How Trusting Yourself Can Benefit Your Career -The Muse

How Trusting Yourself Can Benefit Your Career -The Muse How Trusting Yourself Can Benefit Your Career Nine years ago, I made a stupid decision. I left a great job at an extraordinary company, Capital One. But, I’d been there for a decade and felt worn out at the ripe old age of 35. With responsibilities, a family at home, and plenty of stock options waiting to vest, I should have asked for a six-month sabbatical, but instead I resigned. What would I do during that time? I would take a step back from the daily grind to figure out what I should do next and how could I make my career meaningful again. Rather than sitting in a cubicle hoping the answer would come to me in between answering emails and meetings, I would get away from it all and listen to the Universe. Turns out, it was the best decision of my career. I know not everyone has the option to walk away from a salary. But everyone does have the option to listen to the Universe even if it seems a little crazy at the time. Here’s what I learned in the process. Even if You Do Not Decide, You Still Have Made a Choice I gave my notice on a typical grey January day. Yet as I left my boss’ office, the sky looked bluer. The grass was greener. Food tasted better. Only after breaking free did I realize how strongly inertia had locked me in. The thing is, few white collar roles are insufferable- and that makes it all too easy to suffer through a job simply because nothing’s wrong. However, as my senses sharpened in my first few days off the job, I realized “nothing wrong” should not be confused with “something right.” Here’s a litmus test: What’s your outlook heading into work each morning? Be honest with yourself. In the right job, it’s fair to expect you’ll look forward to going into work most of the week, be ambivalent at least once, and mildly dread one day. (Usually Monday.) Of course, even a job you love will have its bad days. But there should be more good than bad. More days you look forward to than days you dread. By accepting that you’re unhappy at your job, you’re making a choice to feel that way. So don’t- decide to be happy, decide to take control of your own career. Your Career Depends on You Seeing the Right Questions, Rather Than the Right Answers One month into my experiment, I could sense my batteries recharging. I was fortunate enough to be able to spend most days taking care of my family as well as myself. My sons got to go to the park each day, my wife got to eat a home-cooked meal, and I got to spend time doing the simple things- exercising and reading. Now that my regimen included time to simply think, I started having ideas again. It was novel and luxurious. And it was the natural consequence of fencing off this time and granting myself permission to explore my own thoughts. Some days I had brilliant thoughts, other days not so much. Liberating myself from a cubicle and the day-to-day pressure to deliver unleashed my creativity. This period in my career taught me to accept that it’s OK to have a lot of ideas, even half-baked ideas. While working backwards from a clear goal can be very important, I learned that sometimes the best ideas arise just from going on an open-ended journey. You don’t always need to have the strategy and the answers and the plan. The Universe Will Speak if You Commit to Listening OK, I know what you’re thinking- and yes, I just about ran out of money. Having time to think is wonderful, but it doesn’t pay the bills. Let me come clean. I’m not proud. Even though I felt that my career goal was to be part of the startup community, I considered I might have to return to Corporate America, and I interviewed at a Fortune 500 company. A little voice in my head said, “Dad was right; you should have done the smart thing and just taken a sabbatical. What’s this nonsense about listening to the Universe?” But, just as my anxiety was peaking, the Universe spoke to me. And it came in the form of an email from a former Capital One senior executive. He heard I might be on the market- and he just happened to know a great opportunity. As it turns out, he was subject to a non-solicit and was prohibited from contacting current employees about job opportunities. If I had taken a sabbatical- “the smart approach”- I would have been an employee and still off limits. Finally, I got official word from the Universe that I’d made the right decision. Everything in the past year had led to this moment, this email. Long story short: The email turned into freelance consulting for a year, which in turn led to my co-founding a venture capital firm, QED Investors. I love my job, to the point that my wife comments that I “bleed QED.” And it’s only because I made the nominally stupid decision to commit- truly commit- to listen to the Universe. My advice: don’t let yourself be a victim of inertia. You deserve a satisfying career. Find a way to explore, listen, and meet the Universe when it speaks. Photo of man in winter courtesy of Shutterstock.

NYC Job Fairs and Events -- Mar 8 - 14, 2010

NYC Job Fairs and Events -- Mar 8 - 14, 2010 NYC Job Fairs and Events Mar 8 - 14, 2010 Here is this week's roundup of job fairs and events in the New York City area. All, of course, come via amNewYork, but if you happen to know of any otherseither in NYC or elsewheredrop us a line at pinkslipped@vault.com or on Twitter. Friday, March 12: Big East Job FairLocation: Madison Square Garden, 4 Penn Plaza. Time: 10 a.m.- 3 p.m.To register and learn more, go to eventemanagement.com/~bigeast.Saturday, March 13: National Minority Careers in Education Job FairLocation: New York Marriott at the Brooklyn Bridge, 33 Adams St. Time: 10 a.m.-2 p.m.TRegistration starts at 8:30 a.m. Fee is $20.

5 things you need to delete from your life right this second

5 things you need to delete from your life right this second 5 things you need to delete from your life right this second A few months back, an app developer friend asked me to beta test his new friend-management tool for Facebook … I think you can guess where this is going.Overnight I noticed about 90 friends had vanished. By the time the weekend hit, I’d unintentionally divested myself of about another 200 online friends. By the time I figured out how to safely delete the program, I was down about 550 friends.Follow Ladders on Flipboard!Follow Ladders’ magazines on Flipboard covering Happiness, Productivity, Job Satisfaction, Neuroscience, and more!It was weird, but who are we kidding, how many genuine friends do you really have on social media? Weirder yet was the fact that I didn’t notice who was missing for quite a while. By then, I realized it was more of a relief not to have to keep track of people I didn’t much care about.All this got me thinking about what’s important in life, and what we should delete without looking back.Even if you’re not a hoarder by nature, these are some thi ngs it’s time to let go of:1. Does it spark misery?In her book The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up, Japanese decluttering guru Marie Kondo advises readers to rid themselves of objects that no longer spark joy in their lives. Many argue that she’s taken it too far, in basically advising people to get rid of any clutter, knickknacks, or clothing to the point of being a total ascetic.Let’s flip that notion on its ear for a moment and find a way to rid ourselves of things that make us gnash our teeth or remember awful things.Do you have a pen that your former boss gave you … right before she fired you? What about your resume that still lists that job that destroyed your career or email signature that has your ex’s last name instead of the one you use now?Just hit delete, take it to the trash, reset or otherwise allow yourself to eliminate the reminders of moments or people you’d prefer to forget.2. Manage your messIt’s a little bit weird that most of us brag about how ma ny unanswered emails we have in our inbox at any given time; so, what about trying to make your inbox work for you instead of finding workarounds to that overcrowded space?Nicholas Reichenbach, Founder, and CEO of Flow Water, said that instead of worrying about what to hold onto, perhaps it’s better to rethink the way you use your email. “The key is to use your inbox as a ‘to do’ list with all current emails representing an action required by me or others. The rest of the emails are immediately filed under key business activities (such as accounting, sales, marketing, etc.) or deleted,”  Reichenbach said.“I never go one night with my inbox not up to date; and all messaging have been read, filed or deleted,”  Reichenbach added. He says his method is highly effective for managing 150-200 emails and never missing a beat on important and rapid communication.3. Don’t be on fleekWhile there are some catchphrases and expressions that are instant classics, others can make yo u seem like you’re trying way too hard. Just because you read it in Teen Vogue or The New Yorker, doesn’t mean that the latest cool expression belongs in your updated vernacular.Pay close attention to the way your colleagues or boss react when you slip a word into the conversation. Are you faced with blank stares or sneers? It’s time to cut back on the hipsterisms and pay closer attention to the way people at your age or stage actually speak.4. Fly guys or girlsIn a recent Women in the Workplace video on WSJ.com, a linguist tackled the issue of Creaky Phonation, AKA Vocal Fry, the style of talking in which you sort of crunch or sound creaky at the end of sentences. And while people can identify the trend in both men or women’s voices, it was perceived more negatively in women’s voices, especially in the workplace.It’s one thing to try to affect more of a regional sound or dialect, quite another to take on a manner of speaking that mimics Kardashians and irritates potenti al employers.So, if frying is your affectation of choice, perhaps it’s time to let it go the way of uptalking. Away. Far, far away.5. EmojeverythingSome years back I felt extremely adored when a British colleague ended his email with his initial followed closely by an ‘x.’ A bit later I realized that I probably should have been insulted that there was only one; and for the few months we worked together I started counting email kisses. These days, x’s and o’s are pretty much every day sign-offs in some industries.Others consider including smileys, or other emoji to be just fine on all manner of correspondence, but before you assume that it’s okay to send your boss a happy face, take a moment to think about whether it diminishes your message or overall professionalism.While it might be entirely acceptable to start an email to a stranger with “Hi, love” if you work in beauty PR, it could come across as a form of harassment in a more buttoned-down industry.This article w as originally published on November 7, 2017.You might also enjoy… New neuroscience reveals 4 rituals that will make you happy Strangers know your social class in the first seven words you say, study finds 10 lessons from Benjamin Franklin’s daily schedule that will double your productivity The worst mistakes you can make in an interview, according to 12 CEOs 10 habits of mentally strong people

Workers Should Want to Do Well in an Internal Interview

Workers Should Want to Do Well in an Internal Interview Workers Should Want to Do Well in an Internal Interview The internal job interview serves many purposes. The employer holds these interviews to assess the skills and experience of a current employee. It can be so much more than just a job interview, though. It is your opportunity to focus a bright light on your talents, skills, and experience. Rarely will you have such a ready-made opportunity for your organization to notice you. So you are urged to make the best of your internal job interview; how you perform really matters. Reasons to Participate Enthusiastically As a matter of fact, internal interviews are so important that you might want to solicit and seek out opportunities to participate in an internal interview. Heres the most important factor that you need to remember about an internal job interview: Even if the position has someone elses name written all over it, organizations use these interviews in multiple ways, which you can take advantage of to further your career aspirations. You can use an internal job interview for career development. Organizations interview current employees to become familiar with a range of employee skills and interests, in addition to selecting an employee for the current opening. Thus, the internal job interview is your opportunity to have an interested audience that wants to get to know you and potentially appreciate what you have to offer. Even if you believe that you are not seriously being considered for the current job, the interview is your opportunity to shine for all of your future opportunities within your organization. It is short-sighted to think in terms of just the current job opening. Your organization is committed to knowing about and understanding the talents of their current employees so they can make succession plans for internal jobs. Without internal job interviews, it is difficult to make a large number of coworkers and managers aware of your potential to contribute at the next level. So, the internal interview is a terrific opportunity to display your talents, skills, interests, and potential to make contributions. Dont blow a wonderful opportunity to impress the interview team with your interest, talents, skills, passion, potential to contribute, and regard for your organization. Dont Be Short Sighted You shouldnt think of the interview as your opportunity to obtain a position that you believe has already been tagged for another employee. Think of the interview as an opportunity to stand out in your company and in your career. More opportunities will appear, and you want your name to be front and center in the minds of your organizations hiring managers when the next opportunity comes along. If not, you can always target another employer; the job interviews you experience with your current employer will prepare you to shine for a potential new employer. Practice does make job interview comfort and efficacy improve. And, just in case youre wrong about the employee who you think will receive the promotion, use the job interview as an opportunity to learn more about your organization and the interview team members, your colleagues. You can put your very best foot forward for your future in the internal job interview.

3 ways that can help you decrease your time-to-hire

3 ways that can help you decrease your time-to-hire 3 ways that can help you decrease your time-to-hire Recruiters are always on the lookout for different tactics that can actually help them recruit quality candidates in minimal time.Qualified candidates are always in demand and there are chances that some other company will hire them before you do. High-quality candidates are off the market within 10 days, so you need to speed up your recruitment procedure.Hiring faster does not mean that you abandon your hiring process. But you do need to make it quicker. Let’s take a look at some of the best tips that can help you minimize your time-to-hire.Deliver a positive candidate experienceDelivering a positive candidate experience is an essential part of a good recruitment process.You should respond to every application you receive for your open jobs. If you find a candidate qualified for a certain position, schedule an interview with them as soon as possible. Make sure that you are available at the scheduled time as most candidates don’t like to wait for too long.Treating your candidates right can help you boost the reputation of your company and entice more people to apply for vacancies in your company.Build a good reputationJob seekers always seek out the best opportunity for themselves. A majority of candidates will visit your website and 66% of candidates want to hear from existing employees about your company before they apply for jobs.You should stay informed about your employees’ needs and deliver a good work experience to them. Satisfied employees are more likely to say good things about your company.Job seekers obviously want to work for companies that have a good reputation and a healthy work culture. Building a good reputation can help you attract potential job seekers and make them want to be a part of your company.Leverage an employee referral systemYou can easily ask your existing employees to recommend suitable candidates for vacant positions. This can be a great strategy to cut down your time-to-hire as you can get in touch with reliable and quali fied candidates for your open jobs.You can offer rewards like incentives to your employees if their referrals get hired. This will encourage and motivate your existing employees to refer more candidates in the future.If you want to get some more ideas on how to hire candidates quickly, check out the infographic below:Click to enlargeAlex Miles is a PR specialist for Candidate Rewards TotalRewards Software which is a unique candidate experience software that enables companies to communicate the true value of their offer to candidates. She helps brands reach wider audiences and build good reputations with well-nurtured, cooperative relationships.

The environment effect Why so few people succeed and others dont

The environment effect Why so few people succeed and others don’t The environment effect Why so few people succeed and others don’t On November 16, 1532, Inca emperor, Atahuallpa, and invading Spanish conquistador, Francisco Pizarro, set eyes on one another for the first time, at the Peruvian highland town of Cajamarca.  1Atahuallpa had a huge home advantage. He was the monarch of the largest and most advanced state in the New World, ruled an empire of millions of people, and was surrounded by an army of 80,000 soldiers on home soil.Pizarro on the other hand, led a group of 168 Spanish soldiers into the unfamiliar terrain of Atahuallpa’s empire, far away from reinforcements.The odds were heavily stacked in Atahuallpa’s favour, as he was on home soil, and his 80,000 soldiers significantly outnumbered Pizarro’s 168 men.Shortly after, the Indian soldiers would defeat the Spanish invaders, in a one-sided battle.Or would they?Within a few minutes of the first encounter between the two leaders, Pizarro captured Atahuallpa, and his soldiers slaughtered over 7,000 Indian troops, in what was the bloodiest massacre o f indigenous people during the early Colonial era.Several months later, Pizzaro executed Atahuallpa, and the Spaniards conquered the entire Inca Empire.The victory of the Spanish forces over the Inca empire, marked the beginning of widespread European colonial success across the Americas and Africa.How did such a small number of Spanish soldiers succeed in defeating the vastly more numerous Inca empire? Why did the Europeans succeed in colonizing the rest of world, and dominate in every aspect of prosperity and economic development, instead of the Americans or Africans?Most importantly, how does this explain why today, so few people reap the rewards and achieve success at the highest level?Let’s dive in.Why Jamaican sprinters run so fastAt the 1952 Olympics in Helsinki, Finland, Jamaica was ranked 13th in the world, winning just two gold medals in 400-meter track events.By the 2008 Olympics in Beijing, Jamaica dominated the sprint events in 100 and 200 meters: a clean sweep, with Usain bolt winning three gold medals, and Veronica Campbell-Brown winning one gold medal in Women’s 100-meter dash.At first glance, it may seem to be a coincidence that Jamaica, an island of only 2.8 million people, is the “sprint factory” of the world. And that a disproportionate number of its sprint champions would happen to be born in the parish of Trelawny, north of Jamaica.  2But is it  really?Each year, Jamaica hosts a national high school track-and-field championship called “Champs.”Champs is screened live on national television, and extends over four days with the best athletes from 120 schools competing against one another.The event takes place in Kingston’s 35,000-seat National Stadium, which often sells out, and has attendances much larger than those of professional track events.During Champs, scouts keep their eyes peeled for the next sprinting superstar of the world, and young athletes have the opportunity to change their fortunes, through scholarships or en dorsements.It’s the culmination of several years of sprinting under the Jamaican youth system.And much like the youth system of football in the United States, or soccer in Brazil, nearly every kid in Jamaica would have been made to sprint at some point in youth races, from as young as five years old.A child born in Jamaica would have the following stacked in their favor: a school system that encourages high level sprint training and competition from a very young age, a warm climate that enables sprinting outdoors all year round, a culture that reveres and rewards sprinting, and high level facilities, coaching and equipment.By the time high school athletes participate in Champs, they have had over 10 years worth of practice in sprinting, and are miles ahead of their counterparts in other countries.So, is it that much of a surprise that Jamaican sprinters run much faster than their competitors, and dominate sprint events on the professional level?This brings us one step closer to so lving the puzzle of why so few people succeed in life and work.The power of locationBack to the battle of Cajamarca. Why did Pizarro succeed in capturing Atahuallpa and defeat the vastly more numerous Inca army?A basic answer is this: Pizarro and his men had the military advantage of using steel swords, armor, guns, and horses, that Atahuallpa’s troops didn’t.This distinct advantage enabled the Spanish soldiers to kill thousands of natives, who could only defend themselves with stones, slingshots and wooden clubs.But this answer is too simplistic. It doesn’t answer the real question beneath the surface: why did the Spaniards and Europeans first come to have these military advantages for colonization, instead of the natives in America or Africa?To answer this question let’s have a look at the map of the world:Diagram of the major axes of the continents via Guns, Germs and Steel.Do you notice anything strange in the image above?The major axis of the Americas is north-south, li kewise in Africa. But, in Eurasia, it’s east-west.In addition, Eurasia has the largest landmass of all three continents.In the best-selling book,  Guns, Germs and Steel  (Audiobook), historian and geographer, Jared Diamond, argues that these geographical differences in the continents, affected the diffusion of food production and inventions, and contributed to the significant differences in development of the Native Americans, Africans and Eurasians.For example, Eurasia’s east-west major axis, enabled the rapid spread of the newly invented wheel in 3,000 B.C., from Southwest Asia to the rest of Eurasia within a few centuries.Conversely, America’s north-south axis, prevented the spread of wheels invented in Mexico to the Andes region.Likewise, in Sub-Saharan Africa, the north-south axis and the major ecological barrier of the Saharan desert, prevented the spread of writing, which developed in Egypt in 3,000 B.C., and did not spread independently to the rest of Africa until it w as introduced by Arabs and Europeans, centuries later.Unlike Africa and the Americas, Eurasia had moderate ecological and geographical barriers.The east-west major axis permitted ease of movement of crops and livestock, which in turn enabled food production in abundance, a larger, healthier population, more competing societies, more inventors, and better innovations, than anywhere else in the world.The answer to the puzzling question of why Pizarro successfully led a tiny army of soldiers to defeat Atahuallpa’s Inca empire, is simple: Pizarro was born and raised in Eurasia.He enjoyed the benefits of living in the most developed, prosperous and advanced society in the world, including the military innovations that helped his soldiers to conquer the Inca empire.In other words, if Pizarro and Atahuallpa, were interchanged in where they had been born, Atahuallpa would have defeated Pizarro.So, how does this all tie back to solve the puzzle of why so few people achieve success in life and work?Long story short, successful people live in an optimal environment that enables them to develop the right skills, mindset and tools, required for success.And because success is subjective based on comparison to others, the optimal environment creates distinct competitive advantages that result in only a few people reaping most of the rewards.This is why Jamaican sprinters dominate sprint events, and Europeans achieved much more developmental success than Africans and Americans.It’s not because of their distinctive human intellect, genetics or work ethic, rather  it’s because of their environment.Design your luckThere is a strange phenomenon sociologists have observed. It’s called the “Matthew Effect,” named after the New Testament verse in the Gospel of Matthew:  3“For unto everyone that hath shall be given, and he shall have abundance. But from him that hath not shall be taken away even that which he hath.” - Matthew 25:29The Matthew Effect suggests that peo ple who have a distinctive head start or advantage over others by chance or luck, are the most likely to be given more opportunities that breed greater success. And vice versa.As we’ve discovered, that distinctive advantage is environment.There are very few people in the world lucky enough to live in the right place, at the right time, surrounded by the right people and resources, required to achieve the success they desire.This is why the top athletes tend to come from the same regions of the world. It’s why Eurasia survived, conquered and dominated the world, and Americas or Africa didn’t.And ultimately, it’s why so few people succeed and other’s don’t.The romantic idea that success is a byproduct of hard work alone is too simplistic, and fails to take into account the role of environment.Environment is the hidden force that shapes our lives. Where you live and the people you surround yourself with, will ultimately determine the destiny of your life.But you don’t hav e to leave this to chance.You have the power to step outside of your comfort zone, and change your environment to work for you, instead of against you.You have the power to surround yourself with people who will support your goals and improve your odds of success, and distance yourself from those who don’t.In the end, only you have the power to design your luck.Mayo Oshin writes at  MayoOshin.Com, where he shares the best practical ideas based on proven science and the habits of highly successful people for stress-free productivity and improved mental performance. To get these strategies to stop procrastinating, get more things by doing less and improve your focus,  join his free weekly newsletter.”A version of this  article  originally appeared at  mayooshin.com  as  â€œThe Environment Effect: Why So Few People Succeed and Others Don’t.”FOOTNOTES The account of Pizarro’s capture of Atahuallpa is a combination of eyewitness accounts. A 19th-century account can be found in William H.Prescott’s  History of the Conquest of Peru  (New York, 1987). Lists of sprinters of Jamaican descent who compete for other countries and Jamaican sprinters from Trelawny could be found in the annex of: Robinson, Patrick.  Jamaican Athletics: A Model for 2012 and the World. Black Amber, 2009. Merton, Robert K. (1968).  â€œThe Matthew Effect in Science”  (PDF).  Science.  159  (3810): 56â€"63 Please note that the argument of this piece doesn’t discount the importance of genetics or hard work for success, rather it puts them in rightful context of environment as the primary driving force behind success.

5 Essential Tips for Video and Skype Interviews

5 Essential Tips for Video and Skype Interviews 5 Essential Tips for Video and Skype Interviews Many employers and recruiters now use video interviews. Sometimes video interviews are brief, timed recordings that ask candidates to answer general interview questions, and sometimes these are video meetings using Skype or other platforms. It’s important to remember that both types of video interviews are just as important in-person interviews, and the following tips will help you make sure your bases are covered. 1. Dress professionally. Dress like you were interviewing in person. Make sure that your camera is focused on your waist up, so plan your outfit accordingly. 2. Choose a location wisely. Make sure you have picked a location for the video interview without distractions both for yourself and your interviewer. Choose somewhere quiet and well lit. 3. Check your technology ahead of time. Make sure you can login to all systems and all audio and video are functioning properly. Test your setup with a friend the day before your interview to familiarize yourself with the process. Remember to also charge or bring chargers with you for your devices, just in case. Just before the interview, close out of any programs that you don’t need open or that could be distracting during the interview. 4. Focus on the camera, not the screen. During your interview, make sure that your focus is on the camera and not your screen. In order to make eye contact, you’ll want to look at the camera during the interview rather than paying attention to the interviewer or yourself on the screen. This can be difficult if you aren’t used to video as a method of communication, so this might be something to practice prior to the interview with a friend as well. Like you would in an in-person interview, take note of your body language as well. Don’t close yourself off. Remain calm, confident, and friendly. 5. Use notes. Take advantage of the video format and use notes. Before your interview, you’ll be doing research on the company, so jot down things about the company that might be good to bring up in your interview. You might also jot down questions you might want to ask during your interviews. But don’t rely on your notes as though they were a script. Only use them to help keep you stay on task or if you get nervous.