How I have been blocking my own success (and how you might be doing the same)

How I have been blocking my own success (and how you might be doing the same) How I have been blocking my own success (and how you might be doing the same) A few days ago, one of my Facebook friends asked this question What assumptions are holding you back?The question stopped me in my tracks because just a week earlier, I had decided to drop several long-held assumptions and go public with my specieswork.I have always drawn and painted, and over the last year I have become much more committed to my art work. But still, almost no one had ever seen it.What assumptions were holding me back all that time? Too many, Im afraid.Here are just some of them No one will want to see my work. Its not good enough. Black and white art isnt real art. Im not a real artist because I have a full-time job. People might hate my drawings the list goes on and on.And then over the last few weeks, a series of things happened that changed the way I felt. I attended a talk on creativity and came away inspire d. A relative stranger saw one of my pictures and gave genuine and heartfelt praise. I watched a video about a successful artist who only started painting at the age of 60. I read the book Choose Yourself by James Altucher and realized I hadnt done that in the past (If you havent read it, I recommend it as a though-provoking, if sometimes a little crazy, jolt of inspiration).And all these events came together like bricks making a wall and I started to wonder why dont I try this? Whats the worst that could happen? I will still run Blue Sky, so I wont starve if I fail. The only risk is that my feelings will get hurt if people dont like my work.So I set up a Facebook page for my art and paid for a small advertising campaign to test reactions. I figured if no one liked it, I could delete the page and move on. Id only be down a bruised ego and about $30.And to my genuine amazement, it turns out lots of those assumptions were completely wrong. Ive been overwhelmed with positive comments, kind words and even with gallery opportunities. It seems I welches wrong that people dont want black and white art, and wrong that Im not good enough, and wrong that Im not a real artist because I also have a job.And now it has me wondering if all those assumptions are wrong, what other self-limiting beliefs am I clinging on to?And if I have all these self-limiting beliefs, what about you? What assumptions are holding YOU back?The cow in the drawing is one I saw yesterday. She was standing right at the barbed wire fence looking out mournfully. Shed have loved to explore the next field, but she couldnt go any further.She reminds me of me just a few weeks ago.Maybe she reminds you of you?

New Rules for Branding on the Job Search

New Rules for Branding on the Job SearchNew Rules for Branding on the Job SearchFocus on communicating your value in a clear and concise manner.Reposted with permission from Personal Branding BlogAdvice about developing a personal brand is widely accepted because it is effective. But, in todays economy, there are new rules for personal branding, especially on the job search.Traditionally, your personal brand is the absolute best of yourself. It is purposefully unique and encompasses the kind of problems you solve, the way that you get things done, the situations that you excel in and the types of organizations you build. It is your values and your personality its the very best of you.Yet today, in the job search, the brand that you worked so hard to develop just doesnt cut it any more.Your personal brand needs a few new rules.Rule 1 Your brand is not about you. As counterintuitive as that sounds, your brand is not about you. Rather, it is about the value you deliver externally. Its a ll about your audience their challenges, their needs, their dreams and how you can get them there.Rule 2 Your brand is different for every opportunity. In the same way that you adapt to different situations, your brand needs change for every opportunity. It will emphasize different strengths, experiences and capabilities based on your audience (and their challenges, needs and dreams).Rule 3 You need to be their Super Hero. Feel free to laugh at the name, but lets be clear, the goal of your personal brand is convey a direct and concise story about how you will be the organizations Super Hero. That is, how you will defeat their challenges and enact the change that they are desperate to make.Rule 4 The burden is on you. Todays economy combined with the extreme time pressure hiring managers feel means that you, the job seeker, have to do all the heavy lifting. It is not up to them to put the pieces of the puzzle together and see your value, rather it is up to you to identify and communi cate it in a clear and concise manner.What does this look like in the real world?Becoming an organizations Super Hero isnt as hard at it sounds. The first step is to self-reflect and consciously craft your traditional personal brand. Youll need to nurture a strong self-awareness of how you contribute to an organization, as well as a comprehensive understanding of your flaws and challenges.Then, you need to forget about all of that Go ahead, let it go.Now that youve let go, start thinking about a specific opportunity that you are interested in. Look at it from the vantage point of the company. What are their challenges? What is their ideal candidate profile? The skills, the characteristics, the experience? To be most effective, literally write out a description of their perfect candidate by cross referencing the job description, the company website, their mission statement, press coverage and any connections you have to the organization that can give you insight.Finally, once you hav e a clear picture of their ideal candidate, take your personal brand and pour it into the mold of their ideal candidate. Focus on what they want in a candidate (not necessarily what you think is most impressive about you) and adapt your strengths and experience to accordingly.Distill this down to a single sentence and youve reached your goal - Your Super Hero Story. This sentence, your Super Hero Story, is your personal brand. It is a litmus test for everything about your application. Does everything on your resume support your Super Hero Story? Is your cover letter an expansion of your Super Hero Story? Does the outfit you wear to the interview reflect your Super Hero Story? It is literally your job search compass. In the job search, and in life, you simply cant afford to be focused on yourself. You need to relate your personal brand to the world, and to every opportunity you are interested in. The burden is on you. How will you be an organizations super hero?

Science explains why the office window seat is so coveted

Science explains why the office window seat is so covetedScience explains why the office window seat is so covetedGetting the seat by the office window is a coveted prize, and now science backs up why we want it so much. According to a new daylight study conducted by Cornell UniversitysDr. Alan Hedge, our proximity to natural light can boost our productivity.Workers in window seats dont get as drowsy or as much eye fatigueColleagues with window seats have a competitive advantage over their other colleagues.The study found that we thrive in sunlight and we shrivel up underneath fluorescent lights. Hedge found that people in optimized natural light with close access to windows were less likely to experience the side effects of digital eye strain that comes from looking at computers for too long.Where you sit can determine how focused youre going to be at work. Workers close to windows were 51% less likely to experience eyestrain and were 63% less likely to get tension headaches. Being close to natural light also boosted workers energy. Employees in optimized light reported a 56% decrease in drowsiness.close dialog Advertisementclose dialog/* effects for .bx-campaign-1012257 *//* custom css .bx-campaign-1012257 */.bx-custom.bx-campaign-1012257.bx-type-agilityzone .bx-close z-index 2-ms-keyframes bx-anim-1012257-spin from -ms-transform rotate(0deg) to -ms-transform rotate(360deg) -moz-keyframes bx-anim-1012257-spin from -moz-transform rotate(0deg) to -moz-transform rotate(360deg) -webkit-keyframes bx-anim-1012257-spin from -webkit-transform rotate(0deg) to -webkit-transform rotate(360deg) keyframes bx-anim-1012257-spin from transform rotate(0deg) to transform rotate(360deg) bx-close-inside-1012257 top 0 right 0 /* KD - Remove padding from video wrappe r and set height to 100% */.bx-custom.bx-campaign-1012257 .bx-row-video .bx-video-wrapper padding-top 0important height 100%.bx-custombx-campaign-1012257 bx-creative-1012257 .bx-wrap height auto/* KD - Change positioning to static as that was not necesaary and here you can adjust the height of the video element */.bx-custom.bx-campaign-1012257 .bx-row-video .bx-video-wrapper video position static/* rendered styles .bx-campaign-1012257 */.bxc.bx-campaign-1012257.bx-active-step-1 .bx-creative *first-child width 100%.bxc.bx-campaign-1012257.bx-active-step-1 .bx-creative background-color transparentborder-style nonemax-width 900px.bxc.bx-campaign-1012257.bx-active-step-1 .bx-close stroke whitebackground-color blackborder-style solidborder-color whiteborder-width 1px.bxc.bx-campaign-1012257 .bx-group-1012257-AFvXBOB padding 10pxdisplay blockwidth auto.bxc.bx-campaign-1012257 .bx-element-1012257-J0EiS8Y width auto.bxc.bx-campaign-1012257 .bx-element-1012257-J0EiS8Y *first-c hild padding 2px 4pxfont-size 10pxcolor rgb(255, 255, 255)text-transform uppercasebackground-color rgb(0, 0, 0)background-color rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.34)When you block an employees access to a nice view, you are hurting their performance. Productivity gains (and losses) are connected to employees environmental conditions, so companies that create ideal office environments with abundant natural light and unobstructed outdoors views will reap the dividends, the study concludes.Sunlight is natures balm to computer vision. Natural light helps our eyes recover and relax after we put them through the strain of artificial light. Unfortunately, too many of us stay in our enclosed, artificially-lit office buildings all day. We spend 90% of our time indoors, according to the Environmental Protection Agency.And that not only affects our productivity, but also our brainpower. One study found that indoor lighting makes it harder for us to learn and remember tasks.Unfortunately, some of us are stuck wi th assigned seats that take the question of a prime window seat out of our hands. If youre among the employees working away from a window, take breaks and go get your dose of natural light outside. Your eyes will thank you.

Post-Interview Thank-You Notes

Post-Interview Thank-You NotesPost-Interview Thank-You NotesYou just nailed your job interview. Youre feeling optimistic about the company being a good fit for you and your career goals, and you got a good vibe from the hiring manager. Time to sit tight and wait, right? Wrong. Dont underestimate the value of post-interview thank-you musiknotenzeichens.Results from a new Accountemps survey show your effort wont be for naught. Eighty percent of managers said they take post-interview thank-you notes into account when deciding who to hire. But only 24 percent of candidates theyve interviewed send such messages.See our infographic, A Little Thanks Goes a Long Way, for more survey data.So your work isnt done. You need to maximize this window of opportunity and prove youre the best candidate for the job using your written communication skills, professionalism and attention to good manners.Here are five tips to ensure youre crafting the kind of post-interview note that will help bring you up a notch in the hiring managers eyes1. Act immediately with your thank-you noteThink you rocked your job interview? Keep up the good work. Most hiring managers say they appreciate hearing from a candidate within 24 hours. Sending a thank-you note as soon as you get home not only allows you to show genuine interest in the job, but it also helps keep you on the managers radar.2. Use the right mediumIn the survey, 94 percent of the managers said an email is an appropriate medium for expressing thanks, followed by 86 percent who said a handwritten note is acceptable and 56 percent who are fine with a phone call. A mere 7 percent of respondents said a thank you through social media was acceptable, with 5 percent who wouldnt mind a text message.Looking for a temporary job? Work with our recruitersACCOUNTING JOBSSEND US YOUR RESUME3. Be your own cheerleaderYour thank-you message is a good place to reiterate briefly what you admire about the company and its mission. Its also the ideal time to review your strengths as they relate to the position. For instance, if the manager mentioned that the firm would be moving to a different software program that youre an expert in, mention it.4. Keep it simpleKeep your thank-you note short and simple by following the three-paragraph rule. In the first paragraph, thank your interviewer and reiterate your interest in the position. In the second, emphasize your skills and the value you would add to the company. Finally, clarify anything you feel wasnt adequately addressed in the interview and briefly add any important information about yourself that didnt come up. A good target length is 200 words.5. ProofreadNothing makes a candidate look worse than misspelling the managers name or giving him an incorrect title. So make sure you double-check all your facts and proofread the note for any other spelling and grammatical errors before hitting send. Also, make sure your thank-you note has a positive, upbeat tone, and edit out any informa l language. Finally, ask a friend or family member to proofread it. A second set of eyes in behauptung situations can be invaluable.One of the benefits of email is immediacy, and like a hand-written note sent through the mail, it reminds the hiring manager of your qualification, reinforces your enthusiasm for the position and expresses appreciation for the opportunity.A positive job interview will certainly put you in a good position when youre applying for a new job, but it doesnt guarantee that youll get the job offer. How you manage your time after the interview can give you the edge - so make the most of it.

Why People Arent Talking About Restaurant Server Resume

Why People Arent Talking About Restaurant Server Resume The very first step should always be receiving your resume in order. A process server should be an individual with tons of patience and the capability to take care of stress. The benefit of employing a complete backup is that every one of the data on your hard disk is backed up and can be readily restored. The main benefit of using remote backup is you could access your data a good deal simpler and restore your data when ever you should. Whats Actually Happening with Restaurant Server Resume Though most job seekers have a tough time understanding what font of numbers they can increase their work experience section, there are in fact a couple opportunities to achieve that. Youll also discover I have included two or three references from my final job and in the event you require any from my existing job please dont hesitate to ask. So sometimes you will need help. Your resume must immediately tell the employer which you are somebody who will choose the work seriously. When writing bullet points its important to go beyond just your duties at work. To make a productive objective for the server resume is to understand what the employer is searching for in the most suitable person for the position. You dont require an objective. Writing the ideal industry service industry objective or summary can be complicated. Restaurant Server Resume No Longer a Mystery Sometimes it isnt enough to just study the menu. If you enjoy the plan on our site, please dont be afraid to visit again and get inspiration about Resume Template in our site. Restaurants can become very busy, very quickly, and a superb server must have the ability to keep up. Managing a bar may be an extremely rewarding experience. Remember that in the event that you have any certifications, including a Certification in Food Handling and Safety, you should put it at the peak of your resume. Food is among the simple human needs. Servers a lso finish an assortment of other job duties too. A restaurant server might be a guy or a woman, as its a gender-neutral term. If you would like to apply as a restaurant server, you might utilize ourA Sample ResumesA and utilize it like a guide in making your own. A restaurant server resume ought to be focused on the abilities and individual attributes the candidate possesses. It is a representative of the brand of the restaurant and needs to make sure that the reputation of the restaurant does not get tainted. The waiter resume example can be readily adapted to clearly show your private experience. You have to make your resume say very clearly that you are that type of server Resumes are definitely the most important portion of obtaining a job once it comes to jobs related to serving like a waiter, waitress, food servers when least number of technical skills is necessary. Your final goal is going to be to offer high-quality service which will help us maintain and attract cus tomers. Your capacity to keep yourself focused and on task is crucial to your success for a food server. In an identical way that youre predicted to market the best offerings of the fine dining restaurant, its also wise to emphasize the abilities and qualifications that make you the ideal candidate for the job. For example, how you would address a hard to get along with coworker in a specific circumstance. In some instances, you can consist of things besides direct work experience on a server resume. The environment tends to be quite fluid and a part-time role can quickly become a full-time way of life. For the server jobs, it isnt common but nevertheless, its possible. The job of a server is among the entry points in the restaurant business but its the most challenging one. Furthermore, a process server can need to extensively start looking for somebody that doesnt desire to get found. An outstanding server resume should therefore emphasize not merely your hard skills about the hospitality sector but in addition your soft skills.

The Number One Article on Acting Resume

The Number One Article on Acting Resume The Basics of Acting Resume If you dont have an agent, you should list your private contact info. When it is affordable and feasible that you accomplish this, seek out reputable Acting Agents in you area and see whether you can work out a beneficial thing. Our Acting resume sample will surely help you discover the role you desire. It resumes should not follow the approach that is usually required for resumes in other fields. New Questions About Acting Resume In addition, you can look for acting jobs on Monster. Child Acting Resumes must be equally as competitive as any other in the business. The Child Acting Resume Template welches generally created for anybody who can perform a child actor. It is an especially harrowing career, but if you approach it like a genuine career, you should have a much better chance of success. The clean and easy design of Premium Resume by CodePower lets you receive all the attention. List any special skills youve got. Technical Skills There are many varieties of acting techniques that are used by actors on a normal basis. Resume templates from Envato Elements are simple to customize, and that means you can showcase your performing experience and distinctive skills. The Lost Secret of Acting Resume When youre an actor, particularly during the early phases of your career, you want to discover strategies to stand out. Therefore, if your latest experience was in film, then all your film experience is going to be written on top, even if some of that experience may be older than your television or theater experience. As for the particular structure of the acting resume, it actually is rather easy. Seek out the very best teacher for your nature and temperament and you could possibly be rewarded with an enduring and very valuable working relationship. Top Choices of Acting Resume You have to remember therell be several such aspiring actors who have precisely the same dreams and aspirations. Write no more than what you have done and dont attempt to exaggerate your abilities and generate a false impression of yourself. You have to come across any sort of acting work readily available to you, whatever the price or absence of it, and perform to the best of your ability. With acting resumes, its not only about the work experience which you have, but also about other exceptional abilities and talents that you might have. What Does Acting Resume Mean? Casting directors spend lots of time casting for extras, also referred to as background actors. They request a resume whenever you want to be considered for a role. An excellent acting resume will be tailored to every new job which arises and will be centered on the form of acting required of the job thats advertised. Your professional acting resume ought to be connected to the rear of your 8x10 headshot. Our resume builder will provide you with tips and examples on the best way to compose your resume sum mary. Every one of the following resume templates can readily be customized to make a resume for actors and let them stick out from the competition. In case you have any questions, dont hesitate to schmelzglas us Read along and youre going to attain the knowledge required to compose your very own Oscar-winning resume. You should be aware that a great deal of resumes are screened by software that looks for keywords linked to the job which youre applying for. As a consequence, no 2 resumes will look the exact same.

How Internships for College Credits Work

How Internships for College Credits WorkHow Internships for College Credits WorkBy definition, an internshipis a supervised learning experience under the tutelageof a schooled professional. The training received at the office or business site of theinternship should be similar to the training/education received in the classroom. Therefore, college leistungspunkt is often provided to students instead of actual payment. However, its not unheard of for interns to receivecollege credit for completing an internship and to be financially compensated by their employer. Is There a Limit? Depending on the schools policy, students can usually earn between one and six college credits after participating in an internship, but its mora common to receiveone credit point than six credit points. Employers often ask they can provide college credit for interns, but thats a misconception. The role of the business is singular Its to be an on-siteteacher and educator operating in the world of busines s, not academia. Who Decides? Its a big misconception about college credit for internships that the company can decide whether the internship is for credit and not for credit. Technically, its the students university or college that can decide if the student is eligible to receive college credit or not. The decision is based solely on school policy as well as the criteria of that students major, and whether or not the student has already participated in an internship and received college credit. That said, if a student is eligible, you as the business professional should do all you can to help the student receive school credit. Its worth noting that nearly every college and university limits the number of internships that a student can do for college credit. Otherwise, college students would likely spend more time doing internships than attending class. How to Get College Credit To receive college credit for an internship, students have guidelines on how many hours they must participate in the internship throughout the semester. For example, at the University of Connecticut, students must intern 300 hours throughout the semester to receive one college credit. Students work with either the office of their specific major or the general campus career center to learn about and receive internship credit. The specific department within their major or the career center requires the employer to fill out paperwork beforehand that explains the role and responsibilities of the intern at the sponsoring company. The school also requires one or two evaluations to take place throughout the internship. Also, the sponsoring manager needs to fill out paperwork regarding the students performance and specificallydetail the new skills acquired. Because internships are considered learning experiences, when students take on unpaid internships, it only makes sense that they seek out college credit as a way to becompensated for the timetheyve spent and thework theyveperformed. Paid interns are also eligible for college credit.

This weird research-backed, goals-setting hack actually works

This weird research-backed, goals-setting hack actually worksThis weird research-backed, goals-setting hack actually worksOver the past four years, Ive discovered many incredible ways to hack my habits, set better goals, and improve my life. I have taught myself to love running, dramatically improved my diet and found the focus to write a bestselling book. Understanding how the mind works and using it to affect my daily behaviors has yielded tremendous dividends.However, there is one goal thats nagged at me for years that despite my best efforts, Ive never been able to achieve - going to the gym consistently. I hate lifting weights. Hate it. I disdain the strain, the sweat, the smells - all of it. The only thing I like about working out are the results. Unfortunately, theres no way to enjoy the benefits of going to the gym without, you know, actually going to the gym.Thats not to say building muscle is all that important. Diet has a much greater impact on body weight and health tha n exercise. But given that Ive already hacked my diet and no longer struggle with eating right, I wanted to finally get to the bottom of this stubborn challenge.Why welches this one goal so hard to set? If I could figure out a way to overcome this challenge, perhaps it would provide insights into how to tackle other difficult to achieve goals.Habits vs. know-hows There is a differenceRecently, it seems habits are everywhere. A slew of new books, not to mention countless blog posts and apps, guarantee a whole new you by harnessing the power of habits. However, almost all of behauptung well intentioned authors promise too much. Many over-prescribe habits as a solution to problems they just cant fix.So what are habits, really? According to Dr. Benjamin Gardner, a psychologist focusing on habit research at Kings College London, habit works by generating an impulse to do a behavior with little or no conscious thought. Habits are simply how the brain learns to do things without deliberat ion. These impulses can be put to good use, but only certain behaviors can become habits.Building a habit is relatively simple - just harness the impulse. For new habits to take hold, provide a clear trigger, make the behavior easy to do, and ensure it occurs frequently. For example, by completely removing unhealthy food from my home and eating the same thing every morning, my diet became a healthy habit. I extracted the decision making process out of what I eat at home.However, if the behavior requires a high degree of intentionality, effort, or deliberation, it is not a habit. Although proponents of habits tout them as miracle cures for doing things wed rather not do, Im sorry to say thats snake oil. All sorts of tasks arent habits and never will be. By definition, doing things that are effortful arent habits.Unfortunately, this means behaviors that require hard work and deliberate practice arent good candidates for habit-formation. For example, although I make time for it every day, writing is not a habit. Writing is hard work. If I waited for an impulse to write, Id never do it. To get better at writing requires concentration and directed effort to make sense of the words as they go from the research to my head and then to the screen. Similarly, lifting weights isnt a habit because getting stronger requires working harder.So if these type of behaviors arent habits, what are they? Theyre know-hows. A routine is a series of behaviors regularly practiced. Routines dont care if you feel an urge or not, they just need to get done. When I finally realized I would never succeed at making going to the gym a habit, I began looking for how to establish a routine instead.Now lets get back to the meat of this technique, goal setting.Burn or burn The ultimate goal-setting hackA word of warning. Before I share one technique I used to finally get myself to go to the gym regularly, I need to share a few disclaimers.First, this technique, as effective as it is, can be da ngerous. It is a very good way to get you to do a routine but provides no safeguards against doing the wrong thing again and again. Goal setting will hurt you if you set the wrong goals. If youre doing something counterproductive, this technique will only get you to do more of it. For example, doing tons of sit-ups wont help you (and may actually hurt you) if youre also drinking sugary sodas every day.Second, this method is not good for getting other people to do things. This is for personal use only so dont try and force it on people who have to do what you tell them, like employees or your kids.Finally, this isnt the only method you can use and admittedly this is a rather brute force strain of behavior change. If learning to love a behavior is an option, I recommend trying a different technique. For example, Ive written about finding your MEA your Minimum Enjoyable Action. The MEA method is great for simple behaviors you enjoy doing. I learned to love running because I always enj oyed going on walks. Finding my MEA proved very effective at slowly improving my stamina until running replaced walking as an enjoyable pastime.However, there are certain things we just dont like doing, but we must do anyway. These behaviors require diligence, grit, hard work and consistency. This is where what I call the burn or burn technique comes in.How it worksPick your routine. For me, my routine was hitting the gym.Book your time. Make time in your schedule for the routine. If you dont reserve the time as you would booking an appointment or important meeting, the routine wont happen.Find a crisp $100 bill. Other denominations will work too but it has to be an amount youd hate to lose.Find a lighter.Buy a wall calendar and place it somewhere youll see every day. My calendar is in my closet and its the first thing I see when I get dressed in the morning.Tape the $100 bill to todays date in the calendar and place the lighter somewhere visible near the wall calendar.Now you have a choice to make. Everyday, when the time comes to do your routine, you can chose either option A and do the routine, which in my case was to feel the burn in the gym, or option B and literally burn your money. You cant give the money to someone or buy something with it, you have to set it aflame.Yes, I know its technically illegal to destroy government tender but the reason this technique works is that you should never have to actually burn the money. Instead, the threat of watching your money go up in smoke makes this technique work. Ive been on burn or burn for six months now and I havent burned a bill yet. (UPDATE Im going on 17 months now and still havent burned the bill.)Why it worksAs radical as burn or burn sounds, theres good science to support why its so effective. For one, its no surprise we hate losing money. But why not pay yourself for doing the routine instead of taking money away? Social scientists tell us humans feel the psychological pain of loss twice as powerfull y as the satisfaction of a gain - a phenomenon known as loss aversion.Furthermore, people are notoriously awful at predicting their future actions. Sure, Ill go to the gym tomorrow, Id say, but when tomorrow came, Id find an excuse. The theory of hyperbolic discounting helps explain why what we say we will do in the future is not what we do when the time comes to actually do it. We are present-biased, meaning we fail to properly value benefits we wont realize for some time. These psychological tendencies conspire to keep us from doing the things we know we should.The burn or burn technique works by binding us to a financially painful contract so we cant weasel out of it when the task needs to get done. In fact, a similar technique was shown to be amazingly effective at helping smokers kick their addiction to cigarettes. The study, published in the New England Journal of Medicine, found that when smokers were asked to risk their own money, they were much more likely to quit.Unfortun ately, the researchers in the smoking study found that very few smokers would agree to risk their money. Perhaps these test subjects knew that if they wagered their own cash, theyd have to actually stop smoking, something they likely did not want to do.I too struggled with starting burn or burn because I knew it meant Id have to actually do the uncomfortable work. Then, I finally realized how ridiculous this line of thinking was. Why would I resist a goal setting technique that virtually guaranteed I would accomplish my goal?If I wasnt ready to commit, then I should forget the goal altogether. But if I really wanted it, I should gladly put money on the line to make sure Id do the heavy lifting. After several weeks of difficult deliberation, I finally made my decision. I nailed the calendar to my wall, taped my money to the date, and put my lighter on the shelf where it still sits today and every day.Nirs Note This article on goal setting was originally published in early 2016 but go t such a great reader response that I decided to expand and update it along with adding the video above. Let me know what you think in the comments.This column first appeared on Nir Far.

Youre Underqualified So What

Youre Underqualified So WhatYoure Underqualified - So WhatJob advertisements can be intimidating - especially if youve found one you really want, but feel like your current experience makes you underqualified. But that doesnt mean you shouldnt apply.Applying for a job youre underqualified for - and even getting that job - can have a lot of benefits. When working a job that might binnenseem out of your league, you can break the boredom you once had at a more comfortable job, while giving yourself new challenges and opportunities to advance your career.So what if youre underqualified? Below, weve outlined how you can write your resume to align to your dream jobs description, how to nail the interview (and post-interview), and how to set yourself up for success when you land the position.How to Amp Up Your ResumeExamine the order of qualifications in the job listing. Usually, the most important ones are first. Focus on your skills and qualifications as they relate to the job listin gs first several qualifications.If you lack some of those, try to bridge the gap between those requirements and other experiences you may have that are totenleise related. If you still dont have transferrable skills, determine if any of the qualifications are something you can start working on now, like knowing the ins-and-outs of spreadsheets or a software program.Secondly, determine your experience - whether its from school, volunteer work, an internship or other unpaid work. A potential employer usually will not consider your experience invalid just because it was unpaid. If anything, it may speak to your character that youre passionate enough about your work to do it without pay.You can also consider a chrono-functional resume. If you have skills and qualifications that are more important than your job history, a chrono-functional resume will highlight those skills and experiences over your employment history. This will allow your qualifications to be highlighted instead of bur ied by unrelated work.How to Nail the InterviewWhats the first step to nailing the interview? Thorough preparation.First, research the industry. Are there certain words youre unfamiliar with, programs you havent heard of, or general information you may not know? Conducting as much pre-interview research as you can will go a long way when youre underqualified for the job. If you can show that youre in the know, the job could easily be within your reach regardless of any underqualifications.When interviewing for a job youre underqualified for, figure out what makes you unique. What do you bring to the table that may be beneficial to the company and will make you stand out among other applicants? Determine what those additive skills are.Do you have any personal contacts who could be beneficial to the company? Or, do you have a certain skill set that the company hasnt considered but would benefit from? Discuss those additional skills that could potentially outweigh qualifications you do nt have.Also come prepared with a portfolio. If an interviewer isnt totally convinced that youre qualified, letting them actually see your work can put you in a different light and show that you hold the necessary abilities to do the job.Learn about preparing questions to ask during an interview How to Stay Relevant Post-InterviewNow, its the waiting game. Even hours after an interview, its hard not to sit by the phone or computer waiting for that call or email even though you know it could be weeks before you hear back.So, the next most important part of this job process - especially if youre underqualified - is to stay relevant and top-of-mind to the hiring manager.Within 24 hours of the interview, email a thank-you note to your interviewers. This will put you in a positive light, but remember to keep it modest. You can also send a handwritten note, between one to three days after the interview or the follow-up email, if you send one.Lastly, continue your research. If youre call ed in for a second interview, youll be able to show that youre still passionate about the job when coming in with more information than before. Additional research will also allow you to ask more questions you may not have thought to ask during the first interview.How to Be Successful at Your New JobThe first few days (and even weeks) at a new job are always the hardest, especially if its full of tasks and knowledge that seem a bit over your head. But dont fret just yet.If you were hired for a job you first thought you were underqualified for, remember that you were hired for a reason. Many companies go through a rigorous hiring process before deciding on one person - and you are that person.Also remember to be confident, as self-doubt can do a number on your performance in the workplace and can be potentially visible to supervisors and lead to negative consequences. Take that feeling of being underqualified and channel it in a positive manner like pushing yourself to be in uncomfo rtable settings, learning new things, or asking new coworkers questions. Online courses, mentors and additional research can also help you gain confidence in new, uncomfortable work environments.Build an Impressive ResumeWith the right resume, you can elevate yourself to the top of the resume pile, even if you are underqualified.Create a resume that will land you at the top of the pile - and get you the job