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Your #Career : 18 Awesome Career Choices Most College Kids Would Never Think Of…For many Students, a College Degree Puts you On the Direct Path to a Certain Career, Such as a Doctor, Teacher, or Journalist. But for Many Others, the Future Isn’t as Clear-Cut.

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Maybe you want to go to med school, but don’t necessarily want to be a doctor. Maybe you love maps, but aren’t sure how to incorporate that passion into a career. Or perhaps you just haven’t found anything that sounds appealing yet.

Mining engineer

Luckily, there are tons of great career options out there that many college kids have no idea even exist. In this helpful thread, Reddit users shared some of these under-the-radar occupations that most students probably haven’t heard of. And they pay fairly well, too.

Here are 18 of our favorites, including salary data from the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, for those who need some inspiration finding their dream job.

Air traffic controller

Air traffic controller

USACE HQ/Flickr

Average annual salary: $118,780

“After school and training it pays an average of 100k a year, but there is an age limit to get accepted.” — Kate1320

“My father is an ATC at Pearson. 200k a year with brilliant benefits. He provided a great quality of life for my family.” — 1stOnRT1

 

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Court stenographer

Court stenographer

Reuters/Jonathan Ernst

Average annual salary: $55,000

“It’s a three-year program (on average — took me four to finish), but if you’re proficient in grammar, have strong language skills, have solid finger dexterity from playing an instrument or video games, and are able to work independently, it’s an incredible career.

“You work from home most of the time, lawyers very rarely schedule depositions before 10:00 am, you can make your own schedule, and the pay is great. Your pay reflects how hard you want to work and the jobs you’re getting, but I made 65k my first year and nearly 80k my second.” — Bad_Karma21

 

Dental hygienist

Dental hygienist

Boston Globe/Contributor/Getty Images

Average annual salary: $71,970

“I’m starting dental hygiene school in the fall and I would have never looked into it while in college. It’s only after I graduated and realized that I had absolutely no idea what I wanted to do that I started seriously doing some research. Most dental hygiene programs only require a certain amount of prerequisite courses and a standardized test score for admission. Most are also bachelors degree programs as well, so mom and dad are pleased and you’re spending the minimal amount of time you would earning a traditional university/college degree. Plus, salary starts at 50-60k a year with ridiculous benefits, at least in my area. Dentists treat their hygienists well!” — WinnifredBurkle

 

Industrial design

Industrial design

Screenshot from Netflix

Average annual salary: $67,030

“As a career, industrial design is a great fusion of art and engineering. The problems are challenging, the work is varied and creative, and design consultancies have some of the best work environments and cultures you could ask for. And at the core of it all, you’re tasked with answering the question, ‘What sort of future do we want to live in?’ Design is so much more than making things shiny.” — Grizzleyt

 

Anesthesiology assistant

Anesthesiology assistant

Flickr/isafmedia

Average annual salary for similar position*: $97,280

“You have to do a premed track in undergrad, but then go to a two-year masters program which has 100% job placement and the average starting salary is about 120k. I never knew about it as an undergrad and wasted a few years getting another masters in an unrelated field.” — parallax1

*Some median salaries were not available via the Bureau of Labor Statistics, so data for similar positions was used.

Geomatic engineering/Land surveying

Geomatic engineering/Land surveying

flickr/axelhartmann

Average annual salary: $60,310

“Most surveyors are old. For instance, the average age of a surveyor in the state of California is in the mid to late fifties, which means you will definitely get a job out of college and you can quickly work your way up to a decent six figure income once you get your professional license.” — TheGeomatician

“Yes. Definitely yes. My dad actually worked for a surveyor for a while and has done surveying off and on as a technician. Made a livable income for someone who dropped out of college after a semester and funded a very heavy smoking habit. I’ve considered getting a side job with a surveyor in a year or two since part of my current degree involves Geographic Information Systems.” — da_asparagus

 

Packaging engineering

Packaging engineering

NashvilleCorps via Flickr

Average annual salary: $85,110

“There are only a few schools who offer this degree but the level of difficulty is not high and the unemployment rate after graduation is incredibly low. Also you are likely to be hired to Fortune 500 companies, (P&G, Johnson & Johnson, Bemis, etc.)” — Klarkson1273

Hearing-aid practitioner/Audiologist

Hearing-aid practitioner/Audiologist

flickr/_e.t

Average annual salary: $76,790

“Jobs jobs everywhere. Same goes for speech pathologists. Requires a grad degree and a lot of clinic hours, state certification, but the pay is great and jobs are plentiful. Work is rewarding too, helping people communicate who otherwise couldn’t is pretty rad.” — PaleoVision

Physician assistant

Physician assistant

COD Newsroom/flickr

Average annual salary: $97,280

“The short of it is a two to two and half year long post-grad program, and then you’re able to work in the industry with a comparatively high level of independence and earning six figures doing something that results in one feeling as though they’re making some sort of difference.

“It’s not an easy way out, of course, but it’s so much less commitment than medical school, and with the way med school costs are going, it’s very possible that throughout the entirety of your career you can out-earn many doctors who don’t specialize in a particularly expensive specialty. And this also comes with the ability to change specialties without going back to school.” — You_Dont_Party

Hospital technology repair

Hospital technology repair

flickr/digitalcat

Average annual salary: $48,540

“My brother in law works for a medical repair company. He made 55k starting, 15 an hour during the internship, and owned his own house at 23. They fly him around for free whenever someone out of state calls.” — CurioustoaFault

“As a former biomed technician, I can confirm that it’s a very solid industry to get in on. Medical equipment (even on the smaller scale, infusion pumps, defibrillators, and portable suction machines) are ridiculously overpriced, and with this comes huge maintenance prices too. I remember one week in particular, our team of four technicians working on a particular job billed $35,000+ for our company simply doing routine checks on certain equipment in one of the nearby hospitals.” — Bananaman_lives

 

Internal auditing

Internal auditing

Flickr/Phillie Casablanca

Average annual salary: $76,670

“Large companies have management training rotations in audit because of the risk/controls knowledge you get and the broad understanding of processes, so it’s definitely a good track to leadership. I also find it financially rewarding. Six years out of undergrad, over $100k a year.” — Xomegaalpha

Mining engineer

Mining engineer

REUTERS/Pav Jordan

Average annual salary: $100,970

“It can be cyclical (bit of a miner lull right now in my specific resource/location right now) but on a good year it is white hot. I signed on to a $100k salary (plus bonus and benefits) straight out of my bachelors degree at 23 for a job that had me moving across the planet (Canada to Australia). The year I graduated we finished school in May and 80% of my graduating class had jobs lined up already and the remainder found jobs by the end of July.

“I was on the higher end for salaries (most making about $80k) There’s worldwide options especially if you get educated in a Western University. Mining Engineers in the US make a little less (~$65k) but for the amount of people working for $30k on masters degrees in other industries, you can’t really complain. You do have to be willing to live in remote areas.” — truffleshufflegoonie

Tower technician

Tower technician

flickr/thebusybrain

Average annual salary: $49,880

“I’ve been doing this for a few years and I’ll pull in roughly 60 to 70k this year. It’s great if you like working outdoors, like heights, and enjoy traveling. It’s hard to get bored when you’re in a new town every week working with guys who have your back. The cool thing is you don’t need a college degree, or any kind of education (Personally, I have my Bachelors in an unrelated field).” — IClimbStuff

Blacksmith

Blacksmith

REUTERS/Ilya Naymushin

Average annual salary for similar position*: $56,560

“Very few people know this, but blacksmithing is something still practiced in today’s society. Very few colleges have courses in it and I believe that mine is the only one that you can get a degree in it (Southern Illinois University of Carbondale). I am a student in this program. It is immensely fun. I have made knives, art, pedestals, hammers. I love talking about what I do but very few people understand it. And there is quite a job market for it too.” — FarlandMetals

*Some median salaries were not available via the Bureau of Labor Statistics, so data for similar positions was used.

 

Funeral director

Funeral director

flickr/ncindc

Average annual salary: $52,130

“My friends whole family are morticians and funeral directors. Not one of them makes less than $50k. One of them finished mortician science school at 20 and started making $60k as an apprentice and in a couple years he’ll be a full blown embalmer making twice that.” — Austronano

Geospatial/geographic information systems

Geospatial/geographic information systems

Derek Hatfield/Flickr

Average annual salary for similar position*: $64,570

“It’s basically the 21st century version of cartography and it’s a field that ranges everything from making maps (think Google Maps or Garmin), pollution tracking, civil planning, interpretation of satellite imagery, and countless other uses. It primarily centers around the use of GIS programs like ArcMap or GrassGIS to graphically represent quantitative data.

“Employers LOVE it and demand for it is high. It’s one of the few jobs you can do well in with a bachelor’s degree too, masters are rather specialized and go more into satellite work or high level statistics generally. Starting wages are generally 40 to 60k a year from what I’ve seen but there’s a lot of room to move around and move up the ladder.” — Shorvok

*Some median salaries were not available via the Bureau of Labor Statistics, so data for similar positions was used.

 

Technical writing

Technical writing

Vancouver Film School/Flickr

Average annual salary: $71,950

“It’s an interesting an exciting field for people with diverse backgrounds (everything from a liberal arts degree to engineering).” — Anonymous

“If you say get onto the back end of a high technology firm writing manuals for the operation of there equipment, you will be exposed to some of the latest and greatest that technology has to offer.” — WilliamOfOrange

Healthcare administrator

Healthcare administrator

Gobierno de la Ciudad de Buenos Aires/flickr.com

Average annual salary: $103,680

“I wish I knew about healthcare administration when I was soul-searching for a major. Good pay, good job availability, and it isn’t half-bad.” — Anonymous

“Most fields you can think of in business have a healthcare component that is ten times more complicated because it is in healthcare. Also, a lot of people in healthcare administration have started out in clinical backgrounds, lab techs, LPNs, physical therapists, etc. A lot of MDs are even getting their MBAs in healthcare administration.” — deliciouslyinked

 Businessinsider.com | July 21, 2015 | Emmie Martin, Jacquelyn Smith and Rachel Gillett

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

#Leadership : How to Rewire Your Brain for Serious #Productivity …If your Meetings are Sputtering, Rewiring the Gray Matter May Help Get Employees Reconnected.

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The co-founders of Aditazz, which uses software to design and construct hospitals and other specialized buildings, were beyond frustrated. Zigmund Rubel, an architect, wanted to design buildings in one direction, either from the outside in or from the inside out, depending on the project. Deepak Aatresh, the CEO and an electrical and computer science engineer, was interested in simultaneous outside-in, inside-out design aided by computation.Free- Big Photo Lense

It was one of many seemingly irresolvable conflicts. “We knew we were well-intentioned, very smart, accomplished people, but it was hard to make forward progress,” Aatresh says.

This type of clash is familiar to neuroscience expert Ajit Singh, a partner at VC Artiman Ventures and member of the Aditazz board of directors; it has its roots in the brain. Innovation comes from com­bining disciplines, but people in different disciplines don’t think the same way. The idea that the right brain hemisphere controls creativity and the left logic has been debunked. But research shows that the left brain is more responsible for language, whereas the right takes care of spatial processing and attention. “People don’t select professions,” Singh explains. “Professions select people.”

These differences were interfering with decision making. Aatresh would schedule one-hour meetings for the startup team to make major decisions, but the conversation would go off-track. An hour would pass and little was accomplished. When he asked Singh how long decision making should take, the answer was: “I don’t know. Let’s let it go.” The solution was to create a lounge area with comfortable seating where people could sit as a group. Meetings began at 6 p.m., included wine and snacks, and had no planned end time. Some went as late as 1 a.m. But Aditazz’s best innovations came out of these sessions.

You may not want all-nighters, but Aditazz’s approach is broadly applicable. It works by creating a setting in which employees feel safe and open to collaboration. Making your people feel safe is key, because without that, “we go into protect behavior,” says Judith E. Glaser, author of Conversational Intelligence: How Great Leaders Build Trust and Get Extraordinary Results. “The amygdala takes over. The prefrontal cortex gets shut down.” The amygdala is linked to fear responses and pleasure. The prefrontal cortex enables empathy, intuition, higher-level social skills, and three-dimensional thinking, Glaser says. “It allows a level of innovation that’s off the charts in a way people have trouble explaining.”

“The idea that the right brain controls creativity and the left logic has been debunked.”

Glaser begins meetings by asking those present to describe what success looks like. When someone hears that others share his or her goals, it stimulates the rostromedial prefrontal cortex, which governs social decisions. “It says, ‘Let’s be friends. I’m more like you than you think,'” she explains. Singh made Rubel and Aatresh start meetings by telling each other that they understand their thought processes are different. “It sounds like kindergarten,” Singh says. “But over time, I saw there was a lot moreempathy.”

 

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That empathy led Aatresh to change his behavior. “Engineers love to go to the whiteboard,” he says. “I realized that’s intimidating to the intuitive people, because they know you’re going to force their thinking into those boxes.”

Now he sometimes ditches the whiteboard and wanders the room. Invariably, the architects are doodling while the engineers take notes. “For years, I believed people who doodled in meetings were time wasters,” he says. “Now I see there’s a connection between drawing on a sheet of paper and drawing one’s thoughts out.”

Neuro Lessons

Here are three places to reprogram for better performance.

1. Beware the Nonconscious

“People communicate powerful cues by body language. We process these cues nonconsciously, in a fifth of a second,” says Dr. Evian Gordon, CEO ofMyBrainSolutions.com. When we feel threatened, our nonconscious mode can assert itself. If someone says, “But I’m concerned” and crosses her arms, she can nonconsciously give a cue meaning she is switching off.

2. Mind Over Matter

Prime yourself for success by elevating your mood before a speech or meeting–for instance, with 20 minutes of moderate exercise, suggests Josh Davis, director of research at the NeuroLeadership Institute in New York City, and author of Two Awesome Hours: Science-Based Strategies to Harness Your Best Time and Get Your Most Important Work Done. When stressed, try picturing something calming, such as a flower or landscape.

3. Make People Comfortable

New Jersey-based Pirch, a retailer of luxury appliances, uses neuroscience to create spaces where people feel safe and can enjoy themselves, says co-founder Jim Stuart: “We rationalize our choice of one store or another, but what really happens is that the nonconscious limbic brain hijacks your cerebral cortex. For the nonconscious brain, the priority is avoiding risk and seeking rewards.”

Inside the Mind of the Entrepreneur

Born entrepreneur? New research shows that some people are wired that way.

Greater Mental Flexibility

According to Heidi Hanna, author of The Sharp Solution: A Brain-Based Approach for Optimal Performance, entrepreneurs excel at switching tasks quickly: “It may be from taking on too much at once or that multitasking is more important for their success.”

Higher Perceived Stress

“Most successful entrepreneurs say they have high levels of stress but thrive on it,” Hanna says. In their next phase of research, her team will look at biological markers to see whether stress is harming entrepreneurs or not.

Positively Above Average

A positivity bias is the nonconscious presumption that you are safe, whereas someone with a negativity bias sees threats everywhere. On a negative-to-positive scale of 1 to 10, the average person scores a 5.5, but entrepreneurs hit an average of 6.5.

Accurate and Agile

Entrepreneurs have above-average motor coordination. At first Hanna thought this was insignificant, but then she realized it might be linked to a key trait. “As I talked to entrepreneurs about what makes them different, they said they make quick decisions. If one turns out wrong, they’re confident they’ll be able to make it right.”

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The opinions expressed here by Inc.com columnists are their own, not those of Inc.com.
FROM THE MARCH 2016 ISSUE OF INC. MAGAZINE

Your #Career : Here’s Why #Facebook is Bad for You & Your Career…You might Think you’ve Earned a Few Minutes on Facebook after Completing a Task or Getting Through a Meeting, but Taking Frequent Social Media Breaks Can Derail your Productivity.

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It probably happens before you even realize it. One minute you’re in the middle of a work project and the next, you’re mindlessly scrolling through your Facebook timeline, Twitter news feed, or even your LinkedIn connections to see if there’s a colleague you haven’t yet connected with. In some cases, you don’t even remember opening a new tab and navigating to the social media site, and there’s not even a new notification waiting for you because this is the second time in an hour you’ve done this. Not only should this habit be slightly concerning on a personal level, but it also has the potential to be a huge detriment to your professional goals. You might think you’ve earned a few minutes on Facebook after completing a task or getting through a meeting, but taking frequent social media breaks can derail your productivity.

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We’ve written before about the dangers of using social media too much, especially Facebook. Social media can distort your perceptions of your friends, affect your mood in ways you don’t even realize, and is even linked to an uptick in depressive tendencies. An article from Psych Central summarizes a number of studies that have expounded on this idea. Using social media too much can often have a negative effect on a person’s self-esteem, especially since people tend to only post the best aspects of their lives on social media. The excessive use of Facebook and other social media sites is also linked to an increase in anxiety and trouble sleeping. In other words, you tend to get uptight and on edge after staring at your news feed for too long, so it’s no wonder that it’s a bad idea to spend your work breaks on the sites.

 

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Social media’s ‘distracted norm’

Avoiding social media during the workday has made several lists about how to be more productive in the workplace, and it’s not just because they occasionally have negative effects. For some people, checking Facebook regularly won’t lead to negative feelings. But even if you’re immune to social media, checking social media throughout the day is still bound to be a professional pitfall.

There’s a new ‘distracted norm’ in almost every sphere of life now, including the workplace, writes Forbes contributor Frances Booth. The author has written extensively about digital distractions, particularly in the workplace, and has found that phones buzzing in pockets, the easy accessibility of email, and even the habit of surfing the Internet lead to decreased productivity at work, even if you’re doing your best to ignore those digital distractions while on the clock. In one article, Booth asks how long it typically takes for you to switch from a focused work task to a distraction — with email or Facebook the common culprits. Is it an hour? Thirty minutes? Or is it (more likely) quick bursts of 10 minutes or less?

The larger issue here, Booth argues, is that easy work tasks get accomplished within a few minutes. You can easily reply to one quick email, post on social media for work purposes, or something else that’s relatively simple. But more complex work issues either get pushed to the side, or take way longer than they should. “If a task is too difficult or too boring, instead of working through this and sticking with it, the easy answer is to turn to a distraction,” she writes.
Number of Active Social Media Users by Network | FindTheCompany//

The fear, in terms of work productivity, is that innovation and creativity requires deep thinking. This means you can’t be turning to a distraction every five minutes. You need to sit with a problem, think about it for yourself before turning to Google to answer it for you, and be willing to work through an issue for multiple hours at a time. A Facebook dependency won’t help you accomplish that. “Giving in to distraction produces half-formed thoughts, unoriginal thinking, and the same old arguments again and again,” Booth argues.

Facebook has more than 1.4 billion users worldwide, so it’s easy to make that site the bad guy in all of this. But it’s not the only platform that leads to distraction, and it makes up just a part of what behavior science expert James Clear refers to as “digital procrastination.” Clear, in an interview with Entrepreneur, says that digital procrastination is a productivity killer, but it also can negatively affect other decision-making long after the work day is finished.

Fighting social media = less willpower

The reason is because you likely know you shouldn’t be checking Facebook every half hour during the day, so you try to resist the pull of social media while at work. But you’re using up a lot of your willpower to do that, which means you’re vulnerable later in the day to try to resist other bad habits you’re trying to break, like smoking or eating that second piece of cake. “Willpower is like a muscle,” Clear explains. “Every time you use a little bit of it — to resist going to Facebook or BuzzFeed or whatever it is — you’re flexing that muscle. By the end of the day…your willpower fades.”

Entrepreneur suggests trying an app like Freedom, which blocks social media sites and other select websites during the work day (or whatever timeframe you set up for yourself) so that you have no choice but to stay on task. Freedom charges a fee to use its services, but others like Cold Turkey have free options. “It takes the decision making out of your hands,” Clear said.

While we’re on the topic of work breaks, though, keep in mind that research does show that more frequent breaks for smaller amounts of time does help productivity throughout your work day. One study found that productive people often work for 52 consecutive minutes, and then take a break for about 17. Those might be arbitrary numbers, but give it a try to see if a similar breakdown works for you. Just opt for a quick walk or a chat with a coworker instead of logging into Facebook to see whose birthday it is.

 

CheatSheet.com | March 3, 2016 | 

#Strategy : How to Create a Killer LinkedIn Profile in 5 Minutes… Want to Attract More Clients, & Customers using #LinkedIn? Here’s a Simple, Copy-&-Paste Script you Can Use to Make it Happen!

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If you want to Discover How to attract Clients using LinkedIn , it’s critical to understand what your ideal audience on that particular platform wants… and what they don’t.

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For instance, they’re not interested in reading an online version of your work résumé. (In fact, that’s about as far away as you can get from creating a killer LinkedIn profile.)  They do want to know, as quickly as possible, who you are, what product or service you provide, and how that product or service can help them achieve their goals. They also have to know how to take next steps to working with you, so they are going to be frustrated if you don’t place your contact information in some strategic places.

I want to show you how to create a client-attracting, lead-generating LinkedIn profile in five minutes or less. Before I get there, however, I need to make one thing clear: If you want to attract your ideal clients and customers on LinkedIn, you must adhere to these two core tenets: Speed and Clarity.

The fastest way to ensure you deliver on those two key elements is to think about one simple reality: How most of us tend to consume content online.

Even as you’re reading this post, you’re likely flicking along on your phone or scrolling on your laptop, scanning and moving fast, stopping only when something stands out and grabs your attention. Your ideal customer is doing the same.

 

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When it comes to laying out your LinkedIn profile in a way that appeals to prospects who are quickly scanning to see if you have what they need, the “copy and paste” template below works as well as anything I’ve seen on the platform.

Best of all, the entire process should take less than five minutes.

The copy-and-paste template for generating Leads on LinkedIn.

(Note that I use ALL CAPS for sections like “WHAT I DO” and “WHO I WORK WITH” to help those headers stand out, since LinkedIn, as of this writing, doesn’t allow you to use bold or italic text on your profile page.)

WHAT I DO: I help [fusion_builder_container hundred_percent=”yes” overflow=”visible”][fusion_builder_row][fusion_builder_column type=”1_1″ background_position=”left top” background_color=”” border_size=”” border_color=”” border_style=”solid” spacing=”yes” background_image=”” background_repeat=”no-repeat” padding=”” margin_top=”0px” margin_bottom=”0px” class=”” id=”” animation_type=”” animation_speed=”0.3″ animation_direction=”left” hide_on_mobile=”no” center_content=”no” min_height=”none”][MY TARGET AUDIENCE] achieve [THEIR TOP GOAL] by providing [MY PRODUCT or SERVICE].

WHO I WORK WITH: I partner with [TARGET AUDIENCE or INDUSTRY TYPE] including:

[Insert Bulleted List of Job Titles, Industry Names, Client Types, etc.]

WHY IT WORKS: When you partner with [MY COMPANY NAME], you get the most efficient, effective, and affordable [PRODUCT or SERVICE] that [TARGET AUDIENCE] are looking for right now.

WHAT MAKES ME DIFFERENT: [Answer that question! What makes you unique/different/better than similar vendors or competitors? XYZ years of experience? Certifications/Patents/etc.? Something else?]

WHAT OTHERS SAY: [Copy and paste two-three testimonials in this area. Make them specific to the product or service you’re offering or the industries you’re serving. Focus on the results clients got from using your product or service. Include the full name of the person and his or her company to give your testimonials more legitimacy.]

HOW IT WORKS: [Explain how your process — “we start with a free evaluation, we do an analysis of your website’s SEO rankings,” etc.]

READY TO TALK? Feel free to connect with me here on LinkedIn, drop me a line at [EMAIL ADDRESS], visit me online at [WEBSITE URL] or call me directly at [PHONE NUMBER].

Look here: great LinkedIn summary examples.

If you want to see some great examples of how LinkedIn Riches students of mine have followed this format to near perfection with their LinkedIn profile summary sections, check out these profile pages:

Your turn — update your LinkedIn summary!

Time to take action! Copy and paste the template above into your LinkedIn summary section, then leave a comment below and let me know how it turns out!

 

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The opinions expressed here by Inc.com columnists are their own, not those of Inc.com.
PUBLISHED ON: MAR 2, 2016
BY JOHN NEMO

Founder and CEO, LinkedIn Riches

 [/fusion_builder_column][/fusion_builder_row][/fusion_builder_container]

Your #Career : Work From Home? 4 Key Ways to Maximize Productivity…To Help you Tackle the Specific Work Issues you’re Likely to Face, we Tapped 3 Work-from-Home Experts for their Tips on How to Maximize 4 Key Areas of Home-Based Office Life so You can Boost Productivity & Success.

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No morning commute. No open floor plan that makes it challenging to focus on your work. No boss looking over your shoulder or co-worker who insists on showing you photos of his cat every morning. The sweet freedom of working from home can seem like a dream come true for some—and the number of people doing so is growing.

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For example, Global Workplace Analytics found that the work-at-home population increased by 103% between 2005 and 2014, with a 6.5% rise in 2014—the largest spike since before the recession. U.S. Census data also show that working from home is more popular than ever. In 2010, 13.4 million people worked at least one day at home per week, an increase of more than 4 million people in the last decade.

Although statistics indicate that the trend is picking up steam, that doesn’t mean it’s easy to work from home successfully. Whether you’re telecommuting to a full-time job or running a home-based business, there are distinct challenges that come from merging your work and home lives.

To help you tackle the specific work issues you’re likely to face, we tapped three work-from-home experts for their tips on how to maximize four key areas of home-based office life so you can boost productivity and success.

Work-From-Home Tip #1: Turbocharge Your Space

Whether you’re working at the corner table next to the couch or have an entire spare room to devote to your home business, it’s important to create a space that helps get you into work mode and keeps your attention there.

• A little separation is a good thing: If you can, carve out a designated space in your home as an office where you can keep your work organized. “A separate workspace makes it easier to set boundaries between your home and office [fusion_builder_container hundred_percent=”yes” overflow=”visible”][fusion_builder_row][fusion_builder_column type=”1_1″ background_position=”left top” background_color=”” border_size=”” border_color=”” border_style=”solid” spacing=”yes” background_image=”” background_repeat=”no-repeat” padding=”” margin_top=”0px” margin_bottom=”0px” class=”” id=”” animation_type=”” animation_speed=”0.3″ animation_direction=”left” hide_on_mobile=”no” center_content=”no” min_height=”none”][lives],” says Lisa Kanarek, author of “Organize Your Home Office for Success: Expert Strategies That Can Work for You” and founder of WorkingNaked.com, a site that helps people create productive home offices. “When you have a separate space, you can store files, supplies and other business essentials in one area.”

If, however, your home office needs to be wherever you can find a spot to open your laptop, there are other things you can do. Elaine Quinn, a certified professional organizer, consultant for solo business owners and author of “There’s No Place Like Working from Home: Get Organized, Stay Motivated, Get Things Done!,” recommends using your dining table as a desk, especially if you have stacks of paperwork to sift through. If you’re working while your family is around, put on noise-canceling headphones to not only block out distracting sounds but serve as a visual cue to others that you’re on the clock.

• Get your (organizational) act together: Having an orderly desk helps you stay focused, boosting productivity so you don’t lose precious time looking for that critical contract—or whatever it may be—under a messy pile of papers. “Visual distraction is just begging for you not to be able to concentrate,” says Quinn. To minimize clutter, think of your desk as the center of a bull’s-eye. “All of the things you need on an everyday basis should be within arm’s reach,” she says. If you don’t need an item that often, it shouldn’t be on your desk. The next circle out should be items you don’t need more than once a week and can be stored off your desk, like in a nearby filing cabinet. The final, outer ring are items you need or want to hang onto but aren’t using anytime soon, such as old client files and contracts. These should be stored away in a closet or basement, if you have one.

If your office is the kitchen table one day and the back porch another, consider putting your work projects in separate boxes so you can grab the one you need at that time, and then put it away when you’re done.

• And remember, there may be tax benefits to creating a home office:Whether you rent or own your home, if you use part of the square footage regularly and exclusively for business, you may be able to do a home office deduction on your taxes, according to the IRS. The federal government now offers a fairly new (as of the 2014 tax season) simplified way to calculate this, with a standard deduction of $5 per square foot of the home used for business, with a maximum of 300 square feet. Talk with your accountant about the best way to include your home office expenses in your taxes.

RELATED: 6 Killer Morning Moves That Can Really Turbocharge Your Workday

 

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Work-From-Home Tip #2: Stay Connected

When it comes to professional communication, Kanarek says that keeping your work and private lives separate is key. If you telecommute, it may be easier to set these boundaries with a work email that’s tied to your main office. If you have a home-based business, it can be trickier.

• Customize your communication: Instead of handing out your primary personal email for work-related matters, Quinn strongly urges her clients who are small business owners to create a second custom work email address, such as jane@yourcompany.com, for a more professional touch.

“Also, set up a third account that you give out when signing up for newsletters and updates,” Kanarek says. That way, you can stay in the loop without clogging up your business email account.

To better manage your inbox, there are tools that let you schedule emails so they’re sent during business hours, rather than when you’re burning the midnight oil. “If I don’t want to appear too eager to respond to something but don’t want to forget, I use Boomerang for Gmail,” says Quinn. “Or if I have an email that I don’t have to take action on right now, Boomerang can make that email reappear at the top of my list at a future date.”

You can also use apps to schedule texts to go out when you want, rather than pinging someone when you’re working on the weekend. Quinn uses SMS Scheduler, a delayed-text scheduler app on Android.

• Streamline your phone system: Many small business owners have ditched their landlines and exclusively use a mobile phone for business, says Kanarek. But if you use your primary number for work, it can be hard to gauge whether that incoming call is personal or business when you’re on—or off—the clock. To counter that, “some have one cellphone for business and the other for personal use,” Kanarek says. But Julie Morgenstern, time management expert and author of “Time Management From the Inside Out: The Foolproof System for Taking Control of Your Schedule—and Your Life,” prefers a dedicated business landline. “The sound quality can be better than on cellphones,” she says. Or you can use the phone line that often comes bundled with your cable TV subscription service as your business number.

If you’re using your own home phone or cellphone for business and don’t necessarily want your personal number out there, try using Google Voice, which lets you choose a brand new number from Google. “You can keep cycling through to find a number you like,” says Quinn. “Or you can type in words and see if they have the numbers to correlate.” If you’re more concerned with missing a call, you can use your existing mobile number with Google Voice and set it up so that one number rings to all of your phones. The service also provides online voicemail with rough transcriptions, sent to you by email or text, so you can quickly get the gist of voicemails on the go.

RELATED: 5 Productivity Apps That’ll Kick Your Workday Into High Gear

 

Work-From-Home Tip #3: Create a Schedule That Fits Your Life

If you’re telecommuting, your hours may be set by your boss. But if your office is flexible or you run a business out of your home, one of the perks is setting your own hours. While there’s freedom in that flexibility, it’s also easy for work-life balance to get really out of whack. Make sure you create a regular schedule, says Morgenstern. “It’s a hot mess when people work whenever they feel like. People love structure. It’s a forcing mechanism that energizes you and also helps you shut off when it’s time.”

• Block out your days with a hard stop: Morgenstern recommends thinking of your day in three blocks of time—morning, afternoon and evening—and factor in how much energy you have in each time period. “If you’re more productive in the morning, then get up and do your work then,” she says. You should also factor in what time you typically need to interact with co-workers and clients, as well as your family’s schedule.

“You may want to be done for the day when your kids come home from school, for example,” Morgenstern says. That way, your kids’ arrival signals quitting time instead of being a distraction keeping you from working another few hours.

• Be realistic about your time: Anyone can write a to-do list, but completing every action is another feat entirely, especially if you’re overly optimistic about what you can reasonably accomplish in a day. Instead of creating a never-ending task list, Morgenstern advises asking yourself three questions: What do I need to do? How long will that take? When will I do it? Keeping in mind your deadlines for each, prioritize and block out your schedule to tackle these responsibilities during a time window when you can maximize your attention toward them.

Not sure how to prioritize tasks? “Think of your work week as a time budget,” Morgenstern says. For example, “if you’re doing writing, editing, administration and pitching, those are the four categories of your time budget. Then, create a regular routine of when you do each. A little bit of boundaries [between task categories] helps.”

• Don’t forget to schedule breaks: In general, whatever schedule you choose, aim to work no more than 90 minutes at a time before taking a quick break. The combination will keep you productive and give you time to clear your head. “After that time, most people lose focus anyway,” Quinn says. “You’ll work better in 90-minute chunks.” Others, including Quinn, find that working in even smaller chunks—up to 45 minutes, followed by a 15-minute break—is more efficient.

 

Work-From-Home Tip #4: Know That You Don’t Have to DoEverything

It can be overwhelming when you are your own tech support, accountant and executive assistant while working from home. And the truth is, “anyone who is working from home can’t do everything themselves,” Quinn says. So how do you make sure you keep your business running?

• Get your go-to people in place: Luckily, this is easier than ever since there are plenty of businesses geared toward home-based workers that offer tech support, such as Support.com, and billing services, such as FreshBooks, at reasonable prices. “It’s always a good idea to get referrals from others,” Kanarek says. “I use Quicken and I have a Mac tech person who always knows how to solve any tech issues I may have.” Some tech support consultants can even virtually jump into your computer and see if they can fix something easily.

• Go virtual: Quinn recommends using a virtual assistant from theInternational Virtual Assistants Association (IVAA), which connects you with professional independent contractors who can offer administrative, technical and creative support. A virtual assistant can help with various tasks, such as bookkeeping and following up on outstanding invoices, creating a monthly newsletter or doing research for a work project. But if you have simple, straightforward tasks like booking appointments, transcribing notes or faxing documents, Quinn suggests finding a more affordable virtual assistant through services like Upwork or Fiverr. Whichever route you choose, having a virtual assistant saves you from getting bogged down in mundane tasks, allowing you to spend more time focusing on building your home-based business and reaping the rewards.

 

Forbes.com | February 2, 2016 | LearnVest

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#Leadership : The 8 HR Analytics Every Manager Should Know About…People are Vital to the Success of any Company. There’s No Doubt that any Business Which can Attract the Right Competencies, Manage Talent Effectively, Utilize Capacity Efficiently, & Retain Employees is Setting Itself Up for Long-Term Success.

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HR departments are generating more data than ever before but at the same time they often struggle to turn their data into valuable insights. Based on the work I do with companies all over the globe I have identified some of the most important analytics managers can use to better understated the people-related side of their business.

Free- Direction Rail Tracks

 

This post builds on my article on the key business analytics tools, which might make good additional background reading. Here is my list of HR analytics every manager should know about:

1- Capability analytics

The success of your business depends on the level of expertise and skill of your workforce. Capability analytics is a talent management process that allows you to identify the capabilities or core competencies you want and need in your business. Once you know what those capabilities are you can compare them to the capabilities you have in place at the moment to see if you have any gaps.

Tip: Capabilities are not just about qualifications and skills; they can also include capabilities that may not be formally recognized, such as the ability to develop and maintain relationships.

 

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2- Competency acquisition analytics

Talent matters, and the acquisition and management of talent is often a critical factor in business growth. Competency acquisition analytics is the process of assessing how well or otherwise your business acquires the desired competencies. You need to start by identifying the core competencies your business requires now and in the future. Then assess the current levels of these competencies within your business and identify any gaps. You can then monitor how effective you are at developing these competencies in-house or spotting and recruiting candidates with those competencies.

Tip: Key to effective competency acquisition analytics is focusing on a small set of core competencies.

 

3- Capacity analytics

Capacity affects revenue. Capacity analytics seeks to establish how operationally efficient people are in a business, e.g. are people spending too much time on admin and not enough on more profitable work, or are individuals stretched far too thin? It also allows businesses to establish of how much capacity they have to grow?

Tip: The tricky part is establishing a system to track capacity without creating huge administrative burdens and without alienating employees with a ‘big-brother’ approach. Big data and sensor system can be very effective here.

 

4- Employee churn analytics

Hiring employees, training them and then integrating them into the business costs time and money. Employee churn analytics is the process of assessing your staff turnover rates in an attempt to predict the future and reduce employee churn. Historical employee churn can be identified through traditional KPIs such as the employee satisfaction index, employee engagement level and staff advocacy score. Surveys and exit interviews are also useful tools.

Tip: Always remember that some employee churn can be desirable. It is important to identify a healthy level of churn and develop system to pinpoint the ‘regrettable’ churn.

 

5- Corporate culture analytics

Culture is notoriously difficult to pin point and even harder to change. It is essentially the collective (often unspoken) rules, systems and patterns of behavior that embody your business. Corporate culture analytics is therefore the process of assessing and understanding more about your corporate culture or the different cultures that exists across your organization. This then allows you to track changes in culture you would like to make, understand how the culture is changing, create early warning systems to detect toxic cultures in their development and ensure you are recruiting people that don’t clash with the corporate culture.

Tip: One way to assess culture is through the analysis of customer service conversations, which can provide a rich vein of data to assess corporate culture.

 

6- Recruitment channel analytics

Employees represent the greatest cost and greatest opportunity in most businesses. Recruitment channel analytics is the process of working out where your best employees come from and what recruitment channels are most effective. Recruitment channel analytics will involve some historical assessment of employee value using KPIS such as human capital value added and return per employee. Surveys and entry interviews are also useful sources of data.

Tip: Aggregator sites like glassdoor.com operate like Trip Advisor for recruitment and can provide companies with independent reviews of their recruitment process.

 

7- Leadership analytics

Poor leadership, whether of a business, division or team costs money and prevents a business from fulfilling its potential. Leadership analytics unpacks the various dimensions of leadership performance via data to uncover the good, the bad and the ugly. Data about leadership performance can be gained through the use of surveys, focus groups, employee interviews or ethnography.

Tip: It is advisable to make the data collection anonymous, so that employees can really open up and provide useful information. Few employees would feel confident or safe talking about their leader or manager if they knew that person could or may have access to their opinion.

 

8- Employee performance analytics

Your business needs capable high-performing employees to survive and thrive. Employee performance analytics seeks to assess individual employee performance. The resulting insights can identify who is performing well and who may need some additional training or support in order to raise their game. Today, we have many innovative ways of collecting and analyzing performance, from crowdsourced performance assessments to big data analytics.

Tip: I advise companies to move away from the classic and outdated performance reviews. With modern data capture techniques it is possible to analyze performance more holistically and less focused on specific parts of a job that might cause employees to skew their behavior.

 

Bernard Marr is a best-selling author, keynote speaker and data expert. His new books is: ‘Key Business Analytics: The 60+ Business Analysis Tools Every Manager Needs To Know‘

 

Forbes.com | March 1, 2016 | Bernard Marr

#Strategy : The Secret to How People Work Well Under Pressure…So, How Do you Do It? Handling Pressure is a Learned Skill, & One That is Very Valuable. It’s Something that Separates the ‘Men from the Boys’, & Can Get you a Long Way If you Can Treat the Ability Like a Muscle, & Exercise It.

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You’re up against a lot at work — environmental factors are likely killing your productivity, your more socially savvy coworkers could be getting promotions over you, and you may even be tempted to cheat your way to the top. It’s a lot of pressure, and one of the ways that we can truly get a glimpse at our character is by our actions and attitudes in the face of that pressure.

Free- Barbed Wire

Most career paths come with their stresses, but others are particularly well-known for being high-pressure gigs — think Wall Street finance jobs, management positions, and pretty much anything involving customer service. The people who typically succeed at those positions, however, are the ones who can best handle stress and pressure. An ability to remain cool and confident under pressure is one trait that is shared among many of the world’s business and political leaders, as well as many of history’s most famous and influential names. 

The trick is, of course, developing the ability to handle pressure. So, how do you do it?

Essentially, handling pressure comes down to meshing the ability to assess one’s surroundings in a thought-out and logical manner with composed behavior.

For example, if you’re working in a kitchen and there’s a grease fire at one of the cooking stations, what do you do? Do you panic, and dump a bucket of water on the fire? Or can you think on your feet, walk briskly to the fire extinguisher, and use it to dispose of the problem?

Or put yourself in another position. If you’re in a customer service position and have a line of angry, screaming customers all looking to make you the target of their ire, do you run away, start crying, or take control of the situation?

 

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You can guess which type of person hiring managers are going to want to put out on the floor, and it’s not the guy who’s going to run away or start with the waterworks. But overall, the real key to handling stress and high-pressure situations is as simple as this: never stand still.

To reiterate, the best thing you can do in high-stress, high-pressure situations is to keep moving. Simply stay on your feet, and engage with the crisis around you. Fear can be paralyzing — but as previously mentioned, it’s the ability to push through that paralysis, logically take stock of what’s going on, and grab a hold on the situation that makes a true leader.

We’ve written before about how, in many professional settings, emotion can actually be your biggest weakness. This rings true in the face of stress and pressure — if you let your emotions (fear, anger, etc.) take the wheel, you’re going to go careening off a cliff.

Though you will want to keep your emotions in check, focusing all of your energy on staying calm could backfire as well. According to Alison Wood Brooks of the Harvard Business School, who has done a good deal of researchinto the best way to handle stress and pressure in a variety of situations, staying upbeat, yet focused, is the ideal way to tackle hairy situations.

“People have a very strong intuition that trying to calm down is the best way to cope with their anxiety, but that can be very difficult and ineffective,” she said, according to a recent article from Inc. “When people feel anxious and try to calm down, they are thinking about all the things that could go badly. When they are excited, they are thinking about how things could go well.”

Clearly, handling pressure is one of those ‘simple, yet complicated’ abilities. To really boil it down, and work on your own abilities to handle stress, simply remembering to not freeze up, and to control your emotions in the face of screaming customers or grease fires is a great place to start. But it’s going to take balance — you don’t want to calm yourself down to the point that your mind is flooded with the worst possible outcomes.

Handling pressure is a learned skill, and one that is very valuable. It’s something that separates the ‘men from the boys’, and can get you a long way if you can treat the ability like a muscle, and exercise it. When the time comes to put it to use, you’ll be glad you did.

Follow Sam on Twitter @SliceOfGinger

 CheatSheet.com | February 28, 2016 | Sam Becker

http://www.cheatsheet.com/money-career/the-secret-to-how-people-work-well-under-pressure.html/?a=viewall

 

 

#Leadership : The 25 Best Leadership & Success Books to Read in your Lifetime, According to Amazon…We’ve Highlighted the Top 25 below, including Books by Psychologists, Economists, & Competitive Athletes. Each One Offers a Unique Look at What it Means to be Truly Successful & How you Can Achieve your Gull Potential.

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This week, Amazon’s editors selected their 100 favorite books on leadership and success.

Free- Women Reading a Book

We’ve highlighted the top 25 below, including books by psychologists, economists, and competitive athletes. Each one offers a unique look at what it means to be truly successful and how you can achieve your full potential.

Read on and start stocking your shelves with inspiration.

25. ‘Getting to Yes’ by Roger Fisher, William Ury, and Bruce Patton

25. 'Getting to Yes' by Roger Fisher, William Ury, and Bruce Patton

Amazon

Based on the work of the Harvard Negotiation Project, this 1981 best-selling business book — the second edition was released in 1991 — offers strategies for dealing with personal and professional conflicts. Those include separating the people from the problem and focusing on interests, not positions.

Find it here »

 

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24. ‘Getting Things Done’ by David Allen

24. 'Getting Things Done' by David Allen

Amazon

Thirteen years after its first publication, productivity guru Allen released the second edition of “Getting Things Done.”

The book teaches readers the basics of time management at work and at home. The idea is to come up with an organizing system for daily to-dos so you free up mental space for focusing on big-picture goals.

Case in point: the “two-minute rule” to keep an overflowing inbox under control.

Find it here »

 

23. ‘Getting More’ by Stuart Diamond

23. 'Getting More' by Stuart Diamond

Amazon

In this best-seller, Diamond turns traditional negotiation strategies on their head, instead suggesting that it’s important to value your partner’s emotions and perceptions.

As Diamond wrote on Business Insider:

The more important the negotiation is, the more emotional people tend to be — whether diplomacy, a billion-dollar deal or my kid wants an ice cream cone. Pay attention to this! The world is not rational.

The book is based on Diamond’s course at Wharton Business School, and Google has even used it in its employee training.

Find it here »

22. ‘Freakonomics’ by Steven D. Levitt and Stephen J. Dubner

22. 'Freakonomics' by Steven D. Levitt and Stephen J. Dubner

Amazon

Levitt, an economist, and Dubner, a New York Times journalist, make economics accessible by showing how it applies to pretty much every issue, from cheating to parenting.

Soon after publishing the book, the authors started a blog and then a podcast by the same name, both now popular.

Find it here

 

21. ‘Flying Without a Net’ by Thomas J. DeLong

21. 'Flying Without a Net' by Thomas J. DeLong

Amazon

DeLong, a Harvard Business School professor and a former Morgan Stanley executive, wrote this book to help other high-need-for-achievement professionals like him overcome their anxieties and live life to the fullest.

The book helps readers confront their deepest fears and gives them a series of practical tools for dealing with them.

Find it here »

20. ‘Flow’ by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi

20. 'Flow' by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi

Amazon

“Flow,” according to positive psychologist Csikszentmihalyi, is the state of getting so absorbed in your work that it flows effortlessly and you don’t pay attention to things like time passing or hunger. You might call it being “in the zone.”

Your success depends largely on your ability to achieve this state, the author argues.

“It is the full involvement of flow, rather thanhappiness, that makes for excellence in life,” he wrote on Psychology Today.

Find it here »

 

19. ‘First, Break all the Rules’ by Marcus Buckingham and Curt Coffman

19. 'First, Break all the Rules' by Marcus Buckingham and Curt Coffman

Amazon

Facebook’s HR chief, Lori Goler, told Business Insider that this book heavily influenced her management philosophy. After reading it, she worked to turn Facebook into a “strengths-based” organization.

According to the authors, two Gallup analysts, the keys to great management include focusing on strengths and finding the right fit for each employee. That way, people get to develop what they’re already skilled at.

Find it here »

18. ‘Find a Way’ by Diana Nyad

18. 'Find a Way' by Diana Nyad

Amazon

In 2013, Nyad became the first person to swim from Cuba to Florida without a shark cage, at 64.

In “Find a Way,” she describes the experiences leading up to this achievement — including failing the Cuba Swim 30 years earlier — and explains how she developed the perseverance necessary to become an American hero.

Find it here »

 

17. ‘Execution’ by Larry Bossidy and Ram Charan

17. 'Execution' by Larry Bossidy and Ram Charan

Amazon

In 1998, Bossidy was named CEO of the year by Chief Executive magazine for his leadership of AlliedSignal.

In 2002, he partnered with business consultant Ram Charan to write a book about his own experience leading a company to greatness, mainly by hiring the right people.

“If you want to be a CEO — or if you are a CEO and want to keep your job — read ‘Execution’ and put its principles to work,” said Michael Dell, CEO of Dell Computer Corp.

Find it here »

16. ‘Essentialism’ by Greg McKeown

16. 'Essentialism' by Greg McKeown

Amazon

“Essentialism,” according to McKeown, is about doing fewer things better. The book helps readers figure out which personal and professional pursuits are worth their time and eliminate the rest.

The book isn’t just geared toward business leaders, either. As McKeown told NPR, it’s “for people who feel that they don’t have the power to push back and so they’ve given up the right to negotiate non-essentials. And as soon as you give up that right then you lose a lot of power.”

Find it here »

 

15. ‘Emotional Intelligence’ by Daniel Goleman

15. 'Emotional Intelligence' by Daniel Goleman

Amazon

In this now classic book, Goleman, a psychologist, suggests that IQ isn’t all that matters for success. In fact, it might not matter nearly as much as your ability to manage your own and other people’s emotions.

Fortunately, this trait can be learned, and Goleman outlines the five core components of emotional intelligence so that readers can start developing it.

Find it here »

14. ‘Elon Musk’ by Ashlee Vance

14. 'Elon Musk' by Ashlee Vance

Amazon

This biography of one of the greatest tech entrepreneurs of our time outlines Musk’s rise to success.

Readers gain insight into Musk’s personality, his leadership style, and the big ideas that have always inspired him.

Find it here »

 

13. ‘Eat That Frog!’ by Brian Tracy

13. 'Eat That Frog!' by Brian Tracy

Amazon

The title of this book comes from Mark Twain’s classic quotation: “Eat a live frog first thing in the morning and nothing worse will happen to you the rest of the day.” In other words, do your hardest task first, when you have sufficient energy and attention, instead of wasting time on easier stuff.

That’s just one of 21 practical strategies for overcoming procrastination that Tracy offers, from writing everything down on paper to obeying the law of “forced efficiency.”

Find it here »

12. ‘Drive’ by Daniel H. Pink

12. 'Drive' by Daniel H. Pink

Amazon

Pink is the author of a number of popular business books, and in this 2009 best-seller, he takes issue with the idea that you can motivate people with incentives alone.

Instead, Pink proposes that everyone needs to achieve a sense of autonomy, mastery, and purpose before they can do great work.

Find it here »

 

11. ‘Do Over’ by Jon Acuff

11. 'Do Over' by Jon Acuff

Amazon

Acuff wants to help prepare readers for an unexpected turn in their careers — whether that means losing a job or being presented with a great new opportunity.

Drawing on his own 16 years of experience in corporate America, he advocates for creating what he calls a “career savings account.” That’s where you stash all the skills and experiences you’ve accumulated in the categories of relationships, skills, character, and “hustle.”

Find it here »

10. ‘Crush It!’ by Gary Vaynerchuk

10. 'Crush It!' by Gary Vaynerchuk

Amazon

Vaynerchuk, an entrepreneur and a tech investor, writes that there’s no better time to pursue your passion and start your business than right now.

By working hard and learning all you can, you can use the digital tools available to you to build a hugely successful brand.

Find it here »

 

9. ‘Choose Yourself’ by James Altucher

9. 'Choose Yourself' by James Altucher

Amazon

It’s a new world, Altucher says, and traditional routes to success won’t work.

“The only way we can thrive as entrepreneurs, artists, innovators, or whatever we want to do to live successful lives is to choose ourselves for that success,”Altucher told Business Insider in 2013. “No longer can we rely on the old paradigms (‘school’, ‘corporations’, ‘government,’ etc.) to provide the safety and success we deserve.”

Altucher shares his own entrepreneurial journey and those of others as inspiration to forge your personal path to success.

Find it here »

8. ‘Chicken Soup for the Soul’ by Jack Canfield, Mark Victor Hansen, and Amy Newmark

8. 'Chicken Soup for the Soul' by Jack Canfield, Mark Victor Hansen, and Amy Newmark

Amazon

In 2013, “Chicken Soup for the Soul” celebrated its 20th anniversary of warming people’s hearts with 20 additional inspirational stories.

Readers learn about love, parenting, and pursuing their dreams from real people who have lived through the same struggles they have.

Find it here »

 

7. ‘Change Your Brain, Change Your Life’ by Daniel G. Amen

7. 'Change Your Brain, Change Your Life' by Daniel G. Amen

Amazon

Neuropsychiatrist Daniel Amen offers simple “brain prescriptions” for overcoming a number of psychological and emotional hurdles, including anxiety and anger. There are writing exercises, breathing exercises, and even brain-friendly dietary guidelines.

These solutions are juxtaposed with Ames’ discussion of fascinating research findings on the connection between your brain, feelings, and behavior.

Find it here »

6. ‘Business Adventures’ by John Brooks

6. 'Business Adventures' by John Brooks

Amazon

This 1969 collection of articles by New Yorker writer John Brooks is one of Bill Gates’ favorite books, originally recommended by Warren Buffett.

Gates writes:

Brooks’s work is a great reminder that the rules for running a strong business and creating value haven’t changed. For one thing, there’s an essential human factor in every business endeavor. It doesn’t matter if you have a perfect product, production plan and marketing pitch; you’ll still need the right people to lead and implement those plans.

Business Insider rounded up seven lessonsfrom the book, including the importance of corporate culture and learning from failure.

Find it here »

 

5. ‘Big Magic’ by Elizabeth Gilbert

5. 'Big Magic' by Elizabeth Gilbert

Amazon

Gilbert, author of the best-selling book “Eat, Pray, Love,” wants to help readers overcome their fears and channel their creative potential, just like she did.

Each of the book’s six sections — on courage, enchantment, permission, persistence, trust, and divinity — includes tips and strategies for finding inspiration and cultivating curiosity in your daily life.

Find it here »

4. ‘Awaken the Giant Within’ by Tony Robbins

4. 'Awaken the Giant Within' by Tony Robbins

Amazon

This 1992 best-seller by one of the world’s most well-known motivational speakers offers practical strategies for finding and pursuing your passions.

As one reader on Goodreads put it: “This book will make you rich, but rich in mind, body, [fusion_builder_container hundred_percent=”yes” overflow=”visible”][fusion_builder_row][fusion_builder_column type=”1_1″ background_position=”left top” background_color=”” border_size=”” border_color=”” border_style=”solid” spacing=”yes” background_image=”” background_repeat=”no-repeat” padding=”” margin_top=”0px” margin_bottom=”0px” class=”” id=”” animation_type=”” animation_speed=”0.3″ animation_direction=”left” hide_on_mobile=”no” center_content=”no” min_height=”none”][and] spirit, and material wealth will follow if that is your desire.”

Find it here »

 

3. ‘Andrew Carnegie’ by David Nasaw

3. 'Andrew Carnegie' by David Nasaw

Amazon

Nasaw’s rags-to-riches tale outlines how a poor Scottish immigrant became the wealthiest man in the US after helping to build the steel industry. What’s more, readers will learn why Carnegie ultimately decided to give away his entire fortune.

We also think it’s one of the best biographies to read if you want to get rich.

Find it here »

2. ‘A New Earth’ by Eckhart Tolle

2. 'A New Earth' by Eckhart Tolle

Amazon

Like “The Power of Now,” also by Tolle, “A New Earth” encourages readers to live in the present if they want to find true happiness. He outlines steps to transcending our ego-based state of consciousness and reaching a more enlightened state.

The book was selected as Oprah’s Book Club pick in 2009.

Find it here 

 

1. ‘#Girlboss’ by Sophia Amoruso

1. '#Girlboss' by Sophia Amoruso
Businessinsider.com |  February 25, 2016 |  
http://www.businessinsider.com/amazons-top-25-leadership-and-success-books-2016-2

[/fusion_builder_column][/fusion_builder_row][/fusion_builder_container]

#Strategy : 17 Unprofessional Work Habits that Make your Boss & CoWorkers Hate You…Do your CoWorkers or Boss Show Signs that They Secretly Hate You? If you Answered “Yes,” then Sure, It could Be that They’re Generally Disagreeable People. Or it Could be You.

/in /by

You may not realize it, but you could be engaging in workplace habits that make you look unprofessional.  While many of these habits violate the basic rules of common decency and respect, sometimes you need a reminder of how to behave at work. And since your office-mates aren’t speaking up, we decided to chime in on their behalf.

Here’s what you could be doing all wrong that makes you look unprofessional:

Bragging

“When we’re proud of an accomplishment or about something good that happens to us, it’s natural to want to share the news with others,” says Rosalinda Oropeza Randall, an etiquette and civility expert and author of “Don’t Burp in the Boardroom.”

But sharing can easily become bragging, and she says there are a few key indicators that this is happening:

• If you go on and on, telling everyone and anyone who walks by.

• If you speak of it in a loud tone so that even the window washer can hear it through the thick glass.

• If you use a tone of superiority.

• If you feel the need to put down others and point out their failures.

• If you fail to say “thank you” when you are congratulated.

• If you start embellishing the story.

“When in doubt, try a little humility” Randall suggests.

 

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Showing up late to work

“Punctuality is critical,” Randall says.

“The professional thing to do is to arrive on time, ready to do what is expected. It’s not like they just sprung this job on you,” she says.

 

Rolling in 10 minutes late to every meeting

Similarly, showing up late to meetings shows that you neither respect your coworkers — who showed up on time, by the way — nor the meeting organizer, says Vicky Oliver, author of “301 Smart Answers to Tough Interview Questions” and “Power Sales Words.”

“Keeping people waiting can be construed as inconsiderate, rude, or arrogant,” Randall says.

Dave Mosher/Tech Insider

Being a slob

“Whether you’re at your desk or in the break room, being known as the office slob is never a compliment,” says Randall.

When you clog the office kitchen sink and leave your garbage around, who exactly are you expecting to clean up after you?

“Leaving your mess behind shows lack of responsibility or consideration, arrogance, and immaturity,” Randall says.

Similarly, your workspace can be a reflection of you, she says.

“If you’re like me, who works well in a semi-messy environment, it can be inhibiting to be clutter-free. But with open cubicles or workspaces, the professional thing to do is to make some compromises,” Randall says. “It would be disrespectful and inconsiderate to expect your coworkers to deal with your mess.”

 

Playing ’20 Questions’ on every new assignment

There may be no stupid questions, Oliver says, but there are certainly annoying questions. These are the kinds of questions that prove you really don’t want to do the assignment or illustrate you only want to hear yourself talk.

“When you receive a new assignment, gather your questions, and pose them in an organized way,” Oliver suggests. “Never just spout out question after question off the cuff.”

Complaining too much

“While there may be times when everyone feels the desire to complain about the boss, a coworker, or a task, voicing it will only make you look unprofessional,” Randall says. “It’s even worse if you complain every day, all day, from the moment you walk into work. Before long, people will go out of their way to avoid you.”

 

Doing your makeup at your desk

In most fields, casual grooming in public is frowned on, Oliver says. If you need a touch up, she suggests heading to the bathroom.

Poor hygiene and grooming

At the same time, you want to look like you take your job seriously when you walk into work, and your hygiene and appearance play a role in that.

“Poor hygiene and sloppy clothes scream, ‘I don’t care!’ and are a surefire way to put off those around you,” Randall says.

Your boss may wonder whether your attitude about how you present yourself extends to your work, she explains, and you may be passed over for a promotion, overlooked when it’s time to meet with a client or represent the company at a conference, and not invited to social gatherings.

“Burping, passing gas, picking your teeth, adjusting your body parts, and rarely showering are not just unprofessional behaviors for the workplace, but they’re pretty darn gross as well,” Randall says.

 

Calling in sick when you aren’t

“Remember the adage that half of life is showing up,” Oliver says.

You won’t prove you deserve the promotion if you call in sick every few weeks.

 

Displaying nervous habits

Jingling your keys, shaking your leg, constantly checking your phone, chewing gum, biting your fingernails, scratching your head — the list of nervous habits goes on, and you probably don’t even realize you’re doing it, but your office mates probably do, Randall says.

Not only can these habits be distracting to others, but they could also be perceived as boredom.

“Perception is a person’s reality,” Randall says.

 

Doing something else during a meeting

“There is a reason why texting is illegal while driving: it’s impossible to concentrate fully on two things simultaneously,” Oliver says.

Texting, surfing the web on your laptop, instant messaging, emailing — doing any of these things during a meeting shows everyone else in the meeting that you’re not paying attention.

“They know that while your butt may be planted in the chair, your mind is roaming,” Oliver says.

Interrupting

“It’s rude to interrupt. When you do, it shows others that you don’t have any respect, judgment, or patience,” Randall says.

While participation can earn you some brownie points, bad timing can wipe those points away.

 

Selling stuff

It seems like almost every office has one or two people who sell cookies for their kids. This could be a bad move, Randall says.

“Bombarding your coworkers with fundraising products or donations for a cause or organization is unprofessional, unwanted, awkward, and obligating,” she says.

Randall says that some companies even prohibit soliciting at work because it takes up work time and places people in an awkward position.

“Saying ‘no’ can be a challenge for some people, and money can be a concern,” Randall says. “Your coworker might feel compelled to buy because everyone else did, or they’re concerned that you’ll remember this.”

Being too noisy

Whether you play music loudly while others are trying to work or have conversations the entire office can hear, then your coworkers likely consider you one of the most annoying distractionson earth.

Being noisy, especially in an open office, has a significant effect on your coworkers’ focus and productivity, and the noise could hurt business if it carries into an important phone call.

“Try to show your coworkers that you respect them by keeping the music down, and hopefully they will return the favor,” Oliver says.

 

Swearing

“Using foul words or questionable language is not only a bad habit, but in most places of business, it’s still considered unprofessional and can even land you in Human Resources for a little chat,” Randall says.

Swearing demonstrates to others that you aren’t able to calmly and thoughtfully deal with a situation, and it could make you the last resort in an even more difficult or extreme dilemma, she says.

“Consider learning some new adjectives,” Randall suggests.

 

Making personal calls all day long

Talking or texting with friends or family on company time is unprofessional and could be against company policy, Randall says. What’s more, doing it during a break is fine, but these correspondences should be kept out of the workplace, even the lunch room.

“You never know when your boss may walk by for an impromptu chat,” she says. “What will they see or hear?”

“If the topic of conversation is of a delicate nature, be sure to keep it private. One overheard juicy tidbit can spread like wildfire,” Randall says.

Being overtly cliquey

“Maybe the new guy who smells like French Onion Soup is not your favorite person on staff,” Oliver says. “That’s no reason to flee him every time he asks you for help on an assignment.”

It’s best to act friendly toward everyone, she says: “You will come across as more of a team player and show you have management aptitude.”

 

Businessinsider.com | February 26, 2016 |  

 

 

 

 

Your #Career : 25 Colleges with Alumni who will Jump-Start your Career…Networking can be Difficult & Time-Consuming, Especially Early in your Career. But Graduating from a School with a Solid Alumni Base means Diving Straight into a Built-in Network of Professionals. 

/in /by

The Princeton Review compiled a list of the 25 colleges with the best alumni networks in the country, featured in the book “Colleges That Pay You Back: 2016 Edition,” published in February, based on students’ ratings of how visible and active alumni are on their campuses.

Texas A&M former students

At Texas A&M University, you become an Aggie for life.

We’ve also gathered salary data from PayScale to show how much new graduates from these schools can expect to make. 

Read on to see schools with active alumni who help students get ahead.

25. Colgate University

25. Colgate University

Colgate University/Facebook

Location: Hamilton, New York

Median starting salary: $54,000

Colgate graduates find themselves among good company; the school counts NBCUniversal CEO and president Stephen Burke and Ben & Jerry’s cofounder Ben Cohen among its notable alumni. Many are willing to lend a hand to undergraduates as well — students reported to the Princeton Review that “alumni would jump over any hurdle for you.”

 

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24. Stanford University

24. Stanford University

Stanford Alumni/Facebook

Location: Stanford, California

Median starting salary: $62,900

Stanford alumni — a network more than 217,00o deep – provide extensive help to their alma mater through a CareerConnect, a job board that exclusively lists job openings from Stanford grads. Alums also volunteer with “career communities” of undergraduates in a specific field who aim to stay on the best path toward finding a job.

The school boasts no shortage of big namesamong its graduates, including Google cofounders Larry Page and Sergey Brin, author John Steinbeck, and former US president Herbert Hoover.

 

23. New College of Florida

23. New College of Florida

New College of Florida

Location: Sarasota, Florida

Median starting salary: $39,800

Graduates of the New College of Florida stay involved with their alma mater long after graduation by mentoring current students, hosting alumni events, and working with students on independent study projects. The school’s Alumnae/i Fellows Program pairs current students with New College graduates who coach them through a semester-long course or workshop in a specific field.

 

22. Cornell University

22. Cornell University

Johnson Graduate School of Management at Cornell University/Facebook

Location: Ithaca, New York

Median starting salary: $58,200

Cornell encourages its alumni to invest in the next generation however they can. The school continously looks for alumni volunteers to mentor current students, speak on panels, and host student shadows in their offices. Cornell’s thriving alumni associationalso hosts networking events, conferences, and other activities that keep connect graduates from every class.

21. University of Georgia

21. University of Georgia

UGA Alumni Association/Facebook

Location: Athens, Georgia

Median starting salary: $45,900

Every year, the University of Georgia hosts an alumni career fair where current and former students connect with potential employers from nearly 100 companies, including Dish Network, Morgan Stanley, and State Farm. Alumni also have access to monthly webinars, online job boards, and networking events in Atlanta.

20. Florida State University

20. Florida State University

FSU Alumni Association/Facebook

Location: Tallahassee, Florida

Median starting salary: $42,700

Florida State University‘s alumni network runs more than 80 local chapters across the US, keeping its nearly 300,000 alumniconnected long after they graduate. In addition to networking opportunities, these chapters offer members job search assistance, résumé referral services, help with career planning, and more.

 

19. DePauw University

19. DePauw University

DePauw University/Facebook

Location: Greencastle, Indiana

Median starting salary: $46,600

DePauw undergrads enjoy access to an alumni database where they can meet and contact fellow Tigers in their respective fields. Students can also take advantage ofTigerTracks, a job board exclusively available to DePauw students and alums.

DePauw graduates join the ranks of numerous notable alumni, including ESPN founders Bill and Scott Rasmussen, author Barbara Kingsolver (“The Poisonwood Bible”), and former vice president Dan Quayle.

18. Lehigh University

18. Lehigh University

Lehigh University Alumni Association/Facebook

Location: Bethlehem, Pennsylvania

Median starting salary: $60,400

Lehigh thinks of its alumni as a family and aims to maintain relationships with both people and companies. Every year the university holds events like the Conference of Accounting Professionalism, a weeklong program where students work directly with executives from major firms.

 

17. University of Florida

17. University of Florida

University of Florida Alumni Association/Facebook

Location: Gainesville, Florida

Median starting salary: $48,800

Across the globe, University of Floridaalumni can connect with one of almost 100 “Gator Clubs,” which organize cultural and academic activities, host speakers, provide networking opportunities, and keep Gator pride going strong.

UF’s alumni association also offers severalcareer resources to help graduates harness new skills, learn abut job openings, and network with fellow alums.

16. Union College

16. Union College

Union College Alumni/Facebook

Location: Schenectady, New York

Median starting salary: $50,800

Despite its small size — fewer than 2,500 students — Union College boasts an impressive alumni base, counting former Cosmopolitan editor Kate White and William Henry Seward, the secretary of state under Abraham Lincoln, among its distinguished alumni.

Current students can take advantage of the school’s Becker Career Center, which connects them with alumni in their field, helps them write polished résumés and cover letters, and teaches them valuable interviewing and job search skills.

 

15. Ohio State University at Columbus

15. Ohio State University at Columbus

The Ohio State University Alumni Association/Facebook

Location: Columbus, Ohio

Median starting salary: $48,000

Ohio State’s Buckeye Careers Networkconnects students and alumni with job postings, internship opportunities, and co-op listings. Even after graduation, the alumni association offers career management services to help every Buckeye perfect their résumé, find a new job, or hire a fellow Ohio State alum.

14. Gettysburg College

14. Gettysburg College

Gettysburg College/Facebook

Location: Gettysburg, Pennsylvania

Median starting salary: $47,600

Gettysburg College’s alumni relations office specializes in bringing current students and alumni together through regional events like happy hours, networking nights, performances, and sporting events.

Alumni can also sign up to speak with prospective students and their families, offer career advice to current students, and attend networking receptions, among other opportunities. “The support from the alumni helps with having lots of options for internships and jobs,” students told the Princeton Review.

 

13. Southern Methodist University

13. Southern Methodist University

SMU/Facevook

Location: Dallas, Texas

Median starting salary: $50,000

Every spring, Southern Methodist University hosts a career and internship fair open to both current students and alumni. The school maintains relationships with a number of renowned companies, including AT&T, EY, and Oracle, to help every Mustang find their dream job.

Graduates join a distinguished group of alumni that includes former-First Lady Laura Bush, Academy Award winning actress Kathy Bates, and TOMS Shoes founder Blake Mycoskie.

12. Bucknell University

12. Bucknell University

BucknellU/Facebook

Location: Lewisburg, Pennsylvania

Median starting salary: $56,800

Even years after graduation, Bucknell alumni remain dedicated to the school — and current students take notice, according to thePrinceton Review. The university itselfstrengthens these ties through LinkedIn groups that help alumni make professional connections, career-related webinars, and opportunities for employers to recruit current students.

 

11. University of Virginia

11. University of Virginia

UVA Alumni Association/Facebook

Location: Charlottesville, Virginia

Median starting salary: $54,100

While the University of Virginia seeks to engage all alumni, it pays special attention tohelping its young alumni succeed through programs like the Young Alumni Council, “city parties” that connect alums with others in their city, and school-sponsored reunions.

UVA counts actress and screenwriter Tina Fey, news anchor Katie Couric, and iconic author Edgar Allan Poe among its esteemed alumni.

10. Virginia Tech

10. Virginia Tech

Virginia Tech Alumni/Facebook

Location: Blacksburg, Virginia

Median starting salary: $53,800

Once a Hokie, always a Hokie. And throughVirginia Tech‘s “Hokies4Hire” program, students and alumni can apply for jobs, internships, and co-ops. Current students can even land on-campus interviews from the program.

Post-grad, VT’s alumni association continues to keep Hokies in the loop through LinkedIn groups, webinars with career experts, and networking opportunities with fellow alums.

 

9. Wellesley College

9. Wellesley College

Wellesley College/Facebook

Location: Wellesley, Massachusetts

Median starting salary: $45,900

“Wellesley’s alumnae network is one of the strongest I found in my college research, and Wellesley’s career placement services will assist alumnae no matter how much time has passed since they graduated,” one student told the Princeton Review.

The school’s powerful alumnae base includes: journalist Diane Sawyer, presidential candidate and former-Sen. Hillary Clinton, and Madeleine Albright, the first female secretary of state.

8. Hampden-Sydney College

8. Hampden-Sydney College

Hampden-Sydney Alumni Association

Location: Hampden-Sydney, Virginia

Median starting salary: $49,800

Hampden-Sydney College believes graduates can go on to any career they want, and the school supports them in making whatever that is a reality. Hampden-Sydney takes advantage of its alumni network to fulfill that vision, including programs like TigerConnections, an in-house job board where alumni frequently share job and internship openings.

 

7. Clemson University

7. Clemson University

Clemson University/Facebook

Location: Clemson, South Carolina

Median starting salary: $51,400

With more than 136,000 alumni,Clemson‘s reach in the professional world stretches far. The school’s alumni association provides graduates with a number of servicesto help advance their careers, including job postings from fellow alums, networking opportunities, and connections within recruiting agencies.

 

6. St. Lawrence University

6. St. Lawrence University

St. Lawrence University Alumni Association

Location: Canton, New York

Median starting salary: $44,700

St. Lawrence University has several programs in place that give current students the opportunity to be mentored by alumni in their desired field of study. For example, undergraduates can enroll in the “Shadow a Saint” program, which matches them with an alum to shadow for up to a week.

“Networking and alumni contact is HUGE!” a student told the Princeton Review. “Alumni are very helpful and are proud to lend a hand.”

 

5. Wabash College

5. Wabash College

Wabash.edu

Location: Crawfordsville, Indiana

Median starting salary: $44,700

Students at all-male Wabash College can “test drive” any career they’re interested in through the school’s externship program. Students spend up to a month intensively shadowing someone in their desired career — typically a Wabash alum — to see the ins and outs of the profession.

Students can take it a step further with the Peer Immersion Experience, where they test out a variety of positions through weeklong immersions that include networking opportunities, site visits, and hands-on experience.

4. Claremont McKenna College

4. Claremont McKenna College

Claremont McKenna College/Facebook

Location: Claremont, California

Median starting salary: $50,100

Before they even graduate, Claremont McKenna students are able to find mentors in their industry using the school’s Mentor Connect program. Based on their interests and experience, Mentor Connect matches current undergraduates with alumni who formally mentor the students over a 10-week period.

The school also touts an expansive internship database to help students bolster their résumés and gain real experience in their fields of study.

 

3. Texas A&M University at College Station

3. Texas A&M University at College Station

Aggie Network/Facebook

Location: College Station, Texas

Median starting salary: $54,300

Few graduates are as proud as those who callTexas A&M their alma mater. And that pride comes with more than just a profound sense of school spirit — it means joining a community more than 436,000 strong.

Through The Association of Former Students, Aggies can access tools to help them craft the perfect résumé, ace interviews, and learn effective networking techniques. They can also connect with fellow alumni through class reunions and game day meet ups.

2. Pennsylvania State University

2. Pennsylvania State University

Penn State Alumni Association/Facebook

Location: University Park, Pennsylvania

Median starting salary: $51,500

Penn State’s alumni base includes more than645,000 people — that’s more than half a million Nittany Lions worldwide. “One of the best things about Penn State overall is the fact that the alumni network is one of the largest in the United States,” a student told the Princeton Review. “Because of this, PSU alums seek out Penn State grads for jobs at their companies.”

Even after graduation, the university helps students further their careers. Members of thealumni association can take advantage of virtual networking events, career fairs, volunteer career coaches, and more.

1. Dartmouth College

1. Dartmouth College

Dartmouth Alumni/Facebook

Location: Hanover, New Hampshire

Median starting salary: $55,500

When it comes to networking and building professional connections, alumni are one of the most valuable resources Dartmouth offers its students. “They love to stay involved with the college and are often willing to talk to current students about careers — and many have been known to give internships and jobs to Dartmouth students,” a student told the Princeton Review.

Dartmouth’s distinguished alumni include actress and screenwriter Mindy Kaling, private equity billionaire Leon Black, and former US Treasury Secretaries Henry Paulson and Timothy Geithner.

 

Businessinsider.com | February 26, 2016 | Emmie Martin