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4 ways to figure out what you're good at

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happy work

It's a universal dream to do what we're passionate about.

The only problem with this aspiration is that sometimes the thing we most care about isn't what we do best.

As Gloria Steinem famously said, "We teach what we need to learn, and write what we need to know."

Don't worry! This doesn't mean your dream is dead.

It just means that you need to figure out how to bring that dream to fruition — using the skills you currently possess.

Sure, your dream will be tweaked and altered. But, at the end of the day, you'll still be able to do what you're passionate about.

Here are four questions you should ask yourself to help make that happen:

1. What skills have helped you thrive?

During your childhood and college years, you've no doubt developed certain skills out of necessity. For example, Scott Edinger, a highly successful consultant and CEO advisor, grew up broke, in a trailer park, and at age nine, he was adopted into less than ideal circumstances.

Edinger learned to survive his challenging childhood by becoming an expert in communication, conflict resolution, attunement to others, and raw persuasion.

In college, he put the paint and polish on his communication skills, placing in the top five in over a hundred debate tournaments, while earning a degree in communication and rhetoric.

Fast forward — he has been globally ranked number two in sales in a division of a Fortune 500 company and has repeatedly helped organizations turn around underperforming divisions by focusing on a critical survival skill in business — how to sell.

Now, many people aren't as unfortunate as Edinger. But that doesn't mean that you haven't come across obstacles throughout your life — and figured out a way to go over them.

Think about situations that've challenged you: Is there a common thread among all of them? If so, that's something that you're good at. All you have to do now is figure out which field or position that skill is best suited for.

2. What makes you feel strong?

Marcus Buckingham, the author of "Now, Discover Your Strengths," explains: "Our strengths…clamor for attention in the most basic way: using them makes you feel strong. Take note of the times when you feel invigorated, inquisitive, and successful. These moments are clues to what your strengths are."

roar katy perry strong muscular woman independent female girl powerConsider also your go-to task when you feel overloaded. When you are overwhelmed, you want to feel in control. To be in control, you do what makes you feel strong. As you identify and focus on what makes you feel strong, you can also expect to be happier, which makes you a better problem-solver in a wide range of circumstances.

3. What made you stand out as a child?

As children we do what we love to do — even if it makes us an oddity. When you look back on your childhood pastimes, you are likely to discover an innate talent.

In elementary school, Candice Brown Elliott's classmates teasingly called her "Encyclopedia Brown" after the character in the children's books. She recounts, "All the kids thought I was the smartest kid in school, but most of my teachers were deeply frustrated because I got only average grades. I was labeled an underachiever."

Instead, she says, "I daydreamed of having animated conversations with famous people like Madame Curie. I daydreamed of building the first true Artificial Intelligence (AI) that would reside in my bedroom closet. I daydreamed about how to build floating cities, great inventions, and new forms of art."

Four decades later, Elliott holds 90 U.S.-issued patents. Her most famous invention, PenTile, color flat-panel display architecture, is shipping in hundreds of millions of smartphones, tablets, notebook PCs, and high-resolution televisions.

She founded a venture-backed company to develop this technology, and later sold it to Samsung. As a child, Elliott's daydreaming was considered odd by her classmates and tremendously frustrating by her teachers. As an adult, her daydreaming, autodidactic approach is her superpower.

Is there something that made you peculiar when you were young? Could it actually be your superpower?

4. What compliments do you tend to ignore?

All too often, we're oblivious to our strengths. When you do something reflexively well, it's easy to overlook it.

Keep your ears open for compliments that you habitually dismiss, not to be coy, but because this thing feels as natural as breathing. It may even be you've heard a compliment so many times, you are sick of it!

Why can't people praise you for the thing you've worked really, really hard to do well?

chess prodigyThe tendency to deflect compliments around what you do well is understandable, but over the course of your career, it will leave you trading at a discount to what you are really worth. Ralph Waldo Emerson wrote, "In every work of genius we recognize our own rejected thoughts; they come back to us with a certain alienated majesty."

Don't assume that just because something comes easily or seems obvious to you, it's not rare and valuable to someone else.

Are there compliments you repeatedly dismiss? Any of your superpowers not on your resume?

There is no shortage of jobs that need to be done and problems to be solved, but there's only one of you. Once you've homed in on your underlying assets or your core strengths, you can more easily identify your distinctive strengths—what you do well that others in your workplace do not.

If you're looking to be successful, look for problems you feel especially passionate about, then get to work, by playing to your distinctive strengths.

SEE ALSO: The most in-demand jobs around the world

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​7 phrases you will never hear a great leader say

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Steve Jobs

Great leaders know that how they communicate is almost as important as what they communicate.

They're constantly aware that everything they say will be taken to heart by their team, and that they'll be measured against their own words.

That's why you'll never hear them say these common phrases.

1. 'Because I said so.'  

Great leadership means building a culture of collaboration and connection, creativity and communication. Relying on authority shuts all those things down.

Instead: 'How do we want to tackle this?'

2. 'Who do you think you are?'

Great leaders foster feelings of empowerment and engagement in their team, so everyone can reap the benefits of shared ideas and thoughts. There's no room for ridicule or belittlement.

Instead: 'What do you think?'

3. 'It's not my fault.'

To be a great leader means you accept the consequences for your own actions as well as the actions of others. There's an up side: Your leadership gains credibility.

Instead: 'The buck stops here.'

4. 'I don't need any help.'

Leadership is all about teamwork, collaboration, making everyone feel included and inspired. The best use of your time is mentoring, guiding, and leading others to succeed.

Instead: 'We'll do it together.'

bored

5. 'I don't care.'

Great leaders always care. When you express apathy, even about a small point, those around you have very little reason to stay invested.

Instead: 'Let's think this through.'

6. 'I'm too busy.'

We all make time for things that matter to us. When you set a priority for yourself, you set it for your team as well.

Instead: 'I'll find the time.'

7. 'Failure is not an option.'

Sure, success is important, but failure is not the enemy of success. Failure can teach valuable lessons — and those who are afraid to fail will build a culture that rewards bland, safe choices.

Instead: 'Be bold. Take risks. Always learn.'

Most of us are guilty of having used at least one or two of these phrases somewhere along the way.

But as you work to become the greatest leader you can be, remember to listen to your words — because others are listening to them too.

SEE ALSO: One CEO explains what he thinks is 'the biggest determinant of whether you’re going to be successful'

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NOW WATCH: Retired Gen. Stanley McChrystal on leadership and advice for his 20-year-old self

The 17 best icebreakers to use at awkward social events

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awkward

If you listen closely after someone asks, "So what do you do?" you can almost hear the other person's eyes roll as they recite their 30-second elevator pitch. 

But talking to new people doesn't have to be such a drag.

There are ways to get the conversation going without resorting to irritating clichés.

Check out these 17 icebreakers that will help ease you into an engaging conversation with people you've never met before. 

SEE ALSO: How to talk to anyone at a networking event

'What kind of volunteer work do you do?'

Asking people about their volunteer work will open up "a world of wonderful conversation," writes strategy consultant Alice Korngold on fastcompany.com

Korngold says she especially enjoys meeting people who work on nonprofit boards because she gets to learn about how an organization was founded, how the person got involved with it, and about the "fascinating group dynamics of boards." 



'Are you originally from [wherever the event is], or did your business bring you here?'

This question will help you jumpstart an engaging conversation with ease because "it doesn't feel like you are asking for a stiff elevator speech," national etiquette expert and owner of The Protocol School of Texas Diane Gottsman tells U.S. News & World Report

The conversation will allow both parties to talk about themselves, which is the ultimate goal of career-savvy people attending a network event, Gottsman says.  



'Man, these networking events can be so crazy. Mind if I join you over here where it’s a little quieter?'

Find someone on the outskirts of the ongoing conversations and introduce yourself, says Ariella Coombs, content manager for CAREEREALISM.com. 

Since they are alone and possibly looking miserable, they are probably uncomfortable with the social situation, Coombs says. By initiating the interaction, you can help to put them at ease and get them in the flow of a conversation. 



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

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9 jobs destroyed by technology

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Workers fix second-hand robots in a factory in Shanghai, August 21, 2015.  REUTERS/Aly Song

Let's talk about technology for a second. There was an ad for IBM done by the firm Saatchi & Saatchi in the early 80s. It featured two men watching a mechanical shovel digging a hole. "If it wasn't for that machine, 12 men with shovels could be doing that job," said one. The other replied, "If it wasn't for your 12 shovels, 200 men with teaspoons could be doing that job."

The point is, technology will continue to advance, and as it does, jobs will continue to become obsolete. Here are nine unique jobs that have vanished due to technology:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

SEE ALSO: 15 jobs that are quickly disappearing

1. The Ice Cutter

If you've seen Frozen (anyone with kids has, multiple times), you'll know about the job of ice cutting. Icemen would brave the winter weather and venture onto frozen lakes to collect the surface ice; this could be several feet thick and required either a large, specialized handsaw, or a powered saw blade.

This ice would be transported back to ice houses, where it was stored awaiting delivery to the homes of people with ice boxes who wanted to keep their food cold. When the refrigerator was developed, and the air conditioner, this profession melted away.

However, it is still sometimes used as a showpiece in ice and snow sculpting events and festivals.



2. The Plague Doctor

A highly dangerous profession for obvious reasons, plague doctors were hired by towns and cities during the time of epidemics.

Many were simply people who had given up on a poor-paying profession for one that offered greater compensation — danger pay, so to speak — and had no real experience of medicine. Most notable about the plague doctor was the costume — a heavy fabric overcoat doused in wax, and a face mask that looked like a giant beak, which held scented straw, herbs, and other fragrances to block out the stench of death.

Advances in medicine, sanitation, and public health all but eradicated the plague, and thus, the plague doctor.



3. The Rag-Picker

Sometimes called "rag and bone men," rag-pickers would walk the streets day and night, asking for scraps of cloth, paper, cardboard, glass, metals, and other materials that could be recycled and made into other products.

However, the rag-picker did not do the recycling; they simply handed it over to a "master rag-picker" in exchange for a set fee (by weight, for example) who would sell it to companies who could convert it back into usable products. Technology, including recycling plants and collection programs, virtually eliminated the profession.

However, in third world countries, the very poorest people will still embark on rag-picking as a way to make some extra money.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

This is currently the best job in America

What to do when a hiring manager says, 'Tell me about a time you made a mistake'

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woman waiting for subway, watching, looking, nervous, upset, late, unhappy, tense, tension, sad, concerned, anxious, annoyed, bad news, bi, dng

Even though you know the interview question is coming, it's always tough to feel fully prepared to discuss a mistake you've made.

In related news, it's always obvious to the hiring manager when you're hoping a well-rehearsed answer will help you gloss over the topic and move onto a question where you can shine.

But, here's a little secret: Being open about a specific example of when you dropped the ball will actually score you points, even with the toughest interviewer.

Given the choice between a potential teammate who is willing to take tough feedback, and another who does everything possible to cover his or her you-know-what after a mistake, most people would choose the former.

To give you the ammunition that'll show the person in charge that you'll work hard and are a great teammate, here are three rules to follow when you're responding to that dreaded question.

1. Don't pass the buck.

Hey, we all make mistakes. And anyone you'll interview with for any job knows this. But, when you know something was your fault, do yourself a favor and own up to it.

Nobody wants to work with someone who's always pointing fingers, and yet, too many applicants I met with went out of their way to convince me there was nothing they could've done differently. This was a huge bummer, especially when I had grown to like the candidate a lot.

When in doubt, choose a blunder you can articulate the details of, and open up as much as possible.

Here's a fictional, but good, example:

Early in my career, I missed a deadline that ended up costing us a really big account. There were a lot of factors that contributed to this, but ultimately, I was the one who dropped the ball. From that experience, I went back and thought really hard about what I could've controlled and what I would've changed. It turns out that I was not nearly as organized as I thought I was. I sat down with my boss, asked for suggestions on how to improve my organizational skills, and a few months later I was able to score an even bigger account for the department.

This kind of response covers a lot of bases. But most importantly, it addresses the mistake, the lessons learned, and the actions taken to grow from the experience. It also ends things on a really positive note.

job interview

2. Don't assume you're done talking about your mistake once you've answered the question.

Any honest answer about a mistake you've made in the past will be appreciated. In fact, your honesty will be appreciated so much that most interviewers will have follow-up questions.

Whenever I heard a candidate respond openly about a previous blunder, I started rooting for him or her to really win us over—even as I started digging deeper. And too many times, it was hard for people to stay candid.

It usually went something like this:

Q: Tell me about something you wish you had done something differently.

A: I dropped the ball on a report that made my boss look really bad in front of a potential client. It was nobody's fault but mine.

Q: So, what do you think you learned from that example?

A: I learned those reports are really hard to write.

Often, I'd go back and forth with a contender until it became clear this was as transparent as things were going to get. And with each response that left me wanting more, I couldn't help but clench my teeth, knowing that the entire mood of the interview could have been different if the person was just willing to stay candid. Once you've gotten comfortable with being open, be as open as possible about all the facets of your mistake.

3. Even if your mistake was simply taking a certain job, don't blame your former company.

Sometimes it doesn't take much to figure out that your job is not right for you. And while candor is appreciated when talking about previous mistakes, don't go into a tirade about how much you just didn't like your boss, your team, or your company. In fact, if those are the reasons your current job isn't right for you, rethink the way you're talking about it.

With that said, the people you interview with will understand if there are other reasons you're not happy in your current role. If you have some unique circumstances, an answer like the one below will score you some extra brownie points.

I'm actually really happy in my job in a lot of ways. My boss is great, the company is awesome, and I work on a really close team. But, I took a job in sales because I wanted to make sure I had enough money to pay my bills and eventually, I got really good at it. But, even though my sales job has been good to me financially, I went to school to be a journalist and ultimately feel like this is the right time to finally pursue my dream of writing for a leading news outlet like yours.

The best part about this answer? It's honest, but at no point does it utter the words, "taking this job was a huge mistake." It's also relatable. Some people land their dream jobs right out of college, but for the majority of us, it takes a little bit of work.

Job Interview Nobody likes talking about things they didn't do well. Nobody will ever like talking about things they wish had gone differently, especially when a job is on the line.

But, although it would go against conventional wisdom, be willing to talk about the mistakes you've made in the past. You'll be surprised by how this bit of self-awareness will go a long way in making it clear to everyone you interview with that you are the absolute right person for the job.

SEE ALSO: Here's the unusual interview question one CEO asks every job candidate

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NOW WATCH: 8 things you should never say in a job interview

20 corporate phrases that everybody is over

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could you fucking not meme

I was interviewing a business school professor for a book project a few years ago. He was talking about corporate information — how private companies can keep things secret, but "public companies really have to ‘open the kimono.'"

I remember chuckling, thinking he'd come up with an original metaphor.

Soon however, it seemed everybody in business was using that phrase.

Apparently, it's just as grating to a lot of other people too.

When the folks at Fast Company recently put together an NCAA basketball-style bracket and encouraged readers to vote for the worst corporate jargon, "open the kimono" was the champion. People just hate it.

Whether you've spent time in the Fortune 500 or not, chances are you've picked up some corporatespeak— words and phrases you'd be better off banishing from your vocabulary.

I think we can all agree on some of the most grating examples, such as the 20 below. 

1. Synergy

This was runner-up on the Fast Company list. Why don't we just say cooperation?

2. Outside the box

At this point, "outside the box" is such a cliché that using it shows you're thinking inside the box.

3. Vendor

Is this a useful word? Can't we just say supplier or seller?

4. Move the needle

We live in a digital world. How often do we move needles on analog dials?

5. Low-hanging fruit

This is one of the first phrases we could very easily do away with (pun intended). Just say, "Do the easy stuff first."

low hanging fruit

6. I don't have the bandwidth

You mean you're too busy, right? Why not just say it?

7. Peel back the onion

As if literally peeling back an onion, people are likely to cry if they hear this phrase too often.

8. Circle back

I suppose we mean "revisit," but this phrase sounds a little too much like the name Nickelback, the most-hated band in the history of the world.

9. Touching base

What does this mean exactly? A quick meeting? A discussion with no agenda?

10. Run it up the flagpole

This is one of the oldest clichés you're likely to encounter — so old that it was mocked in a song on Broadway in 1962.

flagpole, flag

11. FYI

We all have too much information, so why add to it unnecessarily? At least if you're going to forward an email to someone "for your information," give the person some details about why or what you expect him or her to do with it.

12. On my radar screen

A phrase used largely by people who have never actually seen a radar screen.

13. Value add

At the least, just say "added value."

14. Growth hacking

It's an essential role in a startup — basically creative, aggressive, lean marketing — but the term itself is fast becoming hackneyed.

15. Onboarding

This one sounds like it's right out of George Orwell's "1984." (I find it doubleplusungood.)

16. Take it offline

This is just a polite way of saying, "Can we talk about this later instead of wasting everyone else's time on your personal or idiosyncratic issue?"

17. Out of pocket

When are you ever "in pocket"? This is just a convoluted way of dressing up the fact that you won't be taking calls or answering emails during a time when you normally would.

empty pockets

18. Boil the oceans

OK, you're talking about a very difficult or even impossible task — but this one has been used as a metaphor for so long that there are now pages upon pages of Google search results for "how much energy to boil the ocean." I think that means it's time for a new metaphor.

19. Right-size

Just say it: layoffs. Firings. People who currently have jobs won't when you're done with them. It's bad enough news without coating it in corporatespeak.

20. Core competencies

I guess "stuff we're really good at" wouldn't sound as good in a corporate meeting room.

SEE ALSO: Researchers discovered the key to sounding smart — and it may surprise you

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NOW WATCH: 6 words to eliminate from your vocabulary to sound smarter

9 high-paying part-time jobs for college students

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Technical Writer

You don't have to wait until you have a degree to get a job and start paying off your college debt.

The key to finding a part-time job for a busy college student is to look for high-quality positions with a flexible schedule that are from a trustworthy source, says FlexJobs Director of Online Content Brie Reynolds. 

"There are a lot of scams in work-from-home jobs, so college students should be aware of them and be cautious when searching," Reynolds says. 

To get you started, here's a list of high-paying part-time jobs for college students from FlexJobs: 

SEE ALSO: 10 high-paying jobs you can do on the side

Non-Profit charity fundraiser

Pay: Up to $30 an hour

Description: This job entails supporting a nonprofit and its affiliated fundraising activities. Public-facing work experience is needed.



Social media assistant

Pay: Up to $21 an hour

Description: Social media assistants often work part-time managing social media channels and assisting companies with content marketing.



Online researcher

Pay: Up to $37 an hour

Description: Online researchers support business professionals by researching questions to deliver clients with high quality answers and personable explanations. Excellent research skills and the ability to to find quality content are a must. Expertise in certain areas as well as general knowledge of business is desired.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

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How the clothes you wear affect your career

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Benedict Cumberbatch

LinkedIn Influencer Jeff Haden published this post originally on LinkedIn.

Years ago I worked on the shop floor of a manufacturing plant.

I had worked my way through college at another plant, so I definitely identified more with the hourly workers than the "suits." (Even though most of the guys referred to me as "college boy.")

One day the department manager stopped by. He asked about my background. He asked about my education. He asked about my career aspirations.

"I'd like to be a supervisor," I answered, "and then someday I'd like your job."

He smiled and said, "Good for you. I like a guy with dreams." Then he paused.

"But if that's what you really want," he said, looking me in the eyes, "first you need to start looking the part."

I knew what he was saying but decided to play dumb. "What do you mean?" I asked.

"Look around," he said. "How do supervisors dress? How does their hair look? How do they act? No one will think of you as supervisor material until they can actually see you as a supervisor — and right now you look nothing like a supervisor."

He was right. I was wearing ratty jeans with a couple of holes. (Why wouldn't I? I worked around oil and grease all day.) I was wearing a cut-off T-shirt. (Why wouldn't I? It was the middle of the summer and the air wheezing through the overhead vents was far from conditioned.) And my hair was pretty long, even for the day.

"But shouldn't how well I do my job matter more than how I look?" I asked.

"In a perfect world your performance is all that would matter," he said. "But we don't live in a perfect world. Take my advice: if you want to be promoted into a certain position... make sure you look like the people in that position."

I've thought about that conversation a lot over the years.

I've hired and promoted people who looked the part... and they turned out to be all show and no go. I've hired and promoted people who didn't look the part at all... and they turned out to be superstars. I'm convinced that how you look and, at least to a large degree how you act, has nothing to do with your skill and talent and fit for a job.

Still, he's right: the world isn't perfect. People still make assumptions about us based on irrelevant things like clothing and mannerisms... and height and weight and age and gender and ethnicity and tons of other qualities and attributes that have absolutely no bearing on a person's performance.

torn jeans

So are you better off trying to conform? 

Unfortunately, probably so. The people doing the hiring and promoting are people — and people tend to be biased toward the comfortable and the familiar. People tend to hire and promote people who are much like themselves. (If you remind me of me... then you must be awesome, right?)

Besides, highly diverse teams are like unicorns — we all know what one should look like, but unless you're NPH you rarely encounter one in the wild.

And don't forget that hiring or promoting someone who conforms, even if only in dress and deportment, makes a high percentage of the people making those decisions feel like they're taking a little bit less of a risk. I know I was viewed — admittedly with good reason — as a wild card, and I'm sure that impacted my promotability.

But still: are you better off being yourself and trusting that people will value your skills, experience, talent... and uniqueness?

Sadly I think that's a move fraught with professional peril. If your goal is to get hired or promoted then expressing your individuality could make that goal much harder to accomplish. (Of course if being yourself in all ways is what is most important to you, by all means let your freak flag fly. Seriously.)

I have no way of knowing for sure, but changing how I dressed — and in a larger sense, tempering some of the attitude I displayed — would likely have helped me get promoted sooner. For a long time I didn't look the part, didn't act the part... and I'm sure that made me a less attractive candidate.

More from Jeff Haden: 

SEE ALSO: 11 tough interview questions you may have to answer if you want to intern at SpaceX

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3 hard truths you should know before you quit your job to follow your dreams

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fired layoffs let go box leaving work

It took me nearly 15 years to change careers.

I read books, followed blogs, and handed out endless hearts to inspirational Instagram posts. The world assured me that following my passion would set me free — that I'd never look back.

So finally, I took the jump into a new career.

Turns out, the world was right. But, it also missed a whole bunch of other stuff I wish someone would've told me before I ditched a successful career path for a more entry-level role in another.

Now, please know that I'm not saying you shouldn't follow your dreams. I'm just filling you in on a few things you need to know if you're considering a complete career about-face.

If someone would've told me all this, I still would've done it — just with a little less frustration along the way.

1. You're going to feel new all over again.

If you've just started out in your career, this might not be as big of a deal. But after you've got a few years of experience under your belt, trust me, it's going to matter.

For me, being great at my old job was a source of confidence and pride. Even if I didn't like the work that much, my colleagues and clients respected me and listened when I spoke up.

But now I'm the new kid on the block. Even if I am nearly 20 years older than some of my colleagues, they're the ones with "experience."This might vary depending on how big of a change you're making, but if it's substantial, be prepared to be treated like you're fresh out of college, at least for a while.

2. Your ideas aren't yours.

This is sadly a common situation in many roles, but I've found it to be staggeringly worse after changing careers.

I know it shouldn't matter who thought up what. If it helps your team or your company succeed it's a win, right? Actually, not so much if you've just switched gears. I've found that because I'm the new kid and don't technically have years of official experience on my resume, validation from my colleagues and managers is back to being a very big deal.

In the past, whenever I had a brilliant idea, my colleagues recognized me for it and we celebrated our success as a team. But now when I share a great idea, it often gets snatched up by someone more senior — and before I know it, I'm assigned to a minor role in the project's task force.

I know it sounds petty, but the reality is your ego takes a big hit when you jump down a few rungs on the ladder. Things like this shouldn't matter. But they do, and it surprised the heck out of me when it happened to me.

3. Your Colleagues Will Feel Threatened by You.

On the opposite end of the spectrum from being the newbie, you'll have some colleagues who recognize your past experience and feel threatened by it.

skeptical annoyed frustrated frown stern disbeliefAnd how that manifests can be a challenge. I have a few co-workers who have a bit more experience than others, but less than me. But they know a lot about my industry and take every opportunity to remind me that I'm still learning — and ignore wisdom or insight I have based on my past experience.

Rather than dwelling on that, I quickly learned to think of my prior experience as a bonus — rather than the foundation of my professional background.

Doing this helped me rely less on what I already knew, and be more open to what I wanted to learn. Suddenly, my whole perspective changed and I was able to listen to people more easily. In return, the people who once felt the need to put me in my place started to help me out. It was a win-win.

Yes, I know, these all may sound harsh and negative — but they're honestly just things I wish someone would've warned me about. Again, I wouldn't have changed a thing. I still would be doing what I'm doing and loving it. I just would've been better prepared to hit the ground running.

SEE ALSO: 9 high-paying part-time jobs for college students

Join the conversation about this story »

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3 ways you're screwing up your productivity at work — and what to do instead

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workingBeing productive at work is key to both your company's success and your career success.

Yet, despite the positive payoff, many workers have trouble maintaining high productivity levels throughout the work day — mostly due to factors outside of their control.

Project management software provider Wrike recently conducted a study of 1,500 professionals in various positions, including marketing, IT, accounting, HR, sales, and manufacturing to figure out what hinders their productivity in the office. 

The 2015 work management report revealed the following top three productivity mistakes:

1. Working on too many things at once 

Andrew Filev, founder and CEO of Wrike, tells Business Insider that multitasking hurts productivity because the brain cannot give its full attention to more than one task at a time — it's why texting while driving is so dangerous.

Filev gives an example to illustrate the harm in multitasking at work: Imagine you have to do thing one, which takes five days to complete, and thing two, which also takes five days to complete. If you do thing one and thing two simultaneously, then you will have both things done in 10 days.

But if you prioritize and do thing one first and then thing two, then you will have thing one done in five days and can go ahead and start reaping its business value five days earlier.

"Under the stress of work we often forget about this example and start working on five things at once, and it ends up taking us five times as long to get the actual result," Filev says.

While multitasking is harmful to productivity, Filev says it's a reality of life that workers must learn to work around by forcing prioritization and doing thing one before thing two.

2. Waiting for other people to act

Not being able to work on a project because somebody else hasn't done their part yet is frustrating, Filev says. But the solution is simple: Make sure the whole team is on the same page.

The project, whether it's a logo redesign or a new business plan, should be located online, where any team member can view its progress and see who is holding the team up. Make sure that everyone on the team knows both where you and the project stand — what's been done, what's being done, and what still needs to be done.

typing

3. Responding to emails

Email is a 40-year-old technology, so if you're using it for more than 30% of your day, then something is definitely wrong, Filev says.

While you may think you're being productive by responding to every email right when it dings in your inbox, Filev says you are actually contributing to the problem by then creating another unanswered email in someone else's inbox.

What's more, only the respondent and recipient receive the information, while the rest of the team sits in the dark.

A better solution is to use an instant messaging communication tool (Business Insider uses Slack, for example) where all team members can be in on the conversation, yet no one feels pressured to respond.

Filev says this team communication and cooperation is key to increasing productivity for the future. 

"A lot of opportunity to improve productivity lies not just with one person, but more with the team," Filev says. "I've seen teams change their processes and become literally twice as fast as they were before."

SEE ALSO: Here are the 5 things that stress people out the most at work

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Glamsquad's CEO reveals her No. 1 pet peeve at work

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Alexandra Wilkis Wilson

Alexandra Wilkis Wilson, CEO of on-demand beauty business Glamsquad, highly values productivity.

She graduated with a bachelor's degree from Harvard University and a master's from Harvard Business School, learned five languages, and cofounded two companies — Glamsquad and luxury flash sales company Gilt Groupe 

That's why it comes as little surprise that she tells The New York Times' Adam Bryant her No. 1 pet peeve is the antithesis of productivity: procrastination. 

"I don't like procrastinating. I like people to be organized and punctual," she says.

Wilson says procrastinating can lead to being unprepared — like when employees show up to a meeting without their analysis.

"I get frustrated when people don't follow through," Wilson says. "If I assume that someone's going to be doing something and then I find out that they haven't done it, that's very frustrating to me."

Rather than overestimating your ability to follow through and showing up unprepared, Wilson says you should do the opposite: "I have so much respect for people who underpromise and overdeliver." 

Read the full New York Times interview here.

SEE ALSO: The 17 best icebreakers to use at awkward social events

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NOW WATCH: Here's Everything Yahoo CEO Marissa Mayer Just Said About Alibaba

The 50 smartest colleges in America

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What makes a college great depends on a variety of factors, none more important than its ability to help students succeed. To that end, in August we ranked the 50 best colleges in America. Crucial to that pursuit, however, is attracting smart students who are already primed for success. 

We worked with Jonathan Wai, a Duke University Talent Identification Program research scientist, to generate an exclusive Business Insider ranking of the smartest schools in the US. Here's how we did it:

  • We looked at the ACT and SAT scores in the latest US News & World Report ranking for 1,338 colleges and universities. 
  • ACT scores were converted to SAT scores (math + verbal) using this concordance table so we had a single metric for comparison.
  • Then we averaged the 25th and 75th percentiles.
  • There are limitations to this methodology, but research shows that both the SAT and ACT are good measures of general cognitive ability, since they measure one's ability to reason.

Pasadena-based California Institute of Technology took top honors, with the University of Chicago, Harvard, Yale, and Princeton rounding out the top five.

BI Graphics_50 Smartest Colleges in America

SEE ALSO: The 25 business schools that offer the best value

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A veteran trucker explains how he handles the solitude, stress, and lack of sleep on the road

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2015 Freightliner Cascadia Evolution

Brandon Slattery rarely stops moving — even when he’s asleep. As a trucker, he spends his upwards of 300 days on the road, crisscrossing the open plains, lush valleys and dense urban jungles of the United States.

An average day sees him driving for 11 hours at a time before passing the wheel to his best friend and fellow driver.

While they share a cab, the friends rarely sit side by side. When one is driving, the other one is likely sleeping in the cab.

Slattery got his start in 2003, when he turned 21 and could finally apply for commercial training.

Already, he was no stranger to the world of long-haul driving. “My great-grandmother owned her own trucking company back in the 70s,” he recalls. “When I was a child I would listen to her stories for hours on end.”

The road, it seems, is in his blood. 

A veteran of both Schneider National and Werner Enterprises, Brandon currently drives for SNA Transportation. In his own words, here’s how he navigates solitude, stress and sleep on the open road.

We’re driving a 2015 Freightliner Cascadia Evolution. It's equipped with a twin XL-sized mattress on the bottom and a top bunk with a twin mattress. We don't use the top bunk to sleep if the truck is moving. Our quality of sleep varies state to state — it’s all dependent on the road conditions.

I tend to get about 10 hours of sleep, often interrupted by major bumps or sudden slowdowns.

Generally, teams will agree on what shifts they want to work — day or night — but my friend and I take turns. It's not the smartest way, as it requires us to adjust our sleep schedule several times per trip. But we just started a new dedicated route, so we’ll have normal sleep schedules that only change once per week. Each day we’ll usually drive 11 hours apiece and, often, a good 50 to 60 hours per week.

Before we got this new route, we’d be out for a few weeks at a time. It's not so bad for me because I'm not a terribly social person. I only have a few close friends, so I'm pretty used to going long stretches without talking to anyone. It certainly helps that I drive with my best friend.

I personally prefer to drive at night. There tends to be a lot less traffic, though it can be hard to stay alert during the twilight hours.

skyline horizon trucking driving road

Staying awake can be challenging at times. I pretty much live on energy drinks. If I feel sleepy though, nothing beats pulling over for a short nap. If there's one thing that has been ingrained into my head since I was a child, it's that there is no load worth more than my life.

Most trucks have a good light-blocking curtain that separates the bunk area from the cab of the truck, so sleeping during the daytime is usually fine.

Truck stops are hit and miss. There are four major truck stops that you'll find throughout the US: Pilot Flying J, Petro, Travel Centers of America, and Loves. [Editor’s note: Pilot merged with Flying J in 2009 and is now known, you guessed it, as Pilot Flying J.] There are variations of those brands in different locations, such as the Petro in Joplin, Missouri — that’s one of the largest stops in the nation, boasting a huge showroom of truck accessories and chrome parts.

If you’ve seen one truck stop, you've seen them all.

The smaller stops can vary widely in quality, cleanliness, service and selection. Safety can be a concern in some of the smaller stops. Not to say that you won't find the odd wanderer in some of the larger locations. But, in my experience, the smaller stops tend to have less security. 

It can be stressful to drive on a team if you’re driving with someone you don't know. You have to trust your co-driver with your life as you try to convince your mind to shut off and let you rest. If you aren't used to their driving style, every little bump in the road, slowdown or stop can jolt you awake. After a while, this can take a toll on the mind and the body as fatigue starts to set in. You tend to be irritable, groggy and not a fun person to be around. On the other hand, if you know and trust your co-driver, it can lead to more money, less stress and more fun.

I think a lot of drivers would rather drive solo when given the opportunity. They can sleep better since the truck isn't moving around, they can have more time to exercise, do their laundry or even go to local attractions. 

winter weather band driving conditions snow steering swerve road trucking

Dealing with the monotony of the road has become much easier with the spread of technology. You have so many choices now with satellite radio, or podcasts or audiobooks. I have monthly subscriptions to Sirius XM and Audible. 

Logistically, though, team drivers cover more miles and get better runs. Since they can drive all night and day, they can be relied upon to deliver time-critical loads — the kind that tend to make the company more money.

Traffic is the bane of our job. I especially dislike going anywhere near New York City or its boroughs. Pretty much anywhere in the Northeast is a pain due to the old roads. Many areas are just not equipped to handle truck traffic, but we still need to go there. 

I love the road, although it’s nice to get back home. Really makes you appreciate the small things.

There's nothing like using your own shower.  

SEE ALSO: The Tesla Autopilot is almost everywhere

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7 easy ways to boost your hireability in a week

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interview

There are certain times in life when it pays to look at what you have and be happy with it — rather than angle for a shiny upgrade.

Your old, reliable car fits this bill. So does your perfectly fine tablet or iPhone. (Be honest: Do you really need the newest model with the ever-so-slightly bigger screen?)

For most of us, however, jobs are an exception to this rule.

No matter how much you love your gig, it pays to keep your options open for other opportunities and higher salaries, says Jill Jacinto, associate director of WORKS, a company focused on helping women reach their career goals.

That's not to say you should constantly be in job-search mode, particularly if you're learning and growing in your current role. But it's a good idea to continuously try and improve your ability to get a job — even when you're not actively looking.

As Jacinto notes, "you never know where the next opportunity will come from."

So whether you're in full-on search mode, just starting to check out job sites or perfectly happy to stay put, here are seven simple ways you can boost your hireability in just one week.

Monday: Hack your LinkedIn profile.

Kick off the week by supercharging your online résumé and LinkedIn profile by seeding them with words and phrases people in your industry like to see.

"Recruiters and hiring managers often use automated tools to find keywords in your résumé or your social networks," says Mark Jones, senior vice president of Alexander Mann Solutions, a talent acquisition and management outsourcing company in Cleveland, Ohio. "So look for distinct keywords in postings for jobs you'd like to have and are qualified for, and make sure to use them in your résumé and LinkedIn profile."

For example, you might use phrases like "market analysis" and "contract negotiation" for a marketing or sales job. And phrases such as "Securities and Exchange Commission" or "10K reporting" may be good for a financial analyst position.

Just be sure the terms accurately describe what you've done, adds Jones. If they do, feel free to repeat them four, five, even six times throughout your profile, especially if you're going for a position that requires very specific skills.

"It'll make you more likely to land in a recruiter's candidate search," Jones says.

Tuesday: Help someone else land a great gig.

If a valued friend or colleague is on the job hunt, work your network for them.

"It's a great excuse to reach out to former contacts and put yourself at the front of their mind — while helping a friend, you're also reminding people what you are up to," says Beth Bridges, author of "Networking On Purpose" and founder of The Networking Motivator. "It also helps position you as someone who is community-minded, self-motivated and a great networker."

If you become well-known in your network for being willing to connect people, pass along job opportunities and share people's job searches, there's a good chance you'll become the "go-to person" whenever there's an opportunity.

Translation: It's a great way to become the first to know about openings, especially those that don't get advertised.

man thinking

Wednesday: Assess your worth at work.

Get a handle on exactly what and how much you do in your current job so you're ready to articulate examples of your leadership skills, project management and other desirable attributes that future employers will appreciate.

Plus, says Jacinto, having these talking points at the ready can also help you in your current role — say, at your next performance review.

So make it a point today to write down everything you do at your job and break it down into different tiers of expertise, says Jones. For example, managing a $250,000 budget is in a different tier than hiring and managing freelancers.

Next, articulate the successes you've had that helped the company. Did you produce more than expected given your budget? Do you have a track record of hiring and training interns who go on to get full-time jobs at the company?

And if you are just starting out in your career, Alfred Poor, author of "7 Success Secrets That Every College Student Needs to Know!," suggests writing down what he calls your STAR (Situation, Task, Action, Result) stories.

Ask yourself these key questions: What was your work situation? What was the task that you were assigned (or identified on your own) to solve? What action did you take? And what was the result, preferably something measurable.

"This is a great way to remind yourself of situations that prove you can apply your skills and knowledge to produce a positive contribution," Poor says. "And if you don't have many to reference at work just yet, it's O.K. to pull from internships."

Thursday: Reboot your online reputation.

In honor of Throwback Thursday, take some time to start cleaning up your public postings across social media, says Bill Fish, founder and president of ReputationManagement.com.

Start by Googling yourself in every possible way — see what comes up when you type in your name and where you currently live and have lived, and even what pops up in image and video searches. Then do the same using other browsers, such as Bing and Yahoo.

"If you find anything you'd rather potential employers not find, take it down," Fish says, adding that it's particularly important to focus on removing anything that makes you come off as negative or a complainer. While you may not be able to completely refresh your online identity, it's a good first step.

Once you've done this sweep, start seeding the Internet with what you do want potential employers to find.

You might add a friendly — yet professional — photo to your various social media platforms. "You could also start a LinkedIn discussion or even a new, work-focused public account to share smart observations about your industry," Fish says. "It can show potential employers that you are on top of what's happening."

Most importantly, be your best self. "When you make a good impression online — no matter how brief it is — it can show people who they'll meet in real life," Fish says.

networking

Friday: Ask for props from trusted colleagues.

Take advantage of a mellow Friday lunch hour to think about former coworkers and managers who'd be willing to rave about you. Then send them a quick email asking for a testimonial, suggests Fish.

"It's one thing to say something complimentary about yourself," he says, "but it's another when someone you worked with pays you the compliment."

To keep things quick and easy, you could remind them of a success you had while you worked together, or even forward a complimentary email your old boss once sent that you stashed in an email folder.

"It's important to keep in mind that you may have to remind these people of details, particularly if it's been a while since you worked together," Fish says.

He also advises against sending an impersonal "write a recommendation for me" request via LinkedIn. "Odds are you'll get better testimonials if you reach out to your connections with a personal note," he says.

Once you've gathered your recommendations, make sure they appear on your LinkedIn profile and upload them to your personal website, if you have one.

Saturday: Do reconnaissance on wish list employers.

The number one thing you can do to help guarantee that you are among the top five candidates? Be passionate and incredibly knowledgeable about the job and the company, says Jacinto.

So choose one company you'd love to work for and start studying where they are in the market by reading press releases, reviewing annual reports, following the company on social media and looking for editorials by key players at the company.

"It's hard to fake it when it comes to authentically understanding a company and the products they offer," Jacinto says. "So get to know their growth trajectory, the top players, recent product releases and their competitors."

You might even consider signing up for their services or downloading the company app to get a true feel for what it offers — so you're able to genuinely express your thoughts on the brand when you do land an interview.

Sunday: Research career development ideas.

Spend a couple of hours on Sunday morning looking into helpful continuing education offerings or certifications that will not only improve your skills but also help make you look like someone who values staying on the cutting edge of your career.

If you don't have the bandwidth in your schedule for ongoing classes, you can also look for industry conferences to attend or even one-off courses that'll keep you up to date on the latest developments.

"It's a great way to show an employer that you're committed and eager to grow," Jacinto says, "and a fantastic way to network with others in your industry."

SEE ALSO: Billionaire Richard Branson's favorite productivity hack is simple

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NOW WATCH: Here's what a hiring manager scans for when reviewing résumés


3 things you need to consider when you're offered a job on the spot

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shock

The best thing has happened: You landed the job before you even finished your interview.

It's like getting proposed to as soon as the drinks arrive on your first date. Exciting, but also downright crazy.

This can be a pretty tricky situation to navigate, especially when you really need the position.

It can be difficult not to promise a response by the end of the day, specifically a response along the lines of, "Great! I can't wait to get started!"

But, there are a lot of reasons to think twice about any role you've been offered this quickly. To help you make the best decision for yourself, here are three things to consider when you're offered a job on the spot.

1. Don't feel pressured to accept right away.

I know what you're thinking. This is a good thing! Right? Why wouldn't I accept the same day? However, when this happens, your default response should be to ask for more time to consider.

Although I've never offered anyone a job like this during my recruiter days (and really, for the sake of a contender's sanity, never would), there are a few reasons why someone else might.

  • The position has been open for a long time, and the person in charge just wants to end the search.
  • The company is not a particularly great place to work.
  • You're getting low-balled and the hiring manager is hoping to lock you in for a little less money.

There's one common thread through all of these reasons: In all three cases, the company is trying to make sure you have as little time as possible to do additional research and discover something that would send you running for the hills. The irony behind this is that you should do just that if you're offered a position this early. Most hiring managers will be happy to give you more than a few hours to consider the offer, but in the even rarer instance that you're forced to make a decision before nightfall, stand up for yourself and politely decline.

2. Ask lots of questions about why you're being offered the role this quickly.

My assumptions about the early job offers I've received are based on my experience. But, I'm sure there are lots of reasons why a hiring manager would end a first-round interview with a job offer. So don't be afraid to ask questions. A lot of questions.

While this might sound like a great way to look a gift horse straight in the mouth, don't forget that in this situation, you have all the leverage. Receiving an offer in the middle of an interview is a great way for a recruiter to show his or her hand. The company wants you — and sure hopes you'll accept without asking too many questions.

If you're stumped for questions to ask, here are a few to help jumpstart the conversation over email.

  • "If I were to accept, what would my on-boarding period look like? And what kind of support would I receive as I got acclimated?"
  • "Would it be possible to meet other members of the team to help me make the best decision possible?"
  • "I'm very flattered by this offer — can you tell me what it was about my performance in the interview that made you feel comfortable moving forward?"

These questions are diplomatic and also help you keep things noncommittal. After all, you're a great candidate. And because you are, you probably have a few options on the table. And even if you don't, still take the time to really evaluate what's out there.

job interview

3. Be as gracious as humanly possible.

OK, so here's the thing — as uncomfortable as it might be to receive a job offer so fast, the fact of the matter is that you've still been offered a job. And that's a pretty big deal. Since it's a really big deal, you should be insanely gracious upon receiving that job offer. Even if you have no intention of accepting.

Of course, you should still do your due diligence about everything from company culture to your potential boss' management style. But, before you run off and do the research we know you're dying to do about the company, make sure to express your sincere gratitude. To thank the hiring manager without leading him or her on, here are a few ways you can start the conversation:

  • "Wow! I definitely wasn't expecting this to move forward so quickly, and although I'd like to take some time to consider it in more depth, I am really flattered!"
  • "Thank you so much! The offer is very generous, but I'd like to run this by a few people who are close to me before I go ahead and accept."
  • "This is a nice surprise! I'd like to spend a couple days digesting this news. It's a lot to take in, but I am incredibly honored."

You're really excellent, so it's no wonder that someone wants to snatch you up. But your excellence is also why you shouldn't shortchange yourself and rush into accepting a job that was offered in this way. Take the time to really consider what you might be getting yourself into. You've worked too hard not to give that to yourself, so take a deep breath and resist the temptation to accept right on the spot.

SEE ALSO: 11 tough interview questions you may have to answer if you want to intern at SpaceX

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5 cover letter phrases that are losing you the job

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typing

You've personalized your cover letter to the role and company, written killer opening and closing lines, and even figured out how to give it something special.

But you're not done yet.

Before you submit it, double check to make sure you're not using any of these five words and phrases — they'll sabotage even the greatest cover letters.

1. "I think I'd be a great fit…"

When I was in my high school, my English teacher told us never to use "I think" in an essay because if we were writing something, well, it was obvious that was what we thought.

The same holds true for cover letters. Not only are "I think," "I feel," "I believe," and so on redundant, they also make you sound insecure.

The fix:

Get rid of every "opinion phrase" in your cover letter. Ninety-nine percent of the time, you won't even have to reword the sentence. For example, instead of saying, "I'm confident my communication skills would make me a strong Project Manager," write "My communication skills would make me a strong Project Manager."

It's shorter, simpler, and more convincing.

2. "Good"

Sure, you could say you're "a good writer," or "good at working with other people." But there are so many adjective options out there, and they're almost all more powerful than "good."

The fix:

Replace "good" with one of these descriptors:

  • Skilled
  • Talented
  • Experienced
  • Accomplished
  • Expert
  • Able
  • Successful
  • Apt
  • Seasoned
  • Thorough
  • Capable
  • Competent
  • Efficient

Note: Make sure the alternative you choose accurately represents your skill or experience. If you've got two year's worth of recruiting under your belt, you'd probably want to call yourself a "skilled," "capable," or "enthusiastic" recruiter rather than an "expert" or "experienced" one.

3. "This job would help me because…"

Let's be real: You, your friends, and your family members care why this job would help you. But the hiring manager does not. All he or she cares about is finding the best person for the role. So if you find yourself explaining how this position would help you develop your leadership skills, learn more about your desired industry, or get established as a thought leader — hit the delete key.

The fix:

You do need to explain why you're applying for this specific job at this specific company.
Here's the magic formula:

Your abilities + the company's needs = desirable results

Let's say you're applying for a front-end engineering job. By following this formula, you'd get:

“My four years of experience with open-source JavaScript, HTML5, and CSS3, combined with my passion for building responsive web applications, would allow me to create elegant, maintainable, and functional front-end code — and ultimately make Panther's products even more user-friendly than they already are."

job interview two women talking

4. "As you can see on my resume…"

This is a common filler phrase. But if the hiring manager can see something on your resume, announcing its presence is unnecessary.

The fix:

All you have to do is remove this phrase — no other changes needed!

So instead of saying,"As you can see on my resume, I've been working in marketing and PR for the last five years," you'd write,"I've been working in marketing and PR for the last five years."

Bonus: Your directness will project confidence.

5. "I'm the best candidate because…"

Confidence is good, but arrogance is not. And even if you're sure that you'd be an absolutely fantastic choice, you don't know you're the best. Imagine reading through six cover letters in a row from people who all claim to be "the best candidate." That would get annoying pretty quickly, right?

To stay on the hiring manager's good side, refrain from using "best." Along similar lines, I'd also stay away from "ideal" and "perfect."

The fix:

You want to choose descriptors that are in between "good" and "best."

Words like:

  • Excellent
  • Great
  • Terrific
  • Strong
  • Outstanding
  • Unique

Whipping a cover letter into shape isn't easy or quick — but being rewarded by a job makes it all worth it!

SEE ALSO: Nasty Gal founder Sophia Amoruso says these 4 cover letter mistakes could cost you the job

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A Wharton professor discovered a psychological trick that will help you stop procrastinating

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woman on cell phone distractedLike many people, Katy Milkman knew she should be exercising more.

But each day she left her job as a professor at the University of Pennsylvania feeling exhausted and drained.

By the time she made it home, all she wanted to do was curl up on the couch and read a book or turn on her favorite TV show. On this particular day, she wanted to read The Hunger Games.

That’s when she had an idea.

What if she created a rule for herself? What if she was only allowed to read The Hunger Games when she went to the gym?

Temptation Bundling

“I struggle at the end of a long day to get myself to the gym even though I know that I should go. And at the end of a long day, I also struggle with the desire to watch my favorite TV shows instead of getting work done.

And so I actually realized that those two temptations, those two struggles I faced, could be combined to solve both problems.”

-Katy Milkman, Wharton School of Business 

Milkman’s strategy worked. Not only did she go to the gym more often, she actually looked forward to going to the gym because it meant that she got to do one of her favorite things: read a good book or watch her favorite TV shows.

This idea that you can make it easier to perform a behavior that is good for you in the long-run by combining it with a behavior that feels good in the short-run is what Milkman refers to as “temptation bundling.” You are essentially bundling behaviors you are tempted to do with behaviors that you should do, but often neglect.

Milkman was happy with the progress that she was making in her own life, but she wanted to see if the idea extended beyond her own behavior. Given her interest in behavioral economics and her teaching post at one of the country’s finest universities, she naturally decided to design a research study.

Milkman and her colleagues studied the exercise habits of 226 students, faculty, and staff at the University of Pennsylvania. After teaching a cohort of the participants how to use temptation bundling, Milkman found that people who used temptation bundling were 29 percent to 51 percent more likely to exercise when compared to the control group. The findings were quickly published in Management Science (full study). 

How to Create Your Temptation Bundle

There is a simple exercise you can use to figure out your own temptation bundling strategy.

You’re going to create a two column list:

  1. In column one, write down the pleasures you enjoy and the temptations that you want to do.
  2. In column two, write down the tasks and behaviors you should be doing, but often procrastinate on.

Take your time and write down as many behaviors as possible. Then, browse your list and see if you can link one of your instantly gratifying “want” behaviors with something you “should” be doing.

Here are a few common examples of temptation bundling:

  • Only listen to audiobooks or podcasts you love while exercising.
  • Only get a pedicure while processing overdue work emails.
  • Only watch your favorite show while ironing or doing household chores.
  • Eat at your favorite restaurant when conducting your monthly meeting with a difficult colleague.

temptation bundling

Always Important, Never Urgent

There are many factors that contribute to success, but you can make a strong argument that consistently accomplishing tasks which are important, but not urgent is the one ability that separates top performers from everyone else.

Consider how many tasks are important to our progress, but not urgent in our daily lives.

  • Getting a workout in will never feel like an urgent task on any particular day, but exercising consistently will change your health and your life.
  • Cleaning your office space or kitchen will rarely feel like an immediate need, but reducing clutter can clear your mind and reduce chronic stress.
  • Practicing the fundamentals of your craft is often boring, but when you master these core skills you begin to separate yourself from your competitors.

Temptation bundling offers a simple way to accomplish these tasks that are always important, but never feel urgent. By using your guilty pleasures pull you in, you make it easier to follow through on more difficult habits that pay off in the long-run. 

SEE ALSO: Why you're probably getting more sleep than you think

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Why this NASCAR executive says you shouldn't master just one skill

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Lesa France Kennedy

Some say if you're partially skilled at everything, then you aren't truly skilled at anything. 

But Lesa France Kennedy, CEO of the International Speedway Corporation and vice chairwoman of NASCAR, begs to differ. 

In a recent interview with Adam Bryant of The New York Times, Kennedy says she specifically hires people with a wide range of skills because they can contribute their expertise in lots of different areas. 

If you hire a well-rounded employee, according to Kennedy, "you usually find that they're not going to pigeonhole themselves into one area and that they'll be willing to help when it's needed."

Kennedy tells Bryant this flexibility is especially important in industries where the culture is fast-paced, like the racing business.

In her industry, employees need to help with a variety of jobs depending on the immediate situation, including running around in the rain to maintain order during a rainout.

"The people in our building know that, and they all are a part of it," Kennedy said. "They understand that culture." 

Read the full New York Times interview here.

SEE ALSO: Here's the unusual interview question one CEO asks every job candidate

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9 signs you're the team's weakest link

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Studies suggest as much as 50% of our workforce will be contract workers by 2020.

The pressure for companies to be profitable and stay competitive is forcing them to rethink the concept of full-time employment and who to keep on their teams.

Today, every job is temporary.

If you want to stay employable, you need to think like a business-of-one and become a specialist at what you do.

Most importantly, you need to stay alert and make sure you're never the weakest link.

Even if you do a good job, companies are focused on hiring and retaining only the best workers. Everyone is graded. If your best is everyone else's worst, you're in trouble.

There are warnings that you're seen as weaker than your teammates. I've coached thousands of professionals who unexpectedly lost their jobs. As we review what happened leading up to the firing or layoff, there are always telltale signs they failed to see. Usually, they're tied to misguided work ethic. In fact, we're specifically seeing Millennials and Baby Boomers viewed as the weakest links due to this.

Concerned this could be you? See if these signs sound familiar:

1. Your boss acts more serious around you than other teammates.

Does your boss smile and joke with co-workers, but act all-business with you? Translation: He or she isn't comfortable with you. This usually stems from you not performing to your boss' standards.

2. Teammates don't ask for your advice or help.

Teammates must partner to deliver results. If nobody is asking for you to pitch in, they're trying to demonstrate you aren't needed.

3. Impromptu meetings are happening when you aren't around.

Are mini-meetings happening where key decisions are made in your absence? That's intentional. The team is purposely not seeking your input and letting you know they don't want your ideas.

4. You haven't been given new assignments.

Getting new work implies you'll be sticking around. If you aren't getting any new work, it's because they don't want to add to the workload of someone who could not be here next week.

5. Your manager is increasingly micromanaging you.

Is your boss checking in on you daily? Does he or she want constant updates? That's a sign you're not trusted to get work done in a timely fashion. The more your boss checks, the more frustrated he or she becomes that you need babysitting.

6. Coworkers who started after you are getting promoted over you.

When people who've been there less time are getting moved up, you're being sent a message that your performance isn't valued as much.

7. New employees are getting projects that would normally go to you.

When the interesting new projects start going to more recent hires, you're being told you don't deserve them.

8. Your boss asks you for a list of your responsibilities and the step-by-step process you use to do each one.

Usually, this is a sign that your boss either A) thinks you don't have enough to do and wonders how you stay busy all day, or B) wants a breakdown of your job so that when you get fired, there's something to give your replacement.

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9. Procedures are put in place to have your work checked.

If others have to check up on your work, it's a sign you're no longer trusted to do your job. This creates redundancy and team frustration over the added time and expense of checking up on you.

The above signs indicate you don't have the trust and respect of your manager and teammates. Eventually, if they get frustrated enough, you could lose your job.

Don’t give up — own up.

If you now think you're the weakest link, please don't throw in the towel and assume your days are numbered. You can turn this around.

First, you'll need to own up to the situation. I'd suggest setting a meeting with your boss and sharing your concerns about how much value you are adding, and express sincerely you want to increase your contributions. This can open up the conversation so you can get a clear list of things you need to be contributing in order to up your worth to the team and keep your job.

Next, focus on better serving your teammates. Whatever you can do to make your co-workers' jobs easier will help them see you in a new light.

Finally, crank up the activity level — both in energy and time on the job. You need to show some hustle around your desire to improve. A visible effort to improve your game is what's needed.

Don't wallow in self-pity. Focus on the fact you still have a job, and seize this as your chance to make a comeback!

P.S. the best defense is a good offense.

If you want to makes sure this doesn't happen to you, you need to learn to be a better business-of-one.

Most of us were trained to be employees and act like we have golden handcuffs. We work "for" the employer and feel helpless. Instead, we need to see ourselves as working "with" employers and build up our skills so we can partner with them and have relationships built on mutual respect.

This is a very new career concept and requires a shift to your mindset and approach. But when you do it, you'll be more empowered and confident in your ability to stay employable in today's competitive workplace.

SEE ALSO: What 7 successful business leaders eat for breakfast

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