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The 15 best states for finding a job in 2018

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  • In the US, certain states provide a superior work environment that might appeal to job seekers.
  • WalletHub ranked the states based on factors like the unemployment rate, average commute times, and monthly starting salaries.
  • The state of Washington topped the list.


Finding a great job can be tough.

But it's definitely easier in some parts of the United States. According to a recent report from personal finance site WalletHub, certain states provide a far better environment for job seekers.

WalletHub assigned each US state a score based on numerous factors, including median annual income adjusted for the cost of living, share of employees living under the poverty line, and the unemployment and underemployment rates.

WalletHub also assigned each state an employment outlook score using Gallup's job creation index. The score is based on the amount workers say their place of employment is increasing or decreasing the size of its workforce, with the highest score of 42 indicating the best employment outlook.

To read more about the study's methodology, check out the full report here.

Here are the top 15 states for finding a job:

SEE ALSO: The 15 best states for finding a job in 2017

DON'T MISS: The 20 best US cities for finding a job in 2018

15. Nevada

Median annual income (adjusted for the cost of living): $50,711

Unemployment rate: 5.0%

Share of workers living under the poverty line: 7.10%

Employment outlook: 40

Nevada tops the list of all of the states in the United States when it comes to job security.



14. New Jersey

Median annual income (adjusted for the cost of living): $60,461

Unemployment rate: 4.6%

Share of workers living under the poverty line: 4.55%

Employment outlook: 27

New Jersey has many available internships and a low share of workers living under the poverty line.



13. South Dakota

Median annual income (adjusted for the cost of living): $52,340

Unemployment rate: 3.3%

Share of workers living under the poverty line: 7.16%

Employment outlook: 30

South Dakota's has a short average commute time of 16.9 minutes.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

9 incredibly successful people who made their careers in their 30s

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megyn kelly ignition

  • Megyn Kelly, Oprah Winfrey, and Jeff Bezos are only a few successful people who got their big breaks in their 30s.
  • Many successful people who made it in their 30s were already on the right path in their 20s.
  • It's not unusual for someone's 30s to be a time of major life changes.


For many people, their 30s are the period of their lives where the biggest changes take place, like moving across the country, changing career paths, or settling down.

It's also the decade when many people move ahead professionally. There are plenty of incredibly successful people who got their big career breaks in their 30s. Megyn Kelly, for example, left a nine-year legal career at age 33 to work in media, while Oprah Winfrey didn't become a national icon until her show became syndicated when she was 32.

Read on to learn about nine successful people who made their careers in their 30s.

SEE ALSO: 17 people who became billionaires with the least amount of work

Jeff Bezos was enjoying a successful career as a Wall Street executive when he launched Amazon at the age of 31. The online retailer has made Bezos the richest man in the world — he has a net worth of more than $130 billion.

Source: Business Insider



NBC host Megyn Kelly didn't even start in TV until she was 33, after a nine-year legal career. She joined Fox News at age 34, and at 39 she got her breakout gig hosting the "America Live" program.

Source: The New York Times



Billionaire Spanx founder Sara Blakely launched her apparel company from her apartment when she was 29 years old. She struck it big when Spanx scored a contract with QVC when she was 30.

Source: Forbes



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

Here's what's causing you to be exhausted by the middle of your workday — and how to avoid it

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woman yawning at work tired

  • Afternoon drowsiness is a natural part of the human sleep cycle, which is driven by the circadian rhythm and sleep-wake homeostasis.
  • The circadian rhythm is the body's 24-hour cycle that can be influenced by external factors, while sleep-wake homeostasis is a biochemical system that tells the body when it needs sleep.
  • The mid-day crash hits when sleep-wake homeostasis is pushing for sleep and the circadian rhythm has not caught up. 
  • To manage this exhaustion, try to get seven hours of sleep, eat a well-balanced lunch, drink plenty of water, and take short walks or stretches throughout the day.

In today's corporate world, most employees are expected to be 100% focused and on task from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. every day, with an unpaid break wedged in the middle that gives them just enough time to stuff their faces and get back to work.

Is this a realistic expectation? No — hence why many other countries acknowledge the need for a midday break at work (It's considered a constitutional right in China).

Instead of refreshing with a quick cat nap, many American workers must trudge through what is deemed the "2:30 feeling," pour their third cup of coffee, and continue to stare blankly into their computer screens.

The human sleep cycle naturally lulls us into a sleepy daze in the early afternoon, according to The National Sleep Foundation.

woman tired stress sleep head desk worker stressed upset angry exhausted

Also known as the sleep-wake cycle, the natural cycle is driven by two separate biological mechanisms — the circadian rhythm and sleep-wake homeostasis, or homeostatic sleep drive — that work together to balance your energy and notify your body when it's feeling tired and awake.

The circadian rhythm is basically the body's internal clock based on a 24-hour time period, and it considers external factors that can affect it, like the environmental light-dark cycle, reminding you how awake you normally feel at a certain time of day, every day.

Sleep-wake homeostasis is a sleep-inducing biochemical system that drives the body to sleep based on the amount of elapsed time since it last slept. These two processes work together to keep you awake when you should be awake, and asleep when you should be snoozing.

The imminent 2:30 feeling falls over cubicles across the globe partially because the homeostatic drive is pressing for sleep, based on the amount of sleep you got the night before, and the circadian rhythm has yet to catch up and remind your brain to stay alert — after all, it's at work, and should be 100% productive at all times, remember?

So what's the solution? If a 30-minute power nap is out of reach — and it is for most of us — master these tried and true tactics for staying energized at work all day long.

Get proper sleep

Pregnant Woman Sleeping

A no brainer, right? Apparently not — A 2013 study published by Gallup found that 40% of Americans get less than seven hours of sleep per night. Yes, it's easier said than done, but putting some effort into getting to bed at a decent time will pay off in dividends. If you get at least seven hours, that homeostatic sleep drive is less likely to be bugging you when the clock hits 2:30 p.m.

Eat foods that boost your energy. 

almonds

The post-lunch crash can be the result of an extra-full stomach or reactive hypoglycemia, where your blood sugar drops after eating, causing you to become tired, weak, and even lightheaded or anxious. To avoid this, make sure your lunches are well-balanced, and pack some high-protein snacks such as almonds or hard-boiled eggs to give you a boost when you need it.

Take a walk or stretch. 

woman stretching at desk

Nothing gets the blood circulating like a little cardio. Sitting in one position for eight hours straight is not good for the body, so do it a little favor by taking a 10 to 15 minute walk after lunch, or set an alarm on your phone to take a five minute stretch break with your coworkers a few times a day.

Drink water. 

water bottle

As hard as it might be, refrain from your first instinct of picking up the cup of joe and pour yourself a tall glass of water instead — you will thank yourself later. When you think you've had enough, drink more — research shows even slight dehydration can keep you from performing at your best.

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Business Insider Intelligence is hiring Summer Research Interns

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woman happy work laptopJob Description

We’re hiring summer research interns to join our team at Business Insider Intelligence.

The ideal Research Intern will have a deep interest in the tech industry, an excellent academic record, solid writing and analytical skills, and an entrepreneurial attitude.

BI Intelligence is a fast-growing research service from Business Insider. We offer insights essential to companies making strategic decisions across the mobile, digital media, e-commerce, Internet of Things, payments, and digital financial services industries. Our clients are Fortune 1000 companies, startups, advertising agencies, investment firms, and media conglomerates that have come to rely on our timely, forward-looking insights to keep atop of trends shaping the digital landscape.

What’s the job?

We're looking for candidates who have graduated university/college. The Research Intern will complete an 8-week program starting in June, which will enhance his/her knowledge of the digital landscape, grow his/her writing and analysis skills, and will culminate in a group project analyzing a top digital trend. 

Interns will work closely with our analyst teams, including Apps and Platforms, Internet of Things, Digital Media, Payments, E-Commerce, and Fintech, and be assigned a mentor, who will guide their progress.

Daily and weekly projects will vary, but may include:

  • Writing analytically on trends in the industry
  • Working with and analyzing data, and creating charts and data visualizations
  • Working on a group research project
  • Spending time with your mentor to discuss the digital industry
  • This is a great opportunity to get immersed in the fast-paced disruption happening across industries,  grow your writing, Excel, graphics, and communication skills, and learn about the research industry. This is also an opportunity to potentially have your work published.

Ideal candidates will have:

  • An entrepreneurial attitude
  • Willingness to go the extra mile
  • Diligence and persistence in researching
  • Ability to work in a team-oriented, fast-paced, and fast-changing environment
  • Attention to detail
  • Strong communication and writing skills
  • An interest in data-driven visual storytelling
  • Experience using MS Excel/PowerPoint

Those studying social science — including psychology, economics, sociology, and politics — and those with a strong background distilling data, research, and technical topics into compelling writing and persuasive analysis are encouraged to apply. Internships in market/consumer research, consulting, tech research, or relevant experience in a similar position are helpful but not required.

If this is the right opportunity for you, please apply online and tell us why you're a good fit for the role.

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Work spouse relationships can be perfectly healthy, but some are not — here's how to tell the difference

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couple

  • Many people have close relationships with their work colleagues.
  • Sometimes, you might even have a "work spouse," who you spend a lot more time with.
  • These relationships can be healthy or unhealthy, depending on how you approach them.
  • It's important both of you are on the same page, and you both have boundaries in place.
  • Otherwise, things can get complicated.


If you've worked somewhere for a while, you might have a "work spouse." It's essentially someone, usually of the opposite sex, who you spend the majority of your free time at work with.

While it sounds like a way to make the office more tolerable, some work wife/husband relationships can verge into being quite intense. In 2017, a survey from totaljobs found that nearly a quarter of people who had work spouse friendships would consider leaving the company if their "other half" did.

And while there is nothing necessarily insidious about having close friendships at work, there is potential for them to become unhealthy.

According to Jennifer B. Rhodes, a psychologist, dating coach, and founder of Rapport Relationships, it's no surprise that bonds are formed in offices where colleagues spend much of their days together.

For example, friendship expert Shasta Nelson quotes some well known research in her book about how children forge relationships, which showed how kids became better friends with those who they spent more time with. Also, other research has shown how it takes around 200 hours to become "best friends" with someone.

"No one should really be surprised that if they are spending the majority of their time at their workplace, there would be close friendships that come out of just being around the same people for as many hours as you are at work," Rhodes told Business Insider.

How healthy the relationship is depends on you

As for whether this close bond is healthy, that all comes down to how you approach the friendship, and how strong your boundaries are.

"There is a tendency for people to have an emotional affair with their work wife or work husband when things are not really going well at home," Rhodes said. "And I think they really need to be cognisant that an emotional affair can sometimes be worse than having a physical affair with someone."

After all, it isn't uncommon for people to fall in love with their colleagues, with an estimated 22% of people meeting their significant other at work. Sometimes, the amount of time we spend with our colleagues can mimic the intimacy of a more established relationship, and this can lead to confusion and mixed messages.

"I don't see a problem with [work spouse relationships] unless they are being used for something that's more intimate than would be appropriate in a work setting," said Rhodes. "But everyone should think about what are their own personal boundaries and be open to discussing it if it needs to be discussed."

Things can get even more complicated if the real life partner of someone with a work spouse starts to feel the strain and gets jealous. Rhodes said for starters, your real spouse should always know if there is a work wife or husband.

Secondly, if the real partner wants to meet the work partner, that's a totally reasonable request. Otherwise, if they are constantly hearing about another person who is getting to spend all this time with their partner, things can spiral into resentment.

"You're inserting that person into your home and it can be quite damaging over time unless that person makes it very clear there's nothing else to the work relationship," Rhodes said. "But it happens all the time."

If your partner does have a work spouse, you can tell a lot from the way they react to you bringing it up, Rhodes added. For example, some may brush it off as "not a big deal," and accuse you of acting jealous. They might be right about your concerns — and perhaps you are being paranoid — but it's important to remember that doesn't give them the right to be insensitive.

"I would actually start questioning whether or not this person has the relationship skills to handle having a work wife or work husband," Rhodes said. "I think the way someone handles someone's questioning of that says a lot about their ability to be a good partner in a relationship, and that would raise a ton of red flags for me."

There are plenty of known benefits, too

This isn't to say all work spouse relationships are bad. In fact, they can be beneficial for all involved. Not only is it good for business and cooperation within the company, it's healthy for people to feel like someone knows exactly what they are going through, which can decrease stress. Research has also shown in the past that having a work spouse can make you happier.

"I think having healthy relationships with people who are supportive and collaborative is the key to someone's success both personally and professionally," said Rhodes. "It might be that if someone has a healthy work wife/work husband relationship, that person doesn't have to take the stress home to their personal life — so it might create a situation that feels healthier than if someone is so burnt out they come home and take it out on their partner."

It all comes down to what you think you both get from the relationship. If you and your work spouse are on the same page, and you simply like sharing the ups and downs of work together, that's perfectly sustainable. But if you get the sense one of you is using the other, and your work relationship is slowly seeping into your other ones in a negative way, it might be time to question your own, and their, intentions.

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Business Insider Intelligence is hiring a Senior Editor

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Thinking woman laptop whyWe're seeking a Senior Editor with 4-6 years of work experience to join Business Insider Intelligence, Business Insider’s premium research service.

At Business Insider Intelligence, we’re passionate about making market research that industry leaders use to make strategic decisions. To accomplish that goal, we hire great editors with an unrelenting curiosity to draw out the deeper truths in industry news and craft them into compelling narratives on what the future will look like and what companies can do to get there first.

As a Senior Editor, you’ll work closely with our analyst team, editing chart posts, daily briefings, and longer-form research reports, as well as other content. Editors play a key role in the development of our content and there is ample opportunity to advance and grow into a broader role.

Required Skills & Experience

  • Understanding of how to frame a story to speak to the needs of an enterprise audience

  • A passion for communicating big ideas and putting them in context

  • Exceptional attention to detail and knowledge of grammar and AP style

  • A strong grasp of the logic behind numbers and data

  • Superb organizational skills to help our team stay on deadline in a fast-paced environment

  • A solid grounding in business analysis and research fundamentals

You’ve got to have a deep interest in the latest developments in tech to thrive in this role. Because Business Insider Intelligence is a highly collaborative environment, it’s also important that you have strong communication skills and the ability to work with all different kinds of people. Flexibility and a positive, can-do attitude is also a must, since your responsibilities will grow as you gain experience and show your stuff.

This role offers a great opportunity to straddle the media and research worlds and learn about the latest technology that is shaping the world around us. It’s an exciting place to be.

If this sounds like a great job for you, please apply and tell us a bit about why you're a good fit for the role in your cover letter.

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Google is the number-one place college students want to work for the fifth year running —here's what it's doing right (GOOG, GOOGL)

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For the fifth year running, Google is the number-one company that college students from leading universities want to work for.

That's according to new data from education software company Piazza, which surveyed 150,000 students from more than 600 schools in North America, including Stanford, Harvard, and MIT, about where they most wanted to work.

Getting a job at Google isn't easy: It's commonly said that it's easier to get into Harvard than it is to get a job at Google. Indeed, the company is notorious for its intensive application process, putting applicants through several rigorous rounds of interviews as it tries to suss out the best of the best. 

And yet, the top tech talent of the future wants to work at Google.

Here's what Google is doing right, according to Piazza: 

It presents a clear mission.

"Students have a very clear idea of what they will do at Google," Piazza vice president of client relationships Sean Celli tells Business Insider. "They know the type of impact they'll have. The mission of the organization is a magnet brand for attracting talent."

 



Its brand resonates with young people.

Google is twenty years old, but its brand still resonates with college students.

For years, the company has maintained its colorful, quirky branding that's withstood the test of time and continued to attract prospective employees.

"It's a challenge for other companies to compete with that," said Celli. "Some of the older-world companies are not clearly defining their brands, and what we're seeing is that a clear brand presence is really important when you want to interest people in working for you."

 



Working for Google is more than just a job.

Today's graduates are looking for careers that are both personally and professionally enriching, said Celli.

Google's mission appeals to millennials, who tend to be more idealistic when it comes to picking out their career path, said Celli. 

"What they're focused on as a company really resonates with students," said Celli. 

This has proved especially true when it comes to deeply competitive industries like autonomous vehicles. With Uber, Tesla, and Google spinout Waymo all attempting to attract the same pool of talent, Piazza's data shows that Waymo is still the top choice for engineering students with that specialty. 



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

Top tech talent is losing interest in working for Facebook — and the company's tough year in headlines might be the cause (FB)

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millennials millionaires high hopes life planning goals success

  • Students from universities like Stanford, MIT, Harvard, Yale, and Georgia Tech are losing interest in working at Facebook according to a new study by education software company Piazza.
  • Piazza surveyed students from leading universities for the past few years. 
  • In 2018, student interest in working for Facebook had dropped by 4 percent. 

Students from universities like Stanford, MIT, Harvard, Yale, and Georgia Tech are losing interest in working at Facebook. 

A new study from education software company Piazza surveyed 150,000 students and found that most engineering and computer-science students are more interested in applying for jobs at companies like Google, Amazon, and Tesla over positions at Facebook.

The data from Piazza, which has surveyed university students for the past several years, reflects a shift in the sentiment at leading universities toward the Silicon Valley social media giant: In 2016, Facebook was the fourth most desirable place to work among students. In 2017, it fell by one rank, to fifth place. In 2018, Piazza found that four percent fewer students were interested in working at the company, placing it at the seventh most desirable place to work.

While a 4% decrease in student interest might not sound like much, Piazza's vice president of client relationships Sean Celli says the metric is noteworthy. 

"Essentially, 4% fewer students are saying they no longer want to work at a company that has historically been very hot," said Celli. "They're saying there are other companies that are more interesting to them, and that they're paying attention to the way this company is publicly perceived."

While Celli said that he couldn't say whether or not students had lost interest in working for Facebook as a direct result of the Cambridge Analytica data scandal, he did say that college students typically pay close attention to the way a company is portrayed by the media.

Piazza Facebook students

It seems that Facebook's tough year in headlines caught the attention of not only its users, but universities across the country as well.

At Stanford, the Cambridge Analytica scandal was discussed in a number of computer science classes, recent Stanford graduate Kirk Amford told Business Insider.

"[It] was discussed briefly or at length ... in almost every computer-science class I was enrolled in at the time as an example of how [computer science] can be a harmful force when applied sans an ethical framework," Amford wrote in an email. "There were also a number of student organizations in the [computer science] department which held panel discussions about the incident. I attended one of them and the perception about Facebook was very negative overall."

From his conversations with students on Stanford's campus, Amford said that he couldn't say definitively whether or not the Cambridge Analytica scandal had made students less interested in applying there. 

"I have not directly heard of students not applying solely as a result of the scandal," wrote Amford. "[B]ut I would be very, very surprised if it didn’t make students rethink applying to work there."

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The top 30 companies where Ivy League graduates who studied computer science say they most want to work

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college graduates

The race to snag top tech talent from prominent schools is competitive. Typically, tech giants like Facebook, Amazon, Google, and Microsoft are all vying for the same pool of graduates. 

A recent from study from software company Piazza rounded up the companies that computer science students from schools like MIT, Harvard, Stanford, University of Texas Austin, and Georgia Tech are most interested in working for. Piazza extended its questionnaire to more than 600 schools across North America and surveyed around 150,000 students.

Here's where they said they most wanted to work: 

 

30) Ebay



29) Visa



28) Samsung



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

5 jobs that might disappear because of technology

This career coach took 60 managers to an ape orgy to learn about leadership

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Bonobo apes, primates unique to Congo and humankind's closest relative, groom one another at a sanctuary just outside the capital Kinshasa, Congo on October 31, 2006. REUTERS/Finbarr O'Reilly/File Photo

  • Dutch consulting firm Apemanagement prompts managers to reflect on their leadership by observing ape hierarchies.
  • Different ape species have different hierarchicies gorillas, for example, have patriarchal leaders.
  • The firm took McKinsey managers to observe bonobos, who were shocked to find the apes have orgies to curb conflict.


There are countless books, articles, and videos about leadership styles that hold human behaviour up against different hierarchical structures in other societies. But Dutch biologist Patrick van Veen has a slightly different approach: he looks at animal behaviour.

Through his consulting firm "Apemanagement," he shows managers what they can learn from apes. The consultant analyses the hierarchies and behaviour patterns of different ape species and compares them with those of humans.

The aim is not to encourage a specific management style, but to help companies and their managers reflect on their strategies and to improve them.

60 managers and an ape orgy

Bearing this in mind, he recently conducted a leadership seminar at the zoo with 60 high-ranking managers from McKinsey, a global management consulting company, when a small incident occurred, according to the Welt.

The managers were given the opportunity to observe the behaviour of two Bonobos troops who weren't familiar with one another. One might expect territiorial or aggressive behaviour but what did the bonobos do? Well, they had an orgy.

There were males and females together but there was also some same-sex action. Neither the latter nor orgies are considered unusual in the bonobo realm, but it was apparently too much for the managers. Two weeks after the appointment, van Veen received a letter expressing that he should have warned McKinsey there would be "offensive" scenes.

He argued that it should have been thought-provoking and exciting for the managers to observe bonobo behaviour: they resolve conflict in a unique and effective way. One of the things that particularly stands out is not just that bonobos have orgies, but that they are initiated and led by females.

Aside from the female leadership element, the bonobos' orgy method probably doesn't constitute a viable strategy for the boardroom. However, we can use their behaviour to deduce that there are ways for leaders to create a good atmosphere in the office and that there more than a few of them.

Bonobo behaviour means there are fewer conflicts and more integration, personal appreciation, experience, competence, and respect.

Other ape species have different leadership styles

In contrast, gorillas have a patriarch as their leader, whose leadership style is one of unrestricted authority.

One positive effect of this is that gorillas often take care of lower-ranking peers and there is more trust, van Veen said, according to Welt. This is the most common style of leadership among people too, he said. 

Apes are born politicians and are much more democratically organised than gorillas, bonobos have a very "flat" hierarchy without clear leadership, while orangutans are loners, van Veen told Welt.

"As soon as their environment changes, they stop working," said van Veen. 

Perhaps office orgies were not what Apemanagement was trying to highlight, but rather the idea that we're not as different from apes as we like to think. We could probably do with thinking a little more creatively when it comes to group harmony.

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9 high-paying jobs you never knew existed

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Did you know you can make over $80,000 a year as an "ethical hacker"?

There are plenty of jobs out there with high salaries that you probably haven't even heard of.

Of course, what counts as a "high" salary is subjective and depends on many factors, including where you live. The median household income in the US is $59,039, according to a 2017 report by the U.S. Census Bureau.

Looking at median income — rather than the average — is a better measure of the typical income for an occupation, according to The Balance.

INSIDER looked at little-known jobs that pay a median salary of at least $75,000.

Here are nine high-paying jobs that you probably didn't know existed, from ethical hacker to acupuncturist for dogs.

1. Hydrologist: $79,990

You can probably tell from the name that hydrologists' work has to do with water.

These scientists study how water moves across and through Earth's crust and use their knowledge to solve problems of water quality or availability, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).

They make a median salary of $79,990 a year and work both in offices and out in the field.



2. Genetic counselor: $77,480

In this medical profession, counselors work with individuals and families to assess the risk of inherited diseases and conditions, such as birth defects.

Genetic counselors make a median salary of $77,480, according to BLS.

Job prospects are expected to grow by an impressive 29% between 2016 and 2026.



3. Ethical hacker: $80,230

Ethical hackers, also known as information security analysts, are trained to use their skills to help organizations identify security problems with computer networks and keep their information safe.

The median salary for ethical hackers is $80,230, according to PayScale.

The job prospects for this field are expected to grow by 28% by 2026, according to BLS.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

Why it's healthy to have a work rival, according to a careers coach

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colleagues

  • New research from LinkedIn suggests there are various types of work colleagues that can help you get on in your career.
  • These include a mentor or 'cheerleader,' a bestie, a work husband/wife, but also a rival.
  • Some people naturally thrive off workplace rivalry while others shy away from it.
  • There are ways to use your work rivalry to achieve your career goals.

As human beings, it's natural to sometimes compare ourselves to one another. And it is often said that a healthy dose of competition can be good for you, particularly in the workplace, hence why many employers introduce bonus schemes and targets, to encourage their employees to compete.

But while some people thrive off rivalry, for others the added stress of feeling in direct competition with a colleague — or colleagues — on top of the usual pressures of the working environment can feel overwhelming.

It can even make some people shy away from the race for that promotion or pay rise. Some just prefer to compete with themselves than others.

LinkedIn conducted a survey of 2,000 working men and women in Britain and found that there were a number of different types of colleagues that respondents credited to having a positive impact on their careers. These included a mentor or "cheerleader," a bestie, a work husband or wife, but also a rival.

Of the survey, just under a third of respondents claimed to have a "workplace rival," with some employees claiming it had a positive impact on their performance, by either motivating them to succeed or work harder.

The study also showed that Gen Z and millennials were overall much more open to having — or admitting to having — a work rival, than their older peers.

Some of the Brits surveyed even claimed they'd prefer a rival than a "cheerleader"– that person who is constantly complimentary about their work.

woman man working

There has to be a scale of what's a healthy rivalry and what's not, especially in a working environment. It obviously needs to be amicable and professional, but Alice Stapleton, a career coach who specialises in helping people in their 20s and 30s to change career paths says there are ways of using this rivalry to your advantage.

How to make work rivalry work for you

Stapleton says that having a healthy sense of rivalry can encourage you to work beyond your comfort zone and seek out new opportunities. She recommends that you spend some time sussing out who represents your competition among your team and wider network:

"You should see [your rival] not as someone to out-do or put down in the workplace but as someone to have a mutual respect for and be as supportive and friendly to as you can," she told Business Insider. "Get to know that person but form your own career goals rather than simply responding to theirs, be proactive rather than reactive to someone else’s behaviour."

If it's a promotion you're competing for, Stapleton recommends finding ways to highlight your readiness for it over your rival. Once you know what is required of the position, make sure you have clear examples of where you have excelled in that area and you're rival hasn't or their outcomes weren't as successful.

She also recommends asking your rival for feedback on what they see as your strengths, and where you need to develop. "We often have blind spots when it comes to self-perception, so use this connection to fill in the gaps, and adapt accordingly," she said.

And just because you've identified someone as a "rival" it doesn't mean you can't still be friends with them.

"It's quite common in a close-knit team that you can be friends, that's absolutely fine. You should be good natured and happy for them if they get a promotion or move on. If anything, take that as motivation for your own career and goals."

But added: "I think sometimes it can be difficult when you are really good friends, the time may come when you have to step on their toes, or you're given an opportunity directly over them that may challenge a [close] friendship."

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The 23 best icebreakers to use at a party where you don't know anyone

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  • Parties where you know virtually no one can be awkward, especially if you're not sure how to start a conversation.
  • You could rely on the classic, "So what do you do for a living?" But then you run the risk of coming off as the least interesting or original person at the party.
  • The following icebreakers should help you get an interesting conversation going with ease.


Maybe you're interested in making a new professional contact, or perhaps you simply want to make a good impression on a friend of a friend.

Whatever the reason, busting out the clichés upon the first introduction is never a good idea.

To mix the conversation up a bit, try using one of these 17 icebreakers. They should help ease you into an engaging conversation with people you've never met before.

SEE ALSO: 11 festive things to do in New York City over the holidays that look fun — but aren't

'Hello'

This one may seem simple, but a smile, a name, and a confident handshake can sometimes go a long way, Ariella Coombs wrote for Careerealism.com.

"Sometimes the easiest way to meet someone is to offer a handshake and say 'hi,'" she wrote.



'I'll be honest, the only person I know here is the bartender, and I just met him two minutes ago. Mind if I introduce myself?'

Humor is a good method to put another attendee at ease and jump-start a lighthearted conversation.



'What do you do for fun when you're not working?'

Asking personal questions about people's activities outside of work can help solidify a connection, Shan White, owner of Women's Peak Performance Coaching, told Refinery29.

Asking about someone's after-work hobbies is "semi-personal, yet still professionally acceptable to ask," White said. "This can bring some levity and humor into the conversation while also letting you see what lights them up — what brings them real joy."



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How to deal with making and breaking a workplace affair, according to Ashley Madison's resident sex therapist

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affair

  • Cheating is a fact of life, and people are unfaithful to their partners for many different reasons.
  • But if you find yourself attracted to someone at work, things can quickly get complicated.
  • According to Tammy Nelson, a sex therapist, you need to ensure you are both emotionally mature enough to handle the situation.
  • Otherwise, the fallout can be messy.
  • If handled badly, both your relationship and your career could be at risk.


When one client of sex therapist Tammy Nelson decided he wanted to end his workplace affair, he started blanking the woman by avoiding eye contact and turning and walking the other way if he ever saw her in the office.

This is absolutely not the way to handle the breakdown of a relationship — especially when it's with someone you work with. But although ghosting has (apparently) become acceptable in modern dating, pretending someone you've slept with simply doesn't exist when you work in the same office as them is another level of callous.

You may spend more time with your colleagues than with your partner at home, and research has shown it's close proximity to someone that can make you form close bonds, such as a work spouse relationship. Racking up the hours together also makes it more likely you'll fall in love with each other.

But work relationships are complicated. Nelson told Business Insider the immediate issues are obvious at first glance, such as being distracted from your duties, and putting your relationship with other colleagues at risk.

But it's even messier if both people are married or in committed relationships outside of work. According to the infidelity dating site Ashley Madison, a survey showed that 32% of respondents have had an office affair, and 37% said there is someone at work who they want to have an affair with.

And if you're going to go down that path with a colleague, Nelson, who consults for Ashley Madison, said there are some things to be aware of.

Ashley Madison

"Ashley Madison is a place where two people are looking for something where they both agree this is the level of dishonesty we are committed to — I am going to keep this compartmentalised from my marriage as you are," she said. "So we both make that agreement. And if one of us breaks that agreement then it's no longer an agreement, and it could feel like a betrayal. There's a risk."

If someone breaks that agreement in an office affair, it can have huge ramifications, she said. So it's important either you agree to take the affair outside of the business environment, or you come clean about it right at the beginning. That could mean involving HR, or telling your colleagues about it and stressing to them your personal life won't affect your professional one.

"It's very difficult to trust your colleague to do a good job or put your best interests at heart when you know they are lying to you about something," said Nelson. "The other way to deal with it, if you feel it coming, if you feel there's an attraction or a potential complication, is to end it."

Not all workplace attractions lead to full-blown affairs. Sometimes, it might be a work spouse relationship where the flirting has reached inappropriate levels. Or there could be a romantic connection between two people, but they decide not to act on it for the sake of their careers or marriages.

However, if a romantic relationship does blossom, it's worth thinking about whether you're mature enough to deal with the consequences if it doesn't work out. The client who blanked his mistress in the hallway, for example, wasn't emotionally equipped to deal with the situation, Nelson said.

You have to handle your life with integrity and you can't have these relationships without integrity.

"I said what are you, in 5th grade? Are you 15? That's not how you handle this with integrity," she said.

"If you want to handle your affair like a grown up, what you have to do is actually go to the person who you are having the office affair with and say to them three things: One, I really appreciate the time we had together, and I've learned about myself from the relationship we had. Two, I really need to end this because I have a relationship at home, or because I really want to focus on my work here at the office... And then number three, I'm sorry if I've created any pain for you or any fallout in your own personal life."

Then, you have to create a plan for the future, she said, to either decide to have a friendly business-like relationship where you can work together, or for one of you to leave.

Nelson suggested to her ghosting client that he say to his former partner: "We can have this kind and polite relationship with each other. And if that doesn't work for you, I will leave the company."

Fortunately, she was fine with this arrangement. But before that, she had been so angry she had been threatening to tell his wife about the whole thing.

"Because she was — rightly so — angry at him for treating her as if nothing has happened, and was just blowing her off," Nelson said. "You have to handle your life with integrity and you can't have these relationships without integrity."

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Here's what's most likely to make an employee want to stay — and it's not a high salary or company cars

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  • A Suite & Co survey showed that salaries didn't always determine whether an employee chose to stay on at a company.
  • Co-founder of Suite & Co Lisa Mellinghoff, said that perks such as company cars no longer incentivise people as strongly to remain with a company.
  • Employees prefer to receive praise for their work, to be close to their workplace and to be in pleasant surroundings.


As much as one's salary is important, surprisingly, it's not actually the driving factor when decisions have to be made over staying on at a company.

Nowadays, job opportunities are diverse — which means there are more roles for people to choose from and that people can pursue work based on what suits them.

According to a survey carried out by consulting firm Suite & Co, employees' expectations of their workplace and the demands placed on an employee by his or her role have changed vastly from ten years ago.

Employees would rather forego pricey perks than comfort

While one might think the lure of a sleek company car or an expensed business trip to a luxury hotel would entice employees to stay on with a company, these extravagant perks have very little bearing on that choice; it's security and comfort more than anything that employees are after within a job.

"The results show how much the needs of workers have changed over the years: the draw of a company car is a thing of the past," said co-founder of Suite & Co, Lisa Mellinghoff.

Another important thing to bear in mind is that employees like being within a short distance of their workplace — but it's not just the proximity to the place of residence upon which employees place importance — even the interior and exterior architecture must be visually appealing, with 76% of those surveyed saying they valued their surroundings. The reputation, size and reputation of a company comes second.

Having support available from your employer is important

The most important thing for employees is actually just general cohesion within the company, and having a good relationship with one's employer.

"There has to be a bit of a human touch. Workers want social interaction," said Viktor Gilz, also a director at Suite & Co.

This includes not only recognition and praise, but support that goes beyond just the work area — 58% of those who participated in the study, for example, wanted help available with a move in the event of a job change.

SEE ALSO: A cosmetics company introduced a 4-day working week — and their sales increased

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INSIDER video is hiring a writing intern for pets

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We are hiring an writing intern with a focus on pets videos for INSIDER, a publication that delivers stories to readers across digital platforms.

The role includes finding and pitching ideas for INSIDER's videos about pets gagdets, pet owners making a difference, and so much more. The writing intern also researches, writes, and produces scripts. Recent examples include videos about this seatbelt for your dog's safety and this dog who learned to ride a horse.

Writing interns work closely with video editors, but they do not need to have video-editing experience. We're looking for ambitious reporters who can find and chase great stories, and relay them to our audience in a compelling way. Our interns are an integral part of our team. We seek out self-starters and people who are enthusiastic about collaborating with video producers, social media editors, and other team members.

This internship position is at our headquarters in New York City. It starts in summer 2018 and runs for six months. Interns are encouraged to work full-time (40 hours a week) if their schedule allows.

At INSIDER, our motto is "Life is an adventure." We tell stories for, about, and by people who seize life. That means they love to travel, try new foods, watch new movies, and fight for what's right — and they admire people who do the same. INSIDER is distributed across social media, including Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat, and YouTube , as well as on our website.

If this sounds like your dream job, APPLY HERE with a resume and cover letter telling us why you're a fit for INSIDER and detailing your interest in pets content.

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How to know if you're falling in love with your colleague or you're just experiencing 'vicinity attraction'

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couple flirting

  • We spend more time with our colleagues than almost anyone else.
  • This can lead to "vicinity attraction" where you develop feelings for someone because you're around them all the time.
  • But the only way to know if these feelings are real is to meet up outside of work.
  • Everyone has fantasies, but that doesn't mean you have to act on them.


We spend a lot of time with our colleagues. In fact, we probably spend more time with the people we work with than almost anyone else. Since you're likely also surrounded by people you have things in common with, it's not all that surprising that people fall in love at work.

Proximity is a funny thing. Research has found it takes around 200 hours for people to become close friends, because the more time you spend with someone, the more chance their positive and attractive qualities shine through. This is fine for people who are single, but if you're in a monogamous relationship and you start having feelings for someone at work, things can get messy.

In some cases, a work spouse relationship is born, where you share the trials and tribulations of the workplace with each other, have lunch together, and emotionally depend on one another. In other cases, the people involved may not have put strong boundaries in place, and they can start to behave inappropriately.

Monogamy is hard, according to Tammy Nelson, a consultant sex therapist for adult infidelity dating site Ashley Madison.

"Even if you're married, you're not dead," she said. "You're going to be attracted to other people."

But it's how you handle this attraction that's important. If you're not careful, the situation can fall into the realm of micro-cheating, which is essentially where you cheat, but only a little bit.

Nelson said this could range from flirting at work, sharing personal details about your life, and texting a lot, to things like sending explicit messages to each other.

"That's really where you cross over into the line of where if your spouse really knew what you were doing, they really wouldn't be happy," she said. "Like, if someone was looking over your shoulder, you'd probably get in trouble. Or you'd feel guilty about what you're doing. That's what I consider on the micro-cheating lines."

work flirting

According to data from Ashley Madison, 37% of people have someone at work who they want to have an affair with. That doesn't mean they'll do it, but there is the potential for boundaries to be crossed and behaviour to fall into being inappropriate.

"Everyone has fantasies," Nelson said. "That doesn't necessarily mean you have to act on them. It's part of being alive, and reassuring yourself that you are still a sexual person, that you're still interested in having your aliveness mirrored in the world, which I think is a good thing."

But there is such a thing as falling in love. So how do you know if you're simply falling victim to normal close proximity flirting, or if there are real feelings developing?

Vicinity attraction

"I think that's a fascinating question, especially because your life is in somewhat of a fishbowl," Nelson said. "It's not necessarily someone you would choose if they were lined up on a dating app... Part of the difficulty in dating these days is that there are so many choices. When there are so many choices, sometimes you don't pick anyone."

In a work environment, your choices are limited. So you're more likely to find people attractive that you might not look twice at on a dating app. Nelson calls this vicinity attraction. She said you know it's turning into something real if the relationship starts to develop outside of work.

"Everyone has fantasies... That doesn't necessarily mean you have to act on them."

"So how do you discern if you're actually falling in love with that person? I think it goes back to the meeting up out of work," she said. "We didn't used to understand or know what people were like outside of work. It used to be if you go for drinks after work then you got to know their personality."

Now, we can see each other's Instagram posts, Facebook activity, and we can message each other. It can easily muddy the waters of what's really going on. So real life interaction is the only way to clear things up, Nelson said. In other words, if you meet up with someone outside work, and it's awkward, or you end up kissing them and immediately realising it's a mistake, you've got your answer.

"You do that after work thing where you have a few drinks, maybe you make out with a person and you think, oh this is definitely a mistake," she said. "And then you have to deal with the after effects of the fallout of the initial flirtation."

The other option is it does turn into a full-blown affair, and that brings it's own set of problems.

"You can't really judge what the attraction is based on," Nelson said. "But it's already complicated enough."

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Experts say too many people suffer from a 'delusional belief' about their careers that doesn't do them any favors

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thinking woman work

  • Writing in the Harvard Business Review, the psychology researcher Tania Luna and the Weight Watchers International executive Jordan Cohen said that a belief in the "career myth"— the idea that careers follow a linear path — is holding us back.
  • It's no longer the case that employees can expect incremental chances to advance up the career ladder.
  • Instead, they say, people need to embrace uncertainty by changing roles, or even industries, without a final destination in mind. 

Choosing a career can be a daunting proposition.

But part of the reason may be that we're looking at career paths the wrong way.

That's what a growing number of experts are saying. In an article in the Harvard Business Review last week, the psychology researcher Tania Luna and the Weight Watchers International executive Jordan Cohen said modern employees are suffering from their belief in the "career myth," what they describe as "a delusional belief in the outdated idea of linear career progression."

As Luna and Cohen explained, people today can no longer rely on an outdated system of career advancement — one that presumes employees will be given incremental chances for career advancement along with raises and title changes.

But modern career trajectories are rarely so cut-and-dry. They often involve quickly adapting to new roles as they develop, and for many people, it's normal to switch companies or even industries several times in a career.

"When we envision a career, we imagine a direct path with a final destination," the authors wrote. "And not long ago, this concept was useful."

They added: "This vision of career growth no longer matches reality. We no longer need to be good at predicting the future; we now have to succeed when the future is unpredictable."

Their observations have been echoed by other executives. Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg said it was better to think of careers as a jungle gym than as a ladder — there are various ways to get to the top, and some of them involve descending or hitting a dead end.

Mitch Joel, a digital marketer, shares that sentiment, advocating in his 2013 book that workers should be willing to change careers and evolve.

"Take on a challenge within your organization, work with a new department, change something within your business that is antiquated or draconian," he wrote.

Luna and Cohen acknowledge in their article that giving up on the career myth can be scary, as it suggests an uncertain future. But they said that even if your career isn't following a logical, continuous route, it doesn't mean you're wasting time.

"Every job you've held and every relationship you've forged is a kind of key that can unlock a future opportunity," they wrote. "The keys don't have to make sense together. There doesn't need to be a clear, linear narrative to explain how you got from A to B."

SEE ALSO: All that advice to 'find your passion' isn't just cliché — it could be actively bad

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Business Insider is hiring a paid retail reporting intern

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Business Insider is looking for a retail reporting intern to join our editorial team.

The retail reporting intern will gain exposure to a variety of topics covered by Business Insider's retail team, including fast food, e-commerce, big-box and department stores, and apparel. 

If you're interested in all the things people spend money on, you might be the ideal candidate.

From writing about the newest menu items at McDonald's to reporting on the most luxurious malls in America, this internship offers a unique opportunity to cover a variety of consumer topics.

As an intern at Business Insider, there's no getting coffee, filing, or making copies.

Our interns are an integral part of our team.

BI interns spend their time doing meaningful work: researching, writing, pitching and producing features — even breaking news if the timing's right.

This internship is based in New York City and runs for six months. Interns are encouraged to work full-time (40 hours a week) if their schedule allows.

APPLY HERE with a resume and cover letter if this sounds like your dream internship, and specify why you're interested.

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