What Do 7 Billion People Do?

The occupations of the world’s population today.

Image: Funders and Founders

LinkedIn 101: LinkedIn in 10 Minutes or Less

‘Getting’ LinkedIn (ie what it is, how to use it) in under ten minutes.

Presentation from LinkedIn Higher Education

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Phases of Job Interview

Job interview is an important aspect, especially, when you are going through it. Make sure you are proficient in understanding the phases of a job interview. It is not about sending resumes and getting selected, but rather learning through the experience.

Before starting your search and sending resumes, you should be aware of the different stages of an interview. Below is a list of them:

1. Pre-Interview Preparations

• A job seeker does a lot of research about the company, where the interview is being conducted.
• Understanding the working of an organization, company’s latest trends and developments, product and services, etc.
• It is recommended to reach on time and for that take into consideration the factors such as distance, traffic, etc.
• Prepare some questions and answers, but make sure to answer the questions in a narrative way. This makes your answers sound interesting, as it can attract the attention of an interviewer.
• Check yourself before going for an interview. For instance, how you talk? How you enter an interview room? Etc. Practice these things so, that you are not nervous while giving an interview.
• It is better if you can imagine the whole scenario with a friend or colleague and practice giving the answers. Then you can give answers confidently without hesitating.
• Prepare some questions which you would like to know from the employer about the company or your role.
• Carry all the important documents such as your resume, letters of recommendation, etc. which you think can be asked by an employer.

2. While giving an Interview

• Make sure to enter the room in a way which reflects your personality.
• It is being said “First impression is your last impression”.
• When you enter the interview room, greet the interviewer.
• The signs of getting nervous are how you talk and walk? A lot of people have the habit of moving legs, or fidgeting with their fingers. Try to be calm and relax.
• Answer questions in a story manner, end it in the same way.
• Don’t talk about salary in the beginning, instead wait till the end of the interview.
• Be calm and relaxed, even if you can’t answer any question. Don’t get upset about it, but rather focus on the present moment.
• It is good to ask some questions from an interviewer, so that you are aware about the company and the roles and responsibilities you would have if you are part of the organization. This indicates you are interested to get knowledge about the company.
• When leaving the interview room, greet the employer by saying “Thank You”. These are small things, but they make a lasting impression on the person who is taking your interview.

3. Post Interview

• A nice gesture is to send a Thank you note or follow-up letter to the interviewer.
• Even if you are not selected, don’t be upset about it. You get a job when mutual needs are perfectly met, i.e. an employer and employee are both fully satisfied.
• Even if the interview didn’t go well, don’t write about it on any social networking site. Since an employer or anyone who reads it may have negative thinking about you.

Conclusion:

Giving a job interview can enhance your skills and it is an experience through which a job seeker can learn. Even when you are not selected, this can bring out the best in you, so that you don’t repeat the mistakes in the next interview.

Image: Parade

Wasted Time in the Workplace [INFOGRAPHIC]

Wasted time in the workplace is a massive problem. How big is exactly unclear, but from our research, the cost to business is in the millions (if not billions) in lost productivity every year. The infographic below explains just how much time we waste at work, the ways we waste it, and how businesses are grappling with the issue. The results are surprising, if not alarming:

Image: Time Doctor

The Simplest Formula for Career Happiness

Being happy at work is complicated.

After all, there are so many factors that go into it: your relationship with your boss and your co-workers, the fulfillment (or lack thereof) you get out of your day-to-day tasks, the mission that your company is working toward. Not to mention if what you’re doing today is what you think you want to be doing five, 10, or 20 years from now.

Most of us (ourselves included) have felt frustrated or unhappy at work—and worse, felt stuck in whatever circumstances are causing us to feel that way. And that is tough.

But sometimes, it doesn’t have to be as tough as we’re making it.

We were reminded of that fact when we came across this brilliant—and brilliantly simple—infographic showing that happiness (at work or otherwise) is entirely in our hands.

Image: Typcut

OK, we know it’s not always as simple this. But, we think it’s a good reminder that, any time we’re feeling less-than-thrilled with something going on, that we each have the power—and the responsibility—to make a change.

Dealing with Overwhelming Workload

If it seems like you’re always stretched too thin and never have enough time to complete your work before three new projects are handed down to you — always with the instructions that they’re high–priority — you probably need to talk with your manager about your workload. Here are five steps for talking to your manager when your workload is overwhelming.

Your manager doesn’t know your workload

You’re the person paying the most attention to your workload, not your manager — and s/he may assume that since you’re not speaking up, there isn’t a problem. So let him/her know about it.

Talk to your manager

Pick a time when your manager is’t rushed and ask to talk about your workload. Explain that it has become unmanageable and why (for instance, that you’ve taken on the responsibilities of someone who left without anything being removed from your plate, or that a particular account has doubled in size in the last year.)

Suggest options

You’re most likely to get the help that you need if you come prepared to talk about options. For instance, you might say, “I can do A and B, but not C. Or if C is really important, I’d want to move A off my plate to make room for it. Alternately, I can act as an adviser to Jane on C, but I can’t do the work of C myself if I’m also doing A and B.”

Making the best choice

If your manager resists making these kinds of trade–offs, you need to keep pushing the issue. If your manager won’t help you prioritise, then come up with your own proposal for what you will and won’t prioritise and ask him/her to tweak it or OK it

Enforce boundaries

To take on something new when your plate is already full, you need to either get rid of something else or at least push it back. So if a new project comes your way, go to your manager and ask about trade–offs.

Courtesy of: AOL Jobs

Are We Being ‘Stupid’ Too?

A butcher watching over his shop is really surprised when he sees a dog coming inside the shop. He shoos him away. But later, the dog is back again. So, he goes over to the dog and notices he has a note in his mouth. He takes the note and it reads, “Can I have 12 sausages and a leg of lamb, please. The dog has money in his mouth, as well.”

The butcher looks inside and, Io and behold, there is a $10 note there. So he takes the money and puts the sausages and lamb in a bag, placing it in the dog’s mouth. The butcher is so impressed, and since it’s about closing time, he decides to shut up shop and follow the dog.

So off he goes. The dog is walking down the street when he comes to a crossing. The dog puts down the bag, jumps up and presses the button. Then he waits bag in mouth, for the lights to turn. They do, and he walks across the road, with the butcher following him. The dog then comes to a bus stop, and starts looking at the timetable.

The butcher is in awe at this stage. The dog checks out the times, and then sits on one of the seats provided. Along comes a bus. The dog walks around to the front, looks at the number, and goes back to his seat.

Another bus comes. Again the dog goes and looks at the number, notices it’s the right bus, and climbs on. The butcher follows him onto the bus.

The bus travels through the town and out into the suburbs. Eventually the dog gets up, and moves to the front of the bus. He stands on two back paws and pushes the button to stop the bus. Then he gets off, his groceries still in his mouth.

Well, dog and butcher are walking along the road, and then the dog turns into a house. He walks up the path, and drops the groceries on the step.

Then he walks back down the path, takes a big run, and throws himself against the door. He goes back down the path, runs up to the door and again, it throws himself against it. There’s no answer at the house, so the dog goes back down the path, jumps up on a narrow wall, and walks along the perimeter of the garden. He gets to the window, and beats his head against it several times, walks back, jumps off, and waits at the door.

The butcher watches as a big man opens the door, and starts abusing the dog, kicking him and punching him, and swearing at him. The butcher runs up, and stops the man.

“What in heaven’s name are you doing? The dog is a genius. He could be on TV, for the life of me!” to which the man responds, “You call this clever? This is the second time this week that this stupid dog has forgotten his key.”

Reflection: Looks like some people will never be satisfied with what they’ve got. When it comes to the workplace, employers do not kow to appreciate people who have served them loyally through the years. I’ve seen companies lose good people for the simple fact their leaders failed to show appreciation.

Employers with big egos enjoy the fact that they have more power and authority than others. They show, in the way they give orders and directions, that they think they are superior. They get a kick out of displaying this superiority. People who do this are fools. They are never satisfied because they could not be saisfied even if their people perform well. They don’t listen to the opinion and ideas of their subordinates. Why? Because of their stupid pride and insecurity!

Such will never be satisfied. Why? Because they are so busy wrapped up in themselves and, fact is, the self can never be satisfied. Happy and productive people are always those who are “others-centered” rather than “self-centered.” The greatest idea of leadership is not someone who throws his weight around. His joy is derived from delivering a job others benefit from his contribution. Aim for service and success will follow.

Cast Away Boredom

Some tips to re-frame the moment, even if you can’t escape a situation, by re-framing your emotions about it, you can transform it.

By Jobs.AOL.com

One thing that can be a source of unhappiness is boredom. And there might be situations and activities at your workplace at that might bore you. Here are some tips to re-frame the moment, even if you can’t escape a situation, by re-framing your emotions about it, you can transform it.

• Put the “mediation” after the activity that’s boring you. If you’re impatient while waiting for, say, a bus, tell yourself you’re doing “Bus waiting mediation.” If you’re waiting for the response of your client, you’re doing “Waiting for reply meditation.”

• If something is boring for two minutes, do it for four minutes. If it’s still boring, do it for eight minutes, then 16, and so on. Eventually you discover that it’s not boring at all.

• Take the perspective of a journalist or scientist. Really study what’s around you. What are people wearing, what do the interiors of buildings look like, what noises do you hear, what do the documents show? If you bring your analytical powers to bear, you can make almost anything interesting.

• Find an area of refuge. Have a mental escape route planned. Think about something delightful or uplifting. Review photos of your children on your phone or listen to an audiobook.

• Look for a way to feel grateful. It’s a lot better to be bored while waiting for a meeting to being than to be in an agony of suspense about whether your team failed to meet goals. Maybe your competitor is having an even tougher time.

• And of course, always bring something to read.

Women Staffers More Honest Than Men

Women may or may not be the weaker sex, but it appears that they work longer hours than men. Fifty-four percent of women reporting working nine or more hours a day, compared to 41 percent of men, according to a survey. The report also found

Women work more

• Although Ninety-one percent confine their working hours to five days each week, 47 percent claim to work more than eight hours each day.

• 54 percent of women report working nine hours or more a day, compared to 41 percent of men.

• On vacation, 65 percent do some amount of work.

Women perceive their compensation more positively

• Of respondents who reported receiving a bonus (49 percent), 40 percent of women said they could use it to either spend a week on the beach or take world tour, compared to 30 percent of man.

• Twenty-six percent of men said their friends would feel bad for them if they knew how much they made, compared with 17 percent of women.

• Fifty-five percent of men and 47 percent of women reported of not receiving bonus last year.

Women are more honest

• Eighty-four percent of all employees report that they were “actually sick or caring for a sick child” the last time they called in sick.

• Roughly one-in-five men and one-in-seven women are lying. When it comes to their most recent sick day. They revealed that they were playing hooky, taking mental health days, suffering from hangovers or interviewing for another job. — Agencies

Manage Improper Employee Behavior

Address unacceptable employee behavior the moment it comes to your attention. Managers should nip bad behavior in the bud to prevent employees from flaunting workplace rules, whether the issue is inappropriate clothing, personal phone calls or unauthorized Internet use.

• Identify the specific infraction of a workplace rule the moment it occurs or as soon as it’s called to your attention by another employee. Record details of the incident, the time and the date of the infraction and place it into the personnel file of the offender. Check your company’s employee manual to make certain the behavior you’ve cited is clearly noted.

• Wait for a second infraction of workplace policy to make certain the original unacceptable behavior wasn’t an isolated incident. Call the employee to your desk for a chat or arrange to meet with her outside the office environment — for lunch, perhaps. Be direct. Use “I-speak” to avoid making accusations that could put the employee on the defensive.

• Listen. Sift through the explanations offered by the employee and query her on points you find confusing. Jot down notes for accurate record of her responses. Inquire into incidents that may have triggered the unacceptable behavior.

• Discuss with your employee remedies that could get her back on track. Offer assurances that your door is always open should she need to talk about whatever led her to break the rules in the first place.

• Issue a written reprimand if, despite the aforementioned actions, the unacceptable behavior recurs. Copy higher-ups, appropriate department heads, the direct superior of the offender and your company’s legal counsel, advising everyone of your employees’ apparent unwillingness to remedy her unacceptable behavior despite your repeated intervention. — Agencies

Eating at Workplace

Whether you work in a culture where lunch is ‘for wimps’ or it’s simply commonplace to find people snacking or even taking their lunch at their desk or you’ve been asked to work overtime and a quick bite to eat at your desk or work station is all you can fit in to your schedule, there are some very important dos and don’ts when it comes to eating etiquette at work. Assuming the company allows you to do that, here are some rules to follow.

Keep it simple

It doesn’t matter if you prefer a plate of spaghetti to eating a chowmein — in the workplace, keep it simple if you are planning to eat at your desk. Stick to things like sandwiches, a pie or pastry, or something that can be kept in a pot or small plastic container and eaten simply with a fork or spoon.

Be aware of customers

Be very aware of customers/clients coming into your place of work and don’t eat in front of them if you’re at your desk. And, for those of you whose work involves using the telephone, make sure you only eat at your desk when it’s your designated break time. Many call centre personnel in particular have been caught out by taking a large bite out of a sandwich or munching a mouthful of crisps when they suddenly hear the ‘bin-bong’ that signals another call is coming through.

No smelly stuff

Don’t bring food into work to eat at your desk that gives off a pungent smell. Garlic and rich spicy floured foods are a complete ‘no-no’. You might think they smell and taste delicious but your colleagues sitting close to you may hold a totally opposite view, at least in the workplace.

Watch your timing

If you work at a nine to five job, be very careful about bringing things in for breakfast. Unless it’s the norm around the workplace, it could be perceived that you’re not in the right frame of mind to start your working day. After all, your boss will usually expect you to begin work promptly on time at the start of your shift so if you’re eating you’re obviously not working which might be looked upon unfavorably by your boss or immediate supervisor. Likewise, if you’re on a 10 minute break and you’re eating at your desk or workstation, make sure you’ve completed your snake and cleared up before the 10 minutes is up — your employer isn’t paying you to eat on their time, after all.

Respect the cleaners

Cleaners play a vital role in the efficiency of a company but they are not employed to wipe down food stains or to pick up crumbs except in the canteen so show them and your colleagues nearby some respect and clean up your mess and get rid of any wrappers, food containers, cups when you’ve finished eating.

Consider your colleagues

Remember that whilst you might be on your break, you colleagues might still be working so show them some respect and keep chat to a minimum if you have to eat at work. If you do engage in any kind of conversation with them, don’t talk with your mouth full. There’s nothing quite as repulsive as something spitting remnants of food at you when you’re having a conversion.

Practice good hygiene

Once you finish eating and clear up, go to the bathroom and clean your teeth. A toothbrush and small tube of toothpaste kept in a bag or pocket is always useful in the workplace. Wash your hands thoroughly also before resuming work, especially in a shared workspace where somebody might have to use the same equipment as you’ve been using when they come in for their shift.

Eating at workplace

You are offensive office eater if

• There are remnants of your lunch on your desk and equipments like in between keys of keyboards
• You are eating a smelly lunch. People will walk into you office and then immediately turn around
• You produce noise while eating. Some people have a hatred of certain sounds, especially related to chewing, lip-smacking, or crunching