How To Profit From A Great Personality

Are you an extrovert? A people person? A crowd pleaser?
Consider channeling your winning personality into a pretty paycheck.
Just remember that even with a great personality, you'll need some training.
"Education is always a good thing..." says Mitchell York, a New York-based career coach."...[A]nd, in some cases, it's mandatory."
Take a look at some of these great-paying careers that extroverts can excel in - then see how you can get in on the action!

Career #1: Sales Manager
Personality Profile: Intelligent, outgoing people who can work a room and make connections easily 

By Chris KyleSales managers direct sales teams and must be able to maintain a steady base of relationships that can lead to potential customers. The ability to interact with people in all kinds of situations, whether it's face-to-face, by phone or email, is crucial.
Education: There is no formal degree program for sales, but earning a bachelor's degree in business administration, marketing, or communications can give you the broad business background that you'll need to succeed. An MBA could help a sales rep move into management.
Average Annual Salary: $97,260
Search for online and local Business schools now!

Career #2: Public Relations Specialist
Personality Profile: Friendly, well-spoken people who can operate in the spotlight

PR specialists work with the public, communicating their organization's message, writing press releases, and briefing the media. In some cases, they also serve as the face and voice of their company, which means personality and propriety are key.
Education: You can learn different communication techniques and strategies while receiving your bachelor's in journalism, marketing/communications, or public relations.
Average Annual Salary: $51,280
Search for Marketing/Communications degree programs now!

Career #3: Emergency Room RN
Personality Profile: Caring and congenial pros who can stay cool - and perform - under pressure

ER nurses must be able to give care, advice, and emotional support to patients with a wide variety of personalities and backgrounds in this fast-paced occupation.
Education: Most ER nurses are registered nurses who have earned a nursing degree. If you want to get ahead in the field, consider an advanced nursing certificate program that covers triage and trauma care.
Average Annual Salary: $62,450
Find Nursing schools near you now.

Career #4: Personal Financial Advisor
Personality Profile: Sharp, personable people who can figure out their clients' goals and make the complex world of finance accessible

Personal financial advisors help people map out their short- and long-term financial goals. A big part of the job involves meeting and landing new clients, so those with an outgoing and friendly personality could fare well.
Education: A bachelor's degree is a must for this job. Focus your studies in an area like accounting, finance, business, economics, or mathematics. An MBA can certainly help too, as can periodic courses in areas like tax laws, estate planning, and risk management.
Average Annual Salary: $69,050
Start the search for the right Business school now!

Career #5: Marketing Manager
Personality Profile: Smart, strategic thinkers who can get both an internal team - and the public - excited about a product

Marketing managers must able to supervise a team and empathize and connect with customers who may see the world in a very different way. The ability to think quickly and creatively while adapting to a changing marketplace is also important.
Education: Start with a bachelor's in business administration, then build your credentials and knowledge with an MBA.
Average Annual Salary: $108,580
Find Marketing and Business schools.

Career #6: Meeting and Convention Planner
Personality Profile: Detail-oriented socialistas who know how to get things done on time and on a budget

Putting together a convention is a lot like planning a party. The responsibilities can run from developing and marketing the event to planning travel arrangements and setting up audio-visual equipment.
Education: In recent years, the job has become increasingly complex, with employers now usually requiring a bachelor's degree. Studying marketing or business is a good place to start.
Average Annual Salary: $44,260
Search for Business degree programs now!

Career #7: Paralegal
Personality Profile: Friendly, dependable communicators who are patient and organized

Paralegals, also called legal assistants, must be good communicators who can work well with lawyers and clients. Since the job often requires long hours, employers carefully consider a candidate's personality. Loyalty and confidentiality are also highly valued personal traits.
Education: An associate's degree in paralegal studies, which you can earn in as little as 18 months, can get your career started. You may also want to consider a paralegal certificate program.
Average Annual Salary: $46,120

6 Tips for Finding a Job After College

Finding a job after college can be an tiring process. What you worked on while in college was researching papers, reading books, and taking tests. College didn't exactly prepare you for finding a job after college. Follow these six tips and you'll be on your way to getting that job in no time.
1. Nosce te ipsum- "Know thyself"
This is extremely important when it comes to finding a job after college. What are your dreams and goals? What would be your dream job? What have you always enjoyed doing? What are your skills? These are very important questions that you need to answer before you move forward in finding a job after college.
2. Build a powerful Resume.
When building a resume it's important to focus on what exactly you have to offer to the particular company you are applying for. Show how you're skills will be perfect for that company. Why should they hire you as opposed to someone else? Communicate THAT point and you will get the job.
3. Knowing where to look for a job.
After building your resume its time to find your new job. One of the best places to look for jobs is online. Particularly online job boards. Google search "[type of job you're searching for] + job board. That will bring up the website that has jobs that you're looking for. These types of sites are where you will find many of the best jobs. You can try looking on sites like Monster.com or Careerbuilder.com which are the two biggest job boards. But you will have more success if you look in the smaller job boards.
4. Broaden your network.
Many college grads say the best way to get a job is to look in your network. Let everyone that you know that you are looking for a job. By expanding your network you never know what jobs may come your way.
5. Keep your emotions in check.
Looking for a job can be hard. Especially if it takes a while to find one. Quickly, it become this emotional roller coaster of going from getting excited because you got a call for an interview, to an extreme low when you don't get the job. How you avoid this is simply focusing on the process of getting a job. If you focus on the day to day process of searching for a job, then finding a job after college has less of an emotional impact.
6. The law of averages.
The law of averages stats that at some point you are bound to get a job. Each time a company decides not to hire you, just think of it this way: One more 'no' got you one more 'no' closer to that 'yes' for that job you've been waiting for.
Stick to these tips and you'll get a job in no time.
ezinearticles.com 

By Dain Lewis

9 Tips in Life that Lead to Happiness

Are you truly happy? Do you even know what it means to be happy and what it takes to achieve happiness? These are important questions for anyone who is seeking happiness to ask themselves. I live my life to maintain my own happiness while trying my best to not cause unhappiness to anyone else. If you want to be happy you need to understand that you can be happy and that you should be happy. Many people make the mistake of believing that they don’t deserve happiness and accept their unhappy state as their destiny. The truth of the matter is that happiness, like anything else in life, needs to be nurtured. The following are a few tips that I follow to create happiness in my life.

1. Understand what it is that will make you happy. Everyone has unique requirements for attaining happiness and what makes one person happy may be very different from what makes someone else happy. Revel in your individuality and do not worry about whether or not your desires are comparable to those of your peers.
2. Make a plan for attaining goals that you believe will make you happy. Your mood will very likely increase as your pursue your goal because you will feel better about yourself for going after something you value.
3. Surround yourself with happy people. It is easy to begin to think negatively when you are surrounded by people who think that way. Conversely, if you are around people who are happy their emotional state will be infectious.
4. When something goes wrong try to figure out a solution instead of wallowing in self pity. Truly happy people don’t allow set backs to affect their mood because they know that with a little thought they can turn the circumstances back to their favor.
5. Spend a few minutes each day thinking about the things that make you happy. These few minutes will give you the opportunity to focus on the positive things in your life and will lead you to continued happiness.
6. It’s also important to take some time each day to do something nice for yourself. Whether you treat yourself to lunch, take a long, relaxing bath or simply spend a few extra minutes on your appearance you will be subconsciously putting yourself in a better mood.
7. Finding the humor in situations can also lead to happiness. While there are times that require you to be serious, when it is appropriate, find a way to make light of a situation that would otherwise make you unhappy.
8. Maintaining your health is another way to achieve happiness. Being overweight or not eating nutritious foods can have a negative effect on your mood. Additionally, exercise has been known to release endorphins that give you a feeling of happiness.
9. Finally, it is important to understand that you deserve happiness. Those who believe that they are not worthy of happiness may subconsciously sabotage their efforts to achieve happiness. If necessary, tell yourself each day that you deserve to be happy and remind yourself what steps you will take to achieve the happiness you desire.

Happiness is hard to define but most people are aware of whether they are happy or not. Many people believe that happiness is a form of luck and that some people are destined to be happy while others are destined to be unhappy. I try to incorporate the tips above into my life and have had great success in achieving happiness. The tips in this article are small but meaningful steps that you can take each day to lead you to true happiness.
.lifehack.org

100 Great Tips to Improve Your Life

Most of us are interested in improving something about ourselves: our productivity, our sanity, our organization, our happiness, our effectiveness, our impact on the environment, our minds, our dreams.
And you can spend hundreds of dollars on books and thousands of hours on websites looking for your answers.
Or you can look no further, as we've collected 100 of the best tips on all of these subjects -- a massive resource list that is almost guaranteed to have something of use for everyone.
This list is an introduction to the blogs of LifeRemix.net, taking a sample of some of the best tips from each of the blogs in the network: Black Belt Productivity, Behance, Cranking Widgets, Dumb Little Man, Happiness Project, LifeClever, LifeDev, No Impact Man, Pick the Brain, Success From the Nest, Tim Ferriss' Four Hour Workweek, Unclutterer, WiseBread, Zen Habits.
Will all of these tips work for you? Probably not. Just pick and choose the ones that appeal to you, and give them a try.

1. Find Inner Serenity by Making it Easier to Find Your Keys. For most people, getting control of clutter brings a greater sense of calm and decreased frustration.
2. Surround Yourself With Progress. When you complete a list of action steps, your instinct might be to throw the list away. After all, the work is completed! However, some creative professional teams take a different approach; they relish their progress. Some go so far as surrounding themselves with it.
3. Empty Your Inbox in 30 Seconds. Is your inbox filled with thousands and thousands of unread messages? Before you give up hope, there's an instant way to clear your inbox of old emails in less than 30 seconds.
4. Instantly Build Self Confidence. These tips will get you riding high in no time.
5. Reduce Your Trash To Almost Zero. Follow the No Impact Man experiment to reduce our trash as close as we can to zero.
6. Feel like a million bucks for cheap. Feel healthier and more energized right away without spending a fortune.
7. End Laundry Chaos. More than 20 tips to help you keep your laundry chaos to a minimum.
8. Learn the Secrets of the Super-Organized. A few simple habits keep clutter and chaos at bay.
9. Check Email Once a Day ... or Once a Week. Simple tips that will reduce interruption and increase your productivity.
10. Become an Early Riser. 10 benefits of rising early, and some practical tips on how to do it.
11. Learn Lessons from Google About Self-Image. How you think of yourself greatly affects how successful you can be. Google has got self-image down to a science.
12. Make a Good First Impression. Research shows that people decide what kind of relationship they want with you in the first ten minutes of a meeting, so making a good first impression really matters.
13. Know the Hype Behind Bottled Water. Have you ever stopped to think about just how incredibly odd it is to buy bottled water?
14. Leave Work at Work. Want more time for your family or personal life? Here's how not to think about your job 24/7.
15. Create a Landing Strip to Become Organized. We come from work exhausted, often carrying our work bags, groceries, and the mail. A landing strip will help you avoid disorganization from the time you get home.
16. Understand Time to Increase Return on Investment. Time is your most valuable resource. Understanding these ideas will help you make optimal decisions.
17. Give Your RÈsumÈ a Face Lift. Even if you can't hire a fancy designer and are stuck with Microsoft Word, a few tweaks can turn your blasÈ rÈsumÈ into an elegant and functional showpiece.
18. Boost Your Energy Level. Feeling energetic is a key to happiness and to self-esteem, so take steps to keep your energy high.
19. Actually Execute Your To-Do List. Many productivity systems will tell you how to organize your tasks, but what happens if you don't feel like doing them?
20. Keep Your Desk Clean and Tidy. Do you spend waste more and more time looking for lost items instead of being the brilliant creative person that you are? Here's how to get your desk clean, clutter-free, and keep it that way for good.
21. Learn the Truth About Baby Carrots. Baby carrots not really young carrots! They are also less nutritious and less flavorful than regular carrots.
22. Try Quick and (Almost) Painless Ways to Kill Distractions. Are you spending more time dealing with emails, IMs, phone calls, and random stray files than actually working? Here are ten actions you can do right now to kill distractions and get back to work.
23. Reduce Your Carbon Emissions. The most important lifestyle changes you can make to reduce your carbon emissions are listed here.
24. Put the Action Method Into Practice. After a couple years of studying how creative people stay organized, we developed a simple and easily customized method for managing projects. A good portion of 2006 was spent putting the Action Method into practice.
25. Gently End Procrastination. Need an easy way to remind you when you should be working and when you should be playing? Try using teaming up Flextime with Growl. Here's how.
26. Read Your RSS Feeds Faster and More Productively. Four simple tips for reducing the time you spend on reading feeds.
27. Use Catchphrases to Change the Way You Think. By keeping certain ideas active and accessible through review and repetition ñ whether itís ìSay yes,î ìFake it ëtill you feel it,î or ìPeople succeed in groupsî ñ you can shape the way you think.
28. Photograph Your Mementos to Free Up Clutter. Taking digital photos of your mementos can get rid of clutter, free-up storage space, and provide you with a simple way to walk down memory lane.
29. Save Trees With Ease. Want to avoid all the paper towels, paper napkins and other tree-killing stuff there's no need to use? Read here.
30. Organize Your Cluttered Desktop and Regain Your Sanity. Is your desktop littered with zillions of random files and folders often litter my desktop. Learn how 5 ordinary folders can keep your desktop immaculate.
31. Eat Slower. Why eating slower is better for your health, your sanity, your digestion, and more.
32. Maximize Your Lunch Hour. Your lunch hour should be the least "productive" moment in your day. If it lasts a mere 20 minutes-or just doesn't exist anymore-here's how to turn it around and make it joyful.
33. Increase Workplace Productivity by Not Being a Jerk. You get more flies with honey, as the saying goes. This is a brief outline for how to work and play well with your coworkers (and get more done).
34. Find Cheap Gas Instantly. If soaring gas prices are draining your wallet dry, here's five ways to find cheap(er) gas anywhere.
35. Find Your Purpose. We're all searching for our purpose. It seems tempting that having it appear by divine intervention would be great. Maybe not.
36. Make a GTD System for about $20. Putting together a functional GTD system for the price of a week's worth of Starbucks.
37. Avoid costly DIY mistakes. You can end up costing yourself more in the long run if you don't watch out for these mistakes.
38. Think About Whether You Can Afford NOT to Pursue Your Dreams. Pursuing dreams is crucial, even when it means taking a hit or entering financial uncertainty.
39. Plan for Success. Waiting for your ship to come in is a waste of time.
40. Improve Your Mind by Reading the Classics. How to use the wisdom of the classics to become a better writer, thinker, and speaker.
41. Break Habits of Highly Ineffective Emailing. A list of what not to do when emailing, avoiding these habits will take you a long way toward better, more productive email.
42. Make Your PDA Green. If you're worried about e-waste and the toxins produced by burying and burning old cell phones and PDAs, you may want to try my green hipster's pda.
43. Learn to Go From Solo to Successful Collaboration. Self-starters are often successful doing everything themselves. However, when forced to grow beyond the one gal/guy-show, many creative professionals are unable to take the leap from a solo success to a successful collaboration.
44. Create a Morning Routine. Developing a routine in the morning could lead to greater sanity and happiness, and achieving your goals.
45. Learn How to Survive a Road Trip. Road trips always begin on a high note, but by the end even Mother Teresa would be willing to shove her grandmother out of the car. Here are 9 tips to help keep you sane and happy on any road trip.
46. Share To Make Ideas Happen. The philosophy to "share ideas liberally" defies the age-old instinct to keep ideas secret. However, the creative person's tendency to jump from idea-to-idea-to-idea causes most ideas to die in isolation. Creative professionals should take every opportunity to communicate new ideas broadly, seek feedback, and develop a sense of accountability.
47. Use Space Under Stairs for More Storage. Very cool under-stair storage where each step is a drawer.
48. Know What's In Store If You Have a Toddler. New parents often wonder what's in store for them once their kid is able to move around on their own. Here's what you can expect.
49. Work in Multiple Positives. These hyper-productive activities will benefit you in multiple ways at once.
50. Use a Super Slim Wallet. It's time to shrink down that backbreaking Constanza wallet. Here are 8 ways to radically slim down your wallet.
51. Advertise Action to Yourself. We live in a world of choices. When we buy, we have to make a choice between varieties, brands, and sizes. Similarly, when we work we have to decide what to focus on and how to use our time. While prioritization helps us focus, our minds still have the tendency to wander. We are most likely to focus on whatever catches our eye. Along the lines of "out of sight, out of mind" we learn that "right before our eyes, actions thrive."
52. Gain Muscle in Minimal Time. How Tim Ferriss gained 34 pounds of muscle in 4 weeks.
53. Choose Living Over Sleeping Sometimes. Despite the importance of healthy sleep habits, there are times when it's good to throw caution to the wind and invest in your life in other ways.
54. Make Reference Items Helpful. We spend too much time discussing, storing, and organizing notes. References are only valuable if you refer to them. Even with a well-organized system for managing references (either digital or paper), how often do we actually use them? How do we make reference items helpful?
55. Eat Sustainably. If you are interested in how to eat sustainably, read about it here.
56. Lose Weight Without Exercise. How to lose 20 lbs. of fat in 30 days with a sensible diet.
57. Find Calm & Sanity Through the Environment. If you've ever thought a more environmental life might also be a calmer, saner life, you're right.
58. Learn About the Successfully Self-Employed. Is freelancing for suckers? Are you already an expert? This series explores the levels of the free-agent -- and how to understand what each one means.
59. Learn GTD the Easy Way. An online primer of all the chapters of Getting Things Done.
60. Set Goals So You Actually Accomplish Them. Setting goals is hard. Following through is even harder. Using a framework that builds on your personal view of the world can make the process easier. This series helps outline how.
61. Reduce Gamer Clutter. If you are a gamer, these are a number of suggestions to help you keep your entertainment system under control and the gaming clutter to a minimum.
62. Stick to a Schedule of Regular Exercise. Exercising regularly boosts moodóright awayóand also makes it easier to sleep, keeps your weight down, and gives you energy.
63. Cut Back on Computer Cables. Follow these 8 simple steps to get rid of the birds' nest of cables behind your computer.
64. Pay the Price to Be an Entrepreneur. The price of access can be steep, but once you're flying down the road -- it's well worth it.
65. Single-task. Increase your productivity by learning not to multi-task.
66. Get Outside Your Comfort Zone. Comfort isn't all it's cracked up to be.
67. Drop Ideas That Fail. Ideas are a commodity. Being able to execute them well is what creates success. Hanging on to an idea, even after it his proven to be ineffective is the downfall of many aspiring entrepreneurs.
68. Learn to Calculate Risk. Risk and reward go hand-in-hand. Knowing what to expect can help reduce risk and shape your reality.
69. Don't Settle for Just One Path. Variety is the spice of life. So why do you have to be just one thing when you grow up?
70. Get Rid of Paper Clutter. A four-part series dedicated to reducing the paper clutter in your home.
71. Set Up Action Areas. Boxes need to be mailed, errands need to be run, cookies need to be eaten, orders need to be fulfilled, but by whom? Whoever has a chance! The Behance team got tired of limiting our action steps to just an area on paper - why not make "action areas" out of physical space?
72. Find Hidden Clutter. Ten places to start looking for hidden clutter in your home.
73. Get a Promotion. 20 tips that landed the writer an IT promotion -- most could be used in any field.
74. Dispose of Old Electronics. The best ways to dispose of old electronics.
75. Increase Your Intelligence. A list of 5 simple activities that will boost your brain power.
76. Present Yourself. Creative achievements seldom happen in isolation. A big part of making ideas happen is controlling how you come across to others. Of course, the Creative's tendency is to say, "who gives a crap what other people think." While there is merit in never compromising oneself for the sake of another's opinion, creative professionals need to make an effort to be understood. You need to present yourself effectively to engage others and get the support (and the business) you need to push ideas forward.
77. Follow George Orwell's Rules for Effective Writing. Becoming a better writer will create better career opportunities and increase productivity.
78. Lay Your Energy Line. Creative teams juggle multiple projects at once. The constant streams of ideas lead to more ideas. As energy is spread across projects like peanut butter, prioritization is all but lost. Energy Lines are a simple way to prioritize and use design to guide creative energy.
79. Focus on Continuous Improvement. By mastering the optimization mentality you can become an expert in your chosen field.
80. Motivate Yourself. This post will teach you to recognize the primary motivation killers and how to beat them.
81. Become a More Light-hearted Parent. We all want a peaceful, happy atmosphere at home ñ and you canít nag and yell your way there.
82. Give Up Nagging. Itís no fun to nag, and itís no fun to be nagged. Give your relationship a lift by putting an end to the irritating nag cycle.
83. Learn to Sacrifice Temporary Pressure for Long-term Goals. All success requires sacrifice. Do you have the determination to endure temporary punishment to reach your dreams?
84. Learn the GTD Workflow. An excellent into to GTD for the novice, a great refresher for the experienced.
85. Use the Power of 10 Minutes. 10 Minutes can be even more productive amount of time than 50 minutes, if used properly.
86. Triple Your Workout Effectiveness. Do you exercise regularly but don't get the results you want? Here are some simple but powerful ways to boost that workout.
87. Work 8 Hours Straight Without Hating Yourself. There is an art to taking breaks that can help you work longer, and more productively.
88. Learn Whether You're Waking Up at the Wrong Time. Everyone's internal clock can tell us when we should be working. Are you listening to it?
89. Reduce Wasted Plastic Cups and Bottles. If you want to toss fewer plastic cups and bottles in the trash, you may be interested this ultra-cool reusable cup and water bottle.
90. Avoid Entrepreneurial Burnout: Fill Your Tank. Many times entrepreneurs suffer from going to hard with their vision, without thinking about keeping the work pace sustainable.
91. Take Steps to Boost Your Happiness in the Next Hour. You can make yourself happier ñ and this doesnít have to be a long-term ambition. You can start right now.
92. Learn to Capture Ideas and How to Manage Diarrhea of the Brain. Sometimes our best ideas come at the worst possible times. These tips will help to make sure none of those precious ideas fall through the cracks.
93. Know the Signs That a Pink Slip is Coming. If you can answer yes to THREE or more of these questions, you may want to think about sprucing up your resume and dry-cleaning your best interview attire.
94. Try No TV. In an extreme experiment to reduce waste to near zero, No Impact Man turned turned off electricity, which means no TV. Read about how to entertain a little girl with no TV.
95. Accelerate Your Mortgage Payments to Save a Bundle. See how much money you can save by adding just a few extra dollars a month to the principal.
96. Use a Today List to Get Stuff Done. Helps you focus on what needs to be done today.
97. Use Money to Buy Happiness. Some of the best things in life arenít free, so spend money in ways to bring you more happiness bang for your buck.
98. Save the Lives of Animals With One Change. If you want to help save the lives of hundreds of thousands of animals just by not using plastic bags, perhaps the easiest environmental step, read here.
99. Get the Most Out of Your Rebates. Follow these tips and we can all fight the Man and wrench our hard-earned money back from those big, faceless corporations.
100. Eliminate All But the Absolute Essential Tasks. Is your to-do list overwhelming you? Here's how to simplify it to the core tasks.  

This post was written by Leo Babauta of Zen Habits

American Idol and Your Job Interview

Are you currently interviewing for a better job? Try watching American Idol. If you follow this huge money-making singing contest from Fox these days, you already know all about this phenom.

Love it or hate it, American Idol (and their other country equivalents) is a good metaphor for life on a number of different levels, which is one reason why it's so popular. If you're currently in job interview mode, you could learn a lot by watching this show.

Branding Versus the "Best" Candidate

American Idol sometimes seems like some weird group interview where each candidate makes his or her case to three fickle interviewers and is either advanced or sent packing. Aside from the constant reminder that this is a singing competition, we all know it's more than that. It's about that elusive quality called a "total package." Ditto the job interview. Here's the reason why all job interviewees should take heed of what happens on Idol: "differentiation."

Some candidates understand this early, while a few just get lucky. Too often, we'll see a very weak singer retained while a much stronger performer gets cut. Some may call this an injustice, but it's not so. What's happened is that the "total package effect" came into play. One singer won more votes, not for singing ability, but for that fact that his or her "brand" differentiated them from the pack. No one else is like those people by a long shot and that brand triggers visibility, notoriety and votes.

The moral of the story: You don't have to be the best singer, just the most memorable decent singer. Same for the job interview. You don't have to be the best candidate with the top skills. You do have to find a way to be the most memorable, hirable candidate.

This leads us to the second important lesson of American Idol:

Know Who You Are

On Idol, almost everyone who begins the show is a decent singer. Those who know who they are early in the show always enjoy a huge advantage over those who haven't a clue, even though they may be better singers. Those who understand this principle include Sanjaya, Blake Lewis and Melinda Doolittle, to mention three. Sorry, but none of them is a "great" singer. They did know their strengths and they stayed with them, often maddenly so. But in the end, look where they are now. They know who they are, what they do best and they never strayed from that path.

In many ways, this is not about finding and molding raw talent, it's about finding and marketing talent that's already well-branded. I believe the interview process is much the same. The branding should occur long before you walk into the interview room.

Too many job hunters try to get through the interview by merely giving the "right" answers. The real issue: They haven't a clue about who they really are or what they bring to a company.

As a job seeker, you must define your strengths and hone a message (your unique selling proposition). This is called branding. Branding is a process that clearly defines who you are and what clear benefit you bring to an employer.

If you can't do that, then please watch "American Idol" next week. You'll see the fate that awaits the next fallen Idol who failed to learn this message in the singing world. 
By Joe Turne

Top 10 Interview Questions

To survive in the corporate world, along with specialized skills and capabilities; you also need to learn some general additional skills. One of additional skill is facing interviews and handling the top 10 interview questions. Be it for the interviewer or the candidate, it is necessary to have some background knowledge regarding how to go about with the top 10 interview questions and answers. This is because answering these typical interview questions can be very crucial to make or break the job. Before moving on to the top ten interview questions and answers, let us have a look at few common interview questions and how to answer.

How to Answer 10 Tough Interview Questions

The key to answer the top 10 interview questions is confidence, but not overconfidence. Those who are thinking of facing an interview should note that interviewers are trained and experienced to test candidates in the most difficult manner. Therefore, you need to be well prepared with satisfactory answers. Interviewers firstly test the confidence level of candidates before moving on to specific job related questions. There can even be unexpected questions thrown at you which is when you need to use your practical and logical thinking abilities for responding appropriately. Read on to get to know the top 10 interview questions to ask with some job interview tips.

Top 10 Interview Questions and Answers

Tell me about yourself?
This is one of the first questions to check your communication skills and level of confidence. Just mention in brief about the education, past career, and some professional accomplishments.

Tell me some primary things about our organization?
An ideal answer should be in brief about the company's history, product offerings, branches, expertise, etc. Make sure you do your homework before getting to face this question. This is surely one of the most common interview questions.

Describe the most difficult task or situation you had to go through and how you dealt with it.
Here, describe a task or project that you handled using your willingness to work in a team, expertise, and proper coordination with all associated staff.

Can we know the reason for the job change?
Do not mention the negative aspects of your previous job. In the response, you need to concentrate on how you want to increase your skills for career development.

Why do you think you look forward to work in this company?
Answer this question in a way the interviewer will know that this particular job falls in your career planning and professional interests. Also mention how this job best suits your career development.

What are your long term goals?
Focus on your long term goals with the company. Do a research on the company profile and mention that you would like to work in a challenging position in the near future. This is also one of the most common interview questions.

Tell me some of your strong and weak points.
Do not exaggerate on your strengths, but also do not miss out on your weaknesses which you think you can overcome.

For how long do you think you can stay in our organization?
In the response you should convince the interviewer that you will contribute your best to the company and will maintain a long term business relationship. Get your past experience in focus if needed.

Considering what aspects do you think you are suitable for this position?
State how your skills and expertise were useful in your past projects, and same can be done in the position you are applying for. This will surely impress the interviewing panel.

What salary do you expect us to offer to you?
Research on the skills and years of experience, and find out the salary range for job you are applying for using a salary tool on the web. In the conversation, you can state between the suitable range, which can further lead to salary negotiation.

Be it the top 10 interview questions or any more questions, the employer will always try to find out how beneficial you can be to his company. Hence, every answer should be backed up by a sales statement and attitude. Be confident and most importantly sell yourself for the career opportunity you are looking forward to.
buzzle.com
By Stephen Rampur.

The best way to Post Job Vacancies

To start with, whether you are looking for hiring someone for a role in your office, you want to get as much information as possible about the role. If you are a professional recruiter you should contact your client to confirm this important details. If you are hiring as a one off for your company then you will need to glean all the information from your boss.

Once you have gathered all the facts about the job such as location, salary, qualifications needed, experience required and what the role involves you need to condense this into a readable and concise job posting.

Candidates are likely to be looking through hundreds or thousands of postings each week and that means that yours needs to be to the point, factual and highlights all the benefits. If you want to attract the best candidates then your posting needs to stand out from the crowd.


Start with a punchy first line that provides an excellent benefit of the role, then go on to explain what the job entails. At the end of the posting you should mention the qualifications and skills that are required from candidates. You want to be clear on skills, experience and qualifications needed because otherwise you could receive applications from people who are unsuitable for the role which wastes their time as well as yours.

If you have decided to advertise the job in a local paper then the chances are you will not have much room to provide this information. If you are paying by the word too then this could limit what you include in the advertisement. If the vacancy is in a small town then adverts in the local paper are a good idea. If the position is in a company in London or some other large city then it is usually best to avoid adverts in the paper as they don’t work as effectively as adverts on boards.

In large towns and cities, most seekers use online job boards as a way to not only have access to thousands of offers but also to apply for them quickly and easily without having to fill out an application form each time.

There is usually plenty of room for posting all the details when you are using a free or paid job board which means there is plenty of opportunity to get creative and make your vacancy stand out from the crowd. Many excellent job boards allow advertising for free so you can save considerable sums of money.

This is particularly worthwhile when you are a professional recruiter or have several postings needed at once. If you want to attract the very best then you should find a job board with good levels of traffic which allows you to pay for a featured listing. This lets job seekers know the position is particularly good and only the most serious need apply.

The best way to post job vacancies is to make your position stand out from the crowd and you should advertise it on appropriate free job boards and free job posting sites to have the best chance of recruiting the perfect individual.

allbestarticles.com
By: Kathryn Dawson
 

4 Tips To Understanding Online Jobs Information

If you've been looking for a way to work from home, you may feel like you're overwhelmed with online jobs information. Yet, if you're like many, it may also seem like you can't seem to make any progress. Much of the confusion stems from broad definitions and a need to determine what best suits you.
The first step to lucidity is simply to realize that there are many things today that classify as an online-oriented, home-based business. Simple access to the internet, and the ability to network to remote locations, has allowed many to work traditional jobs at home. And yet there are plenty more who work for themselves. And there are still others who are based from home but regularly interact with customers face to face. So, online jobs information can be difficult to interpret depending on how broadly the scope is defined.
Now, since so much can be done from home these days, offers, advertisements, and other online jobs information has multiplied. A leisurely saunter through employment and business opportunities reveals a myriad of government and private sector offers, from data entry, transcription work, and record keeping to customer care and telemarketing. There are even offers from foreign companies outsourcing all manner of work such as website creation, graphic design, architectural planning and so on.
To help clear the fog, keep in mind that much may not be suitable for you. For instance, computer programming and webmastering may require certain skills, computer programs, and experience. By contrast, transcription services and data entry may only require the computer you already have. Live customer service by phone may be challenging for a parent with small children around. Yet, customer care based on e-mail allows you to turn the music up to drown out screaming kids!
Once you sort out what might be appropriate based on your home work environment, resources, and skills, keep in mind the self-employment distinction. It used to be that a lot of folks working from home were self-employed. And this proliferates today, with affiliate marketing products online through targeted ads. Others enjoy blogging for profits, or strategically capturing AdSense profits. However, as noted, a great number of folks are still an "employee," working for someone else, but yet do so from home.
If you are currently employed, or are daunted by the self-employment arena, there are a number of mutual benefits to consider for employees working from home. Employees are able to eliminate a number of costs. These include expenses related to commuting, such as fuel and vehicle maintenance, as well as wardrobe requirements. If you have children you can now watch from home, a huge savings is in the child care category. At the same time, employers benefit as well. While it's true that they may lose some "oversight," they gain tremendously in the ability to lower overhead. There's no more providing office space, furniture, computer equipment, phones, and so on.
Here are some parting tips someone searching for online jobs information may not be likely to encounter. If you do choose to conduct your own enterprise from home, you'll really need to monitor how you spend your time. On the one hand, it's remarkably easy to get distracted, and therefore get little accomplished. On the other hand, if you are very driven, it can be difficult to stop. You can easily become unbalanced by wanting to do just a "little bit more." Unlike the office where there are solid cues that it's time to go home, in this instance you always are.
ezinearticles.com 

By Joshua McCallister

Do good looks matter for career success?

Good looks matter in every aspect of life – of course,  a good looking person is easily noticed, and is always the centre of attraction. Attractive face also helps you get success in career as there are many fields in which good looks matter a lot especially the ones in which you have to deal with the public. But the question is: do ‘only’ good looks can get you success? The answer is ‘no’!
Good looks are definitely a plus point and if you have a nice face, it can help you get attention quite easily! On the other hand, if you are an average looking male or female, of course you will have to struggle to get noticed! But this is only one side of the picture and good looks without intelligence, good communication skills and professionalism can get you nothing! So, the bottom line is that if you are talented, hardworking and know the tactics of your job — and in addition to all these qualities, you are charming as well; then you can get success easily. It means that good looks are an added quality to get you success but ‘not the compulsory factor’ to excel in your professional life.
It is often said that tall and handsome boys get promotion easily. Likewise, it is also a very common thought that well-groomed and pleasant looking women get pay raise in lesser time. It is not that tall boys and pretty women get increment in salary, bonus and other perks just because of their good looks — a company is always interested in hard working, sincere, loyal and efficient employees. If someone despite being good looking is not good at work, his /her employer would not at all be interested in him/her because a business can be run successfully with great efforts and if a good looking worker is not good at putting his/her efforts in his/her work, he/she is of no use for any company.
Therefore, if you are an average looking male or female, don’t get disheartened because what can get you success in your career is your talent, hard work and professionalism; not your looks. If you are able to prove yourself as an efficient worker in your field, you will definitely be noticed and can become the centre of attraction of people.
bayrozgar.com

Tips For Hiring The Best Employee For The Job

How do you find the right employees for your company? How do you avoid the pitfalls that occur when you hire the wrong guy or gal?

Well, let's face it: some things can't be prevented. No matter how good a potential candidate may look on paper, and even if they make a great impression in their interview(s), you can't guarantee how they will function as an employee of your company.

Some businesses employ the use of a personality test, competence test, or other such tests. These are a great way to get an extra gauge on how a prospective employee may do things once hired.

When it comes to actual competence testing, however, it is best to not only view their previous experience but also give them an on-the-job test. Let's suppose that you are going to hire a cook. Make arrangements with the job candidate for him or her to come in and cook a sample meal as part of the process of executing a second or third interview. This may seem a little strange, but it will help you ensure you find the right person for the job.

When it comes to personality, you can ask the person certain questions and give them certain hypothetical scenarios in order to get a feel for how they might react in these situations should they be faced with them while working for you. Think of issues that you have encountered with prior problem employees.

For example, if a prior employee talked too much on the job and wasn't as productive as you'd have liked, ask during an interview what the prospective employee's outlook is on talking and doing personal things while on the job. This will not only get the subject on the table, it will also let them know right off the bat that you aren't going to stand for any tomfoolery at your workplace.

What about employees who are too bossy? What about ones who assume too much about their leadership role without prompting or being named as a member of management or without being named as a supervisor? Sit down and write down a series of issues you've faced, and formulate polite questions about this which will help you weed out the bad and keep the good, when you are hiring.

Remember that when you hire someone, you are not the only one interviewing. You are also being interviewed. This potential candidate for the job has every right to look at what you have to offer and decide if they think it will be worth working for you. Give every interviewee a chance to prove himself/herself. But also, make sure you also make a point to sell them on what advantages working for your company will present. 

articlesbase.com 

Career Help Tip

Everyone who works for someone else has to face the fact that some things will fly on a job, and some things won't. As a small business and career coach for over a decade, and someone who has directly hired and supervised over 100 people in my lifetime as a manager (all white collar employees), I've seen great workers and I've seen poor ones.
This series identifies 10 work habits that will sabotage your career.
WORK HABIT #1: Not Being Confident Enough to Act Boldly
THE BEHAVIOR PATTERN:
You will notice this at work by such behaviors as:

• Not speaking up in a meeting even when you have something good to contribute;
• Not doing a great (beyond good or even good enough) job even when you DO have the ability to nail that assignment cold (you are unconsciously holding back);
• Not taking the time to actually get yourself organized enough to maximize your performance. So many low-confidence workers allow themselves to skate by, barely having their work lives under control, because they really aren't planning to excel. When you plan to excel, you simply HAVE to have high standards for self-organization because you know too many balls will drop otherwise.
• Coming in late, bringing projects in consistently late, forgetting meetings, dropping balls, and other frustrating (to your manager) behaviors
• Not stepping up to the plate when offered opportunities for cross-training, extra work, new tasks, and other open doors that can lead to the spotlight shining more brightly on your talent;
• Not leading your team with decisive and clear directions. Instead you tend to let them do whatever they can figure out to do or want to do.
• Avoiding eye contact, face-to-face confrontations and problem-solving (texting or emailing when face-to-face is the most appropriate and expected communication strategy).

All of these behaviors -- and many more -- all are manifestations of a lack of confidence in oneself as a career professional.
THE ROOT CAUSE: "I'm not good enough."
So what causes this tentative, hesitant, tepid approach to work? In a word, the feeling that you are not good enough.
1. You are not good enough to truly succeed:
People who feel this shrink back from taking on major responsibilities, especially those outside their comfort zone.
Some people feel, "if I fly too high, I'll get burned and fall." You may feel good at your set of responsibilities right now, but not about a broader set of responsibilities.
For years in one of our organizations, we've had an administrative employee who is absolutely excellent in his job. Every year we give him a raise, because he is so competent and loyal. But whenever we try to also make him a supervisor, he declines. So we are at a point where we cannot reward his competence and loyalty at any higher rate because he's truly over the ceiling for his job classification.
Why is this? I suspect because he doesn't feel good enough to supervise. He's good at administrative tasks but not people management tasks. Might be true, by the way. But how can he know without trying it?
2: You are not as good as others.
This is a more comparative approach. You look around and see how good others appear to be, how easily they appear to do their jobs, how simple it appears to be to them (notice a pattern here? "Appear"?:-) ).
True Confession: I felt that way for many, many years about one of the professions I am now in. I looked around and just felt that I would never be the powerful public speaker I saw others were. That went on for probably a couple decades until I finally discovered that I got powerful responses from audiences through my own very different style.
SOME CAREER HELP TO CHANGE YOUR LIFE
So if this article describes you in any way, here's some career coaching tips my clients have found helpful:
1. Make AN ACCURATE SELF-ASSESSMENT of your true skills. You may not FEEL comfortable doing something, but are you COMPETENT at least? There is a distinction there!
2. NOTICE when you have these thoughts of not being good enough and then CHALLENGE them. They are not necessarily true.
3. ACT more confidently until you FEEL more confident. Often, our self-limiting behaviors stop us from trying with all our abilities to make something work. Instead, make a habit of actually stepping up to the plate.
4. But...and this is important. Don't over-reach. Don't get a sudden case of bravado and volunteer for a project far above your actual ability (more on that in another article in this series). Learn to take small steps constantly. 100 small steps is far more likely to be successful than trying to take 3 giant steps. Developing your workplace skills, especially the soft skills, takes time.
4. Get a COACH. Coaching saves you time, money, heartache, and needless failure. I AM a coach and I've HAD a coach for most of the last 15 years. Believe me it has been worth every penny. Ok every dollar (coaching isn't cheap).
Developing career skills that promote career success and even career advancement over the long-term has to become a central career goal of yours.

Dr. Sheldon Nix, Ph.D., has been a career coach and small business coach for nearly 12 years. Trained in psychology and coaching at several top institutions, he works with professionals and entrepreneurs at various levels to hone their career skills and maximize their potential.
So here's a 5th tip for dealing with the "I'm Not Good Enough to Be Bold" pattern: Get some of the virtual career help and career coaching offered (via video and articles) on our website designed by Dr. Nix and his team of career experts. Go to http://www.change-your-life-forever.com/career-help.html. It can change your life at work.
/ezinearticles.com 

By Sheldon Nix

Sales Job Interview

The Sales Job Interview is essential to the recruitment process as it helps the employer find particular qualities in potential job candidates they are seeking. Preparing for the interview is just as essential and can make a difference between getting a job offer or not.

The interview process can be stressful and uncomfortable for job seekers. But preparing and knowing how you'll handle yourself can go a long way toward calming your nerves and successfully completing the interview. Companies want to hire competent, successful, articulate people so it is crucial to remain calm and professional throughout the interview.

The following are some tips, questions and advice to help you prepare and ace your next sales job Interview. For additional advice and resources, or to ask questions about interviewing you can also post questions at the Sales Careers Online Networking Forum. 

Prepare for the Interview

Do your homework. It is crucial to understand what the company does, products they offer, etc. Research the company beforehand so that you can showcase that knowledge during the interview. This will boost your credibility with the interviewer and will help you to formulate intelligent questions to ask him or her.

Know where you're going. Make sure you have directions and you know how to get there. Make sure you know how long the trip will take and you have the name and phone number of the person you’ll be meeting with just in case there is a problem.

Find and prepare important documents. Always come prepared and bring important documents such as extra copies of your résumé, a passport, driver’s license, Social Security card, or portfolio of writing samples or other professional work. If you are a recent graduate, you should also bring along your college transcripts

Role-play the interview. Prior to your interview, role-play to prepare answers to common questions the interviewer is likely to ask, such as What are your strengths and weaknesses? Why do you want to work here? Why should we hire you? and the ever popular Tell me about yourself.

Arrive early. Be sure to arrive at least 15 minutes before the interview. Visit the restroom and check your appearance in the mirror. Announce yourself to the receptionist to let him or her know that you have arrived and that you have an appointment. Turn your cell phone off so it doesn’t ring during your job interview.

Interview Tips

Dress for the part. Your clothing should be neat, pressed, and professional looking. It can be difficult to know the culture of the office environment beforehand so it is always better to just plan on dressing professionally.

Make a connection. Establishing a relationship quickly with the interviewer is important. Icebreakers, such as commenting on a picture or relating your hobbies or interests to an obvious interest of the interviewer, can work to your advantage. However, don't walk in ready to recite a rehearsed icebreaker: Every interviewer you encounter will have a different personality.

Ask questions. Before you walk into the interview, know what the company sells, whom they sell to, and the past, present and future growth of the company. Asking questions in the meeting will give you a greater understanding of the company and will show your interest.

Listen carefully. You should be able to interpret the interviewer's description of the position, then explain why your background fits the position. Pay close attention, and understand the company's needs. Doing so will give an interviewer reason to trust you'll do the same when talking to clients.

Close the sale. Sometimes, you make a sale only by asking for it. The same applies in some interviews. Don't be afraid to ask the interviewer if he or she has any questions or doubts about your candidacy. Remember, If you're afraid to ask for a second interview, you'll be afraid to ask for a client's business and the interviewer will recognize that.

Finally, It is almost impossible to know exactly what questions are going to be asked during the interview but you can expect that there are certain areas that will be likely to be explored. If you work in a sales role currently you already understand the importance of preparation prior to meeting a new customer or trying to close a deal and it’s no different when presenting yourself at an interview trying to win a new job. 

salescareersonline.com

 Written By: Rob Halvorsen

Resume Tips - Details You Wish You Knew

With all applicants vying for that opened position, it is somehow daunting to hand in that resume of yours. Organizations received countless of applications and documents from professional applicants everyday and needless to say, your resume should stand out at one glance from hiring managers. One of the most effective resume tips to follow is to pattern your resume to the job positioned opened. By using titles or headings that match the opened position, you are actually making it easy for hiring managers in the elimination process.
Another thing to consider is the design of your resume. Hiring managers do not have the time to thoroughly scan your resume. They have more important things to do and resume to read through. Make the design of your resume reader friendly that sums up all they need to know in relation to the position you are applying for and your capabilities on the first page. There are actually a lot of resume tips over the internet that talks about good resume formatting.
Good formatting is good but putting in great contents is way better. Without good content to read, hiring managers will just throw your resume away without a second thought. Make your skills and achievements detailed. Companies nowadays are more into outputs than vast experience. Having to say processed documents in the records section is very different from saying processed 1000 documents per two weeks in the records section. The second statement would very much catch the attention of the hiring managers and somehow saw how efficient you can be.
Another good thing in this resume tips is learning how to sell the benefits of a skill. All applicants state their skills, capabilities, talents and the cut they have above the rest. But one thing they do fail to include is how their capabilities, talents and skills they posses would help the company they are applying for. So what if you can type 75 wpm? How would that help the company? Typing 75 wpm is amazing but what would really have hiring managers call you for an interview is when you say you can achieve top production of processed documents in a short period and maximize time, cut on losses by having 100% accuracy with typing skill of 75wpm. Now, who can resist that?
And while you're at it, do not fail to mention other important details about you that you want to advertise. Having identified the needs of an organization then pattern it in a way that will bridge the gaps that the company has, highlight also other qualities you have that you think might also be of interest to that company. Maybe you know how to deal effectively with other people, good researcher and problem solver. Hitting two birds with one stone is one of the most effective resume tips everybody should be able to learn to get ahead in this tough competition in getting that job.

To learn more about gaining an "unfair advantage" over your competitors, read this SHOCKING Creating A Resume - 6 Amazing Little Extras That Make Employers Dial Your Digits article. You can also visit Interviewmastermind.com for more psychology-based job interview tips for savvy job seekers.
ezinearticles.com 

By Ambery Green

Typical Interview Questions

The most important thing that you need to carry to a job interview is confidence. Everything else works out well if you are completely confident. But to be confident you have to be well-prepared for what is coming. So to prepare for a job interview you should be ready with the typical interview questions and answers. Because it is your first and perhaps the only opportunity to create an impression and assure the employer about all your skills and your willingness to learn more.

Now, every interview is different because every interviewer, every company and every job is different. Although there are some common interview questions that you can expect and be prepared for. In the following article I have listed some typical interview questions that you can expect in most interviews. However, you should not make and mug up fixed answers for these questions because the interviewer will recognize that in a minute. Consequently, you should simply try to remember the important points that you would want to occur in your answers to these questions.

List of Typical Interview Questions

I have categorized the questions for ease of understanding. There is also an explanation provided for every category. It will help you understand the intention of the employer behind the questions in that category.

Typical Interview Questions Related to Education
These questions are aimed at understanding your educational background and the reason why you entered that particular career. These are basic questions about your grades, favorite subjects and career choices.

• How has your education prepared you for your career?
• Do you think your grades are a good indication of your academic achievement?
• What have you learned from participation in extracurricular activities?
• What academic projects did you undertake?
• Which was your favorite subject? Why?
• What plans do you have for continued study? An advanced degree? (This is the most common interview question. So be prepared with an answer.)
• How has college changed you as a person?
• How was your transition from high school to college? Did you face any particular problems?
• Did you take any extra courses alongside your regular academics?
• Why did you select your college or university?

Typical Interview Questions Related to Work and Experience
These questions are about your previous or current job, the type of experience you have, your relationships with your colleagues and superiors etc. They include some tough interview questions.

• Describe a situation in which you had to work with a difficult person How did you handle the situation?
• Was there an occasion when you disagreed with a supervisor's decision or company policy?
• Describe how you handled the situation.
• Name of company, position title and description, dates of employment.
• What were your starting and final levels of compensation?
• What major challenges and problems did you face? How did you handle them?
• What did you like or dislike about your previous job?
• Who was your best boss and who was the worst?
• What have you been doing since your last job?
• Describe a situation in which you lead a team.
• Who else have you applied to/got interviews with?
• How would you describe your previous manager/boss/supervisor
• Tell me about a typical day in your current/previous job

Typical Interview Questions about You
These questions are aimed at knowing you as a person, your hobbies and interests, your goals in life, etc. These are the most frequently asked interview questions.

• Tell me about yourself (read about how to answer the tell me about yourself interview question)
• What are your weaknesses and strengths?
• Are you a team player?
• What are your hobbies and interests
• What motivates you to put forth your greatest effort?
• Why do you think you are suitable for this particular job
• Are you willing to travel or relocate?
• If you had the financial security needed to retire right now, would you?
• What would disappoint you about a job?
• Describe yourself in just one sentence (Read how to describe yourself.)
• Who is your idol? Why?

Typical Interview Questions about the Future
The questions about your future plans tells the employer about how useful you will be to the company in the future. They also reveal if you are an ambitious person or not.

• What are your long-term goals for the next seven to ten years?
• What are your short-term goals for the next one to three years?
• How would you know if you have been successful in your previous jobs or not?
• Where do you see yourself 5 years from now? (This is one of the top interview questions.)

These were some typical interview questions and here are the best answers to interview questions. Like I have said before, don't mug up any answer word to word. Just list out the necessary points and remember them. There are more job interview questions and answers that you can check out before winding it up. Best of luck!
buzzle.com

By Pankaj Chobharkar

Dealing with Stressful Situations

Stress management strategy #1: Avoid unnecessary stress

Not all stress can be avoided, and it’s not healthy to avoid a situation that needs to be addressed. You may be surprised, however, by the number of stressors in your life that you can eliminate.

 Learn how to say “no” – Know your limits and stick to them. Whether in your personal or professional life, refuse to accept added responsibilities when you’re close to reaching them. Taking on more than you can handle is a surefire recipe for stress.

 Avoid people who stress you out – If someone consistently causes stress in your life and you can’t turn the relationship around, limit the amount of time you spend with that person or end the relationship entirely.

 Take control of your environment – If the evening news makes you anxious, turn the TV off. If traffic’s got you tense, take a longer but less-traveled route. If going to the market is an unpleasant chore, do your grocery shopping online.

 Avoid hot-button topics – If you get upset over religion or politics, cross them off your conversation list. If you repeatedly argue about the same subject with the same people, stop bringing it up or excuse yourself when it’s the topic of discussion.

 Pare down your to-do list – Analyze your schedule, responsibilities, and daily tasks. If you’ve got too much on your plate, distinguish between the “shoulds” and the “musts.” Drop tasks that aren’t truly necessary to the bottom of the list or eliminate them entirely.

Stress management strategy #2: Alter the situation

If you can’t avoid a stressful situation, try to alter it. Figure out what you can do to change things so the problem doesn’t present itself in the future. Often, this involves changing the way you communicate and operate in your daily life.

 Express your feelings instead of bottling them up. If something or someone is bothering you, communicate your concerns in an open and respectful way. If you don’t voice your feelings, resentment will build and the situation will likely remain the same.

 Be willing to compromise. When you ask someone to change their behavior, be willing to do the same. If you both are willing to bend at least a little, you’ll have a good chance of finding a happy middle ground.

 Be more assertive. Don’t take a backseat in your own life. Deal with problems head on, doing your best to anticipate and prevent them. If you’ve got an exam to study for and your chatty roommate just got home, say up front that you only have five minutes to talk.

 Manage your time better. Poor time management can cause a lot of stress. When you’re stretched too thin and running behind, it’s hard to stay calm and focused. But if you plan ahead and make sure you don’t overextend yourself, you can alter the amount of stress you’re under.

Stress management strategy #3: Adapt to the stressor

If you can’t change the stressor, change yourself. You can adapt to stressful situations and regain your sense of control by changing your expectations and attitude.

 Reframe problems. Try to view stressful situations from a more positive perspective. Rather than fuming about a traffic jam, look at it as an opportunity to pause and regroup, listen to your favorite radio station, or enjoy some alone time.

 Look at the big picture. Take perspective of the stressful situation. Ask yourself how important it will be in the long run. Will it matter in a month? A year? Is it really worth getting upset over? If the answer is no, focus your time and energy elsewhere.

 Adjust your standards. Perfectionism is a major source of avoidable stress. Stop setting yourself up for failure by demanding perfection. Set reasonable standards for yourself and others, and learn to be okay with “good enough.”

 Focus on the positive. When stress is getting you down, take a moment to reflect on all the things you appreciate in your life, including your own positive qualities and gifts. This simple strategy can help you keep things in perspective.

Stress management strategy #4: Accept the things you can’t change

Some sources of stress are unavoidable. You can’t prevent or change stressors such as the death of a loved one, a serious illness, or a national recession. In such cases, the best way to cope with stress is to accept things as they are. Acceptance may be difficult, but in the long run, it’s easier than railing against a situation you can’t change.

 Don’t try to control the uncontrollable. Many things in life are beyond our control— particularly the behavior of other people. Rather than stressing out over them, focus on the things you can control such as the way you choose to react to problems.

 Look for the upside. As the saying goes, “What doesn’t kill us makes us stronger.” When facing major challenges, try to look at them as opportunities for personal growth. If your own poor choices contributed to a stressful situation, reflect on them and learn from your mistakes.

 Share your feelings. Talk to a trusted friend or make an appointment with a therapist. Expressing what you’re going through can be very cathartic, even if there’s nothing you can do to alter the stressful situation.

 Learn to forgive. Accept the fact that we live in an imperfect world and that people make mistakes. Let go of anger and resentments. Free yourself from negative energy by forgiving and moving on.

Stress management strategy #5: Make time for fun and relaxation

Beyond a take-charge approach and a positive attitude, you can reduce stress in your life by nurturing yourself. If you regularly make time for fun and relaxation, you’ll be in a better place to handle life’s stressors when they inevitably come.
Don’t get so caught up in the hustle and bustle of life that you forget to take care of your own needs. Nurturing yourself is a necessity, not a luxury.

 Set aside relaxation time. Include rest and relaxation in your daily schedule. Don’t allow other obligations to encroach. This is your time to take a break from all responsibilities and recharge your batteries.

 Connect with others. Spend time with positive people who enhance your life. A strong support system will buffer you from the negative effects of stress.

 Do something you enjoy every day. Make time for leisure activities that bring you joy, whether it be stargazing, playing the piano, or working on your bike.

 Keep your sense of humor. This includes the ability to laugh at yourself. The act of laughing helps your body fight stress in a number of ways.

Stress management strategy #6: Adopt a healthy lifestyle

You can increase your resistance to stress by strengthening your physical health.

 Exercise regularly. Physical activity plays a key role in reducing and preventing the effects of stress. Make time for at least 30 minutes of exercise, three times per week. Nothing beats aerobic exercise for releasing pent-up stress and tension.

 Eat a healthy diet. Well-nourished bodies are better prepared to cope with stress, so be mindful of what you eat. Start your day right with breakfast, and keep your energy up and your mind clear with balanced, nutritious meals throughout the day.

 Reduce caffeine and sugar. The temporary "highs" caffeine and sugar provide often end in with a crash in mood and energy. By reducing the amount of coffee, soft drinks, chocolate, and sugar snacks in your diet, you’ll feel more relaxed and you’ll sleep better.

 Avoid alcohol, cigarettes, and drugs. Self-medicating with alcohol or drugs may provide an easy escape from stress, but the relief is only temporary. Don’t avoid or mask the issue at hand; deal with problems head on and with a clear mind.

 Get enough sleep. Adequate sleep fuels your mind, as well as your body. Feeling tired will increase your stress because it may cause you to think irrationally.


More Tips: Adjusting Your Attitude
How you think can have a profound affect on your emotional and physical well-being. Each time you think a negative thought about yourself, your body reacts as if it were in the throes of a tension-filled situation. If you see good things about yourself, you are more likely to feel good; the reverse is also true. Eliminate words such as "always," "never," "should," and "must." These are telltale marks of self-defeating thoughts.

Source: National Victim Assistance Academy, U.S. Department of Justice

Healthy ways to relax and recharge
1. Go for a walk.
2. Spend time in nature.
3. Call a good friend.
4. Sweat out tension with a good workout.
5. Write in your journal.
6. Take a long bath.
7. Light scented candles
8. Savor a warm cup of coffee or tea.
9. Play with a pet.
10. Work in your garden.
11. Get a massage.
12. Get a foot treatment.
13. Curl up with a good book.
14. Listen to music.
15. Watch a comedy.