The stale air in your office building is affecting your performance

The stale air in your amtsstube building is affecting your performanceThe stale air in your office building is affecting your performanceDear Reader, I write this story on top of and next to indoor chemical contaminants that are slowly killing office workers across America.These killers are commonly known as a carpet, a copy machine or a dry erase board. All three killers surround my desk And probably yours Take a deep breath.New research has confirmed that stale office air and chemical contaminants are hurting workershealth. Now, try breathing that out.Good air makes you better at your jobThis is what the Harvard Business Review concluded in its March article on how office air quality could affect workers cognitive performance. They found that all other factors being equal with workers s of VOCs can be as innocuous as a dry erase marker, dry cleaned clothes, carpeting and copy machines.Chronic exposure to VOCs has been linked to more serious sicknesses like cancer and liver damage.A t the end of each day, the researchers would give the workers a cognitive test to test the link between air quality and how well people worked.They found that increasing air quality welches most helpful to improving areas that tested how workers used information to make strategic decisions and how they plan, stay prepared, and strategize during crises.No wonder the happiest people are those who spend four workdays a week outside the office.Sick building syndromeTheres a medical condition for this sick building syndrome.It refers to a situation where you notice that your comfort and health is linked to the time spent in a building.Have you noticed that its literally easier for you to breathe when youre outside the office? Do persistent headaches with no specific cause go away once you leave your desk? Thats not just stress. You may be experiencing SBS.Worse its pretty common.A 1984 World Health Organization Committee report foundthat up to 30% of new buildings could be causing this, usually due to buildings being operated in a different way than their original konzept intended. In the 1970s, U.S. buildings were made increasingly airtight to improve energy efficiency. Unfortunately, this came at the cost of our health.Mood, mental function and good airNumerous studieshavefoundlinks between clean air and health and mental benefits. In Chicago, one researcher found that installing a ventilation system up to federal standards in 81 low-income houses made a significant impact in those households. Children were breathing easier and adults had less psychological distress. In a separate test, the researchers in the HBR article compared workers in green certification buildings with workers in non-certified buildings across 10 U.S. buildings. Workers in green certified buildings were generally more satisfied with their office air. They were less likely to report that their office wastoo hot or too cold, or the their indoor air was too dry or too humid. Workers in green c ertified,comfortable indoorconditionswould also perform better on decision-making tests.With all the benefits to clean air, the HBR researchers suggest that we should rethink clean air as a human resource tool. So next time, youre interviewing for a job, after you ask about vacation time and benefits, ask about what your employer is doing to improve office air quality.

5 Toxic Company Culture Warning Signs

5 Toxic Company Culture Warning Signs5 Toxic Company Culture Warning SignsPinWouldnt it be great to have a crystal ball that enables seeing what daily life would be like if you accepted a position with an employer of interest? Unfortunately, no such thing exists, so candidates need to rely on their gut instincts, do their homework, and look for certain red flags when assessing whether an employer of interest potentially has a toxic company culture.Spend some time thoughtfully reflecting on information and details to which you are privy. If any of these five warning signs come up, you might be headed toward a toxic workplace.Five Toxic Company Culture Warning Signs1. It has a negative online presence.Of course you cant believe everything you read on the Internet. However, if the posts written on workplace review sites continually point to trouble without much said on the positive side, take heed that dissatisfaction extends beyond one or two disgruntled employees.Search, too, for what customers say about the company. A geschftlicher umgang that isnt responsive and respectful to those it serves is unlikely to treat its workers much better.2. You only meet the interviewer.Would the prospect of working with intelligent, welcoming team members increase the odds that you take a position? Most candidates would definitely say yes. So being hustled into an interview room without a tour or failing to be introduced to anyone on staff may signal that the company doesnt trust its employees to sell the place or make a good impression.3. You receive mediocre answers to questions.Employees who are excited about their workplace will be happy to give thorough answers when you ask them questions such as Whats your favorite part of your job? or What do you feel makes this company special? Being met with blank stares or cursory responses can be a sign that people dont have much to be happy about there.4. Something seems wrong.Walking into a place where you can hear a boss yelling o r see exhausted-looking workers hovering in solitude over keyboards provides clear reason to proceed with caution. But notlage every undesirable workplace screams toxic. Just because you cant put your finger on what makes you uneasy doesnt mean you should discount what you feel. Trust your gut- its probably right.5. You feel at their mercy.Finally, remember that the recruiting stage is a time when a company should be doing everything it can to impress you. If the prospective employer puts you through endless hoops, fails to respond adequately to your questions, doesnt get back to you when promised, ignores your emails, cant provide straightforward information on duties or salary, or presses too hard or too fast during negotiations, what makes you think youll be treated any better later? Consider poor courting as a warning of a bad relationship to come.Know someone looking for a job? Refer a friend to with this link- youll get a month free service and theyll get 30% off

This Company Is Building the Future of Work - The Muse

This Company Is Building the Future of Work - The MuseThis Company Is Building the Future of Work Think about how much time you spend at work. For most of us, its the majority of our waking hours. Eye opening, huh?Thats why WeWorks mission is to help people make a life not a living. Watch how they are striving to build the future of work through technology.

How to quit bad habits without willpower 3 secrets from neuroscience

How to quit schwimmbadeanstalt habits without willpower 3 secrets from neuroscienceHow to quit bad habits without willpower 3 secrets from neuroscienceGot any serious bad habits? The extra-strength ones with the FDA warning. The kind you really beat yourself up about - but mucksmuschenstill engage in all the time?Procrastination that screws up the quality of your work? Epic tidal waves of laziness? Or cardiac-threatening levels of overwork? Snapping at the ones you love? Or not speaking up even when you know you should?Were going to turn everything you know about bad habits on its head. For starters, heres the good berichterstattung youre not lazy, youre not a screw up, and youre not a bad person. In fact, you dont actually have bad habits at all. Those tempting or nagging voices in your head arent evil. Actually, theyre trying tohelpyou.Yeah, I know I have a lot of splaining to do. But before it all makes sense, well need to wade into a bit mora crazy. Pixar films, neuroscience, mu ltiple personalities, mindfulness, Fight Club, and boatloads of you talking to yourself like youre nutsYes, weird, but totally legit. In fact, theres a whole system of psychology based around thisInternal Family Systems(IFS.) Its been shown to help people with everything under the sun fromdepression, to anxiety, eating disorders, addictions, and even some of the most serious stuff like PTSD.Follow Ladders on FlipboardFollow Ladders magazines on Flipboard covering Happiness, Productivity, Job Satisfaction, Neuroscience, and moreFromInternal Family Systems Skills Training ManualIn the IFS Complex Trauma Study, only one subject out of 13 still qualified for a diagnosis of PTSD after finishing 16 weeks of IFS therapy.This is a system that can help you overcome almost any bad behavior, deal with deep-seated issues and even help you love yourself a bit more.Were going deep here. Warning were entering the therapy zone. Its gonna get touchy-feely and a little awkward. Im often skeptical of this kinda stuff myself. But when something works, it works.Alright, hold my inner childs hand and well do this together. Lets get to itYoure not lazy, weak, or awfulI deutsche bundesdeutsche bundesposted recently about the modular mind. Basically, this is the theory that there is no singular you. There are many different selves inside you that take turns running the ship and thats why human behavior (including yours and mine) can be so random and frustrating.When you say, I wasnt myself thats far more accurate than you ever thought.(Im not going to rehash the entire theory because regular readers would rise up and slay me for repeating myself. If you want thefullscoop, clickhere.)There are many different yous in your head. William James was saying it back in the 19th century, and now every major division of psychology is on board with this idea, including neuroscience.FromThe Body Keeps the ScoreMichael Gazzaniga, who conducted pioneering split-brain research, concluded that the mi nd is composed of semiautonomous functioning modules, each of which has a special role. In his book The Social Brain (1985) he writes, But what of the idea that the self is not a unified being, and there may exist within us several realms of consciousness? . . . From our split-brain studies the new idea emerges that there are literally several selves, and they do not necessarily converse with each other internally. MIT scientist Marvin Minsky, a pioneer of artificial intelligence, declared The legend of the single Self can only divert us from the target of that inquiry. . . . It can make sense to think there exists, inside your brain, a society of different minds. Like members of a family, the different minds can work together to help each other, each still having its own mental experiences that the others never know about.I know what some of you are thinkingAnd, yes,Inside Out*is* based on this research. (In fact,Dr. Frank Andersonacted as a consultant to Pixar during the making of the film and wrote one of the books I read to prepare for this post.)So how does this relate to bad habits?You dont have bad habits - you have different selves with different goals in your head, all trying to do what they think is best for the greater you.The problem is theyre not always right about whats best and the goals of Self 1 may conflict with the goals of Self 2. (Paging Tyler Durden. Tyler Durden please come to the front desk.)IFS therapists refer to the different yous as parts.FromSelf-TherapyParts are entities of their own, with their own feelings, beliefs, motivations, and memories. It is especially important to understand that parts have motivations for everything they do. Nothing is just done out of habit. Nothing is just a pattern of thinking or behavior you learned. Everything (except for purely physiological reactions) is done by a part for a reason, even though that reason may be unconscious.Through this lens, I landsee bad habits as an autoimmune disorder of th e mind. And with that, crazy as it may sound, things actually start to make alotmore sense.How can you procrastinateandfeel guilty about it at the same time? Two different yous disagreeing. Part of you is afraid of being a loser and wants to accomplish things - but another part of you is afraid of being all stressed out and wants to watch Netflix and eat popcorn. Neither is lazy.(It might also explain how a bloggers ex can have both fear of abandonmentandfear of intimacy, but thats a story for another day, Bubba.)You need to understand what other-you is trying to accomplish and find a better way to address the underlying need so you can both get on the same page.(To learn more about the science of a successful life, check out my new bookhere.)So who are these other selves? When it comes to problematic behaviors, there are three flavors we need to be concerned withExiles, managers and firefightersWe all have fears. And we try to cope with those fears. And by we I mean the we in your head.Allow me to introduce the cast of characters that are causing the problemsExilesThis is the annoyingly dramatic name that therapists give to the seat of your deep, dark fears and long-held negative beliefs. Im stupid. Im a failure. Im unlovable. I cant trust anyone.Yup, this is the inner child. (It might be the first time youve heard the term in a non-mocking context. I mean, Im going to mock itplentybecause its a corny term, but this is its more proper usage.)Bad stuff happens to us and we take away painful lessons that we dont let go. And these fears often unconsciously guide our actions in frustrating ways.ManagersSo how do you still manage to function with those fears? Well, the inner child has an overprotective parent. These are Managers. That nagging voice in your head. It says youre not working hard enough. That youre weak. That you need to do more. That the world is going to end if you dont make everyone happy and live up to expectations.It thinks if you gave in to the fears of the inner child youd be paralyzed, so it harasses you endlessly and occasionally steers you to behave in ways that arent aligned with your goals.FromInternal Family Systems Skills Training ManualWe call proactive parts managers because they try to manage our lives in ways that keep emotional pain out of consciousness. They often focus on motivating us to improve, work hard, be productive and be socially acceptable. At the extreme, however, these aims can devolve into tactics like perfectionism, intellectualizing, one-sided caretaking, obsessing about appearance, conflict avoidance at great personal cost and trying to control or please others.At times, this is useful. Youdoneed to go to work when you dont feel like it, or youll lose your job and be miserable. Then again, Managers may also nag you to keep working until you pass out - also making you miserable.Managers still see you as an irresponsible child and feel you wouldnt wear clean underwear if they didnt remind you 50 times a day.FirefightersSometimes the Manager doesnt do its job well. Or you just dont listen. And the Exiles fears get all wound up. Maybe the Exile is terrified of losing its independence - always being told what to do and feeling disrespected.To prevent the Exile from totally freaking out, the independence Firefighter goes extreme to immediately solve the problem.DONT TELL ME WHAT TO DO And you procrastinate by eating ice cream and playing video games. (The independence Firefighter is, unsurprisingly, perpetually 15 years old.)FromInternal Family Systems Skills Training Manual(Firefighters) share the same goal as managers they want to exile vulnerable parts and extinguish emotional pain. However, (firefighters) are emergency response workers. They get activated after the fact, when the memories and emotions of exiles break through despite the repressive efforts of managers. (Firefighters) tend to be fierce and use extreme measures that managers abhor, like alcohol and drug ab use, binge eating, excessive shopping, promiscuity, cutting, suicide and even homicide.Youve got fears, whether theyre remaining independent, or not being liked, or not feeling like a failure. The Managers try to solve them in one way. And when things really go south, the Firefighters try to solve them in the most immediate, extreme way possible. Theyre all trying their best - but theyre not always effective.So this dysfunctional family is fighting in your head and your behavior looks like a chaotic mess because youre not even conscious of the conflicting goals everyone has.You cant banish any of these three so we gotta get them on the same page. That means keeping the Firefighters calm, getting the Managers to trust you, and figuring out what the Exile really needs to feel secure.(To learn the seven-step morning ritual that will make you happy all day, clickhere.)Alright, Dr. Jekyll, get everyone in the car. Were going to therapy1) Get calmSit down somewhere quiet. Take a few deep breaths. Relax. You want to be chill, centered and accepting.Why? Because you want to make sure youreyou. Getting emotional is what signals the Manager to start nagging or - even worse the Firefighters to start whacking at the front door with axes.Now think about the primary bad habit or issue youre dealing with. Picture the Manager behind itIs it an overprotective parent that pushes you to work too hard?Or a slacker thats always tempting you to procrastinate?A nagging perfectionist voice that says youre never smart enough or beautiful enough?Or a critical voice that tells you not to trust people?(To learn the 3 secrets from neuroscience that will make you emotionally intelligent, clickhere.)Take a second and imagine that voice as a real, full-blown person. Because youre about to have a conversation with them.Look, Itoldyou this was going to get weird2) Talk to themum, I mean, youYes, youre going to talk to yourself like you have multiple personalities. Because, well, you do. Its not quite as odd as you think, really.Research shows talking to yourself canmake you smarter,improve your memory,help you focusand evenincrease athletic performance. And talking to yourself in the second person (saying you instead of I)makes a differenceAltogether, the current research showed that second-person self-talk strengthens both actual behavior performance and prospective behavioral intentions more than first-person self-talk.Beyond that, were talking about bad behavior here. You need to get your ego out of the way. Its a lot easier to honestly answer questions about bad habits you arent proud of when you can ask someone else why they do that instead of why I do that.So play along.Stay relaxed. Dont try and get this voice thats been bothering you to go away. We want to hear what they have to say. Be curious and compassionate, not all judgy. Remember theyre just trying to help (in their annoying, ineffective way.)Ask them questions. A few good ones areWhats your role in my l ife?What are you trying to protect me from?And the big money questionWhat are you afraid would happen if you didnt do this job anymore?How would that Manager respond?Really inhabit the role. Its not that hard - youve probably been hearing this voice in your head for years. A Procrastinating Manager might reply with something like thisMy role in your life? I have to make sure you relax and dont get all stressed out about work. Im trying to protect you from treating every project at the office like a life or death scenario. If I didnt do my job youd be a basket case. So I encourage you to have some fun on the internet and play with your phone to relax. And, frankly, you treat me like some slacker when all I want is to make sure your head doesnt explode from stress.Accept and acknowledge what they say to you. Dont get in an argument with yourself (although, from my perspective, that would be really funny.)If you feel like you understand one another, next you want to ask for permission to talk to the Exile. Yeah, this is odd. Like some sort of therapysance. But it works.That Managers voice has been chattering at you for years. Its a person. If you dont give it some respect, youll just get more stress.(To learn the 4 rituals from neuroscience that will make you happy, clickhere.)Did you get permission? Okay, heres where it gets really interesting. And weird. But interesting3) Talk to the exileMeet your inner child. Arent they adorable? They look like you but smaller and probably scared out of their wits - which is why youre here.You know what the Manager is doing to achieve its goals, whether thats making you work too hard, not work enough, or occasionally screaming at the people who love you most. So now were getting to the meat.Ask the kid what theyre afraid of. Inhabit the role. What fear is so powerful that this kid actually hasemployeesrunning around to protect him?Be gentle. If the kid (and, again, thatsyou) gets worked up, you may have those Firefighters s mashing your windows as you go all emo and need to spend the evening on the couch eating ice cream and watching reruns of your favorite tv show. So stay calm. Be gentle. And listenIm afraid of failing. Doing the work makes me think about it not turning out well. And then Ill be a loser and no one will like me.So you know what the kids afraid of. And why the Manager does what it does to protect them. And so rather than a failure of willpower, you know why - deep down - youre engaging in those bad habits.The kids fears might be totally extreme or unfounded. But theyre your fears. And youre acting on them. So, in that sense, theyre real and need to be taken seriously. Dont dismiss anything.You want to start addressing these underlying concerns that your inner rugrat has. Fix those and the bad habits take care of themselves. Assure the kid and the Manager that youre going to work on this. Youll make a plan. That youll be accountable. Maybe even involve a friend.Sound ridiculous? Whats ridiculous is endlessly trying different ineffective ways to stop procrastinating when you could be addressing the underlying issue. If you get rid of the fear, the Manager (let alone the Firefighters) dont need to do their jobs anymore and they go away. (Or maybe your mental HR department reassigns them to another role like making you unable to get a song out of your head. Who knows.)Of course, if youre dealing withextremelyserious issues you want to do all this with a therapist, not off a blog post written by some random guy on the internet. I hope thats obvious but I have an internal Manager with a law degree who insisted I type it because my own inner childs deep-seated fear is getting sued.You dont need willpower or more self-control or discipline. You need to get to know yourself a little better. So ask. And listen. And youll be amazed what youll tell yourself.(To learn the six rituals from ancient wisdom that will make you happy, clickhere.)Okay, your time in therapy is up. Lets do a quick review and find out the best part about talking to Managers, inner children and the rest of the circus in your nogginSum upHeres how to quit bad habits without willpowerThere are no bad habits, just different selves with conflicting goals You can readthis postfor more, or you can go watchInside Out. (One of these is a far more effective option. The other was written by me.)Exiles, Managers and Firefighters The three big categories of voices in your head. Exiles have deep-seated fears, Managers make sure those dont get triggered, and when they do get triggered, Firefighters put out the fire (and destroy your house in the process.)Stay calm and talk to the Manager Find out why they do what they do by asking well, you.Talk to your inner child Im cringing that I typed that. But, corny as it sounds, it really does help. Discover your fears. Thats whats driving your bad behavior.This wont be quick. It wont be easy. I have oversimplified the process because some people are already whining that this post is too long. (Whatever. They only read the Sum Up anyway.)You probably have multiple Exiles, and a bunch of Managers and a squadron of Firefighters - complete with their own adorable Dalmatian. (You dont need to have a conversation with the Dalmatian, but if youre feeling really creative you may mentally pet him.)Understand whats really driving your behavior and you can really fix your life. Find out what your fears are.Get to the root of the issue and you wont need 37 new ineffective lifehacks every week. (Did I just put myself out of a job? Crap.)You hear a lot about knowing yourself, loving yourself and being your own best friend. Those sayings are warm and fuzzy. Theyre also vague platitudes that you have no idea how to actually get started on. Well, we just changed that.There are multiple yous. You can get to know them by talking to them, as awkward as the process may be. And instead of rejecting nagging or tempting voices, you can befriend them, because as misguided as their actions are sometimes, they really do want the best for you.FromSelf-TherapyLoving yourself really means loving each of your parts. Befriending yourself means developing a relationship with each of your parts and having them trust you.Get to know yourself so you can love yourself.Allyour selves.Join more than 320,000 readers.Get a free weekly update via emailhere.This article first appeared at Barking Up the Wrong Tree.

3 tips for answering behavioral interview questions

3 tips for answering behavioral bewerbungsinterview questions3 tips for answering behavioral interview questionsBehavioral interview questions can make anyone sweat during a job interview. But its possible to avoid getting caught off guard - heres how to handle them the next time youre trying to make a good impression on a recruiter.Get creative during the prep phaseAlison Green, author of the Ask a Manager blog, demonstrates how to do this in U.S. News World Report. While outlining how to get ready for the job interview, she eventually talks about how you should come up with supporting evidence by listing your experience for every responsibility or challenge listed on the job description.Heres what she says nextKeep in mind that dont need to be direct one-for-one matches. For instance, if youre applying for a sales job without any actual sales experience, you might talk about how you made fundraising calls to alumni when you were in college, Green writes. Or if youre applying for a manager job and havent formally managed anyone, you might talk about how you were the go-to person for training new employees in your last job, managed numerous group projects, and were known as a diplomatic problem-solver. And if you dont have a lot of work experience to draw on, you can use examples from school, volunteering, and hobbies.Stick to the pointThis is a must.Lily Zhang, manager of Graduate Student Professional Development at the MIT Media Lab, writes in The Muse that you should make a statement.Later on in her explanation, she writes, to make sure your stories are as effective as possible, make a statement before you start telling the story. In this particular example, it might be something like this, I learned early on in my professional career that its fine to disagree if you can back up your hunches with data. Now, when you tell your story, its not about the various ways you could have approached the situation better, but about how you learned from that experience and how you use it to inform future disagreements, she writes.Be sure to use the right tone during your explanationAlison Doyle, a career expert, author, CEO and founder of CareerToolBelt.com, writes in The Balance that you should be positive during your response.Often, behavioral interview questions require you to focus on a problem or a failure at work. Describe the problem or issue you faced, but dont focus too much on the negative. Quickly shift to describing how you solved the problem, and the positive results, she writes.

Top Social Work Resume Secrets

Top Social Work Resume Secrets The New Angle On Social Work Resume Just Released Perhaps its your networking abilities. Networking isnt begging for work. To compose a strong social worker resume, you will need to offer evidence of your capacity to help others. Joining a union may also provide you support and advice in the event of workplace troubles.Social Workers analyze and assess the requirements of their customers to effectively determine a proper plan of action. Social work licensure confirms that social workers have the ideal education and training to be able to present competent services to the general public. Clinical social workers may also diagnose some mental and behavioural problems, and they work with doctors to come up with treatment plans. Thus, the resume for Social Worker fulfills the aim of passing on the required info to the recruiter. When you get to the expert experience section, make certain you think about the particular job description of the position y oure applying for. Applying with all the task targeted resume for every single project is truly a remarkable practice as opposed to sending identical resume for each endeavor. The resume summary is simply a bridge to have the hiring manager in your experience. Please dont hesitate to contact me for additional info or to answer any of your questions. Our resume examples offer inspiration, but more importantly guidance on the way to structure and compose the elements. With the aforementioned samples of objectives for the social worker position readily available to utilize in crafting yours, you will certainly have the ability to develop an extremely effective one for your resume. The measurable achievements make it function. Producing a resume is only one of one of the most crucial actions to locating a perfect occupation. Make certain that your emaille address is suitable for a social services position. Usually, you might opt to compose References seen on request. Normally, you can opt to create References on request. Place your name and contact information on top of your resume. Employers have a tendency to spend less than half a moment, sometimes only a couple of seconds, reading a resume. A specialist summary is written in a couple of short sentences, and ought not to exceed 100 words. It is NOT an objective statement. Do not become caught up in the notion that you must please everyone so as to be a success, simply, you need to be yourself, and nothing more, nothing less. Its true, youve established an on-line persona which has features and elements that youre attempting to receive your audience to enjoy, but dont forget that they understand that youre a human being just as you do, and thats something they would like to see too. Ofcourse you may also be watching out for an extra job for a consequence of private elements. Yes, the trend of what people believe to be the upcoming great issue isnt currently in your favor, and your social page r eflects something that might not be at the very top of the charts at this time, but it doesnt mean which you need to scrap every post, change every one of your ideas, and become a completely new kind of page.

Video Interviewing The Solution For Winter Weather

Video Interviewing The Solution For Winter WeatherWinter might bring with it the promise of the holiday season with all its merriness and cheer, but it also brings the promise of inclement weather. For many this means blizzards, icy roads, and shoveling piles of snow. Bad weather conditions can really wreak havoc on your hiring schedule, especially if youre looking forward to speaking with a great candidate who is now snowed under.In fact, according to predictions, this winter is looking to be a colder one than last year by far for NYC, Philadelphia and DC. The east coast especially has some serious snowfall accumulation to look forward to if the predictions for winter 2013 are correct. So how will employers connect with the candidates they need to fill important positions quickly if the area is under a blanket of snow?Video interviewing might actually be the answer to employers winter wonderland blues. Thanks to the power of video interviewing, employers and candidates can connect w ithout riding a snow plow into the office.Here are some reasons to consider video interviewing this winter seasonGoodbye DangerWinter is a magical time with snow falling, holiday jingles and delicious eggnog. But it can also be a very dangerous time of year. Weather conditions can make even a trip to the mall a tricky proposition if the ground is covered in ice.You dont want candidates to risk life and limb just to come in for a job interview during a snowstorm. Considering todays economic climate though and the negativity attached to canceling a job interview, this is just what your candidate might consider doing.Instead, connect with your top talent through video interviewing and theres no danger involved. In a live, interactive interview process you can speak with top quality candidates face-to-face, just like you would in an in-person interview. Better still, if some members of your hiring team cant make it into the office because of the weather, you can record these interviews to view later.Goodbye Wasted TimeDuring periods of inclement weather, the likelihood of your top talent will making it into your office 10 minutes early lowers exponentially. There are traffic jams, bad road conditions and reroutes to consider. The snow outside might look lovely, but it can also spell tardiness for your candidates.Instead of wasting time waiting for talent to show up, or juggling complicated schedules when one late candidate messes up your whole day, consider switching to a video interview.In one-way video interviews for instance, employers and candidates dont even have to be on the same schedule at all. Your talent can record their answers before making a snowman, while you can curl up with a cup of hot cocoa and watch the video interview answers from your computer, or even your mobile device. This will waste less of your valuable time in the hiring process and make it easier to connect with great candidates sooner.Winter can be a tough time for employers focused o n hiring top talent to grow their companies. But dont let the snowflakes outside stop you from getting the talent you need inside your office. Video interviewing can be a great solution to keep you, your candidates, and your company out of the cold.What are some ways video interviewing can help you cut down on winter weather blues and focus on hiring the best candidates? Share in the comments

Write a Real Cover Letter, Not Just a Resume Rehash

Write a Real Cover Letter, Not Just a Resume RehashA Real Cover Letter, Not a Resume RehashWrite a Real Cover Letter, Not Just a Resume RehashIm always suspicious when I hear recruiters or career experts say the titelblatt letter is dead. Im sure there are some companies that dont want titel letters, but most still do. If youre looking for excuses not to write a cover letter, you can find plentyNobody reads cover letters anymoreElectronic scanners strip them outLetter-writing ability has no relevance to the job andThey didnt specifically ask for a cover letter.Fair enough. But what if nobody reads cover letters except your would-be boss? Our CEO (who has hired a lot of people in the past few years) says he wont even consider a job candidate who hasnt bothered to write a cover letter. To me, that says they dont care enough about the job to put the time and effort into it.Letter-writing may not be relevant to all jobs, but willingness to go the extra mile and attention to detail are. The presence of a cover letter helps prove you possess those qualities the absence implies you dont.I suspect the biggest reason people try to get out of writing a cover letter is that they dont know what to write. I already put everything in my resume What else can I say?Well, here are four tips for writing a standout cover letter that will invite hiring managers to read your resume, but wont rehash every detailDrop the name of someone who referred youYour former colleague Tim Williams suggested I send you my resume. He and I were discussing how easily my background in ____ could transfer to your .Spotlight a particular part of your resumeI would especially like to direct your attention, as you read my resume, to my four years as the ____ at XYZ Construction, a role that required many of the same skills as this opportunity .Point out how your past experience prepared you for the new jobMy three years producing ____ at Smith Company and two years of ___ at Jones Corporation have giv en me the multi-faceted expertise to successfully implement your ...Express your interest, enthusiasm, and gratitudeYour firms reputation for ____ and my longstanding interest in ____ make this opportunity extremely attractive to me. I appreciate the time youve taken to consider my candidacy, and am eager to take the next step.So, cover all the bases and write the cover letter (but dont screw it up.) And while youre at it, think about what youll say in the thank-you notes you send after the interview

Jobs With a Psychology Degree

Jobs With a Psychology DegreeJobs With a Psychology DegreePsychology majors study menschenfreundlich behavior. If you enjoy learning about the mind, how it works, and why people act the way they do, earning a degree in this majorcould be the perfect choice for you. But what will you do after you graduate from college? The obvious choice for some people who get a degree in this field of study is to apply to graduate school where they can earn a doctorate (Ph.D. or Psy.D.) in psychology and become a psychologist. Not everyone wants to do that, however. For one thing, learning about menschenfreundlich behavior as a student doesnt necessarily mean you will want to spend your career working with people in that capacity. Even if you decide you do, in fact, want to spend your career helping people deal with mental health issues, you may not want to spend at least five years studying to become a psychologist. Admission to graduate programs in psychology is very competitive, and it is an expe nsive endeavor if you are accepted. Fortunately, you can use your degree in psychology for many other careers. Some of them require that you earn an advanced degree and others do not. Lets take a look at several of them. Here are ten occupations and skills psychology majors have upon earning a bachelors degree. Some of these occupations involve helping people who have amental illness or an emotional disorder. Many of them just use your knowledge about human behavior to do other work. School Counselor Guidance counselors help students with school-related issues, including course selection, academic difficulties, and social skills. They work in elementary, middle, and high schools. Counselors may identify problems and refer students and their families to resources both within and outside their schools. A masters degree in school counseling is required for this occupation. While applicants to graduate counseling programs dont need a bachelors degree in psychology, taking courses in this subject provides a good foundation. Psychology coursework is even a prerequisite for admission to some programs. Teacher Teachers instruct studentsin a variety of subjects. To reach children, it helps to have a good understanding of how the human mind works. The education you received as a psychology major will allow you to notice when students are having academic problems. It will also heighten your sensitivity to the presence of other issues, such as mental illness, substance abuse, and conflicts at home. Teachers usually need a bachelors degree in education, but many choose to either major or minor in another subject as well. Psychology is an excellent choice. Depending on where you live, you may have to earn a masters degree. Human Resources Specialist Human resources specialists help companies fill job openings with suitable candidates. They also help retain employees by resolving conflicts with coworkers and supervisors. An understanding of the human mind and beh avior will make you especially well-suited for this occupation. Your problem-solving skills will also contribute to your success in human resources. While you need a bachelors degree for most jobs in this field, you have some flexibility regarding your area of study. You may want to get a bachelors degree in human resources or business with a dual major or minor in psychology. Clinical Social Worker Clinical social workers diagnose and treat clients who are struggling with emotional, behavioral and mental disorders. The connection between a hintergrund in psychology and this career couldnt be more clear. A masters degree in social work is required to practice as a clinician, but you do not need a bachelors degree in that major to be admitted to a masters level social work program.An undergraduate degree in psychology will provide great preparation. Marriage and Family Therapist Marriage and family therapists work with families, couples, and individuals who need professional help with disorders including anxiety, depression, addiction, and obsessive-compulsive disorder. They take into account the effect family dynamics have on individuals mental health. You will need a masters degree in marriage and family therapy. While most programs dont require applicants to have a bachelors degree in psychology, courses in this subject are often among the prerequisites. Additionally, by studying psychology as an undergraduate, you will already have some of the skills needed to succeed in this career, for example, the ability to convey information to others and good listening skills. Special Agent or Detective Special agents and detectives examine evidence and interview victims, suspects, and witnesses when crimes have taken place. They typically begin their careers by working as assekuranzbrief officers. While a college degree isnt always required for admission to the police academy, many municipalities prefer to hire job candidates who have one, or at least som e college coursework. As a psychology major, you will bring a keen understanding of the workings of the human mind to this occupation. Your good interpersonal, listening, and verbal communication skillswill also help you do your job well. Market Research Analyst Market research analysts help corporations and other organizations learn about consumers preferences. They monitor trends and develop methods for collecting data. They use statistical software to analyze data and then prepare written reports, charts, and graphs to present their findings to their employers or clients. A bachelors degree is all you need to qualify for an entry-level job. Courses in statistics and research design, which are part of an undergraduate psychology curriculum, provide those who major in this subject with some of the skills market research analysts need. In addition, as someone who studied psychology, you understand peopleand have strong critical thinking skills, attributes market research analyst s need. Survey Researcher Survey researchers design and conduct surveys to learn about people and their opinions. Many jobs require a masters degree that can be in a social science like psychology. You may be able to get an entry-level job with a bachelors degree. A psychology majors coursework in statistics and research design provides an excellent background for people in this career as it does for market research analysts. Your critical thinking skills again will benefit you if you choose this occupation. Your knowledge about human behavior puts you one step ahead of other people. absatzwirtschaft Manager Marketing managers are responsible for companies marketing strategies. Along with their teams, including marketing research analysts and survey researchers, they determine who will buy their products and services, and how much they will pay for them. You need only a bachelors degree to work in this field. Since majoring in psychology will give you good problem solving, c ommunication and interpersonal skills, as well as knowledge of statistics, it is a good choice. Supplementing it with either a minor or dual major in business, with some coursework in computer science, will round out your qualifications. Sales Representative Sales representatives work for wholesalers and manufacturers, selling products on their behalf. They contact current and new customers, demonstrate products to them, and negotiate prices and service agreements. While you dont necessarily need a bachelors degree unless you plan to sell scientific or technical products, having one can give you a competitive edge. A psychology degree would be a good choice. Sales representatives need to understand how people think and behave to decide how to sell products to them. Your training in psychology will serve you well. Find out if a career in clinical psychology may be a better fit.

7 Signs Your Boss Hates You (and How to Handle It)

7 Signs Your Boss Hates You (and How to Handle It)7 Signs Your Boss Hates You (and How to Handle It)This article is from our friends at DailyWorth, a premier site on all things related to money, career, and entrepreneurship.Ever had a co-worker you just couldnt stand? Your dislike probably biased you when it came to judging his or her work, right? Well, imagine what happens when its the anfhrer who dislikes someone.If your boss has a bias against you (whether its conscious or leid), it can color all her interactions with you- whether its not giving you the same amount of coaching and development that she puts in with mora favored team members, giving you less interesting or lower-profile assignments, or not recognizing what youre doing well. It can even affect how youre compensated and whether you ultimately keep your job. But it can be tricky to figure out whether your boss has legitimate beef with your work- or just a beef with you. Here are seven revealing signs that your boss jus t isnt that into you and what to do about it.1. Youre Being MicromanagedShes checking up on your work before its due, dictating details that she should trust you to figure out, and generally displaying a lack of confidence that youll do your job well.What to Do About ItFirst, make sure your boss doesnt treat everyone else this way, too. While that would leise be a problem (because micromanagement is unpleasant to experience and will generally make you less productive), that would indicate its not about you at all, but just an example of poor management skills.If the behavior seems isolated to her relationship with you, ask yourself whether youve done anything to warrant the lack of confidence. Have you been dropping the ball on tasks or making significant errors? If so, then realize that a good manager should get more closely involved- because ultimately her job is to ensure that the work is done well, and youve given her reason not to take that on faith. If not, then its time to as k her if theres anything youre doing that makes her feel she cant trust you and how you can work with more autonomy. Try suggesting other ways to keep her in the loop, such as weekly reports or weekly meetings, so that she doesnt feel she needs to check in as much. And if shes resistant to that, ask if shed be willing to experiment with giving you more autonomy on one specific project to see how it goes.2. You Never Get FeedbackSome managers are just bad at giving positive feedback, but if he praises others and leaves you unrecognized, thats a sign that it reflects something about his assessment of you.What to Do About ItTry asking for feedback directly, saying something like, Id love to hear about what you think is going well and where I could focus on doing better. Or, if that feels too daunting, try asking for feedback on a smaller scale for instance, ask to debrief a recent project, share your assessment of what went well and what could have gone better, and ask for your manager s thoughts. Then, listen to what he says. His response will give you more insight on how he sees you- which is helpful information for you to have, whether or not you agree with his assessment.3. You Get Turned Down for a Raise Without Much ExplanationTurning down your raise request isnt the sign of a problem on its own, since there can be reasons that have nothing to do with you, like budget constraints. But if your manager values you, shell explain why she cant grant the raise, and often explain when you can expect an increase in the future or how to earn one.What to Do About ItAsk something like, What would it take for me to earn a raise in the future? A manager whos invested in retaining you and who believes in your value should be willing to talk with you specifically about what youd need to do to hear yes next time. If that doesnt happen, then as with some other flags on this list, this is a data point for you to factor into your overall thinking about whether you should stay in this job.4. You Cant Get Your Managers AttentionShe regularly cancels your meetings, forgets to return your calls and emails, and generally doesnt seem to have you anywhere on her priority list. What to Do About ItDoes she treat everyone like this or primarily you? If its the former, she may just be flighty (or overwhelmed). But if youre a particularly low priority, talk to her. Tell her that getting a chance to talk at least once a week is important to you, and ask if theres a way to have the meetings happen more reliably. Would it help to change the day theyre scheduled for? Or would she be more able to make them happen if you both committed to a particular day without nailing down a specific time period, so that she has a larger window of time to make them happen? Or something else? You can also be more assertive about following up when the meeting doesnt happen. The day after a missed meeting, go back to her We didnt get a chance to meet yesterday. Do you have a few minutes t o talk this morning?5. Youre Left Out of Important MeetingsDoes your manager meet with your colleagues to discuss key updates or projects that youre a part of when youre not there? Do you hear after the fact about decisions that were made that you should have had input on?What to Do About ItApproach your manager directly to address the problem. But dont be accusatory youll get better results if you work from the assumption that it was an oversight to be corrected, rather than an intentional exclusion. For example, you could say, I would have liked to have been included in the meeting this morning on the Smith account, since Im working closely with them. I noticed I havent been included in several account meetings recently. What can I do to ensure that Im part of those discussions in the future?6. Your Boss Continuously Criticizes Your WorkEveryone hears criticism sometimes. But if your manager regularly and harshly takes issue with your work and nothing you do seems to please her, t hats a big red flag for the relationship.What to Do About ItIn the short-term, you might try putting extra energy into getting aligned about expectations at the start of a project. Try talking through exactly what a successful outcome would look like, and afterwards email her a summary of what you both agreed to with a note like, Just want to make sure were on the same page. That type of upfront alignment can boost your chances of a project going smoothly. It might also be worth having a direct conversation about what youre noticing to try and understand whats going on. Say something like I want to have a strong working relationship with you, and I hoped you could give me some feedback. I have the sense that you might not be happy with my work, and I wonder if we can talk about where Im going wrong? This might bring to the surface issues that you can work on changing. But in the long-term, if your boss truly dislikes you or your work, youre probably better off going somewhere where youre valued.7. Your Boss Doesnt Seem to Care if You LeaveSmart bosses will go to great lengths to keep an employee they really value- but they wont object when an employee they dont much care for considers leaving.What to Do About ItIf your boss doesnt value you much, youre less likely to get the kinds of mentoring, raises, professional development opportunities, and high-profile or interesting projects that a boss who is firmly in your corner might offer. It can also make you more likely to end up at the top of the list if your company has layoffs. However it manifests, working for a boss who doesnt care if you stay or go isnt great for your career, so factor it into your thinking as you consider your timeline for your next career move.More From DailyWorthBully-Proof Your Workplace7 Soft Skills You Need for Career Success6 Ways to Win People OverPhoto of co-workers meeting courtesy of Shutterstock.