overlook the importance of the cover letter that accompanies it. Drafting a good cover letter is just as critical to the process of securing an interview. Without one, your prospective target might put your resume aside without even moving on to read it. Its Your Voice Think of your resume as a listing of facts. In that respect, its dry. It simply states what is. Yes, an advanced degree in rocket science is awesome and yes, it will probably catch someones attention. But in the end, its just that a few words citing the degree you hold. You have to convince your reader to look at your resume to see it...unless you also mention it in your cover letter. Your cover letter isyou.Its your voice, your professionalism and a peek at the real person behind the resume. Retail Management I nternship Cover Letter Example Chris Leaf405 Hilgard AvenueLos Angeles, CA 90095 February, 20, 20XX Mr. Janis KornDirector of University RelationsLiz Claiborne433 Madison Avenue (4th Floor)New York, NY 10021 Dear Ms. Korn, I would like to express my interest in the Liz Claiborne Summer Internship recently posted on UCLAs Career Services website. I believe that Liz Claiborne offers the ideal environment in which I can pursue my goals of becoming successful in the field of business and retail management. My qualifications, dedication, and intellectual curiosity, combined with my interest in advancing my knowledge of the fashion and design industry, make an excellent candidate for this internship. Over the last three years at UCLA, I have demonstrated excellent problem solving and analytical skills. I have a good understanding of management and accounting concepts and can effectively manipulate tools such as spreadsheet, Stata, SPSS, and databases to pull together data to solve proble ms and present information. I have also demonstrated my communication, leadership and strong work ethic as well as enthusiasm in my co-curricular activities and jobs while maintaining a high GPA as a full-time work-study student. I have a very strong interest in pursuing a career in business and believe that I possess the ability and initiative to deliver professional input and dedication as an intern at Liz Claiborne. In addition, I have a personal interest in design and fashion and believe that this internship will provide me with an intriguing opportunity to combine my personal interest and academic qualifications. I am very excited about the opportunity to apply the knowledge and skills I have gained as a student at UCLA to a company as prestigious as Liz Claiborne. I would be delighted to have the opportunity for a personal interview. Thank you in advance for your time and consideration. Sincerely, Chris Leaf Some Final Tips Its OK to shamelessly plug yourself, but keep it professional. Be open and forthcoming but avoid robust humor, even if you enjoy a great reputation as the class clown. Give your reader a reason to pick up his phone and call you.

Scrolling Social Media at Work Get a Job at Facebook and Do What You Love All Day

Scrolling Social Media at Work Get a Job at Facebook and Do What You Love All DayScrolling Social Media at Work Get a Job at Facebook and Do What You Love All DayDo you know, what is the fruchtwein frustrating thing about working at Facebook? It will make you insufferably spoiled.Just picture it. You work with some of the smartest people on the planet. There are weekly QA meetings with Mark Zuckerberg. The food is amazing and comes free of charge. You get 21 days of paid vacation and unlimited sick days. You dont have to leave the campus at any point, even haircuts and laundry can be done on site. There are regular ice-cream socials as well as free gym membership to help you get lose those additional pounds. On Wednesdays you get to work from home. If you become a parent, you get 4 months of paid vacation, $4k worth of baby expenses, and $3k a year in babysitting money. This alone would be enough to outclass most companies on the planet but the list goes on. (A classic video arcade, anyone?)Still, Facebook would be an incredibly cool place to work at even without ansicht benefits. Were you ever wondering how you could get a job at Facebook too? Youve come to the right placeWhat requirements will you have to meet to get a job at Facebook?It wont come as a surprise that Facebook only hires the best of the best. Although this makes getting in quite difficult, youll be working with some amazing people once you get a job at Facebook. However, theircriteria for success are a bit different from what you might expect. Carlos Bueno, a former engineer at Facebook, explainsAbility to deliver. In the end, Facebook isnt big into pedigree. The main criteria on which they judge their employeess performance is What did you ship? For this reason, youll be expected to show what you made and delivered in your previous jobs.Technical background. Whether youre applying for a managerial or engineering role, youll be expected to have at least some technical background. After all, Fac ebook is a tech company first and foremost and theres a good chance youll be asked this kind of questions at an interview.Generalist approach. Any company of Facebooks size needs great specialists. Still, Facebook also likes to hiregeneralists who can fill a variety of roles. They deem the ability to understand concepts above and below ones area of expertise incredibly valuable. Reportedly, its not uncommon for someone to abflug at machine learning and then spend a year on photos. Or move from web performance to building and developing a new backend tool.Fit. Youll be required to have a healthy level of enthusiasm, curiosity and motivation. After all, interviewers will evaluate you based on whether theyd like to work with you. Youll be expected to align well with the companys mission and values.Architecture. The key to great architecture is to come up with a great solution within the constraints that are particular to each problem. At the same time, youll be expected to tailor the s olution to the big-picture specifics of Facebook itself.How do you enter the job application process with Facebook?Facebook is always hiring people for every kind of a role. Your experience will differ depending on what kind of a job you want to apply for.In most cases, your application process will start with an email or a call from a recruiter. They have their own ways of finding people perhaps theyve found you online, perhaps you applied directly. The best way to make them notice you is to show that youre really good at what you do. If youre an engineer, you might want to create accounts on sites like HackerRank and get to their top ranks. Being active on StackOverflow is also a great idea if you want to get a job at Facebook. If youre a student, Facebook also has an intern program, where they invite young talent to work with them for a few months.In any case, you dont have to wait for them to call you to get a job at Facebook. Check out theirCareers Page and see if you have anyt hing to offer. Following theirFB page might also provide you with loads of useful information.How do you prepare for an interview?After talking to a recruiter and passing the basic formalities, Facebook will schedule a phone screening or an initial in-person interview. Provided that you pass, theyll invite you for- you guessed it- more interviews on site. Finally, if you dont mess those up, theyll make you an offer.Make some time for lengthy interviews. Even though itsounds annoying, these interviews will give you a chance to talk with a sample of people you may be working with. This includes a recruiter, an HR person, various team members and in some cases even top executives and the CEO. Make aya to take your headphones and reserve about 40-60 minutes for each.Practice writing code. If youre applying for an engineering position, practice writing code on a white board or in a simple editor without syntax highlighting and completion. During the interview process youll have to write code in a co-op editor you might not be familiar with.Be careful about what you put on your resume. If your resume says that youre an expert in something, theyll try to schedule an interview with someone whos also an expert in that area. Be ready to prove your ability or dont put it on your resume.Practice interviewing with friends. This applies to every interview youll ever have and Facebook is no exception. For instance, they may ask you some weird interview questions. But its not all weird and unique - these most common interview tips will come handy too.Prepare your mind. You should be humble, open-minded, and focused. Even if youre an experienced professional with a long list of accomplishments, theres nothing worse than coming across as arrogant and unlikable. Remember that your main goal is to convince your future colleagues at Facebook to want to have you around.Share Your Feedback or Ideas in the Comments

Things You Shouldnt Say When Quitting Your Job

Things You Shouldnt Say When Quitting Your JobThings You Shouldnt Say When Quitting Your JobThere are ways to quit your job gracefully and to say all the right things. There are also some things that you should never say when youre moving on, even if youre thinking them and you would love an opportunity to vent. It can be tempting to lash out at an employer after you have resigned, especially if you believe that you have been mistreated or underappreciated. However, be aware that your final words and actions can create a lasting impression that will work against you in the future. There isnt any point in burning bridges. Youll feel better momentarily because you vented, but its not going to help you long term. How Saying the Wrong Thing Can Hurt You Subsequent employers may formally or informally seek eintrag from your past employers, whose comments about your performance may be negatively influenced by your parting shots. Remember that reference checkers tend to side with manage ment when there is a history of conflict with an employee. Contrary to what some people think, employers do more than verify job titles and dates of employment, and there is a lot within the realm of the employers rights as far as whatemployers can ask when checking your background How to Quit With Class The best strategy is to keep all communication simple and as positive as possible. Any satisfaction derived from letting your employer know how you feel will likely be fleeting, and any negative effects can be long-lasting. Here are a few things you should avoid saying when you tender your resignation. The Top Things You Shouldnt Say When You Quit Your Job YourBossIsaJerk Any commentary linking your departure to your bosss character or planung isnt going to help. She may have been an ogre, but if word gets back to her that you said so, she will be more likely to disparage your attitude or performance when talking to prospective employers. Your Manager Isnt Good Dont say that you are leaving because your boss was incompetent even if its true. Your manager will be more likely to ascribe any failures to you and provide a negative appraisal of your work. Team Members Performance or Bad Attitude Dont mention the performance or bad attitude of team members as a reason for your departure. When employers check on your background, they often seek input from staff as well as supervisors. If former subordinates or co-workers are insulted by your departing remarks, then they will be more likely to reference your shortcomings as a manager or teammate. You Were Underpaid There is no need to encourage management to perceive you as a disgruntled employee, since this characterization may be passed along to others who inquire about your tenure with the organization. The Company Is a Mess If you think the company is floundering or underachieving in some way, dont say so. Your employer will be well aware of any problems within their organization. You have nothing to gain by conveying to management that they are stuck in a bad organization while you are moving on to better things. The Products or Services Provided Are Inferior Disloyal employees are normally frowned upon. Former supervisors will more likely assert that any limitations to your success were due to your deficiencies and not flaws in their products or services. Prospective employers will wonder if you are going to badmouth them when you move on. Wont Be Giving Much (or Any) Notice An abrupt departure can be used to substantiate allegations that you werent a dedicated or professional employee. There are some circumstances where its acceptable to quit without notice, but in most cases, two weeks noticeis the norm. Unwilling to Train Your Replacement Its a good idea to demonstrate that you are a committed employee right up until the end of your employment. Cooperation that eases the transition for your boss will be remembered and often rewarded with a positive recommendation. Dont Brag Dont brag about your new job to fellow employees since this can generate resentment, particularly if you imply that you are better than them. Thank others for their rckendeckung and mention how you will miss working with them. Dont Write It Down (or Email It Either) Dont put anything negative in writing. Keep your resignation letter positive so all involved remember you as a positive person. Heres how to write a resignation letter that politely states that you are leaving.

Managing Changes in the Workplace

Managing Changes in the WorkplaceManaging Changes in the WorkplaceManaging change means managing peoples fear. Change is natural and good, but peoples reaction to change is unpredictable and can be irrational. It can be managed if done right. Change Nothing is as upsetting to your people as change. Nothing has greater potential to cause failures, loss of production, or falling quality of work. Yet nothing is as important to the survival of your organization as change. History is full of examples of organizations that failed to change and are now extinct. The secret to successfully managing change, from the perspective of the employees, is definition and understanding. Resistance to change comes from a fear of the unknown or an expectation of loss. The front end of an individuals resistance to change is how they perceive the change. The back end is how well they are equipped to deal with the change they expect. An individuals degree of resistance to change is determined by whether they perceive the change as good or bad, and how severe they expect the impact of the change to be on them. Their ultimate acceptance of the change is a function of how much resistance the person has and the quality of their coping skills and their support system. Your job as a leader is to address their resistance from both ends to help the individual reduce it to a minimal, manageable level. Your job is not to bulldoze their resistance so you can move ahead. Perception Does Matter If you move an employees desk six inches, they may not notice or care. Yet if the reason you moved it those six inches was to fit in another worker in an adjacent desk, there may be high resistance to the change. It depends on whether the original employee feels the hiring of an additional employee is a threat to his job or perceives the hiring as bringing in some needed assistance. A promotion is usually considered a good change. However, an employee who doubts their ability to handle the new job m ay strongly resist the promotion. They will give you all kinds of reasons for not wanting the promotion, just not the real one.You might expect a higher-level employee to be less concerned about being laid offbecause they have savings and investments to support them during a job search. However, the individual may feel they are overextended and that a job search will be long and complicated. Conversely, your concern for a low-income employee being laid off may be unfounded if they have stashed a nest egg in anticipation of the cut. Your best salesperson may balk at taking on new, high-potential account because they have an irrational feeling that they dont dress well enough. If you try and bulldoze this resistance, you will fail. The employee whose desk you had to move will develop production problems. The top worker who keeps declining the promotion may quit rather than have to continue making up excuses for turning you down. And the top salespersons sales may drop to the point tha t you stop considering them for the new account. Instead, you overcome the resistance by defining the change and by getting amutual understanding. Definition On the front end, you need to define the change for the employee in as much detail and as early as you can. Provide updates as things develop and become clearer. In the case of the desk that has to be moved, tell the employee whats going on. We need to bring in more workers. Our sales have increased by 40%, and we cant meet that demand, even with lots of overtime. To make room for them, well have to rearrange things a little. You could even ask the employees how they think the space should be rearranged. You dont have to accept their suggestions, but its a departure toward understanding. Definition is a two-way street. In addition to defining the problem, you need to get the employees to define the reasons behind their resistance. Understanding Understanding is also a two-way street. You want people to understand what is changing and why. You also need to understand their reluctance. You have to help your people understand. They want to know what the change will be and when it will happen, but they also want to know why. Why is it happening now? Why cant things stay like they have always been? Why is it happening to me?It is also important that they understand what is not changing. Not only does this allow for one less thing to stress about, it also provides an anchor, something to hold onto as they face the winds of uncertainty and change.You need to understand their specific fears. What are they concerned about? How strongly do they feel about it? Do they perceive it as a good or a bad thing? Manage This Issue Dont try to rationalize things. Dont waste time wishing people were more predictable. Instead, focus on opening and maintaining clear channels of communication with your employees, so they understand what is coming and what it means to them. They will appreciate you for it and will b e more productive both before and after the change.

Engineering Resume Examples - What Is It?

Engineering Resume Examples - What Is It? The Resume Summary is where it is possible to discover different facts about the candidate. A resume summary is critical since it is similar to a brief essay of your entire education and career. Resumes dont need complete sentences and you ought to avoid employing the very first person (I, me, my). As an Engineer, it can be smart to create a web-based portfolio that it is possible to show to prospective employers who want to have mora information than your resume provides. If youre a computer computer software engineer, take a look at our set of Software Engineer Resumes. Your familiarity with a lot of different engineering computer software programs will make your resume a lot more convincing. Do you understand what to put in your audio engineer resume. Its possible to look at generic resumes, but engineering resume samples will be the absolute most useful due to their specificity to your area. Keep on reading on to find out more about engineering resumes. One of several significant keys to getting your work software accepted is to earn a good resume. For people who are planning to make an application for an engineering position engineering resume templates can provide you a thorough overview about the components and essential strategies in handling engineering resumes. Well educated individual with 8years experience in the industry of engineering. Furthermore, its possible for you to learn about engineering careers and search for civil engineering jobs on Monster. Your career within the field of engineering is dependent on how you present yourself to employers. Both can cause you to get exceptional but only one can allow you to land work. When youre looking for a job as an audio engineer your cv is the strongest tool youve got for achieving your objective. Whenever you have been in a position to achieve that, it becomes simpler to make them read different components of the resume, leaving them along with the impression which youre good for the job and deserve an interview. It is quite easy to find examples for resumes which are job specific. Youll also find some strategies and advice that you should consider for the work interview. You also ought to read our tips and advice weve written for the work interview. Conclusion You are going to be able to structure your resume well in case you proceed through some sample resumes. Even though most of resumes should offer advice in your work and education experience, as well as your abilities and accomplishments, there are various approaches to present this info. To assist you departure your search, weve compiled the next topics to help make sure youre well prepared to embark on your job hunt. Examples of resumes are among the absolute most efficient tactics to make sure that youre writing one which is good and thats correct for the specific job youre applying for. The Debate Over Engineering Resume Examples Our resume example s offer inspiration, but more importantly guidance on the best way to structure and compose the elements. If you would like to use many colours, we advise you to attend a painting class after-work To make a good civil engineering resume examples, you want references that you are able to search and get on the web. The examples you may locate to use, can help you understand what specific information which you will need to be sure is on there. For example, the work description might say that you ought to have the capacity to diagnose malfunctioning systems and fix them. On Earth of labor, you compete with 1000s of other job candidates that are wanting to acquire a very important position in a business. No matter your degree of job knowledge, your resume structure is vital to making your program stick out. So in case you have not been on a significant job search for some time pay close attention. The New Angle On Engineering Resume Examples Just Released In that case, then pur suing a graduate degree may be the path for you. Put simply, format matters for an expert engineering resume. It is possible to use words and terminologies that are distinctive and distinct to the position youre applying for. Take into account the sort of resume format do you would like to follow while writing your resume.

How to Evaluate Candidate Blogs

How to Evaluate Candidate BlogsHonest to blog, more and more people are hitting the keyboards to put their opinions down in digital ink. This can be a real resource when it comes to finding and hiring the best candidates. The blog of a top notch candidate can really tell you a lot about their skills, experience, and personality. Just like watching a video resume, a blog is a little window into what the candidate is really like.Plus, in todays digitally-driven universe, you cant afford to ignore the social media breadcrumbs candidates drop along the application process. A recent survey showed one in four employers pegged the cost of a bad hire at over $50,000. Thats a lot of money flying out of your company if you ignore all the information available about talented candidates. A candidates blog can be as effective as a reference check for seeing if a candidate can back up their skills and fit into the organization with ease.So pull up a chair and get a cup of your favorite tea, becaus e its time to start reading. Heres what you should keep in mind when evaluating candidate blogsLook at the Quality of Thought LeadershipA good candidate blog is filled to the brim with quality thought leadership in your field. Look at the blog to see what topics the candidate decides to write about. Are they blogging about industry-related trends? If they are, your candidate is likely to be extremely passionate about your career sector and more likely to stick around for the long haul.Look at what opinions theyre expressing and see if they would be a good fit for your organizational values. If your candidate has a blog post outlining feelings about an industry issue which are 100 percent opposite from how your company approaches the topic, think critically about whether this will be a good fit. Your company needs skilled workers, but you also need talent in your company who will stand behind your mission statement.LanguageEven if your candidates blog isnt on an industry topic, watch out for what language they use. If its unprofessional and inappropriate, this might say something about the candidates larger personality. If every other stimmt is a curse word, its a good bet the candidate doesnt restrict their swearing to the blog.The language a candidate chooses to use on their blog will tell you a lot about how they conduct themselves in public. They will, after all, be representing your company. Make sure theyll be making a good impression and not creating a public relations disaster.Whats Your Brand?Is your candidate aware of their brand identity? Great candidates know that everything they say and do is part of their larger brand. Their social media profile, video resume and blog should all reflect the larger story they want to tell interested employers. Look at how theyre deploying their brand erreichbar and what avenues theyre using to establish their narrative.For example, if their brand is all about being a great communicator, look at what theyve chosen t o share. Does their blog include a link to a well-spoken video resume where they look and sound confident? Make sure your talent is backing up their brand with concrete examples of their value.Spell CheckThis is a fairly obvious point, but you should look critically at blog content for spelling and grammar mistakes. Everyone is human and typos are bound to happen. However, if there are consistent grammar issues this might point to a larger problem with written communication. Considering the importance of written communication in the workplace, especially as email and social media become more important modes of communication, workers need a good grasp of the fundamentals.A well-written blog can give employers a great deal of top quality information on applicants. With online media driving all aspects of our daily lives, these written records can let you know if the talent youre considering will be a good fit for the company.What are some things you look for in candidate blogs? Share in the commentsIMAGE Courtesy of Flickr by Search Engine People Blog

9 Ways to Thank a Colleague That Are Cheaper More Meaningful Than Buying Lunch

9 Ways to Thank a Colleague That Are Cheaper More Meaningful Than Buying Lunch9 Ways to Thank a Colleague That Are Cheaper More Meaningful Than Buying LunchIn case you havent heard, showing gratitude and appreciation to those around you has some pretty big benefits, like making office life better for everyone, lowering your stress levels, and helping you gain perspective and clarity. So, whetherbei its that contact who helped you land your dream job or a co-worker whos always going above and beyond in the office, its always a good idea to thank those around you for their time and effort. Of course, most of us dont have gobs of money to spend on gifts or lunches out to show how grateful we are. But thats OK- as the old saying goes, the best things in life are free. And when it comes to giving back, you dont need to drop any dough at all. Here are a few ideas for how to do it.1. Take on an Extra ProjectDid a co-worker cover your butt during an important deadline? Return the favor by offering to take on something extra that he or she needs help on (or just doesnt really like doing). Learn more about how to do this by following the instructions for a work swap here- just dont give your colleague any of your work.2. Write a Heartfelt NoteWhether its a thoughtful schmelzglas or a handwritten card, never underestimate the powerful of a well-crafted letter. Check out how writer Aja Frost used this technique to thank people in her life- and how it ended up transforming her career.3. Give a Social Media Shout OutWho doesnt love getting a mention on Twitter, Instagram, or Facebook? If a friend or colleague did a small favor for you, it can be nice to let your network know, too. Who says we cant send random tweets of kindness every day?4. Write a LinkedIn RecommendationIf you want to do something on social media thats a little more permanent, visible, and thorough than a tweet, try writing a meaningful LinkedIn recommendation. It not only shows your appreciation, but it also helps someone gain professional cred. Not sure how to write an out-of-this-world LinkedIn rec? Weve got a great five-minute guide to get you started.5. Tell Other PeopleIts great to hear that someone really appreciates your work- especially from other people. I once helped a co-worker find sources for an article with a tight deadline, and in addition to her thanking me profusely, I was really excited when our boss sent me an email to say that my colleague had told her about the awesome work Id done. I got a second thank you it was a double-whammy of gratitude.6. Pass Along OpportunitiesLove the work a friend, professional contact, or colleague is doing? Hand that person a great opportunity (or a referral) so that others can see that talent, too. Heres a quick email template for an intro to make this one even easier.7. Make Their Day a Little EasierDid your co-worker order lunch but then get stuck in on a never-ending call? Offer to grab it when youre out. Is your cubemate scram bling before a meeting? Tell her youll make copies of the agenda and get the conference room all set up. These little acts of kindness can make a stressful day so much better for someone- and we cant think of a better gift than that8. Be a Good ListenerWhether its a colleague who needs to vent about a tough client or a friend who wants to pick your brain about an upcoming job interview, listening to peoples comments or concerns and giving them your time lets them know that theyre valued. Career coach Lea McLeod has a primer on being an amazing listener. 9. Get PersonalIts easy to think of your professional connections or colleagues solely in the context of work. But trying to know them on a more personal level by asking questions shows how much you enjoy their presence. This doesnt have to mean posing deep or intrusive questions- even asking about someones family if a co-worker mentions relatives can spark a great conversation that you can go back to later on. To help you with this, check out Alex Cavoulacos secret to remembering anything about anyone.Money doesnt buy happiness, and gratitude certainly doesnt have to cost big bucks. But doing something that is thoughtful and meaningful can go a long way in showing your contacts just how much you appreciate them.Photo of thank you word cloud courtesy of Shutterstock.

How to Spot a Job Scam

How to Spot a Job ScamHow to Spot a Job ScamNot every job scam is an outright con, many are just promises the employer cant keep.If a job sounds too good to be true, it probably is. So say employment lawyers and career coaches, who warn that, especially in this economy, employers may be making promises they cant fulfill.There is a lot of fraud out there (in job postings), said Barry Janay, an employment attorney who practices in New York. The best way to prevent it is to do your research beforehand.Jill Knittel, an executive recruiter with ER Associates in Rochester, N.Y., said there are some companies that are taking advantage of the large number of people searching for jobs right now. I recently spoke to a client who asked me about a job and said, in my gut it didnt sound right. I told him he needed to go with his gut.Both Janay and Knittel said there are certain things that, if you encounter them on your job search, are red flags that the opportunity may not be all that it promise s. Be aware of these red flags, they warn, and investigate whether the employer can come through on what they promise.An unexpected call from a recruiter. You dont know how the recruiter found you. If you didnt apply for it and they are contacting you through e-mail, that could signal a problem, said Janay. He suggests a job seeker find out how this recruiter found your name, and whether the connection is legitimate.The job requires you to make an investment upfront. Some companies are asking hires to pay for such things as training, said Knittel. Send X dollars and well train you in how to do the job. Or, your salary will start once you make a sale. Take a job and dont get paid? Its not a good idea.The job requires relocation. This doesnt always mean the job is not legitimate, but it does require you to do much more research. Uprooting yourself, and your family, is not something anyone should jump into after a phone interview. At the very least, you should go to the new city to int erview and see the geschftsleben and working conditions for yourself.You are offered a job for which you know you are not entirely qualified. If the job doesnt match up with your qualifications, said Janay, you need to ask why they would be soliciting you for that job. If you do accept a job where your skills dont match the job description he advises that you get something in writing that states your employer recognizes that you do not have the experience or skills originally required for the job.Not a job scam, but a false promiseBoth Knittel and Janay say that a bad employment experience is less about outright scams and more about clarity on both sides of the offer they say it is up to the job seeker to ask the right questions and do everything they can to protect themselves during the job search.Tracey Bernstein, an executive attorney with the New York law firm Himmel and Bernstein, points out that you have the most leverage before you start a job. Once you start, the ability to negotiate drops dramatically. So make sure you ask questions about compensation and job responsibilities before you start.Bernstein said people in sales jobs are especially vulnerable to employers who might take advantage of their situation.Knittel agrees. schlussverkauf jobs are heavily geared toward commission, she says. Candidates need to find out if what the employer is promising is realistic. Find out what your predecessor made. A lot of people are afraid to ask these questions. But they are a legitimate part of the interview process.Other questions to askWhen will I have a salary review? Not just a performance review, but a salary review.Whom will I be reporting to? Its possible in this economy that things will change before you start your job, but its best to establish these relationships before you get onboard.Can we put this in writing? Whatever you agree to in the interview that is important for you to succeed in that job, whether its salary, reporting structure, expected work hours or title, ask that it be written down.All agree this does not have to be a contract, just a written agreement. It can even be in an e-mail, says Bernstein. You just want clarity on what you agreed to. If all you have is a verbal agreement, then you are going to have misunderstandings.

I got there first! How your subjective experience of time makes you think you did even when you didnt

I got there first How yur subjective experience of time makes you think you did even when you didntI got there first How your subjective experience of time makes you think you did even when you didntImagine a championship match between two rival baskettanzabend teams. The game is tied, seconds left on the shot clock, two players lunge forward, reaching for the ball. In a split second, their hands both collide with the ball, but neither player gains possession. Instead, the ball goes soaring out of bounds. Immediately an argument erupts as each player claims the other knocked the ball out. The referee desperately tries to break the two apart and make the correct call.Heated arguments like this are an all-too-familiar sight in competitive sports. From tennis to baseball to football (both versions) to basketball, referees and umpires have a tough job making high-stakes judgment calls on what happened and where, knowing full well that no matter what they decide, players and fans alike will be outraged.Follow Ladders on FlipboardFollow Ladders magazines on Flipboard covering Happiness, Productivity, Job Satisfaction, Neuroscience, and moraAs cognitive scientists, my colleagues and I are interested in explaining differences in perception among people watching the same events unfold. In baseball, researchers already know that differences in the speed of sound versus the speed of light can cause different perceptions of whether a player is tresor or out. What about in the basketball example? Are both players simply lying to get the ball back to their team, or is there something more going on?How time passes is subjectiveFirst, you need to understand a little about time. Time is subjective. Physicists have known this to be true since 1905, thanks to Einstein himself. Most simply, his theory suggested that time passes differently depending on factors like speed and gravity. (Remember the movie Interstellar?)Subjective time, however, is not limited to the fantasies of s cience fiction and thought experiments in physics. Many researchers, such as neuroscientist David Eagleman, have studied neurological time and how your own experiences can shape your perception of time, such as how time seems to slow down during a traumatic experience.In 2002, cognitive neuroscientist Patrick Haggard and his colleagues showed that voluntary action has the ability to shape ones perception of time. In their study and subsequent replications, it was shown that an action and its effect can be perceptually bound together in time.For example, if you use an outdated computer, you may be familiar with the experience of double-clicking a folder, only for it to open several hundred milliseconds later. At first, this delay can be frustrating. But over time, you adapt to the delay and it feels nearly instantaneous.This process of adapting to the delay, called intentional binding by researchers, paved the way for studies investigating how the feeling of ownership over events aff ects your perception of what happened. With the slow computer, you know that the folder opening was a result of your clicking, even if it happened later. This knowledge and feeling of ownership over the opening of the folder is what results in intentional binding, and leads to the delay feeling shorter as you adapt to it.Putting time estimates to the testGoing back to those two basketball players (whove called a time out to cool off while we figure this out) objectively, they cant both have touched before the other. However, we wanted to know whether both players could have really experienced that they touched the ball first and the other part knocked it out.In buchen to test this possibility, we devised a simple experiment. Two participants sat across from one another at a table. Following a flash of light, each used their right hand to tap the others left hand as quickly as they could. They then made a temporal order judgment a decision on which event happened first.In order to isolate just the perceptual experiences of the two taps, we set up a divider between the participants to make sure they couldnt see each other or know how the other person responded. Participants also received no feedback about whether their judgments were correct or incorrect.In our experiment, participants were significantly more likely to report that they touched first. Even when both participants tapped each other at the same time, participants reported that their own touch happened first 67% of the time. This bias functionally translates into an apparent delay in processing their partners touch even when their own touch was 50 milliseconds later than their partners touch, participants perceived both events to be simultaneous.We controlled for each participants ability to see their partner, but we still wondered whether this bias could be socially influenced. So we ran another experiment with a similar setup, except this time the other participant was replaced with a mechanical device that tapped their hand.Even when making judgments between their own touch and a mechanical touch, participants still reported that their own touch occurred first. This time, when their touch and the mechanical touches were simultaneous, there was a 75% probability that participants said they themselves touched first. In fact, even when we removed the mechanical touch altogether and replaced it with an auditory click, participants still perceived their touch as happening first.Researchers mathematically modeled the timing people perceived (on the vertical axis) against the objective timing (on the horizontal axis) of the touch. Even when touches were simultaneous, participants were more likely to report that their own tap happened first.Your own actions seem to happen soonerThese results show that people really do experience the order of events differently, perceiving externally generated events as happening later than events they themselves caused. This bias, which we named the Egocentric Temporal Order Bias, builds upon existing research showing the importance of vantage in perception. It further supports the subjective nature of time perception, and can help explain why sports calls can become so heated and divisive. Differences in perspective can result in conflicting experiences of the same event.Returning to our two basketball players, our experiment suggests that both players are indeed telling the truth Each experienced their own touch first, and so think their opponent was the one who knocked the ball out of bounds. Rather than continuing to argue, perhaps our on-court rivals can recognize their two different experiences of what happened, accept the refs call that they really both touched the ball simultaneously and resume play by a jump ball.Outside the realm of sports, research looking into biases and illusions in perception can help inform our relationship with technology. If the bias we found truly represents a delay in registering unexpect ed events, technologies like automated emergency braking systems can help save lives.As for why people experience this bias in the first place, the answer isnt immediately clear. My colleagues and I speculate that it may support a constructive model of perception, where your conscious experience is not an objective representation of reality, but rather built by your brain using information from your senses to generate the world around you, much like a dream. However, there are many potential explanations for mechanisms that could be causing this bias.So as the crowd roars and celebrates their new champion, we researchers still have work to do. Perhaps our new findings will lend insights to an argument in another sport but thats a whole different ball game.Ty Tang, Research Scientist in Cognitive Science, Arizona State UniversityThis article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.You might also enjoyNew neuroscience reveals 4 rituals that will make you happyStrangers know your social class in the first seven words you say, study finds10 lessons from Benjamin Franklins daily schedule that will double your productivityThe worst mistakes you can make in an interview, according to 12 CEOs10 habits of mentally strong people