4 Easy Steps to Positive Job Finding Thoughts

4 Easy Steps to Positive Job Finding Thoughts 55 How to get a positive outlook on your job search. This is a guest post by Kate Baggott. If you’d also like to guest post here on JobMob, follow these guest post guidelines. Any job search can be a long-term project. It can induce a loop of depressive or obsessive thoughts and provoke the fear that life will never improve from its current state. I wrote this little essay to remind myself that life's difficulties always end. Sometimes they morph into happy times, sometimes they evolve into stranger and more interesting difficulties.eval Still, the only way to recognize improvements and changes is to change that cycle of obsessive thoughts. Here is an essay that describes how I work to find a more positive mindset. I hope it helps you too.eval Obsessive thoughts are sticky things. They allow trivial sensibilities to assume and carry an unworthy weight. They encourage a false dedication that demands intellectual loyalty to what is just cerebral masturbation. They are insatiable thirsts, forever demanding life’s milk and then spilling it carelessly. They inspire nothing but wakefulness with their tortured repetition. There is nothing mysterious to complete any fixation. Obsessive thoughts cannot be resolved. The adaptability of the brain, in all its fantastic elasticity, can end the loop of obsessive thoughts. It can, with staggering degrees of curiosity and imagination, think new thoughts: 1) Create room for these infant ideas Accept that the old thoughts are comfortable and well-practiced, but probably wrong. Good ideas and productive thoughts are fleeting. The knowledge they inspire and the skills they build upon can be applied to meeting the demands of life. Obsessive thoughts repeat because they are flawed. The brain replays them desperately searching for some use for an obsolete tool. 2) Recognize that the old thoughts are wrong There is freedom in accepting the need to open another neural pathway â€" metaphorically speaking, of course. There is no need to revisit old observations that may be the stuff of false conclusions. Instead, there is a need to widen one’s outlook, to discover the details missed in the glare of sunlight or the shadows of evening. 3) Do not speak of your pensive opinions as they develop Do not solicit agreement or disagreement. Taking in a fresh view of the world is a delicate exercise and more than seeing is required. Listening, too, is important to the creation of new thought. Hear what others have to say, unasked and unprovoked, about whatever is happening in their own heads. Let their words re-form and be read aloud into the ears of your consciousness. Let it all in. Let it push out the obsessive thoughts and make room. 4) Give your imagination permission to play with subjects it has not considered Allow memories to revise themselves so that you treat old enemies with kindness, old grudges with compassion and, the almost-forgotten stories of your youth with invaluable friendship. Open the door to your senses. Inhale the scent of soap before you buy it. Shake hands more slowly to examine them for calluses and unexpected softness. Walk through the spice market of your mind to discover another flavor. Reconsider all your long-established preferences. Find a new thought you love more than any you’ve had before. Then, create another. About the Author Kate Baggott is a Canadian writer living in Europe. Her work has been published around the world. Links to other published pieces can be found at http://www.katebaggott.com This article is part of the Over $4000 in Prizes: The 5th Annual JobMob Guest Blogging Contest, which was made possible thanks in large part to our sponsors: Marcus Tandler’s JOBlog is Germany’s oldest blog about job search careers. Rabbi Issamar Ginzberg is an internationally acclaimed advisor to successful business owners, known for his small business ideas. Kiesha Easley is the owner of WeBlogBetter.com, a blog devoted to offering blogging tips. If you want Kate Baggott to win, share this article with your friends. If you found this article useful, you'll also enjoy 9 Ways To Deal With Job Search Depression.

Deductive reasoning for the modern taxpayer

Deductive reasoning for the modern taxpayer Its tax time, and every year I think to myself that I should be deducting everything. Really. All my income comes from freelance writing, and since theres almost nothing in my life that I dont write about, maybe I can deduct everything. After years of thinking I should do this but not really doing it, I finally took action. I talked about my deduction plan with Anne-Marie Fisher, director of tax services for CBIZ. Heres a transcript of our conversation: Me: I spent a lot of money on expensive eye cream so that I looked good for my Yahoo! photo. Can I deduct that? Anne: They dont like cosmetics or clothing that they say you could use outside of your article. Me: But I wouldnt have had to look that good if I didnt take the photo. Anne: But you looked good after the photo. The IRS is really tough on things that help your appearance. Me: What if the cream made me look bad? Anne: Thats a very aggressive position. (This is tax-preparer speak for No! Dont do it!) Me: OK. Forget the cream. What about moving. I wrote a lot about how  I moved from New York City to Madison, Wisconsin. Anne: Thats a fine  deduction. Just document that you did if for a job. Me: But I didnt. I can work anywhere. I did it because I was going to die if I had to live in a 500-square-foot apartment for one more minute. Anne: Do you have more business opportunities in Madison? Me: Well, there are a lot of writers in  New York City  and very few in Madison, so Im more unique being from Madison and editors like unique. Anne: Thats good. Me: I write a lot about how youll have more career opportunities if you keep your rent low. The  new American Dream is about having a lot of time, not owning a house. Can I deduct my rent? Anne: Thats very creative. (Thats CPA-speak for Youre out of your mind.) Me: Heres something I did. I went through all my expenses last year looking for some that are big and dont seem to be  deductible. I saw that my sons violin lessons are really expensive. And you know, violin teaches self-discipline, and self-discipline is important for workplace success. I could write that. Then could I deduct the lessons? Anne: Hes still getting a lot of benefit from the lessons, though. Me: What if I write that he hates them? Anne: Well, if he hates violin and you put him in the classes specifically to write your column, maybe you could prove that he was really upset by you taking pictures of him. Me: [Silence. Obvious disappointment.] Anne [in a perky, helpful voice]: How about meals. Do you deduct those? Me: Of course. But what about my brother?  He guest blogs on my blog. Can I deduct meals with him? Anne: Sure. As a way to thank him. Me: What about the plane flight? Anne: To go see him? Well, things like this are always worth asking about. Its like gambling. Some people just never want the IRS to talk to them. A Roll of the Dice At this point I decide Im a gambler, so I call another CPA.  Larry Rice, director of strategic consulting at Rodman Rodman. I cut right to the chase: Me: What can I write in my column about toys so that I can deduct the toys I buy for my kids? Larry: Maybe if you had a regular feature where you review toys. But youd have to throw them out. If you kept them, the IRS would assume your kids got personal enjoyment from them. Me: Could I throw them out later? Larry: No, that wouldnt work because there was personal enjoyment. The IRS lets you deduct only 50 percent of meals, for example, because while theyre for business, you still get personal enjoyment. Me: Can I deduct 100 percent of  the meals I had with people I hate? Larry: [Pause.] When you deal with your taxes, youre presumed guilty until proven innocent. You need to prove why you have the right to take the  deduction. Me: OK. How about the coffee shop I write in. Im there every day and I dont have a home office. Can I deduct my lattes? Larry: The IRS has a term ordinary and necessary. You have to show that what youre doing is ordinary and necessary for your business. Me: OK, theres  an article  about how my generation loves to work out of coffee shops and many of us dont have home offices. We just have a backpack. So how about I send this to the IRS and tell them its a new day and they have to get with the program and large latte bills are ordinary and necessary for writers? Larry: Maybe you could do it if you met with people related to your business regularly. The IRS publishes  a 30-page book  to help people determine if their home office deduction is legal, and it has very tight requirements. Me: [Long, dejected silence.] A New Hope Larry gives me a good idea. He says that IRS agents receive  audit guides  that tell them what deductions they should expect from a person in a given field, such as 10 percent of a writers income is spent on travel. So I can get one of those guides, and at least make sure I hit the top levels in all those areas. Its a new approach, and I have new hope. Finally, a note to my mom: Please dont call me to say the IRS is going to read this column and come after me. I know youre going to worry. But you dont need to. In fact, now that Ive written about you worrying, the next time I have lunch with you and you worry about me, I think Ill deduct it.

Personal Brands Get Naked - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career

Personal Brands Get Naked - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career Are you playing “dress up” to match the expectations of others? Is there an ever thinning veil, between the real you and the ideal you that you’ve invented and are now struggling to project? Are you still clenching to maintain the “first date” behavior code with recruiters, your boss or clients? Is your armor cracking (or scorching, if you saw Iron Man 2)? Is it becoming clear that the emperor (or whatever title you hold) has no clothes? How did you get in this mess? You pretended to be detail oriented, self-motivated and an early riser. You pretended to be an advanced user of Excel, Final Cut, WordPress and Spanish. You said you were willing, in fact eager, to work weekends, late nights or be on call 24/7/365. Are you faking it in hopes that you will be making it sometime soon? Are you keeping the lid on your volcano of real strengths that are now screaming to be exploited while you ply your trade with your weakest suit? Or have you simply outgrown the persona you still attempt to play by being underemployed or dis-employed or just phoning it in? What is the naked truth about who you really are and what you really want to do? The closer you can get to the true you, the happier and richer you will be. Richer: as in making lots of money. Happier: as in rich in every way: spiritually, mentally, physically and once again, financially. Why? To have phenomenal success in any field or even with any project, you have to have unstoppable, intrinsic and sustainable motivation. Problems have to appear as puzzles that you are delighted to decode. A deep vein running through you must declare: I would do this even if I won the lottery. I might wear better shoes or drive a cooler car and take way better vacays, but I would still be doing “this” for work, for this company or my own company, and my clients, or whatever the “this” and the “who” are for you. What is your IT? A lot of us have names for your Highest Goal (Michael Ray), your Sweetest Fruit (Laurel Mellin) or Ultimate Outcome (me). These are just labels for your IT. What is IT? IT is the thing screaming to get out of your mind or body and put onto this planet. It is the truth you may be hiding from yourself, as well as others. Here’s my embarrassing truth. I am someone who needs other people’s dreams and ambitions in order to be self-actualized. I am meant to help, encourage, find the right way, take the first bullet, stay up all night to get it done on time, and make the most money possible for the people I work for.   I respond so easily to the red light on the camera because I believe I am helping the audience. I teach for the same reason. In fact, it’s why I write to you each week. My clients often write “thank you” in the memo of their retainer checks. If I were a dog, I’d be a golden retriever â€" a working dog that loyally runs into the rushing waters of a cold river to get the stick and get it back to you. Simply put, my personal brand is this: I am a helper, with vision and grit. If we stripped away all the varnish (and that’s the nice word for it), what is your naked truth? Planet Earth is 71% water. Take a skinny dip into it, baring your real personal brand. Author: Nance Rosen is the author of Speak Up! Succeed. She speaks to business audiences around the world and is a resource for press, including print, broadcast and online journalists and bloggers covering social media and careers. Read more at NanceRosenBlog. Twitter name: nancerosen.

How to Improve Your Employee Development Programs - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career

How to Improve Your Employee Development Programs - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career As an entrepreneur, you have your work cut out for you. You have operations to manage, books to balance and strategies to plan. With all those balls to juggle, can anyone blame you for putting programs like employee development on the back burner? Even so, youll want to push career development programs higher up your priority list. Not only can those programs ramp up overall productivity 250 percent, but they can also boost employee retention by 25 percent. Whether you run a small business or a Fortune 500 corporation, its in your best interest to invest in your employees. Keep in mind, however, that employee development isnt just about handing out a list of tasks and training manuals. Your objective should be to equip your employees with the tools, skills and mindset to handle short-term and long-term organizational challenges. To achieve that objective, keep these guidelines in mind when creating or revamping your employee development program. Encourage Employees to Take the Initiative Theres only so much you can do to push your employees forward. If you run a large and/or fast-paced organization, it might be too expensive and time-consuming to train every employee thoroughly. Instead, take these steps to encourage self-directed career development. Design training programs such that employees have the option to learn at their own pace. Provide employees a safe environment to apply and evaluate what theyve learned. Reward those who successfully complete their training programs. The rewards should meet the ADD criteria: Accessible, Desirable and Deliverable. Encourage honest, constructive feedback, so that training programs get better and better each time theyre implemented. Take note that self-directed career development is not the same as leaving employees alone in the lurch. Give employees the tools to carve out their own careers, but dont hesitate to lend them a guiding hand whenever necessary. Support Your Managers As Well Its easy to let your managers handle all the training. However, when you consider that their plates are full enough without having to mentor rank-and-file employees, they might end up feeling overburdened instead. Give your managers the resources and encouragement to train. Assure them that taking time out of their daily work to train wont adversely affect their performance. Reward managers whose trainees consistently perform well. Ask managers for their feedback on training, so youll have the whole picture when assessing the strengths and weaknesses of your development programs. Go Virtual Training doesnt have to be limited to the four walls of the office. Thanks to modern technology, its now possible to train employees in real time no matter where they live. For example, international employees can turn to IPTV for their video training needs. Unlike traditional online videos, IPTV has a built-in buffering feature which ensures high-quality streaming regardless of the strength of internet connection. Also, videos can be reused and updated for every training session, making them efficient and cost-effective tools for keeping your employees up to speed. Include Interdepartmental Training If you want employees to be genuinely invested in their jobs, have them train with people from other departments. Aside from teaching them something new, cross-training also helps employees get a clearer picture of how their work fits into the larger scheme of things. Plus, employees struggling in their current jobs may realize that their skills, temperament and talent are better utilized elsewhere. If you can identify these employees and push them in the right direction, they might be able to help your company in ways you didn’t expect.       Be Generous With Your Attention Being human, employees have a natural desire to feel valued. No matter how small their role is in the organization, they will seek acknowledgement and validation for what they do. So hear them out when they have something to say. Tell them its OK to be vocal about areas of improvement, even if you personally disagree with them. Praise them for good deeds, even if those deeds arent directly related to their job, such as returning a co-workers lost item. Give them the impression that their worth as human beings matters to you as much as their worth as professionals. Promote a Well-Rounded Approach to Development Employee development doesnt just cover the professional aspect. It also encompasses the emotional, intellectual and physical health of your employees. If you provide them the resources to stay happy, motivated and productive on and away from the job, they will pay you back in one way or another. Train your managers to display supportive leadership behaviors. Give your employees ample opportunities to learn not just how to do their job, but also how to manage their lives outside of work. Let them know its OK to get up and away from their desks, since doing so spurs creativity and keeps them healthy. Remember: Employees are one of your organizations most important assets. The more you invest in them, the higher your potential return. It might take a while before you see tangible results from your employee development programs, but everything good takes time, right?

Fascinating Facts About The Worlds 10 Largest Companies - CareerMetis.com

Fascinating Facts About The World’s 10 Largest Companies How do you know your career move is a good one? You don’t want to accept a new position, only to see the company go into liquidation in a few months.That’s why vetting your future employers is as important as them interviewing you.It only takes a little research. Learn about the company’s history, values and activities. Luckily it’s easy these days because all reputable companies have websites where you can garner information.evalBut what do you look for? You make a comparison. How does your new employer compare to the largest companies in the world? Luckily, EP Capitalhas collected this information for you in this simple infographic about the world’s largest companies.Have a look at Berkshire Hathaway. Its tactics have kept it afloat for over a century. If your new employer follows the same strategies, you have guaranteed job security.So what do these companies value? People’s needs.Facebook doesn’t have a revenue of $357.18 Billion because Mark Zuckerberg had an excel lent idea. The social media platform works because it helps fulfil a basic human need of connecting with other people.And luckily for shareholders and the 20 658 employees who need the company to keep doing well, Facebook transforms itself to meet more needs.Yes, it started as a social platform. But businesses need services that Facebook can offer. That’s why Facebook added customised marketing options and business profiles to its features. Today all companies need Facebook business pages to seem legitimate.Your new boss should be this intuitive about market needs.evalTip: Does the company at least have a Facebook profile?Learn from Amazon and Alibaba Group. People’s need to save time helped make these companies successful. Their best merchandise is not on the long list of products they sell. They actually sell effortless shopping. And that is something we all need.Does your employer’s product, service or policy make life easier for clients?Unique methods help companies surviv e in a competitive market. Join forces with a dynamic leader so your future can be certain.eval

Career Fairs are not necessarily a waste of time

Career Fairs are not necessarily a waste of time A major part of job search is getting yourself out there.Whatbetter way than to attend a career fair. First of all, it is going to help you get more comfortable talking about yourself to strangers and builds a little confidence. If you aregoing to go to one, do some serious preparation. First, find out what companies will be there andresearch theones you need to seebecause they are on your target list. It sounds obvious, but, if you dont see companies from your target list at the fair, dont bother attending. Second, visit their websitesandsee what jobsthey have posted. Generally, companies that attend acareer fair have posted jobs. If you cant find them on theirwebsite, check Indeed. Third, hopefully you have found an appropriate posting, customize your resume for that one job and puttogether your stunning cover letter that explains why you want to work for that company and list some of your top qualifications for the job. Fourth, wait in line. Yes, you might have to. But use this time to meet other job seekers and share industry news. Fifth, with interest and enthusiasm, ask good questions of the recruiter at the table.2-3 mightbe all you have time for. You want to leave themwith a positive, interested and qualified mental picture of you! Sixth, ask when and how tofollow up. Well call you isnt good enough, ask when you can callif you dont hear from them.Nicely, but assertively. Seventh, followup, dontgiveup! Companiesare not giving away jobs at a career fair. Theyare there to source human capital. They are looking for the people who are better than the average bear. When I worked in HR, I representedthe company at career fairs. We had two boxes under the skirted table.One box was for resumes we would take back to the office and the other box, well, it is painful to admit Stand outforbeing the professional that you are.

Choosing A To The Point Resume Writing Service

Choosing A To The Point Resume Writing ServiceHow do you choose a service for to the point resume writing? It can be tricky because it could be that if a potential employer is looking at a resume they will be concerned about the way you worded your resume. That doesn't mean you should disregard making a resume unique as you want to appear professional, however if you do make it too generic it can make it look too much like an application. Here are some things to consider before choosing to go with a service for to the point resume writing.It's important to remember that every company will need different services. That means when you're looking to hire a service for to the point resume writing you need to find out what the company offers and what types of writing jobs they have available.When you find a company that matches your needs, you need to ask them how often they have openings for resume writing. This will help you find out if you're going to have an ongoing job offer or not. If you're on the wait list, you may get a response and just know you have to wait until you get the job offer.Another thing to consider is that if you are interested in online resume writing service or otherwise. The company should give you an option of where you want your resume to be written. So if you want it to be done from home in Word format, then you have a choice to go with it or if you want it done professionally you have a choice.There may be other benefits to hiring a resume writing service if you are looking to get your resume out there and placed with people who need jobs. A resume writer can help you craft the perfect cover letter and resume as well as a cover letter to the point.This is because many job seekers can be overwhelmed by all the different resumes out there and can find themselves getting lost in the whole new world of resumes. In other words it can be frustrating to find a resume which seems so perfect but also kind of makes you cringe. It can be hard to f ind the resume you need when you don't really know where to start.The main thing you need to remember is that a resume is for job-hunting purposes and the better one you can write the better off you will be. That means you'll need a great cover letter and your resume should catch the eye of the employer when they see it. Make sure you're using quality resume writing services that you trust and find out if you're going to be able to work with them before you pay them for your resume writing services.Make sure you know exactly what they will do for you when you have your resume written. Many companies want a professional looking resume to help show that you can write. As a result make sure you find a service that matches your expectations.